Opposition Exists, But No Absolute (2)
“Hm.”
Moyong Gun gazed out the window. The sun was setting.
“The day’s already ending.”
Moyong Yeonhwa frowned. Having been cooped up in their lodgings all day, her body felt stiff and heavy.
“I wonder how it went?”
“Who knows.”
It had been a full day since they’d been stuck in one spot, so it was understandable for Moyong Yeonhwa to toss out such a pointless question. Never in her life had she simply waited idly for word without taking action herself, so naturally, she was getting antsy.
Moyong Yeonhwa let out a sigh.
“I hope he at least survived.”
Moyong Gun chuckled softly.
“Of course he had to. Otherwise, all the effort to come to Henan would be for nothing, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s true, but I really want to meet him and give him a piece of my mind.”
Moyong Gun said slyly,
“But wasn’t he almost your husband at one point?”
He was referring to the time he’d proposed a marriage alliance to the Yeon family.
Moyong Yeonhwa shrugged.
“But it didn’t happen, did it?”
Moyong Gun smiled. She seemed a bit bored, but that was all. His daughter was still maintaining her usual detached composure.
Even without being explicitly told not to go out, Moyong Yeonhwa hadn’t set foot outside the inn. She saw no point in drawing the eyes of the Beggars’ Sect with unnecessary movement. In a situation where it was still unclear whether they would ally or clash, any rash action was strictly forbidden. She always kept the bigger picture in mind, even with the smallest details. That was why Moyong Gun doted on her.
“The sun’s setting, so let’s have dinner.”
“Yes.”
Moyong Gun reached for the cord hanging in the air. Pulling it would ring a bell, and a servant boy would come running soon enough.
It was just as he was about to pull it.
‘…….’
Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed.
Moyong Yeonhwa tilted her head.
“What’s wrong, Father?”
“I smell blood.”
“Pardon?”
Moyong Gun let go of the cord and looked out the window again. A thread of transmitted voice reached his ears.
[Young Master Yeon has arrived.]
“……What?”
Surprise flickered across Moyong Gun’s face.
‘This quickly?’
No, before that—had he survived the assault of the Blue Wolf Ears?
How?
“Father?”
“He’s coming.”
“Pardon?”
“Yeon Hojeong is on his way.”
Moyong Yeonhwa’s mouth fell open unwittingly.
“He repelled the Blue Wolf Ears?”
Moyong Gun didn’t answer. He figured it was obvious he had. There was no way he’d come here without wiping them all out. At the same time, he thought it couldn’t be possible.
‘Didn’t they say they clashed at noon today?’
Once the Blue Wolf Ears locked onto a target and moved in, it took at least three to five days, even at their fastest. They wore down their prey over time before striking the killing blow at the decisive moment. It was just like a wolf’s instincts.
The most enduring wolves chased their quarry relentlessly until it collapsed from exhaustion.
And he’d swept them all away in half a day? Alone?
‘Impossible.’
There was no way. Even if Yeon Hojeong had pushed back the Blue Wolf Ears single-handedly, the survivors would have fled into hiding without hesitation. Hunting them down one by one wouldn’t have been easy.
‘Did the Beggars’ Sect help? No way? They know it’s the Myeong family’s forces—they wouldn’t intervene lightly.’
That was when it happened.
Whoosh.
Moyong Gun sensed the smell of blood growing thicker in an instant.
Thud.
Thud.
The knocking at the door was quite rough.
Moyong Gun said calmly,
“Come in.”
Creeeak.
The door opened, and a young man entered. He was tall and slender, with sharp but handsome features.
Thud!
The floor shook.
The young man, having set down an axe the size of a man’s torso by the door, caught his breath.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
The young man’s entire body was drenched in blood. His clothes were torn or punctured in places, and all exposed skin was stained red. A trail of blood ran from his temple across his jawline to his neck, still fresh and wet. His body was covered in wounds, his breathing ragged. He looked like a general who had just emerged from the chaos of battle.
“Are you the eldest son of the Yeon family?”
“Are you the head of the Moyong family?”
“Indeed.”
“That’s me.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
‘Moyong Gun.’
He was looking at Yeon Hojeong with surprise, but his overall expression held unshakable composure. Beneath those clear eyes burned a fierce ambition that could scorch the heavens. His thick lips were set firmly beneath a well-groomed beard, and his angular jaw exuded resolve.
‘…….’
Yeon Hojeong’s fists clenched involuntarily.
If that half-white hair and black beard were all turned pure white. If that perfectly structured frame were slightly more refined, with deeper eyes and an air of transcendence etched into his face. If he traded his fine silk robes for pristine white mourning garb and a Daoist robe.
‘The same.’
The Martial Alliance Leader once revered as the Sword Saint, Moyong Gun. He was identical to the man Yeon Hojeong had met as the lord of Heukje-seong, the Black Dark Emperor.
The differences in appearance aside, that flawless aura was unmistakably Moyong Gun’s.
Yeon Hojeong took a deep breath.
Seeing the man in person stirred complicated feelings.
In truth, he leaned more toward hating Moyong Gun than liking him. Moreover, this was the man who, at the end of his life, had ordered Dang Gwan to kill him.
‘Once you’re gone, who will stop him? The righteous Murim of today…… cannot stand against Heukje-seong.’
‘I shall atone in the next life. Let us go together.’
Though it had been a precarious alliance, a comrade in arms was still a comrade. He had been betrayed and slain by one.
