After placing the refreshments down, Dokgo I-seol naturally took a seat next to Ho Cheon-an.
For a moment, Dokgo I-seol’s arms, which were about to cross as usual, stopped.
…I hope I’m not being compared unnecessarily.
Thinking that, Dokgo I-seol bit her lip. It was embarrassing to feel intimidated when the other party hadn’t even moved!
Dokgo I-seol mustered her resolve and grabbed Ho Cheon-an’s arm.
Of course, it was unavoidable that she kept a certain distance unlike usual.
Dokgo I-seol slightly lifted her chin as she gazed at Moyong Yeon-hwa, who was staring at her intently.
Moyong Yeon-hwa observed Dokgo I-seol, who wore a haughty expression.
Even as a fellow woman, it was clear that her features were flawless, with a small face and a sharp jawline.
And her figure?
Not only was it long and graceful, but it also had the perfect proportions that highlighted her femininity, justifying the title of “Best Beauty in Yunnan.”
Dokgo I-seol read the calmness in Moyong Yeon-hwa’s demeanor as she admired her beauty.
Just as Dokgo I-seol had guessed, Moyong Yeon-hwa wasn’t feeling much pressure from her.
When they were pretending to be lovers in the Shengsu Faction, Moyong Yeon-hwa had promised Black Cat, Miss Yeo Il-ye, and Hyeok Gi-rin that she would just act logically in front of Ho Cheon-an.
But what about the current situation?
It was far removed from that promise; she had completely broken it and was now contemplating how to face the three of them when she met them, while also coming to meet Ho Cheon-an.
Compared to the unexpected situation with the beautiful outcast, there was no reason to feel intimidated by Dokgo I-seol.
On the contrary, rather than feeling intimidated, Moyong Yeon-hwa was curious about how Dokgo I-seol had joined Ho Cheon-an’s group.
‘Those three don’t seem like the type to easily give up their seats next to Ho Cheon-an.’
While considering this, Dokgo I-seol spoke up.
“I heard there are three guests, but it seems the others are temporarily away.”
“Senior Ho, Moyong Mo, and Elder Moyong Seo are sharing drinks tonight. They said they would discuss necessary matters then.”
“Hmm. I see. Then there’s no need for Miss Moyong Yeon-hwa to join tonight’s gathering?”
Dokgo I-seol openly tried to restrain Moyong Yeon-hwa.
Instead of answering that question, Moyong Yeon-hwa looked towards Ho Cheon-an and brought up a new topic.
“I heard you’ve composed the Array Formation.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa’s entrance, and the ensuing battle of wills between the two, prompted Ho Cheon-an, who had been momentarily subdued, to let out a sigh of relief and speak up.
“…That’s right. By chance, I managed to acquire an Array Formation that encompasses the energy of the entire group without losing efficiency.”
Dokgo I-seol promptly seized the opportunity to add more.
“It’s the Array Formation that I, along with my family, am deploying. It’s an incredible formation that has captured entities several times already.”
“Indeed, that’s true.”
Dokgo I-seol bit her lip, glancing at Moyong Yeon-hwa, who was nodding indifferently. She mentioned their close relationship with the Array Formation, so why was she so nonchalant about it?
Something felt ominous.
“Master Seo Mun-yeon has come to our Moyong Clan.”
And that ominous feeling of Dokgo I-seol soon became a reality.
“I heard you walked all the way to the Moyong Clan to meet Jegal Seong-chan, who is installing the Array Formation in our clan. It’s truly heartwarming to see the two who parted ways restoring their relationship.”
“Such a thing…”
“When I mentioned I was heading to the Martial Forest Alliance to wash away the stigma of being an underling of the Blood Sect, Master Seo Mun-yeon exhibited quite the strange behavior. They entrusted me with what I can only describe as a somewhat vague document that I should deliver to Ho Cheon-an.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa pulled out a thick envelope from her robe and handed it to Ho Cheon-an.
“They insisted it would mean nothing unless I personally delivered it to you, Senior Ho.”
No way.
Dokgo I-seol’s complexion hardened.
“Master Seo Mun-yeon did mention some personal matters regarding the Brain Knife Outcast and their group but never touched upon the Array Formation I was tasked with, so at the time I received this document, I had no idea what it meant. However, upon arriving at the Martial Forest Alliance and hearing about the affairs and actions of the Brain Knife Outcast, I finally understood the intent behind Master’s message.”
