665 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The icy winds of winter come equally to every place in Zhongyuan. They chill the lands of Hubei Province, where the author with black hair resides, and reach Sichuan Province, where a solitary person waits to reunite with their fiancé. They rage through Nanjing, embroiled in chaos due to the Murim gods, and extend all the way to the end of the Great Wall. The barrier that blocks countless foreign tribes, the wall of lamentation known as Shanhaiguan, lies beyond this. A land where barbarians and Zhongyuan people coexist, called Manchuria. Winter has arrived in Liaodong Province as well. A carriage approached the government office in Liaodong. Though crafted from luxurious wood, it seemed less ostentatious and more likely reinforced with iron for military use. “Halt!” At the shout of the constable, the carriage came to a stop. “I have business at the office.” The coachman disembarked and stated his purpose, but the constable only hardened his expression as he eyed the sword at the coachman’s waist. “A person of the Murim? What business could you possibly have here?” “I’ve come to meet Commander-in-Chief Shimyangjungwi.” “The Commander-in-Chief? I haven’t heard about this.” The commander-in-chief oversaw a military of more than five thousand; he wasn't someone a mere person of the Murim could easily meet. “I was invited, so it might be worth checking.” “Who’s inside the carriage?” The constable scowled even more when he heard the pleasant voice emanating from within the carriage. Winter in Liaodong Province is harsh. Even in Zhongyuan and Joseon, the northern climates require those on guard to press against the main gates to escape the biting winds. Yet, the constable had to face the sudden visitor’s cold gale directly. “Would you send someone to verify?” “Who dares...?” The constable, previously grimacing at the winter wind, was suddenly left speechless. In a season where everything withers and even the harsh cold wind prompts all to hide, one single flower in full bloom stepped out of the carriage, stronger and more resplendent amidst countless trials. “I am Mo Yong Sang A of the Mo Yong family.” A name belonging to a woman more beautiful than any bloom in Zhongyuan. —— “Our superiors are greatly concerned about the Mo Yong family. They’re worried the Mo Yong family might be siding against us.” A middle-aged man, the Commander-in-Chief overseeing the military of more than five thousand, spoke with concern as soon as the simple greetings with Mo Yong Sang A and her aide, Chang Bong Dae Ju, concluded. “Betrayal? What is this about?” “It appears you've heard unfounded rumors from those envious of the Mo Yong family.” She responded calmly, but countless thoughts flashed across Mo Yong Sang A’s mind. ‘The Demonic Cult.’ If the news that her brother, Mo Yong Bi, the heir of the Mo Yong family, was collaborating with the Demonic Cult had reached, it could spell disaster for both the state and the Murim. “Again, they are expressing their concern from above.” “I am listening.” The Demonic Cult is a forbidden religion under state law. Should this issue be raised, all the work done to restore the Mo Yong family could be undone. She listened intently, without showing any of her inner turmoil. “They're worried the Mo Yong family might be conspiring with the Jurchens.” Thankfully, the Commander's concerns were entirely unexpected and unrelated. “Is it because of the horse market opened to the Jurchens? Wasn’t that authorized by the state?” The Mo Yong family needed cooperation from the Jurchens to search for the lost fortress documents. The horse market was both a carrot and stick, used by Mo Yong Sang A and Chang Bong Dae Ju with the Jurchens. “The state wasn't the primary force; it was the Mo Yong family acting on its own. It’s natural for the state to suspect other motives.” Holding back the words rising up her throat, she continued, “It’s merely a baseless worry. The Mo Yong family, loyal to the royal family for ages, would never harbor such intentions.” “There is basis. You've already been suspected of consorting with barbarians.” “…….” The serene expression Mo Yong Sang A maintained wavered for just a brief moment. Consorting with barbarians. She knew exactly who this referred to and remembered the black-haired man and his intentions for seeking her out. She vividly recalled the expression of Master Sang Gong when he last departed. “Commander! The lady’s matter was a misunderstanding, was it not!” Chang Bong Dae Ju interjected, sensing the tense atmosphere on behalf of his lord. “How can one be certain?” The