Chapter 6: Hao Clan (2)
As soon as I mentioned the Hao Clan, swords were drawn by the members of the clan from all directions.
Although the swordsmen of the Hao Clan were said to have relatively low combat power, their speed in drawing swords was surprisingly quick.
However,
The flood of swords couldn’t reach me.
Muyeon, who drew his sword considerably later than the guards, managed to deflect all their swords in an instant.
“You said you would apologize for your aggressive stance earlier, but isn’t this a bit too much?”
I spoke with a hint of amusement, yet Dowoon-Chu just glared at me silently.
“I think the information I have about the Lord of the Hao Clan should be quite sufficient to cover the cost of this request, don’t you agree?”
“I must drop my prejudices about the young master. You turned out to be someone completely different from what I thought.”
“I don’t know what you thought you knew about me, but yes, it would be wise for you to revise that.”
“…How did you find out?”
The fact that the Lord of the Hao Clan had disappeared was top secret, even within the Hao Clan.
Most people, not just in casual circles but even in the government, were unaware of this situation.
The very existence of the Lord of the Hao Clan was shrouded in mystery, so knowing he had gone missing was odd in itself.
‘Would they believe me if I said I found out from the future?’
I don’t think it will do me any good other than getting treated like a fool and having more swords aimed at me.
“You keep asking strange questions. What’s the point of asking when you know I won’t reply?”
“Then why bother coming to us for information when the Gu Clan has resources of this caliber?”
“Branch manager, I didn’t come here to trade riddles.”
I didn’t care how Dowoon-Chu perceived this situation.
Tap, Tap.
The peculiar silence in the room was only disturbed by the sound of my fingers tapping against the desk.
“I have the information you seek, and you, too, have the means to provide me with the information I need, isn’t that enough?”
“Young Master, how can I trust that the information you have is even real?”
“That’s for you to verify. Why are you dragging this out?”
I ceased my tapping.
Dowoon-Chu returned to his impassive demeanor, but I could tell his mask had cracked.
“Such concerns are for someone in a better position to be picky, Branch Manager. If you’re not interested in my information, then just say it. I’ll take my chances and go to the Beggar’s Sect instead.”
Oh, and I might just drop a hint about the Hao Clan to them casually.
That little whisper concluded our conversation.
The ball was now in their court; how the Hao Clan would respond would determine the future steps… but the answer was already quite clear.
“Why did you let them go?”
After Gu Yangcheon departed, only a few guards and Dowoon-Chu remained in the room.
At the guard’s question, Dowoon-Chu gave a wry smile.
“I miscalculated from the start; I should have maintained my ignorance.”
– Pretend not to know if you do know.
– Pretend to know if you don’t know.
These were the ironclad rules of the Hao Clan.
Dowoon-Chu had survived based on these principles. Even in moments of near death, he acted according to them.
Yet, because of one boy who discovered the secret of the Hao Clan, the entire clan was shaken.
“…I don’t think we should have let them go.”
“What would you propose instead? Should we capture them and torture them to satisfy our curiosity?”
“If absolutely necessary…”
“Stop being foolish, Yacheol. Do you think the Gu Clan is like any other family?”
The Gu Clan was unequivocally a prestigious clan.
If anyone required an explanation for why they were deemed a prominent family,
It was due to their many accomplishments made at the start of the war against demons, which continued to amass with time. They never ceased their growth and kept pace with the changing times, which is why they are regarded as a reputed clan today.
To invade the Gu Clan, known as the Guardians of Shanxi?
Attacking the heir of the Gu family, or rather the sole son of the clan leader, could send the whole Hao Clan into a frenzy.
“If it were simply a matter of picking a fight with the Gu Clan, that might be manageable. But instigating the Gu Clan gives the orthodox factions ample justification to attack the Hao Clan. We needed to exercise extreme caution under these circumstances.”
“…I apologize, Branch Manager.”
“You’re not to blame for wielding your sword recklessly; it’s simply that the young lord didn’t criticize you for it, and I made the error of allowing this situation to escalate from the outset.”
Moreover, the third reason Dowoon-Chu refrained from speaking to Yacheol about this lay with the young escort who was accompanying Gu Yangcheon.
At first glance, the boy seemed somewhat flat-footed; however, he deflected the swords aimed at Gu Yangcheon in the blink of an eye.
What if the guards had taken it a step further?
‘He would have cut them all down.’
The boy’s restraint in not swinging his sword beyond a single action indicated that the blades aimed at Gu Yangcheon were never meant to injure him.
No, perhaps he realized right off that those drawn swords were merely meant to intimidate, and thus, he chose to counter the swords themselves rather than their wielders.
But the crux of Dowoon-Chu’s concern was that he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the escort’s movements.
This meant that the escort was at least a top-tier martial artist. In fact, he might be one who had already nearly reached the apex among elite fighters.
