Only the Strong Survive (8)
The corners of Yang Cheon’s eyes deepened.
“The Yin Emperor and the Flying King…”
The head of intelligence bowed his head.
“It is unclear whether the Shinwha Sect is moving independently or if all Three Sects are coordinating. However, my guess is that the Shinwha Sect is taking the lead, with the others sharing information and offering support when necessary.”
“That seems the most likely.”
Yang Cheon’s gaze grew even heavier.
“Regardless, they are targeting the Holy Thirteen Seats. It is highly probable that several of them have already been recruited. No—probability has nothing to do with it. We must operate on the assumption that they have.”
“Should we share this information with the Martial Alliance?”
“Do so. They will learn of it soon enough anyway. It is better for us to deliver the information first and strengthen our relationship of trust.”
“Understood.”
“Hmm.”
The Yin Emperor. The Flying King.
Yang Cheon had never met either man, yet both were unparalleled experts whose names stood tall among the Holy Thirteen Seats.
While they had thoroughly investigated Mak Won, they possessed zero information on these two. Even if they began digging now, there was no telling how long it would take to uncover anything meaningful.
Yang Cheon, who had been stroking his beard, rose from the grand seat.
“Where is the Iron Cavalry Unit training?”
“They are conducting individual training until tomorrow. They should be at their usual training grounds.”
Yang Cheon nodded.
“Summon Vice Commander Yeon there.”
Clang-clang-clang!
Hundreds of warriors clad in light armor swung their spears and swords with ferocious intent.
They were not striking at empty air. This was a chaotic melee drill where each fighter targeted the others. Though it was only training, every strike carried the murderous weight of real combat.
Thud! Slice!
Blood sprayed and flesh flew in every direction.
There was no mercy between comrades. They did not truly kill one another, but the exchanges were savage enough to leave fatal wounds if even slightly off the mark.
It was an insanely dangerous form of training. In reality, casualties were common. Yet the Iron Cavalry Unit continued it without pause, and that was precisely why they had become the strongest.
“Magnificent.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Yang Cheon looked down at the training session, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“You’ve arrived?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong stepped up beside him.
The thunder of hooves rolled across the grounds. Half the unit was engaged in brutal infantry combat while the other half conducted cavalry drills.
The infantry fighting was already vicious, but the cavalry exchanges were on another level. They unleashed merciless killing techniques while carefully avoiding strikes against the horses, yet it seemed as though someone’s life could be extinguished at any moment.
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“I don’t know about anything else, but their horsemanship—man and horse as one—is truly incredible.”
“Isn’t it?”
“A horse itself is a deadly weapon. On a real battlefield, a single cavalry charge can trample dozens of infantry to death. Even in cavalry-versus-cavalry clashes, a head-on collision means dead horses.”
“You seem quite knowledgeable about warfare.”
“This is practical horsemanship taken to the extreme, yet they control it so perfectly that the opposing mounts suffer no harm… This is something the Martial Alliance’s cavalry units must learn.”
Yang Cheon grumbled.
“You say that so naturally, as if you’re trying to steal all the good stuff. Right in front of me, no less.”
“Later, send someone from the Black Dragon Coalition whom you can trust. They’ll know how to extract the essentials without me having to spell it out.”
“I refuse. I don’t trust the duplicity of you righteous faction types. If I send someone, they’ll just make things uncomfortable with their passive-aggressive glares.”
“Do you think it’s any different here?”
“……”
“Were there that many of them?”
“They don’t show it openly, but there are plenty who shoot me dirty looks. I simply ignore them. I’m sure they curse me behind my back in every way imaginable.”
“I have nothing to say to that.”
“That’s just how the world works, isn’t it?”
Yeon Hojeong looked at Yang Cheon and asked.
“So, what is the reason you called me to this splendid place?”
Yang Cheon grinned.
“Do you remember what you said before?”
“I must have said thousands of things. How could I possibly remember each one?”
“You told me you would become a worthwhile sparring partner.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
“Did I say that?”
“You remember, you rascal.”
“I’m not sure whether I said those exact words or simply implied something along those lines.”
“The important thing is that we all took it to mean exactly that.”
Crack.
Yang Cheon stretched his interlaced fingers upward.
