422 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

[Dont be confused about the double chapter. Some problem occured from the side of the raws website nothing special] "Please return the gift to Tursan." The situation was escalating swiftly. Mo Yong Sang Ah gathered the information she had and made a prompt decision. "Are you suggesting we send back the Jurchen assassins?" The captain of the unit tilted his head, puzzled by the unexpected order. "Tell them to come and claim them." "I would like to know the reason." The captain of the spear brigade looked up at Mo Yong Sang Ah, kneeling on one knee to ensure he executed his lord's command accurately. "We need to see how someone like Tursan reacts. Initiate a martial demonstration around the Sacred Martial Archive investigation team. Some movements are bound to occur upon hearing news of the assassins." "Didn't you wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed?" A martial demonstration? Wasn't that essentially a command to threaten the Jurchen with weapons in hand? The captain was taken aback by this command, a departure from the earlier approach aimed at avoiding conflicts. "It is highly probable that someone is trying to create discord between us and the Jurchens. However, certainty eludes us. If news of the assassins spreads and the Jurchen are left to their devices, they might panic and reach out to the Cult in fear." Mo Yong Sang Ah continued explaining to ensure the spear brigade understood her intent. Was it merely a decoy for diversionary warfare? Or a covert alliance forming beneath the surface? She did not know for sure, but waiting idly was not an option. ‘I may not grasp the situation fully, but I can deduce the intention.’ She understood her brother's strategy—he wished for her to squander her resources on the Sacred Martial Archive exploration. If the Jurchen went on a rampage, it would be an ideal setting for him. In strategy, the enemy of my enemy is often an ally. If time were allowed, eventually, the two forces might unite in some form. "You are implying that although we don't know the enemies' full situation, the result will be the same." Mo Yong Sang Ah nodded to acknowledge the captain who finally understood her words. "But there is an advantage to this situation." "An advantage, you say?" Mo Yong Sang Ah revealed the leverage she had discovered. “There is now justification to attack Tursan’s tribe.” Mo Yong Sang Ah spoke of the victory in her grasp. "You mean to defeat them individually before any alliance can form? I will prepare immediately." Confident in his prowess in combat, the captain prepared to rise energetically. "No, that's precisely what they want. I have no intention of being manipulated." Once a diversionary battle begins, rumors would spread, and conflict with the Jurchen in the Sacred Martial Archive exploration would become inevitable. Mo Yong Sang Ah shook her head at the captain's words. "I wish to hear more of my lord's true intentions." Grasping the profound depths of her thoughts proved challenging. The captain, serving as the lord's sword, decided to listen further to understand how she intended to wield him. “Justification can fuel a reason to wield a sword, but it can also act as a counterbalance in negotiations.” “A counterbalance?” Mo Yong Sang Ah, with a frosty smile, clenched her fist as if seizing victory. "Having the justification at hand, we should make them act according to our will. I won’t give them time to think. Once we commence the martial demonstration, Tursan will scramble to find a way to survive. He will surely send an envoy." "If an envoy is sent, what message should I deliver?" Mo Yong Sang Ah organized her thoughts in response to the captain's query. The situation was turbulent. It was akin to swordplay. If you merely wait until the opponent's blade ceases its disorderly movement, you would only lose your head. While the adversary is yet unprepared. At the moment with the most visible openings. Strike swiftly. “Tell him to crawl before me. And that if he fails to justify himself in time, it will not end as merely a martial demonstration." The initiative belonged to her. There would be no time allowed for alliances to form. It was a situation treading on thin ice. Yet, the one present wasn't a woman lamenting her fate and hoping for luck, but the leader of one of the largest forces in Liaodong Castle. Mo Yong Sang Ah knew how to stride forward before the ice shattered. --- The Jurchen response came swiftly. The master of Changbongjeon had been attacked by assassins, and to think that one of the assassins hailed from their very own ranks. The martial warriors of Mo Yong's family were running wild through the Jurchen camp. For now, it was mere conflict, but bloodshed could erupt at any moment. "Chieftain Tursan awaits in the tent." Chieftain Tursan hurriedly