Obtaining Darkness (6)
Axe? Or sword?
Would he choose the eldest son of the Yeon Family of Byeoksan and the greatest rising star of the world, or would he choose the sect of a genius destined to one day boast the fame of a divine sword?
It was an absurd choice. In more ways than one.
“Leader!”
Jeong-an called out to Yeon Hojeong in alarm.
Yeon Hojeong did not turn to look at her. He simply stared at Yang Cheon with cold eyes.
Jeong-an spoke with a composed face.
“You mustn’t do this.”
Once again, Yeon Hojeong gave no reply.
Jeong-an quickly continued.
“How could someone like you sacrifice yourself?! I never wanted a result like this…!”
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong opened his mouth.
“That’s enough.”
“Leader!”
“Your thoughts are correct. Your heart is righteous. At the very least, you are incomparable to those two, who are blinded by greed and swayed by mere words.”
Yeon Hojeong’s voice rang clear and pure. It was loud and distinct enough for everyone present to hear.
The faces of Jeok-yeon and Yeon Sim flushed red. Yeon Sim’s face in particular looked as if it were on fire.
She felt a shame so intense it sent chills down her spine.
“But reality and ideals are different things. You possess a righteous will, yet you lack the power to carry it out. If I had not been here today, the Vice-Leader would not have even met with you. In the worst case, you might have died.”
“……!”
“Powerless justice is incompetence, and justice without power is mere violence. A sword swung without courage is weaker than a brushstroke, and the courage of one who does not understand the madness of the blade is worth less than a coward’s conviction.”
His tone was so resolute it chilled the bones. And those words shamed Jeong-an.
She had claimed to understand the gap between reality and ideals, yet in the end, those too had been nothing but the light words of someone lacking experience. She had come prepared to die, but it was also true that she had felt reassured because Yeon Hojeong was there.
“The fact that you were able to lead me this far was only possible because your heart is righteous. That is as far as your role goes.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.
“Be satisfied with that much for now. Not many people have shown me the right path amid all this chaos. In this situation, you have fulfilled your role sufficiently.”
It was an arrogant statement, if one chose to see it that way. At the same time, it was also an acknowledgment of her.
To say that few had shown him the right path meant that the current world was that far from being righteous.
In such a world, people who lived with a heart as upright as Jeong-an’s were by no means common.
Jeong-an gritted her teeth.
“Even so… even then, there’s no reason for you to sacrifice yourself over matters concerning our sect, is there?”
“Don’t misunderstand. This is not a sacrifice.”
“What?!”
“Unfortunately, I am not as righteous as you. I am not so naïve that I would offer up my life and future out of mere pity.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
It was a smile directed at Yang Cheon.
“Isn’t that right?”
Yang Cheon could not laugh.
“Are you really going to play it this way?”
“Did you truly think I would obediently come to the Mukryong-bu?”
“To be honest, I did.”
“You’ve become quite frank.”
“There’s no point in trying to deceive you with lies, is there?”
Yang Cheon frowned.
“You’re making an excessively unreasonable demand of someone as greedy as me. Give up on Botam? You know better than anyone how much effort I poured into it and how furious I became.”
The effort referred to breaking the spirit of Botam, and the fury was directed at the leader of the Sa-eum Cult.
Yeon Hojeong said, “Life is a series of choices. And choice always means giving up one thing to obtain another.”
“As I said, I am very greedy. There have been plenty of times when I’ve caught both rabbits.”
“How unfortunate. Because I am not a rabbit.”
“Think again. This is good for you as well. Besides, one of their factions has already gone over to them. It’s irreversible.”
Botam was broken. At least the Botam of this generation would find it difficult to regain its former purity. In that case, it would be better to proceed as things were.
The Yeon Hojeong of the past would have simply accepted it, saying there was nothing to be done.
“I have made up my mind. And as I said before, this cannot be allowed. If you destroy an entire house just to catch one thief, several innocent blades will break in the process.”
This referred to the intervention of the Buddhist sects. More precisely, it meant that even Yeon Hojeong could not stop the wrath of Shaolin.
“Let’s repair the house that’s on the verge of collapse while we’re at it, and protect the blades that might break. It may feel regrettable right now, but looking further ahead, that would be better.”
“You’re telling me to throw away three years of effort I poured into this?”
“Didn’t you tell me? A comfortable life is boring. An unpredictable life is what makes existence rich.”
“Sometimes you need to know how to take the easy path.”
“Unfortunately, that seemingly easy path is teeming with all kinds of wild beasts. You might smile as you run forward, only to end up as food for a predator.”
“……”
Yang Cheon, who had been glaring at Yeon Hojeong with chilly eyes, eventually let out a sigh.
“You really are impossible to read. Sometimes you seem so vicious and ruthless that I wonder if you’re a demon, yet at other times you resemble one of those rigid, old-fashioned orthodox masters.”
“Let’s set all that aside and make one thing clear.”
Yeon Hojeong pointed at Yeon Sim.
“Even if you spend ten more years tempering that blade, it will still take that long before it can be wielded properly. But am I not someone you can pick up and swing right this moment?”
“……!”
“Even after investing ten more years, it could still break if you’re not careful. And what about me? In your eyes, Vice-Leader, do I look like a blade that would break so easily?”
He would never break.
Yang Cheon nearly said it aloud without realizing.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“And most decisively, there is one thing you have overlooked, Vice-Leader.”
“And what is that?”
“That if those bastards start a war before your precious sword even becomes a divine blade, it will all be for nothing.”
For a moment, Yang Cheon’s eyes wavered.
