Chapter 1107: It Gives Me The Chills Sometimes (Part 2)

Tang Pae stared blankly at his hand. The empty spoon was twitching twelve times per second in the air.

'Haha…'

His eyes were halfway dead and all light had gone out of them.

Looking around, he saw brothers who had given up on eating with their hands and were putting their faces into their bowls.

If they didn't eat, they couldn't survive it, and scooping rice with their bare hands was impossible, so they just threw away their dignity and somehow managed to stuff food in their mouths."

'Stamina…'

Why Chung Myung had said stamina was essential in the Tang Family's martial arts, Tang Pae understood perfectly at this moment. What kind of hidden weapon could he throw with hands that couldn't even scoop rice right now?

It wasn't wrong to say that sophistication was needed in the Tang Family's martial arts. However, that sophistication could only be exerted on top of a sturdy stamina that didn't waver in any situation.

How sophisticated could someone be who couldn't control their own hands?

'I know, but...'

He remembered what Baek Cheon had said to him before.

When he saw Baek Cheon swearing at Chung Myung every time he opened his mouth, Tang Pae was puzzled and asked. Chung Myung seemed to be saying the right things, so why did he get so angry? At that time, Baek Cheon had clearly answered like this.

- …You'll understand when you experience it later.

Yeah. Now he understood. He understood it painfully.

Since he was saying the right things, there was no room for resistance. But if Tang Pae just shut up and followed what Chung Myung was telling him, Tang Pae would die.

The problem was, if he resisted here, Tang Pae would end up as a scoundrel, the head disciple of the Tang Family but not having the will to work hard. Who would have imagined that pushing with justification could be so terrifying?

"Keuuu…"

"Damn..."

Constant moans flowed from the mouths of Tang Clan members.

'I had wondered how Mount Hua had become so strong. If you trained like this, even a rabbit could catch a tiger in a few years.'

"Hyung, hyung-nim. Are we really going to die like this?"

"Don't worry. You won't die."

"No, how do you know?"

"Look over there."

"Yes?"

"They're not dead, are they?"

Tang Zhan raised his head and looked where Tang Pae was pointing. There, the dead Mount Hua members with darkened faces were half-slumped in their chairs, staring blankly at the food in front of them.

"...Why aren't they eating?"

"I heard they vomited everything they ate in the morning."

"...."

"I didn't know either. I never thought Gaju-nim would be so excited."

"I've never seen such a sight in my life."

"It's really fortunate."

"What? What do you mean?"

"We've never seen such a thing... It's better not to see it."

Tang Gunak encountered water.

Whether it was a resentment tied to a dead ghost who couldn't throw daggers, whenever he encountered a Mount Hua disciple, he would throw a flying knife as a greeting. Of course, no one could receive the flying knife as a greeting.

Mount Hua's disciples, who felt the threat to their lives dozens of times a day, were visibly drying up even to the naked eye.

'They say life force drains away like that.'

Tang Pae put down the spoon and sighed.

"Still, aren't we in a slightly better position? So let's not cry."

"...Didn't you hear?"

"What?"

"...After the morning training ended earlier, Chung Myung Dojang said, 'Now that the basics are somewhat established, let's raise the intensity and do it properly.'"

"That crazy... Hahahahaha."

Tang Pae quickly cleared his throat and cut off the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

'No. What...'

By now, wasn't it a competition between Chung Myung and Tang Gunak to see who could torment each other's disciples better? In a fight between the two whales, the shrimp's backs were exploding.

"...They say doing what you know is the hardest thing in the world."

Tang Pae, who let out a long sigh, suddenly looked at the disciples of Mount Hua with warm eyes.

"Still, I'm so glad because they're there."

"What?"

"...Imagine if only the Tang Family had suffered like this. Wouldn't there have been ten times more complaints by now?"

"That... makes sense, right?"

He nodded immediately.

There was nothing to predict. Until just a few days ago, voices criticizing Mount Hua and Chung Myung had been constantly flowing, but ever since Tang Gunak began to personally hunt down Mount Hua disciples, such words had been completely drowned out.

And instead of a subtle hostility, a sense of camaraderie began to emerge.

Regardless, they were comrades who had suffered the same pain, and weren't they the people who had received the training they are now receiving?

"It becomes a bit lighter if we carry the burden together."

"...Isn't it just that the burden has increased?"

"Let's just say that."

Tang Pae looked at the disciples of Mount Hua with a strange look.

'Was Gaju-nim and Chung Myung Dojang considering such things?' 

Upon reflection, the relationship between the Tang Family and Mount Hua had been somewhat exaggerated. In reality, the close relationship was between Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak, and between Chung Myung and Tang Gunak.

Considering they represented the Mount Hua Sect and the Tang Family, it wasn't entirely incorrect to say that the relationship between the two sects was close, but nevertheless, there wasn't much interaction among the members of each sect. It wasn't a relationship of aversion, but that didn't mean they were close enough for private conversations.

'In other words, if the current leadership steps down, the relationship between Mount Hua and the Tang Family might change.'

Tang Pae would likely try to maintain a relationship with Hwasan, but it was difficult for him to become an authoritative leader like Tang Gunak. In that case, he would have no choice but to listen to the opinions of others.

