[Chapter 62]
Myeongchi Mountain was quite astonished.
'Huh.'
The wind brushing through the bamboo forest rustled Yeon Ho-jeong's robes.
It felt as if he could scatter with the wind, filled with a profound emptiness.
'A rare gem indeed.'
Rumor had it he was not yet of age.
Yet, the atmosphere around him was peculiar. Facing ten seasoned masters, he seemed utterly unfazed.
And his posture?
'So free.'
Standing still, yet seeming ready to dash off in any direction.
His mastery of movement wasn't apparent, yet there it was. A young man with such a mystical aura.
Myeongchi Mountain couldn't help but admire openly.
"Yeon's family has truly caused a stir. To have nurtured such talent."
Yeon Ho-jeong asked calmly,
"Are you from the Myeong family?"
His voice was deeper and softer than expected. Despite hearing of his rough nature, his voice betrayed none of it.
"Yes."
"You're later than I thought."
"Late… You knew we were coming?"
"How could we not? Is there a place in Hanam land that escapes the Myeong's gaze?"
"What? Haha!"
Myeongchi Mountain laughed without realizing.
Such audacity. Such arrogance.
Yet, he couldn't help but like that confidence. There were no such spirited warriors within the Myeong family.
With a smile, Myeongchi Mountain said,
"To remain so composed before the dispatched warriors of Myeong is impressive. You've caught my fancy."
"I don't take kindly to men."
"Sharp-tongued too. I've spent my life with the sword, so I envy such eloquence."
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes sparkled.
'Strong.'
A peak master.
But not just any peak master. He was beyond the Thunder Sect's Chuseong, and incomparable even to Myeong Onji, the Dark Hand Sect leader.
"A lifetime with the sword?" That statement rang true.
He didn't get angry even when a junior spoke such words. That composure was the mark of a true strongman.
'This could be dangerous if I'm not careful.'
And that was exciting.
To meet such a man as his first opponent was indeed fortunate.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Myeongchi Mountain of the Myeong family's Cheongbaekmubyeong."
Cheongbaekmubyeong.
A group of warriors from the nine Myeong families who held no official position, dedicated solely to the perfection of martial arts.
Not part of the combat units, nor involved in household affairs. They held no position for life, but when commanded, they were deployed for their mission.
In essence, they were fixers. But not ordinary ones.
Countless descendants of the Myeong lineage, many from collateral branches, made up the Cheongbaekmubyeong.
"And these men are from Homyeongjeon."
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
"I'm not familiar with that organization."
"Haha, no matter. You needn't know."
No need to know, but worth being wary of.
Myeongchi Mountain was a strongman. But the nine warriors he brought were formidable too. Their actual combat abilities were unknown, but each possessed martial skills several levels above the Dark Hand Sect members.
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
"So, what brings you here?"
"You said it yourself, didn't you? You knew we would come. There must be a reason for that?"
"The Dark Hand Sect?"
In an instant, Myeongchi Mountain's eyes sharpened.
"The Dark Hand Sect… Did Myeong Onji, that child, spill the name so easily?"
"He spilled it before even being asked."
"That's impossible. That child isn't half-trained."
"When threatened with an axe, one tends to talk rather than die."
Myeongchi Mountain's face hardened.
He read the truth in Yeon Ho-jeong's words. Yeon Ho-jeong wasn't lying.
'Could it be?'
The mention of the axe was troubling.
Myeongchi Mountain's voice grew colder.
"Let's cut to the chase. Where is the Dark Hand Sect?"
"Would I have let those who came to kill me leave alive?"
"They came to kill you? Nonsense. They had no intention of killing you."
"Why so sure when you weren't even there?"
"Enough with the wordplay. I'll ask again. Where is the Dark Hand Sect?"
"The Myeongs are all the same, slow on the uptake. That woman was the same."
Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.
The mystical aura vanished, replaced by a deadly pale blue energy.
"It was a fight to the death. There was no reason to show mercy."
"…You killed them all?"
"Would I be the one to die otherwise?"
"You! Speak plainly! Did you truly kill the Dark Hand Sect?"
