Chapter 1757
Because I made it this way. (2)
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“Hmm.”
At the low, resonating sound, Ho Gamyeong faintly trembled. It was a small sound, devoid of any particularly uncomfortable tone, yet it still had that effect.
‘Damn those bastards.’
Even after reconsidering, he was certain that not immediately informing Jang Ilso about the Blood Palace’s departure wasn’t the wrong decision. As a Commander, his duty was to resolve issues with as little commotion as possible if he could manage it at his level.
That was until those crazy Blood Palace bastards committed the outrageous act of directly attacking Mount Wudang – a move that, on the surface, could only be seen as a declaration of all-out war.
No matter how much Ho Gamyeong oversaw all the information within Sapaeryeon, it was impossible to keep something as critical as a battle with Cheonumaeng from reaching Jang Ilso’s ears. No, even if it were possible, it was something that shouldn’t be done.
It would appear as if Ho Gamyeong was undermining Jang Ilso’s authority.
“Gamyeong-ah.”
“Yes, Ryeonju.”
“Did you know?”
“…I knew about the departure. But I never imagined they would head there…”
“You knew, hmm…”
Jang Ilso quietly repeated the words, narrowing his eyes.
“So… you didn’t feel the need to tell me?”
“…”
“Hmm?”
Sweat ran down Ho Gamyeong’s temples in thick beads.
His decision wasn’t wrong. However, the basis for his judgment was the current situation, where Jang Ilso’s control wasn’t what it used to be. How would Jang Ilso take this? Even Ho Gamyeong couldn’t easily predict that.
“Ryeonju, that was…”
“Well done.”
Startled, Ho Gamyeong quickly lifted his head. Jang Ilso shrugged casually, as if it were nothing significant.
“There’s no need for me to be informed of every trivial matter. Handle it at your level.”
Ho Gamyeong stared blankly at Jang Ilso, his expression clearly showing his confusion.
What had he been doubting and hesitating over? He just needed to trust that Jang Ilso was still Jang Ilso.
“…I will do so, Ryeonju.”
“So, where is the Blood Palace Lord now?”
“The Blood Palace has returned, but he is still…”
“Is that so?”
A meaningful smile appeared on Jang Ilso’s lips.
“There was no need to confirm it in this way. It’s a bit earlier than I thought.”
“May I ask what you mean by that?”
“Ah, I’ve gone off on a tangent again, haven’t I? It’s fine. You don’t need to know right now. It’s not certain yet.”
Listening to his calm and gentle voice, it felt as if all of this were just an ordinary, everyday occurrence.
However, Ho Gamyeong bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t just let this go.
“Ryeonju, what about their punishment…?”
“Hmm?”
Jang Ilso turned his drowsy, half-closed eyes to Ho Gamyeong.
“They ignored your orders, left the camp without permission, and engaged the enemy. If they aren’t punished for this, we won’t be able to avoid a disruption in discipline.”
If they had only left and hadn’t attacked Mount Wudang, he might have let it slide.
Of course, Ho Gamyeong believed that rewards and punishments must be enforced strictly, but he wasn’t someone who insisted that such actions always had to be immediate.
Sometimes, depending on the situation, it’s better to let things go for the sake of the greater purpose. However, this issue couldn’t be so easily dismissed.
The fact that the Blood Palace had attacked Cheonumaeng had already spread widely within Sapaeryeon. If punishment was delayed under these circumstances, it might provide justification for those already suppressing their overflowing discontent.
“Punishment, you say…”
Jang Ilso fell silent for a moment, then smirked slightly.
“Well, just leave it be. There’s really no need for that.”
“R-Ryeonju.”
Ho Gamyeong stared at Jang Ilso with a completely bewildered expression. Jang Ilso let out a light sigh.
“Why? Do you think I’m hesitating because I’m reluctant to deal with those bastards?”
“I wouldn’t dare think such a thing.”
“Right, of course not.”
Jang Ilso smiled faintly.
“Then let it be. It’s something I don’t necessarily have to do myself.”
“…”
“It wouldn’t be difficult to casually push aside those struggling to survive… but it’s not exactly an enjoyable task either.”
Ho Gamyeong furrowed his brow slightly. The meaning behind those words was hard to grasp.
