“Are you still that far behind?”

“Do it! Do it already! Hurry up!”

“What about the Kung Pao chicken? I told you to make it a while ago, didn’t I? Where is it?”

The people in the Sichuan Tang family were in a desperate battle.

“Didn’t you say it was for 5 people? It seems like we are making it for more than twenty people, and you want me to make more at this pace?”

“Don’t say that. Just one person was eating it all!”

“All of this?”

“Yes.”

“Huhu. Does he have some ghost attached to him?”

The chefs’ hands began to chop the vegetables faster. And among those chefs, a man stepped into the place very naturally.

Seeing his attire, the chefs placed the food bowls and the bottles on the tray.

“Hurry it! Carry this before it cools down!”

“Yes!”

The man who had his head bowed down and his face concealed, took the tray of food away. He walked out of the kitchen and glanced around as he shoved something into his hand.

He took out a large bottle and a small bottle and then checked them.

-he likes to drink.

And he sprinkled the powder in the small bottle evenly on the chicken and then poured the liquid into the alcohol bottle.

And with an innocent face, he began to calmly walk, pushing the tray forward.

Arriving at the place where the Mount Hua disciples were, he coughed slightly and went inside without delay.

“F-food is here!”

“…again?”

“I don’t know if you eating all of this is great or if the Tang family giving all of this to you is great.”

On the table in the centre, there were numerous empty vessels. The man who brought the food, arranged the vessels full of food in front of Chung Myung and took back the empty ones.

“Kuak. Let’s start again!”

Chung Myung whistled as he raised his chopsticks. Seeing that made Baek Cheon frown.

“Are you seriously going to eat again?”

“Then I will give some to you as well. Have it.”

“Aren’t my words going into your ears? Yah, you bastard! After saying that you have a spar in the afternoon… Is it fine to make your body heavy with all this food?”

“It is fine.”

“Isn’t the food of Mount Hua tasty too? Why is it like you are someone who hasn’t…”

“Sasuk.”

“Huh?”

“That is food.”

“And this?”

“This is cooking.”

“…”

The words were subtly changed, but Baek Cheon could understand what they meant. No matter how generously the meat and the best ingredients were being used, the kitchen of Mount Hua couldn’t be compared with the Tang family.

Weren’t the dishes in the Sichuan Tang family made by the best chefs?

“Uh. Just one bite…”

At that moment, Chung Myung titled his head.

“Uh?”

And he looked to the side.

“Uh, what is this? The smell of trying to kill someone?”

Chung Myung’s eyes fell on the freshly brought alcohol bottle, and he opened the cap to feel the scent coming from it.

Without delay, Chung Myung reached for the drink and gulped it down.

“Kuaaaak!”

“It’s like the sound of someone dying.”

“Still, it is good.”

Chung Myung looked at the bottle with wide eyes.

“Wah, what is with this? It feels like silk against my tongue.”

Baek Cheon approached Chung Myung.

“Then give me one sip…”

“Ehhh! How dare you try to get your hands on the bottle that another person took! I sipped it!”

“… are you really losing it?”

It felt like the martial arts sects were aging backward.

“Ak, this chicken is like art! I want to take all the chefs in here to Mount Hua.”

“Can Mount Hua even hire them?”

“No. But my money can!”

“…”

‘Oh! Holy Heavens!’

‘Why did you drop such a man into Mount Hua?’

Seeing Chung Myung drink and eat everything that was served to him, the man who was waiting there took the empty bowls and left the room.

Gulp gulp gulp.

Chung Myung wiped his lips with his sleeve and smiled.

And leaned back as if he couldn’t move.

“Ah, I overate.”

“See, I told you to not do it.”

“It is fine. I am telling you. I can handle this much.”

Jo Gul frowned as he looked at the table.

“There is some left. It is a waste to send it back; I can eat it…”

Tak!

The chopsticks of Chung Myung hit Jo Gul’s right away.

“…”

“That is mine. Sahyung should have something else.”

“…Uh?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“This is the food the Tang family prepared for me.”

At his weird words, Jo Gul titled his head.

The news that Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon and Tang Hak were going to spar had spread out rapidly throughout the Tang family.

“With Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?”

“Young master Tang Hak will?”

“Ah. What is that? Although Young master Tang Hak isn’t the son of the Lord, isn’t he the best among the young warriors of the Tang family?”

“I agree with that… but it is still Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. Didn’t the Lord also have a disappointing end with Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon the other day?”

