Chapter 255. The Time of the Freezing Wind (5)
“I see.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Well, that sounds about right for him.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“He’s a snake of a man. The moment he returns, he calls a meeting and tries to sour the mood right away—what a truly vile person.”
“A jagged stone invites the chisel, doesn’t it? I did lash out without thinking, too.”
“Don’t think like that. If we’ve truly gathered for the greater good of the world, we shouldn’t sink our teeth into the next generation’s promising talents, even if it leaves a bitter taste watching them.”
“Is that how you see it?”
“Yes. At the very least, that’s how the elders of the White Path should act.”
Yeon Wi let out a sigh.
“Even if reality falls short, we must dream of ideals, or nothing changes. We acknowledge reality but always seek a better path—that’s how progress happens.”
This was the difference between Yeon Wi and Moyong Woo.
Moyong Woo accepted reality as it was, while Yeon Wi acknowledged it yet still pursued ideals.
And he believed that was only natural.
Yeon Hojeong agreed with his father’s philosophy.
That’s right. If we settle into the current reality just because it won’t change overnight, we’ll only sink deeper.
Yeon Hojeong was the same as Yeon Wi.
He was no one to settle for the status quo.
He always thought ahead, dreaming of a better future.
Of course, their methods differed greatly.
“In any case, Moyong Gun reported it just like that.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Wi’s eyes gleamed.
“Now, let’s hear it. What happened there? What schemes did Moyong Gun pull to make trouble for you all? I want every detail.”
“Understood.”
Yeon Hojeong leaned forward.
“What happened there was……”
It was then.
……?!
Yeon Hojeong turned his head toward the window.
Yeon Wi’s face hardened coldly.
“I didn’t expect this.”
“……Neither did I.”
“To come here first—what a reckless fool.”
Yeon Hojeong’s lips twitched.
“Whether he’s truly reckless or came loaded for bear, we’ll find out when we meet him.”
Yeon Hojeong’s gaze shifted outside the window.
Beyond the grand gates of Pa Gun Pavilion, Moyong Gun was approaching.
* * *
“Hm.”
Moyong Gun looked around the room.
“Quite spartan. Just a bed, table, chair, and weapons rack.”
“I don’t need more than that.”
“Fits you perfectly. It looks barren at first glance, but you’ve got only the essentials.”
“That’s right.”
“Not even a vase?”
“I’m not much for aesthetics. And money’s money.”
“Tsk, what’s a little expense?”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled softly.
“You made it back without a scratch.”
Moyong Gun smiled back.
“Tell me about it. Honestly, I thought I was done for this time.”
“Then you should’ve handled it better.”
“How much better do I need to be? I’m offended.”
“Lame joke.”
“Hahaha!”
Moyong Gun glanced toward the window.
“By the way, does the Yeon family head have urgent business? He left in a hurry.”
“He’s got a strong stomach, but not quite like mine.”
Moyong Gun shrugged.
“Do I smell that bad?”
It was a remarkably relaxed response.
Unlike the prideful Moyong Gun.
Yeon Hojeong eyed him with deep, sunken gaze.
He came first?
Moyong Gun wasn’t one to seek others out.
He was the type who made others come to him.
It was another pride he didn’t even realize he had.
The needy always move first, and in politics, the needy become the weak.
In that sense, Moyong Gun was always the strong one.
He had come first once before, during the Anhui Blood Bow incident, but back then, he hadn’t seen Yeon Hojeong as a true rival.
A political foe he could overpower with strength.
But now, for the first time, he’d come to such a rival proactively.
This time, even Yeon Hojeong struggled to read Moyong Gun’s intentions.
“But aren’t you overdoing it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t I treat you to good liquor before? I may have shown up unannounced, but you won’t even offer me tea?”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
“Wait here.”
A moment later, he returned with two bottles of liquor and two cups.
Moyong Gun frowned.
“Fire liquor?”
“Bear with it.”
“I don’t say this lightly, but spend some money. Hoarding isn’t everything.”
“I’m pouring it elsewhere.”
“Hah.”
Moyong Gun smacked his lips.
“No helping it. Pour me one.”
Yeon Hojeong filled his cup.
Moyong Gun filled Yeon Hojeong’s in return.
“Now, down it goes.”
They emptied their cups in unison.
Unlike the impassive Yeon Hojeong, Moyong Gun’s face twisted horribly.
“Harsh stuff. And the aftertaste is weird.”
“You get used to it. Cheap and gets you drunk fast.”
“More?”
“Plenty. Bought a dozen bottles……”
“There must be more intel you haven’t shared with me.”
He brought up the mission out of nowhere.
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“Intel?”
“Yes. Didn’t you say it yourself? Buy some time. You’d extract the top-secret info.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled coldly.
