Chapter 45: The Flaw in Discipline (5)

"Are you this emaciated after just ten days? Haven't you been eating?"

"......"

"Good grief, have you seen everything now? You won't even answer?"

"......"

"Well, you probably have nothing to say."

Jang Yun, confined in the iron bars, looked quite pitiful.

He wore prisoner's clothes, and his hands were cuffed with chains. His disheveled hair looked lifeless.

Yeon Hojeong, who had been staring at Jang Yun, spoke to Beopin Gakju.

"Could you open the door for me?"

A troubled look appeared on Beopin Gakju's face.

"That is......"

"Don't worry. I only caught this guy, I didn't say I'd let him go. Ah!"

Yeon Hojeong took out a small letter from his robes.

"I already got permission from the head of the family. Please take it."

Beopin Gakju nodded after receiving the letter. The writing and seal on the letter were clearly from the head of the family.

"Understood. However, since the prisoner might cause trouble, please be careful."

"I can handle ten more like him."

Clank.

The iron bars opened, and Yeon Hojeong stepped inside.

Even though the iron bars were clearly open, Jang Yun showed no reaction.

Yeon Hojeong sat down next to Jang Yun without hesitation.

Jang Yun flinched. Yeon Hojeong had sat too close.

"Your inner energy is sealed. Aren't you cold?"

"......"

"Pointless question, right? Are you getting enough food?"

"......Why are you here?"

"Do I need your permission to come? I come when I want to."

His words left Jang Yun speechless.

Yeon Hojeong, leaning against the wall, spoke in a passing tone.

"Yoo Jiha, that guy, also received punishment."

"......"

"Regardless of how foolish your actions were, he was still the head. There's room for leniency, but the crime of insubordination doesn't disappear. Therefore, he was docked six months' pay and tasked with handling all the battalion's administrative matters for three months alone."

Handling the battalion's administrative matters alone was no easy task. It was so arduous that it might not even be finished in a day.

"But that guy, after finishing the administrative work, even managed to complete his personal training and fall asleep? He doesn't seem to get more than two hours of sleep a day."

"......"

"Whether his efforts will last, I don't know, but at least he seems happy now. A strong person is a strong person. His desire to become stronger must have been intense."

Jang Yun asked.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"To let you know."

"......"

"I don't know all the rules of the main house, but I do know that the severity of the punishment can vary based on the motive and purpose. There must be a reason why you received a harsher punishment than Yoo Jiha."

Jang Yun looked at Yeon Hojeong.

His eyes were hidden by his hair.

"Strictness in the law is necessary. But if it goes too far, it can cause problems."

"Are you reducing my sentence, then?"

"How could I? That was just my mood. You committed insubordination, but looking back, I wasn't that angry. I thought sealing your inner energy was too harsh."

"......"

"Though it's not my place to say, you were lucky."

Jang Yun's hair moved. It was a laugh, but it was hard to tell if it was a sneer or a bitter laugh.

Yeon Hojeong's eyes deepened.

"Besides, even though you're a fool, you seem to have pride in the Byegsan Yeon family's secret organization, the Biungdae."

"......!"

"Didn't you hate me because you couldn't accept that the head of the family was a scoundrel?"

Jang Yun's eyes wavered.

It was embarrassing to hear such words said so bluntly.

Yeon Hojeong chuckled.

"Though you're twisted, you still have affection for the main house."

"How do you know that, sir?"

"Do you need to touch it to know if it's feces or mud?"

Isn't that a bit of a dirty metaphor?

Yeon Hojeong stood up.

"Think about what truly helps the main house."

"......I have a question."

"What is it?"

Jang Yun raised his head.

"Besides me, did you reduce the sentences of others involved in this incident?"

Meaning, did you treat those who committed crimes in different organizations the same way?

Yeon Hojeong's eyes turned cold.

"Everyone except two is dead."

"......!!"

"Their crimes were clear. Whether they were drunk or not, unjustly killing someone is a capital offense. They even tried to cover it up so no one would know. There was no room for leniency."

Jang Yun shuddered.

He could have lost his life if he had gone further. The thought made his spine chill.

Looking down at the trembling Jang Yun, Yeon Hojeong continued.

"Perhaps, a great crisis will soon befall the main house."

Jang Yun was startled and looked up at Yeon Hojeong.

For a moment, Jang Yun felt the world go dark. A merciless killing intent emanated from Yeon Hojeong's indifferent eyes.

"I hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, you must lend your strength. Prove that your affection for the main house is genuine."

"......"

"Even with your inner energy sealed, you can still train. Don't waste time. You should be better than the guy who was once your subordinate."

* * *

"Brother."

"Huh? Were you waiting for me?"

Yeon Jipyeong laughed awkwardly.

"You said you were going to see Father today."

"Really? I did?"

"For heaven's sake, you forgot?"

"Got a lot on my mind lately."

"You're really inconsiderate."

"Brat."

Yeon Hojeong messed up Yeon Jipyeong's hair. Yeon Jipyeong yelped.

"Come on, let's go see Father."

Four days had passed.

