Flaws in Discipline (5)
“Withered away like this in just ten days? Not eating?”
“……”
“Well, well, have you seen it all now? Not even a word in response?”
“……”
“Makes sense. You’ve got nothing to say.”
Gang Yun’s appearance behind the iron bars was utterly pathetic. Dressed in prisoner’s rags, his arms bound by iron shackles linked with chains. His disheveled hair looked utterly lifeless.
Yeon Hojeong, who had been staring silently at Gang Yun, spoke to the Bi-eungdae captain.
“Open the door here, please.”
A troubled expression crossed the captain’s face.
“That is……”
“Don’t worry. I’m the one who ordered this fool locked up. You think I’d let him go? Ah!”
Yeon Hojeong pulled a small letter from his bosom.
“I already got permission from Father. Here.”
The captain nodded upon receiving the letter. The handwriting and seal were unmistakably the family head’s.
“Understood. But the prisoner might cause a ruckus, so please be cautious.”
“I wouldn’t care if there were ten more like him.”
Clank.
As the iron bars swung open, Yeon Hojeong stepped inside. Even with the door blatantly open, Gang Yun showed no reaction.
Yeon Hojeong sat down boldly beside him. Gang Yun’s body twitched.
Yeon Hojeong had sat too close.
“Your inner energy’s sealed, huh. Not cold?”
“……”
“What a pointless question. Food coming out alright?”
“……Why have you come?”
“Do I need your permission? I come when I want.”
It was the kind of retort that left no room for argument.
Leaning his head against the wall, Yeon Hojeong spoke in a casual tone.
“Gang Yun, that guy got disciplined too.”
“……”
“No matter how idiotic your screw-up was, a captain’s a captain. There were mitigating factors, but disobeying orders doesn’t vanish. So, six months’ pay docked, and three months handling all unit cleanup alone.”
Handling unit cleanup alone was no small task. It was grueling work that might not even finish after investing an entire day.
“But that bastard gritted it out, finished the cleanup, and even squeezed in personal training before crashing. Barely getting two hours of sleep a day, from what I hear.”
“……”
“Don’t know how long that effort’ll last, but at least right now, he seems happy. Tough bones are tough bones. Means he had that much burning desire to grow stronger.”
Gang Yun asked.
“Why tell me this?”
“So you know.”
“……”
“I don’t know all the family laws. But I do know sentences vary by motive and intent, even for the same crime. Means there’s good reason you got harsher than Gang Yun.”
Gang Yun looked at Yeon Hojeong. His hair obscured his eyes, making his gaze hard to read.
“Strictness in law is essential. But if it goes too far, problems arise.”
“So you lightened my sentence?”
“No way. That was just my mood. You committed insubordination, but looking back, I wasn’t even that pissed. Sealing your full inner energy felt excessive.”
“……”
“Not my place to say, but you got lucky.”
Gang Yun’s hair shook. A sneer or a bitter smile—it was hard to tell.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.
“Plus, idiot and fool though you are, you seemed to have some pride in Bi-eungdae, the Yeon family’s guard unit.”
“……!”
“Your hatred for me—wasn’t it because you couldn’t admit the family heir was a scum?”
Gang Yun’s eyes wavered. Being called out so directly was bound to fluster him.
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
“Twisted as you are, you still had affection for the main family.”
“How would you know that, Young Master?”
“Do I have to touch shit or mud to tell the difference?”
Bit of a crude metaphor, no?
Yeon Hojeong stood.
“Think about what truly serves the family.”
“……I have a question.”
“What?”
Gang Yun raised his head.
“Did you lighten sentences for the others involved from other units too?”
He meant equal treatment for all who sinned across the organization.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes turned icy.
“Killed everyone but two.”
“……!!”
“Their crimes were clear. Drunk or whatever, unjustly killing someone is a death sentence. And they tried to bury it in secret. No mitigating factors.”
A chill ran down Gang Yun’s spine. He could’ve ended up the same if he’d strayed further.
Thinking it over now sent shivers down his back.
Looking down at the trembling Gang Yun, Yeon Hojeong continued.
“Someday soon, a major crisis might hit the family.”
Gang Yun looked up in shock. For a moment, darkness clouded his vision.
Because a ruthless killing intent emanated from Yeon Hojeong’s impassive gaze.
“I hope it doesn’t, but if it does, lend your strength then. Prove your love for the family was real.”
“……”
“Sealed energy or not, you can still train. Don’t waste time. At least be better than the subordinate you once had.”
“Brother.”
“Hm? Been waiting?”
Yeon Jipyeong smiled sheepishly.
“You said you were seeing Father today, right?”
“Eh?! Did I?”
“Seriously? You forgot?”
“Got a lot on my mind lately.”
“You’re so clueless.”
“This punk.”
Yeon Hojeong ruffled Yeon Jipyeong’s hair wildly.
Yeon Jipyeong yelped in protest.
“Alright, let’s go get chewed out.”
