The Journey to Find Truth (8)
A heavy silence fell over the grand hall.
Not a single person present dared to speak.
Their lord had grown remarkably benevolent of late. He had even taken the time to personally correct the martial arts of subordinates he once barely glanced at, showing an abundance of leisure.
For the Twelve Earthly Branches, this change in Yang Cheon had only deepened their loyalty. In particular, a few including Baek Seo had received even higher-level martial techniques from him and had come to regard their lord as a true master.
Yet even they could not bring themselves to meet Yang Cheon’s eyes right now.
How much time had passed in that stifling quiet?
“Hmm.”
The silence had been long, but Yang Cheon’s expression was not as grave as one might expect.
“That bastard… at least he didn’t neglect his training.”
Jeon Hong lay collapsed on the floor of the grand hall, his entire body wrapped in bandages. The sight was utterly wretched.
But everyone present knew the truth. His condition was not as dire as it appeared. He had suffered serious internal and external injuries, but this level would never kill him.
The real problem was his arm.
Whether a fist fighter or a swordsman, losing an arm meant more than half of one’s combat strength was gone. Moreover, Jeon Hong was still a promising young man who had not even reached thirty.
Creak.
Yang Cheon rose from the grandmaster’s seat and walked over to sit down beside Jeon Hong.
Thud.
The moment he sat, the Twelve Earthly Branches and the combat unit captains who had been standing in formation on both sides simultaneously dropped to their knees in full prostration.
Paying them no mind, Yang Cheon began unwinding the bandages wrapped tightly around Jeon Hong’s body.
Swish. Swish, swish.
All the bandages covering his upper body came undone.
Horrible wounds were revealed. Dozens of sword scars, some still scabbed over, some already healed into faint red marks.
Yang Cheon’s eyes gleamed.
“Would you look at this?”
He pressed firmly on Jeon Hong’s muscles with his fingers and let out a short laugh.
“Looks like he put in quite a bit of effort on his own. Building muscle like this is no easy feat. Elasticity, density, flexibility—none of it is lacking.”
These were words from the King of Combat, the man who stood at the pinnacle of the world. If they were directed at a disciple he had once found displeasing, they could only be called the highest praise.
“But his training period was still insufficient after all.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes turned cold.
“What a pathetic fool.”
The atmosphere in the grand hall grew even heavier.
“Deficient martial arts can be supplemented with effort and experience. That too requires luck, but for a disciple of Yang Cheon, filling in that lacking strength is not particularly difficult. But the mind is different.”
As if truly disappointed, Yang Cheon looked down at the unconscious Jeon Hong with an icy expression.
“Once one reaches a certain realm, mental strength often takes precedence over the level of martial arts. I’ve told him dozens of times why those pale-faced orthodox bastards emphasize mental theory and cultivation, yet it seems he still hasn’t realized it.”
The Nine Great Schools possessed numerous supreme martial arts. If they had taught all of them to every disciple under their command, their forces would have been far stronger than they were now.
However, the Nine Great Schools—and most orthodox sects—did not teach their disciples high-level techniques from the beginning.
The reason was clear. No matter how advanced the martial arts, they were meaningless if the practitioner’s mind and heart could not support them.
There were many powerful warriors skilled in combat. But those who possessed the righteous heart to remain unswayed by the martial arts they had learned were exceedingly rare.
Of course, the righteous heartYang Cheon spoke of differed from the one the orthodox Murim pursued.
What mattered was that he understood, to his very bones, that martial arts and the mind had to exist in balance.
“When one gains great power, it’s natural to become somewhat indulgent for a time. Only after overcoming that indulgence and beginning to see the heavens can one truly hold light within.”
Yang Cheon stood up.
“They say raising disciples is no easier than raising children. Truly, this doesn’t sit well with me at all.”
The one mercy for Yang Cheon was that the affection he gave his disciples was not limitless.
Simply being accepted as a disciple did not mean one had earned his recognition. His interest and affection changed depending on what kind of person they showed themselves to be while living as his disciple.
Just like Bu Seon right now.
“Take him away. When he regains consciousness, drag him before me again.”
“We obey your command.”
A short while later, after his subordinates had dragged Jeon Hong outside, Yang Cheon spoke.
“I heard there were men who brought that bastard here?”
Baek Seo answered in a cautious voice.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Have their identities been confirmed?”
“There was no need to investigate further. They were warriors the third young master had taken as subordinates near his training grounds.”
“Subordinates?”
Yang Cheon burst into laughter as if the idea was absurd.
“A guy who can’t even properly manage his own martial arts was playing the role of a leader there?”
Jeon Hong’s level was already impressive enough. Considering his age and when he had begun training, simply calling him remarkable felt insufficient.
It was a statement that carried weight precisely because it came from Yang Cheon, the man recognized as the strongest in the Jianghu.
“What did you do with those men?”
“Since they were the third young master’s people… we first prepared rooms for them in the guest quarters.”
“Drive them out.”
“Understood.”
Considering Yang Cheon’s fury, it was fortunate they had only lost their heads and not suffered worse. Had this been before he neutralized the Dark Emperor Poison, they would likely all have died horribly.
“Everyone except Baek Seo may leave.”
“We obey your command.”
A short while later, only Yang Cheon and Baek Seo remained in the grand hall.
Yang Cheon asked, “Have you identified who was behind this?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Who was it?”
“The thing is… an unexpected figure was involved.”
“So who?”
“Yeon Hojeong was among that group.”
For a moment, surprise flickered across Yang Cheon’s face.
