Reincarnated Sword Ghost-Chapter 34 : Hebei Peng Clan

The Hebei Peng Clan
"......."
For a moment, they shut their mouths tightly and stared blankly at Jeong-un and Baek Il-gang.
It seemed they sensed something was off.
"... That black martial uniform, perhaps—?"
"Could it really be?"
"Now that I see, that gold embroidery on the left sleeve...!"
"It's just a coincidence."
"Th-there's no way that's a coincidence...!"
"And if it isn't?"
"......."
"See? I told you it's a coincidence."
Baek Il-gang laughed and waved his hand dismissively.
The two men in front of them had become so nervous that they could only blink rapidly.
Jeong-un watched this scene with inward admiration.
'Effective.'
There was something to learn here. He'd been a bit bewildered at first, but now he realized just how effectively information could be gathered this way.
Jeong-un decided to put what he'd just learned into practice.
"So, where is that cloth shop?"
"... Pardon?"
When the quietly seated Jeong-un suddenly spoke up, the men stared at him blankly.
Raising his eyebrows, Jeong-un continued.
"A lot of people have been misunderstanding us just based on our appearance, like you two. I figure it's time to get a new set of clothes tailored."
"A-a misunderstanding, you say...?"
"And if it isn't?"
"...!"
Without a care, Jeong-un reached out and grabbed the sword leaning against the table next to one of the men.
The movement was smooth, so natural that nobody sensed any threat at all.
Even Baek Il-gang, who was sitting right beside him, only realized what happened after Jeong-un had partially drawn the blade.
"Judging by the way you haven't drawn your sword in some time, you must be out of practice. Well, a sword is at its strongest when it remains in its sheath."
"......!"
The man, momentarily stunned after having his sword taken from him, quickly came to his senses and spoke up.
"If—if you go outside and turn right, you'll find a small cloth shop if you keep walking. There's only one in the area, so it won't be hard to find!"
"Thank you."
Jeong-un nodded and placed a silver coin on the table.
'That should be more than enough for their drinks.'
He then rose from his seat and spoke politely.
"Thank you for the conversation. The world of martial artists really is ruthless. I'd better keep out of it. You two should avoid getting tangled up as well."
"......."
Outside, Baek Il-gang looked at Jeong-un with somewhat daunted eyes.
"You really aren't a young master from a prestigious family, are you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing. Anyway, what are your thoughts?"
Though it was only a brief exchange, they'd gained quite a bit.
Just upon arriving, he'd already found something worth sending a letter about.
"I think it's worth investigating this Black Dragon Gang."
"Right? Even the name sounds menacing."
* * *
The Murim Alliance's Yangyang branch was an old pavilion located in the very center of the main district.
It was positioned so one could easily move anywhere, and as it was the branch of a major city, the building itself was rather substantial.
"Young hero Yu!"
Jo Gwang was waiting to greet them.
It seemed he already knew from a letter that Jeong-un and Baek Il-gang would be arriving.
"Where is Miss Tang?"
"She's busy suppressing troublemakers all over Yangyang. Not just Miss Tang—the Heavenly Martial Hall's warriors are all extremely busy."
"Young hero Jo, you seem to have plenty of free time, however."
"I've been waiting with my neck stretched out for you to arrive, young hero Yu. Aren't you moved?"
"......."
Upon arriving at the branch, Jeong-un sent a letter to about the Black Dragon Gang.
A rumor without substance had suddenly produced the name of a concrete organization.
Whether those men's words were true or not, it was not something to take lightly.
"Where's our lodging?"
"This way."
Following Jo Gwang's lead, they arrived at a modest guesthouse.
The first floor was a restaurant, and the second floor was made up of rooms—nothing special, but perhaps it felt all the smaller because they'd just come from an extravagant tavern.
As they entered and climbed the stairs, Jo Gwang spoke from behind them.
"Oh, by the way, there are others staying in this guesthouse."
"Anyone we should remember?"
"But of course! They're warriors from the Hebei Peng Clan!"
