Chapter 475: At the Martial Alliance (9)

The two men’s drinking session did not end until midnight.

After Yeon Hojeong left, Mo Yonggun remained seated alone, drinking what was left of the liquor.

Despite how much he had drunk, he felt no trace of intoxication. Thunder Qi circulated throughout his body, burning away the alcohol fumes from moment to moment. He had even tried suppressing it as he drank, yet he still could not get drunk.

If anything, his mind felt clearer than ever. Perhaps because he had spent all this time shutting politics out of his life and devoting himself solely to martial training, he felt far more coolheaded than before.

Some time passed.

“Yeonhwa?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Mo Yong Yeonhwa stepped inside.

“Did your drinking session end well?”

“It did. It was quite pleasant seeing that rascal’s face again after so long.”

“Hehe. Even though you dislike him so much?”

“I dislike him, but not quite that much. Besides, where else could you find another talent as exceptional as Yeon Hojeong in this generation? I tasted defeat at his hands several times, but looking back now, I think they were good contests in their own way.”

He meant it.

And because she knew he meant it, Mo Yong Yeonhwa found her father remarkable.

He had lost several times to a junior far younger than himself, yet he could still think that way about it. That was not a mindset an ordinary man could possess.

Of course, her father was hardly weak enough to consign his contests with Yeon Hojeong to nothing more than fond memories.

“Would you like a drink as well?”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa smiled.

“I’d like that.”

She picked up an empty cup.

Mo Yonggun clicked his tongue.

“Wasn’t that the cup he was drinking from? Use a fresh one—”

“It’s fine.”

“Hmm?”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s expression did not change.

“What does it matter if Yeon Hojeong drank from it? Or the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor? What if it had been a beggar’s cup, or an assassin’s?”

“......”

“A cup is just a cup.”

Mo Yonggun smiled.

“Yes. A cup is just a cup.”

Father and daughter clinked their cups.

“This is clear grain liquor?”

“Bitter, isn’t it? But after drinking it for a while, I found it has a charm of its own. I doubt I’ll seek it out often, though.”

“I don’t know about charm. It seems more like something to reach for when you want to get drunk.”

“Ha ha ha.”

Mo Yonggun asked,

“Since we are already sitting here like this, let me ask you. What do you intend to do from now on?”

“I’m not sure.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa smiled faintly.

“I’ve had plenty to think about, but somehow I get the feeling I’ve just been given something to do.”

She had already realized that Mo Yonggun intended to assign her a task.

Mo Yonggun burst into hearty laughter.

“You really have become frighteningly perceptive.”

“I still have a long way to go.”

“Go to Guangdong and look into something for me.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s eyes gleamed.

“Is it related to Supreme Commander Yeon?”

“It is.”

“What do you want me to investigate?”

Mo Yonggun repeated exactly what Yeon Hojeong had told him.

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s gaze deepened.

“That is certainly strange. If he merely mentioned it in passing, then perhaps it could mean nothing, but......”

“He did mention it in passing. He treated it as though it were nothing important. But from where I sit, one of the most important parts of Yeon Hojeong’s story is precisely how he persuaded those officials.”

“You mean that given Supreme Commander Yeon’s personality, there’s no reason he would leave that part out.”

“Exactly.”

Mo Yonggun smiled.

“Of course, it may truly be nothing. It is possible that Yeon Hojeong persuaded the officials entirely on his own. But if not—if there is something behind it—then it is more than worth investigating.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s eyes sharpened.

“Won’t he notice?”

“Hmm?”

“Maybe not immediately, but once I leave the Martial Alliance, won’t Supreme Commander Yeon realize something is amiss?”

Mo Yonggun nodded.

“That is certainly possible. No—if it is him, he will undoubtedly devise some response of his own.”

“Then......”

“Yes. What I truly want from you is to penetrate even whatever countermeasures he puts in place and bring back the information.”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes gleamed.

“Can you do it?”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa lowered her head.

“I’ll try.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Mo Yonggun took a small iron token from his robe and handed it to her.

“This is the Grand Command Token. I will contact the main clan separately as well. With this, you will be free to deploy the clan’s primary forces and intelligence resources as you see fit.”

“Father......!”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa looked at him, visibly moved.

Mo Yonggun shook his head.

“Even with that, this may prove difficult. It would probably be easier if your opponent were the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor. He understands politics. But Yeon Hojeong is a man without limits. This will be truly dangerous.”

“This is the sort of moment I’ve been waiting for.”

“Ha.”

Mo Yonggun filled her cup.

“Have another.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa drained it cleanly, then rose with a smile.

“Then I’ll get moving.”

“Already?”

“I need to catch him off guard. I have to make sure Supreme Commander Yeon doesn’t know—or, even if he does, that he only realizes it afterward.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa bowed.

“I’ll return safely, Father.”

“Good. Make sure you come back in one piece.”

“I will.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

Mo Yonggun rose and took a book from the shelf.

When he opened it, a small letter was tucked between the pages.

“I wrote this in advance, thinking a situation like this might arise someday.”

“......?”

“Give this to Woo. Personally.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s eyes lit up.

“Yes!”

A short while later, she left the room.

“Whew.”

Mo Yonggun let out a soft sigh, then smiled as he looked out the window.

“This is better.”

What exactly had happened in Guangdong? How had Yeon Hojeong persuaded the official?

I am curious.

Mo Yonggun’s gaze deepened.

It certainly was something he wanted to know. Yeon Hojeong was hiding something from him.

But not enough that Mo Yonggun wanted to force the issue.

He did not believe it was a secret significant enough to affect the greater situation.

That was why he had sent Mo Yong Yeonhwa.

