Fragment (5)
"That was rather cute."
At Yeon Wi's words, Yeon Hojeong could only scratch the back of his head.
"You informed the military advisor first instead of speaking to your own father?"
"Yes, Father."
"Why? Were you afraid this father of yours would not permit it?"
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
"I believed that if you judged it reasonable, you would certainly allow it. It's simply that..."
"Simply that?"
"I didn't want you to keep worrying about it."
Yeon Wi gazed at his son in silence.
Yeon Hojeong's expression grew increasingly awkward.
After all, he had gone to Jegal Mun-ho first with the outrageous idea of being dispatched to the Black Dragon Department rather than his own father. He had kept the matter secret, and it was only yesterday that Jegal Mun-ho had revealed it right before the meeting.
Even for Yeon Hojeong, the situation was impossible not to find embarrassing.
"Ahem."
"......"
"......"
"Hmm."
Yeon Hojeong subtly turned his head, avoiding his father's gaze.
After studying his son's face for a long moment, Yeon Wi let out a soft chuckle.
"I'm a little disappointed."
"Ah, I'm sorry."
His father's reaction was milder than expected. Despite the apology, Yeon Hojeong's face was noticeably bright.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
"I know you were looking out for your father. And from an official perspective, your actions were not wrong. For a matter like that, it is only proper to inform the military advisor first rather than this old man."
"Thank you for understanding."
"That said, it seems the military advisor suffered quite a bit of mental strain because of it. You can probably imagine."
"I suppose he must have."
"Be sure to apologize for that part. He has been rather sharp lately, but it is rare to find someone as intelligent and wise as the military advisor who also possesses such a gentle heart."
"Yes, I know."
"Good. If you know, then that is enough."
Yeon Wi showed no anger whatsoever about the issue. In truth, he felt none. There was the faintest trace of disappointment, but it was the kind that could be safely ignored. No matter how dear the child, public and private affairs had to be kept separate. He could not grumble over something like this.
"By the way, do you truly believe that is a sound approach?"
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
"I do."
"The Lord of the Black Dragon Department is quite fond of you, is he?"
"He definitely is. It's rather burdensome, actually."
"I can imagine."
As a warrior rather than as family, Yeon Hojeong was clearly a talent any leader would covet.
His martial prowess was impressive enough, but his strategic insight and vision were exceptional. A mediocre leader might grow wary, but a capable and bold one would move heaven and earth to bring him into the fold.
Seen in that light, Yang Cheon was clearly no ordinary man.
"Will it not be dangerous?"
"This is the gangho. There is no such thing as a safe task. Still, considering the previous spy infiltration incident, I expect it will be far freer and more relaxed than it was then."
Yeon Wi nodded.
"I see. If you say so, this father of yours can set his mind at ease."
"Does that mean you give your permission?"
"This is not something for me to permit or forbid. Did the military advisor not say the same? That approval must be obtained from each lord individually."
"Well, it did turn out that way."
"Are you confident?"
The question lacked context, yet Yeon Hojeong understood its meaning perfectly.
"It's less about confidence... and more that I must focus and observe properly."
Jegal Mun-ho had arranged this opportunity for one reason alone: to let Yeon Hojeong meet the lords in person and judge them with his own eyes.
Though Jegal Mun-ho did not know Yeon Hojeong had returned from a previous life, he understood that his ability and insight had reached the very peak of the gangho. He was placing his trust in those eyes and instincts. Even if certainty was impossible, he believed Yeon Hojeong would at least notice anything out of place.
Yeon Wi sighed.
"The Tang family head said this spy is more terrifying in mental fortitude than in martial prowess."
"He would be. Whether among the Nine Sects or the Six Clans, it is no easy feat to lead an organization as its head while simultaneously acting as a spy. The nature of the martial arts, the scrutiny of the organization—there are many obstacles."
"You understand it well."
"I have plenty of experience in that regard."
Only then did Yeon Wi fully realize once more that his son had lived decades before returning to this time.
