Chapter 339: Aiming at the Light (7)
Hearing Zhuge Wen-hu’s explanation, Yeon Wi had no change in expression.
He didn’t seem surprised at all. At least looking from the outside, it was so.
Zhuge Wen-hu spoke carefully.
“I deliberated sufficiently, but it is a dangerous situation right now anyway. Originally, I wanted to decide after having one more conversation with the Clan Head, but…”
“It is fine. You do not have to pay so much attention to me. Regarding this matter, no one knows when or what will happen, right?”
“Heoheo.”
“I have spoken to Ho-jeong separately. Since we’re at it, it would be good to go stably, but if it is a case fighting for urgency, let’s trust each other’s decisions. It’s hard to fight them without that level of trust, right?”
“Your words are correct. Also, I had many worries about whether I was committing the error of beating the grass to scare the snake. Even if we join hands for now, I said I wouldn’t completely trust Murong Jun and would go into a detailed investigation. Whatever the case may be, since there is a high probability that he made a certain transaction with Yang Cheon, he could have also made a connection with the Evil Lust Cult.”
“I understand. However…”
“Yes?”
Yeon Wi’s eyes deepened.
He knew his son’s past life.
‘Is such a confirmation process really necessary? I heard he fought that guy Murong Jun risking their lives.’
Of course, the environment then and the environment now are far too different. From what he heard from his son, the Black Dragon Manor didn’t even exist back then.
Yeon Wi hardened his expression and spoke.
“Even if we form a temporary alliance with Murong Jun, my worry is how far we can trust him.”
“That problem is also a worry for this person, but.”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes shone.
“If he makes up his mind to join us, at least the aspect will be different from the time with the Black Dragon Manor.”
“Because you will have to tell him that the Evil Lust Cult is secretly aiming for the Black Dragon Manor?”
“That is correct. Of course, this is if Murong Jun has no relation to the Three Cults at all. We will have to watch for now.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“I haven’t said it all this time, but I was relieved at least regarding that part.”
“Why is that?”
“I do not know how the Strategist views him, but Ho-jeong views him like a poisoned sword. He is a hard-to-find famous sword, but a poisoned sword that can endanger even the one wielding it.”
“That is an accurate metaphor.”
“I am different. The Murong Jun I saw is not a sword. He is merely a tiger whose greed is greater than anyone else’s. A tiger only wants to become the master of the mountain, it does not sit together with other beasts capable of playing the king.”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes shone.
Yeon Wi calmly continued speaking.
“The fact that he joined hands with Yang Cheon is nothing more than an extremely exceptional matter. Since his own life was in immediate danger, he had no other choice. Furthermore, Murong Jun has no thought of dividing the world in two with Yang Cheon to begin with. From the start, he only wishes to step over even Yang Cheon and become the number one power-holder under heaven.”
“That is right.”
“The Three Cults of Fanaticism join in there? There’s no way. In truth, the way I see it, his pride is just self-indulgent. However, I was certain in my own way about this one thing. I don’t know if he knows about the Three Cults, but he wouldn’t have joined hands with them.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, who pondered for a moment, nodded.
“I see. Thinking like that, it’s understandable that the Clan Head is certain.”
Once a person begins to suspect someone, they become obsessed only with the process without seeing the results caused by that person’s actions.
Looked at from that aspect, one definitely had to see that Murong Jun had no point of contact with the Three Cults. Because if he had joined hands with the Three Cults, there wouldn’t have even been a need to engage in such a greed-filled political struggle.
“It was like that during the Black Dragon Manor time too. He was thoroughly keeping Yang Cheon in check. The reason being, he was a difficult enemy he would definitely have to clash with someday.”
“That is so. Of course, since there is the one-in-ten-thousand chance, let’s watch for now.”
“Let’s do that. Because people are bound to change at any time.”
Yeon Wi sighed.
“If he becomes an ally… you will probably clash with him a lot. Because that person doesn’t know what a line is.”
“Perhaps, we might actually get along well.”
“Hmm?”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled bitterly.
“Because this person has also begun to cross the line.”
* * *
Murong Jun’s eyes trembled.
His insides were shaken by the unexpected, highly destructive attack. It was a relief that he somehow blocked and deflected it well; if he had made the slightest mistake, he would have almost vomited blood.
But right now, such things were not the important situation.
“…What nonsense is that?”
Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t answer. He merely glared at Murong Jun with eyes flashing with killing intent.
Surprise appeared on Murong Jun’s face.
“Three Cults? They gave help in establishing the Black Dragon Manor?”
“Furthermore, they are currently moving secretly in the Imperial Family and the government as well.”
