Chapter 32: First Mission (1)
Chapter 32: First Mission (1)
At the entrance of the Purple Tiger Hall, a young man with a large saber slung across his back stood grinning in my direction.
Seong Chwi-san. He was a distant relative belonging to the Sanwol Hall.
Our relationship had been distant at best—the kind where we only saw each other in passing once in a blue moon.
"Kid. Are you ready?"
"I'm a bit past the age of being called a kid."
"Then should I call you 'Young Master'?"
"I don't like that much either. Just call me whatever you want."
"Hahaha! I like how spirited the young masters are these days!"
It seemed I was the only one who thought our relationship was distant.
The warriors of the Sanwol Hall had such a wide range of activity and were away for so long that, honestly, it was hard to see any of them even once a month.
And I suppose that meant I would soon be the same.
I gave a casual wave to Nang-rang, who was waving back from the main room of the Purple Tiger Hall with eyes full of worry, and began to walk.
"Heartless fellow. You should give your nanny a warmer goodbye before your first official outing."
"What for? It's not like it's the last time."
"Ha! This kid thinks little of the Sanwol Hall, doesn't he?"
Seong Chwi-san chuckled, tapped my shoulder, and walked ahead.
"Every time I return to the Sanwol Hall to report, a name disappears from the roster. So, always leave with the resolve that you might die."
As we headed toward the gatehouse of the Outer Hall, I saw the warriors we passed start to greet me, only to avert their gaze when they saw Seong Chwi-san by my side.
Unlike me, who had yet to perform a serious mission for the Sanwol Hall, this man—who looked to be in his early thirties—was a veteran who had been through the ringer. Their reaction was natural.
The primary duty of the Sanwol Hall was to monitor the warriors of the Peng Family.
To them, it probably felt like running into a member of the corporate audit team in the office hallway.
"So, where are we going?"
"Either use informal speech or formal speech; pick one."
"Is it okay if I drop the formalities?"
"Good grief. Let's do that after we get a bit closer."
Seong Chwi-san let out a boisterous laugh and stepped outside the gatehouse.
The guards at the gatehouse moved aside to make a path when they saw me. Two horses were tied up beyond the gate.
"Horses?"
"Can you ride?"
"If it's just basic riding..."
"You'd better get used to it. We don't learn movement techniques like the light-footwork of other sects. If the horse dies, things get incredibly tedious."
Seong Chwi-san stepped onto the stirrup and swung himself onto the horse's back with practiced ease, then reached a hand out to me.
Seriously, did he think I was some ten-year-old child?
I ignored his hand, leaped up, stepped on the stirrup, and mounted the horse in one fluid motion. Seong Chwi-san gave a short whistle.
He gave a sly grin and snapped the reins.
"We're heading to Wi-hyeon."
"Isn't that quite close to Shanxi?"
"That's exactly why we're going."
Clop, clop, clop. The two horses kicked up dust as they trotted side-by-side down the official road.
We saw peddlers along the way, but the moment they saw the two of us in the Peng Family's martial robes, they turned pale and scrambled to the side of the road.
As we passed them, Chwi-san continued.
"A sect belonging to the Dragon Slaying Alliance has been wiped out."
"If it's a Black Path sect in Wi-hyeon... is it the Cheonggang Gate, the Asura Fort, the Blood Crow Gang, or the Black Society?"
"You must have studied hard under the Old Man. It was the Cheonggang Gate that fell."
"Are we going to avenge a sect belonging to the Dragon Slaying Alliance?"
"We don't do such trivial work."
Chwi-san kept his eyes fixed straight ahead while holding the reins. He seemed to be choosing his words for a moment.
"Two members of the Flying Tiger Pavilion disappeared in that vicinity at the same time. The 3rd Squad of the Flying Tiger Pavilion should be searching the scene right now."
"Do you think the Orthodox sects of Shanxi did it?"
"We'd better hope not."
The wind brushed my hair against my cheek.
Holding the reins, I mentally reviewed the sects of Shanxi Province.
Among the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao, the Sal-mun and the Heavenly Thunder Alliance had branches nearby, and among the Orthodox, there was the Hengshan Sect.
Whatever it was, I would find out soon enough.
*
17. First Mission
Wi-hyeon was a medium-sized city with a population of about ten thousand households.
Calculating roughly five people per household, it was easy to think of it as a city of about fifty thousand residents.
We entered through the city's east gate. Despite it not being a small town, the atmosphere was depressed.
People on the street hurriedly avoided us, and I could feel eyes watching us from every corner.
"The Beggars' Sect is crawling all over the place," Chwi-san muttered, furrowing his brow.
At the entrance of the alleys, I could see beggars whispering while glaring in our direction.
Unlike Beijing's Shuntian Prefecture, where the government's influence was strong, it was a new experience to see the Beggars' Sect operating so openly just this far away.
"Relax your shoulders. We didn't come here to kill anyone right this second."
"I heard the Cheonggang Gate had over thirty warriors."
"Roughly that many."
"If they're all dead, it must have been a massive bloodbath."
