Chapter 42: Kingmaker (2)
Chapter 42: Kingmaker (2)
As for our third brother—
Actually, let’s just not talk about him. He’s trash.
The only things that set him apart from our other brothers are that he didn't hire the White Lotus Cult to assassinate his seven-year-old snot-nosed youngest brother out of hatred (the eldest), and he didn't join forces with the Martial Alliance to throw the family's retainers into a death trap just to beat his older brother (the second).
In other words, he’s trash that still has a chance at rehabilitation. At the very least, he has enough of a conscience not to ruin the family if he were to leapfrog me for the succession. He is the family’s last hope, excluding myself.
What a wonderful state this family is in.
"What the—get lost!"
"…?"
Lost in thought as I reached the entrance of the tavern, a drunkard suddenly tried to shoulder-check me.
I didn't dodge. He was a commoner with no detectable internal energy.
If we collided like this, I wouldn't be the one getting hurt.
The man slammed into me, tumbled to the ground on his own, and stared up at me blankly.
As I looked down at him for a moment, his eyes quickly scanned my clothes.
The moment he saw the distinctive red sleeves of the Hebei Peng Family martial robes, he turned deathly pale.
"I-I-I'm… I'm so sorry!!"
"Whatever. Get lost."
"Yes! Yes, sir!!"
The drunkard bowed his head repeatedly and scurried away.
I let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps because this was a "Red Pavilion"—a brothel thick with the scent of powder, alcohol, and incense—the quality of the clientele was abysmal.
While it was considered high-class among Beijing’s brothels, it was a tavern that couldn't even be compared to the Hao Clan’s Maehyang Pavilion branch.
The air was filled with the coquettish laughter of women and the boisterous shouting of drunken men.
If Maehyang Pavilion was a hotel rooftop bar, this place felt like a high-end hostess bar in Gangnam.
Even if the comparison is a bit crude, I think it’s the most fitting expression.
Not that I’ve ever been to one, but you know, the kind you see in movies and dramas.
"I-I heard from Pavilion Master Dan! You are Young Master Peng Hyeon-hwi, correct?"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go see my brother. Let's see how much fun he's having."
The kind of place where bouncers who look like oversized thugs stand guard.
I tucked my hands behind my back and gestured with my chin toward the tavern guards.
The guards made way with expressions of profound reverence.
To them, I was a direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Family and the direct disciple of the Hao Clan Leader.
A "two-for-one" young master. I was an aristocrat at the very top of the Black Path caste system.
Anyone who failed to show proper courtesy in front of me had long since been killed.
"The Young Master is in the VIP room. The tea room at the end of the fourth floor."
"Does my brother come here often?"
"Yes, yes. He used to visit almost once every three days, but he’s been a bit scarce lately… When he arrived this time, it seemed his spirit was greatly troubled."
"Let's skip the fancy vocabulary. Just saying he looked like he was in a foul mood is enough."
"Yes, yes, Young Master."
I followed the guard’s guidance up the stairs.
With every floor I climbed, the sounds that made my skin crawl and the stench of alcohol wafted from behind the distinctive red bead curtains of the brothel.
When I reached the fourth floor and saw the tightly closed door of the VIP room at the end of the hall, I couldn't help but sigh.
A courtesan was standing there, trembling.
She had a red mark on her face, as if she had been struck.
It looked like a direct hit to her eye socket, but considering my third brother’s physical strength, it seemed he hadn't infused his strike with true qi.
If he had, he was the kind of man who could have popped her head like a grape with a single blow.
"Is my brother in there alone?"
"H-Hiek…!"
"I won't bite. Is he alone?"
"N-No, Young Master. He is… he is drinking with a close friend…."
"You’ve had a hard time. Take this and go downstairs to rest. Tell the tavern to put the bill on the Peng Family’s tab and make sure they charge it properly."
"Yes, yes, Young Master!"
A disciple of the Hao Clan Leader must cherish courtesans, waiters, and small business owners.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that was all I learned from the old man for an entire week.
Unlike the typical great sects, the Hao Clan and the Beggars' Sect came from the streets, so they possessed a somewhat modern stance on the idea of universal equality.
The courtesan clutched the money pouch I handed her with a look of immense gratitude and ran downstairs.
Seeing her startled by the weight of the pouch yet quickly tucking it away made me feel quite proud.
I planned to squeeze the money back out of my brother anyway, so I had been quite generous with the consolation prize.
I tapped the door handle the courtesan had vacated and pushed it open. And then—
"Why is the booze so late!!"
Crash!
I tilted my head to dodge a wine cup that came flying straight at my face.
