Shaking the Foundations (4)
"They've set off."
"Indeed."
Watching Moyong Gun sip his tea leisurely, Un Ja-bang asked, "May I ask one more thing?"
"As many as you like."
"I understand you did it for your own gain."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
Un Ja-bang's eyebrow twitched.
"The merchant escort team. Weren't you originally supposed to kill them all?"
"Ah, that?"
Moyong Gun tilted his head in apparent confusion. "And why does that matter?"
A frightening man.
Un Ja-bang nearly blurted it out.
The dead members of the merchant escort team were already erased from Moyong Gun's mind. No, he hadn't cared about them from the start.
He had slaughtered innocent merchants solely because they caught his eye.
Of course, the Moyong family would reap enormous profits from it, but wasn't it normal to show at least a modicum of mourning?
Un Ja-bang didn't bother hiding his emotions.
"Don't you feel any guilt?"
"Guilt about what? Ah, the merchant escort?"
"Yes."
Moyong Gun stated flatly, "They were merely casualties of war. If you fret over every little thing like that, you'll never rise to prominence in the murim."
"……."
"Mark my words. When you're driving a grand carriage, you're bound to crush a few bugs under the wheels."
A shadow fell over Un Ja-bang's face.
He had made a deal with Moyong Gun.
But it was less a deal and more a lord-vassal relationship.
In other words, no matter what Moyong Gun did, Un Ja-bang had no choice but to follow.
Whether it was righteous deeds or vile acts.
How terrifying.
He knew the man could be more ruthless than anyone when necessary, but he hadn't expected it to run this deep.
Moyong Gun gave a wry smile. "I figured you'd understand that much by now."
"That's not what I'm curious about."
"Hm?"
"What I mean is, was there really any need to kill them? Surely there were ways to crush the Hae Ryong Merchant Group without letting them live?"
"Are there such methods?"
"I wouldn't know. But you certainly could have found one."
Moyong Gun chuckled softly. "I won't deny it."
Un Ja-bang's eyes narrowed to slits.
"So you could have done it, but chose to kill them anyway?"
"I could have, but I couldn't tolerate any delays to this mission because of it."
"……?!"
"As you say, there were plenty of ways. But the surest is to erase all traces. Why do you think they say the dead tell no tales?"
"……."
"You want to complete the mission and pocket your share? Do you really think you can pick and choose what you want while considering everyone else's circumstances?"
Lightning seemed to flash in Moyong Gun's eyes.
"When chasing two hares, the key is ruthless decisiveness and speed. Bringing up human feelings or extenuating circumstances only complicates things."
Un Ja-bang closed his eyes.
Perhaps he had half-expected such an answer.
He just wished the man he served had at least some sense of propriety.
He was wrong.
Moyong Gun was no lord who would live up to such expectations.
He was a hero who spared no means or methods to seize power.
To him, worldly ethics and morals were like fine ceremonial robes—impressive to look at, but utterly impractical.
Moyong Gun shrugged. "On a grand scale, aren't you much the same as me?"
"What do you mean?"
"How many people have you killed to restore the lost corpse arts of the Un family?"
Un Ja-bang's eyes twitched faintly.
Moyong Gun chuckled. "I'm not saying it to intimidate you. If anything, I applaud such passion and resolve."
"……Enough."
"We're all the same in the end. For family, for power, for our goals—we trample others to climb higher. That's the essence of humanity."
Moyong Gun's face turned icy in an instant.
"Those who refuse to dirty their feet in the mud will only be weeded out in defeat. I want to be the victor in my life, not some wretched dog scraping by."
There was even a hint of madness in his voice.
This wasn't mere justification for his actions.
Moyong Gun truly believed it.
He drained the last of his tea and rose.
"Well then, shall we get moving?"
"……Where to?"
"Where? With the operations team on the move, I have my own duties to attend."
Moyong Gun's eyes gleamed.
"Once this mission succeeds, the operations team will head straight into the depths of Muk Ryong Bu. They'll return with all the information they desire."
"……?"
"I need to prepare another board to ensure they escape safely."
Whoosh!
The three—two men and a woman—shot through the dense forest path like the wind.
Leading the group, Yeon Hojeong was lost in thought.
Moyong Gun.
Gadeuksang's words echoed in his mind.
It might be odd to say this now, but... can we really trust this intelligence ploy?
Of course not.
If Moyong Gun had issued orders from Mu Rim Meng headquarters, Yeon Hojeong wouldn't suspect this much.
A man who waved off joining them earlier had plunged into enemy territory the moment the operations team successfully broke through Honam, as if lying in wait.
No telling what scheme he was hatching.
Even Yeon Hojeong couldn't read Moyong Gun's moves this time.
So he decided on one thing.
Moyong Gun didn't want this mission to fail.
He wouldn't skimp on solid support until the operations team seized satisfactory intel and returned safely.
