Chapter 69: Sichuan Tang Family (5)
Chapter 69: Sichuan Tang Family (5)
Baek Seo-ui looked somewhat displeased after hearing my words.
"Is there truly a need to handle this so complicatedly?"
"Pardon?"
"If the information sent by the West Depot is accurate, that is."
Baek Seo-ui tapped the intelligence document from the West Depot that I had handed him. It was a brief summary of the location where the members of the Sichuan Tang Family were staying and their numerical composition.
Poison Lord Tang Mok-han. The second younger brother of the current Tang Family Head, Tang Mok-yeol. A master who has reached the Super Peak Realm.
He had arrived with five warriors and three physicians under his command.
"With this level of strength, mobilizing the Beijing secret lines would be more than enough. Tang Mok-han can be handled by Lady Dan and myself. Even if we needed more martial force, it wouldn't be difficult to request support from the Peng Family."
It was true. If the Sichuan Tang Family had dispatched a small number of people to Beijing to contact the eunuchs, the Hebei Peng Family could "accidentally" wipe them out without any real repercussions.
The Peng Family possessed that kind of influence. Even if they caused a bloodbath in the middle of Beijing, no one would dare make an issue of it as long as they didn't kill the type of people who were considered untouchable.
And the warriors of the Sichuan Tang Family were clearly among those who were "fair game."
The authorities would, as always, maintain the stance that while they were displeased by the chaos in Beijing, "the problems of the martial world should be solved by martial artists."
That was exactly why the Peng Family had been funneling massive amounts of gold to them all this time.
However.
"As long as they are here by invitation of the Eunuch Bureau, handling it that way will inevitably cause friction with the eunuchs, will it not?"
"I heard that seven years ago, things were handled in a similar fashion. The Eunuch Bureau hasn't particularly persecuted the Peng Family or our clan since then."
He was referring to the incident when the West Depot was first established. While I had distracted the West Depot's eyes, a strike force dispatched by the Eastern Depot and the Hao Clan had utterly demolished the West Depot's headquarters.
That matter had been swept under the rug. No particular complaints came from the Eastern Depot, and Jin Seung-gyeom, who had been the representative of the Eastern Depot checking the West Depot at the time, was still leading a perfectly fine career in office.
If the Eunuch Bureau had felt their dignity was wounded and sought retaliation, Jin Seung-gyeom’s head would have surely rolled, even if the Hao Clan and the Peng Family were spared.
That was the point Baek Seo-ui was making. However, I shook my head.
"The situation is different now."
"Is it? How so?"
"Back then, the ones the Eunuch Bureau invited to build the West Depot's foundation were the Thousand Autumns Assassination Pavilion and the Five Poisons Sect. At that time, the Assassination Pavilion was dealt with by my family, and the Five Poisons Sect reportedly retreated after a sectarian war with the Tang Family."
The Assassination Pavilion was strictly a sect belonging to the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance faction.
In other words, it was absolutely unacceptable for them to conduct business in Beijing without the Peng Family's authorization.
Furthermore, the representative of the Assassination Pavilion who had joined hands with the Eunuch Bureau back then was Seong Won-ho, the second son of the Pavilion Lord.
At the time, that fellow had run rampant, decapitating five Peng Family warriors.
There was no one in Beijing bold enough to tell the Hebei Peng Family—who were seeing red over that incident—"The Assassination Pavilion members were our guests, so why did you take them away?"
Do the bodies of high-ranking officials somehow repel blades?
Thus, the Eunuch Bureau had to shrink back in the face of the Peng Family's fury and declare, "They aren't our people."
Back then, the atmosphere surrounding the Hebei Peng Family was such that they seemed ready to storm the walls of Beijing even if it meant their own destruction.
Of course, as with all Great Sects, if they actually committed such an act against the Imperial Palace, they would surely be annihilated.
However, the few surviving masters would undoubtedly operate in the shadows for the sake of revenge.
It was a peace akin to a cold war—the peculiar, ambiguous sense of balance between the government and the martial world, where they respected the opponent as long as the sect's roots weren't pulled out, and as long as they were respected, the government would not publicly annihilate the sect.
