Dark and Light Martial Emperor

Chapter 171

Eradicating Evil

Moyong Gun’s face was as cold as ice when he entered his quarters.

Hogyeong cautiously asked, “Sir, the head of the family…”

At that moment, Moyong Gun raised his hand.

The cold gesture clearly indicated he wanted to be alone. Hogyeong bowed his head and left the room.

Thus, Moyong Gun was left alone in the room.

He crossed his legs and tapped the table with his index finger, creating a strange sense of dissonance.

How much time has passed?

Moyong Gun’s lips twitched suddenly.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

Moyong Gun looked up at the ceiling, his gaze as sharp as a beast’s and as deep and wise as that of an enlightened monk.

“Did you think I wouldn’t realize that you were the one manipulating things behind the scenes by putting Jegal Munho in the forefront?”

Moyong Gun, with a cold smile and an even colder glare, stared into the air.

Soon, he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!!”

His laughter filled the entire room, bringing a sense of relief.

“Indeed, your skill is unparalleled. No wonder this Moyong Gun wants to recruit you. I expelled you at the inauguration ceremony, and you immediately retaliate by pulling my hair.”

He is an extraordinary person.

Not only does he possess excellent strategic skills and political acumen, but he also dared to touch the position of the Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.

Such a person is rare. This is beyond mere capability; only someone willing to risk their life on minor matters would dare to attempt this.

This isn’t about boldness. It’s just madness.

‘He’s mad, but the problem is that he has the capacity to handle that madness.’

Even the most exceptional geniuses wouldn’t dare to use the heads of the six great families as shields to control the grand scheme.

‘But he does it.’

That’s Yeon Hojeong.

A sinister warrior cloaked in the guise of a fervent general. In some ways, his ruthlessness surpasses even that of the Tang Family of Sichuan.

‘It’s been a long time. I can’t remember the last time this Moyong Gun was so helplessly caught in a trap.’

Promoting Yeon Hojeong to the commander of the Independent Corps?

That’s nothing. Rather, creating two Independent Corps units made room for Moyong Woo. The ability to turn crises into opportunities is essential for a politician.

But this time, there’s no solution.

‘Although I suggested we take our time deciding, it seems the majority of the Bonggong meeting already agrees.’

Since the topic has come up, the position of Vice-Alliance Leader will be pushed forward no matter what.

Distributing positions means sharing power. No sect in the righteous faction favors a concentration of power.

It will take some time, but it will surely pass. However, they will likely reduce the two vice-leader positions to one.

‘The important thing is the existence of the vice-leader position itself to prevent the leader’s dictatorship. Proposing two positions was to emphasize the importance of the vice-leader.’

Moyong Gun’s cheek twitched.

‘Is this Jegal Munho’s scheme rather than Yeon Hojeong’s?’

Jegal Munho is a fox.

No one can ignore Jegal Munho, who once firmly established his presence by invoking alliance laws.

That’s why he nitpicked the expedition timing. Rejecting different matters twice in a row would be challenging.

Especially if the person bringing up the issue is an important strategist in the alliance.

“Magnificent.”

Moyong Gun smirked.

“A matchless genius and a cunning strategist joining forces is truly terrifying. I was thoroughly beaten.”

However, there was still one part that remained unclear.

“Why did they rush?”

Jegal Munho surely anticipated that I would advance the Bonggong meeting. And he intended to bring up the vice-leader issue then.

‘Why?’

Whether sooner or later, it would have been just a day’s difference. The result wouldn’t have changed even if the meeting was held on time.

Of course, they might have hastened to catch me off guard and emphasize the vice-leader’s importance with a decisive move.

But is that all? Was there a reason to involve secular disciples of the Emei Sect to provoke us?

‘……!!’

Suddenly, Moyong Gun’s eyes widened.

“You…?”

Yeon Hojeong’s face came to mind.

The expression of a genius with a thin, scholarly face and piercing eyes like a blade.

“Did you use me to perfectly bring the Emei Sect’s leader to your side?!”

The Dark Sky Divine Maiden values chivalry and morality greatly, along with the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang.

To bring such a person to your side requires extraordinary means. If you don’t clearly create an enemy and highlight that enemy’s wickedness, you can’t make them an ally.

“Ha! I’ve been hit with double and triple layers.”

I knew the Dark Sky Divine Maiden had sided with them, but at the moment, it wasn’t crucial, so I didn’t pay much attention.

But thinking about it now, this is no small matter. The Bonggong meeting members are well aware of the Dark Sky Divine Maiden’s chivalry and morality. This means her voice carries significant weight.

When a good person holds power, the moment they can truly become frightening is when evil appears.

Yeon Hojeong and Jegal Munho imprinted Moyong Gun as evil in the Dark Sky Divine Maiden’s mind.

“Factional strife… it was to balance the power.”

Moyong Gun unconsciously raised his hands.

“Haha, undeniably a perfect defeat.”