“That is what the Lord had. Could it be that they are trying to do something to the young warrior of Mount Hua?”

Everyone had different opinions and thoughts, but everyone wanted to see the battle happen with their own eyes. For that reason, the central training hall where the spar was scheduled to be held was filled with people from the morning.

Seeing the crowd, Tang Hak’s heart began to beat rapidly.

Gulp.

Tang Hak took a deep breath. He calmed his pounding chest and clenched his fists.

It was then.

“There is nothing for you to be nervous about.”

Tang Hak shook his head.

His grandfather, the elder of the family, Tang Woe, walked toward him.

“I greet the great elder.”

“There is no need for all that. Call me grandpa.”

“Yes, grandfather.”

Tang Woe smiled.

“Are you confident?”

“I haven’t been neglecting my training… but the opponent is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon… he is known to be someone who is skilled. To be honest, I am not even sure I can win.”

“Tch tch. You useless child. You mean to say that you are scared of a child who is ten years younger than you?”

“It isn’t that I am scared…”

“Don’t worry.”

“Sorry?”

Tang Woe smiled.

“Would I send my one and only grandson to his defeat? Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon will be drugged, so don’t waste your time and just quickly kill him.”

“How can…”

“Make sure!”

His eyes lit up fiercely, and he continued.

“…he doesn’t live!”

Tang Hak knew what it meant and slowly nodded his head. Eventually, his lips too turned into a mean smile.

“I understand what you mean. Don’t worry. I will make sure to keep him silent forever.”

“Yes. Sometimes poison is needed to get things done.”

The two people looked at each other with nasty smiles.

“If this goes well, you will rise to the position of the young Lord. And then the position of Lord will naturally be handed to you when the time comes.”

“I don’t know how to repay my grandfather’s favor to me.”

“You becoming the Lord is enough repayment for me. The shackles on me will be lifted.”

Tang Woe turned around and looked at the people gathering in the hall.

“Do you see that?”

“Yes.”

“They are all the members of the Tang family. There are so many divisions between even blood brothers here, so how can these many people live as one family?”

“…”

“What a true family head must possess isn’t a soft and kind heart for the family. He needs to be sober in his thoughts and cold in his execution. He should only be able to see the benefits of the family. Make sure to understand this.”

“Yes! Grandfather!”

Tang Woe licked his lips.

‘This is it.’

The report from his subordinate detailing that Chung Myung had taken the poison had reached him a while ago.

‘Even if it is him, he cannot help but be affected by the poison.’

‘The Thousand Days Taken’ was one of the special poisons used in the Tang family. Its characteristics were quite unique. If the two of them weren’t used together, they wouldn’t act as a poison. It was a simple liquid and powder when consumed separately.

But when the two meet in the stomach, they mix and become a poison. And the person who actually takes it has their mind turn clouded as if they were drunk, and they become unable to raise their internal qi.

‘It is the best kind of poison to use on an enemy before going to spar with them.’

The old man smiled and turned his head to see the Tang Lord seated way far from him.

‘That guy is the Lord!’

No matter how much he wanted to support Chung Myung. Did it make sense for the Lord of the Tang family to sit on the side of Mount Hua?

‘I cannot leave the future of this family to someone like him.’

And by the end of today, the Tang family would have a new Lord.

He looked at the disciples of Mount Hua, who were walking slowly toward the stage.

“Here they come!”

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon! Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon!”

The members of the Tang family, who had gathered for the spar, looked at them. They couldn’t boo or cheer for their people.

Because Tang Gunak took the side of Mount Hua, they couldn’t cheer for Mount Hua even though their opponent was Tang Hak.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes! Grandfather!”

“Good. You should go with the flow. Get out there right now!”

“Yes!”

Tang Hak jumped in and proudly stood tall as he looked at the disciples of Mount Hua.

‘This is where I become the Young Lord.’

He had to show his presence today!

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon step ahead. I will face you today and prove that the Tang family is above Wudang and Mount Hua.”

“Woahhhhhh!”

“Yes!”

As expected of the Tang family.

At the dignified words of Tang Hak, the members of the Tang family cheered. There were people who looked at Tang Gunak in fear of his anger, but the man didn’t show any reaction to it.

And the disciples of Mount Hua…

‘Uh?’

‘What are they doing?’

The eyes of the people focused on the disciples of Mount Hua. They must have listened to Tang Gunak, but they were standing in a circle and whispering amongst themselves.

“Really?”

“Is that fine?”

