18 – 02# The Ground Solidifies After the Rain (1)

Near a lake far from the Murong Clan, stood a crude pile of stones. To the uninitiated, it might seem like a child’s playful construction.

Too humble, by far, to be the tomb of the Clan Head who once led the Murong Clan. But considering the calamity he brought upon the clan, not a single complaint could be uttered.

In fact, the clan members should be grateful that they even made a small grave for him. Standing alone before the desolate tomb, the old man Murong Jin smiled bitterly.

They emphasized history and tradition so much, yet as a father, seeing his son buried somewhere other than the ancestral burial grounds of the Moryong Clan was… less than ideal.

Moryong Kang, his only legitimate son and the Clan Head, couldn’t truthfully be called a genius. Reaching the First-Rate realm near forty was proof enough of that.

For a common martial artist, it was certainly not a bad feat, but for the Clan Head leading the Moryong Clan, it was inevitably a shortcoming. And he knew it best of all.

“[Enough! Any more will only ruin your body!]”

“[I cannot rest yet. I am the Clan Head of the Moryong Clan, I must at least reach Transcendence…!!]”

“[Have you not already reached First-Rate by the age of thirty? There are mountains of martial artists who strive their entire lives and never even touch the hem of First-Rate!]”

“[I am practically forty. If I lead the Clan in such a state, the Moryong Clan will be mocked even in the afterlife. History proves it!]”

“…Foolish fellow, what’s so great about that history and tradition.”

He was a child who always sought to grow stronger through training that bordered on torture. He’d been constantly worried he’d ruin himself, never imagining things would turn out like this.

Of course, he understood clearly with his mind. The damage Moryong Kang had brought upon the Clan. But unlike his mind, his heart felt like it was being torn into a hundred pieces.

How could you commit such filial impiety, leaving before your parents, Kang? Whenever he thought of his son walking the path to the afterlife ahead of him, he felt a heart-wrenching pain.

Who could criticize a father’s grief at losing his child first? Especially when he was the only Transcendence-level master left in the Moryong Clan. A single misstep could bring great calamity.

Even more so, if it was a member of the Clan who had greatly contributed to the child’s death. Yet Moryong Sa knew this fact all too well, and still, he stood here.

That day, after clashing with the unidentified old master in the mountains, the first scheme Moryong Sa conceived was to divide their forces.

‘The Clan Head aside, Elder Moryong Jin is definitely a Transcendence-level absolute master. If the two of them join forces to attack the Great Warrior, the Great Warrior will likely be defeated.’

With his extraordinary mind, Moryong Sa easily reached that conclusion and immediately sent a messenger pigeon to deceive Moryong Hui-su, the Master of the Righteous Doctor Hall, into sending martial artists to Mount Geumhyeon.

There had already been talk circulating from Moryong Hyeon about the unidentified Transcendence-level master. The Clan Head Moryong Kang took the bait perfectly, becoming the masterstroke to eliminate Moryong Kang.

Indeed, the all-or-nothing battle between the two absolute masters ended with the victory of the nameless Great Warrior by a hair’s breadth. If Elder Moryong Jin had been by the Clan Head’s side then…

What would the result have been… Moryong Sa didn’t dare to imagine. But looking at the outcome, Moryong Sa was also a traitor who contributed to the Clan Head’s death.

‘I was prepared from the beginning.’

He wasn’t foolish enough to throw his life away in a battle with no chance of victory. But if even a grain of sand’s worth of chance existed, then the story would be different.

And now that Moryong Hyeon had formally become the Clan Head as planned, he was willing to offer his neck for the new tomorrow of the Moryong Clan. That was why he was here.

After standing in front of the tomb for a long time, Moryong Jin slowly turned his head. The old man’s face, devoid of all emotion, was like a demon that had emerged from the grave.

“…To come to such a secluded place, and alone, no less. A truly perilous choice.”

“I have no intention of evading the price for what I have done, Elder.”

“What else would a father who has lost his son desire but one thing?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Elder, about that matter…”

“Clan Head, step aside.”

