Chapter 9: Nine Dragons Day (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: Nine Dragons Day (3)
The engagement between the young lady of the Peng Clan and me had been arranged for simple, practical reasons.
My family, the Gu Clan, held a status comparable to the Four Noble Clans, and we were of a similar age. Had events unfolded normally, I would have become the next Clan Lord. The Peng judged that an alliance through marriage would be mutually beneficial, so the arrangement proceeded.
The problem, of course, was me.
My reputation as a troublemaker was bad enough, but the final blow that severed the engagement was the stream of filth I'd spat at her.
"Why…?!"
Peng Ah-hee, the young lady in question, stared at me in shock. But my own surprise matched hers. Why was she here? While Shanxi was closer to her home than other regions, it was still a significant journey by carriage. What business could a member of the Peng Clan have here, especially during the Gu Clan's important ceremony?
"That should be my line. What brings you here?"
When I took a step forward, Peng Ah-hee flinched. Her escort immediately moved to shield her, positioning himself as if guarding her from an enemy. The gesture was so pointed it was almost insulting. Was the rift between us really that deep?
Now safely behind her protector, Peng Ah-hee found her voice again. "I have business here. You don't own all of Shanxi; must I report my every move to you?"
"Hm… I suppose not," I conceded.
With that, I turned my attention back to the reason I'd come: I placed my order for dumplings. Peng Ah-hee seemed dumbfounded by my sudden indifference, but I had no desire to entangle myself further in her affairs. If she was here on business, running into me was doubtless an inconvenience.
The dumplings were prepared quickly, and the steaming stacks looked delicious. I took the package and turned to leave, but a small, hesitant voice called out from behind.
"Wa-Wait."
I stopped and looked back at Peng Ah-hee, who was watching me with a nervous expression. Her next question came out of nowhere.
"...I heard the Gu Clan will be selecting new swordsmen tomorrow."
"Huh?"
It was true; the selection was scheduled for the second day of the Nine Dragons Day. But why was she asking? Her tone was strange, almost probing.
"Why do you ask?" I inquired. "Are you planning to participate?"
"Why would I participate?! And why are you so informal? I'm a year older than you!"
Ah, right. A pointless formality, but one she clung to.
"My apologies, Senior Sister. I forgot."
"Don't call me that so suddenly; it's nauseating."
What does she want from me? I wondered. Our engagement had ended messily, leaving no fond memories for either of us. The best course of action was to simply walk away.
"Right, anyway. Enjoy your time here, whether it's for work or leisure."
As I turned to leave with my dumplings, I sneaked one last glance in her direction. Peng Ah-hee flinched again under my gaze. Remembering the hot food in my hands, I finally looked away and began the walk back, Muyeon falling into step behind me. I could feel Peng Ah-hee's eyes on my back until I was out of sight.
* * *
Peng Woojin, the Young Lord of the Peng Clan, was the man everyone aspired to be. Blessed with the potential to become the greatest of his generation, he possessed a fatal flaw: a complete lack of ambition.
He openly declared that becoming Clan Lord was not his dream, often philosophizing that one should simply go with the flow of life. He had graduated at the top of his class from the Heavenly Dragon Academy, overseen by the Murim Alliance, and had become the youngest Young Lord in Peng Clan history. Yet, he always looked moments away from falling asleep.
One day, he had casually asked Peng Ah-hee if he could just leave the clan. As was their habit, she had sarcastically agreed. But Peng Woojin, in his drowsy state, took her at her word.
"Alright then, I'll do that."
Some time later, he vanished, leaving behind only a brief note: 'I'll be back after a little while.'
When the Young Lord's disappearance became known, the entire clan mobilized to find him. To their astonishment, he had vanished without a trace. After an extensive but futile search, the Peng Clan enlisted the help of the Beggar’s Sect. Eventually, they received a sliver of information: Peng Woojin had gone to Shanxi.
Upon learning this, the Lord of the Peng gave his daughter, Peng Ah-hee, a seemingly absurd order: she was to bring her brother home. While the choice of messenger was unusual, the Lord knew that despite their constant bickering, the two were close. He trusted that Ah-hee was the only one who might persuade Woojin to return.
Peng Ah-hee herself felt a pang of guilt over his disappearance, recalling their flippant conversation. She couldn't shake the feeling that her words had, in part, triggered this folly, and so she set out for Shanxi with a determined heart.
"...It already hurts my head, having to deal with my brother. Why did I have to run into him?"
To Peng Ah-hee, encountering Gu Yangcheon was a stroke of misfortune. Even before the broken engagement, their meetings had always devolved into arguments. Gu Yangcheon was perpetually aggressive, and Peng Ah-hee, being similarly strong-willed, had always fought back.
