Chapter 177
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Chapter 49. Uncle and Little Brother
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Flying Tiger's group had entered the Victory Martial Sect, finished their business, and come back out in less than half a shichen. And if you subtracted the time spent traveling to and fro and waiting around, the actual time spent on the operation was only about half of that.
It had been lightning-quick.
And considering that the Victory Martial Sect wasn't some top-rate faction but still had decent strength for a mid-to-small one, this was a respectable accomplishment in its own right.
Somyun-rang himself hadn't even imagined it would be possible to raid and dismantle a sect this casually, like scarfing down a quick meal. So when he asked Flying Tiger about it, Flying Tiger chalked it up to things going smoothly.
"So things could have gone sideways too?"
"Exactly."
"Then wasn't that a reckless move? Why'd you do it?"
"First off, it wasn't reckless. Even if things went south, we've got solid backup—a sniper to cover our escape and cut off their pursuit."
Flying Tiger said this while glancing at Hyung Woo-saeng, who cleared his throat with a pretentious "Ahem~." That was why he'd kept Hyung Woo-saeng one step back during the fight.
"And why? It was a warning. Punks who can't even measure up are getting too rowdy just because they've got numbers."
Hyung Woo-saeng raised an objection to Flying Tiger's words.
"Little brother Flying Tiger, you're right in a way, but aren't we the ones who got rowdy?"
"Not that—the way they're acting toward Zhao Family Manor. Just like with the Preliminary Orthodox invasion the other day, all sorts of riffraff banded together under that banner and came charging in."
"Oh~ that's what you mean?"
"Yeah. They swing their swords around recklessly and then think wishfully, 'No way they'd come after us.' So I gave them a clear warning to make sure they all see it. They need to realize holes can open up in their own guts too if they wanna be careful going forward."
"Like one punishment to warn a hundred, then."
Somyun-rang nodded.
If word got out that Zhao Family Manor could crush a whole sect just by sending a handful of people—and that they actually did it without hesitation—no tom, dick, or harry would dare eye the manor anymore.
At that moment, Hyung Woo-saeng clapped his hands in regret.
"Man~ if I'd known, I would've shouted it from the rooftops that we were from Zhao Family Manor. No need for stupid masks."
"No. This timing's perfect."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"Officially, we can deny Zhao Family Manor ever had anything to do with it. Can't give any pretext for needless trouble. But do you think this won't spread? The ones who need to know will know anyway. So it's all about quiet word-of-mouth. You know, that sort of thing."
"……!"
Hyung Woo-saeng was impressed.
In truth, the one who'd actively recommended handing this independent operation over to Flying Tiger was Hon River Fish Hook O-rim. When Jin Ga-yong had casually mentioned Flying Tiger in passing, O-rim had pegged him as the perfect man for the job.
Hyung Woo-saeng had brushed it off back then with a casual "Sure, whatever~," but now he got why O-rim had made that call.
His mindset and methods were on another level! Especially for someone from upright, orthodox Zhao Family Manor—it was the kind of approach you wouldn't expect from their bone-deep righteous folk.
Come to think of it, the guys assigned to Flying Tiger were none other than free-spirited Hyung Woo-saeng himself and the clearly unhinged Somyun-rang. Individualistic types, for sure—miles apart from the calm, thoughtful sorts like O-rim or A Jeok-gang.
And that's where Hyung Woo-saeng's admiration kicked in: he'd grasped O-rim's deeper intent amid all this.
'Love it! O-rim that guy just wanted us to really stir things up proper, huh?'
Of course, this was just Hyung Woo-saeng's take. The truth lay somewhere in the middle.
Flying Tiger's group rode south for nearly two shichen before stopping at an inn in a mountain village called Sapyung Fragrance to grab a late lunch.
The reason for their haste was obvious.
Lightning Staff Im Wan-baek. To catch the man who'd left the Victory Martial Sect after midnight in a carriage with a group of others.
And they had two reasons for taking a brief rest here in Sapyung Fragrance.
The first was distance.
Flying Tiger's calculations: assuming they were heading south along the official road toward Hanzhong, they were now within ten li—about four kilometers—of his group. Close enough to catch up in one sprint.
He'd been able to guess this thanks to the maximum speed limit of a carriage. Especially one carrying a patient—and not just any patient, but one of notable status.
Anyway, for those reasons, they'd stopped here for one last breather before the fight ahead.
And while resting, they wanted to check a few things too—which was the second reason for picking Sapyung Fragrance specifically. It had a relay station for the Seo Nation Hall.
Thanks to Flying Tiger's mediation, the Seo Nation Hall had agreed to help Zhao Family Manor strike at the Preliminary Orthodox.
They'd share their intel and provide various conveniences, like using their relay stations across Shaanxi to exchange information, just like now.
In return, the Seo Nation Hall aimed to claim blood debt for their brothers slaughtered by the Preliminary Orthodox the day before.
Plus, they saw this clash between Zhao Family Manor and the Preliminary Orthodox as a chance to shove aside their rival info brokers, the Hao Gate, and claim the undisputed top spot.
Truth be told, it was a risky play. The Preliminary Orthodox had deep roots within the Martial Qin Alliance, Shaanxi's overlord. But flip that around: plenty in the alliance distrusted and despised the Preliminary Orthodox too. A golden opportunity.
The bigger the risk, the sweeter the reward when it pays off, right?
"So, dug up anything on this Sim Heum guy?"
Hyung Woo-saeng asked Flying Tiger as he walked into the inn and took a seat.
