Chapter 45: The City of Peace and Love (2)
Chapter 45: The City of Peace and Love (2)
There had been more than enough time for him to lace the food and drink with poison.
Tianjin was the city of the Dragon Slaying Alliance, and currently, my eldest brother was serving as the acting Alliance Leader.
His reputation seemed quite good, too.
In other words, no matter what I did, as long as I set foot in this city, I would become nothing more than fish food in the waters off Tianjin Port the moment my brother desired it.
So, what should one do in such a situation? If I were to push the cup away out of fear of poison or assassination, I would be a novice.
It would be the behavior of an ordinary seventeen-year-old youth.
Taking too long to deliberate would also be a novice move.
The very act of hesitating implies suspicion of the opponent.
In the first place, I didn't even have the time or the circumstances to consider any other choice...!
Gulp.
The time it took for my fragmented thoughts to click together like a puzzle was but an instant.
Almost at the same moment Peng Hyeon-ryang filled my cup and withdrew his hand, I raised the cup and drained it.
"Oh, my."
Peng Hyeon-ryang smiled gently.
"Aren't you drinking a bit too fast?"
"I was quite parched. Allow me to offer a cup to you as well, Brother."
"Haha, to think the day would come when I would share a drink with you. One truly never knows how the world turns."
"...Indeed. So much time has passed already that I am deeply moved. I am simply glad that I have grown enough to lend you a hand, Brother."
"That is... quite reassuring, Brother."
He smiled like a snake.
Just now, Peng Hyeon-ryang had briefly tested me.
To think the day would come when I would share a drink with you.
These words were a reflection on his failed attempt at 'killing with a borrowed knife' back in Beijing when I was seven years old.
I must not react to this.
I had to play it off as if I were nothing more than a snot-nosed brat back then, knowing absolutely nothing.
And.
I succeeded.
I saw the hostility slowly fade from Peng Hyeon-ryang's eyes.
"Did you visit somewhere interesting on your first day?"
"Yes, I've just returned from visiting the Pavilion Master of the Assassination Pavilion."
"Ho. The Pavilion Master?"
I mustn't forget that the 'kind guides' attached to me were men from the Dragon Slaying Alliance.
These guys were my brother's eyes and ears.
Even knowing that, I had no way to shake them off.
If I left them behind, he would surely be suspicious.
Since there was significance in greeting the Pavilion Master first, a direct breakthrough was the only answer.
I smiled as I filled my brother's cup and poured another full one for myself.
"It was seven years ago, wasn't it? I personally executed the Pavilion Master's second son with my own hands. Since I've come to Tianjin, I wanted to pay my respects to the Elder and settle the old grudge."
"You did well. The Pavilion Master is the person most likely to reach the Peerless Realm in the future, and he reigns as a major pillar of the Dragon Slaying Alliance. If there are seeds of unnecessary conflict, it is better to cut them off early."
Now, the light of suspicion had completely vanished from my brother's eyes.
A suspicion that would never have been cleared if I had hidden the fact that I met the Pavilion Master or given a vague explanation.
Seven years ago, the incident where I beheaded my 'dear friend' and childhood companion, the half-Peak Realm master Seong Won-ho, had spread throughout the entire Black Path society.
It was a major event because the Pavilion Master himself had visited the Peng family to offer an apology.
Mentioning that incident was the key.
It was a transparent action that left absolutely no room for doubt.
Just as my conscience and morality always were.
The Gentleman's Grand Path.
I only needed to act as the categorical imperative in my heart dictated.
Therefore, I looked at my brother while remaining conscious of the position of my sword hilt. Tsk, can I kill him?
"Hmm. Hyeon-hwi. It's troublesome if you act like that in this city."
"Pardon?"
"Gauging an opponent and predicting victory or defeat is a virtue a martial artist of the Peng family should naturally possess, but if a sword fight breaks out because of that in Tianjin, it will be difficult for me to help you. The laws of this city are personally governed by the Family Head. Even you cannot ignore them."
"Aha. Yes, thank you, Brother. I will be careful."
Okay. It's impossible.
Aside from the fact that he noticed immediately just from me briefly sizing him up.
Unlike when I saw the 'Peerless Voice' Grandpa Yang Jeok-yo, I couldn't feel that sensation at all.
That feeling of, 'Tsk, is this worth a shot?' I felt absolutely nothing like that from the brother in front of me.
It wasn't the overwhelming difference I felt when looking at Grandpa or the other elders of the family.
It was just... how should I put it?
Colorless and transparent. Just like the unique aura of an assassin that wafted from the Pavilion Master.
"Did you come to Tianjin on Hao Clan business? I believe there are quite a few Hao Clan disciples in Tianjin as well."
