Chapter 187 – The Thread is Not Broken (5)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Any places you got hurt?”
“Of course not. I am the strategist. I do not fight at the vanguard.”
“A strategist moving with the unit is the enemy’s highest priority target for attack. The reason is that if the strategist disappears, it’s the same as the unit’s head disappearing. A unit without a head will inevitably experience a sharp drop in combat power.”
“Unfortunately, there is one more incredibly smart human in the Evil-Annihilating Army besides me.”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled.
“Are you talking about Commander Yeon?”
“Yes.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon let out a sigh.
“Even though he didn’t professionally learn strategy and tactics, he uses breathtaking tactics. In terms of localized tactics, he might be better than the great scholars of our main family.”
“Everyone knows Commander Yeon’s excellence. However, since the enemies do not know that, you, the strategist, must always be careful.”
“They were just horse bandits anyway. They probably didn’t have any experience fighting a unit that even had a strategist attached to it.”
“I think that is fortunate.”
Zhuge Wen-hu took a sip of tea.
“So, how was the Gray Wolf Squad? What impression did you get from them?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon’s answer was the highlight.
“Strong sons of bitches.”
That one sentence earnestly contained Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon’s anger and disgust toward the Gray Wolf Squad.
“Those who are weak to the strong and strong to the weak. We do not know how terrible such people become to the weak. But those bastards crossed the line.”
Zhuge Wen-hu nodded his head.
“They are bastards who took the areas of Xizang, Qinghai, and Gansu, spanning thousands of li, as their territory of activity. And for ten years at that. If water has been stagnant for ten years, it is difficult to imagine how great the density of that evil must be.”
“Anyway, my insides feel refreshed.”
“Hahaha.”
He knew she was a very bold daughter, but he didn’t expect her to say such words.
Was it because she had operated with the Evil-Annihilating Army? Was it because she had only now properly looked into the evil side of the world?
Zhuge Ah-yeon had also changed a lot. Her spirit, sharper than before, and the light in her eyes for military strategy aiming at evil were like a chilling, precious sword.
“So, are you resting for the time being?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon blinked her eyes.
“Well? If no other orders come down, won’t we enter a provisional rest? Of course, we won’t just be resting completely.”
“Euhm.”
“You are also entering the Council of Elders, Father. Isn’t that a question I should be asking you instead?”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled bitterly.
“That’s true. But I just wanted to say this to you.”
“Yes?”
“If by any chance…”
“…?”
“…”
“Father?”
Zhuge Wen-hu let out a deep sigh.
“If by any chance Commander Yeon asks to join another operation, I want you to not join this time at least.”
“Yes? What do you mean by that?”
Zhuge Wen-hu himself could not understand what he was saying.
It was because his intuition, rather than reason and logic, raised its head. An intuition that for some reason, Yeon Ho-jeong would step forward to the frontlines when handling this Black Path-related matter.
“I am not sure either. But Commander Yeon might leave for another mission soon.”
“A mission?”
“Right.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon smiled.
“Father. I belong to the Evil-Annihilating Army. Ho-jeong is my friend, but he is also my superior. If the commander gives an order to join, I have no choice but to follow without complaining.”
“I know.”
“You say that even though you know.”
“But I am the strategist of the Murim Alliance. Since the Alliance Leader has not been elected yet, the ones giving orders are the Honoured Guests. Thanks to that, this father also has a bit of power.”
Doubt colored Zhuge Ah-yeon-yeon’s face.
“Why are you acting like this, unlike you, Father?”
“I’m saying this because it seems that dangerous.”
“Yes?”
Zhuge Wen-hu closed his eyes.
‘Am I worrying too much?’
He was establishing strategies from various angles to poke at Yang Cheon. And those strategies would soon be narrowed down to one.
But why?
For some reason, he had a premonition that Yeon Ho-jeong would intervene in that strategy.
