Preparations Complete (1)
Three days later.
"Alright, let's rest here for today."
The group, which had set out the previous evening, had reached the banks of the Yangtze. As they unpacked and settled in, Gi U-hui approached Muk Bi.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"What should I call you?"
Muk Bi blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Ah, I'm Muk Bi, deputy commander of the Myeol Sa Army."
"Then I'll call you Deputy Commander Muk."
"Ah, sure."
"It's not anything major, Deputy Commander Muk, but your internal injuries haven't fully healed yet, have they?"
"There's a bit left..."
"It's not just a bit."
"Pardon?"
Gi U-hui spoke with a somewhat stern expression.
"Deputy Commander Muk, you possess astonishing martial prowess. From what I can see, you're cultivating two internal arts simultaneously, correct?"
Surprise flickered across Muk Bi's face.
"Yes, that's right. How did you know?"
"I've treated thousands of patients over more than a decade, many of them martial artists. I can spot most things at a glance."
"Ah!"
Muk Bi looked at her with renewed admiration. Gi U-hui shook her head.
"That's not the issue right now. Judging by the occasional bursts of external energy, it seems you've treated your internals with a fine injury tonic, but even if it looks fine on the surface, the strain on your heart must be considerable."
"Yes? What?!"
"May I take your pulse?"
Muk Bi instinctively glanced at Yeon Hojeong. He nodded without turning his gaze.
"Ah, yes. Here..."
After checking Muk Bi's pulse, Gi U-hui let out a sigh.
"Just as I thought."
"Is it that bad?"
"Isn't your martial foundation based on dynamic cultivation?"
"Y-yes, it is."
"You've trained rigorously since childhood. But that's the problem. Your superhuman training has dramatically increased your muscle density and lung capacity beyond human limits, but your heart has overdeveloped compared to your other organs."
"Gasp!"
"The silver lining is that your second internal art has somehow balanced your five viscera and six bowels. Without it, even if your life wasn't in danger, you'd have suffered for years."
Muk Bi's eyes wavered. The second internal art referred to the Hong Cheon Gi that Yeon Hojeong had passed on to her. Though not among the top arts in the jianghu, none excelled it in managing qi accumulation and internal energy. To think it had balanced her organs—truly a stroke of immense fortune.
"It's common among those who've relentlessly pushed their bodies since youth to enhance physical prowess. The heart, being a large muscle organ, has overdeveloped cardiac muscle, causing issues."
"I see..."
"Inner experts naturally balance their organs through cultivation, so it's rare among them. But since your primary art is dynamic-focused, the balance is off."
"It's not a big problem, right?"
Gi U-hui smiled reassuringly, the kind that soothed patients. Just that smile made her seem born for healing.
"Of course not. As I said, your internal energy reserves are formidable enough that it wouldn't have threatened your life. And thanks to the second art. But this time, in your haste, you treated the injuries too aggressively."
Gi U-hui pulled an acupuncture kit from her bosom.
"I'll insert a few needles for now. You might feel drowsy or numb for about an hour, but after that, it should resolve on its own."
"Ah... thank you."
"No need. You've already done me a great favor by escorting me here safely."
And so, Muk Bi received treatment from Gi U-hui.
Mo Yong Woo, watching the two, asked Yeon Hojeong, "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"I heard you had a talk with the physician. You said you'd explain later, but now it looks like she's come around to our side."
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Hm?"
"She asked for a few days to think it over."
Mo Yong Woo's eyes deepened.
"And you accepted her proposal?"
"Yeah."
Mo Yong Woo gazed at Yeon Hojeong for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"You held back well."
Yeon Hojeong snorted.
"I didn't hold back. As you said, brother, she seems to have her own circumstances. I wanted to smash her head in, but there's no need in this situation."
"Exactly, so you held back well."
"She has to decide by tonight anyway. I said I'd wait until midnight."
Mo Yong Woo nodded.
"I wouldn't ask for more than that. Nor should we."
"Hmph."
"It might be a bit embarrassing, but you're exceptional in every way, brother. If you could just be a touch more prudent, you could soar even higher."
"..."
"I hope you can endure when necessary from here on."
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
"Thanks. It's not much in return, but I'll give you a gift too."
Mo Yong Woo smiled.
"Don't hesitate at the crucial moment. Isn't that what you want to say?"
"...You can read my mind now?"
"I've heard it so often from you it's ingrained. But you're right. No hesitation at key moments."
"Good, you get it."
"And..."
