Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Even a Tyrant Can Be a Hero (4)
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“Wh-what did you say?!”
Ma Dongpil’s face grew grim.
“I said he’s been imprisoned.”
“How can the Hall of Punishments imprison the Third Young Master, of all people? Unless he committed treason, that’s impossible!”
“…”
“Don’t tell me he actually committed treason?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why!”
Sighing, Ma Dongpil explained the situation from the beginning.
Upon hearing his words, Wi Hongryeon’s face twisted in anger.
“Is the Head of the Hall of Punishments fucking insane? What's so strange about candidates fighting that he gets locked up for it?!”
“The situation is not that simple.”
“What’s not simple about it? What reason could be simpler than candidates fighting each other for the succession?”
“He drew his sword on the Head of the Hall of Punishments, who was trying to stop the fight.”
“...!”
“He may hold the noblest status in our Cult, but this case is different. It’s not just anyone he clashed with; it’s the head of the Hall of Punishments.”
“…Shit.”
The authority of the Hall of Punishments, which enforced the Cult’s laws, was immense. Even if the opponent was the Cult Leader’s disciple, drawing a sword on the Hall’s Head was not a matter that could be easily overlooked.
“Besides, there were too many witnesses. For the sake of the Hall of Punishments’ authority, they had no choice but to imprison the Young Master.”
Wi Hongryeon glared at him.
“You bastard! Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you saying the Head of the Hall of Punishments was right?!”
“I said I understand him, not that I’m on his side.”
“You talk a good game, you damn bastard.”
“That’s not what’s important. At this point, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t know how the Head of the Hall of Punishments will act, or how the Young Master will respond.”
The strength gradually drained from Ma Dongpil’s voice.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to do right now either.”
Grinding her teeth, Wi Hongryeon turned her head away. She, too, couldn’t think of a solution.
An oppressive silence enveloped the two.
Ma Dongpil tilted his head.
“By the way, Commander Wi, why did you come here?”
“What, you punk?”
“Shouldn’t the Berserk Demon Unit be returning to the field starting today?”
Wi Hongryeon snorted.
“We can’t go anywhere until we get orders from above. We haven’t heard anything from the higher-ups yet.”
“Then why aren’t you on standby…”
“God, you talk a lot. What? Am I not allowed to be here?”
“That’s not what I meant, but…”
“I’m already stressed out, so stop nagging me.”
Sighing heavily, Wi Hongryeon soon broke into a wicked grin.
“Anyway, he’s a real firecracker, isn’t he? Smashing the Fourth Young Master to pieces right then and there. Impressive, indeed.”
Though it was being kept quiet, rumors that the Fourth Young Master had suffered irreversible injuries were spreading throughout the inner sanctum.
At the same time, the Third Young Master’s formidable martial prowess was being re-evaluated. The cultists were astonished that he had not only escaped his demonic deviation but had become far stronger than before.
Excitement, and anxiety.
The Third Young Master’s power left a strong impression on the cultists, but it also instilled a sense of unease. The clandestine battles between the candidates had finally been dragged into the light.
“Tch, it’s a bit of a shame, though.”
“What is?”
“The Third Young Master’s rampage was so spectacular.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Whatever. Because of that, the rumor that really needed to spread didn’t.”
“A rumor?”
“About Song Gyeong. The news of how badly that bastard got his ass kicked should have spread like wildfire.”
“Is that important?”
“It is to me.”
Ma Dongpil clicked his tongue.
“Why do you hate the Commander of the True Demon Unit so much? Was there some major issue between you two?”
“If there wasn’t, why do you think I’d hate him so much?”
“What on earth happened?”
“Shortly after I was appointed Commander, there was a meeting of all the commanders. That bastard tried to pull rank on me. I got pissed and crushed one of his balls.”
“...!”
“Ever since then, he’s been dying to get back at me. Even though he was the one who started it.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…Let’s just go get something to eat.”
