Chapter 122: Tang Clan's Paper Flower

The woman suddenly produced something from within her bosom.

She gripped a long, thin cylinder, aiming it directly at Tang Nanah. A string attached to the back end was held tautly in her other hand.

Qing had no idea what the specific object was.

But as someone from the modern world, her instincts screamed that any long cylinder being aimed pointedly at someone signified extreme danger.

Startled, Qing reacted instantly, shoving Tang Nanah aside while simultaneously reaching out towards the cylinder herself.

Tang Nanah, however, recognized the device immediately.

It was a type of hidden weapon known as a Needle Tube.

It functioned using the stored tension of stretched leather or animal tendons to fire a volley of small needles held within. On their own, the needles typically lacked lethal force.

The real danger, naturally, lay in the fact that the needles were invariably coated with potent poison.

As Nanah tumbled backward from Qing's push, her world spinning, she saw Qing stepping forward into the line of fire. She also saw a hand, imbued with a faint sunset-colored energy, extending protectively from beneath Qing’s surprisingly wide hip structure (relative to her overall frame).

Tang Nanah screamed a desperate warning:

“Run aw—!”

But it was far too late.

THWACK!

The sharp sound of high tension releasing, like thick leather snapping.

Simultaneously, thousands of minuscule, almost invisible objects sprayed forward, reflecting briefly off Qing’s outstretched palm before scattering outwards, sweeping the area directly in front of her like a deadly storm.

In that moment of heightened concentration, the world seemed to slow for Qing. She perceived the tiny, broken fragments of fine needles embedding themselves into the assassin’s body with a rapid pata-pata-pata sound. The woman’s skin rippled visibly under the impact as she was violently pushed backward, seeming to almost float into the air from the force.

Then, the normal flow of time snapped back into place. The woman, flung backward by the deflected needle storm, collided hard with the nearby door frame and tumbled limply to the ground.

Tang Nanah, having completed one and a half rolls from her initial seated position, sprang back to her feet with practiced agility and immediately grabbed Qing’s wrist.

“Hey! You! What the hell were you doing?! Do you even realize what that thing was?!”

She shrieked, pulling Qing’s outstretched hand directly in front of her own face, examining it frantically, kneading the fingers and palm while her eyes darted rapidly, searching for any sign of injury.

“Relax, it’s okay,” Qing reassured her calmly. “I deflected them all.”

“You absolute idiot!” Nanah snapped, still panicked. “What if even one of those poisoned needles had actually hit you?!”

She pulled Qing’s palm even closer, almost burying her nose in it, continuing to rub and probe meticulously, scanning for the slightest scratch or puncture.

But the White Hand generated by her Demonic Arts wasn't nearly soft enough to be pierced by mere fine needles, poisoned or otherwise.

“What the…?” Qing pointed towards the now-fallen assassin with her free hand. “Looks like she was trying to die anyway, huh?”

The woman was a horrific sight. Something resembling countless cactus spines—the deflected poisoned needles—were chaotically embedded all over her exposed skin and clothing.

Dark spots—black, blue, and purple—were already spreading rapidly across her skin. Blood trickled from her mouth, nose, and ears. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, the whites having turned entirely red.

“Eldest… Senior Brother…” the assassin choked out, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m… sorry… Couldn’t… avenge you…”

“Is that really important right now?!”

Tang Nanah yelled, utterly preoccupied with examining Qing’s hand, paying absolutely no attention to the dying assassin.

Seeing the assassin still managing to glare venomously in their direction even in her final moments, Qing offered her a small, cheerful wave with her uncaptured hand, a polite smile to see off the dying.

“Kuhak!”

At this final, dismissive gesture, the woman’s eyes bulged wide. She vomited a large gout of dark blood, and then her eyes glazed over completely, life extinguished.

It was, in its own way, a truly fitting end for such a high-spirited, dedicated assassin.

In carrying out her suicide mission, she had at least clearly articulated the reason why her target (Nanah) supposedly deserved to die—a form of preaching, one might argue, that didn’t withhold enlightenment even from an enemy.

Furthermore, even while dying after failing her mission, she had persisted in trying to kill the interferer (Qing) with sheer willpower, shooting venomous glares until her very last breath—truly an admirable display of professional spirit.

