The Crisis of the Du Clan Manor
Poyang was a thriving commercial city and a vital hub of Jiangxi Province's waterways.
Situated where Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains, met the Yangtze River—the lifeblood of the world—Poyang had long flourished with fishing and textile industries. Fresh fish caught from the lake and dried seafood, along with the finest silk and cotton produced in the surrounding regions, flowed through Poyang's port and down the Yangtze to every corner of the realm, from Huazhong to Huanan.
It was precisely for this reason that Ouyang Dam, the founding patriarch of the Ouyang Clan Manor, had settled one of his sworn brothers in Poyang and established the Du Clan Manor as a branch family. No matter how powerful a martial clan might be, it was impossible to sustain a family without an economic foundation.
As the sun set, a tall white-haired elder and an unremarkable-looking young man arrived before the main gate of the Poyang Du Clan Manor.
They were Ouyang Qiangang and Ju Pyo, their identities concealed beneath human-skin masks.
Having departed from Jiujiang, they had reached this place after five days of travel.
Sensing the firmly shut gates and the heavy, sunken aura pressing out from beyond them, Ouyang Qiangang and Ju Pyo exchanged a glance and frowned. The atmosphere of the Du Clan Manor was dark enough that even from outside the gate, something felt deeply wrong.
When Ouyang Qiangang knocked, the gatekeeper who appeared promptly and politely refused them entry.
"By order of the Manor Lord. No one may enter at this time. Please turn back."
At that moment, Ju Pyo drew an old but well-preserved letter of introduction from his breast and held it out.
"I am an old friend of the former Manor Lord here. Take this letter to him, and tell him that an aged friend from Nanchang has come to visit."
The gatekeeper was skeptical, but overawed by the extraordinary presence Ju Pyo exuded, he finally carried the letter inside.
Before long, the firmly closed gates swung wide open, and a white-haired old man came sprinting out in his socked feet.
It was Du Jeong-gwang, the former Manor Lord of the Poyang Du Clan Manor.
The moment he saw Ju Pyo, his face lit up and he seized his hand.
"Ju—Ju, elder brother! Is it truly you? You're alive!"
"Ah, it's been a long time."
During the Human Demon War, Du Jeong-gwang had been the Lord of the Du Clan Manor, while Ju Pyo had served as a guardian warrior of the Ouyang Clan Manor. Though the gap in their stations had been great, their bond had been deep enough that they called each other brothers.
Du Jeong-gwang spoke.
"Elder brother, come inside at once."
Seated across from one another in the great hall of the guest quarters, the two old friends spent a long while catching up before Du Jeong-gwang's gaze finally turned to Ouyang Qiangang, who sat quietly at Ju Pyo's side.
"By the way, elder brother—who is that young man behind you?"
True to the promise he had made to keep the secret until Ouyang Qiangang himself chose to reveal his identity, Ju Pyo introduced him as his disciple.
"He is the last disciple I ever took. Pay your respects."
"A pleasure to meet you, elder. I am Gu Cheon-gang."
Ouyang Qiangang bowed his head in courtesy.
Ju Pyo asked,
"But brother, why is the atmosphere within the manor so heavy? Has something terrible happened?"
At his question, a deep shadow of worry settled over Du Jeong-gwang's face.
"What you feel is exactly right, elder brother. It would be no exaggeration to say that our Du Clan Manor, and indeed all of Poyang, stands on the brink of ruin."
"On the brink of ruin? What in the world has happened? Even after the Human Demon War weakened the Du Clan considerably, it was still counted among the top five families in Poyang."
"Whew... Until recently, you would have been right, brother... But all of this is the work of the Thousand Seas Gang. Those bastards."
Fierce rage and hatred seethed in the voice of Du Jeong-gwang as he sighed.
"The Thousand Seas Gang?"
"They are a band of pirates who have made Poyang Lake their base of operations for years now. A man called the Blood Spirit Human Demon is their Gang Lord."
"Pirates?"
Du Jeong-gwang clenched his fist tight.
"That's right."
"Then what in the world is the Yangtze Waterway Alliance doing? They claim to be the masters of the Yangtze waterways, do they not?"