Upon arriving in the village, the group had split up. Hyung Woo-saeng and Somyun-rang hit the inn first for food, while Flying Tiger went straight to the Seo Nation Hall relay and was just now rejoining them.
Flying Tiger quenched his thirst with some tea before spilling what he'd learned.
The relay head, Go Yong, had confirmed a carriage passed through last night—couldn't verify personally, but he guessed Im Wan-baek was aboard. And Somyun-rang had corroborated this while interrogating sect leader Sim Ik-seon.
That's where Sim Heum came in.
He was the head of the group that took Im Wan-baek, with the moniker "Crouching Tiger." His status: elder of Hanzhong Fortress. Nearing sixty in a couple days, but young for an elder, so classed among the younger faction—and a representative figure at that.
Plus, Sim Heum was sixth cousins with Victory Martial Sect leader Sim Ik-seon and ten years his senior—a backer who'd supported him materially and otherwise until he settled in Mianyang.
That connection explained why Im Wan-baek chose the Victory Martial Sect as his escape spot, and why Sim Heum came personally to fetch him.
And from these circumstances, Sim Heum was undoubtedly one of the Preliminary Orthodox's real power players. No way a rising elder from Hanzhong Fortress—a pillar of the Martial Qin Alliance—would just be someone's lackey.
Like this, the Preliminary Orthodox's hidden heavyweights were gradually revealing themselves.
"An elder from Hanzhong Fortress? Perfect. This'll be fun."
That was Somyun-rang's take. His eyes gleamed like a man with tantalizing food right under his nose.
Hyung Woo-saeng threw cold water on it.
"Heard he's at least a cut or two above Sim Ik-seon, who already gave your little brother a hard time. You sure about this?"
"Uncle Hyung, I still won, didn't I? Results are what matter. And Flying Tiger warrior, he'll deliver results this time too—so trust him and leave it to us."
"Tough to guarantee. Im Wan-baek's injured, sure, but they've got eight more besides Sim Heum. Not the type to bring weaklings, right?"
"Just needs a moment. Not planning to drag it out anyway."
"Noted. We'll see."
Somyun-rang grew frustrated at Flying Tiger's words, but then Hyung Woo-saeng paused thoughtfully before tossing out a loaded question.
"By the way, little brother Flying Tiger—is taking out Sim Heum and Im Wan-baek the end goal?"
"Well... honestly, if things go well, I plan to push as far as we can. As long as time allows. So right now, focusing on the tasks at hand to make sure it does."
"I see."
"Uncle H... no, brother Hyung?"
Flying Tiger tripped over the title.
He'd almost said "Uncle Hyung" without thinking, since that's how Somyun-rang kept calling him. But on second thought, Hyung Woo-saeng wasn't actually his uncle. So he switched to a semi-formal "Hyung" after the surname. But that just strung out the "Hyungs" awkwardly.
In the end, after a brief hesitation, Flying Tiger dropped the title and got to the point.
"Anyway, something on your mind?"
"Yeah. In my view, this Sim Heum's moniker—Crouching Tiger, right? Sounds like he's definitely someone's underling."
"Why's that?"
"Doesn't his title say it all? When does a beast crouch down and flatten its belly to the ground? Submission! Means he's pledging obedience to some stronger beast."
"Ah! So 'Crouching Tiger' means Sim Heum's a lackey. That it?"
"Spot on. Hit me like a bolt outta nowhere. What do you think?"
"……."
Flying Tiger was momentarily speechless at Hyung Woo-saeng's novel(?) insight, and Somyun-rang couldn't hold back, snapping at him.
"Uncle Hyung! What kinda nonsense is that? If you interpret 'Crouching Tiger' like that, then famous techniques like Mount Emei's 'Crouching Tiger Fist,' Southern Shaolin's 'Crouching Tiger Fist,' and Hong Family's 'Crouching Tiger Fist' are all just arts for lackeys, servants, and maids?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it... Never thought of it that way, but hearing you, brother, yeah—that's what they are. Crouching Tiger Fist is for lowly scrubs!"
"What?!"
Childishly doubling down on his claim, Hyung Woo-saeng started bickering with the outraged Somyun-rang. Flying Tiger, watching blankly, suddenly got a flash of inspiration—just like Hyung Woo-saeng had claimed.
It was a hypothesis.
If Sim Heum really was someone's lackey as Hyung Woo-saeng said, and he'd come for Im Wan-baek on that someone's orders, not of his own volition...
What level of position in the Preliminary Orthodox could command an elder from Hanzhong Fortress like a mere errand boy? And if they cherished and protected the third disciple of Hanzhong Fortress's lord that much, what was that person's true identity?
'If this pans out right, we might land a real big one.'
Flying Tiger felt a thrill.
He clapped his hands to snap the bickering duo out of it, then fired off the questions that'd been bugging him.
"Brother So, why do you call Hyung Woo-saeng warrior 'Uncle Hyung'?"
"Because the elder told me to—sorted the titles that way."
"Then why'd the old man from the Upper Army Division..."
"Hmph. Said you look like his long-lost baby brother from childhood. Probably some spoiled brat back then."
Somyun-rang sneered at Hyung Woo-saeng, who bristled at the words. Flying Tiger turned to him.
"And Hyung Woo-saeng warrior, why call Brother So 'little brother'? Don't people usually go with 'nephew' in these cases?"
"Hmph. I call him whatever feels right—why nitpick? A creepy nephew my age? No thanks. Right, little brother Flying Tiger?"
"……."
Uncle and little brother... what a family tree.
And apparently, with Flying Tiger now cemented as Hyung Woo-saeng's little brother, he'd joined the roster too.