Chapter 148: Tianjin is Clear Today After the Rain (4)
Chapter 148: Tianjin is Clear Today After the Rain (4)
"To think the Heavenly Zither Demon herself would grace us with a visit! I shall inform the Branch Master immediately!"
"Oh, stop. We’re fellow disciples. I’ll go up myself, so don't worry about it."
"Understood. Have a pleasant time, Branch Master Dan!"
Dan So-hye waved her hand, dismissing the waiter.
She scanned the scenery of the Heavenly Luck Pavilion and clicked her tongue in admiration.
"This place doesn't even compare to the Maehyang Pavilion... I guess being a young master from a wealthy family really does make a difference, huh?"
In Beijing, the scale of pleasure houses was strictly limited.
The structure of any building allowed within the Beijing city limits was heavily restricted by the Great Ming Code and Imperial Law.
Status, after all, is born from distinction.
The regulations of the Beijing Imperial Court did not permit any architectural structure to be larger than the smallest pavilion in the Forbidden City. There was a reason why the buildings in Beijing were low-slung and densely packed.
For Dan So-hye, who had been operating the Shuntian Prefecture Branch in such a place, the sheer scale of the Heavenly Luck Pavilion in Tianjin was breathtaking.
Seeing how the Tianjin Branch—one of the youngest branches of the Hao Clan—was flourishing to this extent left her with complicated feelings.
"Now then. Shall we see just how much luxury and pleasure the Tianjin Branch Master is drowning in?"
Humming to herself, Dan So-hye climbed the stairs with a light step.
In this massive six-story pavilion, no one blocked her path to the top floor.
A Hao Clan Branch Master referred to a direct disciple of the Hao Clan Leader. They were individuals who reigned as the highest-ranking commanders over the members of the Hao Clan throughout the world.
Having heard of her arrival, the courtesans and servants quickly cleared the way and bowed deeply.
Their attitude reflected a sense of strict discipline. Dan So-hye nodded inwardly.
It seems the youngest hasn't been neglecting the management of his branch.
Even if the Hao Clan didn't strictly follow the principle of absolute obedience to superiors, it seemed he had secured thorough submission in this Tianjin Branch, which was likely on the front lines against the Dragon Slaying Alliance and the July Society.
Every small interaction like this built up to create trust. The fact that this was one of the few branches that operated while openly revealing its identity as a Hao Clan office was also effective. Dan So-hye felt a surge of inner pride.
To think that little brat had grown up so much.
"Hey, little brother! Your big sister is here!"
With a grin, she swung the door to the Branch Master’s office wide open, and—
"Oh."
"Hmm."
"...Hrmmm."
She witnessed the sight of the Branch Master being dragged toward the bed, wrapped in coils of pitch-black Astral Energy.
"You look... busy...? Should I come back later? Is an hour enough...?"
"Two hours."
The woman who had turned her youngest brother into a silkworm cocoon replied with a bright, radiant smile.
"Please come back in two hours. We are occupied at the moment."
"My, my. Such stamina."
Dan So-hye gulped and was about to close the door—
"Who said you could! Sister! Please, come in!"
"I... I don't have those kinds of tastes... To be precise? You aren't exactly my type...? I prefer men who are a bit more slender and delicate... pretty boys... You, you're a bit too rugged..."
"I don't care about your tastes! Hwa-yeong, let go. We have a guest!"
"Hrmmm..."
The woman glared at Dan So-hye for a long moment with an expression that reeked of bloodlust, but then, as if nothing had happened, she gave a warm smile and dusted off her hands.
Peng Hyeon-hwi, who had been floating in the air, quickly landed on the floor and spoke.
"How did you manage to arrive at such a perfect time? It's almost hard to believe the bond between fellow disciples is this deep."
"I feel like... I feel like I came at the worst possible time..."
Dan So-hye sat down, her body trembling as she tried to ignore the gaze fixed upon her.
Something that shouldn't happen to an eighteen-year-old had almost occurred. The fact that the location was the Heavenly Luck Pavilion made it even more problematic.
The Heavenly Luck Pavilion was a massive entertainment complex that combined an inn, a pleasure house, a tavern, and a gambling den. Think of it as a five-star hotel with a casino attached.
In other words, she had just walked in on a seventeen-year-old kid about to be dragged to bed in the hotel’s grand suite.
I sat at the tea table, trying to wipe away the cold sweat pooling in my palms.
Hwa-yeong, as if she had never been aggressive, gracefully warmed the teapot, poured tea for Sister Dan So-hye, and stepped back modestly.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Ah, look at my head."
Sister Dan So-hye, who had been staring blankly at Hwa-yeong while tilting her head, suddenly snapped out of it.
She quickly bowed her head toward me and sent a Sound Transmission.
[Who is that lady? Is she one of our members?]
[Watch what you say.]
Why was she treating the Little Heavenly Demon like a courtesan?
[When did you learn Sound Transmission? Who is she? What's the deal? Weren't things going well with that precious daughter of the Murong Family last time? I love this kind of drama!]
