So You Should Be Consistent, a Person. (5)
Late evening.
The two men seated across from each other in Im So-byeong’s quarters stared silently at one another.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever actually told you about Green Forest’s internal affairs…?”
“You don’t have to. It’s obvious.”
At Chung Myung’s easy answer, Im So-byeong shook his head.
Indeed, the man’s instincts were almost uncanny.
“When did you figure it out?”
“It’s not like I knew in advance. I just thought your story didn’t add up.”
“Pardon?”
“Jang Il-so stopped making moves. With that bastard’s personality, that means he’s definitely up to something.”
“…….”
“And yet the Green Forest King leaves Green Forest behind and comes all the way to Mount Hua alone in a situation like that?”
Chung Myung grinned.
“Suspicious, right?”
“…….”
“Don’t tell me the medicine pills were all that mattered. Sure, the pills are important, and so is the Green Forest King’s body, but… Green Forest matters more to you than either of those.”
Im So-byeong let out a small sigh.
“I take it it would be unwise to even think about deceiving you.”
“That’s rich coming from someone who never planned to deceive me in the first place.”
Chung Myung looked at him straight on.
“You were checking whether I’d notice, weren’t you?”
“…….”
“You keep poking at someone like that, and one day your hand’s gonna get chopped off. I don’t mind poking around myself, but I hate it when someone tries to test me like this.”
Chung Myung puffed out his chest with obnoxious confidence.
Even so, Im So-byeong couldn’t laugh at the ridiculous sight.
“Mount Hua’s leader.”
“Yeah?”
“May I assume you’re saying all this because you intend to help me?”
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung snorted.
“What’s there to help or not help between us?”
“…….”
“If our interests line up, that’s enough. You get to clear up a nasty problem, and we get to make a little noise and spread our name around.”
“So you’re saying Mount Hua needs more fame.”
“You really do like stating the obvious. Bad habit. You know everything already, then still circle around and probe.”
Hit right on the mark, Im So-byeong gave a wry smile.
How could he not know?
If Mount Hua were satisfied with where it stood now, it wouldn’t need a greater reputation. Judging by the signs, it had already performed some major feats in the North Sea, and words had wings—before long, their deeds would spread throughout the Jianghu, and their fame would rise naturally with them.
But if Mount Hua wanted more than that, the story changed.
Because the Heavenly Alliance’s opening ceremony is coming up.
The grander the beginning, the better.
Anyone who kept a close eye on the currents of the martial world would immediately understand how significant it was for Tang Family, Mount Hua, and the sects of the outer regions to join hands and become one family.
But for most people, who only knew the world through rumor and gossip, Mount Hua, the Tang Family, and even the outer regions still wouldn’t seem like the center of the Jianghu.
To leave a lasting impression on such people, Mount Hua would need to do something noteworthy in step with the opening ceremony.
“So Green Forest is just the right size for that.”
“It won’t hold a grudge afterward.”
Chung Myung took a sip from the wine bottle in his hand and smirked.
“Honestly, Mount Hua’s gotten a bit too big.”
“That is true.”
“Which means doing ordinary things won’t leave much of an impression anymore. We made a huge splash in the North Sea, sure, but Central Plains people don’t really care about what happens in the outer regions.”
Speaking calmly, Chung Myung ran a fingertip over the mouth of the bottle and gave a bitter smile.
And there’s no way those bastards from the Nine Great Sects would just sit back and let Mount Hua’s fame spread.
Even if they did, Mount Hua’s name still wouldn’t rise as high as one might expect.
Unless someone had witnessed everything from beginning to end, they would only hear that the North Sea Ice Palace had fought against the Demonic Sect. Mount Hua, with fewer than ten people taking part in that war, would merely be a footnote.
How many people, after hearing that story, would give Mount Hua credit for the North Sea?
“If you want everyone in the Jianghu to acknowledge what you’ve done, you can’t go after some half-baked target. You have to hit a proper one. But when you do that, there’s usually a price afterward.”
“Like Maninbang.”
“Of course, we didn’t start that one, but… ha, just thinking about that bastard pisses me off again.”
Chung Myung clenched his fist and ground his teeth.
At that murderous aura, Im So-byeong coughed awkwardly and quickly held out a cup of tea.
