99. Hebei (3)
Hebei (3)
99. Hebei (3)
I could tell at a glance. This big, cheerful old man seemed to truly like our Yeongsan Sect. The Peng Clan Head gazed at us joyfully even though everyone else was frozen stiff.
"Yes. I should thank our ancestors. I nearly had to hold my grandson's funeral before my younger brother's.
"Gang. You've always seemed unlucky, but it seems you were born with luck like this after all."
At those words, Peng Gang wiped his cold sweat and spoke to the Peng Clan Head.
"I'll take this as a lifelong lesson."
"Yes. In the end, the one who survives wins.
"The Yeongsan Sect Leader, who is not easily met, has personally come to visit like this, and you've brought Gang, who's rude like me, back with his neck intact. So I must give Yeongsan Sect a gift.
"Gang. If you go to my room, there should be a large wooden plaque. Go and bring it quickly."
"Yes, Clan Head."
A gift? I didn't know what kind of gift it was, but no Yeongsan Sect member would dislike a gift. But a wooden plaque? Was it some kind of precious fragrant wood? While we were wondering, Peng Gang quickly retrieved a large wooden plaque, even using lightness skill. It was a considerably large plaque. Moreover, the grain was excellent—it was clearly top-quality material.
The Peng Clan Head gathered qi at his fingertip and began carving characters into the wooden plaque. I could also gather qi at my fingertips, but carving characters that precisely without breaking the plaque would be impossible for me. Masterful calligraphy executed with considerable force, belying his claims of ignorance. A brushwork that would have achieved great success even as a scholar rather than a martial artist. The problem was the seven characters he wrote down—everyone, including us, gaped open-mouthed in shock.
[Yeongsan Sect Seungdeok Estate]
"Now, lacquer it and hang it up. And have all servants and household members except Seok's family return to the main estate."
"C-Clan Head!!"
Even Peng Mu was horrified and checked the Clan Head's face once more to see if he was truly in his right mind.
This old man... was crazy. Thoroughly, utterly crazy. The gift he had prepared on the spur of the moment was none other than this enormous estate.
"Your uncle hasn't gone senile. Do you think my grandson's life is worth less than a measly estate like this?"
The Peng Clan Head spoke indifferently.
"C-Clan Head! This is far too excessive."
Even Master, who had been expecting a gift, turned pale before such a large gift and spoke to the Peng Clan Head.
"Don't worry, Yeongsan Sect Leader. We have plenty of money. As martial artists we simply shun luxury, that's all—we have more money than the Murong and more connections at court. It's only natural, as many of our family serve as military officers at court drawing salaries. But Sect Leader, do you know the true meaning of this gift?"
"I don't quite understand what you mean."
"Then, Liaoning's hero over there. Do you know?"
"I have no idea either. What does it mean?"
I understood the ways of the martial world better than Master or my senior sisters, but I was still a green country bumpkin. At that moment, my thoughts were no different from Master's.
"Now this place is Yeongsan Sect's territory. It's not just an estate—this is me, the Peng Clan Head, acknowledging that this entire area is Yeongsan Sect's sphere of activity."
Unlike Master, who still didn't understand, my legs went weak in an instant. He was talking about ceding territory. How many generations had the Baek Clan Estate struggled to protect its territory in Jilin beyond the Wall? For the Unorthodox Faction, invading territory by force was one thing, but Orthodox Faction territory was extremely difficult to change hands. And the Peng Clan was giving us their land? This was absurd.
"What do you want in return?"
The atmosphere turned strange. I asked the Clan Head, even considering the possibility of an armed conflict with the entire Peng Clan.
"Well, whether we are from Hebei or Liaoning, are we not all Yan people? Neighbors should get along."
The old man spoke, bursting into a hearty laugh.
Yan people. Of course, it didn't mean lovers like me and Jeong-hyang. It was that "Yan person"—like how Zhang Fei in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms would declare, 'I am Zhang Fei of Yan!' Simply put, a person of Yan. Even though the Yan kingdom had fallen over a thousand years ago, the residents of Liaoning and Hebei still called themselves Yan people. Well, I supposed that was why the Murong Clan, once Yan's royal family, still ruled as the absolute power in this region.
"For just that reason?"
"Just? You say Liaoning, you say Hebei, but in truth they're very close. Your sect is now about to sprout wings and soar into the sky, but Liaoning is already completely occupied by the Murong. You wouldn't want friction with your neighbors the Murong either, so naturally you'd try to expand your territory into Hebei.