However, what she apparently didn’t know was that hateful glares possess no actual kinetic energy and thus cannot physically kill people. This unfortunate lack of knowledge must surely stem from the fact that the study of physics in the Central Plains was still at a remarkably primitive level.

Of course, if the assassin hadn’t wasted her last breath shouting “Nemesis of the Eldest Senior Brother! DIEEE!”, her intended target, Tang Nanah, likely wouldn't have been alerted in time to even attempt dodging the poisoned needles.

But such pronouncements were apparently an irresistible, mandatory component for those embarking on missions of vengeance.

If one could simply give up the inherent emotional satisfaction of ensuring their target knew exactly why they were dying and force them to regret their past actions… well, would they have bothered infiltrating the heart of enemy territory to launch a desperate, suicidal hidden weapon attack in the first place? Probably not.

After meticulously examining Qing’s palm one last time, searching for even the slightest scratch as small as a downy feather, Tang Nanah finally let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

Then, she immediately turned on Qing, shouting furiously,

“That was incredibly dangerous! Who in their right mind tries to block something like that with their bare hand, no matter how confident they are in their Hand Arts?!”

“Uh… Me?” Qing offered helpfully.

“Is that supposed to be a real answer?!” Tang Nanah shrieked, her earlier fear instantly replaced by pure rage.

Her glare was fierce.

So Qing prudently decided not to mention the faint stinging sensation she now felt in her side.

Hmm. Looks like maybe something sharp did get through slightly during the chaos, she thought. But whatever. It’s not like poison affects me anyway. Probably just feels like getting stuck by a couple of thorns.

Yunnan Province, located far to the southwest, is primarily inhabited by two major ethnic groups.

One group is the Bai people, said to be descendants of the former Dali Kingdom [^(Nanzhao/Dali were independent kingdoms based in Yunnan from the 8th-13th centuries)].

Their name, ‘Bai’ (White), stems from the ethnic group’s almost fanatical cultural preference for the color white—their traditional clothing is predominantly white, their ideal houses are white, their Buddhist temples are white, even their historical palaces were apparently white.

They were often evaluated by Central Plains folk as simple country bumpkins for preferring plain white over the traditionally auspicious color purple, but at least they weren't typically classified as outright barbarians.

Furthermore, the Bai people possessed a source of immense pride, self-esteem, and honor: the renowned Diancang Sect.

This sect inherited the ancient Daoist lineage while also uniquely incorporating elements of local Dali Bai Buddhism, effectively straddling both traditions as half-Daoist and half-Buddhist. Despite this syncretism, the Diancang Sect was recognized as one of the legitimate symbols of the Orthodox martial world, counted among the prestigious Nine Sects and One Union [^- The major alliance of Orthodox sects)].

Consequently, it was the ambition of nearly all Bai parents to send their children to train at the Diancang Sect, regardless of whether the child possessed actual martial talent or not.

Thanks to this steady influx of hopefuls, the Diancang Sect, which could afford to cherry-pick only the most truly elite talents from an entire ethnic group as its disciples, enjoyed continued prosperity and had a solid path laid out for its future.

And the other major ethnic group residing in Yunnan was the Miao people.

If Qing had heard the name, she might have thought, Wait… could it be…? based on certain stereotypes from her original world. But in reality, the Miao people here were simply an ethnic group possessing physical characteristics somewhat closer to those found among Southeast Asian populations.

The Miao were often counted among the most despised ‘barbarian’ groups by the Central Plains Han majority, stereotyped as being short, having 'plump' or sturdy body shapes, and possessing skin tones considered either too dark or too yellow.

Surprisingly, they thrived living deep within the humid, often treacherous, southern jungles. The infamous Five Poison Sect and the more reclusive Southern Barbaric Beast Palace were both sects primarily associated with the Miao people.

Among these two, the Southern Barbaric Beast Palace sect actually cared very little about the outside world or its politics.

They were generally content frolicking deep within their jungles alongside their slightly ferocious 'pets'—tigers, bears, leopards, and the like—paying scant attention to events occurring beyond their forest borders.

They were reportedly also a sect frequently visited by eccentric animal lovers from the Central Plains seeking exotic companions.