[Stop talking nonsense.]
Things are complicated enough as it is.
As I grumbled, Sister Dan So-hye spun her teacup around, pretending to be distracted, and sent another Sound Transmission.
[If she's not one of ours, I have some rather sensitive things to discuss. Is it okay?]
"It's fine."
[...?]
"???"
For the record, those weren't my words. Sister Dan So-hye and I both looked at Hwa-yeong with trembling eyes at the same time.
Hwa-yeong smiled clearly and nodded.
"You may speak freely. My husband and I are already a community of destiny. Where the husband leads, how could the wife not follow?"
"...My, sister-in-law. Did you perhaps master the Earth Listening Technique...?"
"It is merely a small talent."
I quickly shook my head at Sister Dan So-hye’s questioning look. I hadn't even expected her to be able to eavesdrop on Sound Transmissions.
No, wait.
Come to think of it, every time Murong Cheong and I exchanged Sound Transmissions...
She had subtly interjected herself into the conversation.
Is there nothing Hwa-yeong can't do...?
How does a sixteen—no, she’s seventeen this year—how does a seventeen-year-old handle Intent at the mid-stage of the Peak Realm and eavesdrop on Sound Transmissions?
And why, despite all that, is she staying here saying she doesn't want to be the Heavenly Demon? She’s the one who should be responsible for the future of the Heavenly Mountains.
"When was the wedding? I haven't heard anything about it. I'm hurt, you know? Even if you didn't tell anyone else, shouldn't you have sent an invitation to Brother Baek and me?"
"I just found out myself."
"Aha."
Dan So-hye stared at me for a long time with a complicated expression before letting out a deep sigh.
"Well, I suppose this sort of thing happens among our disciples from time to time... Honestly, whether it's the men or the women... Uh, sister-in-law? When did you first meet our brother? From what I know, he has quite a history—"
At that point, Sister Dan So-hye’s expression froze.
She hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth, hesitated again, and then carefully scanned Hwa-yeong from head to toe. Very thoroughly.
She began counting on her fingers.
"Age, black hair, red eyes, fair skin. Martial prowess far beyond her years..."
After muttering to herself for a while, she turned stiff.
Her posture became increasingly upright, and her hands were placed politely on her knees. She spoke to Hwa-yeong with a stutter.
"Could you... could you perhaps be from the Heavenly Mountains...?"
"Hehe, please, speak comfortably."
"Surely... surely I heard... that the marriage proposal had been called off...?"
"Husband, did such a thing happen? I am unaware of it."
Why are you doing this to me...?
When I shook my head vigorously, Sister Dan So-hye nodded slowly.
"Right. Congratulations? Congratulations, brother. You've finally settled down. Yes, yes. Congratulations."
"Stop with the nonsense and tell me why you came all the way to Tianjin."
"Ah...! Ah! Right! No, this was just so shocking... Right. Brother, help me!!"
It seemed the shock of going from the high position of the Shuntian Prefecture Branch Master in Beijing, dealing with the Imperial Court, to suddenly becoming a dependent guest was quite significant.
Dan So-hye was no longer showing the dignified appearance she often had in Beijing; she had become a bit of a scatterbrain.
She hurriedly set down her teacup and began to speak.
"I think something terrible has happened to Master!"
Back when I first opened my Middle Dantian, the Hao Clan Leader had said something when she secretly hopped over the wall of the Peng Family estate.
—I took you as a disciple, yet I have never properly taught you any martial arts. It is my negligence. Things have been hectic.
—I heard you were away from Beijing recently.
—I was on my way back from some business in Chongqing. I cannot stay in one place for long.
At the time, I simply understood it as her handling the usual business of the Hao Clan Leader, inspecting the various branches. But that wasn't it.
At that point, the alliance with the Blood Cult in Chongqing must have already been in full swing. Looking at the timing, it’s almost certain. Immediately after that, when I attended the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering at the Martial Alliance meeting in Wuchang, the Blood Cult spies were already acting with the support of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance.
Assuming that, the Hao Clan Leader must have already sensed the alliance between the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance and the Blood Cult and had infiltrated Chongqing to find evidence.
Then why did she return to Beijing?
It was likely because of me. In the few years since she took me as a disciple, the only Hao Clan martial arts I had learned were eye techniques and footwork.
Of the Hao Clan Leader’s true ultimate arts, I had only learned one eye technique, and even that was just something I had learned second-hand from Chief Baek Seo-ui.
However, it makes no sense that she would head to Beijing just for that.
Let’s look at a map of the Central Plains.
The shortest distance from Chongqing to Beijing is the route I took with the Dragon Slaying Alliance. In other words, the path through Henan.
Because Mount Song’s Shaolin, Luoyang’s Sima Family, and the Wudang Sect are located in Henan, many people often forget, but there is actually one more giant sect located there.
Kaifeng, the headquarters of the Beggars' Sect.
If you pass through the shortest distance to contact the Beggar Immortal, it’s a straight shot to Beijing.
