667 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“Are the members of the expedition sent to find a cure for father returning?” It wasn't an illness that afflicted Ga Ju Mo Yong Cheon—it was poisoning. It had been over a year since they called upon a physician who once served as the imperial doctor for a diagnosis. Moyong Sang Ah had discreetly taken the physician's advice and dispatched a person to the Sichuan Tang family, known for their expertise in poisons. From Liaodong Fortress to Sichuan Province, the distance was endless and daunting. Despite her worries, today finally brought some news. “A rapid message has arrived through our Beijing communication network. Judging by the date the message was sent, they should be preparing to cross the Shanhai Pass by now.” “What do we know?” The news of their safe return was indeed welcome. However, there was something more important—her father's cure. Did they find it? “They said they would report upon arrival due to the uncertainty of being watched or overheard while crossing the Shanhai Pass.” “We might have cause for hope.” “Pardon?” “If they had failed, there would be no reason to send a rapid message in the first place.” Had they not brought back positive news, returning quietly and heavily burdened would suffice. There wouldn't be a need for urgent communication. A faint smile blossomed on Moyong Sang Ah's face. “Can it really be…!” “It must be the Sichuan Tang family after all.” If no solution could be found there, they had said, there wouldn't be any cure elsewhere in Zhongyuan. Indeed, they are the ancestors of poison and hidden weapons. Even Chang Bong Dae Joo, who had been skeptical, felt her face brighten at this news. “If Ga Ju recovers, he will be moved to see the achievements you've accomplished, Miss.” “That would be wonderful.” Though it was the news she had been waiting for, Moyong Sang Ah could only muster a weak smile. “Why do you appear so troubled? You must think about the future when you will drive out the hateful So Ga Ju and dispel the shadows looming over the Moyong family.” “I should temper great expectations. Let’s have cautious optimism for the good news first.” How many times had she been betrayed by expectation before now? Being the mistress of Chang Bong Hall, she had learned not to hope too much to avoid disappointment. “I’m sure things can return to the way they were.” “Just hearing it is nice... If the team from Sichuan Tang returns, all attention will be focused there, so I must resolve matters undertaken previously.” Sure and steady. Instead of wishing for a stroke of fortune from the skies one day, she committed herself to what she could achieve. The wicked woman dared not hope for miracles after the man who had reached out to her in the pit of despair perished because of her. She simply struggled tirelessly. “Young Lady, let me assist you with your outing attire.” As the maid attempted to touch Moyong Sang Ah’s hair, she was swiftly stopped. The maid realized her mistake and quickly retreated a step back. “I’ll take it down myself.” Only two people could undo her hairpin. Her husband, who died smiling for her sake, and the woman who yearned for him. Both Moyong Sang Ah and Chang Bong Dae Joo found their gazes naturally turning to the hairpin. Can things genuinely return to how they were before? “I’ll prepare it.” Knowing it couldn't happen, neither Moyong Sang Ah nor Chang Bong Dae Joo dared to say more. --- “Failed?” A voice of disbelief echoed through the Hall of Azure Dragons. The elaborate scheme to deploy Chang Bong Dae had come to naught. Moyong Bi, the young lord-to-be, received this grim tidings. “They have been reprimanded and reassigned to the front lines.” Feeling the palpable wrath of Moyong Bi, the Chief Officer could do nothing but fidget nervously. “All of them?” “…….” The Chief Officer clenched his eyes shut. “Didn't they assure us of their confidence? No matter how much money that woman squandered, they said that this time they were certain!” The reason Moyong Bi refrained from hurling the liquor cup at the Chief Officer was not due to an abundance of patience befitting one leading a family, but rather because the Chief Officer was a sent agent from the Demonic Cult. “To think she would overturn the whole board.” “She’s a woman who devoured her husband to save herself! What’s beyond her capability?!” It's a woman