Chapter 6
"Old man. So full of worries."
Moyong Gi grumbled as he left the building.
Of course, he wasn't in a bad mood.
He knew well that Hwang Gwon was fond of him.
In fact, he had received a lot of help from him before his return.
He was very grateful to him.
"Still, what I don't like, I don't like. What's with all the nagging..."
Moyong Gi, who was walking with a frown, suddenly stopped.
"What's this?"
Something incongruous had caught Moyong Gi's senses.
Moyong Gi narrowed his eyes and stared intently at a corner. But there was no reaction.
Moyong Gi acted first.
"Come out."
A moment later, a middle-aged man in a Daoist robe appeared from behind a tree.
The middle-aged man had a slender build, but his sharp eyes and the sword scar running from his left eyebrow to his cheek were impressive.
A gleam of light flashed in Moyong Gi's eyes.
'Lightning Sword Yoon Choong!'
He knew him well.
The difference from Hwang Gwon was that this time, he was filled not with goodwill, but with hostility.
'I was wondering why he didn't show up.'
Moyong Gi's brow twitched slightly as he confirmed it was Yoon Choong, an elder of the Orthodox Justice Alliance from Diancang.
It was because he had suffered a lot thanks to Yoon Choong, who had sided with Yoo Hojin.
'Unlucky bastard.'
Unlike his neat appearance, Yoon Choong was a man who could tolerate injustice but never disadvantage. Moreover, he was quick-tempered.
He had thought he would move immediately upon seeing Yoo Hojin get hurt, so he had been puzzled by his silence.
Moyong Gi managed his expression and hid his inner thoughts.
"Who are you?"
Yoon Choong did not answer and observed Moyong Gi.
"Your senses seem good, but I don't see anything else. Your body doesn't look like it has undergone arduous training. Your hands are not those of someone who has held a sword for a long time. And you beat Hojin?"
Yoon Choong glared at Moyong Gi with sharp eyes.
"What kind of sorcery did you use?"
Moyong Gi did not answer. It was no use making excuses anyway, he wouldn't listen.
'It's just a waste of my breath to talk.'
If three of the rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang had fallen, he should have gotten the hint.
It wasn't as if there were no witnesses. They were overflowing.
Yet, to talk about sorcery meant that he would only listen to what he wanted to hear and see what he wanted to see.
'Should I provoke him a little on this occasion?'
He had no good feelings, and it was something he had to go through anyway. He couldn't avoid it. So, Moyong Gi had a different thought.
"I asked who you are."
Yoon Choong's eyebrow twitched.
"Are you fearless, or are you stupid?"
His voice was sharp. As if he had raised his momentum, his skin tingled.
Moyong Gi grinned.
"Don't waste your energy unnecessarily. Who are you?"
Yoon Choong's face completely contorted.
"Insolent brat!"
Yoon Choong couldn't hold back his anger and drew his sword. As befitting a master of the Sun-Piercing Sword, a flash of sword light flashed and aimed for Moyong Gi's neck. However, Moyong Gi did not move an inch.
'Is this not enough?'
He could tell from the momentum. Whether it was a simple threat or if it contained killing intent.
Yoon Choong's sword was a simple threat. As if to prove it, the flashing sword light stopped right in front of Moyong Gi's neck.
'Let's see how long you can endure.'
Moyong Gi decided to provoke him one more time.
Meeting Yoon Choong's fierce glare, he slowly raised his hand and held the tip of Yoon Choong's sword with his thumb and index finger.
"I told you not to waste your energy unnecessarily. Why did you even draw your sword if you're not going to cut me anyway?"
If he couldn't avoid it, he could just break it when he had the chance. He had no intention of dragging it out. He planned to settle it here and now.
But Yoon Choong didn't seem to have that intention yet. His eyes, which had flared up like fire, had turned cold.
He pulled back his sword and sheathed it in an instant. He had noticed the warriors of the Disciplinary Hall running from a distance.
"Stop! Stop it!"
Yoon Choong glanced at them and brushed past Moyong Gi.
"You know what the sword examination is, right? Make sure you enter. You can look forward to it."
At Yoon Choong's low voice, Moyong Gi showed a grin.
'This turned out even better.'