"I don't know the details, but the Thousand Seas Gang has not strayed from Poyang Lake, so it seems they have yet to clash with the Waterway Alliance."
"Still, it's strange that the Alliance would leave alone men committing such acts on a lake connected to the Yangtze."
"They say the Thousand Seas Gang—from the Gang Lord down to the last gang member—are all madmen who fear nothing, not even the Waterway Alliance."
Ju Pyo asked,
"How large is this Thousand Seas Gang's force?"
"The number of gang members trained in martial arts exceeds five hundred, and among them, it is said that more than fifty are First-rate masters."
Ju Pyo's eyes widened in surprise.
"A force like that would rival the main clan at the height of its golden age..."
"Which is precisely why they can contest the Yangtze itself with the Waterway Alliance."
Du Jeong-gwang ground his teeth as he continued.
"The Thousand Seas Gang has been forcing every prominent family in Poyang, including our Du Clan Manor, to pay a toll for the use of the lake's waterways."
"And the amount must be steep."
"They are demanding five times what we used to pay the Yangtze Waterway Alliance in passage fees. If we pay it, more than half of the Du Clan Manor's revenue vanishes. It amounts to telling us to stop doing business altogether."
"Hmm..."
Letting out a low groan, Ju Pyo furrowed his brow and asked,
"So you have simply been taking it?"
Du Jeong-gwang let out a long sigh before answering.
"How could we? While dragging out negotiations with the Thousand Seas Gang, we secretly sent word to the Yangtze Waterway Alliance, explaining the situation and seeking their support."
His voice thinned and trembled as he went on.
"But... those cruel bastards caught wind of our movements."
Ju Pyo's expression hardened.
"You were struck in retaliation?"
"We were. The very night after our message was sent, the Thousand Seas Gang stormed all Ten Great Families of Poyang simultaneously and abducted the children and the women."
"Even with the warriors the Ten Great Families possessed, they were defeated?"
"Their martial arts were far too powerful to call mere pirates. In the end, we lost dozens of family members, and even our wives and children were taken from us. That was two days ago."
Du Jeong-gwang continued, his face dark.
"Among those abducted from our Du Clan Manor are my grandson, who has just turned nineteen, and my granddaughter, barely fourteen. Other families had descendants as young as six or seven taken..."
"Heh..."
"The bastards presented us with the head of the man who carried our message to the Waterway Alliance, and they said: 'If you ever again seek aid from outside, the hostages' heads will fall at once'..."
"So that's why the manor's atmosphere was so heavy."
Letting out a quiet lament, Ju Pyo asked,
"Brother, have the negotiations over the lake tolls concluded?"
"Not yet. But the next negotiation will be the last. With hostages in their hands, we can no longer refuse their demands..."
"Hmm, when is the next negotiation?"
"Three days from now. We are trapped, unable to move forward or back, simply waiting for those bastards' verdict. It is a desperate situation."
When Du Jeong-gwang's account ended, silence fell over the great hall.
Within Ouyang Qiangang's chest, hot fury surged upward like molten lava as he listened.
Abducting children too? These bastards have gone completely insane.
Du Jeong-gwang spoke with a bitter smile.
"Heh heh... Elder brother, it seems I've only brought up heavy matters."
As if to change the mood, Du Jeong-gwang forced a smile and called for a servant.
"Have them prepare a simple supper for our honored guest, who has come after so long. Bring out a bottle of wine as well."
But that evening's meal brought pleasure to no one's lips.
Du Jeong-gwang and Ju Pyo reunited after long years and traded old stories, yet their conversations, no matter how fondly they recalled past glories, inevitably ended in deep sighs before the wall of present reality. Faced with his family's crisis, even the finest wine in the world tasted like bitter medicine.
In the end, the two men drank only a little before rising from their seats.
After the meal, Ouyang Qiangang and Ju Pyo made their way to the quarters Du Jeong-gwang had prepared for them in a separate building. Watching their backs, Du Jeong-gwang's shoulders sagged.
Ouyang Qiangang and Ju Pyo sat facing each other in the separate quarters.
"Master, I will resolve this crisis facing the Du Clan Manor."
