Chapter 624: I Left It in a New Era
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 624: I Left It in a New Era
"What on earth happened to that arm?"
Yoon Je-gyeom asked, pointing toward Lee Jae-won’s empty left sleeve.
".........."
Upon hearing the question, Lee Jae-won’s expression turned deathly serious.
He truly hadn't expected Yoon Je-gyeom to ask such a thing. The fact that his arm had been severed by Jang Sun-woo was a story that had already spread throughout the entire Murim. He had assumed Yoon Je-gyeom knew and was simply making small talk to avoid the subject, but apparently, that wasn't the case.
Shit...
Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly. A wave of irritation washed over him at the fact that he had to explain the loss of his arm himself.
"This?"
Lee Jae-won glanced down at his empty sleeve before continuing.
"I left it in a new era."
He spoke with a bright, serene smile.
"A new era?"
Yoon Je-gyeom tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"That’s right. A friend of mine asked for it. So, I gave it to him without a single regret."
Lee Jae-won maintained a playful, almost whimsical smile. To an outsider, he looked remarkably cheerful about the whole thing.
"No, what does that even mean? Speak plainly."
Yoon Je-gyeom’s expression remained clouded with confusion.
"Senior, are you aware that a succession contest was held at the Cheonmu Alliance a few days ago?"
"Was that this month? I recall hearing something about it a few months back."
"That is where I met him. The 'new era,' I mean."
Lee Jae-won’s gaze turned distant, as if lost in a poignant memory.
"The new era... That’s far too broad. The meaning is lost on me."
Yoon Je-gyeom spoke with a heavy, somber face. He seemed unable to grasp the cryptic nonsense Lee Jae-won was spouting.
Ignorant old geezer.
Lee Jae-won mocked him internally. If he went through the trouble of using such a cool metaphor, the old man should have the decency to catch on. He had even parodied a famous line, but perhaps because the man was just another Chink, his reading comprehension was severely lacking.
Normally, the response should have been: 'If you have no regrets, then that is enough.'
That was how the script was supposed to go. But apparently, such romanticism didn't exist for these primitive Chinks.
I guess I have to be the bigger person.
Lee Jae-won told himself. He, with his vast magnanimity, would be the one to understand. It wasn't like the old geezer chose to be born a Chink. What could he do if he woke up one day and realized he was part of a primitive race?
"The World's Greatest Martial Artist."
Lee Jae-won looked directly at Yoon Je-gyeom.
"That is the 'new era' I was referring to."
".......The... World's... Greatest..."
Yoon Je-gyeom seemed genuinely shocked by the title. He even began to stutter.
"Does that mean... you were defeated?"
Yoon Je-gyeom asked, his face full of doubt, as if the idea was impossible to believe.
"Indeed. I was defeated so thoroughly that I cannot offer even a shred of an excuse."
Lee Jae-won spoke with refreshing candor, acting the part of a chivalrous hero who could gracefully accept defeat.
"I cannot believe it."
Yoon Je-gyeom slowly shook his head from side to side.
"Hahaha. Tell me about it... I still find it hard to believe myself."
Lee Jae-won let out a jovial laugh.
"Alliance Leader! How can you laugh right now? You lost an arm! How can you possibly be laughing!?"
Yoon Je-gyeom looked at him as if he were looking at a madman.
"Is it not a natural phenomenon?"
"What?"
"The front waves of the Yangtze are always pushed aside by the waves behind them. I was simply pushed aside. By the new era."
Lee Jae-won’s expression turned solemn.
"Do you have no regrets?"
"About what?"
"About giving up your arm."
"I have none. As a martial artist, I was simply defeated by someone stronger."
Lee Jae-won met Yoon Je-gyeom’s gaze with a steady, honest look.
Of course, it was a lie.
He regretted it immensely. Beyond regret, he had been consumed by a murderous intent so foul he had personally gone to find Jang Sun-woo to kill him. He had wanted nothing more than to wring the neck of the little shit who cut off his arm.
