Chapter: 827
The atmosphere turned tense in an instant due to the interrupted conversation.
What should I do… How can I resolve this? While I was pondering that…
“…was.”
Gyecheonmunju pretended not to notice and continued talking.
Wow, they really keep this up.
I wanted to point that out, but since they offered information, I held back.
“Do you even know how ugly and creepy it is to label something like that a righteous faction?”
“Yeah? So?”
“Don’t get it twisted. You… are not a faction that genuinely dreams of justice and harmony.”
I sensed a moment of hesitation in their words. They were definitely glancing at me, caught off guard about whether they’re a true faction or not. That seemed to strike a nerve.
“Not a true faction, huh? Then who is the true faction?”
Squeak. Gyecheonmunju stood up, throwing the words out.
“Ilcheonkyo. They are the true faction that has carried on its will.”
“Hmm?”
Why is Ilcheonkyo suddenly being called a faction? There’s no time even to question it.
“…I will ensure everything is handled according to your request. Just one thing. Don’t get it twisted.”
Whirlirik- The sword that had been floating in the air spun around and was seized by Gyecheonmunju.
“This is a deal. As you achieve what you desire, so does Gyecheonmun…!”
“Oh. I got it. I’m aware.”
He waved his hand as if to say not to worry.
I was already aware of what Gyecheonmunju was driving at.
I had heard it last time.
That was precisely it.
“Make it a political party. That’s what you meant.”
To be accurate, they were asking to be tied to the main faction to escape the Sapa. That was their true wish.
In essence, it meant Gyecheonmun wished to break free from the Sapa.
After Gyecheonmunju left, I sat quietly in the room, gazing up at the ceiling.
As the silence lingered, I casually blurted out a word.
“Could you step out for a moment?”
“Yes.”
“Yikes…”
Startled, I lowered my head. Someone was sitting in the previously empty space.
Yeonhong… no, it was the Dark King in disguise as Yeonhong.
“Did you call?”
“…Ah, yes.”
It was hard to react. The appearance was clearly Yeonhong, but the voice belonged to the Dark King. That sense of incongruity was almost unbearable, but I decided to just roll with it.
“…Oh, I just wanted to thank you for your help.”
“Not at all.”
“…”
“…”
That was the end of the conversation.
There wasn’t really anything more to discuss. Not that it was super unusual, so I carefully stood up.
Since I’d sent Gyecheonmunju away, I needed to do what I had to do.
Just as I thought to move…
“Are you alright?”
The Dark King spoke to me.
“What is it?”
I wondered what they were referring to. I turned to the Dark King, confused by the odd question.
“Is it okay to have Dae-Hwan sent away like that? If you wish, I can take care of it.”
“…”
Their casual remark was chilling to the bone. The confidence behind it implied they could handle anything, and that was truly terrifying.
Thank goodness they weren’t real enemies.
“No, well… does it even matter?”
“It seems your intentions weren’t benevolent.”
“Yes, that’s the vibe, isn’t it?”
I could tell just by looking that Gyecheonmunju was concocting something.
One.
“It doesn’t really matter.”
It wasn’t crucial at all. I had anticipated it anyhow.
“Because it’s also what I intended.”
It was something I had hoped for too.
No matter how it plays out, Gyecheonmunju was bound to make a move.
They simply grasped my hand because they had their own desires; they couldn’t just leave things be.
The reason I even considered letting it be wasn’t complicated.
“Since we’ll end up cleaning both messes anyway. It will be easier if we put them close together.”
A gentle nudge was also necessary. Thinking about the Ilcheong Sword, I had to lay the groundwork like this in advance.
If there’s anything making me a bit uneasy, it’s that Gyecheonmunju might intervene in things sooner than I expected.
Looking at them today, that seems unlikely.
They appear to be much more cautious than I thought. As a result, I don’t have to worry about this part.
“But if there’s a slight issue…”
I stopped mid-sentence and vaguely shifted my gaze from the Dark King.
The thing that guy mentioned, Ilcheonkyo.
You are rotten to the root; you are a fake.
The real political faction is Ilcheonkyo. I recalled Gyecheonmun’s past words.
“Hmm.”
Why did they say that?
Thinking along those lines…
Ilcheonkyo. The true faction.
I rubbed my chin in thought. Information was coalescing, and something began to take shape.
Strange. Why specifically mention a true faction?
Moreover, what is Ilcheonkyo? The situation was still ambiguous for any clear insights.
In that context, I threw out a hypothesis.
A peculiar connection that appears odd but can be tied together if pursued.
The strange occurrences they went through, or perhaps something they experienced.
Isn’t there a fact that was known even in a previous life?
The fate of Gyecheonmun and Gyecheonmunju.
In their last lives, they claimed to have gleaned fortune from the secrets of Geumcheon Yeon-ga. It seemed they were up to something similar now.
