“Hooo.”
Mo Yong-woo leaned back in his chair.
“Another day gone like this.”
The Demon-Sweeping Corps’ training was extremely difficult.
Leaving everything else aside, there were five hundred of them. Guiding that many troops in detail required tremendous mental energy. Even with the team leaders helping him, controlling the training was not easy without the Commander.
Of course, he had grown used to it by now. But that did not mean it took any less out of him. He was only used to it, nothing more, and since the troops’ growth was also fast, he had to consider training that matched that growth at every moment.
It is about time we started formation training too.
He had heard rumors that the Evil-Smiting Corps was devoting itself to formation training.
The Evil-Smiting Corps has the Je Gal Clan’s prodigy serving as its strategist. I heard they also dismantled and modified Je Gal Clan formations to suit the Evil-Smiting Corps’ characteristics. Since a direct line of the clan is personally teaching clan formations, their training speed must be fast.
Mo Yong-woo stroked his chin.
Someone with an excellent understanding of formations... Can I find someone like that outside the Je Gal Clan? We will need formation training different from the Evil-Smiting Corps.
The Demon-Sweeping Corps and the Evil-Smiting Corps had entirely ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) different characteristics.
The Evil-Smiting Corps was small in number, and the martial traits of its troops were clear. That made it skilled in urban warfare and infiltration warfare, and it could also perform the role of a vanguard unit superbly.
By contrast, the Demon-Sweeping Corps alone numbered five hundred and was an organization armed in heavy armor. Because of that, battles requiring mobility were somewhat difficult for it, but it could be called a force-based unit specialized in large-scale battles on open plains and full-scale battle.
Naturally, formation training was even more necessary for the Demon-Sweeping Corps than for the Evil-Smiting Corps. Especially because it was divided into teams, each team needed a formation suited to its own traits, and when those teams were combined, they also had to possess a large formation that would not create strain.
“Hooo, this is giving me a headache.”
Just then, a playful voice came from the window.
“Why? Got something giving you trouble?”
Mo Yong-woo smiled. He had already sensed Yeon Hojeong’s presence a short while ago.
“Why come in through the window when there is a perfectly good door?”
“It’s late at night. There probably isn’t anyone to see, but I’m scared someone might misunderstand if they do.”
“Ha.”
Mo Yong-woo turned his head toward the window. At some point, Yeon Hojeong had seated himself on the windowsill with his legs crossed.
“Come in and sit.”
“Gladly.”
Yeon Hojeong sat in the soft chair across from Mo Yong-woo and tapped the armrest with a smile.
“This is really nice. Looks like you get a big budget. Luxury goods, luxury goods.”
“My brother gave it to me.”
“Generous of him.”
Mo Yong-woo looked at Yeon Hojeong with a smile.
“Have you finished today’s work?”
“What is there to finish or not finish? I rested a bit today.”
“Well done. You have been living far too busily. If you keep running without rest, the day will surely come when you collapse from exhaustion.”
Yeon Hojeong gave a faint laugh and asked in a passing tone.
“By the way, are you worried about something? Why the sudden headache?”
Mo Yong-woo smacked his lips.
“Because of the Demon-Sweeping Corps’ training.”
“Why? Are they not listening? If they are not listening, beating them down once in a while is not a bad—”
“That is not it. They are all doing remarkably well. If anything, there are many times when I feel my own ability falling short.”
“How humble.”
“I mean it.”
“Then why the training? Just do it like usual.”
“It is because of formations.”
Interest rose on Yeon Hojeong’s face.
“So the Demon-Sweeping Corps is finally starting formation training too?”
“That is right. I heard rumors that the Evil-Smiting Corps’ formation training has been very successful. Is that true?”
Yeon Hojeong shrugged.
“I was left out of the formation training. I entrusted it to Ahyeon and Mookbi, so I do not really know how they trained them.”
“That is very like you.”
“But I did fight them once. Seriously.”
