Dark and Light Martial Emperor

Chapter 156

Infamy and Loyalty

“What?”

A look of surprise spread across Moyong Gun’s face.

“You took Myeolsagun under your command?”

Moyong Woo sipped his tea calmly before speaking.

“It’s not exactly like that. We’re just cooperating for the first expedition.”

“But you just said you took Myeolsagun under your command.”

“To be precise, the plan is to have Myeolsagun operate under our main force to annihilate the enemy during the first expedition. Of course…”

Moyong Woo continued, his expression somewhat troubled.

“I intend to use them as a shield.”

“A shield?”

“Myeolsagun achieved great success in a short period. In other words, their capabilities have already been proven.”

Moyong Woo’s gaze turned to the window.

The dawn air felt heavy.

“I understand you’re uneasy about Commander Yeon. From what I’ve seen, he’s not a bad person, but he’s certainly dangerous.”

“…Indeed, he is.”

“This expedition will be an opportunity to assess his capabilities. As the commander of this first expedition, he must follow my orders.”

“Hah!”

“If Myeolsagun annihilates the enemy, that’s a good thing too. Since I’m the one commanding them, I hope their losses will be minimal.”

A look of surprise crossed Moyong Gun’s face.

“Becoming the commander of the Tangma Annihilation Army on your first expedition… But what if it’s a trap or part of some scheme?”

“Then we deal with it immediately.”

“…?!”

“Anyone who disobeys the commander’s orders will be dealt with according to military law. I have no intention of tolerating insubordinate subordinates.”

“What if he plans to challenge you?”

“I’ll win.”

“What?”

Moyong Woo smiled faintly.

“We exchanged some light moves. His martial arts are impressive, but he seemed quite injured.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes sparkled.

Yeon Hojeong injured? It was possible, but given his advanced martial arts, his recovery should be quick.

If he hadn’t fully recovered yet, just how badly was he hurt?

“Even if he were in perfect condition, I’d be at least half a step above him, at worst equal.”

“Is that so?”

“At least for now. His skills are impressive for his age, with boundless potential for growth.”

Moyong Woo’s eyes turned cold.

“That’s why he needs to be stopped.”

Moyong Gun was quite surprised by his brother’s expression, not realizing he could look like that.

“A flower that can’t be grown in the garden needs to be uprooted quickly. If it can’t be uprooted, it needs to be pruned whenever possible.”

Moyong Gun’s mouth slightly dropped open.

Moyong Woo’s words echoed what Moyong Gun had once said to Moyong Yeonhwa in the past.

“Is blood truly thicker than water?”

Moyong Gun, who had been staring at his brother blankly, now had a pleased smile on his face.

“Good.”

While he had been delighted to see his younger brother’s growth over the past few months, he had secretly worried that his resolve might waver or his claws might become dull.

Seeing him now, he realized those worries were unfounded.

Moyong Woo was inherently kind. However, the blood flowing through his veins carried the spirit of the Moyong family, who had crushed and unified all enemies while wandering the wilderness of Liaodong.

When he decided to do something, he did it. Moyong Gun was greatly pleased with his brother’s decisive actions.

“So, you intend to use Myeolsagun as a pawn for the Tangma Army?”

“I’ve heard that Commander Yeon is highly skilled, but now that he’s under my command, he’s just a piece to bolster my achievements.”

Moyong Woo smiled bitterly.

“I don’t prefer such methods, but to be the best, there’s no other choice. Now is not the time to find the right path, but the fastest one.”

“Exactly.”

Moyong Gun nodded repeatedly.

“You have seen correctly. Unless you have an unshakable foundation of power, now is the time to lay aside morality and advance quickly. Your insight is truly remarkable.”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, such insight is not easily cultivated. You should take pride in it.”

Moyong Woo shook his head.

“It’s just an application of the tactics I used against the Zhejiang merchants. We’ll have to see if it works now.”

“Hahaha.”

Moyong Gun was well aware of how Moyong Woo had handled the Zhejiang merchants.

He had borrowed the family’s sword to swiftly deal with the troublesome Zhejiang business, gaining the title of ‘Great Duke’ and completely bringing the trade union under control.

It was one thing to think of a method, but quite another to execute it. It meant that Moyong Woo possessed both exceptional intelligence and decisive action.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Seeing his brother’s capabilities reassured him that even if Yeon Hojeong made a move, they could handle it.

Although the Yeon family had Yeon Hojeong as their trump card, they had Moyong Woo as a counter.

“Not being fixated on visible results and having a long-term perspective. Yes, continue on that path.”

“Yes.”

A look of curiosity appeared on Moyong Gun’s face.

“But how did you secure the position of commander of the Unified Army? That guy wouldn’t have easily agreed to be under you.”

“I just made him feel at ease.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Moyong Woo smiled bitterly.

“A thick coat can be removed not by a fierce wind but by the scorching sun. I didn’t oppose Yeon Hojeong; I merely joined hands with him.”

“…!!”

“Now, things will get interesting.”

—

The next day.

“What?”

Yeon Hojeong’s face was filled with astonishment when he saw Mok Bi.

