Chapter 477: Groundwork (2)

“Uwaaaaah!”

The yawn was so long and drawn out that it seemed capable of making heat shimmer rise from the ground, even though it wasn't spring.

“Ah, I feel sluggish.”

His voice was thick and languid, the sort of voice that would make a hangover headache even worse.

As it happened, Peng Un had drunk quite heavily the night before. Listening to his esteemed Clan Lord yawn, he tried to soothe his aching stomach.

Peng Mugang scratched vigorously at his chest before speaking.

“Un.”

“Yes, Clan Lord?”

“Wake that brat up.”

“Understood.”

A moment later, Peng Un returned from somewhere with a bucket of water and dumped it over the young man sprawled on the ground.

Splash!

“Gah!”

The startled young man shot upright.

He was enormous, yet his body was remarkably well proportioned. Anyone looking at him would have marveled at his magnificent physique.

At least, they would have under normal circumstances.

Right now, his body was such a wreck that horrifying was the only word for it. Cuts and dark bruises covered him from head to toe. His hair, stiff with dried blood, resembled seaweed left to shrivel in the sun.

Seated on a chair overlooking the training ground, Peng Mugang clicked his tongue as he studied Peng Daeho.

“You really have improved a bit.”

Peng Daeho grumbled.

“Did you have to beat your own son into this state just to find that out?”

“Train as you would fight. Every drop of sweat you shed in training saves a bucket of blood on the battlefield.”

“That would be a fine saying if sweat were all I'd shed.”

“It's hardly the first time, is it? Stop snapping at me. It makes you look petty.”

“You beat your son half to death, and you have the nerve to call him petty?!”

He looked terrible enough from the outside, but his condition was even worse internally. He had suffered not only internal injuries but several broken bones as well.

The fact that Peng Daeho could sit there arguing at the top of his lungs was a testament to his extraordinary endurance. An ordinary person in his condition would have struggled to move a finger.

Peng Mugang chuckled.

“What's wrong with how you look? Better this than having some bastard chop your head off.”

“Don't you think you're going too far? You were particularly brutal today. At this rate, you'll beat me to death before some nameless bastard ever gets the chance to cut my head off.”

“Then train harder.”

Peng Daeho roared.

“I'm already sacrificing sleep to train!”

And he wasn't exaggerating.

The Martial Alliance was home to countless masters and geniuses. Inspired by the people around him, Peng Daeho had more than doubled the intensity of his training since leaving his clan.

Day after day, he drove himself through grueling exercises that practically had him coughing up blood. Even the most obsessive training fanatic would have balked at his regimen.

“Are you talking back to your father?”

“Am I supposed to keep quiet when my father is trying to kill me?”

“What an unfilial son! Where else would you find a parent who pours as much love into his child's training as I do?”

Peng Daeho glared at his father, breathing heavily through his nose, before abruptly turning his head away.

There was no point arguing with the man.

Peng Daeho had seen his share of the martial world and met plenty of people with unusual personalities. Not one of them could hold a candle to his father.

If only having a strange personality were the worst of it.

This is just a beating disguised as training!

The words rose all the way to his throat.

Peng Daeho could endure most kinds of pain with a smile, but every punch from his father inflicted agony that went well beyond the pain of a broken bone.

He understood that it was training, but surely this method was excessive?

“Enough of your nonsense. Now that you're awake, start circulating your qi.”

“My shinbone is broken.”

“Who told you to sit cross-legged? Did you throw away that standing exercise you worked so hard to learn?”

“I said my shinbone is broken! I can barely sit, much less stand!”

“Then do it lying down, you brat! Good grief, you never shut up. Built like a mountain, yet all you do is complain. Who the hell did you inherit that from?”

Still grumbling, Peng Daeho flopped onto his back.

The fact that he immediately sprawled out the moment his father told him to lie down said plenty about his own temperament.

But that lasted only a moment.

His expression soon grew peaceful.

He had entered qi circulation almost instantly.

The fierce expression on Peng Mugang's face softened as well.

“That brat.”

He said nothing more, but the pride was written all over his face.

Peng Un spoke casually.

“His saber arts have improved, of course, but his close-combat abilities have grown tremendously.”

