Editor: Hoamz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
“Ughhh….”
Jo-Gol, who had let out a pained groan, trudged toward Huayin.
“Aigoo, I’m dying.”
He was almost completely exhausted from having run like mad from that distant Mount Song all the way here. Yet for all that hard running, the Huayin spread out before him was so quiet it was downright still.
“See? There’s nothing wrong.”
“….”
“I told you, since Sasuk went ahead there was no need for us to follow this quickly. Why did you insist on coming all this way from so far!”
“….”
“And besides, if you had to take someone along, I told you to take Soso, but what kind of grudge do you have that you can’t even let a person rest…”
“Gol-ah.”
“Yes?”
“Shut your mouth. Please.”
“Listen. I told you several times. We could just come slowly, right? The high-and-mighty guys will handle everything anyway, geez. Running so hard our feet sweat just to watch…”
“…Gol. I think about this once in a while.”
“What?”
“What it would feel like to shove a sword scabbard into that endlessly chattering mouth of yours.”
“….”
A chill ran down Jo-Gol’s back and he snapped his mouth shut. Seeing that, Yoon Jong smiled kindly.
“I’m just leaving it as a curiosity because it’s not something a Taoist should do, but if I keep listening to what you’re saying, I’m starting to think that it might not be so bad to have an experience that a Taoist shouldn’t, just once.”
Jo-Gol kept his mouth firmly shut and only rolled his eyes.
In the old days, he would have quipped back at least once more, but lately this guy was a bit scary. It was a little chilling to see him shoot daggers from his glare once in a while.
When it became quiet, Yoon Jong let out a deep sigh. Jo-Gol, who had been reading the mood, stealthily asked.
“This is just because I am curious. Just really curious.”
“…What is it?”
“Why did you come in such a hurry? Do you have something in mind?”
Yoon Jong sighed with a weary face. This unyielding tenacity of Jo-Gol’s was something to learn from.
“As you said, there’s probably little we can do. We might just fill the seats at best. We might not even be able to enter the meeting room.”
“That’s what I’m saying. At best, we’re just borrowed sacks of barley, right?”
(H: Equivalent of Scarecrows.)
“That’s why.”
“Huh?”
Yoon Jong said while gazing at Huayin.
“Even if all we can do is play the role of borrowed barley sacks, there might be someone who takes comfort in those barley sacks. There is a clear difference between having someone at your back and not.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Never mind… Just understand it that way.”
Yoon Jong cut his words short and looked around at the familiar… No, the scenery of Huayin, which had changed too much to be called familiar anymore. Night had settled over Huayin and dyed it in quiet.
A small smile appeared on Yoon Jong’s lips.
“Still, thankfully, it seems we didn’t arrive too late.”
His gaze had already moved beyond Huayin toward Mount Hua.
Someone was coming down the high, rugged mountain at tremendous speed.
❀ ❀ ❀
“More importantly, what do you intend to do now?”
Jaegal Zian’s cautious gaze turned to Murong Wigyeong and Jong Nigok.
“…What do you mean by that, Jaegal Gaju?”
When Murong Wigyeong asked again, Jaegal Zian narrowed his eyes.
“I won’t beat around the bush. The situation is clear. Right now, it’s chaotic because of the shocking topic, but once things calm down, they will start to sort out their positions.”
“…What do you mean by ‘sort out’?”
“It means no one will share their flesh with the remnants of defeat.”
Murong Wigyeong’s face hardened slightly.
“Are you saying they might treat us poorly?”
“It is possible. No, it would be strange if such a thing did not happen. They have no reason to care for us, right? We caused a defeat that will remain in history of Kangho, and we returned alive and well from that terrible war.”
“Ahem.”
Murong Wigyeong coughed as if the words made him uncomfortable. But Jaegal Zian stubbornly continued.
“Moreover, the power we have now is nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared to Heavenly Comrade Alliance. If we’re not careful, we could be demoted to a group that only does menial work.”
Murong Wigyeong’s face hardened as he pondered Jaegal Zian’s words.
Although he didn’t think Hyun Jong was that kind of person, Murong Wigyeong also knew this. There are times when one leading a group must make ruthless choices regardless of their personal fairness. He couldn’t not know, being a patriarch himself.
“If so, what do you think we should do, Jaegal Gaju?”
“We must choose. Either leave Heavenly Comrade Alliance and aim to make a comeback.”
Jaegal Zian lowered his voice slightly.
“Or, we too must build power that would make it difficult for them to disregard us.”
As those words ended, Jaegal Zian’s gaze was fixed on Jong Nigok.
“What do you think, Sect Leader?”
“….”
Jong Nigok silently looked down at his half-cooled teacup. Jaegal Zian added, as if to press for an answer.
“If it is Southern Edge Sect along with Murong and Jegal, they certainly couldn’t treat us carelessly. No, perhaps we could even take the leadership of Heavenly Comrade Alliance from them. Their alliance looks solid, but in reality, it’s incredibly loose. While Tang Family might be difficult, with Beggar Union, Namgung, and Hainan, we have past connections, so establishing relations appropriately shouldn’t be hard. If we act based on this…”
Hearing up to here, a small laugh leaked from Jong Nigok’s mouth. Taking it as goodwill, Jaegal Zian’s face brightened slightly.
“Wouldn’t Southern Edge Sect be more than sufficient to lead those sects? If so, rising to a position equal to the Alliance Leader wouldn’t be too difficult either. Southern Edge Sect should naturally do so.”
It was a subtle provocation asking if they would really go under Hyun Jong, with whom relations were uncomfortable. Jong Nigok looked at the cold tea pooled in his cup and thought.
