Chapter 64: First Young Master of Green Mountain (4)

“What, what did you say?!”

Ming Cheon’s face twisted in shock.

“Gangnim?!”

“Yes.”

“How—how is he?”

Ming Usan spoke in a trembling voice.

“His internal and external injuries are vicious. If the clan’s physicians hadn’t acted quickly...”

“Th-this is...!”

“He’s passed the critical point, but they say it will take three months and ten days before he regains his senses. And even once he wakes, it will likely take a good two or three years to recover his full skill.”

Bang!

The wall he smashed with his fist caved in.

A killing aura rose on Ming Cheon’s face.

“What in heaven’s name was Ming Chisan doing while Gangnim was being crushed?”

“That is...”

Ming Usan bit his lip.

“He’s dead.”

“...Dead? Ming Chisan?”

“They say the Hall of Guarding the Ming warriors all returned with grave injuries, and that Ming Chisan was defeated in single combat.”

The face that had been flushed with fury slowly cooled on Ming Cheon.

When matters grew large, he regained reason. That was precisely what made him the Ming Clan’s Clan Lord.

“You’re certain the party was sent to the Yeon Clan’s son?”

“Yes.”

“Right—he went to press him over the Shadow-Death Division’s disappearance. And if necessary, to bring him in by force.”

More precisely, to fell him where no eyes watched and bring him back. By all signs, the only one who knew about the Shadow-Death Division’s disappearance was Yeon Hojeong.

“Yes.”

“And yet Ming Chisan dies, and the Hall’s warriors return injured? Do you think that makes sense?”

Ming Usan could not easily open his mouth.

In truth, it was just as hard for him to believe. When Ming Cheon said he would send Ming Chisan, he had even wondered if it wasn’t excessive.

But the revealed outcome was shocking.

“Even among the collateral lines, Ming Chisan was quite the asset. I saw his martial arts myself last year. Among the Pure-White Martial Corps, there aren’t even ten warriors stronger than Ming Chisan.”

Meaning a master whose skill had ripened to the utmost even among peak experts. Put bluntly, were he not Ming Clan, he’d have been more than fit to head a decent sect.

“Are you telling me the Yeon Clan Lord’s whelp is that strong?”

It was nonsense.

Yeon Hojeong was a youth not yet even of full majority. No matter how gifted, there are limits.

Of course, there are truly heaven-sent geniuses in this world.

Those called the Twin Dragons and Three Phoenixes were such. Though too old to be called the younger generation—each of the five had long since passed thirty—if one were to name the strongest among the young, those five would be chosen.

The Twin Dragons and Three Phoenixes were heaven-sent geniuses in the truest sense. Call them the publicly recognized next Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats. It was said that some among them had already forged martial arts not inferior to the heads of great sects.

And one of the Twin Dragons was precisely the Ming Clan’s eldest son—the first son of Ming Cheon.

“Perhaps this child called Yeon Hojeong can be compared to the Twin Dragons...”

“Nonsense.”

Ming Cheon shook his head.

“The Twin Dragons and Three Phoenixes are geniuses among geniuses. I’m not saying this because my son is among them. On talent alone, those brats surpass even the Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats.”

“...”

“Even the Thirteen Seats are talents rarely seen in history. And you say a boy not yet of age already stands beside those?”

“...”

“Even if he had learned the demonic arts of the destroyed Demonic Sect, it’s impossible.”

He wasn’t wrong. Ming Usan entirely agreed with him.

But the result was too shocking. Without martial arts on the level of the Twin Dragons and Three Phoenixes, there’s no way one could have beaten that many top experts.

Ming Cheon’s eyes gleamed.

“There must have been a helper.”

He could hardly conclude otherwise.

But that left one problem.

“According to the informants, there were no traces of any helper aiding Yeon Hojeong. He acted with meticulous solitude...”

“Then a top expert invisible to the informants must have been guarding him.”

Ming Usan shut his mouth. It seemed Ming Cheon simply could not accept Yeon Hojeong’s skill.

‘Well.’

More persuasive than the hypothesis that Yeon Hojeong surpassed the Twin Dragons and Three Phoenixes as the greatest prodigy under heaven was the idea that a formidable guardian was escorting him.

‘Besides, until very recently the brat was being called a father’s-son weakling.’

Thinking that, he felt he could be certain.

“Then, what will you do?”

“What do you mean, what?”

Ming Cheon’s eyes turned cold.

“My child has come back gravely wounded. That brat, and even his three generations, won’t be enough to quench my wrath.”

“...”

“I expect your heart is the same as mine.”

Ming Usan kept silent.

In truth, his anxiety was worse than Ming Cheon’s.

Ming Onji was one of his countless children. But she was one of those he cherished most.

And that child had vanished. He hadn’t shown it before Ming Cheon, but of late he had not been sleeping.

On top of that, Ming Gangnim had returned half-dead, and Ming Chisan was killed in Kaifeng.

In his heart, he wanted to go to Yeon Hojeong himself.

“Then, whom will you send?”

“We must send those the enemy won’t even dare think to resist.”

“Then...?”

“Unleash Azure Wolf.”

In that instant, [N O V E L I G H T] Ming Usan felt his hair stand on end.

“Clan Lord.”

“Do as I say.”

“B-but we must consider the eyes of the world. Isn’t Azure Wolf too dangerous a choice?”

Ming Cheon flared like fire.

“You tell me to mind the eyes of others while we seize the fiend who did this to the Clan Lord’s child!”

“...”

“What sort of house is the Ming Clan of the Nine Provinces! It is a house founded by the men who drove out those lawless Blood Sect vermin! A supreme house that drank down the blood and sweat of the ancestors to win a fame first under heaven!”

He was a man who wore his emotions openly. But even he had never raged like this.