I would say that relationship was proving its worth once again.
In short, the situation now was different from back then.
"The Sichuan Tang Family is staying quiet without causing any friction, and if we are the first to find and strike them, there will surely be consequences. They are staying in a safe house provided by the Eunuch Bureau. Attacking that place would provoke the eunuchs in a way that didn't happen last time."
Respect for the government lies in not wounding their pride.
A Peerless Master on the level of the Fifteen Armies of the World could leap over the walls of the Forbidden City.
But if they did such a thing, the execution of nine generations of their kin would surely follow.
Unless one could flee with their entire sect on their back, the state's military power would always overwhelm a private organization.
However, considering the massive loss of life and the resulting loss of authority that would occur in the process, it was a losing bargain for the government.
Therefore, as long as the martial world does not wound their pride, respects their authority, and obeys their system, the government never seeks to involve itself in the martial world.
It wasn't a codified law, but a customary respect.
And attacking the warriors of the Sichuan Tang Family, who were staying in a safe house at the invitation of the Eunuch Bureau, was an act that crossed that line of respect.
If their pride were trampled to that extent, at the very least, the Beijing branch of the Hao Clan would be demolished. And even if they didn't turn the Hebei Peng Family itself into an enemy, it was obvious they would constantly try to sabotage the Peng Family's future business.
Thus, the Hebei Peng Family could not directly strike the Tang Family warriors unless a Peng Family warrior's head was displayed on a pike.
Knowing this, the Eunuch Bureau and the Tang Family acted while avoiding the Peng Family as much as possible.
Because of this situation, the Eastern Depot also could not directly interfere with the reconstruction of the West Depot.
If it was purely an internal matter without support from external forces, the Eastern Depot could not rebel against the Eunuch Bureau. They were, after all, a subsidiary.
In the midst of this, to break in leading the Hao Clan's secret lines? The seeds of the Hao Clan would be wiped out in every county where the Eunuch Bureau's hand reached, including the Beijing branch.
It was a very complex and ambiguous point, a clever design positioned right in the middle.
We cannot strike them first, and as long as they aren't struck, we don't move—so they continue their schemes without striking us first.
The only way to untie this knot was for the Tang Family to break the contract themselves and leave while bearing all the resentment of the Eunuch Bureau.
After listening to my explanation, Baek Seo-ui tapped his brow and spoke.
"How on earth do you plan to do that? Those people must have come seeking something to set foot in a treacherous place like Beijing. What could you possibly give to people who have made such a resolution that would satisfy them enough to leave?"
"We'll have to hear that from them now. But I believe we will surely be able to communicate."
"Your reasoning?"
"Because it is the will of Heaven, which loves righteousness, that a righteous heart is followed by a righteous result."
"Brother... have you forgotten that we are the Black Path Demonic Alliance...?"
I shook my head at Baek Seo-ui's absurd remark.
Does he not know?
Another name for Confucianism is Orthodoxy. In other words, the teaching of morality.
Having learned the foundations of Confucianism since the age of three, there was no way I would lack a Righteous Heart just because my origin was the Black Path.
*
"Pavilion Lord. This is dangerous. How do we know this isn't a trap set by those Unorthodox bastards?"
"Then, are you saying we should just sit here and wait blankly until those eunuch bastards call for us?"
Poison Lord Tang Mok-han spoke while fluttering the 'chain letter' from the Peng Family and the Hao Clan.
"The way I see it, our heads will likely fall before then. Is that not so?"
"It is nothing more than a bluff. If they truly intended to plot against us, why would they send a formal invitation as a warning? Since ancient times, it has been said that a barking dog does not bite. If those people are in their right minds, would they dare to raid the private residence of a Great Eunuch?"
"Would people in their right minds start a Righteous-Demonic War?"
"..."
The disciples of the Tang Clan fell silent all at once.
Sichuan was not a region directly embroiled in the Righteous-Demonic War, but it was land immediately adjacent to Shaanxi, the primary battlefield.
Had not many lives from their side also been lost then?
The Hebei Peng Family were clearly not people in their right minds.