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong, with an axe at his feet, had eyes that turned icy.
"I killed them."
Whoosh!
A fierce killing intent erupted from Myeongchi Mountain.
Not just him. The Homyeongjeon warriors also exuded a deadly aura.
It was a genuine intent to kill. They seemed ready to tear Yeon Ho-jeong apart on the spot.
Myeongchi Mountain spoke with a subdued voice.
"I was ordered to bring you in, but there were no specifics about your condition."
"…"
"You should expect to lose a limb or two."
The tightly wound energy slowly morphed into killing intent.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled, clear and colorless.
"Will such soft threats suffice?"
Myeongchi Mountain shouted.
"Take him down!"
Suddenly, a warrior at the end swiftly drew a horn bow.
Swish! Twang!
The speed of notching and drawing the bowstring was lightning-fast. In a flash, the arrow was already in flight.
The target was Yeon Ho-jeong's thigh, aiming to immobilize him first.
Thump!
The archer's eyes wavered.
"Using good arrows, I see. Must be rich."
The arrow was caught in Yeon Ho-jeong's hand. As if he naturally expected it to aim for his thigh, he caught it effortlessly.
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes grew cold.
"Thanks to you, I missed my meal, damn brat."
Thud!
He stomped the ground forcefully and launched the arrow.
Whizz! Thunk!
"Ugh!"
The archer staggered, clutching his shoulder where the arrow had struck.
Faster than if it had been shot from a bow. It was as if he had mastered some secret projectile technique.
Myeongchi Mountain's eyes blazed.
'Fast!'
A master archer's movement is swift. They need to create distance to shoot, so it's only natural.
Yet, the archer couldn't even react properly before being hit by the arrow. If he hadn't instinctively leaned his upper body, it would have pierced his chest.
"Give it your all!"
Ratatat!
Eight masters charged at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Their movements were faster and more aggressive than the Dark Hand Sect's. In an instant, they closed the distance, each wielding their weapons in a seamless joint attack.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe.
Clang!
Seven weapons were sent flying, but a single blade, relentless against the wind's force, managed to graze Yeon Ho-jeong's shoulder.
Yeon Ho-jeong whirled like a whirlwind.
Crack!
A swordsman plummeted to the ground, struck by Yeon Ho-jeong's aerial kick.
"Cough!"
Attempting to rise, the swordsman spat blood and collapsed.
Surprise painted Myeongchi Mountain's face.
'In one blow?!'
The warriors of Homyeongjeon trained their external strength as much as their internal. In perilous moments, they'd throw themselves to block an enemy's blade.
Yet, a warrior with such a solid body had fallen to a single strike.
'Penetrating strike!'
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong charged in.
As if they had been waiting, the remaining seven warriors pressured him with their weapons.
'Different.'
They were on a different level than the Dark Hand Sect members. If those were jackals, these were wolves, each with a clear role and attack path.
A single hit could reduce their strength. Such was the formation's intent.
Now, Yeon Ho-jeong had no choice but to give his all from the start.
Boom!
A stronger force than when he launched the arrow.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe like a windmill.
Clang! Boom!
An overwhelming presence.
Weapons struck by the axe's blade either lost teeth or broke.
No matter how well-crafted, they couldn't overcome the weight difference. Especially not Yeon Ho-jeong's axe, enhanced with his inner strength.
Whoosh! Bang!
A warrior struck by his fist spat blood and fell.
Twang! Bang!
Swinging the flat of his axe, he struck a warrior's chest, sending him flying through a dozen bamboos.
Clang! Crash!
Amidst it all, one stood out with his swordplay. Quick and lively, his attacks were blocked with a spear shaft.
The relentless sword dance continued, but Yeon Ho-jeong executed a high kick.
Crack!
The swordsman struck at the temple crumbled on the spot.
Myeongchi Mountain's eyes wavered.
'Strong!'
Yeon Ho-jeong was a formidable opponent.
His martial arts were impressive, but his combat strength was even more so.
'The flow…? No, that's not it.'
Bang!
Another warrior fell. Not in direct combat, but struck by the end of a rebounding spear shaft while approaching.
