Chapter 6: Hao Clan (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: Hao Clan (2)
I finished speaking just as multiple swords were leveled at me from all directions.
Even if the Hao Clan’s combat prowess was known to be lacking, they were surprisingly quick to draw their blades.
Naturally, those swords never reached me.
Muyeon, who had drawn his sword a beat later than the guards, effortlessly parried every single one.
“Didn’t you say you were sorry for your earlier aggression?”
My tone was laced with amusement.
Dowoon-Chu, meanwhile, simply stared at me in silence.
“I believe the information regarding the Lord of the Hao Clan should be more than sufficient compensation for this request. Am I right?”
“The Young Master has turned out to be a completely different person than I expected,” Dowoon-Chu finally said. “I must set aside all my previous assumptions about you.”
“I don’t know what those assumptions were, but yes, that would be a wise course of action.”
“…How did you know?”
The disappearance of the Hao Clan’s Lord was a top secret, even within the clan itself. Most factions, let alone the Beggar’s Sect, were completely unaware of the situation. It was bizarre for anyone outside the inner circle to know of it, especially since the Lord’s very existence was shrouded in mystery.
Would he believe me if I said I learned it in the future?
Probably not. It’d just get me treated like an idiot, with more swords pointed my way.
“You keep asking me strange questions,” I countered. “Why bother when you know I won’t answer?”
“Then why come to us for information,” he pressed, “when the Gu Clan possesses intelligence of that caliber?”
“Branch Manager, I did not come here to trade questions.”
Tap. Tap.
The only sound in the room was the soft tap of my finger on the desk, cutting through the absolute silence.
“I have information about what you desire, and you have the ability to acquire what I need. Is that not a fair exchange?”
“Young Master, how can I trust that the information you possess is even real?”
“That is for you to determine. Why must you ask so many questions?”
I stopped tapping the desk.
Dowoon-Chu’s face returned to a neutral mask, but the cracks were already showing.
“I don’t think you are in a position to be picky, Branch Manager. If you have no need of my information, then so be it. I will simply take it to the Beggar’s Sect.”
And perhaps I might accidentally let slip a few details about the Hao Clan while I’m there.
The conversation ended with that whispered threat hanging in the air.
The ball was now in their court. The Hao Clan’s decision would dictate how things progressed from here… but the correct response was already obvious.
* * *
“Why did you let them leave?”
After Gu Yangcheon left, only a few guards and Dowoon-Chu remained in the room.
Dowoon-Chu offered a bitter smile in response to the guard’s question.
“I was mistaken from the very beginning. I failed to adhere to my core principles.”
Pretend not to know if you know. Pretend to know if you do not.
These were the ironclad rules of the Hao Clan. Dowoon-Chu had lived his entire life by them. Even when facing death, he had acted according to these beliefs.
But because of that boy—the one who had uncovered the Hao Clan’s secret—the entire foundation of the clan was now shaking.
“…I don’t think we should have let them go.”
“What would you have had us do, then? Capture them and force them to satiate our curiosity?”
“If it’s necessary, then we must—”
“Don’t be foolish, Yacheol. Do you think the Gu Clan is like any other household?”
The Gu Clan was a household of considerable status. Their classification as a prestigious family was well-earned, primarily due to the achievements they had accumulated at the start of the war against the demons. Over the centuries, those achievements had only multiplied. They never stagnated; they continuously progressed, which was why they remained a prestigious clan to this day.
And if one were to attack the Gu Clan—who were widely recognized as the Guardians of Shanxi—it wouldn’t just be the Hao Clan’s branch in Shanxi that suffered. No, the entirety of the Hao Clan would be plunged into trouble.
“The Gu Clan is formidable enough on their own, but more orthodox factions would naturally rally to their support. Many who have been biding their time would finally have a reason to move against the Hao Clan. We must be extremely careful.”
“…My apologies, Branch Manager.”
“Regardless, the situation deteriorated to this degree because I messed up from the beginning. Thankfully, the Young Master did not retaliate against your reckless swordplay.”
There was another thing Dowoon-Chu did not mention to Yacheol: the young man serving as Gu Yangcheon’s escort. He had seemed like an average, blade-wielding retainer, but the way he had effortlessly struck aside all the swords leveled at Gu Yangcheon…
Had the Hao Clan guards escalated further… he would have slain them all.
The reason he hadn’t drawn his sword beyond that initial, defensive action was because the guards’ swords had been drawn more as a threat than with genuine intent to harm. Thus, he had targeted the swords themselves, not the wielders. It was a measured, appropriate response.
Dowoon-Chu’s fear, however, stemmed from the fact that he had failed to see the escort move at all. This meant the escort was, at minimum, a First Rate martial artist. In fact, he might already have reached the peak of that rank.
To bring such a person as an escort meant the Young Master had anticipated this very scenario.
