Chronicles of the Reincarnated Demon God - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Pushover

“This has some weight to it. Were you thinking of having a drink after this?”

“Just when did you…?”

Tang Gon was in a state of disbelief.

It was understandable. The stepping technique that would take others at least three months to learn was being used so skillfully, and I was even showing the proficiency of a master.

Of course, no matter how much of a genius I was, it was impossible for me to master the Shadow Steps in such a short time.

I was just cheating with a bit of sleight-of-hand.

「Junior Lord! I’ve followed your commands to the letter, so please keep your—」

‘I got it. I’ll give it some consideration.’

「Thank you! I desire nothing but Samsara, so please give me any order you require!」

I only used Shadow Steps to approach Tang Gon. The pouch was brought to me by the ghost I had planted in the pouch beforehand.

Since my upper dantian hadn’t matured yet, I had limits to my physical miracles, but this much was easy.

However, knowing none of this, Tang Gon could only look surprised.

“Have you perhaps learned Shadow Steps before—”

“I am not even allowed to access the Martial Library, so how could I have learned it beforehand?” I countered.

“…Then how could this—”

“Maybe I’m just a better genius than the Fierce Gale Warrior.”

I removed exactly thirty silver coins from the pouch and threw it back to him.

Clack!

Tang Gon couldn’t even think about catching it. The worn-out pouch fell to the ground.

“Instructor, do you have anything else? This is too boring.”

Tang Gon’s expression crumpled when I said that, but I smiled instead.

‘Jackpot.’

* * *

Around four hours later…

“I can’t… believe this…”

Tang Gon was completely spent, splayed out on the floor.

How did this come to be?

I had just taken his entire remaining wealth not long ago. Kekeke.

Tang Gon truly was the gift that kept on giving. He coughed up more coins with every taunt.

“One more! Let’s try one more time, second young master!”

“Do I have any money? Argh! I can just bring more! Please wait here for a moment. I will go and withdraw more money from the bank!”

“Fufufu! Look at that. Maybe the Soul-Searching Soaring Butterfly was a given considering you’re the second young master, but it’ll be difficult for you to master the Wild Wind Body Technique!”

“What? You want one more try? Hahahaha! Look here, Second Young Master. The Wild Wind Body Technique is the pride and joy of our Wild Wind Squad, our supreme squad technique. Yet you… Fine, tsk! Sure! Let’s go!”

“…Huh? This can’t be! How can you use the Wild Wind Twelve Rotation—”

“N-Nooooo!”

“Please, please let me keep this money…! Mercy! Forgive me! Pleaaaase!”

I purposefully weaved in a few losses against him to keep him on the line, swindling him until he bottomed out.

In the end, Tang Gon was robbed of everything he had.

I suspected that he had probably revealed all the secret techniques he knew, too. He had even given me the supreme techniques of the old Wild Wind Squad, the pride of the Nine Dragons Branch Family.

Honestly, this was to be expected.

Even if I hadn’t been able to utilize martial arts in my past life, that didn’t mean I had no knowledge of it. I mean, everywhere I looked around me, I was surrounded by masters.

My master personally let me watch his sword training. After a long time of this, my observation skills and understanding had increased considerably. I could pierce the secrets of most martial arts with just one look.

Also, I had a complete understanding of how to wield my body after diligently practicing the Poison Dragon Essence Art and the Twelve Fierce Tiger Steps for the last two months, so even with minute adjustments, I could absorb martial arts like drinking water.

Of course, I only knew how to use them. My understanding of them wasn’t deep enough to use them in real combat yet. However, that could be fixed with a few more sessions of practice.

‘Now, since the mood has settled down a little… How about I throw him another bit of bait?’

“It wouldn’t be that satisfying if we ended it here like this,” I said.

“…I have nothing left I can offer.”

He resembled a jiangshi from how sullen his eyes looked.

“Isn’t there still one thing left?”

“One…?”

“The Wild Wind Dance.”

“!!”

Thud!

I put down my pouch, which was too heavy to even hold at this point, and gave him a grin.

“I’ll bet all the money in here. How about it?”

