Dark and Light Martial Emperor

Chapter 188

The Thread Was Not Cut

The wind was rather harsh. The breeze flowing down the mountainside was cool regardless of the season, especially at night.

On the way back to his quarters, Yeon Hojeong was lost in deep thought.

‘He’s changed.’

He recalled Moyong Gun.

The peerless swordsman who contained a terrifying thunderbolt within his blade.

And the deeply subdued look in that swordsman’s eyes.

‘Just like my father and me, Moyong Gun has changed as well.’

Moyong Gun was a man of extraordinary ability.

In martial arts, strategy, politics—he was a man who lacked nothing in any field.

But Yeon Hojeong also knew Moyong Gun’s flaw.

‘The laid-back air that somehow surrounded him is gone.’

That flaw was arrogance.

Indeed, Moyong Gun was arrogant. And he was someone who had every right to be.

Born and raised in the Moyong Family, he was a person who, during the time he should have been nurturing bonds with his siblings, instead learned how to bring them down. The people of the Moyong Family, including Moyong Gun, were fundamentally lacking in humanity.

Except for Moyong Woo.

‘That coldness stemming from that lack… Thanks to it, he dreamed of becoming the master of the Moyong Family and ultimately standing at the pinnacle of the White Path’s martial world.’

A life of uninterrupted success.

But in Moyong Gun’s life, someone had appeared who could become a potential obstacle.

That person was Yeon Hojeong.

‘In many ways, it must have been a new experience. Though he said with his mouth that I was someone to be wary of, he still saw me as one step below him.’

Moyong Gun acknowledged Yeon Hojeong. But he didn’t think Yeon Hojeong was superior to him.

If Moyong Gun had thought Yeon Hojeong was superior, he wouldn’t have suffered as much as he had. He would have hidden himself more thoroughly, wearing a mask until he was ready to deliver a decisive blow.

Of course, Yeon Hojeong wouldn’t have just watched that happen.

‘But from the moment Myeolsagun and the Tangma Army set out, he went underground.’

Was it that he finally acknowledged Yeon Hojeong as a true rival? Or did he start to think that Yeon Hojeong was superior to him?

That was something Yeon Hojeong couldn’t know. But one thing was certain.

Moyong Gun had become more insidious and sharper.

‘He won’t be able to pull any reckless tricks for a while. But he’s not someone who would just sit idle even if things seemed quiet on the surface.’

Yeon Hojeong unconsciously sighed.

‘The Yangcheon problem alone is enough to give me a headache.’

The Duel King, Yangcheon.

A man who had been the last obstacle in Yeon Hojeong’s conquest of the Black Path and one of the most dangerous enemies in his life.

Remarkably, that enemy had ties to the outside world.

‘So it was like that.’

Naturally, Yeon Hojeong’s thoughts shifted from Moyong Gun to Yangcheon.

A sinister light gleamed in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

‘So he had already joined hands with them.’

It was an astonishing revelation.

Not much was known about Yangcheon. In truth, even Yeon Hojeong had tried to dig into him in the past, but even with the intelligence capabilities of the Black Path, he couldn’t uncover much beyond a certain point.

“If so, not only did he join hands with them, but it’s also possible that he hails from that very place.”

That was the reason he intended to step in directly this time.

Certainly, he had to approach this matter cautiously. Yangcheon was a person who possessed both a reckless and rough nature as well as a cautious and cold temperament.

And then there was his power.

Even with the terrifyingly increased Hongcheon Technique and the extremely refined Four Divine Beasts Technique, Yeon Hojeong had almost lost his life several times. Such was the fearsome power of Yangcheon.

As Yeon Hojeong recalled Yangcheon, a quiet murderous intent emanated from him, but then he tilted his head slightly as a thought occurred to him.

“But did Yangcheon reveal his true nature this quickly?”

No, he hadn’t.

In the past, Yangcheon had only made his presence known alongside the Black Path after Yeon Hojeong had been rolling through the ranks of the Black Path for several years.

“This is much faster than before. Even though the situation is different from back then…”

History had changed.

