How Could a Human Be Like This? (1)
Heukryongwang ground his teeth. The Water Bandits were retreating from Maehwado.
"I…"
Gritting his lips so hard it hurt, he trembled with fury.
Those useless bastards.
He had given the bandits no order to fall back. His command had stopped at one thing only: annihilate the Namgung Family. And yet those idiots were now withdrawing at Ho Gamyeong's instruction.
"This…"
Of course, Ho Gamyeong was Jang Il-so's right hand, and as far as command structure went, it wasn't exactly wrong for the bandits to obey him. After all, Surachae was also one of Saperyeon's forces.
But with Jang Il-so standing right here, for them to follow Ho Gamyeong's orders without even checking with him first left Heukryongwang's insides twisting in irritation.
"Hah."
He drew a deep breath.
His anger was boiling over, but if he lost his temper now, he'd be acknowledging that his command of Surachae had, however briefly, been taken from him. So instead he clenched his jaw and leapt down from the Black Dragon Ship.
Then he strode toward Jang Il-so, who was heading for the vessel.
"Jang Il-so!"
He barked the name like a raging beast and stopped him in his tracks.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Why are you letting them live? One twist of their necks, and this would all be over."
Jang Il-so's feet came to a stop. Without turning around, he only tilted his head slightly to glance back at Heukryongwang.
"At least explain wha—"
The words died halfway out of his mouth. Heukryongwang bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.
There was not the slightest trace of emotion in Jang Il-so's gaze.
The moment that colorless, scentless look pierced him, Heukryongwang felt a chill as if he had tumbled into an ice cave.
"Ugh…"
Jang Il-so remained silent, studying Heukryongwang with a steady, unblinking stare. Heukryongwang forced himself to meet that crystal-clear gaze with bloodshot eyes, as if he had to prove exactly who he was right here and now.
But the standoff did not last long. In the end, Heukryongwang was the first to look away.
"My apologies, Alliance Leader… I lost my temper."
His head dipped slightly.
It was not a full gesture of submission, but it carried more than enough respect for the other man.
"Hmm."
Jang Il-so glanced at him with a trace of dissatisfaction, then slowly nodded.
"I understand why the Black Dragon King is angry. You're upset because I went and withdrew Surachae without asking you, am I right?"
"N-no, it's not exactly that…"
"But there is no need to be so upset."
Jang Il-so smiled faintly and continued,
"Killing those people isn't that remarkable a thing, is it?"
Heukryongwang thought he'd misheard.
Not remarkable?
Those were the Namgung Family. One of the Five Great Families, a martial clan that had stood proud in the Jianghu for centuries. To wipe them out would be an achievement worth boasting of for ten thousand generations, for both Saperyeon and Surachae.
And yet… not remarkable?
"After all, they're just minnows."
Jang Il-so went on,
"If you've hooked a minnow, you ought to use it as bait to catch a catfish. What difference does it make if you haul in one tiny little fish?"
"…You said a catfish?"
"A pretty hefty catch, yes."
Jang Il-so slowly turned his head. His gaze came to rest on the Black Dragon Ship, symbol of Surachae. A strange smile crept onto his lips.
"I'll give you the full explanation once we're aboard."
Heukryongwang's expression tightened by a fraction. But when Jang Il-so looked back at him as if to ask whether there was a problem, he had no choice but to nod.
"…Very well."
"Gamyeong, let's go."
"Yes!"
Jang Il-so and Ho Gamyeong made their way leisurely toward the Black Dragon Ship. Wordlessly, Heukryongwang followed behind them.
…
Quietly biting down on his lip, he glared at Jang Il-so's back.
The Black Dragon Ship was a symbol of Heukryongwang's authority. No one could board it without his permission. Jang Il-so could not possibly be ignorant of that fact, yet here he was, informing Heukryongwang that he intended to board the ship.
That was right. Not asking for understanding. Not seeking permission. Simply informing him.
It was a clear and brutal statement of where Jang Il-so stood in relation to Heukryongwang.
Jang Il-so…
Heukryongwang clenched his fist.
But now it was too late to stop him. If he had meant to stop this, he should never have lost the upper hand at their first confrontation. The moment he failed to withstand that gaze and looked away, he had forfeited the right to control him.
How…
Three years ago.
When they had first formed Saperyeon, Jang Il-so had not been like this. The reason the Five Hegemons of the Jianghu had elevated him to Alliance Leader was because they were certain they could control him.
But now the question that had once been buried had begun to rise again and again.
Could he really still be controlled? That snake?
As he watched Jang Il-so board the ship in fluttering red robes, cold sweat began to gather down his back.
Beop Jeong's face went blank as he watched Maehwado.
One by one, the Water Bandits who had packed the island were falling back, and now he could see them boarding their ships.
"This…"
He muttered, then shut his mouth.
He had been about to say, What in the world is going on here? but he could not bring himself to voice it. He knew all too well how foolish those words would sound to the men standing behind him.
But his concern turned out to be needless. Even if he had said it aloud, no one could have mocked him for stupidity.
They were just as incapable of understanding the situation. No, even if the whole world gathered here, none of them would understand what was happening before their eyes.
"…It seems they are withdrawing."
Those were Beop Gye's words, but they were not really meant for Beop Jeong. Beop Gye, too, was simply muttering what he could see, lost in confusion.
"Has the Namgung Family… already been done in?"
"…Impossible."