“But the Wild Wind Dance is…” Tang Gon showed some reaction, but he couldn’t easily continue his words.

It was understandable. The Wild Wind Dance was practically the identity of the old Wild Wind Squad itself.

The Wild Wind Squad was legendary in the Sichuan martial realm.

They were the martial squad who defeated their old rivals, the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei School, and had even defeated the forward party of the Heavenly Demon Cult that tried to gain a footing in the central plains.

Thanks to them, the Sichuan Tang Clan was able to wield supreme authority not just in the Sichuan province but in the entire western region of the Central Plains.

The Wild Wind Dance was a true supreme technique that only the members of the Wild Wind Squad could learn. I heard that when used, it blasted wild winds in all directions and shredded everything in its path.

On top of that, when poison was mixed in, the entire area would become a dead land—or, if used in conjunction with assassination weapons, it resulted in complete annihilation.

Naturally, the Sichuan Tang Clan kept a tight hold on the information about the Wild Wind Dance, making it one of the few supreme techniques that couldn’t be found even in the Heavenly Demon Archive.

I planned on obtaining this technique.

“I know that it’s impossible to inherit the technique without the permission of the Tang Clan Village.”

“Then—”

“But aren’t there exceptions to this? Such as being part of the direct line of the Wild Wind Squad Leader.”

“!!”

“Even if I’m treated like shit, I’m still the eldest son of the branch family head. I say I have that right.”

“…”

Tang Gon bit his lip.

I hadn’t said anything wrong. However, his eyes became very calm.

The pushover who only existed to be tricked had disappeared, and the core member of the powerful past Wild Wind Squad had appeared.

Whoosh!

My skin felt tingly.

I thought he was pretty good. Even when a little surprised, he always only showed his lethargic and unmotivated self.

However, he had been hiding such a serious side to him.

“The Wild Wind Dance is no different than our lives. I will not forgive you if you treat it like a betting chip, even if it is you, Second Young Master[1].”

Heh. He was acting all confident now, but there was one thing he didn’t know.

I possessed a silver tongue.

“Do you really think I’m treating it only like a betting chip?”

“Are you not?”

“Of course not.”

“What—?”

“This is frustrating, really. Do you really think all the betting I did against you was solely a game?”

For the first time, Tang Gon looked confused. I acted like I was frustrated and let out a sigh while slamming my hand against my chest.

“I’m trying to convince you that I have this much talent.”

“!”

“What if I had asked you to teach me the Wild Wind Dance from the beginning? You probably would’ve just laughed it off and ignored my request.”

“!!”

“If I hadn’t clashed against you like this, I wouldn’t have even gotten the opportunity to ask. Forget all of the betting we did before this. Just look at who I, Tang Woon-hwi, am as a person.”

I commanded his attention and made my final blow.

“Do you believe that I don’t have the right to continue the legacy of the Wild Wind Squad?”

“!!!”

I now called upon not only his attention but his devotion as well.

「I always feel this…」

「But I am certain there is a demon on the Junior Lord’s tongue. It wasn’t just one or two cultists who lost control of their lives because of his words. Truly, the mouth of a demon—」

‘Do you want to die?’

「I-I apologize!」

「W-we’ll be more careful!」

I tried to ignore what the ghosts were saying and stared directly at the silent Tang Gon. His mind was probably swirling with many different thoughts.

The second young master, who he hadn’t even treated properly until now, was saying words that triggered his feelings of the past and even showed him that he had the potential to become the clan head. It was only natural that he would be conflicted.

The reason Tang Gon didn’t interfere with the succession battle wasn’t because he wasn’t interested. It was just because he had no one he deemed worth supporting.

Considering his still-strong loyalty to Tang Ho-san, he was bound to come over to my side the moment I aimed for and satisfied this point for him.

The most important thing in fishing for a pushover wasn’t to play to their impulses. That wouldn’t last long, and it would create feelings of defiance later on down the line.

However, if his mind and body both became motivated, he wouldn’t just give up all the money in his pocket but even offer his life as well.

Tang Gon was in that situation.