Yeon Hojeong's routine had become even more intense. Having surpassed his limits several times over a period of more than four months, he wanted to surpass them again this time.

He reduced his sleep by one hour and doubled his food intake. Naturally, his training intensity was much higher than before.

Even with the martial arts and insights from his previous life, he couldn't become stronger without intense effort. Yeon Hojeong had trained more intensely than anyone over the past six months.

Another day passed.

Unfortunately, he couldn't summon the White Tiger, but his mastery of the Bieulrajinjul reached six levels. Considering the time since he started, his progress was beyond imagination.

On the day Yeon Hojeong reached the sixth level of Bieulrajinjul at noon, Gadeuk finally arrived.

"Thief! Is the food well-prepared?"

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

"If a single grain of rice is left, there won't be any broth left either."

* * *

"How is the work progressing?"

"It's almost finished. The workers are giving it their final push."

"Time?"

"Seeing the hot wind blowing through the passage, it should take about five days."

"Good."

An elderly man in elegant clothing cut a branch with scissors.

"Once the work is done, bury the workers."

"Understood."

The elderly man, who spoke of killing people so casually, and the middle-aged man, who nodded as if it was normal, were equally chilling.

A faint excitement appeared on the elderly man's face.

"Finally, we can obtain it. The rare opportunity arranged by our ancestors. It has truly taken a long time, hasn't it?"

"It's been twelve years."

"If we obtain this certain opportunity, we can surpass Shaolin in the next generation."

"Next generation? If what our ancestors left is true, it won't take a few years."

"Hehe, how wonderful that would be."

The elderly man stretched.

"By the way, have you heard from the Murong family?"

"Yes. Not yet. The Murong side is also having a headache."

The elderly man clicked his tongue.

"Very frustrating. What could be holding them back so much?"

"They must be anxious. The Byegsan Yeon family is young and has a weak foundation. They might be worried that the Murong family will play tricks."

"That's why they're so limited. Despite holding a fortune, they can't use it properly. It's like giving a priceless sword to a butcher."

"That's true."

The elderly man, Myeongcheon, shook his head.

"Contact the Murong family. If the Yeon family refuses again, just give up."

"Are you really going to do that?"

"What can I do? If a child doesn't listen, you have to raise a hand. I wanted to maintain the lineage, but if they keep being so stubborn, we have no choice."

A faint sense of unease appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

"If you really plan to bury the Yeon family, you need to prepare thoroughly."

"Of course. Despite their lack of ability, they have a considerable following."

"It's said that the current head of the Yeon family is a very skilled martial artist. His sword technique can cut through waves. Some say he might reach the Thirteen Seats of the Holy Heaven in ten years."

Myeongcheon's eyes turned cold.

The Thirteen Seats of the Holy Heaven.

A term used to refer to the supreme martial artists representing the current martial world.

People say that the greatest golden age in the long history of the martial world was 300 years ago during the Blood Sect Rebellion.

300 years ago, the martial world saw a surge of invincible masters who could rival the best in the world. It was an era when ten individuals, regardless of the era they were born in, could undoubtedly be called the best in the world.

But as time passed, the current martial world also began to produce masters who approached the absolute pinnacle. The people called these masters the Thirteen Seats of the Holy Heaven.

Ten Immortal Emperors and three Sovereigns, a glorious title.

Unfortunately, the Nine Clans of the World, known as the best, still had no master among the Thirteen Seats.

'If Father were still alive......'

The lineage of the Myeong family had short lifespans.

Despite not being ill or suffering from a martial arts mishap, they had short lives. People said it was a curse of the family.

'That's not a curse. It's because of martial arts.'

The Myeong family's martial arts were incomplete.

Though they could discuss the best in the world, to achieve such power, they had to consume their life force. Therefore, the Myeong family tried to correct the flaws by incorporating external martial arts.

Naturally, the problems were not easily solved. The martial arts became stronger, but the lifespans remained short.

'But now it's fine. If we can recover the origin of our family's martial arts......!'

300 years ago, a single absolute invincible master appeared, surpassing the invincible masters of the time.

The Four Directions Martial Emperor.

Also known as the Yellow Dragon Emperor, this master possessed martial arts that could be called the best in history.

Since it was a bygone era, it's hard to gauge the true strength of the Four Directions Martial Emperor. However, enthusiasts placed the Four Directions Martial Emperor above even figures like Bodhidharma or the Heavenly Demon.

Myeongcheon knew that the enthusiasts' words were not mere exaggeration.

The reason was that the founders of the Myeong family were the ones who drove out the Blood Sect alongside the Four Directions Martial Emperor. And the Four Directions Martial Emperor had imparted a bit of martial arts to those founders.

The Myeong family grew to its current size with just that bit of martial arts. Myeongcheon was convinced that the Four Directions Martial Emperor was the strongest martial artist in the history of the martial world.

And twelve years ago, he discovered the will left by the first founder.

"Wouldn't it be fine to test it?"

"Excuse me?"

A sinister killing intent appeared on Myeongcheon's face.

"After we recover our martial arts, it would be fine to test how excellent they are against the Yeon family."