“That's what surprised me. I thought he'd only just reached the point where he could afford to walk around with a little confidence. Who would've thought he'd come this far?”

Peng Mugang glanced down at his solar plexus.

Beneath his loose clothing, a small bruise had formed there.

He had defended against the attack, or so he'd thought. Yet the force behind Peng Daeho's Armor-Breaking Hammer had penetrated his guard and struck him.

Peng Mugang hadn't been fighting at full strength, but it was still an impressive achievement.

His son had clearly gone beyond simple physical conditioning. He had devoted himself to cultivating his True Qi and mastering force-emission techniques as well.

“He must've had plenty of motivation. After all, it was his own younger brother who made such remarkable progress.”

Peng Daeho's twin brother, Peng Manho, was currently serving as a soldier in the Evil-Smiting Corps under the Righteous Justice Corps.

He had trained as a soldier and been deployed on military operations. Surviving those repeated brushes with death had sharpened his combat abilities to an extraordinary degree.

Naturally, Peng Daeho couldn't simply celebrate his brother's progress without any complicated feelings.

After all, he was the young heir to the clan.

More than that, he was a son of the Peng Clan of Hebei, a family known for its fierce pride and combative spirit. His reaction was entirely natural.

If anything, Peng Manho's easygoing personality was the unusual one.

“Is that why you've been doing this?”

“Hmm?”

“You've been striking the young heir to make his Inner Qi more flexible and burn away his turbid energy, haven't you?”

That was the reason Peng Mugang's punches were so excruciating.

The penetrating force of his blows inflicted injuries while simultaneously burning away turbid energy and loosening the Inner Qi, kneading it as though it were dough.

For Peng Daeho, who had to endure the process, it was absolute torture.

Peng Mugang shrugged.

“Don't misunderstand me. Daeho and Manho are equally precious to me. But as Clan Lord, I have to bring out the full potential of the son who will succeed me. That's not a privilege. It's my responsibility.”

“I see.”

“Of course, I wouldn't have done any of this if the boy weren't ready for it. He's managed to reach this level in remarkably little time.”

His face shone with affection and pride as he looked at his son.

Peng Un cleared his throat.

“Even so, breaking his bones was a little excessive.”

“He'll be fine. His Iron Body Art is still holding strong. Give him six days or so, and he should be fully recovered. An occasional beating this severe can actually be beneficial. The more he endures, the further his Iron Body Art will advance. His bones and muscles will become both more flexible and more resilient.”

The training might have looked brutally crude, but there was a meticulous calculation behind it.

Peng Mugang yawned again.

“Ah, perhaps I'll get some proper rest today. There's another council meeting tomorrow, apparently.”

“Another meeting?”

“Tell me about it. I understand why they're necessary, but they're holding far too many of them.”

Anyone who aspired to lead an organization needed extensive knowledge, quick intelligence, and the discernment to understand the times.

By those standards, Peng Mugang was an excellent Clan Lord.

But he was still a man of the Peng Clan.

He was hearty by nature and disliked complications. He was perfectly willing to use his head when the clan's interests were at stake, but otherwise, he preferred not to trouble himself with unnecessary thinking.

“I'll give that brat another lecture when he wakes up, then call it a day. You should go get some rest yourself. You drank quite a bit last night, didn't you?”

“Haha! So did you, Clan Lord.”

“Don't waste your time hanging around just because you think you ought to attend to your leader. A man should know how to use his time efficiently.”

Peng Un smiled.

“Understood. I'll take my leave, then.”

“Go on.”

But Peng Un had barely taken a few steps when he stopped.

...?!

His eyes sharpened.

“Clan Lord?”

“I know.”

A peculiar gleam appeared in Peng Mugang's eyes.

“Well, now. Looks like we've got an unexpected visitor.”

An imposing presence was approaching.

The visitor made no attempt to conceal his aura. Yet neither did he deliberately release it to intimidate anyone.

That very lack of ostentation made his presence all the more commanding.

A moment later, a clear, youthful voice rang out from beyond the gate.

“Is anyone there?”

Peng Mugang answered.

“The gate's open. Come on in.”

