[Chapter 70]
The jade-green liquid that filled the cup was exquisitely fragrant.
"I've named it 'Verdant Shade.' You know of it, right? The liquor father used to savor."
"…"
"Why he never named this fine drink, I find quite curious indeed."
"…"
"Care for a glass?"
"Yes."
Myeong Cheon filled Myeong Woosan's cup.
"Look here, Woosan."
Myeong Woosan flinched.
It had been a long while since Myeong Cheon called him by his name.
Myeong Cheon always strived to maintain a professional distance. Though his efforts often fell short, he usually refrained from using personal names in formal settings.
But now, he broke that custom.
"Yes, brother."
"In my view, you've made no mistake. The fault lies with me."
"…"
"Even the mistakes I made, you tried to prevent. Had we followed your counsel, we could have avoided needless loss of troops."
"…Not at all."
Myeong Cheon emptied his cup.
Myeong Woosan couldn't bring himself to drink.
"It's all my fault. Whether our people get hurt, struck by lightning on the road, or drown in the river by accident, it's all the head's responsibility."
"…"
"But sharing that heavy burden of the head is precisely the role of the chief steward."
"Yes, yes."
"I appointed you, a collateral relative, as chief steward not without reason. Ability? Nonsense, there were many as capable as you in the direct line."
"…"
"I admired your sense of responsibility and your principles. 'Even if the entire clan's leadership perishes, we must not tarnish the head's dignity.' I felt sincerity in your words. That's why I entrusted you with the stewardship."
Myeong Cheon picked up the liquor bottle.
"It was I who gave the man from the collateral line, Myeong Woosan, the title of chief steward."
"…I am sorry."
"For what?"
"…"
"What wrong could you have done? It was I who placed you in the steward's position. If there's a fault, it lies with me."
Myeong Woosan's complexion turned pale.
Myeong Cheon's expression grew colder.
"However, this is a problem."
"…"
"Suddenly, many harbor doubts about the relationship between Cheongrang Ghost and our main house. Excluding the Moyong clan, no one knew Cheongrang Ghost was affiliated with us."
"…"
"The eldest son of Yeon's family? Sure, he could be a once-in-a-generation genius. To have single-handedly destroyed Cheongrang Ghost is impressive. But…"
Bang! Crash!
The table shattered, and the bottle and cups fell to the floor, breaking into pieces.
"Why didn't you stop this rumor?"
"…"
"Isn't your brother asking? Why didn't you stop it?"
"…I apologize."
Myeong Cheon's face reddened.
He swung a ceramic vase by the window.
Crash!
Myeong Woosan's head was suddenly drenched in blood.
He didn't use his internal energy to block the damage. Myeong Woosan felt dizzy for a moment but clenched his teeth and did not fall.
"There's such a thing as seizing the initiative in rumors. Did you really think, without any precautions, that Cheongrang Ghost could fall to Yeon Hojeong without considering the slightest possibility?"
It was like a tiger's roar. Myeong Woosan felt his head spinning.
'Ugh.'
The internal energy was terrifying.
Myeong Cheon had also begun to learn the ancestral martial arts a few days prior. There had been no side effects for those who learned it.
In those few days, the quantity and quality of his internal energy had greatly increased. He seemed to have found the missing piece, emitting a perfect flow of energy.
Drip.
Blood trickled from Myeong Woosan's nose. The shockwave from the voice had damaged his nasal mucosa.
"What exactly have you been doing all this time? Aside from your apologetic lip service, tell me what you've done!"
"I have been…"
Myeong Woosan bit his lip.
"I was searching for the Amshade."
Myeong Cheon's eyes blazed like fire.
"Why? Because of your damned daughter?!"
"…I will not lie. It's partly because of my daughter, but also because if they have captured the Amshade, it would be a grave issue."
"Ha! Why? Did you think the Amshade would spill our secrets?"
"No, no! The Amshade would rather die than leak any secrets!"
"Then!"