The cup smashed against the wall behind me with a loud clatter.
Judging by the size of the mark on the courtesan’s face, it looked like she had been hit by one of these tantrums.
That must have hurt.
When I turned my head back, the sight of the room in total disarray came into view.
My brother, his face flushed bright red, sat at a table laden with all sorts of delicacies, clutching a liquor bottle.
"Oh? You dodged? You little bastard."
"Haha, Hyeon-cheon! Calm down for a moment! Isn't that your brother!"
"B-B-Brother…?"
A man drinking alongside my brother looked at me and smirked.
He was tall, with muscles that bulged even through his clothes and scars peeking out from beneath his sleeves.
Judging by the structure of his muscles, he was a martial artist who specialized in heavy weapons, powerful strikes, and explosive force.
Beneath his loosely worn martial robes, a portion of a black tattoo was visible on his solid chest muscles.
It was a crest I knew well.
"So the Heavenly Thunder Alliance has a hand in our family affairs too. This family really is a mess."
"Hye-Hyeon-hwi… How… how are you here…? Was it… was it Father’s order?"
"Our father doesn't concern himself with such trivial matters. You pathetic brother."
As I walked toward him, the man drinking with my brother naturally moved to stand up.
He looked back and forth between me and my brother, then bowed his head with a pleasant, friendly smile.
"It seems there’s family business to attend to. It’s better for an outsider like me to take my leave. Well then, Hyeon-cheon, I’ll see you next time."
"Sit down."
"Even if you are Hyeon-cheon’s brother, this is quite rude."
"Jang So-hwang of the Heavenly Thunder Alliance’s Baekhwa Mountain Fort. Sit."
"…!"
Sanyue Hall members were obsessively required to memorize the profiles of 'every' martial artist in the Hebei region who might come into contact with the Peng Family.
Even more detailed if they belonged to the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao.
Even more meticulously if they were from the Assassination Pavilion under the Dragon Slaying Alliance or the Heavenly Thunder Alliance.
And if they were martial artists near Shuntian Prefecture, the knowledge had to be near perfect.
Therefore, there was no way I wouldn't know someone based in Baekhwa Mountain, which sat right under Beijing’s nose.
Jang So-hwang. Eldest son of Jang Il-gong, the Heavenly Power Blade Monster and Chief of Baekhwa Mountain Fort. His martial arts level was known to be at the peak of First-Rate.
A loafer who had recently been frequenting the taverns near Beijing.
A tall, sturdy young man with his chest half-exposed, revealing the Heavenly Thunder Alliance crest. He matched the description perfectly.
I rested my saber on my shoulder and looked at him, then at my pathetic brother trembling in the corner.
"Should I be here as the disciple of the Hao Clan Leader, or as a martial artist of the Great Hebei Peng Family’s Sanyue Hall? Jang So-hwang. Why don't you decide?"
"I’d prefer the former, if possible. Even in the Dragon Slaying Alliance, the Peng Family’s Sanyue Hall is notorious as a harbinger of death. Haha."
Jang So-hwang looked at me, let out a short laugh, and reached under the table.
When I gave my saber a threatening flick, he shrugged and nonchalantly raised his hands.
A short hand-axe was gripped in his powerful fist as he brought them up.
"It seems today has more misfortune than fortune."
He then thudded the hand-axe onto the table and sat back down smoothly. What a character.
"If you’re here on Hao Clan business, are you seeking compensation? Well, Hyeon-cheon, you were a bit too rough with the courtesan. Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't mess with the Beijing Hao Clan lately?"
"You’re quite relaxed. It makes me wonder why you were hanging around my brother."
"Because I haven't committed a crime yet. Not against the Peng Family, nor the Hao Clan."
"Yet?"
"Who knows what the future holds? The Heavenly Thunder Alliance isn't a branch sect of the Peng Family, so we might clash. Someday… if the Peng Family’s power begins to wane."
He said this with a thin smile and leaned back against his chair.
After glancing at my brother, he looked back at me with a very subtle gaze.
"It seems that time might not be far off, yet the next generation looks quite formidable. How troublesome. Our Baekhwa Mountain Fort has to do business within the Peng Family’s territory, you see. If the landlord is strong, the tenant has a hard time."
"You picked the wrong target. If you were wary of the Peng Family’s power, you should have gone to my first or second brother, not my pathetic third brother."
"There’s no opening for me to wedge myself into over there."
Hearing our words, my third brother suddenly slammed a bottle down.
The empty liquor bottle shattered, spraying shards over the food.
He looked like he was on the verge of tears.
"You too… were you laughing at me too…? So-hwang…!"
