The Divine Eye of the White Soldier (1)
The report has arrived.
“Hmm?”
“A message has come from the Iron Cavalry Unit in Guizhou Province. It would be best if you read it yourself, my lord.”
Yang Cheon let out a soft chuckle as he read the intelligence document handed to him by Baek Seo.
“He’s put on quite the spectacular show again.”
It was a report stating that they had captured Beon Jak, the First Martial General of the Shinhwa Sect, and had begun negotiations. Both the official seal of the Iron Cavalry Unit’s commander and Yeon Hojeong’s thumbprint were stamped on it. The information was confirmed to be authentic.
Baek Seo let out a low groan.
“Will this be alright?”
“It should be. If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t have gone that far.”
In truth, it wasn’t entirely fine.
Because of this incident, the Shinhwa Sect would now pour even greater effort into either recruiting or assassinating one of the Holy Thirteen Seats. Yeon Hojeong had uncovered their plans.
The silver lining was that Yeon Hojeong had used spear techniques. Of course, his true martial foundation hadn’t disappeared, so quite a few of their assassins would have lost their lives to mere punches and kicks. The nature of one’s primary cultivation art can make traces surprisingly difficult to read. Moreover, the entire area had been incinerated by the Shinhwa Sect’s own scorching yang energy.
Among the various martial arts Yeon Hojeong possessed, the most flamboyant and noticeable were those based on fire. Since their own techniques were also rooted in fire energy, the chances of them realizing he had intervened had actually decreased. Assuming their intelligence network doesn’t reach that far.
Yeon Hojeong was a clever one. When he ordered the information to be delivered, he would have thoroughly inspected it to ensure nothing about their side leaked out. He would have handled it well. However…
There was simply no way for them to know exactly what had transpired at the scene.
The report itself was well written. It clearly detailed what had been done, the current situation, and what would be done moving forward.
But operations, like battles, were always riddled with countless variables.
They had to move under the assumption that the enemy knew of Yeon Hojeong’s involvement. Only then could they minimize their own losses.
“Still, they really were on the move.”
Yang Cheon stroked his beard, his expression hardening.
“I expected them to move, but I didn’t think they’d strike this quickly. And to even mobilize cannons…”
Yang Cheon had assumed the Three Sects would focus more on internal affairs for the time being.
It was only natural. The Shinhwa Sect was busy trying to seize control of the imperial palace and the government offices while having lost several of their top warriors. The Saneum Cult had lost their trump card, the Shadow God, and Yang Cheon himself—the Lord of the Black Dragon Department—still stood firmly in their way.
All that remained was the Mad Blood Cult. From his conversation with Yeon Hojeong, he had learned that there was a very high chance the Martial Alliance’s spy was originally from the Mad Blood Cult.
Even Yang Cheon didn’t know much about the Three Sects. Among them, the one he understood the least was the Mad Blood Cult. Having never clashed with any of their members, he had no idea what kind of people they were or what they might do.
Still, even if each sect had their assigned roles, he didn’t believe this was the right time for them to provoke the masters of the Sacred Heavens.
To recruit or assassinate one of the Holy Thirteen Seats?
It was a long and wide-reaching war, but this was simply too fast. Touching the Sacred Heavens could only be interpreted as meaning they were at least halfway done preparing for full-scale war.
Naturally, the Three Sects shouldn’t have been capable of that.
The Shinhwa Sect had lost several of their vanguard leaders, and the Saneum Cult had lost both their reinforcements and the ruler of Guangdong Province, which was supposed to serve as their retreat path.
Even if they started a war now, the damage would be catastrophic. There was no way people aiming to seize the imperial palace would start a war without being fully prepared.
Yet they are still provoking the Sacred Heavens. That means…
Yang Cheon’s eyes deepened.
Could it be that their war preparations are actually quite advanced?
He couldn’t say for certain. It was a reasonable guess from a macro perspective, but they still knew almost nothing about the enemy.
