"Ugh..."
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman gripped his side with trembling hands. An excruciating pain, as if his entire body was being scorched, surged through him. However, what truly tormented him was not the physical pain, but the gaze of Jang Ilso, who looked down at him as if he were a mere insect.
"Ugh... ugh!"
A groan, filled with bitter anguish, escaped through the gritted teeth of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
"Jang... Ilso...!"
"Tsk tsk. What a pity."
Jang Ilso shook his head exaggeratedly and let out a deep sigh.
"Do you understand now? A person's true worth is revealed when they're pushed to the ground."
His two eyes, staring at the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, gleamed sinisterly.
"You used to strut around, acting all high and mighty, but now that you're cornered, you're barking like a frightened dog..."
"Ryeon..."
"How disgraceful."
Gritting his teeth so hard that it seemed they might break, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman seethed with anger, the blood vessels in his eyes bursting, painting them red. However, despite his fury, he couldn't easily charge at Jang Ilso.
"...Ryeonju!"
Instead, with a voice boiling with rage, he shouted at Jang Ilso.
"Did the Ryeonju know? Did the Ryeonju know that Dokshim Nachal, Ho Gakmyung, pushed me, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, to the brink of death? Did you know that he was trying to kill me?"
At that moment, the faces of the subordinates surrounding Ho Gakmyung turned pale. This was a highly sensitive and dangerous question. Although the Evil Tyrant Alliance was effectively under Jang Ilso's control, the fundamental structure was still a coalition.
To bring this up in a place with so many ears listening meant that the Thousand-Faced Gentleman was declaring he had no intention of looking back. Jang Ilso, regardless of how he responded, would inevitably suffer some damage.
"Answer me, Ryeonju! Was all of this done under your orders? Was it really your command to bury the Hao Sect members, who were on the cliff, along with the Evil Tyrant Alliance members, under a pile of rocks?"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman held no responsibility for this situation. Anyone could see that. But if Ho Gakmyung wasn't to be held responsible either, then who would bear the blame for this disaster?
The eyes of the Evil Tyrant Alliance members unconsciously turned toward Jang Ilso. Not because he had to answer, but because he was the only one who could speak to the situation.
Jang Ilso glanced around. He didn't appear to be feeling any particular pressure. Just as he was about to speak...
"The Ryeonju has no responsibility."
"Gu... military strategist!"
The startled subordinates quickly turned their heads. Ho Gakmyung, who had risen to his feet, was staring blankly at both the Thousand-Faced Gentleman and Jang Ilso.
"This matter..."
Rising fully, he bowed deeply to Jang Ilso with utmost respect.
"It all stemmed from my own failures. Despite boasting with an overly confident mouth, I failed to produce the results to back it up."
"..."
"As the military strategist, I agree with the sub-Ryeonju's assessment that I should be punished. I, the sinner, beg for forgiveness from the Ryeonju. Please take my life to console the souls of those who were sacrificed here."
With these words, Ho Gakmyung knelt and let his head hang low, like a sinner awaiting the blade to fall on his neck.
Silence. The sound of someone swallowing dryly was as loud as thunder. The atmosphere was so tense it felt like it was pressing down on everyone. The subordinates' fingers trembled with anxiety.
They too knew the truth. Regardless of success or failure, too many lives had been lost in this scheme. Even if they had succeeded perfectly, the number of casualties would still have led to reprimands. But since the plan had failed, someone had to be held accountable.
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman growled at Jang Ilso.
"Ryeonju! The sinner is asking for punishment, isn't he?"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman's voice echoed through the tense silence, sharp as a blade. His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
And then...
"Ha ha..."
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman, Dam Yeohae, was momentarily dumbfounded.
Jang Ilso, covering his mouth with a white hand, was stifling laughter as if he couldn't contain it.
"Ha ha... ha ha. This is..."
As Jang Ilso slowly lowered his hand, his twisted red lips came into view.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman's pupils visibly trembled.
"Ryeonju?"
"Sin? Did I hear you correctly? Huh?"
White fangs appeared between his red lips, resembling those of a ferocious beast.
"Gakmyung, Gakmyung."
Jang Ilso chuckled as he looked at Ho Gakmyung, who was still kneeling firmly.
"You're terrible at acting. Just stop with that boring nonsense. It doesn't suit you."
"Ryeonju-nim..."
This time, even Ho Gakmyung looked up at Jang Ilso with a surprised expression.
"Ryeonju-nim, this matter is..."
"Yes, I know."
Jang Ilso's gaze slowly shifted toward Wudang Mountain. His face twisted with a strange expression as he looked at the charred remains of Wudang.
"We were utterly humiliated."
"..."
"If we came all this way just to burn down a mountain, well, tsk tsk, how can I show my face anywhere now? How could I hold my head high?"
Jang Ilso exaggeratedly placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head. His movements were so theatrical that everyone was at a loss for words.
However, there was someone who couldn't just stay silent.
"Just...?"
"Hm?"
