Dark and Light Martial Emperor

Chapter 152

Infamy and Heroism

“Heave-ho.”

Yeon Hojeong relaxed his stance. Mok Bi then lowered her bow.

“Let’s call it a day.”

Thud.

As soon as Yeon Hojeong put down the Gwangryong Axe, he slumped to the ground. It was a sight unlike the usually robust Yeon Hojeong, who had immense physical strength.

Mok Bi asked with concern, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

He didn’t look fine at all.

Yeon Hojeong’s face was still pale. His internal injuries hadn’t fully healed yet.

“It’d be best if you took a break for a few days.”

Yeon Hojeong gave a bitter smile. “Let’s see how it goes.”

Mok Bi felt a pang of sympathy.

The ambush by the Hongyohoe had dealt a severe blow to the Myeolsagun. They had always been the ones to launch surprise attacks, never the ones to be ambushed.

The attack had left more than ten seriously injured. It was a miracle that there were no fatalities.

Yeon Hojeong had immediately switched gears.

Remaining as calm as possible, he managed the critically injured, summoned a medical team, and took appropriate actions. Then, he took Mok Bi and part of the troops to strike back at the Hongyohoe.

Recalling that time, Mok Bi involuntarily swallowed.

“He can be that terrifying, huh?”

Yeon Hojeong had rampaged like a demon.

It was a frenzy beyond words. Even assassins, who didn’t fear death, were so terrified they fled.

Though he didn’t show it, Yeon Hojeong cherished the soldiers of the Myeolsagun immensely. Almost as if they were his own children.

“He must’ve been even angrier because of their methods.”

Casualties in battle were inevitable. Regardless of the enemy’s tactics, the one who got hit was the fool.

But this was different. To Mok Bi, it seemed the Myeolsagun had almost died in vain.

While he had told them to be more vigilant, Yeon Hojeong likely shared the same thoughts.

“Huh?”

As Mok Bi looked at Yeon Hojeong’s troubled face, he noticed blood on his hand.

“Young Master Yeon, your hand is bleeding…”

“Huh?”

Yeon Hojeong glanced at his right hand and clicked his tongue.

“No wonder it felt a bit sore.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s the fate of those who handle heavy weapons. Unless the body reaches an extreme level, the hands can get mangled.”

Yeon Hojeong massaged his right hand.

“No issues with the bones or joints. It’s just a slight tear. A few days of rest will fix it.”

With a sigh, Mok Bi pulled out a clean cloth from her pocket. She always carried medical supplies for unexpected injuries.

“Let me see your hand.”

“It’s fine.”

“Stop being stubborn and give it here.”

“I said it’s fine. It’ll heal on its own.”

“Before I poke a hole in your forehead, give me your hand.”

“Here.”

Yeon Hojeong extended his hand. Mok Bi expertly wrapped the cloth around his hand.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“But are your fingers okay? Pulling the Hongryong Bow’s string is no joke.”

Mok Bi retorted with a calm voice, delivering a sharp jab.

“I’m fine. Unlike some people who can’t even notice their own injuries.”

Yeon Hojeong stared at Mok Bi and suddenly headbutted her.

Wham!

“Ow!”

Mok Bi fell back, startled.

Her vision sparkled. For a moment, she almost lost consciousness.

“What the hell was that?”

“Hmph. Just annoyed me.”

“You little…!”

Mok Bi pounded her chest in frustration. If someone showed concern, he should just accept it. He was truly incomprehensible.

“Take care of the rest yourself!”

“I was going to anyway.”

“Ugh! He needs to be knocked out once to come to his senses.”

As Mok Bi stormed off, Yeon Hojeong grinned.

Then, once Mok Bi was out of sight, his face twisted in pain.

“Ah, that hard-headed fool. Is her forehead made of steel? What’s her deal?”

If he ever had to fight that gal, he decided to never headbutt her.

But after experiencing the throbbing pain, his mind felt clearer. Yeon Hojeong sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Still not fully healed.”

