Episode 28

Hebei. Historically, this region was originally called Beizhili, a place that had reigned as the political and military heart of the Central Plains for centuries.

Even in this world, where the capital of the dynasty is Kaifeng rather than Beijing, Hebei remained a crucial strategic point—a vast military encampment preparing for an invasion from the Mongols who fled north of the Great Wall and the Goryeo forces asserting their presence from the east.

And because it is located north of the treacherous Yellow River, it was called Hebei, meaning “north of the river.”

“Every time I come here, I can’t get used to it.”

That statement meant that reaching Hebei required crossing the Yellow River.

A dreadful experience. Regardless of its reputation, the Yellow River was far from an ideal waterway. Silt carried by the current accumulates at the riverbed, making its depth erratic. The water was murky with mud, making it difficult to gauge the depth, and larger ships often ran aground. Calling it a ‘good river’ would be a stretch.

On top of that, despite its fame, the Yellow River didn’t carry much water—drying up easily during droughts and overflowing uncontrollably during floods. To make matters worse, the river changed its course unpredictably. The people of the Central Plains even called it the “Violent Dragon”—a foul-tempered bastard of a river.

“Should we have left Hebei for last?”

“We have to go there anyway. Isn’t it better to handle it first?”

“That’s true…”

Even though Jo Wi-cheo’s answer made sense, a sigh escaped.

Yes, if they had to go there anyway, it was best to do it first. There was a saying that it was better to get a beating sooner rather than later, and skipping Hebei, which was right above Kaifeng, might lead to strange rumors about the Left Inspector stirring up regional conflicts.

So this was the right decision. It was the right one, but…

“Ahaha! That’s quite a fancy-looking ship! A perfect offering for the guardians of the Yellow River!”

“Heh, if you hand it over quietly, we might just let you off with a little less pain!”

Hearing the booming voices, he closed his eyes.

Unlike the Yangtze River, which was an economic powerhouse and under the thumb of the King of Jiujiang, the Yellow River was a difficult place for even government ships to navigate, allowing river bandits to occasionally appear. As if crossing this damn river wasn’t already annoying enough, now there was the added nuisance of bandits.

It was almost impressive. To think that there were people bold enough to engage in piracy on such an unforgiving river. If they had channeled that courage into something else, they might have become great men.

“Wi-cheo.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This time, send them to Mountain-Sea Pass.”

If they were pirating on the Yellow River, they were probably natives of Hebei.

They must have some attachment to their homeland, so they would surely serve with pride at Mountain-Sea Pass.

After sentencing those brave fools to an indefinite term of “patriotic service” at Mountain-Sea Pass, they finally arrived in Jinju, where the Eon Clan resided.

“Those guys got quite a beating from the government too.”

A chuckle escaped as he recalled the tearful past of the Eon Clan, now known as the Jinju Eon Clan.

Originally, the Eon Clan was not from Hebei but from Hubei. Positioned at a strategic point along the Yangtze River, they had built their wealth through river trade.

However, after the founding of the Song Dynasty, that wealth became their downfall. To the high-ranking officials, the Eon Clan—rich despite never fighting the Mongols—was nothing more than a fat piggy bank, an unworthy coward despised for their inaction. So, much like how the Namgung Clan was exiled to Anhui, the Eon Clan was forcibly relocated to Hebei.

“That was a bit too harsh.”

The relocation of the Eon Clan was so severe that rumors spread that the family head had fainted upon hearing the decision. Compared to the Namgung Clan, who were merely moved to a neighboring province, the Eon Clan had been uprooted from the Yangtze and thrown all the way to the Yellow River.

In return, their new settlement was elevated from Jinhyeon to Jinju, and they were allowed to call themselves the Jinju Eon Clan as a mark of local prestige. But honestly, that wasn’t so much compensation as it was mockery. They had been thriving merchants in Hubei, only to be forcibly branded as a prominent family in Hebei.

“Madmen.”

Thinking back, the period right after the founding of the Song Dynasty had been an era of absolute madness. If one were to count all the clans and martial sects that had been forcibly relocated, the number would probably reach three digits.

Of course, while it may have been excessive, he didn’t particularly feel guilty about it. At the time, the martial world had bet on the Mongol rule continuing and invested their future accordingly. But contrary to their expectations, the underdog—the Song Dynasty—had won. If you placed a bad bet and lost, getting ruined was only natural.

“Now then, how should I shake them up?”

Stroking his chin, he gazed at the distant manor of the Eon Clan.

He wasn’t trying to destroy the martial world—he simply believed that martial artists should be utilized as manpower for the benefit of officials. If that meant shaking them down like he did with the Namgung Clan, so be it.

After all, when his grandfather had risked his life fighting, these people had just sat back and watched.

The Eon Clan was once considered the greatest family in Hubei.

No, not just Hubei—if you included Hunan as well, it was still the foremost family, the leading power in the martial world.

Even the Wudang Sect and Hengshan Sect, which held such prestige today, could not compare to the status the Eon Clan once held. In fact, those two sects’ greatest patron at the time had been the Eon Clan.

That was the Eon Clan. That was us. We had a glorious past, and we were respected by both the martial world and the realm.