The Wulin Alliance was established much earlier than in the past, and Yangcheon’s emergence was advanced by nearly seven or eight years compared to before.

So then?

“If we assume that Yangcheon is indeed affiliated with the Three Teachings…”

He unknowingly clenched his fist.

“It means that the Three Teachings have been closely watching the situation in the Central Plains for decades.”

He had suspected as much. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to secretly assassinate the top masters of the Central Plains and wipe out half of the Central Plains’ forces in the initial attack with such precision.

But now that it was certain they had been monitoring the flow of the Central Plains martial world, it made him feel a chill down his spine.

“Cautious indeed. Even with such power at their disposal.”

It took both the righteous and the demonic factions joining forces to destroy just one of the Three Teachings.

Of course, if they had clashed head-on from the start, there might not have been a need for such cooperation. The problem was that the attack from the Three Teachings was so sudden and lethal.

Yet, the other two factions hadn’t even fully participated in the war.

“It means that even if we properly prepare and launch a counterattack, the outcome of the battle is still uncertain.”

Yeon Hojeong sighed again.

“Moyong Gun. It’s truly unfortunate.”

If he had used his exceptional abilities for peace instead of power, they might have become the closest of allies.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Yeon Hojeong tilted his head in confusion.

“That’s strange…”

Something he had never considered odd before—something he had simply assumed was natural because it involved Moyong Gun—suddenly came to mind.

“What exactly did he rely on to kill me?”

The Dark Emperor of the Black Flame, Lord of the Black Emperor Castle, Grandmaster of the Black Path.

These were titles no one before him had ever held, and likely no one after him would either—titles bestowed upon the first to ever unify the demonic factions.

The fact that someone who was neither an elderly martial artist nor acknowledged as the greatest in the world was called by so many titles indicated that his abilities were that exceptional.

Moyong Gun had killed such a man—right after killing the Leader of the Saeum Cult.

“What gave him the confidence?”

Weren’t there still two other organizations besides the Saeum Cult that remained intact?

There was no need to kill Yeon Hojeong, an ally. No, he must not be killed. There were still common enemies remaining.

‘Simple worry? Or perhaps…?’

At that moment—

“When did you die?”

Yeon Hojeong was startled and turned his gaze forward. Gadeuk Sang was staring at him with blank eyes.

“When did you arrive?”

“I came a while ago. I called out to you, but you were mumbling to yourself.”

“Oh…”

“But what do you mean, dead? You’re clearly alive and well.”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head. There was no point in worrying about something that couldn’t be answered immediately anyway.

“No. But what’s going on?”

“What do you think?”

Gadeuk Sang grinned widely.

“A drinking buddy has returned, so shouldn’t we have a proper drink?”

Leaves fluttered in the cool breeze.

The moonlight was beautiful, and the starlight was mysterious. The faint glimmers pouring down from the clear, cloudless sky created an elegant atmosphere.

Yeon Hojeong looked around the pavilion.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the inner city.”

“There are many places like this. I haven’t even explored the entire inner city myself. It’s absurdly vast.”

Gadeuk Sang kept chuckling to himself, seemingly excited at the prospect of drinking after such a long time.

“Come, have a drink. You worked hard to take down those damned bandits.”

“Thank you.”

The two clinked their cups together.

There weren’t any special snacks, but with good scenery and a friend who transcended age, that was enough to empty their cups.

“Wow, it’s strong.”

“General Jegal gifted it to me.”

“The General?”

“We’ve gotten pretty close. That fellow, he’s so cold and intimidating during meetings, but in private, he’s quite a friendly person.”

“He certainly seems that way.”

“That’s why you can’t really know a person until you get to know them. I heard that although he’s competent, he’s supposedly weak-willed and easily swayed.”

Yeon Hojeong chuckled.

“There are more martial families in Jungwon than one can count. Among them, he’s the head of one of the top six. He wouldn’t be an ordinary person.”

“You’re right.”

Gadeuk Sang burst into hearty laughter.

As Yeon Hojeong watched him laugh, he poured more wine and asked,

“So, what did General Jegal ask you to inquire of me?”