Yeonhwa would only be a burden during the search for the spy.

Their enemy had managed to turn one of the Martial Alliance’s own councillors into an infiltrator.

There was no telling what kind of dangerous method they might employ. Mo Yonggun refused to dismiss that ominous possibility.

It would therefore be better for her to investigate what Yeon Hojeong was hiding and, at the same time, improve her relationship with Mo Yong-woo.

The Mo Yong Yeonhwa of today would not come into conflict with Mo Yong-woo.

“Whew.”

Mo Yonggun closed his eyes.

“It’s been a long time since my heart raced like this.”

“Haaah! Haaah!”

When Yeon Hojeong returned to the Army-Breaking Pavilion, he was greeted by a rather absurd sight.

“You’re back.”

Yeon Wi’s face was perfectly composed.

“Haah, haah...... You’re back?”

Gangryang looked half dead.

Yeon Hojeong’s expression turned peculiar.

“What exactly is going on here?”

“T-training.”

He really is half dead.

One glance was enough to tell that Gangryang could barely move a finger. He was struggling desperately to remain standing, but his trembling knees and the hand that could barely keep hold of his sword made it obvious that he had already gone well past his limit.

Yeon Wi smiled and sheathed his sword.

“That will be enough.”

“Yes, thank you for—”

Gangryang collapsed before he could finish speaking.

He had lost consciousness.

Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue in amazement.

“You’ve been sparring with him all this time?”

“I have.”

“Stubborn, isn’t he?”

Yeon Wi’s eyes gleamed.

“Extraordinary. I could tell at a glance that he had trained himself well, but I did not realize he had reached this extent. There is not a single aspect of his mind, body, or qi that he has failed to temper to the extreme.”

“He’s worked hard.”

“And the fact that he can endure this much even so is remarkable. Training like this risks upsetting his balance, yet he does not fear it. It may be somewhat dangerous, but he will grow faster than almost anyone.”

A look of quiet approval crossed Yeon Wi’s face as he regarded the fallen Gangryang.

“He will become a great swordsman one day. I consider it an honor merely to have added even a little nourishment to soil that rich.”

That was excessively humble.

“More importantly, how did things go for you?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“The drinking session was exactly what I expected. It was actually nice seeing him again after so long.”

Yeon Wi smiled as though his son were hopeless.

“He is the kind of man who smiles while slipping a dagger between your ribs. I know you can handle yourself, but never let your guard down.”

There were very few people Yeon Wi spoke of so strongly.

In that sense, Mo Yonggun truly was an impressive man.

“I never do. Besides, he’s improved too much for me to afford that.”

“Has he?”

“Yes. To be frank...... I don’t think there is much difference between him and you anymore.”

Yeon Wi nodded.

“Every time I saw him in council meetings, he seemed different. His own path must have been one unbroken stretch of blood-spitting effort.”

“I’m sure it was. He must have taken quite a shock. Plenty of people despise the martial world beyond the frontier, but the hatred of the Mo Yong Clan Lord goes far beyond the norm.”

“So it seems.”

“They possess many warriors stronger than he is—people he once looked down on as beneath him. That fact alone must have been an immense humiliation to Mo Yonggun. He may have trained every bit as hard as you did.”

“Beneath him......”

Yeon Wi contemplated the words in silence before sighing.

“How could they be beneath anyone? Where in this world is there a person who is inherently low? We hate and despise them because they seek to trample our homeland beneath their feet and claim it as their own.”

“You are right.”

“In the end, it is a struggle between people, and a struggle of ideals and peace. If their invasion brings nothing but fire and death, then we must draw our swords to protect our homeland and its people.”

Yeon Wi looked at Yeon Hojeong with a firm gaze.

“I cannot begin to imagine how deeply you hate them. But in the battles to come, never think of them as beneath you.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t.”

A razor-edged smile spread across Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“This has nothing to do with status or whether someone is highborn or lowborn. It is a struggle between invaders and those defending their home. Their ideology and fanaticism are intolerable, but I consider them different from us—not beneath us.”

Yeon Wi smiled.

“Yes. Exactly.”

In the end, they were simply enemies.

What did it matter whether one regarded them as lowborn or as fools? They were enemies who had to be killed and eliminated either way.

But Yeon Wi apparently did not see it that way.

No person in the world was inherently base. People merely stood in different places and held different beliefs.

That was how Yeon Wi saw the world.

Yeon Hojeong knew where that conviction came from.

Justice.

Justice meant the principles that accorded with what was right and true.

There were criminals whose deeds alone made one’s teeth grind in rage, wicked men who committed them without the slightest pang of conscience.

Yeon Hojeong did not treat such people as human beings. To him, they were refuse lower than beasts. Whether they were “base” or not was beside the point. They were lunatics who had abandoned the basic principles of humanity.

Yeon Wi was different.

No matter how grave a crime a person committed, if they were born human, then they remained human. And because they were human, they were obligated to live as human beings. If they abandoned that duty, they had to be punished.

Because Yeon Wi believed in justice, he viewed all people without discrimination.

And because he believed in justice, he was equally unwavering in rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing.

Yeon Hojeong was truly proud of that conviction in his father.

“Anyway, we should move this idiot first.”

Yeon Wi scratched his head awkwardly.

“Yes. Let’s get him inside.”

“Up you go.”

Yeon Hojeong hoisted Gangryang onto his back.

Yeon Wi asked,

“Are you prepared?”

“Prepared for what?”

“Did you not come to the Martial Alliance for a reason?”

Yeon Hojeong grinned.

“Mentally, I’m ready. Starting tomorrow, I plan to run myself ragged again.”