Black and White Martial Emperor

Yeon Hojeong and Mookbi moved with extraordinary speed. There was no real need to push so hard, and yet they went to excess—and that was entirely because of Yeon Hojeong.

“Phew. Even I get tired.”

He shot Mookbi a sidelong glance.

She still looked fairly composed. Even so, the way she was casually leaning on a tree—unlike her usual—said she was tired.

“Your legs are shaking too, aren’t they?”

Mookbi knit her brows.

“This is the first time I’ve run this long. We didn’t rest even once.”

“That’s how training works.”

“They say too much is as bad as too little.”

“You have to know where ‘too much’ is to call it ‘too much is as bad as too little.’ I’m not there yet.”

Is he serious?

Mookbi sensed nothing but earnestness in his face. In matters of martial arts, that man had never once been anything but serious.

A chill ran through her, somewhere between awe and a shiver.

He’s a monster. A real monster.

To Mookbi, a master of body methods, Yeon Hojeong’s realm in footwork was still a long way off—far, far away.

But his rate of acquisition was astonishingly fast. He seemed to have grasped the most critical key of body methods from the start—but even allowing for that, he was too fast.

At first he was a crawling turtle.

Day by day his speed picked up. In the beginning, every push-off boomed on the ground—thump, thump—but now he moved sharp and light as a cat.

And that inner-force operation...

The # Nоvеlight # better the body method, the more it seeks maximum efficiency with minimal inner force.

What Yeon Hojeong had learned was exactly that. The Yeon Clan’s best body method, Heaven-Bestowed Transit Flight, stood on par with the clan’s finest sword arts. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

His attainment in the method itself isn’t that high. Even so, he’s already showing ultra-small inner-force use.

Though the method’s attainment wasn’t outstanding yet, with extremely efficient inner-force operation he was taking both speed and tremendous stamina at once.

If Yeon Hojeong mastered Heaven-Bestowed Transit Flight fully, he might be faster than she was.

His understanding of qi is extraordinary.

Of course it was; that was how he’d become such a monster at a younger age than she. The phrase internal-school master fit him perfectly.

“This won’t do. We’re almost there, but should we rest a little?”

“So you weren’t going to rest otherwise?”

“Your voice has a razor’s edge.”

“I’m hungry.”

They’d been running for days on water alone; it figured.

Yeon Hojeong untied the bundle fixed to the Mad Dragon Axe’s haft. Inside were cold rice balls, jerky, and grain-pill rations.

“Here. Let’s eat.”

The two of them munched away happily. The food was cold, but hunger seasons everything—it was tasty enough to bring tears.

Once they were mostly full, Mookbi asked,

“Shall we see Jipyeong too?”

“Huh? Jipyeong?”

“Yes.”

He blinked.

“What do you mean, ‘see Jipyeong’?”

“He’s in Zhejiang too.”

“Oh? He is?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t. I only heard Father sent him to an acquaintance with Bi Eung attached...”

Mookbi was a little speechless at his indifference.

“Somewhere in Zhejiang... a ‘something-something’ Mountain, they said.”

“Mount Mogan?”

“Ah, right. Mount Mogan. He said he was headed there.”

Interest rose on Yeon Hojeong’s face.

“Mount Mogan... not far.”

Mo Yong-woo was farther south, in Shaoxing—the Mo Yong Clan’s Zhejiang Branch headquarters.

From here, Mount Mogan is closer.

From their current position, following the mountain path west would bring them to Mount Mogan.

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“Father sent him for a reason. We focus on our business.”

“Right.”

“Why? You want to see Jipyeong?”

For once, Mookbi smiled.

“He’s cute.”

Over the past two months, she and Yeon Jipyeong had grown quite close, thanks entirely to his easy warmth.

By now the two were practically like siblings. In fact, Mookbi had even looked over Jipyeong’s body method.

She was afraid of Yeon Wi. It took real courage to critique the body method he personally taught his son.

It showed how much she cared for Yeon Jipyeong.

“Well, we can swing by on the way back after we finish. If we can see him then, we’ll go together.”

“Shall we?”

“Yeah.”

“...Hee-hee.”

Yeon Hojeong made a face like he’d seen something he could’ve done without.

“What’s with that brazen, shameless little giggle?”

“Why?”

“Did you learn that from Jipyeong?”

“...”

“It’s cute when he does it.”

Which meant: you doing it is not cute at all. Mookbi felt the urge to smack him.

“If you wake up with a hole in your head, assume it was me.”

“If I’ve got an air-hole in my skull, you think I’ll have thoughts left to think?”

“Just assume it.”

Yeon Hojeong snickered.

Mookbi was no longer the girl he used to know. Seeing this different her made him want to toss jokes more often.

But only for a moment.

“Rested? Up we get?”

“Already?”

“Not far now. Give it about half a day and we’ll be in Hangzhou. I reached out to the Beggars’ Union—they’ll have a nice place lined up.”

Mookbi kneaded her thighs, grumbling.

“When we arrive, we’re resting a long time—right?”

“Right.”

“Got it. Let’s go.”

THU-UU-UUM!

The two unfolded their body methods once more.

Half a day later, they entered Hangzhou.

“...!”

Mookbi’s jaw dropped.

Yeon Hojeong tapped her shoulder.

“Why so spellbound?”

“Th-this is incredible!”

