Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Departure
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A week had passed since the attack.
The funerals for the four who died in the Amcheon Squad's raid were simple affairs.
Those who had spent their entire lives at Goon Family Manor were full of memories for the other household members, and for me as well.
Four days after shedding our grief over the three-day funeral rites and seeing them off amid tears.
Now it was time to think about what lay ahead.
That was why I headed to Heavenly Wind Martial Hall early in the morning.
Fortunately, I'd heard that after I rushed home, Master and Hall Leader Bang had handled the rest well, with no one else getting hurt.
"Sis Assassin made it through okay too?"
"......"
Even early in the morning, the woman assassin was sitting on the roof, so I called out to her casually, and she just bowed her head silently.
Far more professional than those Amcheon whatever-they-weres.
I waved her off with a "keep up the good work" and went inside.
Everyone was already waiting for me inside, seated at the same table we'd used a few days ago.
"Am I too late?"
"No, you arrived right on time."
The moment they noticed me, they all stood up from their seats.
I took the empty spot guided by Hwa-ryeon, and only then did they sit back down.
They were treating me with the kind of formality reserved for some VIP, but I felt ridiculously awkward about it.
What the hell? Why the sudden fuss?
"Young hero, first allow me to express our gratitude and apologies. We thank you for saving us from peril seven days ago, and we apologize for unwittingly dragging your family into danger."
Hall Leader Bang bowed his head politely.
Something about it gave me chills, so I waved it off immediately.
"Forget it. We were both hit in the same attack—what's there to blame? Don't worry about it."
Of course, the deaths of Nanny, Uncle Kang, Brother Jin-il, and Granny Moon were tragedies.
But it was those Amcheon bastards who killed them, not Hwa-ryeon.
I'm not childish enough to lash out at the wrong person.
Master and Hall Leader Bang looked surprised at my response.
That surprised look was starting to piss me off a bit.
What, did they think I'd throw a fit or something?
I grumbled inwardly but reminded myself why I'd come here.
"I came this early because I want to hear the rest of your story that we couldn't get to because of the sudden attack. After all, it's not just someone else's business anymore."
"...Yes."
Hwa-ryeon nodded gravely and picked up where she'd left off.
"I already mentioned that Tyrant Heaven Fortress's leadership is full of imperial collaterals."
"Yeah, that's where it cut off."
"My father was quite respected among the imperial collaterals. At least, most of the Joo clan in Tyrant Heaven Fortress followed him."
Most, not all.
Looks like there were exceptions.
"But there was one man who didn't respect my father—in fact, he envied and resented him."
"That guy was...?"
"Yes. He's the current lord of Tyrant Heaven Fortress, Joo Do-han."
The moment she said the name Joo Do-han, Hwa-ryeon's energy wavered, a flash of killing intent crossing her eyes.
As she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to control her emotions, Master spoke up instead.
"That coward ambushed and ganged up on the lord when he let his guard down, killed him, and seized Tyrant Heaven Fortress. It all happened so suddenly that my best option was to flee with disciple Seol-i and the young lady."
Hall Leader Bang chimed in after Master.
"I too left the fortress right after, taking most of my men while leaving a few behind for future needs. Those left inside have been feeding us bits of info on the situation now and then."
To sum it up:
The current lord of Tyrant Heaven Fortress, Joo Do-han, staged a rebellion, killed the previous lord, and usurped his position.
Master fled here to Goon River County with young fortress lord Hwa-ryeon and disciple Seol-i, hiding for ten years.
That was the gist.
"But why attack now, after ten whole years?"
"It wasn't sudden. They just didn't have the leeway before."
I tilted my head at the merchant leader's words.
"No leeway...?"
"Yes. The six vassal clans voiced suspicions over the previous lord's sudden death and refused to follow Joo Do-han."
The vassal clans rebelling against the new lord over doubts about the old one's death, and the new lord with no intention of letting that slide.
Collision between the two sides was inevitable, sparking a civil war that dragged on for over ten years.
And that long war had recently tipped decisively.
In Tyrant Heaven Fortress's favor.
"It was a disadvantageous fight from the start. Most of the vassal clans' elites were in Tyrant Heaven Fortress and got purged by the lord, leaving only long-retired old masters behind."
