Aiming at the Light (8)
Moyong Yeon-hwa greeted Moyong Gun as he entered the residence.
“Father!”
Moyong Yeon-hwa's face was filled with surprise. Her father's clothes were roughly torn in several places. Anyone could see it was the aftermath of a fight.
“Are you alright? Don't tell me it was Yeon Hojeong who...!”
“Yeon-hwa.”
“Yes?”
“Go back to your quarters. I want to be alone.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa's complexion turned pale as she was about to ask what happened.
Wooong. Wooong.
Moyong Gun had perfectly controlled his aura. But the moment he spoke with his daughter, ripples formed in his well-managed mind.
The wavering of the mind also shook his disciplined aura. Moyong Yeon-hwa felt her breath catch from the ferocious waves of Noejeonggong.
She realized instantly. Her father's mood was worse than any moment she had ever seen.
“……
I'll come back tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa carefully left the room.
And after a while.
Bang!
Moyong Gun's fist pierced through the wall and embedded deeply.
It was a state where his internal energy unconsciously protected his body. Naturally, his fist was fine, but his mind was not.
“……
The Three Sects of the Mad Cult?”
What the hell was that?
They were infiltrating the imperial palace and government offices to overthrow the world? The Black Dragon Department was also an organization founded because of one of those Three Sects?……
And their power was that great?
Blood vessels stood out in Moyong Gun's eyes.
Bang! Bang!
It was uncharacteristic rough punching. Every time he threw a punch, large holes were punched in the wall.
“Huff, huff.”
He was so angry that even his breathing became rough. If someone of Moyong Gun's level couldn't control his breathing, his emotional turmoil was no ordinary matter.
But Moyong Gun was still Moyong Gun. Even amidst unbearable agitation and confusion, his unconscious mind was already trying to regain composure.
'Why am I so angry?'
Was this something to be so angry about?
It wasn't that he had been insulted, nor had his true face been completely exposed. Rather, if what was said was true, it was something he should be grateful to Yeon Hojeong for.
Then why was he so angry? Why couldn't he suppress his indignation?
'Simply because he was surprised? Or because the other knew something he didn't? Or perhaps…….'
Suddenly, Moyong Gun's eyes flashed.
The reason he could rise to the position of family head by surpassing his brothers was due to his outstanding talent, terrifying decisiveness, and cold-heartedness that could even cast aside his own blood relatives.
But even with all those advantages, without a sharp mind, he couldn't have purged his brothers.
His excellent brain quickly retraced the past.
'Right, that guy wasn't looking at me.'
Yeon Hojeong.
Moyong Gun had destroyed the famous family together with Yeon Hojeong. After that, they had clashed countless times, leaving scars on each other.
But he couldn't hide his doubts each time.
'His main enemy wasn't me.'
Yeon Hojeong had always sharpened his blade against him. However, bringing him down wasn't his ultimate goal.
More precisely, that terrifyingly powerful driving force wasn't simply to bring him down. There were many attempts to politically annihilate him, but the guy was always looking beyond that.
The sensitive Moyong Gun knew that. But he didn't acknowledge it.
'I am the best.'
Pride? Self-esteem? Self-respect? Call it what you will.
If someone was his enemy, they absolutely shouldn't look elsewhere. They should only look at him. The head of the Moyong Family wasn't someone lenient enough to allow others to have spare capacity for elsewhere.
But Yeon Hojeong was different.
'Why on earth? What was he worried about?'
In the past, he thought Yeon Hojeong was also chasing power like himself. He thought it was to make his own family the best in the martial world, and further to seize the world.
They say that in the eyes of the Buddha, only the Buddha is seen, and in the eyes of a pig, only pigs are seen?
Before he knew it, Moyong Gun had concluded that Yeon Hojeong, despite being so different from himself, was no different from him.
“……”
Moyong Gun's face twisted into an indescribable expression.
“That guy had the leisure to deal with me.”
