Chapter 58: Cleaning Up the Mess (1)
Chapter 58: Cleaning Up the Mess (1)
Hejian Prefecture is located on the border between Northern and Southern Zhili.
It serves as a bridgehead where the waters of the Grand Canal flow toward Nanjing, and many tributaries of the Yellow River branch out over Hejian like the limbs of a tree.
It is a distance that can be reached within five days from Tianjin. This region also falls under the jurisdiction of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance, and a standing system is in place to constantly monitor for any invasions by the Orthodox factions of Southern Zhili.
Therefore.
"Acting Alliance Leader! It’s a disaster!"
Even if the Dragon Slaying Alliance's information network did not rival that of the Beggars' Sect or the Hao Clan, it was impossible for them to remain unaware when an incident of this magnitude broke out.
"Urgent! The Murong Family’s Sea-Ban Fleet is stationed in Qingxian County, Hejian Prefecture!"
"The Jongri Family’s Black Ship has been spotted in the same area!"
"Fist King Eon Do-cheon has appeared! He clashed with the Jongri Family! Reports say he retreated after destroying the Black Ship!"
"A bloody incident in Qingxian County...! The death of the Magistrate has been confirmed!"
"They killed the Magistrate...? Are those Jongri bastards truly insane?"
"The Jongri Family is denying it...! They claim local Unorthodox sects used their name falsely...!"
"Even a dog wouldn't believe such nonsense!"
"But the Black Ship has vanished, and all traces have been erased! There are no living witnesses left in Qingxian County!"
"How does that make any sense?"
"There are signs that the Fist King used his Intent Domain. His Intent Domain is..."
"The Great Luo Sky-Annihilating Strike... Dammit, there wouldn't even be dust left."
Tianjin, Dragon Slaying Alliance Headquarters.
The Great Strategy Hall.
The tacticians belonging to the Dragon Slaying Alliance were in a state of chaos, preoccupied with gathering the information pouring in from all directions.
"Those Jongri bastards, I'll tear them apart...!"
"We must dispatch the Black Scouts! we have to denounce this! How dare they pull such a stunt in Hebei!"
"We must send a warning to the Jinzhou Eon Family. Acting Alliance Leader! This is a direct attack by the Fist King on the Black Path Demonic Alliance!"
"More importantly, we must report to the government first! The Magistrate is dead! The Imperial Army might move!"
"That was the Jongri Family...!"
"We have no proof, no proof! Imagine if rumors spread that the ones who killed the Magistrate were from the Dragon Slaying Alliance!"
Every single issue was critical.
Peng Hyeon-ryang, the Acting Alliance Leader, pressed his fingers to his brow and took deep breaths, trying to regain his composure.
Just what on earth is happening?
No matter how much he repeated the question, nothing made sense.
A Magistrate had been killed by a martial artist within the Dragon Slaying Alliance's territory.
And by a martial artist belonging to the Black Path Demonic Alliance, no less. Furthermore, it was said that the commoners of an entire county had been slaughtered.
An incident of this scale was equivalent to high treason.
This wasn't some small village in the middle of nowhere; it was a large port town right under Tianjin's nose.
Unless they were truly reckless, martial artists usually didn't touch the government.
While the Imperial Court left most matters in the Martial World to be settled autonomously, they reacted with extreme sensitivity when a government official was directly murdered.
"Acting Alliance Leader...! The Prefectural Governor has just arrived...!"
With a face that had aged years in an instant, Peng Hyeon-ryang stared at the warrior who had rushed in.
Amidst the chaos in his head, even the Prefectural Governor of Tianjin had appeared upon hearing the news and was demanding to see him.
What should he say? How should he answer?
'It seems the Jongri Family killed the Magistrate. There is no proof. The Murong Family appeared. I don't know why. The Fist King went on a rampage. Again, the reason is unknown.'
In the five years since he had taken over as the Acting Alliance Leader, there had never been an incident this bewildering.
He had always subtly coordinated the Black Path forces in each region, and his abilities had never been questioned.
During that time, the Jianghu had been peaceful. Any disturbances within the Dragon Slaying Alliance's territory were limited to teaching manners to newly formed Unorthodox sects that couldn't control their youthful vigor.
Because it happened in the midst of such peace, he was even more at a loss.
"Still. I can still fix this."
He could persuade the government.
He would dispatch troops to uncover the truth of what happened in Qingxian County and offer "sincerity" to the officials he had been consistently greasing.