“That bastard Yeon Hojeong came to Hunan?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“If he entered Hunan, I should have known immediately. Why wasn’t this reported earlier?”
“My apologies. Even the Intelligence Division lost track of Yeon Hojeong’s movements. It seems that because we redirected over eighty percent of our intelligence resources to the north, we were unable to maintain delicate information operations.”
“Then were the remaining twenty percent just playing around? This is Yeon Hojeong we’re talking about. It shouldn’t have been easy to miss him.”
“It appears he came in secret.”
Yang Cheon snorted, as if the idea was ridiculous.
But he knew as well. With Yeon Hojeong’s level of martial prowess and insight, evading watchful eyes and moving covertly would not have been particularly difficult.
“First, tell me the situation.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Baek Seo recounted the events almost exactly as if he had witnessed them himself.
Although the Black Dragon Department’s intelligence capabilities were not what they once were—now focused on the foreign sects and the Martial Alliance—they still displayed tremendous skill in piecing together events that had already occurred.
After hearing the full account, Yang Cheon’s eyes deepened.
“The young sect leader of the Black Iron Sword Sect.”
“……”
“Now that I think about it, when that bastard Yeon Hojeong came to treat my body last time, he brought a young man with him like an attendant. The kid had quite the aura for his age, so I took a brief look at him.”
“I did not mention it since you did not seem particularly interested, my lord, but that young man was Kang Liang, the successor of the Black Iron Sword Sect.”
“I see.”
The corner of Yang Cheon’s mouth rose.
“How surprising. No matter how mediocre the third may be, he had mastered the Gloomy Rock Martial Arts. Judging by the quality of his muscles and the residual qi, he was on the verge of reaching the end of that path. Yet the successor of the Black Iron Sword Sect was stronger than expected.”
“From the traces left at the scene, it appears they fought nearly evenly. However, since Kang Liang suffered almost no damage, it seems the match was decided in an instant.”
Yang Cheon spoke in a languid voice.
“That is what we call true capability. Even if one has mastered the greatest martial arts under heaven, letting your guard down can get your head taken in a single strike. Moreover, if the conversation they had at the tavern was true, it seems the third had been looking down on him from the start.”
“It appears so.”
“Pathetic fool. The Jianghu is a place where even a three-year-old child can kill you if you’re careless. He looked down on an opponent who was nearly his equal, so it’s a miracle his life wasn’t taken.”
“They probably had no choice but to show some mercy.”
“Of course they would.”
Yang Cheon rested his chin on his hand and asked, “Kang Liang, was it? That aside, there’s no way Yeon Hojeong would let this matter pass quietly. Has there been any separate contact from him?”
“As a matter of fact, a message arrived through our Intelligence Division.”
“What did it say?”
Baek Seo took out a single letter from his robes. It was a missive personally written by the Intelligence Division.
Come find me if you want to talk.
I have no intention of going to you.
— Yeon Hojeong
Yang Cheon accepted the letter, unfolded it, and immediately burst into laughter.
“Kahaha! Just looking at this rude tone makes it feel all the more real.”
“Will you be going, my lord?”
“What else can I do? The bastard says he doesn’t want to come here, so I have to go, don’t I?”
“How dare he summon the sect leader with ‘come here, go there.’ It would be proper not to respond to such a request…”
“If there was nothing else to say, that would be one thing. But I also have matters to settle with him. He has something to say but doesn’t want to come, so I have no choice but to go.”
Baek Seo no longer tried to dissuade him.
“When will you depart?”
Yang Cheon rose from his seat.
“If it were some impatient brat, I might play around for a few days before leaving. But that bastard’s nerves are quite thick. No need to waste time—let’s leave immediately.”
“I will make preparations.”
“Do that.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Yang Cheon smiled as he looked up at the ceiling.
“Yeon Hojeong… Yeon Hojeong, huh.”
For a brief moment, his eyes turned icy cold.
“Did you know? I like you far more than you think I do. But if you wag that tongue of yours carelessly during this meeting, even you won’t walk away unscathed.”
“You really didn’t have to go this far.”
At Yeon Hojeong’s words, Inhwaru’s owner, Song Dap, bowed his head.
“I am a merchant who knows propriety. You have given this ignorant businessman an enlightenment that cannot be bought with money. Therefore, I must repay you with whatever I am capable of offering, Teacher.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.
“I am truly grateful for your kindness, but if you give me the entire fourth floor, how will you run your business, owner?”
“If you had not enlightened me, I might have gone bankrupt soon anyway. If I consider this merely assets I would have lost regardless, then this is truly nothing.”
“Hahaha.”
“Still, I feel embarrassed that I can only repay you with something so trivial.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“It is said that warriors repay debts with blades, while merchants repay them with money. Since you insist, I will gladly accept this excessive repayment.”
“It is my honor, Teacher.”
Thanks to Song Dap’s generosity, the group was able to reserve the entire top floor and enjoy food and drink without restraint. It was the height of luxury.
Song Dap asked, “If there is anything else you require, please call for me at any time.”
“There is nothing else, but there is one fact you should know, owner.”
“Please speak, Teacher.”
Yeon Hojeong spoke with a cheerful expression.
“Within a few days, the Lord of the Black Dragon Department will come to see me.”
“……”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing will change just because he’s coming, but since a giant of the dark factions is visiting, I thought you should know in advance.”
“……”
“Ah, and just in case—there’s no need to give Yang Cheon any special treatment. Just keep that in mind… Owner?”
Yeon Hojeong looked at the motionless Song Dap and let out a sigh.
“Hey! Server! Come take your owner away! He’s fainted!”