The Soldier's Resolve
“Good heavens! Moyong Gun actually made such a proposal?”
“He did.”
Jegal Mun-ho stroked his chin.
Dang Gwan, who had been silent the entire time, spoke as if tossing the words aside.
“I’m against it.”
“Why is that?”
“No one knows what’s really going on inside Moyong Gun’s head. The fact that he lowered his head and came to us first means he’s definitely plotting something.”
Dang Gwan’s tone was absolute.
He had spent a short yet long time alongside Moyong Gun. While a person’s inner thoughts could shift a dozen times in a single day, their fundamental nature rarely changed.
In Dang Gwan’s eyes, Moyong Gun was not someone who moved with pure intentions. Whether making proposals or striking deals, he always sought to gain the upper hand. That was Moyong Gun.
Yeon Wi spoke.
“He even offered up his own younger brother’s life. I don’t know Moyong Gun’s true intentions, but at the very least, it didn’t seem like he was trying to pull some trick behind our backs.”
“He didn’t stake his own life, did he?”
Dang Gwan spoke coldly.
“That man will never accept a loss in any deal. Blood ties? Sure, he’s human, so he must feel some affection for his kin. But he values his own life far more than any blood relation.”
It was a rather harsh statement, yet not entirely wrong.
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“I agree with some of what the Dang Patriarch says. Moyong Gun is no easy man to deal with. He surely has his own agenda.”
“See? That’s what I’m saying.”
“However, the fact that he extended his hand first is what puzzles me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“One hand cannot handle ten. Moyong Gun knows his own capabilities well. At the same time, he also knows that there are people on our side who are not inferior to him.”
“Hmm.”
“He reached out first? He must understand what that action implies. Even knowing full well that we would watch him like hawks from now on, he still made the offer. There are three ways to interpret this.”
“……?”
“Either he’s sincere, or he’s confident he can deceive us.”
“And the third?”
“Both.”
“……!”
Jegal Mun-ho let out a sigh.
“Looking at the situation alone, the Tangma Army is Moyong Gun’s only weapon aside from the Moyong Family’s forces. Moreover, since the Martial Alliance cannot mobilize the family’s troops, it’s fair to say he’s put everything on the line in his own way.”
Yeon Wi nodded.
“I agree.”
“Furthermore, Moyong Gun’s brotherly affection for Moyong Woo, the commander of the Tangma Army, is genuine. While he didn’t stake his own life, the shock of losing a limb would be considerable. For someone as politically astute as Moyong Gun, this could be seen as a bold decision on his part.”
Dang Gwan furrowed his brow.
“Then what does ‘both’ mean?”
“He’s confident he can evade our eyes and investigations, yet he won’t strike first until preparations against the common enemy are complete.”
“……
Hmm.”
Yeon Wi took a sip of tea to wet his throat before speaking with a sigh.
“Whatever the case, the problem lies with us. Matters concerning the Alliance Leader election cannot be easily postponed. Moreover, even without an election, there are many qualified candidates for the position of interim leader.”
“I feel the same. For example……”
“Gong Gong Dae-sa.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Gong Gong Dae-sa was also aware of the information regarding the Three Sects. In other words, aside from those already in the know, he was the only one who knew the true identity of the Three Sects.
“In terms of ability, character, and wisdom, it would be difficult to find anyone more suitable than Gong Gong Dae-sa. Especially for the first Alliance Leader, it would be best to present a stable figure whom all righteous martial artists could accept.”
“I think so as well.”
“However……”
“However?”
After pausing to gather his thoughts, Jegal Mun-ho spoke in a low voice, accompanied by a quiet sigh.
“Gong Gong Dae-sa will never accept the position of Alliance Leader. Not even on a temporary basis.”
“Ugh.”
Yeon Wi let out a low groan.
He, too, knew Gong Gong Dae-sa’s character. And the man he knew was not someone who would accept even a temporary leadership role, just as Jegal Mun-ho had said.
Setting everything else aside, the very request to postpone the election and serve as interim leader for a year already implied that he was unfit for the position of the first Alliance Leader. It suggested he had the ability to serve temporarily but lacked the qualifications to become the true leader.
Even if Gong Gong Dae-sa himself didn’t mind, the high-ranking members of Shaolin and influential figures close to the temple would fiercely oppose it.
Dang Gwan, who had been listening quietly, spoke as if tossing the words out.
“Let’s settle one thing first.”
“……?”
“Are we going to accept Moyong Gun’s proposal or not?”
A brief silence followed.
Jegal Mun-ho was the first to break it.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”
“You want to accept the proposal?”
“Yes. Regardless of his intentions, it’s a proposal that won’t harm us for now. In fact, it’s even better. It gives us a chance to keep one of Moyong Gun’s arms in check.”
“Hmm.”
Dang Gwan turned to Yeon Wi.
“What do you think, Yeon Patriarch?”
Yeon Wi let out a long sigh.
“Honestly…… I don’t like the proposal itself.”
“Why not?”
“Coordinating our stance before the meeting and then steering the discussion to our advantage…… This is no different from political maneuvering.”
Dang Gwan frowned.
