Chapter 1414
If you truly desired it, you should have seized it! (3)
Feeling a sudden presence, Jang Ilso slowly turned his gaze.
Approaching from this direction was a figure of a person.
A face he hadn’t seen before. Of course, Jang Ilso couldn’t be expected to remember every grain of sand among the myriad members of Sapaeryeon, but at least among those who could come close to him, there was no face like this.
So, the identity of the visitor was quite obvious.
“What’s the situation?”
“It’s mostly under control, Ryeonju.”
Cheon Myeon Susa [천면수사(千面秀士) – Master Of Thousand Faces].
The only person who dared to approach Jang Ilso with a face unfamiliar to him was none other than the head of Haomun, Master Cheon Myeons Susa.
Cheon Myeon Susa, whose appearance was so ordinary that it would be hard to remember his face if he turned around, looked at Jang Ilso’s back in silence.
Against the backdrop of the devastating flames consuming Qingcheng, stood the leader of Sapaeryeon.
‘Paegun…’
Initially, he had been impressed.
Throughout the long history of Gangho, there had never been any Evil Sect which could so easily toy with a Just Sect.
This was beyond mere excellence.
Jang Ilso seemed to see something that others couldn’t. That’s why he had admired him and acknowledged him.
But now, seeing him trample upon Qingcheng, one of Gupailbang, so ruthlessly, his feelings had completely changed.
“Is everything taken care of?”
“Well, a few rats managed to escape, but we’re sending pursuit teams to handle them.”
“Pursuit teams?”
“Yes. From Haomun…”
“Enough with useless things”
When Jang Ilso casually cut off the conversation, Cheon Myeon Susa closed his mouth tightly.
“Well, they’re just rats. No need to waste energy on them. Leave them be. They’ll come back with the news of how miserably Qingcheng has fallen.”
Cheon Myeon Susa nodded involuntarily.
He didn’t necessarily agree actively – he just believed that Jang Ilso must be more right than himself.
Cheon Myeon Susa seemed to understand now. He could never see what Jang Ilso saw.
“Should we leave the Blood Palace Lord alone?”
Cheon Myeon Susa asked, and Jang Ilso glanced over.
Though the elites of the Blood Palace were here, massacring Qingcheng’s disciples, the Blood Palace Lord herself was nowhere to be seen.
Sending the palace warriors promptly would at least earn the Palace Lord some credit for heeding the call. However, his failure to reveal himself personally gave a somewhat peculiar impression.
Jang Ilso shrugged.
“At least it’s something.”
“Is that enough?”
Cheon Myeon Susa asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I don’t expect loyalty. He just gets paid for what he did. Whether it is a good price or a bad price.”
Jang Ilso replied.
His smile seemed benevolent at first glance, but Cheon Myeon Susa didn’t miss the underlying sinister aura behind it.
Jang Ilso disliked wasting effort. He wouldn’t want to create unnecessary friction with the Blood Palace Lord in the current situation. Yes, for Jang Ilso up to this point, that should be enough.
However, Cheon Myeon Susa knows.
Right now, Jang Ilso would only pay a little more attention to the situation.
Jang Ilso never forgets.
Even if he momentarily succumbs to the wall of reality, he never forgets. That’s why Mangeum Daebu met a gruesome death, and Black Dragon King lost his arm and became one of Jang Ilso’s dogs.
Perhaps the fate of the Blood Palace won’t be much different.
If anyone continues to evaluate Jang Ilso from this ambiguous distance, someday Jang Ilso’s nails will also pierce their throat.
So, what about Cheon Myeon Susa?
Is he really standing in a safe place right now?
Now, no matter where you look at Qingcheng, it’s just a sea of flames. Before the sun rises, Qingcheng will be completely reduced to ashes.
Qingcheng’s power was formidable, and even as Cheon Myeon Susa climbed the mountain, he knew there would be significant casualties. It was only natural when launching an attack on Gupailbang. They had to be prepared to pay such a price.
But now, Qingcheng was being trampled too easily beneath Jang Ilso’s feet.
‘If it were a normal situation, this would have never happened.’
Caught off guard at a completely unexpected time, facing an enemy attack they never predicted, there was no room for resistance.
Crushing those who hadn’t prepared with a stronger force was easier than snapping the wrist of a frail child.
But it’s easy to judge something in hindsight. What’s really difficult is making something that’s easy into reality.
Before him stood a being who effortlessly achieved the impossible. Cheon Myeon Susa silently observed him.
At that moment, Jang Ilso raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Why?”
Cheon Myeon Susa flinched.
There was something peculiar in Jang Ilso’s gaze. Whether it was the heat of the flames rising from all directions or the boiling desire within him, his pale eyes flickered with an indescribable glow.
It was a gaze of authority. That gaze weighed down on Cheon Myeon Susa.
Since the first gathering to organize Sapaeryeon, up to now, as Qingcheng burned, Jang Ilso had always viewed the world with such eyes.
What changed wasn’t Jang Ilso. It was Cheon Myeon Susa looking at Jang Ilso himself.
“Are you afraid?”
Jang Ilso sneered.
“Even if you’re afraid, there’s no turning back now. Once Qingcheng is ablaze, the only path left is for either them or us to be annihilated.”
Cheon Myeon Susa burst out laughing.
Though he was adept at concealing his true self, his expressions, and emotions, this laughter, rare as it was, emerged from genuine sincerity.
There was no choice but to laugh.
“Of course, Gupailbang is to be feared.”
