Chapter 609: He Declared He Would Not Stand with the Alliance.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 609: He Declared He Would Not Stand with the Alliance.
The leadership stared at Lee Jae-won, their faces masks of pure shock.
Though he had issued a stern warning before, they never truly expected him to follow through with such a punishment.
"Alliance Leader! What is the meaning of this?!"
Heo Sam-gwan, the Palbok Hall Master who had been silently observing the situation, finally raised his voice and bellowed.
"What do you mean?"
Lee Jae-won replied, his expression perfectly composed.
"Why did you strike two Hall Masters with your Fist Wind?!"
"Did I not clearly state my position? I told you that if anyone drew their blade again, I would personally see to their punishment."
Lee Jae-won continued, his voice calm and steady.
"Even so, this is far too much!"
Heo Sam-gwan pointed toward the two Hall Masters, who were still twitching where they had been slammed into the wall. The damage from the Fist Wind must have been significant, as neither had managed to recover yet.
"I gave them a clear opportunity. It was they who chose to cast it aside."
Lee Jae-won spoke with an air of absolute confidence.
"But... Alliance Leader!"
Heo Sam-gwan raised his voice again, looking as though he still couldn't wrap his head around the situation. It simply didn't make sense to him.
Where did they think they were?
Was this not the Cheonmu Alliance? A righteous organization where the champions of justice gathered to uphold and practice the Chivalric Code?
How could someone in such a place resort to crude, thuggish violence?
If a wrong had been committed, the standard procedure was to file a formal complaint with the Law Enforcement Hall, followed by a trial and subsequent sentencing. That was exactly why the Law Enforcement Hall existed.
And yet, he had bypassed all procedures to swing his fists like some common street brawler.
"Consider yourselves lucky it ended with this. I was tempted to snap a limb or two, but since we are on the cusp of a great war, I decided to show special leniency."
Lee Jae-won scanned the room as he spoke.
"..............."
The members of the leadership remained silent, their lips pressed tight. They were utterly overwhelmed by his commanding presence.
Hell yeah, now this is how you establish dominance!
Seeing their reaction, Lee Jae-won cheered inwardly. He felt he had successfully seized control of the room.
Of course, even he thought he might have gone a bit overboard, but it couldn't be helped. To break the spirits of these stubborn old fossils, a performance of this caliber was essential.
"Don't you think it's about time you two got up?"
Lee Jae-won looked toward the men embedded in the wall and spoke with a flat tone.
"Ugh... Argh..."
"Guh... Haa..."
At his words, Cha Do-jin, the Gyebang Hall Master, and Lee Dae-gon, the Hwalbindang Master, began to groan and pull themselves free from the wall. They had taken a massive shock, but it seemed they weren't so injured that they couldn't stand.
"Hwalbindang Master, this is the second time."
Lee Jae-won glared at Lee Dae-gon with cold, piercing eyes.
"If this happens again..."
The light in Lee Jae-won's eyes grew even more frigid as he stared the man down.
"I'll leave the consequences to your imagination."
"I... I understand completely, sir."
Meeting that gaze, Lee Dae-gon quickly nodded his head in submission.
"And you, Gyebang Hall Master."
Satisfied, Lee Jae-won turned his attention to the Gyebang Hall Master.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"You should be careful as well. I am always watching."
Lee Jae-won dropped the ominous remark while staring directly at him.
"I... I understand."
Cha Do-jin stammered his reply, his face pale. A deep-seated fear of the Alliance Leader had begun to take root within him.
"Good. Now, both of you, take your seats. We shall begin the meeting."
Lee Jae-won addressed the entire assembly.
""Understood!""
The gathered leadership responded in unison.
That’s what I’m talking about.
Lee Jae-won felt a surge of internal satisfaction. It felt as though the leadership had returned to the way they used to be—not a pack of rebellious contrarians, but fanatics who would jump into a fire if he ordered it.
*
Once the room had settled, Lee Jae-won slowly rose from his seat.
"First, I must offer you all my sincerest apologies."
He then bowed his head toward them with profound politeness.
"Wait... Alliance Leader?!"
