Chapter 71: Enemies (Grudge), and Source Water (1)

There are truly many incidents and accidents in this world.

People just don’t know it, but thousands of crimes occur every single day. And of those, the cases where the culprit is caught and the matter settled don’t even reach five out of ten.

It’s the same in any region. The authorities and the martial world both train professional investigators, but they are few, and the Central Plains are so vast that many cases sink into the dark.

Unsolved criminal cases. Major crimes that neither the authorities nor the martial world have resolved.

Among them, the unsolved cases that had erupted in Jiangsu came up to the surface just as the warm spring weather began to heat up.

The shocking rumor started in Henan and spread to neighboring areas.

And the protagonist of that rumor was none other than the First Young Master of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain, Yeon Hojeong.

Five years ago, culprit of the Jiangsu Huishan fire—Yeon Hojeong.

Five years ago, culprit of the Jiangsu Hae Min family mass suicide—Yeon Hojeong.

Three years ago, culprit of the Jiangsu Sangju courtesan murder—Yeon Hojeong.

Two years ago, culprit of the Jiangsu Taiho Main Pavilion fire—Yeon Hojeong.

In addition, a high likelihood of having committed various similar crimes such as other arsons, murders, and rapes.

Yeon Hojeong. First Young Master of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain.

Once called tiger-sire-tiger-son, but of late, for his outstanding martial skill, a rising talent who earned the epithet Gale Lion.

They said the scion of that renowned clan committed countless crimes in Jiangsu. And that those cases all remained unsolved.

The shock the rumor delivered was terrifying. Not only in the martial world but even in the authorities people whispered that the truth should be looked into.

No one knew where the rumor began.

Rumors without a source don’t usually spread this fast. Many looked at Yeon Hojeong with eyes of loathing, but those who thought deeply could tell at once that this situation was not normal.

Those who cursed Yeon Hojeong, those who wanted to watch longer, those who sensed something off, and so on.

In uproarious Henan, at last, Yeon Hojeong showed himself.

****

Step, step.

Yeon Hojeong’s tread was light. And the Azure Hawk Squad marching behind him did not waver by even an inch.

People all at once moved aside to left and right to avoid them.

There was no clamor.

Crossing the wide official road and heading for Xuchang, Yeon Hojeong’s party looked exceedingly magnificent.

Flap!

Amazingly, a dozen Azure Hawk men carried standards over a jang and a half in length.

On the flags hanging from the standards, in enormous characters, the words Green Mountain (碧山) and Yeon (燕) were written in splendid brush.

It was the passage of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain, lauded as a house of great chivalry, one wing of the Seven Great Clans. The procession, grand to the point of awe, was not a whit inferior to that of a triumphant general.

And at the very front of the party was Yeon Hojeong.

From who knows where he had procured it, over a snow-white martial robe he wore a loose white long coat that fell to below his calves. A slender frame, a handsome face, clothes of spotless white—these made him look exceedingly noble.

It was the reason people, even when seeing Yeon Hojeong’s party, could not bring themselves to openly revile them.

Was it because they were one wing of the Seven Great Clans? Or because they were a band of swordsmen maintaining a keen battle-aura as they moved?

No.

Most eyes were fixed on Yeon Hojeong. They were not even frightened by the bloodstained axe he carried.

Vwooom.

One step, then one more.

With each footfall, a mysterious pale-blue shimmer rose from beneath his feet.

The person Yeon Hojeong himself was extraordinary. So people thought. Whether he held an axe or not, by the dignity of a strong, bamboo-straight man of letters, people could not dare to open their mouths.

It was an overwhelming figure.

Even the endlessly rough and ferocious Dark Emperor could look like this. As the occasion demanded, he knew how to show a mysterious aspect that shook the hearts of all present.

‘Astounding.’

From the top of a wine house as high as a city tower, Lee Cheolgyung, looking down at Yeon Hojeong, clicked his tongue.

