Chapter: 772
The sun still had time to linger before nightfall.
Slowly, lights began to flicker on around the residence, as the sky summoned the hues of a sunset in anticipation of the moon’s arrival.
As a cool breeze started to whisper hints of autumn, a small storage shed nestled on one side of the residence held several figures within.
Each one of them possessed a unique personality—there wasn’t a single overlap.
Their genders, their martial arts, and even their clothing patterns were disparate, yet they shared a singular source of pain.
That was having one person in charge of them all.
They moved solely at the command of that one individual.
The moment an order was issued, no matter what it was, they had no choice but to obey.
This gathering was yet another manifestation of that command, and among those who received such orders was a woman with short black hair commonly referred to as Bong-soon, casting her gaze toward a man stationed in the corner.
Ugh… ugh…
A muffled sound reverberated through the space.
It was a moan creeping out from somewhere shadowed along the wall.
If he were to stand properly, he would likely touch the ceiling of the room—a massive figure.
With colossal muscles, he might truly be the strongest among those gathered here.
Even Bong-soon was convinced she would lose in a fight against him.
Ugh… heuuu…
That same man was lying face down on the floor, trembling as he pressed his head into the ground.
From what she heard, he had been like that for two whole days.
Judging by the way he was sweating profusely, it seemed he had his energy sealed away.
There he was, still bowing his head to the floor on the second day.
It was a sight agonizing enough to conjure pain just by imagining it, yet none of the onlookers felt an ounce of pity for him.
In fact, feeling sorry for him would seem to be an offense in itself.
Above that shivering man sat a young man.
As long as he was there, it was utterly impossible for anyone to feel sorry.
Swallow.
Bong-soon gulped nervously while observing him.
‘…Scary.’
She was scared.
Although typically brave, nothing frightened Bong-soon more than the current situation.
The master she served.
The man who rescued her and would one day plant his seeds in her.
The so-called master of the cult was the cause.
‘Master… Why, why are you angry?’
Bong-soon had to swallow once more to hide her trembling hands.
And she wasn’t alone.
Everyone in that room kept a keen eye on him.
He often wore a scowl when angry or sported a face full of irritation, but this time felt different.
Instead, he wore a blank expression.
That young man’s face conveyed nothing as he sat atop Dangdeok, the man being punished.
A face devoid of emotion.
It looked unbothered, yet reality was entirely different.
Everyone gathered could sense their survival instincts going haywire.
‘The master… the master is furious.’
That was rage.
The power seeping from his stoic face consumed the space, crafting a shroud of darkness as if it devoured all light.
It was hard to breathe.
What on earth could have happened to make him this angry? A constricting pain gripped her throat.
Lost in this surreal mist, Bong-soon recalled.
‘This… feels exhilarating…’
…a sensation she found somewhat delightful.
A thrill that could very well lead to danger if she indulged further. That extremely charged atmosphere was intoxicating her even more.
Huff! Huff!
Just then, on the brink of becoming addicted to this bizarre feeling, the young man turned his attention to the struggling Dangdeok.
“Feeling rough?”
“Ah… no… I’m fine…”
“Good, you shouldn’t be having a tough time.”
Chirp.
A smile broke onto his face, immediately sending shivers down everyone’s spines.
“A guy who doesn’t even listen properly shouldn’t be struggling, right? Right?”
“…I’m sorry…”
“Sorry? No need for that. I’m sure you didn’t listen to what didn’t need to be heard.”
Crash!
“Cough….”
A sudden weight seemed to crash down, causing Dangdeok to exhale sharply.
“The esteemed Evil One doesn’t need to hear anything from me, right? That’s right?”
Gaaah…!
“I instructed you to finish it and prepare to join me, but you lost yourself in the fun of fighting? You think that’s an excuse, huh? How could you believe I’d set you up to fight?”
“…I’m… sorry… about that…”
Now even his arms began to tremble.
