Caught in the Net (3)
In the grand hall of the Hoyeon family estate, Hoyeon Tak knelt on the floor. Behind him, the disciples who had accompanied him to Shandong stood in a line. Some were bandaged, but none were seriously injured, and thankfully, no lives were lost that day.
After Hoyeon Nam’s death and Yeomhwa’s severe injuries, the remaining people were too shocked to continue fighting. The suddenness of the event was a blessing; otherwise, one side might have been completely wiped out.
Hoyeon Tak, though a disciple, was also a blood relative of the Hoyeon family. He wasn’t a direct descendant but still held a different status from the other disciples.
Standing on a high platform, looking down at them, was Hoyeon Se, the head of the Hoyeon family. The recently deceased Hoyeon Nam was his third brother.
Hoyeon Se, clad in a robe adorned with a tiger, had long white hair and a beard that exuded an aura of authority just by standing there. He truly embodied the presence of a family leader.
Hoyeon Se closed his eyes, suppressing his anger. Or rather, he pretended to calm his anger. Although Hoyeon Nam was family, they weren’t particularly close, so his death didn’t tear at his heart.
But he had to appear sorrowful now. This grief would serve a purpose in the world outside.
Beside him stood his second brother, Hoyeon Chun, who looked down at the disciples with a cold gaze, as if ready to mete out punishment. Apart from the disciples involved in the incident, only these two were present.
Finally, Hoyeon Se slowly opened his eyes and asked, “What exactly happened?”
“I don’t know, Master. Suddenly, the master drew his sword and attacked Yeomhwa.”
“You fool!”
Hoyeon Se’s voice thundered through the hall, his aura filling the space.
Hoyeon Tak trembled with fear, and the disciples behind him could barely breathe.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“How could I dare lie in such a situation?”
“Are you saying Nam attacked first?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The disciples standing behind him all nodded in agreement.
Hoyeon Se glanced at Hoyeon Chun beside him.
Hoyeon Chun gave a slight nod, his expression icy. Knowing Hoyeon Nam’s temperament, it was entirely plausible.
Hoyeon Chun had never liked Hoyeon Nam. Although he had won their rivalry for the second-in-command position, the bitterness lingered.
Hoyeon Se let out a heavy sigh.
When the news first reached him, he thought it was a mistake.
But if it was true that Hoyeon Nam had launched a surprise attack, the situation was dire. The bigger issue was that an official meeting was taking place at the time.
The infamous Yeomhwa, known as the Butcher of Cheondo Gate, wouldn’t let this incident slide.
It was like being bitten by a dog and having to pay for the broken teeth.
“Go and reflect on your actions.”
“Yes.”
The disciples retreated, but Hoyeon Tak remained.
“I have something to report to you, Master.”
“What is it?”
Hoyeon Tak cautiously recounted the story of Yacheon’s visit and how Hoyeon Nam had taken the money from the pouch.
As Hoyeon Se listened, his expression hardened.
If this were true, it meant Hoyeon Nam had taken money from Yacheon to ambush Yeomhwa. It would be a significant stain on the Hoyeon family’s reputation.
“Do the other disciples know about this?”
“No, only I am aware.”
“Never speak of this again.”
“I understand.”
Hoyeon Tak withdrew.
Now, only Hoyeon Se and Hoyeon Chun remained in the hall.
Hoyeon Se frowned.
“Foolish man, I should have known when he insisted on handling it himself.”
Though reluctant, there was no one else to send to deal with the Cheondo Gate matter. They couldn’t afford to lose the two hundred thousand nyang.
“To resolve this, we’ll have to meet with them.”
Hoyeon Se’s words were met with a nod from Hoyeon Chun.
“I’ll make contact with them.”
“Please do.”
“But…”
Hoyeon Chun trailed off, glancing at the door Hoyeon Tak had exited.
“What about that boy? If word spreads that Nam took money to cause trouble…”
Hoyeon Se silently looked at Hoyeon Chun. Though he said nothing, Hoyeon Chun nodded as if he understood.
