Mo Yong Yeonhwa could not understand what was happening now.

What is this?

The Branch Chief was defying her. He was calling her “niece” not as an uncle, but as a Branch Chief.

Her eyes slowly reddened.

“Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“......”

“So you truly wish to lose your head under the House Law!”

“Does such a House Law even exist?”

“What?!”

VMMMM.

A chill rose from Mo Yong-woo’s body.

Without meaning to, she took a step back—the pressure rolling off him was too intense.

His voice came low.

“The main house’s law fell to the ground long ago. And lamentably, that is because of your father.”

“W-what did you say!”

“By nature a house’s law must apply fairly to any who belong to it. In truth, that is true not only of a house’s law but of every law under heaven.”

He bit his lip.

Second elder brother. Clan Lord of the Mo Yong Clan. A ruthless overlord.

At the thought of Mo Yonggun, his heart surged like waves.

“But the main house’s law is not so. Anyone who departs from the Clan Lord’s gaze is executed on the spot. Those who speak rightful, forthright remonstrance, those who walk clear chivalry—if they hinder the path my brother walks, none escape death.”

“You—!”

“That is not law. It is pitiless despotism. If only my brother walked the road of chivalry, that would be another matter—but that is not what he seeks.”

He sighed.

“What he seeks is not a right world, merely his own glory.”

She ground her teeth.

“You! Are you insulting the Clan Lord of the main house?!”

“How is it insult?”

“What?”

“Anyone with a proper doctrine, a right and fitting sense of values, will know I am not insulting my brother.”

“......!”

“That is what a leader is. Regardless of ability, when he hears his subordinates’ straight words, he must be able to wrestle with them, and it is meet that he face his own faults and strive to correct them.”

He shook his head.

“Nothing reaches my brother’s ears. And right now, my words do not reach yours. That is by no means a right path.”

She trembled.

Rage threatened to turn her vision. At the same time, her head grew cold.

Is he mad?!

She was the Clan Lord’s daughter, a great pillar of the Mo Yong Clan.

He was spouting impossibilities at one the absolute ruler favored. If he wished to live, he could not.

“You really must be eager to die. You spit out lawless words without shame.”

He sighed.

“Go back.”

“Everything you said today—I will report it all to the Clan Lord! You’re a dead man!”

“I told you to go back.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

She shouted.

“Silence! How dare a mere Branch Chief give orders to the Clan Lord’s eldest daughter! Have you forgotten your roots because you’ve lived off in the provinces!”

For an instant, his expression twisted.

“Will you not come to your senses!!”

ZZZING!

Her face went blank.

It was a bellow like a Lion’s Roar. Fierce inner force—and emotion fiercer still—shook her head.

With a shake she barely came to, and looked at him.

Gasp.

His gaze was terrifying.

An overwhelming emotion crashed in like surf. The strength in those eyes, that swept and pierced all, struck her so hard she could scarcely breathe.

It was not a gaze one showed simply by strong inner force or high martial realm.

It was a vessel.

His vessel—his conviction—was searing her. It was the will of a man who had endured agonies she could not imagine, and yet had not left the right path.

And moreover, he was changing.

Looking at a niece twisted all the way crooked, he could squarely face the clan’s present state. He found the courage to face the hellish reality he had turned away from.

Only now did he truly see the world. Her warped heart and shattered pride, conversely, became what steadied his.

“Why did you take up the sword! How did you come to learn letters! For what reason did your flesh and soul come into the world!”

His voice grew rougher—clearer.

And it hardened into conviction.

“The reason you could come into this world was that the surname Mo Yong held fast against the tides and stood with both feet!”

“......!”

“If you truly serve the clan, when it walks a wrong road you must not spare bitter words! Therefore you must cultivate eyes and a heart to judge what is right and what is wrong!”

He pointed at her.

It was aggressive. She flinched.

“You, with such fine talent, still cannot gauge what is right—you follow your father’s orders and load an innocent people’s shoulders with a thousand-cattie burden. Do you truly think that is right?”

“You—!”

“Answer me! Do you truly think that is right? Are you living the life that is rightfully yours!”

At that instant, a shock like a blow to the back of the head ran through her.

She heard nothing else. But his last words bored into her ears and shook her head.

The life that is rightfully mine?

Without meaning to, she asked herself:

Am I living my life?

Of course. Never once had she been swayed by others’ words.

She had always stood proud. She knew her ability, and to wield it she strode out into the world.

I am not wrong. I will always live as I do now, leading my life on my own terms.

Biting her lip, she opened her mouth.

“What baseless sorcery of words....”

All at once her words caught.

