After I finished disposing of the corpses and hid the Iron Blood Rat, the first place I went was the inn where Moyong Seo was staying.
I deemed it urgent to share the situation with the direct line members of the Moyong Clan.
Coincidentally, when I went to find Moyong Seo, Moyong Yeon-hwa and Moyong Chan-gyeong, who had just finished inspecting the mine, were also having a conversation with him.
“Did you say we’re going to hold matches?”
“Yes. That’s why I came to find you, Uncle.”
Through Moyong Yeon-hwa, I learned about what happened at the mine.
Moyong Mo believed that the faction would change their minds after witnessing the reality of the mine.
But who would’ve thought that a clash in opinions between the Master of the Faction and the branch clans would start because of the mine inspection?
I had hoped for such a situation, but realistically I thought it was impossible.
Or perhaps the long-standing complaints of the branch clans were triggered by this incident due to the meticulous secrecy.
It might be possible that it was both reasons.
“How did you gauge their numbers?”
“…Yes.”
I lightly adapted the story. After all, it would be too suspicious if the Iron Blood Rat was listening to my words, so I modified it to say that the Iron Blood Rat was too exhausted and lacked motivation.
“That’s ridiculous…!”
Of course, the three of them were shocked.
After hearing the shocking news, Moyong Seo was silent for a while, clutching his forehead.
While he might have suspected that the Master of the Faction was involved in something shady, what they were scheming was the worst-case scenario he could have imagined, so it seemed he was very shaken.
“…Uncle, didn’t you already anticipate a situation like this?”
In the briefest moment between words, Moyong Seo nodded, looking like he had aged a decade.
“Right… We need to create a countermeasure…”
As Moyong Seo looked at him, Moyong Yeon-hwa turned to me.
“Great Hero, thank you for your hard work. And… Thank you.”
“…I wouldn’t say it’s worth thanking me for.”
Moyong Seo shook his head with a tired expression.
“No, Yeon-hwa is right. If you had exposed the connection to the Blood Sect in the Martial World, you could have truly become a hero of the martial world. You set aside that temptation and prioritized our promise with the Moyong Clan, so how could I not express my gratitude?”
Seeing the three of them spring to their feet and express their admiration, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Expose the secret of the Blood Sect?
They thought I might choose that option, but in reality, I was in no position to do so.
Once this matter was public, every aspect would be thoroughly investigated.
If that happened, the fact that the Iron Blood Rat was following me would also be revealed, and there would be a detailed investigation into how I obtained information from the Blood Person.
I also had no way of knowing why the Iron Blood Rat was listening to me without hostility.
I could only speculate that it was because of my maternal bloodline.
If I declared, “Half of my bloodline belongs to the Blood Sect,” in front of those whose eyes had turned red from the Blood Sect, it was obvious what sort of chaos would ensue.
I hoped for this incident to be resolved relatively quietly among the Moyong Clan, but I couldn’t articulate the reason eloquently, so I took a universal excuse.
“If the Shengsu Faction makes it public that they are connected to the Blood Sect, it is obvious that a bloodbath will occur in the faction. How could my sworn brother, Moyong Mo, who knows my innocence, ever do such a thing?”
“Whoa…! You value bonds over honor! Truly a Great Hero!”
…Moyong Seo’s eyes trembled as though deeply moved by my words.
“No matter how this situation unfolds, I promise you in my name as Moyong Seo that the Moyong Clan will stand by your side!”
“…Thank you.”
Unintentionally, I deepened the bond of trust with the direct line members of the Moyong Clan before we commenced with formulating a countermeasure.
“The most moderate solution… would indeed be to handle it ourselves.”
Moyong Seo nodded in agreement with Moyong Yeon-hwa’s suggestion.
“We must win in the matches… and root out those truly connected with the Blood Sect.”
I agreed with Moyong Seo’s opinion as well.
While rooting out those connected to the Blood Sect was important, losing in the matches would distort the overall picture.
It would create a scenario where the direct line lost to the branch, making irrational claims seem reasonable.
The branch clans would also only side with the elders, as they had already shown results.
If we lost in the matches, the situation would likely become messy, regardless of how it unfolded.
Thus, if we were to have matches, winning was essential…
“Do you think we can win?”
From my point of view, the odds of winning in the matches didn’t look good.
First off, there was the duel between Moyong Chan-gyeong and Moyong Seok-jil, which could be deemed a peak-level confrontation.
Having seen both of them multiple times, I could easily guess the outcome of this duel.
The first match would see Moyong Chan-gyeong likely lose.
The martial arts learned by the direct line would undoubtedly be better than those learned by the branch line, but at the peak level, it wasn’t a decisive advantage.
On the other hand, the age difference between the two was obvious.
Moyong Chan-gyeong was still quite young. A two-year difference during his growth phase was significant.
There was also another element of uncertainty.