“Though it’s all meaningless now.”

Once again, I started my day by watering the flowers in the garden, a calm and uneventful morning.

They said the higher you climb, the harder you fall. That saying was painfully true. The Eon Clan, once the dominant force of Hubei and Hunan, had been exiled to Hebei in an instant, losing most of its accumulated wealth under the guise of “donations.”

It had been a cruel and merciless fate, but resisting was impossible. The heroes who had expelled the Mongols and stabilized the realm, the warriors who had defeated the Three Great Masters of the World—how could we possibly defy their decree? Fighting against a raging tide head-on was nothing short of madness.

Moreover, while the Eon Clan remained silent, the Wudang and Hengshan Sects cooperated with the government. The more we resisted, the more those sects shone, and the more wretched we appeared.

“We weren’t the only ones to be relocated, either.”

If one could even call it a consolation, many of the martial world’s leading clans had been forcibly relocated by the government. The most notable examples were the Namgung Clan, which had been sent from Beizhili to Anhui, and the Zhuge Clan, which had been moved from Shaanxi to Hubei.

The only major family that had avoided relocation was the Hwangbo Clan of Shandong, but given that they were under the close surveillance of the King Ak Clan, perhaps they would have been better off moving.

“…Someday, we will rise again.”

With a bitter smile, I gazed at the bitter orange tree.

Originally, the Eon Clan had cultivated tangerine trees, but after our exile, we began growing these instead—a tree that symbolized both our forced displacement and our resilience in a foreign land.

Yes, this too shall pass. We would rise again. The world has always turned on the cycle of prosperity and decline. What prospered must eventually fall, and what fell must someday rise again.

We were no different. Just as the once-insignificant Eon Clan rose to become the greatest family in Hubei, we were merely going through a temporary decline. It was just my misfortune that this decline coincided with my tenure as the head of the clan.

“It may be different for my children’s generation.”

As time passed, the government officials who despised the martial world would die or retire. Eventually, those who were neutral or even favorable toward the martial world would rise to positions of power. When that time came, we too shall—

“Clan Leader!”

A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I frowned. I had just been organizing my troubled mind.

“What’s with the commotion so early in the morning?”

“T-That is…!”

After taking a deep breath, the leader of the Northern Peak Hall spoke with a flustered expression.

“Officials have arrived! The Left Inspector is here!”

For a moment, I nearly lost my senses.

“The Left Inspector?”

The grandson of Ji Gwang and the grandson-in-law of the Eastern Duke.

The government’s hound who utterly crushed the pride of the Namgung Clan.

“Summon everyone in the manor! We must ensure that we give them no reason to find fault with us!”

“Y-Yes!”

I quickly regained my composure and gave urgent instructions to the Northern Peak Hall leader.

Every member of the Eon Clan had to be present to welcome the Left Inspector. We could not afford to give even the slightest impression of neglect. We had to create the image that the entire Eon Clan wholeheartedly welcomed him.

Perhaps I was overreacting, but this was the man who had cited absurd justifications to trample the Namgung Clan. There was no guarantee that we wouldn’t meet the same fate.

“So suddenly…”

As I watched the Northern Peak Hall leader rush off, I bit my lip.

Ever since we arrived in Hebei, the government had paid us little attention, making us complacent. I never expected an ambush like this, without any warning.

The Eon Clan’s estate, once known as the greatest in Hubei, was now nothing special.

Compared to the Namgung Clan, which had risen to prominence in Anhui, the Eon Clan’s current state looked shabby, but that was to be expected. The whole point of forcibly relocating martial families was to weaken them. If we had managed to thrive despite that, what would have been the point of the relocation in the first place?

Moreover, Jinju, where the Eon Clan resided, was a far cry from Hefei, the Namgung Clan’s new home. It was a small town with hardly any means of generating wealth. If our estate had remained lavish, it would have only served as evidence of corruption, giving the government an excuse to crack down on us.

“A weakened legacy, compared to the past.”

It seemed like something that could be useful if handled correctly, so I pondered for a moment.

In Hebei, the two most prominent families were the Peng Clan and the Eon Clan. However, the Peng Clan had simply been relocated from southern Hebei to the north, whereas the Eon Clan were outsiders forcibly moved from Hubei. Despite both families suffering under the government’s hand, there was an underlying rivalry.

Between the two, the Eon Clan was at a disadvantage. The Peng Clan had long-established connections and a history in Hebei, whereas the Eon Clan had nothing.

“Create a martial sect that cooperates with the government. Show that following the government brings benefits. Let the people scorn those who refuse to cooperate, and ensure that the martial world remains divided and incapable of unity.”

“Hmm.”

Before leaving Kaifeng, the Left Inspector had given me this piece of advice—advice that was as sharp as a blade.

Creating a faction that aligned with the government, demonstrating that obedience was profitable—these were insights that could not be ignored.

“…Should I foster them?”

Now that I thought about it, I had heard that the Peng Clan had been regaining strength lately.

The government couldn’t openly suppress a family positioned near the border, but conflicts between civilian families? That was just unavoidable strife.

As long as the government stayed out of it directly, there was no problem.