Chapter 97: Pei Clan
The gates of Luojing closed on time every day before sunset. People had to leave or enter the city before the gates closed, otherwise they could only wait until the next morning.
Therefore, before sunset, all the city gates would have a period of bustling traffic with crowds and carriages coming and going more than at any other time.
An unremarkable carriage mixed in with the flow of traffic left Luojing City from the southern Houzai Gate and slowly traveled along the official road heading south.
The driver was a decrepit old coachman wearing the earthy yellow uniform of the Shang Clan Carriage and Horse Company, and the carriage also bore the mark of the Shang Clan Carriage and Horse Company, indicating it was an extremely ordinary hired carriage.
Inside the carriage compartment sat four men of different ages: two younger ones, one middle-aged man, and one elder with graying hair. The elder was dressed as a merchant, the middle-aged man wore the long robe of a shopkeeper, and the two young men were in the short-jacket attire of shop assistants.
At first glance, the four seemed like they came from some small shop in the capital city. But if Lu Yun were here, he would certainly recognize that shopkeeper as Pei Yukou, who had gone to receive Madam Cui back then!
The lofty Pei Clan Leader’s son, a third-rank Jianmen General, would naturally never change careers to become a shopkeeper in a small shop. In fact, even wearing a shopkeeper’s attire, Pei Yukou could not hide the fierce and arrogant aura on his face.
The old man beside him bore a striking resemblance to Pei Yukou in appearance, but lacked his aggressive sharpness; instead, he had a dignified and serene bearing, as if nothing could make him lose composure, clearly the demeanor of one long accustomed to superiority.
Even the two shop assistants in their thirties were calm and composed with long, steady breathing and sharp, cold glints in their eyes, evidently having reached unfathomable depths in martial arts.
Once the carriage was far from the capital city and the sounds of people outside gradually faded, Pei Yukou said in a low voice to the old man, “Father, I still can’t figure it out. Why do we have to wade into this muddy water?”
That old man was actually the younger brother of Duke of Dingguo Pei Qiu, the Pei Clan Vice Sect Master Pei Jiao. Not only was he second only to one in the Pei Clan, but he was also Great Xuan’s Chariot and Cavalry General, the third-ranked commander in the military! Pei Jiao had always been stationed in the capital, overseeing the capital’s garrison and the border garrisons, yet now he was disguised as a merchant quietly leaving the city, which was truly unbelievable!
“Do you plan to be the Xiahou Clan’s lackey for the rest of your life?” Pei Jiao looked at his son and said softly.
“Of course not!” Pei Yukou shook his head and said in a deep voice, “But I don’t think that thing is something we can covet. If the Xiahou Clan finds out, it will be a big disaster!”
“Don’t worry, the Clan Leader acted on the Grand Tutor’s instructions to make contact with those people.” Pei Jiao said indifferently, “The Grand Tutor wants to figure out Sun Yuanlang’s scheme, whether he truly intends to transact or is deliberately stirring up trouble!”
“I see…” Pei Yukou breathed a sigh of relief, and the two Pei Clan experts disguised as shop assistants also relaxed their expressions. Evidently, under the Xiahou Clan’s years of accumulated prestige, they had developed too much fear.
Seeing the elite disciples of his own clan so fearful of the Xiahou Clan, Pei Jiao felt some dissatisfaction in his heart but remained impassive as he said, “Of course, we also need to mix some personal business with the public, to see if there’s any chance of acquiring that thing in the future.”
“Ah!” Hearing his father say that their clan still planned to supplant the Xiahou Clan, Pei Yukou couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, his startled demeanor a far cry from the arrogant swagger he had shown in front of Lu Yun back then.
“Following the strong is indeed our Pei Clan’s way of survival, but this path has reached its end. If we don’t change course, only death awaits us!” Pei Jiao rebuked the three sternly, “Even if the Xiahou Clan succeeds greatly, what will our Pei Clan gain? Do you think Xiahou Ba will allow a second Xiahou Clan to emerge in his world?!”
“No.” The three shook their heads in unison. Back then, when the Founding Emperor established Great Xuan, if he had decisively culled them like killing the dogs after the rabbits were caught, his chances of success would still have been considerable. At that time, the Founding Emperor had the merit of refounding the nation, and the Huangfu Family was immensely powerful, with experts and armies outnumbering those of the Xiahou Clan, Pei Clan, Cui Clan, and Xie Clan combined.
