The Hegemon's Heir
After Richard became my subordinate due to the gap in our skills, nothing much really changed. At most, I now had one more person to spar with. Given my monstrous strength, no one could truly match me unless they possessed comparable ability. Richard's arrival felt like rain after a long drought. She was someone who could finally quench my thirst for a proper fight.
At the same time, Richard herself was growing rapidly. While I excelled more at bare-handed combat than with weapons, she possessed extraordinary talent with arms. My mother, the very person who had gifted her to me, seemed quite pleased with the arrangement.
"Hohoho. I thought her nothing more than a valuable foreign slave, yet she has proven to be a treasure of far greater worth."
Since she had given Richard to me as a gift anyway, the fact that the girl possessed unexpected value, proved useful to me, and that I genuinely liked her was, from Mother's perspective, a cause for joy rather than concern.
However, my father viewed the situation with clear displeasure.
"Haha. To think that the noble blood of the Yuan clan must cross blades with some vulgar western slave girl we bought..."
Shaking his head, Father decided that something had to be done. The influence of the Yuan clan, the foremost family of this era, was no laughing matter. He had no intention of criticizing my free-spirited nature, nor was he unaware of Richard's talent, but this was a matter of face. Still, he chose not to dwell on it too deeply, reasoning that a suitable match could be arranged to smooth things over.
Thus, time passed without incident until a piece of news reached the Yuan household that deeply piqued my curiosity.
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The Yuan clan, the most prestigious house of this era, having produced Three Dukes across four generations. Whether called the Four Generations of Three Dukes or the Four Generations of Five Dukes for producing five chancellors, the Yuan family stood at a height where even the Ten Attendants who controlled the Emperor and the General-in-Chief, the Emperor's own kin, dared not act recklessly.
In the region where the main house had sunk its roots, no one could rival the Yuans. Even the local officials were little more than retainers indebted to the clan. It was hardly strange, then, that governors and magistrates periodically came groveling.
"Then I shall take my leave, my lord...!"
"Yes, do so."
The sight of a governor, the highest authority in his commandery, bowing with extreme caution was rare elsewhere, but commonplace at this estate.
"Father, the governor seems to have much on his mind lately."
"Hm. These are turbulent times. Managing the people is difficult enough, and with bandits increasing, he must be troubled."
The moment Father saw me, his frosty demeanor vanished, replaced by a warm, gentle expression.
"Still, the Yuan clan will not waver. You need not worry."
"Why would I worry about something like that? The Yuan clan is invincible!"
"Haha, quite right! Even if the realm falls into chaos, our house of the Four Generations of Three Dukes shall not be shaken in the slightest!"
"That aside, I heard something rather interesting, Father."
"Oh? Something that caught your interest... Ah, you must mean that troublesome ruffian who's been causing headaches lately."
Stroking his beard, Father immediately understood what had drawn my attention.
"A young girl with extraordinary skill who's been smashing through the existing gangs? Tch. The governor lacks any real ability, so of course he's struggling."
The situation was simple. There had been an underworld organization that regularly paid tribute to the governor, who in turn treated them as his own limbs. That arrangement had worked fine until a monstrous young girl suddenly appeared and began beating every last one of them senseless. Now the governor was stuck listening to their complaints.
"If he was going to keep a troublesome tail attached, he should have either cut it off cleanly or properly backed them to resolve the matter. The man has no future."
"But what interests me is that young ruffian herself! Even while dressed like a beggar, she dares to call herself a descendant of the Hegemon-King of Chu and rampage about!"
The Hegemon-King of Chu, the man who had threatened the founding emperor of Han countless times and stood at the pinnacle of martial might. In this world, that figure was not Xiang Yu but someone named Xiang Zhan. His strength apparently fell short of the original Xiang Yu's. Still, when I mentioned it with a grin, Father saw right through me.
"You wish to test yourself against this self-proclaimed descendant of the Hegemon-King."
He knew his son possessed the bold spirit befitting a true hero, and the strength to match. He merely smiled.
"Whether you measure your worth against her is up to you... but be careful."
"Hahaha! No need to worry, Father! I am the legitimate heir of the Yuan clan. I won't break so easily!"
Father simply chuckled and patted my shoulder at my ever-boisterous reply.
"Hoh, you rascal."
Though our paths differed, I had always been a son he could be proud of. And having witnessed my martial prowess firsthand, he had not the slightest doubt that some back-alley thug could ever defeat me.
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As a man, I could not let such news pass me by.
'The descendant of the Hegemon-King is still alive?!'
And apparently incredibly strong. I couldn't ignore this!
I had already crossed blades with Richard, the Lionheart. How could I possibly skip testing myself against the heir of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, the very pinnacle of Chinese martial arts?
'And I have a feeling... this one is just like Richard!'
The third of the Three Talents. The hunch hit me instantly. Even without that, how could any martial artist not be intrigued by someone claiming to be the descendant of the legendary Hegemon-King?
Just as I was about to ride out to the place where the rumors said she had been seen, two people latched onto me.
"Big brother! Are you off to do something fun? You're not leaving me out, are you?!"
"A self-proclaimed descendant of the Hegemon-King... It is only natural that our lord would find this matter intriguing."
Richard and my sister.
"Richard, stay out of this! This fight is mine."
"Don't worry, don't worry. If you're not planning to gang up on her, I have no intention of butting into your fight. It's a shame, but if you've claimed her, I'll yield."
After her defeat, Richard had become something like my little sister and was now treated well within the Yuan household. She had grown quite attached to me. Not only had she lost to my strength, but she had also realized that serving a wealthy noble's son meant a far more comfortable life than before. Besides, she was a battle maniac herself. Having found a worthy opponent after so long, she couldn't help but be interested.
"Given your personality, you'll probably try to recruit her. However, if she truly is of the Xiang clan, she would be royalty of the state of Chu that opposed the founding emperor. That could prove troublesome. Still, justification is a matter of framing. We can simply say that the prestigious Yuan clan, the Four Generations of Three Dukes, is taking in and reforming the unruly Xiang girl."
"As expected of you, Sister! You're brilliant!"
"Hohoho. I'm glad I could help."
For a moment I wondered if her Xiang surname would cause problems, but Yuan Shao's quick thinking made it seem manageable. After all, the same actions would be judged differently depending on whether they came from a street beggar or a noble house.
Anyway, we mounted our horses and galloped off. Soon we reached the alley where the girl had been sighted. Sure enough, a tall woman with disheveled hair stood there, having knocked down every thug in sight.
"Hey! Are you the one who's been calling herself the descendant of the Hegemon-King of Chu lately?!"
"Huh? Who the hell are you? You look like some pampered young master..."
"Forget that! What's your name?!"
As I dismounted and spoke, the woman clicked her tongue in disbelief.
"This body is Xiang Yu, the descendant of Chu who will surpass even the legend of the Hegemon-King!"
"Oho, I see..."
Stepping boldly toward Xiang Yu, I grinned.
"And I am Yuan Shu, the legitimate heir of the prestigious Yuan clan that produced the Four Generations of Three Dukes! Enough talk. Let's fight!!"
The sudden appearance of a noble heir boldly demanding a match with such confidence left Xiang Yu staring in bewilderment.
"What? Where the hell did this crazy bastard come from...?"