Shadows Run Deep (4)
Moyong Gun and Eon Ja-bang entered Mianyang County near Chengdu in Sichuan and headed straight for a large tavern.
The tavern was crowded. Even though it was still daylight, most of the patrons were drinking alongside their meals.
“Hmm.”
Moyong Gun let out a low murmur of appreciation.
“Just as I remembered. The flavors and aromas are intense. It’s been a while since I last tasted Sichuan cuisine.”
Eon Ja-bang sipped his tea in silence.
Moyong Gun picked up the wine bottle.
“Won’t you have a cup?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re a stiff one.”
Moyong Gun filled his own cup.
The fragrance rising from the cup was subtle and sweet.
“Geumnamchun. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
“One of Sichuan’s famous wines, isn’t it?”
“I’ve tried many wines whenever I visit Sichuan, but Geumnamchun suits my palate best. It’s good on its own, and it pairs well with food too.”
Moyong Gun emptied his cup in one smooth motion.
Eon Ja-bang frowned.
“Is it wise to drink when we don’t know when trouble might strike?”
“What do I have to worry about when you’re here?”
He was remarkably at ease. Eon Ja-bang turned his gaze to the window and continued sipping his tea.
Moyong Gun suddenly asked, “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“The atmosphere.”
Moyong Gun chuckled and refilled his cup.
“Ever since we entered Sichuan, the air has felt strangely heavy. Did you notice it too?”
It wasn’t due to the weather or temperature.
Eon Ja-bang gave a slight nod.
“Heavy, damp, and sticky.”
“Impressive. Your senses are remarkably sharp.”
“I felt the air had changed, but I don’t know the cause.”
The streets bustled with life, and smiles bloomed on people’s faces.
While other regions might be similar, Sichuan people rarely ventured beyond their borders during their lifetimes. The vast basin that formed Sichuan seemed, at a glance, isolated from the rest of the Central Plains.
Whenever foreign powers from the north or west sought to conquer the Central Plains, they always tried to break through Sichuan, yet few succeeded. As a result, Sichuan had very few instances in its history where it had fallen to enemy invasion.
That was why the people’s faces were filled with ease. Their lives were more stable than those of people in other regions of the Central Plains.
“Look around you.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.
“The faces of Sichuan people are full of ease. It’s because the region as a whole has rarely fallen to enemy invasion.”
“……”
“That’s why they’re dull to such things, but at the same time, if they do fall once, it will take a long time to recover this kind of atmosphere.”
“It seems that way.”
“In other words, no one in Sichuan wants to cause enough disturbance to affect the people’s livelihood. The moment the ease disappears from their faces, outsiders will immediately sense that something major has happened in Sichuan.”
“Hmm.”
“However, if the air is this heavy, then even they must be carrying some degree of anxiety beneath their outward expressions.”
Moyong Gun continued as he refilled his cup.
“It doesn’t feel like a battle is imminent. That razor-sharp tension is absent.”
“I agree.”
“Even so, this strangely heavy atmosphere, the faint anxiety hidden beneath the ease on the commoners’ faces……”
“It’s as if,”
Eon Ja-bang’s gaze sharpened.
“they’re afraid of a murderer or a bandit.”
“You saw it clearly.”
Moyong Gun stroked his chin. After several days without trimming, his stubble had grown quite rough.
“It’s closer to tension that threatens the people’s daily lives than the tension of battle.”
Both men had lived day by day on brutal battlefields.
The battlefield wasn’t only where blades clashed and blood and flesh flew.
Moyong Gun sharpened his edge daily to read the ever-shifting political currents, while Eon Ja-bang had to fight invisible ghosts to handle all manner of information and perfect his martial arts.
That was why they could read the atmosphere. They could sense the worry and anxiety lurking behind people’s faces.
“The mood is especially different from when I came here in the past. The difference is stark.”
Moyong Gun emptied his cup.