Also, the reason I was bringing Tang Gon over to my side wasn’t simply to obtain the Wild Wind Dance from him.

Even after the visit by the Dark Sovereign, how much more would Namgung San-yeong bully me with all sorts of small things?

I needed an umbrella to shield me from her. An umbrella that was strong enough to protect me at least while I was still in the Nine Dragons Branch Family.

Tang Gon was only just the beginning.

With this person as the first, I planned on slowly reaching out to the entirety of the old Wild Wind Squad.

Namgung San-yeong and Tang Yu-chang were probably enjoying their time right now, believing that their scheme was perfect. However, they would soon know that the trap they had laid out was coming back to bite their own noses.

Tang Gon remained silent for a long time before letting out a sigh.

“…I heard that the second young master had changed recently, but this is beyond just change. It’s as if you have become a completely different person.”

Sometimes, silence spoke louder than a hundred words ever could.

“Have you been hiding yourself from the eyes of the world until now?”

“Well, something like that.”

“You were hiding due to the pressure from the grand matron, but now that the Dark Sovereign will be visiting soon, you plan on showing your true self—so that’s your plan.”

After laying out the foundation for him, Tang Gon was now piecing my story together for me.

“Alright. I will show you the Wild Wind Dance. Since I have already shown it to the first young lady and the third young master, it shouldn’t be a problem to show it to you as well.”

Shwoo!

The aura that Tang Gon had been exuding began to infuse itself into the wind as a whirlwind began to form.

“However, not even those two geniuses were able to even attempt the Wild Wind Dance. Do not think that this will be easy for you.”

Tang Gon then took his stance with full sincerity. His eyes showed his seriousness and respect for me.

“Then should we change the content of the bet a little?”

“The content…?”

Tang Gon seemed confused as I mentioned another bet in such a situation.

“You said it’ll be difficult for me to learn it in just one go, and I think the Wild Wind Dance will be too much for me as well… so if I learn it by the end of the day, you’ll buy me a drink. If I fail, I’ll buy instead. How about that?”

“A drink? Alright!” He smiled.

And then…

Rumble!

Wild winds filled the entirety of the White Pavilion.

* * *

‘No matter how much of a genius the second young master is, this will be too difficult for him.’

Tang Gon was enjoying the moment.

At first, when he was sent from the Righteous Wind Hall by the order of the grand matron, he was thinking about just doing the bare minimum and lounging around for the rest of it.

“Wanna bet?”

“Are you a chicken?”

The lesson that began with that light taunting had turned into something enjoyable.

“Do you believe that I don’t have the right to continue the legacy of the Wild Wind Squad?”

Those words were the ones that impacted Tang Gon the most.

‘The legacy of the Wild Wind Squad… have I ever had a thought like that since the Wild Wind Squad was disbanded?’

After the squad leader founded the Nine Dragons Branch Family, it felt as if he had become a completely different person.

If before he was always burning with desire and ambition and was someone who excited the people around him, now he was just a quiet lion who only did what was asked of him.

Because he hadn’t shown any intention of doing anything, many squad members left the squad leader’s side over the last twenty years, and there were only a few very close individuals left, like him.

However, when Tang Gon saw Tang Woon-hwi talk about the legacy of the Wild Wind Squad, he saw traces of the past squad leader in him.

‘I only hope that you didn’t just say that to convince me.’

Still, if someone asked him if he would support Woon-hwi in the succession battle after not having shown anyone else his support, Tang Gon would still say that he wouldn’t choose anyone until the end.

It was the promise made among the past squad members that they wouldn’t show any support until the squad leader made his intentions known.

However, if someone asked him if he was going to have a good drinking buddy, he could confidently answer that question with a bright smile.

He probably would.

But not long after…

“I lost! I lost again! Damn yoooou!”

Tang Gon chewed on his handkerchief and cursed his delusions.

Footnotes:

[1] The birth order convention indicates which number child they are. Tang Gyu-jin is the first young lady, Tang Woon-hwi is the second young master, and Tang Yu-chang is the third young master. It is not contradictory for him to be both the eldest son and the second young master.