Mo Yonggun’s face hardened.

At this point—of all times—he had never expected that name to come out of Pae Yul’s mouth, an elder of Azure Mountain Sect.

You bastard. Don’t tell me...?

He was genuinely flustered.

Meng Yi was the Azure Mountain Sect expert Mo Yonggun had previously sent to Yeon Hojeong, along with an assassin.

Of course, Meng Yi was only “from” Azure Mountain Sect—he was practically the same as someone who’d been expelled. He had killed the Sect Leader, stolen Azure Mountain Sect’s greatest secret art, the Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art, and fled—an unprecedented traitor.

The problem was what came before he went under Mo Yonggun.

Meng Yi had worked in the shadows as part of the Ming Clan.

The Ming Clan had been declared an enemy of the martial world, and everyone connected to them had been punished. Even now, the Alliance’s Brain Prison was crawling with Ming Clan martial artists.

Meaning, Mo Yonggun had secretly pulled out someone who deserved punishment and made him his own subordinate.

Mo Yonggun wasn’t the only one who’d done such a thing. But this was something that could never be allowed to become rumor. If it became publicly known, it wasn’t just Mo Yonggun—everyone involved could end up being punished.

So this is how you’re going to come at me?

There was a reason he’d never worried about Meng Yi.

It was because he’d wrapped that matter up through his deal with Yeon Hojeong. Whether it was Yeon Hojeong or Mo Yonggun, they would do anything to make the other swallow mud—but once something was over, they never dragged it back out again.

That was the unspoken rule. The moment that rule was broken, it turned into a real mud-wrestling war from that point on.

“Meng Yi....”

“That’s right. Meng Yi.”

Mo Yonggun looked into Pae Yul’s eyes.

They burned like they might explode at any moment, but he was holding that brilliant flame in place with reason as cold as ice.

Unexpected.

Not in detail, but Mo Yonggun had already had Pae Yul investigated. He was part of the operation, after all.

A textbook battle maniac. Hot-blooded, hates using his head—a heroic brute, I heard.

In other words, the type like Zhang Fei—Yi Deok—from the old tales. That was how the reports had described him.

Then again, Yeon Hojeong is who he is. Like hell he’d put just anyone under him.

Mo Yonggun nodded.

“I know him.”

Pae Yul’s brows twitched.

Mo Yonggun spoke as if it meant nothing.

“So what of it?”

“You know that bastard Meng Yi was an expelled disciple from the main sect?”

“I know that too.”

“Not only did he steal the main sect’s greatest secret technique—he even killed the Sect Leader and fled.”

“So what is it you want to say?”

Shameless to the extreme.

Pae Yul forced down the killing intent that surged up.

“The Nine Sects and One Union and the Six Great Clans are prestigious houses that walk the Orthodox Path. If you knew that, then at the very least, you should have informed the main sect.”

Mo Yonggun laughed coldly.

“Sorry, but back then I didn’t know he’d been expelled. I only heard the circumstances later.”

“What did you say?”

“Even if I had known, what was I supposed to do about the fact that the bastard came to me first?”

Pae Yul’s neck flushed red.

“So you’re really going to come out like this?”

“I only told you the facts.”

“You had Meng Yi—!”

“And I’ll say one more thing.”

CRACK! CRZZT!

In that lightning-like glare, the air turned hot in an instant.

“I have no reason to be interrogated by you. And this is an official meeting. My patience runs fairly deep, but don’t think I’m going to keep watching some mere member of an operational team crawl up on me.”

Stop irritating him with useless words. Get to the point.

Pae Yul stared at Mo Yonggun for a moment, then spat it out like he was chewing gravel.

“Commander Yeon’s appointment as Director of the Intelligence Division is in two days. The time to steal information is ten to fifteen days. The message is: heat Ink Dragon Manor up properly inside that window.”

“Is that all?”

“.......”

“Understood. You may go.”

Pae Yul rose, then spoke.

“That’s the entire official message. And I was told to deliver this as well.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’ll deliver it as-is. ‘You were the one who crossed the line first, so this is the same as a declaration of war. I saw your guts—turning a crisis into an opportunity—so now watch closely what I’m going to do.’”

“.......”

“That’s the end of the message.”

With that, Pae Yul left the room. If he stayed any longer, it felt like he would really draw his sword.

Left alone, Mo Yonggun looked out the window.

“Crossed the line?”

The corner of his mouth twitched.

“Aren’t you living a little too soft? You can’t call this ‘crossing the line.’”

The act of wiping out the Guizhou Merchant Guild trade caravan and erasing his own stain from the world—

If it were idiots who barked about morality and ethics while knowing nothing about how the world worked, they might have thrown a tantrum, insisting that everyone should rise up immediately over something like that.

But Yeon Hojeong wasn’t like that. Mo Yonggun had expected him to be angry, but he hadn’t expected him to start talking about “crossing the line” over something this small.

“Don’t put on a mask that doesn’t suit you, Hojeong. Aren’t you someone who can be a hundred times more vicious than this?”

That was exactly why Mo Yonggun rated Yeon Hojeong so highly.

If it was necessary, the bastard had the flexibility to shove morality and ethics aside for a moment.

That was why he was impressive—and why he was dangerous. Because in this vast world, there weren’t even a handful of people who could choose a lawless option at the truly crucial moment.

“Still....”

Mo Yonggun smiled bitterly.

“Your instincts really are fast. Just from the chain of events, it feels like you’ve already seen through why I moved the way I did.”

Turned a crisis into an opportunity?

That meant Yeon Hojeong had guessed why Mo Yonggun had come to Hunan in person.

He doesn’t know what I’m planning. But he understood why I did it—so he’ll respond, one way or another.

For an instant, intense killing intent washed over Mo Yonggun’s face.

