Chapter 132: To Chongqing (3)
Chapter 132: To Chongqing (3)
Wun-hak-ja was a Taoist who looked as if he had stepped right out of a painting.
With a long, flowing white beard and dressed in a clean but worn-out robe, the old man looked at me with a gratified expression.
He stroked his beard a few times and nodded.
"I cannot say I have lived a short life, yet this is my first time meeting a warrior of the Peng family. It is a pleasure to meet you, Young Hero Peng."
"Please, feel free to speak comfortably, True Man."
As far as I knew, no living member of the Peng family had ever set foot in Henan, so his statement made perfect sense.
The Peng family were essentially born demons; if they stepped onto such holy ground, they’d probably be exorcised on the spot.
Contrary to the popular image of it being a den of muscle-bound lunatics, Shaolin Temple was actually the birthplace of Zen Buddhism.
For the record, the first man to ever set fire to that place was our proud founding ancestor, Peng Dan-san...
"I heard you were heading this way. I understand the reason as well. You intend to pass through the foothills of Mount Wudang to reach Chongqing, correct?"
The Sima family had certainly greased the wheels in advance. Well, since they’d attached their daughter to our group, there was no way they wouldn't have sent word to Wudang.
If the Dragon Slaying Alliance and the Wudang Sect were to clash, they couldn't guarantee the safety of their daughter who would be caught in the middle.
Since our group was so large and moved slowly, a fast messenger could have easily outpaced us to deliver the news. Regardless, it made things easier for us.
I could guess why the disciples guarding the Wudang gates hadn't been wary of us, and why Wun-hak-ja was looking at us so warmly now.
‘It makes it look like the Dragon Slaying Alliance is bowing their heads.’
Normally, a martial force from the Dragon Slaying Alliance led by the Hebei Peng family wouldn't bother asking for permission when crossing the front yard of an Orthodox sect.
Yet here we were, leaving all our weapons at the Sword-Relinquishing Pond and sending a direct descendant as a representative to seek permission. For the Wudang Sect, which had a relatively shorter history as a martial sect, this had to be a massive ego boost.
"However, I have a few requests."
"If you are asking us to refrain from causing trouble near Wudang, you need not worry. We have no intention of drawing unnecessary attention in Henan either."
"I appreciate that. Upon hearing that you were approaching, several of my disciples were already keeping watch nearby. In fact, they reported that your group has been staying remarkably quiet."
That was just the prejudice of the Orthodox sects. The Dragon Slaying Alliance was originally a peaceful and loving association of small business owners who disliked commotion. Are we not the ones currently most deeply colluding with the government in all the land?
What about the Righteous-Demonic War, you ask?
Just think of it like Winnie the Pooh—even he’ll smash a honey pot if he gets hungry enough.
"Therefore, it is only right that this humble Taoist repays Young Hero Peng. You have saved our face today and shown respect for the customs of Henan. How should I compensate you for this?"
The Sect Leader stroked his beard as he spoke.
He looked around for a moment before suddenly locking eyes with me.
Immediately, a sharp sensation washed over me, and goosebumps broke out across my skin.
"Mm...!"
Little Arhat, who was sitting beside me, flinched. He had sensed the shift because he was close by.
But soon, even that presence began to fade.
The dust motes floating inside the inner hall of Taecheong Pavilion drifted slowly before coming to a complete standstill.
In an instant, all sound within the inner hall ceased. Even the steady, faint sound of breathing fell silent.
Amidst that stillness, Wun-hak-ja alone breathed as if he were truly alive and spoke to me.
"If there is anything this old man can give, it would be a few words of advice."
This was the domain of a master in the Harmony Realm. I quickly scanned my surroundings, even as my eyes felt like they were burning. This phenomenon itself was a miracle that could be considered a blessing.
It was a space that allowed one to glimpse fragments of martial truth just by looking.
I still couldn't understand it. What kind of thing, what kind of cultivation, what kind of internal energy, and what kind of mental imagery could produce such a miracle?
"Do not try to understand it."
Wun-hak-ja spoke with a warm smile.
"If you can see it, you are halfway there. I have not heard much regarding the martial arts of the Peng family... but judging solely by looking at you, Young Hero Peng..."
Wun-hak-ja’s gaze swept rapidly down my body. It was a vivid gaze that felt as if it were rummaging through my insides and examining my organs.
"It is Yeokcheon—Defying Heaven."
"Defying Heaven... you say?"