He had more than enough funds. It would be fine.
He could also control the Jongri Family.
If it became certain that this incident was caused by them, he could lodge a formal protest with the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance in Chongqing.
He could even pressure them by sending out Black Scouts to call for a meeting of the Clan Leaders.
But the Jinzhou Eon Family...? Touching them would lead to something akin to an all-out war.
It wasn't the Jinzhou Eon Family itself that was terrifying.
The problem was the Fist King behind them, and the Orthodox Martial Alliance that backed him.
If they attacked the Jinzhou Eon Family, it would inevitably escalate into a Great Righteous-Demonic War.
That was the level of vigilance the Orthodox Faction maintained toward Hebei.
Minor skirmishes were one thing, but if it became a full-scale war between sects, they would certainly intervene.
"No, this is not a problem you can solve."
"....?!"
Peng Hyeon-ryang looked up in surprise.
The surroundings had suddenly gone quiet.
The tacticians, who had been shouting and gathering information frantically, were now silently bowing their heads.
Someone was standing in the doorway of the pavilion.
A tall, hulking man walked straight in and approached Peng Hyeon-ryang.
"A... Father."
"Call me the Young Head."
The Young Head of the Hebei Peng Family. The Mad Blood Saber Demon, Peng Wi-cheon.
The de facto head of the family who handled all its affairs on behalf of the Family Head, who was devoted solely to martial arts cultivation.
For him to step forward personally...
"Why... why have you come?"
"Have I come somewhere I am not permitted?"
"No, it's not that, but..."
With a stiff expression, Peng Wi-cheon approached Peng Hyeon-ryang.
He looked down at his eldest son for a long moment before suddenly asking, "You have been lax in your training. Your aura is no different than before."
"I apologize..."
"Perhaps you were entrusted with a responsibility too great for your age."
"Pardon...? No, Father. That's...!"
"Go back. At your age, it is right to devote yourself more to your cultivation."
Peng Hyeon-ryang’s face turned deathly pale.
The title of Acting Alliance Leader, the most important foundation he had built, was crumbling at this very moment.
Peng Wi-cheon did not say it twice. He turned around and scanned the room.
"Call the Magistrate. From now on, I will personally oversee the operations of the Dragon Slaying Alliance."
"Yes, Young Head."
The silence broke, and the tacticians began to move busily once again.
Peng Wi-cheon frowned as he read through the accumulated reports.
It’s a mess.
His eldest son, Peng Hyeon-ryang, was clever and calculating.
He knew how to use his head and had no qualms about using people.
He possessed the right amount of tolerance and the right amount of cruelty—a man who could skillfully wield both.
Combined with those traits was the prestige of being the eldest grandson of the Peng Family's direct line.
His position within the Dragon Slaying Alliance was bound to be solid.
This was also what Peng Wi-cheon had secretly hoped for.
Regardless of how the succession race turned out, he did not want his sons to truly risk their lives fighting one another.
Thus, he had been quietly supporting both of his sons.
The first and second sons had grown up to take over the affairs of the Dragon Slaying Alliance and the Peng Family's Outer Hall combat units, respectively.
Since they had operated the organizations without friction for a considerable time and established their support bases, whoever succeeded Peng Wi-cheon in the future would not be able to completely ruin the other.
However, now that an incident had occurred, their shortcomings were visible.
He is weak at improvisation. Because his mind is deep, he overthinks, and as a result, he gets caught in his own thoughts and hesitates. Because he always wants to appear perfect, he lacks decisiveness.
The second son was the exact opposite.
Peng Hyeon-jeong was rumored to be hot-tempered and cruel, but because of that, he had deep support within the combat units.
He was evaluated as someone who placed absolute trust in his subordinates and did not hesitate to lead from the front when trouble arose.
When viewing the two children as candidates for succession, the parts that were considered their respective strengths now appeared as deficiencies when viewed from a step back.
But they were still young, so it was only natural.
Peng Wi-cheon thought bitterly as he finished reading the stack of reports.
And then.
"Young Head...! Young Head!"
"Lower your voice. What is it?"
"My apologies, my apologies! Huff... huff!"
A warrior of the Dragon Slaying Alliance ran in, pale-faced, and prostrated himself, gasping for air.
After steadying his breath for a few moments, he suddenly looked up and shouted.
"The Fourth Young Master is coming!"