Hall Leader Bang wrapped it up: "Lasting ten years was impressive in itself."
By then, Hwa-ryeon seemed to have composed herself and spoke again.
"We weren't supposed to stay hidden in Goon River County for ten years. We planned to report Joo Do-han's rebellion to the imperial court and seek help from the Brocade Guards."
"Whoa, Brocade Guards."
One thing worth noting here.
In most wuxia novels, there's this thing called "non-interference between court and jianghu," right?
The government and the martial world mind their own business.
Yeah, total bullshit.
It was a staple in all the wuxia novels I'd read, but in this world, it was laughable nonsense even a stray dog would scoff at.
The current imperial court absolutely does not tolerate martial artists oppressing or killing the common folk.
I heard that back in the founding days, there were groups of fighters acting like novel villains, sucking the people's blood with all sorts of crimes.
But you can't find those scum anywhere now.
Why? Because whenever they popped up, the Brocade Guards wiped them out and burned the corpses.
The court despises martial artists throwing their weight around, so any who tried got their clans exterminated by the Guards.
This was possible because the emperor himself, the pureblood royals, and all hundred thousand Brocade Guards practiced martial arts.
An army of a hundred thousand warriors.
Who in this land could stand against them?
Thanks to that, evil sects were swept away long ago.
The righteous sects survived only because they helped with public order.
Even they started getting on the court's nerves, so Tyrant Heaven Fortress was established to monitor and control them.
But Tyrant Heaven Fortress had been too busy with internal squabbles for the last decade to do much.
"Then why haven't you asked for help until now?"
"...From Tyrant Heaven Fortress's view, it was a sudden betrayal, but from Joo Do-han's perspective, it was a plot he'd prepared for years."
I got the implication right away.
"They've already cut off every path to contact the court."
Hwa-ryeon bit her lip and nodded.
Hmm. All contact with the court blocked for ten years, vassal clans that could help smashed, and now the court recognizes Joo Do-han as lord...
In conclusion:
"It's over? No way out?"
"......"
"......"
Saying it straight made the mood crash hard.
You could practically feel it drilling through the floor into the basement.
But I wasn't done.
"That aside, what happens to my family and Goon Family Manor now? The imperial army won't come storming into Goon River County or anything, right?"
"No. Nothing like that."
Hwa-ryeon shook her head firmly, steeling herself.
She seemed pretty confident in her judgment.
"What's your reasoning?"
The answer came not from Hwa-ryeon, but someone else.
Hall Leader Bang.
"Joo Do-han sending the Amcheon Squad to kill the young lady was his personal call. The court thinks she's already dead."
"So the court doesn't know Hwa-ryeon is alive, let alone hiding in Goon River County?"
"Yes. Definitely."
Hall Leader Bang nodded confidently, then added belatedly:
"Plus, they seem so sure the assassination succeeded that they didn't even file proper interim reports."
"That from Nong Mo-guy?"
His response was a cold smile.
Yeah, that jerk thought he'd won and was toying with Hwa-ryeon, so...
He's probably dead from torture by now, or if alive, not in one piece.
I shoved Nong Mo out of my mind and sank into thought.
If the merchant leader was right, no imperial army coming to Goon River County.
But now that they've come this far, Joo Do-han knows Hwa-ryeon's group is here.
So whether she leaves or stays, more assassins are likely.
These guys tried to wipe out Goon Family Manor just because I trained at the hall.
No sending the next batch home peacefully.
So, what now?
Can I protect Goon Family Manor and the household alone?
I shook my head right away.
Maybe the first couple times.
But what if too many come later that I can't handle?
Even if all the warriors in this world are idiots, numbers are numbers.
My pea-sized internal energy had limits on how many I could take.
So, any faction I could rely on?
Shook my head again.
Goon Family Manor was just a rural landlord family with zero ties to the martial world.
Connections? Just nearby county landlords.
Second sis's in-laws, the Middle Heaven Merchant Group, crossed my mind briefly.
But even if Middle Heaven was decent-sized, Tyrant Heaven Fortress was one of the court's top sects.
Asking for help might just drag innocent second sis into it.