“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“......”

“Why do you look so troubled?”

“No.”

“As you already know, we are not people worthy of pity. Our families were taken hostage, and all of us were poisoned with chronic toxins, but that does not erase the sins we have already committed.”

“......”

“To be more honest...... we moved under Mo Yonggun’s orders, but we also did terrible things behind our superiors’ backs.”

“......”

“There are many households that were ruined not because of Mo Yonggun, but because of us. Maybe we had already become desperate enough not to care anymore, but excuses like that mean nothing.”

“Enough.”

“So there is no need for you to look so sad. For people like us, who threw away the duty of being human, a death like this is almost more than we deserve.”

“......”

“It is enough for us that an elder of the Azure Mountain Sect lowered his head to us.”

“I will never forget your names.”

“It is an honor.”

“The only thing that worries me is your families. I am sure the operational-team leader will take care of it, but I still fear they may suffer harm.”

“Haha, you are worrying more about our families than we are. Looking at that, it really does show how far beneath you we were.”

“I know my heart can never reach yours.”

“No, we truly are not worried. If that had been our concern, we never would have made a deal with Young Master Yeon in the first place.”

“Hoo.”

“Though we were raised like dogs, that also means there are things we know. Mo Yonggun is the type who values appearances. He crosses the line now and then, but he is not someone who breaks his word.”

“If that is what you believe, then I too will put my worries aside.”

“Thank you.”

“Now then...... let us begin.”

“Understood. And Senior Pae Yul.”

“Speak.”

“Thank you. Truly.” 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“......I am not someone who deserves thanks like that.”

Pae Yul let out a deep sigh.

CLAAANG!

Powerful True Qi flared from the drawn blade.

“Let us begin.”

A moment later.

KRAAASH!

Their residence exploded, flames erupting in all directions.

*****

“......”

A strange silence hung around the table.

Looking at Yeon Hojeong’s relaxed expression, Mo Yonggun thought,

What are you plotting?

The moment Yeon Hojeong had opened the door and walked in, he had felt as though his heart were being torn out. For an instant, he had thought something must have gone wrong.

He had calmed his surprise, but even now his spine still felt cold.

Why did you show up? Without sending any word?

It could not be that his identity had been exposed, nor that he had been fully absorbed into Ink Dragon Manor. Of that, Mo Yonggun was certain.

But if that was not the reason, then this was not the kind of bastard who would appear without warning like this. No matter how urgent things were, he was not so incapable that he could not send even a single letter.

Even Hu Gae said things were proceeding smoothly.

Mo Yonggun’s eyes trembled.

You bastards... don’t tell me you intend to hand me over?

As a sacrifice to Ink Dragon Manor?

......But why?

Studying Yeon Hojeong’s eyes in silence, Mo Yonggun inwardly shook his head.

No. These bastards have absolutely no intention of selling me to Ink Dragon Manor.

If that had truly been the plan, there would have been no need for him to show himself like this. To put it bluntly, they could have sent Ink Dragon Manor’s greatest experts and their subordinate forces, locked down this entire area, and finished everything in a single surprise attack. There would be no reason to go through something this complicated.

What the hell are you thinking, you bastard?

At that moment, Yeon Hojeong spoke.

“You seem very surprised.”

Mo Yonggun smiled bitterly.

“So it would seem. I thought I might finally have the chance to meet the great master, the Fighting King.”

“I understand.”

“You should understand this as well. I am not in a pleasant mood right now.”

Yeon Hojeong shrugged.

“I understand that well enough, but in the end, as long as the result is good, what does it matter?”

“That is not wrong. What I am curious about, however, is whether you have the authority to say such a thing.”

“I came here as the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor’s proxy. I may not be a master on his level, but you may think of my judgment as the Lord’s judgment.”

Mo Yonggun looked at Yeon Hojeong in silence, then smiled.

“Now that I see you like this, you really are an extraordinary talent.”

“Am I?”

“You have the looks for it, and your martial arts appear formidable as well. On top of that, to hold the position of Director of the Intelligence Division at your age, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) and even come here as the Lord’s proxy, that makes you a true power among powers.”

“......”

“There is a young man in our Alliance very much like you. He, too, astonished everyone at a young age with outstanding martial arts and breathtaking schemes.”

Yeon Hojeong gave a faint snort.

“You must mean the famous Commander of the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes flashed.

You say it outright?

He had brought it up to provoke him. But Yeon Hojeong’s response was astonishingly bold.

Which means he is not here merely to stab me in the back.

Mo Yonggun glanced at Fire Ape.

Her face was fairly cold. Even so, he could still read the strange discomfort shadowing her expression.

Hmm.

Mo Yonggun broke into a broad smile.

“Will you have a drink?”

“I do not care much for alcohol.”

“Hoho, you seem to be at just the age to start appreciating elegance.”

“I have no doubt the Clan Lord is not that kind of man, but one never knows. You might have mixed poison into the liquor.”

For an instant, Fire Ape flinched.

Though Mo Yonggun had been looking at Yeon Hojeong the entire time, he caught Fire Ape’s reaction like a ghost.

So there was trouble between them.

Mo Yonggun spoke in a deliberately wounded tone.

“You seem to think far too poorly of me. These days, I hear not even gutter scum in the streets stoop to such things.”

