The Tiger of Hebei (1)
I was on the move from Shaanxi to Hebei, having left the Jegal Clan. Just as when we had headed to the Jegal Clan, I rode my horse behind the carriage. At that moment, someone poked their head out from the carriage in front of me. It was Namgung Hye.
I had already been feeling as if my stamina was draining away like water from a broken jar, but contrary to my expectations, she didn’t pester me. Instead, she simply gestured for me to come closer.
“What is it?”
I urged my horse forward until I was riding alongside her carriage. As soon as I asked, Namgung Hye answered and pulled her body back.
“I think my sister has something to say to you.”
At her words, Namgung Seha leaned slightly forward, pressing her face to the windowsill, and opened her mouth.
“Did you happen to meet Jegal Jihan yesterday?”
“How did you know?”
At my counter-question, she gave a small shrug as if it were nothing.
“I went looking for you last night, but you weren’t in your room. You’re not the type to wander around in the middle of the night, so I figured you must have gone to meet someone… and when I thought about who that might be, the answer came quickly.”
She gave me that brief explanation, then asked again, her voice full of curiosity.
“So what kind of deep conversation did you have?”
Just recalling my exchange with Jegal Jihan soured my mood. I didn’t even think it deserved to be called a conversation. Still, I organized my thoughts about yesterday’s events so I could answer her question, then spoke in a lowered voice.
“He tried to bribe me with gold. According to him, it’s more beneficial to build connections like this than to worry about a few coins.”
Namgung Seha looked genuinely surprised, as if she hadn’t expected that at all. Then she lowered her voice as well.
“He’s even more politically inclined than I remembered. I wonder if he was worse when he was younger, or if he simply hid it.”
Probably the latter.Namgung Seha muttered softly before continuing.
“It’s true that your name has spread across the entire Murim world, but that reputation is based purely on your genius. You haven’t shown any notable achievements yet, so you’re still far from being an immediate source of power. For him to reach out so boldly and seize the opportunity early… that’s quite audacious.”
She gazed down for a moment, lost in thought, then suddenly turned her head toward me as if something had occurred to her.
“By the way, how much gold was it?”
“Enough to fill a chest that size, so I’d guess around two hundred gold coins?”
“That’s quite a lot.”
I used my arms to sketch the rough outline of the chest in the air to help her visualize it. She asked again, this time with a slightly worried tone.
“You didn’t actually accept it, did you?”
“If I had, my pockets wouldn’t feel this light.”
At her concerned question, I opened my robe to show her the empty interior and answered with a laugh, half-joking.
I let go of my robe, took up the reins again, and added, “No matter how much a lump of gold may glitter, if you drop it into a clear spring, it only dirties the water and creates ripples. Nothing but trouble.”
“I don’t think it’s wrong to live comfortably while we’re alive, but I also don’t think becoming wealthy in that manner is acceptable.”
“Above all, you already know how much I despise corrupt power and meaningless political struggles.”
Namgung Seha let out a short, dry laugh at my words, then nodded in agreement. Smiling, she teased me in return.
“Why didn’t you just take it and later pretend you knew nothing? You could have said it was a token of gratitude for helping with Jegal Soyeon’s matter.”
“That would still feel too dirty. I’d feel uncomfortable if I ever had to face them again. No matter what, it would be like finishing a job without washing my hands.”
As I answered, I flipped my hands back and forth in exaggerated motions. Namgung Seha then delivered a sharp question.
“Do you really think seeing them again wouldn’t be uncomfortable?”
She was right. You’re sharp. I opened my mouth in surprise at a truth I hadn’t considered. Namgung Seha gave a small snort of laughter, rummaged through her robes, and pulled out a single gold coin, offering it to me.
“Still, it doesn’t sit well with me that a warrior of the Namgung Clan has empty pockets. You did well yesterday, so consider this a performance bonus. Keep at least one with you.”
Namgung Hye quickly snatched the coin from beside her sister and handed it to me. I accepted the gold piece from her small hand and slipped it into the most visible edge of my robe.
“Thanks for the generous gift. As soon as we reach Hapbi, I’ll have to visit the gambling house.”
“Are you mocking me right now?”
