668 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“The imperial army?” “No! No! It's her! It's that damned woman!” “The Praying Mantis! The Praying Mantis of the Moyong family has arrived!” A horn blast reverberated from the hill down to the plain, and even the Jurchen warriors who hadn’t noticed while running had no choice but to turn around. “W-why is the Chang Bong Corps here?! Weren’t they headed north?” The Jurchen leader couldn’t hide his surprise when he realized their intelligence was off. An organized group moved in concert with military discipline. Hearing the thunderous sound of galloping horses, they felt in their very bones that something was amiss. “They’re, they’re coming!” “Shoot the arrows! Quickly!!!” At their leader’s command, the Jurchens turned their bodies and unleashed a barrage of arrows. The rain of arrows fell upon the pursuing Chang Bong Corps like a heavy downpour. In a chase, incoming arrows are naturally troublesome, especially when the pursuers aren't infantry with shields but riders on horseback. Whether there are many casualties or few, the speed was expected to decrease. “The arrows...!” But the Jurchens' expectations were wildly off. The speed of the Chang Bong Corps didn’t decrease at all, just like travelers unfazed by a summer drizzle. “Damn it! The Moyong family! Are they carrying heavy armor now?” The Jurchens quickly understood as they saw the Chang Bong Corps emerging through dust and arrows. This was not the light cavalry they were accustomed to. They appeared as a perfectly armored cavalry unit, with full plate and barding. “Aren’t those bastards martial artists on horseback?” “Ha ha ha! That Praying Mantis woman! She’s gone and built an army now!!!” The leader couldn’t help but laugh incredulously. Arming and training heavy cavalry required an enormous amount of money, unlike the simpler task of outfitting and deploying light cavalry. Even the Central Plains preferred defensive warfare over equipping their entire army with heavy cavalry. Yet, a single family operating such a force seemed unfathomable. “Shall we give it a go?!” “You try if you want to die!” Gritting his teeth, the leader gripped the reins tightly. Facing heavy cavalry on the plains was a suicide mission. Even the strongest would flee when faced with heavy cavalry; much less when it was the Moyong family’s forces. “So what do we do?” “Keep running! They’re heavily armored, so we have the speed advantage! We'll deal with the prey up ahead and then break through!” There are ways to deal with heavy cavalry when you’re light cavalry. Their opponents were heavily armored, with horses in barding. The lighter their gear, the more they could excel in speed. They just needed to achieve their goal quickly and escape. In an ordinary situation, that is. “We’re being caught!” “What?!!!” The Chang Bong Corps was clearly closing the gap. It was only natural. The horses they rode were no ordinary steeds. The Moyong family opened the horse market to the Jurchens, and in exchange for fine goods, received top-tier mounts. Even with barding, the horses the Chang Bong Corps rode could turn all chasing horses into mere colts. “If they catch us, it's over!” As the sound of armored hooves grew nearer, death also approached. Someone shouted urgently. “Let’s fight! There are more of us! They’re just earth's slaves... urgh!” The confident speaker was pierced through the neck with an arrow. “Born with a sword in their mouths! Run!” The leader clicked his tongue at the pathetic sight of another falling. Children of the wind compared to the earth’s slaves. While the Jurchens often derided those of the Central Plains, the Moyong family were no ordinary people. While they drank mare’s milk from birth, those others were born wielding swords. The children of the wind had good reason to fear the Moyong family. “Retreat!!!” “In front!” “What?!” Those who thought they were fleeing from imminent death found an unexpected barricade blocking their path. “This must be what they call fortune amidst misfortune.” “Indeed. This changes everything.” Moyong Seob and his party. They had originally been prey to these, their own troubled quarry. They too were part of the Chang Bong Corps. “Don’t let even one escape.” “Yes!” Moyong Sang Ah’s personally picked elite began a dazzling dance of blades. “Was this a trap by the Moyong family?” The leader questioned, almost suspecting Moyong Bi, but he had no chance to verify the truth. “Argh!” Ahead stood the renowned master from the Moyong family, trusted by Moyong Sang Ah—Moyong Seob and his companions. To the rear was the heavy cavalry nurtured by the Moyong family. A hammer and anvil. They were the meat caught between. “Damn that Praying Mantis woman!” Unrivaled under heaven. Before the fragment of what was once known as the greatest family under heaven, they crumbled helplessly. —— “You said you were headed north, but then suddenly turned west. I was wondering what was going on.” Chang Bong Dae-Joo couldn’t help but admire the master upon his successful return from the hunt. “Liaodong is under the domain of the Moyong family. And if the gates of Shanhaiguan open, it will surely be reported. Unless my brother is blinded and deafened, I expected he would take action.” What the Moyong family possessed didn’t belong to Moyong Sang Ah but to the successor. While Moyong Sang Ah had to create everything from scratch, Moyong Bi could utilize everything the Moyong family had. “Spreading false information to obscure the enemy’s vision and achieve your aims. It was truly a