I still can’t organize my thoughts…
What was the true reason for the Young Master of the Gu Clan to visit the Hao Clan? Was it really just business?
There was no way the boy had obtained that information on his own. The entire Gu Clan, perhaps even the Lord of the Gu Clan himself, could be involved.
…What are their intentions?
Dowoon-Chu felt a web slowly tightening around him, one that he himself had helped weave…
He couldn’t find an answer. It was already difficult enough to deal with the current situation, without having to ponder who else might be involved and what their goals were. A headache began to creep in.
Lifting a hand, Dowoon-Chu reached for the skin of his chin.
Riiiiip—
As he pulled, the skin stretched and then came away with a ripping sound. Just as Gu Yangcheon had predicted, it was a mask.
Behind the mask known as Dowoon-Chu was the face of a woman—a beautiful woman with cold eyes, delicate lashes, and pale skin that seemed never to have been touched by the sun.
Yacheol spoke to her as she removed the mask. “Is it alright to take it off?”
“I was feeling uncomfortable. Please understand. There isn’t anyone watching us now anyway.”
Even her voice, which had previously been that of a man, had softened into a woman’s tone.
“…I don’t understand, no matter how much I think about it. Only a handful of people know about the Lord’s disappearance. How did he find out?”
The members of the Hao Clan might treat the missing Lord with titular respect, but in truth, they held little genuine regard for him. Most were eager to stab him in the back, each hoping to become the Lord themselves.
This was precisely why the true Lord of the Hao Clan had chosen to remain hidden.
However, the Lord’s disappearance did not mean just anyone could claim the title. One could only be accepted as the Lord of the Hao Clan after inheriting the certificate of authority from the previous Lord himself.
Those who knew of the Lord’s disappearance were desperate to find him, solely to get their hands on that certificate.
Dowoon-Chu did not know how much Gu Yangcheon knew, but she concluded that he had come to her with significant knowledge.
Furthermore, the reason he had sought her out specifically…
I don’t think you are in a position to be picky.
The words Gu Yangcheon had spoken echoed in her mind.
Dowoon-Chu thought of the Lord who had disappeared.
…Father.
And she realized that, as Gu Yangcheon had said, she truly wasn’t in a position to be picky.
* * *
I thought I was screwed.
After concluding my business with the Hao Clan, I returned to the streets.
“They actually drew their swords, those bastards.”
I knew they hadn’t truly intended to kill me, but I hadn’t expected them to go so far as to unsheathe their blades. For a moment, I’d been genuinely scared.
Maybe my approach had been too arrogant.
The only reason I’d been able to keep my composure was thanks to Muyeon.
When I glanced at him, I saw his eyes scanning our surroundings, vigilant for any danger.
I always thought of him as a somewhat clumsy escort, but his skills as a martial artist are undeniable.
I knew I was going to come out of this alive, which also helped me stay calm.
I felt Muyeon’s eyes on me as I was lost in thought.
“If you are curious about something, just ask,” I said.
“I figured you wouldn’t tell me even if I did,” he replied.
“…Oh? Then how did you know?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“…”
“I’m joking. I may be young, but I am still a scion of the Gu Clan. Is it so strange for me to have my own affairs?”
Yes, it is definitely strange.
Well, I would just say that I’d accidentally stumbled upon information about the Hao Clan and had visited them out of curiosity.
Visiting the Unorthodox Faction meant I wouldn’t get off with just a scolding; it was a necessary risk.
It would have been easier to go alone.
But I couldn’t do anything about Muyeon following me. Though, in the end, everything had turned out nicely thanks to his presence.
Thankfully, Muyeon didn’t seem to suspect anything.
Instead, he said, “…So there was a reason you insisted on going out to the streets last time.”
“Last time…?” I echoed.
Is he talking about the first day?
“The day the elder tried to help the Young Master with martial arts training, but you ran away because you didn’t want to. I thought you ran away because you hated it.”
“Huh…?”
“When the elder found out you had run away, he said he would cut you in half the next time he saw you. But, looking back on it now, that was all an act between you two, wasn’t it? All this time, I didn’t realize… Even your smallest actions carry deep meaning!”
“…”
Perhaps ‘I thought I was fucked’ wasn’t correct after all. Maybe I’m already fucked…
Why the hell did I run away from that?!
The elder looking into my martial arts training was probably the next best thing to having Gu Cheolun himself oversee it. But I’d run away simply because I found it annoying.
You fucking idiot… How could I have been so stupid?
“Let’s just go buy some yakgwas…” I muttered, suddenly reminded of Wi Seol-Ah enjoying them.
But I forgot that I didn’t have any money on me, so Muyeon ended up paying.
I’ll pay you back later, so stop looking so dejected. Geez.
Anyway, the Hao Clan incident will conclude for now.
Please give me some time to think.
