Chapter 67
Chapter 67: There May Be Opposites, But No Absolutes (2)
“Hmm.”
Moyong Jun gazed out the window.
The sun was setting.
“It’s already dusk.”
Moyong Yeonhwa frowned. Having been cooped up all day, she felt stiff and restless.
“I wonder how it went?”
“Hard to say.”
Considering Moyong Yeonhwa had been sitting in one place for a day, her seemingly pointless question was understandable. She had never just waited for contact without doing anything; it was bound to make one antsy.
Moyong Yeonhwa sighed.
“I hope they’re still alive.”
Moyong Jun chuckled lightly.
“Of course, they should be. Otherwise, our trip to Hanam would have been in vain, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s true, but I really want to meet them and give them a piece of my mind.”
Moyong Jun spoke with a sly grin.
“After all, wasn’t he almost your betrothed at one point?”
He was referring to the time when a business proposal was made to the Yeon family.
Moyong Yeonhwa shrugged nonchalantly.
“But it didn’t work out, did it?”
Moyong Jun smiled.
She seemed somewhat bored, but that was all. His daughter still maintained an air of detachment.
Despite not being told to stay in, Moyong Yeonhwa hadn’t stepped a foot outside the lodging.
She thought it pointless to distract the attention of the Geobang with unnecessary movements. In a situation where it was still unclear whether to join hands or push away, any rash action was strictly forbidden.
She knew how to keep the bigger picture in mind, even with the smallest things. That was why Moyong Jun favored Moyong Yeonhwa.
“The sun is setting, so let’s have dinner soon.”
“Okay.”
Moyong Jun reached for a hanging cord. Pulling it would ring a bell, and soon after, Jeomsoi would come running.
Just as he was about to pull the cord…
‘…’
Moyong Jun’s eyes sparkled.
Moyong Yeonhwa tilted her head in curiosity.
“What is it, Father?”
“The scent of blood.”
“What?”
Moyong Jun let go of the cord and looked out the window again.
A message reached his ears.
[Yeon Hojeong has arrived.]
“…What?”
Surprise showed on Moyong Jun’s face.
‘So soon?’
But before that, had he survived the onslaught of the Cheongrang Ghosts? How?
“Father?”
“He’s coming.”
“What?”
“Yeon Hojeong is on his way here.”
Moyong Yeonhwa’s mouth fell open in shock.
“He defeated the Cheongrang Ghosts?”
Moyong Jun did not answer.
He naturally assumed they had been defeated. They wouldn’t come looking for them otherwise.
At the same time, he thought it impossible.
‘Weren’t they supposed to have clashed at noon today?’
It was said that once the Cheongrang Ghosts began their pursuit, it would take at least three to five days. They would wear down their target over time, striking with a knife at the crucial moment.
It was the very nature of wolves. Strong wolves would chase their prey until it collapsed from exhaustion before completing the hunt.
But to have wiped out those venomous creatures in just half a day? And alone?
‘It’s impossible.’
It couldn’t be done.
Even if Yeon Hojeong had pushed back the Cheongrang Ghosts alone, the remaining ones would not hesitate to flee to hide their bodies. Hunting down each one of them was no easy task.
‘Did Geobang help? Surely not? If they knew the power of the noble families, they wouldn’t interfere so easily.’
Then it happened.
Whoosh.
Moyong Jun sensed the smell of blood intensify in an instant.
Thud. Thud.
The sound of knocking on the door was quite rough.
Moyong Jun spoke calmly.
“Come in.”
Creeeak.
The door opened, and a young man entered.
He was tall and slender. His eyes were sharp, but he was still very handsome.
Thump!
The floor shook.
The young man, who had placed an axe as big as a human body next to the door, caught his breath.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The young man was covered in blood.
His clothes were torn and holed, and the exposed skin was stained with blood. A streak of blood ran across his temple, down his jawline, and to his neck, still wet.
He was full of wounds, and his breathing was rough. He looked like a general who had just fought through a chaotic battle.
“Are you the eldest son of the Yeon family?”
“Are you the head of the Moyong family?”
“That’s right.”
“Indeed.”
The young man, Yeon Hojeong, had a glint in his eye.
‘Moyong Jun.’
He looked at him with surprised eyes, but his entire expression was calm and composed.
A fierce ambition that could burn the heavens was hidden in his clear gaze. His well-groomed beard framed thick lips that were firmly closed, and his angular jaw conveyed decisiveness.
‘…’
His fist clenched involuntarily.
If that half-white hair and black beard were to turn completely white,.
If the perfectly structured skeleton shrank slightly, replaced by a much deeper gaze and an expression exuding detachment.
If instead of luxurious silk clothes, he wore plain white martial attire and a long robe.
‘It’s the same.’
Moyong Jun, revered as the Sword God and the leader of the martial world.
He was identical to the man he had met as the Black Emperor, Heukamje. Although there were differences in appearance, the unique and flawless aura was unmistakably that of Moyong Jun.
Yeon Hojeong took a deep breath.
Seeing this man in person complicated his feelings. In reality, he was closer to disliking Moyong Jun than liking him.
Moreover, it was he who had ordered his own death at the end of his life.
‘Who will be there to stop you when I die? The current righteous martial world… cannot stop Heukjeong.’
‘I’ll apologize in the afterlife. Let’s go together.’
Even though their alliance was precarious, a comrade-in-arms was still a comrade. He had been betrayed and killed by a comrade. Naturally, his feelings towards Moyong Jun couldn’t be positive.
