Chapter 265: Confession (3)
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Kwang!
“Alright, that’s it for today.”
The soldiers who had been sprawled out everywhere quickly stood up and bowed their heads.
“You worked hard!”
“Yeah, you guys too.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was walking with the Crazy Dragon Axe over his shoulder, pointed at Peng Man-ho.
“Man-ho.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
“It would be better to pay a bit more attention to your footwork.”
“Footwork?”
“Your saber technique is a martial art of power. Since your saber technique has become much lighter and faster, you now need to know how to load weight onto it. In order to pressure and suppress the opponent, you must receive strength starting from your lower body. It would be good to pay attention to it.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Following that, Yeon Ho-jeong called Yeo-guk.
“Are you not feeling well these days? Your sword speed has minutely slowed down.”
“I have been fascinated by the blunt sword recently. If my sword speed has slowed down, I suspect it might be the influence of that.”
“What kind of martial principles you cultivate is for you to decide on your own, but your actual combat ability must not drop. Right now it’s only to the extent that your sword speed has slowed, but as time passes, it will definitely create an opening.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“If you want to dig a bit deeper into the blunt sword, I recommend doing hand arts training in parallel. If that’s difficult, try considering the hand not holding the sword as another sword. Just that one piece of awareness alone will be of sufficient help.”
“Thank you.”
“Good.”
The last person he called was Song Yeon-gyeong.
“Yeon-gyeong.”
“Yes, Army Commander.”
“The force of your spearmanship is amazing. I think it would be fine to move on to the next stage soon.”
“R-really?”
“However, the increase in strength inevitably causes one to lose delicacy. The Emei Sect’s spearmanship is mainly focused on straight and grand strong strikes, so you have to pay more attention. Your realm of spearmanship has deepened, but if you cannot control your strength, the colleague next to you could get hurt.”
“Ah…!”
“When it is hard to control with true qi, single-arm training is good. Try to make an effort to be able to control with one hand what you used to swing with both hands. Your true qi will naturally adjust its strength and weakness to match that.”
“Thank you.”
“However, as you are controlling a heavy weapon with one hand, it could put a strain on your joints. Make sure to circulate your qi morning and evening to sufficiently soothe your joints.”
“Yes.”
“Right, you worked hard.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s discernment was sharp and accurate.
Conversely, his advice was boundlessly flexible. He treated all the soldiers the same, but when giving advice to individuals, he responded according to that person’s personality.
It was a minute difference, but that difference was what created a deeper trust. Yeon Ho-jeong, who had only been accustomed to the aggressive methods of the Unorthodox, was also acquiring something called delicacy before he knew it.
“Whew.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon blew a low whistle.
“Why are you like this today?”
“Like what?”
“You’re exceptionally affectionate today, aren’t you? Did something happen?”
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“I am originally affectionate.”
“Don’t make me laugh, you atrocious bastard.”
“It’s a public setting.”
“Don’t make me laugh, you atrocious sir.”
“Argh!”
Yeon Ho-jeong left the spot, shaking his head in disgust.
Zhuge Ah-yeon shouted.
“Where are you going? You said you’d look over the newly made attack formation!”
“I saw it earlier.”
“When!”
“I saw it when you were sprawled out resting. It was fine. I wrote down the parts to supplement on the tactical map, so you can just refer to it.”
“Urgh?!”
“I’m going first. And Muk Bi, come in by the beginning of the You hour today. Father might be waiting.”
With those words, Yeon Ho-jeong left the training ground.
Zhuge Ah-yeon looked at his retreating back with a sullen face.
“Is something really up with that guy?”
She turned back to Muk Bi.
Muk Bi, who had been sitting and resting, blinked her two eyes like a cow.
“Why?”
“Older Sister.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it that guy’s birthday today?”
“No? There was no such talk, though?”
“But what is he so busy with that he’s hurrying like that?”
“He did say he had something to talk about calling his father and everyone. Other than that, I don’t know?”
“Something to talk about?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon scratched her head.
