Tying Up Loose Ends (3)
“You’ve arrived?”
Dang Gwan sat down in the chair without a word. The host hadn’t even invited him to sit, yet he plopped down anyway. It was an outrageously rude act, but Moyong Gun didn’t mind. He knew the man was like that by nature.
“Care for some tea?”
“No tea.”
“Then what?”
Dang Gwan asked with a sour expression.
“Got any Oryang Yeok left?”
Moyong Gun cleared his throat with a dry cough.
“Oryang Yeok is all gone, but I’ve got Geomnamchun.”
“Then let’s have that.”
“Very well.”
A moment later, the two men faced each other with cups in hand. Moyong Gun poured liquor into Dang Gwan’s cup and asked, “What brings you here at this hour?”
“You already know, don’t you?”
“Of course I have my suspicions.”
Moyong Gun filled his own cup and stroked his beard.
“Did you come because of that Yeon Hojeong brat?”
Dang Gwan openly furrowed his brow.
“Just what the hell is that guy?”
Moyong Gun smiled—a smile tinged with bitterness.
“I always knew that question would come someday. So I prepared an answer in advance.”
“……”
“I haven’t the foggiest.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“The truth. He’s the eldest son of the Bi-san Yeon family, a madman who once tried to take on the Nine Great Clans alone, and the youngest in the current generation to break through to Mujongjibyeok.”
Moyong Gun shook his head.
“That’s all I know. I mobilized every informant I have to investigate, but his past is too damn ordinary.”
To be precise, he was the textbook example of a good-for-nothing son of a noble house. There wasn’t a single reason to explain how such a monster had grown into what he was. That’s why Moyong Gun called it ordinary.
“So, what do you make of him, Tang family head?”
Dang Gwan’s eyes deepened.
“I don’t know if he’s a monster, but he’s definitely a sly fox.”
“Hahaha.”
Moyong Gun nodded.
“A sly fox indeed. Bigger than a dragon, fiercer than a tiger. But even that’s probably not his true face.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s the type who can change however he wants depending on the situation and opponent. In front of a rat, he’ll bare his claws like a cat; before a cat, he’ll show his fangs like a wild dog; and against a wild dog, he’ll pounce like a leopard in an instant.”
“……”
“I can guess what face he showed you. Probably something more extreme than you could’ve imagined.”
The bridge of Dang Gwan’s nose twitched. He’d let the kid go alive, but even now, the thought made his blood boil. He’d never met anyone who spouted such nonsense to his face.
Moyong Gun shook his head.
“He pulls that on me sometimes too. Though it’s definitely different from what he showed you.”
“One thing I figured out.”
“What’s that?”
Dang Gwan drained his cup in one gulp and said with venomous eyes, “He’s dangerous.”
“……”
“I don’t know what he wants. Don’t care to know. But to get what he wants, he’d start a war without batting an eye.”
“You see him clearly.”
“And……”
“And?”
Dang Gwan, lost in thought for a moment, shook his head.
“Never mind.”
He refilled his own cup and added casually, “Anyway, I’ve decided not to touch him for the time being.”
Moyong Gun smiled.
Not a bad outcome at all.
Dang Gwan was a brute. But he knew when to strike and when to pull back. Even a tyrant ruling as king of Sichuan had such qualities.
He’s not fit to rule the world, but more than enough to hold down one region. If I control him well, he’ll be a great asset.
He’d allied with Dang Gwan, but he had no intention of sharing everything. His top priority was always his own dream. Still, tossing him some scraps from the table first wouldn’t hurt—as long as he didn’t stray too far.
Moyong Gun smirked at the sudden thought.
What a pity.
The fact that two heads of the Six Great Families were having this conversation proved Yeon Hojeong was one of a kind.
It was absurd when he thought about it. Headaches over a young man barely out of his teens? Unbelievable.
Such a shame. If he worked for me, things would be so much easier.
Moyong Gun licked his lips and spoke up. “Did he demand anything of you, by chance?”
Dang Gwan’s eyes widened.
“How did you know?”
“I figured as much.”
Moyong Gun emptied his cup and continued. “When he asked me to arrange a meeting with you, I wondered why now, of all times.”
“……”
“One of two things, right? Either to corner you, or to get something from you.”
“……”
“If he meant to seriously corner the head of the Sichuan Tang family, he wouldn’t have come alone. So that leaves just one option. He went to get something from you.”
He’s different.
Dang Gwan thought. Moyong Gun was definitely different from him. Both had been hardened by the harsh world of Murim, but in climbing to the top, they’d honed different skills. He relied on instinct and brute force, while Moyong Gun excelled in strategy and intrigue.
No telling which was better. He’d shine in crises; Moyong Gun in shadowy power plays.
Which means…
The Yeon family eldest son was skilled enough to handle both of them at once.
A monster indeed.
Moyong Gun asked, “So, what did he demand?”
Dang Gwan gave a wry smile.
