Chapter 153: Travelogue of Jiangnan (4)
Chapter 153: Travelogue of Jiangnan (4)
The heart of the Jiangnan White Forest Society lies in Huizhou, Southern Zhili. There is a specific reason why Huizhou—a relatively remote area compared to prosperous cities like Nanjing or Hangzhou—is called the center of the Jiangnan martial world.
It is because the Namgung Family resides there.
Tracing their history leads all the way back to Confucius during the Warring States period. Along with the Jinzhou Eon Family and the Murong Family, they are classified as an Ancient Clan. However, unlike those two, who suffered through the turbulent storms of the ages, the Namgung Family has never once faced the calamity of total extermination.
For a single family to maintain such immense power for such a long time was no easy feat.
Thus, they are known as the Number One Clan Under Heaven.
While the Black Path Demonic Alliance refuses to acknowledge it, no martial artist belonging to the Orthodox Faction denies it. Their martial principles have reached the pinnacle among the various Orthodox sects, and no other martial house can compare to the lofty reputation they have built through righteousness and chivalry throughout their long history.
"One poke and that thing’s gonna fall over. Do they not do maintenance?"
"I heard that plaque was personally inscribed by Namgung Gwal Ja-yong."
"Whoa, one of the Seventy-Two Disciples, Namgung Ja-yong? That’s still hanging there?"
"That’s the Namgung Family for you."
"I’m speechless..."
I muttered blankly while looking up at the weathered plaque. Namgung Gwal Ja-yong was one of Confucius's seventy-two disciples. That meant he was a man from the 5th century BC.
To put the significance of a plaque personally written by someone from that era into perspective, it was like looking at a Silla Dynasty relic in the modern day. Since it was roughly two thousand years old, by modern standards, it was an artifact older than when Jesus was alive.
Because they left something that belonged in a museum hanging outside, it looked like it was on the verge of crumbling.
We walked on, watching the medieval Chinese people—who seemingly had zero interest in the preservation of ancient relics—casually passing beneath it.
—Standing, Piercing the Azure Sky, Pacifying the World.
—The Great Namgung Family.
We had arrived at the Namgung estate.
"Did you say you were from the Hao Clan?"
"Yes. We have a matter to discuss with the Family Head regarding the Tomb of the Ming Emperor. Please understand that the situation was urgent, so we were unable to send word in advance."
"Hmm... We have been in a state of unrest ourselves. We cannot afford to mistreat the accomplished masters of the July Society. While it is difficult to offer a grand welcome due to the many eyes watching, please, make yourselves at home."
The warriors of the Namgung Family were surprisingly polite, considering the family's prestige. Back at my place, any outsider who showed up without notice would’ve been tossed straight into the stables.
For the record, even if they did call ahead, they’d still end up in the stables. That’s just the hospitality of the Great Hebei Peng Family. Our mindset is basically: We’re treating you like a horse; what are you gonna do about it?
"Even if the July Society is considered neutral, aren't they being a bit too friendly?"
"The Hao Clan is always welcomed during chaotic times. They deal in information, after all," Dan So-hye replied.
"Surely a family like the Namgung wouldn't need the Hao Clan's information network within Jiangnan?"
"If we're strictly talking about Jiangnan, perhaps."
"Ah."
I realized what Dan So-hye was getting at. I didn't want to believe it, but she was making a very sinister implication.
I quickly sent a message via Sound Transmission so no one else would hear.
[Sister, are you worried about the intervention of the Black Path Demonic Alliance?]
[The Dragon Slaying Alliance aside, the July Society will likely be quite interested. A find like Han Lin'er's tomb is too big to just watch from the sidelines.]
[Would anyone really be bold enough to make a move in Jiangnan during a time like this?]
[Oh, look at you. Since when did martial artists care about things like that?]
[True.]
In fact, if that really was the Tomb of Han Lin'er, even I would find it hard to stay still. The final legacy of the greatest man of all time—a legacy hidden so thoroughly in a secret realm that even the Ming Imperial Court couldn't find it—was the stuff of myths and legends.
This would cause a ripple effect on par with finding a bamboo slip containing Zhang Sanfeng's final enlightenment or the original manual of the Five Tiger Single-Door Blade personally written by Peng Dan-san (Origin: Shaolin Temple's Library).
Even if our "team colors" were different, we couldn't just sit back and watch. If it was real, that is.