When the head of the household locked himself in his room, Gwangdu returned to his training.
He was spurred on by the news of Gwanhui’s improved skills. For a martial artist, having a rival was not just good; it was a blessing.
Gwangdu trained diligently.
I didn’t instruct him separately. Even if something bothered me, I left it alone. Interfering too much could ruin things.
I let him discover things on his own and would teach him when he asked.
I trained far from where Gwangdu practiced. My training would undoubtedly distract him. He needed to focus solely on his own practice for now.
I sat alone at the mountain’s peak, meditating.
The Heavenly Martial Heart Technique was always in effect, except when I slept, steadily building my internal energy. I had about a year left to reach the level of Yi Gapja’s internal energy.
I could shorten that year by acquiring elixirs with the money I recently obtained, but I chose not to.
There were other places to spend the money, and I could use the Four Grass Techniques, so there was no need to covet the Five Grass Techniques.
Today’s training was meditation-based.
Though recent insights had come from daily life, I believed not all progress should be sought there.
Basic training must be the foundation for insights from daily life to exist.
I recalled the Celestial Crane Technique in my mind. I visualized each movement, engaging in an imaginary duel.
My opponent was the leader of the Blood Heaven Sect. He was the strongest person I had ever faced.
Having fought him in a life-and-death battle for half a day, I knew exactly what demonic arts he possessed and their power.
I envisioned the duel with him.
In the first encounter, my head was shattered.
In the second, half my body was blown away.
It was only natural that the current Celestial Crane Technique couldn’t match him.
Would mastering the Celestial Crane Technique allow me to kill him? I still didn’t know.
This time, I combined the Deathly Asura Sword Technique with the Celestial Crane Technique. I imagined facing the sect leader with both martial arts.
The intertwining of swordsmanship and technique made for an even more challenging battle in my mind.
It was a moment that showed how foolish it was to use two martial arts simultaneously against a supreme master.
But I had no intention of giving up.
I planned to find a way to appropriately merge these two martial arts to face my enemies.
After training, Gwangdu and I headed to the marketplace.
Instead of the inn where we usually stayed, we went to a large inn near the main branch of the Martial Alliance to eat. It was a chance to get some fresh air and catch up on recent rumors.
“Food tastes like heaven after a hard training session!”
“Eat as much as you want. I’ll order more!”
“Young master, let’s have a drink for the first time in a while.”
“Sounds good.”
We called the waiter and ordered drinks and snacks.
Gwangdu downed his drink with a satisfied smile.
“Ah, there’s nothing more to wish for. A drink after training is the best!”
I agreed. Especially when shared with someone you get along with, the joy is doubled.
“Everyone’s talking about the same thing.”
The inn was abuzz with talk of the Hoyeon family and Cheondo Gate. The clash between two powerful families naturally drew attention.
Listening quietly, opinions varied.
Some blamed Hoyeon Nam for initiating the attack, while others thought Yeomhwa was wrong for killing him.
Some even speculated that the Hoyeon family might be annihilated.
Gwangdu looked incredulous at the distant chatter.
“Do you really think the Hoyeon family will fall? They’re one of the four great families of the martial world.”
“You never know.”
“What?”
“Building a sect is incredibly difficult, but it can fall in an instant.”
And the larger the sect, the greater the impact. Unable to support its massive size, it would topple, destroying everything around it.
Just then, a man burst into the inn with urgent news.
“Have you heard? A disciple of the Hoyeon family has committed suicide.”
“What? You mean one of Hoyeon Nam’s disciples?”
“Yes, I heard his name was Hoyeon Tak. Apparently, he was tormented by guilt for not protecting his master and took his own life.”
Listening nearby, I was taken aback. I had met Hoyeon Tak during the recent events. You get a sense of people when you meet them. He didn’t seem weak. He might have been grieving his master’s death, but suicide seemed unlikely. A chill ran through me.
People expressed their regret over his death.
“Such a shame.”
