Chapter 34

Im Cheon-woo revealed the purpose of his visit to Flying Swallow Manor.

“Please help us.”

“What do you want us to help you with?”

“Please help our Smoke and Cloud Union.”

The circumstances were as follows.

At the southern end of Shandong Province there are four large lakes.

Nanyang Lake, Suyang Lake, Misan Lake, Doksan Lake.

The four lakes are not separate but connected, so the people of Shandong often collectively call them the Southern Four Lakes.

“Centered on the four lakes of the Southern Four Lakes, four righteous sects maintained a balance, and it was a peaceful region for a long time. Goods moved by the lakes, the streets were bustling, and the four clans, including our Smoke and Cloud Union, have been on intimate terms for ages.”

The Smoke and Cloud Union of Nanyang Lake,

The Gold Radiance Sect of Suyang Lake,

The Dispersing Lotus Union of Misan Lake,

And the Blue River Clan of Doksan Lake.

“People used to call these four factions the Southern Four Alliance. Under the Alliance’s cooperation, the commoners around the Southern Four Lakes enjoyed peaceful days.”

Peaceful days, my ass.

You shouldn’t ask those Southern Four Alliance types about those things—you have to hear from the people who make a living on the lakes.

Anyway, that’s not the point right now.

“So?”

“Until the Night Water Clan showed up.”

The Night Water Clan was an evil sect that suddenly appeared at the Southern Four Lakes one day.

Originally the Southern Four Lakes were kept free of evil sects because the four righteous sects of the Alliance stood guard together with sharp eyes.

“But the Night Water Clan were acting strange. They hadn’t migrated from some large force, nor had they long been spread through the lakes—it was as if they dropped from the sky. They wreaked havoc nearby lands as if mocking the Alliance’s power, demanding protection fees and tributes from regular people.”

“The Southern Four Alliance must have tried to stop them, right?”

“Of course. The leaders of the Alliance gathered somewhere around the lakes to discuss countering the Night Water Clan.”

“And then?”

“They all disappeared. All four of them.”

“…?”

Bukgung Yoon looked at Im Cheon-woo as if to ask what he meant.

“It’s enough to make even ghosts wail. No bodies, no bloodstains, no traces at all. We don’t know if they were ambushed or abducted. The warriors who guarded the four Alliance leaders were the strongest fighters from each faction.”

“Was that the Night Water Clan’s doing too?”

“That’s the problem—we don’t even know that! If we had evidence we could interrogate the Night Water Clan. The temporary leader of the Gold Radiance Sect went to confront them and was beaten and driven off.”

Bukgung Yoon asked.

“Couldn’t the remaining factions drive out the Night Water Clan? If only the leaders disappeared that is.”

“We thought of that, but… we once gathered a few elite warriors from the Alliance and launched a surprise attack on the Night Water Clan.”

“What happened?”

Im Cheon-woo clenched his fists and said, trembling.

“They were all slaughtered. By the Night Water Clan.”

“They had no justification for abducting the leaders, but they had the justification for striking the alliance, apparently.”

“That’s not all. Rumors started going around that, behind the Night Water Clan, stood the Bukgung Family…”

“The Bukgung Family?”

“As soon as that rumor spread, every faction friendly with the Alliance turned their backs.”

Yeon Mujin nodded.

Of course that’s how it would go.

It was a process and method he had seen many times before.

Im Cheon-woo exploded in anger and said.

“Our leaders are missing, we’ve lost warriors, and we no longer have the strength to oppose the Night Water Clan backed by the Bukgung Family. The once-solid Alliance is becoming meaningless. If this continues, we’ll be driven from our homes with our eyes open. Thinking of grabbing a last lifeline, our new leader sent me to this Flying Swallow Manor.”

“Hmm… I see.”

The situation was clearly understood. Bukgung Yoon asked Im Cheon-woo to step aside for a moment.

“What does Captain Yeon think?”

“It’s the doing of Solitary Cloud Manor.”

“I suspected as much, but are you really sure of that?”

It was the typical method of that Someone.

Yeon Mujin could say it with certainty.

“I’m certain.”

“How do you know… no, of course Captain Yeon wouldn’t not know. And Captain Yeon’s instincts are often right. Let’s assume it’s Solitary Cloud Manor’s doing.”

Yeon Mujin shrugged.

Well, I told you so.

“If it’s discovered that we’re helping the Smoke and Cloud Union, we’ll be openly at odds with Solitary Cloud Manor. The Sixth Young Master won’t stand idly by.”

“That seems likely.”

“From what I’ve heard, the Smoke and Cloud Union and the Alliance won’t be able to give proper support. You’ll have to rely only on the External Protection Troops. There may be losses in the process.”

“That’s right.”

“In the worst case, if you fail to overthrow the Night Water Clan, you could lose both justification and gain. You’ll suffer losses and only increase the Sixth Young Master’s suspicions.”

“Understood.”

Bukgung Yoon looked at Yeon Mujin and asked.

“So. Will you fail?”

Yeon Mujin grinned and replied.

“Of course not.”

“Then let’s fight.”

“Are you serious?”

Bukgung Yoon extended three fingers toward Yeon Mujin.

“The justification that my mother has ties here. The material benefit is that solving this will win us the Southern Four Alliance as an ally. We can get both.”

“What’s the third and final one?”

“Doesn’t it mean that if things go well, we can teach my brother, Bukgung Bi-beom a lesson?”