Despite living in the mountains for months, Mok Bi always maintained a neat appearance, not wanting to show a disheveled state to the soldiers.

But now?

“Did you plant weeds on your scalp? Why is your hair sticking out like that?”

“…Ugh.”

Staggering, Mok Bi collapsed onto a bench.

Yeon Hojeong frowned. As he took a deep breath, the smell of alcohol wafted strongly.

“How much did you drink again? Hey! Use your internal energy to sober up.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“Ahyeon said we should have a hangover cure together in the morning. He said he’d teach me how to cure a hangover…”

“Damn it! You should be drawing your bowstring instead of wasting time.”

“How can I break a promise?”

“You can break that kind of promise! If you drink, drink responsibly. How can you wreck your body every time you drink?”

“Ugh, stop talking. My head’s pounding.”

Yeon Hojeong didn’t stop nagging.

“Drinking is about moderation, drinking only as much as you can handle. Look at me. I drink just enough so that I don’t need to use internal energy to sober up the next day…”

Mok Bi shivered at the onslaught of words.

“Ugh, I said enough! Be quiet!”

“Ahem.”

“Why do you keep…”

“Ahem.”

Suddenly, Mok Bi felt a chill.

Startled, she sat up. In front of her was Yeon Hojeong, grinning broadly, and…

“Father!”

Yeon Wi cleared his throat repeatedly.

“You seem to have drunk a lot.”

“Ah! No, no! It’s not like that!”

At that moment, Yeon Hojeong interjected.

“She must have poured every drop of liquor into her stomach, thinking she could relax. Even if on leave, isn’t her attitude inappropriate?”

Mok Bi’s face turned pale.

Yeon Wi smiled faintly. To Mok Bi, that smile seemed extremely disapproving.

“You must have been exhausted fighting enemies for months. I understand.”

“No, Father! It’s not…”

Yeon Hojeong cut in again, annoyingly.

“But she shouldn’t behave like that. Bad habits form this way. Don’t you think she needs a stern lesson before those bad habits set in, Father?”

Yeon Wi cleared his throat again.

It wasn’t entirely wrong. In a calm voice, he spoke.

“Drinking is fine, but overindulgence harms the body. I worry about your health.”

“Gulp!”

Mok Bi hurriedly tidied her hair and bowed deeply.

“I-I’m sorry! I’ll be going now!”

“Yes, go and rest. We’ll talk in detail later.”

“Yes!”

Watching Mok Bi dash away, Yeon Hojeong smirked.

“She’s already sobered up.”

The shock must have cleared her head. Yeon Hojeong chuckled mischievously.

Yeon Wi sighed.

“Bi-a still finds me intimidating.”

“I got to witness a great scene, thanks to you.”

“Don’t tease her too much. She’s a good kid.”

“She’s good, which makes teasing her fun. I don’t even need breakfast now.”

Yeon Wi chuckled, unable to stop him.

“By the way.”

He looked Yeon Hojeong up and down.

“You returned without serious injuries.”

During the conference at Musung Hal, they had only exchanged glances. This was the first time they had been alone together since the coup.

Yeon Hojeong bowed deeply.

“I’m back.”

“Yes.”

Yeon Hojeong stood up.

Having rested well, he looked much better than he did a few days ago.

“Wasn’t the forced march too severe? I heard the soldiers struggled with real combat experience.”

“There’s no better teacher than real combat. All the soldiers have improved significantly.”

Yeon Wi nodded.

“You must have put a lot of

effort into it.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“Continue to be careful in the future.”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

That was the end of it. Even without discussing minor details, he could tell how much Yeon Hojeong had suffered.

“Father, you should rest too. You’ve been in meetings all night.”

“I’m fine.”

It wasn’t just a phrase; Yeon Wi was truly unaffected.

Unless he was forcing his body through extreme training, staying awake for several days was no issue for someone who had surpassed the peak.

Watching his father with a smile, Yeon Hojeong’s face gradually showed amazement.

“What happened during that time?”

“Hmm?”

“You seem different than before.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes sparkled.

“So you can see it.”

“Even without drawing your sword, I can feel sharp sword energy all over your body. It’s not that you’re tense; it feels like your internal energy has sharpened.”

Yeon Hojeong couldn’t hide his admiration.

“Have you advanced a whole level in just a few months?”

“It’s the sorrow of having an exceptionally talented child. Afraid of being overtaken, I trained hard in my own way.”

For the mighty Yeon Wi to say he trained hard meant he had gone through hellish days.

“That’s incredible.”

Just like in any field, the higher one goes in martial arts, the harder it is to advance even a single step.

Yeon Wi was among the top martial artists in the Six Great Families. For him to elevate his level in just a few months was truly astonishing.

Looking at his son with a smile, Yeon Wi spoke.

“Before we chat, how about showing me your now undoubtedly sharper martial arts?”

Yeon Hojeong grinned.

Vuuum.

Had it sensed the presence of a kindred spirit? The Byukra Jinryeol, brimming with excitement, was automatically activated.

“I was going to ask anyway. Let’s go.”