I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

The morning sun was rising, and the vast scenery of Sichuan was visible.

After flying for half a day since dawn, we finally arrived at the Sichuan Tang family.

Since it was polite for outsiders to enter through the main gate, we landed in front of it.

"Wh-who?! Young Lady Tang Surin?!"

The gatekeeper's flustered voice was heard. It seemed he was surprised that a direct descendant of the family had fallen from the clear sky.

"Yes, go and tell them I'm here."

"Yes, ma'am!"

At Tang Surin's command, one of the gatekeepers hurried inside. Soon, the main gate opened, and the head servant came out to greet us.

“Welcome. Master Tang Surin, Master Zhuge Cheonwu.”

After a short welcome, the opponent guided us.

“First, you should greet the family head.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Just then, a man appeared at the top of the stairs, with his attendants behind him.

It was the head of the Sichuan Tang family, Tang Je-mun.

“It’s been a while, Su-rin.”

Although he approached Tang Surin with a broad smile, she just hid behind me.

“…And you too.”

The cold tone was a completely different reaction from when he had addressed Tang Surin.

Although it was unfair to be treated like this when the Sichuan Tang family had called me, I first showed my courtesy.

“I greet the head of the Sichuan Tang family.”

“What’s with the formality? You should call me father-in-law!”

At Tang Surin's additional reaction, Tang Je-mun's gaze became even colder. Come to think of it, in Zhuge Cheonwu's memory, Tang Je-mun had always disliked this side.

It was a marriage decided for the harmony between the two families, along with his daughter's wish, but he had never acknowledged me as a son-in-law.

Naturally, the treatment towards this side was also not good.

“Seeing your achievement of capturing Pa Eun-seong, I called you for his execution, but I need to see with my own eyes if you have that much skill.”

At the end of those words, a hidden weapon flew in front.

Kaang!

I drew the Demon-Slaying Sword and immediately blocked it. A suddenly started test.

I calmly retreated and took a defensive stance.

The tip of the Demon-Slaying Sword, which had raised a powerful qi, was trembling slightly.

‘He was half-serious.’

Although it was just one hidden weapon, the impact was considerable.

Since the opponent was a Transformation Realm master, I had expected it, but his level was definitely different from Namgung Dohyeok.

“Dad! What are you doing!!”

In the touch-and-go situation, Tang Surin blocks my front.

Tang Je-mun explained, holding a hidden weapon.

“Originally, a son-in-law who marries into the family must receive the Tang family’s test. Surin, this is also for your sake, so step back.”

With those words, the martial artists who had appeared on both sides of Tang Surin grabbed her and retreated.

“Gaga!”

Tang Surin, who was being dragged away with a single scream.

The family situation was a mess.

‘What is this?’

I had just come because I was called, but suddenly the head of the Sichuan Tang family was challenging me to a fight.

“I came because you invited me, but I’m a bit flustered that you’re suddenly doing this.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s a request. It’s natural for a client to check the skills of the person they’ve hired.”

The conversation was not getting through at all. If only Tang Je-mun wasn't the opponent, I might have had a chance.

“But did you have to step up yourself?”

“Because there aren’t many who can face you. And I also wanted to punish you myself.”

His true intentions were coming out.

First, I looked around.

Before I knew it, the martial artists of the Sichuan Tang family who had surrounded the area were blocking the escape route.

‘Do I have to hold out for now?’

I immediately kicked off the ground and floated in the air.

Then dozens of hidden weapons that were shot.

Since it was difficult to block with just the Demon-Slaying Sword, I unfolded a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Formation and additionally protected my whole body.

“A strange flying dagger style. It’s impressive, but it’s still in the palm of my hand!”

Tang Je-mun shot additional hidden weapons at this side. While deflecting the barrage of hidden weapons that was getting stronger, I raised my altitude even more.

‘If I keep going up while holding out, a point will come when the power weakens.’

The enormous amount of hidden weapons that were shot to prevent this.

While deflecting hundreds of hidden weapons like crazy, I continued to soar up. To a height where the power imbued in the hidden weapons could not reach.

“Are you running away?!”

“How can a guest attack the family head in the main house of the Sichuan Tang family?”

I shouted, imbuing my internal energy so that it would be heard loudly even below.

Although it seemed I was talking about righteousness, it was a single word that revealed how shamefully the family head was acting.

How could I counterattack when there were so many of his subordinate martial artists? It was like fighting the boss alone in the middle of a gang's main camp.

Then Tang Je-mun retorted from below.

“This is strictly a guidance duel and a test, so you can counterattack as much as you want! Come down!”

