Chapter 1606
Even if I open my eyes, it’s the same. (1)
As Ho Gamyeong stepped out of the temporary office, his subordinates followed closely.
“Commander, what about Ryeonju…?”
Instead of answering, Ho Gamyeong glanced at the subordinate. The cold look in his eyes made the subordinate realize his mistake, and he quickly got to the point.
“There are murmurs of discontent centered around the Sun Palace.”
“More precisely.”
“…They say it’s been over three days since we arrived here, and there have been no orders. They want to know whether we will advance, retreat, or at least stay put.”
Ho Gamyeong’s face grew even colder.
“They can’t wait just three days?”
“…”
“That’s not really what they want to say, is it?”
Ho Gamyeong sneered and pressed on.
“What about the others?”
“There’s no significant reaction yet, but…”
The subordinate hesitated, his eyes instinctively glancing to the side before returning.
“Some have… started to harbor doubts…”
Thud.
Ho Gamyeong’s footsteps on the stone floor grew louder. The subordinate quickly fell silent.
“Pathetic fools.”
“…I apologize.”
It had only been a few days since their unprecedented victory in the history of the Evil Sects. And yet, murmurs of discontent were already emerging?
‘This is tiresome.’
Ho Gamyeong knew this was the nature of the Evil Sects, but it never failed to fill him with revulsion. The subordinate added.
“…It’s not at a concerning level yet.”
“I understand.”
Ho Gamyeong brushed past the subordinate and continued walking. The subordinate, momentarily startled, seemed about to say something but then shook his head.
Noticing the subordinate’s hesitation, Ho Gamyeong couldn’t help but let out a frustrated groan.
‘Just…’
Moments like these made him painfully aware.
Ten days.
Without the name of Jang Ilso, they wouldn’t last ten days. Sapaeryeon was a sandcastle. No matter how much effort he put in, no matter how many achievements he accumulated, the moment the pillar named Jang Ilso fell, everything would crumble like a house of cards.
“To think we’d confirm such a pathetic truth after a great victory.”
Ho Gamyeong’s steps toward the large pavilion ahead were filled with irritation. He climbed the short steps in one stride and swept past the guards at the entrance, glaring sharply at the attendant standing by the door.
The attendant flinched.
“I, I greet the Commander…”
“How long since you have been inside?”
Without even daring to meet Ho Gamyeong’s sharp gaze, the attendant deeply bowed his head. His fear was evident.
“Since last night…”
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes grew even colder.
“It’s good to be loyal to your master, but a dog who oversteps often gets its head cut off.”
The attendant began trembling like an aspen tree.
“Again.”
“T-To tell the truth, since around midday yesterday…”
Pale and shaking, he repeatedly bowed his head.
Ho Gamyeong, his gaze as cold as ice, watched him for a moment before looking away. The door was still tightly closed.
It wasn’t the attendant’s fault.
“Who has gone inside during that time?”
“N-No one was allowed inside.”
Ho Gamyeong nodded briefly and commanded.
“Open it.”
The attendant trembled as if he might collapse at any moment. It was understandable, given that the one who had ordered no one to be let in was Paegun Jang Ilso, and the one now ordering the door to be opened was Ho Gamyeong, Commander of Sapaeryeon.
From his position, it was difficult to ignore either command. He couldn’t do this, nor that, and could only stand there trembling.
“…No, never mind.”
Finally, with a small sigh, Ho Gamyeong grabbed the door handle himself. The attendant involuntarily took a step back.
Creeeak.
The tightly closed door slowly opened. From the gap, thick, white smoke billowed out.
Ho Gamyeong instinctively furrowed his brow but quickly composed his expression as if nothing had happened. He stepped into the smoke-filled room.
The pungent smell that stung his nose was Dream-Soul Incense [몽혼향(夢魂香)*].
Although Jang Ilso occasionally enjoyed using it, the scent was particularly strong today. It was as if it reflected his current state of mind… no, it was like showing the state of Jang Ilso’s heart.
Step. Step.
Ho Gamyeong walked through the room without hesitation, filled with so much Dream-Soul Incense that visibility was poor. He soon stopped abruptly.
He saw a large bed placed in the center and three incense burners that continuously emitted white smoke, and a person lying on it.
Wine bottles were scattered everywhere, and the strong smell of alcohol was evident even amidst the white clouds of the incense.
Ho Gamyeong, watching this scene silently, bit his chapped lip.
Others might consider this a common sight, but Ho Gamyeong knew. He could tell that the current state of Jang Ilso, collapsed in a drunken stupor amidst the incense, was drastically different from usual.
“Ryeonju.”
There was no response.
“Ryeonju.”
No movement at all.
Whether he was drunk on alcohol, lost in dreams, or intoxicated by the incense, or perhaps even inebriated by the world itself, it was unclear.
“Ryeonju, you need to get up. Ryeonju…”
Swoosh!
At that very moment, Ho Gamyeong’s vision turned pitch black.
Right before his eyes, something writhed as if in agony. It was Jang Ilso’s hand, which had reached out like a bolt of lightning.
Ho Gamyeong stood frozen in place.
The nails dug into his skin. The grip, strong enough to split his skull, tightened around his head. Even in this situation, Ho Gamyeong could hear ragged breathing in his ears, like that of a wounded beast.
A moment later, a voice spoke.
“…Gamyeong?”
At last, the grip on his face was released.
Through the parting fingers, Ho Gamyeong saw Jang Ilso’s bloodshot eyes, red as if they would spill blood at any moment.