From what she heard, it seemed to be a family matter. No matter how deep their friendship was, trying to find out about family matters was excessive rudeness.
‘Hmm.’
Zhuge Ah-yeon looked at Muk Bi again.
Muk Bi shrank her neck for no reason.
“Why are you like that, younger sister?”
“Older Sister, you are completely family, family.”
“Me? Whose family?”
“That guy’s family.”
“Yeah, his father accepted me as a family member.”
“I know that, but.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon shook her head.
“At any rate, that family is a subject of study in many ways.”
She had already heard and knew about how Muk Bi had come to belong to the Yeon Clan.
Yeon Wi hadn’t accepted Muk Bi as a family member because her martial arts were useful. He had accepted her as family simply because she was his son’s friend and had no connections.
It was a rare trust in the rough Jianghu. Furthermore, just looking at the change in Muk Bi’s personality, one could tell how much the Yeon family took care of her.
‘That’s why they are strong.’
Most forces in the Murim are closed off.
However, the Yeon Clan was not like that. Unlike other sects, they were showing a quite open aspect.
If they were not strong, they wouldn’t be able to show such boldness. And because they showed such boldness, they couldn’t help but become even stronger.
“Now, let’s practice this formation a bit in one ke (15 minutes). Older Sister, you’ll help together too, right?”
“Of course.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who returned to his residence, washed cleanly and changed into his everyday clothes.
Hwiiiiiing.
It was the same during training, but the wind was exceptionally fierce today. Seeing that it was getting dark even though it wasn’t time for the sun to set yet, it seemed like it would snow soon.
“It’s repulsive.”
There was no place among all regions of the Central Plains he hadn’t been to, but as the Emperor of the Unorthodox, his base was the southern part of the Central Plains. And in the southern part of the Central Plains, there were few opportunities to see snow.
The Dabie Mountains where the Murim Alliance was located was different. Truly, it snowed almost every other day, and once it started falling, it was common for it to pile up to his knees.
“This is why I generally avoided winter.”
Even when fighting battles with the Orthodox Murim while he was the Lord of the Dark Emperor Castle, he generally avoided winter.
It didn’t matter when they were setting up defensive lines. But when continuing an offensive, the cold weather of the north held back the soldiers’ ankles.
Just because one had learned internal energy didn’t mean they didn’t feel the cold. Of course, there were many masters who had entered the realm of imperviousness to heat and cold and didn’t feel the heat and cold, but the majority could not.
For such people, battles in winter were excessively harsh.
“Now…”
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
“I’m tired of fighting too. I don’t know when this act of fighting will disappear.”
Probably, as long as humans lived on this land, there would be no day when fights and disputes ceased.
‘But at least I’ll be able to end my fight.’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes emitted a fierce blue light.
‘Yang Cheon will probably start responding in earnest before long too.’
He had framed Black Sheep as a traitor and stuck him in his residence. Yang Cheon would also be doubting the Evil Lust Cult, and furthermore the Three Cults of Fanaticism as a whole.
‘The Evil Lust Cult planned to use the Black Dragon Manor as a bridgehead to the Central Plains. But since Yang Cheon found out, I’ve indirectly stopped their advance to the Central Plains.’
Hwareureuk.
As he thought of the Evil Lust Cult, the Vermilion Bird Qi surged without him realizing it.
His heart became hot in an instant, and his blood circulation quickened. His pupils, which had been clear and deep, gradually flushed with a red light.
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
Huk.
The blazing flame soon calmed down.
The anger toward those bastards would not fade for his entire life as long as those bastards didn’t disappear.
However, controlling that anger was possible.
‘This anger, which has even lost its direction now, I just have to gather it up to the limit and burst it out when I meet those bastards.’
The expression of Yeon Ho-jeong, who opened his eyes again, was extremely calm.
Hwiiiiiing.
The wind gradually grew fiercer.
As time passed, thin snowflakes began to tell the direction the wind was blowing from.
Yeon Ho-jeong lit the candle on the table.
Hwoong.
