C1736. Can They Endure It? (1)
Reading a person's mind is a difficult task.
Ho Gakmyung thought so. It wasn't even necessary to mention the old saying about the depth of the water.
Especially when the person in front of him was someone whose inner thoughts were particularly hard to discern. Maybe it was because of the red bandages covering his face, or maybe it was his red eyes that revealed nothing of what he was thinking.
But Ho Gakmyung believed that the main reason he couldn't understand these people was because of their 'origin'.
The Blood Palace.
They were different. Very different.
They didn't follow the rules of any martial sect, and although they were foreigners, they lived in a completely different way from other foreign sects. What frustrated Ho Gakmyung the most was that he couldn't understand what goal they were pursuing.
According to what he knew, the Blood Palace was a kind of religion. In the past, they were even called the Blood Cult.
This made them even harder to understand.
Most religions in the world share two common goals. One is to follow and understand the will of their deity, and the other is to spread that will.
But Ho Gakmyung couldn't understand the Blood Palace in this aspect. They presented themselves as a religion, but they didn't evangelize. They simply lived in remote places following their own doctrines.
Therefore, it was impossible to know. What is the goal of a religious leader who doesn't evangelize? Where is he heading with each breath, each step, each thought?
Someone might say there's nothing strange about this, that such a religion could exist. But then a new question would arise.
"Why have they returned to the world?"
There was no way to resolve this question. The leader of the Blood Palace, who seemed like a withered tree, gave no hint of communication.
'Can we figure it out?'
Even if it were Jang Ilso, his master, could he discover the intentions of this man?
While Ho Gakmyung pondered this, Jang Ilso began to speak with his peculiar nasal tone.
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso looked at the leader of the Blood Palace with palpable interest in his eyes.
"What do you think?"
"......"
"Coming out of that dark and dirty cave, is the outside world so much fun?"
The red bandages covering the leader of the Blood Palace's face moved slightly at these words.
"It could be. But... in that case, you should know that you might have to return to that dirty cave at any moment."
The red eyes of the leader of the Blood Palace shone with a faint blood light as he looked at Jang Ilso. But Jang Ilso didn't stop talking.
"You know."
Jang Ilso laughed.
"Anyway, there's no other path. Now, even that dirty cave is no longer safe for you."
"I know. Just as you say."
At that moment, a voice that seemed to scrape iron came from the leader of the Blood Palace. His voice was deeper and heavier than before.
"There is no other way."
The leader of the Blood Palace's eyes, emanating a red light, fixed on Jang Ilso, who was smiling amusedly.
"I admit we haven't been helpful so far."
"Straight to the point."
"But that will change from now on."
"......"
Jang Ilso looked at the leader of the Blood Palace in silence.
After a long while, Jang Ilso nodded.
"I'll believe you."
"......"
"You may go."
The leader of the Blood Palace turned and left the tent without a moment's hesitation.
"......"
Ho Gakmyung, somewhat perplexed, looked at Jang Ilso.
"Ryeonju."
Hadn't he brought the leader of the Blood Palace here to figure out his intentions? What could he have discovered with this brief conversation?
"Hmm."
Before Ho Gakmyung could express his confusion, Jang Ilso reclined in his chair.
"Interesting."
"Ryeonju, what...?"
"Hm?"
Jang Ilso tilted his head back and looked at Ho Gakmyung. His red lips curved into a strange smile.
"What's the matter, Gakmyung?"
"Weren't you trying to understand that man's intentions?"
"Indeed."
"Then why...?"
"Boy, boy. Why do you say such obvious things?"
Jang Ilso lifted his cup in front of him.
"Words have no meaning. They are always mixed with falsehoods."
Jang Ilso looked at the cup filled with liquor. A strong aroma of alcohol emanated from it.
"But there are things that cannot be hidden. Like the aroma of a clear liquor that looks like water."
"What did you see?"
"It disappeared."
"Disappeared? What do you mean?"
Jang Ilso laughed. It was hard to explain.
"Well. Should I say that the desperation shown by people trapped in a swamp has disappeared?"
"......"
"That has disappeared."
"Does that mean they solved their problem?"
"Maybe."
Jang Ilso's eyes gleamed with a malicious light. It seemed to mock the whole world.
"Do you know when a person suffering from fear gets rid of that fear?"
"...I don't know."
"There are two cases. One, when the source of the fear disappears."
"......"
"The other is... when they no longer need to fear."
Jang Ilso's eyes grew cold.
"Don't worry. It doesn't seem like they have other plans. Rather, it seems like what they plan doesn't go against what we plan."
Ho Gakmyung's face hardened slightly.
If he interpreted it, it meant that even if they had other intentions, they should let it go for now. But Ho Gakmyung knew that letting it go would only make the situation worse.
