“You look very tired.”

At Je Gal Munho’s gentle remark, Yeon Wi shook his head.

“It seems my sleep has simply grown shorter of late.”

“Because of your son?”

The “son” Je Gal Munho meant was, of course, Yeon Hojeong.

No matter what epithets he might have earned—Green Mountain Tiger General, Tiger of the Eastern River—his child was his child. Yeon Wi knew the perils of the rivers and lakes better than anyone. It was only natural that he worried about his son.

But Yeon Wi’s answer was unexpected.

“As a father, worrying about one’s child is a given. But my lack of sleep is not because of that alone.”

“Is there some other problem?”

His tone held real concern.

Despite being of similar age, Je Gal Munho’s manner and cadence were unusually soft and courteous.

Yeon Wi spoke calmly.

“I increased my training hours.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes widened.

“Training?”

“I have been neglecting my own martial arts because of clan affairs. I thought I might take this opportunity to hone my skills again, even if it means cutting into my sleep.”

“Heh...”

Once you became Clan Lord of one of the Six Great Clans or a head-level figure of the Nine Sects and One Union, actually drawing a sword and swinging it around in training meant little.

That was how orthodox martial arts usually were. After reaching a certain realm, they emphasized enlightenment over physical conditioning. Many masters had in fact built their higher realms that way.

But from the way Yeon Wi spoke, this didn’t sound like merely a journey in pursuit of insight.

“If the Clan Lord of the Yeon Clan is so fatigued, the intensity of that training must be far from ordinary.”

A faint smile crossed Yeon Wi’s lips.

Just that sliver of a smile was enough for him to see it—how frighteningly harsh that training must be.

Inwardly, Je Gal Munho felt an amused satisfaction.

Hopeless father and son, the both of them.

Yeon Hojeong was a prodigy among prodigies, a monstrous talent grown to this point by the age of twenty. Of course, aside from innate talent, he must have piled up efforts beyond imagination.

Looking at things now, all of that seemed less like individual eccentricity and more like house tradition. A man who held the office of Grand Public Officer in the Alliance of the Martial World was training inside the fortress? He was a truly diligent man.

“But for what reason did you call me here today?”

Blunt and to the point.

Je Gal Munho knew his counterpart’s personality well. There was no need to beat around the bush.

“The Mo Yong Clan Lord is overreaching himself.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes flashed.

He had heard from his son that the entire tangled history with the Mo Yong Clan had been laid bare to Je Gal Munho. If he had heard it from Yeon Hojeong, then Je Gal Munho would know full well just how dangerous the Mo Yong Clan Lord was.

“Overreaching in what sense?”

“The Demon-Sweeping and Evil-Smiting Field Forces—among them, you know that the commander of the Demon-Sweeping Corps is the Mo Yong Clan Lord’s younger brother.”

“I know. His name was Mo Yong-woo, was it?”

“That’s right.”

A faintly troubled look crossed Je Gal Munho’s face.

“We’ve caught signs that he’s quietly trying to slot the very best warriors to be accepted into the Alliance Council’s service straight into the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”

“...”

“You know as well as I do. We who are called the Nine Sects and One Union and the Six Great Clans, pillars of the orthodox martial world though we may be, are hardly the only great masters in this vast land.”

“I am aware.”

“Before any formal notices went out, hundreds of masters already came knocking at the Alliance fortress gates. After we issued the official summons, thousands of martial artists have been pouring in.”

“And among them, he’s sifting out the best and bringing them in.”

“He will pluck out only the most exceptional jade among the gems.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“I may be ignorant of politics, but I know this much—it is not something the Mo Yong Clan Lord can ram through alone by his own strength.”

“Correct.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes sharpened like blades.

“We’ve identified at least two groups that have joined hands with him.”

“Which ones?”

“MOUNT HUA SECT, and Kongtong Sect.”

The MOUNT HUA SECT of Shaanxi, and Kongtong Sect of Gansu.

