“Hm. The tea is excellent.”

Mo Yonggun smiled as he savored the fragrance of the brew.

“It really is different. Maybe it’s because a physician brewed it himself, but just smelling it makes my blood feel cleaner.”

“Haha, you embarrass me.”

“So then, what business did you summon me for?”

Hagok waved both hands.

“Who am I to summon the lord of the Mo Yong Clan as I please? I simply happened to have some fine tea and wished to offer you a cup, so I invited you here.”

“Hahahaha!”

After laughing loudly, Mo Yonggun spoke again, still smiling.

“Physician Ha.”

“Please ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) speak, Clan Lord.”

“Let’s put the useless formalities and petty chatter aside.”

“...”

“I’m busy, and you look very busy as well. If there’s something you want to say, get to the point. And if there’s an abacus to be worked, let’s prepare it at once.”

Hagok thought to himself that he had chosen the right man.

He had heard that, contrary to what the world believed, Mo Yonggun was the sort of man who would stop at nothing to gain power. He had also heard that he felt no discomfort at all about giving or receiving bribes.

Of course, that information was highly confidential. If word ever leaked that the Medical God Association possessed such intelligence, the Mo Yong Clan—one of the Six Great Clans, a house that contended for the very top among them—might come down on them.

Smiling, Hagok placed a large bundle on the table.

“Please accept this first.”

Mo Yonggun did not ask what it was.

He immediately untied the bundle, and when he saw what was inside, his eyes widened.

“Is this Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng? Three roots of it, no less?”

“Haha, I may know little about the martial world, but I do know that you are a man destined to handle great affairs, Clan Lord. You will no doubt have many matters to deal with in the days ahead, so I thought it might do you good to decoct one whenever you are weary.”

A strange smile flickered across Mo Yonggun’s face.

Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was an exceptional spiritual medicine. It could not compare to Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Shaolin’s Great Rejuvenation Pill, or the inner cores of legendary spiritual creatures, but it was still far too valuable to be called an ordinary bribe.

And there was not one root, but three. Even the Mo Yong Clan only had six roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in storage.

It was an astonishing bribe, but Mo Yonggun was not surprised.

Pushing the snow ginseng aside, he asked with a smile,

“So then, what is it that you would like this Mo Yonggun to do for you?”

Hagok let out a hearty laugh.

“Haha, how refreshing you are. Truly, the world does not call you a heroic giant of the age for nothing. A reputation like that is never born without reason.”

“You flatter me.”

“Then this old man will cast shame aside and speak plainly.”

Hagok lowered his voice.

“You are well acquainted with the Martial Alliance’s field-force unit, the Evil-Smiting Corps, I assume?”

A glint passed through Mo Yonggun’s eyes.

“Of course.”

“I have also heard that the Commander of the Demon-Sweeping Corps, the other field-force unit, is your younger brother.”

“That is correct.”

“Then I will be blunt. Some people on our side recently had a bit of a conflict with the two commanders of Demon-Sweeping & Evil-Smiting.”

“Oh? A conflict?”

“To explain...”

Hagok gave him a brief account of what had happened before.

Mo Yonggun stroked his chin.

“The Medical God Association... I didn’t know such a sect existed.”

“Haha, it would be difficult to call it a sect. Hard to even call it an organization, really. You may simply think of it as a gathering of physicians who inherited the medical tradition of the Central Plains and joined hands in hopes of benefiting the world.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“It is. In any case, it seems there are many complicated tensions between us and the two commanders—”

“And yet I had never heard of it until now.”

“Pardon?”

“If it’s so secretive, it would seem even the Beggars’ Union knows little about the Medical God Association.”

Hagok smiled.

“It is not so much secretive as simply not having shown itself to the world. In truth, it is hardly a sect or a group built around interests. It is merely a gathering of close physician friends.”

“How impressive.”

“What do you mean?”

“A gathering of friendly physicians? A simple gathering, and yet not only did it approach the commanders of the Martial Alliance’s field-force units, it even asked them to refuse an official order. It must be a gathering bound by extraordinarily deep affection.”

Hagok kept his smile on his face by force.

“I believe you misunderstand. We merely—”

“And even if one were the head of a prestigious clan that contends for the lead among the Six Great Clans, to hand over three roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in one go... Haha. No matter how I think of it, this organization called the Medical God Association seems far from ordinary.”

“Clan Lord, please do not misunderstand. We are by no means a formidable organization.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. What power could a gathering of powerless physicians possibly possess?”

“It may well lack practical military strength.”

Mo Yonggun smiled faintly.

“Have you joined hands with the authorities?”

For an instant, Hagok nearly screamed without meaning to.

He somehow managed to stop the sound from escaping, but the shock showed plainly on his face.

Mo Yonggun nodded.

“I thought as much. In the martial world of black and white alike, there is no force stronger than the Martial Alliance at present. If you wanted to lay hands on a group like that, you would need backing so strong that the Martial Alliance could not act rashly. Naturally, only the authorities fit the bill.”

“...!”

“But, Physician Ha.”

“...Please speak, Clan Lord.”

“I do not particularly care whether the Medical God Association joined hands with the authorities or with some other organization. But of all people, why did you have to provoke those two?”

Hagok quickly cut in.