"Hebei Peng Clan?"
The Hebei Peng Clan was one of the leading prestigious families in the martial world.
However, unlike before, simply hearing the name didn't stir any sense of rivalry.
A family built by accumulating supreme martial arts over the ages.
It was said the essence of those martial arts was passed down only to the bloodline.
But ultimately, martial arts were dependent on the talent of those who learned them—the fact Jeong-un had realized during his time among the prodigies at the Heavenly Martial Hall.
With that, they went up to the room reserved for them by the Yangyang branch and unpacked.
It was quite spacious, and even a single room at that.
The Murim Alliance truly spared no support for the Heavenly Martial Hall's warriors.
Perhaps it felt even more comfortable since he'd been sharing rooms with Baek Il-gang ever since entering the Hall.
'I need to get to two stripes quickly.'
As dinnertime came, he went down to the first floor.
"......."
A group of warriors was sitting at the center of the restaurant on the first floor.
Four of various ages, all clad in elegant red martial uniforms.
Most notably, there was one youth about Jeong-un's age. The moment their eyes met, the youth shot him a blatant glare.
'So these are the Hebei Peng Clan.'
He knew instantly.
Especially that young man glaring at him exuded a confident, surging energy, as if he had no intention of concealing it.
'Does he know no shame?'
Even if not to the point of returning all inner power to one's core, Jeong-un always made sure to keep his energy in check.
The inner strength of a martial artist resembles its master—the more you let it leak out, the more disadvantageous it is.
Honestly, it was no better than being exposed and unguarded.
The other three sitting there also emanated a powerful aura.
Though they weren't leaking their energy as openly as the young man, they didn't seem to be concealing themselves either.
'Now I get a sense of their family style.'
He brushed past them and made his way to where Baek Il-gang and Jo Gwang were seated.
"Today, we rest and from tomorrow we've been ordered to patrol around Yangyang city."
"Understood."
As he nodded lightly, there was a contemptuous snort from nearby.
When Jeong-un turned, the youth who had been glaring at him earlier spoke.
"Patrol, you say? You actually seem to think you're government officials or something?"
"......."
Jeong-un stared at him blankly. He was no longer fazed by that sort of remark.
By now, he'd grown accustomed to the peculiar rudeness of martial artists.
What was curious, though, was why members of one of the Five Great Noble Clans were acting hostile toward the Heavenly Martial Hall's warriors.
'Aren't we all on the side of righteousness?'
The Heavenly Martial Hall was an armed organization founded by the Murim Alliance, a union created by the righteous faction's sects and supported by the imperial court.
There must already be many Peng Clan warriors in the Hall.
Even if they weren't particularly glad to see each other, there was no reason for hostility.
"Young family head, please restrain yourself."
At that moment, the middle-aged man sitting beside him spoke quietly.
Though it sounded like a rebuke, he too was looking at Jeong-un with an interested expression.
"Young family head...? Peng Mu-gyeol!"
Jo Gwang, beside him, gasped quietly in astonishment. Judging by the reaction, the name was fairly well-known.
"I apologize on his behalf. Our young family head must be brooding over not joining the Heavenly Martial Hall."
"Who says I'm brooding?!"
At the middle-aged man's words, Peng Mu-gyeol shouted in anger.
Each time his energy rippled, those around him remained serene, as if used to it.
"He didn't pass the selection, then?"
When Jeong-un asked with casual bluntness, Mu-gyeol glared fiercely, while the others actually chuckled.
"No, the young family head never took the test. How can the heir of a household spend five years away from home?"
"I see."
It was a reasonable point.
The Hebei Peng Clan was a powerful force, exerting influence even across Shandong beyond Northern Zhili.
It was close to the imperial palace in Beijing as well, with frequent dealings with the royal family.
While the great sects farther from the capital were more like local lords, the Peng Clan was akin to a central noble power.
'So that's why...'
Someone who'd grown up as young family head of such a place likely never learned shame.
Surely raised like a crown prince, he probably had no one to keep him in check.