[Nanjing must be a bigger mess than expected right now.]
[I don't know for sure, but I bet the officials at the Yingtian Prefecture office are on edge too. There's no way the Ming Imperial Court wouldn't covet Han Lin'er's legacy.]
[This is bad. I was supposed to meet my friend Zhuge Jeong-yeong in Nanjing.]
[It can't be helped. We'll just have to send word through the Hao Clan for him to come to Huizhou.]
We couldn't go to Mount Mao or the Nanjing area right now, as they were obvious traps. It was much safer for Zhuge Jeong-yeong to come here.
The very fact that the Namgung Family was welcoming us meant that the situation in Nanjing was dire.
As we discussed our future plans, we headed toward the guest hall. Amidst a massive complex of pavilions that rivaled the Peng Family's estate, a handsome young man stood watching us.
His posture suggested he was intentionally blocking the entrance to the guest hall. Noticing our approach from a distance, he walked toward us with a bright smile.
It was the Young Lord of the Namgung Family, Namgung Jeong-ha.
"I didn't think you'd actually come yourself. I'm glad I came out when I heard someone from the Hao Clan had arrived."
"It's been a while. Good to see you!"
I wasn't actually that happy to see him, but I offered a greeting like the socially adept scholar I was. At the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, he was just one of many rising stars, but since I was meeting the Young Lord at the Namgung estate in Huizhou, I couldn't exactly ask why he was acting so friendly.
"I didn't expect the Young Lord himself to come out and greet us."
"Haha, all the family elders are busy right now, so I had no choice. Let's not stand around out here; come inside. Someone, bring out some refreshments!"
Namgung Jeong-ha led us into the guest hall. Only after we were guided into a clean, well-maintained reception room and the servants had laid out the tea and snacks did his expression change.
He returned to the blunt, cold expression I had seen at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
"I had already heard you were on your way. I was preparing to head to Nanjing to meet you, but fortunately, you arrived before we crossed paths."
"You knew we were coming?"
"The Zhuge Family tried to use us to 'kill with a borrowed knife' against you."
Namgung Jeong-ha scanned the surroundings as he spoke. It seemed he had dismissed the servants beforehand; the large guest hall was silent, with no one else around.
Was he suspicious of his own family's retainers? Then again, I did think he was being unusually warm earlier.
Narrowing his eyes and carefully checking for eavesdroppers, Namgung Jeong-ha sighed and continued.
"Blade Earl. You've come at a treacherous time. Jiangnan is currently not a good place for Black Path martial artists to be wandering about."
"Jiangnan was never exactly friendly to us Black Path youths to begin with."
"It's worse now. Because we can't control it."
"Are there problems within the family as well?"
"None that I know of. But that doesn't guarantee there won't be."
Namgung Jeong-ha lifted his teacup and moistened his lips. Pressing his fingers against his fatigue-laden eyes, he spoke.
"Let me confirm a few things. Did the Hao Clan spread the false rumor about Han Lin'er's tomb?"
"No."
"Then it must be the Zhuge Family... Immediately after they informed us of your whereabouts, that rumor spread throughout the entire Yingtian Prefecture of Southern Zhili. It happened so fast we couldn't even find the source. Do you know what this means?"
"Do you think the Jiangnan Hao Clan spread the rumor?"
"It's either them or the Beggars' Sect. At a time like this, the Nanjing Branch Master of the Hao Clan has disappeared, and you all are heading to Nanjing. How else are we supposed to judge the situation?"
Who would benefit if the Jiangnan White Forest Society fell into chaos? I was certain it was the Zhuge Family's doing, but from the Namgung Family's perspective, it wasn't easy to suspect a fellow member of the White Forest Society.
However, they had plenty of reason to suspect the Hao Clan and the Dragon Slaying Alliance. Especially since they were well aware that the Dragon Slaying Alliance had recently completely pacified Hebei and was looking to expand its influence.
The Jiangnan White Forest Society and the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance stood in opposition, with Shandong Province caught in the middle. Instead of directly blocking the Dragon Slaying Alliance's expansion, the White Forest Society had exerted its influence by supporting the martial world of Shandong.
Therefore, if the White Forest Society were paralyzed, the Dragon Slaying Alliance would have no way to be stopped if they tried to swallow the Orthodox sects of Shandong.
