Chapter 473: At the Martial Alliance (7)

“It’s been a long time... is what I should be saying.”

Gangryang stared at the Yeon father and son in disbelief.

“I thought you two were busy. Did you go off and fight a war somewhere?”

Yeon Wi and Yeon Hojeong looked utterly battered. Their clothes were torn and split in several places, and to exaggerate only slightly, they looked worse than beggars off the street.

Their faces were still flushed from how fiercely they had fought. Their breathing had yet to fully settle.

They were Transcendent Peak masters—true masters standing on the threshold of the Martial God’s realm—yet even they were still catching their breath.

That alone showed how completely they had poured themselves into the fight.

Yeon Wi smiled.

“It has been a while. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you.”

“You’ve improved tremendously too. Hojeong aside, you’re practically a different person from before.”

Among the orthodox factions, few walked a more orthodox martial path than Yeon Wi.

It was not praise one could earn through half-hearted training.

Gangryang gave Yeon Hojeong a strange look.

“I’m still barely learning to walk compared to Brother. More importantly, who won?”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“It wasn’t the kind of spar where we were trying to decide a winner. Though I did realize I still have a long way to go compared to Father.”

Yeon Wi snorted.

“You truly have no shame. You refused to let me land even one proper blow.”

“Weren’t you the same?”

Yeon Hojeong was not saying it merely to flatter his father.

From Yeon Wi’s martial arts, he had been able to read just how fiercely his father had wrestled with himself all this time.

The change could not be judged simply by whether he had grown stronger or advanced to a higher realm.

It was incredible.

The power of his martial arts was impressive enough, but it was the sheer breadth of his transformation that had shocked Yeon Hojeong.

Father is someone who could leave his mark on the orthodox swordsmanship of the Central Plains. But now he’s different. Instead of continuing to dig deeper, he chose to expand outward.

No one could say which path was more efficient.

What mattered was that his father had broken free of his own framework.

Few people were as rigid as Yeon Wi.

And yet that very man had discarded the Yeon Clan’s martial arts again and again, broadening the limits of his swordsmanship each time.

For someone of his temperament, even conceiving of such an approach must have been agonizing. He must have felt, again and again, as though the road he had walked all his life was being denied at its very foundation.

A swamp of shock from which one might never escape once fallen into.

His father had fallen into that swamp countless times.

And countless times, he had climbed back out.

He even incorporated domineering swordsmanship unlike anything from our clan, along with savage chaotic swordplay and swift-sword techniques like those born on a battlefield. And he didn’t merely learn how to use them. He trained until he became a master in those fields.

The Yeon Clan’s martial arts valued restraint and the middle path.

Yet in their duel, his father had displayed extremes and utter disregard for convention.

Had he abandoned the Yeon Clan’s martial arts, then?

Not at all.

Using the Yeon Clan’s martial arts as his foundation, he had created swordsmanship more ruthless than that of the most battle-worn wandering swordsman in the martial world.

A swordsman who could once have been called the very incarnation of the Yeon Clan’s martial arts was now transforming into the incarnation of the sword itself.

How embarrassing.

Yeon Hojeong had secretly prided himself on being second to none when it came to expanding his way of thinking through creative application of martial arts and combat instincts honed to the extreme.

But seeing his father like this made him realize how very far he still had to go.

I thought I had been running without limits. But maybe I’ve actually been leaning on everything I already accomplished in my past life.

Yeon Hojeong smiled at Yeon Wi.

“Thanks to you, Father, I can see the road ahead. At the very least, I don’t think I can keep going as I am.”

Gangryang shuddered.

“What are you planning to do now? Every time I try to catch up, you run off so far ahead that it drains all the wind out of me.”

“My road is mine, and yours is yours. Martial arts aren’t something you train just to catch up to someone else.”

“That’s not wrong, but... it still takes the fight out of me sometimes. Especially when you say things like that.”

Unlike Gangryang, Yeon Wi nodded seriously.

“If I was of any help to you, then I’m glad. I learned quite a bit from you as well.”

“Learned from me? What could you possibly learn from this reckless mess of martial arts?”

“You are more than worthy as a martial artist. Why should a father be unable to learn from his son? I don’t know what you realized because of me, but I gained much from watching your martial arts as well.”

“I’m embarrassed to hear you say that. Though I’m glad too.”

“As a father, nothing could please me more than seeing my son grow. But as a martial artist, I am still far from finished. I will have to grow even more and become a wall standing in your path.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

That part of him truly had not changed at all.

And yet his martial arts had transformed so drastically.

That made it all the more remarkable. Usually, when someone’s martial arts changed this much, their personality changed along with them.

And yet the cultivation of mind that lets Father remain true to the middle path may well be the greatest under heaven.

Gangryang sighed.

“I’ll prepare bathwater. Both of you need to wash.”

“No need. We can do it ourselves. Why bother—”

“I said I’ll do it. I ought to earn my keep somehow, shouldn’t I?”

Gangryang went inside without waiting for an answer.

Yeon Wi turned to Yeon Hojeong.

“He’s right at the threshold.”

“You mean Ryung?”

“Yes. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he broke through the Wall this very instant.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“That greedy bastard probably wants to squeeze out everything he can first before moving on.”

“He doesn’t obsess over realms. Though he’s younger than you, he knows how to be patient. You should learn from that.”

“Yes, Father.”

Everything could become a lesson.

There was no reason one could not learn from someone weaker or younger.

In the end, life was a journey toward completing oneself. On a road that had to be walked until the very moment one’s breath stopped, one could not afford to neglect learning for the sake of pride or appearances.

So the two sat side by side on the wooden platform, speaking quietly.

Then—

WHOOSH.