Watching those massive arms quiver was a sight to behold.
As he continued to bear down on Dangdeok with oppressive power, the young man suddenly spoke up.
“Hey.”
“Uh… uh… yes…”
Goo Yangcheon addressed Cheol Ji-seon, who stood nearby. At that point, Dangdeok was still in agony.
“Hypothetically speaking, I’m just asking.”
“…What is it?”
“What if we were to eliminate Hwangbo Se-ga in this situation? Would that create some issues?”
“…Huh…?”
Had he heard that correctly? Cheol Ji-seon’s expression contorted in disbelief.
“What do you mean?”
“Just as I said. What if we were to think about discarding Hwangbo Se-ga?”
“…”
In the current situation, excluding Hwangbo seemed impossible.
Even considering the thought of discarding it…
His contemplation quickly found its conclusion.
In fact, he knew the answer from the moment he heard it.
“…It wouldn’t be easy, would it?”
It would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.
If they went this far to prepare the situation and then tried to cast aside Hwangbo… he couldn’t even grasp where to begin changing things.
Yet.
“Do you have some plan in mind?”
Cheol Ji-seon trusted Gu Yangcheon more than anything.
That guy never made statements without a reasonable cause, so it had to be true this time too.
He firmly believed it.
“Not really.”
“…?”
Cheol Ji-seon was bewildered by this response.
“I had a misunderstanding that made me a bit irritated. I was pondering whether to wipe everything clean.”
“What do you mean…?”
Is he out of his mind? Cheol Ji-seon was left speechless, barely managing to restrain his urge to speak.
“No, forget it. I was only half-joking.”
“…”
That was half the truth.
Did he genuinely not comprehend how chilling that sounded?
“By any chance, is your anger related to Hwangbo?”
“Hm?”
At Cheol Ji-seon’s query, Gu Yangcheon wore a peculiar expression.
“What are you talking about? I’m not angry.”
“…?”
“…?”
“Ugh….”
It was painfully obvious.
The collective thought of everyone in that room echoed this realization.
It seemed he was entirely oblivious.
To how deeply his emotions flowed and how intense they were.
Should she inform him?
After a moment’s indecision, Cheol Ji-seon shook his head internally.
‘If I say the wrong thing, I’ll get hit.’
From past experience, he definitely knew that digging into this would only end in his own demise.
For now, pretending to be ignorant was the best course of action.
With that resolve, Cheol Ji-seon swallowed dryly.
Just then.
“Oh right, is this alright?”
Gu Yangcheon posed a question, catching Cheol Ji-seon off guard.
“What do you mean?”
“About the Zhuge family being captured this time. You know, right?”
“Ah…”
It was only after the explanation that followed that Cheol Ji-seon finally grasped what Gu Yangcheon meant.
The descendants of the Zhuge family had opposed the alliance; he was aware of how Gu Yangcheon leveraged that attack.
Gu Yangcheon was inquiring if that was really okay.
“What does it matter?”
Cheol Ji-seon responded with a somewhat frigid stare.
“They aren’t the real ones. It doesn’t matter how it ends up.”
“Hmm.”
That was a starkly cold and dry answer.
Cheol Ji-seon’s utterance elicited a slight nod from Gu Yangcheon.
The strategy involved using the first horse as bait.
Before bringing this up, Gu Yangcheon had consulted Cheol Ji-seon in advance.
He had anticipated mentioning the Zhuge family depending on the circumstances, and he intended to touch on the descendants of the Zhuge family in doing so.
He had also asked whether using this strategy was acceptable, knowing that public perception of the Zhuge family might worsen as a consequence.
In response, Cheol Ji-seon had asked a single question.
Would the promise to restore the Zhuge family’s honor remain unchanged?
Listening to that, Gu Yangcheon had nodded in affirmation.
In no more than three years, he vowed to restore the Zhuge clan’s reputation to its former glory.
“Be sure to keep that promise.”
