Chapter 1631
Before everything disappears. (1)
Drip drip drip.
At a glance, the expensive jade cup was filled with amber-colored wine. It seemed incongruous with the otherwise ordinary room.
The wine, renowned throughout the world, overflowed, its aroma unmistakably revealing its excellence.
Drip drip drip.
Even after the cup was full, the wine continued to pour, eventually spilling over onto the tray.
A few observers cast uneasy glances, their anxiety vicid. It was a clear sign of tension.
An elderly man, who had been sweating nervously without realizing it, cautiously addressed the one holding the wine bottle.
“Palace… Lord…”
Clang!
As if his voice had been a signal, the man’s grip on the wine bottle shattered it into pieces, scattering fragments everywhere.
“P-Palace Lord!”
The old man cried out in horror. However, the expression of the person responsible for this situation did not change in the slightest.
“How many days has it been since the battle ended?”
The man, who had been silently staring at his hand soaked with the trickling liquor, roughly grabbed the cup.
“The blood has boiled to its limit, and the victory has been secured perfectly. Yet… all I’m doing is drowning in alcohol, holed up in this shabby room.”
“…I apologize, Palace Lord.”
“It’s laughable, my state. This is not why I came all the way here.”
The man’s eyes, Jin Pyeong, the Lord of the Southern Sea Sun Palace, twisted menacingly.
There was not a single thing he liked about this.
He was like this cup. Just as the cup did not belong in this shabby room, he too was not a person to remain in such a place. If he were not meant to rampage fiercely across the vast lands of the Central Plains, there was no reason for him to come all this way.
Yet, here he was, the one who lived like a king in the Southern Sea, now wasting time in this shabby hut! How much would the royal family, who expected him to trample upon Central Plains, laugh at him if they knew this?
The Sun Palace Lord emptied the cup in one go.
The aroma of the liquor filled his mouth, but he was too enraged to properly taste it.
“Is this sluggishness the way of the Central Plains?”
The more he thought about it, the less he understood.
The one who achieved a great victory was holed up in a room doing God knows what, and the one who suffered a great defeat was holed up in his own base, endlessly contemplating death!
Of course, it is often said that a period of peace follows a great battle, but this could not even be called peace in his eyes.
It was nothing more than irresponsible silence. Nothing more, nothing less.
The old man, trying hard not to agitate his extremely uneasy mood, spoke up.
“It’s natural to feel frustrated, Palace Lord.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Although the forces of the Central Plains are stronger than those of Linyi, that only applies when comparing countries and regions. How many of them can match you, Palace Lord?”
“…”
“It is only natural and appropriate that the actions of these lesser men do not meet your expectations. So please do not be too frustrated. The enemy, after all, are nothing more than survivors of petty infighting among the inferior. Just because they possess strength and fame does not mean they can discuss matters with any depth.”
Sweet words.
Indeed, their value lies solely in that. Normally, Jin Pyeong would have soon been appeased by these words and burst out laughing. After all, what would those lowly men from the Evil Sects or the foolish Just Sects know to satisfy his eyes?
But now, he could not even joke about such things.
Perhaps it was because he knew his current situation was no different from this cup of liquor. Though he occupied a place where he did not belong, he could do nothing himself, just like a cup waiting for someone to pour liquor into it.
The eyes of the Sun Palace Lord sank heavily.
– What a good child.
The cup of liquor trembled slightly.
A good child. Had he ever heard such words in his life?
Born into royalty, even as a child who could barely speak, he was revered by everyone. Had he not entered the Sun Palace, he would have undoubtedly seized a position of great power and nobility.
And yet, for the Sun Palace Lord to be addressed as such by a mere commoner…
“Palace Lord. There is no need to concern yourself with them. They are ignorant now, but…”
“…Shut up.”
“Soon, even they will recognize how brilliant and great you are, and they will lower their lowly heads in submission…”
Bang!
At that moment, a loud explosion sent the old man rolling backwards.
Thud. Thud.
The jade cup fell to the floor. Instead of the amber liquor it had held moments before, it was now smeared with a red liquid.
Gnash.
The Sun Palace Lord ground his teeth so hard it was clearly audible.
“I told you to shut that mouth.”
Terrified by his unmistakable killing intent, those around him quickly bowed their heads, trembling at the thought of meeting his gaze.
With trembling hands, the Sun Palace Lord wiped his face.
‘Paegun…’
In his entire life, had anyone ever humiliated him this much?
What was even more humiliating in this situation was that despite Jang Ilso’s incomprehensible actions, he could not even go and rebuke him.
Why?
The Sun Palace had never bowed to Sapaeryeon. Even if they had surrendered, they would not have lost their right to speak to the extent of being unable to utter a single word in such an abnormal situation.
So why was he silently hiding here? Why?
The Sun Palace Lord groaned. He was angry and also despairing.
Because he knew the answer all too well, better than anyone else.
“Bring more liquor.”
“…”
“Right now!”
“Yes! Yes, Palace Lord!”
Those who had been bowing their heads scrambled towards the door in fear. Competing to be the first to leave, they hurriedly flung open the door. And at that very moment.
“Ah!”
Everyone froze in place. A person was standing in the doorway.
