NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 115
Chapter 115: The Price of Insult (3)
The next day.
With a gasp, Moyong Yeonhwa rose from her bed, panting for breath.
“…What?”
Just then, the door opened.
“Gasp! Lady Moyong, have you regained consciousness?”
“Leader of the Red Wind Brigade?”
The person who entered was Cheon Ilsang, the leader of the Red Wind Brigade, who had been accompanying Moyong Yeonhwa.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Ah… Ye-yes, I’m fine.”
Moyong Yeonhwa looked around bewilderedly.
‘Where am I?’
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up her thigh.
“Ugh!”
“Lady Moyong?”
“…No, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”
The sharp pain brought back vivid memories of the previous night.
‘Yeon Hojeong!’
Without realizing it, Moyong Yeonhwa gritted her teeth.
She asked without hesitation.
“Where is he?”
“Excuse me? Who are you referring to?”
“Yeon Hojeong!”
In that moment, Moyong Yeonhwa could see it—the discomfort written all over Cheon Ilsang’s face.
“Yeon Hojeong… the eldest son of the Yeon family, you mean.”
“What happened?”
“Well, that is…”
Cheon Ilsang stammered.
“I heard there was a dispute with the eldest son of the Yeon family…”
“And?”
“The situation is a bit complicated.”
Moyong Yeonhwa’s eyes narrowed.
“This is frustrating. Get to the point.”
“Did you, by any chance, attack someone from the Yeon family?”
“…What?!”
Cheon Ilsang sighed deeply.
“After the dispute with the Yeon family’s eldest son, we brought you to the medical room. I went to confront them directly afterward.”
“And then?”
“The rumor has already spread far and wide. They say that not only did you insult a member of the Yeon family at the top floor of the Hosun Tower, but you also attacked them…”
Bang!
Moyong Yeonhwa’s fist sunk into the wall.
“That’s absurd!”
Cheon Ilsang closed his eyes tightly.
“I agree it doesn’t make sense, but the rumor is spreading as if it’s a confirmed fact. Moreover, the heirs of the Merchant Alliance…”
Moyong Yeonhwa felt an unknown anxiety creeping in like fog.
“They too acknowledged the truth and left for the Merchant Alliance headquarters first.”
Moyong Yeonhwa’s face turned red with anger.
‘That bastard!’
She had been backstabbed.
It seemed they had intentionally knocked her out to prevent her from responding to the rumors, then swayed the fools of the Merchant Alliance with a few words.
‘Those despicable wretches.’
She felt even more intense anger towards the heirs of the Merchant Alliance than towards Yeon Hojeong.
‘How dare they do this to me!’
She had met with them to take control of the Zhejiang trade business in the future. If not for that, she wouldn’t have bothered with them even as much as the dirt under her nails.
And yet, those scoundrels had struck her from behind. It was like pouring oil on her wounded pride and setting it ablaze.
“Let’s go.”
“Lady Moyong! Meeting Yeon Hojeong right now might be…”
“Not Yeon Hojeong, I need to meet my uncle.”
Moyong Yeonhwa bit her lip.
“It’s too late to catch up now. I must go to my uncle and take complete control over those people. Revealing the truth comes after that.”
* * *
“Awake yet?”
“Uh…”
Mokbi staggered continuously, still reeling from the effects.
Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue in amusement.
“Pouring it down like that yesterday. Was your first taste of life’s liquor that enchanting?”
“Don’t make me talk. My head’s ringing.”
“Funny guy. Just expel the alcohol with your inner strength.”
“…What?”
“Drive out the drunken haze, man. What’s the use of inner strength if not for times like these?”
Mokbi asked with a dazed expression.
“Is that possible?”
“Can’t you expel the body’s impurities? Alcohol is just another toxin.”
Whooosh.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a faint mist rose from Mokbi’s body, carrying with it the pungent scent of strong liquor.
“Huh? It works.”
“Would I have suggested it if it didn’t?”
Yeon Hojeong looked at Mokbi as if he had performed a magic trick.
“Your way of harnessing inner strength is unique. Focused on dynamic energy, perhaps?”
In her days as the leader of the Five Great Divine Generals, Mokbi was proficient in all forms of energy cultivation: seated, dynamic, and standing. Thanks to Yeon Hojeong sharing some of his martial arts with her.
But now, it was different. Mokbi had never once cultivated her inner strength through seated meditation. She was always in motion, and her vibrant energy reflected that.
“The Vibrant Bowstring Technique…”
Mokbi’s eyes widened.
“You know of the Vibrant Bowstring Technique?”
“Huh? Oh, vaguely.”
Of course, he knew. The Vibrant Bowstring Technique was a divine skill that earned Mokbi the nickname ‘Divine Archer,’ encompassing all projectile weapons with exceptional prowess.
But…
‘It needed refinement.’
The Vibrant Bowstring Technique was a divine skill of unparalleled power.
However, the deeper one delved into it, the more it strained the body. To reach that level, one would have to achieve great mastery.
“How do you know about the Vibrant Bowstring Technique?”
“Oh, that? It’s just…”
“Did my brother teach you?”
“…Something like that.”
Mokbi’s face darkened slightly. Time had passed, but she still mourned Baek Gungcheon.
Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“I was planning to rest all day, but how about learning a martial art from me?”
“Learn martial arts on a rest day? That’s not resting, is it?”
“Training during rest is how you improve. Don’t you want to become stronger?”
“Of course, that’s not it.”
Mokbi shook her head.
“The martial arts I’m practicing are already too much for me. I don’t plan to learn any others.”
“What if you’re without your bow?”
“Huh?”
“Imagine encountering an enemy without your bow. Will you throw chopsticks like yesterday? Or just kick around with those well-trained legs?”