Mo Yong Woo's eyes deepened.
"This isn't the time, but on second thought, it doesn't need a special atmosphere, so I'll say it."
"Hm?"
"About the Martial Alliance Leader position."
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed.
Mo Yong Woo continued calmly.
"After you told me about 'them,' I pondered alone. Do I truly qualify to be the Martial Alliance Leader?"
"You do."
"Haha, thanks for saying so."
Mo Yong Woo looked at Yeon Hojeong with clear eyes.
"Still, the position feels like too great a burden. I don't think I have the ability."
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"Enough of that. Even if you keep thinking that way, we can't avoid it for now."
"You'll keep convincing this stubborn fool?"
"I've told you before. I'll make it happen."
"Even if I don't want to?"
"..."
"Even if I absolutely refuse to sit in that seat?"
"...Yeah."
"Why? You respect others' free will, don't you?"
Yeon Hojeong smiled—bitter yet cold, stirring Mo Yong Woo's heart.
"Because if not you, brother, the Central Plains will burn."
"..."
"Free will must be respected even against absolute threats. But... there are exceptions."
Mo Yong Woo sighed.
"I've wondered since before. What do you see in me that makes you push me into that seat?"
"The man."
"...?"
"Mo Yong Woo himself."
"Listen, brother."
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"We're on a mission. Let's leave it here for now. We'll talk more back at the alliance."
"...Alright, as you wish."
Yeon Hojeong turned. Gang Ryang stood there with a blank expression.
"Hey, you. Why are you standing around like an idiot?"
"Ahem! What choice do I have? One side's getting treated, the other's having a serious talk—what's left for me?"
"This punk doesn't know the value of time. Even these scraps, swing your sword. Don't just stand there idling. This won't do."
"Gah! More training?!"
"No blood this time, so don't worry."
Yeon Hojeong dragged Gang Ryang into the nearby woods. Watching them disappear, Mo Yong Woo let out a sigh.
'Brother. Sometimes, your blind trust feels burdensome.'
Mo Yong Woo truly liked Yeon Hojeong. Not because of his excellence or some event—it was he who had proposed sworn brotherhood without knowing him well. The process and outcome might have flipped, but Mo Yong Woo saw it as meaningless.
Either way, Yeon Hojeong was his one and only sworn younger brother.
Still, it was burdensome at times. Or more honestly, disappointing.
Yeon Hojeong clearly held something back from him. And he still hadn't shared it.
He knew it wasn't distrust. But when he pushed something hard to accept like this, it stung a little.
Mo Yong Woo looked up at the sky. The sunset sky, intertwined with cold night air, was strikingly beautiful.
"...I'll wait anyway. Even if the day comes when you betray me, I will never betray you."
That night, at midnight.
"How's Muk Bi?"
"She's fine. If she just pays a little attention from now on, her organs will balance perfectly before long."
"Good."
Splash!
The Yangtze was vast. From the sky, it couldn't compare to the sea, but from the ground, it evoked the ocean's grandeur. Especially under the starlit night.
"So."
Thud.
Yeon Hojeong, planting the Gwang Yong Bu into the ground, spoke calmly.
"Have you made your decision?"
Gi U-hui nodded with a smile.
"Yes. I've decided."
Whatever it was, her expression showed relief. No regrets over her choice.
Yeon Hojeong silently regarded her. Gi U-hui closed her eyes.
"I've hated my organization's actions since childhood. And I knew—they're wrong, they shouldn't be."
"..."
"But then and now, I feel the same. You might call it indecisiveness, but I..."
It was then.
"Shh."
"...?"
"Quiet."
"Pardon?"
Yeon Hojeong sharply scanned the surroundings. Not just him.
Slither.
Slither.
Mo Yong Woo, leaning against a tree with eyes closed, reached for his Tang Ma Greatsword. Muk Bi, meditating, fiddled with her quiver. Gang Ryang too. He lacked their honed senses yet, but he was starting to read the battlefield air.
Yeon Hojeong said calmly,
"Gi U-hui."
The first time he called her full name directly. She didn't even notice.
"Y-yes?"
"Feel something from this fight."
In an instant, Yeon Hojeong grabbed her collar and hurled her to Gang Ryang.
"Gasp!"
"Don't let her go, no matter what!" Yeon Hojeong shouted to Gang Ryang, who caught her.
It was then.
Boom!
Boom boom!
Hundreds of black-clad figures erupted from the Yangtze's surface, charging at the group.