"You know that, right?"
"......"
"Someday, that infected wound might turn into a great trap that will strangle your neck."
"I know."
Jang Ilso slowly drank the liquor from his cup.
"Perfect."
The strong aroma of the alcohol filled his mouth. It was as burning and dizzying as if he had swallowed poison.
"Instead of..."
"You know, Ho Gakmyung."
"......"
"Even if you have a poisoned arrow in your arm, if the enemy is in front of you, there's no time to pull it out and treat the wound. Even if you have to cut off that arm later, you have to fight first."
"Isn't there a way to cut it off beforehand?"
"Then the enemy would kill me. A man with one less arm would be an easy opponent."
Ho Gakmyung let out a brief sigh.
He knew that Jang Ilso was right.
Everything is a mess.
The Hao Sect, the Southern Sea Sun Palace, the Blood Palace, all have different thoughts. Although he had united them under the name of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, that connection was so weak it could break at any moment.
But Ho Gakmyung also knew this.
War is like that. As victories and defeats accumulate, animosity between them only grows. War advances by swallowing all of that.
Only...
"It's lucky to have liquor, don't you think?"
"Ryeonju."
Ho Gakmyung tried to console Jang Ilso. He knew that although Jang Ilso seemed relaxed and carefree, the weight he carried in this situation was not light.
But the words that came out of Jang Ilso's mouth surprised him.
"The nauseating smell of those pigs can be hidden a bit."
"......"
Ho Gakmyung looked at Jang Ilso with an astonished expression.
Nothing has changed.
Even in this situation... this man is like this. He felt ashamed for having harbored, even for a moment, a weakness.
"But, Gakmyung."
"Yes, Ryeonju."
"Aren't you used to it?"
Jang Ilso smiled softly as he looked at Ho Gakmyung.
"......"
Ho Gakmyung, after a moment, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yes, you're right."
Yes. He's used to it.
Seeing those miserable people fight over scraps. Seeing how they wait for the opportunity to stab their companions in the back. And knowing how to fight and laugh amidst all those enemies.
For those who had climbed from the lowest of the Evil Faction, none of this was new. It was just fun to see how the same thing happened in the midst of all this.
But he could also understand it.
He didn't know why, but it was like that in the past too. The more the war intensified, the more despicable people became.
"It's nothing new. No matter how powerful a leader is in Kangho, in the end, they are no more than big pigs."
"......"
"As long as you don't loosen the leash... they won't show their fangs until the war is over."
It's true.
But Ho Gakmyung also knew what was behind those words. Controlling and managing these individuals during such a great war was an exhausting task.
The occasional shadow on Jang Ilso's pale face showed it.
But they have to endure it. War advances by swallowing filth. Whoever doesn't endure until the end loses. Jang Ilso and Ho Gakmyung knew that.
"There's nothing to worry about."
"Excuse me?"
Jang Ilso suddenly smiled at him.
"It's not that I'm invulnerable. I could fall at any moment."
Jang Ilso drank the liquor in his cup in one gulp.
There were already many poisoned daggers pointing at his back. If he showed the slightest weakness, those daggers would pierce him mercilessly.
But he couldn't get rid of them. If he did, he would never achieve what he wanted.
Advance.
Advance as if those daggers didn't exist was the way of those who aspired to be the rulers of the world.
"But it's nothing to worry about."
"......"
"War is simple. It doesn't need to be perfect. You just have to be a little better than the enemy."
Jang Ilso's eyes turned somber.
"The swamp of war is fair to everyone."
They were trapped in a swamp of reality and ambition. The more they struggled, the more they would sink.
And them?
They were also in a swamp, but not the same one as Jang Ilso, but one of ideals.
"Do you think they will collapse on their own?"
"Maybe."
Jang Ilso smiled.
"It won't be easy."
"......"
"But remember. Things like them don't fall by the sword. They can die laughing even with a sword stuck in their neck. But..."
Jang Ilso's eyes shone coldly.
"When they find out that their ideals are worthless... they collapse surprisingly easily."
"......"
"For something so trivial."
Jang Ilso's eyes held a void and a passion at the same time.
"Can they escape? Can they endure seeing the symbol of their contradiction collapse?"
Jang Ilso laughed.
"It's a shame. It would be more fun to share a drink with them."
Jang Ilso lifted his cup. He drank slowly. In that sip was the taste of confrontation with the Mount Hua’s Chivalrous Sword.
--------------
At that very moment...
A man with a gaze containing a similar void and passion as Jang Ilso observed the people in front of him.
Baek Cheon.
His lips moved slowly.
"Baek Cheon, the Great Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect."
"......"
"Greets the Great Sect Leader."
A suffocating tension filled the grand hall.
