Look Up to See the Sky (1)
Yeon Hojeong and Muk Bi moved at an astonishing speed. Even though there was no real need to hurry, their pace was excessively fast, entirely because of Yeon Hojeong.
"Hoo. I'm getting tired too."
Yeon Hojeong glanced at Muk Bi. She looked fairly relaxed. But leaning slightly against a tree—unlike her usual self—she seemed worn out.
"Your legs are shaking too, huh?"
Muk Bi frowned.
"It's my first time running this long without a break."
"That's how you train."
"They say excess is as bad as deficiency."
"You have to know where 'excess' starts before you can say that. I've got a long way to go."
She meant it sincerely. Muk Bi sensed the seriousness on Yeon Hojeong's face. Of course, when it came to martial arts, he'd never been anything less than dead serious.
Muk Bi felt a chill inwardly.
'He's really a monster. A monster.'
In her eyes as a master of movement techniques, Yeon Hojeong's footwork realm was still far off. But his learning speed was miraculous. He seemed to have grasped the core principles of footwork from the start, and even accounting for that, it was too fast.
'He was like a turtle at first.'
His speed improved daily. At the beginning, each step thudded heavily against the ground, but now he moved nimbly and lightly like a cat.
'And that internal energy control...'
The better the footwork technique, the more it emphasized maximum efficiency with minimal energy. The one Yeon Hojeong was learning was no different. The Yeon family's supreme footwork, Cheonjong Unhaengbi (Heavenly Vertical Flight Step), was on par with their sword arts in sophistication.
'His attainment isn't that high yet. But he's already showing ultra-efficient energy use.'
His mastery of the technique itself wasn't exceptional, but through hyper-efficient internal energy operation, he achieved both blazing speed and incredible stamina. If he fully mastered Cheonjong Unhaengbi, he might even surpass her.
'His understanding of qi is insanely sharp.'
Well, that explained how he'd become such a monster at a younger age than her. The term "internal arts master" fit him perfectly.
"This won't do. We've got a little left, but let's rest a bit."
"Weren't you not gonna rest?"
"Your voice has an edge to it."
"I'm hungry."
They'd been running on water alone for days, so it was understandable. Yeon Hojeong untied the cloth bundle from the shaft of his Gwangryongbu.
Inside were cold rice balls, jerky, and Bi-gok Pills packed full.
"Here, let's eat."
The two dug in with relish, chomping away. The food was cold, but hunger was the best sauce—it was delicious enough to bring tears.
Once their stomachs were somewhat full, Muk Bi asked, "Wanna see Jipyeong?"
"Huh? Jipyeong?"
"Yeah."
Yeon Hojeong blinked. "See Jipyeong? What do you mean?"
"He's in Zhejang, right? At the academy."
"Oh? Was he?"
"You didn't know?"
"Nope. I heard Father sent him to someone he knows with the Bi-eungdae..."
Muk Bi was stunned by Yeon Hojeong's indifference.
"Zhejang somewhere... Mokgan Mountain or something."
"Mo Gan Mountain?"
"Yeah, that's it. He went to Mo Gan Mountain."
Interest sparked on Yeon Hojeong's face.
"Mo Gan Mountain... Not far."
Mo Yong Woo was farther south in Shaoxing. Zhejang's Shaoxing was the Moyong family's Zhejang branch headquarters.
'Even closer from here.'
Heading west along the mountain paths from their current spot would lead to Mo Gan Mountain. Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"Father sent him there for a reason. We focus on our own business."
"Got it."
"What? Wanna see Jipyeong?"
Muk Bi smiled, a rare sight.
"He's cute."
Over the past two months, Muk Bi and Yeon Jipyeong had grown quite close. It was all thanks to Yeon Jipyeong's affable nature. By now, they were practically like siblings. She'd even checked his footwork for him.
Muk Bi was intimidated by Yeon Wi. It took real courage to review Yeon Jipyeong's footwork, which Yeon Wi taught personally. It showed how much she cared for him.
"Well, after we finish up, we can swing by on the way back. If timing works, we'll go together."
"Shall we?"
"Yeah."
"...Heehee."
Yeon Hojeong made a bizarre face, like he'd seen something he shouldn't.
"What's with that seductive laugh?"
"Why?"
"Did Jipyeong teach you?"
"..."
"Jipyeong's cute when he laughs."
Meaning hers wasn't. Muk Bi felt an urge to punch him.
"If a hole opens in your head while you sleep, you'll know it's me."
"With a hole in my skull, you think I'd be thinking straight?"
"Just know it."
Yeon Hojeong burst into laughter. Muk Bi wasn't the Muk Bi he remembered from his past life. Seeing this new side of her made him want to tease more.
But only for a moment.
"Rested enough? Let's go."
"Already?"
"Not much left. Half a day more, and we're in Hangzhou. I contacted the Beggar Sect—they should've booked us a nice inn."
Muk Bi grumbled while rubbing her thighs.
"We rest long when we get there, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Let's go."
Twang!
