Chapter 144
Hebei Peng Clan's Main Estate – Underground Secret Room.
The secret room, lavishly decorated with gilded ornaments, was filled with a stifling heat and a pungent, fishy scent. Here, the three brothers, renowned as the next-generation leaders of the Hebei Peng Clan, were gathered together.
The eldest son, Peng Gang-cheon; the second son, Peng Ryeok-cheon; and the third son, Peng Wi-cheon.
Though famed in the martial world as masters of the "Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade" and the "Primal Thunderclap Fist," the sight of them in this room was far from heroic—they resembled street thugs, or perhaps beasts even worse.
Around each of them, two or three courtesans in splendid silk robes hung on their arms.
Yet there was nothing refined or cultured in this scene.
It was a one-sided violation—a cruel plaything for those who wielded power to trample the powerless.
"Hehehe..."
The second son, Peng Ryeok-cheon, gripped the arm of the courtesan beside him with a brutish hand.
"Ah...!"
The courtesan bit her lip, swallowing a scream. Ugly, dark bruises already marred her pale arm. Peng Ryeok-cheon, however, paid no heed—instead, he seemed to take pleasure in her expression of pain, increasing the strength of his grip.
"Your skin is quite fine. Doesn't it look even more enticing with the bruising?"
The third son, Peng Wi-cheon, was no better. He pulled a courtesan forcefully into his arms, his greedy eyes gleaming. Crack.
From the Peng brothers' iron grips, a courtesan's ribs groaned in agony.
"Please, great hero, it hurts so much..."
The courtesan pleaded through tears, but Peng Wi-cheon merely snorted in disdain.
"So weak. If you can't endure this, how can you hope to serve the scions of a noble clan?"
Ignoring her pain, he grabbed a wine cup and poured it forcibly into her mouth. Wine spilled down her chin, soaking her clothes, but he simply cackled.
Covered in bruises and shaking with fear, none of the courtesans dared to cry aloud.
This place was the very heart of the Hebei Peng Clan.
They instinctively knew that, even if they died here, their deaths would be easily concealed—no one would know.
Just then, the door to the secret room opened and a man entered.
He wore yellow martial robes, with numerous hidden weapon pouches at his waist.
It was Tang Jin-ryong, the young head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
As soon as he entered, his brow furrowed at the overpowering stench of alcohol, the salty tang in the air, and the courtesans' moans.
"Your vile tastes are as persistent as ever."
Tang Jin-ryong's cold voice cut through the room. His gaze held only contempt.
Of course, his scorn was not for the suffering courtesans, but for the Peng brothers' lacking dignity.
At those words, the eldest brother, Peng Gang-cheon, sitting at the place of honor, lifted his head.
He was already thoroughly drunk, his eyes clouded.
Though he could have used internal energy to flush out the drunkenness, he let it remain, heightening his pleasure.
"Oh, Tang Jin-ryong, you're here."
"Maybe it's time you sobered up."
"Why should I? The wine we're drinking is far too expensive to waste on sobriety. Let's skip the lecturing and come join us. There's plenty of fine women here."
"No thanks. So this is what the so-called 'rising stars of the orthodox faction' are up to—holed up in a secret room chasing women in broad daylight."
Tang Jin-ryong shot back coldly.
Peng Gang-cheon, however, showed not a hint of shame. Instead, he proudly puffed out his chest.
"Surely you've heard, 'Great men are fond of beauty as well as heroism.' If you're to rule the era, a bit of indulgence is only natural. Dullards of the Tang Clan just don't know how to have fun."
Peng Gang-cheon grinned nastily, pulling the courtesan beside him even closer.
His hand rudely snaked inside her robes.
At that moment—
"Kyaa!"
The courtesan screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor.
She had finally reached the limits of her endurance against Peng Gang-cheon's brute strength.
Clutching her chest, she rolled across the floor, gasping raggedly.
"Tsk."
Peng Gang-cheon clicked his tongue in irritation.
There was not the slightest trace of concern or regret in his expression—only annoyance that his toy was broken.
"So fragile. How could she last even a single night? Get rid of her."
Wham!
Peng Gang-cheon kicked the fallen courtesan.
She was sent tumbling into a corner, unable even to scream, crimson blood dribbling from her lips.
Witnessing the horrific scene, Tang Jin-ryong's frown deepened.
But he, too, had no interest in the safety of the courtesans. It was only the Peng brothers' vulgarity that offended him.
"Enough with the games. Let's get down to business."
Tang Jin-ryong seated himself across the table.
[We need more White Summer Herb.]
At Tang Jin-ryong's telepathy, Peng Gang-cheon set down his winecup.
The drunkenness vanished from his gaze; a sharp light flashed in his eyes.
[We've already scoured every mountain in our domain and harvested all the White Summer Herb possible. Isn't that enough? That amount could poison tens of thousands!]
[It isn't enough. The alliance leader is pushing for more.]
Tang Jin-ryong lowered his voice.
[We need to cripple the Central Plains red light districts more quickly and more thoroughly. Once the Hao Sect starts moving into the open, the balance of power in the martial world will only become more complicated.]
Indeed.
The reason two of the Five Great Clans had begun spreading drugs through the red light districts of the Central Plains was not simply for profit.
Behind it all lay the grand scheme of the Murim Alliance's leader, Namgung Cheon-rui.
The current state of the martial world was like walking on thin ice.
The leader of the Evil Path Association had been assassinated, fueling rumors that the killer had been an expert from the orthodox faction.