Regardless, one thing is clear: they can’t run wild as they please anymore.
Now that the Martial Alliance’s spy had been extracted, it would be extremely difficult for them to obtain information about the two major alliances representing the Central Plains.
After sinking into thought for a moment, Yang Cheon asked Baek Seo.
“What is the eldest doing right now?”
“Ah, you mean the First Young Master.”
Baek Seo lowered his head.
“He has not left his residence for several days. However, I was told that a few key figures from the department have been frequently visiting his quarters.”
Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.
“Moving according to the logic of power. That is simply how the world works. But to already be dabbling in politics when his martial prowess is not yet absolute…”
“Still, wouldn’t you say someone of the First Young Master’s caliber is already quite remarkable?”
It wasn’t merely remarkable.
At his age, possessing that level of martial skill, he could easily be called a once-in-a-generation genius. Especially since the First Young Master refused to rest on his natural talent and had thrown himself into countless real battles to raise his martial level.
The effort to not be satisfied with talent alone, and the wild instinct to willingly dive into life-or-death battles.
He was more than qualified to be the next ruler of the Dark Faction.
“He still has shortcomings. I hope he comes to realize that.”
“May I offer a word?”
“Go ahead.”
“For someone like the First Young Master… wouldn’t it be a good choice to personally instruct him, just as you did with the Second Young Lady?”
“Instruction, huh…”
Yang Cheon rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked.
“Do you know what Moyong Gun, Yeon Hojeong, and I have in common?”
“Pardon?”
“Me, and Yeon Hojeong. And if you look broadly, even Moyong Gun whom we saw back then. The three of us share a common point.”
Baek Seo answered cautiously.
“Is it… perhaps political ability…?”
“Wrong. As you’ve seen, I’ve shown quite a few unsightly sides over the years.”
“T-that is not true.”
“Haha.”
Baek Seo pondered for a moment. The common point between the Vice-Lord, Vice-Commander Yeon, and the Moyong Family Head? They were all people with vastly different impressions.
Overwhelming martial prowess? That was true, but the First Young Master had also reached a level where he could establish his own school of martial arts.
Ambition? That was something the First Young Master seemed to possess in equal measure. At least on the surface.
Baek Seo honestly shook his head.
“I do not know.”
“You weren’t thinking of martial arts or ambition, were you?”
Baek Seo looked embarrassed.
Seeing his expression, Yang Cheon burst into loud laughter. The fact that Baek Seo, who was brutally cold to others, was honest with him pleased Yang Cheon. He liked that clear distinction.
“The answer is simple. We know when to strike and when to retreat.”
“Pardon?”
“Of course, I made the mistake of touching Bota. Well, it was something I had been working on for three years. I still have greed for it. However, even if a real war breaks out, the Martial Alliance won’t be foolish enough to break the alliance over just Bota.”
That was obvious.
They were facing an unprecedented enemy. If one claimed they had destroyed another faction to eliminate their own crisis, not even Shaolin would dare touch the Black Dragon Department.
Even if the other side saw through their intentions, if this side put forth such justification, it would be difficult for them to act. That was simply how the world worked.
“In other words, even if it looks somewhat reckless, we have not crossed the line. The precarious line where, if crossed, not only I but all my children would be destroyed. I do not cross that line.”
“……”
“The same goes for Yeon Hojeong. Moyong Gun? That bastard simply failed to see his opponent clearly. He’s an outstanding man, but he lost the balance between ambition and ability. Still, even he knows to some extent when he should step forward and when he should step back. That is what makes him great and dangerous.”
“Then, are you saying the First Young Master is not like that?”
“He is not.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.
“You can tell just by looking at the atmosphere. As the Lord of the Black Dragon Department, I openly favor Yeon Hojeong. Moreover, the second child has received my recognition and is directly learning martial arts from me.”
“……”
“Is this the time to charge forward, or the time to retreat? What do you think?”
Baek Seo lowered his head once more.
