Lying on Brushwood and Tasting Gall (7)
Fast!
Hwa Won felt a chill run down her spine at Yeon Hojeong's footwork. It wasn't a body technique—it was pure footwork. Though she couldn't react in time, she could tell what kind of lightness skill he had used.
What the hell kind of footwork is that?!
She had never even heard of footwork like this before. Footwork, put simply, was a way of stepping. In the martial world, it was interpreted as a type of movement that maximized advantages in offense and defense. Unlike lightness skills that covered long distances, it was a single stance that created favorable situations for attack, defense, and evasion.
That was why few people trained footwork in isolation. Most combined it with weapon techniques or fist and palm methods.
Whatever it is, the bastard's strong.
Hwa Won's eyes wavered.
To think he's this strong.
A mysterious footwork she'd never seen before, and an overwhelming aura that enveloped the surroundings.
Does that mean I couldn't even gauge his level all this time?!
A realm where one could perfectly conceal not just their internal energy, but the strength of their martial arts.
Mujongjibyeok!
Yeon Hojeong looked down at Won Gak. In his eyes, cold as a midwinter snowstorm, Won Gak nearly screamed without realizing it.
"You've never sat right with me."
Yeon Hojeong raised his hand. A sharp surge of energy hummed from it.
He manifested the sharpness of a bladed weapon with his pure true energy. In fact, the Azure Dragon Qi enveloping his entire hand blade formed a long, slender shape.
It wasn't a saber or sword.
A spear?!
Hwa Won shouted.
"Stop right now!"
Thud!
Won Gak's eyes bulged wide, nearly tearing. His hands and feet trembled violently.
"Sorry, but..."
Drip.
The force of the hand spear that sliced through his Adam's apple and vertebrae shredded Won Gak's spinal cord and brain to pieces.
Yeon Hojeong shook off his hand. Blood mixed with the bluish-green true energy splattered everywhere.
"I don't make empty threats."
Hack!
Won Gak spewed blood several times before going limp.
"......!!"
The atmosphere in the courtyard plummeted.
He was dead. He had really killed him. Just for showing killing intent.
Yeon Hojeong turned his chilling gaze to Hwa Won.
"You...!!"
Whoosh!
An unnatural energy erupted from Hwa Won's body. But she couldn't move easily. Unbelievably, her opponent was a transcendent master who had broken through Mujongjibyeok.
In a chaotic battlefield full of variables, maybe. But in a head-on fight, victory was impossible. And behind her stood Yeon Hojeong's group—masters who were no pushovers themselves.
The odds of winning a fight were practically zero.
"I told you before. If you're a guard warrior, guard the house properly. We're not Yang Cheon's subordinates yet, so we don't have to follow his orders."
Yeon Hojeong smiled. It was a sinister smile. Unlike the expression forming it, the aura pouring in like a waterfall carried unimaginable killing intent.
"And I said this too. Keep glaring like that, and I'll gouge your eyes out."
"......!"
"You're next. Stick your head out nice and clean. I don't want to end up ripping your whole skull off while digging for your eyeballs."
Hwa Won felt goosebumps rise.
This mad bastard!
He was utterly insane. Madman, demon—words weren't enough.
No matter what contract she had with her lord, committing this outrageous act in the front yard of Muk Ryong Bu?!
"Come forward."
Yeon Hojeong extended his hand. It was a commanding gesture, as if demanding she hand over his property.
"Stick your head out. Unless you want to die."
"It was you, wasn't it?"
"I said stick your head out."
Hwa Won burst out hysterically.
"You're the one who kidnapped the heir of Gwi Cheol Geom Mun, aren't you?!"
Yeon Hojeong spoke curtly.
"Looks like you wanna end up like my subordinate."
"......!!"
"If that's what you want, fine."
Yeon Hojeong stepped forward, one foot at a time.
Whoosh.
A cool breeze carried horrific killing intent. It was terrifying—killing intent born of madness that only a true demonic head who killed people like meals could emit.
Gadeuksang glanced at Paeryul.
[What do we do?]
[Hell if I know, you beggar bastard.]
[That guy's killing intent is way too real, even if he's faking it. What if he actually kills her?!]
Paeryul's eyes gleamed. Faking that killing intent?
No way.
Paeryul knew. Such killing intent couldn't be forced. Not even by a Mujongjibyeok transcendent.
This was killing intent born from the depths of someone who had killed as casually as eating—pure sincerity.
Tch.
Just what kind of life had that bastard lived to emit such horrific killing intent?
This won't do.
Paeryul stepped forward.
"Hold on a moment."
Yeon Hojeong's foot twitched.
Paeryul spoke in an unusually calm voice.
"I don't like that monkey bitch either, but you've killed one already. How about we stop here?"
Yeon Hojeong scowled. He clearly didn't like it. And Hwa Won caught that expression too.
Paeryul smacked his lips.
"Wasn't this my role originally? You're going wild, and now I'm the one feeling awkward."
"......"
"Bear with it. We gotta save face for Yang Cheon too."
"......Hoo."
Yeon Hojeong let out a sigh. The heated air gradually cooled back to its refreshing state. He had withdrawn his killing intent.
He said to Hwa Won,
"You. Consider yourself lucky."
