Chapter 582: There Is No Such Thing as a Majority Vote in This Meeting
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 582: There Is No Such Thing as a Majority Vote in This Meeting
The Alliance Meeting Room.
A fierce and heated debate had begun to unfold within its walls.
"He must be killed immediately!"
Lee Dae-gon of the Hwalbindang shouted, the veins in his neck bulging. It was a sight that made his agitation obvious to anyone watching.
"Kill him? For what crime exactly are you suggesting such a thing?"
Upon hearing those words, Heo Sam-gwan, the Master of Palbok Hall, responded with a calm expression.
"Did the Palbok Hall Master not see it from the closest vantage point?! He severed the Alliance Leader’s arm!"
Lee Dae-gon glared at Heo Sam-gwan with bloodshot eyes as he continued.
"Was there not a justifiable reason for it?"
"What did you say?!"
"It was the Alliance Leader who tried to kill him first. He merely severed the arm to survive the threat the Leader posed. In short, it was self-defense."
Heo Sam-gwan maintained his composed demeanor as he spoke.
"That is preposterous!" Lee Dae-gon roared in rebuttal. "The Alliance Leader was merely taking action to discipline a member of the Rising Stars who refused to show his full strength! There was never any intent to kill!"
"It seems there is a significant discrepancy between what you saw and what I saw."
Heo Sam-gwan replied, looking as if he found the other man’s words absurd.
"From my perspective, the Alliance Leader truly intended to kill him. Have you forgotten that Jang Sun-woo was bleeding so profusely his life was in danger?"
"He must have thought the boy could endure it!"
"You’re certainly interpreting things to suit your own narrative. One would think the Alliance Leader himself was standing here making excuses."
Heo Sam-gwan let out a scoffing remark.
"Have you said your piece, Palbok Hall Master?!"
Lee Dae-gon glared at Heo Sam-gwan with a murderous light in his eyes. He found Heo Sam-gwan’s attitude intolerable. The arm of the Alliance Leader—a man whose status was as high as the heavens—had been severed. How could he possibly defend the reckless brat who had done such a thing?
"And what if I haven't?"
Heo Sam-gwan glared back with eyes as cold as ice. Hostility flared within him toward Lee Dae-gon, who was interpreting and packaging Lee Jae-won’s actions as he pleased, acting like the man's personal spokesperson.
"The Leader of the Cheonmu Alliance! The hero who saved the Murim! He has suffered an irreversible injury! How can you suggest we just sit back and watch? He must be killed! We must kill him to restore the prestige of the Alliance!"
Lee Dae-gon delivered his impassioned speech, his face flushed with excitement.
"I told you, there was a legitimate reason! The Alliance Leader was the one who struck first! And against an opponent who had already surrendered, no less! If anything, we should be grateful to him. Grateful that he took an arm instead of a head!"
Heo Sam-gwan raised his voice, his own temper beginning to flare.
"Whose side is the Palbok Hall Master on, anyway? Are you truly a member of the Cheonmu Alliance?!"
"There are no 'sides' here! I am simply judging the situation based on what I saw and felt!"
"I find myself doubting the Palbok Hall Master’s loyalty!"
"What?! Loyalty, you say?"
"Indeed! Is it not because you lack loyalty that you defend Jang Sun-woo?"
"So, you want me to be like you? To spinelessly sing the Alliance Leader’s praises no matter what?"
"What did you say?!"
"Is it not the truth?"
Lee Dae-gon and Heo Sam-gwan began to bicker back and forth. Just as their shouting match reached a crescendo—
"Enough."
A dignified voice resonated from the head of the table.
"It seems the Hall Masters have become far too overheated. Why don't you both calm down?"
The woman sitting in the seat of honor, Joo So-yang, spoke in a composed tone.
"..."
"..."
The two Hall Masters immediately clamped their mouths shut. They were completely overwhelmed by her calm yet powerful voice.
"This gathering is to discuss the disposition of the Divine Dragon. Please refrain from personal squabbles between Hall Masters."
She opened her mouth, her cold gaze sweeping over the two men.
