Chapter 421: Between Peace and Strife (7)

Yayul Jeok, the Yin God, had devised an assassination plot beyond anything anyone could have imagined. Yet thanks to the efforts of the Righteous Justice Corps and the Beggars’ Union, along with the arrival of wholly unexpected reinforcements, the operation was brought to an end with the losses kept to the minimum possible.

Of course, many officials still lost their lives. Twenty-nine had been killed, and every one of them had played a fairly important role in Guangdong Province’s administration or public security.

However, the twelve truly pivotal figures at the heart of the provincial government had survived. Yeon Hojeong and the reclusive masters of Foshan had acted quickly enough to stop the assassination attempts just before they succeeded.

Thus, the operation to minimize the chaos in Guangdong could be called a partial success. The losses had been severe, but if the officials of the Regional Military Commission rallied around left Provincial Administration Commissioner Jong Myeong and worked together, they should be able to restore order to Guangdong before long.

But Guangdong Province was not the only side to suffer.

The Demon-Sweeping Corps of the Righteous Justice Corps had taken heavy losses. After occupying the Night Citadel and engaging the enemy, it had suffered casualties approaching half its strength.

The damage was staggering. Given the enemy they had been facing, they had embarked on the mission knowing losses were inevitable, but it was still a bitter experience for both Mo Yong-woo and Yeon Hojeong.

Considering the numbers and skill of the Dark Emperor Corps, however, limiting their own losses to that extent was itself an extraordinary achievement. The Dark Emperor Corps knew every inch of the Night Citadel. Holding them off at such a cost was, if anything, worthy of praise.

Yes.

It had been an impressive achievement.

By the numbers, there was no denying that.

But the men who actually belonged to the corps could hardly be expected to feel the same way.

It had been a mission that inflicted tremendous losses and left wounds of every kind behind.

And even now, the crisis was not over.

*****

“Are you all right?”

“I am.”

Ga Deoksang quietly studied Mo Yong-woo’s face before letting out a low sigh.

“I’m sorry. Part of the reason the Demon-Sweeping Corps suffered such heavy losses was that our intelligence team responded too slowly.”

Mo Yong-woo shook his head.

“Don’t say that. You did everything you could, Successor. And not just you. Everyone did. Who could we possibly blame for what happened? Everyone gave their utmost. Everyone put their lives on the line.”

“Haa...”

Normally, Ga Deoksang would have tried to lighten the mood somehow, but no matter how he thought about it, this was not the time.

He cautiously spoke again.

“How are things in the Demon-Sweeping Corps?”

Mo Yong-woo answered honestly.

“I wouldn’t call them good.”

“...Of course not.”

“I believe the Demon-Sweeping Corps is a well-trained organization. But there’s no getting around our lack of experience. And that includes the experience of losing comrades.”

“...”

“I always knew it would happen someday. That my subordinates—and I myself—might eventually die to an enemy’s blade. There was even a time when I tried not to get too attached to them because of that.”

Mo Yong-woo looked up at the sky.

It seemed unusually dark today.

“But how could anyone live like that? If anything, knowing I might lose them at any time means I should value them more. I should be closer to them and give them as many good memories as I can.”

“You’re right.”

“Before we set out, every one of us exchanged last words. We’ll keep doing so in the future. That is the lot of the warriors serving in the Martial Alliance’s field forces—and perhaps the fate of every martial artist who belongs to a combat organization.”

In an age of turmoil, everyone lived from one day to the next with their life on the line.

But those who belonged to an organization threw away their lives not for themselves, but for orders. Whether those orders served some great cause or something else entirely, very few of them were ultimately living for their own sake.

That only made the grief deeper.

Made every loss hurt more.

“I heard the Beggars’ Union suffered heavily as well.”

“Just as you said, Commander Mo Yong. It’s our fate.”

In that regard, Ga Deoksang was Mo Yong-woo’s senior by an immeasurable margin.

For members of the Beggars’ Union, one mission simply followed another, day after day. Many died in ways no one could possibly have anticipated, and finding enough time for their own training was difficult even under normal circumstances.

Ga Deoksang had endured countless such deaths before reaching where he stood today.

“By the way, how are people taking it?”

“What do you mean?”

Ga Deoksang clicked his tongue.

“This was the Righteous Justice Corps’ first mission after its creation. Demon-Sweeping & Evil-Smiting has barely had time to become one force, yet the Evil-Smiting Corps suffered almost no losses while the Demon-Sweeping Corps...”

Mo Yong-woo gave a faint laugh.

“I can’t know what every single person is thinking, so I can’t give you an absolute answer. But there is one thing I can say for certain.”

“...?”

“I don’t believe there are any fools in the Demon-Sweeping Corps under my command who would take their resentment over their own losses out on someone else.”

Ga Deoksang shook his head.

“Reality may prove otherwise. They can understand it rationally, but people’s hearts don’t always follow reason.”

“If a soldier can’t manage even that much, then he isn’t qualified to serve in a field-force unit. If I actually find someone in my ranks who thinks that way, I will seriously request his discharge.”

“Then I’m glad.”

Mo Yong-woo said so, but even he could not be certain that not a single soldier under his command resented Yeon Hojeong.

Ga Deoksang was right about human nature.

People told themselves it would never happen to them, but once they became the victim, reason had a way of disappearing.

We’ll have to get through it.

No matter how capable Yeon Hojeong was, he could not see through every scheme his enemies devised.

His vision of the greater game stood at the very summit of the Central Plains, but once actual combat began, responding perfectly to every variable that erupted from moment to moment was anything but easy.

The same would be true even for someone more capable than Yeon Hojeong.

Mo Yong-woo sighed.

“Either way, does this mean the situation in Guangdong has been settled?”