“Shall we have a bout after so long?”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Stop whining. You’re not the kind of man who dies just because someone tells you to.”
“And you should stop saying such bloodthirsty things, Vice Leader. During our last spar, if you had drawn out your full power, I wouldn’t have lasted three moves.”
“If you had sensed me using my full strength, you would have run away immediately.”
“That’s not wrong.”
He did not bristle at the mention of running away. He acknowledged it as the most natural thing in the world.
Yang Cheon clicked his tongue inwardly. He had known what kind of person Yeon Hojeong was, yet every conversation like this still managed to surprise him.
Yeon Hojeong knew exactly when to bend his pride and when to raise it. Many people understood this concept intellectually, but only a rare few truly felt it in their bones and put it into practice.
“Anyway, let’s have a match. We’ll keep it light and just exchange a few moves.”
“Sounds good.”
Clang.
Yeon Hojeong took out the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes and set them aside before rolling his shoulders.
Yang Cheon chuckled.
“Not going to undo the iron chains wrapped around your upper body?”
“Insurance. It’s armor that will prevent me from taking a wrong hit and heading straight to the afterlife.”
“Fair enough.”
Shhh.
Yeon Hojeong lowered his stance.
Yang Cheon remained standing with his hands still clasped behind his back.
“I’ll only use leg techniques. Let’s have a forms contest.”
“Very well.”
Boooom!
The moment the words left his mouth, Yeon Hojeong moved.
But he wasn’t fast. He had simply moved first now that the spar had begun.
Yeon Hojeong threw a powerful punch.
Yang Cheon shifted his center of gravity to the left and unleashed a lightning-fast kick.
Bang bang bang!
Yang Cheon’s ability to deflect every strike of Yeon Hojeong’s rapid chain fists with a single leg was enough to draw genuine admiration.
Yet neither Yang Cheon nor Yeon Hojeong was surprised. Both knew this was not yet a proper spar.
Yang Cheon shifted his weight again and asked.
“Where shall we begin?”
Booom!
Though they had called it light, a single mistake could easily shatter bones. Yeon Hojeong narrowly avoided the strike and countered with a cannon-like kick of his own.
Kwaaaang!
The power behind the kick that shook the air was tremendous. It carried enough force to pulverize a boulder.
“To be honest, when the topic first came up, I was leaning toward the Spear King.”
“So your thoughts have changed.”
“They have.”
Tatatatatata!
The two men’s limbs tangled together at terrifying speed.
Yang Cheon spun both legs like a windmill in response, while Yeon Hojeong met him using both fists and both legs.
Whoosh!
Yang Cheon’s right foot shot straight up above his head before slicing downward in a crescent arc like a falling axe.
Kwaaaaang!
His heel slammed into the ground, shaking the earth.
A clear footprint was etched into the solid ground—easily five inches deep.
“The information you brought concerns the Yin Emperor and the Flying King.”
“Correct.”
“It’s not certain, but several of the Holy Thirteen Seats have likely already defected to their side. Even if that isn’t the case, we have no choice but to assume it is and act accordingly.”
“You’re right.”
Whooooosh!
An unusual wind gathered around Yeon Hojeong’s fist.
Swish! Bang!
He shot forward like the wind, closing the distance to Yang Cheon’s front before stomping heavily and launching a collapsing fist.
Kwaaang!
A explosive boom rang out as the shockwave spread in all directions. Yang Cheon, who had predicted the collapsing fist, raised his left leg at a diagonal angle and shattered the fist’s energy.
Yang Cheon grumbled.
“Weren’t we doing a forms contest?”
“You’ll handle anything I throw at you anyway.”
“You really are something else. I want to beat you to death, yet I can’t help but be impressed.”
Papapapapapa!
The two exchanged even faster blows than before.
Yet their expressions remained completely relaxed. Not even their breathing had grown ragged.
Shaaash!
Yang Cheon, who had been creating distance, suddenly charged like an arrow fired from a powerful bow.
Kuung!
Yeon Hojeong was pushed backward.
The force was incredible. Yang Cheon hadn’t even put his full power behind it, yet Yeon Hojeong had still been forced back more than thirty feet.
Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.
“You blocked it after all.”
“It hurts.”
“Life is pain, my friend.”
