Chapter 340: Aiming at the Light (8)
Murong Lotus Flower greeted Murong Jun who entered the residence.
“Father!”
Murong Lotus Flower’s face was dyed with surprise. Her father’s clothing was roughly torn here and there. It was the appearance of one after a bout of fighting no matter who looked at it.
“Are you alright? Don’t tell me that guy Yeon Ho-jeong…?!”
“Lotus Flower.”
“Yes?”
“Return to your residence. I want to be alone.”
Murong Lotus Flower’s complexion, who was about to ask what happened, suddenly turned pale.
Uung. Uung.
Murong Jun, who had been perfectly refining his momentum. However, the moment he exchanged words with his daughter, waves arose in the mind he had been governing well.
The shaking of his mind soon made even his orderly momentum shake. Murong Lotus Flower felt her breath choking at the incomparably ferocious energy wave of the Lightning Art.
She realized at once. That her father’s mood was the worst compared to any moment she had seen.
“…I will come back tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.”
Murong Lotus Flower carefully stepped out of the room.
And a long time later.
Kwang!
Murong Jun’s fist pierced through the wall and embedded deeply.
It was a realm where internal energy unconsciously protected the physical body. Naturally, his fist was completely fine, but his actual mind was not fine.
“…Three Cults of Fanaticism?”
What on earth is that?
They have infiltrated the Imperial Palace and the government and are trying to subvert the world? The Black Dragon Manor is also an organization established due to one of those Three Cults?
…And the power of those organizations is that great, you say?
Bloodshot veins stood in Murong Jun’s eyes.
Kwang! Kwang!
It was a rough punching unlike him. Every time he thrust his fist, large holes were pierced in the wall with a pop.
“Heok heok.”
He was so angry that even the sound of his breathing became rough. If an internal energy master of Murong Jun’s level was to the point of not even being able to govern his breathing, it meant that the disturbance of his mind was not ordinarily large.
But as expected, Murong Jun was Murong Jun. Even amidst the unbearable passion and confusion, his unconsciousness was already trying to regain its coolness.
‘Why am I getting this angry.’
Is this a matter to get this angry about?
He hadn’t been insulted, nor was his bare face completely exposed. Rather, if those words were true, it wouldn’t be enough even if he was thankful to Yeon Ho-jeong.
But why was he this angry? Why couldn’t he suppress his resentment?
‘Is it simply because I was surprised? Or is it because the opponent knows what I do not know? If it’s not even that…’
In an instant, Murong Jun’s eyes flashed.
The reason he was able to push aside his brothers and ascend to the position of Clan Head was thanks to his outstanding talent, terrifying decisiveness, and cold-heartedness capable of casting aside even blood relatives.
However, even if he was born with those many advantages, he wouldn’t have been able to purge his brothers if his brain wasn’t outstanding.
That outstanding brain quickly retraced the past.
‘Right, that guy wasn’t looking at me.’
Yeon Ho-jeong.
Murong Jun had brought down the Myeong Clan together with Yeon Ho-jeong. After that, they clashed countless times and left scars on each other.
But there were times when he couldn’t hide his questioning.
‘His main enemy wasn’t me.’
Yeon Ho-jeong always set up a sharp edge against him. However, bringing him down was not his ultimate goal.
To be more exact, that terrifyingly powerful driving force was not simply to bring him down. There were many attempts to politically annihilate him, but that guy was always looking beyond that.
The sensitive Murong Jun knew that. But he didn’t admit it.
‘I am the best.’
Pride? Self-esteem? Self-worth? Whatever it may be called is fine.
If they were his enemy, they must absolutely not look elsewhere. They must only look at him. The head of the Murong Clan was not such an easy person to give leeway elsewhere.
But Yeon Ho-jeong was different.
‘Why on earth? What was he worrying about?’
In the past, he thought Yeon Ho-jeong was also trying to pursue power like himself. He thought he was doing it to make his own clan the best in the Murim, and furthermore to seize the world.
Was it said that only Buddha is seen in the eyes of a Buddha, and only a pig is seen in the eyes of a pig?
Before he knew it, Murong Jun, even while looking at Yeon Ho-jeong who was so different from him, had concluded that that guy was also no different from him.
“…In other words.”
