Chapter 179: Coming Soon to Kaifeng

"Wow, taking a walk with my little brother! It's been ages," Peng Choryeo said, her expression one of utter satisfaction as she returned in the carriage she'd arranged after stepping outside the city. "Shouldn't we do this more often? After all I did raising you, you should be the one grabbing my arm first, you know."

To Peng Choryeo, Peng Daesan was more than just a younger brother but less than a child—more specifically, a foundling brother who leaned heavily towards the 'son she'd picked up' side of the spectrum.

"Choryeo, are you alright?" Peng Daesan asked.

"Of course. This is the first time I've walked arm-in-arm with my hopelessly stiff little brother. I think I can finally let our grown-up Daesan go now. When did he get so big and expressionless, losing all his cuteness? Hmm. Though, thinking back, he wasn't particularly cute when he was little either."

Peng Choryeo's genuinely intended joke made Peng Daesan's eyebrows twitch.

However, since it was all true, he lacked the nerve to retort and settled for just twitching his brows. Was his demeanor stiff? Yes. Was this the first time they'd linked arms? Yes. Was he expressionless and lacking charm? Yes. Was it the same when he was young? Yes. Every single point was undeniably true.

"San, you should treat Choryeo better too," Qing chimed in. "Where else in the world would you find a sister like her?"

"See? Our Qing-ah is the only one who gets it," Peng Choryeo beamed. "I need to bring in a sister-in-law like this... Ah, I mean, a jemae. Qing-ah, why don't you just be my little sister instead?"

Jemae was the formal term used in the Central Plains by a woman to address her younger brother's wife; among close relations, they would simply call each other 'sister'.

It was Peng Choryeo's ploy to subtly weave Qing into the family, but Qing was utterly ignorant of the nuances in these kinds of relationships between women. This was precisely the terrifying aspect of women. Peng Choryeo would now start subtly calling her 'sister,' eventually doing so even in official settings, a scheme to link her with her brother in front of everyone.

Feeling uncomfortable, Peng Daesan changed the subject. "Ahem, anyway, I plan to leave for Kaifeng tonight."

"Tonight? When?" Qing asked.

"I intend to set out around the Chuk Hour."

For Qing, the Chuk Hour was two in the morning. The twelve shichen were time periods named after the twelve zodiac signs: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The exact middle of the first period, Zi Hour (11 PM - 1 AM), was shortened to jajeong (midnight), and subsequent hours were two hours long each, so it wasn't too difficult to follow. Incidentally, jeongo (noon) also meant the exact middle of Wu Hour (11 AM - 1 PM), but why the naming convention was reversed was attributed to some convoluted principles of Yin and Yang, ultimately just disrupting uniformity unnecessarily—such was the standard of the Central Plains, Qing mused.

"Huh? Chuk Hour? Why leave in the dead of night?" Qing asked again.

"I can't stand the sight of those beggars any longer," Peng Daesan grumbled. "They're getting more unbearable by the moment."

"Yeah, I bet. You always have it rough," Qing sympathized. "Well then, I guess I'll see you in Kaifeng. You know Zhuge-ah and Nanah, right? Tell them I'm doing fine and send my regards."

At that, Peng Daesan's eyebrow twitched again. "What are you talking about? Are you planning not to go?"

"Me? I was just planning to take it easy and go slowly," Qing replied innocently. "Was I supposed to go too? Who else is going with us then?"

"Well." Peng Daesan, about to continue, flinched. He had been about to say, 'Obviously, just the two of us, who else?' but realizing how it sounded as the words formed, it felt utterly strange.

"Choryeo, are you coming with us too?" Qing asked, turning to the sister.

"Me? I'd love to," Peng Choryeo said, "but one child needs to stay behind and look after our guests. If both children just up and leave, what would the Murong and Jo Clan think? They'd gossip that we sent you away because we didn't like seeing the children hang out together."

"Huh. So, just the two of us?" Qing looked back at Peng Daesan. "San, is that right?"

Peng Daesan felt a profound sense of unfairness. Qing treated him as casually as if he were family of the same gender; wasn't she the very wench who, just last night, had told him to turn around, then casually stripped off her clothes and wiped herself down? All while spewing all sorts of things, proper and improper. Yet now, when he brought it up, she acted surprised, asking if it was just the two of them. Did she decide to act like a proper lady only when it suited her?

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Qing asked, noticing his expression.

"No, it's just… tomorrow or the day after would be fine, but suddenly saying today is unexpected," Qing explained. "Can't we go tomorrow? Ah, and don't give me any crap about how Chuk Hour is technically tomorrow since it's past midnight."

