Chapter 179

In an instant, the number of people at Changcheon Pavilion nearly doubled, and they immediately dashed southward.

They didn’t even stop at Tianjin, their first planned stop, ignoring the main road and charging straight ahead.

Originally, they were supposed to go to Tianjin, where the Hapbuk Paeng Family was located, to seek cooperation regarding the events in Beijing and then travel via the Grand Canal. However, this plan was scrapped after pinpointing the exact location where Dongbang Hwa was likely to be.

Their destination was Shandong Province.

Mount Tai.

There was a route where they could take the canal down to Liaocheng and then head to Mount Tai, but the canal was too slow, regardless of convenience.

Since they couldn’t predict when Dongbang Hwa would notice the disturbance, they had to move like lightning to capture him.

“Sorry we couldn’t stop by the Paeng Family.”

“It’s fine. We sent a letter, and Father will understand.”

“We keep relying on the Blade Sovereign.”

Namgung Woo had entrusted the aftermath of the chaos in Beijing to the Hapbuk Paeng Family.

The Paeng Family and the Imperial Family were on relatively good terms, and the Paeng Family had contributed to quelling the previous Beijing unrest.

If the Paeng Family mediated and used the debt they had with the Imperial Family, this disturbance would likely be smoothed over. Above all, those who had truly felt the might of a Peerless Master this time wouldn’t dare turn against two Peerless Masters like Paeng Hu-sang and Namgung Woo.

They weren’t foolish; they just had a tendency to forget, like they had a safety blind spot. When it came to calculating gains and losses, they were sharper than anyone in the world.

Empress Dowager Ju and Han Gyeran would also cooperate, so they left that side to them.

Namgung Woo focused solely on capturing Dongbang Hwa.

“By the way, Cheongdangon is amazing. Even the Blade Sovereign couldn’t sense it…”

At those words, Princess Jihyang, who was listening nearby, shrugged her shoulders.

Jegal Seon-a, true to her Jegal family name, gazed at Cheongdangon with curiosity-filled eyes.

Cheongdangon, who had been playing with a parrot, sensed the gaze and spun around, hiding its face. Jegal Seon-a muttered, slightly disappointed.

“Ah, it dodged…”

Whether Cheongdangon’s spirit had reversed the resonance power to read Jegal Seon-a’s emotions or not, the emotions in her eyes were clear enough.

Regardless, Cheongdangon accurately pinpointed the location connected to the parrot.

Unlike Namgung Woo, who only deduced that the parrot had a mate and that it was to the south, Cheongdangon discerned the exact location.

Namgung Woo pulled out a map from his pocket. It was a map of the entire Hebei region, depicting parts of Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan.

And on the lower right of the map, where Mount Tai was located, Cheongdangon’s paw print was stamped firmly.

“I had a rough idea it would be in Shandong Province, but it seems I was right.”

Song Woojeol, who had the most experience among the group, spoke up.

“Why? Would it be hard to control if it were too far away?”

“That’s part of it, but since Man Gwibi is from Shandong herself, she’d want to keep it in a familiar place.”

Man Gwibi was from Jining in Shandong Province.

However, it was surprising to Heo Ryeo-mun that she had settled in Mount Tai instead of Jining.

“But Mount Tai… Heo Rok, that guy really chose a treacherous place.”

“Why do you call Mount Tai treacherous?”

Except for Hengshan and Huashan, the other Five Peaks—Songshan, Hengshan, and Mount Tai—aren’t particularly high. Though they have many jagged rocks, the terrain itself isn’t that treacherous, so Heo Ryeo-mun’s description puzzled Namgung Woo.

Heo Ryeo-mun wasn’t referring to the terrain.

He was evaluating it from a power dynamics perspective.

“The area around Mount Tai is like a battlefield with various factions densely packed. People often call Sichuan the largest powder keg in the martial world because of the Emei, Cheongseong, Tang Family, and Sun and Moon Sects gathered there, but that’s just because they don’t know how vast Sichuan is.”

Though the Sichuan Basin gives the impression of being densely packed with major orthodox and unorthodox factions, the distances between them are significant.

The Emei Sect, Cheongseong Sect, and Tang Family are indeed close. However, all three are orthodox factions with enemies in the Martial Alliance. The Sun and Moon Sect, the strongest faction within the Black Path Seven Gates of the Black Martial Alliance, is located far away from these three orthodox factions in Chongqing.

To compare it to the Korean Peninsula, it’s like the distance between Seoul and Gyeongju.

“So, the likelihood of conflict is low. However, the factions around Mount Tai are all in close proximity but belong to different groups.”

The Sandong Ak Family, based in Jinan, is the largest noble family in Shandong and one of the Seven Great Families.