“Um…”
“A true warrior must be able to showcase their skills at any moment. The martial world is treacherous. You never know what might happen, so you must always be prepared.”
“Is that so?”
Had it not been for yesterday’s incident, he would have declined until the end.
But now, it was different.
What if those they encountered yesterday had been martial artists too powerful for Mokbi to handle?
If they had harbored ill intentions, even Mokbi would have been helpless. Of course, he could have fled with his superior techniques, but one can’t run forever.
“All martial arts begin with bare hands. You need to learn hand-to-hand combat.”
“…Alright.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“Good, let’s swing our arms and legs around in the garden today.”
“Okay, got it.”
“And I’ll teach you a stable method of cultivating inner strength. It’ll complement the weaknesses of the Vibrant Bowstring Technique, perfect for generating energy.”
“Weaknesses of the Vibrant Bowstring Technique?”
“Yes, it has its flaws. And since you heard it from Baekgungcheon, don’t look at me with those doubtful eyes.”
“…I see.”
Mokbi nodded.
“I’ll learn it for now.”
She meant she would discard it if it proved useless after learning.
Yeon Hojeong liked Mokbi’s attitude.
One who knows their capacity rarely makes the wrong choice.
One must fill their own vessel before it breaks. In that sense, Mokbi, though somewhat naive about the world, knew the essence.
Whether as a warrior or as a person.
“Let’s start right after we eat.”
“Okay.”
After a modest meal, the two entered the forest next to the garden.
“It’s quite spacious. This will do.”
Yeon Hojeong, having set down his Broad Dragon Partisan, casually stretched.
“Shall we see your skills first?”
“My skills?”
That’s when it happened.
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong’s body shot towards Mokbi in an instant.
Mokbi was startled. There had been no sign, yet Yeon Hojeong was already upon him.
There was no time to scream. She quickly retreated.
Thud!
Mokbi’s form retreated swiftly to the rear.
‘I knew it would come to this.’
At that moment, a red aura burst forth from Yeon Hojeong.
Flash!
Mokbi’s eyes widened in shock.
‘That stance!’
Just as the air seemed to ignite, Yeon Hojeong appeared at Mokbi’s flank.
The speed was dizzying, so much so that even Mokbi, a master of movement, lost sight of him for a moment.
Yeon Hojeong’s fist targeted Mokbi’s side.
Boom!
Mokbi spun like a top, deflecting the punch with grace.
Her movements were impeccable. Even without training in Tai Chi arts like the Four-ounce Force or the Pear Blossom Technique, she managed to deflect the attack.
It was an admirable move, but it didn’t faze Yeon Hojeong.
He shifted his weight onto the flowing punch and spun his body around.
The following attack was an axe-like kick, the Crescent Moon Kick.
Mokbi’s expression changed drastically.
The vertical kick was powerful, not something that could be easily deflected or blocked.
‘Eek!’
Crash!
Mokbi turned her body in desperation.
Bang!
Yeon Hojeong’s heel stamped the ground where Mokbi had just been.
But the attack wasn’t over. The ‘Crescent Moon’ referred to both a large and a small axe; having dodged the initial large axe strike, the follow-up small axe remained.
The pivot leg, the right leg, moved like lightning.
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
Mokbi staggered back.
‘It hurts!’
She barely blocked it with crossed arms.
It wasn’t a heavy, pressing kick but a swift, slashing one. The blocked arm felt like a struck vital point, sending a severe pain that made his vision swim.
“Are you just going to dodge?”
Zip, zap, zing!
Yeon Hojeong moved in a zigzag pattern, closing in.
There was no time to wallow in pain. Mokbi flew backward, trying to grasp Yeon Hojeong’s movements.
Whoosh!
Leaving an enemy to figure you out is a fool’s errand. Yeon Hojeong, who had been moving erratically, suddenly charged in a straight line.
‘Gasp!’
It was a straight-line stance, bursting with a fiery momentum like a central breakthrough.
‘Not this time.’
Thud!
Mokbi stood upright, ready to counter Yeon Hojeong’s attack. Merely dodging was not enough to stop Yeon Hojeong’s rapid strikes.
Yeon Hojeong closed the distance to just a yard.
As Mokbi tensed up to take a stance.
Boom!
The entire forest shook with a tremendous force.
Whooosh!
A white wind was enveloped in a flame-like energy. The hot and deadly energy swiftly transformed into a majestic and combative force.
Mokbi’s eyes widened.
Yeon Hojeong’s fist, carrying the weight of a mountain, thrust forward.
Kaboom!
“Ugh!”
It was a martial technique beyond imagination. Struck by the formidable force, Mokbi flew through the air and crashed into a tree.
“Cough, cough!”
There were no internal injuries, but his vision spun, and his breathing became ragged.
Mokbi’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.
‘Incredible!’
Retreating only to be attacked in the path of retreat, and when smoothly deflecting, he was met with rapid strikes too swift to counter.
And there was more.
When he braced himself to block the whirlwind of consecutive strikes, he was instead blown away by an unstoppable powerful attack.
‘He read me from start to finish.’
One must adapt to the opponent’s changes.
It was a sense of practical combat unseen in a cautious archer. Without any grand techniques, he was defeated in just a few exchanges.
“Do you see your weakness?”
Mokbi looked up at Yeon Hojeong with trembling eyes.
Yeon Hojeong, backlit by sunlight filtering through the bushes, seemed as large as a giant.
“To exhibit caution in close combat, you must possess the skill to withstand all of an opponent’s attacks. But you lack that.”
“…!”
“A sensitive and instinctual body technique, like that of a beast. If you can master that, you’ll gain the power to annihilate enemies with monstrous consecutive shots.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly.
“Consider yourself lucky. You won’t learn this anywhere else.”