If what Yeon Hojeong said was true, it meant he had known about the Three Sects for a long time.
He wouldn't have told him information he had only recently learned. He must have told him after thinking carefully ten times, no, a hundred times.
In other words, even while making destroying the Three Sects his ultimate goal, Yeon Hojeong had been dealing with him and overturning the political landscape of the martial world.
“……!!”
Suddenly, Moyong Gun felt goosebumps all over his body.
'What kind of ridiculous guy is that……?!'
He had handled double, triple tasks. He had been gritting his teeth and enduring things that were difficult to do even one properly.
It was impossible for an ordinary person. Even a genius of the ages might not be able to. Though Yeon Wi and Jegal Mun-ho had helped, it was Yeon Hojeong who had moved those giants in the first place.
Yeon Hojeong had been doing all those things. He had been watching everything, intervening in every situation, and furthermore, carrying everything through without failure.
“Heh, heh, heh.”
Moyong Gun burst into a hollow laugh and slumped to the floor.
“……
So that's how it was.”
Yeon Hojeong's face came to mind.
Eyes filled with experience beyond his years, the ability to adapt freely as situations changed.
And the wisdom of divine calculation that looked two or three moves ahead, which could be called precognition to those who didn't know.
“Not just the only existence who could fight on equal terms with me, but he was already ahead of me?”
Moyong Gun's fist trembled.
He didn't want to admit it. But if what Yeon Hojeong said was true, he couldn't help but admit it.
'He must be killed.'
Someone whispered in a corner of his mind.
'He must be killed. That guy is a monster. If he's like this now, how much will he grow in five years, and how much more in ten years.'
Cold sweat ran down his spine.
Thinking about Yeon Hojeong ten years later made the future seem bleak. If that guy endured ten years in this chaotic martial world, he would become a true monster that even the entire martial world couldn't catch even if they swarmed him.
No, would it even take ten years? Considering his abilities and talent, it seemed he could become that next year.
Suddenly, another voice whispered in his mind.
'No. He's someone who must be killed someday, but not now. We absolutely mustn't provoke him.'
Why? At least now he was stronger than the guy. Wouldn't it be better to just assassinate him if he was determined?
'There's no way that guy told me such information without thinking about that too.'
Moyong Gun closed his eyes.
“……”
“How absurd.”
How shocked must the great Moyong Gun have been to waste time with such ridiculous worries.
Moyong Gun leaned his head against the wall.
There was no strength in his body. On the other hand, his mind was becoming terrifyingly cold.
'It's clear. That guy has known about those Mad Cult Three Sects for a very long time.'
It was certainty, not speculation.
For a very brief moment, he thought it might be a lie. But he immediately dismissed it.
Neither Shin nor Yeon Hojeong were small-minded enough to deceive each other with such crucial information. This was a completely different matter from crossing lines or not.
Moreover, while fighting Yeon Hojeong, Moyong Gun had read the sincerity and desperation in his qi.
No matter how outstanding a person was, they couldn't fabricate revealed sincerity.
'The fact that he opened his heart so wide before me means he's reached his limit now.'
The Three Sects, the Black Dragon Department, himself.
He had somehow endured while handling all those things, but now he had reached his limit. That's why he came to him and suggested dealing with their common enemy first.
And Yeon Hojeong's choice was truly right. Even he would have done the same.
As he thought that far, Yeon Hojeong's face came to mind.
That beast's face that hid impatience with composure.
'I don't like the Uisin Association either. Though for different reasons than you.'
'To you, the Martial Alliance is a sacred place. In the eyes of someone who wants to become the master of that sacred place, those who dared to touch the Martial Alliance wouldn't look good.'
Moyong Gun unconsciously let out a chuckle.
“He must have been quite desperate. To try to sound me out by mentioning the Uisin Association.”
His closed eyes slowly opened.
It felt like his vision was flashing. His head felt heavy, like when he suddenly stood up after crouching all day as a child.