The Taesan Faction, part of the Five Peaks Sword Faction, claims Mount Tai as its territory.

The Green Forest Alliance, firmly holding Lu Mountain right next to Mount Tai.

The Shinchang Yang Family, guarding Qingzhou north of Lu Mountain, keeping an eye on the Green Forest Alliance.

“And if you go down the distance between Chengdu and Chongqing, you’ll find the main base of the Black Martial Alliance. They’ve made Mount Tai their vanguard for expanding into Shandong’s martial world, establishing unorthodox factions in Dongping, Mengyin, and Neiwu to spread their influence.”

A place where orthodox factions, the Imperial Family, and unorthodox factions are all entangled.

That place is Mount Tai.

“They’ve managed to claim a corner of such a place.”

Namgung Woo glanced at Song Woojeol.

Thinking the same thing, Song Woojeol nodded.

‘The Green Forest Alliance must have cooperated.’

The Imperial Family backs the Green Forest Alliance. Song Woojeol had said so. And Man Gwibi, having taken control of Xichang, now holds one of the three channels through which the Imperial Family intervenes in the martial world.

Though the Jinwang Five Martial Families and the Martial Arts Governor’s Office have Peerless Masters like Yang So-hu and Han Won-chun stationed, making it difficult for Man Gwibi to touch them, with the Imperial Guards weakened by Gwak Dan’s disappearance and Xichang pushing out the Eastern Depot, handling the Green Forest Alliance wouldn’t be a big deal.

“Perhaps our enemy isn’t just Dongbang Hwa, but the Green Forest Alliance as well.”

“The Green Forest Alliance…? Hmm, I see. That makes sense.”

Heo Ryeo-mun truly hadn’t aged for nothing.

Though he hadn’t had much experience in the martial world, he had the insight to see through the underlying dynamics with just a few clues.

“By the way, if we go to Mount Tai like this, my family might also get involved.”

The Hapbuk Paeng Family was just a passing stop, so there wasn’t much contact, but if they stirred up Mount Tai, the local powers would surely see it as an invasion of their territory.

“The Yang Family aside, the Sandong Ak Family and the Taesan Faction won’t stay idle either.”

“The Taesan Faction… isn’t that where the Martial Alliance elder known as the Sword Lord of Mount Tai is?”

“That’s right! Since they’re involved with the Martial Alliance, they’ll side with us.”

“On the other hand, some might think we’ve humiliated them…”

“If they come at us, we’ll just have to show them what we’re made of.”

Already excited at the thought of a fight, Geumshin spoke firmly.

“That guy really isn’t a monk.”

“That’s why he quit.”

Ignoring the Yang Brothers’ reactions, Yang Se-rim continued.

“Ahaha, anyway… with the Princess here, our family can probably keep the Green Forest Alliance in check to some extent.”

“But if the Yang Family moves, the Ak Family will definitely oppose them. The two families don’t get along very well.”

True to his role in mediating martial world conflicts as part of the Martial Alliance, Song Woojeol was well-versed in the relationships between factions.

Though overshadowed by swords and sabers, the spear holds the third-largest share in the martial world.

There are three factions related to the spear.

The divine title of ‘Divine Spear,’ given to the pinnacle of spear masters.

The Shinchang Yang Family, which has inherited this title for generations, confidently declaring themselves the origin of spear techniques.

The Sandong Ak Family, closely following the Yang Family, aiming to seize the title of ‘Divine Spear’ and claim the position of the world’s greatest spear master.

And the Gangseohwan Family, which has carved out a third position among spear martial families, achieving a tripartite division of the martial world.

The Gangseohwan Family, as the name suggests, is a family from Jiangxi Province far to the south.

However, the Ak and Yang Families are only about 300 li (approximately 120 km) apart and have a long history of rivalry, so they don’t get along. Their affiliations with orthodox factions and the Imperial Family are also completely different.

If the Shinchang Yang Family steps in to control the Green Forest Alliance, the Ak Family will likely push back, asking why they’re just holding back instead of crushing them outright, accusing them of collusion, and declaring they’ll take care of the Green Forest Alliance themselves.

In terms of martial power, the Yang Family, with a Peerless Master as its head, has the upper hand. But in terms of influence, the Sandong Ak Family, firmly holding Shandong’s orthodox martial world, is the representative martial force of Shandong.

If an external force enters Shandong or if local factions show any strange signs, they won’t hesitate to get involved.

As Changcheon Pavilion expected.

As Changcheon Pavilion entered Shandong Province and approached Jinan to the north of Mount Tai, a group of martial artists appeared, heading north from the south.

“Stop right there! We’re from the Ak Family!”