Murong Jun’s face distorted into an indescribable appearance.
“That guy, had leeway while dealing with this me.”
If Yeon Ho-jeong’s words were true, it means he had known about the bastards called the Three Cults for a long time.
There was no way he would have told him information he had only just learned. He must have told him after carefully thinking about it ten times, no, a hundred times.
So to speak, even though Yeon Ho-jeong had making the Three Cults fall as his ultimate goal, he had been dealing with him on top of overturning the landscape of Murim politics.
“…!!”
Suddenly, Murong Jun felt goosebumps breaking out all over his body.
‘What kind of ridiculous bastard is…?!’
He handled double, triple the work. He had clenched his teeth and endured works until now that would be hard to do even one properly.
It was absolutely impossible for an ordinary person. It was questionable whether even a rare genius could do it. Yeon Wi and Zhuge Wen-hu would have given him help, but it was Yeon Ho-jeong who made those giants move in the first place.
Yeon Ho-jeong was doing all those works. He was keeping an eye on everything, interfering in all situations, and furthermore, he brought everything along without any failures.
“Heoheoheo.”
Murong Jun let out an empty laugh and plopped down on the floor.
“…It wasn’t so, you say?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face came to mind.
The gaze full of experience unlike a young man, the coping ability that freely changed every time the situation changed.
And the wisdom of divine calculation that looked two steps, three steps ahead, which would not be lacking to be described as a foresight ability to those who didn’t know.
“It’s not just that he is the only existence who can fight on equal footing with me, but he was already ahead of me?”
Murong Jun’s fists trembled violently.
He didn’t want to admit it. But if Yeon Ho-jeong’s words were true, this was something he couldn’t not admit.
‘I have to kill him.’
Somewhere in his head, someone whispered.
‘I have to kill him. That guy is a monster. If he is like this even now, how much will he grow in five years, and how much more will he grow in ten years.’
Cold sweat flowed down his spine.
Thinking of Yeon Ho-jeong ten years from now, the view before his eyes was bleak. If that guy endures ten years in this hellish Murim, at that time, he will become a real monster hard to catch even if the entire Murim attacks him in a swarm.
No, will it take ten years? Thinking of that guy’s abilities and talent, it seemed he could become like that even right away next year.
In an instant, someone else whispered in his head.
‘No. He is a target to be killed someday, but not right now. I must absolutely not provoke that guy.’
Why? At least right now I’m stronger than that guy? Wouldn’t it be better to rather make up my mind and assassinate that guy?
‘There’s no way that guy delivered such information to me without even thinking about that, right?’
Murong Jun closed his eyes.
“…It’s absurd.”
How shocked must the great Murong Jun have been that he was wasting time with such nonsensical worries.
Murong Jun leaned his head against the wall.
He had no strength in his body. On the other hand, his head was becoming frighteningly cold.
‘It’s certain. That guy knew about that tribe called the Three Cults of Fanaticism from a very long time ago.’
It was not an expectation but a certainty.
For a very brief moment, he thought it could be a lie. But he quickly folded that thought.
Whether it was himself or Yeon Ho-jeong, they were not small enough vessels to deceive each other with such momentous information. This was a completely different issue from crossing the line or not.
Moreover, while fighting Yeon Ho-jeong, Murong Jun read the sincerity and desperation felt from his Qi.
No matter how outstanding a person is, they couldn’t embellish a revealed sincerity.
‘For that guy to open his heart so wide in front of me means that it is now difficult to hold on.’
The Three Cults, the Black Dragon Manor, himself.
He had endured somehow while handling all those matters, but now he had reached his limit. That was why he came to find him and suggested dealing with the common enemy first.
And that choice of Yeon Ho-jeong was a truly correct one. Because even he would have done so.
When his thoughts reached there, Yeon Ho-jeong’s face came to mind.
The face of that beast hiding his fretfulness with resoluteness.
‘I also hate the Medical God Society. For a different reason than you, though.’
‘To you, the Murim Alliance is a Holy Land. In the eyes of one who wishes to become the master of that Holy Land, those who dared to try and touch the Murim Alliance would not look pretty.’
Murong Jun couldn’t help but chuckle without realizing it.
“He must have been quite urgent. To think he would try to test me talking about the Medical God Society.”