Naturally, his feelings toward Moyong Gun couldn’t be good.
However.
‘…….’
The chill in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes as he regarded Moyong Gun slowly faded.
“I am Yeon Hojeong of the Bi-san Yeon family.”
He cupped his fists formally.
“It is an honor to meet the head of the Moyong family.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed. In Yeon Hojeong’s gaze upon him, he caught a glimpse of an indescribable emotion—something like hatred, or perhaps nostalgia.
‘What is it?’
An enigmatic feeling.
It was natural for him to be angry, having planted a spy to topple his family. But what was that faint wistfulness beneath the hatred?
“I am the one who leads the Moyong family.”
Moyong Gun smiled.
“To think I’d meet the infamous Mad Storm Lion like this.”
“Hoo.”
Moyong Gun rose from his seat and gestured toward a large table nearby.
“Have a seat over there.”
“Alright.”
Yeon Hojeong sat in the chair. Despite his severe injuries and fatigue, his steps were steady.
Moyong Gun was impressed by Yeon Hojeong’s resilience.
“Shouldn’t you get some treatment? Your wounds look quite serious.”
“I’m fine.”
He’d sustained far worse countless times. He’d fought day and night without rest even with graver injuries.
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“By the way, got any liquor?”
“Liquor? With your body like that?”
“I’m fine.”
“Haha.”
Moyong Gun glanced at Moyong Yeonhwa. She pulled the cord in the air. Soon, a servant boy arrived, and she ordered food and drink.
Moyong Gun sat across from Yeon Hojeong.
“I never imagined I’d be meeting the Yeon family head’s eldest son over this matter.”
Moyong Gun indicated Moyong Yeonhwa.
“You may have met at the Later Generation Assembly. This is my daughter, Yeonhwa.”
Moyong Yeonhwa smiled and greeted him.
“I’m Moyong Yeonhwa. Nice to see you sooner than expected.”
Yeon Hojeong, who had been quietly watching her, merely nodded once. He had come to see Moyong Gun, not her. Besides, he was busy sorting through his tangled emotions toward Moyong Gun.
Moyong Yeonhwa’s expression shifted slightly.
Moyong Gun burst into laughter.
“What a taciturn fellow.”
“I’m just awkward talking to women. Please understand.”
“A late bloomer, eh? That’s unexpected.”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
Moyong Gun’s eyes took on a strange glint. Though he wore a gentle smile, his gaze was sharply honed, probing his opponent.
‘Impressive.’
He could tell Yeon Hojeong’s prowess at a glance. The young man was strong. His internal energy and presence were far beyond what could be called that of a later generation talent.
‘No, it doesn’t end there.’
Beyond the internal energy, the man himself exuded strength. Unbreakable strength, like the finest steel forged by a master general of the world.
In Yeon Hojeong’s piercing aura, Moyong Gun glimpsed the shadow of a divine weapon rarely seen anywhere.
Moyong Gun’s mouth opened on its own.
“Did you wipe out all the Myeong family’s Blue Wolf Ears?”
“You call those guys the Blue Wolf Ears?”
“You didn’t even know who they were?”
“I knew they were sent by the Myeong family.”
“Hahaha! What boldness.”
Moyong Gun asked in a meaningful tone,
“So, did you catch them all?”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
Moyong Yeonhwa’s lips curled slightly, as if she’d expected as much.
Moyong Gun tilted his head.
“From your aura, I thought you’d cleaned them all out, but not quite?”
“Out of seventy, I got sixty-eight. The remaining two, I chopped off an arm each and shipped them back to the Myeong family.”
“……!”
“The Myeong family head’s face should be quite the sight, don’t you think?”
Moyong Gun’s face hardened.
Moyong Yeonhwa said incredulously,
“Young Master Yeon. If this is some pointless pride making you lie……”
Moyong Gun raised a hand. Moyong Yeonhwa’s mouth shut immediately.
After studying Yeon Hojeong’s face for a long moment, Moyong Gun spoke.
“You did that on purpose to enrage the Myeong family head?”
“Yes.”
“I must tell you, that was a bad move.”
Moyong Yeonhwa was inwardly stunned. Like her father, she could read auras too. But all she discerned was abundant internal energy and a well-honed presence—nothing more. An unfinished vessel. She couldn’t see what her father saw.
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“Why do you think that?”
“If you’d annihilated them without a trace, the Myeong family head would be on his guard from now on.”
“Probably.”
“You needed to strike precisely when he let his caution slip. Enraging him needlessly could turn all of Henan into a sea of fire.”
Yeon Hojeong readily admitted,
“That could happen.”
“Haha, are you toying with me now?”
“Did you receive my letter?”
“……?”
“Since you’re here now, you must have. Then let me ask: even a brute as rude and arrogant as me—what gave me the confidence to send such a letter to the family head?”
Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed.
“You have something to rely on?”
Yeon Hojeong pulled a blood-soaked letter from his bosom. It looked eerie even at a glance.
Blood-stained parchment, reeking of slaughter.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Moyong Gun felt an inexplicable unease. He slowly unfolded the letter.
“……Shaolin?!”
The sacred name inscribed in crimson ink.
Yeon Hojeong flashed a meaningful smile.
“I believe without a doubt that you, family head, hold the decisive blow to topple the Myeong family.”
“……!”
“But for that blow to land true, don’t we need a reliable buffer to keep the Myeong family in check? That’s why I’m summoning a trustworthy force. What do you think? Does my plan appeal to you?”