‘Because of Shaolin and the Ming Clan, Henan is esteemed the center of the Central Plains martial world. No matter if the other party are martial men, an enraged crowd does not think about the other’s strength or prestige.’

In other words, even powerless commoners should normally boo openly.

But look at that scene. You could hear an ant pass; no one opened their mouth. There wasn’t even the slightest murmur.

They were overwhelmed.

The existence called Yeon Hojeong, the mysterious battle-aura he exuded, completely sealed the mouths of those present.

‘He’s a tremendous youth.’

Unless one was born with it, such a thing would be impossible unless one had commanded multitudes.

Yet they say he has not even reached his twenties; he could not have that experience. Which is to say, his innate majesty is that great.

‘At least by this look, he doesn’t seem like someone who committed crimes.’

Lee Cheolgyung shook his head.

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions.’

Most of those who pile up evil deeds look like the sort who wouldn’t. Thinking that way, Yeon Hojeong too cannot be free of this vile rumor.

As Yeon Hojeong moved, Lee Cheolgyung also shifted to another building.

Srak.

It was an astonishing movement art.

With only the strength of his ankles he sprang off a roof, and in no time his body alighted atop the target building.

Before the achievement itself, the level of the movement art was exceptional. It was a supreme lightness skill that moved without the slightest twitch of the whole body.

People revered this movement art, calling it Diamond Unmoving Movement.

‘By the way, he’s slower than I thought. At this rate it’ll be night before... hm?’

Lee Cheolgyung turned his gaze south.

Surprise colored his face.

‘The Ming Clan?!’

From that far southern stretch, a group was coming up along the official road.

It was the Ming Clan.

Nearly a hundred martial men advanced in ranks and files, and their speed was considerable. As if by prior arrangement, they too carried flags like Yeon Hojeong’s party, with the four characters “Ming Clan of the Nine Provinces.”

Lee Cheolgyung focused his eye-strength.

Vwoom!

Solemn true energy surged from his dantian and rapidly heightened his sight.

‘Blue Hall (靑色堂)?’

Under the Ming Clan were distributed countless armed organizations.

Among them was one called the Five Elements Hall, divided into five groups—red, blue, black, white, and yellow.

The Blue Hall of the Five Elements Hall symbolized wood, and all of them were spear-men who had trained the spear.

‘Of course they’d have known about Yeon Hojeong’s appearance. But...’

Lee Cheolgyung was inwardly puzzled.

‘Why the Blue Hall, specifically?’

Only yesterday had he learned that the Ming Clan had dispatched troops to seize Yeon Hojeong.

Whatever else, it was certain they had sent peak experts from the Green Soldiers Bureau and warriors from the Hall of Guarding the Ming. And they said Yeon Hojeong alone had repelled them.

Even more astonishing was the battle with the Azure Wolf Ghosts.

It’s not yet certain whether the Azure Wolf Ghosts belong to the Ming Clan, but they say Yeon Hojeong fought seventy of them and killed them all.

Lee Cheolgyung could not believe it. Truthfully, it was still hard to believe.

Regardless of the strength of their martial skills, the Azure Wolf Ghosts were specialists in killing. That stench-of-blood lot, annihilated single-handedly by a youth not yet in his twenties?

‘There must have been variables. But...’

Whatever the reason, the Ming Clan could not be ignorant of Yeon Hojeong’s strength.

And yet they dispatched the Blue Hall. To put it bluntly, if a fight broke out, the Blue Hall alone would find it hard to stop Yeon Hojeong and the Azure Hawk Squad.

Even so, why send the Blue Hall?

Thud!

Oh Gok, the Blue Hall Lord, stamped his spear. Then all the Blue Hall spearmen halted their advance.

Before anyone knew it, Yeon Hojeong’s party had approached to a distance of a little over twenty jang from the Blue Hall.

Oh Gok shouted.

“Yeon Hojeong, First Young Master of the Yeon Clan and suspect in Jiangsu’s unsolved criminal cases—hear me! Drop your weapon where you stand and surrender yourself to the Ming Clan at once—”

Oh Gok could not continue.

