Chapter 95: Wuchang Martial Alliance Gathering (5)
Chapter 95: Wuchang Martial Alliance Gathering (5)
“You certainly look like him.”
The Sword Immortal struck up some small talk with me.
For the record, this man is the Orthodox Faction’s State Alchemist—the one who traded the lives of half the Jongnam Sect’s disciples for my great-grandfather’s life in an equivalent exchange. When a man like that tells me I “look like him,” what could he possibly mean?
He means I look like my great-grandfather!
I just hope he doesn’t mean he wants to make me look exactly like my great-grandfather did in his final moments (which involved being beheaded)...
“Hehe, I’ve been told I take after my mother’s side more, actually.”
“At least you didn’t inherit his personality. That’s a relief.”
“My great-grandfather was a bit... bold, wasn’t he?”
Bold enough to start a Righteous-Demonic War, yeah.
“I know what you’re worried about. At the very least, I hold no grudge against you. Don’t be so tense.”
“Oh. Well, it has been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“I do still have a grudge against your family, though.”
“Right... so maybe not that long ago...”
He was a generation older than my grandfather, but his personality was completely different. This old monster in a boy’s body was the mischievous, bratty type.
I felt like our personalities didn't quite mesh. I was born with a serious and calm disposition, the type that traditional elders usually adore. Dealing with this "Young and MZ-style" grandpa was a bit difficult when it came to the back-and-forth banter.
They say you become a child again as you age. Once you reach the highest seniority in the Central Plains, like the Divine Monk, do you just turn into a literal kid?
Then again, he was at an age where he should be worried about dementia. Even if one achieves Rejuvenation and reaches the peak of martial clarity, is dementia still unavoidable?
I made a mental note to send some blue-backed fish to my grandfather to supplement his Omega-3 intake.
If the number one man of the Black Path developed dementia, it wouldn't just be a tragedy—it would be a catastrophe.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since I last saw you, Cheong. You’ve grown up well in the meantime.”
“I am glad to see you are doing well, Sword Immortal.”
“As for me, I’m just living out my days waiting for death.”
The tea party between the senile old man and his great-granddaughter-aged girl began.
“Did Dan-yi not come?”
“My sister decided to set out separately from Jiangnan. She should arrive within a few days.”
“Did you split up because of the Jinju Eon family?”
“Does the Sword Immortal know of that as well...?”
“With Drunken Cloud Palm nearby, how could I not? That fellow has been pestering me constantly, saying there’s been a lot of ‘interesting business’ lately.”
“The Drunken Cloud Palm is in Wuchang as well...?”
Murong Cheong looked at me, startled.
What? I told you I saw him.
She nodded and said, “I should pay my respects to the Beggar Immortal as well.”
“Don’t mind that beggar. He and I have to leave immediately.”
“Did you not come to see the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“The state of affairs is too suspicious to spend time leisurely. There was a great bloody incident in Yunnan. The divination was ominous, so I had no choice but to come and fetch my disciple personally.”
A bloody incident in Yunnan...?
That was the incident the Hao Clan Leader had mentioned. She had left in a hurry, saying it might be the movements of the Blood Cult.
Was it serious enough that one of the Three Venerables of the World had to move personally?
‘I’m a bit worried about the old lady’s safety.’
It felt a bit presumptuous for someone like me to worry about one of the Fifteen Armies of the World, but still.
“Anyway, boy of the Peng family. You said you came to Wuchang regarding the business of the Black Path Demonic Alliance. Did you come to sue for peace?”
“I’m still a bit too insignificant to represent the general consensus of the Sima Alliance. I’m glad you’re already aware, but I came because of the Jinju Eon family.”
“Did that Eon fellow do something to the Dragon Slaying Alliance as well? I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“It was likely too sensitive a matter for the Beggars’ Sect to pick up. Have you heard the news that the Jinju Eon family has joined hands with the Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance?”
“Hmm. I did hear they had formed a close relationship with the Jongri Family. I heard the Shandong Yue Family and the Murong Family have been busy because of it.”
It seemed he had only heard the Orthodox Faction’s side of the story. Honestly, considering the era, even that was impressive.
The distance from Shaanxi, where the Jongnam Sect is located, to Cheongheon County, where the Heavenly Roar Fist caused the incident, is—to exaggerate slightly—long enough to traverse the Korean Peninsula twice. By the standards of this era, the perceived distance is further than the distance from Korea to Vietnam.
The fact that the Beggars’ Sect’s information network had gathered almost the entire story without information corruption in just a few months was remarkable.
Cheongheon County was clearly the territory of the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance. It would have been extremely difficult for the Beggars’ Sect to access information there, unlike the Hao Clan.
And since the Hebei Dragon Slaying Alliance had completely buried our side of the story, it was even more so.
