Cheonyeong's party left Dongting Lake aboard a rchant ship and entered the waterway south of Hubei Province.
The Tang Family's flag was not displayed.
The waterway connecting Hubei to Anhui already had many forces based in that territory, so he didn't want to create unnecessary commotion by ntioning the Tang Family's na.
Of course, as the waterway twisted and turned, there were occasional instances of water pirates approaching to collect small tolls.
"Huh? Gunsan Faction?"
"Yes."
"Damn, that's good. Let us pass."
"Thank you. This is from my heart. Please use it for drinks."
"Oh! You didn't have to. Thank you."
The pirate captain, seeing the black dragon flag presented by the ship owner, licked his lips, but soon broke into a broad smile at the money pouch secretly handed over.
Good things are good.
They had to gain sothing too.
They had been pulling the boat and running hard until now...
From the ship owner's perspective, transporting Cheonyeong's party was also profitable.
If there had been no black dragon flag, would they have been able to pass through the waterway so smoothly?
They would have had to pay considerable tolls.
But since there was nothing obstructing the journey, the boat advanced swiftly toward Anhui.
Sitting on the ship and watching the winding waters, Cheonyeong thought anew that the Yangtze was truly remarkable.
The waterway that began at the western edge of the Central Plains gathered one by one to form a massive river, flowing through Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui before emptying into the Jiangsu coast.
With so many people's livelihoods occurring there, the Yangtze was truly the lifeblood of the Central Plains.
When you think about it, the Tang Family's ability to establish itself and expand its scale in such a short ti was thanks to the Yangtze.
The enormous inco earned through rchant ships.
Of course, Gongsun Seung, who was knowledgeable about comrce, had expanded the scale, and the connection with Gunsan Faction Leader Namgwangro had also helped, but he couldn't deny that the beginning was thanks to Lee Cheong-ik's ship.
"I should buy Cheong-ik a drink later."
As Cheonyeong recalled past events and muttered Lee Cheong-ik's na, Beakta made a displeased expression.
"Why would you buy that bastard a drink?"
"Huh?"
"You should buy one! !"
"What are you talking about?"
"Never mind. A ssage ca from the Tang Family. From Elder Gui, no, from Elder Noh."
Beakta pouted and handed over a note.
It seed he had briefly disembarked at Wuling Wharf, where they had stopped to load necessary supplies, and received a ssenger pigeon.
The Beggar Gang's ssenger pigeon network.
Now that he thought about it, that seed even more impressive than the Yangtze.
There was no place in the world without beggars, and wherever there were beggars, there was certainly a Beggar Gang ssenger pigeon network.
Not only ssenger pigeons but even flying eagles were operated, so if one set their mind to it, the Beggar Gang could gather all the news of the world in a single day.
Since Cheonyeong had gone to Anhui, it seed they were sending news from the main family through the Beggar Gang.
"Damn it, why is the Beggar Gang using their ssenger pigeons however they please? If that's the case, shouldn't the Tang Family be paying them usage fees?"
Watching Beakta continue grumbling beside him, Cheonyeong smiled bitterly.
"You're taking credit for sothing that doesn't cost money."
"What? Credit? Do you think this is a joke? Do you know how difficult it is to train a single ssenger pigeon? Sotis so fail to find their way ho and are left behind. Sotis they try to rest briefly and get caught by predators."
"..."
"Overcoming all those hardships and difficulties, what's established now is the Beggar Gang's ssenger pigeon network. You don't even know."
Hardships and difficulties—what nonsense.
He wasn't the one who did it, yet he was taking credit shalessly.
Anyway, every opportunity he got, he tried to make Cheonyeong feel indebted to him.
"Sigh, yes. Thank you, thank you so much. Thanks to you, I can exchange news no matter where I am in the Central Plains."
"Your expression shows no sincerity whatsoever."
"What are you talking about? I'm sincere. I'm extrely grateful."
Cheonyeong waved his hands dismissively.
"Tsk, better to suffer than die. Anyway, what's the news?"
"Hmm..."
When Beakta shook his head, Cheonyeong unrolled the tightly wrapped ssenger note.
It was from Elder Gui, Lao Guanying.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"The Elder... he's taken control of all the Minglun Chamber's forces?"
"What?"
"There was a fight with the Minglun Chamber before coming to Dongting Lake."
When Cheonyeong explained the past events, Yu Seong-yeon nodded, and Beakta's eyes widened.
"So now, the Tang Family has expanded its territory again after Chengdu?"
"Yes. After the fight with the Minglun Chamber, it seems the Elder personally moved to bring all the forces under them into the fold."
"Wow!"
Beakta swallowed hard and asked worriedly.
"Cheonyeong, don't you think you should go back and check?"
"Huh? What do you an?"
"Isn't that what I'm saying?"
Both Cheonyeong and Yu Seong-yeon tilted their heads, looking at Beakta.
"Ugh, you thoughtless fellow, and even more thoughtless Taoist..."
"What?"
When he was openly dismissed, Yu Seong-yeon bristled and frowned.
He agreed.
That thoughtless Taoist... it fit perfectly.
"Look here."
As if frustrated, Beakta pulled out a map of the Central Plains from his chest and spread it on the floor.
"This is Sichuan, right?"
"So?"
"Look at the territory the Tang Family now controls."
"...?"
"This is Chengdu, and following that waterway leads to Ganyang, Ziyang, and Neijiang."
"Hmm."
Cheonyeong, examining the location Beakta pointed to, nodded.
Sichuan's power is divided east and west.
The orthodox sects centered on Green Blue and Ei, and the unorthodox sects centered on Jiulong and Heitian.
The territory controlled by the Tang Family penetrated the boundary between the orthodox and unorthodox sects from Chengdu down to the southern region.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Hmm. Soon we'll be similar in scale to Jiulong and Heitian?"
