Chapter 22: School Ties, Regional Ties, and Blood Ties (2)
Chapter 22: School Ties, Regional Ties, and Blood Ties (2)
The Head of the Peng Family left the Mountain King Pavilion and returned to the throne in the Family Head’s Hall.
He gazed at the countless weapons lining the walls of the hall.
This tomb of armaments, reeking of the metallic scent of blood, would surely have earned the ire of any historian. These treasures, once belonging to sects that had shone brilliantly, were now exposed to the elements without any care.
Worn, weathered, and corroded banners hung above rows of undecorated weapons. These were the spoils of war from every territory the Hebei Peng Family had conquered.
As he watched over them, a man emerged from the shadows of the hall and knelt.
The Family Head did not look at him, but the man spoke regardless.
"Did you not cherish that boy?"
"I did."
"Then why did you not stop him from walking into a death trap? A mere fledgling who hasn't even performed a single move of the Hegemonic Blade Style... why send him out now?"
"A fledgling, you say?"
Peng Ik-jin, the Family Head, curled his lips into a smirk as he looked at the man.
"Is that how he seemed to you?"
"…He’s a brat who just turned ten, Brother. Do you remember what you or I were doing at that age?"
"You were a bit slow, but I was already the Young Family Head at that age."
"That’s only because Father passed away so unexpectedly…!! That’s not what I’m talking about, is it?"
"Ik-cheon."
Peng Ik-jin looked at his most trusted kinsman.
This was the younger brother who had refused a seat in the Council of Elders, declined the comfortable life of a Hall Master in the Inner Hall, and never married to start a family—all to devote his entire life to the clan.
"Even the Jade of He was a worthless rock before it was polished."
"Stop trying to sound like a scholar."
"I find it easier to talk to my youngest grandson, who is sixty years younger than you. You should be ashamed."
Peng Ik-cheon stood up, grumbling.
The Family Head watched him with a smile before calling out to his retreating back.
"Not all brothers can be like us."
"If you know that, then why do you leave that boy Ryang to his own devices?"
"Because he hasn't been led astray yet."
He knew well enough that his eldest grandson was holding hands with the White Lotus Cult.
There was no physical evidence, but it wasn't hard to notice. It was Ryang who had approved Peng Hyeon-hwi’s excursion that day, and it was Ryang who had ensured Hyeon-hwi’s guard was unusually lax. The circumstantial evidence was clear.
However, he did not rebuke or investigate it.
At the very least, Peng Hyeon-ryang’s desire to serve the family was genuine. Yes, that kind of cold-heartedness was also necessary. To become the Family Head, one must use everything at their disposal.
For the sake of the family, any despicable scheme was acceptable—as long as one did not become a puppet of an outside force.
The Hebei Peng Family was the leader of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance.
However, that did not mean they had absorbed or conquered every member sect of the alliance. The Peng Family reigned over them but did not rule them directly. In this Martial World, one who stands alone cannot survive. Even for one of the Fifteen Armies of the World, the same held true.
Follow only the family. As long as that rule was remembered, utilizing other forces was something to be praised.
Thus, he could ignore the fact that Peng Hyeon-ryang and Peng Hyeon-cheon were collaborating with other powers. If, through that process, a single person was refined into the strongest member of this family, then so be it.
Therefore...
It was the same for the youngest, who had started ten years later than the others and was now holding hands with the Hao Clan.
"Cunning little brat."
Peng Ik-jin laughed with satisfaction in the empty hall.
Yes, if he had made such a declaration in front of all the Elders...
If he succeeded, he would start his path by leaving the strongest impression among all his brothers.
Every raw gemstone must be struck to gain value. If it shattered in the process, then that was that; there would be nothing to regret.
But if it were refined... it would shine more brilliantly than anything else.
*
"I’m starting to want to kick you out. Is that alright, Young Master?"
"Haha, then I suppose I’ll just die right in front of the Hao Clan’s gates. I don't plan on moving a single step from there."
"You have a very amusing way of threatening people. Ahaha."
"Hahaha!"
"…Haha."
Dan So-hye massaged her brow and stared at me blankly.