who cut the most significant ties by her own hands. Could she not achieve anything more dreadful than that? In some ways, Moyong Bi seemed to have a truly accurate insight into Moyong Sang Ah as her brother. “I have no excuse.” “Dear me!” Neither Moyong Bi nor the Chief Officer had been idle all this time. They too had to consider the future, spending money on bribes to officials, forming alliances with the barbarians, and preparing to reign not only over the Moyong family but also as lords of Liaodong Fortress. “Even the barbarians we cooperated with in the cult are now warily eyeing the Black Mantis.” “Like the beasts they are. Wavering on changing masters just because some food is dangled before them!” But Moyong Sang Ah’s efforts surpassed all of theirs. “They are folks who move according to profit, not ethics. If we entice them again, they’ll wag their tails.” “Right. Better than worthless animals. The amount of rice and salt we’ve furnished them, yet those officials can’t handle a single request properly!” “Thanks to that, we have avoided scrutiny ourselves.” While those involved in Chang Bong Dae's deployment had been reassigned to the front lines, not all the bribed officials had been replaced. Though it was a silver lining, all expenses and hard work had turned to vapor in a single moment. “Curses! These wretched officials!!!” Moyong Bi’s fury was bound to reverberate through the Hall of Azure Dragons. “If we entangle with the military, we could also face difficulties. Let's exercise caution for now.” “Indeed we must! This year, we shall collect the harvest from the manor, put the squeeze on tenant farmers, scrape together funds to grease palms, and with outcomes like this, we must lie low this winter!” “Young Lord…” “I vow I shall even forgo meat for a while! Just meals of aglio e olio thrice a day. How about joining me, Chief Officer? You may still have pancakes with maple syrup on occasion.” “Please compose yourself.” Too many hopes were placed on the deployment of Chang Bong Dae. The Chief Officer sought to console a visibly disappointed Moyong Bi. "Is there truly no way? With these barbarians running amok like this, shouldn't we at least use the Chang Bong Dae from the officials?" It's not the time to give up yet. With the ruckus caused by the barbarians, perhaps it can serve as a pretext to revisit the original proposal. "They have already been dispatched to the north." "That damned woman, always so thorough till the end." At this point, even Moyong Bi couldn't help but feel a twisted admiration. "Now is not the time to be disappointed. We've received intelligence." If the offensive has failed, it's time to strengthen the defenses. The Chief Officer shared the worrying news he had suddenly received. “What…?! Is it true that she might have found a way to cure father?” “That can’t be. It's just that the people who went to seek the cure seem to be returning.” Despite the Chief Officer's reassuring words, Moyong Bi's expression hardened. The poison used on Mo Yong Cheon was one recognized by the Demonic Cult. It was a poison even the Sichuan Tang family couldn’t counteract. But the one they were up against was her. Who knows what tricks she might have up her sleeve. YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0VmIyY3V1OEJ6bmpOQ1NTaEdHZFZTZERRc1BJaTE3Nmx3blVXUVZFNHNvYQ “What a pity.” Moyong Bi clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Excuse me?” “They must have traveled so far, yet they won’t even set foot on their homeland again.” Eliminating worries with shāocǎo jiégēn—eradicating the problem at the roots—is all it takes. The Chief Officer understood immediately and nodded. “We’ll prepare the Hall of Azure Dragons.” “Clicking your tongue like that! Are you trying to paint me as an unfilial child?” “If you’re planning to use the Cult’s forces separately…” “The barbarians have been causing trouble lately due to that woman. I would guess.” “Young Lord?” No need for a sword to cut grass. Moyong Bi suggested an appropriate sickle with a smile, and the Chief Officer looked at him in surprise. “While everyone is busy with raids, some barbarians are bound to venture deeper inland for plunder.” “I’ll make the arrangements.” “Unlike those officials, these animals better prove their worth for once.” Using one barbarian tribe to suppress another. Nearby were the Jurchens. Farther away, the Mongols. There