Ho Cheon-an and Dokgo I-seol’s gazes fell upon the envelope sent by Seo Mun-yeon.
“Phew.”
Ho Cheon-an took a deep breath and tore open the seal of the envelope.
And as soon as he opened it, three letters came into view.
Six Star Chen.
The message Seo Mun-yeon intended to convey was glaringly obvious, and the faces of Ho Cheon-an and Dokgo I-seol stiffened.
Seeing their reaction, Moyong Yeon-hwa stood up.
“I’ve delivered the message I needed to, so I should be on my way.”
Ho Cheon-an, who had been preoccupied with the mention of Six Star Chen in the letter, hurriedly got to his feet.
“Ah, uh… thank you for delivering the letter.”
“Not at all.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa felt a ticklish sensation in her heart as she watched the wavering gaze of Ho Cheon-an. That sensation, which she had felt back in the Shengsu Faction.
I want to shake this person a little more. I want to see them in a more flustered state.
She knew.
This person, Ho Cheon-an, had to face the Saber Beast of the Blood Sect and reclaim the Botamun. Therefore, she needed to be in perfect form.
So, perhaps she could afford to be a bit mischievous.
“You had an interesting title earlier.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa briefly looked at Dokgo I-seol.
“I was surprised to hear you use the term ‘my family’ for someone who isn’t even your lover.”
“You…!”
Dokgo I-seol bristled, but Moyong Yeon-hwa gazed at her with nonchalance.
From the very beginning, Moyong Yeon-hwa had sensed that Dokgo I-seol was showing off her relationship with Ho Cheon-an, leading her to conclude that they weren’t truly in love.
‘Those three wouldn’t allow their relationship to develop into something romantic under the same roof.’
“Isn’t that right? Senior Ho. My family.”
Watching Ho Cheon-an’s eyes shake uncontrollably, Moyong Yeon-hwa couldn’t help but smile at the tightening sensation in her chest.
When dealing with others, she had always preferred a warm smile over a scowl.
Why, then, did she feel such an overwhelming desire to see this person shaken?
“Haha, I’m so sorry. I was just reminded of the fun times in the faction while joking around.”
“Y-yes, indeed.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa bid farewell to the flustered Ho Cheon-an and the glaring Dokgo I-seol, pondering.
As expected, I can’t give up on Ho Cheon-an.
* *
An emergency meeting was convened.
Hyeok Gi-rin and Miss Yeo Il-ye, who had been enjoying private time with Master Un-jong, along with Black Cat, who was handling matters related to Wolbok-dang from an unknown branch.
Even Tang Do-yeon and Tang So-yeol, who had escaped from the grasp of the Feng Ying Hall Master without being summoned, appeared.
“That’s how it happened.”
As Dokgo I-seol recounted her encounter with Moyong Yeon-hwa, silence enveloped the group.
Only Ho Cheon-an, who had been dragged into the emergency meeting, was sweating profusely in silence.
Black Cat stared at Ho Cheon-an with an expressionless face and said.
“I suppose we’ll have to do that, right?”
“Yeah.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye nodded with a smile, agreeing with Black Cat.
“Though we’ve gained some practical experience lately, we’ve neglected our Array Formation training.”
A prominent vein was visible on Miss Yeo Il-ye’s forehead, despite her cheerful smile.
“W-wait a moment…”
“Shut up.”
Ho Cheon-an was dragged away without even a chance to protest, and the O Seong Jin’s ability was activated. It was an exercise clad in the guise of reading minds.
As soon as the Array was deployed, the thunderous formation initiated without any warm-up, as Ho Cheon-an did his best to resist, but it was merely a matter of time.
Boom!!!
With a deafening thunder, the group received the thoughts of Ho Cheon-an.
What they witnessed was the kiss between Moyong Yeon-hwa and Ho Cheon-an.
“Senpai!!!”
“Honorable Sir!!”
“You said it was just an act!!”
“Damn, that person…!”
Ho Cheon-an shut his eyes upon seeing the barrage of shouts from all directions and the energy of the Array dissipating, along with a kick flying toward his face from Black Cat.
“Gah!”
