Chapter 1605
I can’t even laugh. (10)
“A hundred?”
Tang Gunak muttered in disbelief.
“Over a hundred experts…”
He didn’t hastily voice any objections or doubts. The atmosphere had just been barely patched up.
“More details.”
Chung Myung pressed. Moyong Wigyeong swallowed dryly and began to speak.
“There’s nothing more to say. That’s all there is. They suddenly blocked our way, stalled us for a while, and then retreated without any significant moves, as if their objective had been achieved.”
Im Sobyeong’s eyes turned slightly cold.
“So? You just stood there and watched them retreat even though their intention was obvious?”
“What were we supposed to do?”
It was Zhuge Jain, not Moyong Wigyeong, who responded to the sharp question.
“In a situation where we didn’t know the enemy’s identity or skills, charging recklessly is not a strategy. Moreover, our mission was not to defeat them but to aid the main force!”
Im Sobyeong fanned himself a couple of times somewhat irritably, then reluctantly nodded.
Though not entirely satisfactory, Zhuge Jain’s words had merit. Even if Zhuge and Moyong had fought with all their might, the outcome would likely have remained the same.
If the enemy’s strength was as they described, that is.
“An enemy force capable of stalling Zhuge and Moyong…”
The murmured words made the faces of the two family heads flush slightly. It was a humiliating comment, but also the truth, leaving them unable to refute it.
A brief silence fell over the conference room. Baek Cheon, who had been silently contemplating the situation, finally spoke up.
“You said they were masked?”
Everyone’s attention turned to him.
“Yes.”
“That’s a bit strange.”
“What do you mean?”
Zhuge Jain asked somewhat sharply. Even though Baek Cheon was the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan, he was still very young. Being questioned, even indirectly, by someone so young was not pleasant.
“Being masked means they want to hide their identity, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But is there really a need for that? They are part of the Evil Sects. Even if they showed their faces, it’s not like we would recognize them.”
Zhuge Jain flinched at those words.
“…Some within the Evil Sects do wear masks as a norm.”
“Yes, what you say is true, but isn’t it too strange that nearly a hundred experts were all masked?”
Zhuge Jain fell silent.
At the time, he had been too preoccupied to notice, but upon reflection, it indeed seemed odd.
Typically, those with significant skill do not fear revealing their identity. Yet, those he encountered, despite their skill, all chose to hide their faces.
“Advisor.”
Baek Cheon turned to Im Sobyeong, as if indicating that it made the most sense to ask him, since he was most familiar with the ways of the Evil Sects.
Under that gaze, Im Sobyeong tapped the side of his neck with the tip of his fan as if pondering.
“Hmm, usually, assassination squads that eliminate internal enemies might hide their identities to avoid retaliation if their identities are exposed. If that habit has become ingrained, it’s not entirely unreasonable…”
However, he soon shook his head as he trailed off.
“No, I don’t think that’s the case. If Sapaeryeon could afford to allocate such a force just for internal control, they would have conquered the world long ago. Besides, Sapaeryeon wouldn’t need to engage in power struggles in such a manner in the first place.”
Baek Cheon spoke with a stern face.
“Then there’s only one conclusion. Those people had a reason to hide their identities from us.”
A chilly air spread through the conference room momentarily.
Everyone might have felt different emotions, but the meaning of those words was clear.
“Do you know what that means?”
Zhuge Jain asked, somewhat flustered, clearly uncomfortable.
Baek Cheon continued speaking plainly.
“Before that, let me ask one more thing. Was there any particular characteristic in the martial arts they used?”
“…Not really.”
As he asked so calmly, Zhuge Jain answered without realizing it.
“What about the weapons they used?”
“The same. Swords, sabers, spears, even fists. They used all sorts of weapons. I tried to find out, but it was impossible to identify them by their weapons.”
Im Sobyeong asked as if he had caught onto something.
“You mean to say they had all sorts of weapons?”
“Yes.”
“A group that moved together under such a command?”
For a moment, Zhuge Jain was at a loss for words. He understood what Im Sobyeong had pointed out.
Blocking the path of Zhuge and Moyong families was a critical operation that could determine the outcome of the battle.
In that case, Sapaeryeon would have surely selected those entrusted with this mission with great care. Even if several units were combined, they would have at least tried to maintain a consistent appearance to avoid discrepancies. But…
“The variety of weapons was so excessively diverse that it felt unnatural. It was as if… they had intentionally disguised themselves with unfamiliar weapons.”
Zhuge Jain began to mumble as if he had grasped something.
“It was difficult to identify any particular characteristics in their martial arts as well. We only knew they were masters because their internal energy was powerful and their techniques were intricate, but there was no distinctive style…”
Zhuge Jain’s face gradually hardened. His eyes, which had been trembling slightly, turned to Baek Cheon. Then everyone’s gaze naturally followed.
In the brief silence, most simply waited for Baek Cheon to speak next. Even among them, Moyong Wigyeong found this situation astonishing.
‘For the great disciple of Hwasan, who is probably only thirty, to draw this much attention…’
People of such stature were focused on him. Where else in the world could one witness such a scene?
Finally, Baek Cheon spoke again.
“…Then there’s only one conclusion.”
“No, wait a moment!”
Zhuge Jain cried out in shock.
“Do you know what you’re about to say, Vice Sect Leader?”
“I don’t want to think about it, but if that’s the only conclusion, we must consider it.”
“No!”