“That’s a given.”
As he affirmed it, Gu Yangcheon studied Cheol Ji-seon.
‘They aren’t the real ones.’
Those fellows weren’t real.
That statement unsettled him deeply.
‘In my previous life, they served as the escort corps for Chun Yu-rang ah.’
What was once understood became a source of doubt in this era.
It turned out that Pilduma belonged to the Zhuge family.
Chun Yu-rang ah was likewise involved, raising questions about whether this connection could genuinely be coincidental.
‘In a context where Cheol Ji-seon appeared to care little about whether Pilduma lives or dies…’
Cheol Ji-seon was quite soft-hearted, possessing some degree of sympathy.
He was so gentle that he bore a flicker of guilt even for the death of a complete stranger.
Given that he seemed unaffected by Pilduma’s fate,
‘It would have to be because it was someone he disliked.’
Why on earth would Zhuge descendants harbor disdain for other descendants?
‘Shin Ui and Jeagal Hyuk were similar.’
Both as much as they shared the same disdain for Pilduma, making Cheol Ji-seon firmly believe there had to be a reason.
‘I must look into it.’
I would have to investigate it soon enough.
Since I had a few things to learn regarding that character, it seemed wise to act right after this matter settled.
Deciding thus,
Gu Yangcheon took a letter from his belongings and handed it to Cheol Ji-seon.
“What’s this?”
“I received it from the alliance earlier.”
Once confirming it was from the Murim Alliance, Cheol Ji-seon immediately took it and unfolded it.
At that moment.
“What the…!?”
Cheol Ji-seon’s eyes shot wide open in surprise after reading the contents.
His reaction prompted a chuckle from Gu Yangcheon as he continued explaining.
“They asked me to be the Great Leader.”
“Daeju…? They handed this to you to become the Great Leader?”
“That’s what they said.”
“Is the Murim Alliance out of their minds?”
“Seems likely, doesn’t it?”
“Why on earth would those so-called righteous sects ask you to lead the alliance…? Are they genuinely aiming to destroy the league?”
“Just listening to that… what is wrong with this kid?”
Upon scrutiny, Gu Yangcheon’s profound concern manifested as Cheol Ji-seon attempted to cover up his slip-up.
“…I may have misspoken.”
“I don’t think you did. I can feel the sincerity.”
“Uh, no.”
Cheol Ji-seon’s complexion turned ashen. As he prepared to retort further, Gu Yangcheon clicked his tongue in annoyance.
At this point, dealing with it all even felt bothersome.
“Enough already. Just tell me your evaluation of it.”
“About the conditions? Or…”
“The conditions are clearly insane. That’s settled. Just tell me if it’s worth pursuing or not.”
“…”
Upon hearing the question, Cheol Ji-seon narrowed his eyes as he contemplated.
“Are you seriously considering this Daeju position?”
“Well. We’ll see…”
“…It carries significant risk.”
He responded honestly.
“There will be disruptions in your timeframe. No matter how strong you are… That place is still a tiger’s den.”
“That’s a valid point too.”
The name of the Demonic Cult began to spread like wildfire.
The alliance tried tirelessly to keep news contained, yet it proved far from easy.
Truly.
‘After all, this was about the death of the Taoist King.’
Even though it was clear that the raid was orchestrated by the Zhuge family, the appearance of someone known as the Heavenly Demon on top of it, coupled with one of the six leaders, the Taoist King, meeting his demise during the raid, only escalated matters.
In Pengga, they alleged that the character known as Guiakchang was responsible, asserting that he’d captured the Taoist King while detained by the alliance.
Mortally wounded was Bishengdu by his hands, the King of Dao lost his life, and many warriors of the alliance were said to have given their lives—a formal announcement was made.
Yet herein lay the problem.
That is to say, Dangdeok did not kill the King of Dao.
This was confirmed using evidence from gold tokens.
