The Shadow Ran Deep (5)
Moments later.
Gi Chung’s eyes were heavy with turmoil as he watched the backs of Yeon Hojeong and his party disappear into the distance.
At that moment, Hwang Po, the branch leader, approached his side.
“Branch Leader, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. He didn’t launch any real attacks. He only sealed a few vital points.”
“Damn it all.”
Hwang Po let out a heavy sigh.
“He was frighteningly strong. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this powerless in my life.”
The reason none of them had been able to lift a finger was entirely due to Dang Gwan.
Yet even without Dang Gwan’s intervention, even if they had thrown themselves into battle prepared to bleed, every last one of them would have died.
That truth needed no exchange of blades to confirm. The combined strength of Yeon Hojeong’s group already far surpassed the full fighting force of any ordinary sect.
“This isn’t the time to dwell on such things.”
Gi Chung’s gaze deepened. ‘Can I truly trust them?’ He already knew more than enough about the kind of man Yeon Hojeong was.
Moreover, when he thought back on the raid against this very branch, the entire operation bore Yeon Hojeong’s unmistakable signature. He was the sort of person who would use any means necessary if the situation demanded it.
The Five Justice Token had been genuine, and both the Tang Family Head, Pae Yul, Hwang Seok-tae, and Kang Liang were the real articles.
They were people worthy of trust. His mind understood that much.
Yet he still could not easily decide whether to reveal every piece of information he possessed. ‘From everything I’ve gathered, these are not men who would ever set foot in a place like Paradise Haven. But…’
Gi Chung’s eyes clouded. ‘Weren’t the very people who created Paradise Haven once viewed the same way?’
The Sichuan Tang Family was known for its unyielding pride. Every member of their bloodline shared that trait.
Even the Qingcheng and Emei sects were orders of ascetic practitioners. Who could have imagined that elite martial artists from those three factions would join hands to create something as depraved as Paradise Haven?
One could see through ten fathoms of water, yet still fail to read a single fathom into another person’s heart. Gi Chung could not bring himself to trust them completely.
But only for a moment.
“There’s no other choice. We have to release the information.”
“Is that truly wise?”
“They could have slaughtered every one of us, yet they offered an apology and simply left. If they were truly in league with Paradise Haven, they would never have departed after merely glancing at a few documents.”
“That may be true, but…”
Hwang Po sighed again.
“We trusted the ones who built Paradise Haven as well.”
“……”
“Yes. We did.”
Gi Chung stared up at the sky for a moment before speaking in a firm voice.
“I must contact the Hu Gae. Directly.”
“What?!”
Hwang Po looked startled.
“Is that safe? I pray it doesn’t happen, but… there may be people within the Beggars’ Sect who have already fallen to Paradise Haven. If they seize this information…”
“Those men are already planning to crush Paradise Haven head-on. They even annihilated the Three Dark Sages.”
“……”
“Paradise Haven has already sensed the presence of an enemy. Outside Sichuan, it might be different, but within these borders, their intelligence network is unlikely to lag far behind our own.”
“I still don’t understand. To eradicate Paradise Haven, we should be more cautious, yet they…”
“Didn’t Leader Yeon say it himself? Paradise Haven is abducting innocent civilians without anyone knowing. Such things may be happening even at this very moment.”
“……”
“I want to destroy them as well. I don’t want to leave a single one of those involved alive. But if we wait for some uncertain future, the civilians who could have been saved will already have been dragged into that hell.”
Gi Chung closed his eyes.
“Leader Yeon’s words were absolutely correct. We have been so fixated on Paradise Haven that we forgot what truly matters most.”
Hwang Po opened and closed his mouth several times before falling silent.
The world did not always move according to justice. It was an old saying, but sometimes the small had to be sacrificed for the greater good.
Yet in this situation, where innocent civilians were involved, turning a blind eye to the people who might be newly sacrificed while claiming they would eradicate Paradise Haven was clearly not a righteous choice. ‘Besides, the safety of those civilians can hardly be considered small.’
It was a complicated matter. Even the warriors of the Beggars’ Sect, famed for their chivalry, were moving only in secret because they could not decide what should come first or how to handle the situation.
In such times, the sudden appearance of Yeon Hojeong and his group declaring they would strike Paradise Haven could only be seen as the will of heaven.
“Compile the documents immediately. It won’t even take half a day for Leader Yeon to reach the vicinity of Deyang County. Assuming the extermination will occur by the end of the You hour, everything must be organized and dispatched by the beginning of the Wei hour.”
“Understood.”
“Also, locate Patriarch Moyong. As Leader Yeon said, he should be entering Sichuan around now.”
“Yes.”
Gi Chung drew in a deep breath.
“They wouldn’t go so far as to destroy their own branch just to deceive us.”
Yeon Hojeong, who had been walking along the main road, suddenly glanced back at Kang Liang.
Kang Liang was walking with his arms crossed, lost in deep thought. He gave off an aura that discouraged anyone from disturbing him. ‘It’s getting closer.’
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed. ‘He’s on the verge of explosion.’
It was extremely rare for someone to absorb every possible enlightenment available in the Peak realm and then break through the wall of Ultimate Peak.
Kang Liang was one of those rare cases. At his young age, he intended to solidify every realization that even supreme peak experts had failed to grasp before attempting the breakthrough.
The moment he shattered that wall, his combat strength would undoubtedly surpass that of an ordinary supreme peak expert by a wide margin.
