Where the Hell Do You Think This Is? (1)
Im So-byeong, dragged off to one side, looked at Chung Myung with a sullen face. He looked pitiful, like a puppy that had fallen into the water.
But Chung Myung and Baek Cheon, standing before him, had eyes sharp as blades. Im So-byeong opened his mouth hesitantly.
“No, I—”
“What?”
Before he could even finish, a thunderous shout slammed into him, and Im So-byeong flinched.
“...I didn’t mean anything by it...”
“What the hell do you mean, you didn’t mean anything? You didn’t mean anything? There’s a limit to how far you can go even if you’re trying to flip over someone else’s banquet table! What kind of Demonic Sect bastard are you?”
Chung Myung rolled his eyes all the way back and was about to rush him when Baek Cheon hurriedly grabbed him from behind.
“C-Chung Myung! He’s the Green Forest King, after all...”
“Exactly, so I can hit him! If he wasn’t the Green Forest King, would I even bother?”
“...Well, that’s hard to argue with.”
It should have been nonsense, but the situation was forcibly making it sound right.
“Damn it! I kept him alive with medicine because he’d keel over if I just left him alone, and now he comes all the way here to die on his own? Fine, if that’s how it is, I should be the one to send him off too! Stick your head out!”
“C-Chung Myung! Calm down first!”
Baek Cheon shot a furtive glance at Im So-byeong. Chung Myung wasn’t wrong, in truth, but Im So-byeong was still the Green Forest King. A man of exalted standing. If one ignored the divide between righteous and unorthodox, his status was actually higher than that of the martial seniors seated at the head table.
There was no way a person like that could be pleased after being spoken to like this...
“Hehe.”
But Im So-byeong didn’t look offended at all. On the contrary, he grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
“That’s exactly why I came, isn’t it?”
“...Huh?”
Then, with a suddenly serious expression, he went on.
“A gentleman never forgets a kindness. I have received immeasurable grace from Mount Hua and from Daoist Chung Myung. How could I fail to come congratulate my benefactors on a day like this? That would go against the conduct of a true gentleman—kyaaa!”
At last, Im So-byeong was kicked in the face by Chung Myung’s foot and sent flying backward.
“What gentleman are you talking about, you bastard! Since when do bandit scum start lecturing people about being gentlemen? If bandits can be gentlemen, then who in this world isn’t Confucius?!”
Im So-byeong shot upright.
“Haha! A gentleman is not bound by circumstance. Whatever situation he may find himself in, if his heart is full of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, then he may truly be called a gentleman—no, don’t kick me! Ah, hey now!”
With both shoulders held by Baek Cheon, Chung Myung’s foot flailed through empty air again and again.
“...Hey, Daoist Baek Cheon. Don’t keep inching him closer one step at a time—hold me properly. I think his foot’s getting closer and closer.”
“...Sorry. I did it without thinking.”
With even the slightest sympathy he’d had for Im So-byeong gone without a trace, Baek Cheon let out a faint sigh and dragged Chung Myung backward.
“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Chung Myung’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Im So-byeong like he wanted to eat him alive.
“You stayed here for two days?”
“Yes. It’s been a while since I saw people passing by, and it made my heart feel at peace. Hahaha. It seems one can’t stay holed up in the mountains forever; one ought to come out and see people now and then.”
Seeing Chung Myung’s face redden even further, Baek Cheon panicked and quickly said, “I think the Green Forest King was a little hasty. If they learn the Green Forest is here, they won’t just sit still...”
And that wouldn’t be the end of it.
Of course, it was true that Mount Hua had saved the Green Forest, and no one could fail to suspect there was some delicate relationship between them. At least, not those who had come all the way here to see the Heavenly Alliance with their own eyes.
But there was an enormous difference between suspecting something and confirming it with one’s own eyes.
“Haha, that’s a trivial matter. Why worry over something like that... O-oh? N-no, you can’t let go of that! Daoist Baek Cheon! My hand!”
As Baek Cheon’s grip began to loosen, he reluctantly grabbed Chung Myung again.
One good punch to the jaw and I’d feel a whole lot better.
Why were the things entangled with Mount Hua always like this?
“You! Hey! Mmph! Mm-mmph!”