“Haha, my words were a bit rough. Unfortunately, I do not have the Lord’s broad spirit. I know you are not the sort to do such a thing, but there is no harm in both sides being cautious.”

“Hoho, that is true enough.”

Yeon Hojeong looked around the room.

“From the look of it, the Clan Lord has done some preparations as well. Not poison this time, but perhaps explosives?”

“......”

“When I looked down over this area earlier, I saw you chose a damned fine location. The escape route leads west, toward the river and the mountain...... Did you station clan warriors there as well?”

For a moment, Mo Yonggun was taken aback.

This bastard?

What exactly was he trying to do, saying that so openly with a person from Ink Dragon Manor present?

Of course, knowing it did not change the situation, but it was still not something he needed to say. At least, that was how Mo Yonggun saw it.

“Hoho, that landed a solid blow.”

“As I said, there is nothing wrong with both sides being careful.”

“True enough.”

Mo Yonggun slowly crossed his legs.

“This is somewhat surprising, but I can see that you are no ordinary man. Naturally, you have scattered masters throughout the surrounding area as well?”

Yeon Hojeong answered easily.

“I heard the Clan Lord’s level is exceedingly high.”

“Just as I thought.”

Mo Yonggun spoke with a smile.

The conversation was skimming over the surface. Someone needed to force the current in a direction.

“So.”

Mo Yonggun’s eyes instantly turned savage.

“Why did you come here like this without a single word beforehand?”

His tone had changed.

Yeon Hojeong shrugged.

“Why do you think?”

“I do not know.”

Perhaps he no longer wanted to keep up this tiresome little act.

Mo Yonggun’s face twisted visibly.

“I truly do not know. Handling things this way does neither of us any good. And you are not a man who fails to understand that.”

“I understand it well enough.”

Yeon Hojeong’s expression gradually turned cold as well.

“But I would like to ask you something too. Surely you did not think I would just let that pass?”

Now he was saying he would speak openly. It also meant he did not care whether Fire Ape heard.

“Of course I did.”

Mo Yonggun’s voice was sincere.

“To put it bluntly, those people had nothing to do with you. You might be angry, yes, but what mattered to you was not striking me in the back. It was accomplishing the mission.”

“Are you saying that sincerely?”

“Did you think otherwise?”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“You killed innocent people for your own private interests.”

“And did that cause you any actual harm?”

“You cannot join hands with someone you cannot trust. Before that, I would ask you to think about why we were assigned to this mission in the first place.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“On the small scale, it is to keep the other side in check. On the larger scale, it is to create a better world, is it not? Yet you came all the way here as the commander of this operation, and not only killed innocent people to satisfy your own greed, you even dumped the cleanup on the operational team.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled as he spoke.

“Well then, answer me. Setting aside whether or not you trust each other’s abilities, could you trust a man who stirs everything into chaos with petty filth that not even a third-rate street thug would pull?”

“To be perfectly clear......”

“If I pulled some shit like that while you were working yourself half to death, and I did it without giving you even a hint, how would you respond?”

Mo Yonggun fell silent.

Yeon Hojeong nodded.

“That is what I thought. As you know, I am rather narrow-minded. Once someone does something to me, I never forget it.”

“I know. Both you and I are narrow-minded men. The reason that does not become a fatal flaw is because we know the right time.”

FLASH! FLASH!

Lightning-like True Qi burst from Mo Yonggun’s eyes.

Mo Yonggun was truly angry now. The power of the ancient ultimate art he had kept so carefully restrained, the Lightning Qi Art, was slowly beginning to leak out.

“Tell me. Are you serious? Did you really do something this utterly worthless just because you wanted to see me flustered?”

“And if I did?”

“I would be disappointed. Sincerely.”

Mo Yonggun frowned.

“Is this all you amount to? If you wanted to vent your anger, you could have done it after this mission ended.”

“Absolutely not.”

“What?”

“When this mission ends, you would obviously know I was going to strike back and make preparations. So why should I give you time to prepare?”

Mo Yonggun found that absurd.

“Do you want this mission to fail?”

“There. That exactly.”

“......!”

“You are thinking this is the top priority, so I would never dare pull something foolish, are you not?”

“......!”

“That certainty of yours is rather amusing. Why choose one or the other when I can make the mission succeed and still smash you in the back of the head?”

Mo Yonggun’s face hardened at once.

The air turned cold and heavy. In the middle of it, Fire Ape could not hide her confusion.

What? What kind of conversation is this?

Did that mean the two of them had known each other all along?

What the hell...?

Mo Yonggun glanced at her bewildered face and spat the words out.

“The fact that you brought that insolent little bitch in here must mean you do not care if something happens inside this room.”

“That is right.”

“When you go back, we shall see. I dare say that this time, you will not escape censure.”

Yeon Hojeong snorted.

“You should look forward to it too. The whole board has already been laid out.”

“What?”

At that moment—

THUUUNK!

Horror spread across Fire Ape’s face.

“Monkey.”

Yeon Hojeong, who had somehow already buried a spear into her solar plexus, spoke coldly.

“I told you, did I not? There was no need to repay the favor.”

“Kuheok!”

“If you are going to play games with alcohol in the next world too, learn to judge your opponent first.”

Fire Ape’s body trembled violently.

“Yo-you bastard......!”

Yeon Hojeong ripped the spear upward as it was.

SHRAAAAK!

Fire Ape’s body split apart vertically.