sought a meeting with Mo Yong Sang Ah. "Guide me." In the heart of Tursan’s tribe's living area, Mo Yong Sang Ah arrived with the spear brigade, heading toward the tent with an assured stride. "A woman is the chieftain...?" "Be careful. A clan that went to raid a settlement was annihilated." Despite being deep in enemy territory, Mo Yong Sang Ah appeared utterly unfazed. As she took each step towards the tent, the Jurchen yielded in fear. Even brief as it was, the martial demonstration incited sufficient alarm among the Jurchen under Mo Yong Sang Ah's command. "Presenting to the grand Mo Yong family! The master of Changbongjeon, Lady Mo Yong Sang Ah has arrived!" Not everyone was cowed by fear, however. "Isn't that a bit extravagant? We just came here to exchange greetings." Upon entering the tent, Mo Yong Sang Ah was greeted with a mocking tone. A towering man stood there. His broad shoulders packed with muscles, he stood a head taller than the other Jurchen in the tent. Chieftain Tursan. The provocative stare above his unkempt beard gave away the fact that this was the leader of the tribe. “You have quite a retinue to introduce.” Several Jurchen warriors stood tensely inside the tent. Mo Yong Sang Ah dismissed Tursan's threatening presence lightly, responding with a sarcastic tone. “Khaha! If one is to meet a person of the Mo Yong family, there’s no limit to how many concerned subordinates I should bring. I am Tursan, the chieftain leading the clans in this area.” With that, Tursan extended a hand the size of a small cauldron lid to Mo Yong Sang Ah. “Mo Yong family. I am Mo Yong Sang Ah, the master of Changbongjeon.” She had no intention of grasping his hand. Mo Yong Sang Ah made a slight bow, merely as a formality. “Tch. Do the people from the Central Plains cover their faces even when greeting?” It seemed he underestimated her from the start. Tursan’s expression crinkled as he spoke, indicating his displeasure at Mo Yong Sang Ah’s veiled hat, called a myeokri. "You dare speak to our lord like that!" One of the Changbong members raised his voice in anger. "Well, even though people from the Central Plains wear smiling faces while hiding other expressions inside, shouldn't we at least see your face before talking?" "You insolent fool! You have no right to even see her face—" "It's fine. I'll remove it." Alright, I managed to catch him off guard as well. Tursan inwardly smirked as Mo Yong Sang Ah calmly placed her hand on her myeokri. Facing the Mo Yong family. Nevertheless, it was still a matter worthy of the tribe's chieftain to personally meet them, even when their power was halved. Tursan reflected on how he ascended to the position of chieftain. Regardless, he needed to preserve the dignity of the chieftain. He was determined. "So, it must be some precious face to be hidden like... huh?" Tursan's jaw dropped. He had thought it would be an ordinary power struggle tactic. Yet, his mind went blank. "What the...?!" "Gasp!" "Ahhh! This is..." The once noisy tent abruptly turned silent, like a tranquil night. A breathtaking moon seemed to hover in the night sky. "Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Mo Yong Sang Ah." Thoughts came to a halt. What was I going to say? My emotions seemed to vanish. I felt like my breath was taken away. The gathered Jurchens in the tent were momentarily stunned by an appearance unlike anything they had ever seen. "Let us commence our discussion." Until someone managed to regain composure enough to speak, everyone could only stare blankly at the woman. — “It was a rogue act. They must have lost their senses with rage after their clan member was slain by the Mo Yong family." Tursan's excuse was much like the raid incident at the outpost. It wasn’t his responsibility. He couldn’t control every tribe member. He tried to avoid an apology to prevent any further awkward situations. "My subordinates might get enraged and start taking matters into their own hands as well." Mo Yong Sang Ah responded coldly, as if she had anticipated Tursan's excuses. “Are you suggesting you want a war...?” “War?” Mo Yong Sang Ah widened her eyes, as if confirming she hadn’t misheard, glaring straight at Tursan. “That... that was just an expression!” "Now." Mo Yong Sang Ah's movements suddenly blurred. “L-lord!” “Are you speaking of war in front of the Mo Yong family?” By the time everyone realized, Mo Yong Sang Ah was already right in front of Tursan's eyes. How did she get there? An intense killing aura was directed at Tursan, as if she might take his life at any moment. “Ugh!” What kind of nonsense is this? He couldn’t move. Tursan's groans slipped from his lips as he felt crushed under the oppressive aura. “Do you think that after showing leniency once, I will keep doing so?” 