“Why’s a sharp guy like you playing dumb all of a sudden? You know it was part of the plan to crack your skull from behind.”
“Hm.”
“And yet you came back alive and well…… I figured Yang Cheon would move himself.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.
So he saw that far.
This man had clearly peered that deep.
That Yang Cheon might act personally, and that he could bury Moyong Gun in the process.
A monster.
What a terrifying bastard.
You couldn’t devise such a scheme without perfectly reading how to escape Muk Ryong Bu.
What the hell is this guy?
One question had arisen during this incident.
Yeon Hojeong was unnaturally familiar with the Black Path’s underworld.
He hadn’t seen it firsthand, but from his responses and the Twelve Branches Gods’ reactions, it was clear.
Even those Black Path thugs were high-ranking leaders of their group.
Especially Yang Cheon, who possessed martial prowess and insight surpassing any White Path master.
Yeon Hojeong had earned his trust in just a few meetings and secured one of Muk Ryong Bu’s top positions.
You couldn’t even attempt it without accurately gauging Yang Cheon’s personality.
One misstep, and your life was forfeit.
From the moment he drew up that organization chart, he was certain he could become intel chief.
Yeon Hojeong had drawn in Black Path informants to focus attention, imprinted Dang Sang-a’s presence to spark interest, and met Yang Cheon directly to lay the reorganization chart on the gambling table.
It all flowed naturally, like water.
Days of tension, no doubt, but a method he couldn’t have used without absolute certainty of landing the role.
I have suspicions, but no proof.
Moyong Gun smiled.
But there’s proof I can’t let him uncover.
It was instinct.
If Yeon Hojeong had instinctively sensed his survival, then Moyong Gun had likewise instinctively realized Yeon Hojeong was hiding something.
They’d shown each other plenty by now.
No need to probe each other’s limits anymore.
Now it was a game of digging out motives and secrets.
“So, you’ve handed over all the intel already?”
“No reason to extract top-secret stuff separately, right?”
“Who knows? Maybe you snagged some business docs. Economic papers alone are treasure troves—Muk Ryong Bu’s interests grabbed early by the Yeon family could mean big money.”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
“You serious?”
“Dead serious. Though knowing your scale, I doubt you’d stoop to petty tricks.”
“Good read.”
“I never imagined you’d try to kill the mission commander and heir to the Moyong family.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes chilled.
“Think I crossed a line? No. I didn’t. But you? You definitely did this time.”
“Spare me the abstractions. The point is, you did something unforgivable, and I couldn’t let it slide.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled coldly.
“Think I’m hiding something? Sorry, but all I’ve got left unrevealed are my claws.”
“……”
“I thought a couple claws would rip you apart, but you survived intact. So what can I do? Pull out the rest one by one.”
Moyong Gun’s lip curled.
“Down to the mud, then?”
“Was our fight ever clean?”
“There were unspoken rules, at least.”
“You broke them first.”
“I see it differently.”
“So stay on your toes from now on. Never know when the axe drops.”
Moyong Gun, staring silently, tapped his cup.
“It’s empty.”
Yeon Hojeong refilled it.
Moyong Gun smiled.
“That ploy was impressive. I won’t fall for the same twice, so you’ll need something more groundbreaking next time.”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“In a dirty brawl, groundbreaking schemes are pointless.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“And dogfights are my specialty.”
Moyong Gun raised his cup.
“Cheers.”
Clink!
They clinked and downed their drinks.
Moyong Gun stood.
“Thanks for the hospitality. Like you said, a few cups and it grows on you.”
“Fire liquor’s charm.”
“Pointless talk, but chatting with you is fun. Loosened nerves tighten right back up—feels good.”
“Glad I could help.”
“Listen, Hojeong.”
“Speak.”
Moyong Gun’s gaze turned icy.
“Politicians don’t forget slights. That move hurt. I’ll pay it back proper, so brace yourself.”
Yeon Hojeong replied with a blank face.
“My skull’s still throbbing from your blow. Regretted not hitting harder, but since you survived, I’m grateful instead.”
“You never change.”
“Right back at you.”
Moyong Gun turned.
“I’ll be off. See you later.”
“Sure.”
With that, Moyong Gun left the room.
Yeon Hojeong stared at the liquor bottle, then looked out the window.
Moyong Gun’s receding figure cast a long shadow, like a ghost clinging to a man.
“……He’s back.”
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
“That bastard met Yang Cheon.”
More shocking was surviving the encounter.
“Facing a rage-blinded Yang Cheon and walking away alive…… How? I could kill him in three exchanges, yet a Tu Wang like him let him go?”
One answer.
“They made a deal.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled coldly.
“Yeah, he tied up the shattered deal successfully.”