Chapter 282. To Hubei Province (3)
At those words, I couldn't help but freeze.
The young lord of the Hubei Peng Clan—that would be the uncle of Peng Kang-un.
"He said his nephew must not return alive."
That meant, simply, the young lord's position would be precarious if Peng Xiaoxiong returned to the Peng Clan.
"That's all we know."
"He didn't tell us anything else, so we have no idea."
Despite their pleas, I shook my head firmly.
"That's not enough to compensate for waking me from my sound sleep. I might as well call the Gold Guard warrior."
"We really don't know anything more!"
"No, what I'm curious about are the assassinations you've carried out up to now."
"……!"
"Why don't you confess about all the people you've killed so far?"
Assassins who took a commission to kill Peng Xiaoxiong wouldn't be on their first job.
And their records of kills were information—and information was money.
They'd woken me from my deep sleep, so I was going to squeeze every last drop out of them!
And so, they confessed in detail to all their past assassinations.
"There's nothing more."
"Really, that's everything."
Even looking into their eyes, it seemed there was truly nothing left to wring out.
"Good."
At my subtle glance, Jin Yu Warrior and Seo-u Warrior struck their crown jewels with the hilts of their swords.
Thud-!
Splat-!
They died in an instant.
The two warriors slipped out the window to dispose of the bodies.
"Whew……."
Palgap shook his head as he spoke.
"It's truly a relief that you haven't gone down a dark path, young master! If you had, you'd have skinned them alive and become a monstrous villain of the ages!"
"Don't talk nonsense. It was just an act. We had to go that far to get the truth out of them."
"It was really just acting, right?"
"Yeah."
I nodded, stroking the golden bell hidden in my sleeve……
Eh, Golden Bell, why are you trembling and avoiding my touch?
If you do that too, I'll really get hurt.
"Sigh, give me some tea."
"Right away."
I sipped the tea Palgap handed me and organized my thoughts based on the information I'd gained.
So, the reason Peng Xiaoxiong had wandered the martial world wasn't just to find his uncle?
Why on earth would the young lord try to kill his own nephew?
Well, to avoid being ousted by the current clan lord, he'd have no choice but to hire assassins and handle it discreetly.
Wait a minute.
Could the reason Peng Xiaoxiong didn't return to his clan after the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament and came straight to the Eunhae Merchant Group…… be to escape the young lord's clutches?
Through this Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, it became known that both I and Seo-u Warrior had reached the peak realm.
And I had come from Hubei Province—not to Beijing, but to Luoyang. A little investigation would reveal I had to head back to Beijing.
Of course, they wouldn't send a guest like him off alone, so he'd travel with me to Beijing.
In that case…… had Peng Xiaoxiong used me for his own safety?
But I quickly understood his reasoning.
Just from the way he'd acted on the journey here, I could tell how much he'd suffered.
So, after winning the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, he probably just wanted a peaceful trip back.
But don't clans usually send warriors as escorts for protection?
For a prestigious family like the Hubei Peng Clan, a win at the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament would elevate the clan's prestige, so they'd have every reason to……
Ah, but from Peng Xiaoxiong's perspective, that would be unwelcome.
How could he blindly trust the clan's warriors when the young lord himself was watching him?
Speaking of which, Peng Xiaoxiong should be arriving about now, right?
Even Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Yi Pil Warrior were awake, guarding my door.
Speak of the tiger, and he appears—as if on cue, Peng Xiaoxiong's voice rang out.
"Branch Leader, may I come in for a moment?"
"Come in."
The door opened, and Peng Xiaoxiong entered.
And then,
Thud.
He dropped to his knees before me.
Honestly, I hadn't expected him to kneel so immediately, so I was a bit flustered.
"What's this? Get up."
"No. How can I face you shamelessly after committing a sin against you?"
Was he clever…… or just a good person? I couldn't tell.
"Alright, then."
At my words, his face showed momentary panic.
Well, if he insisted, I didn't feel like forcing him up……
I thought it would have been better if he'd just explained his situation earlier and asked for help.
And I felt a bit resentful that he'd used me.
I sat in my chair, looking down at him.
"So, what brings you here?"
"As you already know, my life is in danger right now."
"Your uncle, the young lord, is after you, right?"
"……!"
He flinched at my words.
"H-how did you know?"
"How? A little threatening, and they spilled everything. They even said your nephew can't return to the Peng Clan alive."
"……."
He bit his lip at my words.
"Now, be honest and come clean. Why is the Peng Clan's young lord after his nephew's life?"
"It's……."
He let out a sigh.
"Because my grandfather, the clan lord, made a promise with me. He said if I won this Dragon-Phoenix Tournament…… he'd make me the next young lord."
"What?"
I tilted my head.
"But the current young lord is……."
"Yes, my eldest uncle holds the position. But Grandfather believes that for the main family's prosperity, the next clan lord must be the strongest in martial arts. And most of the clan's elders agree."
"So, if Peng Xiaoxiong returns to the Peng Clan, the current young lord will be forced to step down?"
"That's right."
It was an utterly simple and clear reason.
No wonder the young lord wanted to kill Peng Xiaoxiong.
"Was that why you left the clan and wandered the martial world?"
"Truthfully, yes. After I started showing promise in martial arts and Grandfather made that announcement…… I felt like I'd be killed if I stayed. Before, it was only once or twice a year…… but after my win, it became blatant."
"Then, what about searching for your second uncle?"
"That was the biggest reason I wandered the martial world. It gave me an excuse to leave the clan."
I pondered as I looked at him for a moment.
In my previous life, he hadn't become clan lord and had died.
It was because I'd told him about the 'reward' for when he found his uncle but still couldn't become clan lord.
