Chapter 28: The Blade-Bearing Ceremony (1)
Chapter 28: The Blade-Bearing Ceremony (1)
The Lord of the Assassination Pavilion stood before the gatehouse of the Peng Family estate.
Dressed in a yellow robe, he stepped forward alone and knelt on the dirt ground, crying out at the top of his lungs.
"I, Seo, beg the Blade Emperor for his mercy!!"
As he spoke, he slammed his forehead against the ground repeatedly.
His forehead, unprotected by any internal energy, split open. Crimson blood trickled down, staining his worn yellow robe.
The guards exchanged bewildered glances.
They knew exactly who this man was. It was the first time a figure of his stature had appeared alone without prior notice, and his current behavior was utterly bizarre.
Regardless, they could not simply turn away the leader of one of the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao.
The guards opened the gates, and the Pavilion Lord stood up. With his head bowed low, he entered the Peng Family estate.
"The Lord of the Assassination Pavilion...?"
"The Soul-Chasing Flying Dagger, Seong Ryang-ha? What on earth is he doing in that state?"
The warriors of the Peng Family’s Outer Hall whispered as they watched him pass.
No one moved to block the Pavilion Lord, who had come alone and unarmed. The Thousand Autumns Assassination Pavilion was a member of the Dragon Slaying Alliance, and its leader was considered one of its elders.
He walked toward the Inner Hall without offering a word in response.
The Inner Hall guards, having already received word, opened the doors in silence.
When he stepped into the Inner Hall, his footsteps faltered for a moment.
A thick, heavy murderous intent had settled over the entrance.
"Soul-Chasing Flying Dagger."
"..."
Upon hearing that the Pavilion Lord had arrived, all the elders had armed themselves and were waiting.
Every person present knew that, as a member of the Dragon Slaying Alliance, he had dared to attempt an alliance with the Imperial Court after assassinating a member of the Peng Family.
In the three days since Peng Hyeon-hwi’s return, the truth of his words had been proven beyond doubt.
The Peng Family had been preparing for war against the Assassination Pavilion. In truth, it wouldn't even be a war.
It would be an execution.
And now, the Pavilion Lord himself had appeared.
"Do you intend to pay for the Pavilion's sins with your own life?"
"I have come to beg the Blade Emperor for his judgment. Please, open the way."
"The Family Head has no reason to waste his time on the likes of you. If you seek judgment, I shall carry it out myself."
As one of the elders stepped forward, drawing his blade, a young man stepped in front of him and bowed politely.
"Move aside. This is no place for you to interfere."
"Please, calm yourself, Elder."
"Peng Hyeon-ryang. Do you wish to die as well?"
"My life is of little consequence, but is the prestige of the Peng Family not more important? Striking down the Pavilion Lord here would be easy, but it is only right that we proceed according to the family laws and with proper decorum."
"I see you're still acting like you shared a table with him in the Dragon Slaying Alliance. Fine, do as you wish."
The elder rested his drawn blade on his shoulder and stepped back.
The eldest son, Peng Hyeon-ryang, expressed his gratitude and stood beside the Pavilion Lord.
"The Family Head’s Hall is this way."
"Thank you. I shall not forget this—"
"Forget it. I did not do this to earn your favor. I simply stated that the laws of the family must come first."
"I understand."
The Pavilion Lord nodded and moved forward.
Before long, he stood before the Family Head’s Hall. Numerous Peng Family warriors followed behind him.
The doors to the hall were open.
Since these doors opened and closed only by the will of the Family Head, their being open meant that Peng Ik-jin had granted the Pavilion Lord an audience.
As soon as the Pavilion Lord entered the hall, he knelt on the floor and performed a deep prostration.
Beyond him, past the long central aisle and atop a high throne...
The Family Head was looking down at him.
"Pavilion Lord."
"Yes, Lord Blade Emperor."
"Have you grown tired of living?"
"I have not."
The Pavilion Lord slammed his head against the floor once more, blood flowing again as he looked up.
"I have come to beg forgiveness for the crimes committed by my foolish son. I have personally executed every subordinate involved in this matter, and if you wish, I shall present their heads to you, Lord Blade Emperor."
"What use is there in accumulating more trash?"
"Then I shall leave their corpses to feed the crows. So, please..."
"Am I to believe that you were unaware of what your son was doing in Beijing?"
"I only heard of it after the matter was concluded and rushed to Beijing immediately. The Hao Clan Leader can vouch for—"
"Her word carries no weight with me."
Peng Ik-jin leaned his chin on his hand, looking down at the Pavilion Lord.
"However, your neck still has some use."
"...If you wish it, I shall take my own life here and now."
"There is no need. Your use only has meaning while you are alive. Return."
"Then...?"
The Pavilion Lord’s expression brightened significantly.
Peng Ik-jin’s judgment descended upon him.
"Since five warriors died at your son's hands, the Assassination Pavilion shall seal its gates for the next five years. Gather all your disciples scattered across the lands and do not step outside. Devote yourself to 'properly' teaching your one remaining son. Even after that time, do not set foot in Shuntian Prefecture."