“We have a common enemy. An enemy whose power is strong enough to engulf the entire Central Plains. I don’t think this is the time to be worrying about such things.”
“The weight of the words ‘we must live while upholding what must be upheld’ is as heavy as Mount Tai. If we uphold our principles when it’s convenient and gloss over them when it’s not, then what’s the point of having rules? It would make the title of the righteous path meaningless.”
“I don’t see it that way. There are times when we need to show flexibility, and I believe now is one of those times.”
“It may be more complicated at times, or require taking a longer route, but there are still lines that must not be crossed.”
Yeon Wi sighed again. He had been sighing more than usual today.
“I’m afraid. Afraid that we might truly become monsters. Afraid that we might lose the right to teach righteousness and principles to the next generation. There are values more precious than life itself, yet I worry we might become hypocrites who only speak of them without showing them through action.”
Jegal Mun-ho looked at Yeon Wi with a complicated expression.
Only then did he understand why Yeon Wi’s face had been so serious. While he and Dang Gwan had been pondering the proposal itself, Yeon Wi had been confronting the fundamental problem with the situation, beyond any potential gains.
‘How truly upright he is.’
Dang Gwan might think differently, but Jegal Mun-ho did not see Yeon Wi’s stance as mere stubbornness.
More precisely, he believed it was the kind of resolve that should be exercised. If the righteous path failed to act righteously, how would it differ from the unorthodox path?
That realization allowed Jegal Mun-ho to make his decision.
“Do you know what kind of people military counselors are?”
“……?”
“A military counselor of any organization is someone who has strayed halfway from the righteous path they should follow. The reason is simple—if they remain bound by rules, they could endanger the lives of the entire organization.”
“Military counselor.”
“Those of us who walk the righteous path must pursue values beyond profit and loss, just like you, Yeon Patriarch. But I am different.”
Yeon Wi spoke with a troubled expression.
“Don’t do this.”
“No, it would have been right for me to make the decision first. Before the two of you had to agonize over it, I, as the military counselor, should have resolved it.”
Jegal Mun-ho smiled.
“That’s why I receive a higher salary and bear more responsibility than the two of you. The position of military counselor is one that can transcend alliance laws in times of emergency.”
“…….”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean one should wield power arbitrarily. That’s why the role of military counselor has always been entrusted to someone exceptionally intelligent, yet also capable of distinguishing between public and private matters, and worthy of everyone’s trust.”
Jegal Mun-ho added playfully.
“Someone like me.”
It was a remark that eased the stiff atmosphere somewhat. Yeon Wi couldn’t help but chuckle.
Dang Gwan asked.
“Then what is the military counselor’s decision?”
“I will personally push forward with Moyong Gun’s proposal. I’ll have it settled within five days at most, so please pretend you know nothing. This is a request not as the Jegal Patriarch, but as the military counselor.”
Dang Gwan nodded.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, handle it well.”
“Thank you.”
Yeon Wi couldn’t bring himself to respond. He simply sighed again, his face filled with worry.
Jegal Mun-ho spoke in a soothing tone.
“The two of you risked your lives fighting the experts of the Shinwha Sect. In a sense, that is the responsibility you—and by extension, countless alliance members—must bear. Yeon Patriarch, you have already fulfilled that duty more than enough. Now, let me take responsibility as the military counselor.”
“……
It’s just frustrating.”
“There’s no need to feel frustrated. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“That’s exactly why it’s frustrating. If you truly choose that path, once the fight against the Three Sects is over, you’ll face great difficulties.”
It meant that not only would he have to step down from his position, but he could also face punishment under alliance law if things went wrong.
Jegal Mun-ho burst into hearty laughter.
“When that time comes, I have no doubt the two of you will defend me.”
Dang Gwan snorted and stood up.
“You’re making things unnecessarily complicated. Anyway, I’m leaving now.”
Yeon Wi asked.
“Where are you going?”
“To meet the Yeon Patriarch’s eldest son.”
“Hmm? You mean Hojeong?”
“Yes.”
“What do you need from Hojeong……?”
Dang Gwan clicked his tongue.
“There’s something that brat asked me for, and it seems it’s finally been completed.”
* * *
“You called for me?”
Dang Gwan glanced at Yeon Hojeong’s face and snorted.
“You look ridiculous. Haven’t fully recovered yet?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Your training is lacking. I thought you had a sturdy body, but it turns out you’re weak as hell.”
Yeon Hojeong scratched his head.
“I admit it. That’s why I plan to focus solely on training for a while. I don’t want to embarrass myself by fainting again.”
“Big words. With that weak body of yours, can you even swing an axe properly?”
“Of course……”
In that moment, Yeon Hojeong’s eyes lit up.
Dang Gwan kicked a large box resting on the table.
“Made at the forge under my family’s direct control. They replicated the measurements, weight, and shape you requested exactly.”
“It’s finally here.”
“Open it. I’ll say this in advance—I have no intention of remaking it even if you don’t like it. Whether it turns out to be a dud or a masterpiece, swing it like your life depends on it.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly as he opened the box.
Soon, astonishment spread across his face.
Dang Gwan spoke with a mocking grin.
“Looks a million times better than that monstrous axe you’ve been carrying around. Don’t you think?”