Chapter 611: I Should Kill This Bastard Too When I Get the Chance.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 611: I Should Kill This Bastard Too When I Get the Chance.
"What on earth is that nonsense, Palbok Hall Master!"
Lee Jae-won scolded him with a feigned expression of sternness.
"Exactly which part of it do you consider nonsense?"
Heo Sam-gwan looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked.
"That we have done nothing for him! How can you say the Cheonmu Alliance has done nothing for him!?"
Lee Jae-won flared up, raising his voice.
"Then what have you done?"
"Have we not created a safe and peaceful Murim where he could focus entirely on mastering his martial arts?"
Lee Jae-won continued, weaving his sophistry.
"If you put it that way, there is no one in the entire world who hasn't benefited from the Cheonmu Alliance."
Hearing this, Heo Sam-gwan replied sarcastically. He was utterly dumbfounded by the man's dog-like logic.
"That is only natural."
Lee Jae-won nodded and continued.
"It is no exaggeration to say that not only Jang Sun-woo, but countless martial artists owe a debt of gratitude to the Cheonmu Alliance!"
"That is sophistry, Alliance Leader."
Heo Sam-gwan shook his head. He found the logic absolutely absurd.
While it was true that the Cheonmu Alliance worked for peace, it should never be framed as "bestowing a favor." To do so would contradict the very founding principles of the Alliance.
Chivalry was not like that.
It wasn't about seeking a reward, showing off to others, or acting entitled. It was simply acting upon the burning passion that welled up from the heart.
Lee Jae-won's words were a terrible, selfish logic that denied the very foundation of the Cheonmu Alliance.
"Think about it! If the Cheonmu Alliance didn't exist, the Central Plains Murim would surely have fallen under a Demonic Hegemony. In such a situation, do you think Jang Sun-woo could have fully inherited the Poison King's martial arts? Absolutely not. It is because the Murim was peaceful and stable that he was able to obtain such high-level martial arts!"
Lee Jae-won began to embellish his sophistry, making it sound plausible. Of course, in reality, it was nothing but nonsense mixed with wild assumptions and guesses.
"Therefore, he must lift his sword for the Cheonmu Alliance! If only to repay the grace he has received!"
Lee Jae-won continued with a firm expression.
"..........Alliance Leader."
After listening, Heo Sam-gwan stared at Lee Jae-won with cold eyes and called out to him.
"Are you truly serious?"
"Of course I am! Is it not a universal truth to give back as much as one has received? Jang Sun-woo is indebted to the Cheonmu Alliance! And now is the time for him to repay that debt."
"Your remarks are dangerous, Alliance Leader; they shake the very founding principles of the Cheonmu Alliance. How can you claim to practice Chivalry with the intent of putting someone in your debt!"
Heo Sam-gwan's eyes flashed with an icy light as he delivered his impassioned speech.
"I am merely speaking as objectively as possible," Lee Jae-won replied calmly.
"If you expect a reward, it is not Chivalry. And it is certainly not bestowing grace," Heo Sam-gwan continued in a frigid tone. "One simply acts. According to what the heart dictates. Do not tarnish the purity of Chivalry, Alliance Leader."
Heo Sam-gwan glared at Lee Jae-won with a gaze as cold as the Bitter Cold Northern Wind.
"Tsk, tsk... How stiff-necked."
Seeing this, Lee Jae-won clicked his tongue.
"If you live like that, you're bound to starve to death."
Lee Jae-won shook his head and spoke again.
"Look here, Palbok Hall Master. The Cheonmu Alliance is an 'organization' where many chivalrous men have gathered. How can you cling to such an outdated way of thinking?"
"What does it matter if it's an organization or an individual when it comes to practicing Chivalry?"
Heo Sam-gwan asked, looking as if he couldn't understand.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are truly lacking in education, Palbok Hall Master. Even after I've explained it this much, you still don't grasp my meaning."
Lee Jae-won shook his head slightly.