No matter how tightly they had been surrounded, the Namgung Family was still the Namgung Family.
And above all, Emperor Sword Namgung Hwang was there.
No matter how monstrous Jang Il-so or Heukryongwang might be, it was impossible to subdue that Emperor Sword so quietly.
Then…
What on earth is happening over there?
Why was there no battle?
And if there had been no battle, why were the Water Bandits who had cornered the Namgung Family simply pulling back?
Had they shown mercy and let their prey go?
Ridiculous.
Men like that would never have been called Sapa in the first place.
"Amitabha… Amitabha."
Beop Jeong quickly began to recite the Buddha's name.
He could not begin to understand how this situation had come about. Ever since Jang Il-so had appeared here, it felt as if his thoughts had been thrown into disarray and knotted together at random.
"Abbot, perhaps…"
Beop Jeong turned to look at Beop Gye.
"Could it be that Namgung… is with them…"
"How dare you not close that mouth!"
At once, an angry roar burst from Beop Jeong's lips.
He knew exactly what Beop Gye had been about to say. He was probably asking whether Namgung had joined hands with them. But that thought should never, under any circumstances, be spoken aloud.
"Do not speak recklessly of matters that have not been confirmed! It is a slander against them!"
"I am sorry, Abbot. But the situation…"
He had snapped in anger, but he could also understand Beop Gye's feelings for saying it.
No, if he were being honest, Beop Jeong had already considered that possibility himself. He believed it was impossible, but otherwise there was no way to explain what was happening.
"Amitabha. Amitabha."
He bit down hard on his lip. Just then, he clearly saw a man in red robes boarding the Black Dragon Ship.
Just what are you thinking!
There was no need to wonder who was behind all of this.
Jang Il-so.
That demon had to be plotting something.
But even Beop Jeong could not begin to guess what lay hidden in that man's heart.
Gritting his teeth, Beop Jeong glared at Jang Il-so when—
"Th-they're moving."
"…"
The ships docked at the island slowly began to withdraw. Even the bandits who had pushed the vessels free from the sandbar climbed back aboard.
"They're really leaving like that?"
"…Why?"
"What are they planning?"
Voices rose in a murmur behind him.
The Shaolin monks, who were among the most severe in the world, were so deeply shaken that even with their abbot right in front of them, they were blurting out whatever came to mind.
"They're really pulling out of the island?"
"…What in the world…"
What they could see was this:
The island, emptied of Water Bandits, and the scattered Namgung survivors standing at its center.
Beop Gye spoke again, his face gone pale.
"A-Abbot. This can only mean they've made some kind of deal…"
"Did I not tell you to shut up!"
The dreadful fury in Beop Jeong's eyes sent Beop Gye clamping his mouth shut once more. Beop Jeong clenched his fists tightly.
It can't be that obvious sort of trick.
Namgung had struck some deal with them and survived?
So what of it?
He was not the kind of man who would suspect and condemn Namgung for something so trivial. What would people not do to survive? A true gentleman, in order to achieve the greater cause, would not hesitate to crawl between an enemy's legs or even lick the bitter gall if need be.
Beop Jeong had no reason to be trapped by such an obvious scheme.
It's not that. It's something else. But then… just what… what could they possibly gain from a situation like this?
And then Beop Jeong realized something.
Perhaps it would have been better not to know.
"The ships…"
"A-Abbot. The ships are surrounding the island again."
The Shaolin monks cried out in bewildered voices. Just as they said, the ships that had left the island did not fully withdraw; instead, they slowly began to encircle Maehwado once more.
"Surrounding it?"
Again?
In that case, they might as well have killed them all instead…
"Ah…"
At that moment, Beop Jeong's eyes flew wide open as if they might split.
"Agh!"
A sound like his soul had abruptly poured straight out through his mouth escaped him. It was a harsh groan even Beop Gye, who had served at his side his entire life, had never once heard from him.
His mouth opened so wide it could not open any wider, and his eyes shook as though an earthquake had struck them.
"H-how could they…!"
The prows of those ships, arrayed thickly around the island, had plainly turned outward from the island—toward the northern bank of the river.
"H-how can a person do such a thing? How can a human being wear a human face and do this? How! How could they!"
A wretched scream burst from Beop Jeong's throat.
"A-Abbot!"
Beop Gye, still not understanding, was thrown into panic. He had never, on his life, seen Beop Jeong lose his composure like this.
"Tyrant Lord! That despicable wretch from the depths of hell! How can a human being do this? How can anyone do this!"
"A-Abbot! Please, calm yourself!"
And then it happened.
That black, massive Black Dragon Ship, imposing even at a glance, cut through the water and slowly approached them. Before long, it reached the river between the Shaolin monks and Maehwado, where it gradually slowed and came to a stop.
No one could breathe.
No one could speak.
A man in blazing red robes appeared leisurely atop the sharp prow of the Black Dragon Ship.
Every eye fixed on Tyrant Lord Jang Il-so. They could not tear their gaze away from a single one of his expressions, a single flick of his hand, even the hem of his robe snapping in the river wind.
"Hmm."
Jang Il-so's eyes turned directly toward Shaolin.
"My, why are you all so angry?"
His soft, low voice slid into their ears.
"I came here to give you…"
The brief pause in his words made every heart in the crowd drop. Then the demon smiled and continued.
"A chance."
His lips, red as blood, curved like a crescent moon.