"Yes, my Master told me to take a look around and return. Since she didn't give me any specific mission, I assume she meant for me to rest for a while. I've been incredibly busy lately learning the affairs of the Hao Clan."
"Hmm. Is that so? Do you not intend to inherit the Peng family's business?"
"I only have one body. As for the family business, my brothers are alive and well, so there's nothing to worry about. Since my Master graciously cherishes me, I intend to devote myself to this work."
"Mm. Still, you must not neglect the family's affairs. Perhaps it's because you're still young, but if you share the bloodline, you must remain loyal to the family."
Liar.
Even though his lips are twitching because I said I'd commit myself to the Hao Clan.
His eyes had become those of someone looking at a typical wastrel—the youngest born, with zero interest in family succession, wandering through taverns, brothels, and gambling dens to enjoy life.
Regardless, it's true that I've become somewhat free from Peng Hyeon-ryang's suspicion for now. That's a relief.
"But well... if that is your wish, then so be it. The Hao Clan is by no means a small sect, so you must do your best. And if you achieve great things later, you might be able to help this brother of yours even a little."
"If the family desires it, I shall act with the spirit of self-sacrifice. Do not worry, Brother."
"Right, haha. I've kept you too long at this late hour. You must be tired from your journey. Go in and rest. Let's meet earlier and share a drink before you leave."
"Yes, Brother."
After finishing his drink, Peng Hyeon-ryang left the seat cleanly.
As I turned around after bowing, the smell of alcohol was floating in the air.
This bastard, he was dispelling the alcohol toxicity as fast as he drank.
"Not a single one of them is easy."
Without even glancing at the remaining wine and food, I stepped up the stairs.
Before opening the door, I checked the threshold.
The thin needle I had subtly placed was still there.
I opened the door, entered, and slowly scanned the room again.
Everything was perfectly identical to how it was when I first unpacked, down to the smallest detail.
Then I looked at the closed door again.
The needle I had wedged into the top gap of the door was lying on the floor, broken.
"What is this, room service?"
I chuckled and headed to the window.
They must have been flustered because absolutely nothing turned up no matter how much they searched.
Looking out at the night streets of Tianjin, I picked up my biwa. I sat by the window and placed my hand on the strings.
Pressing the strings is called Eum (吟), plucking is Pa (琶), flicking upward is Do (挑), pushing is Chu (推), and pressing multiple strings simultaneously is Ryun (輪).
These five techniques are the fundamental roots of traditional melody.
In the Hao Clan, these five playing methods are associated with the gambler, the courtesan, the waiter, the smuggler, and the laborer, respectively.
Since those five classes of commoners were the foundation of the Hao Clan—
Diring, ting.
There is a simple trick of injecting internal energy while plucking the strings to make the aura travel further.
It's a technique created for courtesans and musicians who have to make a living through music, and the principle itself is so trivial that it isn't even classified as a martial art.
Any musician belonging to the Hao Clan can learn it, and therefore, in the night streets of a bustling area like Tianjin, hearing this kind of melody isn't an unusual occurrence.
Ding...
The Plucking Sound Technique. The clear sound spread across the window and scattered into the distant street.
I repeated the plucking, flicking, pressing, and pushing in a set pattern.
This was the unique code of the Hao Clan.
It left no trace as it wasn't written, and while everyone could hear it, no one would easily suspect it.
A plain and shabby, clumsy and unskillful, monotonous piece of music.
A code symbolizing the sect created for the lowly.
When the melody ended, I repeated it from the beginning five more times.
It was the method used to send orders to Hao Clan disciples when performing a mission where direct contact was impossible.
I punctuated the piece with a finger-flicking technique used only by those holding high positions in the Hao Clan.
[Dragon Slaying Alliance, Internal, White Lotus Cult, Request Tracking]
After a few breaths, a very low and faint tune drifted from somewhere far down the street.
It wasn't that the delivery of internal energy was weak.
Unlike me, who had to spread it wide, the opponent who had identified my location had precisely focused the direction of the sound toward me.
[Received. Executing.]
The short melody repeated five times and then stopped.
I looked down at the street for a while after that, then put away the biwa and headed to my bed.
After a short session of cultivation, I drifted off to sleep, welcoming the next day.
I felt a bit good, as if I had become a secret agent in the Murim.
'Is 007 from the Assassination Pavilion or the Eastern Depot? John Wick definitely seems like he's from the Assassination Pavilion.'
I fell asleep while seriously pondering such thoughts.
*
"What has Hyeon-hwi been doing lately?"
"He wakes up late, eats, and then spends his time sightseeing. He composes poetry or drinks while overlooking the canal with courtesans. And recently, he's been visiting all the large gambling dens in the city and scattering silver."
"Haha, that certainly sounds like a pleasant life."
Peng Hyeon-ryang burst into laughter for a while, then asked as if it were nothing.
