The Moment of Resolve (6)
Autumn had passed, and winter was nearly upon them.
"It's about time..."
The blowing wind was bitterly cold. Even bundled in fur garments, a chill seeped into his gut.
"I suppose preparations are in order."
Moyong Woo gazed up at the sky thick with dark clouds, his eyes filled with a certain resolve.
"Lee Gon."
"Yes, Branch Leader."
"I'm entrusting the branch to you until I return."
Lee Gon's eyes gleamed.
"Are you truly planning to go alone?"
Moyong Woo smiled.
"I've lived my whole life in solitude until I met you. This is nothing new."
"I see."
"Besides, though I've declared my intent to reform my clan, that doesn't mean the Zhejiang branch can shirk its duties. If we falter, many will go hungry."
"......"
"Take good care of it."
"I'll manage somehow until your return."
"Your administrative skills far surpass mine. I have no doubts."
Moyong Woo took down the treasured sword hanging on the wall.
'......'
A faint wistfulness flickered in his eyes as he looked at the blade.
"Well then, until later."
"Please take care of your health."
With that, Moyong Woo left the branch alone and set off by land.
Why, he wondered? He knew sailing would be faster, yet his feet naturally chose the overland path.
And Moyong Woo saw no reason to change that choice.
Half a shichen later, as he traveled by land, he confirmed his judgment had been right.
"I never expected to meet you here on this road."
Surprise flashed in Moyong Woo's eyes.
"Yeon-je?"
Yeon Hojeong furrowed his brow.
"We'll talk about proper forms of address later. Hearing it after so long just doesn't sit right."
A look of delight spread across Moyong Woo's face. Some people never grew on you no matter how many times you met, while others endeared themselves after just one encounter. For Moyong Woo, Yeon Hojeong was firmly the latter.
Perhaps it was because seeing Yeon Hojeong made him reflect on his past self.
"Did you have business in Zhejiang? What a coincidence."
"What business would I have in Zhejiang besides seeing you?"
Moyong Woo's eyes widened.
"You came to see me?"
"Yeah."
"Haha, you told me we'd meet once the first operation succeeded, yet here you are without a word."
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"I came in case you hadn't made up your mind yet—to give you a nudge. Even if you had, there's something else I wanted to say."
"Something to say?"
Yeon Hojeong met Moyong Woo's gaze. His eyes shone like morning stars. The sky was dark, but the resolute aura rising from his body and his innate warmth created an appealing charm that lifted the spirits of anyone who faced him.
"You're planning to go under Moyong Gun."
"Yes, that's my intention."
"Thanks for going along with my thinking."
"I should be the one thanking you. Meeting you made me realize how passively I'd lived. It's all thanks to you, brother."
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"You just needed a spark. You've always been capable of sound judgment. Have more faith in yourself."
Moyong Woo burst into hearty laughter.
"What's this? You've been nothing but complimentary today."
"What do you mean 'today' after just a few meetings?"
"Hahaha!"
Yeon Hojeong's sharp, teasing tone felt so endearing. Moyong Woo felt his heart lighten.
"So, what did you want to tell me?"
"......"
"Yeon-je?"
It was then.
Thoom!
With a thunderous boom like a war drum, Yeon Hojeong's body shot forward at terrifying speed.
Moyong Woo's eyes flashed.
Craaaang!
The massive Gwang Yong Bu clashed against Moyong Woo's sword, halted in its tracks. It was a dazzlingly swift response.
But Yeon Hojeong's assault didn't end there. Channeling power into the Gwang Yong Bu with mystical footwork, he pressed Moyong Woo mercilessly.
Whirrr!Craaack!
Moyong Woo retreated step by step, parrying Yeon Hojeong's strikes. Each blow could split boulders, and the destructive shockwaves crumbled even stone walls—yet Moyong Woo blocked them all with a single sword, his martial prowess bordering on the divine.
How long did the barrage continue?
Flash!
Moyong Woo's eyes gleamed.
'Gone?!'
Yeon Hojeong had vanished in an instant, completely slipping from his sight.
At that moment, amid the heavy clouds, it felt as if intense sunlight poured down from the heavens.
'Above!'
Moyong Woo looked up.
'......!!'
Yeon Hojeong descended at ferocious speed, his body rippling with crimson flames. The brilliant, eerie blaze unfurled behind his shoulders like a curtain, resembling a pair of wings.
Overwhelming firepower. Terrifying killing intent.
Moyong Woo's sword moved on instinct, following its sword principles.
Craaaack!
It was an astonishing feat of martial arts. Wielding that heavy weapon like a master of swift swordplay, he nearly lost his grip otherwise.
Hummm!
Moyong Woo's sword let out a resonant cry.
Flash!
A brilliant sword shadow overlaid the cascading flames, hurling them skyward.
Swoosh.
Yeon Hojeong landed ten paces ahead of Moyong Woo.
'Hmph.'
Moyong Woo felt his sword hand trembling faintly. He hadn't fully dissipated the impact.
And that wasn't all. His waist ached, and his knees throbbed. The relentless barrage of fast, heavy blows had placed extreme strain on his body.
'Incredible martial arts.'
This was his first time clashing with Yeon Hojeong for real. It was truly formidable.