Four days passed.
Yeon Hojeong’s routine grew even more brutal. Having surpassed his limits multiple times over the past four-plus months, he now aimed to shatter them once more.
He cut sleep by another hour and doubled his food intake. Naturally, training intensity ramped up far beyond before.
Even with past-life techniques and insights, without ruthless effort, strength wouldn’t come.
Yeon Hojeong had trained harder than anyone these past six months.
Another day passed like that.
Regrettably, he hadn’t yet summoned the White Tiger, but his Bi-ra Jin-gyeol achievement reached six seong.
Considering when he started, it was an unimaginable pace.
His body was now solidly a master’s—no longer needing to force his muscles to exhaustion, he wielded robust martial arts with ease.
That noon, the day he attained six seong in Bi-ra Jin-gyeol, Gadeuksang finally arrived.
“Thief bastard! Food laid out proper?”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“Leave a single grain of rice, and there won’t even be broth.”
“How’s the work going?”
“Almost done. The laborers are putting in the final push.”
“Timeline?”
“Seeing the hot winds in the tunnel, five days at most.”
“Good.”
The elderly man in fine robes trimmed a flower branch with shears.
“Once it’s finished, bury the laborers too.”
“Understood.”
The old man’s casual order to kill and the middle-aged man’s nod as if it were natural were equally chilling.
Faint excitement colored the elder’s face.
“Finally, I’ll obtain it. The opportunity our ancestors prepared. Took so damn long, didn’t it?”
“Twelve years by the calendar.”
“Once we claim that confirmed opportunity, my generation could even surpass Shaolin.”
“Your generation? If the ancestors’ words are true, it won’t even take years.”
“Haha, wouldn’t that be grand.”
The elder straightened his back.
“Any separate word from the Moyong?”
“Yes. Not yet. They say it’s a massive headache on their end too.”
The elder clicked his tongue.
“Such frustrating bastards. What’s holding them up that they keep delaying?”
“They’re anxious too. Bi-san Yeon family’s short history means weak foundations. They worry the Moyong house might pull something.”
“That’s why they’re so pathetic. Holding a fortune but unable to use it properly—like butchers wielding the world’s finest sword.”
“Indeed.”
Myeong Cheon shook his head.
“Contact Moyong. If Yeon refuses again this time, tell them to give up.”
“Really?”
“What choice? Disobedient kids need the rod. I wanted to let them cling to their bloodline, but if they keep acting up like this, we’ve got no option.”
Faint unease crossed the middle-aged man’s face.
“If you truly plan to bury Yeon, we’ll need thorough prep.”
“Of course. Useless in skill but they’ve got some reputation.”
“They say the current Yeon head’s martial arts are exceptional. Judge Sword’s blade arts cleave waves. Might even ascend to the Saint Heaven Thirteen Seats in a decade.”
Myeong Cheon’s eyes instantly chilled.
Saint Heaven Thirteen Seats.
The term for the superhumans representing the current martial world.
People say the golden age of martial history, three hundred years ago during the Blood Cult Uprising, was unmatched.
Three centuries back, invincible masters rivaling the supreme under heaven burst forth in droves.
It was an era with fully ten who’d be called supreme under heaven without doubt, no matter the age.
But time flowed, and now the current martial world birthed peerless masters nearing that absolute era.
The people called them the Saint Heaven Thirteen Seats.
The shining name for ten divine immortal emperors and three sovereign lords.
Regrettably, none from the Nine Provinces Prestigious Families, hailed as supreme under heaven, had yet ascended.
If Father were alive……
Myeong family bloodlines were short-lived. Not from illness or qi deviation, yet so.
People called it the family curse.
It’s no curse. It’s the martial arts.
Myeong family arts were incomplete. Arguably the world’s pinnacle, but unleashing their power consumed life force.
Thus, they even imported outsider arts to fix it.
Of course, it didn’t resolve easily.
Arts grew stronger, lifespan stayed short.
But now it’ll be fine. If we reclaim the origin of our family arts……!
Three hundred years ago, amid invincible superhumans, one absolute invincible arose, surpassing them all.
Four Directions Martial Emperor. Also called Yellow Dragon Emperor.
That master’s arts transcended supreme under heaven, worthy of past-and-present supreme.
An era long past, his true power hard to gauge.
Yet enthusiasts ranked him above even Heavenly Demon without hesitation.
Myeong Cheon knew it wasn’t empty words.
Because the Myeong ancestors who routed the Blood Cult fought alongside the Four Directions Martial Emperor.
And he transmitted a portion of his arts to those ancestors.
With that scant portion, the Nine Provinces Myeong grew this vast.
Myeong Cheon was convinced: Four Directions Martial Emperor was martial history’s strongest.
And thirteen years ago, he found the founding ancestor’s last words.
“Why not test it?”
“Pardon?”
Sinister killing intent flickered across Myeong Cheon’s face.
“After reclaiming our arts, testing their prowess against Yeon sounds fine.”