Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Second Guest
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Myeong-gak and Cheong-pung returned after spending the whole day wandering the village.
But their expressions weren't bright.
I instinctively realized that my inner worries had come true.
Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye also clouded over upon seeing their faces.
"Four or five days before this incident, a man named Seok Ja-kyeong was treated to drinks by the Feng Family Merchant Group. And he showed great interest in little Feng, or so I heard directly from the caravan leader. So I went into the Seok Family and probed the family head, but he was unaware of it. He even thought the scar on his face came from training in martial arts."
"That's almost certain."
A chill settled over Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye's faces.
Myeong-gak and Cheong-pung seemed to think the same, as they didn't contradict her.
Hmm...
Namgung Hye, lost in thought for a moment, spoke up.
"But there's no evidence. No witnesses either. We can't confirm he's the culprit until we capture and torture him."
Just as the Great Heavenly Demon had said.
What should I do?
I could kidnap him and torture him.
But if he truly wasn't the culprit, an innocent man would suffer.
Moreover, Seok Ja-kyeong was a promising talent the Seok Family had high hopes for.
"Myeong-gak. Tail him secretly for ten days or a month."
"Namo Amitabha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. I can't do that, monk."
"Why?"
"Even this little monk has his own duties. I can't spend the whole day just tailing him."
I hadn't really expected him to agree anyway.
Not just Myeong-gak, but Cheong-pung, Zhuge Ji, and Namgung Hye were all far from the type suited for tailing.
"Fine. I'll handle it myself."
I didn't want to entrust this to them, but in this situation, there were no other options.
"How do you plan to do it?"
Zhuge Ji's concern.
"I'll tell you later. I'm heading to the village."
"At least come back after dinner."
"No. I'll eat out."
I grabbed a single sword and left the house immediately.
I planned to go straight to the Gong family.
'What in the world is in that village for such bizarre things to keep happening?'
I already knew about the incidents with the Huanin Seok Family, Huanin Si Family, Yangyang Ma Clan, and Henan Jo Clan.
'I should have acted then.'
But this time, beggars came directly to inform me: 'A restaurant has opened in Huanin County, run by a young man who's a martial arts master. Staying there are Shaolin's Myeong-gak, Wudang's Cheong-pung, Zhuge Family's Zhuge Ji, and Namgung Family's Namgung Hye. There was also an attack by what seemed to be Demonic Cult fiends.'
How could I just sit idly at home after hearing that?
The burly middle-aged man, a massive saber strapped to his back, stopped as lights began to flicker in the distant darkness.
'Let me think. They said to follow the river upstream, right?'
Upon reaching the village entrance, the man spotted the path leading to the river and hurried along it.
'Oki mentioned back then that this village has strange hunters living here.'
The hunter's house was said to stand alone by the riverbank.
The beggars' words matched, so the house's owner was surely a hunter.
After running for a while, the middle-aged man spotted a house atop a hill and quickened his pace.
"Come out here!"
As soon as he reached the gate, the man bellowed into the yard.
The door soon opened, revealing a young Taoist priest in daoist robes.
"Welcome, Hero Peng."
"W-Well, I'll be. The rumors were true. How are you here of all places?"
"Yuanshi Tianzun. It's fate that I'm staying here. Please, come inside."
Cheong-pung courteously welcomed the middle-aged man.
Inside, Myeong-gak, Zhuge Ji, and Namgung Hye bowed politely.
"We greet Hero Peng."
"Namo Amitabha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva."
The middle-aged man flashed bright smiles at Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye, but when his gaze turned to Myeong-gak, his eyes narrowed sharply.
"You're here too?"
The man asked as if he hadn't known Myeong-gak was there, despite clearly being aware.
But Myeong-gak remained composed.
"My master told me to stay here, so I am."
"The Divine Monk?"
If even the Divine Monk was paying attention, the house's owner wasn't ordinary.
"Where's the owner?"
"He stepped out for some business outside. Please, come in."
Myeong-gak guided the middle-aged man to the kitchen in the owner's stead.
"Have a seat."
"I heard you opened a restaurant for the jianghu folk here, but it's smaller than I imagined."
"It's not for crowds of guests. It's prepared solely for renowned masters of the jianghu."
The middle-aged man was hasty by nature but magnanimous.
"We'll talk details later. First, bring out the Shaoxing wine and roast duck."
Myeong-gak took the order politely.
"Please wait a moment."
And the dish he prepared was steamed fish and baijiu.
"What's this?"
"This is the only dish we can make here."
"Are you messing with me right now?"
As I returned home, I heard someone shouting.
"Who's here?"
Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye smiled.
"Hero Peng Tianhu of the Peng Family has arrived."
"His voice is loud and his temper quick, but he's not a bad person."
"Ah... Taoist General."
The one yelling from the kitchen was none other than Taoist General Peng Tianhu, one of the Seven Stars Legion.
As I entered the kitchen, the middle-aged man who had been snapping at Myeong-gak and Cheong-pung turned to look me over.
"You must be the owner of this house."
"It's an honor to meet you, Hero Peng."
"You know me?"
"Who doesn't know the Taoist General of the world?"
Peng Tianhu's mouth twitched around his thick mustache and goatee.
"I heard rumors your martial arts are quite impressive."