People from the far northern reaches of the Central Plains were famous for being tough. Perhaps that was why the swordsmen of MOUNT HUA SECT and Kongtong were, more often than not, men of firm character.

“The Nine ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Sects tend to be reluctant to step too deeply into worldly affairs for the sake of their prestige. The Mo Yong Clan Lord has clearly exploited that gap.”

“So there’s some kind of collusive relationship.”

Yeon Wi’s gaze turned icy.

“How very like him.”

He had learned enough through his son’s dealings to know how insidious Mo Yonggun was. At this point, even hearing the syllable “Mo Yong” made his nerves stand on end.

“I would estimate at least one more ally, and likely two.”

“You mean to say Mo Yonggun has joined hands with four of the old sects to form a single faction?”

“That’s right.”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes gleamed.

Yeon Wi had called him “Mo Yonggun” without thinking. For someone who valued rules and dignity as he did, it spoke volumes about how much he despised the Mo Yong Clan Lord.

“On top of that, I don’t know if you’re aware, but Mo Yong-woo is a genius the world doesn’t know about. In both martial arts and ability, the general evaluation is that he’s at least on par with Mo Yonggun.”

“You’re saying a direct Independent Field Force of the Alliance, the Demon-Sweeping Corps, could end up moving for the benefit of the Mo Yong Clan.”

“Exactly.”

Je Gal Munho let out a sigh.

“Even if that’s not how it plays out, we can’t just sit back and watch the Mo Yong Clan Lord’s reckless charge. If we’re not careful, the enormous power that is the Alliance of the Martial World could be selfishly abused.”

“Then what is it you propose?”

Je Gal Munho raised both index fingers and set them down on the table.

“Let’s say the right hand is the Demon-Sweeping Corps, and the left is the Evil-Smiting Corps. Right now, the Mo Yong Clan Lord is pouring his energy into the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”

He spread the remaining fingers on his right hand.

Five for the Demon-Sweeping Corps, one for the Evil-Smiting Corps.

“Three, perhaps four of the old sects, with the Mo Yong Clan at their head, will attach themselves to that side. The Demon-Sweeping Corps will receive their support and swell in power.”

“You want to reduce that power?”

“No. At this point, there aren’t many ways to cut down their strength, and even then there’s no guarantee of success.”

“Then what should we do?”

Je Gal Munho folded the index finger of his left hand and spread the remaining fingers, save the thumb.

Three for the Evil-Smiting Corps.

“Rather than trying to diminish the enemy’s might, it’s better now to bolster the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes deepened.

“As if we’re waging a proxy war through the two Field Forces.”

“Precisely.”

“To be frank, I don’t see why the board needs to be enlarged to this degree.”

“The reason is very simple.”

“And what is that?”

“It’s the same as seizing the initiative in a fight.”

Winds of cold resolve surged in Je Gal Munho’s eyes, brimming with knowledge and wisdom.

“Just as you have no need for any more power than this, neither do I. Whether it all turns to gruel or rice, things as they are now are the most ideal.”

“...”

“But our opponent is different. If we fail to secure the initiative in this struggle, the Alliance’s power will inevitably tilt decisively to one side.”

“That would...”

“And that one-sided power will, without fail, have a grave impact on the great event next year.”

Flame shot from Yeon Wi’s eyes.

“The selection of the Alliance Leader of the Martial World.”

“Exactly.”

Je Gal Munho unclasped his hands.

“This year, the Public Officers will manage things jointly. They have little choice. But next year will be different. Before this year is out, someone will raise the subject of selecting an Alliance Leader.”

“...!”

“The Alliance of the Martial World has been founded for the first time in decades. As the first Alliance Leader of our generation, it is only right that we choose someone whose handling of affairs is fair and whose every action is marked by consultation.”

“You speak true.”

“We must never let that seat go to someone driven by naked greed for power.”

Yeon Wi fell silent, lost in thought.

Je Gal Munho waited, giving him all the time he needed. His counterpart was the head of the greatest clan in the Eastern River. As Clan Lord of the Je Gal Clan, famed as supreme in stratagem, even he might have overlooked some angle that Yeon Wi would see.

