Chapter 218: Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall (6)
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“So you missed him?”
“……I am sorry.”
Mu-yeon rarely revealed his appearance. That was the same even in front of his Lord, Murong Jun.
Such a person directly revealed his appearance and bowed his head. It must mean that he did not know what to do with his body out of apologies this time at least.
Murong Jun chuckled.
“It is not. I should have told you in advance how smart that guy is. If it is a fault, it is my fault, not your fault.”
It was a statement that only made his heart more uncomfortable. Even more so because he knew it was sincere.
“Keep one thing in mind. That guy can absolutely never cause harm to me. At least here.”
“Yes.”
“If such a thing happens again in the future, you just have to move unconditionally according to orders.”
“Understood.”
“You worked hard. It would be good for you to rest a bit too.”
Seureureuk.
Mu-yeon disappeared without a word.
It was a dumbfounding movement technique. Even though he was looking clearly, he scattered and disappeared like fog. It was reminiscent of Taoist magic or sorcery, not a movement technique.
Murong Jun smiled.
“That guy, was he so urgent that he had to rack his petty brain like that?”
Forgiving Mu-yeon was a matter of course. In reality, Mu-yeon knew nothing properly about Yeon Ho-jeong. He had been in the Clan, not the Alliance, until now, and he was someone who followed starting from this matter.
Furthermore, due to Mu-yeon’s existence, he could also know how urgent Yeon Ho-jeong was.
It would have been better if he had also found out what the opponent’s identity was and why Yeon Ho-jeong acted so urgently, but even this much was a decent harvest.
At that time, a carrier pigeon flew to the window.
He, who received the carrier pigeon with familiar hand movements, untied the letter tied to its leg.
“Hmm, it’s fast.”
A satisfied smile lingered on Murong Jun’s face.
“I don’t know about other things, but in Hunan Province at least, we are better than the Beggars’ Gang.”
The Black Dragon Manor are truly bold guys.
Then again, since it was a place where one of the Gods, Immortals, Emperors, and Kings was the master, it was not impossible to understand that they coiled up in a place where a wing of the Six Great Clans was situated.
However, the preparation for it had to be done more thoroughly.
The Black Dragon Manor would absolutely not know how ferocious the Murong Clan could become when they made up their minds, and how vicious they could become.
Murong Jun neatly folded the letter he had written in advance and tied it to the carrier pigeon’s leg.
Parararak!
Murong Jun, who flew the carrier pigeon again, sipped his tea.
“The tea tastes good.”
Now the preparations are all done. Once he receives a reply again, all preparations are over.
“Cheer up, Army Commander Yeon. You must run wild properly for my face to be saved.”
* * *
Four days later.
“Huu, it’s all done.”
“You worked hard.”
“What do you mean worked hard. You are the one who suffered a lot.”
“Then let’s say I worked hard.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon chuckled.
“Yeah, you did all the hard work.”
She spoke like a joke, but that was also Zhuge Ah-yeon’s sincerity.
‘What on earth is this guy.’
She had thought about it countless times until now, but she truly could not even guess where the end of Yeon Ho-jeong’s abilities lay.
Breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End at an age just past twenty? It was truly a matter that would surprise the world, but it was enough to think he was born with a rare talent. A talent deviating from common sense, but there have occasionally been such geniuses since ancient times.
However, that was not the reason Yeon Ho-jeong was amazing. Zhuge Ah-yeon did not think Yeon Ho-jeong’s true scariness was martial arts.
‘This guy, was he really born with the timber of a king?’
While making the organizational restructuring chart of the Black Dragon Manor, Zhuge Ah-yeon could not help but admire Yeon Ho-jeong’s discerning eyes several times.
He picked out errors in truly unexpected places, and most of them were parts where it was difficult to find loopholes, enough to miss them with an ‘Oops’.
Conceiving an organizational chart was not vastly different from formulating strategy or tactics. If so, it was normal that she, the descendant of the Zhuge Clan known as the genius of strategy, should be more outstanding than Yeon Ho-jeong.
