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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Several days had passed since the Longevity Hill incident—officially announced as the Li Zi-long Rebellion, but known in the martial world and among the common folk as the Beijing Uprising.
Despite the earth-shattering event that had drastically altered the course of the world, life continued as usual.
The sheer size of the country meant news from the capital traveled slowly, and the Imperial Family’s efforts to contain the situation helped maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Of course, Beijing was still in disarray.
The damage caused by the Ghost Gates, which had opened not only on Longevity Hill but throughout the city, was extensive.
Even with the Imperial Family’s full attention, the void left by Guo Duan, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was deeply felt.
Fortunately, the current emperor, Hongzhi, was a capable ruler.
Rejecting proposals to abandon the ravaged capital and relocate to Nanjing, he declared his commitment to Beijing, opened the imperial treasury, and personally oversaw the hunt for those who had conspired with Li Zi-long.
Though the Embroidered Uniform Guard was shaken by Guo Duan’s death, the Emperor’s personal involvement quickly restored order.
Even the loss of Guo Duan, the strongest martial artist in the Imperial Family, was mitigated.
Han Gye-ran, the Martial Consort of Haedong, who had kept a low profile since the Emperor’s ascension, stepped forward, accompanying the Emperor and bolstering his defenses.
Though not a Dao Lord, Han Gye-ran was among the top martial artists beneath that level, making her a suitable, though imperfect, replacement for Guo Duan.
Namgung-Woo learned of these developments from someone who had been in Beijing until the previous day.
“With His Majesty’s direct involvement, Beijing should stabilize soon.”
Peng Hou-sang calmly explained the aftermath of the Beijing Uprising to Namgung-Woo in a respectful tone.
He wouldn’t have been so courteous even to a close friend.
But in Peng Hou-sang’s eyes, Namgung-Woo deserved such treatment.
During his stay in Beijing, Peng Hou-sang had learned from his brother, Peng Mu-ho, the full extent of Namgung-Woo’s kindness to the Hebei Peng Family.
He’d saved his brother and his eldest daughter, Peng Ha-ryeong.
And he’d even extended the life of Peng Ye-ryeong, who had less than two years to live, by imparting his profound cultivation technique.
To Peng Hou-sang, these were debts he could never repay, even with his own life.
Though known for his rough demeanor, Peng Hou-sang knew when to show respect.
Otherwise, he would have been banished from Hebei like a stray dog, having incurred the Imperial Family’s displeasure.
Despite his temper, Peng Hou-sang understood human decency. That’s why his title was “Lord.” If he were truly arrogant, he’d be called “Dao Monster” or “Dao Demon,” not “Lord.”
“And though not publicly announced, the Imperial Family has been discussing you in private.”
“Hmm…”
Namgung-Woo hummed softly.
He’d met Han Gye-ran upon entering Longevity Hill.
Having learned that Namgung-Woo was staying with the Hebei Peng Family, Han Gye-ran had promised to contact them later.
“I heard you met with the Grand Empress Dowager.”
Namgung-Woo simply nodded, seeing no reason to hide it.
“I did.”
“I hear your mother and the Grand Empress Dowager are from the same region.”
“Not exactly the same, but close. It’s about the distance between Wuan County and Handan County.”
Namgung-Woo explained by comparing the distance between Cheonan and Cheongju.
It was an approximation, but having traveled from Shanxi to Beijing, he was fairly confident in his estimation.
“Wuan and Handan… From the perspective of Joseon People, those two counties are practically neighbors. The Grand Empress Dowager was right.”
Peng Hou-sang stroked his neatly trimmed beard, a look of understanding on his face.
After a brief pause, his expression turned serious.
“So, do you intend to become the Imperial Son-in-Law?”
“…Is that something I can refuse?”
Despite having lived in a democratic future, Namgung-Woo understood the absolute power of an emperor in a monarchy.
Even in his time, while explicit social hierarchies might have faded, implicit ones remained.
There was a vast difference in social standing between an ordinary employee and the company chairman.