So Dowoon-Chu had said, but I knew he would take the bait soon enough. Just like the event known as the “Reclamation of the Hao Clan’s Lord” that would transpire in a few years.
A few years later, members of the Hao Clan would invade the Black Palace in a desperate attempt to save their Lord, who was being held captive in its dungeons. In the end, they would fail to save him, and the Lord would meet his demise.
However, the one who had initiated the plan to save the Lord would eventually inherit his title and lead the Hao Clan to rise above the surface once more.
One thing I know for sure is that the Lord of the Hao Clan was captured and held in the cellar of the Black Palace for over five years. The person who initiated the rescue plan was from Shanxi.
When he replaced the old Lord and became the new Lord, he, like his predecessor, chose to remain hidden. But he failed to conceal some things.
The event might have been called the “Reclamation of the Hao Clan’s Lord,” but it was essentially a war between the Black Palace and the Hao Clan—two major powers within the Unorthodox Faction. After this incident, the Black Palace would be completely destroyed, while the Hao Clan would be left half-shattered.
The one who ultimately brought down the Black Palace was none other than the Murim Alliance. It was such a significant event that even I, who hadn’t cared much about anything at the time, remembered it clearly.
I was fortunate. If this had happened anywhere other than Shanxi, I probably wouldn’t have even attempted this due to the distance.
It had been a gamble, but one I had to take.
I didn’t know if the branch manager was even who he claimed to be, or if he was the real decision-maker. But his reactions had given me a few answers.
I had to have many contingencies and plans ready, considering I was making a move against the Hao Clan. It was a necessary path, even if a dangerous one, to find the person I was looking for.
Whether by enlisting the help of the Beggar’s Sect or by finding him myself—I had to locate this man, no matter what.
The Man of Heaven, Zhuge Hyuk.
The man who would become the Chief Military Strategist of the Demonic Cult at a young age.
The man who acted as the brain of the Demonic Cult.
I must find him.
And I must kill him.
* * *
I ate some of the yakgwas I had bought from the street vendor and gave the rest to Wi Seol-Ah.
I didn’t know what had happened while I was gone, but she was covered in some kind of spice. I knew she was learning to cook, but how does one end up in such a state?
However, when she started jumping up and down with joy after receiving the yakgwas, I thought to myself, Do I need to buy her more next time?
Muyeon had told me he would file a report upon our return and had already left. I, of course, had instructed him to keep everything that happened today a secret. His response had been affirmative, but I couldn’t help worrying that something might slip.
The next day, when I went outside at sunrise, I saw Muyeon and the Sword Venerable talking to each other.
“…What is this weird scenario?”
The Sword Venerable, just as he had been the day before, was sweeping the area with a broom. Muyeon was beside him, listening intently.
“So, as a swordsman, the important thing is to ‘become one with the sword,’” the Sword Venerable was explaining.
“Is that so? Haha!” Muyeon replied enthusiastically.
“For example… Oh, do you know about the Three Venerables? There is a story about a time the Sword Venerable slept under the moonlight with his sword and reached a new stage of enlightenment. He achieved synchronization with his blade by sleeping beside it.”
“Hohoho!”
…What is this? Is this what they call ‘teaching a fish how to swim’?
“I sometimes feel that way when I train at night,” Muyeon added. “It’s like the sword is talking to me. When that happens, I swing my sword and my body… Oh, I don’t think you would understand even if I explained. I apologize…”
“No problem,” the Sword Venerable said kindly. “It’s an amusing story for an old man like myself.”
It was more than a little embarrassing to watch Muyeon brag about his sword prowess to the Sword Venerable himself. I intervened because I couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
“What are you doing?”
Muyeon and the Sword Venerable greeted me with respect. I was still getting used to the Sword Venerable treating me with such deference.
“…I had a small enlightenment yesterday,” Muyeon explained, slightly embarrassed, “and I started talking to him about it without realizing.”
I understood his excitement, but this was the Sword Venerable we were talking about.
The Sword Venerable simply smiled at Muyeon’s embarrassment. “I’m fine, Young Master. This embarrassing old man, who has never wielded a sword before, found his heart pounding while listening to the story of a young man who has just gleaned a new enlightenment.”
The almighty Sword Venerable said this with a straight face, pretending to know nothing.
In the midst of this, it was somewhat annoying to see Muyeon puffing out his chest with pride after hearing those words.
“Anyway, what brings you here so early in the morning?” I asked.
Muyeon suddenly remembered why he had come and quickly handed me a piece of paper. He’d gotten so carried away with his bragging that he’d forgotten his purpose.
The paper I received had “Nine Dragons” written on it in red ink.
As soon as I saw it, I frowned. Muyeon noticed my expression and said, “Young Master, you must attend the Nine Dragons Day today.”
Another annoying obligation had surfaced.