“I fear my foolish answer may sully the Vice-Lord’s ears.”
It was a polite way of avoiding the question.
Yang Cheon gave a small laugh.
“If the eldest had openly charged at the second and third to crush them, I would have begun giving him proper successor training.”
“…!”
“But look at him. At the moment he should be charging in, he’s instead cozying up to a few useless key figures and playing pointless political games.”
“I… I see.”
“A warrior’s ability is not proven through politics. It is proven through martial power and ideology.”
Yang Cheon leaned back into his grand chair.
“Of course, our department is not entirely free from politics either. But what makes us simpler and clearer than the Martial Alliance is that the principle of the strong ruling supreme is firmly established here.”
The Black Dragon Department was like a microcosm of the entire Dark Faction murim.
In the end, the strongest martial artist would claim the seat of leadership. That was an absolute principle that would never change, even within the Black Dragon Department where all kinds of political schemes ran rampant.
“Whether he feels it is enough, or whether he has something he believes in, I do not know. But this is not the time to sit comfortably and dream of a hopeful future.”
Yang Cheon shook his head.
“Whether one has received a mission, stands at the center of a situation entangled with personal grudges, or is surrounded by competitors like now.”
“……”
“One must read the situation, observe the atmosphere, accurately judge whether they should charge forward or not, and then act. The eldest lacks that. In fact, he lacks it even more than the second.”
“Then… are you saying Vice-Commander Yeon is superior to the heirs?”
“Yeon Hojeong?”
Yang Cheon gave a bitter smile.
“That bastard is the very ghost of politics. He knows better than anyone when to strike and when to retreat.”
Swish.
The masked man carrying Beon Jak on his back came to a stop.
“What is it?”
Beon Jak asked, looking at Yeon Hojeong.
“You’re not coming along?”
“That’s right.”
“…?!”
What was this sudden nonsense?
Yeon Hojeong looked around.
“Just as I thought. This is as far as it goes.”
“What are you saying?”
“The place where I personally intervened in battle.”
Beon Jak frowned.
He climbed down from the masked man’s back. He had swallowed his pride and allowed himself to be carried for the sake of conserving strength. But the atmosphere had suddenly turned ominous.
Yeon Hojeong scratched his head.
“Looks like I only need to deal with about five more places. I thought there would be more, but it’s thanks to you. Because of that scorching yang art of yours, most traces of my martial arts have been erased.”
“What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking of going back.”
“……”
“What?!”
The corners of Yeon Hojeong’s mouth rose.
But his eyes were not smiling.
“Did you really think I believed your words and followed you?”
“…?!”
“The information was less than half of what I wanted… it’s a bit disappointing, but if I consider it free information, this is enough.”
“You bastard…!”
“You never intended to give me the rest of the information from the start, did you? No, in fact, weren’t you planning to kill me?”
Beon Jak’s face hardened.
Yeon Hojeong shrugged.
“Let’s stop pretending to be naive. We don’t live in a world so soft that we’d fall for something like that.”
“……”
“Still, I did gain something, so that’s fortunate. But what about you?”
With a meaningful smile, Yeon Hojeong turned his body.
Killing intent blazed in Beon Jak’s eyes.
“You dare toy with me?”
“Toy with you? Is this really the time to worry about that?”
“What?”
“I don’t leave those who break their promises alive.”
“…?!”
“It was fun, Beon Jak. Since you were born from fire, return to fire once more.”
At that moment, Beon Jak felt an intense throbbing from his own heart.
BOOM! BOOOOM!
His heart pounded violently.
Blood vessels burst in Beon Jak’s eyes.
“You son of a—!”
The massive explosion tore through the air as Beon Jak’s body erupted. It was a terrifying blast that instantly swallowed even the masked man standing beside him.
The crimson flames of the explosion soared high into the sky.
The rising blaze bore a striking resemblance to the Vermilion Bird, the Sun God.
Yeon Hojeong whistled.
To him, both of them had already been dead men walking.