If that was true between employer and employee, how much more powerful was the authority of a ruler over his subjects?
But Peng Hou-sang’s answer was blunt.
“Of course.”
Though the Hebei Peng Family resided in Tianjin, away from the capital, and lacked their own intelligence network due to the Eastern Depot’s scrutiny, they were still the second most powerful of the Seven Great Families, the pillars of the righteous martial world.
Moreover, the Imperial Family, having enjoyed unprecedented power, had recently suffered a significant setback.
Furthermore, both Peng Hou-sang and Namgung-Woo were peerless experts who had rendered a great service to the Imperial Family.
And how rare were peerless experts?
Officially, there were only fifteen in the Jianghu, the Three Extremes and Twelve Sovereigns.
There might be others hidden within the Imperial Family, in foreign lands, or in seclusion, but the common consensus was that the total number wouldn’t exceed thirty.
This wasn’t a baseless assumption. There was a precedent.
Fifty years ago, the known top martial artists were the Seventeen Masters of the Martial World.
Of those, only twelve had reached the Dao Lord realm.
The remaining five were around Han Gye-ran’s level, but at the time, there had been no way to verify their true strength.
Then, the unprecedented Blood Cult incident occurred.
Reclusive experts emerged from their secluded mountains, and the Imperial Family revealed its hidden forces, bringing the number of known Dao Lords to over thirty.
Considering that twelve of those belonged to the Blood Cult, there had been six hidden Dao Lords within the Central Plains.
If that was the case fifty years ago, it was likely similar now.
While martial arts had advanced, some techniques had been lost, and the Blood Cult incident, followed by the Righteous-Black Path War, had drastically reduced the number of Dao Lords.
“You are one of those twenty or so peerless experts. With my support, not even the Imperial Family can force you to do anything.”
With the confirmed absence of the Unrivaled Martial Artist, the Imperial Family had lost its absolute control over the Dao Lords.
When Namgung-Woo remained silent, despite Peng Hou-sang’s lengthy explanation, he pressed further.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“…Yes, embarrassingly so.”
“Embarrassed? Why should a man be embarrassed to contemplate a life-altering decision?”
Anyone else hearing those words would have scoffed, “Look who’s talking!”
But they were alone.
“I hesitate to complicate your decision, but may I offer you another option?”
“I’m all ears.”
Namgung-Woo felt a surge of gratitude towards Peng Hou-sang.
He’d handled negotiations with the Imperial Family on his behalf and promised to support him if he refused the Emperor’s offer.
Though Namgung-Woo had helped the Peng Family, such reciprocation was rare.
Having lived in a world where gratitude was often fleeting, he was touched by the Peng Family’s sincerity.
But that feeling vanished the moment he heard Peng Hou-sang’s proposal.
“What do you think of Ha-ryeong?”
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It wasn’t the Yang brothers waiting for Namgung-Woo outside the Family Head’s residence, but the fourth most important person in the estate.
“Ah, Benefactor! Are you done talking with the Family Head?”
Peng Ha-ryeong approached him briskly.
Normally, he would have responded casually and walked with her, but after Peng Hou-sang’s words, he felt awkward.
He subtly used the evasive maneuvers of the Infinite Steps to create distance between them.
“Benefactor?”
Peng Ha-ryeong tilted her head, puzzled by his unusual behavior.
“Huh? Oh, yes, we’re done. Where are the Yang brothers?”
“You told them to train instead of waiting for you, so they’re sparring in the training grounds…”
“The training grounds. I haven’t properly overseen their training lately. I should check on their progress.”
“I, I’ll come too, Benefactor!”
Namgung-Woo awkwardly tried to distance himself, while Peng Ha-ryeong persistently followed.
A pair of eyes watched them from afar.
“Hmm…”
Peng Ye-ryeong, who had been waiting to discuss the Ethereal Void Divine Art with Namgung-Woo, decided to postpone it.
“Well, I’ll let my sister have him today.”
It was a peaceful day at the Peng estate.
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cute