“Only halfway.”

“Halfway?”

“Supreme Commander Yeon’s mission does not end with merely eliminating Yayul Jeok, the Yin God. His orders from above extend to stabilizing the entirety of Guangdong Province.”

Mo Yong-woo’s gaze deepened.

“I never heard that from the Supreme Commander.”

“There was no reason for him to tell you. It wouldn’t hurt for you to know, but neither was it something you particularly needed to know.”

“That’s true enough.”

“My guess is that he’ll let the Demon-Sweeping Corps regroup for a while. Supreme Commander Yeon and the Evil-Smiting Corps will handle whatever remains.”

A puzzled look crossed Mo Yong-woo’s face.

“Speaking of which, where is the Supreme Commander? I haven’t seen him at all since yesterday.”

“Ah. About that...”

Ga Deoksang scratched his head awkwardly.

“Something unexpected came up.”

*****

“Young Master Yeon.”

“Oh. You’re here.”

THUD!

Yeon Hojeong set Mad Dragon down and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Were you training?”

“Something’s been bothering me. I figured if I didn’t deal with it now, I might not get another chance.”

Mookbi’s gaze deepened.

She was one of the people who knew Yeon Hojeong best.

Which meant she knew perfectly well that he felt no small amount of responsibility for the deaths of his men.

But training?

Was this really the time?

Mookbi spoke frankly.

“One mission may be over, but you said there’s another one left.”

“I know.”

She stared at him in silence for a moment before speaking again.

“You still haven’t gone to see the Demon-Sweeping Corps, have you?”

“No. Why?”

“...”

“Commander Mo Yong will be taking care of them.”

“Shouldn’t you still go? So many people died.”

“Now isn’t the time.”

“...”

Yeon Hojeong’s expression was remarkably composed.

Too composed for a commander who had just lost so many men.

Mookbi studied his face for a moment, then nodded.

“Fine. Then give me the next mission.”

“I’ll pass down the orders when the time comes. Until then, focus on recovering. Your internal and external injuries still haven’t fully healed.”

“That’s not what matters right now.”

“It matters more than anything.”

“What?”

Yeon Hojeong looked directly at her.

“The mission isn’t over. What comes next may be even more dangerous. And even if there were no mission, we’re living in a world where an enemy can come at us from anywhere, at any time.”

“...”

“If you belong to an organization, maintaining your body in the best possible condition is the bare minimum. If you want to do your part no matter what happens, then start by preserving your own fighting strength. That comes first.”

“Young Master Yeon.”

“Death can come anywhere, at any time. The entire Evil-Smiting Corps could be wiped out tomorrow. That’s the martial world. That’s the world we live in.”

Yeon Hojeong lifted Mad Dragon and rested it across his shoulder.

“Go get yourself back into shape. I’ll issue separate orders tonight.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Watching his back recede into the distance, Mookbi murmured softly,

“Young Master Yeon... Sometimes I think I know you better than anyone, and sometimes I feel like I don’t know you at all.”

Yeon Hojeong left the temporary quarters and headed into an isolated stretch of hills where few people ever passed.

WOOOOONG.

He wandered without choosing any particular path, glancing around as he went.

Then, all at once, he felt a deep and formidable aura surge into the air.

It was calling him.

Yeon Hojeong immediately changed direction and headed toward it.

A short while later—

“You came.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.

Beomo stood there respectfully.

Beside him sat an old man, looking entirely at ease.

There was something profoundly strange about the old man’s appearance.

Even his age was impossible to judge.

At a glance, he looked well past eighty. Yet his gleaming white teeth and mischievous expression made him seem forty years younger.

His hair stuck out like a lion’s mane, and his clothes were so filthy that their original color could no longer be guessed. From a distance, they looked as though they might once have been a monk’s robes, but even that was difficult to say for certain.

The old man spoke with a teasing expression.

“Well now. I’ve never cared much about being treated with respect in all my life, but surely you know enough to greet an elderly senior?”

“And who says you’re my senior?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t even know who you are. And I have no intention whatsoever of treating some eccentric as my senior when he barged into my mission, threatened people however he pleased, and then ran off.”

Beomo shouted,

“Supreme Commander Yeon! Watch your words! This man is—!”

“That’s enough.”

The old man raised a hand, cutting Beomo off.

“Ha ha. There were certainly a few misunderstandings. But calling it a threat? That seems a little excessive.”

“You don’t think it was a threat?”

“It wasn’t.”

What was with this childish answer?

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes grew cold.

“You told me that if I didn’t come see you at this exact time today, Guangdong’s government offices would be reduced to chaos. If that wasn’t a threat, then what was it?”

“Ha ha ha.”

“You have no need to know this, but I’ll be frank. I am exercising a great deal of restraint right now. If Beomo had not treated you with such deference, I would already have taken up my axe and tried to split your skull open.”

Beomo spoke through a restrained voice.

“Supreme Commander Yeon. This man is someone whom neither you nor anyone in the Martial Alliance can afford to treat carelessly—”

“More than two hundred of my subordinates died in this operation.”

“...!”

“I came here without even stopping to tell my dead men I was sorry. Without telling them they had every right to curse me for it. Do you know why?”

The old man was no longer smiling.

He simply watched Yeon Hojeong with deep, unfathomable eyes.

Yeon Hojeong’s gaze grew colder by the moment.

“Because I knew something was wrong. Because of your existence—and because I have a bad feeling that what remains of this mission will be even harder.”

“...”

“I have no patience for word games. Don’t expect me to treat you as my senior, either. Explain why you called me here, and explain why you made that statement before running off. If you try to waste my time without giving me a proper explanation, I won’t let either of you off.”

His eyes hardened.

“Starting with you. And Beomo along with you.”