"I know the White Lotus Cult made a move. Because of the Peng Family’s request, we’ve been working quite hard ourselves… but there haven't been any results."
"Yes, I understand, Senior."
"I’m serious. The culprit left no traces. Not in any inn, tavern, restaurant, or brothel—no expert appeared and disappeared during that time. To kill five Peng Family warriors without a trace, they must be at least..."
At least at the Peak Realm. Perhaps even higher.
An expert who has awakened their Middle Dantian always leaves a mark. In every single movement, there is an intimidating pressure that any martial artist is bound to notice. The massive wave of internal energy pumping through the body’s vessels along with the heartbeat is not something that can be hidden.
Thus, the Peak Realm represents the highest stage a human body can achieve.
And when one breaks through that realm, becoming able to freely manipulate all the internal energy flowing through their vessels... the stage where they prepare to open the Upper Dantian and achieve the Return to Simplicity is called the Super Peak Realm.
Without saying it out loud, Dan So-hye was telling me this:
An expert who is at least at the Peak Realm, or perhaps even the Super Peak Realm, cut down five Peng Family guards and vanished. They had likely already left Beijing.
However, I didn't think so.
"There’s one more possibility, isn't there?"
"Hah."
Dan So-hye let out a cold, hollow laugh. She tapped the table with her fingertips for a moment before asking, "Young Master, are you really only ten years old?"
"Yes. Please, speak freely."
"Fine. If I were to give you some advice as your senior… it’s dangerous to stand out too much. Martial artists don't say 'hide thirty percent of your power' for nothing. From the looks of it, your brothers have already started keeping tabs on you."
"Haha, what a disappointing thing to say. My brothers and I share a very deep bond."
"As if."
Dan So-hye smirked at my words and picked up her teacup.
"Tell me what you’re thinking, Junior."
"The Eastern Depot."
"Explain."
I looked into Dan So-hye’s eyes.
Befitting her title as the Beijing Branch Manager of the Hao Clan, I couldn't read a single piece of information from her gaze. She was simply staring straight into my eyes.
I shrugged.
Well, even if my total lived years added up to thirty-seven (10 + 27), it was impossible for me to grasp someone's psychology just by looking at their eyes. Therefore, I had to use my brain for something else.
"A Peak Realm expert who can evade the Hao Clan’s eyes in taverns and inns. In other words, an expert who is based in Beijing."
"And?"
"Someone in a position that wouldn't have drawn the ire of the Hebei Peng Family, who have been searching like madmen for the past three years."
"With those conditions, there are at least thirty people. Just within Beijing. What else?"
"The intelligence to know that I’ve built connections with both the Hao Clan and the Pure Stream faction, and the manpower to track my every move."
"And why is it not the Beggars' Sect?"
"Because they didn't stop at any restaurants or inns. Even for a member of the Beggars' Sect, an expert of that level wouldn't have failed to beg for at least a cup of wine at a tavern. Furthermore, the Beggars' Sect has no desire to antagonize the Peng Family."
I was certain of this when I recalled my first arrival in Beijing to enroll in the Academy. The Beggars' Sect had only monitored my actions out of fear; they never tried to intervene directly.
"The Beggars' Sect is part of the Orthodox Faction. You are a young master of one of the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao. Couldn't they have been trying to pull you out by the roots?"
"Wouldn't the price be too high for that? Attacking us while we are at war with the White Lotus Cult would mean they are siding with the Cult. Haha, surely the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao are better than a bunch of heretics, right?"
"Let’s say that’s true. Is that all?"
"The Hao Clan has its hands in every tavern in Beijing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you see through the entire political situation of the government—high-ranking officials, the Imperial family, the princely houses, and the Beijing nobility."
"That’s not strictly true. For instance..."
"Yes, for instance, if the culprit were a eunuch."
There is no entertainment in this era. Truly, extremely, none. Even drugs are only available in low-quality, crude forms. For poppies to become heroin, it would take the 19th century and the Great British Empire swallowing India.
