Chapter 85
A name he hadn't heard in over twenty years came out of the mouth of a strange young man.
Tang Yishui.
As is often the case between a legitimate son and an illegitimate son, the relationship between Tang Yizheng and Tang Yishui was not very close.
Moreover, Tang Yishui, who had an extraordinary talent, was always an object of jealousy for Tang Yizheng, and when he heard that he was participating in the experiment of the poison man, that jealousy reached its peak.
Later, when he became the head of the Tang Clan, he declared Tang Yishui, who had broken the rules of the Tang Clan and had run away after the poison man procedure, a traitor and erased all traces of him.
And since then, he had not even been interested in how his half-brother was living.
Although he had left the Tang Clan alone, since he had an outstanding talent and the martial arts of a lifetime that he had learned in the Tang Clan, he had only thought that he would not have died.
But he had heard from a stranger that he had once been one of the renowned masters of the martial world.
"If it's the Butterfly Scholar, I've also heard of him. He was known to have a great martial prowess, to the extent that the then leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, Yan Tianze, had tried in every way to draw him in. I heard that he disappeared after he went out to find the great calligrapher, Gan Shishu..."
Although there were numerous speculations about the whereabouts of the suddenly disappeared Butterfly Scholar, since he was a man who was so free-spirited, the weight was being placed on the fact that he had become disillusioned with the martial world and had gone into seclusion.
In any case, the fact that the disappeared ultimate master was from the Tang Clan in the past, and that he was the brother of the current head of the Tang Clan, was a great story.
"...Well, what did he say?"
Tang Yizheng could not deny Jiang Ziya's words about Tang Yishui.
Although he was a criminal who had broken the rules of the Tang Clan and had run away a long time ago, hearing the news again like this, his heart was pounding, and it seemed that the affection of a brother, even if they had different mothers, was not something that could be easily shaken off.
Moreover, a supreme master who had made a name for himself in the martial world after leaving the Tang Clan.
If it were his request, it would never be something that would harm the Tang Clan.
"The Butterfly Scholar asked me to deliver this plaque to his nephew."
Tang Yizheng turned his gaze to the shabby and old plaque that Jiang Ziya had taken out.
The plaque, which had a butterfly with its wings spread drawn on it with a clumsy skill, did not seem to be a great object that needed to be delivered by someone.
But it was unlikely that he would do such a thing to make fun of him, nor would he deliver such a wooden plaque without any reason.
Tang Yizheng extended his hand to Jiang Ziya.
"A nephew... my child is not in the Tang Clan right now, so I will take care of it."
"By any chance, if you know where he is, I will deliver it myself."
"That child has entered a closed-door training several years ago to learn the secret ultimate art of the Tang Clan. Since he will not be able to come out for several years, give it to me."
"Then I cannot give it to you."
Jiang Ziya stared at him blankly and put the wooden plaque that he was holding in his hand back into his pocket.
"Scholar Jiang?"
Xi Xichang, seeing the head of the Tang Clan obediently listening to Jiang Ziya's words and following them, had been expecting that there was a chance of persuasion as Jiang Ziya had said before. So she had been listening to their conversation with an expectant gaze, but she was flustered by Jiang Ziya's sudden action and called him.
"I said I would take care of it, my father, so why are you saying no?"
Tang Yizheng, who had revealed his displeasure, did not hide his anger.
"This is because the Butterfly Scholar, when he entrusted this plaque to me, told me to give it to your nephew, that is, the son of the head of the family, and not to anyone else in the Tang Clan."
"What did you say?"
Tang Yizheng recalled the face of Tang Yishui when he was young and frowned.
Annoyingly, his older brother was expressing his disappointment with him and the Tang Clan in this way.
But since Jiang Ziya was saying this, his curiosity about the plaque he was holding grew even more.
The Butterfly Scholar was a supreme master who had made a name for himself in the martial world of his time.
