Chapter 91: Wuchang Martial Alliance Gathering (1)
Chapter 91: Wuchang Martial Alliance Gathering (1)
Now, this is how a journey should be.
I sat in the carriage, blankly watching the horses trot forward to the rhythmic, lighthearted sound of their hooves. The sky was still overcast and the weather was biting cold, but the journey was incredibly comfortable.
Fortunately, Murong Cheong seemed perfectly fine, without a scratch on her. It was only after she and Murong Jeon shared a long conversation in an unintelligible Northern dialect that they finally approached me.
"Since you saved my niece, I shall ensure this life-saving debt is repaid in the name of our family. I give you my word: whatever you desire, no matter how excessive the request, I shall grant it."
Murong Jeon spoke with a strange emphasis on the words 'excessive request.' Beside him, Murong Cheong nodded frantically, her face slightly flushed as she averted her gaze.
Of course, as someone technically belonging to the Ten Great Sects of the Black Dao, I had no 'excessive requests' for the Murong Family. I simply brushed his words aside and asked, "May I hear what happened?"
"I remained hidden near the canal ever since you and Cheong-er fled."
Murong Jeon’s eyes grew deep. To be more precise, his expression was one of lingering shivers. He must have had to endure hours in ice-cold water on a day as freezing as this.
Even for a martial artist who had surpassed the Peak Realm, that was a gamble with one's life.
"I had to stay hidden to ensure that old monster, the Heavenly Roar Fist, couldn't track you down. I had to circulate my internal energy at a bare minimum just to deceive his senses... Anyway."
"You must have gone through a great deal of trouble."
"It pales in comparison to what you two faced. Fortunately, when the head of another merchant guild using the canal appeared, the Heavenly Roar Fist retreated without hesitation. In truth, he couldn't afford to cause any more havoc there."
The mere act of destroying the canal's embankment could already escalate into a serious issue. This was especially true if Eon Do-cheon’s goal was to buy as much time as possible before the Jinju Eon Family was officially designated as public enemies of the Martial World.
If Eon Do-cheon had attacked another merchant guild, it would have become a major incident that reached the ears of the local authorities immediately. From that point on, buying time would become impossible. The Jiangnan White Forest Association would have reacted instantly, and the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance wouldn't have missed the opportunity to strike either.
While the Fist King Eon Do-cheon was a powerhouse capable of shaking heaven and earth, he was by no means the strongest under heaven. Although the hierarchy among the Four Great Orthodox Masters wasn't explicitly defined, public opinion generally placed Eon Do-cheon’s martial prowess at the lower end of the Fifteen Lords.
There was the Sword Empress of the Namgung Family, the One Sword of the Azure Heavens, Namgung Bi-yeon.
The Dragon Head of the Beggars' Sect, the Beggar Immortal Chwiun-jang Gwak Jin.
And the Poison King of the Sichuan Tang Family, the Poison Lord Tang Mok-yeol.
Among those three, the Sword Empress and the Beggar Immortal were said to have reached similar heights, while the Fist King Eon Do-cheon was often rated as equal to or slightly weaker than the Poison King Tang Mok-yeol. This was natural, considering the Jinju Eon Family had only recently managed to rebuild itself after being crushed to its very foundations.
In such a situation, he couldn't survive being designated a public enemy by both the Namgung-led Jiangnan White Forest Association and the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance—which was ruled by my grandfather (though his status as the strongest under heaven was a subject of debate).
I understood Eon Do-cheon’s reasoning. With the Dark Ghost Gate's 'Heaven and Earth Net' deployed, it would be enough if he could just injure Murong Jeon and delay his arrival at the Martial Alliance Gathering.
If he intended to defect to the Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance, that alone would fulfill his minimum objective.
"Because the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance's assassins have been appearing in this area and laying traps, trade has suffered recently. To prevent further damage, the Cheon Merchant Guild decided to carry out this trade mission themselves, and thanks to that, I was able to save you and Cheong-er."
"We are truly grateful, but are you feeling alright?"
"A few days of rest and I'll be fine. Besides, we're traveling to Wuchang together now, so there's nothing to worry about."
Apparently, this trade mission by the Jiangnan Heavenly Merchant Guild was meant to supply goods for the upcoming Dragon-Phoenix Gathering in Wuchang. In other words, our paths overlapped.
From the Cheon Merchant Guild's perspective, they likely calculated that it would be much safer to travel with two members of the Murong Family and a direct descendant of the Peng Family. Regardless of my presence, as long as the Murongs were with them, no one near Wuchang would be bold enough to touch the caravan.
The vast region we were currently in—passing through Jiangsu Province and connecting Jiangnan, Henan, and Hubei—was the core territory of the Orthodox Faction. It was a land where the Shaolin Temple of Henan, the Wudang Sect of Hubei, the Namgung and Zhuge Families of Jiangnan, and the Hengshan Sect of Hubei were all densely clustered.
Including Sichuan Province—where the Diancang Sect, Emei Sect, and Sichuan Tang Family resided—and Shaanxi Province—home to the Mount Hua and Jongnam Sects—this was the domain of the Orthodox Martial Alliance.
Excluding Chongqing, that demonic den of hell wedged in between, the lands south of the Yangtze River were incredibly safe.
"Therefore," Murong Jeon said with a warm smile, patting me on the back. "Welcome to the Orthodox Martial Alliance Gathering."
He said it with a tone that, frankly, I still didn't find very welcoming.
* * *
Wuchang is one of the largest cities in China by the standards of this era. It serves as a major transit hub where merchants from Jiangnan, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Hunan exchange goods along the river, and it is an inland port where the Yangtze and Han Rivers intersect.
