[Chapter 77]
"Do you truly believe that?" he asked with a hint of skepticism.
"Yes," she replied firmly.
There was a pause before she continued, "Just so you know, it's not because I owe him my life."
"I'm aware. Despite your thunderous ways, you do have the ability to reason," he acknowledged with a gruff affection.
"Is that a compliment?" she asked, a slight smile in her voice.
"Had it been a trivial matter, I wouldn't have even asked. Our children owe him a debt of life. It's only right to help someone who has put themselves in a difficult position for us."
"Then please, let's help him."
"It would have to be a minor issue."
"That's why I told you. He's not the kind of person you think he is."
"I trust your judgment. But the situation has grown too large."
"The noble family's actions are excessive. Even if he did what they claim, sending a master without any evidence to escort him is outrageous!"
"Excessive, indeed. And he is a scion of the Seven Great Clans. The noble family has the power to do so. If the rumors are true, their haste deserves criticism, but we can't oppose them."
"That's why we must urge the noble family to restrain their aggressive actions. As you said, he is a scion of the Seven Great Clans. We can't let this continue."
"It's problematic. But you know why I can't take an aggressive stance."
The young man named Yeon Hojeong… "He's gone too far. It would have been better if the noble family had caught him. But he has injured their masters."
"He drew his sword to capture an innocent man; of course, he had to fight!"
"Now, the reason doesn't matter. It's a situation where they're ready to kill each other. It's become a war between the Yeon and noble families."
"!"
"For now, there's no justification to unleash our full strength. It's a delicate balance, a sharp confrontation. But if either side finds a proper cause, one of the families will not escape destruction."
"Destruction…"
"And most likely, it will be the Yeon family."
"!"
"I am the head of the family. As a father, it's my duty to help our benefactor, but as the leader, I can't act rashly. Especially now when our family's power is waning. We must be even more cautious."
"…"
"So, you must go."
"Me?!"
"Your brother is talented, but he lacks your flexibility. I must attend the grand council. You go and help our benefactor directly."
"Is that really okay?!"
"No, it's not."
"Then why…?"
"As the head of the family and as a father, I want to stop you. But as a person of the martial world who follows righteousness and chivalry, I understand your heart."
"…"
"Go. Do as your heart commands. If you believe it's the right path, stake your life on it and show the spirit of a true martial artist."
"Thank you, Father."
"Don't thank me. I'm a father who has failed to secure even a single happiness for his daughter."
"…"
"You will see the head of the Nangong family at the council. I've put it off for too long, but it seems too difficult now."
"I understand, Father."
"I'm sorry. I have nothing else to say."
"It's okay. I'm really okay."
"I've informed the Hidden Forest Academy. Go with them."
"Yes! I will return."
* * *
Whistling Winds and Warring Blades
The wind howled, a biting chill in the air.
Despite the approach of summer, today was unseasonably cold. But this chill was merely a prelude to the impending heatwave.
Walking along the official road, Gadeuksang pondered.
'I've arrived quite swiftly.'
His eyes caught sight of the Chang-eung squad, arrayed in a circular formation.
And there, standing tall within, was a hefty axe.
'I've been uneasy since I agreed to his request.'
Yeon Hojeong had asked three things of him.
First, the movements of the martial world beyond the borders.
Second, all information on Moyoung Woo, the youngest sibling of the Moyoung clan leader.
Third, the existence of the 'Death Sword' nurtured by the Myeong family.
There's a knack one develops when dealing with information and digging into people's lives.
It's the ability to discern the order of importance. In simpler terms, it's an improved acumen for reading the grand scheme of things. It also means quicker wits.
When Yeon Hojeong handed him the list to investigate, Gadeuksang was immediately certain.
'The first and second requests are important, but there's leeway. The third, however, is different.'
The existence of the 'Death Sword' that the Myeong family was secretly cultivating.
That was what Yeon Hojeong urgently wanted to know. And upon learning it, as expected, Yeon Hojeong's reaction was fierce.
'That's when I felt it. I was going to be entangled with this madman in a serious way.'
Gadeuksang smirked.
He cursed him as a madman, a man to kill, but in truth, he enjoyed his time with Yeon Hojeong.
It was fun, even when it shouldn't have been. Because it was the first time he'd ever run wild with someone else.
And it was all the better because it was for righteousness and chivalry.
Though for Yeon Hojeong, it was probably more about revenge.
Swish.
"Who goes there?"
A member of the Chang-eung squad half-drew his sword and inquired.
He should be well-known. Yet, he was questioned as if he were a suspect. It meant the Chang-eung squad was on edge.
"I am Gadeuksang of the Open Faction, here to meet the young master of your house."
Then it happened.
"Make way."
Thud!
The soldier with the drawn sword stepped aside, and a path through the circular formation opened up.
Gadeuksang walked silently down the path.
'Sharp as knives.'
The gazes of the swordsmen on either side were fiercely intense. It felt as if hundreds of swords were slicing through him.
He must not provoke them. The Chang-eung squad was so tense, they would have attacked even a high monk from Shaolin.
"Have you arrived?"
Gadeuksang looked at the axe.
The axe, buried two feet into the ground, stood upright impressively. Despite weighing eighty pounds, it was well-balanced enough to stand fixed.
Gadeuksang saw Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong's complexion was surprisingly good. It was hard to believe he had been in combat with the enemy for over two days.
Gadeuksang snorted.
"Look at the blood on the axe. Quite the slaughter, wasn't it?"
"My body feels heavy."
"Such a bountiful year for nonsense. So why did you fight? Forgot the strategy we set up?"
"I haven't forgotten."