The Five Poison Sect, however, was entirely different.

They were a group of rather ridiculous individuals, burning with a fervent sense of historical mission: to reclaim their ancient ancestral lands. They claimed that in the distant past, long, long ago—in truly ancient times—the Miao people had been the undisputed masters of the vast Dongting Lake region [^(Large lake in modern Hunan province, far east of Yunnan)]. This belief fueled their enduring desire for vengeance and reclamation.

As such, up until just a month ago, Hu Zhenchi, the current Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, had been living each day with his heart full, eagerly anticipating the imminent success of his plan to finally reclaim his people’s ancestral domain.

If everything went well, even if they couldn't reach Dongting Lake itself immediately, the Miao people could at least successfully advance into and establish a foothold within Sichuan province.

It was also, incidentally, a perfect opportunity to quench the deep-seated resentment of their ancestors by killing large numbers of those hateful descendants of the original Han invaders who had driven them south centuries ago.

Anyway, Hu Zhenchi had rationalized, Dongting Lake is technically part of the Yangtze River system.

And four major tributaries of the Yangtze flow right through Sichuan! Surely the ancestors would accept reclaiming control over those as a worthy substitute? Close enough, right?

And so, his most trusted disciples had been dispatched to carry out the crucial first phase of this great task—the Oyangjeuk operation.

But they had come back utterly, devastatingly defeated.

The damage inflicted upon his elite First-Grade Disciples was especially severe.

The Eldest Senior Brother of the First Grade was dead. The second, third, fifth, sixth, and ninth First-Grade disciples were also dead.

Moreover, there had been absolutely no news regarding the fate of his own beloved daughter, Hyeop-ah, who had rushed out seeking vengeance after hearing of her martial siblings’ deaths—

“Terrible news! Hyeop-ah! Hyeop-ah has…!” a disciple burst in, reporting breathlessly.

“What about Hyeop-ah?!” Hu Zhenchi demanded urgently. “Where is she now?!”

“Well, that is…”

And just moments ago, Hu Zhenchi, the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, had finally learned the fate of his beloved daughter, the Fourth Disciple of the First Grade.

It was horrific news. She had apparently failed in an assassination attempt right in the heart of the Tang Clan compound. And then… her naked corpse had been publicly displayed, hung ignominiously on the main street of Sichuan Province’s capital city.

“These… these bastards!” Hu Zhenchi roared, trembling with grief and rage. “These absolute wretches, who deserve to be pickled and fermented into wine! What possible wrong did my Xia’er commit to deserve such…! How… how could they do such a thing!”

Attempting assassination within another clan’s territory was, objectively, a very great wrong indeed.

Of course, to a father consumed by the loss of his daughter, such details were utterly trivial.

A chilling, deep blue resentful poison seemed to gleam in Hu Zhenchi’s eyes.

“…Convey a message to the Great One [^(- Likely refers to a powerful, mysterious backer or ally)]. Tell him… if he can make it possible for me to brew wine using the severed heads of those Tang Clan bastards… I will do absolutely anything in my power.”

Back in Chengdu, the Tang Clan Lord, Tang Touzhong, was also practically jumping up and down in fury.

His most precious, beloved daughter had been brazenly attacked right in the heart of his own noble clan’s territory!

Of course, by some heavenly fortune, the clan’s mysterious benefactor (Qing) had been present with her at the time, so the attack was thwarted without Nanah suffering any actual harm.

However! The fact remained that an assassin hadn’t even bothered trying to conceal her identity, infiltrating the clan compound with the clear determination to die together with her target, even going so far as to disguise herself as a patient to launch an attack within the supposedly secure walls of the Tang Clinic!

It was a horrific, unbelievably audacious atrocity—the kind of underhanded tactic that even the notoriously unscrupulous Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wouldn't typically resort to!

At the emergency Tang Clan Elders’ Conference convened immediately afterward, Tang Touzhong raised the primary agenda item, his voice thick with the metaphorical scent of blood.

“We can no longer tolerate this blatant provocation! We must completely eradicate the Five Poison Sect, down to the last root!”

They had been overly indulgent until now, mostly ignoring the Five Poison Sect’s unilateral claims of being rivals or competitors, finding their posturing almost cute.