"Why are you bowing?!"
"Please, raise your head, Alliance Leader!"
The officials cried out in bewilderment. Seeing Lee Jae-won suddenly bow left them feeling utterly flustered.
It had been over twenty years since Lee Jae-won earned the title of the World's Greatest Martial Artist. In all that time, he had never bowed his head to anyone.
He was the Great Hero who saved the Murim, the World's Greatest, and the Leader of the Cheonmu Alliance. To whom would such a man ever need to bow?
Naturally, they were stunned. How could the man they knew to be so arrogant and overbearing bow his head like this?
"I am well aware that your tempers are frayed due to this sudden summons. For that, I apologize. I know this won't be enough to quell your anger, but I hope you can at least recognize my sincerity. I am truly sorry."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a calm, respectful tone.
"............."
"............."
Faced with this attitude, the leadership remained silent. This was a situation they had never encountered before. They had no idea how to respond.
"N-No, Alliance Leader!"
Lee Dae-gon, the man Lee Jae-won had just slammed into a wall, spoke up with a flustered expression.
"Surely there must have been an urgent reason! Please, do not trouble yourself over it!"
"Even if the matter was urgent, the fact remains that I was disrespectful to you all. You are not my subordinates; how could I commit the discourtesy of issuing a same-day summons?"
Lee Jae-won continued in a bitter tone.
"No, it really is fine. Please, stand up straight!"
Lee Dae-gon urged him frantically.
"Please, raise your head, Alliance Leader."
"We can certainly understand!"
The pro-Alliance officials began to chime in, siding with Lee Dae-gon. Yet, Lee Jae-won remained bowed.
After a long moment of silence...
"......That is enough. Please, stand up."
Heo Sam-gwan, the Palbok Hall Master and a key figure of the Anti-Alliance faction, finally spoke.
"...Please, stand."
"This is more than enough."
The other Anti-Alliance officials followed suit, urging him to stop.
"If you all insist, then I suppose I have no choice."
Lee Jae-won slowly straightened his posture.
"Thank you for accepting my apology."
He scanned the room once more.
Heh heh heh... You guys must be so confused.
Lee Jae-won laughed inwardly. Watching the leadership look so awkward and out of sorts was genuinely entertaining. They had to be bewildered—seeing the man who was always so authoritative suddenly offer a polite apology.
This is the Good Cop, Bad Cop effect, you bastards!
Lee Jae-won celebrated his victory. He felt he had successfully cultivated an image that was both authoritative and respectful. His image makeover was a success.
As expected, she's thorough.
Lee Jae-won marveled at Tang Jin-seol, who had laid out the entire plan. She had predicted every reaction and told him exactly how to behave.
Lee Jae-won shifted his gaze back to the officials. Every single one of them looked thoroughly perplexed.
"Now, I shall tell you the reason why I summoned you all here."
Suppressing his urge to grin, Lee Jae-won spoke with a somber expression.
"Jang Sun-woo has turned his back on the Alliance."
He delivered the news with a heavy, grim tone.
"W-What?!"
"What did you say?!"
"What is the meaning of this, Alliance Leader?!"
The officials' eyes widened in shock as they shouted over one another. The news was so staggering that they were left in a state of pure horror.
Jang Sun-woo had turned his back on the Alliance? What on earth did that mean?
"Alliance Leader, we need an explanation."
Gi Myeon-sik, the Soryong Hall Master, spoke up with a grave expression.
"Are you saying he betrayed the Alliance and joined the Demonic Cult?"
His voice was incredibly cold.
"That is not what I meant."
Lee Jae-won shook his head.
"Then what exactly does 'turning his back' mean?!"
Gi Myeon-sik pressed him, unable to understand.
"He declared that he would not stand with the Alliance."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a voice thick with regret.
"..............Is that the truth?"
Gi Myeon-sik asked, his face now devoid of emotion.
"........I heard it from his own lips."
Lee Jae-won replied in a tone that suggested he was pained to even say it.
"That's absurd!"
"The Great War of Righteousness and Demons is right around the corner, and he won't stand with the Alliance?!"