'I'm being overwhelmed by a much smaller woman?' Tursan’s eyes trembled uncontrollably. “What are you doing to the chieftain!” One of Tursan's flustered guards moved his hand toward his sword. "Go ahead, draw it. If you really want to see how much I can tolerate." Mo Yong Sang Ah's ominous presence spread throughout the tent. The Jurchens in the tent finally realized that it wasn’t them surrounding this woman; it was her surrounding them alone. “You… didn't come here for negotiations, did you...?” Tursan, gasping for breath, questioned Mo Yong Sang Ah as the oppressive aura targeting him began to lift. His earlier sarcastic demeanor was gone. “It seems that just because the Mo Yong family was briefly in peril, you’ve forgotten what kind of family ours is. Very well, if you desire, I shall remind you of my surname.” “You, you…” One of the Jurchens attempted to curse her, but was left with chattering teeth under Mo Yong Sang Ah’s intimidating presence. Though the tent was full of armed men, none but Mo Yong Sang Ah held the authority to draw a sword in that instant. “If you can't bear to bare your fangs, don't even think of barking.” Mo Yong Sang Ah's voice cut through like an icy blade, leaving the Jurchens with bated breath. They stared at Mo Yong Sang Ah without a word. An ethereal beauty not of this world, yet it felt as though she might claim their heads in the next instant. ‘The Demoness.’ Beauty veiled in ruthless steel. At last, the Jurchens understood why the woman before them was known by such a moniker. “Even against the Mo Yong family, we can't endure such humiliation…” He couldn’t just back down. Tursan was about to resist. “If you won’t bark, then wag your tail. In return, I’ll give you what you desire.” Mo Yong Sang Ah hadn’t come merely to intimidate the Jurchens. “What we desire?” Their goal was the exploration of the Sacred Martial Archive. They wanted the Jurchens not to interfere. Not to ally with the Cult. To heed her words. Mo Yong Sang Ah eased the pressure in the tent and offered her proposal to the shocked Jurchens. “I’ll open the northern trade market for you.” “The northern trade market?!” “Did you say the northern trade market just now?” The Jurchens looked at her in disbelief. “I have the power to open a market that hasn’t been accessible for decades.” Mo Yong Sang Ah nodded, confirming her stance. The Jurchens’ astonishment was justified. The northern trade market. It was a term that denoted trade between the Jurchens and the Central Plains. For those living in the most barren parts of Liaodong, such a market had been out of reach for decades. The promise of opening it implied a significant improvement in their dire living conditions. “The number of horses we possess is not ordinary.” Tursan, skeptical yet intrigued, addressed Mo Yong Sang Ah. “Do I look like an ordinary person to you?” “…” Even the Jurchens were aware. The wealth possessed by the woman before them was the greatest in all of Liaodong City. “Choose.” Will you reveal your fangs, or will you wag your tail? Up until Mo Yong Sang Ah stepped into the tent, there had been Jurchens advocating for war. In the face of enticing profits, none could resist bowing their heads to Mo Yong Sang Ah. --- "My lady, truly you have worked hard." On the way back from the negotiations with the Jurchens, one of the vice-captains of the Changbong unit spoke with a delighted expression. "I've merely managed to take hold of the reins of a galloping wild horse. It's too soon to relax." "Just as you suspected, in the chaos, we discovered evidence of them making contact with Mo Yong Bi while surveying the enemy's main camp." "We were a step ahead." Thank goodness. We were not too late. Mo Yong Sang Ah finally allowed herself a sigh of relief. "You are indeed remarkable. To think you'd find a solution through reopening the long-closed northern trade market. It was beyond imagination." "I didn't want to hand out benefits for free to those who raid the innocent," she replied calmly. It was the wealth her predecessor had entrusted to her. It couldn't be used recklessly. "If we can host the northern trade market under our jurisdiction, not only can we control the Jurchens, but we can also bolster our strength and earn profits by selling horses to the Central Plains!" As long as they tasted the sweetness of the trade market, the Jurchens would not dare attack the Mo Yong family lightly. On the contrary, they would constantly be wary. Moreover, the horses of these tribes fetch high prices in the Central Plains. Controlling the Jurchens at will while reaping profits—what a method! The vice-captain couldn't help but admire her strategy. "It will also be helpful when exploring the Sacred Martial Archive in other regions." "I'll have the merchants in our faction manage it. And..." The vice-captain looked slightly uncomfortable as he glanced at his lord. "Is there something else you wish to say?" "There's news from Joseon."