If we assume the Hao Clan Leader came up along that path, things become clearer.
As soon as she realized the alliance between Chongqing and the Blood Cult, she asked the Beggar Immortal for help.
Thinking of it that way, it also explains why the Beggar Immortal was so favorable toward me in Wuchang.
From the Beggar Immortal’s perspective, I should have been nothing more than a rising star of the Black Path who had crushed the schemes of the Shanxi Beggars' Sect, yet he let me go that day.
If the Hao Clan Leader informed the Beggar Immortal of the Blood Cult’s emergence, and the Beggar Immortal asked the Sword Immortal for help, and they decided to head to Yunnan together...
Then the fact that the Beggar Immortal, the Sword Immortal, and the Hao Clan Leader all disappeared in Yunnan at the same time connects seamlessly.
"Are you sure?"
"How can anyone be sure of anything? There’s no way to know without going to Yunnan ourselves."
Sister Dan So-hye let out a deep sigh as she finished her explanation.
"But Master has never been absent for more than half a year. She’s the type who... well, she can't sleep on rough straw... Even when she goes on a journey, she always stays in a proper pleasure house."
A noble should be like that. I, too, have become someone who can no longer sleep outdoors. It wasn't hard to understand that sentiment.
"So, rumors are starting to circulate. We can't hide the Hao Clan Leader’s disappearance forever, and the atmosphere among the Branch Masters is very suspicious. Haven't you felt it, brother?"
"Does the Jiangnan Branch Master happen to be among the suspicious ones?"
"Most likely. Our fourth sister has enormous ambition."
"I felt that communication with the Jiangnan Hao Clan has been slowly cutting off recently. So that was the reason."
It was likely influenced by the Jiangnan White Forest Meeting. Since they are within the direct sphere of influence of the Zhuge Family Head.
If I were the Zhuge Family Head, there’s no way I would leave the Hao Clan in Jiangnan alone.
Even without taking direct action, there were many ways.
If she was as ambitious as Sister Dan So-hye said, she would act on her own just by having a little wind blown her way.
"Roughly half. Excluding the first and second sisters, and Brother Baek, and excluding you and me, there are eight left. About half of them are currently unreachable."
"That means half of the world's Hao Clan members are harboring other intentions."
"Exactly! Then it's over! The Hao Clan is currently recognized as a power solely through the strength of our eldest sister. If the next Clan Leader isn't at her level, we'll end up like the Beggars' Sect."
The Beggars' Sect is an organization with incredibly strong regional independence.
Excluding Kaifeng, where the headquarters is located, and the surrounding Henan area, the members of the Beggars' Sect are basically the beggars of that region, and they very frequently collude with local powers.
It’s easy to understand if you think about how the Shanxi Beggars' Sect joined hands with the Divine Spear Yang Family to try and swallow the Peng Family’s martial forces.
The number of Beggars' Sect members far exceeded the range that could be managed by a medieval Chinese-level administrative system.
Most of them operate in Beggars' Sect branches that have a high degree of autonomy. Therefore, the Beggars' Sect is less a systematic organization that gathers information and more an entity that operates by spreading rumors everywhere to create an environment favorable to themselves.
The Hao Clan is different. The Hao Clan maintains a disciplined organizational chart under the power of the Clan Leader, who travels all over the Central Plains to manage the branches, based on the tight bond between the Leader and her disciples.
In such a situation, what would happen if rumors spread that the next Clan Leader is inferior to the current one?
If the bond shatters, the Hao Clan will be downgraded to nothing more than a small-to-medium sect that deals with information in a single region.
The reliability of the Hao Clan lies in the collection of information.
We secure information, but we do not take aggressive action based on that information.
We don't use the advantage of information to intimidate others.
One could say we occupy a position similar to a neutral Switzerland.
If discipline breaks in such a situation, if the laws of the Hao Clan Leader are scattered, the Branch Masters of each branch will start using the immense power they hold at their own discretion. From that moment on, the reliability of the Hao Clan will be destroyed.
"Tell me what you want, Sister. I'm listening."
"We need to rally a solid group of allies. Setting aside the first and second sisters as special cases... if we can secure more than half centered around Brother Baek, the other sisters and brothers won't be able to run wild."
"That is merely a temporary fix."
"What...?"
I looked straight at Dan So-hye and spoke.
"If Master continues to be absent, doing that won't completely stop our fellow disciples from harboring different schemes."
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"There's no need to distinguish and secure who is on our side, is there?"
I refilled Dan So-hye’s cup with warm tea and continued.
"Since everyone is currently eyeing the vacant position of the Hao Clan Leader anyway."
The moment the Hao Clan Leader returns, the entire situation will be cleanly resolved.
"Let's go to Yunnan."
In any case, it was about time to move.
I needed to see with my own eyes exactly what that guy, the Zhuge Family Head, was plotting in Yunnan and Sichuan.
And I might as well bring that fellow Zhuge Jeong-yeong along.