Just as Chung Myung began to spasm, Im So-byeong sprang to his feet. As a last resort, he shoved the wine in his hand straight into Chung Myung’s mouth.
“There, there. Don’t get so angry. First, take a good long sip of this wine. That’s it, that’s it! Yes, just like that. Excellent, excellent. Keep going, keep going!”
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
As the wine went down, the tension coiled tight through Chung Myung’s body gradually loosened.
“Kaaaah!”
When the bottle was finally pulled away, a cry of delight burst from Chung Myung’s mouth.
“This is killer.”
“I specially prepared this fine wine. I know very well that the Mount Hua Divine Dragon enjoys drinking, do I not? How can one call a man a gentleman if he does not understand the way of wine?”
“You brought only one bottle?”
“How could I? I brought several more.”
“Hah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
“Hahaha! Of course, of course!”
The two of them, suddenly in complete accord, threw their heads back and laughed heartily at each other. Baek Cheon’s face twisted beyond recognition as he watched them.
I wish they’d both just die.
But contrary to his wish, these two were the sort of pests even King Yama would have trouble dragging away.
“So why did you come?”
After dulling his anger with wine, Chung Myung asked, and Im So-byeong shrugged.
“I told you. I came to congratulate you.”
“Don’t give me that obvious crap.”
“No, really, I did. Besides, the Green Forest is also part of the Heavenly Alliance, is it not?”
“...Since when?”
“And yet the other sects belonging to the same alliance all came to grace the occasion, while we couldn’t even attend!”
“...I mean, since when are you...”
“That sort of thing isn’t important!”
Im So-byeong smiled slyly.
“Who do you think will be paying the closest attention to the founding of the Heavenly Alliance?”
“Shaolin?”
“No. The unorthodox factions.”
“Huh?”
As though this was the real point, Im So-byeong’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Once the Heavenly Alliance begins to make a name for itself and absorb influence, how do you think the Nine Sects or the Five Great Families will respond?”
“They’ll try to fight us.”
Just imagining it made Chung Myung grind his teeth.
“Let them come! I’ll strip the robes right off every monk and Taoist there!”
“...Chung Myung. You’re a Taoist too.”
“Ah, right. Damn it, I keep forgetting.”
“...”
Then Im So-byeong snorted a laugh.
“You’d think so, but in reality, that isn’t what happens.”
“Huh?”
“It would be natural for someone like Daoist Chung Myung of the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s stature to think that way, since you’re not especially bound by face or justification. But the major sects of the martial world can’t simply discard those things. So even if they find the righteous factions irritating, they can’t just trample them outright.”
“I see.”
Baek Cheon nodded as if he understood.
If the Nine Sects or the Five Great Families openly turned hostile to the Heavenly Alliance, people would inevitably say they were clinging to power and oppressing other sects.
For a sect like Mount Hua, which had once possessed nothing at all, that might not be much of a concern. But for those who had ruled the martial world, like the Nine Sects, it was certainly something they would have to worry about.
“So they might try to cause problems in subtle ways, but it’ll be hard for them to do anything openly. Instead, they’ll turn their eyes somewhere else.”
“...And that somewhere else is the unorthodox factions?”
“Yes.”
Im So-byeong nodded emphatically.
“The reason the Heavenly Alliance is drawing so much attention is because of everything Mount Hua has done until now. There’s no better way to raise your reputation and spread good words than by racking up actual achievements.”
“True.”
It was true that Mount Hua and the other sects had become sworn brothers and their influence had expanded dramatically, but what had drawn so many people to witness the scene in the first place was all the work Mount Hua had done up to now.
The same would be true of the Nine Sects.
If they felt the Heavenly Alliance’s influence growing too strong, they would no doubt try to strengthen their own sway over the martial world.
“So...”
Chung Myung looked at Im So-byeong with a somewhat curious expression.
“The Nine Sects might go hunting unorthodox sects to rack up achievements?”
“Exactly.”
Im So-byeong smiled faintly.
“It’s not exactly anything new. It’s happened countless times before. So the unorthodox side is also paying very close attention to the situation here. There are probably quite a few others here besides me.”
At that, Baek Cheon snapped his head around.
Over there, countless middle-ranking martial artists were sitting at makeshift stalls, drinking.