“...If you keep coming at me like this, I might really bury you here.”

Yeon Hojeong probably wouldn’t push him further than this. And Mo Yonggun wouldn’t push him further, either.

But Yeon Hojeong had spoken of “declaration of war,” saying he’d put on a show of his own—meaning he was definitely sharpening a vicious dagger.

He won’t touch the Guizhou Merchant Guild.

Yeon Hojeong knew the Guizhou Merchant Guild trade caravan was dead.

But Mo Yonggun was certain Yeon Hojeong wouldn’t drag that out and shake it.

The truth was a work the commander had smoothed over without the operational team’s knowledge, but in the end, the entire operational team was tangled in it. Whether for the Alliance of the Martial World or for the Yeon Clan, Yeon Hojeong could never drag that matter out into the open.

Then?

Mo Yonggun’s eyes gleamed.

“Muyeon.”

“Yes, Head of the Clan.”

“Tell Lord Eon. There’s a chance the Intelligence Division of Ink Dragon Manor will tear through the main house. Tell him to prepare in advance.”

“I receive the order.”

*****

A single cup of harsh white liquor made it feel like his entire throat was burning.

Mo Yonggun.

Yeon Hojeong’s face, staring at the cup with cold eyes, was more savage than ever.

Ga Deoksang and Tang Sang-a found themselves watching his mood for no reason. They had never seen Yeon Hojeong wear such a chilling expression.

He filled the cup again and drained it in one go, and his neck turned red. He wasn’t suppressing the Alcohol Qi with Inner Qi.

I know you’re desperate, but this time you went too far.

With this one move, Mo Yonggun hadn’t just erased his own stain—he might even be planning to seize the upper hand in dealings with the Guizhou Merchant Guild.

Too much of a stretch? Not at all. Mo Yonggun was more than capable of that.

I won’t stop you from growing your power, but you can’t play like this.

Was it none of his business?

It was. In a sense, he could’ve cursed Mo Yonggun out and ended it there. It was practically the same as being used by Mo Yonggun, but it hadn’t caused any real damage on Yeon Hojeong’s side at all.

He could bury it like this. People still wouldn’t know.

But Yeon Hojeong was this angry because he was certain what Mo Yonggun had done this time was only the beginning.

The Guizhou Merchant Guild? Maybe that was the first step—but later he would drag even common people who had nothing to do with this fight into it, beyond even the Alliance of the Martial World.

No—he already had, for all intents and purposes. Those shadow warriors dressed up as the execution unit definitely had families, and those ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) families were almost certainly being held hostage by the Mo Yong Clan.

This wasn’t a battle staking the fate of the Central Plains. He’d killed people purely for his private gain—and on top of that, he’d touched commoners, too.

Yeon Hojeong couldn’t forgive Mo Yonggun.

Even beasts hunt, but they don’t trample flowerbeds. You just flipped a flower garden that had nothing to do with anything.

Maybe it was better this way.

Ever since he’d focused on the Evil-Smiting Corps, the tension he held toward Mo Yonggun had felt a little looser than before.

With this one move, Mo Yonggun reminded him again of what kind of man he could become.

I’ll show you the fight—not of Yeon Hojeong the man, but of the Dark Path’s king, the Dark Emperor.

He wouldn’t treat him softly anymore. Yeon Hojeong swore it again and again.

Then Ga Deoksang filled his cup.

“Ahem! You know, you’re something. Drinking without even a side dish.”

“.......”

“Ease up that face. It’s so murderous I can’t live like this. I keep feeling like I’m about to piss myself.”

Yeon Hojeong let out a quiet sigh.

“Sorry.”

“No, no. It’s not something to apologize for.”

Ga Deoksang smacked his lips.

“This time that bastard really did go too far.”

Without meaning to, Yeon Hojeong let out a snort of laughter. Probably Ga Deoksang was the only person under heaven who spoke about Mo Yonggun like that.

“Even so, it’s not like we can just kill him right now, is it? What that bastard did deserves condemnation, but unfortunately we’re on a mission. Even if you want to smash the back of his head, it’s hard right now.”

Don’t forget your duty.

That was what Ga Deoksang’s words meant—and Yeon Hojeong agreed.

“Sorry. I dragged you into my nerves.”

“I said it’s fine. Honestly, when I first heard it, I thought my top was going to flip too. You got angry enough for both of us, so I’m almost grateful.”

Bitterness drifted across Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“It’s my fault. I knew he’d pull something, but this time I thought we were a community of fate, so I thought he wouldn’t cross the line.”

“You wanted to believe he wouldn’t cross the line.”

“...Yeah. That’s the right way to put it.”

Ga Deoksang sighed.

“Too bad, but what can you do? I don’t want to say this, but even if we’d known in advance, it would’ve been hard to stop.”

It was true. It wasn’t something they had the power to handle in the first place.

“The only thing we can do is snap that madman’s legs so he can’t pull something like this again.”

“I see.”

“Keep your chin up. The mission isn’t over yet. Since it’s the last stretch, let’s be even more tense.”

“The Hu Gae is right.”

That was when—

“Waaaah! We finally made it!”

It was a familiar voice.

FSSSS.

In an instant, a strong liquor scent burst from Yeon Hojeong’s body. He used Azure Dragon Qi to evaporate all the liquor poison at once.

The group left the room and headed out to the courtyard.

Two people had come through the main gate—a man and a woman. One was Je Gal Ahyeon. The other was a sturdy young man whose entire face was covered by a windbreak cloth.

SLIP.

The young man revealed his face.

A somewhat haggard look. His expression was full of confusion.

“Kang Ryang.”

“...I greet you, benefactor.”

Yeon Hojeong jerked his chin toward the guest hall.

“Inside.”