'He reads weaknesses.'
He saw through the formation's weak points at a glance. He knew where to attack, who to target, and what move to make next.
Myeongchi Mountain couldn't help but admire.
'Innate talent. Not just breaking through, but thoroughly exploiting weaknesses?'
He wasn't built for martial arts. His frame wasn't suited for it.
Yet, he fought better than anyone.
He had met countless warriors, but none fought as efficiently as this. Ruthlessly targeting weaknesses, yet charging like a ferocious beast when facing head-on.
He wasn't a martial artist. Nor was he a mere fighter.
He was a warrior. One who fought solely to win, knowing exactly how to do so.
Myeongchi Mountain stomped the ground.
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes flashed.
He tripped the remaining warrior and struck him with the flat of his axe.
Bang!
Jaws, teeth, and ribs shattered as the body flew towards Myeongchi Mountain.
Whoosh.
Myeongchi Mountain grabbed the warrior's collar and spun him around.
And there, Yeon Ho-jeong had already arrived.
"I've been waiting."
"You cur!"
From Myeongchi Mountain's belt, a heavy broadsword was drawn.
Clang!
Metal clashed with metal, resonating through the bamboo forest.
It was a full-force battle from the start. Yeon Ho-jeong was pushed back several steps by Myeongchi Mountain's explosive sword strike.
A murderous light flickered in Myeongchi Mountain's eyes.
He admired his opponent, but admiration was just that. This man had killed the Dark Hand Sect, and worse, his nephew Myeong Onji.
Unforgivable.
Clack!
His footwork closed the distance impressively.
His body brimmed with resilience. His movements were on a different level than the Homyeongjeon warriors.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe.
Clang! Clang!
A tremendous display of martial arts.
An eighty-pound axe deflected blow by blow, the blade unscathed. Protected by immense inner strength, the blade became a weapon surpassing even Yeon Ho-jeong's axe.
The two weapons collided spectacularly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
They struck with incredible speed. It was an unmatched head-on battle.
Slash!
Blood spurted from Yeon Ho-jeong's chest.
He deflected the heavy blow and, in a brief moment, spun his sword to make a cut. The wound was shallow but enough to jolt one's senses.
Boom!
A punch from below, part of the Yeon's Thirteen Fists, was blocked at the knee.
As fierce in defense as he was in attack. A martial art that integrated offense and defense. A challenging opponent to strike.
'Yes.'
Bang!
Yeon Ho-jeong's mouth spat blood as he failed to dodge a kick.
Even as he bled, Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes never left Myeongchi Mountain.
'With this man.'
Whoosh! Crack!
Myeongchi Mountain faltered. Yeon Ho-jeong's elastic kick made his upper body wobble.
In an instant, concentration peaked. Facing an opponent who could strike at any moment, Yeon Ho-jeong's will sharpened like a blade.
'With this man, it's possible.'
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Within the faint azure energy, a dark force from the north flickered.
It was the Black Tortoise energy. But it wasn't for unleashing the Northern Heavenly Walls.
Already prepared martial arts. Already prepared true energy (真氣).
That energy, guided by the Black Tortoise, slowly revealed itself.
'With this man, I can summon it.'
Myeongchi Mountain's blade whirled mercilessly.
Whoosh! Slash!
A terrifying wind of the blade was unleashed. If not blocked, the axe and right arm would be severed together.
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes momentarily turned white.
'Wind.'
Then, time slowed.
Leaves fluttered like waves, and Myeongchi Mountain's movements seemed mired in mud.
Amidst it all, the invisible blade's wind shone with a pure white light.
Yeon Ho-jeong's thigh muscles swelled.
Boom!
The force that struck the ground resembled a tiger's roar. The muscles in his arms, gripping the axe, bulged like an enraged bull.
'Come forth!'
Whoosh!
A white wind rushed into his lungs.
A cold, chilling white energy surged like rays of light through his entire nervous system.
Yeon Ho-jeong's mouth opened involuntarily.
Roar!
With a roar akin to the Mountain King's, his axe began to move in mysterious ways.