Understanding a person's heart is a challenging task.
Ho Gakmyung thought so. Even without delving into metaphors like "the depths of ten fathoms of water."
Among those, the one standing before him now was particularly difficult to read. It might be due to the red bandages covering his face, or perhaps the untraceable red eyes that gave nothing away.
Yet, Ho Gakmyung believed the biggest reason for his inability to discern their intentions lay in their 'origin.'
Blood Palace.
They are profoundly alien. Extremely so.
They are a martial sect that does not adhere to the principles of martial sects and lives a life entirely different from other external sects. What frustrates Ho Gakmyung most is that he cannot discern what they aim for.
As far as he knew, the Blood Palace was a religion. In the past, it was even called the Blood Teachings (血敎), wasn't it?
Thus, understanding them was even more difficult.
Most religions in the world have two common goals. One is to follow and understand the will of the deity they worship, and the other is to propagate that will.
Ho Gakmyung's difficulty in understanding the Blood Palace lay precisely in this aspect. They wear the guise of a religion but do not evangelize. They simply follow their own doctrines in places where no one else ventures.
Therefore, it is incomprehensible. What is the leader of a non-evangelical religion aiming for? What direction are all his breaths, steps, and thoughts heading towards?
Some might think there's nothing strange about this, that such a religion can exist. But this raises a new question:
'Then why have they ventured back into the world?'
There is no way to resolve this question. The Blood Palace Lord, standing like a withered old tree, shows no sign of communicative possibility.
'Can I figure it out?'
Even if it's Jang Ilso, his lord, could he fathom the depths of the author's heart?
As Ho Gakmyung pondered this, Jang Ilso spoke up, with his unique nasal tone.
"Hmmm."
Jang Ilso looked at the Blood Palace Lord. There was a deep interest in his eyes.
"How is it?"
"..."
"Is the world outside the grimy cave you emerged from so enjoyable?"
The bandages covering the Blood Palace Lord's face twitched slightly at the words.
"That might be the case. But... should you not rather recognize that you might return to that grimy cave again?"
A faint bloodlust seeped from the Blood Palace Lord's eyes as he stared at Jang Ilso. However, Jang Ilso did not stop his speech and continued.
"You know."
Jang Ilso chuckled.
"There is no other way. Now even that grimy cave has become unsafe for you."
"I know. As you said."
At that moment, a metallic scraping sound emerged from the Blood Palace Lord's voice. It was slightly deeper and heavier than before.
"That there is no other way."
The Blood Palace Lord's red-glowing eyes gazed at Jang Ilso, who seemed to find it amusing.
"We admit that we haven't been of much help."
"Neat."
"From now on, it will be different."
"..."
Jang Ilso silently regarded the Blood Palace Lord.
After a while, Jang Ilso nodded.
"Let's see if you are right."
"..."
"Feel free to go."
The Blood Palace Lord turned his body and exited the tent without a moment's hesitation.
"..."
Ho Gakmyung looked at Jang Ilso with a slightly bewildered expression.
"Ryeonju-nim."
Wasn't he trying to discern the Blood Palace Lord's intentions? So what has he figured out from this brief exchange?
"Hmmm."
Before Ho Gakmyung could fully express his confusion, Jang Ilso leaned back in his chair, stretching out.
"Interesting."
"Ryeonju-nim, what exactly..."
"Hmm?"
Jang Ilso tilted his head back and looked at Ho Gakmyung. His unusually red lips curved in a peculiar way.
"What is it? Gakmyung?"
"Were you not trying to understand the author's intentions?"
"That's right."
"Then why..."
"Tsk tsk. Gakmyung, Gakmyung. Why are you stating the obvious?"
Jang Ilso lifted his head and lightly grasped the cup before him.
"Words are meaningless. Whatever can be fabricated will always have a touch of falsehood."
Jang Ilso stared at the swaying cup. The strong aroma of alcohol wafted.
"But there are things that cannot be hidden. No matter how clear the liquid appears to be, the aroma cannot be concealed."
"...What did you see?"
"It has disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
Jang Ilso chuckled. It was hard to explain in words.
"Well, should I say fear or discomfort? Those shallow terms can't fully convey it, but there was a despair similar to someone trapped in a swamp. For them."
"..."
"But that is gone now."
"Are you saying that their problem has been resolved?"
"Perhaps."
A mischievous light flickered in Jang Ilso's eyes, as if mocking the whole world.
"Do you know when a person suffering from fear casts it off?"
"...I do not."
"There are two cases. One is when the source of the fear disappears."
"..."
"The other is... when there is no longer a need to be afraid."
Jang Ilso's gaze became ominously dark.
"There's nothing to worry about. It seems they don't have different intentions. Or rather... to be precise, their actions don't seem to conflict with our own."
Ho Gakmyung's face stiffened slightly.
Interpreting this means that the author surely harbors different intentions, but for now, it's better to let it be. Yet Ho Gakmyung knew that such things left unaddressed would inevitably fester.
"Don't you know?"
"..."