"Of course, Brother. If you made a friend without realizing that, you really need to get your eyes checked."
"Fine, I am… I am nothing. I’m worthless…! Even Father has given up on me, and even the elders don't expect anything from me! But, but! I…! I did my best too!"
"That’s just great. Good for you, Brother."
I sat down directly in front of him.
The contrast between the smirking Jang So-hwang and my sobbing third brother was quite dramatic.
He really has terrible luck with friends.
And even worse luck with siblings. To think his youngest brother is a transmigrator. Poor thing.
He’s spent his whole life suppressed by his older brothers and pushed around by his younger brother, and to top it off, this is medieval China where there’s no therapy.
"First, I’m going to say this once. Listen well. Circulate your internal energy and purge the alcohol from your system. Right now."
"I don't have the confidence… to be sober…."
"Are you a seven-year-old snot-nosed kid? Does the world become kinder just because you bury your head in the sand out of fear?"
I had to turn this trashy, semi-invalid, tavern-addicted alcoholic, Peng Hyeon-cheon, into a healthy member of society.
That was the first step of my plan.
"Bring some fresh water here!"
"Yes, yes!"
The servants, who had been hovering anxiously, opened the door and rushed in to quickly clear the table.
The delicacies littered with glass shards vanished in an instant.
Soon, tea cups and a tea set were placed between us.
Jang So-hwang looked disappointed, but I spoke without even looking at him.
"Brother. Our father isn't the type of person to give up on a son. You’re just the one who got soaked in self-pity and ran away."
"What do you… what do you know!"
"What do I know? Do you really want to die? Have you ever been born as the youngest? From the moment I could understand words, I grew up being told I was practically a member of a branch line!"
"I-I was the same!! Do you think you’re the only one with older brothers!"
"Exactly. You know the saying 'misery loves company'? That’s exactly what I feel for you, Brother."
I pulled my chair closer to him and spoke in a whisper.
"Our second brother is actually in a better position. At least the elders consider the first and second brothers as competitors. But what about us? From the moment we were born, we were told, 'He’s perfect for the branch line,' right?"
"But you…."
"Brother, think about it. Do you know what the difference is between you and me?"
"What is it…?"
"When I heard those things, I felt so disgusted that I lived my life fighting back, while you just ran away. That’s the only difference."
"That’s! That’s not true! I… I also lived my life doing everything I could!"
"Hey, if you knew how many times I’ve almost died, you wouldn't be able to say that. Now, look. What does it mean that there’s only that one difference? It means that if we close that gap, you and I are actually in the same situation."
At that moment, Jang So-hwang set out tea cups between us and poured the tea.
"Now, now, have a drink and continue. Don't mind me."
"Ah, thanks."
I happened to be thirsty.
I downed a cup of tea and approached my brother again.
We were now close enough that our arms were touching.
"Let's reset the board."
"The board…?"
"Yeah. By the time we sat down at the table, our two older brothers already had piles of gambling tiles stacked up. Don't you think that’s unfair?"
"It is… it is."
"Right? Now, what are you lacking? Our older brothers—those guys were just born a few years before us, yet they act like they own the whole family. Honestly, it’s a bit annoying."
"It is…."
And the Hebei Peng Family is a sect that kills if they’re annoyed. It’s not for nothing that we’re considered part of the Black Path.
There was still hope for this dejected young man (20 years old, unemployed). Since we shared the same blood, it was only natural.
He was also one of those Peng Family bastards whose eyes would turn cold and murderous given the chance.
Just moments ago, he had been acting like the Hegemon-King of Chu in this tavern.
He was just a little hurt.
Youth is about being hurt.
"The eldest and the second brother are fighting each other to the death. In that gap, I’ll back you, Hyeon-cheon. Once you push those two aside, then we can have a fair competition."
"Competition…?"
"Did you think I’d back you for no reward? I’m just saying let’s join forces for a while."
Humans are naturally designed to doubt kindness without a price.
However.
If I said, "Let's join forces just this once!", he would have no choice but to believe it.
To him, there would be no other opportunity like this, and from his perspective, I was also just another loser without a chance.
A direct descendant destined to be pushed into a branch line. The youngest who wasn't even given a chance to compete for succession.
On top of those conditions, I was the fiancé of the Little Heavenly Demon.
In the grand scheme of things, I was someone who would eventually disappear as a son-in-law.
My brother’s eyes glinted with cunning. Yeah, you noticed, didn't you? I’m the one who’s going to disappear. Just suck all the sweetness out of me while you can.
"Why are you making this offer to me?"
"What?"
"Wouldn't it be enough to make this offer to the eldest or the second brother? From your perspective, that would be easier and faster."
