Chapter 466: Embracing the Darkness (6)

An axe? Or a sword?

Would he choose Yeon Hojeong, eldest son of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain and the greatest younger-generation master under heaven, or would he choose the sect of a genius who would one day earn renown as a divine sword?

It was an absurd choice.

In more ways than one.

“Commander Yeon!”

Jeongan called out to Yeon Hojeong in alarm.

He did not turn to look at her. He simply kept his cold gaze fixed on Yangcheon.

Jeongan spoke with deliberate calm.

“You cannot do this.”

Again, Yeon Hojeong gave no answer.

She hurried on.

“No matter what, you cannot sacrifice yourself because of this! I never wanted things to end like—!”

“That’s enough.”

“Commander Yeon!”

“Your reasoning is sound. Your heart is in the right place. At the very least, you cannot even be compared to those two over there, blinded by desire and swayed by a few words.”

Yeon Hojeong’s voice rang clear and strong, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

Jeokyeon and Yeonsim flushed. Yeonsim in particular looked as though her face had caught fire.

Yeon Hojeong’s words filled her with a shame so intense it sent chills through her.

“But reality and ideals are different things. Your intentions may be righteous, but you lack the strength to see them through. If I hadn’t been here today, the Manor Lord wouldn’t even have agreed to see you. In the worst case, you might have died.”

“...!”

“Justice without strength is impotence, and strength without justice is violence. A sword wielded without courage is weaker than a brush, while the courage of one who knows nothing of a blade’s madness is worth less than a coward’s conviction.”

His tone was uncompromising enough to chill the bone.

And his words shamed Jeongan.

She herself had spoken of the obvious gulf between reality and ideals, yet in the end, those had still been the shallow words of someone lacking experience. She had come prepared to die, but it was also true that Yeon Hojeong’s presence had given her confidence.

“What brought me all the way here was the fact that your heart was true. But that is where your role ends.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.

“For now, be satisfied with that. Not many people have shown me the right path when my mind was clouded. In this situation, you’ve done more than enough.”

It could be called arrogant.

At the same time, it was also an acknowledgment of her.

For him to say that few had shown him the right path meant that the world around him was that far from righteous.

And in such a world, people like Jeongan, who lived while holding fast to an upright heart, were anything but common.

Jeongan clenched her teeth.

“But... even so, there’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself because of our sect.”

“Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t a sacrifice.”

“What?!”

“Unfortunately, I’m not as righteous as you are. I’m not na?ve enough to offer up my life and future just because something saddens me.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

The smile was meant for Yangcheon.

“Isn’t that right?”

Yangcheon could not bring himself to smile back.

“Are you truly going to take this route?”

“Did you honestly think I would come quietly to Ink Dragon Manor?”

“If I’m confessing the truth, yes. I did.”

“You’ve become remarkably honest.”

“There is little point in trying to deceive you with lies.”

Yangcheon frowned.

“You’re asking far too much of a greedy man like me. Give up Putuo? You know what I’ve invested in this. You know how furious I am.”

The investment he spoke of was the work he had done to break Putuo’s spirit.

And his fury was directed at the Perverse Lust Cult Leader.

Yeon Hojeong said,

“Life is a succession of choices. And choosing something means giving something else up, not merely gaining what you want.”

“As I said, I’m greedy. There have been more than a few times when I caught both rabbits.”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m not a rabbit.”

“Think again. This benefits you as well. Besides, one of their branches has already gone over to those bastards. There is no undoing that.”

Putuo Hermitage had been damaged.

At the very least, the Putuo Hermitage of this generation would struggle to recover the spirit it once possessed. In that case, it might seem better to simply allow matters to proceed as they were.

The Yeon Hojeong of the past would have accepted that conclusion with a helpless shrug.

“My mind is made up. And as I told you before, this cannot be allowed to continue. Tear down an entire house just to catch one thief, and a few of your own blades are bound to break in the process.”

He was talking about intervention from the Buddhist order.

More precisely, he meant that even Yeon Hojeong would not be able to contain Shaolin’s fury.

“Let’s preserve those blades while patching up the house before it collapses completely. You may regret it in the short term, but in the long run, that will serve you better.”

“You want me to throw away three years of work?”

“Weren’t you the one who told me a comfortable life was boring? That an unpredictable life was what made it worth living?”

“A man should know when to take the easy road now and then.”

“Unfortunately, that easy-looking road is crawling with wild beasts. Charge down it smiling, and you might end up as some predator’s meal.”

“...”

Yangcheon stared at Yeon Hojeong with cold eyes before finally letting out a sigh.

“You really are difficult to understand. Sometimes you’re so vicious and merciless I wonder if you’re a demon. Other times, you sound like some hopelessly old-fashioned veteran of the Orthodox Path.”

“Forget all of that. Let’s make one thing perfectly clear.”

Yeon Hojeong pointed at Yeonsim.

“That sword needs at least another ten years before anyone can wield it properly. But me? I’m a blade you can pick up and swing right now, am I not?”

“...!”

“Even after another ten years of investment, one mistake could still snap that sword in half. What about me? In your eyes, Manor Lord, do I look like a blade that would break that easily?”

Absolutely not.

Yangcheon nearly said the words aloud without realizing it.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“And there’s one crucial thing you’ve overlooked.”

“What is that?”

“If those bastards start the war before that treasured sword becomes a divine sword, then all of this will have been for nothing.”

Yangcheon’s eyes wavered.

He was right.

The Perverse Lust Cult—no, the Three Creeds—could start a war as early as tomorrow.

