Chapter 1

  “Dreams of Martial Arts”

  The Sichuan Tang Clan, famous for their poison and martial arts. One of the 5 great families and a part of the orthodox sect. This isn’t a story about one of the great 5 families, it isn’t about the orthodox sect fighting against the demonic sect or the unorthodox sect.

  I am Tang Jiung the first born son of Tang Jinhu who was once the young leader of the Tang clan. My father gave up his right to become the patriarch of the family when he fell in love with my mother instead of going along with the political marriage to the Namgung’s. My mother was a waiter at one of the inns in Chengdu, a place my father visited frequently with his friends just to catch a glimpse of her. That is as I’m told by him and by mother.

  My father chose to go against the patriarchs decision to a political marriage and thus gave up his right as the head of the family, which was eventually passed down to his younger brother, my uncle. Afterwards he was banished from the clan with no support. Soon after he married my mother and lived comfortably outside Chengdu with no more attachments to the Tang clan.

  My father spoke of the his father and brothers and friends inside the clan a lot. My grandfather would often come visit and tell stories and spar with my father. That was my first glimpse into martial arts. My father would often tell me he does not wish for me to live a life of a martial artist, rather he would like to see me be free of the constraints of being tied down to a clan. Free from the constraints of having to fight my way to the top.

  He often laments about the times he had to fight with the other sects, or even his own brothers for the seat of young leader. This sentiment especially become true once my younger sister was born. Although I would be lying if I said I wasn’t fascinated watching two masters of a prestigious clan fight.

  I was always in awe, rushing to grandfather to beg him to secretly teach me martial arts. The response was always the same, I’m sorry grandson, as you are not about of the Tang clan I can not teach you our breathing techniques. “One day when you become of age, maybe if your mother and father allow you can come to the clan and become a martial artists of the tang clan. Until that day I will continue to come and show you how incredible the tang clan martial arts are by beating your father for leaving the clan… HAHA, of course I’m joking. I love your father and I do hold some contempt for him choosing a comm…*clears throat* a woman over the family head position, but the more time I spend with you my dear grandson and my beautiful newborn granddaughter the more I have come to terms with his decision.”

  This conversation would happen hundreds of time over the years, and yet I would get the same response. When I brought up martial arts to father he would quickly change the subject. Yet my fascination with it would not seem to dwindle and I could not convince my father or grandfather to teach me the techniques.

  By the time I was 10 I had 5 other siblings, 2 sisters and 3 brothers. Ranging from the age of 6 months to almost 9 years old. Our house was busy with mother taking care of the younger kids, father working as a guard for one of the local merchants. Since he was gone for days even weeks at a time, I would pick up the duties as the eldest and help my mother. Whether it was chores, cooking, cleaning, changing diapers. When I had free time I would go to out in the woods and try and recreate what I had seen my father and grandfather do hundreds of times in their spars. I would watch kids my age attending martial arts schools and making friends.

  Of course it made me resentful, I wanted to learn martial arts as well. Just because my father chose love over martial arts doesn’t mean I should also have to follow in his footsteps. “life sucks, its so unfair” I would shout as I punched the air and practiced my techniques.”I should run away and get into another clan so I can learn martial arts.” “Why is father so strict, why does mother just agree with everything he says.” “I hate my life sometimes, all the other kids get to learn martial arts while I have to help my mother with my siblings...*kicks a tree* I hate this!”

  Those are words I would never utter again, and come to regret even thinking those foolish things. Not to long after that I was left alone with my 5 siblings. Our father and mother were stripped from us. Being only 10 nobody really gave me details, I heard rumors about my dad fighting some bandits and suffering a fatal injury, days after we got the news I woke up to my mother’s body outside the gate covered in blood, with obvious wounds from a sword.

  Within days my whole world was flipped upside down because of bandits and their need for revenge. My grandfather spent a lot of time with us after that. From what he told me he had stepped down as the patriarch, and let my uncle take his rightful spot. Grandfather helped as much as he could when it came to raising my siblings. You could some-days see the exhaustion on his face. There more gray than purple in his hair, more wrinkles around his eyes.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Six months had passed since that fateful day, and we were in a routine. I got a job washing dishes at an inn in Chengdu, grandfather was would look after the younger ones and cook meals, and some nights I would see him outside practicing his martial arts. I would hide behind a tree and watch, trying not to let him notice me. Something always told me he knew I was there. Maybe I’m just crazy, no way he could know I was here watching him I’m over 100 yards away.

  Another year had passed and I was 6 months from turning 12. I had fallen into the position of brother/father to my siblings. We would play like siblings, but they would treat me as I treated dad when they needed things, or needed help. Grandfather has been coming around less and less lately. Maybe its because of his health, I mean he is pretty old now. Maybe he is just busy. Either way I have to look after my siblings now.

