Roots of Betrayal
Moyong Yeon-hwa wanted to scream.
“It’s been a while.”
Yeon Hojeong looked nothing like before. His clothes were torn to rags, and his hair was disheveled.
Yet his eyes remained the same. No, they were far more striking than before.
Deep and clear, they carried an almost chilling coldness.
Meeting that gaze made her feel as though every hidden thought would be laid bare.
Moyong Yeon-hwa masked her emotions and offered a respectful bow.
“I greet the Military Advisor, Lord Yeon.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
Moyong Gun smiled and asked, “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, Father.”
“We have an honored guest. Tell the servants to prepare wine and food.”
“Yes.”
“Will you join us?”
Moyong Yeon-hwa smiled. “A lowly one like me has no place at such a table. I’ll join when the time is right.”
With that, she left the room.
Moyong Gun chuckled and gestured to a chair. “Sit.”
“Quite the change.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Yeon Hojeong took his seat. “She doesn’t seem any more humble, but she’s become far more calculating than before.”
“My daughter?”
“Yes.”
Moyong Gun, seated across from him, poured cold tea. “She’s begun to understand the world. She’s realized there are many geniuses and monsters out there.”
“Anyone can realize that. What matters is whether she admits she has nothing that sets her above them.”
“She’s admitted that as well.”
“That’s no easy thing.”
“One must succeed at difficult things to grow. She still has shortcomings, but the important thing is that she’s taken a step forward.”
Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue. She was nothing more than a young fox, but now she knows how to hide her fangs.
Growth wasn’t limited to one side. How one spent the same amount of time determined the extent of one’s progress.
In that sense, Moyong Yeon-hwa hadn’t wasted her time either. Of course, her transformation wasn’t particularly welcome to Yeon Hojeong.
Soon after, a modest spread of wine and food was laid out.
“White liquor.”
“It’s the drink you like, isn’t it?”
“It is, though I’m not sure if it suits the family head.”
“Watching you drink it so heartily made me try it myself. At first it seemed nothing but harsh, but now I’ve come to enjoy it.”
“I see.”
“Here, have a cup.”
The two men filled each other’s cups.
“Shall we toast to your safe return?”
“I’m so grateful I could weep.”
Clink.
They emptied their cups in one go.
Moyong Gun smiled. “You haven’t changed at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I’d poisoned the wine, what would you have done, drinking so eagerly?”
“Am I supposed to worry about such nonsense the moment we meet?”
“Hahaha.”
“We’re not the sort to resort to such petty tricks, are we?”
“Hearing you say that is truly reassuring.”
That, too, was not entirely sincere.
In political struggles, there was no such thing as fair play. Poisoning a cup was always a possibility.
If Moyong Gun could have killed Yeon Hojeong that way, he would have done it without hesitation. Yeon Hojeong felt the same.
They both discarded tactics that wouldn’t work on the other. Having clashed for so long, they knew each other well.
At least, it was different from a game of Go.
“You must have had a duel the moment you arrived.”
“I did.”
“With the family head?”
“He remains an insurmountable wall.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed. As expected.
They had met several times during the Bonggong Council. Though their conversations had been limited, Moyong Gun had always been deeply impressed by Yeon Wi. Every time they met, the man had changed.
He had thought Yeon Wi was still beneath him, but apparently not. If Yeon Hojeong said so, then Yeon Wi might not surpass this man, but he was certainly no weaker than Moyong Gun himself.
In other words, there was no gap between them now. I thought he would spend his time away from the Alliance scheming with the military advisor, but that wasn’t the case.
Moyong Gun knew how much blood and sweat a person at his level had to pour out to achieve such growth.
It was a pain that felt like suffocation, endured again and again. Only after overcoming that agony countless times had he reached his current position.
Even with such effort, regression was always possible in their realm. Innate talent, blood-soaked effort, and heaven-sent fortune.
Moyong Gun sighed inwardly. I must admit there are many geniuses and monsters in this world… That’s something I, too, must accept.
What had allowed Moyong Gun to reach his current level was not only enlightenment but also the ancient arts of Noejeonggong and the Heartless Heavenly Thunder Style.
The most violent and destructive qi in the world was thunder qi. His martial arts, built upon that foundation and constantly refining his inner energy, developed differently from others.
Just as one did not grow stronger solely through enlightenment, an increase in the quality and quantity of inner energy did not necessarily make one stronger.
In other words, through the growth of inner energy and martial achievement alone, one could face or even defeat masters who had attained the highest enlightenment.
Moyong Gun balanced two paths of development. In a sense, he walked a harder road than other martial artists.
Of course, one could also see it as an easier method.
“You and your father are truly remarkable.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
“Well, that’s enough of that.”
Moyong Gun’s gaze sharpened.
“How was it? The matter in Guangdong.”
“Didn’t you already receive the report at the council?”
“I’m asking not as a member of the Martial Alliance’s council, but as a comrade-in-arms who formed a temporary alliance.”
Comrade-in-arms. Not entirely wrong.
Moyong Gun’s hatred for the Three Sects was terrifying. He despised them so much that he was willing to delay the election for the Alliance Lord just to eradicate them.
This hatred and blind killing intent were undoubtedly a great help. At the same time, they served as a shield that made it impossible to predict where he would strike next.
It was why Yeon Hojeong treated Moyong Gun more cautiously than before.
“First, the man who disguised himself as one of Yang Cheon’s disciples, Hong Gwan, was a spy sent by the Saeum Sect. His real name was Yayul Jeok.”
