Chapter 85: Reunion (1)
Chapter 85: Reunion (1)
The winter in Tianjin was on the milder side.
Murong Jeon slightly loosened his fox-fur-trimmed cloak and adjusted his bamboo hat. Beside him, Murong Cheong also kept her hat pulled low as she scanned their surroundings.
"I will wait only until today. We cannot afford any more delays, and staying here longer will become dangerous."
"Don't worry. He will come."
"Do you truly believe Young Master Peng will participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering? For a direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Family, that place is practically a lion's den."
"If he feared death traps, he wouldn't have tried to save me during the bloody incident at Qinghe County years ago. He is not a man who treats loyalty lightly, so please, give him a little more time."
"Loyalty... well, I suppose. We did owe him a debt in Shanxi as well."
The two headed toward a small inn near Tianjin Port. It was a place catering to the laborers who moved goods along the Grand Canal toward Beijing. After ordering hot noodles and warmed liquor, they began a simple meal.
Even while eating, they did not remove their bamboo hats. However, few in Tianjin found their appearance suspicious. Tianjin was the territory of the Black Path, and more than half of the martial artists on this land lived with their lives staked on various grudges and vendettas. In fact, it was quite common to see people wearing bamboo hats or covering their faces with kerchiefs in Tianjin.
This is only my second time here, but it’s a strange custom, Murong Cheong thought as she stared blankly out the window.
In the territories of the Orthodox Faction, people were wary and suspicious of those who hid their faces. This was especially true in regions like Wuchang, Sichuan, and Hubei. In areas ruled by the White Path, concealing one's identity was actually considered a form of rudeness.
However, in regions ruled by the Black Path—like Hebei, Chongqing, and here in Tianjin—the culture was vastly different. Here, people did not easily reveal their identities, and trying to force someone to reveal themselves was considered an insult.
This was why the uncle and niece of the Murong Family could remain relatively unbothered in the heart of Tianjin. If they were to remove their hats, their distinctive features would immediately mark them as members of the Murong Family. But in this city, forcing someone to remove their hat was no different from challenging them to a life-and-death duel. (Under the laws of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance, such duels were perfectly legal.)
"But how will Young Master Peng find us?"
"Um..."
With their hats pulled low and their identities hidden, it was nearly impossible for Peng Hyeon-hwi to find them immediately. It was also impossible for them to go around asking people about his whereabouts. Murong Cheong let out a low groan as she hit an unexpected wall.
"Uh, well. Mmm... Fate?"
"Entrusting the travel plans to you was a grave mistake on my brother's part and mine."
"No, wait."
She hadn't made a specific appointment to meet, nor had they exchanged letters. They had simply made a vague promise months ago: Let's meet at Tianjin Port around the onset of the Minor Snow! And she had come all this way believing in that one promise.
Murong Jeon let out a deep sigh and fell into thought.
Fine, let's wait until the Minor Snow and then leave.
That was his limit.
*
Around that time, at the headquarters of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance.
"The Murong Family? The Twin Arts of Laughter and Cunning and the Pure and Clear Maiden? Aren't they direct descendants?"
"Yes, Pavilion Master. It is certain."
"Well, you lot aren't the type to bring back uncertain information."
The Master of the Assassination Pavilion, Soul-Chasing Flying Dagger Seong Ryang-ha, was having a refreshing and leisurely day. He was sipping warm tea while enjoying the sight of the white snow falling pleasantly outside.
He set his teacup down with a grimace and grumbled, "Did those Murong brats crawl all the way to Tianjin because they have a death wish?"
"We haven't grasped the exact circumstances. Shall we deal with them?"
"No, leave them be."
Seong Ryang-ha massaged his temples and groaned. It was incredibly stupid for direct descendants of the Murong Family to show up in Tianjin, but he could guess why they were here. If the Murong Family had intended to act with ill intent in the territory of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance, they would have arrived with their Sea-Calming Fleet. Their fleet could sail from Liaoning to Tianjin within two days.
But now, two direct descendants—the Family Head’s brother and eldest daughter—had entered alone and were lying low. This wasn't a conspiracy. Besides, the Murong Family wasn't exactly smart enough to pull off a complex conspiracy anyway...
"What about Peng Hyeon-hwi?"
"Ah, a messenger pigeon from the Peng Family arrived earlier. He is expected to arrive tomorrow."
"When he arrives, guide him to where the Murongs are and get rid of them."
"By 'get rid of them,' do you mean... bury all three...?"
"Who are you trying to kill now?! Who told you to do that? Is it the Jongri Family? Are you a Jongri spy?"
Seong Ryang-ha barked at him and grumbled.
"Just escort them so they can get on a boat and leave! Do it from a distance so you aren't caught! Why kill people who are going to disappear on their own anyway? If I bury the grandson the Peng Family Head dotes on and the Elder in charge of the Murong Family's Outer Hall on the same day, what do you think will happen to me?"
"I-I apologize!"
The Assassination Pavilion had built an incredibly systematic training process for assassins over its long history, but that process was severely lacking in the "common sense" department. Today, that fact felt particularly regrettable.
Seong Ryang-ha pressed his brow and waved his hand to dismiss the assassin.
When they traveled together in Shanxi, Murong Jeon and Murong Cheong had formed a bond with Peng Hyeon-hwi. Out of all the martial artists in the Murong Family, if those two specifically arrived in Tianjin, there could be no other purpose than Peng Hyeon-hwi.