It was a truly out-of-the-blue thought. It was true that Yeon Ho-jeong had moved a lot, known or unknown, since the founding of the Murim Alliance, but there had been an unimaginably large amount of movement even in places he could not look into.
There was no guarantee that Yeon Ho-jeong would intervene in this matter. Because the Evil-Annihilating Army was fundamentally a mobile unit, not a special forces unit.
But why?
Somehow, he got the feeling that Yeon Ho-jeong would have his eyes on this matter.
‘Why do I have such a thought? It’s a matter that has nothing to do with that child.’
While pondering, Zhuge Wen-hu realized the reason in an instant.
‘Murong Jun.’
That’s right.
The one who conceived the core of this plan was Murong Jun. And wherever Murong Jun was, Yeon Ho-jeong was always there.
Murong Jun and Yeon Ho-jeong. Yeon Ho-jeong and Murong Jun.
If one of the two set foot in a certain place, the one standing on the opposite side would follow suit.
That was the case even before the Murim Alliance was founded. Even when bringing down the Nine States Myeong Clan, the two held hands.
‘The two have always been together. Giving and taking, they are pulling each other to higher places.’
Demon-Sweeping Army Commander Murong Yu?
He was also a remarkable talent, but in the end, Yeon Ho-jeong must be seeing Murong Jun through Murong Yu. In other words, Murong Yu was nothing more than a chess piece wielded by Murong Jun.
Zhuge Wen-hu let out a sigh once more.
“No. This father was talking nonsense for a moment. Please forget it.”
“…Yes.”
He looked out the window.
A cool wind was blowing in.
‘Commander Yeon. For what purpose are you moving so quickly? Is it truly to prevent power from concentrating on Murong Jun?’
* * *
Clang, clang, claang!
Amidst the sword strikes that beat the empty air as if whipping it, the roaring sound of iron clashing with iron rang out.
Ziiiing! Ziiiiing!
Murong Jun’s eyes shone.
The sword thunder that drew brilliant afterimages in the air disappeared with sparking flames.
‘It’s gradually growing larger.’
The lightning light discharging and traversing all over the longsword gradually became clearer.
That was not all. The streams of lightning had also become much thicker, and the electric power itself wrapping around and circulating the sword body had amplified greatly.
Even without separate training, the fire mastery of his Thunderbolt Arts had deepened. Since the fire mastery of his Thunderbolt Arts deepened, the density of the Thunderbolt True Qi also rose immediately upon drawing up his sword energy.
Ziiing! Ziiiiing!
Looking down at the threateningly flashing sword body, Murong Jun opened his mouth.
“You should not be unaware that it is bad manners to secretly peek into someone else’s training?”
As if waiting, a young and energetic voice was heard.
“Seeing how you ignored me even though you knew I was here, I thought it was fine to watch.”
A smile hovered on Murong Jun’s lips.
“In the short time I haven’t seen you, it seems your tongue has become more toxic.”
“While my tongue became toxic, it seems your sword has become fiercer.”
“Is that so? You shouldn’t have been able to see through all of my skills during our spar back then, though?”
“Not all, but I saw a little. Your internal energy density wasn’t that deep back then.”
Truly, he’s unbeatable.
‘A genius is a genius.’
How sharp must his discernment be to even look into the density of internal energy harbored by someone of a higher level than himself?
Suddenly, Murong Jun felt a streak of competitive spirit arise.
“How about it? Since you’ve seen my sword anyway, would you like to receive it once with your axe?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Are you scared?”
“That’s right. If I get hit by that destructive lightning qi, I feel like I’ll be sick in bed for months.”
“Oho.”
“Won’t I? There’s no way you wouldn’t? Seeing as there are no people around, you’re planning to ruthlessly drive me into a corner if we fight, aren’t you?”
Murong Jun laughed loudly.
“Truly, I can’t beat you.”
Whooooong.
The threatening lightning light slowly decreased. Then, the hotly heated air instantly cooled down.
Chrrrk.
Sheathing his sword, Murong Jun turned his body.