Thus,
‘Someone had killed the Taoist King and shifted the blame onto Dangdeok.’
This was the correct interpretation of events.
And Gu Yangcheon had already convinced himself of who was the real perpetrator behind it all.
‘Peng Woo-jin.’
That slippery character known as Peng Woo-jin.
What a mess he had created by murdering his own father and blaming it all on the Demonic Cult…
Regardless of the intricacies surrounding it, the Demonic Cult chose not to refute the allegations.
‘As if anyone would believe you anyway.’
They were already notorious for the chaos caused during the attack on Hanam.
Constraining ourselves to a narrative of “we didn’t kill the Taoist King” would yield disbelief from anyone.
‘Now that I think about it, the notoriety isn’t entirely detrimental.’
Such notoriety was not purely negative.
In truth, the very person who’d killed the Taoist King, Dangdeok, was being recognized as a new hero. The raised notoriety of Dangdeok was a gain for me.
Thus, I wouldn’t necessarily seek vengeance.
The discussions about the Demonic Cult were escalating day by day, enabling a significant number of people to desire that an official assassination order be put forth by the alliance.
An assassination order typically means to kill them by any means necessary.
Regardless of the ongoing activities, the instant reports of the Demonic Cult emerged, the responsible branches and the strong members of the alliance would promptly spring into action, gearing up for a hunt.
Given my previous life, I recognized that it was far more troublesome than anticipated.
‘I couldn’t even use the restroom properly.’
Later on, I began to dispatch them to oblivion at the first urge, which certainly helped.
Initially, I had to be cautious heading to the restroom, attuned to the possibility that someone lurking around would stab me while I was hiding.
Knowing this, it was clear how nonsensical it would be for me to step into the role of Great Leader myself.
“But still, there’s no opportunity that can rival this.”
“What do you mean?”
“All the troublesome ones will be gathered there. Rather than picking them off one at a time from a distance, wouldn’t it be more efficient to just go and finish them all at once?”
Not merely silence.
There remained much more than a single thing I aimed to obtain from the alliance.
Therein,
‘I hadn’t effectively utilized Bong-soon yet.’
Wasn’t this the ideal time to employ the dagger I had been preparing?
“That’s absurd.”
Despite my rhetoric, Cheol Ji-seon’s replies remained purely pessimistic.
“If you genuinely intend to pursue this… You’ll have to reconsider your plans and the entire schedule.”
“Right.”
“Is that something one would take on the risk for?”
“I can’t say for sure.”
“What?”
Cheol Ji-seon blinked in confusion following Gu Yangcheon’s declaration.
What in the world did that mean?
“I can’t say for certain…?”
“Yep. I’m not sure.”
“But why…?”
“I’m unsure, but I just have a feeling that I need to do it.”
“There’s nothing rational in that…!”
The mindset of “I need to do this, so I will” seemed irrational to him.
Loaded with dozens of reasons favoring the alternative route, Cheol Ji-seon felt his head might burst under the weight of his frustration resonating with Gu Yangcheon’s words.
One thing.
“Then just as I mentioned before, the plans…”
“Correct, the plans will probably alter a bit, right?”
Not just a little. Cheol Ji-seon tried to express the gravity, but instead—
“So now you are aware.”
“Uh…?”
Cheol Ji-seon found himself caught in a moment of pause following Gu Yangcheon’s casual words.
Did he just say what he thought he heard…?
“I’ll be sending messages to others too. Henceforth, you should start gathering info as well.”
“What… What are you talking about?”
Desperately hoping it was a misinterpretation.
He asked again, his belief waning.
“I’ve got a plan that will hold once I execute this. Find it.”
“…”
“Consider it a request?”
An audacious order disguised as a favor.
At that moment, Cheol Ji-seon had an epiphany.
Gu Yangcheon had set it all up to deliver this precise command from the get-go.
And furthermore,
This gathering was intended from the start to give such instructions to him.
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