The Moyong Seok-jil I had seen was intensely aligned with the Master of the Faction, so there was a chance he could have learned the Blood Sect techniques within a week, too.
Next was Moyong Yeon-hwa.
As a representative of the Moyong Clan with her mature peak stage, could she handle the seasoned elders who had trained with the techniques of the Blood Sect?
It was difficult to judge.
Moyong Seo was also the most certain win for us.
Moyong Jin-gyeong was at the entry level of Hwa-gyeong, while Moyong Seo had reached a mature level in Hwa-gyeong.
Even utilizing the technique, I thought it would be hard to overturn that gap.
Even if Moyong Seo secured a win, either of them would need to pull through… and the outlook didn’t seem bright.
“We must win.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa said with a determined expression.
“Winning in the matches is the only way to minimize the damage.”
“Right.”
That was indeed a valid point.
After all, there was no other good option besides winning in the matches. Setting aside unnecessary worries, it only made sense to focus on increasing the chances of victory.
“If I could offer even a bit of help, having seen the techniques of the Blood Sect once…”
“Thank you for your help.”
A week.
Training in preparation for the matches with the Shengsu Faction began.
“I will teach Chan-gyeong a special technique that can turn the tables. Great Hero, please assist Yeon-hwa in her training.”
“Understood.”
Moyong Seo and I each took on the responsibilities of training Moyong Yeon-hwa and Moyong Chan-gyeong.
Moyong Seo seemed eager to impart even the forbidden techniques of the direct line, so perhaps I was allowed to have some expectations.
Either way, I had to do everything I could.
I stood opposite Moyong Yeon-hwa to teach her the techniques of the Blood Sect.
“First, can you show me your skills?”
“Of course.”
Swish!
Moyong Yeon-hwa drew her sword and took a stance.
I could instantly recognize that it was the signature stance of the Pado Ilhwi sword technique.
The Moyong Clan.
The Moyong Clan based in Liaoning was so far removed from the heart of the Central Plains martial world that they would be classified as an outside influence based solely on distance.
As such, they had a unique martial arts system vastly different from the conventional techniques of the Central Plains martial world.
“Are you familiar with our clan’s martial arts?”
“Of course. I’ve seen the Pado Ilhwi sword technique and the Ban Yeon Mu Wol sword. I will demonstrate.”
With a nod, Moyong Yeon-hwa charged in without hesitation.
Her momentum as she closed the distance was so fierce that it was hard to associate with a gentle woman.
Like a tiger lunging to pounce on me, the intensity in her movements was remarkable.
An attack infused with the essence of Pado Ilhwi descended upon me.
Boom!!
Even after I blocked the first blow, Moyong Yeon-hwa’s attacks didn’t cease.
The sword aimed directly for my crown then changed direction deftly, targeting my side like a piercing fang.
What a superb follow-up.
The seamless flow of her consecutive strikes made me nod internally, realizing just how remarkable a late-stage disciple of a prestigious family she was.
CLANG!!
Deliberately allowing a few attacks, I took Moyong Yeon-hwa’s onslaught with force.
Somehow breaking the flow of her assault, I extended my sword into the gap, recognizing that she realized I would initiate my offense as her eyes lit up.
Our swords clashed with strong might.
And at that moment…
KACHANG!!
My sword barely scraped Moyong Yeon-hwa’s blade, slipping out of her trajectory.
It was a result of my sword being twisted by the principle of the Ban Yeon Mu Wol technique.
In an instant, I switched to a completely different martial art, using them as if they were a single technique.
That is what the Moyong Clan pursued in martial arts and a distinctive skill they had.
Feeling the intricacies of Moyong Yeon-hwa’s guiding technique, I recalled the residual traces of the martial arts methods in the training hall and put more strength into my arm.
The power I could infer from those traces was possibly greater than the attack I had unleashed.
BAM!!
“Ugh!”
Moyong Yeon-hwa retreated after being struck by my sword technique, unable to fully absorb the blow that had come unexpectedly.
“You need to hold your ground. Now that you’ve learned the techniques of the Blood Sect, your opponent will likely attempt to suppress you before any troublesome signs reveal themselves. They will likely use methods to unleash their body or Qi.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa bit her lip as she looked at her trembling arm.
The strike I just unleashed was indeed far more powerful than the traces left in the training hall.
It could be deemed a harsh attack for Moyong Yeon-hwa to withstand right now…
But considering the techniques of the Blood Sect, she ought to be able to endure this much if she wanted to hold an advantage against the elders.
Moyong Yeon-hwa gripped her trembling right arm with her left, calming herself before taking her stance again.
“Once again, I ask for your guidance.”
Seeing Moyong Yeon-hwa fueled with determination, I nodded in agreement.
Displaying her fighting spirit was a positive sign.
“Then, I shall proceed.”
My sword shot forth towards Moyong Yeon-hwa once more.