Even if they didn't actually act on it, the circumstances were enough to harbor suspicion. With the Martial Alliance focusing all its strength on Sichuan and Yunnan, the White Forest Society was the only group capable of checking the Dragon Slaying Alliance's rise.
"So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to detain and interrogate me?"
"I can't do that. How could we be so shameless? Especially since I owe you my life. Even if you were the one behind this situation, I wouldn't stop you—at least not this once."
"That's... unexpected."
I looked at Namgung Jeong-ha, who continued to speak with a blunt expression. As the Young Lord of the Namgung Family overseeing Southern Zhili, those weren't exactly appropriate words to say.
However, as a rising star of an Orthodox sect, his stance of at least not repaying a debt with enmity was deeply impressive.
Dan So-hye, who had been listening to the entire conversation, finally spoke up.
"The eldest son of the Zhuge Family is currently in Nanjing. He is waiting to meet us. How about we call him here to get a better grasp of the situation?"
"And who might you be?"
"I am Dan So-hye, the Branch Master of the Hao Clan's Beijing branch, Young Lord."
"I have heard of the Heavenly Zither Demon's reputation. Forgive my late introduction."
"Oh, my."
At his polite demeanor, Dan So-hye's eyes curved into crescents, perhaps a bit too flirtatiously. It was a rather embarrassing expression to direct at a promising young man ten years her junior.
"Your family's reputation was actually being undervalued compared to your conduct. I'm humbled by such courtesy."
"If you are the Blade Earl's senior sister, you are not a stranger to me."
Having set the tone, Namgung Jeong-ha continued in his blunt manner.
"I heard that the eldest Zhuge son had joined the Sima Alliance, but I didn't think it was true. What on earth is happening in the Martial Alliance?"
"The Zhuge Family Head has joined forces with the Blood Cult and caused the Bloody Incident in Yunnan, or at the very least, he's aiding and abetting them. There's also evidence he's working with the Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance, and the Jinzhou Eon Family was destroyed after being manipulated by him."
"...What...?"
Namgung Jeong-ha looked like he couldn't process my three-sentence summary. He stared at me in confusion for a long time, then at Dan So-hye, and finally looked up at the ceiling.
"What is the world coming to...?"
"I agree."
"Be quiet for a moment."
He let out a long sigh and then turned to me.
"The evidence?"
"None."
"Then, as the Young Lord of the Namgung Family, I can tell you for certain that my family will not accept your words. The Zhuge Family has been our ally for a long time and is a pillar of the White Forest Society. The Zhuge Family Head has served as the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance for the past twenty years."
"Then you don't have to believe me."
"Those who speak lies usually ask to be believed. At the very least, you... have been sincere in my presence so far... Was that also the reason why the eldest Zhuge son left his family?"
"Yes. He's trying to oust his father and become the Family Head himself. He said he wants to restore the family's true essence. Isn't that a good look for him?"
"I suppose. Yes... That must be why the Little Arhat didn't blame him either."
Namgung Jeong-ha tapped the tea table, lost in thought. Dan So-hye and I exchanged glances and shrugged.
To an outsider, it might look like the Hao Clan, which belongs to the Sima Alliance, had come to drive a wedge between the long-standing friendship of the Namgung and Zhuge families.
That was why I had no choice but to leave Hwa-yeong behind, just in case. If things went south and Hwa-yeong decided to go 'Heavenly Demon' on everyone, it would become uncontrollable.
We had to avoid a situation where a rumor spread that the Demonic Cult, the Hao Clan, and the Hebei Peng Family had teamed up to slander the Zhuge Family inside the Namgung estate, only to fail and go on a rampage—resulting in our three heads being hung side-by-side on the main road of Huizhou the next day.
Namgung Jeong-ha finally spoke after a long silence.
"I understand the situation now. Then, Blade Earl, why did you come to the main house? You must have known that even if you attacked the Zhuge Family like this, you wouldn't be able to convince us."
"We only heard the rumor about Han Lin'er's tomb on our way here. We needed to check if the source of the rumor was the Nanjing branch of the Hao Clan, and if the Jiangnan Hao Clan was going to side with the Zhuge Family, I at least had to keep my own house in order."
I smiled at Namgung Jeong-ha's stiff face.
"Wouldn't it be better for the White Forest Society if such a gruesome rumor was put to rest quickly?"
"Why help the White Forest Society? Our chaos would benefit the Dragon Slaying Alliance."