Among those people...
It was something he had never even considered.
But thinking about it again, it wasn’t strange at all. It would be impossible to perfectly verify the identities of everyone who had flocked here, so how could anyone know exactly who all those people were?
“As for me, I just need to stay close to Mount Hua.”
“...No, seriously, why does that even make sense to you?”
“Hahaha! For the other unorthodox sects, not the Green Forest—the ‘brothers’ of Mount Hua—the fire’s already at their feet!”
Im So-byeong laughed uproariously and draped an arm casually over Chung Myung’s shoulder.
“I’ll be in your care.”
“...Could you please just die? I’ll be in your care, then.”
But instead of stepping back, Im So-byeong lowered his body slightly in place.
“Daoist.”
“Hm?”
“Things may not go as smoothly as you imagine.”
“...”
“You know it as well as I do: the current martial world has spent a very long time stockpiling power. And that applies not only to the righteous side. The unorthodox factions have also gone without any great war for years, and now they’re bursting with strength.”
“The Green Forest looks pretty weak to me.”
“...”
Im So-byeong stared at him with a wounded expression, but Chung Myung gave no thought whatsoever to his feelings. Instead, he shoved him lightly aside and dusted off his shoulders.
“...Anyway...”
Looking a little dejected, Im So-byeong continued.
“The great conflicts that have thrown the martial world into chaos until now didn’t always begin with some grand affair. Power builds up, everyone’s looking for somewhere to vent it, and then some petty dispute gets tossed into the mix. From that point on, it spreads beyond anyone’s control.”
“...”
“I don’t mean to burden you with this, but the founding of the Heavenly Alliance may very well be the spark that lights the fuse of the entire martial world.”
Baek Cheon’s expression grew grave.
He hadn’t thought the Heavenly Alliance’s founding could be interpreted that way. It was just a union of a few sects whose minds happened to align...
“So what?”
“Pardon?”
But Chung Myung still looked utterly indifferent.
“So what you’re saying is that the Nine Sects or the Five Great Families might beat up some unorthodox bastards just to show they’re not dead yet, right?”
“...Yes.”
Chung Myung spoke on, flatly.
“What’s it got to do with me whether all the unorthodox bastards die or whether the Nine Sect bastards get themselves killed beating them up?”
“...”
“If they’re going to fight anyway, I’d rather they both die. Then the whole martial world will be empty, and we can just swallow it up ourselves. Hehehehehe!”
“...”
“...”
Im So-byeong and Baek Cheon both twitched at the same time.
Watching Chung Myung cackle like he was delighted beyond reason, it was impossible to tell who the righteous faction was and who the unorthodox one.
“Daoist... you, uh, seem to understand this a little... no, rather, you don’t seem to understand it very well...”
Im So-byeong cleared his throat awkwardly and continued.
“If this grows into something serious, the Heavenly Alliance won’t be able to escape the impact either.”
“What a pointless thing to say.”
“Pardon?”
Chung Myung frowned hard.
“Then if the Heavenly Alliance hadn’t been formed, none of that would happen?”
“...”
“When something fills up, it spills over. That’s just the way the world works. Even if it hadn’t been the Heavenly Alliance, it would’ve blown up before long. Like you said earlier, what matters isn’t the trigger.”
“Mm. That is true.”
“And besides.”
“Yes?”
Chung Myung closed his mouth.
Anyway, the Demonic Sect is coming.
No matter how carefully they tried to live, the Demonic Sect would never allow that situation to remain undisturbed.
“That’s what the Heavenly Alliance is for.”
Seeing the unwavering certainty in Chung Myung’s eyes, Im So-byeong smiled faintly.
That was why he had come to see Chung Myung.
“Yes! The Green Forest will do our best to help as well.”
“...And why would you do that?”
“Don’t say that! Please let us have a seat at the table! We can handle the menial work! The annoying work! Even the work of dealing with the bastards who get on your nerves! Just give us a shot, will you?!”
“Ah, just get lost!”
Im So-byeong clung to Chung Myung’s pant leg and refused to let go. Baek Cheon, ignoring the familiar commotion completely, let out a deep sigh.
...Will this really be all right?
Baek Cheon had begun to worry, in all seriousness, about the future of the Heavenly Alliance.