Chapter 72. Enemies of Resentment, and the Source (2)
“Steward. Reports say Yeon Hojeong made contact with the Blue Guard, annihilated them, and is heading south!”
“Is that so?”
Myeong U-san clenched his fist.
‘Perfect.’
The Blue Guard had been little more than bait. Given what he'd learned of Yeon Hojeong's temperament, he wouldn't go down without a fight. If he'd been escorted back to the Myeong family without resistance, that would have been fine too. In the end, people would have witnessed Yeon Hojeong's merciless side.
The moment rumors turned to truth.
And that was exactly as far as it went.
Having branded Yeon Hojeong a major criminal with just the Blue Guard incident, Myeong U-san had no intention of wasting more troops.
“Contact the Three Brothers. Tell them to fight in a crowded area. They need to capture Yeon Hojeong with overwhelming force.”
“Understood.”
Only now could Myeong U-san breathe a sigh of relief.
‘It's finally over.’
Looking back, it was absurd how they'd been played. Yeon Hojeong was one hell of a guy. Martial arts beyond imagination, combat prowess beyond imagination, responses beyond imagination—he'd thrown the entire Myeong family into chaos.
But upon second thought, it didn't seem like Yeon Hojeong alone had made the whole family scramble. He was the linchpin, sure, but something else was gnawing away at their flesh.
He just couldn't put his finger on what.
An inexplicable unease kept nagging at his mind.
‘...Whatever. It doesn't matter now.’
Myeong U-san would never learn in his lifetime. That it was fate.
Yeon Hojeong had accelerated the wheel of fate through his own efforts and sacrifices. He just wanted to shatter it with his own hands before it crushed him.
Myeong U-san—and the Myeong family—remained oblivious.
“That said.”
Reviewing a few documents, Myeong U-san fell into thought.
“Way too fast.”
It was the Myeong family that had spread the rumor pinning Yeon Hojeong as the suspect in Jiangsu's unsolved crimes. A manipulation of information for legitimacy and justification.
They'd even taken measures to ensure the rumor spread quickly.
But this was excessive. It should have taken at least five days to spread, yet the info planted in Zhengzhou and Kaifeng had blanketed all of Henan in just three.
Myeong U-san was flustered by the insane speed.
Myeong Cheon had scolded him for making a fuss over nothing, but unintended developments always spelled trouble.
‘No way it's the Beggar Sect? Nah, couldn't be.’
If the Beggar Sect had fanned the flames, Henan going wild in three days made sense. The problem was motive.
The Beggar Sect had helped Yeon Hojeong up to now. They'd have tried to quash the rumors, not amplify them.
So, low odds it was them.
Then who?
“...Yeah, like the family head said, let's brush off the trivial stuff. It's not important right now.”
He was wrong.
He should have dug into it relentlessly to the end. Should have chased down who amplified the rumors and why.
Of course, by the time he figured it out, the situation would already be spiraling out of control.
* * *
Hummm.
As he walked the official road, Yeon Hojeong pondered his martial arts.
‘Bi-ra Jin-gyeol has reached eight seong.’
Before leaving the family, it had lingered at six seong. Now it had jumped two whole stages in that short time.
He already knew everything about Bi-ra Jin-gyeol. Assimilating insights into the body was the process, so his progress was naturally faster than others'.
Even so, two stages in such a brief span was unnatural.
If he'd focused solely on it, he'd barely be sniffing around seven seong by now.
‘Thanks to Sasinmu.’
White Tiger Qi, Black Tortoise Qi.
Thanks to those two energies, the total capacity of qi his body could handle had increased. They also expelled impurities constantly, keeping his body in peak condition.
His narrow stream of a channel had widened to a river.
Naturally, the volume and quality of flowing qi had surged.
An endless virtuous cycle. Bi-ra Jin-gyeol's achievement graph shot up steeply as a result.
Hummm. Hummmm.
With every step, deep cyan true energy rose like smoke from his soles.
A mystical sight.
It dominated the atmosphere, but he was also refining his arts on the move. Densifying his dantian's outer wall with Bi-ra Jin-gyeol.
‘Eight seong... still not enough.’
Impressive progress, but he still felt shortchanged. He had no idea what peak master the Myeong family might unleash.
If a transcendent expert showed up, even the world-famous Yeon Hojeong would struggle to hold them off.