"Alliance Leader... that is...!"
For a sect to seal its gates for years was practically no different from being disbanded.
It meant that everything—from the food and drink of the disciples to the maintenance of external businesses—had to be funded solely by the sect's existing reserves.
Five years was by no means a short time.
Every pavilion and tavern owned by the Assassination Pavilion would be seized, and there would be no way to check the Orthodox sects that would inevitably encroach upon their now-vacant territory.
The branches spread across the Central Plains would have to abandon their current missions immediately and pay massive breach-of-contract penalties.
However, the Family Head’s judgment was neither a suggestion nor a recommendation.
If they did not accept, the Assassination Pavilion would be annihilated.
Sealing the gates was a far better alternative.
The Pavilion Lord bowed his head without further protest and accepted the judgment of the Dragon Slaying Alliance Leader.
"I shall do as you command..."
The Pavilion Lord performed one last deep prostration and left the Family Head’s Hall.
As he made his way from the Inner Hall toward the Outer Hall, passing through the members of the household who had gathered to watch—
"..."
He saw a boy.
The boy he had glimpsed from a distance in Beijing a few days ago.
The sight of that boy holding a blade to his son’s throat and cutting him down, and the gaze of the Hao Clan Leader that had stopped him in his tracks...
All those scenes flashed through his mind.
"Are you Hyeon-hwi?"
"Yes, Pavilion Lord."
"I am sorry for what my son did. Regardless of the apology I offered the Family Head, I wanted to say this to you as well."
"The grudge was settled with a blood debt, so there is no need for an apology. My skin is not so thick that I would accept an apology from a father who has lost his child."
"I see. Thank you for saying so."
"Take care of yourself."
"You as well."
The Pavilion Lord gave a slight nod and departed.
The elders, who had been gripping their sword hilts in case the Pavilion Lord did something rash, watched his retreating figure for a long time before scattering back to the Mountain King Pavilion.
Peng Hyeon-hwi watched the departing Pavilion Lord for a while before speaking to Peng Jeon-gun.
"Do you think a new grudge has been formed?"
"You killed his son right in front of him. Of course there is. But it's nothing to worry about."
"Pardon? Why?"
"He is a man who came here seeking to avoid the destruction of his sect just because his son killed a Peng Family warrior. It means he values the fate of his sect more than his own pride. A man with that much responsibility will never gamble with the future of his sect by letting himself be consumed by a personal grudge."
Peng Jeon-gun gave me a pat on the back and headed toward the Purple Tiger Hall.
It meant he was going to give me one last training session before the Blade-Bearing Ceremony.
"Even when you eventually enter the Martial World, you won't have to worry about being killed by an assassin. If you die at an assassin's hand, we will surely suspect the Assassination Pavilion. To avoid that suspicion, they'll probably try to protect you from other assassins themselves. If you ever visit them, you'll likely be treated as an honored guest."
So, you just worry about your ceremony.
Peng Jeon-gun chuckled and stepped onto the training grounds of the Purple Tiger Hall.
*
15. The Blade-Bearing Ceremony
The Blade-Bearing Ceremony. At first glance, the name sounds quite dangerous, but it is an event that carries the literal meaning of its Hanja characters.
It is a celebration of reaching the stage where one is permitted to wear (佩) a blade (刀).
According to the family laws of the Great Hebei Peng Family, warriors are not allowed to wear a blade until they have mastered the introductory arts.
My carrying a blade in Beijing had been an extreme exception; normally, one cannot step outside the gatehouse with a blade strapped to their waist.
In other words, the Blade-Bearing Ceremony is a public announcement that a warrior who has completed the introductory arts is now qualified to come and go through the gates on their own.
It ends once you demonstrate the results of your training before the elders, receive their recognition, and are presented with the family’s blade and martial robes.
If you imagine a mix between a kindergarten graduation and a talent show, you’re pretty close.
"Hey, Brother! I'll be rooting for you~"
"Shut up!!"
"Oh, don't be shy."
It was decided that Peng Hyeon-cheon and I would have our ceremonies together. The issues surrounding this were a bit of a headache.
—It seems Hyeon-hwi is finally ready for his Blade-Bearing Ceremony...
—But if he has his ceremony before his older brother, what will become of Hyeon-cheon’s dignity?
—Since when did we care about sibling dignity when it came to the ceremony?
—Except for you, no one in this family has ever openly shamed their brother's dignity. You rascal!!
—If you're that upset, bring your blade out. I'll cut off one of my cousin's arms today.
—Oh? Then a seat in the Council of Elders will open up today! The Samcheong Pavilion Lord is old enough; he'll fit perfectly in your spot!
Regardless of the commotion in the Council of Elders...
The Family Head had ordered that I must have my ceremony, but that meant my third brother, who wasn't quite mature enough to have his own yet, was caught in the middle.