“The bloody incident in Cheongheon County was caused by Eon Do-cheon and the Jongri Family, and in the process, I took Eon Hyeong-shin’s head. On my way here to discuss this matter, I was ambushed by Eon Do-cheon and the Ghost Gate. The Jinju Eon family now intends to leave the Orthodox Martial Alliance and join the Chongqing Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance.”
“Hmm...”
The Sword Immortal closed his eyes and groaned. He muttered softly.
“Hyeong-shin... If it’s the Fist Dragon, he was a child I had seen a few times. He was a junior with excellent talent whose future I looked forward to. Why would he make such a choice?”
“Eon Hyeong-shin... he tortured my uncle and destroyed his dantian to steal our clan’s martial arts, Sword Immortal.”
“The Jinju Eon family is a clan that had to sacrifice much during the last Righteous-Demonic War. It is difficult to ask you to understand them, but it is also hard to suppress my pity.”
Fist King Eon Do-cheon was roughly the generation after the Sword Immortal. This old man was already a master in his prime ninety years ago, and seventy years ago, he was a warrior at a level to engage in a life-and-death duel with my great-grandfather.
He was an old man who had been listed among the Fifteen Armies of the World for more than a cycle of sixty years. In the eyes of such a man, Eon Do-cheon would have been considered a promising young warrior of the Orthodox Faction.
A complex look appeared in the Sword Immortal’s eyes. He only spoke after a moment.
“Spilled water cannot be gathered back into the tray. The actions of the Jinju Eon family have clearly crossed the taboos of the Martial Alliance. Your petition will likely be accepted without issue.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
“It is not me you should thank. Cheong. You must have suffered much. At such a young age.”
The Sword Immortal patted the back of Murong Cheong’s hand a couple of times before looking at me.
“Young Peng. I see traces of your great-grandfather in you, but unlike him, you have made deep friendships with those of the Orthodox Faction. What do you intend to become in the future?”
“I want to become the Family Head, Elder.”
“I hope that does not mean you intend to become a great demon of the Black Path.”
“My family is the number one clan of the Black Path. Even if I ascend to the position of Family Head, it won’t be easy to escape that. If so, will you strike me down, Elder?”
“I don’t think I’ll be alive by the time you become the Family Head. If war breaks out between the Righteous and Demonic paths again in the future, that will be for the next generation to handle.”
The Sword Immortal sipped his tea and looked back and forth between me and Murong Cheong.
“Do you know why your great-grandfather started the Righteous-Demonic War?”
“I heard it was to avenge my grandmother.”
“Yes. Much blood was shed, but the first step certainly began with the Orthodox sects of that time. So how could it be your fault alone? Therefore, I only hope that blood does not flow for such reasons in your era.”
With those words, the Sword Immortal stood up. When we followed suit, he chuckled and waved his hand.
“A moment is enough to interrupt the private time of a young man and woman. If we meet again, we can share another cup of tea then.”
“On that day, I will personally brew the tea for you, Elder.”
“I shall look forward to it with pleasure. My life has been long enough for such things to happen. To be served tea by a Peng. Haha!”
The Sword Immortal was truly an elegant master of the martial world. Since I had respected his depth of character from the beginning, I bowed deeply as I saw him off.
In the tea house, which had become quiet again, Murong Cheong slumped down and leaned deep into the backrest.
“I’m exhausted! Exhausted! Completely!”
“A lot has happened, hasn’t it?”
“Yes! Whenever I follow you, incidents overflow! I can only see this as something you intended!”
Making such an absurd claim, Murong Cheong began to count on her fingers one by one.
“I went to Shanxi because an old man begged me to attend his birthday party, only to be suddenly attacked by Dark Dragon Unit assassins and caught up in the Martial Alliance’s schemes!”
“An ‘old man’? That’s too disrespectful to Lord Divine Spear Yang Jeok-yo.”
“You’re the one who killed him! And what ‘Lord Divine Spear’? He was just an old man whose realm had plummeted because he failed to penetrate his Upper Dantian!”
“My, how rude. This is why they call you barbarians.”
“You—you insolent Han! And who are you calling a barbarian! That kind of narrow-minded thinking is what sickens the Central Plains!”
Her verbal skills seemed to have improved.
“And! Just when I thought we were leaving Tianjin, we were hunted by a Peak Realm master of the White Lotus Cult!”
“That... yeah. That was my fault.”
I didn't know my eldest brother would use such drastic measures, you know?
“Then we arrived in Cheongheon County, only to be swept up by the Jongri Family’s black ship! A bloodbath! And that old monster, the Heavenly Roar Fist!”
“I wouldn’t say that was my fault.”
“And you saw my—my—my naked body! Even after seeing the pure body of a noble lady, you said you wouldn’t take responsibility!”
“It was to save your life...? In that... kind of situation...?”
Geneva Convention, you say something too.
“And then you say you have a fiancée!”
“I do, so what can I do?”
Well, I had one, but she’s gone now.