Despite Moryong Sa’s pleas, Moryong Hyeon, who had followed him to the end, tried to mediate the situation, but a single word imbued with the Transcendence-level master’s inner energy sealed his lips.

“Kugh……!!”

“You are alright, Clan Head.”

“But, I cannot simply let him die like this……!!”

“……You will certainly be a good Clan Head. I am content with that.”

Anyone can pay lip service. But those who embody their words with deeds are few and far between. And Mo Yong-hyun was precisely one of them.

At this point, one could die content. But contrary to expectations, Mo Yong-jin, who had been glaring at Mo Yong-sa for a moment, soon let out a deep sigh and took a step back?

“I never intended to kill him from the start. It’s not that I harbor no resentment… but at the time, it was the best choice I could make…….”

“Elder…….”

“However, there will be no second time. Taking the life of the current Clan Head must not happen.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Truly regrettable, though. Mo Yong-jin had lived for far too long to misdirect his resentment. The experience he had accumulated throughout his life allowed him to control his emotions.

“A storm is brewing. It feels ominous; something is bound to happen soon.”

Starting with the existence of demonic arts I had never heard of before. And a mysterious expert who seemed to know those demonic arts intimately. Even a simpleton could tell that the situation was deeply unsettling.

Therefore, I must sharpen my blade and prepare for that day.

Then, someday, I might reach it.

The true culprit who led my son to his death.

◇

Time, like a river, flows ceaselessly, and already two months have drifted by like water. I had worried that I might actually die, but thankfully, my gamble paid off.

And the reward I obtained was beyond imagination. For the time being, financial problems could be considered completely resolved. Before being a martial arts clan, the Mo Yong Clan was a prestigious and renowned family in Gangbuk.

Naturally, the wealth they had amassed was something ordinary people couldn’t even begin to fathom. Having even formed a brotherhood with such a Mo Yong Clan, naturally, money was no cause for concern at all.

Moreover, I was able to obtain both the inner core I had so desired from the beginning and some of the Mo Yong Clan’s martial arts. Among them, there was even a secret manual containing the Mo Yong Clan’s highest-level martial arts.

Of course, it came with the condition that Sua would properly teach it to me, but even considering that, the fact remained that I had obtained more benefits than I had initially anticipated.

“What are you thinking about so intently, Master?”

The girl tilted her head cutely like a rabbit, causing her shoulder-length hair to sway to the side. The rabbit-like girl was none other than Mo Yong-sua, who had officially become my disciple.

Originally, now that everything was over, Sua should have returned to the Mo Yong Clan. But to think Sua would stubbornly insist on becoming my disciple. It was something I had not expected at all.

Thanks to that, I was able to obtain the Mo Yong Clan’s highest-level martial arts, so as a result, it could be said to be a not-so-bad variable. I also didn’t dislike having Sua around to keep me company.

“You’re back.”

“Yes, Master.”

We were self-sufficient in food as much as possible through farming. But there were still things we lacked, so I would occasionally go down to the village to sell crops or herbs to earn money.

Of course, now that I had received a generous reward from the Mo Yong Clan, there was no need to do that anymore. In any case, spending all one’s time cultivating in the mountains without any form of entertainment was, even to me, an act of madness.

Even though I gave her money to enjoy the village after running errands, Sua returned the instant she finished. I clicked my tongue, saying,

“Wasn’t today market day?”

“It was.”

“You’ve returned sooner than expected.”

“I prefer being with Master.”

Her reply felt heavy. I stared silently at Sua, who was sweating like rain from every pore. As if embarrassed by my gaze, Sua’s face flushed red, and she averted her eyes.

“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”

“Let’s go for a swim in the stream today.”

“……”

“Training is important, but you can only go further if you rest well too.”

Instead of answering, Sua stared intently at my face. There was a peculiar hint of disappointment in her eyes, but it couldn’t be helped. There’s a limit to how well I can fabricate words.

That was precisely it.

I only intended to dip our feet in the water and come back.

But who could have predicted…

“Master! Over there! Someone’s floating downstream!”

In that place where I only meant to escape the heat.

To think I would pick up the seeds of an unforeseen conflict.