He was right. The Sa-eum Cult—no, the Three Sects—could start a war as early as tomorrow.
Of course, the actual probability of that happening was nearly zero. Considering the secrecy and tactics they had shown so far, even if they launched a preemptive strike, it would be at least several years later.
The problem was that even that was not certain.
“War can break out at any time. If you let your guard down just because the world seems peaceful now, you may end up as prey for the enemy.”
“That is…”
“A wise king does not start wars. But he is always prepared for one.”
Those words were the finishing blow.
The Three Sects sought to start a war. In other words, they wished to become conquerors.
Yeon Hojeong viewed such people as unwise.
At the same time, he was telling Yang Cheon not to rashly start a war. Launching a preemptive strike against a conqueror was fine, but he was advising him not to underestimate the enemy in an unpredictable all-out war and to solidify his power even further.
Yeon Hojeong continued.
“The divine sword of Botam will display astonishing power if properly forged. However, there is no guarantee the enemy will wait until then, and pouring all your strength into forging a blade could end up scattering the forces of the Central Plains.”
“……”
“Please see the situation clearly.”
Yang Cheon, who had been quietly watching Yeon Hojeong, let out a long sigh.
“Your words always carry logic. That’s why I can’t ignore them.”
“At the very least, I hope my words right now are judged not merely as logical, but as the truth of this moment.”
Yang Cheon took a deep breath.
“If I let Botam go, you will be dispatched to headquarters…”
“That’s right.”
“You mean you will become my limbs for the time being and fight for me?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of becoming the Vice-Leader’s loyal subject. Our purpose is clear. I will simply run toward that single goal.”
“I know that. However…”
“However, if I am to live here, I will occasionally have to show the Vice-Leader some unbecoming flattery. During those moments, I will view the world as a Mukryong-in, so you need not worry too much.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Provided that what the Vice-Leader desires is clearly the destruction of our enemies.”
“Hah.”
Yang Cheon shook his head.
“Choice is not possession, but abandonment…”
After pondering for a long time, Yang Cheon turned his head to look at Jeok-yeon and Yeon Sim.
Yeon Sim’s face was still flushed red. She looked deeply ashamed and somewhat confused.
Jeok-yeon’s expression, however, was different. Her face was red as well, but that redness resembled a volcano on the verge of erupting.
She had not fully understood the conversation between Yang Cheon and Yeon Hojeong. But there was one thing she knew for certain.
They were disregarding Botam.
That a mere rising star could replace Botam? Simply placing the two on equal footing was already a challenge to Botam. It was an absurd deal.
What was even more shocking was that Yang Cheon was actually considering it, and seemed inclined to join hands with that reckless fool rather than with the Yeonhwa Sect.
Joining hands with Yeon Hojeong meant joining hands with Jeong-an. Joining hands with Jeong-an meant giving strength to the Cheonan Sect.
That was how the situation appeared to Jeok-yeon. Her narrowed mind had become that distorted.
Yang Cheon spoke.
“Leader of the Yeonhwa Sect.”
“……”
Jeok-yeon did not answer. She felt that if she opened her mouth, curses would pour out.
“This is truly regrettable. From my perspective, I wanted to help all of you and gain this friend as well, but the situation doesn’t allow it.”
“……”
“I’m sorry for making you wait so long. As an apology…”
“Just what the hell are you doing?!”
A suppressed voice burst from Jeok-yeon’s lips.
Yang Cheon’s eyes twitched.
“Doing?”
“Isn’t it?!”
The only reason she hadn’t hurled insults was because her opponent was Yang Cheon. Had he not been one of the Holy Thirteen Seats, she would have already drawn her sword and tried to take his head.
Jeok-yeon shouted furiously.
“We traveled ten thousand li to meet you! We endured humiliation and waited for you even though you refused to see us! And this is the result?!”
“Didn’t you hear what this friend said? Life is like that. You never know when or where an absurd variable will pop up.”
“You call that an answer?!”
Jeok-yeon fumed. Yang Cheon gazed at her with deep eyes.
After glaring at him for a long time, Jeok-yeon growled in a low voice.
“I am truly disappointed. When we meet again someday, it seems we will meet as enemies.”
“This is why the world is interesting. Just like the reality you face now, I never imagined the day would come when I would calmly accept such rudeness from someone of your caliber.”
Yang Cheon smiled.
“This is a world where tigers and lions run rampant. Don’t think that swinging a sword a few times makes you a beast as well. You are still but a cat.”
“Hmph!”
Jeok-yeon spun around sharply.
“Yeon Sim! We’re leaving!”
Yeon Sim followed behind Jeok-yeon with a dazed expression. The way she hesitated suggested she still didn’t fully understand what was happening.
It was then.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Yeon Hojeong’s voice was unusually sharp.
Perhaps that was why. Not only Yang Cheon, but even Jeok-yeon and Yeon Sim turned to look at him. There was such power in Yeon Hojeong’s voice.
Yang Cheon furrowed his brow.
“What is it now?”
“Didn’t I say? Even if you can’t rebuild the house you destroyed, you should at least repair it.”
“……”
“Hm?”
Without even turning around, Yeon Hojeong pointed at Jeok-yeon with his thumb.
“Aren’t you going to repair it?”
“……!”
“It seems you hadn’t thought that far. Well, I suppose someone of your stature would find it beneath you to deal with such a trivial matter.”
Yeon Hojeong rolled his shoulders.
A chilling crack echoed through the air.
“Make sure to contact the medical ward in advance. Tell them a patient is coming. She’ll need to rot there for about ten years.”