Chapter 1607
Even if I open my eyes, it’s the same. (2)
“The others?”
“They all returned to their assigned lodgings for now.”
At Im Sobyeong’s words, Tang Gunak let out a deep sigh.
Baek Cheon’s words had landed like a bomb. There were still mountains of issues to resolve, but that one statement swallowed all other agendas.
Continuing the meeting in such an atmosphere was impossible, so they had to adjourn for now.
“Betrayal…”
Tang Gunak muttered quietly and then firmly closed his mouth. He glanced subtly at Hyun Jong.
Without asking, he could see the deep concern etched around Hyun Jong’s eyes. Guessing his inner thoughts wasn’t difficult.
“What do you think, Advisor?”
“Hmm.”
Hyun Jong, Im Sobyeong, and Tang Gunak were sitting across from each other at a tea table. Im Sobyeong clicked his tongue and tapped his cheek with the end of his fan.
“It’s reasonable.”
“…”
“Indeed, there are no other possibilities.”
“Is there really no chance that Paegun raised this force separately?”
“If Jang Ilso had that kind of power, he wouldn’t have needed to form a coalition like Sapaeryeon in the first place. He would have unified the Evil Sects under Maninbang.”
“…”
“And if Jang Ilso managed to raise such forces after the formation of Sapaeryeon?”
Im Sobyeong shrugged.
“Then what is there to worry about? We’d better run to Hubei right away and beg for our lives.”
A sigh escaped Tang Gunak’s lips.
“Don’t joke about such things, even in jest. We might take it lightly, but…”
“You mean others won’t hear it the same way. I’ll be careful.”
Tang Gunak rubbed his tired, tense eyes and asked.
“But realistically, who could be a traitor?”
“Do you want me to list the possible factions?”
“…No.”
Hearing them would only deepen unnecessary suspicions.
The enemies grew stronger by the day, and it was already challenging to keep them in check. Now, they had to be wary of internal betrayal, not just external foes.
All of this stirred a single doubt in Tang Gunak’s mind.
‘Can we really win?’
Perhaps it was Tang Gunak himself who had most underestimated Jang Ilso, even while fearing his presence.
He had never believed that Cheonumaeng and Gupailbang would be driven to such a state.
“…What are they up to now?”
“After occupying a few estates on the outskirts of Hubei, they haven’t made any moves.”
Tang Gunak nodded slowly. They must need time to organize internally as well.
“Alliance Leader.”
Hyun Jong, called by Tang Gunak, silently turned his gaze.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Lord Tang…”
“Yes.”
“Betrayal, you say… it means those who followed the righteous path are now moving according to Jang Ilso’s will, right?”
Tang Gunak subtly furrowed his brow. Why was he stating something so obvious all of a sudden?
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Why?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Why would they make such a choice?”
Tang Gunak was momentarily at a loss for words. Hyun Jong spoke quietly.
“Back then, we had the upper hand. If they hadn’t helped Sapaeryeon, the Evil Sects would not have won. So why did they make that choice? It’s not like they were forced to surrender when we were at a disadvantage – they had a favorable position. What reason did they have to bow to the enemy despite that?”
Tang Gunak’s face hardened.
He hadn’t considered this point. The mere fact that there could be traitors was so shocking that he had been fixated on it.
“Indeed…”
It made sense. There was no reason for them to betray. Especially those with such skills – what could they possibly lack that would make them side with Sapaeryeon?
“…Could it be that Jang Ilso made some enticing promise? Like handing over Gangbuk or something…”
At those words, Im Sobyeong chuckled.
“A Just Sect that believes the words of the Evil Sect and betrays Gangho. Not even in children’s fairy tales do you find such stories.”
He was right. The more he thought about it, the more perplexing it became.
‘It’s like a ghost.’
Clearly existing, yet having no tangible form.
“What on earth…”
Im Sobyeong, who had been pondering for a long time, scratched his head in frustration.
“Where is the General now? I think we need to hear the opinion of the craziest person at this point.”
“…”
Tang Gunak and Hyun Jong unconsciously looked at each other.
❀ ❀ ❀
“…Betrayal?”
Moyong Wigyeong muttered as if he had been losing his mind. Then Zhuge Jain asked.
“Do you believe that?”
“I don’t want to believe it, but… there’s no reason not to, is there?”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s betrayal.”
The faces of the two people speaking were extremely serious. Jongli Gok, who had been watching them, quietly put down the teacup he was holding. Then, quite out of place, he chuckled.
As soon as the meeting ended, the two had come and sat in his quarters.
Even though they weren’t particularly close with Jongnam, they likely thought it better than the awkward Cheonumaeng.
If not that, then perhaps they needed someone to give them instructions, as they had never done anything on their own until now.
“What do you think, Sect Leader?”
As expected, Zhuge Jain subtly asked Jongli Gok.
“Before that… there’s one thing I’d like to confirm.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Did they really exist?”
“…What?”
Zhuge Jain stared at Jongli Gok in bewilderment, as if asking what he meant.
“I’m asking if the ones who blocked you really existed.”
A moment later, Zhuge Jain’s face flushed bright red.
“Sect Leader!”
“Don’t get agitated. It’s just a confirmation. Even if you both coordinated your story, I have no intention of blaming you. In fact, that might be better for us now. At least then, it wouldn’t mean that Sapaeryeon has gained a mysterious new force.”
Zhuge Jain bit his lip.
“There is not a single lie in what I’ve told.”
“Hmm.”
Jongli Gok let out a low groan.
So, in the end, it meant that there was a traitor among them.
At that moment, Moyong Wigyeong spoke with a puzzled expression.