"Listen well. To maintain an organization, money is required. An enormous amount of money. You have to provide monthly salaries to the members, take care of their welfare, and build pavilions where they can work. Furthermore, if an accident occurs and someone is injured or killed, there are times when a significant amount of money must be paid as consolation."
Lee Jae-won looked straight at Heo Sam-gwan.
"Moreover, the food expenses are astronomical. How much food do you think is needed to sustain a group the size of the Cheonmu Alliance for a month? We're talking about three thousand people... You can't even fathom it, can you? I don't know for sure, but you'd have to spend an amount so vast that you couldn't even dream of it with your monthly salary."
Lee Jae-won began to explain, moving his hands exaggeratedly.
"Operating and managing an organization drains astronomical sums just to keep it running. If we managed this organization in the outdated way you suggest, everyone would end up on the streets."
Lee Jae-won continued mockingly.
"Palbok Hall Master, I'm not saying you're wrong. But to run a massive organization like the Cheonmu Alliance, we cannot act as if we are running a charity."
"So, you intend to force Jang Sun-woo to repay this 'grace'?" Heo Sam-gwan glared at him sharply.
"It's not so much force as it is a natural demand," Lee Jae-won replied with a brazen face.
"He will not think he owes you any grace, Alliance Leader."
Heo Sam-gwan spoke calmly. He had already experienced firsthand what kind of person Jang Sun-woo was. Knowing him, he would surely dismiss Lee Jae-won's logic as bullshit and ignore it.
"It doesn't matter. Others will have different opinions."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a slick, oily expression.
"................"
Heo Sam-gwan stared at Lee Jae-won in silence, seemingly lost in thought.
After some time had passed...
"Alliance Leader... you intend to isolate him."
Heo Sam-gwan, snapping out of his thoughts, looked at Lee Jae-won with a deeply somber expression.
"I wouldn't say... that's my intention."
Lee Jae-won feigned innocence.
Of course, Heo Sam-gwan was exactly right. His plan was to isolate Sun-woo to prevent him from becoming a focal point for the Anti-Alliance Factions. And while he was at it, he'd contribute to making Jang Sun-woo look like the biggest bastard in the world.
"Do you intend to isolate him to keep the Anti-Alliance Factions in check?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, his sharp eyes flashing.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Lee Jae-won shook his head, feigning ignorance.
'Was it that obvious?'
Internally, he was startled. He hadn't expected the man to see through him so thoroughly.
"You are a truly dreadful person, Alliance Leader."
Heo Sam-gwan stared at him with eyes full of resentment.
"To think you even went and apologized to the very person who cut off your arm, all just to isolate Jang Sun-woo."
Heo Sam-gwan spoke with a look of disbelief.
"You certainly are suspicious."
Lee Jae-won shook his head.
"It's not suspicion; it's a conviction, Alliance Leader. Now I understand everything."
Heo Sam-gwan stared directly at Lee Jae-won.
"Why you summoned us, why you provoked us, and why you didn't actively stop us from going to Jang Sun-woo."
Heo Sam-gwan's cold eyes shone with the light of absolute certainty.
'Sharp bastard.'
Lee Jae-won was secretly impressed. Unlike the other idiots whose heads were just for decoration, this guy stood out. To think he could expose his hidden intentions so completely.
"............As expected of the Palbok Hall Master."
Lee Jae-won eventually nodded slightly. He was admitting it. Since his inner thoughts had been laid bare, it would only make him look pathetic to stubbornly deny it now.
"You've become quite honest, Alliance Leader."
The Palbok Hall Master spoke, sounding slightly surprised. Lee Jae-won was usually the type to deny everything first. Now that he was admitting it so readily, it felt rather unsettling.
"You've seen through everything anyway, haven't you? Trying to dodge the situation now would only be ridiculous."
Lee Jae-won spoke in a calm, low voice.
"Were you that afraid of him becoming a focal point?" Heo Sam-gwan glared at him. It was a highly provocative statement.