"I... I apologize."
"My apologies, Great Matriarch."
The two Hall Masters quickly offered their apologies. As she said, they realized their emotions had gotten the better of them.
"I am glad you understand. Now then, let us hear the opinions of the others."
Joo So-yang spoke with a serene expression. She slowly turned her head to scan the assembly and locked eyes with Tang Jin-seol, who had raised her hand high.
"Madam Tang, please speak."
Meeting her gaze, Joo So-yang granted her the floor. Though she didn't particularly like the woman, she felt she couldn't simply ignore her.
"He must be killed."
The answer that came from Tang Jin-seol’s lips was entirely predictable. It was so expected that asking felt like a waste of time.
"And your reason?" Joo So-yang asked, struggling to maintain her poker face.
"The Cheonmu Alliance Leader is the very symbol of this Alliance. Yet, that symbol has had his arm severed and been left with a permanent disability. How can we allow the perpetrator to live under such circumstances? He must be killed. As the Hwalbindang Master said, we must kill him to uphold the Alliance's prestige."
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a nonchalant expression.
"I object."
Paeng Ga-ryeon, who had been listening silently, raised her hand and spoke up.
"Go ahead, Madam Paeng," Joo So-yang said, granting her the floor.
"While it is deeply regrettable that the Alliance Leader’s arm was severed, I do not believe it is right to kill Jang Sun-woo out of a desire for retaliation."
She spoke in a steady tone.
"What? Retaliation?"
"What else would you call it? You seek to kill him for the sake of the Alliance's prestige and the Leader's revenge, without considering the circumstances."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s expression remained cold.
"I am merely advocating for a just punishment. The current situation is no different than if a guest invited to a banquet at the Paeng Clan Manor had severed the arm of the Clan Head. Would you be able to endure that, Madam Paeng?"
"Of course I couldn't."
"Then is that not the end of the discussion?"
"No, it is not."
Paeng Ga-ryeon shook her head.
"Is it not a massive leap in logic to equate a Great Clan with the Cheonmu Alliance?"
"What?"
"Unlike a Clan, which is bound by blood, the Cheonmu Alliance is a collective of chivalrous men who have gathered voluntarily. To equate a Clan with the Alliance... your logic is flawed."
Paeng Ga-ryeon continued in a calm voice.
"Unlike a blood-related Clan, there is no obligation within the Alliance to carry out a Leader's personal revenge."
"What?! The head of an organization has been maimed, and you say there is no duty to seek revenge? Do you truly think that makes sense?"
Tang Jin-seol looked at her as if she were speaking nonsense.
"It is unfortunate that he was maimed, but was there not a reason for it?"
"What did you say?!"
"The Alliance Leader used a lethal move against an opponent who had no intention of fighting. How can he complain about losing an arm? Under the circumstances, he should be keeping his mouth shut even if his life had been taken."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s eyes flashed sharply.
"Madam Paeng! You go too far! Are you suggesting the Alliance Leader should have died then and there?!"
Tang Jin-seol’s expression twisted with displeasure.
"That is not what I am saying! I am saying that, given the context, the Alliance Leader did not act honorably either!"
"Are you criticizing the Alliance Leader now? The very man who appointed you as the Master of the Law Enforcement Hall?"
"That is irrelevant! What matters is how objectively one views the incident! The Alliance Leader committed a wrong and simply paid a just price for it."
"Listen here, Madam Paeng. Your husband’s arm was cut off. And you’re saying you’ll just let it go?"
Tang Jin-seol glared at Paeng Ga-ryeon with a piercing gaze.
"Subjective perspectives must be excluded when examining an incident."
Paeng Ga-ryeon replied with a stoic face.
"I simply cannot understand you."
Tang Jin-seol shook her head. She truly couldn't comprehend Paeng Ga-ryeon taking the side of Jang Sun-woo, the man who had maimed the Alliance Leader. No matter how distant their relationship might be, Lee Jae-won was still her husband. How could she side with Jang Sun-woo instead of the husband who had lost his arm?