Of course, Qing hadn't given it much thought. She simply didn't want to rush when their schedule was flexible.

At this, Peng Daesan visibly deflated. Is she just trying to be lazy? But then, for some reason, that thought itself made his insides churn and boil.

"It's not like you do anything besides lazing around anyway," he retorted.

"No, I was thinking of visiting Junnie's place," Qing countered.

"Junnie? Who's that?"

"Ah. Murong Jun, you know? There's this little kid about yay high," Qing said, flashing an insidious smile. "Gotta tease him while I have the chance."

Peng Daesan's eyebrows twitched again. "I can't delay any longer, someone else might become even more bothersome. There's that Sword Flower woman, Brother Jo, and his sister too. I'm leaving. Decide whether you're coming along, or if you're abandoning your friend to go play with that Murong kid."

"Huh? What's with the ultimatum?" Qing raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the type, San, you're surprisingly childish—hmm? No, wait, you've always been completely childish. That's right." Thinking back, wasn't he just a guy who hid behind short words and a heavy demeanor, but was blatantly childish from the moment they met? 'Hit me, hit me, bet you can't,' he'd practically begged to be hit, so she'd obliged him with a good whack.

"What, childish?" Peng Daesan bristled. "Just because you have a mouth doesn't mean you can spout such nonsense."

"It's always the ones who are guilty that get defensive, you know?" Qing teased. "Haa. What can I do? Our San, who has no friends besides me, needs me to go with him. Junnie probably has lots of friends, so he'll be fine without me."

"Ha, no friends? Are you talking about me?" Peng Daesan scoffed.

"Yep. Who are your friends then? Name one."

"Hmph, you think I can't name any? Firstly." Peng Daesan paused. Firstly, who? That Sword Lunatic? No way. The chatterbox from the Zhuge Clan was friendly enough to call anyone brother or sister, but they had no real personal connection. Brother Jo was dreadful. Brother Changbin and Brother Hwangbo were seniors, not friends. As for the other rising stars from the Hidden Dragon Assembly, he just shared meals with them occasionally; there was no one he could casually call a friend. Wait, do I… not have any friends? The sudden realization hit Peng Daesan, freezing him on the spot.

"See?" Qing said smugly. "Only the great Ximen Qing."

"Kuk, then what about you, do you even have friends-" Peng Daesan started to retort.

"What, you want me to list them? Think you can handle it?" Qing lifted one corner of her lip into an incredibly irritating smirk.

"Forget it," Peng Daesan snapped. "I'll go alone, so go meet all those wonderful friends of yours."

"What, are you pouting?"

"Hah. Forget I said anything."

Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. This brat, he's really pouting.

"Aw, come on. San," Qing said, softening her tone slightly. "The honorable Ximen Qing isn't one to abandon her loyalty, you know? How could I let my friend embark on a lonely road all by himself? Getting all worked up over a little teasing."

"I was not worked up," Peng Daesan insisted stiffly.

"This guy, really? Really not worked up? Weren't you upset that your friend wasn't coming with you?" Qing jabbed Peng Daesan's side repeatedly with her elbow as she asked.

Predictably, Peng Daesan erupted again. "No, really! How can a woman be so informal?! Can't you learn some basic common sense?"

"Aw, what's the big deal between friends?" Qing brushed him off.

Watching the two bicker, Peng Choryeo suppressed a smile and quietly slipped away.

The martial families of the Central Plains were as diverse as their surnames, often because local powerful clans who threw their weight around adopted grander names. Among them, the most famous five were the Five Great Families. To match the number of the Nine Great Sects, One Union, another five were added, creating the Ten Great Clans.

The Jin Prefecture Un Clan used to be among them, but no longer. (Though Un Yeonyeong might have a different opinion.)

With a vacancy created, it needed to be filled. For prominent local families who prided themselves on being comparable to the latter five, even if not the main Five Great Families, there was no greater opportunity.

And among these families was one with a very peculiar surname.

The Gong Clan.

Gongsun was the surname of the legendary first emperor and the greatest sage-god of China, Emperor Gongsun Xuanyuan, and this clan claimed descent from that great progenitor. It was a claim, as its veracity could not be proven.

However, this claim could also be linked to treason. Consequently, after being severely crushed long ago, they were forced to change their surname, dropping the 'Son' from Gongson, leaving only Gong. Yet, unable to abandon their identity, 'Gongson,' they employed a unique workaround: all family members' first given name character would be 'Son,' and their names would consist of three characters.

Thus, they maintained 'Gongson' in a way, and the name 'Gong Clan' carried the pain of that history and the unyielding loyalty to their family's indelible identity.