This internal injury was from the explosion at the Hongyohoe base.

Sensing something amiss, he tried to dodge, but Okcheong had delved too deep.

He exhausted his extreme internal energy using the Blood Wing Whirlwind technique. He lost count of how many times he had used it.

In the end, he saved everyone, but his internal injuries were quite severe.

“Well, considering no one died, I guess I got off easy.”

Sitting cross-legged, Yeon Hojeong started practicing the Byukra Jinryeol.

Woooong.

A refreshing blue energy flowed through his body.

The Byukra Jinryeol had almost reached the tenth level. Once he attained the tenth level, there would be no higher stage for this technique.

From then on, it would be a matter of deepening his practice. It would no longer be about achieving new levels but nurturing the Byukra Jinryeol.

And at the moment when he perfectly paved his own path,

That’s when one could say he had reached the pinnacle, the twelfth level of mastery.

But now was the problem.

“Heave-ho.”

Yeon Hojeong grimaced.

“Alright, now I get it.”

The reason his internal injuries were healing slower compared to his time as the Black Dark Lord.

After his fight with Myeong Cheon, he collapsed. And it took significantly longer to heal his internal injuries than expected.

This time was no different. The injuries from the explosion should have healed by now.

And Yeon Hojeong finally realized why his internal injuries were healing slower than during his Black Dark Lord days.

“It’s because of my internal energy.”

It wasn’t because of the Three Divine Energies or the absence of the Blue Dragon Energy.

It was because of the Byukra Jinryeol.

Specifically, it was due to the significantly reduced amount of internal energy that served as the foundation for the Four Divine Energies.

Yeon Hojeong had always prioritized the quality of internal energy over its quantity. And that was the right perspective.

Internal energy is about quality, not quantity. High-quality internal energy yields ten times the efficiency of ordinary internal energy.

This was a fundamental truth in both orthodox and unorthodox martial arts.

But the Four Divine Martial Arts demanded more.

“The Four Divine Energies inherently possess a higher level of power than any internal energy techniques. Hence, the quantity of the foundational internal energy is as crucial as its quality.”

The place where the Four Divine Energies resided was not the dantian but the organs they governed. Therefore, deepening the Four Divine Energies meant that the corresponding organs became more active.

With activated organs, the body continually underwent transformation. His master had said that the bodies of those who mastered the Four Divine Martial Arts were as tough as diamonds.

“I was like that too.”

During his Black Dark Lord days, his body was like a weapon. He could crumple steel plates without using internal energy.

“That’s why my master passed down the Hongcheonki to me.”

Hong Cheongi’s martial arts skills were never something to be discussed across the world. They were good enough to be considered first-rate, but not to the extent of being called divine.

The greatest advantage of Hong Cheongi was the amount and speed of internal energy cultivation.

“Thanks to Hong Cheongi, I could accumulate more internal energy than anyone else, so the Four Gods Technique could be maintained steadily. There was no reason to shrink back despite internal injuries.”

In other words, to solve the problem of recovery speed not being as good as before, the fundamental amount of internal energy needed to be increased.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.

“Should I take the So Cheongi Pill?”

He still hadn’t taken the So Cheongi Pill that Jegal Ahyeon had given him.

The martial world was dangerous. Anything could happen at any time. Since it wasn’t an immediate problem, he had saved it for the future.

After much contemplation, Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“No, I should give that to Jipyeong later.”

Instead of taking a miracle pill to increase his internal energy, he decided to raise the overall level of his martial arts by advancing his internal energy techniques.

It was a roundabout way, but considering the future, this was better. He was certain of it.

“Since I’ve learned the Four Gods Technique, I should advance to a higher level than before. I can’t approach the Yellow Dragon with simple methods like in the past.”

Taking the So Cheongi Pill wouldn’t cause any issues with the growth of his martial arts. In fact, it might even be beneficial.

“But.”

He decided to leave it for now. He believed that the path he had walked so far and the principles of martial arts he had realized would not betray him.