"If Yeon Hojeong appears with the Amshade, it will become crystal clear that we attempted to kill him. That's why I searched."
Myeong Cheon's gaze deepened.
It seems he wasn't just idly playing around.
"So, the whereabouts of the Amshade?"
"I have yet… to find them."
"Outstanding."
"But! I have discovered who was involved! I've secured evidence!"
Myeong Cheon's eyes sparkled.
"Evidence?"
"Yes! The Open Faction was involved! I'm certain!"
"I knew the Open Faction was involved. But even with that evidence, what can we do?"
"We can pressure them."
"Where? Surely not the Open Faction?"
Myeong Woosan licked his lips. They were dry and cracked.
"Yes. The Open Faction claims to be a righteous sect. Righteousness is their top priority. But what they've done now is no different from kidnapping and detention."
Myeong Cheon frowned.
"Do you think we can shake them with such a petty rumor?"
"It's not about shaking them, but the public opinion."
"Public opinion?"
"Yes. Detaining the Amshade means they've been complicit in all this with the Yeon family."
"Hmm."
"Do the ends justify the means? No. The martial world of Baekdo does not operate that way. The Open Faction's handling of this, having taken a hit to their reputation, will surely lose the trust of many."
Myeong Woosan's eyes shone.
"Contact the head of Yongdubang. If he doesn't want to die together, tell him to stop at a reasonable point. He's not unaware of which side, between our main house and Yeon, would be easier to handle."
It was a valid point.
But it was insufficient. Even if this strategy worked, there would still be problems.
"In the end, we're admitting to having had Cheongrang Ghost in our possession. Over time, the Open Faction will dig into us."
"Don't we have reliable allies?"
"Moyong?"
"Indeed, the influence of the Moyong clan rivals that of the Seven Great Clans, barring our own house. If the head of Yongdubang doesn't wish to turn the martial world into a battlefield, he wouldn't dare interfere in this game."
Myeong Cheon scoffed with a snort.
"How wonderful would it be if things went as you imagined? But it's all talk. To steer the situation as you intend, we need a more concrete weapon."
Not brute force, but something that could shake the very opinion of the masses.
Something so shocking that it would erase the incidents related to Yeon Hojeong from the minds of the people.
At that moment, Myeong Woosan's eyes sparkled.
"Let's frame him."
"Frame him? With what?"
"Instead of making people forget the incidents related to Yeon Hojeong, why not brand him as a villain outright?"
This was interesting.
Myeong Cheon smiled inwardly. Indeed, the true worth of a person emerges when they are pushed to the edge. Myeong Woosan was no different.
"If done right, we could suppress not only Yeon Hojeong and Yeon's family but also the Open Faction."
"How so?"
"Contact the High Sword Bureau of Jiangsu Province. Ask them to dig up various major crimes, like murders, that have occurred in the past five years. We can pin the unsolved cases on Yeon Hojeong."
It was a captivating suggestion.
Myeong Cheon asked slyly, "What if there's no evidence?"
"It doesn't matter. As everyone knows, the warriors of our house are all hot-blooded. Once we capture Yeon Hojeong, we can claim we were invoking the right of assembly to interrogate him, and all past incidents will be buried."
A pleased smile finally graced Myeong Cheon's face.
"That's not bad. Not bad at all."
Even if the truth comes out later, it doesn't matter. The power of our prestigious house is enough to quell any repercussions.
If done well, we might even gain the support of the commoners in Jiangsu Province. It's a strategy where a little sacrifice could lead to greater gains.
In the end, it's all about justification. With one strong justification, the rest can be shattered by the actual power of the force.
That's how the prestigious houses have grown, and how countless sects have risen to power.
At least in the martial world of Baekdo, that's how the renegade sects have operated.
"There's no need for anyone to die. Oh, how much better it would have been if we had done this sooner."
"I apologize."
"It's fine. The strategy you just thought of has erased all your past mistakes."
"Thank you."