‘Though, heading for the Myeong family at all is insane if you think that way.’
The Myeong family was undisputedly the world's top clan. They'd have countless masters.
‘Should've pushed to at least nine seong. If only I could now...’
Impossible. At present.
There was one way to boost Bi-ra Jin-gyeol immediately, though.
‘If I can awaken one more of the remaining two Four Gods Qi...’
He'd summoned Black Tortoise first, then opened White Tiger.
No need for desperate life-or-death battles to gain another now.
Balance White Tiger Qi and Black Tortoise Qi, expand them endlessly, and another would awaken naturally.
But time was short for that too.
In the end, he'd have to face the finale at eight seongBi-ra Jin-gyeol.
‘If I can summon one of the last two in this fight...’
Yeon Hojeong's eyes gleamed.
‘Vermilion Bird or Azure Dragon—which to aim for?’
Either would massively enhance his body and arts overall.
And summoning wasn't the end. Even with all Four Gods Qi, endless refinement awaited.
Unlike Bi-ra Jin-gyeol with its stages, Four Gods Qi deepened boundlessly.
‘So perfect Bi-ra Jin-gyeol first, then conquer the other great divine arts. In that case, over Vermilion Bird...’
Azure Dragon.
With Azure Dragon Qi, his body and cultivated arts would fully transform.
Its inherent traits demanded it, and having already gained its opposite, White Tiger, amplified the effect.
‘Wonder if it's doable.’
Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.
‘For now, make the most of what I have.’
The first-summoned Black Tortoise Qi had grown massively through synergy with Bi-ra Jin-gyeol.
White Tiger Qi lagged behind. It had stabilized through training and mortal combats, but was only about a fifth as potent as Black Tortoise Qi.
Refine White Tiger first. That was the order.
“Young Master.”
Yeon Hojeong turned. It was Sin Mo.
“What?”
“Is this really okay?”
The Myeong family wasn't far. Half a day more, and they'd enter their territory.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“What, getting nervous?”
“Of course.”
One of Sin Mo's countless strengths was his honesty. And he knew when to show it.
“They're desperate to capture you. Sending the Blue Guard was...”
“To turn rumors real. They want confirmation in front of everyone.”
“I thought so too.”
Cold intent flickered in Sin Mo's eyes.
“They won't waste troops now. They'll send the real deal. No letting us enter their turf—they'll drag us in with peak masters to show their resolve.”
“Same as me.”
Sin Mo sighed inwardly.
He knew it all. This wild, reckless, yet wise young master saw through the enemy's moves crystal clear.
Yet he pressed on toward the Myeong family because he had something up his sleeve.
But as his self-appointed guard, Sin Mo couldn't help worrying.
Yeon Hojeong tossed it out casually.
“If you're that worried, why not unleash that hidden power of yours?”
Sin Mo's eyes went wide.
“Pardon?”
“Isn't that right? You've got some insane inner force sealed away.”
Sin Mo jolted.
“H-how did you know?”
“How? I can see it.”
“You saw it?”
“Didn't notice before. Hit me when I saw you this time—just the other day.”
Awe gradually replaced shock on Sin Mo's face.
“Incredible, Young Master. No one's ever pierced this power before.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“But that energy feels awfully familiar. One of the family's divine arts?”
“Yes. The family head bestowed Dragon Embrace Divine Art on this unworthy fool.”
Surprise flashed across Yeon Hojeong's face now.
“Dragon Embrace Qi?”
“Yes.”
Dragon Embrace Divine Art was one of the Yeon family's five great divine arts. If Bi-ra Jin-gyeol was the most stable and Geomgeuk Sagi the straightest and sharpest, Dragon Embrace Divine Art reigned supreme in explosive emission power.
Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly.
“Guess I can just hide behind you from now on.”
“N-no, sir. I got lucky with a spirit pill, but without Dragon Embrace Divine Art, I'd have lost control and fallen to qi deviation. Still a long way off.”
“That's why you hid it. Can't handle it fully yet.”
“Yes.”
“Can you unseal it?”
“For a bit, yes.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“Keep that power hidden. No need to tip our hand to the enemy early.”
Sin Mo's expression hardened.
“Understood.”
The young master planned to end it here and now.
‘Can't stop him.’