Ju Pyo looked back at him with an expression that suggested he wondered if he had misheard.
"What... did you just say, young master?"
"I said I will save the people and free the families of Poyang from the Thousand Seas Gang's oppression."
Ju Pyo's eyes went wide with shock.
"Young master, are you in your right mind? You heard what brother Du said. The Thousand Seas Gang numbers over five hundred trained gang members, with more than fifty First-rate masters among them—a formidable sect. For the two of us to face them would be like cracking a boulder with an egg."
"I am no egg, and the Thousand Seas Gang is no boulder."
"Why would you go to such lengths?"
"Because if I resolve this affair, every prominent family in Poyang will owe me a debt they can never repay. Beyond that, it is a golden opportunity to make not just the Du Clan Manor but this entire region a steadfast ally of the Ouyang Clan Manor."
"Is that all?"
"The Thousand Seas Gang has crossed a line that must never be crossed. No one touches the children."
"Heh... Those who bear the Ouyang name have always been stubborn, but I have never met one as reckless as you, young master."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The smile that had settled on Ouyang Qiangang's lips did not fade.
"Do you truly have the confidence to resolve this?"
"Of course."
At his words, Ju Pyo realized there was no stopping him and sighed inwardly.
"Will you go to the Thousand Seas Gang's stronghold?"
"To save the people, is there any other way?"
"Young master, I am coming with you."
Ouyang Qiangang grinned and asked in a playful tone.
"Were you planning to send me there alone, then?"
"Hahaha..."
Ouyang Qiangang gave Ju Pyo specific instructions on what the plan required.
"Master, for my plan I will need a small boat and one fisherman who knows the waterways of Poyang Lake well and can keep his mouth shut. Can you arrange that?"
Ju Pyo still wore a worried expression as he replied.
"Brother Du should be able to prepare what you've asked for without difficulty."
The middle of the Hour of the Tiger, around four in the morning, when the power of darkness still lingered.
Ouyang Qiangang and Ju Pyo stood before a secluded stretch of the Du Clan Manor's fence.
Perched on Ouyang Qiangang's shoulder, the silver-furred Geum Wang yawned widely, bored, his small mouth opening wide.
As they were about to depart, they sensed a faint trace of human presence and turned their heads.
At the same moment, a figure emerged from the shadows of the fence. Clad in black martial garb with a sword in hand, it was Du Jeong-gwang, the former Manor Lord of the Du Clan Manor.
As though he had been waiting for them all along, he blocked their path.
Startled, Ju Pyo spoke first.
"Brother, what brings you here...?"
"You two—did you intend to slip away and leave this old man behind?"
Du Jeong-gwang's voice was bitter, but his eyes were hard as steel.
"Elder brother, my children's and grandchildren's lives hang on this matter. How could I possibly entrust everything to you two outsiders—elder brother Ju and his disciple—alone?"
Ju Pyo spoke in a heavy tone.
"It is a dangerous road."
"Then why should only the two of you walk it?"
"Hmm..."
"You two are heading into a death trap, and I'm to stretch out my legs and rest comfortably inside these safe walls? Does that make any sense? I would sooner die—but before I die, I will see even a single drop of those bastards' blood."
Du Jeong-gwang's resolve was unshakable.
Ouyang Qiangang watched the two old men's exchange in silence, looking into Du Jeong-gwang's eyes.
Those are the eyes of a man prepared to die. There's no stopping him. And if I were to break that man's will, it could leave a rift between us later.
He sent a whispered transmission to Ju Pyo.
[Master Ju, please allow it. He will be a great strength to us.]
Ju Pyo turned to look at Ouyang Qiangang with startled eyes for a moment.
The Whispered Transmission was an advanced art that only masters of the Peak stage or higher could employ. Unfolding it was tantamount to revealing just how far Ouyang Qiangang's martial arts had progressed.
With a deep sigh, Ju Pyo nodded.
"Heh... So the Du Clan Manor has its own immovable mule as well. Very well. Who could stop you? Come along."
"Thank you, elder brother."
Without a word, Du Jeong-gwang adjusted his grip on his sword and set off.