However, if the current situation continued to repeat itself, a sense of camaraderie might emerge between Mount Hua and the Tang Family, not only among the leaders but also among the members. 

'So, are these two playing the villains?'

Tang Pae unintentionally nodded at the thought. Unaware of Tang Pae's thoughts, Tang Zhan sighed and asked with a tearful face.

"...How about the afternoon training?" 

"Don't complain. Don't they give you time to sleep?" 

"Sleeping doesn't fully recover fatigue. Even if I practice breathing techniques these days, my body doesn't feel any lighter. It's like carrying a sack of rocks on my shoulders." 

Tang Pae nodded.

"That's the point." 

"What...?" 

"In the future, we will have to face not short battles but wars. Understand that?" 

"Yes." 

Tang Zhan nodded. 

"War doesn't come to a conclusion overnight. You should understand that from the recent Plum Blossom Island incident. It might be a daily routine of not properly resting, sleeping, and fighting, lasting for days or even months." 

"..." 

"Look." 

Following Tang Pae's words, Tang Zhan turned his head. Tang Family's members still couldn't eat properly and were dying. 

"Then there." 

Following Tang Pae's words, Tang Zhan turned his head slightly. Mount Hua's disciples, who had been lying like corpses a moment ago, were now mustering strength and putting food into their mouths.

"If we were to be deployed in our current state, can you imagine what would happen in war?"

"...Yes, hyung-nim. I probably won't be able to demonstrate even a quarter of my true strength."

"That's also an incorrect statement."

"Yes?"

"The inability to demonstrate one's strength is not a matter of skill; it's just an excuse. Only the power that can be fully demonstrated in actual combat can be called skill."

"..."

"If you think that way, everything in the world changes. The worldly evaluation that the Tang Family is ahead of Mount Hua in terms of power is also incorrect. Right now, we are inferior to them."

"Hyung, hyung-nim, that's..."

Tang Pae looked at Tang Zhan with a cold gaze.

"Why? Do you want to ride on the evaluation of those who only see the surface and elevate yourself?"

"..."

"After seeing the Namgung family, who were considered stronger than us, suffer so miserably?"

"No, hyung-nim."

Tang Pae nodded.

"In my opinion, Chung Myung Dojang and Gaju-nim are not people who just do things based on looking at one thing. They probably have at least three or four plans. Even if it's difficult right now, if you believe and follow, there will be a moment when you see the light. Would they bother us or do something harmful if they were those kinds of people?"

"...That also makes sense."

"Exactly. So, let's eat. If you want to endure, you have to eat."

Tang Pae grabbed the food bowl somehow and began to put it in his mouth.

But at that moment, Tang Pae didn't know. 

No matter how good your intentions are, even if you do something with infinitely good intentions, depending on the method, it can be more terrible than something done with malicious intent.

* * *

"What did you say?"

"Can't you understand this?"

Chung Myung smiled brightly.

It was a fresh expression that seemed unmatched in brightness to anyone, but at least in Tang Pae's eyes, that smile didn't look good. No, it looked more like the laugh of a devil who came up from hell.

"You guys are tired too."

"...Yes."

"You want to rest. Right?"

"Well..."

"So I'll give you a chance to rest."

Tang Pae was momentarily speechless.

No, Dojang-nim? I'm not stupid, of course I understood that.

"But the method...."

"Hmm. That's right. That's the key."

Chung Myung snapped his fingers sharply.

"Rest is good. Really good. But isn't it true that people can't appreciate something just given to them?"

"What kind of bullshit is that... I mean, what are you talking about?"

"So, I'll make you appreciate that value."

Chung Myung chuckled.

"As Tangga members, you also have pride in your skills, right? Confidence that you can win against anyone."

"...Yes, but."

Chung Myung nodded as if it were obvious.

"Yes. But aren't those guys the same?"

Chung Myung pointed to the disciples of Mount Hua. Those who, with eyes full of venom, nodded their heads like hungry murderers.

"The law of the Murim is simple. The strong have it, and the proven ones get it. So...."

Chung Myung snapped his fingers sharply again.

"The winners get a break from tomorrow morning's training. Simple, right?"

"Wait a moment. What is that?"

Even so, comrades who trained together had to fight each other! Would this acceptable?

Moreover, if the Tang Family and Mount Hua split sides and fought now, wouldn't the camaraderie they had built up be shattered? This shouldn't be allowed...

"Ah, that venomous bastard talks a lot. Well, yeah. Well, maybe you're not used to it yet. I understand. The solution to that is also extremely simple."

Chung Myung smiled brightly.

"Once you get hit once, your mind will clear."

"Yes?"

"The one standing at the end wins. Get ready."

"Yes?"

"Start."

Chung Myung clapped his hands.

Tang Pae let out a hollow laugh. No matter how much he tried to force this, who would follow...?

"Aaaaaaah!"

And at that moment, a desperate scream was heard. Tang Pae was startled, turning his head abruptly.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who felt like blood relatives....no, the Mount Hua traitors, were rushing forward with bloodshot eyes as if insane.

"KILL THEM!"

The alliance between the Tang Family and Mount Hua was completely falling apart.