I never imagined I’d be hit with such a counterattack in a moment of complacency.

It was a chaotic day. Moyong Gun holed up in his quarters, grumbling for quite some time.

* * *

“So that’s how it happened.”

“Indeed.”

Yeon Hojeong calmly drank his tea.

Yeon Wi, gazing at his son’s unchanged expression, cautiously asked, “Did you intend to lead it to factional strife?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, bringing in the Dark Sky Divine Maiden.”

“Oh, yes.”

Yeon Hojeong’s face turned serious.

“The forces allied with Moyong Gun are at least four. With that kind of power, they could easily manipulate the outcomes of the Bonggong meeting.”

“Hmm.”

“Their ultimate goal is the position of the Alliance Leader. But in the process, they will sacrifice countless people.”

“…….”

“Those who would obstruct their path the most, including myself, are unfortunately just Independent Corps leaders while they are in the main force.”

“Are you saying you took measures in advance so they couldn’t act recklessly?”

“Partly. Above all, he’s adept at ruthless politics. There’s no guarantee there won’t be more like him among the Bonggong members.”

“…….”

“If it were the black factions that revere power, maybe. But in the righteous factions, concentrated power would bring misery to many. Regardless of who becomes the Alliance Leader, there should be a position to check their excessive dictatorship.”

Yeon Wi looked at his son with astonishment.

“You truly are remarkable.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sometimes, when I talk to you, I wonder where you gained such extraordinary insight. This isn’t the first time you’ve shown such impressive judgment.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled wryly.

“It’s just a minor skill.”

There are always those who will stop at nothing to gain power.

Yeon Hojeong’s political talent was specialized in dealing with such people.

The method of conquering the black factions was through power, but governing the conquered black factions required sharp senses and judgment. Constantly facing those eyeing the position of Black Emperor Lord naturally honed his insight.

Thus, he understood. In the end, the righteous factions are no different from the black factions, a world full of filth.

“In any case, Moyong Gun has suffered a significant blow this time without any means of retaliation. He will keep a low profile for a while.”

“I think so too.”

“Publicly, at least.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sparkled.

“Though I don’t want to be categorized with them, Moyong Gun and I are the types who repay any wrong done to us. He may stay quiet on the surface, but who knows what schemes he might be plotting behind the scenes.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“He might be that way, but you and Moyong Gun are different.”

It seemed he wanted to clarify this point before moving forward.

Yeon Hojeong shrugged.

“Well, even if we have similarities, what does it matter? Whether one becomes a saint or a villain depends on the path they choose despite having the same nature.”

Yeon Wi smiled faintly.

“So, which do you think you are?”

“I’m certainly not a saint. My nature is quite petty, after all.”

Yeon Hojeong’s face turned serious again.

“In any case, if Moyong Gun is determined to secretly plot something, there’s no way to find out.”

“Indeed.”

“In the end, we must remain cautious, very cautious.”

Of course, through Moyong Woo, we might find out something.

But this time, the Tangma Army and the Myeolsagun will set out together. It will be difficult to investigate through Moyong Woo, and even if we find out, we must be careful.

If we’re not careful, we might expose Moyong Woo as a crucial piece.

‘We must endure to some extent. The problem is how to adjust the level.’

It must be finely tuned. So that our intentions are not revealed and we are seen as formidable young adversaries.

Yeon Hojeong didn’t realize how much more Moyong Gun was focused on them than he thought.

No matter how keen one’s insight, it’s hard to know. It was a natural response for Yeon Hojeong, but not for the opponent.

One can guess with their head

, but not feel it.

If there’s a flaw in Yeon Hojeong, that’s it.

“Since we’ve done this much, they won’t move recklessly anymore.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry about this side. Take care of yourself. The departure is only three days away.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Don’t worry.”

Even if told not to worry, one can’t help it. It’s unrelated to capability.

To Yeon Wi, Yeon Hojeong was his son. No matter how old a child gets, they remain just that—a child.

“You don’t need to compete with the Tangma Army. Just handle things as they come. Don’t fight unnecessarily to gain merit.”

“I understand.”

“Though he is Moyong Gun’s man, the Tangma Army’s leader is highly competent. While eradicating the enemy is important, the most important thing is returning safely. Work well together.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Despite his efforts, Yeon Wi couldn’t stop himself from giving his son affectionate but nagging advice for quite some time.

Even good words, when heard repeatedly, can be irritating. However, Yeon Hojeong cherished his father’s nagging.

He wanted to continue hearing it even after overcoming the chaos of the Three Teachings.

Yeon Hojeong sincerely wished for that.

How much time had passed?

“…?!”

“…..”

The father’s and son’s eyes became sharp simultaneously.

‘This aura…?’

At that moment, a clear voice was heard from the distant main gate.

“Amitabha. Is Commander Yeon present?”

Yeon Hojeong’s face showed surprise.

“Shao Lin?!”