"..."
Over thirty warriors killed in one go.
While there are plenty of sects of that size, if a Black Path sect that held its head high in a city like this was uprooted overnight, there was no way rumors wouldn't spread.
We headed toward an inn under the watchful eyes of the beggars.
It was a worn-down tavern with a crooked sign that read 'Seohyeong Inn.'
As we pushed past the bead curtain and entered, a piercing killing intent washed over us.
Reflexively, I gripped my hilt, only to see five or six warriors occupying various tables in the inn.
Every single one of them was wearing the Peng Family's martial robes.
The moment they identified us, the killing intent vanished as if it had never been there.
Chwi-san smirked, sat down at a table, and gave it a light tap.
Soon, a pale-faced waiter brought out a bottle of Baijiu.
"Good to see everyone. How have you been?"
"Chwi-san. What brings the Sanwol Hall here?"
"Just here to do what the Old Man ordered. What else?"
"The Hall Master of Sanwol is going too far. This isn't your jurisdiction."
"Well, I can't exactly go back empty-handed. Since we're here, let's hear the story."
I was told they were warriors from the Flying Tiger Pavilion.
The hulking men were all looking our way, their sabers leaning crookedly against their tables.
The man sitting at the very front looked at me and gave a slight nod of greeting.
"Fourth Young Master, it has been a long time."
"It seems you know me."
"Anyone who doesn't know the Young Master must be missing an eye or an ear. It hasn't been long enough for us to forget that Hegemonic Blade Style."
"That's embarrassing to hear. I'm afraid I don't know you, senior."
"Pang Seol-ung, Leader of the 3rd Squad of the Flying Tiger Pavilion."
"I failed to recognize the Great Hero Pang Seol-ung, the 'Annihilating Mad Blade.'"
"A Great Hero? You're flattering a man like me far too much, hahaha!"
Pang Seol-ung. A warrior of the Flying Tiger Pavilion from the very edge of the branch family line.
His martial arts level was at the peak of the First-Rate realm.
He had a large build, a deep scar between his eyebrows, and sun-burnt skin.
Confirming he matched the records, I smiled back at him.
Pang Seol-ung laughed heartily and lowered his guard. It seemed he quite liked that I remembered even his nickname.
Unlike how he treated Seong Chwi-san, he was quite friendly toward me.
"Well, if you're here to lend a hand, I have no reason to refuse. But I can guarantee this isn't a matter for the Sanwol Hall to handle. This is simply a case of two dispatched warriors going missing."
Pang Seol-ung trailed off, glancing at Seong Chwi-san once more.
He wasn't wrong.
The Sanwol Hall's duty was to monitor and keep the Peng Family's warriors in check. This current situation began because two warriors from the Flying Tiger Pavilion went missing.
Whether it was a search for the missing or a mission for revenge, it was a Flying Tiger Pavilion problem. It certainly wasn't something that warranted sending personnel for monitoring.
In fact, the very fact that the Sanwol Hall had been dispatched was closer to an open declaration that they suspected the Flying Tiger Pavilion.
As I nodded and poured myself a drink, Chwi-san merely tilted his cup with a subtle smile.
After staring at him with dissatisfaction for a while, Pang Seol-ung eventually lost interest and turned away.
"Do as you please. No matter what you're hoping for."
"That's the plan. Thanks for the concern."
After finishing their meal, the Peng warriors scattered to resume their search.
We remained seated in the corner of the inn.
"Can't you tell me now? Why were we sent here?"
"I told you two guys disappeared."
"Yes."
Seong Chwi-san watched the street where the Flying Tiger members had vanished and continued.
"Traces of the Hunyuan Blade were found at the site where the Cheonggang Gate was annihilated."
"Hmm, were they caught in the bloodbath and killed?"
"To be precise, traces of the Hunyuan Blade were found inside the bodies of the Cheonggang Gate's disciples. They say they were split in two."
"What about the possibility that the Cheonggang Gate provoked the Peng Family?"
"It's possible. But if that were the case, why wouldn't they return after wiping them out?"
"There would be no reason not to."
Chwi-san and I exchanged words, organizing our thoughts.
The Cheonggang Gate was wiped out overnight.
It must have been a massive slaughter, and hiding it wouldn't have been easy, yet it was done so cleanly that not even a rumor had spread.
In the process, traces of deaths caused by the Hunyuan Blade were discovered.
If this had happened due to a conflict between the Cheonggang Gate and Peng warriors, it would be normal for them to return to the family and report after the annihilation.
Yet, the two warriors who supposedly helped wipe out the Cheonggang Gate had vanished. Then this meant...
"When do you plan on visiting the Cheonggang Gate?"
"Have you ever learned how to investigate a scene?"
"Just the theory from Elder Peng Ik-cheon."
"Then this will be good experience. Let's go."
Chwi-san stood up abruptly and headed out into the darkening night streets.
I followed behind him, continuing my train of thought.
Two Peng warriors disappeared after wiping out a sect belonging to the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance.