"They can't compare to yours, Taoist General."
"That's a given. But as host, you've neglected your guest hospitality, so you ought to pay the price."
This Peng Tianhu was deliberately picking a fight.
I had a rough idea why, but pretended not to know.
"What price do you want?"
"Simple. Fight me to the death."
A deathmatch over something so trivial.
Peng Tianhu was being utterly unreasonable, but I accepted readily.
"Very well."
No sooner had I answered than Peng Tianhu shot to his feet.
"Let's go outside."
I glared once at Myeong-gak and Cheong-pung, who looked amused, then left the kitchen.
Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye, who had been sitting on the porch and overheard our talk, stood and stepped back.
Peng Tianhu and I faced each other across the yard.
"I don't trust jianghu rumors. I need to clash bodies directly to be satisfied."
Peng Tianhu raised his massive saber, pointing it at me.
It was a great saber about five inches wide and two-and-a-half feet long, with a rounded tip.
"As a jianghu senior, I'll yield the first move."
"You'll regret that."
The moment Peng Tianhu's lip curled, I charged at him.
Swoosh...
The sword light flashing in the lantern glow split Peng Tianhu's startled eyes in half.
Thud!
Peng Tianhu barely parried and retreated in panic, his eyes wide with shock. But soon, a great laugh burst from his mouth.
Hahaha!
"It's been ages since my blood boiled like this! I apologize for underestimating you earlier! Let's start over from the beginning!"
A smile crept onto my lips at Peng Tianhu's hearty shout.
"As you wish."
Whoosh!
The great saber fell from overhead in an instant.
It split my afterimage in two, then changed direction to cleave my waist.
Clang! Kang-kang...!
Saber and longsword clashed, sparks flying.
Dozens of sabers and dozens of swords collided and parted repeatedly.
Kang-kang, ka-kang...!
As my form flickered to Peng Tianhu's left, his saber sliced diagonally upward toward my waist.
Swoosh!
The saber that cut the afterimage soared skyward, then descended to sever my neck.
But in that instant, my sword had already grazed his waist.
Tat-tat-tak...
Peng Tianhu retreated with footwork, looking down at his torn martial robes fluttering.
"I lose."
Peng Tianhu cleanly admitted defeat.
Bowing to me, his face was full of smiles.
'What a true hero.'
I sheathed my sword and bowed back.
"The food may not suit your taste, but the liquor isn't bad."
"No, no. I love steamed fish. Sorry for throwing a tantrum."
Thus ended what wasn't quite a deathmatch. Peng Tianhu and I returned to the kitchen.
"You lot, come in too."
Peng Tianhu called in even the juniors who had stood aside watching the duel.
Hahaha.
Peng Tianhu downed the strong liquor like water.
"Drinking with young rising stars makes me feel twenty years younger. If I'd known it'd be this fun, I'd have brought Oki along..."
He regretted Peng Ok's absence.
His boisterous nature made him seem reckless, but he wasn't oblivious.
After quite a bit of drinking, he glared at Myeong-gak and asked.
"Your sticking around here isn't just because of the Divine Monk. What's going on in this place?"
Myeong-gak glanced at me, then recounted the events.
"There was a fiend attack. And one of the Five Great Venerables, inheritor of the Demonic Cult's Five Emperors' legacies, appeared. Among them, the Boundless Sword Demon and the Nine-Finger Flame Witch came here. They seemed too strong to confront recklessly."
Peng Tianhu's face hardened gravely.
"How do they compare to me?"
Myeong-gak didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
The lively drinking turned deathly silent.
"How did you survive their hands?"
All eyes turned to me.
That alone was answer enough.
Peng Tianhu asked me.
"Monk, what did you make of them?"
"Even giving it my all, I couldn't guarantee victory."
Hmm...
A groan escaped him.
"The jianghu's about to turn upside down."
Peng Tianhu filled his own cup and drained it in one go.
Keuh...
"Good stuff."
As Cheong-pung refilled his cup, he smirked, his expression easing.
"How is Lord Il-yang?"
"Yes. He said to pass on his regards if you came."
"I see. Then I should pay him a visit. Now, put aside the headaches for tomorrow and drink heartily tonight."
Peng Tianhu's words shifted the mood again.
"Myeong-gak. You still peddling the Buddha?"
"Namo Amitabha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva."
Myeong-gak closed his eyes and chanted instead of replying.
"Cunning monk."
Peng Tianhu, glaring at Myeong-gak, suddenly smiled slyly and asked me.
"By the way, monk, do you have a fiancée?"
"No."
Hahahaha...
"Perfect. Just perfect. What about my daughter then?"
"You mean Lady Peng Ok?"
"Yes. Sounds like boasting, but she's quite obedient and sweet. And her martial arts are excellent too..."
As Peng Tianhu boasted about his child, Namgung Hye interjected.
"I heard she's exchanging marriage talks with the Moyong Family."
"Just talks, only talks. Don't butt in."
This time Myeong-gak chimed in.
"I heard the date's already set..."
"Shut your trap! What do you know, you blabbering monk? The date's not set yet!"
Peng Tianhu shot up, pointing and yelling, then sighed deeply.
Whew...
"Fine, not Oki then. I'll introduce another child."
I had no intention of marrying yet.
'This man’s bold and hearty, but greedy too.'