‘Do they think it’s something they absolutely had to do?’
Or was it that they had no choice but to act that way in order to survive?
If it’s the former, one could possibly understand it as a part of their rituals. But the latter? Impossible. Who in the Central Plains could push the Blood Palace to the edge?
Moreover, the Blood Palace is currently allied with Sapaeryeon.
Unless Jang Ilso himself intervenes directly…
“Gamyeong-ah.”
“…My apologies.”
Lost in thought, Ho Gamyeong snapped back to reality and quickly bowed his head. The reason behind it all wasn’t the most important thing right now.
“Ryeonju, even if they had a reason that we could accept, those who are watching won’t simply let this matter go.”
“Hmm. Those who are watching…”
Jang Ilso laughed strangely, as if amused.
“Who are you talking about?”
“That is…”
“What do you think? Do you have any complaints?”
Ho Gamyeong was about to answer, but suddenly shut his mouth. He realized that Jang Ilso’s question wasn’t directed at him.
Quickly turning around, he saw that Haomunju Cheon Myeon Susa, had somehow appeared behind him.
Ho Gamyeong’s expression hardened.
‘Why is he here?’
If he had to choose the person he was most reluctant to deal with right now, it would be Cheon Myeon Susa. If possible, he would prefer not to encounter him, especially at this moment.
However, Cheon Myeon Susa didn’t even glance at Ho Gamyeong. His gaze was fixed solely on Jang Ilso. Cheon Myeon Susa slowly began to speak.
“If Ryeonju has decided so, we simply follow. If one tries to address every minor complaint, nothing will ever get done.”
Jang Ilso nodded slightly and then looked down at Ho Gamyeong.
“So it seems.”
“…”
“How about it? Has our Commander’s mind been put at ease now?”
Ho Gamyeong bit his lip gently.
With Haomunju, who likely harbored the greatest discontent and represented the largest faction within Sapaeryeon, speaking in such a manner, it became difficult for Ho Gamyeong to continue pressing the issue.
No, when you think about it, this is something to be pleased about.
Cheon Myeon Susa’s recent statement had just proven that he had completely bowed his head to Jang Ilso. If he didn’t bring up his past grievances, many issues could be resolved – issues far greater than the current Blood Palace incident.
“Gamyeong-ah.”
Jang Ilso gently urged for a response. Ho Gamyeong sighed and replied.
“If Haomunju has spoken as such, then I too believe it’s right not to bring this matter up any further.”
As he spoke, Ho Gamyeong openly glanced at Cheon Myeon Susa, as if trying to gauge his thoughts.
But Cheon Myeon Susa didn’t react, as if to say that all past matters were buried. Though the word ‘reconciliation’ might be too awkward to use, ‘resolution’ could be an appropriate term.
“Then it’s settled. Now, then-”
“But there is one thing I’d like to ask.”
Cheon Myeon Susa suddenly interrupted, cutting off Jang Ilso’s words. His gaze was somehow enigmatic, almost as if he were probing for something.
Jang Ilso asked calmly,
“What are you curious about?”
“A moment ago, Ryeonju mentioned there was no need to impose punishment. May I ask what you meant by that?”
A soft chuckle escaped as the corners of Jang Ilso’s red lips curled up.
“I meant it literally.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s no need for me to impose punishment. There’s someone else who will do that.”
Cheon Myeon Susa’s expression subtly hardened.
There was something happening that he wasn’t aware of, something even beyond the reach of Haomun’s intelligence network. But he couldn’t delve deeper into it.
Jang Ilso smiled warmly as he gazed at Cheon Myeon Susa.
“More importantly, you know why I called you, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Get ready. Punishment may not be my concern, but letting a carefully crafted opportunity slip away wouldn’t be enjoyable.”
“As you command.”
Cheon Myeon Susa bowed his head respectfully. He appeared as though he had no doubts or concerns, but his mind was in turmoil.
‘What is it?’
The thing he was missing – something Jang Ilso knew, but he did not.
Cheon Myeon Susa’s gaze fixed on Jang Ilso, who was still smiling gently. Yet, he couldn’t fathom what Jang Ilso was thinking.
In the midst of this, Jang Ilso’s calm and languid eyes began to simmer once again. His heart was stirred.
He could sense it. The poison that had sustained the world was already collapsing.
