Chapter 1649
Find it quickly, quickly. (3)
Baek Cheon, who had been watching Chung Myung’s rampage totally dazed, suddenly came to his senses.
“We need to stop this! Quickly!”
“Uh…”
“What are you doing, you idiots! Hurry up and stop him…”
“Sasuk.”
“Huh?”
“It’s too late.”
“…What?”
Baek Cheon looked again at the scene before him.
“Oh.”
It was already too late. The words were accurate. What unfolded was the worst… no, perhaps something even more horrific than he could have ever imagined.
Chung Myung’s foot mercilessly struck the face of the martial artist from Moyong family.
“Kwack!”
The man, making a sound of a pig being slaughtered, was sent flying into the crowd of onlookers. They seemed unable to process the situation, standing there dazed.
At that moment, Chung Myung’s gaze fell upon a trembling beggar.
“And this useless beggar!”
“G-General! I didn’t say anything..!”
“If a beggar can’t even sense what’s happening, he deserves to die, you little shit!”
Wham!
Chung Myung swiftly grabbed the beggar’s staff from his waist and brought it down with a single, forceful strike. The beggar, hit on the crown of his head, collapsed without even a scream, convulsing on the spot.
“What? The rules of the Alliance?”
Chung Myung’s eyes darted around, searching for his next target.
“I haven’t seen a single person since I arrived here asking to see the statute of the Alliance. What? According to the rules? Do you even know what the rules of your Alliance are?”
“…”
“Well, then. Just one person come forward. If there’s someone who actually knows what’s written in the rules, I’ll let it go. Just one person, come forward. Right now.”
“Th-that…”
Even those who had been silently sympathizing to the day’s events were now horrified, glancing around nervously. No one stepped up to assert that they fully understood the rules.
Of course.
Cheonumaemg had never properly organized any rules. Since the people who should have been creating the rules were not doing it, how could they claim to know the proper rules when there were none?
“None?”
As Chung Myung pressed, everyone flinched in silence. Chung Myung’s eyes, which had briefly calmed, once again darted with fury.
“Ah, I see. So now I understand why you all deserve to be punished!”
Wham!
Another person was sent soaring through the air.
“Hi… hiick!”
“Come here! Come here, you bastard! Where do you think you’re running off to?”
“G-General! If you do this…”
“If I do what? What are you going to do about it if I do this?”
Chung Myung rampaged like a mad dog, sweeping through the training grounds.
Namgung Dowi, who had been watching helplessly, broke out in cold sweat.
“Shouldn’t we really stop this?”
“…At this point?”
“Well, still…”
Jo Geol, stroking his chin nonchalantly, muttered as if discussing something completely unrelated.
“This was a common sight in the old days.”
“…Indeed.”
“It has certainly been rare lately.”
“That’s true.”
Jo Geol and Yoon Jong seemed almost calm, as if they had long accepted the situation. Namgung Dowi, flustered, turned to Baek Cheon.
“Vice Sect Leader, we have to do something to stop this…”
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon, seemingly deep in thought, eventually nodded.
“I’ve been considering it…”
“Yes?”
“It’s right to stop it before it happens, but since it’s already happening, wouldn’t it be better to let it run its course and be certain?”
“…Yes?”
“There must be some intention behind this. He is not a child.”
“That’s complete nonsense…”
“Argh!”
At that moment, someone, having received a direct kick to the jaw from Chung Myung, was sent soaring through the air with a scream.
“So refreshing. I feel so relieved.”
Namgung Dowi was left speechless at Baek Cheon’s seemingly indifferent reaction.
‘These insane Hwasan people…’
How could they respond this way while witnessing such a scene? It was incomprehensible if they were in their right minds.
“This is a sight of the General of Cheonumaeng beating his own members. This is something that should never happen, no matter where or when.”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like the person who was brandishing a sword and opposing the Alliance’s rules would have much to say about that.”
“I-I’m in a slightly different position…”
Namgung Dowi’s voice faltered slightly, as if feeling the sting of criticism.
“Why make a fuss now? Is it acceptable for the third generation disciple to smash the second generation disciple’s head?”
“…And what about Hwasan beating up members of Namgung clan?”
“At least it’s just Namgung clan. There was even a time when Hye Yeon, a monk from Shaolin, was mocked by a drawing on his head. In fact, Chung Myung’s reaction is quite moderate from his perspective.”
Namgung Dowi blinked in surprise.
‘Come to think of it…’
Chung Myung was ‘that’ kind of person. It had only just come back to him, having been momentarily forgotten amidst the recent matters of importance.
“Still… no matter what… I don’t think he should go that far”
“Young Lord Namgung, think carefully. It’s always been like this. It would be stranger if that guy only did things he was allowed to.”
“Well…”
Hearing that, Namgung Dowi found it somewhat convincing and, confused, nodded in agreement.
However, not everyone accepted this reasoning like Namgung Dowi.
“What is going on here?”
Zhuge Yeon, who had been kicked and was now picking himself up from the ground, gritted his teeth. Chung Myung, having just grabbed someone else by the collar and started punching him, glanced over at Zhuge Yeon with mild interest.
“What’s that now?”
“The General of Cheonumaeng using violence! Is this acceptable?”
“Yeah.”
“…Yes?”
“It is.”
Zhuge Yeon’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“It’s acceptable? What kind of nonsense is that? Who decides that?”
“I do.”
“…What?”
Zhuge Yeon’s face went blank as he tried to retort sharply. Chung Myung spoke again, his tone indifferent.
“I decide. Why?”
“…”
“But this guy really gets on my nerves.”