The candlelight swayed precariously in the wind rattling the window.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly looking at the candlelight, closed his eyes again.
His figure sitting upright in the chair with his eyes closed looked as quiet and solid as a stone Buddha that would guard its spot even after a thousand years had passed.
And again, time flowed.
“Did I arrive too early?”
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his eyes.
Before he knew it, Yeon Wi had entered the room.
“Have you arrived?”
“Yeah.”
Yeon Wi brushed his shoulders.
“It’s snowing again. Somehow it seems to be snowing more than last year.”
“I’ll clear the area around the quarters at dawn tomorrow.”
“Yeah, please do. I have a meeting caught from dawn.”
Yeon Wi sat opposite Yeon Ho-jeong.
He spoke as if puzzled.
“What about Bi-ah?”
“I told her to come by the beginning of the You hour. She should be here soon.”
“Okay.”
With that, the conversation was cut off for a brief moment.
The father and son sat like that with the candlelight between them, looking at each other without a word.
There was not a sliver of wavering in Yeon Wi’s eyes as he looked at Yeon Ho-jeong. They were merely boundlessly clear and deep.
On the other hand, the look in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes as he looked at Yeon Wi was just as deep, but constantly swaying.
How much time had passed?
Yeon Wi smiled and opened his mouth.
“A letter came from Ji-pyeong.”
“Is that so?”
“He said he would drop by the Alliance soon.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“The distance is considerable, I don’t know if he’ll be fine alone.”
“In the meantime, a lot of time has passed without us realizing. Ji-pyeong’s age is also eighteen once the year passes, isn’t it?”
“Has it already become like that?”
Yeon Wi clicked his tongue.
“It doesn’t matter if you forget your father’s age, but at least remember the age of your younger brother.”
“Well, he’ll surely grow up well on his own.”
“Growing up well and taking care of him are different matters. In the future when this father dies, shouldn’t the two of you live relying on each other?”
“…”
“That is why brothers are good. Do not regret it later, and make an effort to take care of him much more when you can.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Yeah.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly looking at Yeon Wi, opened his mouth.
“Father.”
“Speak.”
“Even so, do not speak like that as if you are going to leave right away.”
Yeon Wi smiled.
“How could I go anywhere out of anxiety leaving you two guys who are boundlessly lacking? I will at least see my grandchildren marry before I go.”
“Yes, if you see that much, it’s fine to go.”
“This punk.”
“Haha.”
At that time, a sliver of presence was felt.
“Bi-ah has arrived.”
“So it seems.”
As soon as Yeon Ho-jeong’s answer ended, the door opened and Muk Bi entered.
“Whew, it’s incredibly col… Keok! F-Father?!”
“Have you arrived?”
“I-I’m sorry. I’m very late, right?”
“Late, nothing. I came too early. And so what if you’re late? If you’re busy, it can be like that.”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a small voice.
“She probably wasn’t busy.”
Muk Bi glared at Yeon Ho-jeong with glaring eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong blew a whistle with his head turned away.
Yeon Wi chuckled.
“Have a seat.”
“Ah, yes!”
Muk Bi quickly sat down on the chair.
Yeon Wi and Yeon Ho-jeong brushed off the snow on her shoulders as if they had been waiting. Muk Bi’s face turned red.
“It’s fine, though…”
Yeon Wi didn’t say anything.
Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.
“At least roughly brush it off before coming in. Really sloppy, seriously.”
Muk Bi glared at Yeon Ho-jeong again.
A lethal momentum that the Crazy Dragon Axe wouldn’t even be a match for resided in her eyes. Yeon Ho-jeong quickly turned his head away.
Yeon Wi looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“It seems everyone who needs to gather has gathered. I asked Strategist Zhuge earlier, and he said you told him to come one shichen later?”
“That’s right.”
“So you have something to talk about separately just with us.”
“Yes.”
“You surely called us to tell us the secret you haven’t spoken of until now?”
“Not anymore.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took a light, deep breath.
“I will not keep it a secret anymore. From today onwards.”