Aiming at the Light (5)
“You’ve arrived?”
“Yes.”
Song Guk-hyeon’s eyes widened. ‘An axe?’ A tall young man with a scholarly air carried an enormous axe slung over his shoulder—an implement that clashed violently with his slender, refined frame. ‘What is this?’
Jegal Mun-ho was the Military Counselor of the Martial Alliance.
The position of Military Counselor was a supreme post that could wield greater authority than the ministers depending on circumstances. In wartime, it was sometimes regarded as more important than the head of the organization itself.
Moreover, this was the Martial Alliance. It might be premature to say, but it would not be an exaggeration to call Jegal Mun-ho the de facto highest executive of the Alliance.
Yet such a man had allowed someone to openly bring that menacing axe into his residence?
Yeon Hojeong glanced at Song Guk-hyeon. ‘……!!’ For an instant, Song Guk-hyeon nearly turned his head away without realizing it.
Yeon Hojeong had not narrowed his eyes nor released killing intent as Jegal Mun-ho had earlier, yet his gaze was so intense it was difficult to meet. It felt as though it pierced straight into a person’s heart and dissected every hidden thought. In his fifty-five years of life, Song Guk-hyeon had encountered such a mysterious and overwhelming gaze only once before.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
It was a smile whose meaning was impossible to read, yet Song Guk-hyeon did not avert his eyes to the end. It was a matter of pride for the man Song Guk-hyeon, before he was a magnate of the upper realms.
“You have a guest.”
The air in the room seemed to vibrate violently. Though the voice was not particularly low, it gave the impression that the atmosphere itself was being shaken. Simply hearing it made the muscles throughout his body go slack. ‘What kind of young man is this……?!’ An extraordinary presence. Sweat began to bead on Song Guk-hyeon’s palm, hidden beneath his sleeve.
“Introduce him. This is Lord Song Guk-hyeon, head of the Central Plains Battlefield. He is a giant who oversees one axis of the current Central Plains economy.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sparkled.
“Well now, a remarkable person has come.”
Thud!
Yeon Hojeong leaned the Mad Dragon Axe against the wall and offered a short fist salute.
“I am Yeon Hojeong, eldest son of the Yeon family of Gangdong and commander of the Myeolsa Army of the Martial Alliance. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Song.”
It was a thoroughly formal greeting. Before the man’s status, it was because he was Jegal Mun-ho’s guest that Yeon Hojeong showed even greater courtesy.
Song Guk-hyeon opened his mouth. His lips trembled strangely.
“I am Song, who leads the Central Plains Battlefield. Meeting the renowned Tiger General is a greater honor for me.”
“You flatter me.”
The greeting ended there.
Yeon Hojeong spoke to Jegal Mun-ho.
“I didn’t know you had an important guest. I’ll come again next time.”
“No, it’s fine. The official conversation with Lord Song has concluded, so I invited you in.”
“Is that so?”
“By the way, what brings you here?”
A faint look of puzzlement crossed Yeon Hojeong’s face. He knew his own visit was also for official business. Yet asking the question in front of an outsider meant it was permissible to discuss Alliance affairs here.
“I’m on my way after hearing news from the Information Advisor. I was told you already reported to the Military Counselor first.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes gleamed.
“The Provincial Commander?”
“……!”
Surprise flickered across Yeon Hojeong’s face.
“Is it all right?”
Meaning, was it acceptable to speak of the Shinwha Sect here.
Quick-witted as he was, Yeon Hojeong would not normally have asked such a question. The matter was so grave that he wished to confirm once more.
Jegal Mun-ho smiled bitterly.
“Lord Song will be staying at the Alliance for several days.”
“Pardon?”
“It seems he needs to have many conversations with me.”
Yeon Hojeong turned his gaze to Song Guk-hyeon.
Song Guk-hyeon’s eyes deepened. ‘Truly…….’ The gaze of the young master looking down at him had changed—from a mysterious and overwhelming stare to one so coldly indifferent it did not even feel chilling. ‘He could kill a man with his eyes alone.’ Song Guk-hyeon clicked his tongue inwardly.
Though he too possessed deep cultivation, meeting Yeon Hojeong’s eyes was far too burdensome. Without the inner energy honed through health cultivation techniques and decades of experience, he would have already shrunk back, cold sweat pouring down his face.
“I see.”
“Since you’re here anyway, I’ll tell Lord Song why he came all this way.”
Jegal Mun-ho recounted in detail the conversation he had just shared with Song Guk-hyeon.
The corner of Yeon Hojeong’s mouth lifted.
“Lord Left Enforcer…… It was worth the Military Counselor throwing a gamble.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Song Guk-hyeon listened silently to their exchange. He felt neither slighted nor offended. The savagery in their words made the gravity of the situation clear.
Yet worry gnawed at him. ‘No matter how much I am the head of the Central Plains Battlefield, they are discussing the Alliance’s most secret information in front of me, someone with no direct connection to this matter.’
Lord Left Enforcer? An unknown organization?
Those were beside the point. What mattered now was how these two regarded him. ‘Do they want money? Do they intend to keep me here? Or…….’ Do they want my life?
Even the quick-witted Song Guk-hyeon found the current situation difficult to analyze. That was why, despite standing in a position second to none, he quietly lent his ear to their conversation.