"To advance by overturning the laws of nature. Yes, the philosophy of the founder resides in all martial arts. That is the true essence contained within the martial arts you have learned. Therefore, do not look at the martial arts of others and try to understand their meaning. What you have learned and practiced was not created for that purpose."
"Then...?"
"To destroy."
Wun-hak-ja gave a gentle smile.
"To mock restrictions, trample upon taboos, and shatter prohibitions. Thus, to seize what you desire by defying the Heavenly Mandate. To take everything you want into your hands and scatter everything you do not want into pieces as you move forward. Such hegemonic martial arts are rare throughout history, perhaps with the exception of the Guardian Arts of the Heavenly Mountain Demonic Cult."
Wun-hak-ja gestured toward me.
Before I knew it, droplets of blood that had leaked from my nose floated into the air and scattered into dust.
Just opening my mouth in this space placed an immense burden on my Upper Dantian.
"However, this too is ultimately just the martial art of another. Will you follow in the footsteps of your founder, or will you walk your own path?"
"I..."
No, we.
"Are not taught to walk along a path that has already been paved."
That day, at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. There was something I realized when I reached the Peak Realm.
The moment I glimpsed that realm, the moment I looked up at the pinnacle of those lofty martial arts, when I faced such a distant and high horizon.
Standing atop the hill I had finally climbed.
Facing an infinite cliff whose end could not be discussed even if one spent a lifetime investigating it.
I felt freedom.
In that boundless wilderness where even those called geniuses every moment of their lives would give up and despair, I feel freedom.
I call the truth that cannot be reached even by sprinting for a lifetime 'freedom.' Even if I walk the wrong path, even if I stumble and turn back. Every single one of those moments.
Therefore, we do not follow a paved path.
From the moment they can stand on the shoulders of their predecessors and look toward higher places, every warrior of the Peng family steps onto a path of their own.
That is the essence of freedom. To be undecided. A path without a route. To run forward with a heart-pounding laugh in front of every uncharted land.
Even if one fails and collapses, to take pride in the fact that even that failure is one's own and to willingly accept the end.
Consequently, there are no forms or patterns in the Peng family's training methods.
They are taught the simplest movements and the methods of guiding True Qi, and after that, all judgment and practice are replaced by one's own improvisation and wit.
It is like that from the moment one learns the introductory Hunyuan Art.
Even the Heart-Protecting Fist, the very first thing taught, has no fixed forms.
One must simply step forward, flow according to one's true essence, and judge for oneself whether to block or dodge the incoming attack.
If they teach you how to walk, they do not tell you the direction or the distance.
Because only the individual can decide how far and toward where they will walk.
The Peng family gives a tiger's teachings to a young tiger.
Some might criticize this as neglecting even the teaching of the core secrets, but well.
What meaning is there in a martial art that one has not stepped into oneself?
"I was hoping for that answer."
The pressure vanished as if it had been washed away.
Under the sunlight streaming through the window, the suspended dust motes resumed their slow floating.
The hall, which had been so silent that my ears rang, was filled once again with the sound of breathing.
"Ugh... Gasp...!!"
Jegal Yeong, who was sitting next to me, collapsed with a thud.
As I looked at him with a flustered expression, Wun-hak-ja shook his head and spoke.
"The boy endured admirably. Go down the mountain first and wait. As soon as he regains consciousness, I will personally see him back to your group."
"Jegal Yeong is my friend on a personal level, and on a larger scale, he is under the protection of the Dragon Slaying Alliance."
"Haha, there is no need for such threats. I have no grudge against Young Hero Jegal, so why would I harm him?"
Since I had received something from him, I didn't offer any further rebuttal. My companions and I bowed to Wun-hak-ja and left Taecheong Pavilion.
As we were re-equipping ourselves at the Sword-Relinquishing Pond and descending the mountain, Little Arhat suddenly spoke.
"Did Wun-hak-ja happen to speak to you as well, Benefactor?"
"I'm not sure if I'd describe it as 'speaking' to me, but yes."
"As expected. They say the Taiji Divine Art is one of the finest techniques of Wudang. I cannot fathom how one must cultivate to perform such miracles."
It was only after hearing those words that I realized.
Wun-hak-ja had spoken to every single person in our group during that brief moment, each in a different way.
It was enough to make me let out a hollow laugh. Was the Taiji Divine Art not just a simple multitasking technique?
If he had struck everyone with different Intent Domain techniques simultaneously, it was practically like facing several Harmony Realm masters at once.
Of course, the power concentrated on each individual wouldn't have been at that level.
"Why did that idiot Jegal Yeong collapse, then?"