But…
‘…’
The chill in Yeon Hojeong’s gaze slowly dissipated as he looked upon Moyong Jun.
“I am Yeon Hojeong of the humble Beiksan Yeon family.”
He bowed with a controlled grace.
“It’s an honor to meet the head of the Moyong family.”
A spark lit in Moyong Jun’s eyes.
In Yeon Hojeong’s gaze, he saw a fragment of indescribable emotion. It was a mix of what seemed like hatred and a distant wistfulness.
‘What is this?’
An emotion he couldn’t quite grasp.
It was understandable to be angry at someone who had infiltrated his family with the intent to destroy it. But what was this wistfulness hidden behind the hatred?
“The one who shoulders the Moyong family,” Moyong Jun said with a smile.
“So, I finally meet the infamous Mad Wind Lion.”
“Huff.”
Moyong Jun rose from his seat and gestured towards a large table on one side.
“Please, take a seat over there.”
“Thank you.”
Yeon Hojeong sat down, his walk steady despite his evident injuries and fatigue. Moyong Jun admired Yeon Hojeong’s resilience.
“Shouldn’t you receive treatment? Your injuries seem quite severe.”
“I’m fine.”
Such wounds were too numerous to count in his life. He had fought through nights and days with far worse injuries.
Yeon Hojeong offered a faint smile.
“By the way, do you have any liquor?”
“Liquor? With your condition?”
“It’s fine.”
“Haha.”
Moyong Jun signaled to Moyong Yeonhwa.
She pulled a cord hanging in the air. Shortly after, Jeomsoi arrived, and Moyong Yeonhwa ordered food and drinks.
Moyong Jun took a seat opposite Yeon Hojeong.
“I never expected to meet the eldest son of the Yeon family head instead of the family head himself.”
He pointed to Moyong Yeonhwa.
“You might have met her at the Late Autumn Gathering. This is my daughter, Yeonhwa.”
Moyong Yeonhwa greeted him with a smile.
“I’m Moyong Yeonhwa. We meet sooner than expected.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded once, his attention still fixed on Moyong Jun. He had come to see Moyong Jun, not Moyong Yeonhwa, and he was busy managing his complex feelings towards Moyong Jun.
Moyong Yeonhwa’s expression shifted slightly.
Moyong Jun laughed heartily.
“Such a man of few words.”
“I find it awkward to converse with women. Please understand.”
“A simpleton in this regard? That’s unexpected.”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
Moyong Jun’s gaze became enigmatic. Although he wore a gentle smile, his eyes were sharp, assessing his opponent.
‘Impressive.’
He recognized Yeon Hojeong’s strength at a glance.
Yeon Hojeong was strong. His internal energy and aura were beyond what could be called a Late Autumn level.
‘No, it doesn’t end there.’
It wasn’t just his internal energy; the man himself seemed powerful.
An unbreakable strength, the steel among steels, forged by a master craftsman of the world. Moyong Jun could sense in Yeon Hojeong’s chilly aura the shadow of a divine weapon rarely seen.
Moyong Jun found himself speaking without thinking.
“Did you defeat all of the noble family’s Cheongrang Ghosts?”
“Do you call them Cheongrang Ghosts?”
“You didn’t know who they were?”
“I only knew they were sent by the noble family.”
“Hahaha! Truly refreshing.”
Moyong Jun asked with a significant tone.
“So, did you catch them all?”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
Moyong Yeonhwa’s lips curled slightly, as if she had expected as much.
Moyong Jun tilted his head.
“From your momentum, I thought you had wiped them all out, but that’s not the case?”
“Out of seventy, I caught sixty-eight. The remaining two, I sent their arms back to the noble family.”
“…!”
“Wouldn’t the noble family head’s face be worth seeing?”
Moyong Jun’s face hardened.
Moyong Yeonhwa spoke incredulously.
“Yeon Hojeong. If you’re lying out of misplaced pride…”
Moyong Jun raised his hand, silencing Moyong Yeonhwa.
After scrutinizing Yeon Hojeong’s face for a while, Moyong Jun spoke.
“Did you intend to anger the noble family head on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“Let me be clear, that was a bad move.”
Moyong Yeonhwa was inwardly flabbergasted.
Like her father, she could read Yeon Hojeong’s aura. But all she could discern was his abundant internal energy and well-structured aura, nothing more.
An unfinished vessel. She couldn’t see what her father, Moyong Jun, saw in Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“Why do you think so?”
“If you had annihilated them without anyone knowing, the noble family head would have become cautious from now on.”
“That’s likely.”
“When he becomes cautious, that’s the moment to strike. If you anger him needlessly, Hanam could turn into a hellfire.”
Yeon Hojeong acknowledged briskly.
“That’s a possibility.”
“Haha, are you jesting with me now?”
“Did you receive my letter?”
“…?”
“Since you’re here, you must have. So, let me ask. Even if someone is as rough and arrogant as they come, what makes you think they would send such a letter to the family head?”
Moyong Jun’s eyes flashed.
“You had something to rely on?”
Yeon Hojeong pulled out a blood-stained letter from his robe. The letter, soaked in his own blood, had an eerie presence.
“What’s this?”
“Please, unfold it.”
Moyong Jun felt an inexplicable anxiety.
He slowly opened the letter.
“…Shaolin?!”
Yeon Hojeong showed a meaningful smile.
“I have no doubt, family head, that you possess the decisive move to bring down the noble family.”
“…!”
“But for that move to work, there needs to be a buffer to keep the noble family in check, doesn’t there? So, I’m summoning a reliable force to balance them. What do you think? Do you like my plan?”
