I Have Won This War (3)
Only after Jang Il-so turned and walked away did Heukryongwang saunter up to the cliff with a leisurely air, sneering as he approached.
“Too bad.”
“…….”
“Would’ve been better to kill you here.”
Every vein in Namgung Hwang’s face stood out; his eyes were bloodshot.
“……You will die by my hand, Heukryongwang.”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that, now that you can’t even set foot on the Yangtze?”
Crack.
A sound like something grinding to pieces came from between Namgung Hwang’s clenched teeth. Watching him tremble with rage and humiliation, Heukryongwang burst into loud laughter.
“Begging for your life and barely scrambling away, and you still have the nerve to talk about dignity! That’s right, that’s exactly what the so-called righteous dogs are like. Kahahahahaha!”
That was all he said. If he had continued with more blatant mockery, the blow might have landed less heavily, but Heukryongwang simply left that laughter behind and, ignoring Namgung Hwang completely, descended the cliff.
“Hmph.”
Man-geum Daebu also twisted his mouth in what might have been a sneer as he looked toward Heo Do-jin-in.
“I made a profitable deal.”
“…….”
Once Man-geum Daebu, too, turned away, Cheonmyeon Susa clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Such stinginess.”
“……Amitabha.”
As Beop Gye murmured the Buddha’s name in a pale voice, Cheonmyeon Susa clasped his hands toward him in a polite salute.
“I’ve seen enough of Shaolin’s martial arts, sir.”
“……The Hao Sect Leader’s martial arts were also… worthy of their reputation.”
“I hope we have the chance to cross hands again.”
Cheonmyeon Susa gave a bitter smile, then added lightly, “You’ll all have a hard time from here on out. As you can see, our alliance leader is a very difficult man to deal with.”
No one could answer him.
Paegun Jang Il-so.
Of course, it wasn’t as if anyone had ever dared to disregard him before, but from this day forward the world’s view of him would change completely.
At the very least, from this moment on, no one would dare call anyone other than Jang Il-so the foremost figure of the Sapa world.
“Well then.”
At last, Cheonmyeon Susa spun around.
“We’re leaving!”
“Yes!”
The troops of Saperyeon, having left behind only open contempt and ridicule, began descending the cliff without a shred of hesitation.
All that remained for the others was bitter defeat.
Only after climbing the cliff did they realize they had never once properly traded blows with those dogs of Saperyeon. Unlike their own miserable, battered state, not a speck of dust clung to the enemy’s clothes.
That fact only deepened the humiliation.
“……Heo Do.”
Gritting his lip as he glared at the retreating figures, Namgung Hwang finally turned his head and looked at Heo Do-jin-in.
The hatred in those eyes was so fierce it was hard to believe he was looking at an ally.
“Do you even know what you’ve done?”
“…….”
“We’re alive now only because we begged the Sapa for our lives. No matter how you dress it up with fancy words like truce or peace, the truth doesn’t change!”
Heo Do-jin-in lifted his gaze to the sky without saying a word.
“How do you expect to clean up this mess? How are you going to scoop up the dignity that’s been thrown into the dirt, you damned bastard!”
As Namgung Hwang, furious to the point of explosion, drew breath to shout again, Heo Do-jin-in said quietly, “Then why didn’t you stop me?”
“What?”
“I asked why you didn’t stop me.”
“…….”
Namgung Hwang clenched his jaw, and Heo Do-jin-in shot him a cold look.
“There were plenty of chances to interfere. No, there was no need to even do that much. If you had led your household retainers to attack even one man, the talks would have collapsed and war would have broken out again. So let me ask you this.”
“…….”
“Did you really stay silent because you didn’t know that?”
“You…!”
Namgung Hwang’s hand trembled violently. It felt as though his head were burning from the inside out with rage.
“You said dignity?”
A clear sneer touched the corner of Heo Do-jin-in’s mouth.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility. Since you’ll all be cursing me with such enthusiasm, naturally all the blame will fall on me too.”
“……Amitabha.”
Beop Gye closed his eyes and kept reciting the Buddha’s name. He, too, could not bring himself to meet Heo Do-jin-in’s eyes openly.
“But dignity, you say…”
Heo Do-jin-in let out a low, bitter chuckle.
“We all knew what we were risking when we did this, but honestly, I’m sick of the hypocrisy. You all stood there with your hands behind your backs and watched while I knelt and begged for my life, and now you’re pretending you had no such intention?”
“Sect Leader….”
“No, it’s fine. That’s how the martial world works.”
Then, with a face stripped of all warmth, Heo Do-jin-in glared at Namgung Hwang, Beop Gye, and Byeok Hyeon.
“I will never apologize to you.”
“…….”
“I don’t expect gratitude. But at the very least… know what shame is before you speak.”
“Insolence…!”
Namgung Hwang was trembling so hard he looked like a leaf in the wind.
And yet he still could not rush at Heo Do-jin-in. He knew the man’s words were not wrong.
“……Amitabha.”
Beop Gye, who had quietly recited the Buddha’s name, could only mourn inwardly.
How on earth were they supposed to clean this up?
This disgrace.
Having finished what he had to say, Heo Do-jin-in turned his eyes away without a trace of lingering concern and looked up at the sky.
Blue.
The sky was mercilessly blue, and cold.
He had expected these people to react this way anyway.
Apologize? Why should he apologize?
He had saved everyone here. These people were nothing more than cowards who lacked even the courage to bow their heads to an enemy and beg.
If he had not stepped forward, everyone would have died. His actions had saved everyone here.
And yet they would soon condemn him and try to dump all the blame on his head. So why should he apologize?
If there is one thing that bothers me…
Just as Heo Do-jin-in was about to sigh—
“C-Chung Myung!”
“N-no! Don’t get up!”