"Oh."
Whether he had completely purged the alcohol or not, a clear and intense light flickered in my brother’s eyes.
Not bad. He actually knew how to use his head.
Inwardly, I gave my third brother one bonus point.
For reference, the total score for Peng Hyeon-hwi’s Hogwarts is out of 1,000.
"Did you know the eldest brother tried to kill me? When I was seven."
"What?! No, wait. If it was when you were seven… the Black Dragon Gang…?"
"You remember? My brother really is smart. Yeah, those guys back then were the ones who sided with the eldest."
"I heard the White Lotus Cult did that… No, more importantly, why did the Family Head…?"
"Don't you know our grandfather’s personality? Until a result is reached, as long as it’s 'for the sake of the family,' he’s the type to just watch. Until the final elimination, no matter what happens, he’s probably just watching and tallying scores."
As my third brother’s Adam's apple bobbed with a gulp, I decided to drop one more bomb.
"And our second brother joined forces with the Divine Spear Yang Family and killed a martial artist from the Flying Tiger Pavilion. It seems he wanted to provoke our combat units and start a war with the Orthodox sects of Shanxi. Since war would be the business of the Outer Hall, it would be an opportunity for him to earn merit since he operates there."
"Whaaat!? Grandfather and the elders sat by and watched him join forces with the Orthodox Faction!"
"I stopped it, you idiot. Just look at the result. Two people died in the Outer Hall, but the head of the Divine Spear Yang Family was taken, and thanks to that, the Peng Family’s prestige rose. From Grandfather’s perspective, as long as the result is good, it doesn't matter."
I didn't tell him everything exactly as it happened.
The one the second brother had joined forces with wasn't the Divine Spear Yang Family, but the Martial Alliance, but there was no need to tell him that.
If he knew the second brother’s reach extended all the way to the Martial Alliance, a man of my brother’s temperament might run away immediately.
When coaxing a coward, you shouldn't use a whip; you have to feed them carrots until they burst.
In professional terms, this is called positive-biased discipline, or Positive Discipline.
A more common term for it is "headpatting."
"I’m part of Sanyue Hall, and at the same time, I’m the direct disciple of the Hao Clan Leader. Even the Flying Tiger Pavilion owes me a blood debt. If I help you while you’re working in the Outer Hall, it means you can practically rake in merits from Outer Hall missions."
"Couldn't you just do that yourself?"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, doubting is good, but think before you speak. I have to follow the Hao Clan Leader around; when would I have time to build up merits? Let's do it like this."
I took both our tea cups in my hands and set his cup down in front of him with a sharp clack.
"You build your position within the Peng Family and push out the second brother."
Then I set my cup down in front of me with another clack.
"I’ll build my position outside and push out the eldest brother from the Dragon Slaying Alliance."
I poured tea into both cups.
In medieval China, there is an idiom: "to hold the same cup."
It meant they would not be hostile toward each other.
My brother’s eyes were shining.
"Let's help each other like this and just push out our two older brothers. Once we’ve cleared the board, then the two of us can compete fairly."
"…."
My brother’s eyes flashed.
With ambition and greed—both were qualities worthy of a Peng Family martial artist.
It was the attitude of a breed that must have whatever they desire.
And.
"I’m counting on you."
"Me too, Brother."
Both were emotions that were far too easy to exploit.
Ambition and greed are both excellent emotions for leading a person’s life astray. And a person who has convinced themselves of something never doubts themselves.
My third brother and I smiled as we shared the cups and downed them in one go.
"First, fix your appearance and go to the Flying Tiger Pavilion. Whenever a mission comes up, contact the Hao Clan, and they will definitely help you. And when you need martial force, tell Jang So-hwang here, and the Heavenly Thunder Alliance will help."
"Hmm? Me?"
"Of course you."
"…Hmm! Uhahaha! Right, right! I’ll help. Of course I’ll help! Uhahaha!"
Jang So-hwang had been listening blankly, but after looking at my face, he burst into boisterous laughter.
*
It happened on the way back after settling things.
In the alleyway leading to the Grand Historical Record Street in Beijing’s Shuntian Prefecture, I felt a piercing gaze and turned my head.
In the dark night, I saw a large young man buried in the shadows of the alley.
Jang So-hwang was standing there, waiting for me.
"Weren't those stories a bit too intimate to share with me? Unless you plan to kill me to keep me silent, how could you trust me enough to say all that in front of me?"
"Because I trust you."
"…This is unexpected. Based on what?"
"Not your character, but your ambition. I said it because I realized you’re not an idiot."