Creeeak.

Yeon Hojeong appeared through the open gate.

He brought his hands together in a crisp martial salute.

“Greetings, Lord Peng. I am Yeon Hojeong of the Yeon Clan.”

It was a brief introduction, but one that radiated masculine confidence.

Peng Mugang rose from his chair.

“Well, well. To think ?? (Original source) the commander of the Righteous Justice Corps would grace this humble place with a visit.”

“You're too kind.”

“Is this our first time speaking face-to-face?”

They had seen each other several times at council meetings, but those were formal occasions. They had never exchanged personal words, nor had they even properly met each other's eyes.

“It is.”

“I entrusted my boy to you, yet I haven't once come to visit. I'm not particularly fond of giving people something to gossip about.”

He was referring to Peng Manho.

Yeon Hojeong nodded.

“I understand.”

“How's the boy doing? Is he pulling his weight?”

“He's performing his duties more than adequately. Of course, he still has room to improve.”

Peng Mugang grinned.

“The more you hammer him, the stronger he'll get. That's true of every man in our clan, not just him. Put some real care into hammering him into shape.”

“Since you insist, I'll make sure to push him even harder.”

“Now that's what I like to hear!”

Anyone overhearing the conversation would have wondered what on earth was wrong with these two.

But Peng Mugang was delighted by Yeon Hojeong's forthright response.

He liked people who spoke boldly and showed themselves without pretense.

Yeon Hojeong glanced at Peng Daeho.

“By the way, I see Brother Peng has been training hard as well.”

“He certainly has. Can't have him losing to his little brother, can we?”

“Of course not.”

“Though I imagine he's still got a long way to go by your standards. What do you think? Is he shaping up into someone useful?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“His internal energy is circulating with remarkable vigor. His body has also been tempered to a degree that hardly compares with when we first met. Even the most determined martial artists would struggle to train as hard as he has.”

“Bwahahaha!”

Peng Mugang burst into hearty laughter.

There wasn't the slightest trace of resentment in it. He didn't consider Yeon Hojeong arrogant or presumptuous in the least.

“If the greatest young martial artist under heaven says so, then at least I can be sure the brat hasn't been slacking off.”

“You flatter me. I believe Brother Peng will make an excellent Clan Lord.”

“Thank you for the kind words.”

“Not at all.”

“Now, then.”

Peng Mugang tilted his head.

“What brings you here at this hour? I take it there's something you want to discuss.”

“There is.”

“Shall I have someone bring us some wine?”

Yeon Hojeong couldn't help chuckling.

“To tell you the truth, that's exactly what I was hoping for on my way here. I wanted to sit down over a few drinks and get to know you properly.”

It was a statement that could easily have sounded presumptuous.

Peng Mugang smiled.

“And you've changed your mind?”

“Yes. I think I'll simply ask you outright.”

“Hah! Nothing wrong with getting straight to the point. What is it?”

“Are you a spy sent by the Three Creeds?”

It was an outrageously bold question.

In fact, boldness hardly began to describe it.

Even an actual spy would never respond to such a question by saying, Why, yes. I'm a spy.

Yet Yeon Hojeong had asked it anyway.

Peng Mugang's answer was a masterpiece.

“Do I look clever enough to spend my spare time on something so damn troublesome?”

“So you're not one, then.”

“Hell, I wouldn't do that even if someone offered me the Emperor's throne. I've already got enough trouble worrying about my gray hair.”

The world at large would never have guessed that Peng Mugang had a personality like this.

But Yeon Hojeong found himself liking the man immensely.

“Then I'll take your word for it.”

Peng Mugang's eyes gleamed.

“Of course I'm not. But... you're really going to believe me just like that?”

“If you are, you are. If you're not, you're not.”

“Bwahahahaha!”

Peng Mugang's laughter rang out louder than ever.

“What a character! I like you! Now I understand why my second son follows you around so devotedly!”

“You're too generous.”

“Well, in that case...”

Peng Mugang's eyes abruptly sharpened.

“What do you need me to do?”

He's a clever man.

There really isn't a single person here who can be taken lightly.

Yeon Hojeong's expression turned serious.

“Please help me root out a spy.”