Thus, there were clear limits to the luxuries the nobles of this era could enjoy. They might pile up gold to build pavilions or use Shu silk as toilet paper in a shocking display of excess, but that was the limit. By 21st-century standards, it was more about wasting money than actual hedonism.
Consequently, high-ranking officials either poured money into luxurious taverns or lured courtesans to their residences for pleasure.
And both of those domains were the business of the Beijing Hao Clan.
If the information collected by the Beggars' Sect was 'wide,' the information collected by the Hao Clan was 'deep.'
If a mysterious expert emerged from a blind spot that the Beijing Hao Clan couldn't monitor...
It was a eunuch.
The group that antagonizes the Pure Stream faction, follows the Emperor and the Noble Consort, and commands the Eastern Depot. At the same time, they are the only ones who don't play in the arms of courtesans in any form of luxury or hedonism... because they are eunuchs.
With Noble Consort Yeongjeong siding with the White Lotus Cult, they are the strongest experts the retreating Cult can use right now.
They operate outside the Hao Clan’s view, wary of the Hebei Peng Family joining hands with the Pure Stream faction. They are the ones who would want the enraged Peng Family to run wild in Beijing to give them a 'justification.'
It’s the Eastern Depot. There is no one else.
"I’m starting to get worried. I’m not sure if the Young Lady’s choice to support you was the right one."
"Our family motto is 'Even I have no confidence in the succession.' Wouldn't it be better to have someone you can actually talk to?"
"I wonder about that... I really do. So, what do you want to do? Are you going to scream that you’ll charge into the Eastern Depot’s headquarters alone to collect the blood debt?"
"I only have one life, so why would I do that?"
Only my grandfather could pull off something that atrocious. The very fact that the culprit went into hiding proves it. This is a war beneath the surface. We have to act without giving each other a justification.
"If a Peak Realm expert from the Eastern Depot tries to assassinate me, the Hao Clan will have to lend a hand."
"You’re going to use yourself as bait? How can you trust us? If we just wash our hands of it, we wouldn't have to deal with the discomfort of facing the Eastern Depot right in front of the Forbidden City."
"Wouldn't it be a waste to cut the tie you’ve finally established with the Peng Family?"
"Young Master. We haven't received anything from you yet. There’s a limit to asking for support based on the future."
"Conversely, I haven't received anything from the Hao Clan yet either."
"One Peak Realm expert. That is the limit."
"Since I won't need more than one head, that sounds like a fair deal."
Grandfather would be satisfied with the head of one Eastern Depot Peak Realm expert. It would be a fitting offering for the memorial service of the fallen guards. If a force greater than that came for me, honestly, I’d have no choice but to run.
‘If I run to Cheon U-rin, the Pure Stream faction and the Hao Clan will have no choice but to help me.’
Since that brat Cheon U-rin was the core of their planned rebellion, they’d have to be prepared to be used if they wanted to use me. This was a mutually agreed-upon insurance policy.
"…I’ll put a word in with the Hanlin Academy first. That’s the limit of the information we can access. We don't know when, where, how, or how many people will target you."
"I wasn't expecting much."
"I do like how polite our Young Master is."
"Go on," Dan So-hye said, waving her hand.
I bowed politely and left the tea room.
*
"Big Sister, what do you think?"
"The kid is alright."
In the tea room of the Plum Fragrance Pavilion’s Master, a woman stepped out from behind the beaded curtain of the bedchamber, smiling brightly.
"The information that the Peng Family Head cherishes him seems reliable. I’m tempted."
"It seems more than one or two people have their eyes on him."
"Sohye. We do not possess men. Your training is still lacking."
The woman extended a pale finger to tap the end of a long pipe. A spark ignited spontaneously at the tip, and smooth smoke began to rise.
"We rule them."
The Hao Clan, which held a seat among the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao.
The one who held the vast information network of the entire Central Plains in a single hand.
One of the Fifteen Lords of the World.
One of the Five Tyrants of the Unorthodox Path, the 'Ghost Scholar' Ink Smoke Hundred Schemes, Wiji Cheon-yeong.
Having personally visited Beijing, which was turning into a powder keg, she watched the boy walking out of the brothel and exhaled a long trail of smoke.