Bukgung Yoon answered with a smile—a smile oddly like Yeon Mujin’s.

“Then there’s no need to avoid this. If we’re afraid of getting hurt you can do nothing. If you’re going to become Family Lord someday, you’ll have to fight sooner or later.”

Yeon Mujin also supported her decision.

“Well said.”

Now it came back to me.

Actually, I knew of the Smoke and Cloud Union. It felt like I’d heard of them somewhere.

And there’s a trivial problem and an unexpected benefit here.

This goes back to when I rolled around under Bukgung Bi-beom in my previous life.

Bukgung Bi-beom’s sphere of influence spreads across Shandong Province. Among Shandong powers are the Hwangbo Family and the Zhuge Family.

Of course both families annually paid substantial tribute to Solitary Cloud Manor.

But wait. Doesn’t something seem odd up to this point?

Hwangbo and Zhuge aren’t with the Solitary Cloud Manor, are they? Isn’t the most powerful figure besides Bi-beom someone named Un Ji-kang?

Right. Here’s where the problem arises.

Bukgung Bi-beom is almost a puppet of that Un family guy.

If that Un family guy ordered him to run he’d run, asked to roll and he’d roll. He might not see it himself, but he was essentially a regent in name only, a straw man—almost at that level.

In my previous life, the main thing I had to do to make him Family Lord was to kill that Un guy’s influence in Solitary Cloud Manor.

So what is Solitary Cloud Manor like now that I’m gone? It’s called Bukgung Family’s Solitary Cloud Manor in name, but in fact it’s the Un family’s manor.

So naturally the Shandong region supporters would be highly dissatisfied with Bukgung Bi-beom.

Look—if they’re the ones handing over the money but some outsider is playing with it, wouldn’t they be angry? I’d blow my top too.

And of course Hwangbo and Zhuge aren’t the only families in Shandong.

Rummaging through my memory, I finally recalled.

The Southern Four Alliance. I already know these guys.

The Southern Four Alliance around the lakes was not some tiny fringe force.

No, they might rank just below the famed Nine Great Sects or the major families known in the murim world.

At least they weren’t the sort to appear for a season and vanish.

This is the unexpected benefit.

If we make the Southern Four Alliance an ally, Flying Swallow Manor will gain a solid backer.

Finally we can send people to collect tributes too. Hah, getting this far was hard.

So what’s the remaining trivial problem?

Hmm. It has to do with why I just now remembered the Southern Four Alliance.

These guys were annihilated in my previous life. They were taken into that Un guy’s secret warehouse and all turned into jiangshi (murim zombies).

But you see.

The one who annihilated them in their previous life.

Was me.

“Guests from the Bukgung Family have arrived!”

“Welcome them!”

The people of the Smoke and Cloud Union all rushed out barefoot to greet Yeon Mujin and his party as soon as they entered.

I’d never seen such hospitality in my life.

“What on earth is this?”

“I’m nervous……”

“Hey hey, keep a dignified expression. Just follow the captain. Don’t disgrace the Flying Swallow Manor’s External Protection Troops’ prestige.”

Yeon Mujin had drafted only three External Protection Troops members when he set out for Shandong.

They were deputy captain Seo Nak-il, Yu Se-gwang, and a member named Wei Gon-chan.

Wei Gon-chan, true to his name, used twin sticks and was the most talkative among the External Protection Troops.

These three had the best records in the tribute martial arts contests.

“Hey hey, my legs are shaking.”

“Gon-chan hyung, calm down please.”

“You little brat. Will it hurt if you give me your shoulder?”

“You didn’t grab the shoulder, you grabbed the head.”

Wi Gon-chan inevitably grabbed Yu Se-gwang’s shiny head and groaned.

“Oh my, where else do we get such reception?”

“We’re here to help the Smoke and Cloud Union, so isn’t this level of hospitality natural?”

“That’s the problem. Just the four of us? If things go wrong, I’m already scared to see how those people’s eyes will change.”

“With the captain here, I have no worries.”

“Captain looks like a fanatic.”

Seo Nak-il struck a dashing hero pose as the deputy captain.

After all, what could be more fitting than the demeanor of a swordsman who came to save a clan?

“You too, puff out your chests and look solemn.”

“Uh, the captain is yawning though?”

“Don’t worry about the captain.”

When they went inside, a young, thin-faced man darted out to greet the four of them.

“I am Ha Ho-baek, the head of the Smoke and Cloud Union! Guests, please come inside at once!”

The three External Protection Troops men had perfectly reasonable expectations.

They were sent under the Bukgung Family’s name and Flying Swallow Manor’s orders to rescue the Smoke and Cloud Union, weren’t they?

They expected their representative, Yeon Mujin, to be fully aware of that implicit representation.

‘We’ve heard your plight. What a tragic situation. Don’t worry now that we’ve come. The old ties have come full circle.’

Wouldn’t at least words like that be exchanged?

But the first thing Yeon Mujin said, sitting down in the Smoke and Cloud Union leader’s reception room, was something none of the four—Ha Ho-baek and the three External Protection Troops—expected.

Yeon Mujin said this:

“How much will you pay?”

The three External Protection Troops had to wipe the heroic expressions off their faces.

With that one line, from now on they had to adopt the shameless wanderer-like expression of men who take money to teach others a lesson.

Yeon Mujin, damn unpredictable wanderer bastard…….