The growth of a warrior with a solid foundation was always both explosive and stable.
Yeon Hojeong looked up at the sky. ‘I wonder if that fellow is doing well.’
Looking at Kang Liang’s face had suddenly reminded him of Yeon Ji-pyeong. ‘He’s grown so well that there’s no need to worry, but…’
Things had been so busy that he hadn’t been able to look after him properly. He hadn’t even sparred with him as often as others might. Of course, he had provided far more crucial hints for enlightenment instead.
‘He should be learning a great deal while staying with Brother Moyong.’
Moyong Woo’s martial prowess had most likely already surpassed both Pae Yul and Hwang Seok-tae by now.
It was pure intuition. Talent aside, Moyong Woo had not yet reached his limit. The martial arts he had trained, the enlightenment he had attained, and his very character all testified to that fact.
And Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was learning at his side, would surely be showing growth comparable to Kang Liang’s.
Yeon Hojeong, who had been quietly staring into empty space, suddenly let out a small chuckle.
Dang Gwan frowned.
“What is it? That smile is disgusting.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking why you suddenly laughed like that.”
“Am I not allowed to smile?”
“It was a cursed smile.”
The tone truly made one want to smack him.
Yeon Hojeong grumbled.
“I was thinking about my family.”
“Patriarch Yeon?”
“Ji-pyeong.”
“……”
“Things have been so hectic that I haven’t been able to pay proper attention to him. With his talent and diligence, I’m sure he’s growing well on his own, but still.”
“How unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I always thought it didn’t suit you.”
“……?”
“Mission. Battle. Politics. You have always shown more than anyone could imagine.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Is that a compliment?”
“But family never seemed to fit beside that version of you.”
It felt as though he had been suddenly slapped.
Dang Gwan’s eyes deepened.
“People with heavy responsibilities inevitably become neglectful toward their families. Even if they wish to share brotherly affection, there is no time. Even if they want to exchange warmth, they lack the leisure, so genuine connection becomes impossible.”
“……”
“No one can perfectly balance public duty and private life. One side must receive more attention, and as time passes the scales tip until eventually a choice must be made.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened as well.
“What about you, Patriarch?”
“What do you think?”
“……”
“The position of Patriarch of the Tang Family is not one where simply managing the household suffices. The family’s influence stretches across all of Sichuan. The amount of work that must be handled in a single day defies imagination.”
“So you were neglectful of your family.”
“That is correct.”
Dang Gwan admitted it cleanly.
“Some people say there should be no excuses. That time can always be carved out if one truly tries. To them I say this: if you intend to live half-heartedly, it would be better to abandon one or the other. Only by drawing a clear line can you even begin to split your time.”
“……”
“If you try to take care of both work and family, you will lose both.”
Yeon Hojeong shrugged.
“When you were at the Martial Alliance, you still managed to make time. Wasn’t that how you could teach your daughter?”
“Because I was at the Martial Alliance. I could delegate official duties to those who worked in my stead.”
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“Then shouldn’t one simply not have children?”
“Nonsense.”
“Pardon?”
“The strength of a clan comes from its bloodline, and for the bloodline to flourish, children must be born. Whether born of love or duty, the result must not differ. That is the foundation.”
Well, he was right.
Manpower was power. This was true not only in the martial world but in every field. Imperial palaces, sects, and even ordinary households were the same.
“Furthermore, I needed a successor to carry on the main line. Telling someone like me not to have children would be the same as telling me to throw the clan into chaos.”
“I understand.”
If one had children, they must raise them as children ought to be raised.
In that regard, Dang Gwan had clearly failed. He had chosen duty over family and had not given his household the attention it deserved.
And until now, he had felt almost no regret for that choice.
Whether that remained true now was uncertain.
“From what I see, you are no different from me. If anything, you may be even worse.”
“Tsk.”
“If you want to take care of your family, the only way is to end this war as quickly as possible. Leave the family matters for after that.”
Yeon Hojeong gave a small laugh.
“That is a very tempting suggestion.”
End the war quickly.
It was an exceptionally clear conclusion. While he could not fully agree with Dang Gwan’s assertion that one could not handle both duty and family, the end result was the same: the war had to be brought to a close.
The best outcome, of course, would be to crush the enemy before war even broke out.
“That aside.”
Dang Gwan’s eyes flashed.
“Do you plan to head straight to the main house after destroying the Paradise Haven branch in Deyang County?”
“That is my intention. Isn’t that what you desire as well, Patriarch?”
“I want to go as soon as possible. However, I cannot help but question whether it is wise to go without any preparation.”
In moments like this, one could see just how remarkable a man Dang Gwan truly was.
In his heart, he must have wanted to rush back to his family long ago. To crush with his own hands the blood relatives who had reduced both his clan and Sichuan to this state.
Yet Dang Gwan was suppressing that desire. He was looking at the forest, not the trees.
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“If not for the organization known as Paradise Haven, I would have entered the Tang Family long ago. The only reason I am stopping here is to warn the civilians whose lives would be ruined by these people. In my heart, I turned toward the Tang Family long ago.”
“So you do have your own thoughts on the matter.”
“Hardly. I am simply charging forward while trusting in you, Patriarch.”
Dang Gwan frowned.
Yeon Hojeong lightly tapped his own cheek.
“Right, then. Shall we fly straight to Deyang County?”
Half a day later.
They arrived at a massive estate hidden deep within a forest a short distance from Deyang County.
It was the Deyang branch of Paradise Haven.