“…!”
Murong Jun, who had been glaring back at Yeon Ho-jeong with a face full of shock, soon showed a fishy smile.
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re trying to play with me now with a ridiculous lie.”
His voice trembled faintly. Although he said that, he, too, knew that Yeon Ho-jeong was sincere.
Just like the words he had spoken, the axe Yeon Ho-jeong swung was filled only with sincerity.
Knowing the opponent through martial arts. In the brief clash with Yeon Ho-jeong, Murong Jun couldn’t feel any embellishment or lie.
“I ask again.”
Hwiiiiiiiiing!
A fierce white storm wrapped around the Crazy Dragon Axe.
“The Three Cults of Fanaticism, that is, the Evil Lust Cult, the Divine Fire Cult, and the Mad Blood Cult, did you know even one of these places?”
“I told you to stop talking nonsense.”
His voice became a level calmer. Instinctively, he had collected his mind.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes darkened like a bottomless pit.
‘You killed me. Even though the Divine Fire and Mad Blood evidently existed besides the Evil Lust Cult. No matter how much you feared my power, I can’t understand why you buried an existence like me who would have protected your people too.’
The problem was this.
‘A person can change at any time.’
Murong Jun was a person who had established his own school. But change does not discriminate between men and women of all ages, the gap between rich and poor, let alone the strong and the weak.
What if Yang Cheon had told him about the Evil Lust Cult by any chance? What if Murong Jun knew about it?
Of course, if it were the Murong Jun that Yeon Ho-jeong knew, he would have proposed to stop the political struggle and attack those bastards first.
But Murong Jun didn’t do that. Therefore, the Murong Jun that Yeon Ho-jeong knew did not know of the existence of the Three Cults.
‘However, I could be wrong.’
He had to approach cautiously. For the sake of his current caution, he had run boldly right up to this point.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth opened again.
“I ask for the last time.”
Chiiiiiik!
The cold wind boiled up terrifyingly in front of Yeon Ho-jeong’s killing intent.
“Murong Jun. Did you join hands with the Three Cults?”
Finally, Murong Jun exploded in anger.
“I told you not to talk nonsense!”
Crack!
At Murong Jun’s explosive strike, Yeon Ho-jeong retreated backwards madly.
It was a single sword strike that solely utilized power, with its flaws in its movements completely exposed. It was extremely easy to counterattack, but Yeon Ho-jeong took his sword strike as it was.
Rip!
Blue electric light blazed on the Crazy Dragon Axe and disappeared. Murong Jun’s Lightning Qi had failed to pierce Yeon Ho-jeong’s internal energy shield.
Puseuseuseu.
White smoke rose from the Crazy Dragon Axe.
Killing intent steadily flowed out of Murong Jun’s eyes. Its density did not fall behind Yeon Ho-jeong’s killing intent at all.
“Your arrogance has crossed the degree. I will not kill you today, but I will sternly fix your bad manners.”
There was no time for Yeon Ho-jeong to answer.
Boom!
Murong Jun shot out like a ray of light. It was a tremendous speed not inferior to Yeon Ho-jeong’s Blood Wing Sweeping Heavens.
Murong Jun’s true skills, wrapped in Lightning Qi all over his body. Blue electric light blazed on the precious sword he swung along with his explosive advance.
Yeon Ho-jeong unfolded the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps.
Rumble!
Along with a loud roaring sound, the bark of a few trees far away was harshly scraped off.
Rip! Hwiiiiiiiiing!
A terrifying gust of wind and eerie Lightning Qi scratched past everywhere.
Murong Jun’s power, unsparingly unleashing his original power, was truly unconventionality itself. To the point where even Yeon Ho-jeong, who did not fall behind anyone in terms of power, was swept away for a moment. In terms of the Strong Sword, he seemed even stronger than his father.
Murong Jun swung his sword again.
Crack! Crack!
A sword is double-edged, and because its thickness is thin, it is more specialized for thrusting than cutting.
But Murong Jun’s sword was different. He struck down with formidable power as if Yeon Ho-jeong was swinging an axe, and the power of ten thousand geun was loaded into a single sword strike.
Kwaaang!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s two feet dug into the ground.
His martial power had grown yet another level by forming the Yeon Clan’s Divine Elixir. Nevertheless, he was pushed back in strength. Murong Jun’s realm was definitely higher, but it was the first time he was pushed back in strength even in a decisive battle with a master of this caliber.
However.
‘…’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s two eyes were clear and cold.
He was bleeding from his mouth due to internal injuries, but his expression and gaze did not waver at all. He was merely knocking away Murong Jun’s martial arts one by one with tranquil eyes.