“Perhaps Yeon Hojeong and his group have already noticed and are running around everywhere.”
Eon Ja-bang glanced at Moyong Gun and asked, “Is he really that impressive?”
Moyong Gun let out a short laugh.
“You saw it yourself. I’ve been outmaneuvered by him time and again.”
“I saw it, but I still don’t understand. Whether that brat truly possesses talent great enough to discuss the fate of the world.”
“Talent, huh……”
Moyong Gun nodded slowly.
“Yes, it could be called talent. Depending on how far you extend the scope of what counts as talent.”
“So you don’t think it’s talent?”
“In terms of being born with an innate sense, it’s certainly a remarkable talent.”
Moyong Gun smiled bitterly and refilled his cup once more. He handled the strong liquor with ease.
“That brat is a master at identifying weaknesses.”
“Weaknesses?”
“He can instinctively see through the weakest part of his opponent. From small things like martial duels to large things like the state of the world.”
Eon Ja-bang frowned.
“That doesn’t resonate with me.”
“Among those who have fought Yeon Hojeong so far, there have been plenty stronger than him.”
“……”
“As you know, the higher one’s martial realm rises, the greater the gap between each level becomes. Few can overcome a superior opponent through willpower and combat sense alone.”
“I agree.”
“Moreover, once one breaks through the wall of the supreme realm, the gap becomes so wide that it’s difficult to bridge with willpower or combat ability.”
“Assuming neither side is careless, that’s correct.”
Moyong Gun burst into hearty laughter.
“Exactly. In any contest, carelessness means the end. Whether it’s one move or two or three, carelessness leads to defeat in this world.”
“……”
“Yet that brat even defeated opponents who weren’t careless.”
“How is that even possible?”
“Because it was war.”
“……?”
“It might sound like wordplay, but that’s how he fights. Even in one-on-one situations, Yeon Hojeong doesn’t think of it as a martial duel or a life-and-death match between martial artists.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes blazed.
“To him, every fight is war. War doesn’t discriminate between means and methods, and one must never hesitate to exploit an opponent’s weakness. Even if no weakness is visible, war means creating one if necessary and striking there.”
“……!”
“He has mastered that approach. And that temperament isn’t limited to combat alone.”
“……”
“Whether it’s factional warfare, politics, or anything else, he knows how to bend the situation to his allies’ advantage without regard for means or methods.”
Eon Ja-bang shook his head.
“I still don’t understand.”
“There’s no need to force yourself to understand. The chances of you fighting him are slim at best.”
Eon Ja-bang’s eyes narrowed.
“That sounds as if you’re saying I would definitely lose if I fought him.”
“Nothing is more meaningless than the word ‘definitely’ in a contest. But you’re not wrong. If we consider the possibilities, I believe your chances of defeating Yeon Hojeong are vanishingly small. Whether in martial arts or politics.”
“……”
“There’s no need to feel wounded in your pride. I’ve also drunk from the bitter cup because of him several times.”
A bitter smile spread across Moyong Gun’s face.
“He’s one of the few geniuses I’ve acknowledged as superior to me in every aspect. I rarely set aside my pride when evaluating others. Yet before him, I have no choice but to concede a move.”
“……”
“Well, what can I do? Even if my pride is wounded, I must acknowledge what deserves acknowledgment. If I don’t admit that he’s superior to me in every way, does that mean he’s actually inferior to me?”
“……”
“That’s not the case.”
“Exactly. So I acknowledged it. My insides were boiling, but once I admitted it, my mind felt at ease.”
Eon Ja-bang stared at Moyong Gun for a moment before asking bluntly, “Have you given up?”
“On what?”
“You said that to achieve your dream and goal, Yeon Hojeong’s existence must be eliminated.”
“That’s true. Not immediately, but eventually.”
“Can you surpass a genius whose abilities exceed your own?”
Moyong Gun smiled.
“Exploiting weaknesses isn’t Yeon Hojeong’s exclusive domain.”