"Is that all?"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman, Dam Yeohae, finally exploded with fury, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Jang Ilso.
"Do you know how many people died because of that bastard's dog-like behavior? Hundreds of lives were lost meaninglessly, and all you can say is that it's embarrassing!"
"..."
"The crime of not being satisfied with tearing him to shreds and chewing his flesh..."
"Crime?"
At that moment, Jang Ilso's calm voice interrupted the heated one.
"You've been saying incomprehensible things for a while now. Is it that you don't understand, or is your blood rushing to your head, making it impossible to think clearly? Is the Lord of the Hao Sect really this foolish?"
"Ryeonju!"
"I told you, there is no such thing as a sinner."
Jang Ilso took a step toward the Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
"Failing isn't a crime."
"..."
"Making mistakes isn't a crime. Lacking ability, being toyed with by the enemy—these aren't crimes."
Jang Ilso's eyes emitted a chilling light. The Thousand-Faced Gentleman, overwhelmed, involuntarily held his breath.
"For me, a crime is... doing nothing. Such people aren't even worth the air they breathe. But... do you know what's even more disgusting?"
Jang Ilso slowly bent down toward the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, locking eyes with him just inches away.
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman shuddered unconsciously, sensing something ominous stirring deep within Jang Ilso's piercing gaze. Jang Ilso asked,
"Do you really feel that bad? About the lives lost up there?"
"Rye... Ryeonju."
"Does it really break your heart? Losing them?"
The blood drained from the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's face. He realized that the deadly intent simmering in Jang Ilso's gaze was a clear sign.
Uuuung.
The rings on Jang Ilso's fingers lifted off and hovered in the air. It might look like child's play, but anyone under the banner of the Evil Tyrant Alliance knew how dangerously volatile this situation was.
"Go on, tell me. How much more of your pathetic, self-righteous anger should I endure?"
"Rye... Ryeon..."
Whirrr!
The rings that had been floating in the air suddenly spun violently and shot toward the Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman screamed in agony, clutching his left hand. He didn't immediately understand what had happened to him, but soon he realized—one of the rings had pierced straight through the back of his hand and pinned it to the ground.
"Aaaahhhh!"
Someone of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's caliber wouldn't scream like that just because his hand had been pierced. The unbearable pain he was experiencing wasn't from the wound on his hand, but from the intense, malevolent energy that surged into his body through it.
It was cold enough to chill his bones, yet it burned with a fierce intensity.
All the Thousand-Faced Gentleman could do was writhe on the ground, screaming in despair. His already shattered body couldn't withstand the malevolent energy emanating from Jang Ilso.
"Remember this."
Jang Ilso smiled softly as he looked down at the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who was squirming like a worm. Then, with a voice eerily gentle, matching the situation perfectly, he spoke.
"Nothing is gained without sacrifice."
"O... Ooo..."
"The fattened pigs on the Southern Sea Sun Palace would do anything to keep what they have, endlessly debating the value of wealth, time, and..."
Crack!
Jang Ilso's foot mercilessly stomped down on the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand.
"The value of their worthless lives."
"Aaaahhh!"
"Shh, shh. You need to be quiet. Isn't your life so precious? Hmm?"
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman's screams abruptly stopped. Even amidst the unbearable pain, he understood the meaning behind Jang Ilso's words.
"Hoo... Hoo... Hoo."
The Thousand-Faced Gentleman panted heavily, trembling as if he were in the throes of malaria, desperately trying to stifle his cries. Seeing him, Jang Ilso smiled, seemingly satisfied.
"Good. It seems you understand."
"...."
"Compared to what we aim to gain, what we already have is nothing. Whether it's wealth, martial arts, reputation, or even life, it's all the same."
"...."
"If you weren't prepared to give it all up, you should've stayed in the comfort of Gangnam, scratching your fat belly. Coming all the way here just to cry about your life..."
Jang Ilso chuckled as he gently stroked the back of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's head, like one would pat a child's. But the Thousand-Faced Gentleman didn't feel any sense of humiliation. Only the living can feel shame. What he felt now was pure terror, knowing that Jang Ilso's hand could pierce through his skull at any moment.
"Remember this."
Jang Ilso's eyes darkened.
"I came here to take, not to protect."
"...."
"Click."
Jang Ilso clicked his tongue softly, then lifted his foot off the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand. He then cast a disinterested glance toward Wudang Mountain.
More precisely, at those who would still be on the mountain and those who would have reached its peak by now.
"Gakmyung."
"Yes, Ryeonju-nim."
Ho Gakmyung bowed deeply.
"Did I lose?"
"...."
"Answer me."
"It's due to my... incompetence."
"If it's your incompetence that caused this, then I'm even more incompetent for giving you the opportunity."
"Ryeonju-nim..."
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Ho Gakmyung looked up at Jang Ilso, then clenched his fists tightly as he saw the twisted expression on Jang Ilso's face.
"This... disgusting feeling."
Jang Ilso's eyes, burning like the sun, no longer held any trace of amusement.