“Where is there a guidance duel that starts with a surprise attack? Even so, there’s no reason for me, who has come for a request, to fight.”

I had no intention of falling for the opponent's intention. It seemed he was planning to give me a good beating, so it would only be dangerous if I got close.

Since I could just hold out by floating in the air, there was no reason to take the risk.

“You talk too much! As expected of a Zhuge family bastard. Alright, I’ll give you a reason. I heard you like bets?”

I don't know what kind of investigation he had done, but it seemed he had a misunderstanding about me. But it didn't seem to be completely wrong either.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve often fought with something on the line.’

For now, I just listened to his proposal.

“So?”

“If you can injure me even once, I’ll make you immune to a thousand poisons. Instead, if you can’t, you’ll live here with me after graduation.”

It was a scheme to openly bring me in as a son-in-law who marries into the family. Since my value had also risen after the war, he must have wanted to get a promise in advance.

Although the reward of being immune to a thousand poisons was quite large, it was a very difficult situation to injure a Transformation Realm mid-to-high-ranking master in the first place.

‘I don’t want to be tied down to another family.’

So I asserted.

“That’s a bit difficult.”

“What?”

“Instead, let’s do this. If I win the bet, I’ll pay for all the costs, and you’ll make me immune to a thousand poisons. Instead, if I lose, I’ll visit here for two months every year.”

“Do you know how much those poisonous herbs cost? An ordinary martial artist can’t even imagine…!”

I proposed to Tang Je-mun, who was raising his voice.

“A million nyang.”

“What?”

“How about a million nyang?”

It was immunity to a thousand poisons. This much of an expense was bearable.

Because in the past two months, the finances of the Jaejun Merchant Guild had also become quite stable, and a surplus was being made in the various fields I had invested in earlier.

“How do you have such a large sum?”

“Don’t worry. It’s safe money. I’ve made some money recently.”

The disappearance of the Blood Cult and the Heretic Alliance, which had been a hindrance, was a big factor. As the hindering elements disappeared, commerce was bound to become more active.

Then, at this side's assertion, Tang Je-mun frowned. Because a million nyang was a pretty large sum even for the Sichuan Tang family.

Excluding the cost of medicine, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of nyang, it was not a loss.

“You’re an arrogant bastard. To dare to challenge the head of the Tang family…. I accept.”

In an instant, Tang Je-mun's figure disappeared.

And then what appeared was at a height of about 30 meters in the air.

‘What?!’

“Whether you fly a hidden weapon or your own body, the principle is similar.”

Before I knew it, Tang Je-mun, who had soared up to just below my feet, took out a hidden weapon from his bosom and threw it. The blades that flew, dyeing my vision black.

‘I can’t dodge it!’

The moment I sensed a disastrous future, I immediately shot a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear. The blades that collided with a deafening roar.

The fan ribs, which had utilized the enlightenment I had gained after the battle with Namgung Dohyeok, are shot, bending in three directions.

Just as they were about to hit Tang Je-mun at the end.

With a huge shockwave, the trajectory of the three soaring fan ribs was bent.

“You use daggers in a peculiar way. The power is decent, but it’s not enough to reach me.”

Tang Je-mun flew a hidden weapon. It was too late to draw an additional Daoist Scholar's Fan. While deflecting it with the Demon-Slaying Sword, just as I was about to raise my altitude.

“You’re like a fly.”

Tang Je-mun's mumble was heard from above my head. With that, the hidden weapons that soared as if to cover the area of a hundred meters in the sky, including my surroundings.

‘This is?’

I felt a sense of déjà vu from the daggers that scattered as if to cover the world.

A feeling of being in the middle of an irresistible natural phenomenon.

Looking down at me, who had become surrounded by poison needles and daggers before I knew it, Tang Je-mun opened his mouth.

“Consider it an honor. To have seen the pinnacle of the flying dagger style.”

With those words, the thousands of daggers move like a living school of fish. I was momentarily astonished by the overwhelming and beautiful sight.

‘Don’t tell me?’

At the end of that short impression, a true shower of ten thousand flowers poured down on me.

***

I fell to the ground, with poison needles and daggers stuck all over me.

“Did you protect your vitals in that situation?”

As I was catching my breath, kneeling on one knee, I heard Tang Je-mun's voice.

Although I had swung the Demon-Slaying Sword at the last moment and had protected my body by surrounding it with a protective qi, I couldn't dodge all of them.

“To use a shower of ten thousand flowers on a prospective son-in-law. Your love for your son-in-law is excessive.”

But at the end, he had pulled his strength, so my whole body was not mangled.

“You’re the one whose love for his father-in-law is excessive.”