"The Fourth Young Master? Hyeon-hwi? Why him? Ah, I heard he stopped by Tianjin briefly for Hao Clan business. Tell him to come back later, as things are too hectic to receive a formal greeting."
"No! No! That’s not what I meant...!"
Just as the warrior was about to continue, a commotion broke out at the main gate of the Dragon Slaying Alliance headquarters.
It was a chaos that made it seem as if all the Black Path warriors in Tianjin had come out to swarm the place.
Peng Wi-cheon’s brow furrowed deeply.
Tianjin was the heart of the Dragon Slaying Alliance, and it was supposed to remain calm and disciplined under any circumstances.
As he rose from his seat and stepped out of the pavilion—
Creeeeeak.
The firmly closed main gate of the Dragon Slaying Alliance headquarters opened.
Under the bright midday sun, countless Black Path warriors were gathered, watching from a distance.
Even though the streets were crowded and chaotic, a path was slowly opening in only one direction.
Warriors were hurriedly clearing the way and backing off from where a single young man was silently walking.
Small whispers could be heard around them. The Beheading Blood Wolf.
"The Fourth Young Master..."
The voice of the warrior kneeling at his feet reached Peng Wi-cheon’s ears.
"...is said to have returned after taking the head of the Fist Dragon, Eon Hyeong-shin. At Qingxian County, the very place where the incident occurred."
Peng Wi-cheon surveyed his surroundings as he processed those words.
The faces of the tacticians and warriors were filled with awe.
In the distance, the Black Path warriors were watching the approaching Peng Hyeon-hwi with expressions mixed with curiosity and admiration.
He saw Peng Hyeon-ryang standing nearby, biting his lip.
Anger, anxiety, and even a sense of defeat flickered across his face.
He was failing utterly to control his expression.
And there, in front of him. Peng Hyeon-hwi.
"Father."
Without a hint of surprise at Peng Wi-cheon’s sudden appearance, he approached silently.
"I have brought the head of a piece of trash who dared to run rampant in the Dragon Slaying Alliance's territory, ignorant of his own place."
He quietly knelt on one knee and raised his hands.
A severed head, already beginning to decay. On its forehead, the character for 'Peng' (彭) was written.
"Please take this and make an example of it to the whole world."
As he spoke and lifted his head, his face showed no expression.
There was no youthful vanity trying to boast of his achievement. No bravado typical of a warrior who had taken an enemy's head.
Without a shred of such emotion, he simply reported as if he had done what needed to be done.
He bowed his head casually.
Peng Wi-cheon found himself having a thought he had never had before.
If only that boy were the eldest.
He felt he finally understood why the Family Head and the elders doted on the youngest so much.
*
Only after confirming that Hyeong-shin's head had been placed in a salt-filled crate did I finally manage to return to the inn and lie down on the bed.
I decided to report after I had finished my recovery meditation.
I thought I was actually going to die from running all the way here without a break.
"You look like you're on your deathbed."
"I told you, I really thought I was going to die."
Peng Jeon-gun was waiting in my room with a smirk.
It was a relief that the urgent message I sent to the Peng Family via the Sanyue Hall's secret line arrived on time.
My father appeared exactly at the time I arrived.
"The elders of the main house are expected to arrive around tomorrow. The Family Head will not move personally, but tomorrow, you may consider this place the Mountain King Pavilion of the main house."
"It wasn't something that was going to end simply. Now, please leave. I need to rest."
"Just tell me. What on earth happened in Qingxian County?"
What happened?
Too many things happened. It was exhausting, seriously.
"Listen to it tomorrow with the elders. Let me rest. I really feel like I'm going to die."
"Tsk, when I was your age, I could fight a life-and-death duel for three whole nights and still down five gallons of wine that evening. Young people these days lack spirit."
"If someone heard that, they'd think you were the Head of the Council of Elders or something."
"Fine, fine. It's my loss for worrying."
"Were you worried about me? I'm touched, moved, and shocked."
Peng Jeon-gun left, feigning a shudder at my words.
Even though he said that, I could still feel his presence outside the door, as if he were standing guard while I entered my meditation.
He was standing there with his sword at his side, leaning slightly as he watched the door.
A chuckle escaped me at the sight, and I cleared my throat before closing my eyes.
I focused on the melody of a zither drifting from far away.
[Mission complete. White Lotus Cult remnants confirmed. Three.]
The melody repeated five times and then went silent.
Tomorrow is going to be the worst day of my eldest brother's life.