"That the festering wound could one day become a great noose around Ryeonju-nim's neck."
"I know."
Jang Ilso slowly drank from his cup.
"Very well."
The intense aroma of alcohol filled his mouth. It was as hot and dizzying as if he had swallowed poison.
"Rather..."
"You know, Gakmyung."
"..."
"Even if there's a poisoned arrow in your arm, if there's an enemy before you, there's no time to leisurely extract and deal with it. Even if you end up cutting off that arm later, you must first fight."
"Is there no way to cut it off beforehand?"
"Then the enemy would kill me. An opponent with a missing arm would be an easy target."
A short sigh escaped from Ho Gakmyung's lips.
He knew it, just as Jang Ilso had said. It was a mess.
The Hao Sect, the Southern Sea Sun Palace, and the Blood Palace all had their own different thoughts. Although they were bound together by the name "Lian," this loose connection could break at any moment.
But Ho Gakmyung also knew.
War was inherently like this. As victories and defeats accumulated, only resentment grew. War was about devouring everything in its path and moving forward, no matter the cost.
However...
"Isn't it fortunate that we have wine?"
"...Ryeonju-nim."
Ho Gakmyung tried to offer comfort to Jang Ilso. Although he appeared relaxed and at ease, Ho Gakmyung was the only one who knew that the burden he carried in this situation was anything but light.
Yet at that moment, Jang Ilso's words were slightly unexpected, even for Ho Gakmyung.
"It hides the nauseating stench of those bloated pigs a little."
"..."
Ho Gakmyung stared blankly at Jang Ilso.
No change.
This man, even in this situation... It was almost embarrassing how weak-hearted he felt in comparison.
"But, Gakmyung."
"...Yes, Ryeonju-nim."
"You're used to this, aren't you?"
Jang Ilso looked at Ho Gakmyung with a gentle smile.
"..."
Ho Gakmyung, who had been staring at that gaze for a while, found himself smiling slightly.
"...That's true."
Yes, he was accustomed to it.
The sight of lowly fiends using every dirty trick for a meager gain. The scene of allies waiting for an opportunity to stab each other in the back. And the way to fight while laughing amidst a sea of enemies.
For those who had crawled up from the deepest pits of the Evil Sect, none of this was particularly unfamiliar. It was just amusing that such things happened even now.
But he could understand.
For some reason, it was the same in the past. The more intense the war, the more degraded people became.
"There's nothing new about it. Even if you shake the martial world or become the leader of a force, you're just another big piglet."
"..."
"As long as you don't let go of the leash... they won't reveal their true selves until the war is over."
That was true.
But Ho Gakmyung also knew the hidden side of that statement. Controlling and leading a war with such a leash was incredibly draining.
The rare shadow seen on Jang Ilso's pale face proved that fact.
But they had to endure. War was about moving forward while swallowing filth. The side that could not endure until the end would lose. Both Jang Ilso and Ho Gakmyung knew that.
"You don't need to worry too much."
"Yes?"
At some point, Jang Ilso was looking at him with a smile.
"Of course, I'm not in a position to boast. It's a situation where I could be stabbed at any moment."
Jang Ilso downed the drink in his cup.
He already had several poisoned blades aimed at his back. If he showed even a slight vulnerability, those daggers would pierce him without hesitation.
But he couldn't remove them. The moment he pushed those daggers away, what he wanted would forever slip through his fingers.
Moving forward.
Moving forward as if the daggers aimed at his back didn't exist was a path that those who aspired to be the greatest in the world had to walk.
"But... it's not something to worry about too much."
"..."
"War is simple. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just being a little better than the enemy is enough."
Jang Ilso's eyes darkened with a grim shadow.
"The quagmire of war is fair to everyone."
They were stuck in a quagmire of reality and desire. No matter how much they struggled, they would sink deeper into the mire.
But what about them?
They too were likely in a quagmire now. Not the quagmire of reality but the quagmire of ideals.
"Do you think they will collapse on their own?"
"Well..."
Jang Ilso smiled.
"It wouldn't be easy."
"..."
"But remember. Breaking such things is not about the blade of reality. They could laugh and die even if a knife is stuck in their necks. It's just that..."
Jang Ilso's eyes shone chillingly.
"When they realize that their cherished ideals mean nothing... they collapse with an astonishing ease."
"..."
"Even with the smallest of triggers."
Jang Ilso's eyes held a mix of deep nihilism and intense heat.
"Will they be able to escape? The contradictions they've created for themselves? Will they endure the collapse of their own symbols of contradiction?"
Jang Ilso chuckled.
"It's a pity. It would have been more enjoyable if we could sit face to face and share a drink."
Jang Ilso raised his cup and slowly took a sip. The joy from the encounter with the Mount Hua Sect was imbued in the wine.
* * *
And at that moment.
A man with eyes eerily similar to the ones that held both nihilism and fervor stared at the people before him.
Baek Cheon.
His lips slowly parted.
"Mount Hua's Grand Disciple, Baek Cheon."
"..."
"I greet the Sect Leader."
A suffocating tension settled over the large hall.