Mo Yong-woo’s eyes gleamed.
“How was it?”
“Terrifying. No exaggeration, assuming both sides fought with full intent, I felt like I would get smashed apart without even doing much damage.”
Surprise appeared on Mo Yong-woo’s face.
“Even with your martial arts?”
He was one of the few people who knew just how strong Yeon Hojeong was.
And Yeon Hojeong was not simply strong in martial arts. The real reason Yeon Hojeong was extraordinary was that he could wield the martial arts he possessed more efficiently than anyone else.
Real-combat ability honed to the extreme, and a personality that never let down its guard.
It might be rash to say, but Yeon Hojeong’s combat ability alone would not fall short even if one discussed the greatest in the Central Plains. Of course, that was separate from the sheer strength of his martial arts.
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“It was frightening. It was not merely a matter of forming a formation and moving together. It felt as if they were organically linking one another’s True Qi and amplifying the formation pressure itself. Most ordinary attacks just bounced off that pressure alone.”
He called them ordinary attacks, but from a master on Yeon Hojeong’s level, even a casual attack could become a lethal killing move. If a formation could repel such attacks through pressure alone, then it truly deserved to be called remarkable.
“That is incredible. The Evil-Smiting Corps has grown another level.”
“It is all thanks to meeting the right people. The troops are desperately hungry to grow stronger too.”
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“By the way, if formations are the issue, can you not bring in the Mo Yong Clan’s formations?”
Mo Yong-woo shook his head.
“It is not as if I never considered it. But in the end, that will not work.”
“Why? Because Mo Yonggun might not allow it?”
“Would that ever happen? He would welcome it, if anything. He would think it means he can place the Demon-Sweeping Corps as a true force of the Mo Yong Clan.”
“Mm, that is true. So, the reason you are not teaching the Mo Yong Clan’s formations to the Demon-Sweeping Corps is because you are worried the Demon-Sweeping Corps will become Mo Yonggun’s private soldiers?”
“That is one reason. More decisively, I thought the Demon-Sweeping Corps needed formations befitting the Demon-Sweeping Corps. At least among the main house’s formations that I know, there are none suited to the Demon-Sweeping Corps.”
Yeon Hojeong gave a faint laugh.
“What formation fits perfectly from the start? Even if it is a little tight or a little loose, you adjust it bit by bit.”
“You are right. However, even so, the main house’s formations and the Demon-Sweeping Corps’ traits are too different.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Hojeong stroked his chin.
“Should I ask Ahyeon to make a formation suited to the Demon-Sweeping Corps?”
Mo Yong-woo’s eyes widened.
“Would that be possible?”
“It is just a request. There is no reason I cannot ask. Of course, whether she can actually make it or not depends entirely on Ahyeon’s ability.”
“Mm.”
“What do you think? Should I ask?”
Mo Yong-woo smiled.
“It is all right. I will look into this on my own.”
“That is some confidence.”
“Rather than confidence, I think it is only natural. Besides, the relationship between you and me must not become known to others. If Miss Je Gal helps us, there is a chance unnecessary rumors will spread in several directions.”
“Well, that is true too.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“I will try looking for someone with knowledge of formations outside the Je Gal Clan. It will take some time, though.”
“Knowing that you will help already makes me feel reassured.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
He is much calmer than before.
Growth was not only a matter of growing stronger in martial arts or knowing more things.
Changing one’s mindset to suit one’s environment was also one facet of growth. In that sense, Mo Yong-woo could be said to have taken another step forward.
“Well, leaving that aside.”
Mo Yong-woo asked with a puzzled expression.
“What brought you all the way here at this hour? Of course, I am happy to see you.”
Yeon Hojeong smacked his lips.
“Well, there is no need to talk around it. I will ask directly.”
“...?”
“Can you remove Tang Sang-a from the Demon-Sweeping Corps?”
Mo Yong-woo’s eyes widened.
“Soldier Tang?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Has something happened?”