Beijing, Shuntian Prefecture, Hebei. How many things had happened before they reached this place?
Hebei was the territory of the Black Path and the Unorthodox Faction.
Just a short while ago, the Divine Spear Yang Family of Shanxi had been decapitated and killed due to the Peng Family's rise. There had even been a massive commotion when rumors spread that the Hao Clan Leader and the Assassination Pavilion Lord had appeared during that conflict.
Was that all? The rumors of the massive bloodbath that occurred in southern Hebei were also widespread in the martial world.
It was said that the Fist Dragon Eon Hyeong-shin of the Jinju Eon Family had been caught in that incident and died.
Clearly, the most sinister region in the martial world right now was Hebei.
It was a place where Great Sects and massive clans collapsed, and where the direct lineage of prestigious families frequently died in foreign lands.
That was what it meant for the Black Path to be the strongest in all the land.
The path to Beijing, where the Peng Family lay in wait, was more dangerous than jumping into a fire while clutching straw.
To avoid the eyes of the Hao Clan, they had traveled from distant Sichuan to Beijing without stopping at a single inn or tavern, sleeping only outdoors.
And now, this.
The Hebei Peng Family and the Hao Clan had noticed their whereabouts.
In the middle of enemy territory, where it was certain they would be killed the moment the enemy snapped their fingers.
This anxiety.
And the resentment toward the 'situation' that forced them to come all the way to Beijing.
The mysterious letter requesting a meeting with him in the midst of all this.
Mixed with desperation, it led to Tang Mok-han's decision.
"If I do not return by the Hour of the Tiger (3:00 AM), everyone is to return to Sichuan immediately under the cover of darkness."
"B-but, Pavilion Lord..."
"It was a hasty decision from the start. No matter how deep the grudge, we should not have acted so hurriedly. Keep my words in mind, and convey my apologies to the Family Head."
"Yes, Pavilion Lord... but, but please, take care of yourself."
"I will."
Tang Mok-han closed his eyes tight, steadied his breath, and quickly pressed the acupoints on his facial structure.
Soon, his features shifted slightly, transforming him into a person with a completely different impression.
It was an incredibly delicate display of the Bone Shrinking Art and Disguise.
Donning the tattered clothes brought by a Tang Clan disciple, he now possessed the ordinary and shabby appearance of a servant doing day labor.
He shook out his wide sleeves and, with a slight limp, slipped out of the private residence and disappeared past the alleyway.
A large tea house with a plaque elegantly inscribed with the name Wind Coming Pavilion.
Tang Mok-han swallowed hard before opening the door to the tea house.
As he could tell from outside, there were extremely few signs of life inside.
'They've rented out the entire tea house.'
It wasn't that late. Just a bit past dinner time.
The streets were still filled with crowds of people moving in small groups toward taverns and inns.
In the midst of that, how much money and power would be required to rent out this entire large tea house located in the prime spot?
Especially considering this was Beijing.
Tang Mok-han lightly moistened his dry lips and stepped inside.
In front of the stairs of the empty tea house, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner was bowing obsequiously, his face pale.
"G-guest? We are not open for business today... I-I am truly sorry, but..."
"I have an appointment. Is there another guest?"
At his words, the middle-aged man's eyes quickly scanned Tang Mok-han up and down.
Though he had the clothes and appearance of an ordinary servant, the middle-aged man did not relax in the slightest and immediately lowered his head deep.
"Might you be the one who came to sell Sichuan silk?"
"I am."
"Then please, go up immediately. The guest is waiting for you."
Chuk-geum (Sichuan silk) was the name of a precious silk produced in Chengdu, Sichuan. Saying he had come to sell it was a type of slang used to identify someone from Sichuan.
As Tang Mok-han nodded and moved his feet, the middle-aged man collapsed into a seat, drenched in cold sweat.
Taking that sight in, Tang Mok-han moved his steps cautiously.
There was definitely a person of power here.
A man running a tea house of this scale in this bustling area where Beijing's nobles often gathered would not be so terrified of someone unless they possessed an extraordinary status.
Are they enemies of the eunuchs? Or people who want information from within the Eunuch Bureau? Or perhaps...
