The miners erupted in discontent.
“Get rid of the rotten internal structure!”
“Get rid of it! Get rid of it!”
Countless miners began to occupy the entrance of the Shengsu Faction, starting their protest. With this unexpected commotion, the faction went into emergency mode, and the Great Hero who emerged faced the overwhelming wave of miners shaking their fists.
The martial artists of the Shengsu Faction couldn’t help but stare with their mouths agape at Moyong Mo, who stood at the forefront of the miners.
“Moyong Clan, awaken!”
“Awaken! Awaken!”
I was watching this scene from the back.
Originally, my plan was to stir up just enough of a ruckus to poke around inside the faction, but for now, I decided to witness the end of this protest.
Most of the Moyong family had jumped out.
Among all this, the usual familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. It was expected that the senior members wouldn’t act recklessly, but at this point, one person should have jumped out to try and calm things down.
Moyong Seok-jil, whom I often ran into at the faction, had his elder brother, Moyong Gwak-jeon, as the highest authority in the faction.
As the martial artists rushed out, even the miners hesitated, instinctively intimidated by the momentum exuding from them.
Moyong Gwak-jeon, looking bewildered, quickly grasped the situation and shouted at Moyong Mo.
“Moyong Mo! What on earth are you doing!”
“I’m setting the clan right.”
“What nonsense are you talking! Get out of there right now!”
“Do you really not understand why they’ve come all the way here! How desperate must they be to even come to the main clan of the Martial World! The clan hasn’t been looking after the mines…!”
“You’re really causing a ruckus, aren’t you!”
Moyong Gwak-jeon interrupted Moyong Mo sharply.
“The miners’ discontent? We’ll deal with that later. But what exactly are you doing? What is your surname to cause such chaos at the front gate of the Moyong Clan and smear its name!”
“To do this…!”
“You reckless fool!”
From Moyong Gwak-jeon’s perspective, the current situation felt like a bolt from the blue, yet he managed to quickly grasp the crux of the matter.
Without Moyong Mo as a shield, the miners would not be able to continue their protest.
“Mo Lang-dae!”
“Yes!”
“Immediately seize that brat!”
“Honor!”
Deciding that swift action was better than a futile argument, Moyong Gwak-jeon ordered.
The martial artists surged forward to encircle Moyong Mo.
Moyong Mo gazed at the encircling martial artists with lowered eyes.
“Moyong Mo! Surrender at once!”
“That is not possible.”
“You bastard!”
Though the martial artists surrounded him, they couldn’t bring themselves to attack. Unlike Moyong Mo, who quietly met their gaze, the martial artists of the Moyong Clan were not prepared to wield their weapons against him.
Even Moyong Gwak-jeon, who could be considered the person responsible for the current situation, gritted his teeth upon seeing the determination in Moyong Mo’s eyes.
If he pressed any further, it would certainly lead to bloodshed.
A martial artist feeling Moyong Mo’s spirit couldn’t shake off that instinct.
“I’ll take the lead.”
It was Moyong Seok-jil who broke the stalemate.
As he stepped forward, the air shifted once again.
Currently, the members of Mo Lang-dae surrounding Moyong Mo were not the branch members of the Moyong Clan, but rather ordinary martial artists. Although many from the branch clans were watching, they would naturally be hesitant to intervene.
After all, it wouldn’t be easy to wield a weapon against one’s own blood.
Under the conflicting gaze of Moyong Seok-jil, Moyong Mo’s eyes flickered.
“Seok-jil…!”
“Brother. Why on earth are you doing this? To cause such trouble at a time like this.”
“It had to be done.”
Moyong Mo glanced at the miners before resuming his focus on Moyong Seok-jil.
“These are the ones who sweat for the Moyong Clan. Who will recognize us if we neglect them?”
“And who has recognized us?”
Moyong Seok-jil shouted back. The twisted expression on his face was filled with pent-up frustration.
“And who has acknowledged us! We were treated as mere messengers conveying the main house’s wishes!”
“Moyong Seok-jil!”
“What the Martial World truly needs is force! Force! While the faction is striving for that, what in the world are you doing, brother!”
Without waiting for Moyong Mo’s response, Moyong Seok-jil drew his sword.
At that moment of imminent danger, everyone—miners, martial artists, and even the Moyong clan members—held their breath.
Moyong Seok-jil was in peak condition, and he couldn’t possibly overpower Moyong Mo, but instinctively, everyone felt that the moment that sword swung, everything here would be swept away in an uncontrollable torrent.
And then, at that moment—
“What is all this commotion?”
Moyong Yeon-hwa appeared.
-Oh, what now? Just continue the protest!
Ho Cheon-an’s voice echoed in Moyong Mo’s head.
Having rallied the miners together and steeled himself, Moyong Mo’s mind began to spin with the pressure and urgency surrounding him.
In that specific situation, Moyong Mo’s instincts kicked in, and he understood the lay of the land.
“Moyong Clan, awaken! Awaken!”
Suddenly, Moyong Mo began shouting slogans.
Even the miners, who were supposed to coordinate, stared at him wide-eyed, shocked by his unexpected behavior.
“Punish the corrupt merchants stealing from the emperor! Punish them!”