Once he decided, he followed through—no exceptions. That's how Sin Mo saw Yeon Hojeong.
No choice, then. He'd guard him to the death if needed.
And so Yeon Hojeong's group pressed south undeterred.
People spotting them midway fled in terror. Rumors had outpaced their march by far.
Yeon Hojeong remained unflinching. He ignored furious glares and fearful stares alike.
Just trudged onward.
‘Sun's setting.’
The sun dipped toward distant western peaks. Crimson sunset bathed the world.
A warm hue of emptiness.
Night would come soon.
A night of chill winds, silence, and surging sinister killing intent.
‘...’
Just before entering Myeong territory.
‘...What’s this?’
Yeon Hojeong felt an odd premonition.
Something familiar rode the breeze.
Killing intent, or perhaps hostility.
“Young Master.”
“I know.”
Deep tension etched Sin Mo's face.
“Incredible masters. Three of them, no less.”
“Figures.”
Even straining his eyes, he could barely make out the far end of the road. Three figures approached leisurely from there.
Behind them marched three hundred elite warriors, their military aura incomparable to the Blue Guard.
Three transcendent experts leading a combat unit, a martial force.
For a split second, Yeon Hojeong's eyes wavered.
‘Strong.’
Those three's martial arts were strong. Astonishingly so—not just strong, but shockingly strong.
In pure realm, they outclassed his current self by several levels.
Three such masters made for formidable power.
But...
‘Why so familiar?’
Yeon Hojeong wasn't shocked by their strength. After obliterating the Blue Guard, experts like this were due.
The issue was their energy.
Myeong family masters, so naturally Myeong arts.
And those arts felt familiar. A energy he'd sensed once before.
‘When?’
Thud.
Yeon Hojeong's steps halted for the first time.
“Young Master?”
“...”
Whoooosh.
The wind swept low.
Sin Mo, eyeing him puzzled, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Creeeak!
Bi-ra Jin-gyeol erupted from his planted feet.
But this true energy was different from usual.
The mystical deep cyan Bi-ra Jin-gyeol had twisted into a horrific, savage blue madness propping up Yeon Hojeong's body.
Whiiirrr!!
Gusts whipped around the low wind.
“Gah!”
“Urk!”
The entire Chaeng-eungdae staggered back several steps.
Sin Mo cried out in alarm.
“Young Master!”
Crackle! Crackle!
Blue madness, white storm, and now dark chill surged in.
A dark, frigid northern energy. The breath of death from life's end, the world's terminus, filled Yeon Hojeong's eyes.
Roooaaar!
A tiger king's roar echoed from somewhere west. The axe, infused with both White Tiger Qi and Black Tortoise Qi, writhed wildly.
Bi-ra Jin-gyeol, White Tiger Qi, Black Tortoise Qi.
Three clashing divine energies erupted simultaneously.
“...You could've shown up a bit slower.”
His voice trembled. Fear? Ecstasy?
“I could've held back longer. Hell, forever.”
Hummm!! Hummmm!!
The axe vibrated fiercely, brimming with killing intent, begging to be swung.
“Didn't expect to meet this soon.”
His glowing blue pupils pierced the three lead masters.
Yeon Hojeong lived in the present, but his eyes scanned the past.
‘Father.’
His father, blocking enemy onslaughts to the end with ironclad sword.
And the freak sword wielder who drenched that body in blood—their leader.
‘Jipyeong.’
His brother, choosing flight for the family's future over battle.
And the freak palm master who snapped that brother's spine—their captain.
Even the massive vanguard who smashed the ancient Yeon gates and charged in.
Yeon Hojeong's sclera reddened gradually.
One emotion bridging present and past, past and present.
Heaven-shattering rage toward bloodsworn foes.
Boom!
One tiger step. In that instant, Yeon Hojeong vanished from the spot.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Consecutive explosions rocketed away at terrifying speed.
“Wh-what the?”
The burly middle-aged man in the lead looked up in shock.
A beast that had crossed that distance on pure Tiger King Nine Thunder Strikes soared sky-high.
Flash!
Sunset glow or bloodlust spray? The Black Dark Emperor, eyes blazing with flame, hoisted his savage colossal weapon.
“Nice to see you, friends.”
The axe plummeted toward the man's crown.
Screeech!
Splat!