"Is it not because his realm is humble?"
"Look at the way this guy talks."
We continued walking, exchanging idle banter to shake off the shock.
*
"Is it truly alright to let them go like that?"
"Then, are you saying I should have turned a blade against a guest who came seeking peace?"
"Should we not have at least kept an eye on them? It is unprecedented for the warriors of the Dragon Slaying Alliance to reach as far as Junxian. There will be great unrest among the commoners."
"Wun-ryeong."
Wun-hak-ja looked at his junior brother with a bitter smile.
Though they had grown old together, there were many among them who had not discarded the impetuousness of their youth.
It couldn't be helped. Living one's entire life in a mountain monastery made people this way.
They tended to be exclusive toward outsiders and sensitive about their territory. This was true even for Taoists.
Ever since the Wudang Sect was first founded, they had performed the task of suppressing the demons of Chongqing to prevent them from being unleashed upon the Central Plains. How many had died or been injured in the process?
There were more than a few who harbored personal grudges that could be described as irreconcilable with the Black Path Demonic Alliance.
This was unavoidable even for the Taoists of Wudang, who studied Taoism to achieve immortal arts.
"Is he not a guest who is settling our affairs on our behalf? Rather than feeling gratitude, your words are unbecoming of your cultivation."
"...I apologize, Sect Leader."
"And."
Wun-hak-ja closed his eyes, sensing the aura of Peng Hyeon-hwi as he left the mountain gates.
When a warrior reaches that level, there are things visible in those who remain at a lower realm.
Even by reading minor habits in how they walk and move their bodies, it is easy to reverse-engineer fragments of the martial arts they have learned.
Furthermore, if one witnesses them directly within Taecheong Pavilion, one can even guess their true essence just by looking at the flow of their blood and energy, the state of their acupoints, and the depth and reaction of their breathing.
And so.
He felt as if he were facing a young beast of prey.
A fierce and hegemonic spirit. The characteristics inherent in the Peng family's martial arts. Even that aura that resembled a thunderbolt.
The philosophy contained within the martial arts he practiced was so vivid that it could almost be seen as the talent of a great arch-demon.
—We are not taught to walk along a path that has already been paved.
Yes, not every blade is meant for cutting people. Its use varies depending on the hand of the wielder.
Even when holding the same blade, one person might carve a wooden Buddha while meditating, while another might harbor a murderous heart and harm others.
Therefore, no matter how violent and powerful the true essence within a martial art may be, how can one assert that everyone who learns it will become a follower of the heretical path?
Even if he holds the martial arts of his founder in his hands, he is a young man walking a different path from his ancestor.
If he has approached with an attitude never before shown by the Sima Alliance or the Dragon Slaying Alliance, then perhaps his future actions might also differ from what the Sima Alliance has done until now.
If a violent temperament follows righteousness, it is called a heroic deed.
If a powerful aura walks the righteous path, it is judged as being upright.
If such a young man moves forward and achieves his goals, well.
"Whether he becomes a great arch-demon or is hailed as a great hero of the age remains to be seen."
Orthodox and Unorthodox, black and white, are not eternal.
The phenomenon where those two colors swirl is called nature, and the nature of Wudang is Taiji.
If the Jinju Eon family, once called a great orthodox sect, could fall so low, then one cannot assert that the reverse is impossible.
"I should send a few bright children to accompany the Dragon Slaying Alliance. Is there anyone else in Henan or Hubei who knows the path to Chongqing better than we do?"
"Yes, Sect Leader. I shall do so."
*
Jegal Yeong returned half a day later.
Despite stumbling back with a haggard face, he had the gall to act smug as if he had gained some grand enlightenment.
"There, True Man Wun-hak spoke to me solemnly—"
"You just fainted because you didn't have the capacity for it. What are you on about?"
"Why are you discouraging my brother like that!"
"Wait."
When did they even settle on how to address each other?
Sensing my gaze, Sima Yeon-sang furrowed her brows fiercely and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Indeed, Brother Yeong was right when he said you were lewd and shameless! How can you stare so at the body of a woman who is already married and has left her family?"
"No, you guys aren't married yet."
You haven't even had an engagement ceremony. At least I made it as far as an engagement.
In the Great Ming Dynasty, a nation of etiquette and law, the laws regarding marriage and engagement are surprisingly written into the statutes. This is the majesty of the Great Ming Code.
Rule of law is something followed only by the legalist scoundrels and enemies of culture under the First Emperor; the national foundation of the Ming Dynasty, with its proper morality and advanced learning, is strictly Confucianism.