“P-Punish!”
“Punish!”
The miners slowly began to echo the slogans.
Moyong Mo, raising his fists, nodded.
‘Did you foresee sis’s appearance, brother!’
Moyong Mo, whose mind was filled only with thoughts of negotiating with the Master of the Faction and the elders.
After hearing Ho Cheon-an’s instructions, it dawned on him that Moyong Yeon-hwa could become an ally.
“Ensure a safe working environment for the miners!”
“Ensure it! Ensure it!”
Moyong Yeon-hwa, pretending to be cold and calculating despite her serious expression, couldn’t help but internally marvel.
Although she had heard Moyong Mo would stir up trouble at the faction, she had imagined him charging off alone toward the faction’s lodging.
But what was this? Countless miners led by Moyong Mo were causing an uproar outside the Shengsu Faction.
It was indeed a surprising outcome.
– Miss.
Ho Cheon-an’s voice resonated in Moyong Yeon-hwa’s mind, which had brought forth that result.
As Moyong Yeon-hwa listened to the evolving plans of Ho Cheon-an in real time, the branch members of the Moyong Clan blocked her path.
From their perspective, they needed to separate Moyong Yeon-hwa from this situation at all costs.
Moyong Gwak-jeon, attempting to persuade Moyong Yeon-hwa, said,
“We’ll handle this commotion. Please stay inside.”
“How can I stay inside while ignoring this situation?”
Moyong Gwak-jeon had no words to counter Moyong Yeon-hwa’s scolding.
At the very moment they exchanged these words, the excited Moyong Mo was shouting slogans, and the miners’ cheers continued.
It was not a situation where one could simply say they would handle it on their own.
Moyong Yeon-hwa resolutely brushed past the obstructing branch members and approached Moyong Mo, who was still shouting slogans.
“I am Moyong Yeon-hwa. I’m known as the Spring Breeze.”
“Spring Breeze!”
“I’ve heard of you!”
The miners erupted in commotion.
“Pray tell, what brings you here? I also wonder why you are urging the Moyong Clan to awaken.”
Upon the entrance of the genuine heiress of the Moyong clan, well-known throughout the Central Plains, the miners momentarily lost their words, having been taken aback.
“It’s alright! Trust me!”
Sensing their apprehension, Moyong Mo encouraged the miners.
“We cannot live because of those corrupt merchants!”
“The safety measures in the tunnels are far too inadequate!”
After listening to the miners’ outcries and grievances, Moyong Yeon-hwa nodded.
“I understand your concerns fully. However, I cannot only heed your words. Therefore, starting tomorrow, I will inspect the mines to thoroughly ascertain if you all are indeed facing such issues.”
“The inspection…”
The miners, who no longer felt any trust in the word “inspection,” tried to respond, but Moyong Yeon-hwa cut them off with a firm stance.
“This will be carried out under the name of the Moyong Clan! The Master of the Faction, along with senior members, will all participate! I will also seek your cooperation to make this process transparent and clear!”
When she invoked the name of the Moyong Clan, hope sparked in the miners, and they nodded.
With so many people present and pledging the clan’s name, they felt certain that it wouldn’t be broken.
As Moyong Yeon-hwa watched the miners retreating after the protest, Moyong Gwak-jeon, his expression grave, spoke to her.
“How could you invoke the name of the Moyong Clan without consulting the Faction? That is an abuse of power.”
“An abuse of power, you say? Perhaps so. But if you wanted to make a claim, you should have behaved properly.”
The branch members of the Moyong Clan present there held their breath at Moyong Yeon-hwa’s icy wrath.
“Where were the Master of the Faction and the senior members while this debacle was happening? What were they doing that they didn’t even show their faces?”
“Uh, that is…”
“I won’t listen to any useless excuses.”
Moyong Gwak-jeon bit his lip.
Having seen them indulge and enjoy themselves with Ho Cheon-an every day, it slipped his mind for a moment. Moyong Yeon-hwa was the representative of the Moyong Clan visiting the faction in earnest.
She possessed the authority to invoke the name of the Moyong Clan genuinely.
The moment the incompetence of the faction showed glaringly, Moyong Yeon-hwa seized the opportunity and wielded her authority fiercely.
“From tomorrow onwards, the Master of the Faction, senior members, and all the members of the Moyong family here, including Moyong Mo! Everyone capable will be dispatched for an investigation into the state of this mine.”
“…While I support investigating the state of the mine, how can the whole faction be involved?”
In response to Moyong Seok-jil’s objection, Moyong Yeon-hwa turned to face him.
“I will not accept objections. Wasn’t it the Faction’s responsibility to let things get this bad? It is the very least we can do to dedicate our full efforts to rectify this situation. If you refuse to do even this, I will not remain idle either.”
With that ultimatum, every member of the Moyong family present fell silent.
“Moyong Mo, come with me. I want to hear the truth of the mine from you.”
With the situation now heavily swaying in favor of Moyong Yeon-hwa, they couldn’t stop her from confidently taking away the culprits behind this uproar.
Moyong Yeon-hwa returned to the lodging with unyielding strides, followed closely by Moyong Mo.
To their side, Ho Cheon-an had somehow joined them as well.