Yeon Hojeong recounted everything that had happened in Guangdong and how it had been handled, without omission or embellishment.
Of course, he left out the fact that retired Shaolin elders resided in the caves of Foshan. Gong Gong Dae-sa might have already mentioned it, but there was a high chance Moyong Gun didn’t know. There was no reason to bring it up and make things awkward for the abbot.
“I see. So that’s what happened.”
Moyong Gun spoke with admiration. “I knew you’d handle it well, but you really smashed them to pieces. Well done.”
At least those words were sincere.
Yeon Hojeong shrugged. “The matter isn’t completely resolved yet. Guangdong must be properly stabilized before this mission is truly over.”
“It will be. You’ve surely taken care of it.”
Moyong Gun nodded.
But one question lingered in his mind. He didn’t tell me everything.
Moyong Gun instinctively sensed that Yeon Hojeong hadn’t shared every single detail of what had occurred in Guangdong.
That was only natural. He would have done the same.
Still, he noticed several gaps in the account—places where something should have been explained.
For instance, how Yeon Hojeong had persuaded Guangdong’s high-ranking officials. The Left Governor of Guangdong doesn’t particularly like martial sects.
Unlike other regions, handling affairs with the Seungseon-pojeongsasa of Guangdong Province required absolute competence. It wasn’t a position one could buy with bribes.
Moyong Gun had conducted his own investigation into the Left Governor before this expedition. He’s not the kind of man who can be swayed by force. Bribes won’t work on a martial artist either. He must have a strong sense of pride.
How had Yeon Hojeong won him over? Don’t tell me this brat has some separate connection to the government offices.
It was possible. But Moyong Gun thought the likelihood was low.
No matter how monstrous Yeon Hojeong was, it was absurd to think he could deal with the Three Sects’ pawns, stabilize public sentiment in Guangdong, and simultaneously forge ties with the government offices.
This was a matter of time before ability. Even the unparalleled Yeon Hojeong couldn’t create time that didn’t exist to establish connections with the officials. Or perhaps he already had ties with them beforehand?
That, too, seemed unlikely. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have needed to send Moyong Gun to meet the Provincial Military Commander while dealing with the Shinwha Sect’s armed forces. Of course, there’s some connection with Lady Ye, but… that alone doesn’t explain it.
Moyong Gun was almost certain. There’s no one connected to the government offices. In other words, he won over the Left Governor through a method he didn’t mention to me.
And that was something Yeon Hojeong could never have accomplished alone.
Contrary to his thoughts, Moyong Gun didn’t let his smile fade.
“How is Woo?”
“You mean the Commander of the Tangma Army?”
“Yes.”
“He’s in good health. Unlike some people, he’s kind and upright.”
“Hahaha, he’s quite straightforward. He’s the kind of fellow who’ll do his part no matter where he’s placed.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
Indeed. He would do his part even if seated in the Martial Alliance Lord’s position.
“I expect I’ll be working with the Commander of the Tangma Army on many things from now on. I look forward to it.”
“Hah! You should say that to Woo, not to me. How could he ignore his elder brother’s words? Especially when that brother is also the family head.”
“Hahaha.”
Moyong Gun’s mood inexplicably improved.
At least Yeon Hojeong’s assessment of Moyong Woo was sincere. Moyong Gun could read that, so he laughed without any ulterior motive.
“Come, let’s have another drink.”
“Let’s.”
The two men continued drinking, pouring for each other.
Half an hour later.
With a slightly flushed face, Moyong Gun asked, “Have you given it any thought?”
“About what?”
“Come now. Is there any other reason you left the matter in Guangdong to Woo and came to the Alliance first?”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
“You mean the spies.”
“That’s right.”
Though drink had reddened his face, the moment the word “spies” left his lips, Moyong Gun’s gaze turned cold.
“He’s a worm, but I can’t deny his ability. To perfectly conceal himself in a gathering of so many sect leaders—that’s no easy feat.”
It was more than difficult. An ordinary person’s mental fortitude couldn’t withstand that kind of pressure.
At the very least, his mental strength was second to none.
“Whether he’s a single worm or there are more, we don’t know yet, do we?”
Moyong Gun’s eyes blazed.
“You think there’s more than one?”
“I believe we should keep the possibility open. However, I think the chance of there being two or more is low.”
“Probably.”
Moyong Gun fiddled with his cup before asking casually, “How do you plan to catch them?”
There was no single protagonist in this operation to root out the spies. Everyone would have to join in and capture them.
Still, Yeon Hojeong’s wisdom was on a different level. There was no harm in hearing it.
Yeon Hojeong set down his cup.
“I don’t know how we’ll catch them yet, but before analyzing that, I’ve thought about where we should start.”
“Speak.”
“We need to dig into their pasts.”
Disappointment flickered across Moyong Gun’s face.
“Isn’t that obvious? In fact, before that fool Deung Cheon-gyo made his explosive remark, Jegal Mun-ho had already begun investigating the backgrounds of the council members.”
“It’s not that level.”
“Then?”
“Before they even joined their sects.”
“……?!”
Moyong Gun’s expression hardened.
Yeon Hojeong, resting his chin on his hand, fixed him with an especially transparent gaze.
“When they joined, what martial arts they learned, who they met, and how they became sect leaders. We need to thoroughly uncover every detail of their histories.”
“You mean…?”
“Yes. We can’t rule out the possibility that they were already members of the Three Sects from a very young age, even before entering their sects.”