Because his child had come home broken. Who would not rage?

“Soon Jiangsu will fall into our hands. If we take Jiangsu, we can take Zhejiang too. If we seize both land and sea, we can go beyond the First House Under Heaven and become the First Power Under Heaven.”

Ming Cheon lifted his chin in arrogance.

“Are we, who will grasp hegemony under heaven, to fear the eyes of the world?”

“...”

“Unleash Azure Wolf at once.”

“I receive your order.”

Leaving the Clan Lord’s hall, Ming Usan could not hide his unease.

‘Is this truly all right?’

He understood Ming Cheon’s anger. And the command to unleash Azure Wolf—looked at broadly—might be nothing to make too much of.

And yet he was uneasy.

It felt as though he had set one foot into a mire from which he could not escape. He ought to withdraw before going deeper, but it was as if the other foot had already stepped in.

‘May it be only groundless fear.’

Ming Usan entered a certain building.

Flash!

Inside, it was dark, not a sliver of sunlight let in.

There, dozens of pairs of blue eyes kindled.

Ming Usan spoke dispassionately.

“It’s a fairly savage prey. I’ll need you to move.”

****

The Flying Tiger Beggar felt tension cresting.

At first, he hadn’t known why he was tense. With baseless nerves fraying, he’d even wondered if his body had grown weak of late.

But now he understood. Why he had been tense.

Vmmm—

A faint white current rose from Yeon Hojeong’s seated, cross-legged body.

That pale energy rippled and formed a strange shape. The shape—whether tiger or lion he could not tell—was staring straight at him.

Feeling awkward for no reason, he slid five steps to the side.

The half-transparent beast’s head turned as well.

‘Huh!’

What in the world is that? A sorcery?

Of course not. Why would the First Young Master of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain cultivate sorcery?

It was simply unsettling. And wondrous.

What in the world was he cultivating?

“Huu.”

Yeon Hojeong’s breathing grew larger.

Flash!

At the same time, his eyes opened.

For an instant the Flying Tiger Beggar felt his mind go hazy. The look in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes as he regarded him was profoundly uncanny.

Dreamlike, one might say. He never would have imagined he’d lose his composure staring into another man’s eyes.

“You’re from the Beggars’ Union?”

“Eh? Ah! Yes.”

“Give me the letter.”

“Y-yes. Here...”

Yeon Hojeong unfolded the letter and smiled.

“I’m in for it.”

The letters were from his father.

Two sheets had come, and they seemed to have been written at different times. There was a subtle difference of feeling in the brushwork and in the content.

‘Still, that’s a relief.’

The enemy of my enemy is a friend. For a shared aim, a temporary alliance is no bad thing.

But he’d been scolded for handling matters too violently. The text carried a father’s worry for his child.

Still, the good part was that his father supported his way.

‘He had no choice.’

The board was already set; he could not simply stop. Halt here, and worse would follow.

‘I’m sorry. If we started exchanging letters, we might miss our timing.’

He would understand that part as well. That was likely why the letters said little else.

Yeon Hojeong spoke evenly.

“You’ve worked hard. You may go now.”

“Eh?”

The Flying Tiger Beggar looked blank.

“Don’t you have anything else for me? To pass on a letter, or to give a situation report...”

“No.”

“Ah... yes.”

The Flying Tiger Beggar bowed his head.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“You’ve done well. Ah!”

Always like this.

He grumbled inwardly, yet put on the most amiable expression he could.

“What would you have me do?”

“Withdraw every Beggars’ Union man guarding me in secret.”

“...?!”

“Tell the Rear Beggar I instructed it myself. Don’t worry—withdraw them all.”

The Flying Tiger Beggar’s face stiffened.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“They’re top experts placed for contingencies. They’re among the most capable men in the Union; for your safety, Young Master Yeon...”

“The moment they show themselves, this plan collapses.”

“Eh?”

“They think the Beggars’ Union is helping me; they do not think the Beggars’ Union and I have joined hands. The difference is larger than you think.”

“...”

“I’ve beaten some with decent skill; this time they’ll send people even more certain. With experts of that level, they’ll likely notice Union men in hiding.”

“...I see.”

The Flying Tiger Beggar let out a sigh.

“Understood. I’ll withdraw them at once.”

“Thank you.”

“And, Young Master Yeon.”

“Speak.”

He cupped his fists in salute.

“We haven’t said it, but all of us are rooting for you. Please be careful.”

Yeon Hojeong answered with a smile.

“Say that to them.”

****

Five days later.

“Ha! It’s been a while since I came to Henan.”

Mo Yonggun’s face was full of smiles as he looked over the stately, antique buildings.

“To tell the truth, Henan’s a place I rather covet. If Shaolin hadn’t set its roots here, we might have tried to take this land long ago. Wouldn’t you say?”

“Right.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa was all smiles too.

“Henan has Shaolin and the Ming Clan. It’s worthy of the name heart of the Central Plains. Even if both Shaolin and the Ming Clan were to vanish, people would still treat Henan like a sanctuary.”

“So they would.”

“Which makes me want it all the more.”

Mo Yonggun burst into deep laughter.

“Your appetite is greater than mine.”

“You need greed to succeed.”

“Haha, you’re right. I was thinking whether to leave the house to the Chief Steward with you, and I see I brought you well. Being a child of this Mo Yonggun, you should have at least that much boldness.”

“Hehe.”

Mo Yonggun gazed at the mountain standing tall in the distance.

Mount Song, the sacred mountain where the thousand-year Shaolin coiled.

“On our way back, let’s take in the scenery of Mount Song.”

“Gladly.”

Clap!

Mo Yonggun clapped his hands.

“Now then, shall we go meet the young man brimming with audacity?”