Darkness Returns (2)
The Open Gate disciples' skill at erasing traces was remarkable.
Gyu Jeok's Cheongro Sunhwa Gong was the supreme art of the Shinhwa Sect, far surpassing any heat-based cultivation method in the Central Plains. Yet fire remained fire. Whether sparked by lightning or a campfire, a forest blaze could erupt at any moment.
Hundreds of Open Gate disciples gathered in silence and speed, swiftly extinguishing the flames and wiping away every trace of the battle that had raged there.
In this vast continent of the Central Plains, swift movement techniques and tracking skills were essential for obtaining information ahead of others. In other words, they were just as adept at erasing traces as they were at following them.
Thus, the site of Yeon Hojeong and Gyu Jeok's life-and-death struggle was made to appear as nothing more than the aftermath of a natural forest fire.
It was a swift, precise, and meticulous operation.
Before dawn broke.
Jegal Mun-ho secretly entered Pagun Pavilion.
"You're here?"
"How did it go? What about Commander Yeon?"
"He'll be here soon. He's still washing up."
"Good heavens! He wasn't injured, was he?"
Yeon Wi gave a bitter smile.
"He was injured, but not badly enough to require a physician right away."
"What exactly happened?"
Yeon Wi explained everything he knew in as much detail as possible—the information Yeon Hojeong had shared before going to wash.
Surprise flickered across Jegal Mun-ho's face.
"A Jinmu from the Commander-in-Chief's office?!"
A Jinmu was a mid-to-low ranking official post, neither particularly prestigious nor insignificant enough to ignore.
More importantly, the very idea that an outsider from beyond the borders had become a government official was absurd. Even if the imperial court had lost its authority and the bureaucracy was riddled with corruption, to appoint a non-Central Plains native as an official?
They haven't just bribed their way in—they've taken complete control.
Jegal Mun-ho's eyes darkened.
Commander Yeon said the man was a master on par with his own level. He wasn't seriously hurt, but the fact that he was wounded at all is significant. And that level of expert was only a Jinmu?
Yeon Hojeong was strong. His cultivation realm was impressive, but Jegal Mun-ho also knew well the terrifying extent of his combat prowess.
At equal realms, barring extraordinary misfortune, Yeon Hojeong would not lose. With his extraordinary battle instincts, he was the type to overwhelm opponents without even letting their sleeves brush him.
In other words, the man who fought Yeon Hojeong might have reached a realm even higher than his.
A level beyond both Yeon Hojeong and Moyong Woo.
That placed him near the realm of the patriarchs of the Six Great Clans.
"Then the enemy…?"
"He died."
"That's unfortunate."
Capturing him alive would have been far better. Jegal Mun-ho couldn't help but feel the loss.
Yeon Wi shook his head heavily.
"We'll need to hear the details from my eldest son, but he would have tried to capture the man if at all possible."
"Does that mean capturing him would have been meaningless?"
"Either that, or the opponent was so dangerous that attempting capture would have put my son at risk, forcing him to kill instead."
"I see."
Jegal Mun-ho nodded, then noticed the shadow cast over Yeon Wi's face.
"Your expression looks rather grim."
"……."
"Is there something else going on that I don't know about?"
His son had returned safely from a life-and-death battle, so joy and worry were natural. But Jegal Mun-ho, who had known Yeon Wi for a long time, could tell there was something more—something beyond this incident that Yeon Wi wasn't sharing.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
"No. I was simply lost in thought."
"I see."
"My eldest should be arriving soon. Let's hear the full story from Hojeong."
"Very well."
A moment later, Yeon Hojeong knocked on the door.
"May I come in?"
His voice was far steadier than expected.
"Come in."
Creak.
When Yeon Hojeong entered, his appearance was immaculate. Yet Jegal Mun-ho could detect the faint scent of blood clinging to him—a blood aura only martial artists could perceive.
Jegal Mun-ho rose and patted Yeon Hojeong's shoulder.
"You've worked hard."
"Not at all. I apologize for acting on my own without reporting first."
"If you say that, what does that make me? I'm just a useless scholar who sits around stamping documents all day."
At Jegal Mun-ho's light joke, Yeon Hojeong smiled—a smile that somehow felt hollow.
Yeon Wi pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
"Yes, Father."
The three men took their seats.
Jegal Mun-ho spoke first.
"You must be exhausted, so let's keep this short and to the point. I'll be direct. Did you learn anything from him?"
Yeon Hojeong answered in a flat tone.
"He was a master of the Shinhwa Sect."
"I already knew that."
"The Shinhwa Sect has eighteen elite masters known as the Eighteen Martial Generals. They serve as the sect's field commanders, so to speak."
"Field commanders… Wait a moment! Did you say Eighteen Martial Generals?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean there are eighteen masters of that caliber?"
"Correct."
Yeon Hojeong's eyes gleamed.
"The general I killed today was the twelfth among them. His martial arts were on par with the patriarchs of the Six Great Clans."
Battle was unpredictable until blades crossed. A single misstep could cost even a superior warrior their life against a weaker opponent. This was the nature of the jianghu.
Of course, the higher one's realm and the greater one's experience, the fewer such mistakes or variables occurred. Variables could always arise, but between true masters, the outcome was usually decided by cultivation realm and the characteristics of their techniques.
