Chapter 604: Making an Apology
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 604: Making an Apology
"Do I really have to go?"
Lee Jae-won spoke, his face contorted into a deep scowl.
"Of course, Alliance Leader."
Tang Jin-seol, standing beside him, replied with an alluring smile.
"...Sigh... Fuck, seriously."
Lee Jae-won eventually spat out a curse. Irritation was surging through him.
"You don't seem very keen on the idea."
"Would you be? That bastard is the one who cut off my arm!" Jae-won raised his voice, shouting in frustration.
"Which is exactly why you must go, Alliance Leader," Tang Jin-seol continued, her beautiful smile never wavering.
"No, but still! Asking me to go and apologize! Isn't this a bit much? Goddammit! Seriously!"
Jae-won vented the annoyance bubbling up in his chest. The mere suggestion from Tang Jin-seol that he should apologize to Jang Sun-woo made his blood boil.
Who was Jang Sun-woo?
Was he not the son of a bitch who had severed Jae-won's arm, crippled him, and stolen his title as the World's Greatest Martial Artist?
How could he possibly apologize to a dog like that? To a man he wouldn't be satisfied with even if he tore every inch of his flesh to shreds?
He couldn't stand it. The fact that he had to bow his head and apologize—the fact that he had to yield to him.
Since falling into the world of this Murim novel, Lee Jae-won had lived a life where he never had to apologize. He had navigated the treacherous Murim through rationalization and self-consolation, taking credit for everything that went well and blaming others for everything that didn't.
To someone like him, being told to apologize was horrific. Even if he had actually done something wrong, he wouldn't have wanted to apologize. So how could he possibly apologize to the one who had wronged him?
It was absurd.
"Dammit! I'm not going! I can't! Why the hell should I be the one to apologize!" Jae-won barked at Tang Jin-seol.
No matter how much he thought about it, it was too much. He felt like his heart would rot away if he just meekly apologized like this.
"Didn't I tell you, Alliance Leader? To draw him into the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, we need to untie the tangled knots first."
Tang Jin-seol spoke softly, looking at Jae-won as if she were soothing a small child.
"No, why does untying the knot have to involve my apology!" Jae-won yelled, his voice rising.
The one who tangled the knot was Jang Sun-woo. If he hadn't shown off from the start and had just displayed the strength expected of a Rising Star, none of this would have happened. But he had overstepped, and in the end, he had cut off Jae-won's arm.
To anyone's eyes, the fault was clearly his. So why was Jae-won the one apologizing? It would be one thing if that crazy lunatic apologized first.
"My dear Alliance Leader, didn't I tell you? For the sake of the greater good, one must endure humiliation."
Tang Jin-seol continued her persuasion.
"Greater good my ass, it's a matter of pride!" Jae-won shouted again.
He knew. He knew exactly why he had to apologize. His head understood, but his heart refused to accept it. He felt like he would regret it for the rest of his life if he apologized to that cursed, godforsaken bastard.
"Then, are you going to give up on your revenge?" Tang Jin-seol asked, her expression now calm and settled as she looked at him.
".......Let's... let's think of another way besides an apology."
Jae-won began trying to convince her. He simply could not bring himself to apologize.
"It's impossible."
Tang Jin-seol shook her head.
"If we don't untie this knot, we can't bring Jang Sun-woo into the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
She looked at Jae-won with a steady gaze and spoke.
"And then, the Alliance Leader will never be able to achieve his revenge."
"No, but there must be some other way!"
"No. There is no other way."
Tang Jin-seol shook her head again.
"The plan for revenge was built on the assumption that he would participate in the Great War. If he doesn't join, the plan is useless."
"........Still..."
Jae-won's voice trailed off, sounding regretful. His mind knew she was right, but his heart was unwilling.
"Or do you have the confidence to suppress him with pure martial force? With one arm cut off?"
"................"
Jae-won fell silent at her sharp rebuke. He couldn't think of a single thing to say in rebuttal.
He had no confidence in winning. He had been utterly crushed even when both his arms were intact. There was no way he could win now with one arm missing.
"Alliance Leader, you must face reality."
Tang Jin-seol spoke to the silent Jae-won.
"To get your revenge on him, an apology is necessary. It will be humiliating, but that is the only way you can eventually kill him."
She began to persuade him earnestly, her voice soft, trying to sway his heart.
"..........."
Jae-won remained silent for a long time, lost in thought. He was weighing whether to apologize for the sake of the greater good or to remain stubborn for the sake of his pride.
After agonizing over it for who knows how long...
"........I'll apologize."
Jae-won finally spoke, as if he had made a difficult decision. Apologizing to him felt as disgusting as swallowing thousands of filthy flies, but he had to do it. For the sake of a perfect revenge.
"A wonderful choice, Alliance Leader."
Tang Jin-seol smiled faintly upon hearing his decision, looking at him as if she were proud.
"Sigh.... Then let's go."
Jae-won let out a long sigh and began to walk. He intended to move immediately while his mind was made up, following the proverb to strike while the iron is hot—before his resolve could waver.
Smirk.
Tang Jin-seol watched Jae-won's retreating back with a deep smile. Then, she began to follow him with a very leisurely stride.
*
The Reception Room
"Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale..."
Sitting at the table, Lee Jae-won took several deep breaths to calm his mind. He intended to compose himself and maintain his equanimity before Sun-woo arrived.
Woooooom.
He began to circulate the Great Void One-Qi Art. He felt that nothing was better than this technique for calming the mind.
Swish.
The energy of the Great Void One-Qi Art rose from Jae-won's Dantian and began to permeate his Fine Meridians and blood vessels. Soon, the energy reached his head.
His mind began to clear and sharpen, as if he had taken a stimulant.