were military officials, and even Koreans and the Liaodong Fortress itself. It was a chaotic land where everyone used each other. ** “We’re finally nearing home.” To the west of Liaodong Fortress, having passed the Great Wall of Shanhai, the familiar yet missed scenery filled the martial artists with excitement. “Do not let your guard down until the end. How is the physician holding up?” Mo Yong Seop, the leader of the Moyong family representatives who had visited the Sichuan Tang family, checked on the physician's unwell appearance after somewhat calming his subordinates. “Ah haha. At my age, I never thought I’d cross from one end of Zhongyuan to the other.” “I acknowledge that the forced march has tired you. We'll see to it that you receive the utmost care once we arrive at the Moyong household.” From the treacherous paths of Sichuan Province to the borders of Liaodong Fortress, from summer to winter, they had hurriedly traveled for half a year. Even for a skilled physician aware of his own body’s condition, it was expected that anyone, not being a martial artist, would start to feel the strain. “Leader, you should look north.” “Why the dust clouds...?” In the middle ground between the Great Wall of Shanhai and Liaodong Fortress, a familiar yet unwelcome dust cloud appeared in the distance. It was undoubtedly the type raised by the movement of many horses. To see such a dust cloud when they weren’t in a state of war... Focusing his keen eyesight, Mo Yong Seop soon discerned the cause and was taken aback. “Jurchens?!” “Why are barbarians on the official road? They’re heading this way!” “Click! Withdraw from this location quickly!” Seeing such a group of barbarians on a state-managed road was unprecedented. The Moyong family’s martial artists, rather than questioning the reasons, instinctively began moving swiftly. “They’re too fast!” “What lunacy is this? They’re advancing despite seeing us armed?” Something was amiss. This scenario was clearly abnormal. The Jurchens typically moved forces for raids. Their principle was to avoid confrontation with armed forces, yet here they were, charging in blatantly. “Arrows incoming!” “Protect the physicians above all!” “Argh!” While most arrows were deflected, one stray arrow pierced the physician's shoulder. “Doctor!!!” “Leader! They are about to catch up to us!” Despite having urged their horses upon sighting the Jurchens, their pace could not outmatch them. At this rate, they would surely be surrounded. “We shall remain here.” Mo Yong Seop quickly resolved, eyes resting on the suffering physician. “Leader?!” “The doctor's injury isn’t severe. If they arrive and treat him, he can survive. So we will intercept the enemies.” “But if you do that...!” Their group had been moving covertly, avoiding detection by the Demonic Cult. They were elite, but still few in number, and their mounts were for travel, not combat. The enemy's numbers were overwhelming. They would have to risk their lives to protect the doctor. “It is for the family and the young lady.” Haven’t we made that resolve? Everyone nodded in agreement at Mo Yong Seop’s determined gaze. “You must survive.” The deputy leader quickly coordinated the team that would escort the physician, as previously planned. “No worries...” “They're upon us!” “Move quickly now!” The ones who decided to stay turned their horses. Their armaments were meager. While a single sword might suffice for bandits in Zhongyuan, blocking incoming arrows and facing Jurchens who lived their lives in the saddle required different equipment. Liaodong Fortress officials perceived the Moyong family as akin to a military power for similar reasons. The group's armor consisted only of a sword each and traveling horses. How many of these Jurchens, raising dust as they charged, could they fend off? “Chang Bong D...!” It was at the moment Mo Yong Seop was resolved to shout with resolute determination. “There, look over there!” Riding solo atop the hill raised by the dust of the advancing Jurchens, a woman stood, surveying them. With her back to the cold winter sun, she drew her sword. There was no doubt about her identity to those who saw. “Master...?” Behind the woman, countless men and horses followed. Horses bred for battle, warriors trained for war. “Chang Bong Dae.” The woman's voice, like an icy blossom, carried across the plains. “Subdue them.” “Charge!”