"It's not that I was afraid; it was just bothersome."
Lee Jae-won spoke as if it were no big deal. The only person he actually feared was Jang Sun-woo. The Anti-Alliance Factions were nothing more than earthworms crawling on the ground.
"You're making quite a fuss for something that's merely 'bothersome.'"
"Isn't it better to be certain than half-hearted?"
Lee Jae-won spoke with a wicked smile.
"This might escalate."
Heo Sam-gwan spoke with a stoic face.
"That's what I'm hoping for."
"People might get hurt."
"That is also what I desire."
"...........You are truly vicious."
"Isn't that what politics is at its core?"
"What do you even gain by going this far!" Heo Sam-gwan raised his voice and shouted.
"Two things."
Lee Jae-won held up two fingers.
"One is keeping the Anti-Alliance Faction in check. If their focal point is shaken, they won't be able to gather."
He folded one finger.
"The other is the isolation of Jang Sun-woo."
Lee Jae-won let out a thick smile, as if enjoying himself.
"Now, no one in this world will take his side. Even if he were to be murdered by someone."
"....Don't tell me.... you're planning to kill him?"
Heo Sam-gwan looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"Hahahaha..... How could that be?"
Lee Jae-won burst into a seemingly jovial laugh.
"I was just using a metaphor. Why would I kill him?"
Lee Jae-won denied it with a playful smile.
"..........."
But Heo Sam-gwan did not withdraw his suspicious gaze. The thought that Lee Jae-won might actually kill Jang Sun-woo had taken root.
Grin.
Despite Heo Sam-gwan's suspicious look, Lee Jae-won didn't lose his playful smile. It was as if he found the whole thing amusing.
'I should kill this bastard too when I get the chance.'
In reality, he was burning with murderous intent toward Heo Sam-gwan.
The two men exchanged meaningful glances and fell silent. Soon, a heavy silence filled the meeting room.
"Yu-yeon."
Sun-woo lay on the bed and looked to his side. There, he saw Hwangbo Yu-yeon drinking tea with a blissful expression. Seeing her like that, a mischievous urge began to stir within him.
"Yes~ Sun-woo nim."
At Sun-woo's call, Hwangbo Yu-yeon, who had been drinking tea, scurried over to him.
"Why did you call?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon stared at Sun-woo with sparkling eyes, like a puppy waiting for its master's command.
"I want to drink some tea too."
Sun-woo spoke in a calm tone.
"Oh, just a moment! I'll pour you a cup right away."
Hearing his words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon quickly moved to pour the finest tea for her beloved.
"No, don't pour it."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"Huh?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon turned back to him with a puzzled expression. How was she supposed to serve the tea without pouring it into a cup? She didn't understand.
"Give it to me with your mouth."
Sun-woo spoke, his mouth slightly open.
"...........Uuu.."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon's face flushed with embarrassment. He was essentially asking her to kiss him. How could she not be embarrassed?
"It... it might be... dirty..."
"It's okay. It's not dirty at all."
"........O-okay..."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke, her face completely red. She slowly lifted the cup and began to take the tea into her mouth.
Steam, steam.
Soon, white steam began to rise from her mouth.
Mmph.
Once her mouth was full, she closed it tight. Then, she began to walk slowly toward Sun-woo.
"Hurry up. Give it to me."
Sun-woo urged her, watching her approach. His eyes were full of mischief.
Soon, her face was right in front of Sun-woo's nose. Sun-woo gently closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly, making it easy for her to kiss him.
It was then.
SLAM!
"Something terrible has happened!"
Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and an urgent voice echoed through the room.
"Pffffft!"
Startled by the noise, Hwangbo Yu-yeon sprayed all the tea in her mouth forward. In an instant, Sun-woo's face was drenched in tea.
"Sun-woo nim!!"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon, having spat tea all over Sun-woo's face, cried out in panic. She seemed utterly mortified by the disaster she had just caused.