Chapter 72: Enemies (Grudge), and Source Water (2)

“Chief Steward. Report says Yeon Hojeong made contact with the Blue Hall, annihilated them, and is moving south!”

“Is that so?”

Ming Usan clenched his fist.

‘Good.’

The Blue Hall was, say, no different from bait.

Given the character of Yeon Hojeong he’d been briefed on, he didn’t seem like someone who would meekly allow himself to be caught. If he were escorted to the Ming Clan ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ without a fight, that too would be good.

In the end, people would have seen Yeon Hojeong’s merciless side. It was the moment rumor became truth.

Up to just this point. Having turned Yeon Hojeong into a felon with only the Blue Hall, Ming Usan had no thought to spend more troops.

“Contact the Three Brothers. Tell them to fight where there are many people. With overwhelming force, they are to seize Yeon Hojeong.”

“Understood.”

Only now could Ming Usan exhale.

‘Finally over.’

Thinking on it, he had been taken for a fool.

Yeon Hojeong was a formidable one. Martial skill beyond imagination, combat power beyond imagination, responses beyond imagination—he had disconcerted the Ming Clan.

Yet thinking further, it didn’t seem the entire Ming Clan had been flustered solely because of Yeon Hojeong. Yeon Hojeong was the axis, but he had the feeling something else had been gnawing the Ming Clan’s flesh.

He didn’t know what that was. An unknowable unease kept pricking his mind.

‘...Well, at this point it won’t matter.’

Ming Usan would never know in his lifetime. That was fate.

By his own effort and sacrifice, Yeon Hojeong had made the wheel of destiny spin faster. He merely wished to topple it with his own hands before he himself collapsed.

Ming Usan—and the Ming Clan—did not know that.

“Anyway.”

Reviewing several documents, Ming Usan fell into thought.

“It’s fast—too fast.”

It was the Ming Clan that spread the rumor that the suspect in Jiangsu’s unsolved crimes was Yeon Hojeong.

It was information manipulation to gain legitimacy and justification. The Ming Clan had also taken measures to make the rumor spread quickly.

But it was excessively fast.

Even at the quickest, a rumor takes five days to spread, yet the information loosed around Zhengzhou and Kaifeng blanketed all of Henan in three days.

At that tremendous speed, Ming Usan was startled. Ming Cheon had scolded him—what was the problem—but when something unintended breaks out, there is always a problem.

‘Could it be the Beggars’ Union? That shouldn’t be it.’

If the Beggars’ Union had fanned the rumor, all of Henan being in an uproar within three days would make sense.

The problem was motive. The Beggars’ Union had helped Yeon Hojeong to date. If anything, they would try to extinguish rumor, not inflate it; there was no reason to blow it up.

Therefore the probability it was the Beggars’ Union was low.

Then who?

“...Right, as the Clan Lord said, let’s pass over trifles. That’s not what matters now.”

Wrong.

He should have clung to that point to the end. He should have kept digging at which organization had inflated the rumor and why they had inflated it.

Of course, by the time he found out, the situation would already have grown irretrievably large.

****

Vwoooom.

Walking the official road, Yeon Hojeong thought about his martial art.

‘The Jade Wave True Formula has reached eight-tenths.’

Before leaving the clan estate, it had stayed at six-tenths, and in that time it had grown by two steps.

He already knew everything about the Jade Wave True Formula. It was the process of attaching enlightenment accepted by the head to the body; his achievement had no choice but to be faster than others.

Even so, not so much as to grow by two steps in that short time. If he had trained only the Jade Wave True Formula, he would now barely be hovering near seven-tenths.

‘It’s thanks to the Four Spirit Arts.’

White Tiger Qi, Black Tortoise Qi.

Thanks to those two energies, the total amount of qi his body accepted had increased. At the same time, every moment, he expelled turbid qi and kept his body in peak condition.

A qi-path that had been like a brook broadened like a river. Then the amount and quality of qi flowing increased as well.

An unceasing virtuous cycle. Thanks to that, the Jade Wave True Formula’s achievement had climbed on a steep rising curve.

Vwoom. Vwoooom.

With each step he took, pale-blue true qi rose like smoke from the soles of his feet.

It was a mysterious sight. It served to seize the atmosphere, but at the same time he was tempering his martial art.

He was increasing the density of the outer wall of his dantian with Jade Wave True Qi.

‘Eight-tenths... That’s not enough.’

Though the progress was quick, he still felt it insufficient.

Because he did not know what master might spring out from the Ming Clan. If a super-peak master appeared, even Yeon Hojeong of the world would have no choice but to find it hard to block.

‘Well, thinking like that, the very act of heading for the Ming Clan is nonsense.’

The Ming Clan was, in truth and name, the greatest under heaven. They would possess an uncountable number of masters.

‘At the least I should have raised it to nine-tenths. It would be good if I could raise it even now.’

Impossible. For now.

