The Evil-Smiting ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Corps and the operational team returned safely.

Because this mission had been carried out in secret, the ordinary martial artists did not think much of their return.

But the leadership was different. They were sincerely delighted by the operational team’s safe return, and they were deeply satisfied that the mission had been successfully completed.

After all, they had infiltrated enemy territory with extremely little prior information and brought back internal intelligence. Even if they had sent a top-tier spy, the odds of success would have been low, yet a mere handful from the operational team had accomplished it. That alone was more than enough to call it a great achievement.

And so Yeon Hojeong’s group returned to the Alliance of the Martial World.

By the time the operational team that had marched out in late summer, just as the season turned toward early autumn, had returned—

the foothills of Mount Daebyeol were already being swept by a bitter winter wind.

*****

“You brat.”

Yeon Wi spoke with a smile.

“Did you not even have the presence of mind to send a letter this time either?”

He said it jokingly. In a mission area where it would have been hard enough just to send a single intelligence document, the fact that his son had returned alive and unharmed was blessing enough. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Yeon Hojeong answered his father cheerfully.

“There were too many bothersome insects crawling around. I wrote several times, but the watching eyes were so severe that I couldn’t bring myself to send anything.”

“You sure do talk well, you brat.”

“Whose son am I?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Of course not.”

“Good. Then that is enough.”

Yeon Wi strode over and gripped both of Yeon Hojeong’s shoulders tightly.

“You came back well. That alone is a great relief.”

For the first time in a very long while, a truly comfortable smile appeared on Yeon Hojeong’s face as well.

His father was not this happy because he had succeeded in the mission. He was simply happy that his son had returned alive and whole. Even if the mission had ended in failure, his father’s response would not have been any different from this.

That made Yeon Hojeong’s heart warm. He had spent so long living under constant tension, and now at last he was meeting family before whom he could truly let his guard down. It made him feel deeply at ease.

Yeon Wi looked amused.

“Even so, it really does seem you lived there while watching your step.”

“Hm?”

“With your rate of growth, I expected that by now you would hardly be lacking compared to this father of yours. But you do not seem all that different from before you departed.”

Yeon Hojeong snorted.

“You know you must not say things like that out there, right? At my age, reaching this level is already more than impressive enough, is it not?”

“This brat. It seems the only thing that grew while I wasn’t looking is your arrogance.”

“I’m only saying we should accept reality. And honestly speaking, even if I had devoted myself to training every single day, how could I possibly have reached even the tip of Father’s toe?”

“Hah! Now you’re flattering me too?”

“Flattering you? The realm Father has attained deserves praise as a matter of course.”

In truth, Yeon Wi’s martial arts had also advanced greatly since Yeon Hojeong had returned from the future. Yeon Hojeong could feel that his father’s presence had become far calmer and more secretive than before.

That did not mean Yeon Wi’s martial arts had regressed. Quite the opposite. It meant that Yeon Wi’s explosively strengthened True Qi had condensed to the utmost limit, to the point that even the aura leaking outward was under perfect control.

Then again.

He really had been so busy that he had not had time to train.

But the father from before the campaign and the father now were different people again. It was not as though his father had been any less busy, and yet even amid all that, he had still sought understanding in the martial path.

Yeon Hojeong’s expression gradually turned serious.

I really do need to reflect on this.

That mission had truly been a chain of tension without end. It had been difficult even to sleep properly, let alone train in martial arts.

But in the end, that too was nothing more than an excuse. If he had forced the time out somehow, would he not have been better off than he was now?

Of course, if he had done that, the mission would have suffered.

Whatever the case, it’s true there wasn’t absolutely no time to train. It was my mistake to let idle time slip away just because the mission was important.

There were far too many enemies he still had to fight in the future. Thinking of that, it seemed he had let himself grow too complacent.

I need to tighten myself up more. I can’t go on with this sort of mindset.

Seeing his son’s stiffened expression, Yeon Wi said awkwardly,

“I was only joking. The mission you were entrusted with was dangerous and important beyond compare. How could there have been time to train? Do not take it to heart.”

Yeon Hojeong relaxed his expression.

“No. Now that I think about it, there definitely was time I could have used. Who knows what lies ahead? I think I need to live a little more tightly.”

“It is never good to live under excessive strain. Whatever the case, your hardships during that mission must have been severe, so for the next few days, rest well and soothe your exhausted body and mind.”

“Of course. If I’m going to run again, I need to rest properly first, don’t I?”

“Good. That is enough.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled at Yeon Wi, but then his expression stiffened again.

“And Father.”

“Yes.”

“As for Mo Yonggun...”

“Enough.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“Is what concerns him so urgent that it must be explained right now?”

“...No, of course not.”

“Then let us discuss that later. In any case, what you have to say to us and the contents of the report submitted to the Alliance will hardly be the same. If it is not urgent, I think it can wait until after you have rested enough.”

Yeon Wi smiled.

“Do not think about anything else. For the time being, just rest thoroughly. You have worked hard.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled back.

“Understood. I will.”

*****

He had acted as though nothing was wrong in front of Yeon Wi, but it seemed his body and mind truly had been exhausted.

After washing thoroughly and going back to his quarters to lie down, Yeon Hojeong did not open his eyes again until sunset on the following day. He had slept for nearly thirteen shichen straight.

“...I feel foggy.”

Yeon Hojeong scratched his head.

“How long has it been since I slept this deeply?”

Grrrrk.

Now that he had finally slept off all the exhaustion, he immediately felt hungry.

What an honest body, really. Yeon Hojeong gave a bitter smile and rose from his seat.

Piyuuung! Thud!

As he came down to the first floor and headed toward the courtyard, he heard the sound of something tearing through the air.

Oh?

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes brightened.

Piyuuuuung! Puh-uhk!