“Please, have some tea.”
“Forget it. I’ve got wine sitting right here.”
Chung Myung pushed the tea cup away and happily guzzled straight from the bottle. Then he set it down with a satisfied “Aaah.”
“Anyway, bottom line: Green Forest is perfect.”
Im So-byeong let out a hollow laugh.
“If Mount Hua deals with the mountain stronghold under the Green Forest King’s permission, then Green Forest won’t have any grounds to complain later, and Mount Hua gets to raise its fame?”
“Exactly. And you get to solve a headache. It’s a win-win.”
Im So-byeong lowered his gaze for a moment in thought, then smiled bitterly.
“Sometimes I honestly can’t tell what kind of thoughts are going through your head.”
When on earth had this man started drawing such a picture?
When he returned from the North Sea? Or when he left for it?
No—maybe the moment he met Im So-byeong.
He had always prided himself on being clever, but the way Chung Myung saw the world was beyond even what Im So-byeong could easily fathom.
Im So-byeong was the sort who looked closely at things. Chung Myung, on the other hand, was the sort who looked far ahead.
“You already thought all this through and still came here.”
Chung Myung said dryly,
“Enough. Stop going in circles and just say it. What’s the problem?”
“……Hmm.”
Im So-byeong looked straight at him and finally spoke with seriousness.
“Mount Hua’s leader.”
“Yeah.”
“As you know, I’m not exactly old.”
“Right.”
“Frankly speaking, in terms of martial ability, I’m a little lacking to bear the name of the Green Forest King. There are reasons I’ve kept myself hidden.”
That made sense.
Im So-byeong was strong, of course. Those born with Severed Meridians often progressed faster in martial arts than ordinary people.
But even so, at his age there were limits to standing against masters who commanded the world. If he truly intended to carry the weight of the name Green Forest King, he needed to be stronger still.
“Until now, it hasn’t been much of a problem.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I was weak.”
“……Huh?”
Im So-byeong let out a sigh.
“There’s a bastard out there who can sniff out weakness like a ghost and stab straight at it. Thanks to him, my own weakness got covered up instead.”
“Jang Il-so?”
“Yes. Because that bastard dragged Green Forest into war, internal strife was kept at bay. When there’s a hungry wolf like Jang Il-so standing right in front of you, there’s no way the people of Green Forest can turn around and start fighting each other, is there?”
“……You naturally ended up creating an external enemy.”
Turning an outside threat into a shield against internal conflict was a classic strategy.
In other words, because Jang Il-so and Maninbang had exposed themselves so openly, Green Forest’s internal tensions had no choice but to stay suppressed.
“But now Jang Il-so’s pulled out?”
“Honestly, I’ve never seen a group that’s been less useful in my entire life.”
“And now the ones who’ve been holding themselves back all this time are starting to move?”
“Exactly.”
“Ah, then…?”
Thinking a little, Chung Myung stared at Im So-byeong with a blank expression.
“You ran away?”
“For heaven’s sake, please say I simply withdrew temporarily to avoid unnecessary conflict! With a bit of dignity!”
Seeing Im So-byeong declare that so proudly, Chung Myung actually dropped his jaw for once.
“……Wow, this guy’s really nuts. So let me get this straight—you stayed in the stronghold and those bastards might’ve tried to assassinate you or start a war, so you ran to a place they’d never dare attack?”
“…….”
“This place being Mount Hua?”
“Heh. They won’t dare come anywhere near here.”
“……Is he actually insane?”
Chung Myung looked at him in disbelief.
Seriously, what kind of bandit runs away to a taoist temple because it’s dangerous? And a sword-wielding taoist temple, at that?
“I didn’t come here just to run.”
Im So-byeong protested with a wronged look.
“First of all, I needed to heal my body a little, and building a good relationship with Mount Hua was important too. You could say it was… killing two birds with one stone. Yes, two birds with one stone.”
“…….”
“D-don’t look at me like that. Do you think I wanted this? No, seriously, those bastards weren’t even gone for good—they just pulled their asses back for a bit. And now the idiots poking their noses out because they think it’s a chance are the crazy ones!”
“……How little they must trust you.”
“Goddamn it!”
In the end, unable to hold it back any longer, Im So-byeong exploded.