The two unleashed their footwork again. Half a day later, they entered Hangzhou.
"...!"
Muk Bi's mouth fell open. Yeon Hojeong tapped her shoulder.
"Why the daze?"
"Whoa, it's amazing!"
Hangzhou was beautiful. It had looked stunning from afar, but stepping inside, the city's atmosphere overwhelmed. Even at sunset, crowds made walking tough, but the bustle felt charming rather than stifling or noisy.
Muk Bi was utterly enchanted by Hangzhou's mystique.
"Didn't you hate crowds?"
"Wow..."
"Wipe the drool from your chin."
"Suck."
"Stop gawking and head to the inn."
"I-inn?"
"What else? Not going?"
"No, we should."
She wanted rest, but also to soak in the vibe more. Hangzhou had a magic that made even fatigue fade.
Soon, they arrived at a massive pavilion. Muk Bi looked entranced. Yeon Hojeong's expression was peculiar.
"Hoseon Daehi House. This place, huh?"
Hangzhou's landmark, built over a century ago. But Yeon Hojeong had never seen it before.
'So this is what it looked like.'
During his Black Dark Emperor days, when he'd visited Hangzhou, Hoseon Daehi House was gone. Swept away in a massive bloodbath, it had collapsed.
He was seeing Hangzhou's greatest pavilion—which he'd missed in his past—from an even earlier time.
'...'
It stuck in his memory because of 'that guy'. One of the Five Divine Generals had three wishes. One was to stay at Hoseon Daehi House for a year. He'd sung about wanting to come so badly, yet Yeon Hojeong had arrived first.
Yeon Hojeong closed his eyes.
'Can I meet those guys too?'
No telling. He'd luckily run into Muk Bi like this, but no guarantee for the other Five Divine Generals. Three of them were rogues from the black path's back alleys.
Black path lives were like duckweed. Living here, drifting there, returning sometimes.
'After this job, I should look into it.'
Their talents were exceptional. Better to find them early like Muk Bi, train them, and prepare for the future.
Putting thoughts aside, Yeon Hojeong pulled Muk Bi.
"Let's go in."
"Yes!"
Full of energy. As they entered, a server approached promptly.
"Welcome!"
Like on Hangzhou's streets, the server didn't bat an eye at them. Yeon Hojeong carried a massive axe, Muk Bi a red bow. Rare combo even in a world full of martial artists.
Yet no surprise in his gaze.
"How may I serve you?"
"Beggar Sect Hangzhou branch chief reserved two rooms under Yeon Hojeong."
That was when it happened.
"Bi-san Lord?!"
The noisy first floor went silent in an instant. Revelers laughing heartily over drinks, foodies lost in flavor, quiet tea drinkers—all eyes turned to Yeon Hojeong.
"Whoa! That axe is huge!"
"Wait, didn't someone say Bi-san Lord?"
"Bi-san Lord? Yeon Hojeong?"
"Yeon family's eldest young master!"
The sudden silence vanished as quickly, replaced by exclamations everywhere. Yeon Hojeong frowned.
'Jeez.'
There were limits to ignoring stares. Nearly two hundred people gawking made even him uneasy. The server, sensing his mood, bowed.
"We got word just before shift change. This way, please."
Word just before shift change. Meaning they'd known the moment he entered Hangzhou. The Beggar Sect's eyes were sharp as ever.
The pair slipped past the crowd to the rear garden, a lavish space for VIPs only.
After washing up in their rooms and donning provided fresh clothes, a middle-aged man waiting outside bowed.
"I'll guide you to the top floor. Follow me."
Muk Bi glanced uncomfortably at Yeon Hojeong. He cleared his throat.
"Just accept it."
True to its fame, the place was on another level. Muk Bi seemed awkward with such treatment.
They reached the top floor.
"Whoa!"
Muk Bi's jaw dropped. Yeon Hojeong muttered, "They wallpapered it in gold."
Not literally, but luxurious enough to blurt it out. And the view outside was otherworldly. Not vast, but Central Plains' most beautiful, West Lake, lay fully visible.
'Jin Yang, now I get why that guy wanted to come so bad.'
Overly flashy could overwhelm, but not here.
"Please, sit here."
The man guided them to the window seat—best spot on the top floor for the lake view.
As Yeon Hojeong sat, casually propping his axe aside, he noticed one gaze among many was odd. With so many staring, he'd brushed it off, but this was different. Intense energy in those eyes.
He turned his head. Yeon Hojeong's eyes gleamed.
'Moyong Yeonhwa?!'
Moyong Yeonhwa sat with a dozen young men and women, all in their twenties or thirties.
'Why here?'
Hoseon Daehi House's top floor wasn't for the merely rich. You needed comparable fame. Moyong Yeonhwa naturally qualified.
But why here, why now?
Moments later, Moyong Yeonhwa rose and approached Yeon Hojeong.
"I never imagined meeting you again here."
Moyong Yeonhwa smiled radiantly.
"How long's it been, us?"
...This felt dangerous.