Black and White Martial Emperor

“Clan Lord.”

“What is it.”

Though it had been years since Tae Gyeong became the Yeon Clan’s Chief Steward, he was not merely respectful to Yeon Wi—he was cautious.

“A letter has arrived from the Mo Yong Clan.”

“From Mo Yong?”

“Yes.”

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Yeon Wi’s impassive face.

The Mo Yong Clan, like the Yeon Clan, was one of the Seven Great Clans. Unlike the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain, it was a traditional martial house with a history of over five hundred years.

Perhaps because of that, the Yeon Clan had had few points of contact with them. They had exchanged greetings a few times within the Alliance of the Martial World, and that was the extent of their connection.

“Give it here.”

“Here it is.”

Yeon Wi’s brow twitched as he read the letter.

Tae Gyeong asked carefully, “What is it about?”

“A business proposal.”

“Business?”

Yeon Wi set the letter on the table and tapped the tabletop with his forefinger.

“Join forces?”

Jiangsu Province, where the Yeon Clan was based, was a hub of maritime trade along with Zhejiang.

Of course, renowned sects sometimes established branch halls in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to run trade operations. The Yeon Clan, rooted in Jiangsu, also conducted trade.

Is the Mo Yong Clan looking to move into this line as well?

In the past, the Mo Yong Clan had been based out on the Central Plains’ fringe, in Liaoning. But three hundred years ago, after the Blood Sect Uprising, they relocated to Hunan, in the heart of the Central Plains.

Having settled inland, one would think they’d have no interest in maritime trade. Apparently not.

After a moment’s thought, Yeon Wi shook his head. “No, it won’t do. Chief Steward.”

“Yes.”

“Prepare brush and ink.”

“Ah—yes!”

Yeon Wi wrote a reply in a flash and rolled it. Befitting a swordsman praised as master of both pen and blade, his hand was exquisitely elegant.

“Deliver this to the Mo Yong Clan.”

“Understood!”

“You may go.”

Bobbing his head, Tae Gyeong withdrew from the Clan Lord’s hall.

Yeon Wi turned back to his work, then glanced toward the window.

A faint worry cast a shadow over ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) his indifferent eyes.

“...It must be cold there, too.”

****

“Waaah!”

Yeon Jipyeong couldn’t hide his awe.

“This is amazing, brother!”

As they entered Hefei, the crowds grew visibly thicker.

Not only that—the city’s splendor was truly remarkable. It was no poorer a sight than Suzhou, famed with Hangzhou as “heaven on earth.”

Jipyeong looked around, mind reeling. It was certainly different from coastal Jiangsu. From the buildings to people’s clothing, everything in sight burst with color, a feast for the eyes.

Watching the elated Jipyeong, Je Gal Ahyeon nudged Yeon Hojeong.

“Your brother’s mood is practically surfing waves. Last night he looked like he carried every worry in the world. Is it because he grew up near the sea?”

“......”

“Is he like that usually?”

“Be quiet.”

“You always answer like that.”

Bright-faced, Jipyeong hurried up to Hojeong. “Brother! Brother! Shall we go play over there in the market? Shall we?”

A hint of embarrassment touched Hojeong’s face. “How about we find an inn first.”

“We can grab any inn anywhere! Right?”

Well, that was true enough, but—

“Even if they look fine, rest should come first.” Hojeong indicated Je Gal Ahyeon and Je Gal Jun.

Jipyeong startled. “Ah! I—I’m sorry. I got too excited...”

Ahyeon flapped a hand with a goofy smile. “Oh, we’re fine. Don’t mind us—go have fun. We can go and book the inn.”

Je Gal Jun chimed in. “Right. There are two days left anyway—we can rest nearby until then.”

The Je Gal siblings turned to Shin Mo and asked in unison, “Isn’t that right?”

Shin Mo cleared his throat. “First Young Master. What are your orders?”

Everyone’s eyes naturally went to Yeon Hojeong.

After a glance around, Hojeong nodded. “I’ll head to the venue first. Anyone who wants to play can meet us there after.”

“Ahem!”

“Aaah...”

A cough and a groan of regret sounded at once.

Hojeong scratched his head.

He’d spoken without thinking; it was the kind of remark that could be taken the wrong way.

“No, truly—I won’t mind.”

“Hey, that’s not right,” Ahyeon said.

Hojeong shot her a daggered look.

She turtled her neck, but still said her piece. “We agreed to go together, so we should move together. Ahem!”

“You two have things to do separately, don’t you?”

“Huh? Things to do?”

“Shouldn’t you start by finding your clan’s escorts—the ones you almost certainly shook off?”

“Eh?!”

Jun, realizing it too, snapped his formerly limping leg straight.

Hojeong frowned. “I see how it is. If you haven’t found your escorts before the gathering starts, innocent escorts will go back to your clan and get flogged.”

“No—that can’t happen!”

Whip!

Ahyeon suddenly slung Jun over her back. He had no chance to protest.

“We’re going first! Master Shin! See you at the venue! Jipyeong! See you later!”

“Uwaaa! Sister! Put me down! A grown man—!”

“Shut it, you weakling!”

Whoosh!

The Je Gal siblings vanished in an instant. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the spot where they’d disappeared.

Hojeong murmured, “Keeping up the ‘we’re close’ act to the end, huh.”

Whether the Nine Great Sects or the Seven Great Clans, this was a time to suspect everyone. His suspicions of the Je Gal Clan were nearly diluted, but you never knew.

He had seen incidents explode from angles no one imagined, too many times to count. It wasn’t yet time to drop his guard on the Je Gal Clan.