Swish!
Yang Cheon closed the distance again, swinging his legs as he spoke.
“Let’s start with the Yin Emperor.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
“Is there a reason?”
“I’ve never met him, but I know as much as the public does. That’s why I’m leaving the Flying King for later.”
“The Flying King… Honestly, I’ve barely heard any information about him.”
“I’ll set everything else aside and tell you just one thing for certain.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes shone.
Papapapapapang!
In an instant, his body moved at unbelievable speed, surrounding Yeon Hojeong.
It was a prison of shadows. He moved so quickly that dozens of afterimages remained, each one carrying the same threatening presence as the real body.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes trembled. Shifting Form and Position! One of the highest levels of footwork. Excluding the legendary Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, it was the utmost limit of enlightenment achievable through human martial arts.
Shhh.
Yang Cheon’s fist touched Yeon Hojeong’s back.
There was no impact. It had literally only brushed against him lightly.
Yeon Hojeong grumbled.
“I thought you were only using leg techniques?”
“Does that even matter in this situation?”
“I took one hit.”
Yang Cheon withdrew his hand and said.
“The Flying King is the possessor of the world’s greatest movement technique.”
“Given that his title is Flying King, that’s hardly surprising.”
“People say that the martial prowess of the current absolute masters—the Holy Thirteen Seats—can be compared to the supreme experts from three hundred years ago, during the golden age of the murim.”
“……”
“In other words, the Flying King, possessor of the world’s best movement arts, can be called the greatest master of footwork in all history.”
Yang Cheon shook his head.
“I’ve never seen him myself, but I heard about it from a friend.”
“The friend who said that the Blood Jade Demon Lord would become stronger than the Immortal Emperors in ten years?”
“That’s right.”
“What else did that nameless friend of yours say?”
“That they exist on a different dimension. At the very least, when it comes to pure movement technique, even if all the other Holy Thirteen Seats attacked together, they wouldn’t be able to match him.”
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
“Is that even possible?”
The difference in movement speed between an absolute expert who had broken through the Limitless Realm and a supreme peak expert was not actually that great.
This was because even supreme peak experts had already reached the limit of speed a human could produce. There would be individual differences, but on average, the gap was not particularly enormous.
Nevertheless, the reason supreme peak experts could not keep up with Limitless Realm experts was due to factors beyond simple speed.
In other words, even Limitless Realm experts had limits when it came to moving faster based purely on speed alone.
The Flying King’s movement technique was said to be on an entirely different level even compared to the other Holy Thirteen Seats.
“In reality, his martial arts are said to be a step below any of the Immortal Emperors. If one were to classify him, he would be at the level of the Three Lords. However, that single movement technique is enough to bridge the gap. That is why he earned the title of King.”
“……”
“In other words, even the Three Sects will need time if they wish to capture the Flying King?”
“That’s correct.”
“That makes sense.”
Yeon Hojeong rubbed his chest.
“But did you really call me here for a spar just to tell me that? You could have simply summoned me for a proper conversation. This wasn’t even a real match, was it?”
Yang Cheon looked at Yeon Hojeong without answering.
Though his eyes were on Yeon Hojeong, his mind was drifting back to the drinking session he had shared with Mak Won.
He recalled the words he had spoken that night. I am a man with great ambition. But to achieve that ambition, I must first win this war. And to win the war, I need subordinates who trust me absolutely. An organization that is only big in size will have just as many weaknesses.
Those were the words he had spoken directly to Mak Won, who had expressed concern about the dissatisfaction brewing below due to Yeon Hojeong’s wild behavior.
Win the war first…
Yes. That was what mattered.
He knew it himself. If they lost the war, this burning ambition of his would vanish into a handful of ashes.
And right now, Yang Cheon was looking at the young man who would become their greatest weapon in this war.
“……”
“Damn it.”
“……?”
“If you can grow stronger this quickly, why don’t you just hurry up and reach the Limitless Realm? Why are you still stuck at that level?”
Yeon Hojeong’s face filled with disbelief.
“What kind of nonsense is that? Do you think the Limitless Realm is a joke?”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
Yang Cheon spat on the ground and turned around.
“Follow me. I’ll teach you a method to endure even the highest level of sound techniques for a very short time.”