Commander replied indifferently, unaware of the metaphorical blade hovering on his neck. “Commander-in-Chief, Joseon people are not barbarians.” Rather than drawing a sword from her waist, Mo Yong Sang A refined her rising agitation and countered temperately. “Are you... lecturing me?” “Of course not. However, Joseon is a country that values Confucius and Mencius. The Joseon person I met... he was a man more honorable than any in Zhongyuan.” “Ha! Are you perhaps defending a traitor? This only deepens the doubt about your true intentions.” “I simply spoke of the Joseon people I’ve met.” One step. Just a step forward, and she could sever the Commander’s throat. Even as the arrogant voice provoked her, Mo Yong Sang A restrained her hand from seeking her blade. “Hmph! With the Mo Yong family suddenly expanding its power and frequenting barbarians, suspicion is unavoidable. But considering the Mo Yong family’s long-standing loyalty, we are willing to give you a chance.” “A chance, you say?” Was there another matter at hand? “Provide half of Chang Bong Dae’s forces. We plan to utilize them for northern reconnaissance as the weather clears.” “What are you saying...!” “Half... you mean?” Through the dissolution process, Chang Bong Dae had been rebuilt to a level where it could contend with the forces aligned with Mo Yong Bi, who had already betrayed them to the Demonic Cult. Demanding half of its strength without warning was not something easily agreed upon, even with talks of treason. “If no ill intentions reside with you, why would you need such forces? Cooperate, and the state will no longer doubt the Mo Yong family.” “If you desire the elite of the Mo Yong family, it shall be done in consultation with the Council of Elders...” "I’m well aware that the elite of the Mo Yong family is Chang Bong Dae." The demand was to relinquish Chang Bong Dae, with no room for compromise. From the start, that was the objective. Mo Yong Sang A understood this intent all too well. “Commander.” “I realize it’s a difficult request. But what can be done? The Mo Yong family's power has grown too rapidly! Though, there is another way.” “What do you mean by another way?” A way to avoid giving up half of the cherished Chang Bong Dae, painstakingly built. Mo Yong Sang A looked at the Commander with newfound hope. “I could, perhaps, persuade those above. However…” The three of them were seated, and his eyes, filled with lust, roved over her. As fervent as his gaze was upon her, her heart grew colder. “……” A sinister hand reached toward her. Allowing that hand would mean not losing what she had achieved so far. A hand whispering like a cunning serpent. Stay quiet like a frightened little bird, it said. Allow a brief humiliation, and all will be well. The little bird cried out. “No.” She had no intention of allowing this. She would not let the conniving snake approach her. “I will do my utmost to alleviate your concerns.” Even if it meant choosing a difficult path over an easy one. The vow to offer all of herself to one man alone persists, even if the man one loves has passed away. --- Shenyang, Liaodong Province, Mo Yong family. Currently, with Mo Yong Sang A, a man running the Mo Yong family. “So? She was finally summoned to the government office?” Mo Yong Bi, the scion of the Mo Yong family, asked with a rare smile on his face to the overseer. “I’ve fed this year’s yield from our fields to the officials. Even Tang Hui won’t resolve this matter easily.” Mo Yong Sang A being summoned to the government office was a stratagem spawned from the Dragon Pavilion. Though Mo Yong Bi had backing from the Demonic Cult, clashing directly with Mo Yong Sang A’s Chang Bong Dae was proving burdensome. “The praying mantis of a woman! Finally got caught. Even if she devoured her husband, she won’t devour my Mo Yong family!” “Losing half of her elite forces will instantly reverse the power balance. However…” The overseer dispatched from the Demonic Cult paused, his expression troubled. “However?” “You must be cautious of extreme actions.” If the plan unfolded as intended, it was an effective maneuver. Yet, their opponent was Mo Yong Sang A, who even turned her husband's death into a stepping stone for comeback. Instead of losing half the forces, a preemptive strike might occur. There was no room for complacency. YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0VnNHSWVlS2hhMWM2SllaR255UFpROWJKNStaTnorY2QvZjBaZ3FVQWVObw “Ha! Her? Let her try! I hold the cause! I’m the scion! Even if she excels, she can’t possess what’s mine!” “You’re right, but…” “Let her try gaining ashes if she wishes! But she’ll never take the Mo Yong family!” No matter how much money his sister had, she couldn’t buy the position of the scion. Killing her brother to take the leader’s seat, could she gain acceptance from the Murim and the state? The overseer sighed inwardly, looking at the confident Mo Yong Bi. ‘Damned fool. You’re the same…!’ Helping him to seize the Mo Yong family, despite the vast support, he barely managed a power struggle against his sister. The overseer swallowed his feelings at the despair of filling a bottomless pit. “I’ll ensure to remain vigilant for the time being.” “Do as you wish.” --- “So, my brother’s been scheming.” Not the elite of the Mo Yong family but half of Chang Bong Dae. Mo Yong Sang A could ascertain immediately what was going on. “Are you all right?” To choose the easy path or the difficult one? Chang Bong Dae Ju, remorseful for not stopping the Commander’s sinister advances, questioned his lord. “Don’t worry. From the day I decided to lead the Mo Yong family as a woman, I was prepared.” With a conflicted heart, Chang Bong Dae Ju spoke to his lord, who chose the harsh path. “Shall we prepare for conscription as we did before?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Mo Yong Sang A shook her head. “No. I have no intention of playing into my brother’s plans. Find out who the Commander refers to as ‘the higher-ups’.” “May I ask what you're thinking?” “If you keep feeding those above, sometimes they ought to work for you too, shouldn’t they?” She hadn’t just spent her resources on developing Chang Bong Dae. She knew how to use gifts for officials to make memorable tokens, which could double as bribes. “I’ll apply pressure on those even higher.” “With a few more recipients taking a larger share, they'll accept eagerly, even with small hints.” Liaodong is a frontier, a periphery. Even soldiers lived off agriculture due to improper supplies. In a land where one could fall to Jurchens at any moment, if they could seize a hefty share and leave, it was certain they’d rally. “While resolving this smoothly would be ideal, these aren’t baseless rumors. As the issue has arisen, it may continue to trouble you, my lord.” If they could be resolved with bribes, it’d be no problem. What if conscription genuinely occurred, though? In response to Chang Bong Dae Ju’s anxious question, Mo Yong Sang A answered resolutely. “Leak some information to the Jurchen chief, Tur Shan.” “Now, in this situation?” To suggest leaking information to the Jurchens while being suspected of colluding with them. Could it be to leak that half of Chang Bong Dae, the force the Jurchens feared, was being drafted? “The weather is cold. It seems Chang Bong Dae could be busy protecting the Mo Yong family for a while.” “Lord… really?!” Chang Bong Dae Ju’s eyes widened at the lord he beheld. The Mo Yong family isn’t an ordinary Murim family. Unlike other martial families in Zhongyuan, who wield their power like armed tribal leaders, the Mo Yong family operates its own military force in Liaodong Province. Though once significantly curtailed by government oversight and pressure from the Jurchens, the current Chang Bong Dae is different. It’s been three years since Mo Yong Sang A built her influence. Chang Bong Dae has emerged as a military force where martial arts are learned and real combat experience is solidified, becoming a source of fear for the Jurchens. In Liaodong Province, they have become a steadfast deterrent against foreign tribes. “They must realize how pivotal Chang Bong Dae is in Liaodong Province.” If they wish to take half of what you possess, let them try. The horse market and Chang Bong Dae. The carrot and stick offered to the Jurchens. Now that they will no longer be wielded, let them defend with their own strength. She would show those who tried to take what was hers. “I will implement it without any shortcomings.” Mo Yong Sang A silently gazed out the window. There was a time when half of Chang Bong Dae was taken away. When her father fell, and her brother conspired with the Demonic Cult to seize the Mo Yong family, she had to watch helplessly, tears streaming down. A girl powerless to do anything. A woman naive to the ways of the world. Yet a man reached out to that foolish girl, telling her the world was not yet over. “It was achieved through Sang Gong’s blood.” It is a position left to her by the beloved Sang Gong, who died for her sake. “……” “I have no intention of yielding it to anyone.” There is no longer a helpless woman who merely sheds tears. Only Tang Hui of the Mo Yong family remains. The wicked woman of Liaodong who lost her husband. Only Mo Yong Sang A.