After a moment, Yeon Wi spoke.

“I understand what you mean when you say we must break their momentum by waging a proxy war, even if we must do so through the Field Forces. And I understand that we must strengthen the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

“Thank you.”

“In that case, how do you intend to give strength to the Evil-Smiting Corps?”

“We’ll need to persuade the Public Officers who don’t share the Mo Yong Clan Lord’s aims to divert at least thirty percent of the ‘jade’ headed for the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”

“You mean, divert them to the Evil-Smiting Corps instead?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“Let’s not do that.”

“Do you have another plan?” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“It’s hardly a plan, and not a method I prefer, but... yes.”

“Please, tell me.”

“The fact that the Mo Yong Clan Lord is still sifting out talent means the Demon-Sweeping Corps has yet to be formally founded. Right now, the Evil-Smiting Corps’ advantage is that it departed the Alliance far earlier than the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”

“That’s true.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes grew deep.

“Let us dispatch the direct heirs of the great clans.”

“...!”

“I hear your eldest daughter has a friendship with my lacking son. And the sons of the Peng Clan Lord as well.”

Je Gal Munho’s face hardened.

“You mean to send those who can stand as representatives of their power blocs, and throw their weight behind him?”

“Yes.”

Instead of selecting from among the warriors who came to the Alliance, they would draw straight from the clans themselves.

Je Gal Munho knew all too well how dangerous and terrifying a suggestion that was.

“Clan Lord Yeon, that is...”

“The Alliance of the Martial World was only just founded. In such a climate, if the leadership of the Alliance Council starts clawing at each other like wild dogs, the Alliance’s authority will be dragged through the mud.”

“It’s still dangerous.”

“Dangerous, yes. But it is also the best move we have to crush their momentum.”

Je Gal Munho let out a long breath.

“It may cause them to hesitate for now, but it will cause problems in the future. Without question.”

“We can think about that when the time comes. And I do not believe it will become a problem.”

“Why do you think so?”

A faint smile touched Yeon Wi’s lips.

“It may make me look like a foolishly doting father, but my son’s eye for reading the political winds is remarkably sharp. The scenario you fear will never come to pass.”

Two Independent Field Forces.

One would be filled with figures already renowned throughout the rivers and lakes, and the other with young high-level experts from the old sects and great clans.

The world loved to resent those who had more. Naturally, the gaze turned toward the Evil-Smiting Corps would not be entirely kind, and Mo Yonggun would slip into that gap.

But Yeon Wi was saying this: trust my son.

As he quietly studied Yeon Wi, the Clan Lord of the Je Gal Clan smiled.

“I know well how outstanding your eldest son is.”

“I’m only embarrassed to hear it.”

“Very well. Since things have come this far, let’s stop overthinking it and go all in.”

Once he made up his mind like that, his heart felt lighter.

Of course, unease still remained. But that unease did not come from this fierce struggle for power. It came from his daughter.

Will you be able to endure it?

Je Gal Ahyeon.

She was his daughter, but as a father, he’d never done anything for her. As their finances grew weaker year by year, he had even come close to sacrificing his daughter’s life for the clan’s sake.

Now he was about to entrust her with something like this again. It made his chest feel like it was being torn in two. He worried she might come to harm somewhere, that she might be gravely injured.

And yet...

Smiling faintly, Je Gal Munho looked at Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi was a good man. A bit stiff, perhaps, but as both Clan Lord and individual, he inspired trust.

And his son, Yeon Hojeong, was very different from his father and yet had many points in common.

Just this once, I hope you, too, can stake your life on your own path.

After smiling for quite some time, Je Gal Munho suddenly hardened his expression.

“Since the subject has come up, there’s one more thing I must tell you.”

“What is it?”

“In this political climate, chaotic as it is, one faction that had been strangely quiet has reached out to me.”

“A faction? Which one?”

Je Gal Munho’s eyes deepened.

“The Tang Clan of Sichuan.”