“…no, that…”

“Fine. Fine. It’s totally fine.”

“…then okay.”

After a long talk amongst themselves, a man stepped forward.

People were amazed as they saw the man who walked up the stage with no fear.

“That person is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon! The one who will become the best in the world!”

“What a great… Uh?”

“Is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon a woman?”

Everyone’s faces were stained with embarrassment.

The person who appeared on the stage was a woman in Mount Hua’s robe. Chung Myung’s fame hadn’t spread to Sichuan yet, but that didn’t mean they didn’t know the Divine Dragon was a man.

“Wasn’t he supposed to deal with Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?”

“Who is that woman?”

“No! Are they saying that a woman is going to deal with Young Lord Tang Hak? Are they openly looking down on our family!”

The people began to mumble.

However, no matter how angry they were, they couldn’t be angrier than Tang Hak. The man let out a loud roar of anger.

“What the hell is this supposed to mean!”

He looked at Yu Yiseol, who had come up.

“I have decided to deal with Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. How dare a no-name woman like you come up here?”

“I am Mount Hua’s Yu Yiseol.”

“You don’t seem to understand my words! Where is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?”

At that moment, one of the disciples of Mount Hua came forward.

“Me?”

“…”

Chung Myung came up looking like he was very annoyed for some reason, and seeing that, Tang Hak couldn’t hide his dismay.

“Aren’t you supposed to spar with me?”

“Ah, true, but just do this.”

“What ‘do this’?”

“Tch.”

Chung Myung patted his bloated stomach.

“I ate too much, and I have indigestion.”

“… overate? Are you saying that a warrior ate too much?”

“The Tang family’s food is very delicious.”

“…”

This was absurd. No, it was too ridiculous to even call it absurd.

In the midst of this, what was even more absurd was the presence of Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

‘I see.’

Tang Gunak mumbled and nodded his head.

“Doesn’t Mount Hua have any shame?”

“Seriously, you are so strange. You’re saying that we don’t have shame?”

“What?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“You want to spar with me?”

“…yes.”

“But what is your qualification?”

“…”

Tang Hak’s eyes fluttered.

“I am Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon!”

Chung Myung held out his swollen stomach.

Bounce Bounce

‘Just how much did he have to eat for… no, that isn’t important right now.’

“Am I bragging about my fame with my own mouth? I am not a warrior obsessed with his own fame.”

“What nonsense is that? It seems like you five people seem to think that it is fine to mess around with our family?”

“…”

No, that wasn’t right.

This was the Sichuan Tang family.

“How do you think I got this fame? I got it by running around with my bare feet while sweating like a dog. I was on the verge of death every time. But what now? A spar? From a man whose name I have never even heard of?”

Chung Myung looked at him. He had an expression of ridicule on his face.

“Don’t be fooled. Even a spar requires a minimum qualification. Just saying, ‘Sir who is passing by, accept the spar,’ doesn’t work for someone as obscure as you, even if you are from the Sichuan Tang family!”

Tang Hak, who was unable to make an excuse as he heard that, went silent.

“You seem to think that I got this title by messing around in back alleys. Looks like you misunderstand my hard work. Look at you, being so arrogant and ignorant that you call out my name in such a manner.”

Tang Hak’s face contorted.

Chung Myung then gestured to Yu Yiseol.

“Don’t worry. I am a very generous person. If you can go against our Sago and win, I will deal with you. No, actually, that is annoying…”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“If you win over Sago, it means we lose.”

Tang Hak’s face turned blue.

“Are you telling me to fight a woman?”

“…oh my!”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened, and he said,

“If you want to die, you can just put your head into a water tub. If you want to die from being hit, then…”

“What?”

It was at that moment.

“Are you done?”

Tang Hak turned his head.

Srng.

Yu Yiseol was pulling out her sword.

“If you are done, come fight.”

Tang Hak couldn’t hold back his anger, and his face trembled.

“These… bastards who don’t know their place!”

It was at that moment.

Paaah!

“…”

Tang Hak lowered his head.

He saw the sleeves of his clothes, which had been cut, falling to the floor.

“…”

“You talk too much.”

Tang Hak grunted his teeth at Yu Yiseol’s calm words.

“You… Don’t even think about going down this stage alive.”

The tension between the two warriors built up rapidly.

In that situation, one person mumbled to another.

“Samae, I don’t think you should be talking about someone boasting about themselves too much…”

“Uh? What was that sasuk?”

“No… nothing.”

Baek Cheon slowly turned his head away.