If he had decided to pass on the lineage of his martial arts to his son, it was clear that the secret was hidden in that plaque.
"Although my older brother said to deliver it to my son, since the circumstances do not allow it, you will not be greatly blamed even if you entrust it to me. Give it to me."
Although it was Tang Yizheng who would never have said the title 'older brother' out of his mouth in normal times, curiosity and greed made it possible.
"I'm sorry, but since the Butterfly Scholar said that if his nephew did not receive it directly, I should destroy the plaque, I can never give it to anyone else."
"Didn't I say he was my older brother? A young person is being so frustrating!"
"For that, I heard that you were not on very good terms."
"Hmm, hmm."
Seeing that Jiang Ziya was saying this, it was clear that Tang Yishui had given Jiang Ziya some hint about his background.
The troubled Tang Yizheng found it difficult to ask Jiang Ziya for the plaque anymore.
In the first place, since they were not the only ones here, Xi Xichang and Yang Jian were listening to the conversation together.
"Please refrain from saying anything that could cause a misunderstanding. My child, Nezha, as I said before, has entered a closed-door training. If so, are you saying that you will wait until that child finishes his closed-door training?"
"Since I also have things to do, that is difficult. If you tell me the approximate date, I will surely visit the Tang Clan again."
Tang Yizheng gritted his teeth at Jiang Ziya's attitude, which was good if you said it was faithful, and bad if you said it was inflexible.
It was surely because he was so stubborn that his brother had asked him for a favor.
In a situation where it was not enough to hide Nezha even more, since Jiang Ziya, who said that he would deliver the Butterfly Scholar's will to Nezha, had appeared, it was a difficult situation for him. But to tell Jiang Ziya to go back as it was was no different from telling him to miss an object that might contain an ultimate martial art right in front of his eyes.
Although it was good to say that he would visit again, it was too risky to trust Jiang Ziya, whose identity he did not yet know properly. He didn't know when his heart for the ultimate martial art would change, and in the meantime, this sickly scholar might suffer a misfortune and the martial art might be lost.
But in a situation where even Xi Xichang and Yang Jian were present, it was out of the question to take it by force.
Tang Yizheng spun his head fiercely in a short moment.
"Alright! Then if you stay here a little longer, I will have that child finish his closed-door training and to have him meet you."
"Didn't you say that the closed-door training would take several years?"
"Isn't that plaque that my older brother left more important than the closed-door training? But since there is some business in this family, it seems that you will have to wait here a little longer."
Wu Guang was in a frenzy to find the culprit who had killed his disciple.
Moreover, the poison man was a secret of the Tang Clan.
Even if it weren't for Wu Guang, Tang Yizheng had no intention of calling Nezha and to have him meet Jiang Ziya.
He was planning to prepare a fake child and to receive the plaque as soon as Wu Guang finished his investigation and gave up and went back.
In any case, since Nezha was born after Tang Yishui had left the Tang Clan, Tang Yishui knew nothing about Nezha.
Since Jiang Ziya had never met Nezha either, it was impossible for him to notice even if he were to set up a fake.
"By any chance, how long do you think it will be?"
"Hmm, since it's after the internal affairs are resolved... I will proceed as quickly as possible. In the meantime, I will treat you as a great guest of the Tang Clan and to make sure that you have no inconvenience during your stay."
"Alright."
Jiang Ziya noticed that Tang Yizheng was hiding something.
But Jiang Ziya also welcomed Tang Yizheng's proposal.
This was because the faint traces of 'magic' that he had felt in the Tang Clan were being detected more clearly as he entered the center of the Tang Clan.
If there were traces of the Non-Duality Gate in the Tang Clan, he needed enough time to investigate it.
If Tang Yizheng were to treat him as a precious guest, it was clear that his movements in the Tang Clan would become more free.
"Head of the family, then, with the Sichuan Alliance..."
"How about we discuss that story after the matter with Scholar Jiang is over?"
