Chapter 38: The Difference in Rank (4)
Yeon Hojeong's group managed to reach the family estate after just twenty days. Astonishingly, their condition was utterly deplorable. They'd replaced the journey home with rigorous lightness skill training and stamina drills. Naturally, the one who'd driven that absurd pace was Yeon Hojeong. Sin Mo had taken on the role of instructor.
By the time they arrived, the entire group was on the verge of collapse. But rest was not an option. Yeon Hojeong and Yeon Jipyeong were summoned to the family head's chamber, while the Cheong-eungdae plunged straight into training the moment they returned—it happened to be their scheduled hour. Normally, the day after an external mission would see all duties canceled, but Sin Mo showed no mercy. He'd been planning to ramp up the intensity anyway, so he cracked the whip without hesitation, calling it a perfect opportunity.
That day, the Cheong-eungdae squad that had gone to Hapbi tasted true hell.
* * *
Yeon Wi's eyes widened as his sons entered the family head's chamber.
Whoosh. Even in the chilly weather, the sharp tang of fresh sweat hit him like a wave. It wasn't the stale reek of days-old grime but the raw, vivid scent of sweat just broken. Their clothes told the same story—not a day or two, but far longer.
"We're back."
"We're home, Father."
Yeon Wi was momentarily speechless. The sight of his sons left him at a loss for words. Was this how it felt to see children return alive from the battlefield?
A moment later, he found his voice. "Stand up straight."
The two rose. Yeon Wi's eyes gleamed. Yeon Hojeong's face was impassive. Yeon Jipyeong's, by contrast, had hollowed out. He'd never carried much fat to begin with, but anyone could see the toll of his ordeals.
"I'll hear the details from your brother, so go rest, Jipyeong."
"Ah... thank you."
Thank you. For Yeon Jipyeong's usual temperament, it was the kind of response that might draw a hollow laugh.
With Yeon Jipyeong gone, only father and eldest son remained in the chamber.
"Sit."
"Yes."
Yeon Hojeong took his seat. Father and son sat in silence until Chief Steward Taekyeong brought the tea.
"Wet your throat."
"Yes."
Yeon Hojeong lifted the cup. Yeon Wi's eyes sharpened. He noticed the faint tremor in his son's hands. After several sips, Yeon Hojeong finally looked like he might live.
Yeon Wi asked, "What in the world happened to you?"
"We trained on the way back."
"Trained? What kind?"
Yeon Hojeong calmly recounted the regimen they'd followed all the way home. Yeon Wi's eyes wavered.
"You did that kind of brutal training alongside Jipyeong?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"Sin Daeju and the entire Cheong-eungdae did it together."
"...And you led it?"
"Yes."
This ruthless bastard. Yeon Wi nearly blurted it out. Even the great Yeon Wi had reacted unconsciously—the training was that shocking.
It was simple, really. Just running. The issue was how they ran.
Running at a steady pace was no great feat if your stamina held up. It was merely a question of endurance; running itself wasn't hard.
But changing speed every half gak—that's different. Full sprint for half a gak, then slow to a jog for the next. Sprint again, then slow. That's how the first day went. Each subsequent day, they increased the sprint intervals by another half gak. And they kept it up the entire journey home. On mountain paths, no less—not flat roads.
And ten of those days without inner energy?!
They'd rested for meals and slept at least four sijin a day, but it was still brutally harsh. Their bodies had been tempered since childhood and bolstered by inner arts, which was fortunate—anyone else trying this could face real danger.
"We managed rest and nutrition properly."
"It's not just muscles—your joints could suffer."
"I didn't think my skill was so lacking that I couldn't assess my own condition."
"Excessive training can cause internal injuries."
"That's why we set aside time for circulation exercises."
So ruthless—even for him. Yeon Wi had done similar training himself, but never sustained it for twenty straight days.
Still...
Yeon Wi read the aura emanating from his son's body. The energy, once perfectly contained, now leaked freely. A sign that stamina and inner energy had hit their limits.
In just twenty days, this much. He's gained enormously.
Shocked by the volume, Yeon Wi nonetheless trusted his son's account. He had no choice. His son was proving it himself.
The quality of his inner energy was far sharper and more majestic than when he'd left. Compared to before, it was hard to believe it came from the same person. No mere meditation could achieve this. The grueling physical regimen had transformed even the nature of the qi dwelling in his flesh.
Qi ceaselessly forges the body. Push to the brink of ruin, then flood with nutrition, rest, and true energy to accelerate change.
Yeon Wi nodded. "Well done, regardless."
"No. This is just the beginning."
"...Hm?"
Yeon Hojeong smiled. Exhaustion seeped through, but so did profound satisfaction.
"We'll keep this up until we touch the limits of heart, body, and qi. Of course, we'll rest just as thoroughly."
"You've hardened your resolve."
"Even staking our lives on training, who knows when we'll grasp the ultimate intent. We're still a long way off."