"The Peng Clan's territory is vast anyway. I don't want to squabble over pride over something like Seungdeok, so let Yeongsan Sect accept this and refrain from advancing further south."
Behind the Peng Clan Head's unconventional proposal that had sounded like senility, there was considerable calculation at work.
"Advancing south? There are only six of us."
Master was still bewildered despite the Peng Clan Head's explanation.
"Then use it like a villa. It's land close to Beijing, so it won't be bad."
But the old man spoke coolly.
"Clan Head. This is so excessive that even the Yeongsan Sect Leader finds it burdensome."
Peng Mu tried to interject again, but the Clan Head shook his head and said,
"You rascal. Now that you have a late-born child of your own and have become an elder of the Peng Clan, you need to look far ahead. Yeongsan Sect will certainly grow enormous. And this isn't a story about some distant land like Sichuan or Jiangsu. It's right under our noses. If they truly grow enormous in the future, something like this estate would never be enough to guarantee the Peng Clan's safety."
As expected. This old man. He called himself ignorant and even showed such words and actions, but he was a shrewd and cunning martial artist of the world who could see a very large picture.
"And if that doesn't happen? If you've overestimated them, Clan Head, wouldn't you just be throwing away an estate?"
I asked like a joke because I was curious about his reaction, but his expression didn't change.
"Then Seungdeok Estate would naturally return to the Peng Clan."
As expected. A prestigious clan like the Five Great Clans didn't make someone Clan Head just because they fought well. The Peng Clan Head understood the logic of power and used it appropriately. And in his appearance, I glimpsed not the half-baked arrogance of someone like Peng Gang from earlier, but the true pride of a prestigious clan.
The martial world was vast, so people blessed by fortuitous encounters occasionally appeared, as did those called geniuses. But that lasted only one generation. Even after seizing such luck, if you couldn't properly nurture a sect, it all became meaningless within a few decades. If I accumulated peerless achievements alone and then died, the Yeongsan Sect would simply return to being a fifth-rate sect with a little money. If that happened, as the Clan Head said, an estate in Hebei would eventually revert entirely to the Peng Clan.
The work of nurturing and maintaining a sect. As the head of the Hebei Peng Clan, which had done that difficult work for hundreds of years, he spoke so confidently. This was true prestigious clan pride. Honestly, I was a little envious.
"Besides, think about it. Earlier they said they'd treat Seok's internal injuries, didn't they? The manufacturing method for medicinal pills is a secret among secrets, as closely guarded as ultimate techniques. If it were you, would you go to another sect and manufacture secret pills while their martial artists watched?"
At the Peng Clan Head's words, Peng Mu realized his oversight.
"No, they didn't say they'd treat him. They just said they'd examine his condition."
The old man casually deflected responsibility by saying it to Peng Mu. Truly a man you couldn't let your guard down around.
"I know your martial arts are impressive. But Sword Aura? Qi-Guided Sword? Isn't that far too early for your age? And even that child who's so cute it's maddening possesses considerable internal energy. Whether it's a fortuitous encounter or something else, does it make any sense to say you have no method for manufacturing elixirs or spirit pills?"
Ah... I hated this. After being born into this world and only dealing with muscle-headed ignoramuses who just swung swords, facing someone smarter than me made me feel like I was constantly being outmaneuvered. The Martial Alliance people I'd meet in the future would probably all be like this.
"Now you know too, but I detest complicated matters. Speak frankly. How much will it take?"
"If we can't heal the internal injury, we'll simply withdraw. We'll still use various medicinal pills, so his condition should improve. But if the treatment succeeds, I want one hundred and fifty taels of gold."
The expected price had been fifty taels of gold. If possible, I had hoped for one hundred. I boldly demanded one hundred and fifty, but the Peng Clan Head merely scoffed.
"I like how refreshingly direct you are. But I told you already—the Peng Clan is wealthier than the Murong. Seok is my younger brother and one of the Top Hundred Masters Under Heaven. He's a precious treasure of the Peng Clan, so I'll pay double—three hundred taels of gold."
Whoa. This old man was truly generous, wasn't he? Setting aside his intelligence and everything else, he was genuinely a wonderful elder.
"Now then, Sect Leader of Yeongsan. I believe I have shown your sect sufficient goodwill. I trust you will now show the Peng Clan the courtesy it is due. Since this estate now belongs to Yeongsan Sect, we guests shall take our leave.
"Everyone, pack your belongings and head to the main estate!"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
Whether we were dumbfounded or not, the martial artists shouted at the Clan Head's command as if to shake heaven and earth. While we stood dazed for a moment in this crazy situation, the Peng Clan's martial artists efficiently packed up the weapons and medicinal ingredients from this vast estate and swiftly withdrew. In an instant, empty silence descended upon this enormous estate.