Chung Myung then flung the person he had been beating up towards Zhuge Yeon. Startled, Zhuge Yeon instinctively stepped back to avoid the thrown figure.
Thud.
The thrown individual hit the ground badly, and Chung Myung clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Such a bastard with no principles. At least catch the person.”
“Ah, no. You’re the one who threw him…”
“I’m the General here, you idiot. So I decide. Or do you want to make the decisions?”
Zhuge Yeon’s mouth shut again. Looking around, he saw that no one seemed ready to support him.
Perhaps that was to be expected.
If the opponent only had arguments, one could argue back; if only authority, one could resist; if only power, everyone could band together and fight. But facing someone who embodied arguments, authority, and power all in one was daunting.
Yet Zhuge Yeon could not easily back down now.
“Are you saying the General can decide things however he wants?”
“Well, that’s what I’m doing. Did something go wrong?”
Chung Myung ambled toward Zhuge Yeon. Alarmed, Zhuge Yeon instinctively took a few steps back.
“Cheonumaeng is a coalition of Just Sects. How can a superior set rules allowing them to beat subordinates just on a whim?”
Chung Myung snorted at Zhuge Yeon’s words.
“That’s a ridiculous thing to say. I’m not some back-alley thug, and such rules don’t even make sense.”
“Y-Yes! Then you must realize that what you’ve done is an abuse of power and a wrongful act!”
“Shut up.”
Chung Myung sneered before Zhuge Yeon could finish speaking.
“This guy’s really running his mouth. Hey, do you think I’m beating you up just because I don’t like you?”
“Then is there another reason?”
“Disobedience.”
“…What?”
“Disobedience to the rightful leader. What other reason could there be?”
“D-Disobedience?!”
Zhuge Yeon’s gaze momentarily shifted to Hye Yeon, whose face had gone pale. With a twisted expression, Zhuge Yeon shouted.
“We only discussed the fact that the unfair directive was unreasonable! How could that be considered disobedience…”
“Oh, that is disobedience.”
“Yes? Why…”
“Why?”
The smile vanished from Chung Myung’s face, who had been grinning up to this point.
With a swift motion, Chung Myung closed the distance in a blink and grabbed Zhuge Yeon by the throat.
“Ugh…”
“You seem to be under some kind of misunderstanding.”
Chung Myung looked down at him with cold eyes. Zhuge Yeon, unable to resist or even respond, could only tremble uncontrollably.
“Do you know what wartime is?”
“…”
“You seem to have read some books about military affairs, so you must understand what wartime is and what disobedience entails. Recite it for me. What should someone who is not the leader do during a war?”
“Ugh…”
Zhuge Yeon’s eyes quivered uncontrollably.
“During a war, the confusion caused by minor dissent outweighs any small advantages it might bring. That’s why there are special rules for such situations, you idiot.”
Chung Myung’s killing intent pierced through Zhuge Yeon.
“What? Is it twisting your gut that a younger person is giving orders from above? Do you think you’re more righteous and remarkable? Would you feel better if everyone prioritized and followed your words?”
“T-That…”
“Then prove your worth on the battlefield, you brat. Stop just flapping your mouth.”
Bam!
Chung Myung flung Zhuge Yeon aside carelessly.
“Cough! Cough!”
Zhuge Yeon clutched his throat, coughing violently as if he might vomit his lungs. Chung Myung, having looked down at him like on an insect, now turned his gaze to the others. Terrified, they quickly averted their eyes.
“You’re all the same. Did you think that by creating the right atmosphere among yourselves, you could easily toy with one young person?”
“G-General… it’s not like that…”
“Even if you didn’t personally think so, you must have considered that it would make things easier, right?”
No one responded.
It was undeniable that no one had actively defended Hye Yeon, and Chung Myung’s words contributed to that.
Chung Myung declared coldly.
“Don’t be deluded.”
“…”
“The reason we established divisions and appointed division leaders and vice-leaders is not to cater to your complaints. It’s to ensure that anyone who disobeys is dealt with decisively, even if it means severing their head to create a properly functioning unit.”
Chung Myung’s gaze shifted to the vice-leaders gathered, causing them to flinch and lower their heads.
“Indulgence ends here.”
“…”
“From now on, anyone who defies a division leader or a vice-leader, regardless of the reason, will be punished. Remember this clearly. The sect no longer exists. That means…”
Chung Myung’s voice sounded like a growl of a wild beast.
“Now there will be no place to blindly protect the wrongdoings you have committed. Becoming part of the Alliance means that your rewards and punishments will be solely overseen by the Alliance.”
The voice penetrated everyone’s ears with startling clarity and coldness. Even the martial artists from other divisions who had gathered to watch the scene flinched, hunching their shoulders.
“If anyone wants to test whether this is a mere threat or a reality, go ahead. A demonstration would be quite convenient for me. I’ll show you clearly that the General of the Alliance does not speak in vain.”
As Chung Myung’s words ended, a heavy silence fell, so thick that it was hard to even take a deep breath. Everyone, unsure of what to do, stared at the ground.
At that moment, someone pushed through the crowd.
A path was cleared left and right, and soon the person emerged. Instantly, the faces of the instigators, including Zhuge Yeon, turned pale.
Clomp.
It was the Poison King, Tang Gunak.
He, who led the division alongside the vice-leader Hye Yeon, surveyed everyone with a cold expression before slowly speaking.
“I would appreciate it if someone could explain what has happened here.”
His blade-like voice fell over everyone like a chilling shadow.
“Leave nothing out. All of it.”
Those who felt the spreading anger of the Poison King closed their eyes in resignation.
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