Oh dear. This little lady is sharper than I thought. I quickly adjusted my grip on the reins, intending to pull my horse back. But Namgung Seha watched me quietly and spoke in a light tone.
“You don’t need to worry about getting caught up in political struggles at the Hebei Peng Clan.”
“I mentioned it before, but if the Namgung Clan is a hawk that looks down on the blue sky, then the Hebei Peng Clan is a tiger that claims the mountain as its own.”
The mountain lord is the king of the mountains. And a truly excellent ruler does not sit idly by while his people suffer.
“They did not rise to their position through underhanded schemes or once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. They simply guarded the lands of Hebei for a long time and honed their martial arts.”
“Because of that, their influence is somewhat weaker than ours, but their martial prowess is not. In fact, this generation even has a Pa-Jeol, so it would be fair to call it their golden age.”
She leaned out a little further and added a warning.
“With that said, they can be rather simple-minded and quick to anger, so please understand.”
It doesn’t seem like it’s just ‘rather.’
“Oho! The Extreme Sword Dragon! So this is the famous young dragon? How rare!”
Even for a boy, he had quite a large build that was difficult to handle, and it was packed with muscle. On top of that, he carried a long blade at his waist. He wore silk robes patterned with tigers, and his hair looked as though it had never known proper care.
“May I ask who you are?”
I had a rough idea of who he was, and I could tell which family he belonged to. Still, I held onto a faint hope and asked politely with a fist salute. But the answer that came back brutally shattered that expectation.
The boy made a face that said, Ah, I forgot. Then he politely returned the salute and spoke.
“I am Peng Dowei, the eldest son of the Hebei Peng Clan.”
He immediately dropped his salute and began circling me like a child who had discovered something fascinating.
“Hoo. The texture of these clothes is quite fine.”
“Hmm. Did you have fried chicken this morning? There’s a faint smell of chicken on your clothes…”
“The sword at your waist is clearly a famous blade! As expected of a genius, even the treatment is different!”
It felt exactly like the first time I had met Namgung Hye. The differences were that he wasn’t as cute as her, and while Namgung Hye would soon turn nine, this Peng Dowei was about to turn sixteen. In short, he had not a shred of dignity.
“Um… Young Master Peng Dowei. Are you listening?”
“I am listening.”
Peng Dowei quickly straightened his posture while keeping his gaze fixed on my face. It didn’t look like his first time doing this. I offered my sincerest condolences to everyone who had experienced this before him and spoke to him as rationally and logically as possible.
“I apologize, but I am quite exhausted in both body and mind after the long journey. If you have something to say to me, could you please get to the point quickly?”
Peng Dowei nodded vigorously.
“I can do that.”
Having said he could do that, Peng Dowei surprisingly said nothing more to me. It clearly wasn’t the kind of conversation that should end there, and while it was technically an answer to my question, I couldn’t help wondering where exactly the dialogue had gone wrong. It seemed wrong from the very beginning. That was an undeniable fact.
“…Please, I would like to hear what you have to say.”
I meant it. This was the first time in my life I had ever wanted so desperately to hear even a single word from someone else.
When I said that, Peng Dowei nodded vigorously once more and gave a short, blunt reply.
“I request a spar.”
A sudden request for a spar. I couldn’t help but be flustered. I was so caught off guard that I couldn’t hide the emotion on my face. Perhaps interpreting my bewilderment differently, Peng Dowei spoke again.
“I know. I will probably be weaker. I will lose. You have already reached full maturity in the Peak Realm, while I am just a novice who has barely stepped into it. Still, I beg you just this once.”
He was pleading so earnestly. Even so, the request was far too abrupt, so I was about to refuse and suggest we do it another time when—
“Even if I look like this, I am the eldest grandson of the Hebei Peng Clan. Because of that, no one will spar with me seriously. Not the warriors of my own clan, nor anyone from other sects or families.”
Peng Dowei’s voice suddenly grew gloomy as he began recounting his pitiful circumstances.
“Father is always busy, and my younger sibling is too young. Grandfather occasionally spars with me, but the gap is so large that there is nothing for me to learn.”
“I want to gain something through sparring as well.”
Despite his large frame, Peng Dowei looked at me with powerless eyes. After he had gone to such lengths to explain his situation, refusing him felt truly uncomfortable.
“Ha…”