"How can he say such a thing in these times?!"
"We must go to him at once!"
"What an ungrateful wretch!"
As soon as Lee Jae-won finished speaking, the room erupted in a volcanic explosion of rage.
The Cheonmu Alliance was currently preparing for war against the Demonic Cult. Every single high-level master was a vital asset. And yet, in such a crisis, he had uttered such selfish words?
He wouldn't stand with the Alliance?
At a time when everyone needed to unite to repel the Demonic Cult, he was being this selfish? How could they not be furious?
"Wait! Everyone, calm down!"
Gi Myeon-sik bellowed, trying to restore order. It seemed he had something more to say.
"We haven't heard the full context yet! Calm yourselves!"
"What context is there to hear?! He uttered the blasphemy that he won't stand with the Alliance!"
"He's right! We should go to him right now and protest!"
"The young brat has clearly become arrogant because of his high cultivation! We need to go teach him some manners immediately!"
Despite Gi Myeon-sik's efforts, the enraged officials showed no signs of calming down. They were blinded by fury, seduced by the inflammatory nature of the news.
"The truth of the matter hasn't even been verified yet!"
Finally, Gi Myeon-sik channeled his internal energy into a roar.
Vroooooom!
His massive voice echoed through the meeting hall like thunder.
"................"
The chaotic shouting ceased instantly. No one had expected the usually mild-mannered Soryong Hall Master to raise his voice like that.
"The truth of this has not been judged! Furthermore, we don't even know the circumstances! How can you all let your emotions flare up based solely on the Alliance Leader's words?!"
Once the room was quiet, the Soryong Hall Master shouted at them. They didn't know the full story yet. Moreover, they couldn't even be sure if the Alliance Leader was telling the truth. To fly into a rage in such a situation was the height of stupidity.
"..........The Alliance Leader's words... are likely true."
A very familiar voice suddenly rang out through the hall. Gi Myeon-sik turned his head toward the speaker.
"What do you mean by that, Hall Master Heo?"
Gi Myeon-sik asked Heo Sam-gwan, the Palbok Hall Master, in confusion. It was baffling to see Heo Sam-gwan, who was essentially the head of the Anti-Alliance faction, taking the Alliance Leader's side.
"Because I heard something similar from him myself."
Heo Sam-gwan spoke with a look of resignation.
"What?!"
Gi Myeon-sik asked again, his face full of bewilderment.
"He told me as well. That he has no intention of participating in the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
Heo Sam-gwan's expression was incredibly heavy. The painful truth seemed to be weighing on him.
"H-How could..."
The Soryong Hall Master looked devastated. When he first heard Lee Jae-won's words, he had inwardly dismissed them as a ridiculous lie—a scheme to frame Jang Sun-woo. He thought it was a petty move to isolate the man because the Alliance Leader hated him for cutting off his arm.
But the words were true.
The World's Greatest.
The Sword God, Jang Sun-woo, had no intention of fighting. Not even in the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, where countless righteous warriors would surely die.
Hehehehe... What's gotten into that guy? Actually taking my side.
Meanwhile, Lee Jae-won let out a dark, internal chuckle. It was a pleasant surprise to see that useless bastard actually support his claim for once.
Anyway, Jang Sun-woo, you idiot, I guess you blabbed to him too. How careless.
Lee Jae-won mocked Jang Sun-woo's lack of discretion. Thanks to that, he had achieved his goal without even lifting a finger.
"It is hard to believe, but it is the truth."
Lee Jae-won spoke up, looking with pity at the stunned, dazed Soryong Hall Master.
"He will not stand with the Alliance."
Lee Jae-won slowly scanned the room.
"But it's not as if he's planning to fight the war on his own, either."
Lee Jae-won put on an incredibly somber face.
"He has declared that he will only look out for himself, choosing to satisfy his own selfish desires while the rest of us suffer."
As Lee Jae-won spoke, the faces of the majority of the leadership began to flush deep red. His words had ignited a monumental rage within them.
Kekeke...
Seeing this, Lee Jae-won let out a hidden smirk. Everything was going exactly according to plan.