The dawn was barely a whisper on the horizon, its pale light bleeding slowly into the dark sky. Cold mist hung low over the Tang Clan estate, curling like snakes along stone paths and wooden rooftops. The estate was silent, its warriors and disciples still lost in sleep or deep cultivation. All except one.
Tang Yun stood barefoot in the center of an abandoned training courtyard, his thin robe fluttering in the early morning breeze. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady and slow. A faint glimmer of pale green qi coiled around his body, sluggish and unstable but present. He was in the Early Qi Awakening Realm (기각성경, Gi Gakseong-gyeong), the first true step into the world of martial cultivation.
Qi Awakening Realm is the foundational realm where a martial artist opens their dantian the energy center in the lower abdomen and begins to sense and circulate qi (life energy) through the body. It is the realm where control over internal energy begins. Tang Yun had reached the early stage, meaning his qi was just beginning to awaken and flow.
The green hue of his qi was no accident. Unlike others who cultivated pure energy or elemental paths, Tang Yun's path was Venom Qi refined and passed down by the Tang Clan for generations. It was infamous throughout Murim.
Venom Qi – The Tang Clan's unique and deadly cultivation method. It merges internal energy with a wide array of toxic properties, allowing its users to poison enemies with mere contact or breath. Difficult to control and painful to cultivate, but unmatched in silent lethality.
His meridians ached. Venom Qi was not meant to harmonize easily with the human body. But Tang Yun didn't flinch. Pain was part of his training. Pain reminded him he was alive.
Alive again.
In his previous life, he had stood among legends, wielded power that shook sects and clans alike. But he had died ambushed by dozens of enemies, surrounded in a chaotic battle. No betrayal. No tears. Just blood and poison. He had smiled in his final moment.
Now, reborn as the youngest young master of the declining Tang Clan, he had one advantage his enemies did not:
Memory.
The knowledge of lifetimes.
At breakfast, the Tang Clan was a flurry of activity. Outer disciples sparred in the training fields, servants rushed through the halls, and elders held morning discussions. No one paid attention to Tang Yun as he passed.
Why would they?
He was known as the "Useless Young Master" the twelfth son of the Tang Patriarch, born frail, sickly, and untalented in martial arts. A walking disappointment in the eyes of his clan.
Perfect.
Invisibility gave him time. Time to grow in secret.
He made his way through a side corridor and descended into the old storage cellar beneath the medicine hall. This was a forgotten place, used only for rotting herbs and broken equipment. Now, it was the heart of Tang Yun's secret network.
Six figures were already waiting: Tang Jiao, his loyal right hand; Mu Wen, a former archer with damaged meridians; Lin Ya, a failed alchemy apprentice; and three others all outcasts.
"Report," Tang Yun said calmly.
Tang Jiao stepped forward. "We've mapped the inner disciples' patrols. The north wall is weakest at night. Also, Elder Tang Bei has been pushing hard to name Tang Ruohan as heir."
"Expected," Tang Yun replied, expression unreadable.
Inner Disciples are core members of a clan or sect who have passed strict evaluations and received formal recognition. Patrols maintain internal security and discipline.
"And our poison trials?" he asked.
Mu Wen handed over a scroll. "The Black Serpent Root mixture caused confusion and nausea in a Qi Awakening disciple. We added Ghostvine and achieved temporary paralysis."
Tang Yun's eyes gleamed.
Black Serpent Root – A venomous herb causing hallucinations and disorientation.
Ghostvine – A rare parasitic plant that interferes with muscle control when ingested or absorbed.
"Good. Begin small-batch production. I want twenty vials by next week," he ordered.
The recruits nodded. They knew better than to question him. Tang Yun didn't punish failure but he made it clear that inaction was death.
Later, in the Poison Garden, Tang Yun harvested herbs in silence. This secluded area of the estate was filled with toxic plants: Mamba Grass, Frostbell Lily, and Crimson Fang Mushrooms. Most clan members avoided the place, but for Tang Yun, it was sacred.
He knelt beside a flowering Azure Widow Plant, its petals trembling as if sensing his intent.
