Chapter 18: The Tang Clan’s Poisonous Invitation

Darkness.

Then a sharp, bitter taste on Zhang Ye's tongue.

His body jerked awake, a burning sensation rushing through his veins. His eyes snapped open, and he immediately regretted it.

Everything ached. His muscles felt like they had been wrung dry, his head pounded, and his arm where the poison dart had struck was still throbbing.

"Still alive?"

Zhang Ye turned his head, blinking away the blurriness.

Wei Han sat nearby, arms crossed, watching him like a hawk. "Good. I didn't want to carry your body back to the village."

Zhang Ye groaned, slowly sitting up. "You're all heart, Wei Han."

Master He grunted. "Brat, you almost died. Again."

Zhang Ye smirked. "Almost doesn't count."

Master He shook his head. "Tch. I should've let the poison teach you a lesson."

Zhang Ye flexed his fingers. His strength was returning. The antidote worked.

Good. Now he could get back to training

But just as he moved to stand, a new voice echoed through the room.

"Awake already? That's impressive."

Zhang Ye froze.

A man in dark green Tang Clan robes stood at the entrance, arms folded. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze was sharp like he had already measured every weakness in the room.

Wei Han reached for his sword. Master He's expression darkened.

Zhang Ye sighed. "Let me guess. We're not free to leave, are we?"

The Tang disciple smirked. "Oh, you're free to leave."

He took a step forward.

"But the Tang Clan doesn't give out antidotes for free."

Zhang Ye gritted his teeth.

Here we go.

Zhang Ye leaned back against the cot, exhaling. His body was still weak, but his mind was clear.

The Tang disciple's smirk didn't fade. "Our medicine saved your life. That kind of debt… doesn't disappear so easily."

Wei Han's fingers tightened around his sword hilt. "If you wanted payment, you should've asked before we took it."

Master He snorted. "Tch. If you wanted to stop us, you should've sent someone stronger."

The Tang disciple chuckled. "Bold words. But this isn't a robbery this is an invitation."

Zhang Ye raised a brow. "An invitation?"

The disciple nodded. "The Tang Clan has taken an interest in you. Your battle against the Cloudswept Sect was… intriguing." His gaze flickered toward Master He. "And the fact that you survived an assassin's poison shows potential."

Master He crossed his arms. "Get to the point."

The disciple's smirk widened. "The elders wish to meet Zhang Ye personally. A rare honor."

Zhang Ye chuckled, shaking his head. "You guys sure know how to dress up a trap."

The disciple's expression didn't change. "Call it what you will. But refusing an invitation from the Tang Clan…" His voice dropped slightly. "That would be unwise."

Wei Han's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"

The disciple smiled. "No. Just a warning."

The room was silent.

Zhang Ye sighed. First the Cloudswept Sect, now this.

The Tang Clan was powerful masters of poison, assassination, and hidden weapons. Accepting their invitation meant stepping into their world.

But refusing?

That meant making them an enemy.

Zhang Ye glanced at Master He. "What do you think?"

Master He's expression was unreadable. "I think you need to decide for yourself."

Zhang Ye grinned. "Figures."

He turned back to the Tang disciple.

"Fine. I'll go."

The disciple's smirk deepened. "Excellent."

Zhang Ye cracked his knuckles. "But I'm warning you now if this is a trap, I'll make sure I'm the last problem the Tang Clan ever has."

The disciple's eyes gleamed. "I look forward to seeing if you can back up those words."

Zhang Ye exhaled. Tang Clan, huh?

Fine.

Let's see what they have to offer.

The journey to the Tang Clan's inner compound was uneventful too uneventful.

Zhang Ye, still recovering, walked at a steady pace alongside Wei Han and Master He, with two Tang disciples leading the way. Their expressions remained calm, indifferent.

But Zhang Ye knew better.

We're being watched.

The Tang Clan's real guards weren't the ones guiding them. They were the ones hidden in the shadows, moving silently along the rooftops, tracking their every step.

Master He noticed it too. He let out a quiet snort. "Tch. These poison rats sure love their games."

Wei Han exhaled. "They have a reputation to uphold."

Zhang Ye smirked. "Yeah. A reputation for stabbing people in the back."

One of the Tang disciples glanced at him but said nothing.