Yeon Hojeong scratched his head.
“Rather than something happening... Mm, it is a little awkward for me to explain with my own mouth.”
“Tell me. If I am going to discharge her, I should at least know the reason.”
“You know Clan Lord Tang, right?”
“Of course.”
“It seems Clan Lord Tang wants to properly educate his daughter now.”
“Hmm.”
“You know the relationship between the two of them was bad, right?”
“I know. Soldier Tang Sang-a suffered greatly because of that.”
“My father worked hard between them. Thanks to him, their father-daughter relationship has become fairly warm now. It seems they have come to understand each other well.”
“That is good news.”
“I do not know what Clan Lord Tang is thinking. But he seems to want to give his daughter a proper education even now, and the Demon-Sweeping & Evil-Smiting field-force units are strongly influenced by their commanders, aren’t they?”
“They are.”
“So he asked me. I am a commander of the other corps too, and whatever else happened, I was the one who half-forced Soldier Tang into enlisting.”
Mo Yong-woo gave a faint laugh.
“That truly was absurd.”
“You did not refuse either.”
“How could I refuse when you pushed that hard?”
“Hmph, nice way to put it.”
“Mm.”
Mo Yong-woo sank back into the chair and fell into thought.
A moment later.
“Looking at the Demon-Sweeping Corps as a whole, Soldier Tang leaving would not cause any major problem. In fact, if she is to leave, now is the best time, before formation training begins.”
“That is a relief.”
“Also, just as you said, given the nature of field-force units where the Commander’s influence is strong, there will be no particular issue with letting her leave. However...”
Mo Yong-woo’s eyes shone.
“If she herself does not want it, then no matter how much it is your request, I do not want to discharge her. More important than anything else is the individual’s own will.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“I have no intention of forcing her out either. As you said, her own will is the most important thing.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“No. I am the one who feels sorry for making an unreasonable request.”
“Ha ha, I feel as though it has been quite a long time since I heard you say you were sorry.”
“Is that so?”
Yeon Hojeong rose from his seat.
Mo Yong-woo looked somewhat regretful.
“Are you leaving already? We have met for the first time in so long. Should we not at least have a drink?”
“I have to pass this on to Clan Lord Tang too. And I have a prior engagement. I am late even now. If I am any later, I might get shot with an arrow.”
“That is a shame. Then make time soon. I will forget my younger brother’s face at this rate.”
“Enough whining.”
Yeon Hojeong laughed and went to the window.
But only for a moment.
“Is it going well?”
“Mm?”
“The Mo Yong Clan side. You said you would handle it yourself, so I am sure you are doing well.”
Mo Yong-woo gave a faint laugh.
“Are you worried?”
“I would prefer if you thought of it as simple curiosity rather than worry.”
“There is still nothing noteworthy. You may rest easy for the time being.”
“That is good.”
“Ah! But...”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
“Why? Is something bothering you?”
Mo Yong-woo’s face grew serious.
“Rather than saying it bothers me... Yes, I suppose I must have felt uneasy because it does bother me.”
“What happened?”
“Yeonhwa has begun to move.”
“Hmm.”
“Some time ago, my brother scolded Yeonhwa rather severely. After that, she had been staying in her quarters in self-reflection, but I heard she met with him alone today.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes turned cold.
“Then talk about Ink Dragon Manor definitely came up.”
“I think so. But that is not what was on my mind.”
“Then?”
“Something... I cannot quite understand it with my head, but something feels strange. If I think about it coldly, there is nothing particularly odd, and yet I get the feeling they are plotting something.”
“You smell something?”
“Yes. I smell something.”
Yeon Hojeong stroked his chin.
“Father and daughter met today... Talk about Ink Dragon Manor definitely came up... Mm.”
He smiled.
In that cold smile, the madness of the Dark Emperor, still not entirely faded, slowly began to come alive.
“I will have to ask that beggar for help one more time.”