Yeon Ho-jeong was there.
“It’s been a while.”
“Indeed.”
“I heard you’ve been living quietly all this time.”
Murong Jun burst into a hearty laugh.
“What else could I do? A certain someone threw me the unprecedentedly difficult problem of the Murim Alliance Vice Leader position, so as someone who hadn’t even thought of that part, I had no choice but to tuck my tail and sleep.”
Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.
“I’m glad it seems you took a proper hit.”
“Out of all the fists swung so far, it was the most painful fist. My mind went dizzy for a moment.”
“So put down your ambitions, and let’s hold hands and properly tend to the flowerbed together.”
“There isn’t a single weed in the rear garden flowerbed of my main family’s Clan Head office. In the flowerbed I look at, I do not tolerate even a single petal or a single bug that does not please me.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“Is that so?”
“That is so.”
“Is that why you helped? Because if Yang Cheon gathers forces, it will be a headache in many ways?”
Murong Jun smiled.
“No matter who became the Alliance Leader, no matter who grasps power, Yang Cheon is a problem. Shouldn’t I also add my strength in this regard?”
“Are you sure that intention is pure?”
Murong Jun spoke as if it were obvious.
“Of course not.”
“I knew it.”
“You and I aren’t fools who help others without any intentions, are we?”
“I’m sorry, but don’t lump us in the same grade. Because I still have some purity left that I haven’t shown you.”
“Don’t just make me out to be an overly bad guy. You, in a certain sense, are a more toxic person than I am.”
Murong Jun sat on a flat rock. Then, Yeon Ho-jeong also leaned his body against a tree with his arms crossed.
“Right, you must be tired from the journey, so for what matter did you visit all the way here?”
“Don’t you know?”
Murong Jun, who was quietly looking at Yeon Ho-jeong, chuckled.
“You, you won’t be able to live out your allotted lifespan at this rate.”
“Hmm?”
“I know your skills, your father knows them, and furthermore, the entire Murim Alliance knows them. But why do you think the saying ‘a genius dies young’ came about? If you run wild without knowing your limits, you will eventually fall into the River of Three Crossings before you know it.”
“That could happen.”
Murong Jun’s expression turned serious.
“Do you want to become the core of this operation?”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“Because there is a need to.”
“There is a need to? I don’t know. What kind of gift this operation to poke at Yang Cheon will give you.”
“A beast doesn’t only move when chasing prey. It also moves when a counter predator appears.”
“You’re not trying to gain something, but to escape from danger?”
“That’s right.”
“There are many experts even if it’s not you.”
“I know.”
Murong Jun, who was staring up at Yeon Ho-jeong, opened his mouth.
“I will say this clearly. The main agent of this strategy is not Strategist Zhuge but me. And I am planning to endure a certain amount of sacrifice if it is to obtain what I want.”
“…”
“Did you know?”
“If I didn’t know, I would have gone to Strategist Zhuge, why would I have come to you?”
The corners of Murong Jun’s mouth rose.
“Do you trust me?”
“I trust your abilities.”
“I could pretend not to and drop you into the pit of death. I dare to be confident that you will absolutely not be able to escape this time.”
“I’m sure you would.”
“And yet you will still try fighting under my command?”
“Because only then can I minimize the sacrifices.”
Murong Jun burst into a loud laugh.
“A saint has arrived. Don’t act like that, it’s not like you.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“It is a situation where we don’t know when or what will happen, isn’t it? This matter is not to screw you over, but because I am going for ‘our’ sake.”
“…It seems you are sincere.”
“Then let me ask you one thing too.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face also became serious.
“Do you trust me?”
A bitter smile hovered on the lips of Murong Jun, who was quietly observing Yeon Ho-jeong.
“I do not trust you. However, I trust your abilities.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took a fist-and-palm salute.
“I will leave it in your good hands. For this time.”
Murong Jun waved his hand.
“Try running wild properly. Only this once.”