For Tang Mok-han, who had never cared about the internal politics of the Beijing government in his life, it felt like his stomach was twisting.
Especially when he thought that every single step in this den of snakes was directly linked to death.
And soon, he stood before the wide doors of the VIP room.
"I am entering."
There was no answer. He sensed three presences inside.
Tang Mok-han lightly gripped a dagger inside his left sleeve, preparing to draw it at any moment, and pushed the sliding door.
The door slid smoothly, revealing the interior.
"..."
Tang Mok-han's gaze quickly scanned one side. He saw a familiar face.
Chief of the General Bureau Baek Seo-ui. The branch master of the Hao Clan's Suzhou branch.
True to his name, The One Between Orthodoxy and Unorthodoxy, he was a man who flaunted his influence while remaining perfectly intact in the heart of the Orthodox territory.
In the Orthodox martial world, the weight of that name was by no means small.
He was the third disciple of the Hao Clan Leader and one of the two competing for the position of the next Clan Leader. He was a titan rumored to be the disciple the Hao Clan Leader cherished most.
And as he turned his gaze, there was one more person he could barely identify.
A woman sitting diagonally in a chair, grooming her nails with a bored expression.
The branch master of the Hao Clan's Beijing Shuntian Prefecture branch, Pavilion Lord of the Plum Fragrance Pavilion, Heavenly Zither Demon Dan So-hye.
The twelfth disciple of the Hao Clan Leader, a heroine said to be deeply trusted by the Clan Leader to carry out intelligence work against the most treacherous and difficult Beijing government.
She was counted among the young warriors currently making a name for themselves in the Orthodox martial world.
The fact that two direct disciples—specifically Baek Seo-ui, who oversaw the Orthodox martial world, and Dan So-hye, who managed the Beijing government—were in this place meant a great deal.
To be precise, it was a lineup that seemed aimed directly at the Sichuan Tang Family, who were moving in league with the eunuchs.
Tang Mok-han's gaze moved again. Toward the final person in the room.
Toward a man who sat in the seat of honor, accompanied by Baek Seo-ui and Dan So-hye as if they were his subordinates, watching him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Poison Lord."
He was a man who looked as if he had only just shed his boyhood.
A sturdy and solid build, features with bold lines, and eyes that looked somewhat easygoing.
Dark black martial robes with red sleeves peeping through.
A massive saber leaned against the table leg as if discarded there.
The Hebei Peng Family. And.
"I was the one who personally requested the Poison Lord's presence. If I were to introduce this 'nobody' to the Poison Lord..."
A clear and powerful voice, not too loud, yet not too soft.
A pleasant voice that exuded self-confidence.
Thick, rough hands that were far from delicate, yet they lifted the teacup with such grace.
It was etiquette and decorum close to perfection; in every movement, one could see a meticulousness as if he were playing a musical instrument.
A warrior who looked to be not quite twenty, yet could sit with the direct disciples of the Hao Clan and summon him while wearing the robes of the Hebei Peng Family.
With those conditions, only one person currently the most famous in Hebei came to mind.
The one who had engaged in a life-and-death duel with the Divine Spear Yang Family Head, Yang Jeok-yo, and taken his head.
And before that, according to the rumors, even as a seven-year-old bloodling, he had personally annihilated a Black Path sect and was said to have carved and eaten the raw flesh of the living—information of high reliability.
The direct descendant rumored to be most cherished by the Peng Family Head.
And simultaneously, the genius whom the Hao Clan Leader had personally requested to invite into his tutelage.
Thinking of it that way, the attitude shown by the owner of this tea house made sense.
A direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Family was a name that served as the Grim Reaper to all commoners in this land of Hebei.
And a direct disciple of the Hao Clan Leader was a position revered by all merchants who opened shops and sold liquor and tea in the Central Plains.
In other words, at least within the Hebei region.
The young man before him was an existence no different from a prince in the territory of the Black Path.
"Beheading Blood Wolf... Peng Hyeon-hwi...!"
"No."
Peng Hyeon-hwi's expression crumpled at Tang Mok-han's low, groaning voice.