However, the revealed result was completely different.
“What on earth is your identity?”
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“Are you still saying that?”
“No, it’s because I’m really curious. Setting aside martial arts, these parts are parts that even decent scholars wouldn’t think of.”
“While acting like a playboy when I was young, I also did a lot of studying this and that.”
“What and how did you study that there is nothing you can’t do.”
It was understandable that Zhuge Ah-yeon felt dumbfounded.
In reality, Yeon Ho-jeong had never properly studied in these areas. However, he had the experience of waving the flag of victory on a battlefield where it was hard to survive even while fiercely racking his brain day by day.
He was the person who established the giant organization called the Dark Emperor Castle, and directly participated in placing personnel and founding the organization there.
He hadn’t learned it with his head, but his experience of looking into the emptiness and reality of an organization on the field exceeded ten years. It was natural that he was bound to be more outstanding than Zhuge Ah-yeon.
“Anyway, this much is worth looking at.”
“What do you mean worth looking at?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon rarely put on a serious face.
“This, are you really going to give it to Yang Cheon?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll speak honestly. I think this is dangerous.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“There is a saying to deceive your allies first to deceive the enemy, but I don’t want to use such a method if possible. Instead, I have the certainty that one shouldn’t push forward something clumsy when making a transaction with the enemy.”
“Huu.”
“Don’t worry. No matter how solid the organizational chart is, what makes up that organization is ultimately people.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon spoke as if she was displeased.
“I know that too. That’s why we made it in that way, isn’t it. Thinking about the future of the Black Dragon Manor.”
“That’s right. However, even if we hand this over, they won’t be able to arrange it like this immediately. Because there are few talents who can be called experts in each field.”
“It would be better to give this to the Murim Alliance…….”
“No.”
Yeon Ho-jeong firmly dismissed it.
“The Murim Alliance is a coalition. They don’t show it on the surface, but their respective interests are clear. Such an organizational chart does not suit such a place. Rather, it is an organizational chart that will turn it into an Asura realm to grab power from each other.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Look at Murong Jun. They don’t say it, but his faction members are also merely trying to become the best by putting Murong Jun forward, they didn’t actually set up Murong Jun as the party representative.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon furrowed her brows.
“Then are you saying the Unorthodox is different?”
“At least for now.”
“Why do you think so?”
“The Unorthodox is wicked. Among them, the truly wicked guys fight without even minimum rules. However, the Unorthodox has one advantage that the Orthodox doesn’t possess.”
“What is that?”
“The fact that their oppressed years have been long.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon opened her eyes wide.
“Why is that an advantage?”
“It is an advantage. If you think about how much the resentment they harbor will be reversed into passion and hope when they gather as one.”
At that moment, Zhuge Ah-yeon felt goosebumps.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“Isn’t the world originally like that? Stagnant water is bound to rot, but conversely, turbid water can become clear at any time. The Orthodox and the Unorthodox are like that as well.”
“…….”
“So I think that the Orthodox definitely also holds responsibility for the Unorthodox becoming a gutter like this.”
“The Orthodox also holds responsibility…….”
Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s just my thought. Don’t mind it too much.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon chuckled.
“I’m not minding it, right? I’m just trying to memorize it fluently because it sounds like cool words.”
“You’re being funny.”
“So, when are you going to Yang Cheon? Was it tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
Thick fatigue was cast on Zhuge Ah-yeon’s face. Sitting loosely on the chair, she grumbled.
“Then is it okay to just rest today? Since I have nothing to do.”
“Yeah. Rest a bit.”
“……Somehow it sounds like words saying you have work left to do?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.
“Even if only in pattern, a group leader is a group leader, so I can’t just be resting just because there’s no work for a day, right?”
“Don’t do that and wanna have a drink with me?”
“You haven’t forgotten that we are in the middle of a mission, right, Strategist-nim?”
“Bullshit.”
“Rest.”
Ending with those words, Yeon Ho-jeong left the room.
Zhuge Ah-yeon smiled and looked at the door.