“You think I can swallow a single grain of rice in this situation?”
“I don’t think you’re one to talk. Let’s go. You need to eat for your brain to work, or so I’ve been told.”
“Who filled your head with such a food-obsessed idea?”
“The Third Young Master.”
* * *
“…”
“...?”
“…”
“If you’re here, you could at least say something. Why are you just standing there blankly?”
“Third Young Master.”
“What.”
“Just what…”
“Ah, right. Before that, could you take these off for me?”
Seo Ryang raised his hands. On his wrists were the same Forbidden Sea Iron cuffs that Wi Hongryeon had worn before.
“My wrists are throbbing. I have no intention of escaping, so I figure it’s okay to take them off, right?”
“You are currently imprisoned, Third Young Master. Being imprisoned means you are temporarily a criminal. Naturally, I cannot grant that request.”
*Crack!*
Go Gu’s eyes deepened.
Seo Ryang scratched his head. The Forbidden Sea Iron cuffs that had been on his hands were now split in half.
“I didn’t think they’d break, but they did. Sorry for breaking them.”
Cuffs made of Forbidden Sea Iron were designed to seal one’s internal energy.
Even the chain connecting the cuffs was made of high-purity steel, making it impossible to break with sealed internal energy. Yet, the Forbidden Sea Iron had shattered in an instant.
“Wasn’t your internal energy sealed?”
“It was.”
“But how?”
“I’ve always been ridiculously strong.”
It was an absurd joke. These cuffs were difficult to break even for a master of external arts who had reached the pinnacle solely through physical training.
However, Seo Ryang was an expert on artifacts that temporarily sealed internal energy, such as cuffs, rings, and bracelets. He had used them countless times when assassinating masters who could instantly discern the presence of internal energy.
Naturally, he also knew methods to forcibly break the seal. To him, the Forbidden Sea Iron cuffs were nothing more than a slightly sturdy pair of handcuffs.
*Crack! Crack!*
Seo Ryang tore off the remaining pieces of the cuffs from his wrists and crossed his arms.
“So, what did you want to say?”
“…I recall you clearly agreed to my proposal.”
“Proposal? You mean your threat.”
“Whatever it was.”
“I did agree. To be honest, I didn’t want to cause this much of a scene either.”
“Are you saying it was unavoidable?”
“Whether it was a proposal or a threat, there was a mediator. It's not a bad way to reconcile, but for a true reconciliation, don't the parties involved need to reach an agreement themselves?”
“So you extended an olive branch first?”
“I did. He kicked it away. And for good measure, he threatened to kill me, if not now, then definitely later.”
“…”
“I can’t stand leaving loose ends. Is there any reason I should spare someone who says they’ll kill me, just because of a mediator’s threat?”
Go Gu’s eyes turned cold.
“I don’t know how you interpreted it, Third Young Master, but I was being sincere when I said things would become quite difficult for you.”
“I know.”
“Can you handle it?”
Seo Ryang tilted his head.
“Now that’s an interesting thing to say. Why should I be the one to handle it?”
“…I don’t know what you mean.”
“I’m not talking about your ‘threat’ disguised as a proposal. I’m talking about the ‘reason’ you made such a threat.”
Reason? What did he mean?
“Whether as the Head of the Hall of Punishments or as Go Gu the individual, you don’t want turmoil to erupt within the Cult. That’s why you became a mediator. Am I right?”
“You are.”
“Well, now there’s no reason for turmoil to erupt, is there?”
“...!”
“It’s true, isn’t it? That Hong Wi-mun fellow will be bedridden for at least a few years. In that state, do you think he can provoke me?”
The color drained from Go Gu’s face.
That was right. He didn’t want the Cult to be disturbed by conflict, whether it was between the candidates or anyone else.
But conflict requires two parties. The moment Seo Ryang left Hong Wi-mun in a state of near-permanent disability, the proposal he had made became null and void.