But Lee Jae-won hid all those inner thoughts and past actions. He played the role of a transcendent, highly cultivated Alliance Leader. All for the sake of building the perfect image.
This should be enough to win him over, right?
Lee Jae-won felt a surge of anticipation. Even he thought he looked like a perfect, broad-minded leader. He was certain Yoon Je-gyeom would be impressed.
"The Alliance Leader is truly a man of great character."
Yoon Je-gyeom spoke in a voice filled with admiration.
Hehehe, yeah. That’s it.
Lee Jae-won smirked inwardly. Getting the reaction he wanted put him in an excellent mood.
"You flatter me. I am merely a single martial artist."
Lee Jae-won shook his head modestly.
"What martial artist could maintain such composure after losing an arm? You truly deserve to be called a great man."
"Hahaha, you keep praising me so much I’m starting to feel embarrassed."
Lee Jae-won laughed heartily. It was time to wrap up the praise session.
"By the way, Senior, what brings you to the Cheonmu Alliance?"
"I heard the news."
Yoon Je-gyeom replied in a calm tone.
"News?"
Lee Jae-won tilted his head.
"I heard the Demonic Cult has been active and has brutally murdered innocent people."
"......Wait, you knew about that?"
Lee Jae-won asked, surprised. How could a man who didn't even know the Alliance Leader had lost an arm know about the Shandong Blood Massacre? It made no sense. Was he being selective about what news he listened to?
"A few days ago, I went to visit the Gu Clan. I wanted to see an old friend."
Yoon Je-gyeom’s eyes grew misty.
"And I saw it. The estate of the Gu Clan, reduced to nothing but ash and embers."
His expression became profoundly somber.
"There was nothing left... nothing... Not the pavilion where I used to sit and share drinks with my friend... Not the training ground where we sparred and shared our martial insights... Not even the grand hall where I used to watch his granddaughter play... Everything... everything was just a pile of ash."
Grief bled through Yoon Je-gyeom’s voice.
"So... I grabbed the people nearby and asked them desperately... What happened? Why... was my friend’s home... the home of my precious comrade... burned to the ground?"
Yoon Je-gyeom looked as if he were reliving the shock.
"And then I heard... that the Demonic Cult had risen and slaughtered my dear friend’s entire family."
Yoon Je-gyeom stared at Lee Jae-won with burning eyes. His gaze was a complex mixture of sorrow, resentment, and fury.
Oh, right... this guy... he was friends with Gu Gang-tae.
Meeting that intense gaze, Lee Jae-won finally remembered. Yoon Je-gyeom was a close friend of Gu Gang-tae, the former Great Elder of the Gu Clan.
During the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, the two had been the Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master of the Black Moon Hall—inseparable comrades and sworn brothers who had swept through countless demons together.
Now it made sense. It explained how a man so out of touch with current events had heard about the Demonic Cult’s movements.
Hehehe... talk about lucky seven.
Lee Jae-won chuckled internally. If the old man had found out about his friend’s death, it would be much easier to manipulate him.
"I am truly sorry."
Lee Jae-won offered his apologies to Yoon Je-gyeom.
"Senior Gu’s passing is entirely due to my incompetence."
Lee Jae-won bowed his head, looking deeply apologetic. He looked like a man weighed down by guilt.
"Raise your head, Alliance Leader. How could that possibly be your fault?"
"No... the Gu Clan was located right under the nose of the Cheonmu Alliance. For such a tragedy to occur there... the fact that I didn't notice in time is a failure on my part."
Lee Jae-won bowed even lower, apologizing repeatedly. To any observer, he looked like a man who couldn't even lift his head out of remorse.
"No... the fault lies with those hideous demons of the Demonic Cult... Why should the Alliance Leader bow his head? It makes no sense... Please, raise your head."
".......Senior.."
Lee Jae-won slowly raised his head. He looked at Yoon Je-gyeom with an expression full of sorrow.