“He asked to borrow some of my clan’s artisans for a bit.”
* * *
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes wavered.
Gadeuksang unwittingly let out a whistle.
“Damn, never seen a chain forged with this much care before.”
Chwaruruk.
The long iron chain fell to the floor with a clear, ringing sound. Surprisingly, it gleamed with a blackish-gray hue. It looked like any ordinary chain at a glance, but the eerie luster made it seem extraordinary.
Gadeuksang glanced at Yeon Hojeong. The man was staring at the chain, entranced.
“Like it?”
“Love it.”
“Figured.”
Yeon Hojeong gripped the end of the chain and swung it vigorously.
Chwarururuk!
With the clash of metal, the long chain whipped through the air. His wrist moved fluidly.
Chwaruk! Chwaruruk!
Gadeuksang’s eyes widened. Muk Bi watched the chain with a stunned expression too.
It’s moving on its own?
An astonishing sight. He’d only flicked his wrist lightly while holding the end, yet the chain writhed as if alive. Like watching a living dragon in motion. Not that thick, yet it exuded power and dynamism.
How?
It felt like mystical sorcery. No massive surge of internal energy, yet it emanated an uncanny presence.
After handling the chain for a good while, Yeon Hojeong suddenly swung his arm wide.
Whiiiiiing!
Thwack!
The chain’s tip pierced straight through the trunk of a small tree by the wall. Incredible precision. He’d wielded a chain nearly five zhang long with perfect control, striking his target dead-on—not wrapping around it, but shooting the tip like a spear. Immense piercing power.
“Hmm, not used to it yet? It’s a half-beat off.”
Gadeuksang’s eyes bulged.
“This isn’t used to it?”
“Hm?”
“You learned whip techniques too? How’re you handling that long chain so fluidly?”
No matter how skilled a martial artist, wielding a new weapon proficiently on first try was no easy feat. Especially whips, chains, great axes like Yeon Hojeong’s main weapon, or hidden arms—they demanded rigorous practice.
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“Far from adequate. Can’t use this in real combat yet.”
Just flexible enough to manage. That was it. Against weaker foes, it might work somehow, but equals or superiors? Worse than bare hands.
But.
Yeon Hojeong was thrilled, a rare sight.
An amazing weapon. Feels completely different from the chains I used before—right from the grip.
In the past, he’d swung a steel chain woven alongside his Wind Thunder Axe. That one was specialized for chaotic melees, mainly amplifying the axe’s lethal strikes. Rarely used otherwise.
But this chain was different.
Much more flexible than expected. Several times tougher than my old one, yet incredibly supple.
With a weapon like this—one without a single flaw—he could use it effectively even in one-on-one duels.
I’ve heard you’ve been building quite the reputation lately. If I’d made this sooner, it might’ve spared you some hardship. Sorry it’s so late.
I’ve named it Jiao Dragon Chain. Just my whim, of course. As I mentioned before, it incorporates the rare material Yusang Gwichil. A heavenly treasure that expands or contracts based on the quality and intensity of your internal energy.
It won’t be easy, but I believe you can master it.
Yeon Hojeong gripped the Jiao Dragon Chain with both hands and poured in his internal energy.
Woooong!
Amazingly, the chain in his grasp gradually darkened, stretching bit by bit.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened.
Incredible.
He’d never even heard of Yusang Gwichil back in his Black Emperor days. Controlling metallic properties with internal energy to alter its form? Astonishing.
Tougher to wield. Distance control will be tricky. But…
If mastered, it’d be a weapon of endless versatility.
Chiririring.
He coiled the chain at a right angle around his arm, then set the neatly looped length on the table.
“Huh? What’re you doing?”
“Hm?”
Gadeuksang chuckled.
“You look thrilled to death, but no training?”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Dying to, but not the time.”
“Then what?”
“Huigae said he’s off today, right? Gotta make the most of it.”
Gadeuksang’s face crumpled.
“I ain’t some tool!”
“Not helping then?”
“……Pfft.”
He crossed his arms and flopped onto the bench.
“I’m expensive. Cough up booze and beg properly.”
“Booze later. I’ll treat big.”
“A beggar in debt? You’re no ordinary trash.”
He grumbled, but Gadeuksang’s eyes burned with curiosity and tension. He knew Yeon Hojeong wouldn’t ask lightly.
Yeon Hojeong asked gravely, “Need you to back us up.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Gonna turn those faction squabbles into real fights.”
Gadeuksang’s eyes gleamed. He grasped it instantly.
“Introduce me to some folks?”
“Exactly.”
“Heard Tangma and Myeol Sa Armies mobilize in days.”
“That’s why we move fast.”
“Make it a proper fight before deployment…”
“Can’t?”
“Nothing’s impossible. Problem is quality or quantity—one or the other.”
Gadeuksang looked up at him and smirked meaningfully.
“They say good guys can be scarier sometimes. You sure?”