At the commotion from over there, Heo Do-jin-in slowly turned his head.
He saw the Mount Hua Divine Dragon pushing through his martial brothers and struggling to his feet.
He truly was in a miserable state. Chung Myung had suffered the most injuries here. And he had fought more desperately than anyone else.
If he had not held Jang Il-so down and dragged him into the struggle, the damage would have been far greater, and they would have had to offer even more to Jang Il-so just to beg for peace.
Heo Do-jin-in understood that better than anyone.
“……Move.”
“Ch-Chung Myung! Not now…!”
“Sasuk.”
“…….”
“Move. I’m asking you.”
With things having come this far, Baek Cheon could no longer stop him. Passing by Baek Cheon, Chung Myung walked toward Heo Do-jin-in. The killing intent pouring off him was enough to chill everyone who felt it.
Even the Wudang disciples held their breath at the sight of Chung Myung walking over, blood dripping from his body.
“Stop.”
“You brat!”
Heo Sanja and Heo Gwang instantly leapt in front of Heo Do-jin-in.
But Chung Myung didn’t even seem to see them. He never stopped walking, simply limping closer to Heo Do-jin-in.
“I said stop!”
“You…!”
“Get out of the way.”
Then, at the voice coming from behind them, Heo Sanja and Heo Gwang flinched and turned around.
“S-Sect Leader.”
“Stand back.”
“……But he is….”
They could not easily step aside. The killing intent Chung Myung was releasing was so plainly real that there was no mistaking it.
But Heo Do-jin-in only shook his head.
“Do you mean to make a fool of me?”
“…….”
“Move aside. And don’t interfere.”
Heo Gwang bit his lip.
In the end, unable to defy the sect leader, the two of them took reluctant steps back. Then they stood behind Heo Do-jin-in, watching Chung Myung with unrelenting caution.
Chung Myung didn’t even seem to register the exchange. He simply limped up and stood right before Heo Do-jin-in.
Behind him, the Five Swords stood taut with tension, baring their teeth like venomous snakes, ready to spring forward at any moment if needed.
Seeing that, Heo Do-jin-in let out a faint, humorless laugh.
So it really was only Mount Hua.
On this cliff, the only ones who could truly speak of honor were…
Then Chung Myung opened his mouth.
“……Why did you do it?”
“…….”
“Why?”
Heo Do-jin-in gave a crooked little smile.
“Well….”
Then, with eyes emptied out completely, he murmured, “Why did I do it?”
“You insane bastard!”
Crack!
Chung Myung’s fist smashed into Heo Do-jin-in’s face. As Heo Do-jin-in toppled backward, Chung Myung mounted him at once and rained blow after blow down on his face.
“Why! Why did you do it! Why!”
Thud! Thud!
“You pull this same shit again! Again, you piece of shit!”
Chung Myung howled like a beast as he beat Heo Do-jin-in. Wudang’s disciples, enraged, started to rush forward, but when the man on the ground raised a hand, their steps were forcibly halted.
“Why!”
Chung Myung seized Heo Do-jin-in by the collar and yanked him up. Their foreheads collided with a loud smack.
Heo Do-jin-in’s split lip bled as he stared blankly up at the sky.
“I….”
A low voice slipped out.
“I only wanted to save my disciples.”
“…….”
“That was… all.”
Chung Myung’s body was convulsing violently.
“You…!”
Still gripping Heo Do-jin-in by the collar with one hand, he raised the other high. Ferocious power began to gather in his fist.
“St-stop!”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
BOOOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion rang out. Chung Myung’s fist was buried in the ground right beside Heo Do-jin-in’s face.
“Damn it….”
Releasing Heo Do-jin-in’s collar as if flinging him away, Chung Myung struggled upright. But even after he stood, Heo Do-jin-in only looked up at the sky with dazed eyes.
“Damned fools….”
After glaring at Heo Do-jin-in and the other disciples from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families who had climbed the cliff, Chung Myung turned away.
As he swayed, Baek Cheon hurriedly caught his arm and supported him.
“……Let’s go back, Chung Myung.”
“…….”
“This isn’t where we belong. Let’s go to the sect leader. To Mount Hua… yes, let’s go back to Mount Hua.”
As Baek Cheon spoke, the Five Swords all nodded. Then they looked at the Nine Great Sects with expressions of pure disgust. No one could meet their eyes.
While the others had been too busy saving their own skins, the Five Swords of Mount Hua had fought Jang Il-so head-on.
So how could anyone dare speak the words “outnumbered and outmatched” in front of them?
They were martial artists because they fought strong enemies. They were righteous because they did not retreat even when they could not win. To fight only when victory was assured was neither righteousness nor courage. It was nothing more than oppression.
We’ve heard and learned that countless times.
Knowing something and living it were entirely different things.
They had stood and fought. The others had not been able to.
Jin Hyeon stared blankly at the sky for a long moment before squeezing his eyes shut.
“Let’s go, Chung Myung.”
Baek Cheon supported Chung Myung as if helping him to his feet. Jo Gul hurried over and helped from the other side.
“Yeah, Chung Myung… let’s go back. I don’t want to stay here… I really don’t want to be here anymore.”
Jo Gul’s muttered words drilled into the ears of everyone left on the cliff, as if he had whispered them right into their faces.
Then Chung Myung spoke.
“Sasuk.”
“Hm?”
“My sword… give me my sword.”
“……Why?”
Baek Cheon asked back, his face tight with irritation. The meaning was clear: don’t talk to them anymore. But Chung Myung only looked at him quietly and shook his head.
“There’s still….”
Chung Myung’s gaze drifted down toward the cliff below. His eyes had gone ice-cold.
“There’s still work left to do.”
Blood slid down from Chung Myung’s chin and dripped over the cliff edge.