“……!”
“If a weakness appears, one must strike without hesitation. If none exists, one must create one and shatter the opponent to shake them. Isn’t that what Yeon Hojeong does so well?”
“……”
“I’ve learned a great deal from him. Besides, how much satisfaction would one feel conquering a mountain that’s merely a hill in the backyard?”
Moyong Gun turned his head toward the window.
His gaze as he looked out at the world beyond carried a strangely wistful light.
“Only after clearing, breaking, and leaping over all manner of obstacles can one truly feel the warmth of the light upon finally reaching that place.”
It was a sentiment Eon Ja-bang could somehow empathize with. He nodded in agreement.
Moyong Gun shrugged.
“But well, let’s set those thoughts aside for now. In practice, when he’s an ally, Yeon Hojeong’s existence is an incredibly reassuring force. And since he also considers me acceptable, he must have called me here.”
“That must be it.”
“We’ll hear from him soon enough.”
Moyong Gun raised his cup.
His face had flushed slightly as the alcohol took effect, yet his eyes still sparkled like starlight.
“He wouldn’t have gone straight to the Tang Family…… If nothing’s happened, he’s probably meeting with the Beggars’ Union right now to find out what’s going on in Sichuan.”
“I see.”
“……”
The documents were far too clean to have been stored in an abandoned village.
After reading through all of them, Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“I’ve caused you much trouble.”
Swish.
Yeon Hojeong pressed Gi Chung’s acupoints.
“Huu!”
Gi Chung slowly rose and moved his limbs. His body had been immobilized for nearly half an hour. Even a peak expert would feel stiff after that.
Yeon Hojeong looked at Pae Yul.
Pae Yul and Hwang Seok-tae released the sealed acupoints of the kneeling Beggars’ Union members.
Yeon Hojeong offered Gi Chung a cupped-fist salute.
“I had no choice but to subdue you roughly. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I offer my sincere apologies.”
As the deputy commander of the Righteous Army, Gi Chung was a high-ranking executive even within the Martial Alliance. He had even been dispatched to the Black Dragon Department as a symbol of the alliance between the two factions.
Gi Chung gave a bitter smile.
“It’s fine. From Deputy Yeon’s perspective, it was understandable.”
“I’m grateful for your understanding.”
No matter how reasonable it was, it was impossible not to feel offended. Yet Gi Chung was not the sort of man to let personal feelings interfere with official duties.
“Regardless of the reason.”
Yeon Hojeong waved the documents.
“Several branches, including the Samhap Branch, already knew about Nakwonso’s existence. They were investigating it but couldn’t report it to their superiors because they feared there might be people connected to it within the Beggars’ Union itself…… Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Dang Gwan spoke.
“Was there really no way to contact the Chief or the Vice Chief directly?”
Gi Chung lowered his head.
“There was. But as I said, we couldn’t rule out the possibility of information leaking during the process.”
“Hmm.”
“Since I was also risking my life to investigate, I had no choice but to be extremely cautious.”
Gi Chung let out a sigh.
“Several high-ranking officials in Sichuan are involved. If even a single piece of information leaks……”
The atmosphere among the group grew heavy.
Yeon Hojeong asked, “Whatever the reason, we’ll need the Samhap Branch’s help.”
“Of course. However, it would be best to proceed with even greater caution if you wish to wipe them out completely.”
“A complete wipeout is impossible. If anything, for the sake of the people’s safety, it would be better to raise awareness first.”
“Pardon?”
“If we waste time trying to catch them all at once, only innocent civilians will suffer. Who knows what atrocities might be happening even now?”
“……”
Yeon Hojeong looked up at the sky.
“That man should be arriving soon.”
“Pardon?”
“Moyong Gun has entered Sichuan. Mobilize your network to locate him. And identify the Nakwonso branches closest to Chengdu.”
Yeon Hojeong’s gaze turned cold.
“Starting today, there will be blood.”