Hwa Won bit her lip.
Yeon Hojeong kicked Won Gak's corpse. Thud! He kicked so hard it flew over the courtyard wall.
"Kyaaah!"
"Wh-what?!"
"A body!"
The area outside the wall turned to chaos in an instant. A corpse suddenly dropping in a busy path was enough to freak anyone out.
Was this how a tyrant drunk on madness acted? Everyone except Paeryul was inwardly startled by the extreme behavior.
Yeon Hojeong said coldly,
"So, what did you say?"
"Gu-Gui..."
Cultivating martial arts naturally strengthened one's mental fortitude. But perhaps because the scene was so beyond imagination? Her voice trembled unwittingly.
Hwa Won quickly cleared her throat.
"Did you kidnap the heir of Gwi Cheol Geom Mun?"
"You. Hwa Won, right?"
"......?"
"I don't know if you'll come bothering me again, but if you show up without solid proof next time, I'll really tear you apart."
A chill ran through her entire body.
He wasn't even showing killing intent, yet it felt even more menacing. After all, hadn't this madman just killed his own subordinate right in front of her?
Hwa Won gritted her teeth. Despite those words, she had to confirm again.
"Th-then, you're saying you don't know anything about the Gwi Cheol Geom Mun heir?"
Yeon Hojeong chuckled hollowly. It was a laugh laced with exasperation.
"Who told you that? That I'm hiding the Gwi Cheol Geom Mun heir?"
"......"
"Wait, didn't you say Gwi Cheol Geom Mun was wiped out?"
Hwa Won's eyes shook.
"How do you know that?"
"How? One lap around the marketplace, and it rings in your ears."
"......"
"Wiped out means the sect is destroyed, right? Doesn't that mean at least the leadership and heir got killed off? And the heir survived?"
His furrowed brow, ambiguous gaze. Amid her terror, Hwa Won read a faint puzzlement on his face.
What? He really doesn't know?
She didn't think so. To be precise, she couldn't imagine anyone but Yeon Hojeong as the culprit.
The timing fit, and he was full of suspicious points. Plus, though she hadn't gauged his full power, she'd heard Yang Cheon had praised him highly as a talent. That meant he was undoubtedly a master with considerable martial cultivation.
So she pressed him. Honestly, she also wanted to vent her rage over her dead subordinates.
She never imagined that choice would lead here.
"So, what's your reason for being so sure I snatched the heir or whatever?"
"That's..."
Yeon Hojeong's expression turned icy. This time, even Paeryul glared at Hwa Won with murderous eyes.
Gadeuksang smirked and said,
"You came to see how we'd react."
Hwa Won realized her mistake and tried to compose her face. Too late, of course.
"That's not it! Our intel sources clearly said you were suspicious...!"
"How many other suspicious folks besides me?"
Hwa Won couldn't answer. Listing all the suspects would fill several lists.
Gadeuksang sneered mockingly.
"I heard the Black Path's intel was a cut above the White Path's, but looks like it's not superior intel— just thugs fabricating whatever they want."
"That's!"
"Someone told me this. In some village, they say prayers always reach heaven. They keep praying for rain until it comes, so success rate's a hundred percent."
"......"
"What's the difference between that and what you're doing?"
He turned to Yeon Hojeong.
"Hey. What're we gonna do? You really trading with the Muk Ryong Bu leader? Looks flashy on the outside but hollow inside to me."
"Yeah."
Yeon Hojeong didn't take his eyes off Hwa Won.
"Starting to regret it a bit. Didn't like the guards you assigned getting on my nerves, and now accusing without proof... Forget intel, is Yang Cheon just incompetent at training his subordinates?"
Hwa Won's face flushed red. Anger, shame. She never thought her actions would drag her lord into this evaluation.
Unable to suppress her surging emotions, she blurted out,
"Watch your mouth! This was just me venting—has nothing to do with the vice leader...!"
Hwa Won couldn't finish. She belatedly realized her outburst was as good as admitting fault.
Whoosh.
The air heated up. It was different from Yeon Hojeong's terrifying killing intent. This was the combined killing intent from Paeryul, Gadeuksang, Dang Sang-a, and Jegal A-yeon suddenly surging, forcibly raising the atmospheric temperature.
By now, Yeon Hojeong's expression had calmed. Even his gaze.
"I'll report today's events to Yang Cheon exactly as they happened."
"......"
"Get out. And withdraw all your units."
Hwa Won, chewing her lips, fled the courtyard like a fugitive.
Hooo.
The heated air slowly settled.
Gadeuksang clicked his tongue.
"Was gonna lighten the mood, but seeing her like that, now I'm really iffy. Organization's sloppier than I thought, huh?"
Paeryul shook his head.
"Temples birth killers, Taoists breed thieves. Can't dismiss Muk Ryong Bu over one bitch like that."
"Tch, true enough."
Gadeuksang eyed Yeon Hojeong curiously.
"By the way, Yeon bro. What's this about the Gwi Cheol Geom Mun heir? You really do it?"
Yeon Hojeong stared silently at the main gate. Not just Hwa Won's presence, but the entire Hwa Won Corps' auras were fading into the distance.
"......Sharp bitch."