“Really, how did I end up getting entangled with you like this. It’s a truly strange connection, isn’t it?”
Coming outside, Yeon Ho-jeong looked around at the work Ga Deuk-sang and Pae-yul were doing.
Ga Deuk-sang was facing the wall every day and receiving information given by the union members. And based on that information, he organized and informed the current atmosphere of Changsha, Mount Yuelu, and furthermore the entire Hunan Province.
On the other hand, Pae-yul’s every day was a continuation of training. He was training the sword technique he showed Yeon Ho-jeong the other day, and in that short time, his proficiency had risen surprisingly.
And Tang Sang-ah.
‘…….’
Yeon Ho-jeong touched the thin and long cylinder held in his arms.
Its length was a little less than a ja, and its thickness was not even a finger’s joint.
However, inside it, hidden weapons capable of sending hundreds of people to hell were built in. It was a type of cow-hair needle, and a deadly poison was smeared on needles as thin as hair.
Of course, the cylinder Yeon Ho-jeong brought had no hidden weapons. It was because it had already been fired once.
Yeon Ho-jeong made a decision.
‘There’s no reason to hide it for no reason. Let’s show it to her.’
The reason he had not shown it to Tang Sang-ah until now was because of her personality.
She lacked experience. This kind of mission was also her first.
If so, she would inevitably become frantic to find the source of this item, and the probability of making a mistake at an important moment would increase.
‘Still, I can’t hide it forever.’
It was more beneficial to rather show it and do even a little more investigation. He judged it like that.
It was when Yeon Ho-jeong was about to head to Tang Sang-ah’s dwelling.
Kkiiik!
The main gate opened roughly.
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned. The person who entered the manor was none other than the Fire Ape.
‘What is it?’
Huuk.
An unusual wave of qi flowed out from the Fire Ape’s body.
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“What is the matter?”
Fire Ape glared at him without answering.
Yeon Ho-jeong furrowed his brows.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly. Before that, fold those eyes I hate to see.”
“Was it you?”
“Don’t you usually hear the evaluation that your eloquence is amazing? Causing the opponent to feel curious, if that’s an ability too, then it’s an ability.”
It was quite a sly response. However, the Fire Ape did not seem to be in the mood to play around.
“You must know what I am talking about.”
“I don’t know why you keep spouting dogshit as a mere monkey.”
Cheucheucheucheu.
A frank killing intent bloomed from the body of Ape Leg, who followed behind the Fire Ape.
Deolkeong!
As Ape Leg’s killing intent was added to the Fire Ape’s unusual aura, the companions could not stay still either.
Ga Deuk-sang, Pae-yul, Zhuge Ah-yeon, and Tang Sang-ah revealed their appearances.
Fire Ape growled.
“I ask for the last time. If you do not answer honestly, all of you will be…… in this place.”
“I will also say it for the last time.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes became transparent like glass beads.
Huk.
The wave of qi faintly spewing out seized the entire manor in a single breath. The blue-green azure majesty, it was the manifestation of the Azure Dragon Qi.
Surprise lingered in the Fire Ape’s two eyes.
“If you don’t retract your killing intent right now, I will pluck the neck of that bug bastard who makes a mess without knowing the place to run wild first, and condemn you bitch.”
“……!”
“Don’t want to? Good.”
Uuuuung!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s pupils were dyed deep blue in an instant.
“I was feeling like dogshit anyway, I guess you got caught at a good time.”
Fire Ape shouted.
“Could you bastards be the Ghost Iron……!”
At that moment, she saw an illusion as if flames were soaring from Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.
Huk! Peoeoeok!
“Keuaaak!”
With a terrible scream, Ape Leg collapsed. The startled Fire Ape looked behind.
Ududuk!
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at the Fire Ape while stepping on Ape Leg’s chest.
As if languid, or as if indifferent.
Fire Ape unconsciously swallowed her saliva at the mad eye light that was hard to describe with a pen and tongue.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled brightly and said.
“Won’t you wait a little bit? I have to pluck this guy’s neck first.”