It was then.
Swoosh.
Countless presences were detected in Moyong Gun's senses.
They were deliberately revealing their qi as if they had nothing to hide. Individually, their martial arts were at a level that Moyong Gun would scoff at, but among them were quite a few auras that couldn't be ignored.
'It's the Open Faction.'
Dozens of Open Faction members had surrounded the residence area. They were monitoring him in case Moyong Gun made any suspicious moves.
Moyong Gun didn't react sharply. He had already heard that from Yeon Hojeong, and he no longer had the strength to sharpen his blade.
His gaze turned to the window.
The moon was bright.
“It's going to be a long night.”
* * *
Yeon Wi, Jegal Mun-ho, Muk Bi, and Yeon Ji-pyeong greeted Yeon Hojeong as he returned to the residence.
“Huh! Brother?!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong approached with a worried face.
“Are you alright?”
“I'm fine.”
He didn't look fine at all. There was blood on his lips, his hair was disheveled, and his well-dressed clothes were full of cuts and tears.
Jegal Mun-ho quickly asked.
“Did you fight with Moyong Gun?”
“We had a light bout. Also to confirm that guy's sincerity.”
“Look at your condition. That doesn't look like a light bout.”
“If by any chance that guy really had ties to the Three Sects, I would have had to take action on my own. I just worked up a sweat for the first time in a while, both to loosen up and to read his intentions.”
It meant he had fought with the intent to kill if things went wrong. Jegal Mun-ho clicked his tongue at that ignorant determination.
“So.”
Yeon Wi asked in a serious tone.
“What did you think?”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“With a ninety percent probability, Moyong Gun didn't know.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Wi nodded. He too had been certain that Moyong Gun hadn't joined hands with the Three Sects.
Jegal Mun-ho asked.
“Are you sure?”
“I'm personally certain, but there's always that one in ten thousand chance, isn't there? That's why I said ninety percent. Even if we work together from now on, we shouldn't let our guard down.”
“Whew, I see.”
Jegal Mun-ho patted Yeon Hojeong's shoulder.
“You've worked hard. Truly, you've been through a lot.”
“It's nothing. This much is nothing.”
Yeon Hojeong straightened his posture.
“First, I've asked Hugae to place surveillance eyes around the Moyong Family's residence area.”
“Well done.”
“And please gather everyone who knows about the existence of the Three Sects by tomorrow noon.”
“Tomorrow noon?”
Yeon Hojeong relayed the conversation he had with Moyong Gun exactly as it was.
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“That's just like him. After all, there's nothing more certain than seeing the faces of those who know.”
“It seems we'll also need to prepare the investigation details regarding the Three Sects.”
“Hmm.”
No matter how fiercely they had fought in the past, they had now become allies who had to join hands to deal with a public enemy. Information sharing was essential.
Yeon Wi said.
“Let's do that. We may not be able to resolve all past grudges, but from the moment we formed an alliance, there should be no secrets between us.”
“I think the same.”
After Jegal Mun-ho answered, he shook his head and let out a sigh.
“Even though I know, the fact that I'm still concerned shows what an extraordinary person he is in another sense. Not many people make me worry this much.”
“We must aim the Three Sects with that extraordinary ability. Let's think positively.”
“We must.”
After letting out a short sigh, Jegal Mun-ho cupped his fists.
“I'll come to Pagun Pavilion tomorrow at noon. Rest well. And Yeon Army Leader, you've worked hard.”
“Take care.”
“Yes. Ah! Before that.”
“Yes?”
Jegal Mun-ho's eyes sparkled.
“If we join forces with Moyong Gun, where do you plan to strike first?”
“We should target the places that are exposed so we can see how they react.”
“Let's target the bright places in the middle of the sky…… As expected, the Shinwha Sect.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Once the meeting with Moyong Gun tomorrow is over, we'll move immediately.”