While being mercilessly beaten, Tang So-yeol happily puffed on a pipe.
“Wasn’t it a good idea to spy on the Jeomchang Faction’s guesthouse? We almost missed a rare sight.”
Realizing all of Feng Ying Hall Master’s brainwashing suggestions over the past few days had gone to waste, Tang Do-yeon forced a bitter smile.
“Six Star Chen… I can’t shake the feeling that it’s somehow my fault.”
Oh Seong Jin was originally Six Star Chen, and the reason he changed to Oh Seong Jin was because Tang Do-yeon gave up midway through training the Array Formation.
While they had no choice but to make that decision for completing the Array, Tang Do-yeon found it hard to separate her choice from the current situation.
“In the end, it’s all that bastard’s karmic retribution. Although, it can’t be helped that Seo Mun-yeon didn’t just hand Six Star Chen over for no reason.”
Tang So-yeol thought of Seo Mun-yeon.
That Seo Mun-yeon, who was the one to complete Oh Seong Jin, sent Six Star Chen through Moyong Yeon-hwa, implying that they anticipated needing his power in the future.
“Hmm. Even if so, I wonder if the others will accept Lady Moyong Yeon-hwa.”
“True enough.”
Tang So-yeol nodded at Tang Do-yeon’s concern.
“Isn’t every single thing in this world bound to flow according to its own will?”
Watching Ho Cheon-an hanging upside down and battered, Tang So-yeol muttered.
“It’ll all flow according to order.”
* *
Having learned through the thunderous thoughts that Moyong Yeon-hwa had experienced various incidents, the group began to beat up Ho Cheon-an, starting with Black Cat’s sidestep kick.
After pummeling him mercilessly like a rag doll and leaving him hanging upside down, they finally seemed to calm down enough to start a real meeting.
Of course, I remained upside down, hanging there.
“I oppose that.”
Hyeok Gi-rin expressed his dissent in a relatively calm voice.
“Master Seo Mun-yeon likely has some considerations, but given that we must soon face the Saber Beast, attempting to train in a new Array Formation right now is too tight on time.”
Dokgo I-seol also opposed.
“I agree with that opinion. Adding another person, regardless of whether they called her a Sorceress or not, will increase the total amount of the Array and create new forms, but introducing a new member when the five of us are already solidified is…”
In fact, it was true that Oh Seong Jin’s power was somewhat lacking compared to typical Array Formations.
Typically, an Array Formation capable of hunting entities would consist of over twenty members.
Even if they tried to minimize the number of people, it would take a minimum of twelve to effectively hunt entities. In reality, it was difficult to form an Array with just twelve people—an absolute peak standard.
No matter how overwhelming Miss Yeo Il-ye’s internal energy was, Oh Seong Jin’s total power was a bit short.
Of course, while Oh Seong Jin had agility and response that couldn’t be compared to the formation, and even if he had a slight deficiency, the power of the thunderous formation wouldn’t lack in delivering a decisive blow, so it wasn’t a significant problem.
While lost in those thoughts, I felt a chilling gaze.
It was Black Cat.
…The angle was significantly lower than usual, so it had a different impact.
“Since Master Seo Mun-yeon has some underlying purpose in sending Six Star Chen to Moyong Yeon-hwa, I’ll send a letter to the Moyong Clan to find out. Until then, you better not meet Lady Moyong Yeon-hwa or even think about Six Star Chen. Understand?”
I nodded my head frantically.
“Honorable Sir, I must confirm this chance. There isn’t another woman aside from Moyong Yeon-hwa, right?”
“Absolutely! Never!”
Once again, I shook my head with all my might.
With suspicious gazes pouring down, just when I was desperately trying to muster up honest eyes…
“Excuse me. I bring a message from the Alliance.”
A messenger from the Alliance arrived.
“Tsk, consider yourself fortunate.”
Black Cat clicked her tongue while Hyeok Gi-rin expressionlessly swung his sword, cutting the ropes binding me.
I thought I would be stuck here indefinitely, but thanks to the timely arrival of the Alliance messenger, I was saved.
“Please come in.”
The messenger, startled by the still tense atmosphere in the room, hesitated.
However, eased by the extreme goodwill in my expression, he relaxed and began to speak.
“The Alliance’s preparations are complete.”
It seemed the time for action had arrived.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.