“First, I’ll perfect the Byukra Jinryeol. Then, after gradually increasing my internal energy, I’ll achieve the Twelfth Form’s peak…”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

“I need to master the Five Great Divine Techniques.”

Once he mastered all five of Yeon family’s divine techniques, the ultimate secret technique would reveal itself. By then, he would possess both the quantity and quality of internal energy.

Yeon Hojeong meticulously planned. He had been so busy running around that he had no personal time, but now he thought it was rather fortunate.

While he was lost in thought for a long time.

“Brother?”

“Huh?”

Yeon Hojeong turned his head. There stood Peng Manho, blinking his innocent eyes.

“Oh? When did you get here?”

“I walked in loudly, but you didn’t notice?”

“Oh, really? So, what is it?”

“Sister Jegal is calling for you.”

“Oh, got it.”

As he got up, Yeon Hojeong frowned at a sudden thought.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Can you stop calling me brother?”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not that, but why do you keep calling me brother when we’re the same age?”

“If someone is worthy of respect, they should be called brother. Did you know Guan Yu was older than Liu Bei?”

About to retort, Yeon Hojeong just sighed and waved his hand.

“Do as you please.”

“Yes.”

“But what’s so respectable about me?”

“You use a heavier weapon than I do.”

“Is that all?”

“Is that all? It’s plenty respectable. I don’t lose to anyone in strength, but in front of you, brother, I can’t…”

“Stop calling me brother.”

“Why?”

“Just don’t call me that, you idiot.”

Walking briskly, Yeon Hojeong felt a sudden surge of emotion.

“Jeez, can’t you find something better to respect!”

“You’re here? Huh? What’s with that expression?”

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“You just look displeased. Why is your forehead so red? Did you bump into a rock?”

“Into something harder than a rock.”

Sitting roughly on the floor, Yeon Hojeong asked.

“So, what’s the reason for calling me, Strategist?”

Jegal Ahyeon chuckled.

“Don’t tease.”

“I’m not teasing. You are a strategist.”

“Enough, look at this.”

As he read the letter Jegal Ahyeon handed him, Yeon Hojeong’s face turned serious.

“The Gui Alliance…?”

“They’re calling to commend the achievements of the main force and to give some rest time. At least, that’s the official reason.”

“That’s the official reason… Is there something else?”

Jegal Ahyeon pulled out another letter from her bosom.

“That one’s from the Murim Alliance. This one is from Hu Gae.”

Yeon Hojeong also read the letter sent by Gadeuk Sang.

His eyes sparkled.

“Oh.”

“Suspicious, right?”

A subtle tension appeared on Jegal Ahyeon’s face.

“Tang Kwan is not a man who hesitates. He’s either in or out. My father saw him that way.”

“Yet, he stepped up to lead the Gui Alliance’s return?”

“Smells fishy, right?”

“Yeah, it does.”

Yeon Hojeong recalled Tang Kwan.

The face of the proud wolf, eyes filled with perilous foreboding.

“So, he’s finally joined hands with Moyong Gun.”

“……”

“I expected it, but it’s faster than I thought.”

Jegal Ahyeon asked worriedly.

“What will you do?”

“What can I do? The order from the alliance is official.”

“If it feels off, we could delay a bit longer…”

Yeon Hojeong firmly cut her off.

“No. Myeolsagun is an independent unit. It’s free, but we must follow orders from above. At least, we need to show that. That’s responsibility.”

“Hard, isn’t it.”

“The kids?”

“They’re not too inconvenienced. But a few more days of rest would prevent any issues.”

“Good.”

Yeon Hojeong felt a bit regretful.

“The next target might be Jinyang.”

Jinyang.

One of the Five Great Generals of the Black Emperor, known for spreading fear in the white martial arts world with his cheerful disposition and flexible martial arts.

After pondering for a while, Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“Maybe this is better.”

Both he and Myeolsagun had been running too fast.

It was necessary to reorganize the troops. It was regrettable, but now was not the time to be greedy.

“We return to the alliance in three days. I’ll tell the kids myself.”