Chapter 31: Certainty (1)

The heavy spear created countless afterimages, as if drawing giant petals in a fantastical move.

But it was red. The petals were dyed a deep red.

Splat!

The blood spewed from Chuseong’s entire body, soaking the center of the training ground.

“Huh!”

“S-Stop!”

Yeon Ho-jeong did not stop.

If he said he would kill, he would kill. The spear blade, shining brilliantly in the sunlight, was filled with the aura of death.

“Cough!”

Chuseong trembled as he spat out blood.

His entire body was covered in wounds like a net. But these were not simple wounds. The piercing energy from the spear blade had seeped into the injuries, worsening his internal injuries.

He had infused the move with penetrating energy. Regardless of how high his martial arts level was, if he didn’t truly intend to kill, he wouldn’t go this far.

‘Death?’

Chuseong’s eyes were bloodshot.

‘Am I going to die?’

In his blurred vision, he saw Yeon Ho-jeong.

The demon who had rendered a man irreparably with his chaotic spear technique was now preparing the final blow with a cold smile.

Fear finally crept onto Chuseong’s face.

That guy, no, that demon in human skin, really intended to kill him.

“Cough! S-Save...!”

Yeon Ho-jeong did not respond.

Like drawing a bowstring, he gripped the middle of the spear shaft and thrust it with all his might.

Clang!

Chuseong squeezed his eyes shut.

At that moment.

Clang!!

The spear stopped.

“Huh!”

The spear blade was just an inch from Chuseong’s throat. If it had been a bit later, his neck would have been pierced.

Chuseong’s trembling body slumped. He had fainted.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

The spear strike had been blocked by an iron staff and a hand. The staff had tried to knock the spear away, but the force was too strong, so the hand had grabbed and twisted it.

He looked at the person who had blocked his spear.

“...Ryongdubang’s leader?”

“Just as I said before.”

His voice was trembling. The pressure from the spear pressing down on the iron staff was immense.

“Because my master’s life is so stubborn. I’m still playing the role of successor.”

“...”

“Ugh! Still, the strength is incredible. It hurts like hell.”

Drip.

The palm of Gadeok-sang, who had grabbed the spear, was stained with blood.

This strike was not a simple one. It wasn’t just a thrust; it also involved rotation and twisting force to maximize penetration.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been staring at Gadeok-sang, released the force on his spear.

“Phew!”

Gadeok-sang, with a pale face, let go of the iron staff and his hand.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression hardened.

“What were you doing? If you had made a mistake, your hand...”

“Would have flown off. If I hadn’t poured my inner energy in time, I would have become a more tragic cripple.”

He shook his hand as if it was nothing, quite nonchalantly.

“Still, if one hand can save two lives, it’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

Two lives.

One was definitely Chuseong. Then who was the other?

“It was unnecessary worry.”

Gadeok-sang replied.

His voice was noticeably lower, audible only to Yeon Ho-jeong.

“The Namgung Clan is strong. Before the Nine Provinces’ noble families gained power, they were considered the closest to being the number one family in the world. You know that, right?”

“There are too many ways to bring down an elephant to count.”

“Do you intend to bring down the Namgung Clan?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

“If necessary.”

Gadeok-sang forced a smile.

Even though he was smiling, his spine was cold. Whether or not it was actually possible, this young man was serious.

‘Dangerous.’

His abilities were secondary.

From Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes and voice, Gadeok-sang felt a steel-like resolve.

It didn’t matter if it was right or wrong. This young man, once he decided to do something, would risk his life to achieve it, with a determination that was almost frightening.

If that resolve went down the wrong path, it would become madness; if it followed the right path, it would become a belief.

“Anyway, there are many people watching. Let’s end this fight here.”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been looking at Gadeok-sang with colorless eyes, glanced around.

Many people were watching him. Most of them were martial artists.

What was unexpected was their expressions.

If they were ordinary people, they would be trembling with fear after seeing such a brutal fight. But these were also martial artists, perhaps.

The eyes of the young talents watching this fight were filled with excitement, not just surprise.

They were not excited by the sight of blood. It was the excitement of martial artists.

The ruthless and relentless spear technique. Although the sword expert had lost to the spear master, his tenacious resistance until the end.

The final blow might have been excessive, but the clash of spear and sword, and the continuous exchange of attacks, had something that made them clench their fists.

For the young talents who had grown up practicing with each other, this was a real combat experience they had never seen before, stimulating their ambitions. It didn’t matter if they were male or female.

Even Namgung Hyun’s eyes were glowing. Despite the situation, the unexpected intense match made his heart race.

“Those guys are really excited, huh? It might be easier than I thought.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Gadeok-sang.

Gadeok-sang shrugged dramatically.

“Try to wrap it up nicely.”

Yeon Ho-jeong couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It was a life-or-death battle between martial artists. For interfering with the match, you must take the blame.”

“You’re a strange guy. You can’t even say thank you. Ah, never mind. Just wrap it up.”

Yeon Ho-jeong tapped the ground with his spear.

Boom!

Everyone looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

He spoke calmly.

“I apologize for startling everyone. But if the senior hadn’t stopped me, I would have truly killed this swordsman.”

Chill!

A chilling atmosphere enveloped the outer courtyard.