"Jeong-ha, do you know anything about military strategy?"
"...What?"
Long ago, Sun Tzu, the genius of strategy and tactics, said this:
It is better for the enemy to starve for one meal than for us to eat twenty. (Sun Tzu's Art of War)
In other words, the basics of strategy begin with screwing over your opponent.
"If the Zhuge patriarch is trying to paralyze the White Forest Society, it doesn't matter how much we benefit from it. Isn't it more important how much of a loss it will be for him if we end it early?"
"That's not strategy; that's just having a nasty personality."
"This is why uneducated martial artists are a problem."
I chuckled and continued.
"Let me see the Family Head. We'll resolve the Nanjing issue as quickly as possible."
"Hmm..."
Namgung Jeong-ha stared at me for a long time, then let out a short laugh. it was the first smile he had shown in this guest hall.
"I'm not unaware of your intentions, but fine. If we walk the same path, we can be called friends."
With those words, he stood up, turned around to leave, and finished.
"Stay in the guest hall tonight. Try to stay awake until after the hour of the Rat (11 PM – 1 AM)."
He left the guest hall without another word.
After he was gone, Dan So-hye whispered in a small voice.
"What did he mean by that?"
"Doesn't it mean I can meet the Namgung Family Head at the hour of the Rat?"
"Not that. The part about knowing your intentions but being 'tricked' anyway."
"Ah, it means he knows I'm using a scheme to drive a wedge between the Zhuge and Namgung families."
The Zhuge and Namgung families were the two main pillars of the Jiangnan White Forest Society. While it was true that the Zhuge Family's current plot was clearly aimed at the Namgung Family, it wasn't exactly a fatal blow.
It would only cause temporary chaos, and like most incidents involving treasure maps, it would eventually fizzle out after some time.
That was why the Zhuge patriarch had caused this situation without much hesitation. He wanted to shake up the White Forest Society, which could be a variable in the Yunnan situation, without officially making an enemy of the Namgung Family.
But not me. I had no intention of stopping at a light jab.
When a transmigrator steps up to the plate, he’s gotta swing for the fences. If someone serves up a fly ball this juicy, it’d be rude not to knock it out of the park.
I would take the Zhuge patriarch's jab and knock it right out of the stadium.
And at the same time, I would split the White Forest Society.
By blowing the Zhuge patriarch's attempt to screw over the Namgung Family out of proportion, I would create a massive splash in the already chaotic Nanjing.
The Zhuge patriarch probably expected us to seek out the Namgung Family. He and I hadn't played this game of wits just once or twice, after all.
'He probably thought his best-case scenario was using the Namgung Family's power to kill us with a borrowed knife, and his second-best was at least tying our feet down.'
If we were stuck in Nanjing, he would have immediately sent word to the Dragon Slaying Alliance to provoke a conflict.
Because that's what I would have done.
And in the meantime, he would have linked our appearance to Han Lin'er's tomb, neatly framing it as 'a scheme by the Dragon Slaying Alliance to divide the Namgung and Zhuge families' and dealing with it.
But what a shame.
My actual plan is to really divide those two.
Naturally, if a modern person trips into the past, they should include at least three intentions in a single action.
The issue with the Hao Clan's Jiangnan branch, the chaos of the White Forest Society, and the rift between the Namgung and Zhuge families.
I'll be enjoying this meal.
"Brother, you're not interested in the position of Hao Clan Leader, are you?"
"Huh? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"
"I just think it would be really hard for me if you became the Clan Leader. Let's just keep things easy between us."
Dan So-hye shook her head, saying things that made no sense.
*
Dan So-hye returned to the passenger ship before evening. Leaving Hwa-yeong alone in Jiangnan was by no means safe, so someone needed to be by her side to keep her in check.
For the record, it wasn't Hwa-yeong's safety that was at risk, but likely the safety of the poor Orthodox martial artists of Jiangnan.
Anyway. While I was spending time alone, the window of the guest hall opened on its own.
"Hah."
Without a sound, without the use of internal energy. On a quiet spring night where not a single breeze blew.
Only Intent could accomplish such a thing.
It was a much more elegant way of inviting someone than sending a message via Sound Transmission. It could be seen as the attitude of the number one clan of the Orthodox Faction receiving a secret envoy, sent covertly without even involving a servant.
I stood up with a pleasant feeling.