“Pae…”
Dressed in splendid red robes, a face so white it seemed like the powder would come off if touched, ebony hair, light-colored eyes, and lips so red they were almost sinister.
Facing Jang Ilso up close, they froze like a group of mice encountering a snake. His dark, sunken eyes scanned the people standing before him.
“Hmm.”
A low, nasal sound escaped from his slightly parted lips.
“Could you step aside?”
But no one moved. Although they heard the words, they did not process them as a directive. It was only fear.
As Jang Ilso slightly furrowed his brows, a voice came from behind.
“Let him through.”
At the sound of the Sun Palace Lord’s voice, they snapped out of their daze and looked back. Then, they quickly moved aside, making way for Jang Ilso. Soon, Jang Ilso slowly entered the room along the open path.
Creak. Creak. Splash.
His red silk shoes stepped on the floor and soon landed in a puddle of liquor mixed with blood. Jang Ilso glanced at the fallen cup and the person lying seemingly lifeless on the floor, then shook his head.
“My, my… How violent.”
His gaze then turned to the Sun Palace Lord.
“Feeling suffocated, are we?”
“Thanks to someone.”
The reply was curt.
“Yes, that would be expected. But… should you take out that frustration on your subordinates? Tsk tsk. Pathetic.”
The Sun Palace Lord clenched his fist tightly.
Whether intentional or simply due to his very nature, every word and expression from this man turned his stomach.
“Perhaps. But coming from someone who, despite securing victory, wastes time indulging in lust, it seems ill-fitting.”
“Hmm?”
At the Sun Palace Lord’s retort, Jang Ilso’s eyes gleamed wickedly. A chilling killing intent flashed across them. But in this moment, the Sun Palace Lord met his gaze without backing down an inch.
However, Jang Ilso’s eyes soon softened. The curve of his smile seemed both mocking and provocative.
“Women and wine [주색(酒色)]… No, no. You should call it ‘enjoying the finer things [풍류(風流)] in life.’ Doesn’t that sound more refined?”
The Sun Palace Lord found himself biting his lips unconsciously.
It would have been better if Jang Ilso had openly expressed his anger and hostility. But now, Jang Ilso kept smiling, as if the Sun Palace Lord wasn’t worth his effort. It was like an adult dealing with a naive child, not even bothering to engage in a direct confrontation.
Such a gaze was unfamiliar to him. No, it was something he could never become accustomed to, and shouldn’t.
“It seems you have a lot of complaints about me. So… what would our esteemed Palace Lord have wanted?”
The corners of the Sun Palace Lord’s eyes twitched.
“Do you ask because you don’t know?”
“Would I ask if I knew?”
The Sun Palace Lord found himself unable to respond.
He could understand the retreat – it was a wise decision.
But the enemy had suffered a great defeat, and their command structure had collapsed. In such a situation, it was only natural to press the attack during this vulnerable moment.
Because of Jang Ilso’s inexplicable seclusion, Sapaeryeon had squandered the opportunity to secure a perfect victory.
Yet, the reason the Sun Palace Lord remained silent was because he knew Jang Ilso was undoubtedly aware of this fact as well.
As the Sun Palace Lord bit down on his lips, Jang Ilso let out a low chuckle.
“Victory… There’s no need to worry. The advantage hasn’t disappeared as you fear. In fact, you might say we’ve now got an even better chance at securing a perfect victory.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Do you want to know?”
Jang Ilso took a step closer to the Sun Palace Lord.
At that moment, Jin Pyeong felt as though his breath was being cut off.
‘This man… something…’
He’s different. Something has definitely changed since the last time.
He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but the sense of intimidation from Jang Ilso now was far beyond what it had been before.
How could he describe it? If the previous Jang Ilso had been a man smiling with a dagger hidden within his robe, the current Jang Ilso seemed to be pressing that dagger right against his throat. The tension of knowing a single misstep could result in his head being severed made every muscle in his body tense.
“It’s not difficult to tell you. But first, there’s something I need to confirm.”
“What… is it?”
“What do you want?”
The cryptic words filled the Sun Palace Lord’s eyes with suspicion.
“Tell me what you want. Then I’ll tell you how to get it. In return… you just have to give me something very small.”
“Ryeonju…”
“We don’t have time.”
Those words brought a very brief silence to the room. A fleeting, strange stillness that made it seem as if time had stopped.
And in that moment, the Sun Palace Lord saw it. The eerie, raw ferocity in Jang Ilso’s face that always wore a sly smile. A chilling killing intent that seemed capable of cutting through anything his eyes landed on.
“We must hurry now. Before everything disappears. Before everything you and I need collapse.”
“Ryeonju…”
“Isn’t it better this way? You don’t need to worry about what’s behind you anymore. There’s nothing to lose, even if you lose everything, isn’t that right? Haha. Hahahaha. Hahahahaha!”
As Jang Ilso’s words poured out rapidly, the Sun Palace Lord’s face turned pale.
‘What on earth is this man…?’
Jang Ilso was laughing, his face unusually white, looking precarious and somewhat anxious.
He looked at the Sun Palace Lord as if he were licking him with his eyes.
“Come on, say it. You must be the one to fire the starting cannon.”
The Sun Palace Lord’s mouth slowly opened, as if entranced.
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes grew very heavy as he watched the entire scene standing in the doorway.
Comments