“Trust has to be built on communication, doesn’t it? On communication! What am I supposed to do with people who, no matter what you say or what plans you make, just go, ‘What the hell? Weak bastard.’?”
“What the hell? Weak bastard.”
“…….”
But of course, he still couldn’t beat Chung Myung. Im So-byeong’s cheeks twitched.
“Hmm, then….”
Just then, Chung Myung scratched his cheek and said,
“This isn’t some random little stronghold.”
“Right.”
“And there could be more than one stronghold?”
“Exactly.”
Chung Myung grinned.
“Ah, I see.”
Then he quietly rose from his seat.
“L-Leader? Where are you going in the middle of our conversation…?”
“Well, this is a little different from what I expected. I was planning to deal with just one conveniently weak stronghold, but if the matter’s getting this big, then it’s a bit of a burden for us too.”
“…….”
“Take care. If you come back with money, I’ll give you the next pill….”
In that instant, Im So-byeong shot forward like lightning and clung to Chung Myung’s pant leg.
“Leader! How can you just leave like this!”
“No, what the hell is wrong with you? Let go of this! You’re the Green Forest King, have some pride!”
“What does pride matter when a man’s about to die? I’m not taking it with me to the afterlife!”
“That still doesn’t mean you bite and hang on to my pant leg!”
“I’d do even worse if I had to!”
“Ah, my pants are coming down! Let go! Let go!”
Chung Myung shouted, but Im So-byeong had clearly gone all in, eyes blazing as he yanked at his trousers.
Wrong opponent.
Chung Myung kicked him away without a shred of hesitation.
“Aaaagh!”
Im So-byeong rolled across the floor in a miserable heap, then covered his mouth and coughed.
“C-cough! You treat a sick man like this….”
“It’s not working, you idiot!”
“Ah… right. I did take the medicine pills.”
Im So-byeong sprang back to his feet, looking perfectly fine. Then he gave Chung Myung an awkward smile.
“P-please, sit back down for a moment.”
“No thanks. I’ve got nothing more to say.”
“Don’t be like that.”
His tearful face looked genuinely desperate.
“If I go back like this, I don’t know what’ll happen to me. Surely you wouldn’t be fine with that, would you?”
“And why would that be a problem for me?”
“Grrrgh.”
But as expected, nothing worked on Chung Myung. Not a bit. Im So-byeong scratched his head furiously and sighed.
“I’m not even asking for free help. That’s why I’ve been showing you every courtesy I can, haven’t I?”
“Courtesy my ass. No wonder you were handing everything over so smoothly from the start. You’re a con man.”
Chung Myung let out a long sigh.
He had known from the beginning that Im So-byeong hadn’t fully secured Green Forest. Setting aside everything else, with martial skill at Im So-byeong’s level, it was impossible to truly claim the title of Green Forest King.
One could even wonder whether Seol Cheon-sang would have been able to do it or not.
“Please help me, Leader!”
“Tsk. How did something like a leech end up sticking to me?”
Clicking his tongue, Chung Myung pulled out the chair and sat back down, crossing one leg over the other.
“So.”
“Yes.”
“If I clear out all those bastards and you take your proper place as Green Forest King….”
“I’ll pay whatever you want! I can pile up money like mountains!”
“No! Do you think I’m some lunatic obsessed with money? You think money solves everything?”
“……Doesn’t it?”
“…….”
Chung Myung couldn’t bring himself to answer that with a straight no.
“You’re not planning to wipe your mouth afterward and say something else, are you?”
“Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
The two men stared at each other in a place where distrust had piled so high it might as well have been a mountain.
“……I’ll write a contract.”
“And the clauses?”
“……Do whatever you want.”
“Hmmmm.”
Only then did Chung Myung smile, a glint of appetite finally showing in his eyes.
“I can’t make an alliance with a bandit.”
“T-then….”
“But!”
Chung Myung’s eyes sparkled.
“I can use you as a slave!”
“…….”
“Heh-heh-heh-heh. Come to think of it, that’s not even a bad idea!”
“…….”
Watching Chung Myung cackle in delight, Im So-byeong thought with a face gone completely white:
Maybe it would be better to go back to Green Forest and die in glorious battle after all.