"Big Brother, now that even the servants have left, my wife and I will remain for a while and attend to the Yeongsan Sect's needs."
Peng Gang, who had somehow smoothly attached himself to my side, spoke in a subtle tone.
"You even got married?"
"I married this year. I've already called for my wife, so don't worry about miscellaneous tasks."
No. Actually, I was worried. Even if the Peng Clan's daughter-in-law came, would she even know how to hold a broom?
"Sect Leader. Since you are now the master of this place, please don't stay out there like that—come to the Clan Head's Hall, no, the Sect Leader's Hall."
Peng Gang spoke nonchalantly even to Master, who had momentarily lost her grip on reality in this surreal situation. When we followed him in a daze, the Clan Head's Hall—magnificent without being ostentatious—awaited its new master. When Jeong-hyang, who was the least shocked because she didn't know the ways of the world, took Master's hand and seated her in the Clan Head's Hall chair, Master's small body in the giant elder's chair stood out even more.
"Yeongmok, what do you think?"
"It doesn't seem to be."
"Good heavens! How in the world... This is ridiculous. I must go find the Clan Head immediately and refuse."
"Master. If you do that, it'll be war with the Peng Clan. It seems unnecessary to us, but refusing at this point would mean Yeongsan Sect intends to expand its power into Hebei and strike the Peng Clan. Let's just do as the Clan Head said and occasionally stop by to use it like a villa."
"Sigh... How did things come to this..."
"Master. Is this place our home now too?"
Cho-ryeong asked Master, who was sighing, in a cute voice.
"Then, do I have a room too?"
"We'll have to decide that now, Master. Let's choose the bedchambers and unpack. Since the Peng Clan Head settled the matter in Hebei, we have no choice but to follow his arrangement," Lee Eun-ha said.
More delighted by the windfall than afraid of the incomprehensible situation, she urged Master along as they toured the estate and chose our rooms. Everyone was in a dazed mood, but as it gradually sank in that this enormous estate was ours, they happily picked their own rooms and began exploring the estate.
An enormous estate that could accommodate a hundred people. There were two outdoor training grounds comparable in size to the entire Yeongsan Sect temporary residence, and ten private indoor training halls for direct-line, branch-line, or high-ranking household members. Plus a dining hall that could seat dozens, and a kitchen with ten stoves. Though completely emptied out, there were an armory, a smithy, and even a stable. The more I looked, the more it reminded me of a military base.
Jeong-hyang wandered through the gardens, looking here and there. Lee Eun-ha inspected the medicine hall. Son Yeong, captivated by a private training hall, headed there with sword in hand. Master, Cho-ryeong, and I were now greeting the only remaining Peng Clan people.
The Peng Clan people still remaining at the estate were Peng Gang, who had been clinging to my side since earlier; the patient in question, Peng Seok; his wife, a gentle-looking grandmother; Peng Mu and his middle-aged wife; and the cute little girl in the middle-aged woman's arms, smaller and younger than our Cho-ryeong. That was all.
"Mother. This is the Yeongsan Sect Leader. She possesses tremendous medicinal knowledge and came all this way to see Father despite my rudeness."
"Oh my! A very young and pretty Sect Leader you are. And this child is as cute and pretty as our granddaughter. In the Peng Clan, daughters are rare, so seeing someone as pretty as a flower like you puts me in a wonderful mood."
As expected of Peng Seok's wife, renowned for her character—a grandmother who seemed like a good person. At that moment, the small child, about eight years old, who had climbed down from Peng Mu's wife's arms, trotted over and approached Cho-ryeong.
"You. Cute. Wanna be my little sister?"
Oh! Even as a young child, she was indeed a child of the Five Great Clans. Power-tripping was encoded in their genes.
"No. I'm twelve. In a little while, I'll be thirteen."
"Then be my unni. What's your name, Unni?"
Ah... So it wasn't power-tripping after all. A young child's sense of distance sometimes felt enormous.
"Cho-ryeong. What's your name?"
"Peng So. Unni, you're really pretty. Hug me."
It was probably Cho-ryeong's first time, wasn't it? A child younger than herself? And it was also probably her first time being on the receiving end of that cute eye attack she usually used on others. Cho-ryeong smiled brightly and hugged Peng So, and the two children laughed joyfully. A child holding a child. At this deeply heartwarming sight, her father, her mother, her grandmother—all of them set aside the worries from Peng Seok's internal injury for a moment and smiled brightly.