Only by Raising Your Head Can You See the Sky (3)
Moyong Woo's eyes wavered.
'He's incredible.'
The man stood over six feet tall with a slender yet sturdy build at first glance. Though he wore martial robes beneath, the white outer garment draped over him softened his sharp impression. His height was imposing, but his frame was neither overly massive nor frail. Combined with the peculiar aura emanating from his entire being, he resembled a single towering bamboo stalk.
Without that subtly refined energy flowing from him, one might have thought, what a handsome scholar.
'To harbor such vigorous qi?'
It even gave off a faintly mystical vibe. Moyong Woo had never encountered anyone with such an extraordinary presence.
And that axe. At a glance, it was a treasure worthy of being called a divine weapon. From its thick yet chilling blade emanated a majestic ferocity.
It was a rare elite weapon in the jianghu. Held by this lithe young man, it exuded even greater intimidation.
In the current martial world, only one person came to mind when describing such an appearance.
And this young man had boldly introduced himself by name.
"Yeon Hojeong... of the Bi-san Yeon family?"
"That's right."
Moyong Woo rose from his seat. He offered a brief clasped-hands salute.
"I am Moyong Woo, branch chief of the Moyong family's Zhejiang division. It is an honor to meet the famed tiger of Bi-san."
It was a surprising greeting. Moyong Woo was older than Yeon Hojeong—not by just a year or two, but by over a decade.
Yet he observed proper etiquette in his salute. At this predawn hour, when the visit could easily be deemed suspicious.
Yeon Hojeong set down his axe and returned the formal greeting.
"Yeon Hojeong, eldest son of the Bi-san Yeon family of Jiangsu, greets the hidden dragon of the Moyong house."
Moyong Woo's face stiffened. Hidden dragon of the Moyong house. It was a profoundly meaningful expression.
As Moyong Woo opened his mouth to speak, Yeon Hojeong picked up his axe again.
"Mind if I partake in a cup of tea?"
It was an invitation to talk inside.
Moyong Woo nodded.
"...Come in."
Whoosh.
Yeon Hojeong slipped through the window into the office.
Moyong Woo's eyes wavered once more.
'Incredible lightness skill!'
His movements transcended the ordinary. Incredibly fluid yet brimming with resolve. From just that single motion, Moyong Woo's wariness toward Yeon Hojeong deepened further.
"I don't have fine leaves. Bear with me."
"I eat anything well, so don't worry."
"Understood."
Yeon Hojeong set down the axe and sat in a chair, gazing at Moyong Woo.
Moyong Woo silently prepared tea from a side table.
One might expect curiosity to prompt a question amid this silence, or an awkward remark to break the ice.
But he focused intently on brewing the tea. More precisely, even as he did so, his senses continuously probed Yeon Hojeong.
'Still the same.'
Cautious. Sharply honed yet bound by ingrained courtesy and righteousness—just as before. No, it shone even brighter now.
Compared to that time, worn down by worldly strife and the chaos of the Saneumgyo, he now carried a far more human scent.
He was simply suppressing it thoroughly himself.
'My hunch was right.'
A blue glint flickered in Yeon Hojeong's pupils.
'It has to be him. Only him.'
Moments later, Moyong Woo placed a teacup before Yeon Hojeong.
"It's been ages since I brewed any. Not sure if it'll taste good."
"The aroma is fine."
Yeon Hojeong drank without hesitation.
Moyong Woo's eyes deepened.
'Drinks it without a hint of suspicion.'
Was it sheer guts, or did he know him well? Moyong Woo had precious little information on his guest.
'Rumored as a hero of the realm... but coming alone in the dead of night...'
As the saying went: the virtuous do not come; those who come are not virtuous.
The jianghu was a dangerous place. One should be on utmost guard against a stranger arriving at this late hour.
Even if the Beggars' Sect had vouched midway.
"Congratulations."
"On what?"
"You succeeded in brewing delicious tea."
"Fortunate."
A curt reply. Wariness seeped from his voice. It was an honest reaction.
Moyong Woo spoke.
"The night air has grown quite chill. You seem a master at a glance, yet even the world's greatest experts can't escape a cold."
Why come out in this frigid predawn air? A roundabout way of asking his purpose—and all the more chilling for it.
No room for idle banter.
Yeon Hojeong's smile faded.
"Before we talk, one thing."
"I'm listening."
"I don't like beating around the bush. Forgive me if it sounds harsh."
"No need to worry on that score."
"I hear things are tough for you right now."
He skipped straight to it, omitting all preamble. Perhaps that's why Moyong Woo looked momentarily baffled.
The conversation hit a snag as he pondered the meaning. Seizing the offbeat rhythm, Yeon Hojeong took control.
"I heard there's been chaos over trade rights among Zhejiang's merchants."
"...!"
"And that the branch chief is handling the coordination for Zhejiang's maritime trade."
Moyong Woo's eyes deepened.
"How did you know?"
"I've been looking into matters concerning you for a long time. Even reviewed them before coming here."
A puzzling yet eerie statement. Being watched without knowing it was no pleasant thought.
Yet Moyong Woo felt more curiosity about his intentions than annoyance.