***
The beautiful crescent moon reflected in the hand mirror slowly distorted. It was because Zhuge Yeon, who was diligently adorning herself, had frowned her pretty face.
"I don't want to."
She had to go to a gathering of the rising generation martial artists of the Five Great Families soon. It was a place she wanted to skip by making any excuse if possible.
But she couldn't easily get out of it. It was because it was an important gathering where the rising generation martial artists of each family who were entering this time would gather.
"I really don't want to."
She really hated it. She had no good memories from the past few gatherings.
Peng Gahyeok, who openly showed his interest.
Dang Somun, who pretended not to, but secretly scanned her body with a lecherous gaze.
Namgung Seocheon, who looked down on her with arrogant eyes.
And Eon Juhye, who stuck to his side, waiting only for Namgung Seocheon's gaze.
But among them, the one she hated the most was Zhuge Yeon herself, who couldn't even show her dislike even if she hated it.
"How did our family end up like this..."
Originally, the Zhuge Family was a family with considerable power in the martial world.
However, it was not a family famous for its martial arts.
But to survive in the martial world, martial arts were important.
A certain level of martial arts was absolutely necessary.
Therefore, they had spent a long time gathering decent martial arts.
Although they were not the best in the world, most of them were above a certain level, so they were sufficient to make a name for themselves in the martial world.
They boasted a strength that even the prestigious great sects could not ignore.
"That damned Orthodox-Unorthodox Great War."
Darkness fell upon the Zhuge Family after the Orthodox-Unorthodox Great War forty years ago.
The Tyrant's Fortress Lord, who had suffered greatly from the mysterious and unpredictable military strategies of Zhuge Geun, the strategist of the Orthodox Justice Alliance at the time, held a grudge and launched a surprise attack on the Zhuge Family. Many masters died, and even the library was burned down.
More than half of the martial arts they possessed were lost at that time, and the family's fortunes declined rapidly.
"It would be terrible if we didn't even have the Five Great Families at a time like this."
Although the Orthodox Justice Alliance still needed the Zhuge Family, they did not treat them as respectfully as before.
They were showing an attitude that they could be discarded at any time if a substitute was found.
The Moyong Family had shown in a stark way what would happen if they cast off the pretense of being one of the Five Great Families when their fortunes were declining.
So her father endured it, and her uncles also endured it.
This time, it was Zhuge Yeon's turn to endure.
Zhuge Yeon raised her finger and tapped the table.
"The only thing to rely on is the Pure Martial Grand Tournament, but realistically, it's impossible."
Zhuge Yeon was not an idealist who only put forward ideals. Rather, she was extremely realistic.
She knew well that her own talent was above average.
But she also knew well that she was not on the level of the rising generation martial artists who had been raised with great care by the great sects.
The great sects selected only children with outstanding talent and aimed solely for the Three Dragons and Two Phoenixes with powerful martial arts and elixirs.
She was behind in talent and behind in environment.
It was more difficult than a cow passing through the eye of a needle.
"Ah... it's difficult."
She unconsciously leaned over the table. The maid, Sowol, who was just entering, was startled.
"Miss! What are you doing, lying on the table! Your makeup will be ruined."
Sowol made a fuss and helped Zhuge Yeon up.
The powder that had been carefully applied to her cheeks was already smudged.
Sowol frowned.
"Oh my! What should I do? It's already smudged."
Sowol took a brush and gently spread the clumped powder. As if that wasn't enough, she applied it several more times. Only then did the smudged powder find its place.
Only then did Sowol sigh and chide Zhuge Yeon.
"Miss, you have to leave now, what are you doing?"
Zhuge Yeon looked crestfallen.
"Sowol, can't I not go?"
It was Sowol who had accompanied Zhuge Yeon to every gathering. So Sowol also knew the situation well.
She looked at Zhuge Yeon with a pitiful expression. But she brought out words different from her inner thoughts.
"The family head at the main house will be furious."
Before leaving the main house, her father, Zhuge Myeong, had repeatedly warned her.
If she did something that went against his intentions from the start, he would not stand still.
Still, Zhuge Yeon relied on one belief.
"Anyway, if I enter the Dragon and Phoenix Inn now, it's for five years... by then, won't father forget?"
"It's only five years. Miss, do you forget things that happened five years ago so easily?"