“And that is why I came to see you, is it not? Your younger brother was present as well, and it seems our side committed a serious discourtesy, so I came to show our sincerity—”

“The one I care about is not Woo.”

“Pardon?”

“Woo is my younger brother. If I smooth things over with him, he’ll calm down on his own. And he’s the sort who can see the larger picture. He isn’t called a genius for nothing.”

“Th-then...?”

Mo Yonggun gave a smile that bordered on a sneer.

“Do you know what kind of man that Yeon Hojeong bastard is?”

“...?!”

“There are exactly three people in the Martial Alliance whom I fear and remain wary of. The first is Venerable Gonggong. The second is Je Gal Munho, the strategist. Then who do you think the last one is?”

“Surely...?”

“That’s right. Yeon Hojeong.”

Hagok’s face froze solid.

The lord of the Mo Yong Clan feared and guarded against some mere younger-generation talent.

The unbelievable statement left Hagok speechless. He had heard that Mo Yonggun’s martial arts, political skill, and scheming were beyond comparison.

And yet that Mo Yonggun feared a young man barely past twenty, no matter how peerless a younger-generation talent he might be?

“As I just said, Woo is a genius. In martial force, discernment, business sense, and many other areas, there is little he cannot do. But Yeon Hojeong is different.”

“...”

“If Woo is a genius for the ages, then Yeon Hojeong is a monster with three heads and six arms. How in the world that freak became what he is, even I cannot understand.”

Without realizing it, Hagok swallowed.

He had heard many people described in such terms over the course of his life, but when those words came from Mo Yonggun, their weight was entirely different.

“You must have thought this: no matter how outstanding those two may be, the Martial Alliance would not be able to move recklessly because of them.”

“...”

“You are half right. My younger brother, Woo, could not do that. But Yeon Hojeong is different.”

Mo Yonggun smiled coldly.

“Whether the Medical God Association has joined hands with the authorities or not—hell, even if it had direct ties to the emperor of the realm—if he decided the situation had turned against him, he would find some way to smash it all the same.”

“Th-that’s absurd!”

“Oh? Do you truly think so?”

“Even if that young man Yeon Hojeong is the monster you say he is, how could a single individual contend with the authorities?”

“Surely you do not think I fear Yeon Hojeong for his martial strength?”

“Pardon?”

“The reason I fear and guard against him is his terrifying eye, his driving force, and the unfathomable cunning and capacity for action he possesses.”

“...!!”

“Once he takes something to heart, he never forgets it. In that way, Yeon Hojeong is like me. That is the nature of a politician. We never forget what has been done to us. The only question is when to begin the attack.”

Hagok swallowed again without meaning to.

Mo Yonggun shook his head.

“This time, you chose the wrong target. Once that bastard starts rampaging in earnest, even I would struggle to stop him. And from the Martial Alliance’s point of view, Yeon Hojeong was merely following the orders of his superiors to the letter.”

“...!!”

“Besides, you came to the wrong person.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

Mo Yonggun smiled bitterly.

“At present, I am in a position where my body is tied down. I attend every Alliance administration meeting, yes, but because of certain things I have set in motion, I am being extremely cautious at the moment.”

“That is...!”

“If I personally stepped in, it would not be impossible.”

Smiling, Mo Yonggun lightly tapped the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

“But three roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng are not enough to get me off my seat. I, too, am preparing things of my own.”

“Clan Lord.”

“Even if you had brought me Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, I would still have hesitated. That is the kind of situation I am in.”

“Then...”

Hagok asked carefully,

“If that is your situation, then perhaps... could you make use of members of the Tang Clan who have joined hands with you?”

“...”

“O-of course, we would show our sincerity.”

Mo Yonggun snorted softly.

“There is one more mistake you made, Physician Ha.”

“Pardon?”

“I am not a man who moves for the sake of a bribe placed directly in my hand. A bribe is no more than the key that opens the door to conversation. If there had truly been something you wanted from me, you should have brought me a gift called the future.”

“The future?”

“Are you willing to cut your ties with the authorities and join hands with me?”

“...!!”

“There. Just as I thought. You came without even considering such a thing, and so you’ve only wasted three roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”

Mo Yonggun picked up the bundle and rose.

“As you said, I will take this as a token of apology for having offended my younger brother.”

“C-Clan Lord!”

“Even so, neither I nor the Martial Alliance wish to make enemies of you without reason. So when I return, I will at least speak of it indirectly.”

Smiling, Mo Yonggun turned his back.

Hagok, cleanly robbed in broad daylight, stared blankly at Mo Yonggun’s retreating figure.

Before opening the door, Mo Yonggun spoke.

“Physician Ha. We have met only once or twice, but we do know each other’s faces, so let me offer you one piece of advice.”

“...?”

“From this point on, that mad monster Yeon Hojeong is going to start rampaging.”

“...!”

“It is not something I enjoy saying, but just take it. Do not provoke him. If you lay a hand on him any further, the Medical God Association your people call a gathering may be ripped out by the roots.”

Mo Yonggun shook his head.

“Shut down all activity from here on out, and tell the exalted figure in the authorities to whom you’ve attached yourselves that this matter will be settled at your level. Otherwise, a few of the authorities’ supporting pillars are going to be blown away.”

“...”

“Remember my words well.”