If there was a reason they had to disappear, there was a high probability it was betrayal. That was why the Sanwol Hall had been sent...
And the reason we didn't accompany the Flying Tiger warriors?
Because the Flying Tiger warriors would likely try to protect their 'missing comrades' who had shared their bread and board.
We had to find those 'vanished' warriors before the Flying Tiger Pavilion did, confirm the circumstances, and if their betrayal was certain... we had to cut them down.
'So that's what this meant.'
Trust no one.
And earn no one's trust.
Therefore, I would never be able to challenge for the succession of the Family Head. Because I would be viewed with suspicion by every warrior in the family.
I had received such a warning when I chose the Sanwol Hall after the Hegemonic Blade Style incident. This is what it meant.
The Cheonggang Gate had been a large sect with a grand main gate.
They said the number of disciples was around thirty, but that seemed to only count the actual warriors.
For a sect of this size, there would have been over a hundred people including servants.
That grand gate was now half-smashed and collapsed.
"These aren't traces left by martial arts."
"I heard you were clever, and you certainly live up to the reputation."
Chwi-san grinned and stepped over the half-ruined gatehouse.
The inner courtyard, which must have been well-maintained once, was burnt black, and most of the large pavilions were destroyed.
The physical traces of destruction left between them did not take the form of any systematic martial art.
It looked more like something a beast had clawed at... provided there was a beast capable of smashing stone slabs.
"I can tell it's the result of external arts. As for the bodies..."
"It's been a few days, so they've obviously all been cleared away. This place isn't far from Beijing. The local magistrate isn't a complete fool."
Chwi-san rummaged through the charred ruins.
He didn't seem to care at all about getting soot on himself.
After searching here and there for a while, he stopped.
"Come here."
At his call, I approached, and Chwi-san lifted a collapsed pillar with one hand.
The smashed floorboards beneath it were revealed. Chwi-san tapped the floor and asked, "Do you know what trace this is?"
"The Iron-Crushing Hammer."
"Correct. It's definitely a trace of the Iron-Crushing Hammer's force. No doubt about it."
Thud!
Chwi-san dusted off his hands, and the pillar fell back down, kicking up dust.
He stood there for a moment, looking straight ahead. As if he were standing in the position where the Iron-Crushing Hammer had been unleashed, staring at someone in front of him.
"At least forty bodies. Even if it happened overnight, there was a massive fire, so there's no way there weren't witnesses. There are many members of the Beggars' Sect in this town, so they must have seen it."
"Should we shake down the Beggars' Sect?"
"No. Doing that would blow this out of proportion. If a Peng warrior had died, it might be worth a try, but it's impossible since the one who was here escaped alive. Now, let's think."
Chwi-san walked forward, surveying the surroundings.
He visualized how the pavilions looked when they were intact and moved his feet a few times to examine other traces.
There were almost no traces left.
Days had passed, and many warriors and officials would have combed through this place several times.
However, Chwi-san narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ruins of the pavilions. Soon, he gestured.
"Lift that pillar."
I moved as he instructed and lifted the pillar, while Chwi-san lifted another one simultaneously.
As the two pillars stood upright, the staircase railing barely hanging between them twisted, shedding dust.
"The Thunderbolt Blade."
"Right."
The blade marks embedded in the railing belonged to the Thunderbolt Blade.
Considering the height, it meant someone had unleashed the Thunderbolt Blade and swung it broadly, literally tearing apart everything in front of them.
"They were incredibly furious."
"You have a connection with the Hao Clan, don't you?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Get in touch with the Hao Clan."
"Are you telling me to commission them to find out where the two Peng warriors disappeared to...?"
"No."
Chwi-san furrowed his brow and stared at the railing of the ruins for a long time.
He spoke while glaring at a trace embedded within it.
"Ask them to find out if any warriors from the Divine Spear Yang Family have been in this area recently."
Following the direction of Chwi-san's chin, I shifted my gaze and saw a small dot.
A tiny flaw embedded in the wooden railing caught my eye.
"It's a spear. From a master of the Peak Realm."
The moment I heard those words, several pieces of information flashed through my mind.
An area with many Beggars' Sect members. And a bloodbath they couldn't possibly have missed.
Yet, no rumors had circulated.
The Beggars' Sect was part of the Orthodox faction—a member of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance. If it were a conflict between Black Path sects, there was no way the Beggars' Sect wouldn't have spread the word.
They were always sincere about sowing discord among us.
Therefore, the fact that the Beggars' Sect was keeping their mouths shut meant that the Orthodox faction was involved.
Furthermore, I had to assume they were involved in a way that wouldn't be good to let others know.
The Orthodox faction had annihilated a Black Path sect belonging to the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance.
In that process, two warriors from our family became entangled.
Whether they acted together or encountered each other here was unknown, but a conflict had occurred on this spot.
And then, the two Peng warriors vanished into thin air.
There were two main hypotheses that could be inferred:
'I'd better hope it's the latter.'
I thought of the Flying Tiger Pavilion warriors who were likely still scouring the vicinity even now.