Of course, there was one way to raise the achievement of Jade Wave True Qi immediately.

‘If I could summon just one more of the remaining two of the Four Spirit Qi...’

He had summoned Black Tortoise and opened White Tiger.

Now there was no need to obtain the other Four Spirit Qi in a life-and-death battle. If he balanced White Tiger Qi and Black Tortoise Qi and swelled their magnitude without end, at some point he would be able to summon one more of the Four Spirit Qi.

But time, too, was lacking.

In the end, he had to see it through in this state, with the Jade Wave True Formula at eight-tenths.

‘If, in this fight, I could summon one of the remaining two.’

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes shone.

‘Between Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon, which should I choose?’

Whichever he obtained, his body and his martial whole would be greatly enhanced.

Besides, summoning is not all. Even if one were to possess all Four Spirit Qi, endless tempering would be needed. Unlike the Jade Wave True Formula, the Four Spirit Qi did not divide achievement; it was an energy that deepened without limit.

‘That is—after perfecting the Jade Wave True Formula, I must then take up the other Five Divine Arts. In that light, rather than Vermilion Bird...’

Azure Dragon.

If he were to obtain Azure Dragon Qi, not only his body but even the divine arts he was learning would be wholly transformed. Such was the nature of Azure Dragon Qi itself, and all the more so because he had obtained White Tiger, which stands opposite Azure Dragon.

‘Will that truly be possible?’

Yeon Hojeong wet his lips.

‘For now, use what I have well.’

The first one he had summoned—Black Tortoise Qi—had grown greatly through interaction with the Jade Wave True Formula.

By contrast, White Tiger Qi still had far to go. Through the training and life-and-death fights thus far it had fully settled, but compared to Black Tortoise Qi it was at perhaps one-fifth the level.

Train White Tiger first. That was the order.

“Young Master.”

Yeon Hojeong looked back.

It was Shin Mo.

“Why?”

“Is it all right to proceed like this?”

There was not much left to the Ming Clan. In only half a day more they would enter the Ming Clan’s domain.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Why? Are you nervous?”

“Of course.”

One of Shin Mo’s countless strengths was his frankness. He also knew when it was permissible to reveal that frankness.

“They are frantic to seize you, Young Master. And yet they sent the Blue Hall...”

“To make rumor into truth. The intent is to confirm it before everyone’s eyes.”

“I think so as well.”

A chill killing-will wafted from Shin Mo’s eyes.

“Now they won’t consume troops. They’ll send the real ones. They won’t let you enter the Ming Clan—they’ll send masters with the will to drag you in.”

“My thought is the same.”

Shin Mo sighed inwardly.

He knew it all. This rough and reckless yet wise Young Master saw right through the other side’s play.

Even so, that he went toward the Ming Clan meant he had something he believed in. Yet as the one who styled himself the Young Master’s guard, Shin Mo could not help but worry.

Yeon Hojeong said, as if tossing it out,

“If you’re that worried, why not take out even the power you’re hiding, hm?”

For an instant Shin Mo’s eyes flew wide.

“Sir?”

“Was I wrong? It seems you’ve sealed away tremendous inner power.”

Shin Mo started.

“H—how did you know that?”

“How? I know because I can see it.”

“You mean—you could see that?”

“I did not sense it before. When I saw you this time, only then did I realize.”

The astonishment filling Shin Mo’s face gradually gave way to admiration.

“You are astounding, Young Master. No one has ever seen through this power.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.

“But that power—it feels very familiar. Is it a divine art of the main house?”

“It is. The Clan Lord bestowed upon this worthless one the Dragon-Embrace Divine Art.”

This time it was Yeon Hojeong’s face that changed to surprise.

“The Dragon-Embrace Qi?”

“Yes.”

The Dragon-Embrace Divine Art was one of the Yeon Clan’s Five Divine Arts.

If the most stable among the Five Divine Arts was the Jade Wave True Formula, and the most straight and sharp was the Sword Ultimate Essence, then the Dragon-Embrace Divine Art was counted foremost in destructive power of release-of-force.

Yeon Hojeong faintly smiled.

“Then should anything happen, I can hide behind Captain Shin.”

“N—no. Though Heaven’s luck let me take an elixir, had it not been for the Dragon-Embrace Divine Art I would have failed to control the qi and fallen into qi deviation. I’m still very lacking.”

“So you hid it. You still cannot fully govern it.”

“Yes.”

“Even so, is it all right to open it?”

“If only for a moment, it will be fine.”

Yeon Hojeong nodded.

“Keep that power well hidden. There is no need to tell the enemy our decisive card.”

Shin Mo’s expression set.

“Understood.”

The Young Master seemed intent on seeing this through while he was at it.

‘It cannot be stopped.’

Once he says he will do it, he does it without fail. Such was Yeon Hojeong as Shin Mo saw him.

In that case there was no help for it. Even if he had to leave his bones here, he would have to protect the Young Master.