‘Why is he so angry?’
There was no need to necessarily strike back with strength against strength.
Murong Jun’s strength was definitely amazing, but because it was an attack driven while he was almost not in his right mind, it had many flaws. If he properly launched a counterattack, it wouldn’t be difficult to land a fatal blow.
But Yeon Ho-jeong did not counterattack. He didn’t even aim for his flaws.
He merely steadily received Murong Jun’s Strong Sword.
‘Are you getting angry to hide your connection with the Three Cults? Or are you angry at the fact that there are more bastards like the Medical God Society? Or are you indignant at the fact that you became a fool alone? If it’s not even that, were you ashamed of yourself for turning a blind eye until now even though you knew?!’
Seeing the vessel through martial arts.
To see the vessel, one must read true intentions, and to read true intentions, Qi and Qi must clash.
Getting to know. Each other’s true intentions.
In Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, Murong Jun’s true intentions were slowly being seen.
Jjeo-eong! Crack!
Speed was added to strength.
Just as Yeon Ho-jeong was reading Murong Jun’s true intentions, Murong Jun also began to feel Yeon Ho-jeong’s true intentions.
That he wasn’t lying, that he was sincerely doubting him.
Furthermore, how deeply he hated the unknown organization called the Three Cults of Fanaticism.
In Murong Jun’s eyes, a different scene slowly began to be seen.
Hwareureureureuk!
The earth was parched, and the sky was dyed a deep red by surging flames.
Countless corpses were tumbling about everywhere. And in the midst of that, a young man was screaming while shedding tears of blood.
It was Yeon Ho-jeong. Yeon Ho-jeong was crying and wailing while holding his bleeding father and younger brother.
For a moment, Murong Jun tasted the feeling of a chill running down his spine.
‘This bastard.’
As if an illusion, or perhaps not an illusion.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s heart was felt. His heart worrying about the future, his tension and sorrow worrying about a world that would become hell even with sufficient preparations, was felt.
The true intention of a warrior worrying that his family would die was felt exactly.
‘Are you going to that extent?’
Even looking into the truth of true intentions through martial arts is not easy to read if the opponent controls their Qi.
‘Is he showing that true intention to me for the first time.’
The steel fortress gate opens.
Qi is the mind, and the mind is the heart of the soul that enables a person to move like a person.
And right now, Yeon Ho-jeong was unhesitatingly showing it. He was hoping Murong Jun would understand through his Qi.
How much he hated the Three Cults, and what a worrisome existence they were.
In an instant, Murong Jun’s eyes poured out blue lightning light.
Crack!
This single sword strike was a more perfect sword strike than ever before.
Strength and speed, martial principles and timeliness, everything was contained within it.
“Cough!”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had retreated about ten steps, vomited a handful of blood.
It was a sword strike whose power and Infiltration Force had reached an immense level. Avoiding it was the best policy, but he had persistently received even the last sword strike.
Yeon Ho-jeong wiped his mouth and stared ahead.
Murong Jun, who had lowered his sword downwards at some point, was looking at Yeon Ho-jeong with an expressionless face.
“…”
Silence flowed once again.
And the one to break this silence was also Murong Jun.
“Do you believe me?”
“Ptooey!”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who spat out blood, answered with a cold voice.
“I don’t believe you. However, I believe in your abilities.”
It was the same question and answer as when they had to work together on an operation before infiltrating the Black Dragon Manor in the past.
Murong Jun, who had been silently staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, sheathed his sword.
Swoosh. Clack!
The sound of the sword blade entering the scabbard was as smooth as a line of a song. His mind had completely calmed down.
Murong Jun turned his body.
“Tomorrow at noon, I will go to the Army-Destroying Pavilion. Gather those who know this fact.”
“Don’t do anything foolish in the meantime. I will go to the Successor of the Beggars’ Gang right now and tell him to control all of the Murong Clan’s residences.”
Murong Jun stopped walking.
He turned his head and glared at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“You should gather all information about those bastards called the Three Cults or whatever. By any chance, if there was even a little bit of a lie mixed in the words you said today, tomorrow the Army-Destroying Pavilion will become a sea of blood.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Murong Jun, who had turned his body again, left the forest.
Thud.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who put down the Crazy Dragon Axe, sighed.
“Let’s live a bit easily, you human.”
The emotions revealed were sincere. However, he didn’t know everything about Murong Jun. He was that kind of person.
Now only one thing remained.
“If you play foolish tricks like when I died, at that time, even if there is Elder Brother’s request, I will pull out the Murong Clan by its roots.”