"Since the stage has been set like this, go and observe thoroughly."
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
"Don't worry."
"Very well. Where will you begin? Are you truly starting with the Kongtong Sect?"
"Of course. Their leader, Deung Cheon-gyo, is a very interesting man. In more ways than one."
Srrrng.
Yeon Hojeong drew the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes, examined the edge, nodded, and rose to his feet.
"I'll be back."
It was noon, with the sun high overhead, when Yeon Hojeong reached the Kongtong Sect's residence.
The midsummer sunlight seemed to have lost some of its ferocity. The heat would likely linger for another month, yet it appeared summer was finally beginning to yield.
Yeon Hojeong knocked on the residence's main gate.
A voice answered from within.
"Who is it?"
"This is Yeon Hojeong, Grand Delegate of the Martial Alliance's Righteous Army."
A brief silence followed.
Then...
Creeeeeeeak.
The sound of the door opening rang like a ghostly wail. Even the scorching heat rising from the ground seemed to freeze solid in that instant.
The man who opened the door was a middle-aged swordsman who looked five or six years older than Yeon Hojeong. The sword slung diagonally across his back appeared exceptionally solid.
The middle-aged man spoke.
"Come inside."
His tone was quite arrogant.
It was not so much his personality as the voice itself that gave that impression. The temperament of a demon suppressor forged on the harsh slopes of Mount Kongtong revealed itself completely.
Yeon Hojeong entered the residence without a word.
The main gate opened directly onto the training grounds. While the residences were all similar, the Kongtong Sect's felt particularly barren.
"Wait here a moment. I will inform the sect leader."
"Go ahead."
The middle-aged man crossed the training ground and climbed the stairs.
Directly in front of the building at the top, he knelt.
"Sect Leader. The Grand Delegate of the Righteous Army has arrived."
Deung Cheon-gyo's voice drifted out.
"I am eating. Tell him to wait."
"Understood."
The middle-aged man returned to Yeon Hojeong and said,
"The sect leader is in the middle of his lunch. I ask that you wait until he finishes his meal."
Yeon Hojeong glanced toward the building.
It seemed he truly was eating. When he heightened his senses, the wet smacking sounds came through with perfect clarity.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Tell the sect leader I will take that as permission granted."
"......?"
"Then."
Yeon Hojeong turned on his heel and opened the gate.
The middle-aged man's face stiffened.
"Wait."
Yeon Hojeong, who had been about to leave immediately, looked back at him.
"Do you have something to say?"
"The sect leader clearly ordered you to wait."
"And I clearly said I would take that as permission."
"......"
"You've worked hard."
It was then.
Ping! Thud!
A single dagger embedded itself in the gate. It had missed Yeon Hojeong's head by exactly one foot.
"Come back inside. And wait until the sect leader finishes his..."
In that instant, Yeon Hojeong's body shot forward like a beam of light.
BOOOOM!
"Ugh!"
The middle-aged man was launched into the air and crashed heavily in the center of the training ground. Yeon Hojeong's fist had driven upward into his abdomen.
"Cough! Urghhh!"
It was a savage blow. He had not used full strength, yet he had not held back either.
The middle-aged man—Sa In-ho, disciple of Deung Cheon-gyo—turned deathly pale. He tried to rise, but strength refused to return to his legs.
Yeon Hojeong spoke coldly.
"You dare throw a blade at the commander of a Martial Alliance Righteous Army unit?"
"Ugh! Cough!"
"You will be taken to the Disciplinary Hall. Follow quietly."
The Disciplinary Hall? What nonsense was this?
Furious, Sa In-ho wanted to roar, but he could not. The blood surging up his throat kept forcing him to retch.
It was then.
CRASH!
The door exploded outward as Deung Cheon-gyo emerged.
An overwhelming surge of energy erupted in every direction, revealing the full, unbridled might of a supreme peak expert. The qi of Mount Kongtong's strongest divine art writhed like a living storm.