Thus Yeon Hojeong’s party pressed south without hesitation.

Here and there people, seeing them, started and fled in fright. The rumor was moving far faster than their marching speed.

Yeon Hojeong was composed. He did not respond to angry gazes or fearful ones. He simply went, step by step, along the path.

‘The sun is setting.’

The sun began to slip over the western ridgeline in the distance.

A red afterglow lit the world. It was the color of warm futility.

Now night would soon come.

A night of cool wind and stillness, when a sinister killing-will would seethe.

‘...’

Just before entering the Ming Clan’s domain—

‘...What is this.’

Yeon Hojeong felt a strange déjà vu.

Something familiar rode on the blowing wind. It was killing-will, and it was fighting-ardor.

“Young Master.”

“I know.”

Thick tension showed on Shin Mo’s face.

“It is a tremendous master. Three of them, at that.”

“So it is.”

Even focusing eye-strength, he could hardly see them—far off, down the official road.

From there, three men were strolling up at leisure. And behind those three, three hundred martial soldiers, exuding a military qi incomparably stronger than the Blue Hall’s, came into view.

Three super-masters who had appeared with a combat unit, an armed organization in tow.

In that instant, Yeon Hojeong’s eyes wavered.

‘Strong.’

Those three men’s martial arts were strong. Not merely strong—astonishingly strong.

In the realm of pure martial art, they stood several moves above the present Yeon Hojeong. With as many as three such masters, that alone was a formidable force.

However...

‘Why does this feel so familiar?’

What startled Yeon Hojeong was not the opponent’s strength. He had blown away the Blue Hall; it was time for masters of that degree to arrive.

The problem was their battle-aura.

They were masters of the Ming Clan, so naturally they would have trained the Ming Clan’s martial arts.

That Ming Clan martial art felt familiar. It was an energy he had sensed once before.

‘When, exactly?’

Chuk.

For the first time, Yeon Hojeong’s steps halted.

“Young Master?”

“...”

Vwoooom.

The wind lay low.

Staring at Yeon Hojeong in puzzlement, Shin Mo suddenly felt his spine go cold.

Chiiiiik!

From the two feet planted on the ground, Jade Wave True Qi surged.

But that true qi was not as usual. The mysterious pale-blue Jade Wave True Qi, in that moment, became a terrible and baleful blue frenzy, propping up Yeon Hojeong’s body.

Fweeeee!!

Around the low-lying wind, whirlwinds began to rise.

“—!”

“Urk!”

The whole Azure Hawk Squad stepped back a few paces.

Flustered, Shin Mo shouted,

“Young Master!”

Jajajajak! Jajajak!

Following the blue frenzy and the snow-white gale, even a dark chill pressed in.

It was a dark, cool northern energy. The breath of death blowing from life’s end, the world’s terminus, filled Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

Keh-heh-hehng!

Somewhere to the west came the Tiger King’s roar.

The axe that held both White Tiger Qi and Black Tortoise Qi squirmed of its own accord.

The Jade Wave True Formula, White Tiger Qi, Black Tortoise Qi.

Three divine energies of different grain rose at once.

“...You could have appeared a little slower.”

His voice trembled.

Was it fear, or was it joy?

“I could have endured longer. No—forever, if I must.”

Vwoom!! Vwooooom!!

The axe thrummed fearsomely. As if begging to be swung this instant, it held thick killing-will.

“I didn’t think we’d meet this quickly.”

Pupils holding a steel-blue frenzy pierced the three masters standing at the fore.

Yeon Hojeong lived in the present, but his eyes were sweeping the past.

‘Father.’

A father who, with an iron-wall sword, blocked the enemy’s waves of assault to the end.

And the leader of the monster-sword that made that father’s body a bloody ruin.

‘Jipyeong.’

A younger brother who chose flight for the clan’s future, avoiding engagement with the enemy.

And the leader of the monster-palm who broke that brother’s spine.

And further, even the vanguard of great build that smashed down the ancient gates of the Yeon Clan and charged in.

The whites of Yeon Hojeong’s eyes slowly dyed red.

One feeling linking present and past, past and present.

It was sky-rending fury toward a mortal enemy.

Kra-BOOM!

One step of the White Tiger.

With that single step, Yeon Hojeong’s body vanished from where it stood.

KWA-KWA-KWA-BOOM!

Explosions burst in succession and raced away at terrifying speed.

“W—what is this?”

The burly middle-aged man at the head started and glanced up at empty air.

By the White Tiger Lord’s Step alone, the beast that had crossed that far distance sprang high into the sky.

Flash!

Was it that it caught the light of the setting sun, or that it shed blood-hued killing-will?

The dark emperor who poured flame-filled eye-light upon all under heaven heaved up a monstrous great-weapon.

“Good to see you, friends.”

The axe fell for the man’s crown.

Shraeeee! Thud!