His closed eyes slowly opened.
It felt like his vision was flashing. Like when he was young and suddenly stood up after squatting all day, his head felt heavy.
It was then.
Seureureuk.
Countless presences were read in Murong Jun’s perception.
People revealing their martial auras as if resolving themselves that they had nothing to hide. The martial arts of each individual were so low that Murong Jun would snort at them, but there were quite a few energies among them that could not be ignored.
‘Is it the Beggars’ Gang.’
Dozens of Beggars’ Gang members were surrounding the area of the residence. They were keeping an eye out in case Murong Jun showed any suspicious movements.
Murong Jun did not react sharply. He had already heard those words from Yeon Ho-jeong, and he no longer had the energy to set up a sharp edge.
His gaze headed toward the window.
The moon was bright.
“It’s going to be a long night.”
* * *
Yeon Wi, Zhuge Wen-hu, Muk Bi, and Yeon Ji-pyeong greeted Yeon Ho-jeong who returned to the residence.
“Heok! Elder Brother?!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong approached with a worried face.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
It was not a fine appearance no matter who looked at it. There was blood on his mouth, his hair was disheveled, and his well-dressed clothes were full of cuts and torn marks here and there.
Zhuge Wen-hu hurriedly asked.
“Did you fight Murong Jun?”
“We lightly clashed. Also to confirm that guy’s true intentions.”
“Look here, look at your state. How is that to the degree of lightly clashing?”
“If by any chance that guy truly had a connection with the Three Cults, I had to take action on my end. I sweated a bit after a long time to warm up my body and to also read the opponent’s intentions.”
It meant he fought with the momentum to kill him if things went wrong. Zhuge Wen-hu clicked his tongue at that incomparably ignorant resolve.
“So.”
Yeon Wi asked with a solemn tone.
“How was it in your view?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“With a probability of nine tenths and nine li, Murong Jun did not know.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Wi nodded. It was because he, too, was certain that Murong Jun would not have joined hands with the Three Cults.
Zhuge Wen-hu asked.
“Are you sure?”
“Personally, I am certain, but isn’t there the one-in-ten-thousand chance? That’s why I said nine tenths and nine li. Even if we work together in the future, we shouldn’t let our guard down.”
“Huu, I see.”
Zhuge Wen-hu patted Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder.
“You’ve worked hard. You truly worked hard.”
“No. This much is nothing.”
Yeon Ho-jeong straightened his posture.
“For now, I asked the Successor of the Beggars’ Gang to attach eyes of surveillance around the area of the Murong Clan’s residences.”
“You did well.”
“And by noon tomorrow, please gather everyone who knows of the existence of the Three Cults.”
“Noon tomorrow?”
Yeon Ho-jeong relayed the conversation he had with Murong Jun exactly as it was.
Zhuge Wen-hu nodded.
“That’s like him. Indeed, there is nothing as certain as seeing the faces of those who know.”
“It seems you will also have to prepare the items investigated regarding the Three Cults during that time.”
“Hmm.”
No matter how fiercely they fought in the past, they were now comrades who had to join hands and punish the public enemy. Information sharing was essential.
Yeon Wi spoke.
“Let’s do that. We won’t be able to resolve all past feelings, but from the moment we formed an alliance, there should be nothing hidden from each other.”
“This person thinks so as well.”
After Zhuge Wen-hu replied, he shook his head and let out a sigh.
“Seeing that I keep paying attention even though I know, he was a truly amazing person in a different sense. There aren’t many people who make me pay attention to this extent.”
“He has to aim that amazing ability at the Three Cults. Let’s think positively.”
“We should.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, who let out a short sigh, cupped his fist.
“I will come to the Army-Destroying Pavilion at noon tomorrow. Please rest comfortably. And Army Commander Yeon, you have worked hard.”
“Go safely.”
“Yes. Ah! Before that.”
“Yes?”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes sparkled.
“If we work together with that guy Murong Jun, where do you plan to aim first?”
“We have to aim from a revealed place to know how those bastards will react, right?”
“Let’s aim from the bright place of the Mid-sky… As expected, it’s the Divine Fire Cult.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“When the meeting with Murong Jun ends tomorrow, I will move immediately.”