Tang Je-mun retorted, raising his sleeve, which had been pierced and burned.

It was the result of me shooting a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear at him while being hit by a shower of ten thousand flowers, burning all my mana.

Since I was hit anyway, I had intended to land a blow on the opponent who had used a big technique, but it seemed it hadn't worked.

‘Is it still not enough?’

I had even flown it with a backward rotation, just like Namgung Dohyeok's method.

Just then, I heard the sound of something faintly hitting the floor. I could see a drop of blood falling from the opponent's sleeve to the ground.

I had pierced Tang Je-mun's protective qi and had injured him.

Although it was a minor injury, it was proof that my realm had also risen.

“…This much is worth entrusting. Get your wound treated first. Son-in-law.”

And then he turned away. It seemed he had finally acknowledged this side's abilities. He was a truly murderous person.

Just then, the blades came out of my body and went into Tang Je-mun's grasp. I glared at Tang Je-mun in pain.

It seemed he had displayed the subtlety of telekinesis.

“Come this way.”

Just then, a martial artist of the Tang family came to support me. But this fight was not over yet. Because I hadn't gotten what I really needed.

I called Tang Je-mun, who was walking away with a somewhat bitter back.

“By the way, I’m receiving a gift of immunity to a thousand poisons, so how can I come empty-handed? I’ll pay the million nyang I mentioned earlier.”

“Ahem! Are you trying to embarrass me? It was a bet made with the name of the family head on the line!”

Tang Je-mun retorted. But unlike his reaction, his expression was not in a mood to refuse.

“Shouldn’t you also think about the finances of the Tang family? The people in charge of finance will dislike it, won’t they?”

“If I said it, I have to keep it! I can’t change it now!”

“Wasn’t it possible because the family head went easy on me? Since I’ve obtained a great opportunity, please let me repay you.”

“Ahem. Since you put it like that, I can’t refuse. I really misunderstood. To think you’re such a considerate son-in-law.”

As expected, no one refuses money. Even if he was the head of one of the five great families. Of course, I wasn't just giving it.

“But since I’m giving you the wealth right after losing the bet in front of so many people, I’m afraid it might cause a misunderstanding between us. In that sense, I would like to make a request on a moral level, would that be alright?”

“Huh? Well, for now, tell me.”

Tang Je-mun, who was making a reluctant expression for a moment. To release his vigilance, I continued my words.

“I have an enemy, and I would like to receive the help of the Sichuan Tang family when I strike those unorthodox faction bastards in the future. Can you promise me this?”

Only then did Tang Je-mun's expression relax. Since it was a request with both justification and practical benefit, such as an enemy, an unorthodox faction, and even a million nyang, there was nothing bad about it.

“Heh heh, you, I thought it was something else! The son-in-law’s enemy is our enemy! Especially if they are unorthodox faction bastards, yes, just tell me, I’ll support you with my honor, as far as my power reaches.”

“Thank you!”

I shouted loudly in front of everyone. It was to prevent him from going back on his word later.

Tang Je-mun, who had been laughing for a moment at this side's polite attitude, soon asked.

“By the way, who on earth is that enemy?”

“It’s the Demonic Cult.”

Tang Je-mun froze with a smiling expression.

At the end of a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.

“Did you say the Demonic Cult?”

“Yes, thanks to the promise of the head of the Sichuan Tang family, who knows honor, I was able to gather my courage. Thank you.”

And then I sent a telepathic message and told him about the plan I had been conceiving and the forces I had gathered. Because if I asked him to fight the Demonic Cult without such an explanation, he would naturally refuse.

At the end of a fierce telepathic message, Tang Je-mun's firm answer fell.

“…The Sichuan Tang family will also join. Don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you.”

With this, the participation of the fifth force, the Sichuan Tang family, following the Martial Academy, Zhuge, Shaolin, and Huashan, was decided. Although it was conditional, it was an alliance of a huge scale.

‘Now all that’s left is the Martial Alliance.’

And so, as I was organizing the remaining plans, I suddenly felt dizzy.

“Ah.”

I had staunched the bleeding, but I had overlooked the fact that I had lost a lot of blood. I headed for the Tang family's medical office, supported by the martial artists who were next to me.

‘It was dangerous.’

After that, I fell asleep as if I had fainted while receiving treatment.

When I opened my eyes after a long time, Tang Man-dok-ui was there.

But the opponent's expression was strange.

“Your blood, what on earth is it?”

“Pardon?”

“The unique resistance and adaptability of the serum… I’ve heard of this before. Isn’t it the blood of the Blood Demon, which is said to only appear in legends?!”

It seemed something was seriously going wrong.

(End of Chapter)