"Soon? Cheonyeong, stop talking nonsense."
"Huh?"
"The Li family head of Mishan, the Guo family head, the Gao family head. Even those belonging to the orthodox sects have signed agreents with you."
"That's right."
"It's called an agreent, but you agreed to help each other during difficult tis, right?"
"That's true."
"Then the Tang Family's current power is..."
Beakta used his fingers to group together the families he ntioned and the forces the Tang Family controlled.
"Huh?"
"Do you understand now?"
"Hmm."
Cheonyeong nodded.
He understood what Beakta was trying to say.
"What are you talking about? What do you understand?"
Of course, Yu Seong-yeon, who didn't understand, just tilted his head.
"Ugh, this frustrating Taoist. The Tang Family has already grown to the point of standing shoulder to shoulder with Jiulong Faction or Heitian Sect."
"Really?"
"Can't you see from the map?"
Beakta pointed at the map repeatedly to show Yu Seong-yeon.
"But why is that a problem? Isn't it good for the power to grow?"
"Good? How could it be? It might be good from the orthodox sect's perspective. But the unorthodox sects are different. From now on, neither Jiulong Faction nor Heitian Sect can ignore the Tang Family anymore."
"But the son of Jiulong Faction and the Venerable Master of Heitian Sect don't seem like bad people."
"You're being naive. The martial world doesn't run on personal connections alone. Especially for unorthodox sects, territorial disputes are fiercer than for orthodox sects. Restrictions will start coming imdiately."
"Then what should we do? You called the Secondary Family Head and Gongsun Family Head to establish a branch in Dongting Lake..."
Only then understanding, Yu Seong-yeon looked at Cheonyeong with a worried expression.
"Hmm..."
Cheonyeong, staring intently at Beakta's map, fell into thought.
Heitian Sect and Jiulong Faction...
Beakta was right.
Personal connections?
Such things weren't important.
Yesterday's enemy becos today's ally, and the friend you shared breakfast with draws a sword at the dinner table. That's the martial world.
The Tang Family had been small and mid-tier, so they had rely been observed, but now that they had grown to a similar scale, Jiulong and Heitian couldn't just watch.
There would definitely be trouble.
But now wasn't the ti for the Tang Family to fight.
No matter how great Elder Gui's martial arts were, being alone was different from being part of an organization.
There was no freedom.
So what should he do?
He had left the Tang Family empty, and as Yu Seong-yeon said, to stabilize the Dongting Lake branch, Yongcheon and Gongsun Seung couldn't return imdiately either.
Elder Gui's martial arts weren't lacking, but he needed soone's help.
"Cheonyeong, what will you do?"
"Hmm, we need to wait and see for now."
"Wait and see?"
"Yes. The Elder wouldn't have expanded the forces without careful consideration."
"True, Gui isn't a na to be taken lightly."
"Instead, let ask you for a favor."
"What?"
"Order the Beggar Gang branch in Sichuan to report all movents of Jiulong Faction and Heitian Sect to the Tang Family's main base. And to as well."
"You bastard! Are you serious? If it's discovered that we're involved!"
"That's why it has to be discreet."
"What?"
"From the Beggar Gang's perspective, it wouldn't be a loss, would it?"
"..."
"Haven't you secretly hoped for the Tang Family to beco the master of Sichuan?"
"That, that's..."
"Myeongson, do you think I'm a fool?"
When Cheonyeong looked at him with a faint smile, Beakta made an awkward expression.
"From the Beggar Gang's perspective, it wasn't exactly pleasant to see the unorthodox sects' influence grow in Sichuan, which is why you established a branch in Ganyang long ago."
"That's true."
"Wouldn't the Tang Family be better than Jiulong or Heitian? Even if they're orthodox and unorthodox, respectively."
"Hmm..."
"If you need approval from above, do that. But rember, this is my help, not the Beggar Gang's help. Understand? You must rember this clearly."
"Of course. The Tang Family..."
"Never forgets a debt? How many tis have I heard that? One more ti and it'll be a hundred tis. A hundred."
The exaggeration...
But knowing it was as good as consent, Cheonyeong smiled slightly.
The Beggar Gang's information network would be sufficient.
Elder Gui wasn't a child. He would handle things well on his own.
Right now, Byeon Gil-tae ca first.
If the Tang Family suffered damage, that would be sothing to think about then.
There's a saying about being prepared for all contingencies, but why worry and be afraid beforehand when nothing has happened yet?
In terms of priority, Byeon Gil-tae ca first.
The problems that might arise from that... he would think about them when the ti ca.
For now, he was satisfied with the fact that the Tang Family was gradually growing, even without his presence.
"Family Head, we've arrived at Anjian."
Just then, the ship owner pointed to a wharf visible in the distance.
Anjian Wharf, Anhui Province.
Their destination.
Turning his head to look, he could see a tall mountain range stretching far away.
"Guhua Mountain."
Cheonyeong's eyes turned cold.
Beakta had said that one of the Eight Immortals' descendants lived there.
He had to et him first.
But...
"The Nangong family?"
"Huh?"
"Those martial artists at the wharf—they seem to be from the Nangong family? Why are they loitering at Anjian Wharf?"
Beakta, who had been carefully observing the wharf, turned back with a worried face to look at Cheonyeong.
"Listen, Family Head. This really won't do. Let's go sowhere else first. Okay?"
"No."
Cheonyeong flatly refused.
Didn't he understand Beakta's true feelings in calling him "Family Head" instead of just his na?
He was worried.
Worried that Cheonyeong might cause friction with the Nangong family.
Anyway, he worried too much.
Why would he unnecessarily fight the Nangong family?
He had told Beakta before—he would never fight unless they touched him first.
(End of Chapter)
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