Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Firm Ground After Rain (1)
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Near a lake far from the Moyong Clan, a roughly stacked pile of stones looked so shabby that strangers might mistake it for a heap kids had piled up while playing.
It was far too wretched to call it the grave of the man who had once led the Moyong Clan as patriarch, but considering the disaster he had brought upon the clan, no one could utter even a single word of complaint.
In fact, the clan members making even this modest grave was something to be grateful for. Standing alone before the solitary tomb, the elderly Moyong Jin gave a bitter smile.
He had always emphasized history and tradition so much, yet his son—the one who had led the clan—ended up buried not in the ancestral plot passed down through generations, but in some other place. As a father, it wasn't exactly a pleasant sight.
His one and only legitimate heir and patriarch, Moyong Gang, was someone who couldn't even be called talented in flattery. Reaching first-rate at an age nearing forty was proof of that.
For an ordinary martial artist, it was certainly no small achievement, but for the head of a clan, it inevitably left something to be desired. And he himself knew that better than anyone.
"[That's enough! Pushing further will only ruin your body!]"
"[I can't rest yet. As the patriarch of the Moyong Clan, unless I at least reach the pinnacle...!!]"
"[You've already reached first-rate at thirty. There are mountains of martial artists who can't even touch that realm despite a lifetime of effort.]"
"[I'm practically forty. If someone like me leads the clan, the Moyong Clan will be scorned even in the afterlife. History proves it!]"
"...Foolish boy. What the hell is all that about history and tradition."
He was a child who had always strived to grow stronger through training that bordered on torture. Moyong Jin had worried endlessly that he might ruin his own body, but who could have imagined things would end like this.
Of course, he understood it perfectly in his head. How much damage Moyong Gang had brought to the clan. But his heart felt like it was being torn into a hundred pieces, regardless.
How could you, my son, commit the ultimate filial impiety of leaving before your parents? Whenever he thought of his child walking the afterlife ahead of him, a crushing pain gripped his chest.
Who could blame a father for the sorrow of sending off his child first? Especially since he was the sole pinnacle realm expert left in the Moyong Clan—a man who could bring calamity upon himself if he wasn't careful.
Even more so if that someone was a clan warrior who had greatly contributed to his child's death. Yet Moyong Sa knew this all too well and still stood here now.
That day, right after clashing with the mysterious old master on the mountain, the first scheme Moyong Sa thought of was to divide their forces.
'Even if the patriarch won't fall for it, Elder Moyong Jin has undoubtedly reached the pinnacle—an absolute expert. If the two of them combined their strength against the great hero, it would end in the hero's defeat nine times out of ten.'
With his sharp mind, Moyong Sa quickly reached that conclusion and immediately sent a messenger bird, tricking Dragon Hall Leader Moyong Heisu into sending warriors to Golden Mystery Mountain.
There had already been rumors spread by Moyong Hyeon about an unidentified pinnacle expert. Patriarch Moyong Gang fell for it completely, and in the end, it became the divine move to dispose of him.
In truth, the clash between those two absolute masters had ended in Nameless the Great Hero's victory by the narrowest of margins—like the thickness of a sheet of paper. If Elder Moyong Jin had stayed by the patriarch's side then...
Moyong Sa didn't even want to imagine what the outcome might have been. But in the end, that made him a traitor who had contributed to the patriarch's death.
'I've been prepared from the start.'
He wasn't foolish enough to throw his life into a battle with zero chance of victory. But if there was even a grain of sand's worth of odds, that changed everything.
And now that Moyong Hyeon had officially become patriarch as per the plan, he could gladly offer his neck for the Moyong Clan's new future. That was why he was here.
After standing before the grave for a long while, Moyong Jin slowly turned his head toward the back. The old man's face, devoid of any emotion, looked like a ghost that had crawled out of the tomb itself.
"...Coming to such a remote place alone—and without anyone else. A truly precarious choice."
"I have no intention of evading the price for what I've done, Elder."
"A father who lost his son has only one desire."
"Yes, I know."
"Elder, about that matter..."
"Patriarch, stay out of this."
Despite Moyong Sa's attempts to dissuade him, Moyong Hyeon—who had chased after him to the end—tried to mediate the situation somehow. But a single word laced with pinnacle realm internal energy sealed his lips.
"Kuh...!!"
"It's fine, Patriarch."
"But I can't just let you die like this...!!"
"...You will surely become a fine patriarch. That's enough satisfaction for me."
Anyone could spout pretty words. But those who matched their actions to their speech were few and far between. And Moyong Hyeon was one of them.
At this point, he could die content. But contrary to his thoughts, Moyong Jin—who had been glaring at Moyong Sa for a moment—let out a deep sigh and took a step back.
"I never intended to kill you from the start. I'm not entirely free of resentment... but at the time, it was the best choice I could make."
"Elder..."
"But not twice. It mustn't claim this patriarch's life as well."
"I'll keep that in mind."
It was truly regrettable. But Moyong Jin had lived too long to misdirect his resentment. The experiences piled up over a lifetime allowed him to control his emotions.
"A storm is coming. It's unnatural—something will happen soon."
Starting from that demonic art he'd never heard of before. And the unidentified master who knew it in detail. Even a fool could tell the situation was dire.
So, he needed to sharpen his blade and prepare for that day.
Someday, he would reach it.
The true culprit who led his son to death.
Time flowed on like a river without pause, and already two months had slipped by like water. He'd worried he might actually die, but fortunately, the gamble paid off.
And the rewards he gained surpassed imagination. For starters, money was no longer an issue at all. The Moyong Clan was a renowned family of Gangbuk before it was a martial clan.
Naturally, their accumulated wealth was beyond what ordinary folk could even dream of. Having forged a brotherly bond with such a clan, he had no reason to worry about funds.
On top of that, he obtained the inner core he'd wanted from the start, along with some of the Moyong Clan's martial arts. Among them was even a manual of their highest-grade technique.
Of course, it came with the condition of properly teaching Sua, but even accounting for that, he'd gained far more than expected.
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Master?"
The girl tilted her head cutely like a rabbit, her short bob brushing against her shoulder and shifting to the side. The rabbit-like girl was none other than Moyong Sua, who had officially become his disciple.
Originally, with everything settled, she should have returned to the Moyong Clan. But who would have thought she'd stubbornly insist on becoming his disciple.
It was completely unexpected, but thanks to it, he obtained the clan's highest-grade martial arts. In the end, it was a favorable variable. He didn't mind having Sua around as company either.
"Back already?"
"Yes, Master."
They grew their own food through farming for self-sufficiency as much as possible. Still, shortages were inevitable, so he occasionally went down to the village to sell crops or herbs for money.
Of course, now with the generous compensation from the Moyong Clan, there was no need. Even so, training on the mountain with nothing for entertainment struck even him as utterly mad.
This time, he'd given her pocket money and told her to have fun in the village after errands, but Sua had returned immediately after finishing. Clicking his tongue, he spoke.
"Wasn't today market day?"
"Yes."
"Yet you came back sooner than expected."
"I prefer being with you, Master."
At her burdensome reply, he silently gazed at Sua, who was sweating like rain all over her body. Embarrassed by his stare, she blushed and averted her eyes.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Let's wash up by the stream today."
"..."
"Training is good, but proper rest lets you go further."
Sua stared blankly at his face instead of answering. Her eyes held a subtle disappointment, but there was no helping it. Even he had limits to making up excuses.
It was just about that much.
He'd planned to just dip his feet and head back.
But who could have foreseen it.
"Master! Look over there! Someone's floating down!"
At the place where he'd meant to simply cool off.
That he'd end up picking up the seed of an unexpected conflict.