For she realized that the strong gaze fixed upon her was now filled with sorrow.

“I pity you.”

“...What?”

“You didn’t have to live such a life. Yet before I knew it, you’d grown like this. You’ve become a ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) puppet my brother manipulates.”

“S-silence! I am not—!”

“Have you ever once looked back at yourself? Have you even suspected your life might be wrong?”

She was struck dumb.

Watching her with pity, he turned to the window.

“Go back with the Red Wind Squadron.”

“......”

“I don’t want a war of words with you any longer.”

Her fists quivered.

She spat the words.

“For a loser to say!”

With that she stormed out of the office.

He did not look back. Hands clasped behind him, he only looked out the window.

Quietly, Lee Geon hoisted Cheon Ilsang and left the office. Now was not the time to touch Mo Yong-woo.

Thus he was left alone.

Sss—

Staring up at the sky with a troubled face, he suddenly realized the tea water was boiling.

With a sigh he lifted the pot—then, seized by a sudden, nameless surge of feeling, he hurled it.

CRASH!

Scalding water and shards of porcelain scattered in all directions.

He stood with his head bowed for a long while, then spoke.

“Come in.”

The office door opened and Lee Geon entered. He had remained waiting outside.

“I have somewhere to go. If it’s short, two or three days; if long, perhaps four.”

“......”

“Look after the branch until then.”

Lee Geon bowed.

“Understood.”

Cloaking himself in a long coat, Mo Yong-woo started out the door, then halted.

“Lee Geon.”

“Yes, Branch Chief.”

“Do you think I went too far?”

Lee Geon smiled.

“You went quite far enough.”

“Did I?”

“Yes. So from now on, don’t crouch—spread your wings. That way I can live off the crumbs at least, can’t I?”

Unbidden, a faint smile came.

“My apologies for not telling you sooner. I don’t think I can watch the main house’s violent course any longer.”

Lee Geon burst into hearty laughter.

“I’d wondered when you’d raise your head. If I chose you as my lord, you should at least have that much breadth.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

His face visibly lighter, Mo Yong-woo nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

“Travel safely.”

****

THWACK!

“Gah!”

Mookbi staggered and fell.

Yeon Hojeong shook out his fist.

“That makes seventy-two bouts, seventy-two wins, no losses.”

Cough, cough!

“How do you not win even once? I seal one movement method and you’re nothing but a training dummy.”

She panted.

“C-cheap.”

“What’s cheap, fool.”

“Where did you learn those ridiculous tricks?”

She called him cheap.

And yes—his hand-to-hand method was cheap.

He kicked stones to attack, threw fallen leaves to distract eyes, and even went for the groin.

“Cheap” was kind; it was vicious. It wasn’t merely practical hand-to-hand, it was closer to a brawl.

He snorted.

“There’s no fair fight in the world. Morals? Etiquette? Don’t be dazzled by lip service. The truth is whoever’s still standing. Debating clean and dirty in a fight is a luxury.”

“Kh—!”

“Still, you do have feel. You’ve never won, but you’re lasting longer.”

He admired her sense.

He had driven her to reflex, yes—but most martial folk would have dropped before making it halfway through such brutal fighting.

Not Mookbi. Grinding her teeth, she endured, and bouts that ended in a few exchanges at first now stretched to thirty.

Of course, he wasn’t showing even thirty percent of his true skill.

As expected, this one’s a gem.

Was this how a king felt upon gaining a worthy general? Inwardly, he exulted.

“Hah... hah... I-I can’t do any more today.”

“Down already?”

“Do you know how many days it’s been? Why don’t you do some advance scouting?”

“Because breaking you is fun.”

“Ugh.”

Smiling, he helped her sit up.

“It’s hard even to stand—perfect. Time to train Great Heaven Qi instead of the Living-Bow Steel-String Method.”

“Ruthless. So ruthless.”

“You have to be ruthless to grow strong. You said you want strength too.”

After catching her breath for a while, she folded her legs.

Her cross-legged posture was quite awkward. She had trained inner power in motion all her life—of course it was.

A moment later—

VMMMM.

A faint gray current rose from her body.

His eyes deepened.

This is faster.

Her fighting sense was good, but her method of inner-force operation surpassed even that. He had taught her Great Heaven Qi only a short while ago, and already she had reached this level.

Grow stronger. Fly high. Only then will you live—and the people you want to protect will live.

As he stood guard over her for a long while, a keen thread of energy approached.

This qi...?

He turned.

A moment later, a man with a gentle air came walking from afar.

“You weren’t at your quarters. I finally found you.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“So you’ve come.”

Mo Yong-woo spoke calmly.

“Do you have time?”