"We have no choice but to take on the Cheongrang Ghost matter, right?"
"It's inevitable. We'll claim we were holding him under the pretext of reforming a villain."
"Good, let's do that. We're short on time. Hurry."
"Understood."
"Oh, and Chief Steward."
"Please command."
A murderous intent flickered in Myeong Cheon's eyes.
"Now that we've created a plausible justification, isn't it time we truly brought in Yeon Hojeong?"
"…Yes. Whom do you plan to send?"
"The one who defeated the Seventy Cheongrang Ghosts. We can't underestimate him as a mere junior anymore."
Myeong Cheon lifted his chin.
"Send the half-brothers from Myeongchi Mountain."
Myeong Woosan's eyes widened.
"Aren't they the ones to lead the charge in eradicating Yeon's family?"
"Isn't Yeon Hojeong affiliated with Yeon's family?"
"…"
"Send them."
"Understood."
As Myeong Woosan left the head's chamber, his face brightened.
A mix of relief at having survived and the assurance that this time, they would indeed capture Yeon Hojeong crossed his expression.
At least the three he knew were the strongest among those from collateral lines.
With those three, even the heads of the Seven Great Clans could be easily captured. Moreover, they were the first to master the ancestral martial arts.
The odds were overwhelmingly in their favor.
* * *
The low hum of energy resonated through the air.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes gleamed with a newfound light.
'It's done.'
Ten days had passed since the bloody clash with Cheongrang Ghost, and his internal and external injuries had healed as if washed away by a cleansing tide.
It was the result of activating the most stable of Yeon's Five Great Divine Arts: the Wallra Array, White Tiger Qi, and Black Tortoise Qi. Without the mastery of Sasinmu, the recovery would have taken more than twenty days.
He grasped the axe and stepped out of his room.
'Hmm?'
Yeon Hojeong glanced at his own hand, gripping the long spear.
'Not bad at all.'
Every muscle, nerve, and joint in his body felt improved, better than before.
Sasinmu, the Martial Arts of the Four Guardians, thrives in the battlefield. The more one fights, the more robust the growth. It's said that even the killing intent of enemies can fuel the Qi of the Four Guardians.
In a fleeting moment, he had engaged in countless life-and-death battles, splattering blood and flesh. These fights had invigorated the power of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Qi, further developing his physique.
'To become stronger, one must fight as if life depends on it. Now I understand why my master despised Sasinmu.'
As he emerged from his room and stepped onto the courtyard, a voice called out.
"Young Master Yeon!"
From a distance, Gadeuksang hurried toward him.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Just as my body recovers, you come as if you've been waiting. What's the…"
He couldn't finish his sentence. The urgency on Gadeuksang's face was unmistakable.
"Disaster has struck!"
"What happened?"
"The prestigious family has named Young Master Yeon as the criminal in an unresolved case in Jiangsu Province!"
"What?"
Gadeuksang detailed the rumors spread by the prestigious family.
"Right now, Jeongju and Gaebong are in chaos! The speed at which the rumor is spreading is no joke! The rumors we spread are being buried in an instant!"
"Creating a pretext."
"What, what do you mean?"
Yeon Hojeong's gaze turned icy.
"They're creating a pretext. Since they can't erase this incident, they've made me out to be a villain to justify deploying their troops."
"Damn it all! Who doesn't know that? The problem is the speed at which the rumor is spreading! At this rate, in three or four days, it will reach all of Hanam…!"
"They're digging their own grave."
"…Eh?"
Yeon Hojeong smirked.
"The forced pretext they've created becomes a pretext for us as well."
"What, what do you mean?"
Yeon Hojeong turned around.
In the distance, Shinmo was approaching.
"Chief Shin. Are the Chang-eung warriors ready?"
"Eh? Oh! Of course, they are."
"Good, have them ready to move out within two days."
Yeon Hojeong casually slung the axe over his shoulder.
"Let's go see the face of the prestigious family's head."