Gadeuk Sang flinched at that moment.

Yeon Hojeong involuntarily chuckled. What an honest reaction.

“How did you know? Are you a ghost?”

“I just guessed.”

“Of all the things in the world to guess, why General Jegal?”

“People often don’t know their own personalities and habits. Hu Gae is the same.”

“What’s wrong with my personality? And what habits?”

“You suddenly seek me out and even serve me wine that the General gave you? You’re so busy you can’t even take a break.”

Yeon Hojeong filled his own cup to the brim.

“Hu Gae is the type to freeload, not the type to host. You have to do things that suit you if you don’t want to raise suspicion.”

“Hah!”

Gadeuk Sang clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“You know, sometimes you’re really terrifying.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Why would being terrifying be a compliment?”

“So, what did General Jegal ask you to find out from me?”

Gadeuk Sang’s expression turned serious.

“Did you just come back from meeting Moyong Gun?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been tangled up with that bastard in various ways, but you’re not close enough to visit him as soon as you return, are you?”

“Of course not. If anything, we can’t stand each other.”

“Then that means…”

“That’s right.”

“Huh?”

“You’re right, Hu Gae. For this operation to probe Yangcheon, they asked me to be in charge.”

Gadeuk Sang, who had been closely observing Yeon Hojeong’s face, let out a deep sigh.

“General Jegal said there was a chance you might get involved in this.”

“A general’s intuition is as important as his vast knowledge. In that sense, the General is truly remarkable.”

Gadeuk Sang emptied his cup with a sigh as if trying to shake off his frustration.

“You know this operation is dangerous, right?”

“…….”

“It’s dangerous for anyone. It must not fail, which makes it even more so.”

“I know.”

“You don’t seem to. Besides, you’re a well-known figure in Baekdo Wulin. You’re the guy who swings around an axe as big as a person, so I’m sure those Heukdo bastards have heard of you too.”

“I suppose they have.”

“So what’s your plan? Are you going to leave your axe behind?”

“I will.”

Yeon Hojeong’s voice was unusually calm, and in that moment, there was a certain air of detachment about him.

Seeing his trembling eyes, Gadeuk Sang suddenly shouted,

“Are you crazy? No matter how talented you are, your opponent is Yangcheon! You’ll really get yourself killed!”

It was an outburst that came out of nowhere, but his voice was filled with concern for Yeon Hojeong.

“The Thirteen Stars of the Sacred Heavens are monsters considered to be on par with or even surpassing the top masters from three hundred years ago, during Wulin’s golden age! And Yangcheon is one of them! You’ve heard how ruthless that bastard is, haven’t you?!”

“I’ve never picked my opponents.”

“What?!”

“Moyong Gun is stronger than I am. The Nine Provinces’ prestigious families are even more so. But I still took action.”

“……!!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve lived too bitter a life to die over something like this.”

“…Damn it, you’re a stubborn bastard.”

Gadeuk Sang grumbled with a bitter expression.

“How can I persuade someone who doesn’t listen? Seriously, what am I going to do with you?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Are you that worried?”

“Am I not supposed to be?”

“…….”

“You’re younger than me, rude, and reckless, but you’re still my friend.”

“……!”

“And now you’re telling me you’re determined to walk right into a death trap. How can I not try to stop you, you fool?”

Yeon Hojeong was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.

Gadeuk Sang grabbed the bottle roughly and took a big swig directly from it.

“Kuh—! Ugh, damn, this stuff is insanely strong.”

“…….”

“I figured as much.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you’d get involved in this too.”

“Did you now?”

“That’s why I took a leave of absence.”

Surprise flashed across Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“Are you planning to join me?”

“What, you expect me to stay cooped up in this stifling Wulin Alliance forever? No way.”

“…….”

Gadeuk Sang stood up.

Looking down at Yeon Hojeong, he let out a small laugh.

“We worked pretty well together when we took down those prestigious families, didn’t we?”

“…….”

“Let’s do our best.”

Yeon Hojeong stared at Gadeuk Sang in a daze before smiling helplessly as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Just don’t drag me down.”

“Screw you.”