It reminded me of traditional Korean family culture where getting married before an older sibling was looked down upon, but by the standards of this era, this was actually the sensible way to handle things.
Generally, the age for completing the Heart-Protecting Art and having the ceremony is fifteen.
Since the direct lineage tends to be more talented, people usually start saying the time has come around age thirteen, so it was just about right.
Thus, Peng Hyeon-cheon naturally ended up having his ceremony with me.
"Damn it... damn it...!!"
And he was now in a state of red-eyed fury, feeling like he had been lumped in with his overly talented younger brother (me) as an afterthought.
It’s hard to even call it an inferiority complex. The boy was only thirteen.
If you were just starting middle school and your parents and cousins were only looking at your younger brother who skipped grades to graduate elementary school early, you’d be fuming too.
Right, as the possessor here, I should be the understanding one.
"Brother, your shoulders are stiff. Come on, relax and be fluid."
"Please... please just shut your mouth!"
"I'm just worried about you. Geez."
"Eeeeeeek—!!"
Beside me, Peng Hyeon-cheon looked like he was about to flip his lid while holding his blade.
I quickly stepped back, fearing he might actually swing it at me.
The two of us soon stepped out in front of the Great Training Ground of the Mountain King Pavilion in the Inner Hall.
Elders, vassals, and even guests from the Outer Hall had crowded in to watch.
The Mountain King Pavilion was absolutely packed.
I gave my brother, who looked as nervous as any thirteen-year-old would, a little nudge in the back.
"Go ahead, you first."
"Y-You..."
"Surely you aren't telling your younger brother to go first? Even if things turned out this way, you should be the star of your own ceremony. How would it look if the younger brother stepped out first?"
"Hooo... whew..."
My brother stumbled up onto the training stage.
His face was twisted with tension.
With even our grandfather present, my brother raised his blade and began to perform the Hunyuan Blade Style.
It’s actually not bad.
The Hunyuan Blade Style, the Mountain King Steps, the Heart-Protecting Fist, and the Iron-Smasher. The level of martial arts my third brother displayed was by no means low.
To be precise, how should I put it? If there were a textbook for beginners of the Hunyuan Art, he was a perfect recreation of it.
He did exactly as he was taught. Or rather, he did what he was taught remarkably well.
In any case, it was far too much to say he lacked talent; he was simply showing the best that someone of his age could possibly show.
The murmurs among the elders matched my assessment.
"Hmm, that's quite..."
"I wondered if we were rushing the schedule too much, but it seems my worries were misplaced."
"Indeed, at that level, he is certainly sufficient."
Peng Hyeon-cheon certainly hated me, but I didn't actually have any major grievances against him.
The only brother I truly had a problem with was my eldest brother. That guy actually tried to get rid of me.
Hyeon-cheon’s jealousy and anger felt... kind of cute to me. It was the kind of behavior you'd expect from a thirteen-year-old boy, so he felt more like a nephew.
So, with the heart of an uncle, I cheered enthusiastically as my brother, three years my senior, finished his ceremony.
As I stood there cheering with my fists clenched, the surrounding gazes shifted toward me.
It was the kind of look that said, 'How can he be so relaxed?' so I lowered my hands and quietly waited for my turn.
"Peng Hyeon-hwi, come forward."
"Yes."
After watching Peng Hyeon-cheon receive his blade and martial robes with a flushed face, basking in the affection of the elders, I slowly stood up and stepped onto the stage.
Standing in the center of the training ground, I saw my grandfather, who looked like he was bored to death.
The Family Head, Peng Ik-jin, opened his mouth slowly with a dull expression.
The content of his speech was the same as what he had said to his third grandson earlier.
"The Blade-Bearing Ceremony is the first gateway to being recognized as a warrior of the family. You must not simply show off your achievements, but be able to discuss the will you carry."
Now, if Peng Hyeon-hwi simply raised his blade, displayed his progress, and was judged by the elders, the ceremony would end without a hitch.
Despite everything that had happened, he was still only ten years old. This was just the business of a young child who had barely finished his introductory martial arts.
The elders looked at Peng Hyeon-hwi without much expectation, their eyes filled with the same look one might give a child at a talent show.
Under those gazes, Peng Hyeon-hwi looked up at the Family Head.
"It would be disrespectful to the elders of the family who have come to witness my ceremony if I were to merely show a few mediocre forms."
"Then how do you intend to prove your qualification?"
"Is the Blade-Bearing Ceremony not originally a place to announce that one has become a true warrior? Therefore, this grandson dares to make a request of the elders."
Hyeon-hwi’s gaze swept over the crowd surrounding the training ground.
To the elders of the family, to the vassals beyond them, and to the guests standing beside them.
He spoke to every member of the family.
"Is there anyone here who wishes to personally test whether I have grown sufficiently?"
Silence fell with those words. And then—
The elders of the Peng Family stood up in unison, their hands snapping to their sword hilts.
Peng Hyeon-hwi thought to himself with a small smile.
He wanted to be able to say that the youngest of the Peng Family had blown the ceremony wide open.