Therefore, the current clan leader, Gongson Daewol—Son Daewol of the Gong Clan—spoke to his children. "Finally, the clan's long-cherished wish is within reach. With the government being mere puppets, once we secure our name among the Ten Great Clans and unite as one, who could possibly stop us from restoring our great ancestor's surname?"

The Ten Great Clans of the Central Plains wasn't just a ranking of ten families from top to bottom. It represented a tightly knit network of connections—'you, me, us'—truly the grandest Guanxi network on earth. Their cherished wish and ambition was to leverage the protection of this circle to change the Gong surname back to Gongson.

"Your roles are crucial for this," Gongson Daewol continued. "You must display overwhelming prowess at the Hidden Dragon Tournament. And furthermore... Ten Great Clans, did I say? Nay, aim for the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects, One Union. You must form ties with influential women from those factions to secure allies for our clan."

"Yes, Father. Do not worry."

"Yes..."

"Good, I trust in you both."

"Do we really have to do this?" Qing asked, dressed like a servant. "Can't we just leave in the carriage normally?"

Peng Daesan, similarly clad in servant's attire, replied grimly, "You underestimate how persistent those wretches are."

Thus, late at night, slightly past the Chuk Hour, under the cover of darkness, a man and a woman slipped out through a side door of the Zhangwan Daoist Temple. Heads bowed low, eyes fixed on the ground, their hurried steps clearly marked them as servants to any observer.

As they scurried past, Qing discreetly surveyed the surroundings and understood Peng Daesan's words. Wow, seriously. These women are relentless.

It went something like this: A deep, moonlit night. Two people, unable to sleep, wander the night streets and happen to meet. The night is a magical thing; unlike under the bright sun, hidden desires stir beneath the cloak of darkness (like those 3 AM texts). So, what else would a man and woman, intoxicated by the moonlight, do in the dark? Eyes meet, lips meet, and then the only body part left is the belly, so maybe they press those together too...

Actually, one might call these women rather clever. Flocking together in broad daylight made them just one flower among countless others—alpha, beta, gamma, delta—but encountering him alone at night allowed them to stand out as individuals.

Fueled by such pure, perhaps brain-meltingly pure, imaginations, they loitered in front of the main gate all night long, leaving the Jade Qilin no freedom, day or night.

Finally reaching the waiting carriage stashed in the stable, Qing collapsed onto the plush, comfortable seat, sinking her back into it. "If they're such a bother, why not wear a veil like me? My gramps got this for me, said all sorts of riffraff would flock to me otherwise."

"What man wears a veil?" Peng Daesan scoffed.

"Then at least pull that conical hat down further. Can they recognize you just from your lower face?"

"Hah," Peng Daesan replied haughtily. "I have done nothing wrong, so why should I feel the need to hide? Have you ever seen me avoid those wretches out of annoyance before?"

Whether traveling with the Luoyang-bound merchant group or journeying with his sword companion, the Jade Qilin had never specifically hidden from his pursuers. He never insisted on a private room when eating, nor did he make excuses not to go somewhere.

Then, a thought suddenly struck Qing. "Huh? Then, what about now? Aren't you hiding?"

"Hmm?" Peng Daesan's eyebrow twitched again. But this time, the twitch didn't signify annoyance, but rather an 'oh?' "That's..." He started to make an excuse, then closed his mouth. Even he had to admit, he was indeed hiding. Confusion washed over him. Why did I sneak out in the dead of night like someone ashamed? It wasn't like those wretches hadn't behaved this way for days. Something must have particularly bothered him to act like this. Yet, no matter how hard he thought, nothing specific came to mind, leaving only a frustrating itch deep inside.

Then, koroong. Ssshaek.

A somehow familiar snoring sound, the cute noise the black dog back at the clan estate made when sleeping, pulled Peng Daesan from his thoughts. The sound was coming from Qing, who had fallen asleep the moment she lay down on the carriage seat.

"What in the..." Peng Daesan was rendered speechless by the sight of the sleeping beauty's posture.

One hand was thrown over her eyes, forearm resting across her face. The other arm hung limply outside the seat. Meanwhile, one leg was bent sharply, knee propped against the backrest beside her, while the other leg dangled off the seat, the sole of her foot flat on the floor.

It was a horrifically disgraceful pose that would have surely earned her a punishing 'Nuclear Bombardment' Noogie of extreme anger from Ximen Surin.

They say absurdity leaves one speechless, and it seemed to happen frequently in Qing's presence.

"Haaa." Speechless, Peng Daesan could only let out a deep sigh.