At Sowol's reply, Zhuge Yeon let out a groan.
As Sowol said, it was only five years.
For her, who remembered things from when she was three, it was not enough time to forget something. Her father, who had a better memory than her, was even more so.
Sowol comforted the crestfallen Zhuge Yeon with kind words.
"Don't be like that, just think of it as the last time and go. Anyway, once you enter the Dragon and Phoenix Inn, you'll be so busy you won't have time to breathe, right? Just close your eyes and go."
If she wanted to not fall behind others after entering the Dragon and Phoenix Inn, she wouldn't have time to look away. At least for five years, such gatherings would be infrequent.
"Alright."
Zhuge Yeon reluctantly nodded.
Sowol smiled. Then, as if a thought had struck her, she clapped her hands.
"Oh! Did you hear that story?"
"What story?"
"They say the rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang lost to one person? Haven't you heard yet?"
Zhuge Yeon looked at her with a surprised face.
"The rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang to one person? What's that story? Tell me in detail."
"That... what was his name? Moyong something... ah, right! Moyong Gi! I heard it was Moyong Gi. Do you happen to know him?"
Zhuge Yeon shook her head.
"How would I know? Moyong... is it perhaps the Moyong Family?"
"Yes. That's right. Anyway, they say Young Master Yoo of Diancang started a fight first and got completely crushed."
"Young Master Yoo of Diancang..."
Yoo Hojin.
She had no personal acquaintance, but she remembered him. She remembered that his martial arts were quite strong.
"He lost? To a rising generation martial artist of the Moyong Family, not to mention the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Families?"
"Yes. And not just lost, they say he was beaten one-sidedly. So the other rising generation martial artists who were there attacked him four-on-one, but they were no match."
Zhuge Yeon's eyes widened. She raised her voice without realizing it.
"No way!"
It was that unbelievable.
Although Yoo Hojin was strong, he could lose. There were as many people in the Central Plains as grains of sand, so it wouldn't be strange for a prodigy to appear from anywhere. It was a plausible story. But it didn't make sense that four rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang attacked and couldn't win.
"Is that true?"
"That's what they say. So they say it's a huge mess right now."
Sowol, as if excited, replied with a flushed face. Zhuge Yeon swallowed hard.
"So what happened?"
"They fought four of them and took down two more, and in the end, Jeonggak of Shaolin stepped forward..."
"Even Jeonggak?"
"Yes."
Myung Jin was so famous, but Jeonggak was not far behind either.
He was a master of a level that only Namgung Seocheon, who was said to be the best in the Five Great Families, could face.
'Even that Jeonggak stepped forward?'
Zhuge Yeon, as if her lips were dry, unconsciously licked her lips with her tongue and said.
"S-so?"
"So they were about to fight..."
"And?"
Sowol, with an exaggerated gesture, built up the suspense.
Zhuge Yeon, watching only Sowol's mouth, swallowed hard.
Sowol, who was about to continue speaking with her mouth puckered, suddenly stuck out her tongue.
"They say the warriors of the Disciplinary Hall entered and the situation ended. Hehe."
"Huh?"
Her tensed body suddenly relaxed.
Zhuge Yeon, with a look of disbelief, let out a hollow laugh as if she was dumbfounded, and then belatedly glared at Sowol.
"Hey, is this the time for you to be laughing? Go out and find out in detail right now."
"There's nothing to find out. It really ended, I'm telling you."
"This little...! Aren't you going to get out quickly?"
As Zhuge Yeon's eyes flashed, Sowol was startled and scurried out of the room.
"It really was the end..."
"That's the end of it!"
Zhuge Yeon glared at Sowol's back and then shook her head. Then, she quietly furrowed her brow.
"He beat the rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang? And from the Moyong Family at that?"
It was an unbelievable story. But it was unlikely that a groundless rumor would circulate in the front yard of the Orthodox Justice Alliance. If that were the case, many would have been wailing by now.
Zhuge Yeon, as was her habit, tapped the table with her finger.
"Hmm... a variable has appeared."
Variables make a situation unstable. But in a stagnant situation, they are extremely attractive.
"If the rumor is true, I'll have to think about it."
Zhuge Yeon's eyes shone.
(End of Chapter)