The Confucian judicial system begins with etiquette and ends with etiquette.
Naturally, the purpose of the Great Ming Code is also primarily written around how to live with decency.
The essence of a Confucian scholar lies in the edification of the people.
For reference, the Great Ming Code defines the creation of Jiangshi—referred to as Chaesaengsi or Chaesaengjeolhal—as indecent and mandates the death penalty.
One could say the Jinju Eon family was brought down not by a grudge, but by a Confucian punch.
In any case, the fact that Sima Yeon-sang was currently traveling and acting all lovey-dovey with Jegal Yeong without even a wedding ceremony meant they could technically be punished based on the 'decency laws.'
"It is alright, Lady Sima. Why should we be enraged by every word from a shameless and unlearned man? Please, Lady Sima, be understanding."
"Look at this guy acting up when he hasn't even taken the civil service exam."
"This will never end. I'd rather go and face a wall in meditation than watch you two continue like this."
As Little Arhat grumbled, Jegal Yeong finally got to the point.
"Now that we have Wudang's authorization, there will be no problems on the road through Hubei. The second-generation disciples of Wudang have offered to personally guide us through narrow paths that are out of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance's sight—"
I naturally finished his sentence.
"Then we can consider the element of surprise complete."
"Indeed."
Deep smiles formed on both Jegal Yeong's and my lips.
Passing through Mount Song and Wudang to strike Chongqing.
If anyone in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance had anticipated this, I’d feel like giving them a round of applause.
This was practically on the level of Hannibal crossing the Alps.
Therefore, the enemy's forces were currently split in two directions.
The northern part of Chongqing leading to the gates of Shaanxi, and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River leading into Chongqing along the river.
And confirming the divided composition and troops was an incredibly easy task.
"I'm counting on you, Big Sister."
The Hao Clan.
My older sister, Dan So-hye—an ambitious woman who had become unemployed in Beijing and drifted like duckweed before suffering through a job hunt—was now the Grand Manager of the Chongqing Hao Clan. She sat there munching on snacks and giggling.
One could say everyone in this room was blooming with smiles, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
"It's like a banquet of demons."
Little Arhat grumbled. Honestly, even in my eyes, Jegal Yeong's smirk and Big Sister Dan So-hye's laughter looked no different from those of wicked villains feeling the thrill of a successful plot.
And what about me?
Let's just say I was a well-behaved rascal who had successfully pulled off a prank.
"The Alliance Leader decided to personally lead a detached force to strike the Three Gorges. The Jongri family will step up. In that case, to distract their attention, we just need to clean up the Ghost Gate Meridian in the north."
"I'll handle that myself if you just give me your brother and a few of the Peng family's martial squads."
"The Ghost Gate Meridian Lord is one of the Fifteen Lords, you know?"
"Is there a reason to fight the Ghost Gate Meridian Lord directly? All we need is for the news that the Dragon Slaying Alliance is entering from Shaanxi to reach the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance."
Then, only one of the three great martial halls would remain within Chongqing City.
The Ten Thousand Swords Hall, ruled by the Sword Demon, the Lord of the Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance.
From the beginning, eliminating those guys was the core of this operation. The Jongri family? Those people only endure because the Ten Thousand Swords Hall exists. A strategist needs a warlord, after all.
You can think of the Ten Thousand Swords Hall as the Hebei Peng family of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance.
Naturally, in the sense that destroying the Peng family is the priority for bringing down the Dragon Slaying Alliance.
The Black Path Demonic Alliance is structurally different from the Martial Alliance.
While the Martial Alliance is ostensibly a coalition of various sects united for a greater cause, the Sima Alliance has the character of a cooperative formed by various sects for their own interests.
A cooperative where the strongest member holds over 95% of the voting rights and calls all the shots.
It’s easier to understand if you think of it as a medieval Chinese version of an elite sports association. Or a mafia commission like the Five Points in New York.
Because of that, if the center is gone, infighting will inevitably break out. Especially if the Alliance Leader personally ties down the Jongri family.
Can we take down the Ten Thousand Swords Hall with our current strength?
This is the level of military power we've scraped together to face the entire Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance, even at the cost of stabilizing Northern China.
It can be seen as the maximum force the Dragon Slaying Alliance can project externally.
If everyone in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance united to resist, we might be pushed back. It's common sense that the home team usually has a thirty percent advantage.
But if we only have to face the Ten Thousand Swords Hall alone...
It won't be difficult to give them the 'Jinju Eon family' treatment.