Xi Xichang looked at Jiang Ziya with a resentful gaze.
Although Jiang Ziya had a move that was difficult for Tang Yizheng to refuse, he had not mentioned the story of having the Sichuan Tang Clan cooperate with the Sichuan Alliance as he had promised her.
But the fact that Tang Yizheng had not shown a refusal was no different from a great achievement.
If the plaque that Jiang Ziya had was an object that contained the mystery of the Butterfly Scholar's martial arts, as the people here thought, Tang Yizheng could never refuse it.
If so, Jiang Ziya had done a great favor to the Tang Clan.
If the Sichuan Alliance were to ask the Tang Clan for help on that pretext, Tang Yizheng would have no choice but to accept.
'Is it a half-success...'
Xi Xichang, looking at Jiang Ziya's back, was worried about his identity and his inner thoughts again.
A strong martial art of unknown origin and his intentions.
And even a connection with the Butterfly Scholar, a reclusive supreme master.
What was most surprising was his willpower to have brought his object to the Tang Clan, even if it were the Butterfly Scholar's request.
It was impossible for a martial artist not to have curiosity and greed for a wooden plaque that might have a clue to the Butterfly Scholar's martial arts.
But Jiang Ziya seemed so detached from it.
The way he took it out of his pocket as if it were a completely uninteresting object even made him look as if he were detached from material desires.
'He either has no material desires... or his faith is firm... or if not, he has no need for it...'
If it were the first two cases, it was not bad news for Xi Xichang.
This was because it meant that a person who was so trustworthy in the current chaotic situation where it was difficult to trust people easily was helping him.
But if it were the last case, the story was completely different.
The fact that he had no need for the Butterfly Scholar's martial arts was synonymous with the fact that he was hiding something.
"Then, since I have business to attend to, I will go out first. Since there are many forbidden places in the Tang Clan, please be careful of those places and to rest comfortably."
"Yes."
"Wait..."
Tang Yizheng, who had turned his back and was about to leave the room, stopped his steps for a moment.
Although he was hesitant to speak, it seemed that if it weren't for this opportunity, he would not have another opportunity to ask.
"The Butterfly Scholar... is he, my older brother, doing well?"
Jiang Ziya nodded his head at Tang Yizheng, who was asking as if he were letting out a breath, as if it were difficult to speak.
"I also saw him when I was young, and I have not heard from him since. I heard that he has moved to a distant place and is living there."
Jiang Ziya told Tang Yizheng exactly what the Tongtian Cult Master had answered when he had asked about the news of the Butterfly Scholar in the past.
Whenever he asked about the Butterfly Scholar, the Tongtian Cult Master would scold him, saying that he should not think about useless things and should just concentrate on practicing the Manifest Demon True Art.
Although Jiang Ziya wondered what the Butterfly Scholar, who had lost both his legs, was doing after leaving the Hermit's Valley, since he was a person who had achieved a great study in the first place, he thought that he would be doing well on his own.
"It's good that he's doing well."
A sense of disappointment was mixed in Tang Yizheng's voice.
No matter how much he hated the Tang Clan, if he had achieved that level of study, he could have helped the family at least once.
Tang Yizheng, recalling Tang Yishui, shook his head.
If he had been with him, perhaps he could have cured Nezha's symptoms and the poison man of the Tang Clan could have proudly appeared.
But his past actions were now holding him back.
"Phew."
Sighing, Tang Yizheng left the chamber.
Now, what was more important than anything was to find Nezha and to erase his traces, avoiding Wu Guang.
Screech.
As the head of the Tang Clan left the room, the remaining three all had a dark expression.
Since all three had achieved their intended goals, their thoughts had become complicated.
"Scholar Jiang, let's talk for a bit."
Xi Xichang, whose voice was sharp, was dragged out of the chamber by her before Jiang Ziya had time to organize his thoughts.
(End of Chapter)