Because it is a prominent lowland area in the mountainous Hubei region, vast plains have formed around it. It serves as a central trading route connecting Hubei Province, located in the heart of the interior, to six other surrounding regions.
In short, it was a damnably crowded, complicated, and flamboyant place.
"Oh."
"Look at you, acting like a country bumpkin."
"Is that something a person from Liaoning should be saying?"
I ignored the words of the 100% pure country girl and took in the city sights. Unlike the brand-new city of Tianjin, Wuchang was a city dating back to the Shang Dynasty. To put it into perspective, it was a city with over two thousand years of history.
Even Chang'an, the thousand-year-old capital, paled in comparison to Wuchang. Because its location was so excellent, more than a few nations had established their capitals here.
The city was formed around the massive East Lake, and there were even water houses lined up on the lake itself, forming streets.
Half the city floated on the lake, while the other half was a port city bordering the Yangtze and Han Rivers. It was a place where all sorts of goods from across the Central Plains gathered, with bustling market alleys everywhere.
It was truly the quintessential image of a grand Chinese metropolis from a fantasy.
‘If I had been born into the Orthodox Faction...!!’
I could have lived a life of luxury in a place like this!
Then, seeing Murong Cheong’s grumpy expression, I reconsidered. Even among the Five Great Clans, there were cases like the Murong Family—Liaoning natives and half-Jurchen (including Slavic blood) living on the fringes of the world.
Well, I suppose my starting position was already at a Super Bowl level.
"What's with that look in your eyes?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Where is the Martial Alliance Gathering?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Murong Cheong snorted with an incredibly arrogant look. She spread her arms wide toward the massive urban area sprawling across the lowlands and declared proudly, "This entire city is the Martial Alliance Gathering!"
"No, I mean, there must be a place where everyone actually meets up."
"Ah, of course. That large manor near the Han River port is the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance."
Murong Cheong grumbled softly and pulled her hands back. Sure enough, looking in the direction she pointed, I saw a conspicuously massive complex of pavilions. It was a manor of a scale similar to the Dragon Slaying Alliance headquarters in Tianjin.
In terms of history, our side was probably the one that copied them. But anyway.
At the entrance of the complex stood a magnificent gatehouse just like the one at my house, and below it, I could see tiny figures of people coming and going in small groups.
The Righteous Heaven Martial Alliance.
The place where the righteous of the world gathered. In other words, it was the place known as the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the Orthodox Martial Alliance, or the White Dao Martial Alliance.
A massive coalition that made all the decisions for the White Dao and coordinated all the Orthodox sects under heaven. A medieval Chinese version of the UN.
And from our perspective, I had just arrived at the Demon King's Castle of the Black Path and Unorthodox Factions.
‘I wonder if I’m the only one in my family who has ever stepped foot inside the Martial Alliance.’
I was fairly certain of it. During the Righteous-Demonic War, our family had stopped at Shaanxi Province. Even then, they had to avoid Henan Province where Shaolin was located, so they only barely managed to visit Shanxi and Shaanxi before collapsing completely.
They probably never even dreamed of coming down as far as Hubei.
I shrugged and hopped down from the carriage.
"Wh-where are you going? It's dangerous!"
"Dangerous, my foot. I'm not a child."
"Think back to what you said when you first saw me in Tianjin! That is exactly how I feel looking at you right now!"
Tianjin was the front yard of our family, where the Dragon Slaying Alliance headquarters was located, and this was the front yard of the Orthodox Faction, where the Martial Alliance headquarters was. In other words, the situation was completely reversed.
I nodded at Murong Cheong’s words and said, "That's why you need to guide me. If I go into the Alliance like this, I'll probably be detained or something and won't be able to come out for a while. It would be a shame to stop sightseeing Wuchang here, wouldn't it?"
"Ugh... It really is dangerous..."
"Surely our Orthodox friends won't just start swinging swords the moment they see me without asking questions. It'll be much easier if you put in a word for me."
"If you say so..."
Murong Cheong said as she glanced at Murong Jeon on the carriage. Murong Jeon gave a subtly warm smile and nodded his approval.
At that, Murong Cheong’s expression brightened significantly. She stepped down with me and began walking toward the massive shores of East Lake.
"In that case, as an expert on Wuchang, I shall kindly begin the tour. You'd better follow closely. I recommend holding my hand, as you might get lost."
"The things this girl says."
And to think she used to scream about having to teach me Sound Transmission just because we held hands once.
As I chuckled, Murong Cheong began walking ahead, grumbling with a grumpy face for a long time.
"...Interesting."
Watching the two depart from a distance, Cheon Ryyeong-hwa, the leader of the Jiangnan Heavenly Merchant Guild's caravan, sat with her chin resting on her hand, smiling. The distance between the two seemed far too close to be considered mere friends.
Beside her, a martial artist from the guild cautiously knelt.
"Shall I strike?"
"Here? That joke isn't funny."
At those words, the martial artist shrank back. Before anyone noticed, a single black thread had appeared around his neck before vanishing. It was a sign that Cheon Hwa-ryeong was struggling to control her emotions.
"Leave them. Do not take your eyes off them, but do not approach. His Excellency has sharp eyes and ears."
"Yes, My Lady."
"Sigh... There are so few things in this world that go as planned, and the Central Plains is far too hot and humid."
Even though it was midwinter, the weather was incredibly unpleasant for a martial artist of her caliber.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong watched Peng Hyeon-hwi’s receding back for a long while before turning her gaze away.
"Truly, nothing is easy."
What would be the conditions to become the essential maternal family for the Hebei Peng Family?
Cheon Ryyeong-hwa brooded over that thought for a long time as she turned away.
Because her Astral Energy Skill had caused her human skin mask to slip slightly, the Little Monster Jeong Ryang-in quickly adjusted his jaw to fix his appearance and slowly retreated.