The sound of a branch ripping through the air was so sharp that it was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

“Hm.”

Mookbi smacked her lips.

“At this level, I’ve gotten some results at least.”

A tree branch fired from Red Lotus Bow punched through the wall. It was a truly astonishing feat.

And even more astonishing than that was the fact that the branch was rotten and hollow inside.

Pusss.

The branch embedded in the wall crumbled into powder and scattered. The Inner Qi controlling it had been deliberately released.

A look of satisfaction appeared on Mookbi’s face.

“With this level of Inner Qi control...”

“That’s incredible.”

“Ghk!”

Startled out of her wits, Mookbi whipped around.

Before she knew it, Yeon Hojeong was sitting on the platform with one leg crossed over the other.

“W-when did you get here?”

“Just now.”

“Make some noise when you move around!”

“I made plenty of noise. Why would I waste Inner Qi suppressing my presence?”

“Ah...”

“Your concentration must have improved. You really have gotten much better.”

Mookbi’s face reddened. She seemed embarrassed.

“I’m still far from it. I am climbing the steps, but if I’m going to break through the Wall of Martial Arts, I’m still...”

“Oh? So you were serious? About breaking through the Wall of Martial Arts, I mean.”

“Of course I was. I told you, didn’t I? At the very least, I’m going to rise to a realm equal to yours, Young Master Yeon.”

“You were blowing the heads off those nasty Death-Soul Team bastards while practically snorting at them.”

“Ahem.”

“At this point, your combat efficiency probably isn’t much different from mine. Archery really is terrifying.”

“That’s just the nature of archery. It doesn’t mean I’m strong.”

“My father too, but you also shouldn’t say things like that out in the world. You’ll get stabbed in the back of the head.”

“Everyone’s standards are different.”

Yeon Hojeong stood up.

“Enough of that. Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Perfect. If your training’s done, let’s go get something to eat together.”

“Shall we?”

And so the two of them left the Hall of Breaking Armies and headed for the dining hall inside the Alliance.

The Alliance of the Martial World was quieter than expected. It was evening, and with the weather having turned cold, the martial artists were no longer moving about as actively as before.

Mookbi grinned.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Hm? What has?”

“Going to eat together. Didn’t you miss the Alliance dining hall?”

Yeon Hojeong grumbled with a face steeped in fatigue.

“I even missed the wild grass growing along the Alliance walls. Damn it. I succeeded somehow, but that kind of mission really doesn’t suit my temperament at all.”

“And yet, considering that, I heard the results were unbelievably good.”

“If someone at my level was enough to tear through them, what does that say about how full of holes Ink Dragon Manor really is?”

“Is that some new way of bragging?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“I’ll yank your eyes right out.”

Mookbi burst into loud laughter.

Looking at her now, Mookbi also seemed quite different from before they had marched out. Perhaps it was better to say she had grown brighter than before.

That’s good to see.

A person’s innate nature might not change, but when one is happy, one laughs, and when one is sad, one cries. Was that not simply how people lived?

Now Mookbi looked much more human. Yeon Hojeong sincerely welcomed that change in her.

“By the way, aren’t they calling for you upstairs? You submitted the report, but even so, shouldn’t you still have to report separately on everything that happened?”

“Father said he’d block that for me. He told me to attend the Service Council meeting in three days. I can report then.”

“So it doesn’t seem like anything urgent?”

“For the moment.”

Depending on what one placed value on, it could be something so urgent that every moment counted, or something that could wait a little more leisurely.

Before that, the one with command authority—Mo Yonggun—had not yet returned to the Alliance. From the look of things, it would be better for Mo Yonggun to submit the report than for Yeon Hojeong, who had only been the operational-team leader.

Once that came up, Mo Yonggun naturally came to mind.

He’s not the sort of man who’d die from something this mild.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes turned cold.

I wonder when you’ll return. Depending on the timing of your return, I’ll be able to guess what you gained.

He was certain Mo Yonggun had not died.

It was not reason, but instinct. If he were the sort of man who could die from this level of upheaval, he would never have been such a headache in the first place.

Yeon Hojeong fell briefly into thought.

After quietly studying his face for a moment, Mookbi asked in a somewhat cheerful voice,

“Do you happen to know?”

“I happen not to know. What?”

“The Commander of the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Nothing bad. If anything, something happened that must be unbelievably good news for him.”

Mookbi smacked her lips.

“Commander Mo Yong broke through the Wall of Martial Arts.”

“What?!”

That truly was shocking.

“When?”

“It must have been the day before we marched out. It seems the Commander Mo Yong side deliberately tried to suppress the rumors, but can that sort of thing ever really be suppressed? Thanks to the loose tongues of the Demon-Sweeping Corps troops, the rumor spread through the entire Alliance of the Martial World almost immediately.”

“Hoh!”

Open admiration appeared on Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“You’re telling me he reached that level after only a few months apart? That’s really incredible.”

“I know.”

Mookbi’s face became somewhat sullen. She too had set her first goal at the Wall of Martial Arts, so it could not help but leave a bitter taste in her mouth to be the one delivering news that someone else had already reached it.

Yeon Hojeong kept smiling as he stroked his chin.

“So I really did judge a man correctly. How long has it even been since he started training in earnest, and he already broke through the Wall of Martial Arts... Heh-heh. He really is the kind of man whose future makes you look forward to it.”

It was then.

Seeing someone approaching from the distance, Mookbi grumbled.

“I don’t know about his future, but I’m certain he was a tiger in his past life.”

“Huh?”

“You were just talking about him, and there he is.”

Yeon Hojeong turned toward where Mookbi was pointing.

Mo Yong-woo was walking toward them with a smile on his face.

“...Hm. Seeing that smug smile of his, I suddenly feel all the excitement draining out of me.”