“I’m not sure if it’s because I’m foolish, but I don’t understand this whole situation.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Just because unknown enemies appeared, we can’t immediately conclude they are traitors. It could be a third force, unknown to us, that has aligned with them.”
Zhuge Jain let out a deep sigh.
“If that were the case, they wouldn’t have needed to hide their identities. But we clearly saw them making efforts to conceal who they were.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Jongli Gok brought the teacup back to his lips. Discussing further would only be idle talk and a repetition of the same arguments.
“May I ask one more thing?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“How did you fight them?”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“I heard you retreated without significant damage. If it had been an all-out battle, it wouldn’t have ended like that. How many of you directly engaged them?”
Zhuge Jain’s face hardened slightly.
“That is…”
Hesitant, he gauged Jongli Gok’s reaction before reluctantly speaking.
“Ten… No, not even ten.”
Jongli Gok’s hand, which was about to tilt the teacup, suddenly stopped.
“Ten?”
“…Yes.”
“There were over a hundred people. And only ten actually fought. So why were you so sure that all of them were experts?”
“That’s…”
Moyong Wigyeong quickly interjected.
“Didn’t they have an aura? The demeanor of those who have truly learned martial arts. They had that.”
The corners of Jongli Gok’s mouth twisted slightly.
“So, in the end, it just looked that way to you.”
“Oh, no, that’s not exactly what I meant…”
Moyong Wigyeong stammered, trying to explain, but Zhuge Jain kept his mouth tightly shut, saying nothing.
Only now could Jongli Gok roughly guess the situation.
‘It’s reasonable.’
That the enemies were strong was not a lie. But they had only confirmed about ten of them.
There was no way to verify if the others behind those ten were merely there to bolster their numbers with empty bravado.
However, Zhuge Jain did not try to fight the enemy at the cost of sacrifices.
There were two reasons for this.
One was that even if they won against these unknown individuals, the main force would eventually be defeated if their losses were too great.
And the more decisive reason was that they were not passionate enough to risk their lives against these unknown opponents.
‘A traitor…’
Jongli Gok desperately suppressed the laughter that was about to escape. No matter what their identities were, wasn’t it hard to deny the very notion that there was a traitor among them? After all, betrayal isn’t solely about actively drawing a sword.
From the perspective of Beop Jong, who was likely shedding tears of blood, who was the real traitor?
“Sect Leader.”
At the sound of the voice, Jongli Gok set aside his swirling thoughts. This was not the time to dwell on such things. He spoke calmly.
“Then… the scope becomes excessively broad.”
“That means…”
“It means it wouldn’t be difficult if there was intent. If someone had about a hundred people and around ten experts, anyone could be there. For example…”
Jongli Gok let out a peculiar smile.
“Those who can’t be confirmed to be inside those walls right now.”
Zhuge Jain’s face hardened.
“Sect Leader!”
“Or those who are on distant outskirts, known to have not yet been involved in Central Plains’ matters.”
This time, Moyong Wigyeong’s face turned slightly pale.
“Sect Leader, are you saying…”
“Or.”
Jongli Gok spoke calmly.
“Could it not be someone sitting right in front of you now?”
“…”
“…”
Jongli Gok watched the two people, who now seemed to have lost their words, their lips frozen, and let out a small laugh.
“What I mean is, with such conditions, it’s impossible to specify. Anyone could be the traitor.”
“That’s… true.”
“Then how exactly should we deal with this…”
“Well.”
Jongli Gok sighed and drank his tea in one gulp.
“It might sound a bit funny, but I consider myself quite knowledgeable about both Hwasan and Cheonumaeng.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Cheonumaeng… No, Hwasan Sect never seems to follow common sense in situations like this.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t know if it’s a problem with the people or the sect itself.”
Jongli Gok turned his gaze. Beyond the window, the towering Hwasan Mountain stood imposingly, almost irritatingly so. Watching it intently, he let out a faint laugh.
❀ ❀ ❀
The sunset spread like spilled ink, dyeing the entire world red.
Chung Myung’s face, sitting at the entrance of the northern peak of Hwasan, gradually turned red as well.
He stared at the setting sun without moving an inch, when he heard someone approaching from behind.
“There you are.”
Chung Myung turned around without a word.
“People from Hwasan climb the mountains whenever they get a chance. There’s no one else in the world who loves climbing as much as you do. How do you always find time to come here? You’ll have to go down soon anyway.”
Baek Cheon approached, shaking his head with a weary expression, and then sat down next to Chung Myung.
Chung Myung asked.
“What’s the matter?”
“Do I need a reason to come?”
Baek Cheon replied, still looking at the sky that Chung Myung had been watching.
“Just came up to avoid some glaring eyes.”
Chung Myung laughed, as if finding it absurd.
“So you do realize people are sparing you some stares.”
“I do have some sense.”
“I thought you wouldn’t notice with how thick-skinned you are.”
This time, Baek Cheon let out a faint laugh. Baek Cheon was not a traitor. He had only mentioned the possibility of one.
But people are always like that. They find it uncomfortable when someone forces them to face a reality they would rather not acknowledge.
They even point fingers and curse at such a person. Eventually, when the reality is accepted, the atmosphere will change, but until then, he would have to endure the uncomfortable stares for a while.
“So you ran away?”
“Well, it’s more like… I just avoided it for a bit.”
“Why here, of all places?”
“Hmm. I just had a thought.”
Baek Cheon paused for a moment and turned his gaze to look at Chung Myung. A smile played on his lips.
“I thought that the stares I’m getting now are the ones you must have gotten all this time.”
“…”
The sunset quickly darkened into a deep red. A long shadow fell across Chung Myung’s face.
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