masterful decision.” “The outcome of the heavy cavalry training appears to be promising too.” Deploying the heavy cavalry was a bold move. It was the first major deployment after recently completing their training. “Though the members find it somewhat cumbersome, there were no casualties, so they'll gradually get used to it.” “This is only the first step. Fully equipping and training a larger force will require much time and effort.” For a long time, they had been preparing this with considerable time and money, but the heavy cavalry under the Chang Bong Corps was still small in number. As the need arose to curb the Jurchens through opening the horse market, it required continued massive investments of time and resources. "To have come this far is an achievement in itself. When the family head awakens, he will be moved and offer great praise. Shall I bring Moyong Seob in now?" "Let him enter." As Moyong Sang Ah nodded, Moyong Seob, who had visited the Tang family in Sichuan, entered the office and bowed his head. "Master! Moyong Seob reporting a safe return." "You must not have recovered from the battle injuries and fatigue yet." "How could a warrior who acts for you and the family think only of his own safety?" "You have been through much. Are the other squad members fine?" "How could warriors of the grand Moyong family fall to mere barbarians? I've ordered them to rest as they are exhausted from the journey." "That's a relief." "It's overwhelming to see your esteemed face again after so long." Moyong Seob was overwhelmed with emotion, not just because Moyong Sang Ah grew more beautiful by the day or because she was his master. Heavy cavalry. Even while Moyong Seob crossed the Central Plains tirelessly, his master was working hard for the future of the family. Moyong Seob couldn't help but feel that there was no one else better suited to be the head of the family, deepening his loyalty to his master. "What were the results...?" After a brief light-hearted conversation with his subordinate who had endured a difficult journey, Moyong Sang Ah cautiously broached the main topic. Had he found a way to heal the head of the Moyong family and her father? She tried not to have high expectations. However, she hoped for some good news. Moyong Sang Ah, without showing her tension, asked softly. "We managed to create an antidote." "……!" Both Chang Bong Dae-Joo and Moyong Sang Ah turned to Moyong Seob in astonishment. "Is that... really true?" "Is it true? Without bringing the patient, but merely by sharing the symptoms, they created an antidote?" "Initially, the Tang family in Sichuan seemed puzzled as well. Even with the symptoms recorded by the imperial physician, creating an antidote from afar for the family head seemed almost impossible." It was indeed a challenging task. Moyong Seob nodded, certain of what he was saying. "How did they succeed?" "Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Tang family reached out to someone who had secluded themselves from the martial world." "Seclusion?" Who could they mean? Moyong Sang Ah’s beautiful face tilted with curiosity. "Seclusion? If there’s a master in seclusion at the Tang family, could it be...?" Chang Bong Dae-Joo's expression turned to one of hopeful anticipation as he looked to Moyong Seob. "Yes, it was Tang Ok-Ran, known as the Poisonous Empress." "Poisonous Empress? Are you referring to one of the Ten Masters of the Martial World?!" Chang Bong Dae-Joo’s expression turned to shock. The Ten Masters of the Martial World. Fifty years ago, they were the ten masters who shone during the Great Martial Arts War, an expression referring to the legendary martial artists of past generations. "It's a name I've heard from my father when I was young. I too dreamed of becoming a celebrated female martial artist like Tang Ok-Ran." Moyong Sang Ah smiled nostalgically at the mention of Tang Ok-Ran's name. "She was a heroine who achieved great feats during the Great Martial Arts War. There isn’t a girl in today's martial world who hasn't heard of Tang Ok-Ran." "To have met Tang Ok-Ran…." Even Moyong Sang Ah found it hard to hide her surprise and envy at the thought of meeting such a revered female martial artist. "I found it hard to keep my composure, feeling as if I were a novice stepping into the martial world." Moyong Seob couldn't conceal his excitement, as if it happened just yesterday. "Did this master of poisons personally step up to help my father?" "We waited endlessly, thinking that might be the case." Moyong Seob kept his smile and slowly shook his head. "You were just thinking that?" "What do you mean? Are you saying the Poisonous Empress didn’t make the antidote herself?" If Tang Ok-Ran personally crafted the antidote, they could be assured. But if not, what did this imply? As both superiors demanded answers, Moyong Seob began to recount another astounding encounter. "I met a prodigy, nurtured with great care by the Tang family." "A prodigy? Are you saying this mere prodigy crafted the family head's antidote?" "This prodigy in toxicology, acknowledged by the renowned Tang Ok-Ran herself as someone of supreme skill." "A toxicology genius surpassing Tang Ok-Ran?!" "Who is this prodigy, then?" Even the Poisonous Empress of the Ten Masters acknowledged this young genius in toxicology. The martial artist who crafted an antidote for the father. Who could it be in this web of fate? "She was a young woman named Tang Hwa-Rin." It was at that moment that Moyong Sang Ah learned the name of a woman who would complicate her path moving forward.