Why would this young tiger—a youth even rumored to be a hot-blooded knight—have been monitoring him?
"You've investigated me?"
"Yes."
Moyong Woo, who had been staring at Yeon Hojeong with clear eyes, shook his head.
"If you're thinking of controlling maritime trade in both Jiangsu and Zhejiang to seize the rights, you'd best abandon it now."
"I can manage that without borrowing the branch chief's strength, so no plans to give it up."
A jab at his pride. But Moyong Woo's aura remained unchanged—like a deep, still lake, heavy water that barely rippled.
"That makes it all the more puzzling. No reason to investigate me, let alone come here in person."
"I'll help you."
"...Help? What do you mean?"
Yeon Hojeong, gazing at Moyong Woo, pondered briefly before speaking.
"You're not one who came down from the family head's ruthless, merciless path, are you?"
"...!!"
"From what I see, it was the same in the past, and even now, it seems you're under pressure from the main house."
Moyong Woo's expression shifted dramatically.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Looks like my guess was spot on."
"How could you...?"
"Because I know a fair bit about Moyong Gun."
Yeon Hojeong's gaze sharpened. Just thinking of Moyong Gun changed his eyes first.
And in that piercing look, Moyong Woo felt a chill grip his chest.
"Moyong Gun is an ambitious man. His greed knows no bounds. Having ambition isn't the issue—it's when innocents die because of it."
"...!"
"Moreover, his ambitions are utterly self-serving. If it were for some greater cause, there might be room for leniency, but Moyong Gun pursues even baser goals, living each day with venomous intensity."
Even as he spoke, Yeon Hojeong felt an unnecessary bitterness.
It wasn't as if he himself brimmed with grand righteousness or chivalry.
Genuine surprise flickered across Moyong Woo's face, mingled with deeper suspicion.
The man who investigated him knew well about his elder brother, the head of one of the Six Great Houses. Whatever his aim, he was someone to approach with extreme caution.
"But you're different. You don't seek greatness. You just want those under your wing to eat well and live well."
"..."
"You may or may not know, but if you don't, I'll tell you: justice and righteousness stem from there. You must know how grueling it is to protect your own before you can cry out for justice."
"Justice... righteousness..."
"I cherish my own too, but I doubt I'm that righteous. Closer to a villain, really."
"..."
"The righteous path isn't for just anyone."
Yeon Hojeong moistened his throat with a sip of tea.
"So I'll help you. If you're under family pressure over the Zhejiang trade alliance, I'll resolve that cleanly."
Moyong Woo's eyes wavered.
"Help... May I ask why?"
"The reason..."
"Yes. The reason."
Moyong Woo drew a deep breath, steadying himself with one inhale. In a firm voice, he added,
"You may not know, but I'm deeply confused. I got a letter from the Beggars' Sect's Hangzhou branch chief vouching for you, but a master I've never met shows up out of nowhere offering aid."
"True."
"If that were all, fine—but you say you've investigated me for ages. You even seem to know quite a bit about our family head."
"I know him very well. In some ways, better than you do."
"Better than me... Fine, let's say so."
Moyong Woo's eyes sharpened.
"Do you think I'd readily accept your help?"
"Probably not."
He'd expected a rebuttal, but instead, instant agreement. Moyong Woo gave a wry smile.
"Exactly. And you're the eldest son of Bi-san Yeon. If word got out I accepted your aid, the main house would erupt."
"Scared?"
"What?"
"Are you scared of Moyong Gun?"
A provocative question.
Moyong Woo replied with a stiff expression.
"I don't follow your meaning. And one more thing—you speak too casually of our family head."
"To me, he's someone who could become an enemy anytime."
"...?!"
An enemy? What did that mean all of a sudden?
"He joined hands with the Myeong family to destroy your house. Even infiltrated spies himself."
"W-what?!"
"If I hadn't caught the spy and smashed the Myeong family, your house might be on an irreversible path by now."
Moyong Woo stared at Yeon Hojeong with trembling eyes.
Yeon Hojeong's face was calm—not that of a liar.
'Elder brother...!'
Even more terrifying: the Moyong Gun he knew was fully capable of it.
Moyong Woo sighed unwittingly.
"How could he... How does he keep committing such audacious acts...?"
Sighing atop sigh, Moyong Woo rose and suddenly bowed deeply.
"On behalf of my brother, I apologize. I know not if you can forgive, but as kin, I have no face."
Yeon Hojeong's eyes deepened.
Moyong Woo remained prostrated in silence. Apologizing with full sincerity for a crime not his own.
What if the other was lying? Moyong Woo's insight was real. He had exceptional talent for discerning truth from falsehood—one of his many strengths.
Yeon Hojeong spoke.
"If he abandons his audacious ambitions and steps back from the front lines, your house could forgive him."
Moyong Woo straightened up. He bit his lip.
"For now... I'll speak to my brother directly about that."
"But Moyong Gun won't give up."
"..."
"You just apologized on his behalf?"
"...?"
"If that's sincere, why not skip the petty tricks and apologize properly?"
"...What should I do?"
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Stand at the pinnacle of the White Path martial world."
"W-what?!"
"Become the supreme giant who sways the righteous sects. The day you dominate the orthodox martial world, I will forgive you."