Eventually, they reached a large pavilion, surrounded by carefully arranged rock gardens and lotus ponds.

At the center a tea table.

Seated behind it was an older man in deep green robes, his expression unreadable. His presence alone carried authority.

Zhang Ye immediately knew this was an elder.

The elder lifted a teacup, taking a slow sip. Then, he gestured toward the empty seats.

"Sit."

Zhang Ye exchanged a glance with Master He, then casually sat down. Wei Han remained standing, arms crossed.

The elder set his cup down. "Zhang Ye. You refused the Cloudswept Sect."

Zhang Ye smirked. "You guys get your news fast."

The elder nodded. "We keep an eye on interesting people." He studied Zhang Ye for a long moment. "Tell me. Why do you fight?"

Zhang Ye exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "To survive. To win. To get strong."

The elder chuckled. "An honest answer." His gaze sharpened. "Then let me ask you this what price are you willing to pay for strength?"

The air grew heavy.

Zhang Ye tapped his fingers against the table. "That depends. What are you offering?"

The elder smiled.

"Power."

Zhang Ye's eyes narrowed.

The elder poured himself more tea. "The Tang Clan's techniques are not like other sects. We do not chase enlightenment. We do not waste time on philosophy."

His voice lowered.

"We deal in poison, deception, and death."

Wei Han tensed.

Zhang Ye remained still. "And you think that suits me?"

The elder's smile didn't fade. "You are not bound by rules. You are not afraid to fight dirty. You know that power is taken, not given."

He lifted his teacup. "That is why I am offering you a place in the Tang Clan."

Master He raised a brow. "You're recruiting him?"

The elder nodded. "We have seen your potential. With our training, you would become far more than just another swordsman."

His gaze met Zhang Ye's. "You would become unstoppable."

The air grew thick with expectation.

Wei Han frowned. "Sounds like a fancy way of saying 'become one of our assassins.'"

The elder chuckled. "Semantics."

Zhang Ye tapped his fingers against the table again.

The Tang Clan was offering him power. Deadly, efficient power.

But at what cost?

He exhaled. "Let's say I accept. What's the catch?"

The elder smiled. "Loyalty. Obedience. The Tang Clan does not train warriors for free."

Zhang Ye smirked. "I figured."

He leaned forward. "And if I say no?"

The elder's smile remained, but his eyes darkened.

"Then I will regretfully have to consider you… a loose end."

Silence.

Wei Han's grip tightened on his sword. Master He's expression hardened.

Zhang Ye grinned.

"Threats already? We just sat down."

The elder sipped his tea. "It is not a threat. It is a matter of practicality. We do not allow our secrets to leave."

Zhang Ye exhaled. He had expected this.

But the Tang Clan had made one mistake.

They thought they could control him.

He glanced at Master He. "Old man, what do you think?"

Master He grinned. "I think we're about to start a fight."

Zhang Ye laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought too."

He turned back to the elder.

And smiled.

"Alright. Let's see how much poison you really have."

The elder's smile didn't waver.

But the air in the pavilion shifted.

A slow, creeping tension. Like a coiled serpent waiting to strike.

Zhang Ye leaned back, grinning. "Let's be honest, Elder. You already decided to kill me the moment I stepped into your territory, didn't you?"

The elder sipped his tea. "Not at all. I truly hoped you would accept our invitation."

Wei Han scoffed. "That why you poisoned the tea?"

Zhang Ye smirked. "Really? You went for the cliché move?"

The elder chuckled. "No, no. The tea is perfectly safe." His smile sharpened. "But the air is not."

Zhang Ye's instincts screamed.

His fingers twitched. Something was off.

Master He grunted. "Tch. Poison mist."

Zhang Ye exhaled through his nose. The moment he focused he felt it.

A faint, bitter taste on the back of his tongue.

It wasn't just in the air. It was already in his body.

Wei Han coughed, eyes narrowing. "Subtle… Can't even tell when we inhaled it."

The elder set his teacup down. "The Tang Clan does not engage in unnecessary violence. But we also do not allow defiance."

He folded his hands. "Your choice is simple. Accept the Tang Clan, and you will receive the antidote. Refuse…"

His voice lowered.

"…and you will not leave this place alive."

Silence.