  My sister Tang So-yeon who is now almost 10 also has an interest in martial arts. As do my brothers. I don’t want to tell them the things father told me. I want them to pursue whatever it is their heart desires, and I will do my best to support them and make sure they can do whatever it is they want. I should have enough money saved with the help of the money grandfather gives us to be able to send So-yeon to a martial arts school in Chengdu and who knows maybe one day she’ll be recognized enough to become a martial artist of the Tang clan.

  Six more months pass, grandfather and my siblings and I walk to the gate of the martial arts school to see So-yeon attend her first day of training. I am jealous, but I smile and wave “Good luck and make sure to crush them and who them who your dad really is!” Grandfather squeezes my shoulder looks down at me and smiles “you’ve had to grow up too fast, I have a surprise for you before I head back home tonight, come find me after the children are asleep.”

  I cant imagine what he means by surprise, that night after my sister came home from training, we all gathered around the table and ate dinner and talked about her first day as a martial artist. The smile on her face made me so happy, but I was also a little bitter because she was living a dream that I could only imagine now. It was a road I could not walk now because I had a responsibility to my siblings to step up and take care of them.

  Later that night after the kids were all asleep I walked outside and there stood my grandfather against the bright white moon. He looked like a mountain that I could not climb. A towering figure of fear for most of Sichuan, but yet to me he was nothing but a gentle giant who loved his grandchildren. I couldn’t stop myself from staring at him as he gazed into the night sky, thinking that if only things were different, if only I had the chance, I could become like this man before me.

  “What are you staring at, come here child.” he exclaimed. As I snapped out of my daydream and quickly ran to his side. He put on his hand around my shoulder and sighed, “There is a lot I wish I could have done different with your father, If I could have changed the clan rules that have existed for ages to keep him around I would have.” “Its okay grandfather, he didn’t regret it and he never blamed you.” I reassured him. “Thank you grandson, since there were things I couldn’t do for him, and now I see you giving your whole self to take his spot and your mothers spot in raising your siblings….maybe I can payback a little of the regret I have to you.”

  “You’ve done enough, you don’t need to go out of your way to anything more than what you do for us.” I tried to reason with him. “HA! Even if its martial arts, I know you’ve given up on your dream to take care of them, yet I still see you watching me practice martial arts every chance you get.” “You...you….you’ll teach me martial arts?!?!?!” “My dear grandson, I will leave you with our family’s breathing technique, and I will leave you with the basic scriptures of our tang family martial arts.” “as you well know we are well versed in poison, assassination, hidden weapon and dagger techniques. I will leave to you the basics of each of the aspects of the Tang family.”

  “Grandfather, but why I do not have the time to master these techniques nor do I have anyone to teach me.” I scoffed. Am I supposed to learn on my own old man? What in the world is he thinking, although even if I don’t become even a first rate warrior I could still learn martial arts so maybe this isn’t a bad thing for me after all.

  “I will teach you the breathing technique, I will also help you with your qi circulation, as I don’t have much time left on this plane that is all I can do for you. The rest will be up to you learn, if you anything like your father, you wont need much more than this to be able to learn the techniques from the manuals I will leave behind.”

  A revelation, something I saw but never cared to notice. Grandfather was dying. As happy as I am about learning martial arts, I’m also sad to hear it from his own mouth that he wont be with us for very much longer. “okay grandfather, then do I call you master from now on?” I asked…

  “HAHAHAHA!” a laugh billowing from the depths of his stomach, deep and rumbling like a landslide. “Master! That is a good one my child. I am not your master I am simply a grandfather fulfilling a wish of my grandson before I pass.”

  So the next few months were spent working, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of my siblings, and at night grandfather would teach me the breathing techniques, he would teach me about qi and how to circulate it. He would teach me the difference of third, second and first rate warriors. I would spent countless hours cultivating and circulating my qi. I learned the basics moves of the third rate warriors of the tang clan with the manuals Grandfather had left me. Unfortunately I had no access to elixirs, or specific manuals that you would learn once you became a first rate warrior of the Tang clan. Although I was content with what I had been taught.

  Grandfather passed a short time after, a huge parade was thrown in the streets of Chengdu, and a massive funeral at the Tang clan from what I heard. My siblings and I mourned him in our own way, and yet the next day came and life had to continue on. Death was something we had all come to know to well, so mourning was also something that was closer than it should be for children our age. Life become normal again shortly after. I continued training with what grandfather had shown me, as the other siblings continued down the path they would all choose for themselves.

  This is how it went until I was 20. That is when not just our world was flipped upside down again, but rather the Entirety of world was turned into chaos in an instant. The day the sky turned red as blood, screams you could hear for miles, and the entirety of murim in a panic. The day “THEY” appeared.