Bringing someone like him as an escort hinted that the young master had foreseen this entire situation.
I still can’t sort through these thoughts…
What reason did the young master of the Gu Clan have to visit the Hao Clan? Was it truly business-related?
That boy couldn’t have acquired this information on his own. The entirety of the Gu Clan along with the Lord of the clan might be involved.
‘…What could their motives possibly be?’
Dowoon-Chu felt a web he had woven slowly tighten around him.
He couldn’t think of an answer; it was already difficult enough to manage the present circumstances, and now he had to consider who may be involved and what their aims were – a headache began to pulse behind his eyes.
He lifted a hand to grab at his chin.
Riiiiip—
As the skin stretched and subsequently tore, it revealed a hidden mask.
Just as Gu Yangcheon had predicted, it was a mask.
Beneath the mask of Dowoon-Chu was a woman’s face.
A beautiful woman with cold eyes, delicate eyelashes, and skin so pale it seemed to have never seen the sun.
As she removed her mask, Yacheol turned to Dowoon-Chu.
“Is it alright to take it off?”
“I just feel a bit claustrophobic; please understand. Besides, there’s no one to see me right now.”
Even her voice, once masculine, had transformed into a gentle, feminine tone.
“…No matter how I think about it, I don’t understand. There can’t be many people aware of the Lord’s disappearance; how did he figure it out?”
While members of the Hao Clan might acknowledge the head as a lord, they wouldn’t show him any respect.
In truth, most would be eager to backstab him in their bid to ascend to that position themselves.
Thus, the Lord of the Hao Clan kept himself concealed.
However, even though the Lord had vanished, it didn’t entitle anyone else to take his place.
One could only be recognized as the Lord of the Hao Clan upon inheriting the certificate from the current Lord.
The other elders and members who had realized the Lord’s disappearance would undoubtedly be frantically searching for him to claim that certificate.
Dowoon-Chu wasn’t sure how much Gu Yangcheon knew upon approaching her, but she could surmise that he came with a decent level of understanding.
Still, the reason why he had sought her specifically…
‘I don’t think you are in a position to be picky.’
Words uttered by Gu Yangcheon echoed back in her mind.
Dowoon-Chu recalled the missing Lord.
‘…Father.’
And so, she realized, precisely as Gu Yangcheon articulated, that she truly wasn’t in a position to be picky.
‘I thought I was in deep trouble.’
After handling matters with the Hao Clan, I returned to the streets.
“Those bastards really drew their swords.”
I knew they weren’t trying to kill me, but I genuinely didn’t expect them to pull out their swords.
For a moment, I was genuinely alarmed.
Had I been too brazen in my approach?
What steadied my resolve was Muyeon.
When I glanced back at him, I saw his gaze flicking around, vigilant for any threats.
‘I always assumed he was a clumsy escort; turns out, his movements as a martial artist are quite decent.’
I felt assured that I would get through this and that bolstered my confidence.
I could sense Muyeon stealing glances at me while I was lost in thought.
“If you’re curious about something, just ask.”
“I figured you wouldn’t answer even if I did ask.”
“…Oh, how did you guess?”
“…”
“It’s a joke! I may be a young boy, but I’m still of the Gu Clan. It’s not too strange for me to have my own affairs, right?”
Nope, that’s definitely strange.
Well, I could just claim that I stumbled upon the Hao Clan out of pure curiosity.
Venturing into the Unorthodox Faction might not just lead to mere scoldings, but it was a step I needed to take.
‘It would have been much easier to go on my own if possible.’
Being accompanied by Muyeon was unavoidable.
But it ultimately turned out to be beneficial for me.
Fortunately, Muyeon didn’t seem suspicious of my actions.
Instead,
“…So that’s why you insisted on going out to the streets last time.”
“Last time…?”
Is he referring to the first day I returned?
“The day when the elder sought to unlock your potential, but you ran away because you didn’t want to. I genuinely believed you ran away because it was unbearable.”
“Huh…?”
“When the elder learned you’d escaped, he said he’d cut you in half the next time he saw you, but was that all an act between you two? I had no clue… Even small actions from the Gu bloodline seem to carry such depth…!”
“…”
I thought I was in trouble, but I might already be in deeper than I thought…
‘Why on earth would I flee from that?!’
Having the elder assess my potential was possibly the best thing short of Gu Cheolun himself overseeing my abilities.
Yet, I fled simply because it was bothersome.
You absolute fool… How could I have been so dimwitted?
“Let’s just buy some yakgwas…”
I picked up some yakgwas, reminded by how much Wi Seol-Ah enjoyed them.
Only to discover I hadn’t brought any money, so Muyeon had to cover for me.
I’ll pay you back later, so stop looking so glum. Geez.