However.
Something's off.
As he'd told the man himself, Moyong Gun was capable of handling multiple tasks at once.
He's surely struck some deal with Hae Ryong Merchant Group.
Or perhaps not a deal, but biding his time for something bigger.
Moyong Gun can be more fiendish than a demon when the situation calls for it. And...
This was Honam Province, stronghold of the Moyong family.
Far from Changsa, where Muk Ryong Bu lay, of course.
They wouldn't clash unless they sought it out.
But in terms of influence, it rivaled—no, surpassed—Muk Ryong Bu.
Moyong Gun's footing in Honam must be rock-solid. If he wants something done, he'll get support far easier and faster than from Mu Rim Meng.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes darkened ominously.
Doesn't matter.
Moyong Gun's face surfaced in his mind.
A refined smile like a benevolent man, masking voracious ambition.
This time, I don't care what you do. For greater power, to bolster your house—I'll turn a blind eye to most of it.
But.
Don't cross the line.
Moyong Gun had to be eliminated eventually.
But Yeon Hojeong had no intention of nitpicking every move he made.
It would weary both sides.
Only if he crossed that bare minimum line in the process would intervention be necessary.
I know reason and righteousness won't sway you, but if you're born with a human body, be a third-rate human at worst—don't become a demon.
The sudden thought left a bitter taste in Yeon Hojeong's mouth.
Though to others' eyes, I'm no different from a demon.
His head was growing muddled.
Yeon Hojeong took a deep breath.
Enough. Focus on the mission now.
Then, Paeryul spoke from beside him. "Is that alright?"
"Pardon?"
"The spear. I asked if it's usable."
Yeon Hojeong glanced at the spear in his hand.
It was the iron spear he'd acquired upon entering Honam.
"It's fine."
"Well-balanced weight."
"The blacksmith's skill was impressive."
"Hm."
Paeryul cocked his head.
"I've been meaning to ask—your spear arts have reached a profound realm."
"To wield an axe the size of a man's body, spear and staff techniques are basic."
"Fair enough."
"But why do you ask?"
Paeryul hesitated uncharacteristically.
"Well..."
Yeon Hojeong and even Dang Sang-a eyed him curiously.
Paeryul cleared his throat. "You know about Point Cang's lost Sail Sword?"
Meaning it had gone missing.
Yeon Hojeong nodded. "I know."
"I wanted to create a martial art at least comparable, if not superior. It's in progress."
"……?!"
"I've shaped something, but it suits the spear more than the sword, no matter how I look at it."
Surprise crossed Yeon Hojeong's face.
"You've created a martial art?"
"Heh hem!"
"Was it the one you showed me before?"
Paeryul smacked his lips. "Still a long way off. After sparring with you, I examined it closely—flaws everywhere. Plenty of room for refinement."
"Impressive."
Yeon Hojeong was genuinely awed.
Inventing a martial art?
This wasn't about skill level.
High or low, creating a new martial discipline was extraordinary.
You had to craft not just the forms, but internal energy methods to match—arduous work.
"So, later, spar with me using spear arts."
"Of course."
For his personality, making such a request must have been mortifying.
It showed his seriousness about the art he was crafting.
"What's it called?"
"No name for an unfinished art."
"But you've made something already?"
Paeryul cleared his throat again. "Just... for convenience, I called it Gwanil Sword."
"Gwanil Sword."
"Whether it becomes Gwanil Sword or Gwanil Spear, who knows. Just keep your promise."
"Understood."
A flicker of envy crossed Yeon Hojeong's face.
Inventing a new martial art... truly remarkable.
He was adept at modifying existing arts for ease.
But he'd never created one from scratch like Paeryul.
Paeryul, whose realm was below his, outshone him here.
Yeon Hojeong fixed his gaze ahead.
Will such a time come for me someday?
Impossible to say.
It wasn't something you could will into being.
Still, he hoped fate would bring it.
A murim warrior's desire to leave his mark through martial arts.
Yeon Hojeong harbored that ambition too.
Thus, the group raced along the forest path for a long while.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed.
"There."
"Indeed. But..."
Paeryul frowned.
"What is this?"
Dang Sang-a looked flustered too.
"Masters, right?"
Yeon Hojeong was equally taken aback.
At their visible destination, nearly a hundred people in identical garb had gathered.
Substitutes wearing the merchant escort team's clothes.
But their auras were peculiar.
Strong, yes, but...
Yeon Hojeong's eyes turned icy.
What’s this blood scent?
Then.
Clang!
The entire Hae Ryong Merchant Group escort drew swords and glared at them.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes wavered.
Moyong Gun... no way?!
From the center of the escort, a middle-aged man with a sword scar near his eye bellowed with murderous intent.
"Kill them!"
Whoosh!
A hundred masters charged at the three.