Although they were excited as martial artists, they were the descendants of the righteous path, educated in the greater good. It was hard for them to view Yeon Ho-jeong, who had openly said he would kill without hesitation, favorably.

“Is there a reason?”

A large young man asked, his expression serious. It was Pang Da-ho.

“Yeon’s victory over Chief Choo was truly remarkable. But wasn’t it too harsh, given the good position?”

Unlike yesterday, he didn’t offer to help Yeon Ho-jeong.

That was Pang Da-ho’s line. Despite his young age, he viewed yesterday’s incident and today’s match separately. He had a clear standard.

However, the fact that he called Yeon Ho-jeong “Yeon” subconsciously showed his goodwill.

“There’s no reason to hide. This morning...”

Yeon Ho-jeong briefly and concisely explained the situation.

His words were not lengthy, but he didn’t miss the core of the situation and clearly explained the cause and effect leading to this point.

Perhaps because of this, despite the brevity of his words, the listeners felt as if they had heard a long story. It meant that Yeon Ho-jeong’s words were well-organized.

Gadeok-sang couldn’t help but admire him.

‘He’s really not ordinary.’

His martial arts skills, which had relentlessly pushed Chuseong, were impressive, but his current demeanor was even more striking. He spoke calmly and logically, leaving nothing to be missed.

His voice flowed naturally and powerfully, and the words and expressions he chose left no room for interruption. It was almost like a speech.

This wasn’t innate but came from experience. The ability to control the pace, which could only come from leading a crowd from a high position, was evident.

Gadeok-sang, who had been looking at Yeon Ho-jeong with admiration, gradually became suspicious.

‘What is his true identity?’

His brutal skills, which had defeated Chuseong at a young age.

His thoroughly honed belief, which naturally overwhelmed his opponents.

His ability to not only handle the crowd’s attention but to skillfully draw them into his aura.

‘Calling him a genius is an understatement. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I would have thought he was the leader of a major sect, not a young man.’

Gadeok-sang’s eyes deepened.

‘Who are you?’

The outer courtyard became quiet.

As Yeon Ho-jeong finished speaking, people turned their attention to Namgung Hyun.

Namgung Hyun’s face was flushed. Despite his efforts to maintain his composure, it was clear that he was flustered.

“Tsk.”

Ming Haolin, with his hands behind his back, sighed.

“Namgung, you made a mistake.”

Namgung Hyun’s eyes wavered. He hadn’t expected Ming Haolin to react this way.

“No matter how talented he is, he’s only been with the Namgung Clan for a short time. From Chief Choo’s perspective, he probably wanted to show something to your family. It’s also a virtue of a leader to encourage the enthusiasm of subordinates.”

Namgung Hyun’s eyes lit up.

Ming Haolin continued calmly.

“I understand the fatigue of the host family in organizing the gathering. It’s understandable to be strict. But failing to manage your subordinates was your mistake. You should apologize in front of everyone, shouldn’t you?”

It was a subtle statement.

Even if it was too harsh, wasn’t it a mistake to talk about humiliation and bloodshed at a good gathering?

Such comments could have been made. There was enough reason to attack Yeon Ho-jeong.

However, Ming Haolin held Namgung Hyun accountable as the representative of the host family.

Gadeok-sang’s eyes sparkled.

‘He’s going to bury this completely? Clever.’

If Namgung Hyun took responsibility and apologized, the incident would be over. Digging up a resolved matter would be a petty act, just like Chuseong had done.

At the same time, Namgung Hyun’s intentions would also be buried. The clear mistake would disappear, leaving only the ‘mistake’ of poor subordinate management.

Ming Haolin was pretending to scold Namgung Hyun while trying to resolve the incident. At the same time, he was showing his mature demeanor as an adult.

Ming Haolin and Namgung Hyun’s eyes met.

‘You owe me one.’

‘I won’t forget.’

‘Wrap it up quickly.’

Just as Namgung Hyun was about to speak.

“It’s impressive.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled at Namgung Hyun.

“I wouldn’t have done it, but if my ‘younger brother’ had made such a mistake, I would have stepped in to save face.”

Ming Haolin frowned.

“What’s the point of talking about face? It’s clear that Namgung made a mistake...”

“I apologize.”

Ming Haolin was surprised and looked at Namgung Hyun.

Namgung Hyun, who had already reached the front of the training ground, was bowing.

“I gave the order to Chief Choo. It wasn’t a mistake by my subordinate, but my intention.”

“What, what are you saying?!”

“I wanted to make this gathering as impressive as possible. However, I was flustered by yesterday’s incident, and my anger hadn’t subsided. So, even though I knew it wasn’t Yeon Gongzi’s fault, I vented my remaining anger on him.”

The crowd was speechless.

Namgung Hyun was apologizing to Yeon Ho-jeong. Moreover, he admitted that Chuseong’s actions were his orders.

“Even with ten mouths, I have no excuse as the representative of the host family. I sincerely apologize to Yeon Gongzi here.”

Just as the incident was about to be resolved, he suddenly confessed the truth.

Everyone looked at Namgung Hyun, stunned.

Namgung Hyun looked up at Yeon Ho-jeong with trembling eyes.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked down at him with a cold smile.

“So, please forgive my mistake...”

The actions of his younger brother.

“Please forgive me.”

Shut up.

Watching Namgung Hyun, who was apologizing with all due respect, Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.

“No.”