The unorthodox sects were in an uproar. Even within the orthodox faction, Zhongnan and the Murong Clan had become mortal enemies.
The pillar of the orthodox faction, Zhongnan's sect leader Zhong Yeob, had also met a mysterious death.
Amidst this chaos, the Hao Sect, long hidden in the shadows, was now preparing to expand its influence in the open.
If the Hao Sect, whose weapons were information and eyes and ears, began moving in earnest, the weaknesses of the orthodox faction would be laid bare in no time.
[The Hao Sect's ears and eyes are in the red light districts. Once we poison and paralyze the courtesans and errand boys with drugs, the Hao Sect will be deaf and blind. That is the alliance leader's will.]
Peng Gang-cheon nodded at Tang Jin-ryong's explanation.
[No matter how many times I hear it, the breadth of this plan is astonishing. Truly worthy of the alliance leader—his thoughts run deep.]
[In any case, this must be handled with absolute secrecy. The reputations of our Five Great Clans are at stake. Above all...]
[?]
[We've been ordered to ensure that the Mount Hua Sect's leader, feng Qingyun, and the Beggar's Union leader, meng Hojul, never catch wind of this.]
Mount Hua Sect and the Beggar's Union—these sects were infamous even among the orthodox factions for their inflexible, old-fashioned ways.
If they discovered that the Five Great Clans were manufacturing and distributing drugs, it was certain that the Murim Alliance would fall into even greater turmoil.
[Don't worry.]
Peng Gang-cheon smiled confidently.
[We have mobilized our main force, the Iron Wall Squad, to maintain absolute secrecy. Not even an ant could get close.]
The Iron Wall Squad, pride of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Every member was a 1st-rate martial arts expert—a select guard who served both as the shield against outside intrusion and the sword to safeguard the Peng Clan's secrets.
[Uncle Peng Mugeuk, Captain of the Iron Wall Squad, is commanding the operation personally. With his peak-level skills, there are few in the martial world who could slip past his watchful eyes.]
[.......]
[In any case, we'll further increase the supply of White Summer Herb soon.]
[Good. Our Tang Clan will put more technicians on the Soul-Bewildering Powder manufacturing from tomorrow.]
[Where is this batch heading?]
[This time, it will be pushed heavily into the red light districts of Anhui Province and Hubei. If this operation succeeds, the Murim Alliance's authority will only rise, and the power of both our clans will become absolute.]
Tang Jin-ryong's eyes shone coldly.
Peng Gang-cheon grinned sneakily and raised his glass.
"To our great undertaking!"
The heirs of two noble clans clinked their cups together.
Clink!
A clear and melodious sound rang through the secret room, though the agonized moans of the courtesans collapsed in the corner lingered ominously underneath.
"Uh... sob..."
One courtesan, her ribs broken, quivered in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks.
But none paid her the slightest attention.
These houses, famed for honoring righteousness and chivalry in the orthodox faction—behind their dazzling facade, hid a reality uglier and crueler than even the Dark Path.
* * *
At that time,
Jaseong was reading a carrier pigeon message from Hyang-I.
[Hebei Peng Clan villa outside Beijing. We've learned the key ledgers for Soul-Bewildering Powder drug manufacturing and distribution are stored there.]
Finishing the carrier pigeon's message, Jaseong burned it in the candle flame. Then, he called for Gu Janghu.
"Gu Janghu, come with me."
Jaseong specified only Gu Janghu.
Nearby, Lee Rin and Dokgo Yeon looked puzzled.
"What about us?"
"Mansul's stealth technique is marvelous, but the more people we have, the harder it is to keep up the concealment. And there could be Peng Clan experts at the villa. To erase our presence completely, we need to move with the smallest number possible."
Jaseong's judgment was clear-headed. For infiltration and theft, Gu Janghu, with his assassin background, was ideal.
Thus, just the two of them used lightness skill to dash through the darkened streets of Beijing.
Thanks to their incredible speed, no one noticed their movement across the rooftops.
About one shijin later,
they reached their destination at last.
The Peng Clan's villa—Jeonghon Hall.
It sat in a deep forest, backed by a sheer cliff.
On the outside, it looked like a peaceful guest house, but to Jaseong's Samadhi Eyes, it was different.
The energy he sensed beyond the walls was extraordinary.
'The Iron Wall Squad.'
The Peng Clan's elite force. They guarded the villa with not even the tiniest gap—so tight that not even an ant could slip through.
'As expected, Hyang-I's information was correct—something important must be here.'
Jaseong withdrew Mansul from his breast.
"Kkiruruk!"
As if reading Jaseong's mind, the creature's tail glowed a mysterious white.
In an instant, it enveloped Jaseong and Gu Janghu's bodies.
Whoosh—
Their forms melted into the air—as if they'd vanished completely.
Perfect concealment.
"Let's go."
Jaseong and Gu Janghu leapt easily over Jeonghon Hall's wall.
Thanks to Mansul's stealth skill, they infiltrated the villa without leaving a trace.
Even if they brushed right past one of the Peng Clan's warriors, the guards would only think a breeze had blown by.
[Hall lord, where to from here?]
The villa's central courtyard actually had fewer guards than expected.
Perhaps only a portion of the Iron Wall Squad was present at the villa.
At the center stood an old-shaped strange stone.
The east quarter was dark, but dim candlelight leaked from the west guest house.
Jaseong turned his attention to the north quarter, which was guarded most strictly.
Standing before its door were what looked to be the elite among the Iron Wall Squad.
Jaseong recalled the map Hyang-I had provided.
[That's the study. Let's head there first.]