Soon, the world everyone feared would arrive – a hell where even someone as powerful as Jang Ilso would merely struggle to survive.
But…
‘Just because something is destined to be lost doesn’t mean it isn’t worth possessing…’
He would obtain it, even if it was only the shell.
Even if he had to sacrifice everything for it. That was how Jang Ilso lived as Jang Ilso.
“It’s time to start struggling.”
With eyes filled with both mockery and madness, he looked towards the north.
“In each one’s own way.”
❀ ❀ ❀
His head was pressed firmly against the ground. No, such an expression doesn’t fully capture his current state. It would be more accurate to say that his head was practically burrowing into the ground.
As if in fear, trembling, and groaning.
Anyone who witnessed this scene would find it truly bizarre. It was as if he were begging for forgiveness for a grievous sin, yet there was nothing before him to plead to.
His face, buried in the ground, was wrapped in bandages. The bandages around his eyes had started to soak.
“I… I tried to carry out the command you gave me… but my abilities are pitifully inadequate, and I could not fulfill it. Please, I beg you to understand the shortcomings of this wretched one, and to release your wrath…”
His body was trembling uncontrollably.
He was a man who was never allowed to succumb to fear in the presence of others. He was a sacred figure who led a religious cult, a resolute leader who bore the weight of many responsibilities.
But now, he looked like nothing more than a pitiful weakling. He appeared to be someone who could only survive by groveling, someone who could only be forgiven by pressing his head to the ground.
Yet, despite this situation, the Blood Cult Leader felt not an ounce of humiliation.
“If you pardon the sins of this inadequate one and grant me one more chance, I swear I will fulfill your commands with all my heart and soul. Please…”
The Blood Cult Leader struck his forehead against the ground with a resounding thud once again.
Then he fell silent. Though groveling can be a weapon of the weak, overusing it often leads to undesirable outcomes. He was well aware of this fact.
Time passed.
To others, it was just a slightly prolonged period of time, but to the Blood Cult Leader, it felt like an eternity. He dutifully continued this maddening act.
Only after a long while did a voice finally break the silence.
“I thought you were at least a rat.”
The Blood Cult Leader trembled as if in convulsions.
He still couldn’t sense anything through his heightened perception.
But without a doubt, the presence was here, right in front of his bowed head.
The Blood Cult Leader’s entire body was consumed by fear. What could it mean if he couldn’t even sense the presence of someone standing just a step away?
“It seems you’re nothing more than an insect.”
The Blood Cult Leader’s breathing grew ragged. The voice continued.
“Still, if that’s the case, the blame lies with me. It’s my mistake for assigning a difficult task to such a worthless insect.”
“I am merely..”
Crack!
At that moment, one of the Blood Cult Leader’s arms twisted violently.
Crack. Snap.
With a horrific sound, the arm twisted and turned on its own, with no one touching it.
Then it was torn to shreds, ripped from his body.
“Ugh, ughhh…”
The groan that escaped his lips was faint.
Not because the pain was bearable.
On the contrary, he felt an agony so intense that he might lose consciousness at any moment, but in his current state, he wasn’t even allowed the freedom to scream loudly.
“But even an insect might listen if you beat them up enough. What do you think?”
“Yes, I… I swear… I will…”
“I’ll give you the chance.”
“…”
“But remember this, stray one. You don’t need to think. If you disappoint me again, not only you but all your followers will come to wish for death.”
“I understand…”
“Never forget, you are beyond my restraint. Nothing about you holds even the slightest value.”
The Blood Cult Leader hastily, fervently nodded.
“I will obey!”
“Then go and fulfill your task.”
“With all my devotion.”
The gaze of the one looking down at the Blood Cult Leader was chillingly devoid of emotion. In those lifeless eyes, a dark, malevolent energy began to swirl.
Madness roiled within, as if on the verge of erupting at any moment.
Barely containing this, the figure turned their gaze southward.
“…The Central Plains.”
An endless mix of longing and anger was etched into that gaze. Those eyes, which once gazed upon the land he had trampled, were now filled only with malice.
“I will discover whether this long wait was worth anything.”
A solitary, lofty figure.
In the past, the world called him Heavenly Executioner [Cheonsal – the old Bishop from Hangzhou incident].
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