Deung Cheon-gyo bellowed.
"Have you gone mad?!"
"The one who has gone mad is this fool here."
"What did you say?!"
Yeon Hojeong openly displayed his displeasure.
"I have heard that Mount Kongtong in Gansu is a rugged mountain whose inhabitants all possess fierce dispositions. However, such behavior should not be tolerated even within the Martial Alliance. To think you would dare throw a knife at the commander of a Righteous Army unit to threaten him."
Deung Cheon-gyo frowned.
He had been enjoying his lunch, yet he had grasped the entire situation. After all, he had sensed Yeon Hojeong's arrival through his energy long before the knock on the gate.
Yeon Hojeong continued in a flat tone.
"Though he holds no official post, he is still a swordsman of the Martial Alliance. This incident will be handled by the Disciplinary Hall. If no justifiable reason is found, he will be imprisoned in the dungeon."
The dungeon, he said.
The absurdity was growing. After ambushing and felling a disciple of the Kongtong Sect—one of the Nine Sects—he was casually mentioning the Disciplinary Hall and the dungeon.
Deung Cheon-gyo spoke with an icy expression.
"What an ill-mannered whelp."
"Please address me as Grand Delegate, Lord."
"How dare you talk back to me!"
"If you continue to act this way, I will have no choice but to speak even more harshly, won't I?"
When the opponent came at him with force, Yeon Hojeong answered with even greater force.
Though he had grown more composed and thoughtful lately, his naturally fierce temperament was second to none.
Deung Cheon-gyo's face transformed completely.
He had never imagined he would suffer such an insult from a mere junior.
"You bastard!"
CRAAAAACK!
Cracks erupted from beneath Deung Cheon-gyo's feet, racing down the stairs and across the training ground.
It was terrifying inner energy. He had not even taken a proper stance, yet the ground split apart from the mere release of power.
"You dare insult the Kongtong Sect?!"
"There's no greater case of the pot calling the kettle black. In any case, the sect leader should remain there and continue fuming. I will be taking this fellow to the Disciplinary Hall."
"You...!"
"Shouldn't we also investigate who ordered this bastard to commit assassination? Ah, do not interfere. If you do, I will assume the one who ordered the assassination of the Righteous Army's Grand Delegate is none other than the leader of the Kongtong Sect."
"What? Assassination!"
Yeon Hojeong had blatantly provoked him.
The lethal provocation struck true. Deung Cheon-gyo's face twisted into something so hideous a ghost would have fled in terror.
And Deung Cheon-gyo could endure no longer.
"You bastard!"
BOOOOM!
The graceful beauty of his movement technique as he flew across the air was exquisite.
It was Mount Kongtong's Cloud Flowing Water Steps. Even in the depths of rage, his body moved according to its supreme principles. He truly lived up to his position as leader of the Kongtong Sect, the strongest power in Gansu and one of the Nine Great Sects.
A white radiance exploded from Yeon Hojeong's eyes. He had read the instant of the incoming attack and responded with the White Tiger form of the Four Gods Martial Arts.
'...?!'
Deung Cheon-gyo's face filled with shock as he was repelled at the same speed he had charged.
SCRRRAPE! CRACK!
His feet, driven all the way to the edge of the training ground, had dug into the earth up to his ankles.
HISSSSS!
White smoke rose from Deung Cheon-gyo's hands—the hands that had blocked Yeon Hojeong's fist.
Deung Cheon-gyo's eyes trembled.
'Impossible!'
He stared at Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong had not taken a single step from his original position. He simply relaxed his stance.
"So it's true after all?"
Yeon Hojeong laughed coldly.
"Are you a spy sent by the Three Sects? The way you keep trying to kill me is rather suspicious."
"This—this bastard?!"
"This won't do. I suppose I will have to examine the matter myself."
Srrrng.
A pitch-black hand axe settled into his right hand.
Immediately, Vermilion Bird flames ignited along the blade, adding a volcanic wave of energy.
"Are you a spy?"