On that note, I was convinced it couldn’t be related to Geumcheon Yeon-ga. The reasoning was simple.
I obtained the fortune from the secrets.
The area known as the Villa of Geumcheon Yeon-ga was occupied by me in this lifetime, and the fortune there was also mine.
I had confirmed that the space itself had disappeared afterward. What had happened to Gyecheonmunju in this case? Naturally, I thought they must have secured their chance elsewhere…
No way.
What if it’s true that Gyecheonmunju obtained the fortune from Geumcheon Yeon-ga?
And what if that fortune’s essence is intertwined with something called Ilcheonkyo?
Even the name Akira Ilcheonkyo is suspicious.
The former best in the world, Yeonilcheon. It roils my stomach that it’s the same name as that guy. Not to mention, Gyecheonmunju had said something like:
Ilcheonkyo is the true faction.
What does that mean? As I pondered this, something strange clicked into place.
…Is it about the faction?
What defines a faction?
Before explaining the values or meanings, I first pondered who gets to define a faction.
There’s no need to search for long. Even this very place is that locus.
The Murim Alliance.
Today’s world doesn’t align with a person who’s either affiliated or not affiliated with a faction based on their values.
It often hinges solely on whether one belongs to the Murim Alliance. This Murim Alliance was,
It was said to have been established by Yeonilcheon.
The organization founded by Yeonilcheon that prevented the bloodbath of war in the past.
Hmm…
From the fact that the name of the group formed is Ilcheonkyo to the connections drawn with Gyecheonmun… and even their claim to being the true faction.
Could all this truly be coincidence? Or maybe, as I suspect, just maybe…
Ilcheonkyo could indeed be intertwined with Geumcheon Yeon-ga.
With that thought, I fixed my gaze ahead. It landed on the Dark King, who sat before me disguised as Yeonhong.
I couldn’t help it. I had to consider the Dark King’s origins.
They say the Dark King is a descendant of the love song.
A descendant of the cursed melody. I wondered if they might hold some knowledge…
If they knew about Ilcheonkyo, why haven’t they said anything?
Moreover, the reason for the Dark King’s silence despite knowing everything perplexed me even more…
Ah.
That’s right. A spark of understanding struck.
The Dark King mentioned they’d investigate Ilcheonkyo themselves.
It was indeed the Dark King who expressed interest in further inquiry.
That means, even if the Dark King had no direct involvement, they must have sensed some anomaly.
Did the Dark King sense something about my lineage within Ilcheonkyo?
So, that’s why they wanted to investigate further? It was all falling into place.
The fact that this place, Sacheon, had a love song tale further provided clarity.
Does Ilcheonkyo genuinely have connections to Geumcheon Yeon-ga?
And does the Dark King possess this knowledge? If they do, what then?
After wrestling with all sorts of questions, I finally addressed the Dark King.
“Dark King.”
It’s quicker to directly ask.
The Dark King turned to look at me at my call.
Still clad in the guise of Yeonhong. As usual, it felt unfamiliar. However, I set aside that discomfort to speak to the Dark King.
“Well, concerning this Ilcheonkyo.”
“Yes?”
“Uh, what… huh?”
I had to clamp my mouth shut, looking completely dumbfounded. Something felt off.
“…Dark King?”
“Yes?”
“Why did your voice suddenly change like that?”
Oddly enough, it was the voice that made it strange. Until a moment ago, they had spoken in the Dark King’s original voice; now, it had shifted to that of Yeonhong.
It was baffling, but I felt compelled to inquire further, yet the Dark King merely tilted their head in response.
“What are you saying, my lord?”
“Huh? No… where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”
I was tempted to tell them to quit it since it seemed like they might be trying to tease me.
At that moment.
Bang-!
“…!?”
The previously ajar door suddenly flung open, and someone made their entrance.
Crazy?
I was more startled than I had been when the Dark King had appeared earlier.
What kind of person could make such a ruckus? Hiding my racing heart, I peered at the door and said,
“Who barges in so brutally…?”
But.
“…uh?”
The face that appeared was all too familiar.
As if to signal that it was still daytime, light streamed through the door as a man stepped into the room.
Thud thud.
Though he was of modest build, perhaps due to good upkeep, he was a middle-aged man with impressive muscles.
His face had a kindly demeanor, reminiscent of someone. However, that kind expression was entirely ruined by a fierce frown.
“…Uh… huh?”
Why on earth was he coming out here? I stared, puzzled, unable to understand.
“…Prince Gu.”
The middle-aged man, looking between me and the Dark King, spoke up.
No, he was the head of the family that ruled Sacheon. Once known as the master of poison and iron, he was the father of Tang So-yeol, the current vice-captain of Seongryongdae.
The Poison King looked at me and exclaimed:
“…Another woman?”
Strangely, he seemed to be flooding with sheer anger as he said that.
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