“This matter must not be considered alongside the Jinmu of the Twelve Weapons. Though he acts alone, his position makes him difficult to touch lightly.”
“The real problem arises if he charges into the Martial Alliance. Since there is no physical evidence that he belongs to the Shinwha Sect, if he comes at us deliberately, we will have no way to respond.”
“If we seize him, what damage do you anticipate?”
“He is a third-rank Provincial Commander. At that level, his movements are more restricted than those of lower-ranking officials. He will certainly report to his superiors first, so the Provincial Commander-in-Chief will step forward.”
“If the Provincial Commander-in-Chief moves……”
“The Five Armies Commandery will go on high alert.”
“That means the imperial court will intervene.”
“With over a ninety percent probability, yes.”
Song Guk-hyeon’s face hardened. Catch the Provincial Commander? Such a dangerous topic was being discussed—and in front of an outsider like himself?
He sensed the situation was far more perilous than he had imagined.
“We cannot yet be certain he is a Shinwha Sect member. We must observe a little longer.”
“But we must move while assuming the worst case.”
“That is also correct.”
“I have nothing to say on that point. I should have anticipated the scope to some extent, yet I never expected he would have devoured even the Provincial Commander.”
“How could that be your fault? No matter how outstanding your abilities, you cannot know what you have not seen or heard.”
“Whatever the reason, it would no longer be strange for them to occupy any official post.”
“I think so as well.”
“Let me summarize the current situation. The top priority is not killing the Provincial Commander, but preventing him from entering the Martial Alliance. Correct?”
“Exactly. We must first extinguish the urgent fire.”
“I do not wish to approach this one-dimensionally. Discovering his identity is the urgent task. We must prepare accordingly, and go one step further to devise a plan capable of reaching their roots.”
“Do you have a plan in mind?”
“Not yet. But before creating that plan, there is something that must be handled.”
“Handled?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
“……”
“Why? Is it difficult to speak of?”
“It is. It is a thought that only occurred to me after coming here, so I need time to organize it.”
“Your creativity and unconventionality have always brought me great surprises. I will decide agreement or rejection after hearing it, so speak freely.”
After a moment of contemplation, Yeon Hojeong spoke what he had thought.
“……!!”
Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes shook as if struck by an earthquake.
Yeon Hojeong sighed.
“To properly deal with them, our attention cannot be divided elsewhere. No, rather, I believe it is a miracle we have even dragged this fight this far.”
“……”
“That is my thought.”
Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes deepened.
“Commander Yeon.”
“Speak.”
“Do you truly believe that is possible?”
“I will have to go and meet him in person.”
“The other side is by no means easy. And we must consider the one-in-ten-thousand chance. We did not bring up the Three Sects at the Council of Envoys for nothing.”
“I know.”
“……”
“If you agree, I will go and ascertain it myself.”
“I am not doubting your abilities. But…… what if he is also connected to the Shinwha Sect? What then?”
“If even the slightest connection appears……”
“……”
“I intend to kill him by any means necessary.”
“The opponent is strong.”
“I said by any means necessary. I believe you understand what that means.”
Jegal Mun-ho let out a sigh.
“Is it that severe? The terror of the existence called the Three Sects?”
“Yes.”
“I do not know how shocked I was to learn that the villains of the Shinwha Sect had infiltrated the government offices. But we are still in a situation where the enemy’s full strength has not even been properly grasped. No matter how much we assume the worst, we need to be able to infer to some extent……”
“Please trust me. If they all rise up even now, the Central Plains will become hell at that moment.”
“……”
Jegal Mun-ho, who had been looking at Yeon Hojeong with a confused gaze, suddenly turned his eyes to Song Guk-hyeon.
In that instant, Jegal Mun-ho’s eyes flashed.
“Commander Yeon.”
“Speak.”
“The fact that you thought of that plan after coming here—could it be?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong also turned his gaze to Song Guk-hyeon.
The hidden powers of the Martial Alliance were watching him. Honest tension appeared on Song Guk-hyeon’s face.
A moment later, Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“If Lord Song permits…… yes, let us take a gamble.”
“Don’t worry.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled at Song Guk-hyeon.
“Aren’t I the master of negotiations?”
Cold sweat beaded on Song Guk-hyeon’s forehead.
At that moment, he felt both the anxiety that he had come to a place he should not have, and the conviction that a once-in-a-lifetime adventure was about to begin.
* * *
That night.
“Hmm?”
Moyong Gun, who had been drinking tea, suddenly raised his eyes.
Moyong Yeon-hwa asked with a puzzled face.
“What’s wrong, Father?”
“……”
“Father?”
“Yeon-hwa.”
“Ah, yes.”
“We’ll have to postpone this conversation for a bit.”
“Pardon?”
“A rather troublesome guest has arrived.”
A troublesome guest? Who on earth?
Moyong Gun frowned and stood up from his seat.
“At this late hour, why is that fellow here? I thought there would be no need to meet for a while.”
He looked out the window.
Whoosh.
In the dark night, even from dozens of jang away, the two men accurately recognized each other.
Moyong Gun’s lightning-like gaze and Yeon Hojeong’s steel-hard gaze clashed in the air, sparking flames.
Moyong Gun, who had been silently staring at Yeon Hojeong, reached his hand toward the wall.
Whooooong. Clack!
Grasping his treasured sword, he left the room.