Master He cracked his knuckles. "I count at least five guards hiding nearby."

Wei Han's hand hovered over his sword. "We fighting or running?"

Zhang Ye chuckled. "Neither."

He turned back to the elder.

And smiled.

"You Tang Clan guys really love your poisons, huh?"

The elder raised a brow. "It is our way."

Zhang Ye exhaled. "Then let me teach you something about poisons."

His qi surged.

And then he moved.

Before the elder could react, Zhang Ye slammed his hand onto the tea tray, flipping it straight into the elder's lap.

The teacup shattered. Hot liquid splashed across the elder's robes.

At the same time, Zhang Ye's free hand whipped forward seizing one of the elder's own medicine jars from the table.

The elder's eyes widened. "What"

Zhang Ye popped the lid off and tossed the powder into the air.

A thick purple mist erupted between them.

The elder jerked backward. "Idiot! That's"

Zhang Ye grinned. "The real poison, right?"

The Tang guards in the shadows hesitated.

The mist spread fast, its scent sharp and cloying.

Zhang Ye exhaled. "Let's see if you Tang guys are as immune as you claim."

Wei Han grabbed him. "Time to go."

Master He exploded into motion, grabbing a Tang guard by the collar and hurling him into another.

The elder coughed, eyes darkening. "You!"

Zhang Ye smirked. "Thanks for the hospitality, Elder. But I don't think I like the Tang Clan after all."

And then they ran.

Zhang Ye, still grinning, barely dodged as a poisoned dart whizzed past his head.

Tch. They recovered fast.

Master He had already moved, his massive fists sending Tang guards flying into walls like ragdolls. Wei Han ran beside Zhang Ye, his sword flashing as he parried incoming daggers.

The elder's furious coughing rang through the pavilion, his once-calm demeanor shattered. "Fools! Don't let them escape!"

Zhang Ye exhaled sharply. The purple mist he had released still lingered, forcing the Tang guards to hesitate no one wanted to charge blindly into an unknown toxin.

That hesitation was all they needed.

Master He grabbed Zhang Ye's arm. "This way!"

They rushed past the pavilion, weaving through the Tang Clan's medicinal gardens. Rows of neatly cultivated herbs blurred past as more guards emerged from the shadows, chasing them.

Wei Han glanced back. "They're gaining!"

Zhang Ye gritted his teeth. We need a distraction.

His eyes scanned the area.

Then he saw it.

A row of large clay jars, sealed tightly with wax. Labels in neat Tang script.

Poisons. Antidotes. Explosives.

Zhang Ye grabbed a random jar.

Master He grinned. "Brat, I like where your head's at."

Wei Han sighed. "I already regret this."

Zhang Ye threw the jar with all his strength.

CRASH!

A thick, black vapor exploded outward, spreading instantly.

The chasing guards stumbled, coughing violently. Some collapsed.

The elder's furious shout echoed from behind the mist. "You reckless lunatics!"

Zhang Ye smirked. "Thanks for the medicine!"

With their pursuers delayed, the three of them sprinted toward the outer walls.

Master He pointed ahead. "Jump point, ten paces!"

Zhang Ye's legs screamed in protest, his body still recovering from the earlier poison. But he forced himself forward.

The wall loomed. Guards on top readied throwing needles.

Wei Han muttered, "If we get hit mid-jump, this is going to suck."

Master He just grinned.

Then he grabbed both of them by the back of their collars.

Zhang Ye's eyes widened. "Wait!"

Master He threw them.

They soared through the air, over the wall, just as darts rained down behind them.

THUD.

Zhang Ye hit the dirt outside, rolling into a crouch. Wei Han landed beside him, cursing.

A second later, Master He vaulted the wall effortlessly.

The three of them took off running into the forest.

Shouts echoed behind them, but no one followed.

Zhang Ye exhaled. "We made it?"

Master He stretched. "Looks like it."

Wei Han scowled. "Barely."

Zhang Ye grinned. "Well, we got a free antidote and a lot of pissed-off Tang Clan members. I'd say that was a success."

Master He chuckled. "Tch. You're really asking for a death wish, brat."

Zhang Ye sighed in relief.

But his eyes darkened.

The Tang Clan wouldn't forget this.

And next time, they wouldn't bother with invitations.