“A young life lost too soon.”
“He must have been deeply devoted to his master.”
“Truly a disciple of a prestigious sect.”
Everyone had something to say in memory of the deceased disciple.
Gwangdu also expressed his condolences.
“Ah, what a tragic event.”
I too raised a glass in memory of his death. As I set down my drink, I spoke.
“Was it really suicide?”
“What do you mean?”
Gwangdu, catching the implication in my words, was startled.
“Why are you being so scary?”
I’ve seen it countless times—people committing unspeakable acts under the guise of protecting their family honor.
“Sure, it might not be true. But it could be.”
The young disciple’s suicide, before he even had a chance to bloom, would soon spark public outrage against Yeomhwa. The criticism would inevitably spread to Cheondomun.
Even though it was Hoyun-nam who struck first, Yeomhwa would end up shouldering the blame.
“We don’t know which side holds the truth… That’s why you learn martial arts.”
“Why is that?”
“Because to uncover the truth, you must be strong.”
The truth of the weak is always buried.
Gwangdu looked at me earnestly and replied, “Yes, I’ll train hard.”
If the Hoyun family killed him and staged it as a suicide… they’ve crossed a line.
One day, they’ll pay for crossing that line.
A man sat by the riverbank.
He was Ilho, the very person who had recently received a report from Chilho.
Gazing endlessly at the waves crashing on the shore, he now cast his fishing line into the river.
A man wearing a wide-brimmed hat sat down beside him. Surprisingly, the visitor was Hoyun-chun from the Hoyun family.
“Any luck with the fish?”
“I’ve been out here since morning, but the bites have been disappointing.”
“Isn’t there a saying that fishing brings you to a state of no thought, no form, no self?”
“Yes, there is.”
“But sitting still like this isn’t really my thing.”
“People often think fishing is very static, but it’s not. It’s quite similar to martial arts.”
Hoyun-chun looked intrigued and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“In movement, there is stillness, and in stillness, there is movement. Just like when you watch the float and then swiftly pull the rod when it moves, wielding a sword is much the same.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
But Hoyun-chun wasn’t truly convinced.
‘If you put it that way, then cooking rice or even relieving oneself could be seen the same way, couldn’t they?’
Hoyun-chun hid his thoughts and got to the point.
“You may not know, but there was a minor clash between our family and Cheondomun recently.”
Ilho responded immediately, “You agreed to receive two hundred thousand nyang from Sandong Yasang, didn’t you?”
Hoyun-chun felt annoyed. There was no need to bring up money, yet Ilho pointedly highlighted his greed.
“Our side has settled the matter, but it seems Cheondomun still has issues. Especially the butcher Yeomhwa won’t let this go.”
Everyone knew Yeomhwa wasn’t one to let things slide with just Hoyun-tak’s suicide.
“I heard he’s gone to Wuhan to meet Mabanggi.”
Ilho nodded, confirming the truth of the matter, as if they knew everything.
“Understood. We’ll handle this.”
“Thank you.”
As Hoyun-chun stood to leave, Ilho spoke again.
“This is the last time. Don’t let this happen again.”
Hoyun-chun’s eyes turned cold.
“What do you mean by that?”
In response to Hoyun-chun’s provocation, Ilho turned his head back to the river. His voice was icy as he spoke.
“A warning.”
Hoyun-chun stared at him for a moment before leaving without a word.
After he left, Ilho continued to gaze at the water and finally spoke.
“Do you know why I like water so much?”
A woman emerged from behind a nearby tree. It was Chilho, who had been monitoring Majungsoo earlier.
“I don’t.”
“My father drowned.”
Chilho’s response was brief and emotionless, as if no words of comfort were necessary.
“I see.”
Ilho chuckled wryly. He was the one who had trained her to be this way.
“Take Gwaemangryang and handle this matter.”
Chilho simply replied with a curt “Yes” and left.
Ilho watched her go before turning his gaze back to the river. The float bobbed, but he didn’t pull the rod.