Hangzhou was beautiful.

It already looked so from afar, but once inside, the city’s very air overwhelmed. The crowds were so thick that even at sundown it was hard to walk.

When a street is crowded, it should feel stifling and noisy—yet here even the bustle became part of the charm. Mookbi fell headlong into the mystique of Hangzhou.

“I thought you hated crowds.”

“Woooow...”

“Wipe your drool.”

“Ssip.”

“Enough gawking. Let’s get to the lodging.”

“L-lodging?”

“Sure. Not going?”

“No—we should.”

She wanted to rest, and also to soak in the mood more. Hangzhou had a magic that made you forget your fatigue.

Soon after, they arrived at a place thronged with towering pavilions.

Mookbi looked like her soul had nearly flown.

Yeon Hojeong’s expression was... odd.

“Lake Delicacies Grand Joy Pavilion. So this is it?”

A famed sight of Hangzhou said to have been built a hundred years ago.

Yet this was the first time he had ever seen it.

So this was its face.

Back in his Dark Emperor days, when he passed through Hangzhou, the Lake Delicacies Grand Joy Pavilion wasn’t here. It had been swept up in a terrible bloodbath and brought down.

He was now seeing Hangzhou’s finest pavilion he had never seen—by going even further back into the past.

...

What stamped this pavilion in his memory was that guy.

One of the Five Divine Commanders, that man had three wishes. One of them was to lodge for a whole year at the Lake Delicacies Grand Joy Pavilion.

He’d sung of how much he wanted to come—and now here he was first.

Yeon Hojeong closed his eyes.

Will I be able to meet them too?

Who knew. He’d been lucky to run into Mookbi like this; there was no guarantee the other Divine Commanders would be the same.

The reason being, three of the Five had been wastrels from the Black-Path back alleys.

A Black-Path life was like floating duckweed. You live here, drift there, live there, then drift back again.

When this business is done, I should look into it.

Their talent was outstanding. Better to find them early like he had Mookbi, temper them, and prepare for the future.

Shaking off the thoughts, Yeon Hojeong tugged Mookbi along.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

So full of fire.

As soon as they entered, a floor attendant approached.

“Welcome!”

Just as on the streets of Hangzhou, the attendant here paid no mind to the sight of them.

Yeon Hojeong was carrying an enormous axe; Mookbi held a red bow. There were many martial folk under heaven, but such a pair was not common.

Even so, there was no surprise in the eyes looking at them.

“How may we serve you?”

“The Beggars’ Union’s Hangzhou branch chief should have booked two rooms under the name Yeon Hojeong.”

Just then—

“Green Mountain Tiger General?!”

The boisterous first floor fell suddenly quiet.

The man laughing loud as he tipped his cup, those drunk on good food, those calmly sipping tea—

All of them looked at Yeon Hojeong.

“Gasp! That axe is huge!”

“Never mind that—did someone just say Green Mountain Tiger General?”

“Green Mountain Tiger General? Yeon Hojeong?”

“The Yeon Clan’s First Young Master!”

Silence crashed in—and vanished just as quickly. Exclamations of splendor burst from all around.

Yeon Hojeong frowned.

Good grief.

There are limits to ignoring people’s eyes. Nearly two hundred pairs of astonished eyes fixed on him; even he couldn’t help but feel the weight.

Sensing his mood, the attendant bowed.

“We received word in advance as well. Allow me to guide you.”

They had received word in advance. Which meant they’d known the moment he entered Hangzhou.

The Beggars’ Union’s eyes were as sharp as ever.

The pair slipped past the crowd into the pavilion’s rear garden—an opulent space reserved for honored guests.

As soon as they reached their quarters and washed up, they changed into the martial robes prepared for them.

A middle-aged man waiting outside bowed.

“I will guide you to the top floor. This way, please.”

Mookbi shot Yeon Hojeong a look that said she was uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat.

“Just accept it.”

A famous pavilion was famous for a reason. This kind of treatment felt foreign to her.

Soon the two reached the top floor.

“Wha—!”

Mookbi’s mouth fell open.

Yeon Hojeong murmured low,

“They’ve plastered this place in gold.”

They hadn’t, literally. But the words slipped out by themselves—it was that lavish.

And the view out the window was a scene out of a fairyland. Not large, but famed for beauty as the best in the Central Plains—West Lake spread clear before them.

Qin Yang... now I see why you wanted to come so badly.

Excessive splendor usually weighed on him; this place did not.

“Please sit here.”

The middle-aged man led them to a window table—the best seat on the top floor, with the most commanding view of West Lake.

As Yeon Hojeong sat, he suddenly realized one of the gazes on him was... peculiar.

So many had looked at him that he had let it pass, but this gaze was different. There was a keen light to it.

He set the axe quietly to one side and turned his head.

His eyes flashed.

Mo Yong Yeonhwa?!

She was seated with a dozen men and women—young, mostly in their twenties and thirties.

Why is she here?

The top floor of the Lake Delicacies Grand Joy Pavilion was not a place money alone could buy. Reputation weighed as much as coin.

Of course Mo Yong Yeonhwa could be here. The question was why here, now.

After a moment, she rose and approached Yeon Hojeong.

“Who would’ve thought we’d meet again here.”

Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s smile bloomed.

“How long has it been, us?”

...This might be a little dangerous.