After all, they were just a bunch of country bumpkins messing around with poisons in some remote corner of the southern jungles. If they had been located closer to Tang territory, they would have been slapped down decisively long ago. But their remote location, coupled with the inherent dangers of navigating the treacherous southern jungles (something the Tang Clan’s own poison collectors knew all too well), had led the Tang Clan to simply leave them alone.

However, the head of a major family, responsible for the lives and future of an entire clan, should not rashly decide to launch a full-scale military campaign based purely on personal emotions like revenge.

That was why the Tang Clan’s oldest, most respected Elder, the Grand Clan Lord Tang Jae-un [^Grand Elder/Retired Clan Head)], finally opened his mouth to speak.

Even the current Clan Lord had no choice but to listen attentively to the opinion of the Grand Clan Lord, who typically remained silent during meetings specifically to maintain the authority of the current Clan Lord.

“They dared,” the Grand Clan Lord stated simply, his voice deceptively soft but carrying immense weight, “to target our Ah-ah. Crush them. Utterly. Thoroughly. Ensure that such an incident can never happen again.”

(It should perhaps be noted that the Grand Clan Lord Tang Jae-un’s entire existence in his old age seemed primarily devoted to enjoying the cute antics and aegyo of his beloved granddaughter, Tang Nanah.)

“That’s right!” the Chief Steward [^(Official managing clan warehouses/logistics)] immediately chimed in enthusiastically. “Given the already unstable times, it would be best to use up all the Fire Bombs we have in storage and simply blow them away completely! It’s not a good time to be keeping such volatile materials stockpiled anyway!”

The Tang Clan currently possessed plenty of raw materials, thanks to secretly embezzling resources from nearby saltpeter mines, and they certainly had enough wealth to purchase sulfur.

So, why not make gunpowder?

Any true man who didn’t seize such an opportunity should have his little pepper removed immediately!

Because gunpowder was, fundamentally, a substance that all real men naturally aspired to possess and utilize.

However, the amount of gunpowder they had gradually, secretly accumulated over the years had reached… quite a substantial quantity. It had become awkward, even dangerous, to keep so much hidden.

It was an amount that couldn’t possibly be overlooked, even by the relatively ineffective, paper-tiger-like local government offices.

In fact, because those very same government offices were actively trying to increase their own gunpowder production specifically as a countermeasure against powerful martial artists and clans, discovering the Tang Clan’s massive illegal stockpile would cause an even greater uproar.

So, the Chief Steward’s suggestion was essentially twofold: blow the troublesome Five Poison Sect off the map entirely, while simultaneously getting rid of the incriminating evidence of their own illicit gunpowder manufacturing in one fell swoop.

“That’s an excellent idea!” another Elder agreed readily. “Let’s also pour Zhemu powder all over their territory afterward! Rot the very land itself so they can never possibly rebuild!”

“Is merely rotting the land truly sufficient?” countered another, more vicious elder. “This should be an eye for an eye! Those barbaric Miao bastards dared to target Chengdu’s vital water source! Therefore, we should dump Immortal Roux into their primary water sources!”

The high-ranking members of a Great Clan were, when it came down to it, ultimately just a large gathering of powerful, privileged relatives.

And since someone had dared to attack the most beloved, most spoiled girl in the entire Tang Clan, there was absolutely no one present inclined towards restraint; everyone was busy trying to one-up each other by proposing even more vicious and thorough methods of retaliation.

As such, the consensus quickly shifted towards a plan involving poisoning and utterly wiping out the entire city or region that served as the Five Poison Sect’s primary foundation.

And so, the Tang Clan roused its formidable spirit, preparing once again, after a long period of relative peace, to engrave its famously ruthless family motto upon the consciousness of the Central Plains:

Repay kindness twofold, and grudges tenfold.

However, unfortunately for their vengeful plans, the entire operation was abruptly thwarted.

It was due to an unexpected official announcement, borrowing the full authority of an Imperial Edict, delivered personally by the Imperial Censor (Gamchalbu Doeosa [^(High-ranking inspector general from the Censorate)]) who had traveled down from the capital specifically to investigate the recent, highly suspicious death of an imperial family member (Jayu's faked one).

The announcement declared: