The Price of Insult (5)
Moyong Yeonhwa couldn’t make sense of the situation unfolding before her.
What the hell is this?
The branch leader was defying her. The branch leader—not her uncle—was calling her his niece.
Moyong Yeonhwa’s eyes gradually filled with bloodshot rage.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”
“……”
“You must truly want your head on a pike under family law!”
“Does family law even exist anymore?”
“What?!”
Woooong.
A chilling aura rose from Moyong Woo’s body. Moyong Yeonhwa instinctively took a step back. The sheer intensity of the energy emanating from him was overwhelming.
Moyong Woo spoke in a low, steady voice.
“The main family’s laws have long since crumbled to dust. And regrettably, that’s all thanks to your father.”
“W-what did you say?!”
“Family law should apply equally to everyone in the clan, without exception. In truth, that’s how all laws under heaven should work.”
Moyong Woo bit his lip. His second brother, the head of the Moyong family, the ruthless overlord. Just thinking of Moyong Gun stirred a storm in his heart.
“But the main family’s laws are nothing like that. Anyone who escapes the family head’s watchful eye faces summary execution. Those who speak honest counsel or walk the path of righteousness—if they obstruct the head’s way—are all doomed to die.”
“You…!”
“That’s not family law. It’s nothing but brutal dictatorship. If only the family head walked the path of righteousness, it might be different. But that’s not what he wants.”
Moyong Woo sighed.
“What he craves isn’t a just world. It’s glory for himself alone.”
Moyong Yeonhwa ground her teeth.
“You! Are you insulting the family head?!”
“How is this an insult?”
“What?”
“Anyone with proper convictions and a righteous worldview would know I’m not slandering him.”
“……!”
“That’s what a leader should be. Regardless of their ability, they must listen to their subordinates’ honest words, confront their own flaws, and strive to correct them.”
Moyong Woo shook his head.
“Nothing reaches my brother’s ears. And right now, my words aren’t reaching yours either. That’s not the right path.”
Moyong Yeonhwa trembled with fury. Her vision blurred with rage. At the same time, her mind cooled sharply.
Has he lost his mind?!
She was the family head’s daughter, a pillar of the Moyong clan. For this man to spout such nonsense to someone under the absolute ruler’s favor—he couldn’t possibly want to live.
“You must really want to die. How dare you spew such outrageous drivel.”
Moyong Woo let out a sigh.
“Go back.”
“Everything you said today will be reported to the family head! You’re a dead man!”
“I said go back.”
Moyong Yeonhwa bellowed.
“Shut your mouth! A mere branch leader, ordering the family head’s daughter around! Have you forgotten your roots after rotting away in this backwater?!”
In that instant, Moyong Woo’s expression twisted.
“Won’t you come to your senses?!”
Tsiiiiing!
Moyong Yeonhwa’s face went blank. It was a roar like the lion’s bellow. The intense inner energy, overpowering even that, shook her mind to its core.
Shaking her head to recover from the shock, Moyong Yeonhwa looked at Moyong Woo.
Gasp!
His eyes were terrifying. An overwhelming wave of emotion crashed over her. She felt suffocated by that unyielding gaze that swept away and pierced everything.
It wasn’t the look of superior inner energy or martial prowess. It was his capacity. Moyong Woo’s vessel, his convictions, were burning her away.
The will of a man who had endured unimaginable torment yet never strayed from the righteous path was that formidable. Moreover, Moyong Woo himself was changing. Seeing his twisted niece allowed him to confront the clan’s true state. He found the courage to face the hellish reality he had desperately ignored.
Now, he truly saw the world. Moyong Yeonhwa’s warped heart and shattered pride became, in turn, the catalyst for him to steel his resolve.
“How dare you hold a sword?! How did you even learn to read?! What reason allowed your body and soul to come into this world?!”
Moyong Woo’s voice grew fiercer, clearer, and more resolute by the moment.
“The reason you were born into this world is that the Moyong name stood tall against the tempests of life!”
“……!”
“If you truly care for the clan, you must speak out when it strays from the right path! For that, you need eyes and a heart to discern right from wrong!”
Moyong Woo pointed at Moyong Yeonhwa—an aggressive gesture. She flinched involuntarily.
“With all your talent, you fail to judge what’s right, blindly following your father’s orders and burdening the innocent with impossible loads. Do you truly think that’s just?!”
“Eek!”
“Speak! Do you really believe it’s right? Are you living the life you should be living?!”
In that moment, Moyong Yeonhwa felt as if struck on the back of her head. The other words faded, but the last one burrowed into her ears and rattled her mind.
The life I should be living?
Moyong Yeonhwa unwittingly questioned herself.
Am I living my own life?
Of course. She had never once been swayed by others. She had always been bold, confident in her abilities, stepping fearlessly into the world to wield them.
I’m not wrong. I’ll keep living my life on my terms, forever.
Biting her lip, Moyong Yeonhwa opened her mouth.
“How dare you spout such nonsense…”
Suddenly, her words caught in her throat. She realized the fierce gaze Moyong Woo fixed on her had softened into sorrow.
“I pity you.”
“……What?”
“You didn’t have to live like this. Yet here you are, grown into the puppet your father controls.”
“Sh-shut up! I’m not…!”
“Have you ever once looked back at yourself? Ever doubted if your life was on the wrong path?”
Moyong Yeonhwa fell silent as if her mouth were glued shut.
Moyong Woo, gazing at her with pity, turned toward the window.
“Go back with the Iron Wind Corps.”
“……”
“I don’t want to argue with you anymore.”
Moyong Yeonhwa’s fists trembled.
She spat through gritted teeth.
“Loser!”
With that, Moyong Yeonhwa stormed out of the office. Moyong Woo didn’t even glance back. He simply stood with hands clasped behind him, staring out the window.
Yi Geon quietly slung the ancestral tablet over his shoulder and left the office. He knew now wasn’t the time to bother Moyong Woo.
Thus, Moyong Woo was left alone.
Swooo.
Gazing at the sky with a troubled expression, Moyong Woo suddenly noticed the tea water boiling. With a sigh, he lifted the vessel—only to hurl it away in a surge of inexplicable emotion.
Claaang!
Scalding water and shattered porcelain scattered everywhere.
Standing with his head bowed for a long while, Moyong Woo finally spoke.
“Come in.”
The office door opened, and Yi Geon entered. He had been waiting outside the whole time.
“I have somewhere to go for a bit. Shortest case, two or three days; longest, maybe four.”
“……”
“Take care of the branch until then.”
Yi Geon bowed his head.
“Understood.”
Moyong Woo donned a large cloak and paused at the door.
“Yi Geon.”
“Yes, Branch Leader?”
“Do you think I went too far?”
Yi Geon smiled.
“More than enough.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So from now on, don’t hold back—fly free. Otherwise, how am I supposed to get my scraps?”
Moyong Woo chuckled despite himself.
“Sorry. I should’ve told you sooner. I can’t stand by and watch the main family’s reckless path any longer.”
Yi Geon burst into hearty laughter.
“I wondered when you’d raise your head. If you’re the lord this fool chose, you need that kind of resolve.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
His face lighter now, Moyong Woo nodded.
“I’ll be off.”
“Take care.”
* * *
Thwack!
“Guh!”
Muk Bi staggered and collapsed. Yeon Hojeong shook out his fist.
“That makes seventy-two wins in a row.”
“Cough, cough!”
“How do you not win even once? Block one movement technique, and you’re like a wooden training dummy.”
Panting, Muk Bi shot back.
“Ch-cheap shot.”
“What’s cheap about it?”
“Where the hell did you learn such ridiculous tricks?”
Muk Bi called it cheap, and she was right. Yeon Hojeong’s bare-handed fighting was downright dirty. Kicking stones to attack, tossing leaves to distract, even targeting the groin.
Cheap? It was downright vicious. Less a martial art and more a no-holds-barred brawl.
Yeon Hojeong snorted.
“There’s no such thing as a fair fight in this world. Principles? Manners? Don’t get suckered by pretty words. The one left standing is the truth. Debating clean or dirty in a fight is a luxury.”
“Cough!”
“Still, your instincts are sharp. You’ve never won, but you’re lasting longer each time.”
Yeon Hojeong admired Muk Bi’s senses. Sure, he had pushed her to react instinctively, but most martial artists would’ve crumbled halfway through such a brutal scrap.
Not Muk Bi. She gritted her teeth and endured. What ended in a few exchanges at first now stretched to thirty.
Of course, Yeon Hojeong hadn’t even shown thirty percent of his skill.
She’s the real deal.
Was this how a king felt upon gaining a capable general? Yeon Hojeong inwardly cheered.
“Hah, hah. N-no more today.”
“Tapping out already?”
“How many days has it been? Why aren’t we scouting ahead?”
“’Cause wrecking you is fun.”
“Ugh.”
Yeon Hojeong laughed and helped Muk Bi sit up.
“Good timing—you’re too beat to stand anyway. Perfect chance to train Hong Cheon Gi instead of Active Bowstring Technique.”
“You’re ruthless.”
“Ruthless makes you strong. Don’t you want to get stronger?”
After catching her breath, Muk Bi assumed the cross-legged position. It looked awkward—she’d spent her life cultivating through movement arts, after all.
Moments later.
Woooong.
A faint gray aura rose from Muk Bi’s body. Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.
Even faster than I expected.
Her combat sense was good, but her heart method control was on another level. She’d already grasped Hong Cheon Qi to this degree after just a short time.
Get stronger. Soar higher. That way, you survive—and so do the ones you want to protect.
As Yeon Hojeong stood guard over her cultivation, he suddenly sensed a sharp aura approaching.
This energy…?
He turned. In the distance, a mild-featured man approached.
“You weren’t at your quarters. Took a while to find you.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“You’ve come.”
Moyong Woo spoke calmly.
“Got a moment?”