“And then when we reunite, we’re attacked by the Heavenly Roar Fist! We almost died in the Ghost Gate’s dragnet! We barely managed to reach Wuchang, only to immediately clash with the Baekrim Society, and now even the Sword Immortal!”
“Wow, a lot really did happen. It must have been hard.”
“IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUUUU!!”
“You really hit the nail on the head. A martial artist who digs as deep as you is truly rare.”
It rang out like a declaration.
Hearing my tone, Murong Cheong beat her chest like a modern person using GPT for the first time.
After huffing for a while, Murong Cheong collapsed ungracefully onto the tea table and let out a deep breath.
“Really... I just wanted to look around the streets, take a walk in the snow... and have a meal together in the Martial Alliance’s guest hall... I wanted to spend time like that...”
“You should have expected a sudden storm the moment I decided to come to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“...Still, I don’t regret it. Because I wanted your name to spread more positively within the Martial Alliance.”
“I don’t think it’s being spread very positively. The Baekrim Society guys looked like they were grinding their teeth.”
“Didn’t the Sword Immortal look upon you favorably? What does it matter what the Baekrim Society says when one of the Three Venerables of the World thinks well of you?”
True, the martial world isn't a democratic society, so there's no need to worry about public opinion.
The weight of the Sword Immortal’s vote and Sang-gwan Wook’s vote are different. It’s like the difference between a dragon and a goblin.
“Let’s spend some time and then head to the Martial Alliance headquarters. My uncle’s business should be finished before dinner.”
“No, before that, let’s stop by the Heavenly Merchant Guild one more time.”
“...The Jiangnan Heavenly Merchant Guild? Is it because of Lady Cheon Ryeong-hwa? I told you, you’re not all that! Lady Cheon Ryeong-hwa has no interest in you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Murong Cheong glared at me with hawk-like eyes.
“You have a fiancée! It is not right to show such great interest in another woman!”
“Who said I was interested? And I broke off the engagement.”
“...?!”
At those words, Murong Cheong turned into a stone statue.
“And that’s not what’s important right now. I have a favor to ask of the Heavenly Merchant Guild, so if you’re coming, come, and if not, go to the Martial Alliance first.”
“Im... portant? More important than this? I have no idea what that could be...? Why? Why didn’t you tell me such an important thing?”
She’s broken again.
“Follow me if you can. I feel like I’ll die if I walk around alone.”
“What have I been doing all this time...?”
“Never mind.”
I led the petrified Murong Cheong out of the tea house.
Perhaps because I had drawn so much aggro, the stares near the tea house were blatantly piercing. If I had been wandering around alone, I definitely would have been stabbed.
It felt like everyone who held a grudge against my family had gathered and was just waiting for an opportunity.
Fortunately, those losers couldn't get past the Murong shield. Any person who would dare try to stab me while the precious daughter of the Murong Family was by my side would have to be from a major sect on the level of the Five Great Clans, and people of that status wouldn't be able to ignore the Sword Immortal’s words.
Righteous heroes, do you have a complaint?
Come up to the duel stage at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. I can turn your teeth into corn kernels.
Fortunately, I was able to meet Cheon Ryeong-hwa immediately at the inn where the Heavenly Merchant Guild was staying.
These wealthy Jiangnan merchants had rented out an entire inn in Wuchang, where festival prices were brutal. A merchant guild of the Heavenly Merchant Guild’s scale could have stayed in the guest hall inside the Martial Alliance, yet they chose this.
“If we stayed inside the Alliance, it would have been difficult to meet various guests,” Cheon Ryeong-hwa said with a faint smile.
“We would have met precious guests more easily, but our guild does not trade only with martial artists.”
“I see.”
Her gaze shifted to Murong Cheong, who was still malfunctioning, then returned to me.
“Engagement... broken... this is a chance...”
The girl kept saying strange things.
As a learned scholar, I had no reason to deal with someone of unsound mind, so I ignored her. I noticed Cheon Ryeong-hwa’s smile growing deeper.
“Young Master Peng.”
She lifted her teacup to moisten her lips and looked at Murong Cheong for a moment.
“You seem to be very... close with Lady Murong.”
“Ah, yes. She’s one of my few friends.”
“Haha. I see.”
Now that I thought about it, it was true.
I don't have many friends...
That’s strange. When I lived in the modern world, I had a wide circle of friends.
As I was lamenting, Cheon Ryeong-hwa spoke softly.
“I see. A friend.”
With a crack, the teacup held by the guard sitting a short distance away shattered.
The guard, sweating profusely, bowed repeatedly in apology to Cheon Ryeong-hwa before quickly scurrying away.
‘That just now.’
It looked like martial arts.
Did he master something like Hidden Tremor Force? Then again, a family leading such a massive merchant guild in Jiangnan wouldn't have failed to learn at least a bit of martial arts for self-defense.
Truly, the martial world is vast, and there are many hidden masters.