And he had just received word that Peng Hyeon-hwi was returning to Tianjin. The probability was near 100%. However, Seong Ryang-ha couldn't for the life of him imagine what those three were planning to do together.
"Whatever it is, as long as they don't do it in Tianjin, it's fine."
As long as ominous things like the Murong Family's Sea-Calming Fleet didn't appear in the city of peace and love, Tianjin, he didn't care. Seong Ryang-ha picked up his teacup, took a sip, and returned to watching the peaceful snowy scenery of Tianjin Port.
*
A day passed. The Murong uncle and niece finished their preparations and left the inn for Tianjin Port.
At the Grand Canal's Tianjin docks, crowds were moving so busily that the snow had no time to settle. Murong Jeon glanced at the scene and headed toward the boarding station. After waiting in a long line, his turn finally came.
"Where to?"
"Toward Nanjing. We're going to Yangzhou in Jiangnan."
"Hmm. How many?"
"Two."
"Two silver pieces."
It was an absurdly expensive fare for a boat ride, even considering the distance down the Grand Canal to Jiangnan. However, Murong Jeon pulled out the silver from his pouch without a word.
Watching this, the official at the station remarked casually, "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Is there a problem?"
"None. But if you're a Black Path member from another region, watch your step once you enter Jiangnan. From Shandong onwards, the Dragon Slaying Alliance cannot guarantee your safety."
"Don't worry about us."
As Murong Jeon shrugged and stepped back, the official indifferently turned his gaze away.
"Next!" The voice shouting behind them sounded as if it were chasing Murong Jeon away.
Meanwhile, Murong Cheong was staring blankly at the snowy pier. It was a chaotic place where countless people came and went every day. It was a region where the massive merchant ships traveling across the Central Plains docked at least once to resupply at the final branch of the canal. In other words, this pier was overwhelmingly larger than the one at the Liao River where the Sea-Calming Fleet was stationed.
She suddenly thought: It's difficult enough to find one person at the Liao River pier. So, finding me at this massive Tianjin pier must be truly impossible.
How could she have been so foolish? Sending a letter hadn't been easy either. She had feared that sending a letter in the name of the Murong Family to the youngest Young Master of the Peng Family might bring trouble to her clan. But even so, she should have sent word in advance.
Instead of ending it with "Let's meet again at the port of Tianjin," she should have made a precise promise, like waiting at a specific inn in Tianjin until a certain time on a certain day.
Murong Cheong sighed as she brushed the snow off her cloak.
"Let's get going now."
"...Just, just a little... more... if we wait..."
"It's already too late. We have to move quickly now to arrive on time."
"Yes, Uncle..."
Even as she said that, Murong Cheong stood still for a long time, staring at the bridge leading into Tianjin city. When she first set foot in Tianjin Port, she was told Peng Hyeon-hwi had come running across that bridge.
By now, the snow was starting to pile up at her feet. A large ship bound for Jiangnan rang a small bell to announce its departure. Only then did Murong Cheong begin to move.
How should she describe this feeling? Self-reproach for not making a clearer appointment, regret, or... a small resentment toward Peng Hyeon-hwi for not showing up, as if he had completely forgotten the promise. Or perhaps, a lingering wish that he would have found her easily even with such a vague promise.
Lost in these emotions, she followed her uncle onto the ship and stood on the snowy deck. As she stared blankly at the side of the ship as it began to move slowly—
Whooooosh—!!
The sound of something tearing through the wind echoed, drawing the eyes of every martial artist on the deck.
—Black Path Demonic Alliance.
Thud! With a heavy sound, a massive flag slammed into the deck. The martial artists stiffened as they recognized what the flag represented.
Then, Whooooosh—! The sound of something flying again. Thud—!
—Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance.
The commotion among the martial artists died down into a heavy silence. In Tianjin, acting under the banner of the Dragon Slaying Alliance was considered official business. It meant a martial artist dispatched from the Alliance headquarters had business with this vessel. For almost all Black Path martial artists, this was both unpleasant and terrifying.
As they looked into the air with eyes filled with varying degrees of fear, regardless of their level of cultivation—
Swish. Someone landed lightly on the deck.
Black martial robes, red sleeves. And another flag held firmly in one arm. A massive saber slung at the waist and a black gauntlet wrapping the left hand. A tall stature and a solid physique that was evident even through the winter cloak.
He had the bearing of a master who had tempered his external arts, yet his movement was as light as a master of high-level internal energy and lightness techniques. His footsteps sounded as soft as falling snow.
Tap.
A man wearing a black bamboo hat landed on the deck.
—Great Hebei Peng Family.
The man slammed the flag into the deck and slowly straightened his body. Seeing this, the corners of Murong Cheong's mouth twitched into a faint, blooming smile.
"How cold-hearted. Leaving without me? If I go to Wuchang alone, I'll definitely end up dead."
"You're the one who's late. I'm a person who keeps my promises."
"I safely escorted you when you almost died in Tianjin, and this is how you repay that favor?"
"I clearly told you to stop by our family estate. Weren't you the one who didn't send a single word?"
With a friendly tone as if they had just met yesterday, with a casual attitude as if nothing had happened, and with a comfortable expression as if greeting a friend he saw every day—the man slightly tilted his bamboo hat and smiled at Murong Cheong.
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, fortunately. And you? Have you been safe?"
"Fortunately, I have too."
Only then did Murong Cheong let out a bright, ringing laugh.