Chapter 229: Return of the Sovereign (4)
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The two people who entered the room sat facing each other across the table.
“…”
Heavy silence flowed.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked as if tossing it.
“Do you know how to drink?”
“I do.”
His tone of voice had become considerably blunt compared to when they first met. It was probably because he suffered a lot over the past few days.
Yeon Ho-jeong personally stepped forward and brought alcohol and two cups. He abruptly filled Gang-ryang’s cup and spoke.
“Have a drink.”
“Before that.”
Gang-ryang opened his mouth with a stiff face.
“Please tell me. What your identity is, why you brought me back here, and what is the reason you saved me, everything.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“It is a bit clumsy, but it seems you have enough caution not to carelessly accept and drink a cup given by another.”
Soon after, Yeon Ho-jeong, who also filled his own cup, refreshingly emptied it.
“Seeing this, it seems you have a rough guess of who we are.”
Gang-ryang’s eyes shone.
“You people, are you from the Orthodox Murim side?”
Hearing those words, Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly felt an unknown faintness.
‘The Orthodox Murim.’
During the days he ran wild as the Sovereign of the Unorthodox, the person who raised a thumb up for him, calling him the hope of the Unorthodox Faction, was precisely Gang-ryang.
Now, such a him is asking if he is a person from the Orthodox Murim side.
It felt strange.
“That is so.”
“As expected…”
Gang-ryang’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“Is that why you saved me? To pull me in as an ally?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head. It was not denying Gang-ryang’s words.
“Why don’t you empty your head first?”
“What do you mean?”
“You did it before, and it’s the same this time too. It seems you live too much in your own world. Being certain of something that isn’t even the answer and pushing forward is a bad habit.”
“…”
“If you’re going to doubt, end it at doubt. If your words say it’s doubt, but you are actually certain of something you cannot be certain of, conversation will not work from the beginning.”
Gang-ryang’s eyes shook.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke seriously.
“The world is not as easy as you think. Isn’t it a situation where things that not only you but also I could not have imagined are happening everywhere in the world.”
“…”
“Face the situation coldly. As you said, I am the benefactor who saved your life.”
“…I know.”
“If so, we should start from there.”
“…?”
“The one who saved your life, this is a benefactor you won’t have again. However, whether you will see that benefactor as a benefactor, or ignore that grace because the paths you walk are different, is up to your judgment.”
“…!”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“I am your benefactor. And I belong to the Orthodox Murim.”
“…As expected.”
“Now, what will you do? You, who are from a prestigious family of the Unorthodox, had your life saved by me, who is from a prestigious family of the Orthodox. Will you repay this grace? Or will you ignore it and go your own way?”
“If I go my own way?”
Gang-ryang’s eyes were shaking mercilessly. He wondered if it could be, but he really was a figure of the Orthodox.
“If I say I will go my own way, do you have the thought of sending me off like this?”
“I do.”
“…!”
“Why? Is it unexpected?”
“…It is.”
Yeon Ho-jeong sincerely laughed without realizing it.
‘Still the same.’
One of Gang-ryang’s countless strengths was precisely that honesty.
From the beginning, he was not a person who fought with his head. Even so, he was not an idiot who easily fell for the enemy’s stratagems either.
Heavily and heartily.
An iron-blooded swordsman who faces the world with an honest and confident frontal breakthrough.
That was exactly the true worth of Gang-ryang, the strongest swordsman of the Dark Emperor Castle and the Number One Sword of the Unorthodox.
“You have caused no harm to me, and to us. To put it bluntly, we are in a relationship where we don’t even know if we can see each other again if we part today. Why would I stop such a person if he says he’s leaving on his own two feet?”
“You are from the Orthodox Murim, aren’t you.”
“So what?”
“…I thought naturally you wouldn’t just leave me, who is from the Unorthodox, alone.”
“That is also a hasty certainty. Then again, usually it is like that. However, if I intended to kill you, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to save you either.”
“You could have kept me alive because you have a purpose.”
“I’m sorry, but I have a personality that looks at the person himself rather than his origin.”
Gang-ryang’s eyes deepened.
Looks at the person rather than the origin. Those seemingly insignificant words were fiercely shaking Gang-ryang’s chest.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke openly and frankly.
“The preamble was long. I’ll speak honestly. I want you to be with me.”
“…!”
“That doesn’t mean I’m telling you to transfer to the Orthodox Murim. Although it was annihilated, you are still the successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect. No, now it should be seen that you represent the Ghost Iron Sword Sect.”
Gang-ryang’s eyes became slightly bloodshot. He felt anew the reality that his sect was annihilated and his family died.
“However, the problem would be your purpose.”
“Purpose?”
“Right. You probably want to eliminate Combat King Yang Cheon, and furthermore, the Black Dragon Manor, right?”
“That is so.”
“It is the same for me as well.”
“…?!”
“To be exact, I want to cleanly clean up the Unorthodox which is only this much right now, and make a very plausible Unorthodox.”
Yeon Ho-jeong continued speaking while filling his own cup.
“This is a fact that even my comrades do not know. Those people, even if their personalities are different, they are Orthodox people from the roots. Different from me.”
“…Then, are you saying you are originally from the Unorthodox?”
He is not from the Unorthodox. Although he has been the Grandmaster of the Unorthodox.
Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t bother answering Gang-ryang’s question.
“Anyway, this is the reason I saved you. It is not a pure intention, is it?”
“I have something I am curious about.”
“Probably a lot.”
“That is so. But this much I definitely want to ask.”
“Speak.”
Gang-ryang asked, giving strength to each and every letter.