The fact that he was sticking to the most incompetent third brother, rather than the two older brothers who were likely to succeed the family, implied many things.
As he said himself, the two older brothers already possessed all the resources they could possibly have.
The status of being merely the eldest son of a bandit chief under the Heavenly Thunder Alliance would never be attractive to those two.
If he joined them, he would only be used and discarded.
On the other hand, he was a vital figure to the third brother.
To our incompetent third brother, even a connection of this level would be something he’d be desperate for.
He sold what was needed to the person who needed it, at the moment they needed it most, for the highest price.
With that, he had gained a window into the Peng Family’s movements—he had even secured an incompetent puppet who was a direct descendant.
Just by showing a little kindness, he was a guy who had used our affection-starved brother to peer over the walls of the Peng Family.
It meant this guy was also a massive overachiever.
Baekhwa Mountain Fort was located right under Beijing’s nose, which meant it was within the Hebei Peng Family’s sphere of influence.
Despite being in a position most affected by the Peng Family’s trends, he hadn't just sided with the strong and watched their moods; he had moved on his own to discover their weaknesses.
There was no way he lacked ambition. Especially for someone with that much brainpower.
Therefore.
"As long as you have a brain, you have no choice but to side with us. Don't you think that if the third brother becomes the Family Head, he’ll ruin the family?"
"That’s an accurate insight."
"So you’ll try to help the third brother as much as possible. If it goes well, you’ll be treated as a savior by a declining Peng Family, and even if it doesn't, you probably think the third brother will cause massive chaos within the family."
Jang So-hwang’s eyes glinted dangerously.
He stood askew, looking at me, and said—
"If you've calculated that much, then I should be the one asking. What exactly are you planning? It is undeniably better for me to help your brother. He would be far easier to manage than you. Besides, if your brother wins, it means you lose the succession race. You must realize that I would become your potential rival."
"My brother isn't particularly bright. Yet, he is incredibly greedy—all three of my older brothers are."
I looked Jang So-hwang straight in the eye and continued.
"That is why I can make you an offer that none of them could, regardless of who becomes the Family Head."
"What?"
"At the very least, I will give you half of Beijing. Baekhwa Pavilion will become the wealthiest and most powerful sect within the Heavenly Thunder Alliance."
"At the very least? Then, what about at most?"
"If I become the Family Head, I will give you half of the Dragon Slaying Alliance."
Jang So-hwang’s gaze wavered. I could see the ambition smoldering within his eyes.
"The Leader of the Heavenly Thunder Alliance. That seat. Don't you want it?"
The head of all bandit strongholds.
Since the fall of the Green Forest, the Heavenly Thunder Alliance was the only bandit organization to survive in a Ming Dynasty steeped in peace. Within the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance faction, there were three major powers among the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao: the Hebei Peng Family, the Thousand Autumns Assassination Pavilion, and the Heavenly Thunder Alliance.
Among them, only the Peng Family and the Heavenly Thunder Alliance possessed martial power on the level of the Fifteen Armies of the World. The Assassination Pavilion had been significantly weakened by its recent period of closed-door cultivation.
Naturally, the most influential sects within the Dragon Slaying Alliance were the Peng Family and the Heavenly Thunder Alliance.
If I were to become the Peng Family Head—which is to say, if I secured the position of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance Leader—it meant I was willing to hand over the position of my closest ally.
If he took my hand. If he helped me by playing his part in driving out my two eldest brothers and ensuring my third brother won the internal succession race, then that would be his reward.
"Then what is it you want from me?"
"You ask the obvious."
He was asking despite already knowing the answer. His eyes gleamed as if testing my caliber, unable to hide his own greed and ambition.
"Just before my third brother wins every competition and is about to seize his moment of glory..."
Strike him from behind.
Become the friend who provided the most vital help in his darkest hour. Become his most dependable companion in the world. Stand by his side, and then, when he has everything in his grasp, strike him down. Take everything from his hands and deliver it to me.
If my ambition succeeds, your ambition will be rewarded.
"You are a truly dangerous man."
"Great risks bring great rewards."
"You would make a fine gambler."
The man dreaming of becoming the future Heavenly Thunder Alliance Leader laughed with burning eyes. I smiled back, wearing the face of a man dreaming of becoming the future Peng Family Head.
As I said, ambition and greed are both excellent emotions to exploit. A person who has convinced themselves of something never doubts their own path.
Now, within Beijing, there are two men who wish to be king: my brother and this fellow.
Me?
I will be the one who makes the king. Have you ever heard of the 'Talent of a King's Advisor'?
As a rule, the one capable of making a king is the one who can most easily become one.