“Honestly spoken.”
“Destruction is also fearsome. It’s not exactly pleasant to realize the way of living like a king in Gangnam has crumbled.”
Jang Ilso nodded slowly.
He despised those without ambition, but he didn’t particularly dislike those who were honest with themselves. Acknowledging oneself was quite an impressive feat after all.
“But what I fear isn’t their destruction or mine, it’s you, Ryeonju.”
“Me?”
Jang Ilso looked at Cheon Myeon Susa as if amused. While Jang Ilso’s gaze remained composed despite the flickering of the flames, Cheon Myeon Susa’s eyes were unmistakably wavering.
“They say it’s obvious when someone feels fearful towards another.”
“Indeed.”
There was an eerie smile on Jang Ilso’s face as he replied.
“Killing to erase them. To ensure they no longer pose a threat to you.”
Jang Ilso glanced around briefly before continuing.
“What do you say? It just so happens there are two of us. You don’t seem entirely devoid of potential yourself, do you?”
A hollow laughter burst from Cheon Myeon Susa’s lips.
Indeed, there might be a possibility. He was also the head of Haomun, after all. It couldn’t be said for certain that he would lose to Jang Ilso. While Jang Ilso’s prowess was an unknown variable, being an unknown variable didn’t necessarily mean he was stronger.
“Not a bad idea. But… I know a better way.”
Cheon Myeon Susa slowly lowered one knee. His knee, which had never bent before, touched the ground.
Jang Ilso simply watched this highly symbolic scene with indifferent eyes.
“Master of Thousand Faces Dam Yeohae [담여해(譚與海)], the head of Haomun.”
Cheon Myeon Susa bowed deep, and then even deeper.
“I pledge my allegiance to you, Ryeonju.”
A man kneeling in the midst of burning flames. Perhaps, that sight was even more remarkable than the burning Qingcheng itself.
Jang Ilso laughed, as the corners of his mouth were twisting, and let out a soft nasal sound.
“Hmm, interesting.”
“…”
“Wasn’t that how it was supposed to be?”
Cheon Myeon Susa raised his head. In that moment when their eyes met, he sensed it.
No change whatsoever in those eyes.
What did that unwavering gaze, devoid of any hint of change even after gaining the loyalty of the Master of Thousand Faces and Haomun, signify?
And naturally, Cheon Myeon Susa understood what he had to do.
His hand slowly moved towards his face. The moment his hand covered his face with a faint tremor and then came down…
Finally, a smile different from before appeared at the corners of Jang Ilso’s lips.
“The true face of Cheon Myeon Susa.”
He nodded slightly. Then added jokingly.
“There was no need to show even that.”
“It was only natural to pledge loyalty to Ryeonju.”
Jang Ilso approached the kneeling Cheon Myeon Susa slowly. His crimson robe fluttered and settled down.
Clink.
Jang Ilso lightly touched Cheon Myeon Susa’s shoulder with his hand and slightly lowered his head.
“I am telling you.”
A whisper echoed in Cheon Myeon Susa’s ear.
“In the end, it doesn’t really matter for people with similar intentions.”
“…”
“No one can truly know sincerity. So, all you need to know is what you desire. What do you want?”
Cheon Myeon Susa’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“…Life.”
“How mundane.”
Jang Ilso lightly tapped Cheon Myeon Susa’s shoulder.
There were no other words.
There was no promise to guarantee that desired life, no acknowledgment of kneeling under his command. He simply tapped his shoulder once.
But Cheon Myeon Susa didn’t expect anything else.
In front of this man, everything was meaningless. Promises, emotions, even the sincerity shown – they were all just tools to be used when necessary.
What Cheon Myeon Susa desires is simply mercy and worth.
To see those flames, as cold as forged metal, consume himself and Haomun as late as possible.
“Get this sorted out.”
“Yes, Ryeonju.”
Both the demeanor and tone had changed considerably.
This signified not only a shift in the relationship between Cheon Myeon Susa and Jang Ilso but also a different form of alliance among the five Evil Sects that formed Sapaeryeon from the beginning. It meant a new unity born from the sacrifice of Qingcheng, within the flames now burning.
“Shall we head to Emei?”
“That’s right.”
Jang Ilso’s gaze briefly touched the body of Byeok Hyeonja.
It’s a death without value. The only value in that death is merely buying a few extra moments.
“News of the incident must not have reached Emei yet. It should be easy to reach Emei.”
“That’s true. But we still need to hurry.”
A smile, like a red line drawn on Jang Ilso’s pale face, appeared.
“It wouldn’t be fair if only Gupailbang suffered. Cheonumaneg should feel the same way. We need to hurry to burn Emei and trample down Tangga as well.”
“Yes!”
After Cheon Myeon Susa deeply bowed, he turned around.
As he watched his retreating figure, Jang Ilso’s face contorted strangely.
‘Damn rat…’
Being quick-witted is good. But… those who lower themselves out of fear for their life eventually reveal their true colors when they no longer feel the danger.
It won’t be Jang Ilso but Cheon Myeon Susa himself who determines his fate. Anyway, he’s a useful force.
“Tsk.”
Jang Ilso, briefly clicking his tongue, cast his gaze towards the distant east where the Yangtze River flowed, not towards the north where Emei was located.
“Gamyeong will surely scold me again.”
Laughing to himself, he soon turned away.
The flames that engulfed Qingcheng were spreading northward. Their momentum was so fierce that it seemed unstoppable.
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