A powerful presence swept toward them from afar.

Yeon Hojeong calmly rose to his feet.

“I’ll go meet him.”

Yeon Wi sighed.

“He does not give you a moment to rest.”

“Now that I’m back in the Alliance, he’s someone I’ll be running into often. I ought to at least say hello.”

“I’ll tell Ryung.”

“Yes. Please eat dinner without me. I’ll make that old bastard treat me to something good.”

Yeon Wi burst out laughing despite himself.

“You truly are carefree.”

“Nothing tastes better than a feast served by your enemy. You should try it sometime, Father.”

“Enough nonsense. Go on. I’ll submit a separate report regarding your return.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon Hojeong left Army-Breaking Pavilion.

A short while later—

“Whew, the bathwater’s ready... Huh? Where did Brother go?”

“He stepped out to meet someone.”

Gangryang’s face twisted.

“That bastard... I went to the trouble of heating all that water.”

“It couldn’t be helped. I’m sorry.”

“What? No, there’s no reason for you to apologize, Father—”

“Since the bathwater is already prepared, why don’t you use one of them?”

“I already washed.”

“Then perhaps I should create a situation in which you’ll need to wash again.”

Yeon Wi lightly tapped his sword sheath.

“The water will still be fine even if it cools a little, don’t you think?”

Gangryang stared at him in alarm, then finally broke into a helpless grin.

“I think I finally know for certain where Brother got that personality of his.”

******

The sun was already beginning to set.

As he watched the crimson sky, Mo Yonggun thought,

How beautiful.

The sun sank between the mountain peaks, scattering its final strength in a blazing red radiance.

There was something serene about the sight.

If one could truly lose oneself in it, it was beautiful enough to make him want to dive into that sea called sunset and swim through it.

Another day ends like this, yet my own day is only beginning.

Without even turning his head, Mo Yonggun smiled.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

Yeon Hojeong had already appeared beside him. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Mo Yonggun, gazing at the sunset.

“I don’t know what you’re asking about, but it certainly is a fine view.”

“You saw it exactly as I did. I wanted to ask whether the sunset wasn’t beautiful.”

Mo Yonggun turned his head toward Yeon Hojeong.

His eyes widened slightly.

“Have you grown?”

“My insolence has always been on the level of the Thirteen Seats of the Supreme Heavens.”

“That’s not what I meant. You look a little taller.”

“Do I? I can’t tell.”

Looking closely, he did not actually seem taller.

Nor had his frame become larger.

Mo Yonggun’s gaze deepened.

He’s stronger.

It was his presence.

The denser, more substantial weight of Yeon Hojeong’s presence made him seem physically larger.

I expected him to return stronger, but I never imagined he would advance this much.

Mo Yonggun was genuinely impressed by Yeon Hojeong’s level.

After Yeon Hojeong left the Alliance, Mo Yonggun had also continued training with bone-grinding intensity.

No.

Ever since fighting the warriors of the Divine Flame Cult, Mo Yonggun had driven himself mercilessly. He could not tolerate the idea that martial artists from some contemptible frontier tribe had surpassed him.

Day after day, he had trained as though throwing away his life.

Through training pushed to the limit, Mo Yonggun had grown considerably stronger than before.

But in sheer degree of growth, he could not compare to Yeon Hojeong.

“Now it truly is difficult to speak of who would win.”

“Between you and me?”

“Indeed.”

“Was that not already the case?”

“No.”

He meant it.

Had they fought to the death before, assuming no exceptional variables, Mo Yonggun had been confident victory would inevitably be his.

But now things were different.

The gap between himself and Yeon Hojeong had become almost imperceptible.

They had reached a point beyond simple differences in power or speed, where victory or defeat could be decided by a single choice made in a fleeting instant.

Terrifying.

Mo Yonggun’s gaze gradually turned cold as he looked at Yeon Hojeong.

He had expected this man’s talent and effort to make him worthy of contending for supremacy under heaven within ten years.

But seeing him now, even ten years seemed like too generous an estimate.

Not ten.

Perhaps within half that time—five years—he might possess skill enough to be counted among the greatest under heaven.

Of course, the road ahead would be more painful than all the hardship he had endured thus far combined.

“Starting already?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m surprised icicles aren’t hanging from your eyes. Do you want to devour me that badly?”

Mo Yonggun smiled.

“If I could devour someone of your caliber, it would give me quite the story to boast about to future generations.”

Yeon Hojeong snorted.

“Don’t forget. It still isn’t time for either of us to devour the other. Don’t spend so much time watching me that you lose your entire fortune when the storm comes crashing down.”

He was speaking of the Three Creeds.

Mo Yonggun shook his head.

“I intend to settle matters with you separately. I have no desire for outside noise at the place where our contest is decided. We should deal with the problem before us first.”

“A sound idea.”

That was what he said, but Yeon Hojeong did not believe him.

A fair and honorable contest had never suited either of them in the first place.

Neither Yeon Hojeong nor Mo Yonggun was the sort to stake his life on a clean fight.

Here we go again.

One good thing about seeing Mo Yonggun was that tension came naturally.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Have you eaten dinner?”

“I even turned down a discussion with the strategist so I could eat with you.”

“The strategist will be jealous.”

“If the strategist were the sort to get jealous of you, then he wouldn’t be an ordinary man. If it were me, I don’t think I could even manage jealousy.”

“To think you’d greet me after so long with such kind words. You really have changed.”

“Enough nonsense. Shall we move somewhere else? Reunions are best settled over liquor.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled coldly.

“Yes. Liquor sounds right.”

With family, he settled things by the sword.

With an enemy, by drinking together.

Indeed.

That was the kind of world they lived in.