Chapter 996: Just Leave It Be (Part 1)

"I congraulate you respectfully, Lord Ryeonjul!"

Ho Gakmyung bowed deeply towards Jang Ilso.

"Don't make such a fuss about it."

Jang Ilso waved his hand as if he didn't care.

It was truly nothing to fuss about.

From the moment Black Dragon King was defeated by Mount Hua's Chivalrous sword, the outcome was already decided. Well, precisely, the outcome might have been determined when the Namgung Family set off for Plum Blossom Island.

Everything Jang Ilso had done was just guiding the flow as he wished. So it was only natural that he earned Black Dragon King's loyalty.

"Now, Su Lo Chae will definitely come under your command."

"It's been a long time."

Jang Ilso nodded, as if sighing.

"It took three years to obtain Su Lo Chae, which could be considered the weakest among the Evil Sect. It was tiresome."

Ho Gakmyung looked at Jang Ilso with utmost respect.

Three years.

It may be considered a long time. However, if it took three years to completely swallow Su Lo Chae, who would dare to scorn that as a long time?

This is an accomplishment beyond words.

"How is Su Lo Chae doing?"

"They are obedient without any complaints. Even if there were complaints, they wouldn't dare voice them in the current situation."

"I see."

Jang Ilso looked at the river. Boats with torches lit up the Yangtze River.

"Just a little a bit..."

"...Pardon?"

"Round up a couple of those who hold positions and make them examples for all to see. They should be shown where everyone can witness."

Ho Gakmyung hesitated for a moment and spoke, "At the moment, there aren't many who have committed crimes..."

"Tsk, tsk. Gakmyung, Gakmyung. Why are you always so honest?"

"..."

"Whether there are wrongdoers or not is not important. What's important is that there need to be wrongdoers."

"Yes, Ryeonjul."

"Dealing with problems after they arise is foolish. Truly smart people find ways to prevent problems from happening in the first place. That's how people are. When someone else acts, they often get an urge to try it themselves. Once that rebellious spirit takes hold, it may be suppressed, but it never disappears."

"..."

"The best approach is..."

Jang Ilso slowly ran his fingers below his lips.

"Preventing the rebellious spirit from taking root in the first place. To do that, you need to instill the right amount of fear. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ryeonjul. I'll kill two suitable individuals and hang them from the mast as examples."

But Jang Ilso sighed deeply once again.

"Gakmyung..."

"Yes?"

Ho Gakmyung sent him a puzzled look. Jang Ilso shook his head slightly.

"When did I say to kill them? I'm not such a bad person."

"Then..."

"They should be kept alive."

Jang Ilso said with a casual tone.

"Hang them from the mast. If you want, strip the flesh from their bones. Let everyone witness them writhing in agony for days without dying, all the while peeling away their skin and sprinkling salt, making insects swarm. They must think that even if they die, they'd never want to die like that. They should think that they'd rather pierce their own throats and sink to the riverbed, becoming fish food."

The voice, peaceful and solemn as if discussing everyday life, felt eerily cruel compared to the cold and ruthless tone.

"There are various ways to earn loyalty, Gakmyung. But now, there's no need for anything else but fear. Even that wretch like the Black Dragon King submits without a word, and showing them stronger power and more ruthless methods should be enough."

"...I will do as you say."

In response to the obedient answer, Jang Ilso chuckled softly.

"Good, then it's settled."

Ho Gakmyung swallowed hard.

In truth, Jang Ilso's methods were not exceptionally cruel. Killing enemies in a brutal manner was nothing out of the ordinary in the Evil Sect.

The problem was that now these were the subordinates Jang Ilso had to rule over.

"Ryeonju., may I ask you one thing?"

"Hmm?"

"...What are your thoughts on the Black Dragon King?"

"Why?"

"Do you plan to spare him?"

"Hmm."

Jang Ilso looked at Ho Gakmyung with an amused expression.

"What are your thoughts?"

"I believe he should be killed. Someone like the Black Dragon King will never genuinely submit to anyone. He'll reveal his true nature to you again someday."

"An untamed wolf, isn't he?"

"I'm not sure if calling him a wolf is appropriate for that bear-like guy, but in any case, he'll never be tamed."

"Gakmyung."

"Yes."

"Do you know how to tame an untamable wolf?"

"I...I'm not sure."

"You just need to pull out all its teeth," Jang Ilso said ominously. "Pull out its teeth, its claws, and if it still won't listen, cut off its legs."

"But if the Black Dragon King is left in that state, what's the point?"

"Tsk, Gakmyung."

"Yes, Lord."

"The important thing is the fact that I'm making the wolf submit."

"...I see."

"Whether that wolf has sharp fangs or deadly claws doesn't matter. What's important is that the wolf, who wouldn't listen to anyone, is now caged by us, wearing a collar and submitting."

"I understand what you're saying."

"Killing the Black Dragon King and taking Su Lo Chae is something anyone can do. But that's just a matter of a new Black Dragon King emerging. Leaving Su Lo Chae intact is something entirely different. Not just anyone can do it."

Jang Ilso's gaze shifted to the other side, not the Yangtze River but the vast land on the opposite bank.

"Others may not understand, but at least you two should grasp the meaning of it. Right now, that's enough."