Yeon Hojeong did not stop walking. Even though he plainly saw the Blue Hall standing in his way.

“Arrogant wretch.”

Murderous intent rose in Oh Gok’s eyes.

He did not so much as falter once. He paid the Blue Hall’s presence no mind at all.

Thus Yeon Hojeong’s party closed the gap to ten jang.

Oh Gok shouted again.

“If you do not halt where you stand, you will be taken by force!”

Still he did not stop. His walking pace was unchanged, and his keen battle-aura did not waver in the least.

The gap closed to five jang.

Fixing his glare on Yeon Hojeong, Oh Gok bellowed,

“Present spears!”

Vwoooom.

A hundred Blue Hall men leveled their spears forward.

Raising his spear, Oh Gok cried out,

“The Blue Hall will subdue the suspect, Yeon Hojeong—!”

It was then.

Bang!

Oh Gok’s eyes flew wide as if tearing.

One hard step—and in a blink he was right before him. Behind the hem of the long coat fluttering in the wind, an axe the size of a human torso rose high into the sky.

Startled, Oh Gok brought up his shaft.

Yeon Hojeong coolly brought the axe down.

Whack! Thud!

The axe split the shaft and cleaved Oh Gok straight down the middle.

Fwoosh!

Fresh blood sprayed.

It was like dropping red pigment on rice paper. On the snow-white long coat Yeon Hojeong wore, Oh Gok’s blood spattered.

“L—Lord!”

“You cur!”

Then—

Wheeeeee!

Around the bloodstained axe, small, pale-white shapes of wind gathered.

White Tiger Qi, kindled by killing intent, formed the fighting will of the Tiger King.

Boom!

Advancing one more step, Yeon Hojeong swept the axe sideways as it was.

Jajang! Krrash!

“Graaagh!”

“Uwaaah!”

One sweep—he mowed them down.

The overwhelming shock-wind the axe hurled scattered fifteen spearmen in front.

The spears gripped by the spearmen snapped. The hands of the fifteen were badly ruined or even chopped clean off. In an instant, the formation collapsed.

With a single exchange, Yeon Hojeong shattered the Blue Hall’s entire line.

In a calm voice, he said,

“Annihilate the enemy.”

“As commanded!”

Chaaang!

With the axe hooked over his shoulder, Yeon Hojeong strode on, and the Azure Hawk swordsmen who leapt past him unleashed merciless killing blades.

Slice! Kaaang!

“Aaaargh!”

“R—Raise your spears!”

In a heartbeat it became a melee.

The broad official road turned into an asura ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) field in an instant. The commoners watching Yeon Hojeong’s progress screamed and fled in all directions.

Thud! Shraaa!

“Block them! Block—!”

“You sons of bitches! You dare lay hands on us and—aaagh!”

The Azure Hawk Squad’s swords were cold.

They were killing blades swung without a shred of mercy. Having witnessed Yeon Hojeong’s overwhelming martial skill, the Azure Hawk Squad displayed astonishing sword-work not shameful before the First Young Master’s skill.

The Blue Hall collapsed in a moment.

Their leader died, their ranks broke, they were overwhelmed from momentum alone. On top of that, the Azure Hawk Squad’s prowess could not even be compared to the Blue Hall’s.

This was not a battle but a one-sided slaughter. The Azure Hawk Squad ruthlessly sought the enemy’s openings and swiftly cut down the Blue Hall men.

In the middle of the battlefield—

As if none of it concerned him, Yeon Hojeong strolled serenely across the fight. Spearmen, eyes rolled back, lunged to attack Yeon Hojeong, but the Azure Hawk swordsmen did not leave that be.

Thus an interval of time passed.

Having annihilated the Blue Hall with not a single casualty, the Azure Hawk Squad followed behind Yeon Hojeong.

Flap!

Ten men who had sheathed their swords raised the standards again. They proceeded unhurriedly south along the official road.

Terror showed on the faces of the commoners.