Anyway, I’ll put a pause on the Hao Clan business for now.
‘Please grant me some time to think about it.’
That was Dowoon-Chu’s sentiment, but I knew he wouldn’t take long before he bit on the bait.
Just like the ‘Reclamation of the Hao Clan’s Lord’ event that would unfold years later.
Years from now, the elite of the Hao Clan would infiltrate the Black Palace to rescue their Lord, who had been trapped within its depths.
In the end, they failed to reclaim him, and he ultimately met his demise.
However, the one who led the rescue would replace him and propel the Hao Clan into prominence.
‘The only thing I firmly know is that the Lord of the Hao Clan was captured and held in the Black Palace for over five years, and the one who initiated the rescue plan was from Shanxi.’
After the original Lord was replaced, the new one, just like his predecessor, hid himself away once again.
Yet, he failed to hide some things.
While the operation may have been labeled “Reclamation of the Lord of the Hao Clan,” it was essentially a large-scale conflict between the Black Palace and the Hao Clan, both prominent entities within the Unorthodox Faction. Following this incident, the Black Palace was entirely obliterated, while the Hao Clan suffered severe losses.
The one to topple the Black Palace was none other than the Murim Alliance.
Just how significant this episode was; even amidst my detachment from worldly matters back then, I still recalled it clearly.
‘I was fortunate. If it happened anywhere outside of Shanxi, I probably wouldn’t have even dared to attempt it due to the distance.’
It felt like a gamble.
I had no idea if the branch manager was even at the location or even if he was truly the branch manager.
However, their reactions gave me a bit of clarity.
I had to brainstorm numerous ideas and plans since I was heading into a confrontation with the Hao Clan.
This was a path I had to tread, even if it was perilous, to track down the person I was seeking.
Be it with the help of the Beggar’s Sect or by finding him myself, I had to locate this man no matter what.
Zhuge Hyuk.
The young man who had become the military leader of the Demonic Cult at such a tender age.
The very brain behind the Demonic Cult.
I had to find him and eliminate him.
After heading back and eating some of the yakgwas I’d purchased, I handed the leftovers to Wi Seol-Ah.
I wasn’t quite sure what transpired during my absence, but she was coated in spices. I learned she was taking cooking lessons, but how could one arrive at such a state?
Still, when I handed her the yakgwas, she leapt for joy; I began to question if I should buy her more next time.
I advised her to share the yakgwas with the other disciples.
Upon Muyeon’s return, he mentioned he needed to report on our earlier outing.
I had naturally asked Muyeon to keep everything from today under wraps.
He agreed, but should anything arise, I couldn’t shake this unsteady feeling.
The next day,
As the sun rose, I stepped outside to find Muyeon and the Sword Emperor conversing amiably.
“…What’s up with that odd sight?”
The Sword Emperor was sweeping the courtyard with a broom, just like yesterday.
Meanwhile, Muyeon was engaging him with conversation.
“So, for swordsmanship, the essential thing to understand is how to synchronize with the sword.”
“Is that so? Ha-ha!”
“For instance… Oh, do you know the Three Venerables of the World? I heard that the Sword Emperor once reached enlightenment after dancing with his blade beneath the moonlight. It’s said he truly heard the heart of the sword during that time.”
Hohoho!
…What is going on here?
Is this what they call ‘teaching a fish how to swim’?
“I sometimes feel that when I train at night; it’s like the sword speaks to me. When that happens, swinging the blade unlocks feelings within my body… Oh, I suppose this explanation won’t quite make sense, I apologize…”
“It’s alright, it’s amusing to an old fool like myself.”
Watching a man boast before the Sword Emperor felt more embarrassing for me.
I interrupted before it got any worse.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Muyeon and the Sword Emperor greeted me respectfully. I still wasn’t accustomed to being treated with such reverence from the Sword Emperor.
“…Yesterday, I had a small breakthrough and found myself chatting about it before I even realized.”
I understood the sentiment, but it was the Sword Emperor!
The Sword Emperor chuckled at Muyeon’s awkwardness.
“I’m fine, young master. This old man, who has never so much as held a sword, was filled with excitement listening to a young martial artist’s tales of newfound enlightenment.”
This old warrior, who had once held the heavens in his grasp, now kept his mouth shut and played dumb while saying this.
Caught in this moment of praise, Muyeon let out a slight shudder of delight, which I found somewhat displeasing.
“So, what’s going on this early in the day?”
Upon my inquiry, Muyeon realized his purpose for being there and hastily handed me a sheet of paper. This fool had forgotten his mission while busy showing off.
The paper read “Nine Dragons” in bold red letters.
As soon as I laid eyes on it, a grimace settled onto my face, to which Muyeon promptly replied, “Young Master, you must attend the Nine Dragons Assembly today.”
Another unwanted affair had just dropped into my lap.
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