"Let's introduce ourselves. It seems the young family head already knows you. I am Peng Do-wi."
Once again, Jo Gwang flinched and let out a distressed sound, while Baek Il-gang shot him a look full of irritation.
It seemed Peng Do-wi, the middle-aged man, was another well-known figure.
"I'm Yu Jeong-un of the Heavenly Martial Hall."
Starting with Jeong-un, Jo Gwang and Baek Il-gang also introduced themselves and saluted with cupped hands.
Watching this, Peng Mu-gyeol asked,
"Where are you from?"
"I already said, from the Heavenly Martial Hall."
Jeong-un dropped all formalities without hesitation—there was no need, since the other party had shown none.
Peng Mu-gyeol scowled.
"I'm asking which sect you belong to."
"Heavenly Martial Hall warriors are forbidden to dwell on their previous sect. Ah, but you wouldn't know that since you never entered the Hall."
"... You!"
Peng Mu-gyeol shot to his feet in outrage, unable to contain his anger.
Baek Il-gang chortled, unable to suppress his amusement.
At that, Peng Do-wi intervened to calm the young family head. He seemed uninterested in stirring up a bigger scene.
He turned to Jeong-un and spoke.
"You are quite confident. It's always enjoyable to see an ambitious rising star. We'll be going now. The chef here isn't bad—I'd recommend trying his dishes."
"I'm thinking of having duck."
"Understood."
With that, the Peng Clan's warriors stood and left.
Peng Mu-gyeol shot one last fiery glare at Jeong-un before reluctantly following his group upstairs.
As soon as they left, Jo Gwang asked nervously,
"Was there really a need to provoke them?"
"I didn't intend to provoke."
Jeong-un answered calmly, thinking the other party's quick temper was a bit peculiar.
But there was a more important matter.
"What's the response to our about the Black Dragon Gang? Did you hear anything back?"
Baek Il-gang raised his eyebrow as he answered.
"There was a reply."
"What was it?"
"Discretion."
"......."
What did that mean?
It was hard to tell.
It was said the one-stripe warriors only handled the task of keeping other martial artists from running amok.
But now—discretion?
'Does that mean I'm free to investigate as I please?'
Suddenly, the face of Yeom Baek, the freewheeling leader of the Blue Scale Corps, floated into his mind.
Just how far did that man's idea of "discretion" reach?
"Looks like tomorrow will be busy."
"Agreed."
Baek Il-gang grinned and answered Jeong-un's remark.
* * *
The sun had set.
A cool breeze, faint with the scent of dusk, slipped through a slightly open lattice window.
Jeong-un was not yet in bed. He was still in his martial uniform.
Strapping his sword to his waist, he opened the window and leapt straight down.
Behind the guesthouse, in a small clearing, stood Peng Mu-gyeol.
"So you came. I was starting to worry you wouldn't show."
"What do you want?"
When he'd gone to his room after dinner, he'd sensed a sharp, formless wave of vital ki—directed solely at him.
Such open hostility was impossible to ignore.
"Did you really think I'd take that insult lying down?"
"Insult? Weren't you the one who lost your temper and shot up from your seat?"
Peng Mu-gyeol's brow twitched at that.
"You've got some nerve. Entering the Heavenly Martial Hall must've made you blind."
"No, I can see more clearly ever since joining."
"You bastard...!"
And it was true.
His martial arts had advanced more than when he practiced alone in the Yu household.
Especially through duels or life-and-death battles against strong martial artists, he had made remarkable progress.
As Mu-gyeol glared at him with burning eyes, he finally spoke.
"Draw your sword. I'll have to fix your insolent attitude."
"I came here to mediate trouble between martial artists. And you want me to cross swords with you? That's ridiculous."
At this, Mu-gyeol's lips curled upwards.
"What, are you scared? Don't worry. I won't kill you."
"......."
After gazing at him for a moment, Jeong-un couldn't hold back his retort.
"Did you spend ten years locked up in your room or something?"
"... What?"
"Otherwise, why do you seem so lacking in learning?"
"... You little bastard!"