Then he had crossed a line.
The words he'd spat at her—What's so great about you, you're just a concubine's child!—had reached her uncle's ears. The engagement was dissolved immediately.
While the words had undeniably hurt, Peng Ah-hee didn't hold a deep grudge. She knew he had spoken in anger, and she had retaliated in kind. Still, the Gu Clan had been forced to apologize, and the matter was closed.
That's why his demeanor now was so shocking. The change in him over just a few years was profound.
"His eyes seemed to have changed."
Had he matured? Or was he merely having a good day?
Yes, that's it. There's no way a dog like him can mature so quickly.
Yet, try as she might to dismiss it, the feeling she got from him was vastly different from the hot-headed boy whose lack of control had shattered their future.
"...I don't know how to describe him."
Sighing to herself, Peng Ah-hee pushed the strange encounter aside and turned to her escort. "So, did you find anything?"
"...Nothing tangible, My Lady, but I can confirm that the Young Lord is indeed somewhere in Shanxi."
"Sigh… That crazy brother of mine. Why, of all the places he could wander, did he have to come here?"
She wanted to ask why he had chosen Shanxi, but she already knew the kind of answer Peng Woojin would give—something vague and infuriating, like, 'It's far but also close at the same time.' His talent was immense, but his personality was an enigma. He carried the Peng bloodline, yet he was nothing like the rest of the family.
"...So annoying."
"Night will fall soon, My Lady. We should return and rest."
Peng Ah-hee sighed again at her escort's words, then glanced one last time in the direction Gu Yangcheon had disappeared. "Once I find you, I swear…"
She huffed in frustration and finally left the area. A few seconds later, back at the dumpling store…
"Achoo!"
A man sneezed violently mid-bite. Wiping his nose, he looked around suspiciously. "Is someone talking about me? Why do I feel like sneezing?"
Shrugging, he promptly returned to devouring his dumplings.
* * *
Dawn broke, signaling the start of the second day of the Nine Dragons Tournament. I was no fonder of the event than the day before, but time was a force beyond my control.
The Gu Clan's martial artists would begin their competitions early in the morning. Outsiders were also permitted to participate, provided they could verify their identities. A long line of hopefuls had already formed, all eager to join the Gu Clan's swordsmen squad.
I wondered what was so appealing about it. The other Noble Clans and even the Ten Sect Alliance likely held similar, if not larger, recruitment events. "Though probably not the Ten Sect Alliance, since I hear they only recruit from within their own ranks… Probably." I wasn't entirely sure.
In the arena stood the Gu swordsmen who had celebrated so raucously the night before, now serving as judges. Despite their heavy drinking, they showed no signs of fatigue—whether through sheer willpower or some secret remedy. When I asked Muyeon later, he told me they had woken up two hours early to purge the alcohol from their systems. I knew it; they had drunk too much.
Wi Seol-Ah, still buzzing with energy from yesterday's dumplings, approached me carrying the same red formal outfit I'd worn the day before. I took it from her and heaved a deep sigh.
"...Alright, today is the last day."
"Young Master! Today is the day they’ll do that stuff, right? Like when they go all 'pew-pew' and 'pow-pow'!"
"...Can you be more specific? I don't understand what you're saying."
"The thing that Muyeon does all the time."
I assumed she meant the secret sword training Muyeon practiced back at our residence. But her onomatopoeia was less than illuminating.
"That really looks cool. I want to try it someday."
…You'll probably do it to the point you're sick of it. And that was likely an understatement for someone like Wi Seol-Ah. I didn't know what trials had forged the future Heavenly Demon, but talent alone couldn't have been enough. I kept the thought to myself as I watched her cheerful face, then focused on changing my clothes.
Once ready, I began a leisurely walk to the arena, where I expected to be stuck for most of the day. I had time to spare, but my slow pace was interrupted by a loud, angry shout.
"Why? Why am I not allowed?!"
"...L-Let's all calm down first."
"I told you, I don't have much time! Are you going to be responsible if I get caught?"
It was a man arguing with the tournament officials, apparently having some issue with his registration. What was strange was the presence of several Gu swordsmen whose job was to handle such disturbances; they were just standing by, doing nothing.
Well, it's not my problem. I'm sure they'll handle it.
I was about to continue on my way when the man's next words froze me in my tracks.
"What's wrong with being a member of the Peng Clan? You said anyone can enter if they show identification!"
"...But still, um… We have procedures—"
"What more do you need? Should I write 'I am the Young Lord of the Peng Clan' on my forehead? Would you believe me then? I'll go do it right now!"
"W-Wait! Please, calm down!"
What did he just say…? Young Lord of the Peng Clan?
…Surely I misheard.