‘It feels familiar.’
Yet it felt somehow new.
In the past, all of these things were close to being everyday occurrences. Even within a single group, one would implicitly define their enemies and define those who would be on their side. You smile to their faces while speaking differently behind their backs, and your mind is always busy searching for chances to reap the greatest gain at any time.
Jong Nigok didn’t really wish to criticize Jaegal Zian.
Before Southern Edge Sect sealed its gate, the one most enthusiastic about such matters had been Jong Nigok himself. Right away, Jong Nigok had created Southern Edge Sect’s status of being in the top three of Ten Great Sects through such factional divisions.
It must be the same for Jaegal Zian. It was simply all he knew. It was merely the sort of thing he has always done.
How could someone who had lived their entire life that way, believing it was right, suddenly change their way of living? They probably didn’t even have the awareness that they needed to change.
“…Sect Leader?”
After Jaegal Zian’s repeated urging, Jong Nigok finally placed his teacup on the table. He then smiled faintly.
“Your words are reasonable. But this doesn’t seem like something to discuss right now. Wouldn’t discussing such matters require sufficient time?”
“Yes, yes. You are right, but… isn’t time the one thing we lack the most right now?”
“Well, that may be true.”
Ironically, Jaegal Zian now gave Jong Nigok a great lesson.
It wasn’t the words themselves that gave the lesson. While feeling discomfort with Jaegal Zian’s intent, Jong Nigok gained enlightenment from his own attempt to gloss over this situation and move on.
‘I too am of the same kind.’
He had thought he had changed quite a bit through the long seclusion, but he too had lived like them all his life. His thoughts and attitudes couldn’t be that different.
What if Jin Geumryong were sitting here instead?
“Kuk, kuk.”
As he pictured it in his head, Jong Nigok let out a laugh without meaning to.
That inflexible Jin Geumryong might have shot back to get lost from his sight right away since their stench was so pungent.
Although the sharp sword-like Jin Geumryong was being uncomfortable at times, now it was hard for Jong Nigok to shake the feeling that it was he himself, rounded off on every edge, who had grown too old.
“In any case, there will be no time to discuss such things right now.”
“Huh? What do you….”
Just then.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking came along with the presence of someone rushing urgently.
“Who is it?”
The door opened and a young man bowed his head.
“Gaju-nim. There’s a request to gather again right now at the hall where we met earlier.”
“…Gather again?”
Jaegal Zian unconsciously turned toward the window. It was pitch dark.
“The sun has already set. No matter how urgent the situation, how can they resume a meeting that was just adjourned at this late hour?”
“I merely received the message, so…”
“Who called it? Is it Maengju-nim?”
“That’s… I was told it was the General.”
“General?”
Was there such a position in Heavenly Comrade Alliance? As if he knew Jaegal Zian’s doubt, Jong Nigok muttered.
“It is Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”
A look of astonishment appeared on Jaegal Zian’s face.
“Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung is the general of Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”
“Yes.”
“No, just what….”
He soon laughed as if absurd.
How can a mere child be worthy of the excessive position of general? No matter how much Kangho favored the strong, this was too much.
“Wait, wait. Does that mean he’s the one summoning us now?”
The absurdity subsided and anger filled its place.
“How great must the position of general of Heavenly Comrade Alliance be, that he commands the leaders of sects to come and go! And in a situation like this…”
But Jaegal Zian’s shouts were cut short before they could even finish. It was because of Jong Nigok, who had risen from his seat.
“…Sect Leader?”
“Since he has called, we must go.”
“S- Sect Leader, just a moment!”
Jaegal Zian was so flustered that he even stammered.
Even if he holds the grand title of general, he was ultimately just a second-class disciple of Mount Hua Sect. How can the esteemed sect leader of Southern Edge Sect move at the call of such a person?
Without even thinking about how ridiculous Southern Edge Sect would look?
“Sect Leader, this is out of line.”
“I think you should understand one thing.”
“…Yes?”
“Heavenly Comrade Alliance I have seen is not a place that cares for such proprieties. If you stay here with that mindset, you will probably be unable to do anything.”
“What does that mean?”
“You will understand if you look over there.”
Jong Nigok gestured toward the open door. Jaegal Zian and Murong Wigyeong’s eyes widened as they saw the scene.
Two people they knew well were running quickly down the main road, even deploying lightness art.
“…Th- Those people.”
“Second-class disciple or whatever, but he’s someone who summons even the Maengju of Heavenly Comrade Alliance and its Vice Leader. So heeding his words isn’t something so shameful.”
The family heads, who were staring as if tracing the steps of Hyun Jong and Tang Gun-ak who had moved into the distance in an instant, unconsciously swallowed dryly.
Jong Nigok looked down at them with amused eyes.
“If you’re going to leave, you’d better hurry. Wouldn’t it be perfect grounds for criticism if guests arrived more leisurely than the hosts?”
He left those words and exited the quarter.
He could feel it. That the key figures of Huayin, who had been scattered in all directions, were quickly gathering in one place.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but just that movement alone felt strangely vital. The Huayin that had felt endlessly subdued just a moment ago.
A smile leaked through Jong Nigok’s lips.
“You there?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Tell Geumryong and Isong Baek to attend the meeting. If anyone stops them, say I told them to let them in.”
“Yes.”
Jong Nigok nodded and kicked the ground.
‘Well then, shall we go and see just how interesting a story it is?’
If there was one thing he had learned through Mount Hua, it was that the future of a sect does not rest in the hands of those drunk on glory. Just that one thing.