"I believe what matters now is revenge against them," Yoon Je-gyeom said, looking at Lee Jae-won calmly. "I believe you feel the same. Otherwise, you wouldn't have declared the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
"They were the precious comrades of the Alliance... how could I not dream of revenge?"
Lee Jae-won spoke in a steady voice.
"I will be blunt. I wish to join this quest for vengeance."
Yoon Je-gyeom’s eyes burned with a desire for revenge.
"But Senior......"
Lee Jae-won looked at him with a pained expression.
"Have you not already washed your hands in a golden basin? How can you join a campaign of revenge?"
In the Murim, "Washing Hands in a Golden Basin" meant severing all ties and retiring from the martial world. To join a war now would mean throwing away all the prestige and reputation he had built over a lifetime. Thus, Lee Jae-won made a show of trying to stop him.
"My most precious friend has lost his life. His son, his daughter-in-law, and even his granddaughter were brutally violated and murdered. How can I possibly stand by and do nothing?"
Yoon Je-gyeom’s gaze was unwavering.
"But if you join this war... your honor..."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a worried face.
"I have learned something while living in the world after my retirement. Honor is far more trivial than I thought. Honor cannot keep you warm in the biting cold of winter, nor can it cool you in the scorching heat of summer. It cannot fill an empty stomach. It cannot clothe your body, nor can it offer companionship."
Yoon Je-gyeom spoke calmly.
"Why should I care about something so useless? It matters not whether I have it or not... If that thing called honor stands in the way of my revenge, I will gladly cast it aside."
Yoon Je-gyeom’s expression was one of absolute resolve.
"............Senior."
Lee Jae-won looked deeply moved.
"If you are that adamant, then I have no choice."
Lee Jae-won looked at Yoon Je-gyeom as if he were giving in to the old man’s will.
"Thank you! Thank you! Truly, thank you, Alliance Leader."
Once the permission was granted, Yoon Je-gyeom repeatedly expressed his gratitude, looking overwhelmed with emotion.
"No, it is I who should be grateful. Senior... thank you for so readily stepping forward for the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
"Not at all. I am the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you, I have been given a chance at revenge."
Yoon Je-gyeom thanked him again and again.
"I am the one who has gained an opportunity. Your presence will be a massive strength for the Alliance."
"I will do my best not to be a burden."
The faces of both men began to fill with determination, as if they had both gotten exactly what they wanted.
*
"Then, I shall take my leave."
Lee Jae-won offered a polite farewell. He was getting tired of dealing with the old man and intended to make his escape.
"Please, go ahead. I’ve held up a busy man for far too long."
Yoon Je-gyeom spoke with an apologetic face.
"Not at all. I’m the one who feels bad for leaving like this."
"Don't give it a second thought. You are the Alliance Leader, are you not? Being busy is no flaw."
Yoon Je-gyeom waved him off.
"Hahaha, thank you for understanding."
Lee Jae-won let out a pleasant laugh.
"Well then, goodbye."
Lee Jae-won gave a slight nod and walked out. Yoon Je-gyeom simply stood there, watching Lee Jae-won’s retreating back. He watched until every trace of the man’s presence had completely vanished.
After a long silence...
"Ugh... ugh."
Something began to well up inside Yoon Je-gyeom’s throat.
"Bleeeaaarrgh!"
He began to vomit violently onto the floor. An overwhelming sense of nausea had overtaken him.
"Ha... ha... ugh..."
The retching started again. Lee Jae-won’s behavior was simply too disgusting to bear.
It was sickening.
The way the man had welcomed him like a respected senior, when he was the very one who had raped and murdered his granddaughter.
It was loathsome.
The way he had acted out a performance of grief and vowed revenge, when he was the one who had cruelly slaughtered his friend and his entire family.
"Bleeeaaarrgh!"
Yoon Je-gyeom vomited again and again, until the feeling of filth inside him had subsided somewhat.
After he had finished retching...
"...........Lee Jae-won."
Yoon Je-gyeom’s eyes flashed. In that gaze was a cold, silent fury.