In other words, the Shinhwa Sect possessed eighteen masters comparable to the patriarchs of the Six Great Clans.
Eighteen genuine experts who rarely allowed mistakes or variables.
Both Jegal Mun-ho and Yeon Wi's faces hardened visibly.
Yeon Hojeong continued.
"Of course, there are differences in skill among the generals. Especially from the eleventh to the eighteenth, the gap in ability is quite noticeable."
"What about those within the top ten?"
"The differences among them aren't large. From the Tenth Martial General to the First Martial General, there is no strict hierarchy. However, during wartime, higher-numbered generals can issue orders to lower ones."
"Hmm."
"That said, we cannot afford to underestimate them. According to him, the top ten generals are at or above the level of the Six Great Clans' patriarchs. Among them are masters on par with the abbot of Shaolin and the sect leader of Wudang."
"……!"
"In that sense, while their overall martial prowess is comparable, there are one or two exceptionally powerful masters among them."
Jegal Mun-ho's eyes deepened.
The leaders of the Nine Great Sects and Six Great Clans were all supreme masters, each capable of dominating their respective regions. At least among the current generation, excluding the previous one.
They were the kind of experts who could single-handedly turn the tide of battle. And now there were eighteen such masters in the Shinhwa Sect alone.
That wasn't all.
"I didn't hear the details, but if the Eighteen Martial Generals are the vanguard, then above them are even older masters, including members of the Council of Elders. I couldn't confirm their exact level, but they are certainly stronger than the Eighteen Martial Generals."
Martial prowess exceeding that of the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and Six Great Clans.
"Does that mean…"
Yeon Wi's expression grew extremely grave.
"…that the Shinhwa Sect also has many masters who have reached the Sacred Heavens realm?"
"I can't say for certain. Including their sect leader, I expect at least two or three exist, but we lack reliable information about them."
"……."
"As Father knows, even the supreme realm is vast. Even Abbot Gong Gong Dae-sa said he still has a long way to go before reaching its pinnacle."
"Hmm."
"The important thing is that the Shinhwa Sect alone already has a formidable force of masters. If the other two sects join them…"
Yeon Wi spoke as if tossing the words out.
"We'll be devoured."
The Central Plains were vast.
There were countless hidden masters who had never shown themselves publicly. If one included not only the previous generation but the generation before that, there would be no shortage of strength to fight the Three Sects.
The problem was whether they could all be united. Even the orthodox and unorthodox factions regarded each other as mortal enemies. With countless conflicting interests entangled within, uniting the entire Central Plains was practically impossible.
"There's another problem."
"The imperial court."
"Exactly. I don't know about the other groups, but the Shinhwa Sect seems intent on seizing control of the court and the bureaucracy. If the people who move the empire fall into their hands, we may not even get the chance to fight properly."
Yeon Hojeong turned to Jegal Mun-ho.
"I've heard that the Jegal Clan has long maintained close ties with Confucian scholars. Many of them have connections to the government, correct?"
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
"Quite a few. But if we try to pull strings deliberately, I can't guarantee how much they'll actually move for us."
"In my opinion, rather than feeding the Shinhwa Sect false information right now, our priority should be investigating how deeply they've infiltrated the court and bureaucracy, and what exactly they're trying to control."
"I agree. Which brings me to this."
After a moment of hesitation, Jegal Mun-ho spoke with resolve.
"It's time we started revealing the existence of the Mad Blood Three Sects."
Concern appeared on Yeon Hojeong's face.
"Military Counselor."
"Of course, I don't mean telling everyone. I'll inform them one by one, starting with those I can trust—people who won't defect."
"……It will be dangerous."
"It will. But doing nothing is just as dangerous."
Confidence filled Jegal Mun-ho's face.
"Leave that to me. I've been investigating the Phoenix Guards just in case. There are three people I can trust."
He had been secretly investigating them.
Yeon Hojeong understood exactly what that meant.
"You could face backlash."
Using the Martial Alliance's military counselor's authority to dig into the Phoenix Guards—if that was discovered, Jegal Mun-ho's political standing would be severely shaken.
Jegal Mun-ho shook his head.
"We can't afford to be picky anymore. And if my position is threatened, you'll help me, won't you?"
"……."
"In any case, is that all you learned?"
"For now, yes."
"Understood."
Jegal Mun-ho stood up.
"Commander Yeon."
"Yes, Military Counselor."
"I'm always sorry to you. You work so hard in the shadows, yet instead of rewarding you, I only rely on you more. It's truly absurd."
"Please don't say that. I…"
"So the only thing I can say is this."
"……?"
"Don't blame yourself. Move forward freely."
Yeon Hojeong's eyes wavered.
"When I waver, I have no doubt that you and the patriarch will catch me. So don't worry about what others think—spread your wings as much as you want. If anyone points fingers at you, I'll protect you then."
"……."
"You've worked hard today. Get some proper rest."
"Thank you."
With those words, Jegal Mun-ho left the room.
Yeon Wi, who had been silent, let out a chuckle.
"What a man."
Yeon Hojeong had done his part. So don't complicate things unnecessarily.
Jegal Mun-ho's final words carried that meaning. They were both his sincere feelings and a subtle message to Yeon Wi.
"Hojeong."
"Yes."
"You did well. Rest well today."
Yeon Hojeong gave a bitter smile.
"Yes. Today, I really should do nothing and just rest."