Azure Widow Plant – A beautiful but deadly herb whose pollen induces sleep and lowers heart rate. Used as a base in many sedative poisons.
Carefully, he clipped several leaves and sealed them in a glass jar.
"Still missing a binding agent," he muttered.
He turned to leave—and stopped. A shadow stood at the garden's edge.
Tang Ruohan.
Tall, confident, clad in white robes embroidered with gold. Mid Meridian Opening Realm—two realms above Tang Yun. His presence alone exuded power.
Meridian Opening Realm (경맥개방경, Gyeongmaek Gaebang-gyeong) – The realm where a cultivator unblocks their meridian channels, allowing qi to circulate freely throughout the body. It strengthens the flesh and enables the use of martial techniques.
"Yun," Ruohan said, smiling. "Didn't expect to see you here. Poison gardening… again?"
"I enjoy solitude," Tang Yun replied.
"A shame. Father worries about your lack of progress. At your age, I was already leading hunting parties."
"I'll try to meet expectations," Tang Yun said with a small bow.
Ruohan laughed and walked away.
Tang Yun stared after him.
"He plays the part well," he murmured. "But he's predictable. That will be his downfall."
That night, Tang Yun gathered his recruits in the old cellar.
A simple map lay on the table. A red circle marked the outer disciple barracks.
"We'll begin with their food," he said.
Lin Ya looked nervous. "Poisoning fellow disciples? If we're caught"
"It's not poison," Tang Yun interrupted. "It's a mild compound that causes delayed exhaustion. No permanent damage. Just enough to shift blame onto their training methods."
He placed five vials on the table.
"Each of you will mix one into the evening rice pot. If anyone notices, you say you saw a kitchen servant drop something suspicious. Plant doubt."
It wasn't about killing. It was about control. About reminding the disciples that their strength could falter without explanation.
A week passed. The affected disciples began showing signs of fatigue and slow reactions during morning drills. Elders grew concerned. Rumors of weak bloodlines spread. Tang Ruohan tried to rally them, but even he couldn't stop the whispers.
Tang Yun watched it all unfold from the shadows.
Power wasn't just brute force. It was influence. The ability to shape perception without ever lifting a blade.
One evening, Tang Yun sat in meditation beneath the Weeping Willow in the back gardens. His qi flowed more smoothly now, no longer lashing against his meridians like a beast in chains.
A thin sheen of sweat coated his brow.
His Venom Qi had reached a crucial threshold. He could now coat small objects like needles or blades with energy-infused venom. It was subtle, nearly invisible to the eye.
He tested it on a throwing dart, dipping it into his qi-infused mixture. The dart hissed softly. When he threw it into a tree trunk, the wood began to rot around the point of impact.
"Progress," he whispered.
Meanwhile, in the clan meeting halls, tensions grew. Elders argued over succession. The Tang Clan's position as the Eighth Great Clan was under scrutiny.
The Great Eight Clans:
Namgung Clan – Masters of the sword.
Zhao Clan – Golden Body cultivators; supreme in physical defense.
Lee Clan – Movement and agility techniques.
Gu Clan – Sealing and formation arts.
Huang Clan – Soul manipulation and illusions.
Jin Clan – Elite alchemists.
Wei Clan – Spear masters.
Tang Clan – Venom Qi and Hideen Weapon specialists (declining).
The Tang Clan had once stood tall but decades of internal decay had corroded its core. Tang Yun wasn't trying to restore it.
Not yet.
He wanted to reshape it from a rotting family into a new force. Not one bound by honor, but by secrecy, strategy, and venom.
As the moon reached its peak, Tang Yun stood at his window, gazing into the night.
"Let them ignore me. Let them mock me."
He clenched his fist. His qi responded, coiling like a snake around his hand.
"I will become the poison they can't cure. The shadow they can't trace."
He looked down at the map of the estate.
"This is just the beginning."
[Tags]: Reincarnation, Martial Arts, Poison, Scheming Protagonist, Cultivation, Weak to Strong, Anti-Hero, Cold Protagonist, Clan Wars, Hidden Identity, Revenge