Why? Because one of the parties who could create conflict had been removed from the equation.
“Whatever the reason, you got the situation you wanted. So why are you spouting nonsense about handling consequences now?”
“…”
“Are you like that Third Captain or whatever his name was? Does your ego demand that every cultist in the sect bow their heads to you?”
Go Gu’s eyebrow twitched upward.
Seo Ryang smiled.
“Let me go.”
“…”
“If it wasn’t out of respect for you, I would have been out of here before these cuffs were even on. Considering my status as the Third Young Master, I think I’ve been patient enough. Haven’t I done my part?”
“I noticed it before, but you are quite the smooth talker.”
“I’m just rambling.”
“What will you do if I refuse to let you go?”
“Is there a reason you shouldn’t?”
“I’m just curious.”
“I thought you weren’t the type to drag out conversations with pointless hypotheticals. I guess I was mistaken.”
“…”
“May I leave now?”
Go Gu, who had been staring at Seo Ryang, rose from his seat.
“I will be watching you closely from now on.”
“Watch all you want, but don’t stand in my way. I have no desire to be on bad terms with the Hall of Punishments.”
“You’re very confident. You haven’t been appointed the successor yet. You are merely a candidate.”
“So what?”
“If I were to make up my mind…”
“Yes, and if I were to make up my mind, it wouldn’t be too difficult to bury you with a single rumor. So let’s just quietly go our separate ways.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Seo Ryang stood up.
“Whether it’s the Hall of Punishments or the Hall of Protectors, they run best when led by someone with strict standards, wouldn’t you agree? If a rumor spread that the head of such an organization was secretly threatening the Third Young Master, things would get quite tiresome for you, wouldn’t they?”
“…”
“Considering the fear and awkwardness the cultists feel toward the Hall of Punishments, I don’t think it would be a very difficult task.”
“How petty.”
“I’ll return those words to you. If you want to play at being an executive, go lord over your underlings instead of messing with the wrong person.”
“…”
“I’m leaving. I hope we don’t have to see each other often.”
* * *
Watching Seo Ryang’s back as he strode away in the distance, Go Gu let out a sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he had sighed.
“A difficult person.”
And a dangerous one. Although he had said he hoped they wouldn’t see each other often, he had a feeling they would be seeing a lot of each other.
Just then, the Third Captain walked up from behind.
“The initial restoration of the damaged area is complete.”
“Good work.”
“…Hall Master.”
“Is there anything else to report?”
The Third Captain spoke in a dissatisfied tone.
“Are we really just going to let the Third Young Master go like that?”
“…”
“He is a man who drew his sword on you, Hall Master. This is not a matter of status, but of discipline within the Cult. We can find a way to implicate him.”
“It would take some effort, but it is possible.”
“Then why did you let him go?”
“Is there a reason I should go to such lengths?”
“But…”
Go Gu turned his head to look at the Third Captain.
In that instant, fear flickered in the Third Captain’s eyes. The gaze Go Gu fixed on him was incredibly cold.
“Your actions were swift, but your words and response were rash. Do you admit it?”
“…I apologize.”
“Whether your opponent is the Third Young Master or anyone else, never give them an opening. Each of those rash words builds resentment, and when resentment piles up, people who disregard the rules emerge. Moreover, the Third Young Master’s words possessed a certain validity.”
“…”
“As a chance for you to reflect on your actions, I will dock your pay for three months. Use this opportunity to grow.”
“Thank you.”
Bowing deeply, the Third Captain scurried away.
Go Gu’s gaze returned to the window. The Third Young Master had already become a tiny black dot in the distance.
‘Third Young Master.’
He no longer thought about the Third Young Master’s words or actions.
What he was thinking about was the Third Young Master’s martial arts.
‘It was more vicious and wicked than any Demonic Art… but that saber art definitely belongs to the Righteous Faction.’
A troubled expression no one else could see appeared on Go Gu’s face.
‘Could it be… the same as me?’