Woooooom.
The energy that had reached his head spread through his body again, completing a Full Circulation. As his internal energy continued its cycles, Jae-won's heart grew increasingly steady.
After some time had passed...
"Hah!"
Jae-won withdrew the energy that had been circulating through his body. He felt that this was enough.
'Come on then,' Jae-won thought. In his current state, he felt he could endure even bowing his head to apologize.
Thud. Thud.
The sound of footsteps began to reach his ears. A heavy, unrefined stride. It was definitely Jang Sun-woo's footsteps.
Click. Clack.
Then, a completely different set of footsteps reached his ears. A relatively light and rhythmic sound.
'That must be Joo So-yang,' he thought. He assumed it was the sound of Joo So-yang, who had gone to fetch Jang Sun-woo.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
It was then. A completely foreign sound reached Jae-won's ears. It was a sound even lighter than Joo So-yang's footsteps.
'What is that? Who is it?!'
Jae-won's brow furrowed. Who else could be coming in besides Jang Sun-woo and Joo So-yang?
Creeeeeak.
Suddenly, the sound of an old hinge echoed as the door slowly began to open.
'Fuck.'
Jae-won immediately cursed internally. The person he least wanted to encounter had appeared outside the door.
'.......Lee Ye-seol.'
Indeed. The person appearing outside the door was his own daughter, Lee Ye-seol. Jae-won's face crumpled uncontrollably.
"How are you?"
Then, the annoying voice of a man reached his ears. The Rising Star who had cut off his arm. The man who had snatched the title of World's Greatest Martial Artist from him.
The Sword God, Jang Sun-woo.
Tremble, tremble.
Jae-won's body began to shake slightly. An inexplicable fear surged within him the moment he heard that voice. It seemed the psychological trauma from having his arm severed still remained.
Squeeze.
Just then, he felt a warm sensation on the back of his hand. Jae-won quickly looked down. He saw Tang Jin-seol's hand covering his own. Feeling her warmth, he felt his fearful heart calm down to some extent.
'Thank you, Tang Jin-seol.'
Jae-won thanked her inwardly.
"It is good to see you."
He offered a greeting while looking at Sun-woo, appearing remarkably composed.
"I can't say I share the sentiment."
Sun-woo's disrespectful voice reached Jae-won's ears.
'This son of a bitch is being difficult!'
Hearing that voice, Jae-won was certain. Jang Sun-woo was going to be a prick.
"......I understand.... You wouldn't be happy to see me, considering I tried to kill you."
Jae-won spoke with a somber tone. He was treating him with a low posture, completely unlike his usual self.
'You bastard, do you think I'll give in just because you're being difficult?'
Jae-won had steeled himself multiple times before entering this room. He had resolved to endure whatever reaction Jang Sun-woo had. All for the sake of perfect revenge.
"If you know that, why did you come here?"
Sun-woo asked back with a look of feigned ignorance.
'This... this... disrespectful brat...'
Jae-won barely managed to keep his expression from twisting. Who was he? Even if he had handed over the title of the World's Greatest, was he not still a great warrior hailed as a hero of the Murim? How could Sun-woo speak so rudely to such a man when he was being so humble?
An immense rage began to surge in his chest. He wanted to crush this disrespectful brat's head right then and there.
"I came because I have something to say to you."
However, Jae-won narrowly suppressed the massive anger rising within him and continued with a calm expression.
"And what is that?" Sun-woo asked, sounding curious.
"Why don't you sit down instead of standing?"
"I'll pass. I don't particularly feel like sitting."
Sun-woo remained consistently abrasive.
'You motherfuuuuuuckerrrr!!'
Facing that attitude, Jae-won screamed internally. He was rude. Beyond rude. Whether by age or by his career in the Murim, Jae-won was in a position that deserved ample respect. How could he be treated so poorly?
"If you won't sit, then I shall stand."
Jae-won spoke in a calm tone. He slowly rose from his seat and faced Sun-woo.
"I was in the wrong."
Jae-won continued, looking directly at Sun-woo.
"Please, forgive me."
Then, he slowly bowed his waist toward Sun-woo. It was a very solemn and polite gesture.
"What exactly were you wrong about?"
Sun-woo asked, looking down at the bowing Jae-won.
"Everything... everything... I am sorry."
"I don't want such a vague apology. Please tell me specifically what you did wrong."
Sun-woo spoke with a cold gaze.
".....I... I apologize for failing to control my emotions and using a lethal move against you."
Jae-won spoke slowly, gritting his teeth.
"And?" Sun-woo asked back.
"..........And what?"
"Is that the end of your transgressions?"
"....That is all."
Jae-won nodded as he spoke.
"Then leave."
Sun-woo spoke firmly.
"Are you saying you won't accept my apology?"
"How can I accept an apology from someone who doesn't even know what they did wrong?" Sun-woo said with a cold expression.
"I don't understand... What... what other wrong could I have possibly committed?"
Jae-won spoke with a look of frustration. What the hell else did he do to deserve this treatment?
"Do you really not know?"
".......I do not."
"You are quite shameless, Alliance Leader."
"What!?"
Jae-won's brow furrowed as his voice rose. Irritation was getting the better of him.
"Did you not personally visit my quarters to kill me while I was unconscious? Why are you leaving that part out?"
Sun-woo glared at Jae-won and spoke in a frigid tone.
"That... that was... a misunderstanding... I only went there because I was worried about your condition!" Jae-won shouted hurriedly, as if making an excuse.
"Stop talking nonsense that even a passing dog wouldn't believe. Does someone who comes out of worry beat their own wife?"
Sun-woo spoke, looking at Jae-won with utter contempt.
'Fuck.'
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Jae-won cursed internally at the disrespectful bastard standing before him.