No—far more intense than he'd imagined.
The reason? He knew Yeon Hojeong wasn't even going all out.
"Did your foolish brother offend you in some way?"
Yeon Hojeong smirked.
"No offenses, but after exchanging a few moves, you feel a bit stifled."
"Stifled? Why?"
"You could counter plenty, yet you didn't swing back once."
Moyong Woo smiled.
"How could I, as your elder brother, point my sword at you?"
"Tch."
"Your skills are so overwhelming, I had no choice but to draw mine. I don't fancy dying, after all."
Yeon Hojeong, who had been watching Moyong Woo quietly, nodded.
"Looks like you haven't rusted."
"Were you testing if your fool of a brother could be trusted?"
"How long since your last proper bout?"
"Real combat?"
"Yeah."
"Can't recall."
"Nothing beats live battle for a warrior. You lacked that swordsman's edge, so I swung at you. Good thing you're not the type to get ambushed anywhere."
Even the strong could fall to a single sneak attack in this world. Moyong Woo was different. Though long out of real fights, his instincts held strong.
Even without combat, years of daily refinement had forged the man he was now.
"Not perfect, but not bad either. You'll manage."
Shing.
Moyong Woo sheathed his sword.
"So, what did you want to tell this fool of a brother?"
"Hold on tight. If you're going under Moyong Gun, do it thoroughly."
"That doesn't seem to be the main point."
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
"I'm heading to the Martial Alliance too."
Moyong Woo was startled.
"You too? Planning to go with me?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
"Then?"
Yeon Hojeong gazed northwest, toward the Martial Alliance.
"Early New Year, the leaders of the Nine Great Clans and Six Great Sects will gather over the alliance's founding. My family leaves in five days."
"So?"
"Yeah, with my father to the Martial Alliance."
Delight lit Moyong Woo's face.
"Then we'll..."
"Sorry, but my family's not as cold as yours. We're harmonious. Think we'll have time to meet in that crowd?"
"......Ugh."
"Well... we might cross paths, but it'll probably be as enemies."
The laughter faded from Moyong Woo's face in an instant.
"Enemies..."
"Yeah, enemies. Of course, only if you fully commit under Moyong Gun."
"I see."
"Yeah."
The two fell silent, eyes locked.
Moyong Woo broke the quiet first.
"You heard about the warning I got at the main house?"
"Yeah."
"You were right, Yeon-je. If I hadn't planned to confront the family head directly, they'd have watched me endlessly."
"Moyong Gun's no fool."
"Thanks to reading his personality and intent, I've stepped back into the world like this."
"Spare me the undeserved praise."
"Be on guard."
Yeon Hojeong blinked.
"Didn't expect that. On guard, huh?"
"I'm prone to mistakes. I'll try not to, but someday I might surprise you."
"Don't be ridiculous. Mistakes happen in the field. A little tension's natural."
"But know this: from now on, even if I err, I won't apologize to you. Better to push forward than dwell on regret."
"Ho?"
"So, my apologies in advance. Sorry."
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
"Fine mindset. Hope it holds steady."
Moyong Woo clasped his hands in a crisp salute.
"Thanks for everything. Let's do well from here."
"You too."
With that, Moyong Woo departed first. The sky was overcast, yet somehow sunlight seemed to break through along his path.
Watching his retreating figure from afar, Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.
"No wonder Father's furious about no welfare letters. Feels like watching a three-year-old."
Then, Muk Bi emerged from behind a large tree. Unlike before, her hair was tightly bound, giving her a vibrant, healthy glow.
"He's ten years older than you, Young Master Yeon, yet you call him a kid?"
"You're six or seven years older than me and still act like one."
"Where do I act like a kid?"
"You're always kid-like."
"Tch."
Muk Bi rummaged at her waist and pulled something out.
"Eat this."
"What's that?"
"Onigiri."
"No jerky? I want meat."
"Who're you calling a kid?"
"You'd know if you'd choked down onigiri like I have. But seriously, for a multi-day trip, why pack onigiri instead of jerky?"
"Rice tastes better."
"Unique palate, as always."
"So, you eating or not?"
"Gimme. I'm hungry."
"Act all picky when you're gonna eat anyway."
"You've really grown."
"Don't say that to an adult."
The two laughed and chatted for a good while, devouring the onigiri.
* * *
"Where you off to now?"
"......"
"That punk's getting cheekier by the day. Get back here now!"
"Ugh, come on. I've mastered the first ten forms and last eight—the full Descending Dragon Eighteen Palms!"
"Mastered? You haven't refined them properly. Still a long way. Get in here."
"No way."
"You're dead meat."
"Master! The world's in upheaval—how can I hole up here? I need to go see what's happening!"
"The kids bring intel. Quit yapping and hustle back."
"No. I'm going."
"Going where, you lunatic?!"
"To the Martial Alliance!"
"What for?!"
"To the Martial Alliance... Huh? Master, aren't you going?"
"Ahem. Told 'em I'm not."
"......"
"Hey? What? Hey! Get back here! When did that punk master Ten Thousand Li Autumn Wind to that level? Damn, getting old—I can't keep up. That bastard, when he returns, I'll make him a cripple for real."