He hadn't made it back to the Peng Clan safely and had lost his life to the young lord.
So, if I got him back safely and helped him become clan lord, wouldn't he become my ally?
From what I'd seen of Peng Xiaoxiong so far, he wasn't the type to forget a life debt.
With my thoughts reaching that point, I extended my hand to him.
"Don't deceive me from now on. Haven't I already accepted your secret commission? Of course, I know your wariness is sky-high. I understand you have good reason for it. But if you can't trust even me, who's sworn to keep my word, I'll be deeply hurt."
"I'm truly sorry. From now on…… I'll trust you, Branch Leader."
"Now, get up."
I naturally helped him to his feet and had him sit comfortably across from me.
"Then, how about a new deal?"
"A new deal?"
"If I safely escort Peng Xiaoxiong back to the Peng Clan, what will you do for me?"
"……."
"And if I help you become clan lord, what can you offer me?"
Dawn broke.
The nighttime visitors from last night felt like a dream, leaving not a single trace.
It was worth being careful not to leave bloodstains.
We set off again for Beijing.
To go from Hubei to Beijing, we had to pass through Henan Province. And in Henan was Luoyang, home of the Murim Alliance.
In other words, plenty of people would recognize us.
"I'd like to take a detour."
"You mean travel through remote mountain paths with few people?"
He nodded at my question.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because the more people around, the more potential threats."
"True enough. But there's something more important to consider first. Peng Xiaoxiong, what do you think assassins worry about most?"
"Well……."
As Peng Xiaoxiong hesitated, Jin Yu Warrior answered.
"Other people. No witnesses mean they can keep doing their dirty work. And without bystanders, they can quickly kill the target and escape undisturbed. That's why assassins love remote, deserted places best."
Words from a former assassin himself.
"If you want to escape an assassin's grasp, crowded places are safer. Assassins can't act rashly there."
"But…… how do you know who's an assassin?"
I answered his question.
"That's exactly why we must pass through Henan."
"Pardon?"
"Luoyang, to be precise. Don't worry—I've got a plan."
And so we headed toward Luoyang, during which nighttime visitors struck twice more.
The Peng Clan's young lord was dead serious about killing his nephew, huh?
Of course, we weren't the type to go down easily.
We eliminated them all.
Night fell.
Tomorrow, we'd enter Luoyang. I gave instructions to Yeo Eung-am Warrior.
"Yeo Warrior, I have a task for you."
"Speak."
"Spread a rumor in Luoyang: Tomorrow, the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament champion, Fast Knife Giant Hero Peng Kang-un, the tournament's hero Swordsman Beauty…… ahem! Seonhyeopmirang Eun Seo-ho the branch leader, and his guard White Shell Sword Hero Seo-u Warrior are arriving."
"Understood."
"Go now."
I stood and said,
"I'll be here to greet our nighttime guests."
How many was this now?
Damn bastards!
To keep Peng Xiaoxiong safe nearby, I told him to stay put in his room, then moved out with the other warriors to deal with the assassins.
Dawn broke.
We ate breakfast and headed to Luoyang, arriving at its outskirts by evening.
Yeo Eung-am Warrior, who had been waiting, joined us.
"I carried out the lord's orders."
"Good work."
No sooner had we entered Luoyang than crowds gathered around.
"Is that the Swordsman Beauty over there?"
"He lives up to his famous name—handsome as can be."
"Too handsome……."
"Gonna make a lot of young ladies cry."
My face burned at their chatter, but I endured and rode on silently.
The people's attention wasn't just on me.
It focused on Peng Xiaoxiong, the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament winner, too.
"It's Fast Knife Giant Hero!"
"He's impressively tall and dashing!"
"Is he the one who's going to revive the Peng Clan?"
Now that a crowd had gathered…… time to start?
"Hup-!"
I leaped into the air, soaring dramatically.
Thud!
Landing, a dagger was pinched between my index and middle fingers.
And Seo-u Warrior dashed off somewhere with a flurry of sounds.
But he soon returned, bowing to me.
"My apologies. He got away."
The onlookers blinked in confusion at the scene. What was going on?
I cupped my hands in a fist salute and said,
"I apologize for the alarm. Moments ago, an assassin targeting Peng Xiaoxiong attacked."
"What? An assassin?"
"After Fast Knife Giant Hero?"
The crowd buzzed.
Ah, of course, it was all theater.
I held back a laugh and explained calmly.
"This isn't the first assassination attempt on Peng Xiaoxiong. On our way here, we've been attacked four times. I suspect it's jealousy over his Dragon-Phoenix Tournament victory."
"The nerve!"
"Such outrageous scoundrels!"
"With so many gathered, I'll make it clear to all."
I looked around at everyone and declared,
"Peng Xiaoxiong personally attended my birthday banquet to celebrate and is a guest of the Eunhae Merchant Group. I can't forgive anyone trying to harm him."
The crowd fell silent, hanging on my words.
I proclaimed boldly to them,
"If you spot anyone attempting an assassination on Peng Xiaoxiong, tell me. I'll pay a reward of three thousand silver taels."
The rumor that Eun Seo-ho was offering three thousand silver taels for information on assassins targeting Peng Kang-un spread like wildfire.
In Henan Province, one assassin group that had taken the commission from the Hubei Peng Clan's young lord suddenly shared the same thought.
'Should I rat that bastard out and strike it rich?'
'Gonna turn him in and claim the reward.'
'Three thousand silver taels—how many tiled houses is that? If I turn those guys in, it's all mine!'
Their eyes met, and they realized they were thinking the same thing.
Clang-!
Swords clashed.