“Exactly what about me are you believing to ask me to be with you?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.
About you, no, not only you but all of the Five Great Divine Generals, I already know well.
“My sect is clearly a prestigious family of the Unorthodox. I dare guarantee, there is no sect in the Unorthodox Murim equipped with outstanding supreme arts and laws as much as my sect.”
“I acknowledge a certain part.”
“However, no matter how much I am the successor of a sword sect, thoughts are different, talents are different, and skills are different, so exactly what did you see in me to ask me to join you? Could it be you even investigated me?”
It was a valid question.
Yeon Ho-jeong fiddled with his cup with both hands. When asked like this, he had no suitable words to say.
“…Well.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“Let’s just call it a feeling.”
“A feeling?”
“Right, a feeling.”
“That is not an answer worthy of an answer.”
“I know it will sound like that, but right now I can only say this.”
Yeon Ho-jeong gave strength to his eyes.
“I will say this much clearly. It’s not like all of our party watched you. I did.”
“…”
“In other words, the party doesn’t know yet either. Why I saved you.”
“It means it’s not like the Orthodox Murim side plotted something.”
“Honestly, you do not have that level of value. At least not yet.”
Gang-ryang also smirked.
“You are excessively honest.”
“Didn’t you want an honest conversation?”
Gang-ryang, who was quietly looking at Yeon Ho-jeong, only then lifted his cup and drank the alcohol.
He furrowed his brows.
“It was baijiu?”
“What did you expect?”
“It’s too strong.”
“Life is bitter, and the truth is even more bitter.”
Gang-ryang, who let out a low sigh, seemed to fall in thought for a moment, then soon filled Yeon Ho-jeong’s cup.
Yeon Ho-jeong received the cup with familiar movements.
Gang-ryang spoke.
“I think it will be impossible after all.”
“Is that so?”
“I will never forget that you saved this bastard’s life. Normally, I would have done anything for you.”
“Hmm.”
“However…”
Gang-ryang spoke in a self-deprecating voice.
“I am sorry. I will kill Yang Cheon and tear down the Black Dragon Manor. It might take a lifetime, and perhaps I could die in the middle.”
“…”
“I have received a great grace from you, but it seems it will be difficult to properly repay this grace.”
“You are wrong.”
“…?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke while filling Gang-ryang’s cup.
“In the first place, it is not something that will take a lifetime, but with your current self, even if you put in a lifetime of effort, you cannot smash Yang Cheon and the Black Dragon Manor.”
“…”
“Honestly admit it. If you are lucky, you might be able to gather people, but that is all. You will absolutely never be able to achieve your goal.”
Gang-ryang gritted his teeth.
“How are you so confident?”
“Then what do you believe in to be so confident yourself? Have you even investigated the military power or financial power of the Black Dragon Manor in detail?”
“That is not it, but…”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s gaze became cold.
The atmosphere that had been soft instantly became sharp like a knife. At that sudden change, Gang-ryang was startled.
“Do not act like a greenhorn, Gang-ryang.”
“…!!”
“Do you really want revenge? If so, learn how to hide your emotions first. How am I confident? I have no choice but to be confident. Because the end of an idiot tightly bound with the carefree thought that somehow trying hard will work out without even knowing the opponent’s strength is obvious without even seeing.”
“…”
“If you go out like this, you will die without lasting even a month. Even that is when you are lucky; in truth, looking at your personality or skill, you won’t last even ten days.”
Life was bitter and the truth was even more bitter.
It was a tone that was so naked it was harsh. However, Gang-ryang could neither get angry at Yeon Ho-jeong nor refute him.
It was because even if he couldn’t understand with his head, he could understand with his heart.
That revenge was impossible like this. That let alone Yang Cheon, he could die without even catching a single master of the Black Dragon Manor.
“I’ll ask again. Do you want revenge?”
“…I do.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“No.”
“Any reliable helper?”
“…No.”
“Financial power to command people? Is it possible to gather forces using your fame? Is your business talent outstanding so you can at least make money well? Or is your head brilliant so you can tear down the enemy with an astonishing stratagem?”
“…”
He truly had nothing to say. Questioning it item by item to this extent, he realized that he really had no countermeasures at all.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes became bloody.
“Murim is a place where your neck flies off from a single mistake. That does not distinguish between the Orthodox and the Unorthodox. Let alone, now when the entire Unorthodox Murim is lighting up their eyes to kill you, do you think you can overcome all those difficulties and achieve your goal?”
“…”
“Absolutely impossible.”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
Gang-ryang’s eyes heated up bright red.
Before he knew it, explosive emotions were loaded into his two eyes that had become tearful.
“That’s right! I am a greenhorn! All I know how to do is a little sword-wielding, and even that is not at a level to work against a real master! Then, are you saying since I’m a bastard who is only this much, I should give up on revenge?!”
“Give up.”
“W-what?!”
“I said give up. If you are going to live with such a mindset in the future as well, it would be better to just enter the mountains and live while serving your parents’ memorial tablets.”
“Eek!”
“However, if you make up your mind differently, revenge is not impossible.”
“…What?”
“Be with me.”
“…!”
“I am not telling you to become my subordinate, nor to throw yourself into the Orthodox Murim. Just traverse the world with me, learn, master, and experience.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coldly.
“I will at least ensure you don’t die on the streets while wandering without catching your bearings.”
“…”
“Of course, you too will have to risk your life though.”
Yeon Ho-jeong reached out his hand towards Gang-ryang.
“What will you do? Will you be with me?”
Gang-ryang, looking at Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand as if possessed.
He couldn’t help but grab the hand of this scary man.