"You've checked everyone he's contacted—the courtesans, the gamblers in the dens, even every single waiter, right?"
"Yes, they were all ordinary laborers with nothing unusual about them. We have already identified all the Hao Clan disciples operating within Tianjin."
"Don't let your guard down and keep checking."
"Yes, I shall do my utmost."
The man rubbed his hands with a sycophantic smile and left.
In the Alliance Leader's office at the Dragon Slaying Alliance headquarters.
In the middle of this vast room, Peng Hyeon-ryang smiled as he toyed with his teacup.
"Is he truly intending to just live and fade away as a mere playboy? Hmm."
"I've visited a few times myself, and other than plucking his biwa and drinking when night falls, he really is wasting his life quite faithfully every single day."
"Have you already paid him a visit?"
"Jang Wol-sang died trying to plot against that boy. I couldn't contain my curiosity about how impressive he had grown."
The voice coming from beyond the roof, above Peng Hyeon-ryang's head, continued calmly.
"Will you kill him?"
"I am weighing his utility against the potential trouble."
"What is the utility, and what is the trouble?"
"There is only one utility. Wouldn't it be quite useful if he were to become the next Hao Clan Leader?"
"The current Hao Clan Leader has twelve disciples, and seven of them are quite impressive and ambitious. Would an opportunity even go to that boy? Then, what is the trouble?"
"The incident ten years ago. I don't know what kind of conversation he had with Priest Jang when he was a seven-year-old snot-nosed brat. If Priest Jang was loose-lipped, that boy would know that I was the one behind the assassin that day."
Ten years ago, Peng Hyeon-ryang had joined hands with the White Lotus Cult to kill his seven-year-old youngest brother.
He had attempted 'killing with a borrowed knife' before his youngest brother could gain a threatening background by being linked to the Heavenly Demon's daughter.
However, unexpectedly, the Family Head had appeared on the scene.
And also unexpectedly, that boy's fiancée became the Little Heavenly Demon.
'If I had just left him alone, he would have naturally left for the Demonic Cult.'
The Heavenly Demon's youngest daughter could have become a daughter-in-law of the Peng family for the sake of a marriage alliance.
In that case, Peng Hyeon-hwi could have challenged the family succession with the Demonic Cult at his back.
However, the sole successor of the Heavenly Demon could never become a daughter-in-law of the Peng family.
Even if a marriage were to take place, Peng Hyeon-hwi would instead have to leave for the Heavenly Mountains.
He had unnecessarily interfered in a matter that would have been resolved even if he had done nothing.
The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Hadn't the scoundrels of the White Lotus Cult clung to him even more persistently since that day?
Just like the middle-aged man currently above his head.
"If the boy knows everything, it becomes troublesome. Is it not a situation where the Family Head's wrath toward your cult has yet to subside? That said, if he were to die a sudden death in Tianjin, investigations by the Peng family and the Hao Clan would begin.
Whatever the outcome, it's not particularly pleasant."
"Then doesn't that mean you just need to lure him out of Tianjin and kill him?"
"Well... hmm. Will you personally take action, Elder?"
"I happened to be feeling bored, so this works out well."
Soon, the middle-aged man's presence vanished.
After counting ten breaths, Peng Hyeon-ryang set down his teacup and laughed deeply for a long time.
Continuing to use the White Lotus Cult was extremely dangerous.
As long as the Family Head hated the White Lotus Cult, if his tail were caught, it would be a huge blow to Peng Hyeon-ryang's prestige.
So, how should he cut ties with the White Lotus Cult?
After the war between the Hebei Peng Family and the White Lotus Cult broke out in Beijing, those bastards had been clinging to him like leeches.
In this situation, if Peng Hyeon-hwi were to die at the hands of the White Lotus Cult...
If he declared revenge for that and moved the Dragon Slaying Alliance...
"As expected, the trouble is greater than the utility, little brother."
And more than the trouble... the profit that would return once the trouble was removed was twice as large.
He's quite the lucky charm, he thought.
It happened while I was living the life of a happy vagabond in Tianjin, the city of peace and love.
"Uh."
The Grand Canal was something I never grew tired of seeing, so today, I was planning to pour a drink while befriending the great ships of the canal.
But among the crowd wiggling their way off a ship in the distance, there was someone so familiar that I almost dropped my wine bottle without realizing it.
"Why is she here?"
Light brown hair, and blue eyes that sparkled vividly under the summer sky.
Even for a trading port where foreigners weren't rare, she arrived at the pier with a striking appearance, glancing all around as she hopped off the boat.
"Did she forget she's from the Orthodox Faction?"
Why on earth was a rising star of the Five Great Clans appearing in this paradise of the Black Path and Unorthodox Factions?
I quickly kicked off the railing and ran.