"Madam Paeng, have you perhaps been sleeping with him?"
"What did you say?!"
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s voice rose in a flare of temper. She was incensed by the blatant attempt to insult her.
"If not, why else would you side with him over your own husband?"
"Madam Tang! Watch your tongue! As the Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, I desire nothing more than a fair judgment."
She glared at Tang Jin-seol with eyes like ice.
"How amusing. Since when has the Law Enforcement Hall Master been so concerned with fairness?"
"What?!"
"Was it not the Law Enforcement Hall Master who framed Madam Kang with false charges and sent her into exile? How can such a person suddenly speak of fairness?"
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a mocking smile.
"Madam Tang!"
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s voice thundered as she glared at Tang Jin-seol. She felt the other woman had crossed a line. This was not a private gathering; it was a meeting of the entire leadership of the Cheonmu Alliance. How could she utter such humiliating words in a place like this? This was a provocation—a fierce and deliberate one.
"If you insult me again, I will not stand for it."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s gaze turned terrifyingly sharp.
"And if you won't stand for it, what will you do? Send me into exile like Kang Ha-yoon?"
Tang Jin-seol let out a cold laugh.
Vrooooooom!
As soon as she finished speaking, a massive amount of internal energy began to fluctuate around Paeng Ga-ryeon. Unable to endure Tang Jin-seol’s insults, she had begun to release her power.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Tang Jin-seol snorted. She then began to radiate her own internal energy, laced with poisonous Qi. It was clear she had no intention of backing down.
"Enough!"
Joo So-yang, seated at the head of the table, let out a sharp cry.
Whoosh!
Instantly, the internal energy radiating from Paeng Ga-ryeon and Tang Jin-seol was dispelled.
"I believe I explicitly forbade personal fighting. Do my words mean nothing to you?"
Joo So-yang looked at the two women with eyes that had turned cold as stone.
"..."
"..."
The two women fell silent immediately, overwhelmed by her terrifying aura.
"As I have said, this is a place to discuss the disposition of the Divine Dragon, Jang Sun-woo. If you continue your personal feud, I will consider it a slight against me and punish you accordingly. Regardless of who you are."
Joo So-yang scanned the room with a burning gaze.
Twitch.
Flinch.
The members of the leadership who met her gaze all flinched involuntarily. They were gripped by fear. Excluding the Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won, the strongest woman in the Cheonmu Alliance was Joo So-yang. She had reached the exalted Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm. No one could face her intense gaze without feeling a sense of dread. She was more than capable of carrying out her threats.
"Whew."
Once the meeting room fell silent, Joo So-yang let out a sigh. Leading the meeting alone was causing her significant mental fatigue.
"I believe I understand everyone's opinions. The proposed dispositions seem to fall into two categories: whether to kill him or to leave him be."
Joo So-yang spoke in a calm tone. As she said, the opinions regarding Jang Sun-woo were split into two extremes. Either kill him or let him go without any punishment. There was no middle ground.
"Both sides have valid points. Therefore, it is difficult to choose one over the other."
She continued her steady address.
"Can we not simply put it to a vote?"
Lee Dae-gon, who had been sitting quietly in a corner, spoke up in a surly tone. He was full of complaints. Why drag this out when they could have just decided by a vote from the start?
"A vote would certainly lead to a quick decision, but in that case, the verdict would reflect the opinion of the majority rather than a proper judgment."
Joo So-yang replied calmly.
"And what exactly is the problem with that?"
Lee Dae-gon asked back, looking as if he didn't understand. A verdict reflecting the majority opinion was surely a just one. What could possibly be the issue?
"Because the majority opinion is not always the correct one."
Joo So-yang met Lee Dae-gon’s question with a stoic expression.
"What?"
Lee Dae-gon asked again, still looking puzzled.
"A judgment is something that must never be decided by a majority vote. If everything is left to the majority, objectivity can be compromised by agitation or political positioning."
Joo So-yang looked directly at Lee Dae-gon.
"Therefore, there is no such thing as a majority vote in this meeting. Make sure you understand that."
She spoke as if issuing a final decree.