Zhuge Jain’s hand trembled slightly. This young Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan was acting recklessly, as if he had nothing to lose. Did he not understand the tremendous impact of his words?
Finally, half in anger and half in fear, he shouted.
“Watch your words, Vice Sect Leader!”
Baek Cheon looked at Zhuge Jain with calm eyes and spoke in a somewhat heavy voice.
“If Sapaeryeon had such power from the beginning, they wouldn’t have waged war in this manner.”
Zhuge Jain bit his lip silently, unable to deny it.
“So there are only two possibilities. One is that the situation described by Lord Zhuge and Lord Moyong is not the truth.”
“Watch your words…”
“But that’s impossible, right?”
Zhuge Jain nodded, suppressing his anger.
“Then the remaining possibility is… only one.”
No one could speak. Whether they guessed his next words or not, no one could bring themselves to voice it.
Even Baek Cheon, who had started this line of thought, couldn’t continue easily.
In the end, it was the least hesitant person who broke the silence.
“So then…”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the speaker, Chung Myung.
“…what you’re trying to say is that, Sasuk.”
Chung Myung’s and Baek Cheon’s eyes met.
“It’s impossible for non-existent forces to suddenly appear. Jang Ilso wasn’t in a position to hide such a force, so that power didn’t come from within Sapaeryeon.”
Baek Cheon nodded slightly.
“But if they were newcomers from outside, there would be no need to hide their identities from us. So the conclusion is that they are people we know.”
In the silence, Chung Myung spoke calmly.
“Therefore.”
Though the content was suffocatingly heavy, his words were clear.
“There is a traitor…”
Chung Myung scanned the people seated there. Everyone’s shoulders instinctively hunched under his cold gaze.
“…among us.”
“…”
“Is that right?”
Baek Cheon nodded slowly to Chung Myung’s indifferent question.
Traitor.
This one unexpected word sent a shockwave through everyone, overwhelming them.
At that moment, Jongnam’s Sect Leader, Jongli Gok, sharply cut in.
“Nonsense!”
His voice was almost a growl.
“That conjecture is beyond excessive – it’s downright absurd. A traitor? Are you saying that someone we know, a sect we know, has betrayed us and become Jang Ilso’s dog?”
“Not so much a dog, but perhaps joined hands…”
“It’s the same thing.”
Jongli Gok cut off Baek Cheon irritably.
“This is going too far. If you piece together only what suits you, you can make anything sound reasonable.”
“Sect Leader, but this is…”
“Enough.”
Jongli Gok interrupted Baek Cheon once again, as if there was nothing more to say.
“This is not a place for a child to present clumsy arguments. Those who lack experience should step back. The Alliance Leader should also control such outrageous statements.”
Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to retort sharply, someone else cut in and responded to Jonglii Gok.
“While Sect Leader’s words are certainly correct, but these statement should not be dismissed so easily. From my experience, the Vice Sect Leader’s insights are worth considering.”
Jongli Gok squinted his eyes in disbelief. No one dared speak to him in such a manner. Yet, he didn’t react angrily because…
“…Do you think there is merit in what he says?”
“Yes.”
It was Jin Geumryong who had spoken.
Jin Geumryong nodded calmly and added.
“No matter how outrageous the speculation, if it’s the only explanation that fits the current situation, we must consider it. It’s likely to be the truth, as absurd as it sounds. The Vice Sect Leader’s statement is certainly logical.”
Jongli Gok’s face hardened. He understood, but he couldn’t accept it.
“A traitor…”
“…”
“Who?”
Jongli Gok’s voice grew louder. It carried bewilderment, anger, and denial.
“Who exactly… who has betrayed us? Who would do such a thing?”
Of course, no one dared to answer his question.
❀ ❀ ❀
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Under the bright midday sun, a man walked toward a large tent. His face was completely covered by a black mask.
The man stood at the entrance and glared at the guards blocking the door. The guards, with tense expressions, were wary of the masked man.
“I wish to see the Commander.”
A rough voice emerged, but the guards coldly shook their heads.
“It’s not possible now. Leave.”
However, the masked man did not retreat. Instead, he placed one hand on the iron sword at his waist, staring at the guards with a chilling gaze.
The tension was palpable, on the verge of exploding.
“Let him in.”
A calm voice came from inside. Only then did the guards step back.
With a creaking sound, the door opened.
“Go in.”
The masked man paused briefly, then stepped inside. The smell of ink from the makeshift office filled his nostrils.
“What is it?”
Ho Gamyeong asked without lifting his eyes, still in the posture of writing documents.
“I wish to see Ryeonju.”
“Ryeonju is not seeing anyone right now.”
“Ho Gamyeong.”
Thud.
Ho Gamyeong’s brush, which had been moving fluidly, finally stopped.
“Do you think we’re afraid of you?”
Ho Gamyeong slowly lifted his head. His gaze met the masked man’s in the air.
“Keep your promise. Before a blade finds its way into your neck.”
Ho Gamyeong stared at the masked man for a moment, then, as if losing interest, lowered his gaze and resumed writing.
“I’ll pass on the message. Now leave.”
The masked man glared at the top of Ho Gamyeong’s head for a moment before abruptly turning and leaving the office.
Ho Gamyeong glanced at his retreating back and smirked. The expression on his lips was one of clear derision.
“A dog…”
That sneer soon turned into genuine laughter.
“At least a dog is loyal.”
Ho Gamyeong put down his brush and slowly rose from his desk.
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