Jang Ilso smiled alluringly.

Obtaining Su Lo Chae in his hands meant that Jang Ilso had at least fifty percent of the Evil Tyrant Alliance's forces. Originally, while Jang Ilso was considered the leader of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, if at least two out of the other three joined forces to oppose him, there would be no way to fight them. However, at this very moment, Jang Ilso had acquired the power to fight against the entire Evil Tyrant Alliance.

"It's a shame that I couldn't settle the score, but I've gained quite an advantage," Jang Ilso muttered to himself as he smiled.

Ho Gakmyung, who had been silently observing him, cautiously spoke up, "My Lord."

"Hmm?"

"From not on..."

"Just leave it be."

"...You mean, like this?"

"Yes."

Jang Ilso extended his hand to grab a bottle of alcohol. Taking a sip, he gazed intently across the river.

"Some things require time. Let's patiently wait for those Su Lo Chae fellows to accept me. The presence of an enemy on the opposite side will make that possible."

"But isn't it possible that the Shaolin Sect might withdraw first?"

"That's impossible."

Jang Ilso waved his hand dismissively.

"The Shaolin Sect is in the worst situation right now. If they withdraw now, there's no stopping their decline. Listen well, Ho Gakmyung. The world doesn't revolve solely around power. No matter how strong the Shaolin Sect is, once a reputation is lost, it doesn't come back."

"But being here won't necessarily change anything, will it?"

"Instead, it stirs up a sense of foreboding."

"Foreboding?"

Jang Ilso smiled mysteriously as he looked at Ho Gakmyung.

"Do you know why I made the three-year agreement during the previous Yangtze River Disaster?"

"Because we needed time to control the inner workings of the Evil Tyrant Alliance."

"I see. That's one way to look at it. But more importantly, it was about cutting off their lifelines."

"Lifelines?"

"Even if they have personal conflicts and grudges, when war breaks out, they have no choice but to unite. For instance, don't the people in the imperial palace who are plotting against each other as if they are going to kill each other unite when a foreign enemy invades?"

"Yes, that makes sense."

"If I sowed the seeds of all kinds of discord and pretended that we were about to invade Gangbuk immediately, what would they have done in response?"

"They would have put everything else aside and focused on opposing the Evil Tyrant Alliance."

Jang Ilso nodded approvingly.

"Exactly. So, it would be meaningless, would it? That's why I gave them ample time to bite each other."

"... "

"This time, it's the same. If we back down now, all the blame will fall on Shaolin. That middle-aged man doesn't want that to happen. That's why he's shouting over there."

Jang Ilso extended his arms dramatically.

"War is about to break out! As soon as this treaty ends, blood will flow and keep flowing! So now is not the time to shift blame to someone else!"

"Indeed..."

"That old man is crafty."

Jang Ilso lowered his head slightly.

"But... that cunning helps us too. It won't hurt to have things in turmoil for a while. We'll gain the same benefits as Shaolin. Meanwhile, I'll diligently secure the entire Su Lo Chae and suppress any emerging discontent from behind."

Ho Gakmyung gazed across the river with newfound insight.

It was a strange situation.

As far as he knew, after Mount Hua withdrew from Plum Blossom Island, Jang Ilso and Shaolin had not communicated their intentions to each other.

Nevertheless, it seems like they are acting as if they've secretly arranged things, benefiting each other. Jang Ilso strategically positioned the Su Lo Chae to reinforce the Shaolin Sect's arguments, and the Shaolin Sect was buying him time to take possession of the Su Lo Chae.

'Maybe this is indeed a true alliance.'

There was no need for formal discussions or documents. They just implicitly moved in a direction that benefitted them both.

When considering the meaning of an alliance, was there a more fitting situation than this?

"In the end, if we only stall for time, everything will flow as you desire, Ryeonjul."

"...I hope so."

Surprisingly, Jang Ilso looked slightly ambiguous, brushing his chin with his fingertip.

"It was risky. Very close. I could have easily lost my head."

Although he didn't point out a specific location, it was clear that Jang Ilso was referring to something.

"If there are variables, it's the Mount Hua Sect. I have no idea what those guys might do. Especially that..."

Jang Ilso suddenly stopped talking.

One variable, Chung Myung, can somehow be handled. All you had to do was think of the worst case imaginable. Chung Myung would steadily follow that path. [lmao]

But...

'Hyun Jong.'

The one variable he couldn't predict was Hyun Jong. It was impossible to predict where that old man would go. His way of thinking was utterly incomprehensible.

'He's not in his right mind.'

Following personal gain, or even pursuing righteousness, Jang Ilso could understand.

But to cherish his own sect more than Beopjeong and at the same time demand the sacrifice of that sect for the benefit of others... What kind of deranged person could do that?

"I don't know. If the day ever comes when I lose my head... it'll probably be because of those damned bastards."

"That will never happen."

"Indeed, it shouldn't."

A fleeting sense of ruthlessness crossed Jang Ilso's eyes as he gazed across the river.

'Not yet... No. Not yet.'

But the time would come eventually.

The day when the entire Mount Hua Sect would bleed at his hands.

Jang Ilso's tongue slowly brushed against his red lips, and it tasted of blood.