Of course, the chances of that actually happening were nearly nonexistent. Considering the secrecy and tactics they had displayed so far, even if they struck first, it would likely be several years at the earliest.

The problem was that even that was not certain.

“War can break out at any time. Grow complacent because the present is peaceful, and you may end up becoming the enemy’s prey.”

“That is...”

“A wise king does not start wars. But he is always prepared for one.”

That was the decisive blow.

The Three Creeds intended to start a war.

In other words, they sought to become conquerors.

Yeon Hojeong did not consider such people wise.

At the same time, he was speaking to Yangcheon as well.

Do not rush into war.

A preemptive strike against would-be conquerors might be justified, but in a full-scale war with no certain date, he was warning Yangcheon not to underestimate the enemy and to strengthen his own forces instead.

Yeon Hojeong continued.

“Putuo Hermitage’s divine sword could become an astonishing weapon if properly tempered. But there is no guarantee the enemy will wait until then. Worse, while you pour strength into tempering that sword, you may only scatter the Central Plains’ fighting power.”

“...”

“Please look at the situation for what it is.”

Yangcheon studied Yeon Hojeong in silence before sighing.

“There is always reason in what you say. That is why I can never simply ignore it.”

“At least this time, I would prefer you to regard what I’m saying as more than reasonable. Treat it as the truth of the moment.”

Yangcheon drew a long breath.

“If I leave Putuo alone, you will accept an assignment here at headquarters...”

“That’s right.”

“And fight as my hands and feet for the time being?”

“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying I’ll become your loyal retainer. Our objective is clear. I’ll move for that one purpose alone.”

“I know that. It’s only...”

“Still, if I’m going to live here, I suppose I’ll have to humor you from time to time, however little it suits me. At least in those moments, I’ll look at the situation as one of Ink Dragon Manor. So I doubt you need to worry too much.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Provided, of course, that what you want is truly the enemy’s destruction.”

“Hah.”

Yangcheon shook his head.

“A choice is not possession, but surrendering something else...”

After contemplating those words, Yangcheon turned toward Jeokyeon and Yeonsim.

Yeonsim’s face was still bright red. She looked deeply ashamed, and more than a little confused.

Jeokyeon’s expression was different.

Her face was just as red as Yeonsim’s, but hers resembled a volcano on the verge of eruption.

She had not fully understood the conversation between Yangcheon and Yeon Hojeong.

But there was one thing she understood perfectly.

They were looking down on Putuo.

A mere younger-generation master could replace Putuo?

The very act of placing the two side by side was an insult to Putuo. It was an utterly absurd bargain.

What shocked her even more was that Yangcheon had actually considered it—and now seemed prepared to join hands with that reckless brat instead of Lotus Gate.

Joining hands with Yeon Hojeong meant joining hands with Jeongan.

Joining hands with Jeongan meant lending strength to Thousand-Eyes Gate.

That was how Jeokyeon interpreted the situation.

Her narrowed mind had become distorted enough to see it that way.

Yangcheon spoke.

“Gate Master Jeokyeon.”

“...”

Jeokyeon did not answer.

If she opened her mouth, she was afraid a torrent of curses would come pouring out.

“An unfortunate outcome. From my perspective, I would have liked to help you while gaining this young man as well, but circumstances simply won’t allow it.”

“...”

“You waited a long time, so I do apologize. By way of compensation—”

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

The words burst from Jeokyeon in a suppressed growl.

The corner of Yangcheon’s eye twitched.

“Doing?”

“Am I wrong?”

The only reason she had not cursed outright was because the man before her was Yangcheon.

Had he not been one of the Supreme Heavens’ great masters, she would already have drawn her sword and tried to take his head.

Jeokyeon shouted,

“We traveled ten thousand li to meet you! We swallowed every humiliation and waited while you refused to see us to the bitter end! And this is the result?!”

“Did you not hear what this young man said? Life is simply like that. You never know when or where some absurd variable will appear.”

“You call that an answer?!”

Jeokyeon seethed.

Yangcheon watched her with deep, unreadable eyes.

After glaring at him for a long moment, she growled under her breath.

“I am deeply disappointed. The next time we meet, it seems we will meet as enemies.”

“And that is why the world is entertaining. Much like the reality you find yourself facing now, I never imagined there would come a day when I would quietly let insolence from someone of your caliber pass.”

Yangcheon smiled.

“This is a world ruled by tigers and lions. Don’t mistake yourself for a wild beast merely because you know how to swing a sword. You’re still only a cat.”

“Hmph!”

Jeokyeon spun around.

“Yeonsim! We’re leaving!”

Yeonsim followed after her with a dazed expression. From the way she hesitated, she still seemed unable to grasp what exactly was happening.

Then—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Yeon Hojeong’s voice was unusually sharp.

Perhaps that was why not only Yangcheon, but Jeokyeon and Yeonsim as well, turned to look at him.

There was that much force in his voice.

Yangcheon frowned.

“What is the problem now?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Even if you can’t rebuild the house you tore down, you still have to patch it up.”

“...Hm?”

Without even looking back, Yeon Hojeong jerked his thumb toward Jeokyeon.

“You’re not going to repair it?”

“...!”

“Seems that part never occurred to you. Then again, I suppose it would be beneath someone of your stature to dirty his hands with something like this.”

Yeon Hojeong rolled his shoulder.

CRACK!

The brutal sound of his joints popping rang through the hall.

“Send word to the infirmary in advance. Tell them they’ll be getting a patient.”

His voice was cold.

“She’ll probably be rotting there for a good ten years.”