Jang Ilso slumped back onto the bed, staring blankly at Ho Gamyeong as if in a dream, then reached for a bottle of liquor by his bedside.
Gulp. Gulp.
The half-full bottle of strong liquor flowed roughly down Jang Ilso’s throat. The liquor that dripped from his lips traced a long line down his disheveled hair.
Only after a long while did Jang Ilso remove the bottle from his mouth. Holding it upside down, he raised it high, watching the last drops fall before they ceased entirely.
Though the burning thirst hadn’t abated, the bottle was already empty. Jang Ilso watched this, then let out a dry laugh.
Thud!
The thrown bottle bounced harshly.
Ho Gamyeong quietly wiped his face with his hand. Cold sweat covered it.
Though his mind hadn’t fully registered the tension, his body knew. He had just barely returned alive from the gates of hell.
However, what was important to Ho Gamyeong right now was not such things.
The reason he was struggling to breathe was…
“…Ryeonju.”
It was because of the danger.
He had seen Jang Ilso countless times. He prided himself on knowing Jang Ilso better than anyone else in the world.
But the current Jang Ilso was more dangerous than he had ever seen before. He was like a candle flickering in a harsh wind.
The string that had been tightly drawn seemed to lose its strength, and Jang Ilso’s body slowly slumped against the backrest.
He rubbed his face slowly with his long, large hand.
The gesture appeared endlessly calm and without a hurry, but Ho Gamyeong noticed the faint tremble in his fingertips resting on his face.
“…No one!”
The voice, which had briefly risen, slowly calmed down again.
“Wasn’t no ine supposed to be let in?”
Ho Gamyeong took a deep breath without saying a word.
What should he say, what expression should he wear? How should he stand in front of this person?
The path he chose was simple.
“Please, get up.”
In a calm, steady voice, he addressed Jang Ilso.
“You’ve rested too long. There are those who are uneasy because you are not around. Some, like jackals, are sneaking in, taking advantage of the gaps. If it were something I could handle, I would let you rest for a few more days, but my abilities do not reach that far. So, what can we do? You’ve had enough rest, now it’s time to get back to work.”
A brief silence followed Ho Gamyeong’s words.
The sound of their breath, unable to fill the vast space, merely wandered and echoed.
“…Heh.”
Eventually, a slightly higher-pitched laugh broke the silence above the breathing.
“Hehhehheh.”
Jang Ilso’s hand slowly fell away from his face.
At the same time, Ho Gamyeong let out a short sigh. The face of Jang Ilso that reappeared was the one he knew well.
Confident, sly, and unsettling just to look at – the face of Paegun.
“Hmm.”
Jang Ilso’s eyes, now back to their original color, stared intently at Ho Gamyeong.
“Did you say there are those who are uneasy?”
“Yes, Ryeonju.”
Jang Ilso chuckled.
“That’s not it, is it?”
Jang Ilso slightly lifted his upper body.
“In the end, they are curious if I was gravely injured in my fight with that monk.”
Ho Gamyeong couldn’t deny those words.
“If I were suffering from a wound, they would think of aggravating that wound to pick me apart.”
Jang Ilso laughed, then swept his disheveled hair back.
“I understand.”
“…Ryeonju.”
“I’ve rested enough – it’s time to move again. Stop worrying and call the servants.”
It was a subtle dismissal. But when Ho Gamyeong didn’t move easily, Jang Ilso clicked his tongue briefly.
“You’re always worrying like an old man.”
Jang Ilso slowly stood up from his seat.
“I was about to start moving anyway. Even if I wanted to rest, I couldn’t with those pig-like creatures snuffling around so loudly that I can hear it all the way here.”
A twisted smile appeared on Jang Ilso’s lips. Only then did Ho Gamyeong finally nod.
“I will call the servants.”
“Do that. And bring a bottle of liquor while you’re at it.”
“Absolutely not.”
“How heartless.”
Ho Gamyeong turned and left the pavilion. One thing was certain: no matter the situation, Jang Ilso was Jang Ilso – he did not change.
But… still, there was one question Ho Gamyeong couldn’t bring himself to ask.
The true doubt lingering in his heart.
Thunk.
Left alone, Jang Ilso slumped back onto the bed. His hand instinctively groped for a bottle of liquor, but soon fell away in vain.
His head slowly tilted back. His unfocused eyes turned toward the ceiling.
His vision blurred.
The ceiling, once hazy, became clear again, only to blur and distort, gradually changing from its original appearance.
Red, and red again.
An unforgettable sight.
The entire vast land was completely red. That land overlapped with the ceiling before his eyes.
Everything had returned to death. The scene he should never have witnessed was etched into his eyes, refusing to disappear. It kept appearing.
“…Even if I open my eyes, it’s the same.”
A short, hollow laugh escaped his lips.
All things in the world merged and distorted, melting into that place. They poured in, tangled, and were crushed.
Everything he had created. Everything his hand had touched. Once, he believed he had grasped it all. And… even Jang Ilso himself.
A world red, red, red, and red again.
In his slowly dimming and fading vision, the destruction of all things seeped in.
And in the middle of that world, someone stood alone.
Jang Ilso’s hand, which had just regained its composure, began to tremble finely again.
The one who stood alone in the blood-red world.
That image tightened around his breath.
The back of someone he had never seen. The one who would return everything to ruin.
“Heh… Hehheh.”
A dry laugh escaped from Jang Ilso’s mouth.
“…There is no time.”
He would have to hurry.
His eyes slowly turned red again. The color of the world he had seen, that dark crimson hue.
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