However, the Founding Emperor, on one hand grateful for the seven clans’ hard work and achievements, and on the other hand wary that the seven clans might unite to shatter the river and mountains he had painstakingly rebuilt, hesitated in that moment and failed to act against them. This allowed the seven clans to rapidly expand, eventually becoming too entrenched to dislodge, and they launched the Baoen Temple Incident during the Qianming Dynasty!
As a result of the Baoen Temple Incident, the Xiahou Clan took the opportunity to launch a great purge against the Huangfu Family’s forces. Not only were the powers loyal to the Qianming Emperor hunted down and exterminated, but even imperial clan members who did not support the Qianming Emperor and even sided with Prince Ping were fabricated with charges of treason by the Xiahou Clan and massacred.
As a result, the Huangfu Family was greatly weakened, its strength less than a third of its peak, with its elites decimated and morale crushed, utterly unable to back Huangfu Yu’s imperial power. This gave the Xiahou Clan a full decade of golden time to fully rise. Now, Xiahou Ba’s coveting of the divine artifact was known to all. In many people’s view, a change in the nation’s rule was already inevitable; it was just a matter of when that day would come.
.
With the Huangfu Family as a precedent, how could the Xiahou Clan, after seizing the rivers and mountains, repeat the mistake and allow the noble clans to grow unchecked? Especially a giant like the Pei Clan, which held great military power, would surely be the first to face the Xiahou Clan’s ruthless extermination!
At this, Pei Yukou and the other two fully awoke, realizing how ridiculous their previous thinking had been. Only now did they understand the elders’ painstaking efforts in the clan; since the future catastrophe was foreseeable, of course they had to prepare in advance!
“Can we deal with the Xiahou Clan?” Pei Yukou finally shifted his mentality and began considering how to confront the Xiahou Clan.
“Spineless!” Pei Jiao snorted lightly, stroking his beard as he said, “The Xiahou Clan has only fully expanded in the last decade; ten years ago, our Pei Clan was no inferior to them!” With a raise of his brows, he said proudly, “Even now, though the Xiahou Clan controls court affairs and covers the sky with one hand, when that time comes, all will be illusory—only elite troops and strong generals will prevail!”
“If we’re talking purely about the military, our Pei Clan is indeed no match below the Xiahou Clan!” Pei Yukou was finally infected by his father’s heroic spirit, his eyes gleaming as he said, “Though our forces are fewer, our elite troops and strong generals are unmatched by theirs!”
“Of course, Great Xuan’s army is upheld by our Pei Clan!” Pei Jiao nodded and said, “Our Pei Clan believes in iron and blood—how can we cower before battle and willingly submit?!”
“Yes!” Pei Yukou and the two experts nodded vigorously, the long-dormant iron-blooded spirit in their blood finally beginning to burn fiercely!
“Moreover, this world under heaven is not a stage for the Xiahou Clan to perform solo!” Pei Jiao smiled with satisfaction and continued to bolster the three, “With the Six Clans, Heavenly Master Dao, and Taiping Dao, it’s not so easy for the Xiahou Clan to change the nation’s rule! And don’t underestimate our Emperor His Majesty—the camel that starves to death is still larger than a horse. Didn’t he just give the Old Grand Tutor a slap in the face today!”
“Hahaha!” Pei Yukou and the other two burst into hearty laughter; the Initial Emperor and the Xiahou Clan tearing faces early was something everyone loved to see.
At this moment, the carriage slowly stopped, and the old coachman knocked on the carriage wall—the meeting place with Taiping Dao had arrived.
The four immediately fell silent, and Pei Jiao instructed in a low voice, “Later, you all just bring your ears; don’t speak.”
The three nodded solemnly, and Pei Yukou said with some concern, “Will the Xiahou Clan send people to secretly supervise?” The Pei Clan was after all the second-ranked noble clan; even dependent on the Xiahou Clan, Xiahou Ba couldn’t openly send people to watch them meet with Taiping Dao. But they could send grandmasters to stake out secretly.
“Don’t worry, your little uncle and older brother are also here.” Pei Jiao said softly.
Only then did Pei Yukou and the other two relax, hurriedly helping Pei Jiao down from the carriage. With two Pei Clan grandmasters protecting in secret, even if there was a grandmaster staking out, they would be discovered upon approach.
By now, it was boundless night, pitch black all around, and looking out, the four saw not a single soul.