To know for sure, I need to see the clan’s senior pillars. No complacency.

Just then, Jipyeong asked, “Brother.”

“Mm?”

“Let’s go to the venue.”

“Huh? I thought you wanted to look around the market.”

With a sunny smile, Jipyeong said, “If you’re not going, what fun is that. It’s fine.”

“There’s no need to force yourself. If you insist, then just until tonight—”

“No, no. When you think about it, we didn’t come here to play. Even if it’s called a gathering, we can’t smear the clan’s name. Better to settle our minds.”

Hojeong smiled.

Admirable.

He thought differently from boys his age. He still kept his innocence, but his thought was as deep.

“All right. Let’s do that.”

“Yes!”

They headed straight for the venue.

On the way, Hojeong sank into thought.

The younger-generation gathering is in two days. It runs for three. They call it a gathering, but it’s a social floor. I need to find out everything I can in that time.

Since it was a meeting of the younger generation representing the Seven Great Clans, the headcount was small. Even if a clan sent five or six, the total would be under fifty.

The important thing was to comb through each person’s martial skill and inner energy. At his current level, Hojeong couldn’t analyze a person’s inner-nature by sight alone.

If not a fight, then at least a bout or physical contact—then somehow...

Just then—

“I’m sorry.”

“Hm?”

Hojeong looked at Jipyeong. “What did you say?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Jipyeong ducked his head. “I—I actually overheard you and Sister Je Gal talking in the woods last night.”

“I know.”

“Gasp! Ah—you knew?”

Hojeong gave a faint smile. “You hid your energy so clumsily there was no way it wouldn’t show.”

“Ah...”

“There’s no need to apologize for that. If it had weighed on me, I’d have called you out myself.”

A flush spread over Jipyeong’s face—an expression of embarrassment and regret.

“That, and...”

“Hm? Is there something else you did wrong to me?”

“...Not that, but—I’m sorry anyway.”

Hojeong smiled again despite himself.

At first he hadn’t understood his brother. But last night, from his talk with Je Gal Ahyeon, he realized why Jipyeong had been especially quiet.

I was too inconsiderate.

He had no thought of changing his way or his convictions. But he was sorry he hadn’t minded his brother.

He scrubbed Jipyeong’s hair roughly. “Ack—brother!”

“You’re young. Don’t keep ‘I’m sorry’ on your lips. It becomes a habit.”

“But...!”

“My convictions are so stark and rough that I don’t get close to people easily. Because of that, there are times I don’t even try to understand others. So I don’t feel gratitude or apology well.”

“......”

“You don’t need to go to my extreme, but I don’t think it’s good to live with ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ hung on your mouth, either. Being different isn’t being wrong, is it?”

“Is that so?”

“That’s how I see it.”

Hojeong generally tried not to force his thinking on his brother.

He pushed him to wrestle with things instead. He wanted him to be someone who looked wider and deeper than he did.

At the very least, he didn’t want him to become someone who mistook a stance others gave him for one he’d built himself.

Watching the brothers’ quiet talk, a strange light rose on Shin Mo’s face.

Their brotherly affection runs deep.

He had thought as much on the way to Choseong Pavilion.

Which is why he was puzzled inside. Everyone knew the First Young Master supposedly loathed the Second Young Master to the bone.

But in truth, that wasn’t so. To Shin Mo’s eye, the Yeon brothers looked closer than any brothers in the world.

And...

Shin Mo’s gaze fixed on Hojeong’s back.

He was remarkable.

In the moment, the urgency had left no room to think, but looking back, it was surprise after surprise.

His martial skill was one thing—but his judgment was extraordinary. As if he’d dealt with fire incidents countless times, his responses were startlingly quick and clear.

Where did he gain such experience?

As for martial arts, it was understandable if the Clan Lord had personally taught him.

But that series of acts—finding answers as naturally as breathing in a crisis—was not something you could learn from a secret manual.

Not the work of someone who’s seen it once or twice. Truly, the more I know, the less I...

“Captain Shin.”

“Yes? Ah—yes!”

“Send a man to stand watch at the venue entrance.”

Startled, Shin Mo looked around.

They had reached the venue’s gate before he knew it. They called it a venue, but in truth they had rented a single manor. Of course, the manor was large enough to hold several hundred.

“Of course.”

“And as people come in, I want immediate reports on which clan they’re from, who they are, and how many.”

“I’ll obey the First Young Master’s order.”

“Good.”

Hojeong rolled his shoulders lightly. “Shall we go in?”

Shin Mo knocked on the manor’s great gate.

Thump! Thump!

“Is anyone inside?”

A voice answered as if waiting. “Who goes there?”

“We’re from the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain in Jiangsu. Open the gate.”

Moments later—

Creeeak!

The gate swung open, revealing the broad grounds within. And, near the gate, a group standing close by.

“Yeon Clan of Green Mountain?”

“That’s right.”

The man at the front bowed his head. “I am Han Homyeong of Sichuan. It is an honor to meet warriors of the Yeon Clan.”

Sichuan—and Han Homyeong.

Though they had never met, Shin Mo recognized him at once.

“Poison Dragon Iron Whip Han Homyeong?!”

“Haha! I’m honored you know the name.”

Like Shin Mo, Han Homyeong was among the top masters of his region.

And they shared one more common point: each had entered service with the greatest martial house of his region.

Lightning flashed in Hojeong’s eyes.

Behind Han Homyeong stood a young man of moderate build with a striking, sharp gaze.

“Tang Clan.”