"...I see."
Yeon Wi nodded. "So it is."
At last. Only now could Yeon Wi accept his son's transformation without reservation.
Before departing for Hapbi, the changes had felt somehow off-putting. Like his son had suddenly become someone else, gnawing at his nerves. But from this day forward, seeing that deep smile and clear gaze, Yeon Wi embraced it fully.
Perhaps my own stubbornness blinded me to his growth.
His son had become a man—not merely by age, but by the eyes and heart that viewed the world.
Yeon Wi leaned back in his chair. "How was the gathering?"
Yeon Hojeong's eyes lit up. I uncovered something huge, Father. He had much to say. But he held his tongue. It wasn't time to tell his father yet.
"Nothing special."
"Did you make many connections?"
"Not deeply."
From the way he said it, a few had caught his favor. Yeon Wi drew a neatly folded letter from his bosom and handed it over.
"What's this?"
"Read it."
Yeon Hojeong unfolded the letter. Moments later, he spoke in a reluctant tone. "Hm... I didn't think it was that grand a deed."
"Any parent would send such a letter. That's how it is."
"When did it arrive?"
"This morning."
Yeon Hojeong cleared his throat. "That girl's got a loose tongue."
The letter was from the Jegal family head himself, conveying personal thanks. Given the timing, she'd likely informed him before the gathering.
Yeon Wi nodded. "Well done."
"No, it's nothing."
He didn't show it, but Yeon Wi was proud. Saving a life without boasting, treating it as a given. Rougher than before, yet grasping human duty all the more. Yeon Wi welcomed these changes.
So he cut straight to it. "I heard you got badly tangled with the Namgung family."
Yeon Hojeong nodded. He'd expected this. "Yes."
"Tell me the details."
Yeon Hojeong explained the gathering in full—omitting only Myeong Horim, of course. Even without that, it painted a clear picture.
"I see."
Yeon Wi recognized his son's objective tone. "Namgung's second young master... did that, eh."
"Yes."
Yeon Wi's eyes chilled. Yeon Hojeong flinched instinctively. Gooseflesh prickled down his spine. He'd never seen that cold gaze before.
"It's no simple grudge. For mere ill fate, they went too far."
"I had no desire to tangle, but partnering with the Tang heir was excessive."
"Of course. Over twenty, yet resorting to such vile tricks."
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head inwardly. Has it been so long? Father's emotions seem more candid now.
"Well done."
"Pardon?"
Yeon Wi's gaze on his son was clear. The usual sternness remained, but it was as if a layer of hard ice had thawed.
"Rumors can cut deeper than blades. You didn't storm off in rage but handled it wisely."
"Ah, yes."
Father wouldn't know. He'd half-killed the Tang heir and his men. Han Homyeong had buried it deep. If it surfaced, it'd be an explosion.
"But they knew the terror of rumors too."
"What do you mean?"
"The Namgung family apologized to our main house."
Yeon Hojeong frowned. "Apologized?"
"Yes. The family head himself."
"No way..."
"Even confessed his daughter's misdeeds."
Yeon Hojeong let out an exclamation. "That sly fox."
Yeon Wi's eyes gleamed. "Do you grasp the situation?"
"Sacrificed his daughter to save his son's face? Framed the son's acts as personal grudge, unrelated to Namgung."
Yeon Wi marveled inwardly. Piecing it together on the spot from a few words. Intelligence alone wasn't enough; you needed to read the world's currents.
"Exactly."
"Hah, I thought he'd bury it tight, but he shaved a bit of face to seal it. The family head's no ordinary survivor."
Yeon Wi nodded. He had to admit it now. His son's growth. His insight.
"So, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"We haven't replied to their apology. How would you handle it?"
Yeon Hojeong shook his head. "What's to deliberate? Annoying as they are, wasting time on headaches like this is foolish."
"Accept the apology?"
"Unless we can shake the family head himself, what choice with the second young master's 'personal grudge'? Especially since it involved my brother."
"Aren't you angry?"
Yeon Hojeong smirked. "In the jianghu, will threats to life come once or twice? Better to take the apology and boost Yeon prestige."
A rational call. Yeon Hojeong had no further interest in the Namgung 'lot.' Mountains of work lay ahead.
Unaware of his thoughts, Yeon Wi felt both guilt and pride at the conclusion. Forgiving an attempted murderer? Tough for a youth not yet twenty. Yet he not only forgave but considered the family's future. Admirable—and regrettable.
"Good. We'll do as you say."
"Understood."
Yeon Hojeong rose. "May I go wash up?"
"Yes."
Yeon Hojeong bowed and turned. As he reached the door, Yeon Wi called without thinking. "Hojeong."
"Yes?"
Yeon Wi paused. As curiosity tilted Yeon Hojeong's head to his shoulder—
"Good work."
Yeon Hojeong grinned. "No big deal."