"If you wanted to crack your skull, you should've contacted me first. What's this? Now I look like a fool."
"Sorry. There was no time to contact."
"Excuses heard."
"Haha."
Gadeuksang couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing Yeon Hojeong, usually so composed, now wearing an awkward smile, all his pent-up emotions dissipated.
"Ugh, I might as well sit down too!"
Gadeuksang flopped down next to Yeon Hojeong and looked towards the Myeong family's side.
Three hundred masters from the Myeong family's White Dragon Army were arrayed fifty yards away.
"I've set the beggars on it. Gather all the information on the Myeong family."
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"I was counting on you."
"Nonsense. I don't know what will entangle us in the future, but if it's like this again, there'll be no benefit. I'll just run away without a word."
"Understood."
"But I thought you'd be fighting fiercely. It's rather calm now?"
"They don't need to dispatch troops indefinitely."
"When did the White Dragon Army arrive?"
"The White Dragon Army?"
"Those guys forming ranks over there. Didn't you know?"
"I didn't. They've been here since the evening before last."
"They haven't attacked?"
"They keep sending a few masters. But those guys haven't moved."
Gadeuksang's eyes gleamed.
"Dangerous."
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
Indeed, Gadeuksang's insight was extraordinary. Just by hearing a bit about the situation, he understood the essence of the fight.
"With all eyes on us, it's hard to move a combat unit like the White Dragon Army. One-on-one combat is fine, but if they move, it becomes a war."
"That's right."
The Chang-eung squad wouldn't just stand by and watch the White Dragon Army advance. In the end, many would die, and both sides' justifications would evaporate.
"In other words, the moment they move, it becomes an all-out war."
"You see well."
"Movement is unlikely under normal circumstances. Our current standoff is akin to treading on thin ice. Without an undeniable cause, a reason no one can dispute, there will be no action."
"Indeed."
"And it's not as if the clan's elders will be dispatched either."
"A matter of status, I presume."
"Exactly."
Yeon Hojeong, the eldest son of the Yeon clan, knew well that in such a public eye, it would be unseemly for an elder-level master to make an unexpected appearance.
"In other words, all the cards worth playing have been played."
Gadeuksang glanced at Yeon Hojeong.
All the cards except the clan's elders have been played? That meant Yeon Hojeong alone had managed to handle all the masters just below the Myeong clan's elders.
Impressive. Not just as a martial artist, but as a warrior, it was admirable.
"How did you become such a monster at your age?"
"I'm still far from it."
"Ah, that's unfortunate."
"Haha."
Gadeuksang flopped down.
"Now that we're here, let's rest and keep an eye on the movements."
"But why rest here of all places?"
"Aren't we bound by fate? My presence alone will make the Myeong clan move more cautiously."
"That's true."
Gadeuksang didn't mention the presence of Lee Cheolgyeong or another entity rising from the depths of Hubei's Longzhong Mountain. It wasn't certain yet.
Yeon Hojeong gazed beyond the White Dragon Army at the towering structures.
'I can see it.'
At first, upon his arrival, nothing was visible. But now, it was clear.
His basic visual acuity had improved. Without even raising his internal energy, his vision had sharpened.
'It's crystal clear.'
The White Tiger and Black Tortoise energies had been refined much more in the past two days. That's why he could see them.
Yeon Hojeong recalled the battles he had fought over the past two days.
'They all practiced the counterfeit Death God Martial Arts.'
Even Yeon Hojeong, utilizing the enlightenment of the Black Abyss, couldn't face them all.
Yet, he was able to defeat the Myeong clan's masters alone because of the martial arts he had mastered and the very nature of the martial arts his opponents had learned.
'Was it called the Blue-White Martial Arts?'
Myeongchisan.
The man he faced in the bamboo forest had not practiced the counterfeit Death God Martial Arts. There were likely many more such masters in the Myeong clan.
But now.
'It's alright.'
He could handle any master of that level now.
The Black Tortoise energy had grown explosively. And the White Tiger energy, seeking to match it, had also evolved on its own.
The Yeon Hojeong of two days ago and the Yeon Hojeong of now were entirely different people. If the opponent had mastered a martial art derived from the Death God Martial Arts, even if they were a supreme master, he could face them.
That was the Yeon Hojeong of today.
The Myeong clan had dispatched masters to capture Yeon Hojeong, but those masters had instead become catalysts for the growth of Yeon Hojeong's martial arts.
No one was to be feared, at least not from the Myeong clan.
Yeon Hojeong closed his eyes.
A cool breeze caressed his ears.
"The wind is pleasant."
Three days later,
"Is today the day of the grand council?"
"Has it come so soon?"
"Indeed. Time flies so fast."
Thud, thud, thud.
"Huh? What's that?"
Gadeuksang tilted his head.
"Why are they retreating?"
Yeon Hojeong was puzzled too. There was no reason for the White Dragon Army to retreat under the current circumstances.
Then.
"Hm?"
Gadeuksang perked up his ears, listening to a distant sound transmission.
Moments later, Gadeuksang's face grew pale.
Yeon Hojeong furrowed his brows.
"What's wrong?"
Gadeuksang turned to Yeon Hojeong.
"The head of the Yeon clan has dropped a bombshell."
"My father?!"
"He threatened the head of the Myeong clan! To protect you!"
Gadeuksang relayed the contents of the letter to Yeon Hojeong.
Anxiety crept onto his face.
"Damn, the game has changed! We can't predict how the Myeong clan will move now!"
"I see."
"What? What did you say?!"
Yeon Hojeong's eyes deepened.
"I understand. The Myeong clan, no, the 'head of the Myeong clan' will move accordingly."