Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: A Matter of Pride
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As night passed, Neung Un-bi returned with the morning sun, a smirk playing on his lips as he surveyed the utter chaos at Dancheon Gate.
Broken walls, wounded men yet to be tended to from the heat of battle.
And amidst them, the warriors of the New Moon Squad, standing firm in a defensive formation.
They probably had no idea. No idea why they had to fight.
The New Moon Squad had attacked the one spying on Neung Un-bi, and Dancheon Gate had simply retaliated.
“Pant, pant.”
Pyeong Su, the First Team Leader, his clothes tattered and soaked in sweat and blood, looked at Neung Un-bi with exhausted eyes.
“My lord…”
“…”
Neung Un-bi walked over with a smile and patted him on the shoulder.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“…”
“You’ve been a great help.”
“…!”
Was he just that exhausted?
Or was it the force of Neung Un-bi’s hand on his shoulder?
Pyeong Su, who had been glaring at the Dancheon Gate warriors, suddenly slumped to the ground as if all his strength had left him.
But the smile on his face was as bright as the sunlight that had arrived with Neung Un-bi.
They had fought all night, and the number of wounded was not small.
With Wang Cheon and Ju Seung gone, he was the senior officer. He must have done his best as their leader.
How difficult must it have been to hold off the entirety of Dancheon Gate with only thirty warriors?
He might have truly risked his life, just as he always claimed he would.
But now, his face was filled not with resentment toward Neung Un-bi for giving them such an overwhelming task, but with pride.
Neung Un-bi’s words.
*You’ve worked hard,* and *You’ve been a great help.*
It had been a long, arduous day, but those few words felt like a reward for all their efforts.
But the joy was fleeting. Pyeong Su asked urgently.
“What happened?”
“Over there.”
Neung Un-bi’s gaze shifted to where Jong Se-in was being held by Ju Seung.
He didn’t know the reason, but seeing the three of them return safely meant…?
“Half.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, it’s only half-successful. The real work starts now.”
“…Ah!”
A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes, but a smile soon returned to Pyeong Su’s face.
Hearing that the real work was just beginning could have been disheartening, but it was enough that everyone had returned alive.
“Get some rest for now. I’ll take it from here.”
“Yes, my lord!”
As if Pyeong Su’s cry was a signal, the warriors of the New Moon Squad, who had suffered just as much, began to sit down one by one.
The Dancheon Gate warriors facing them still looked fierce, but they all relaxed their stances as if the fight was over.
That was what their lord was to them.
A being they could entrust everything to, even when he stood alone.
Knowing this, the members of Dancheon Gate had also done nothing but aim their swords since Neung Un-bi’s appearance.
“You okay?”
“Hah, don’t even ask. They were so damn persistent…”
“You brat, stop exaggerating.”
“Agh! Hey, seriously, what are you doing! I got stabbed there!”
When Wang Cheon grinned and poked him in the side, Pyeong Su yelped in annoyance.
“This bastard! What? Here, does this not hurt!?”
“It hurts! I said it hurts!”
“Dropping the formalities again, are we, you punk?”
“Son of a bitch!”
Harassed by Wang Cheon, Pyeong Su’s eyes widened as he finally swung his hand.
“Look at you. You couldn’t even catch a fly with that.”
“Argh! Seriously!”
But their playful antics eased the taut tension. The exhausted New Moon Squad warriors grinned as they watched the two bicker.
“Third Young Master! What is the meaning of this!”
Was it because he disliked how they seemed to have forgotten they were in the middle of a battle?
Takbal Lyeo, the Internal Affairs Manager of Dancheon Gate, roared.
“The meaning of what?”
“…”
“I was just about to explain it to you all.”
Neung Un-bi, facing Dancheon Gate alone, gestured to Takbal Lyeo. Ju Seung, who had been gripping Jong Se-in by the scruff of his neck, threw him in front of the Dancheon Gate members.
Jong Se-in, his demonic pressure points sealed, tumbled stiffly to the ground.
His face was grotesquely swollen, and his entire body was covered in wounds.
But even if he were unharmed, there was nothing he could do. His eyes showed he had already given up on everything.
“Branch Chief. What in the world…”
Takbal Lyeo, along with Patrol Hall Master Lee Do-seong and the other Dancheon Gate warriors, looked back and forth between Jong Se-in on the ground and Neung Un-bi.
Of course, their gazes toward Neung Un-bi, who had caused this incident, were filled with killing intent.
Just as it was for the New Moon Squad, Jong Se-in was their lord.
“…Third Young Master, if you were not the Cult Leader’s disciple, I would have drawn my sword on you already!”
“I know. Just calm down.”
“…”
“You need an explanation.”
As Takbal Lyeo, representing Dancheon Gate, pressed him with a fierce glare, Neung Un-bi calmly nodded.
“I’d have him tell you himself, but we don’t have time, so I’ll keep it brief.”
“…?”
“You all know it too. The fact that Jong Se-in has been very friendly with the Heavenly Pillar Gate until now.”
“That is…”
“Yes, I know. He probably convinced you time and again that it was necessary since he had to hide his identity.”
“…”
“But this bastard was colluding with the Heavenly Pillar Gate Master.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
Takbal Lyeo’s eyes went wide.
He wasn’t the only one. All the Dancheon Gate warriors looked at each other in shock and began to murmur amongst themselves.
“Silence!”
“…”
Takbal Lyeo’s sharp rebuke silenced the warriors as if doused with cold water.
“Third Young Master.”
“…”
“Are you asking us to believe that? We are aware that the Branch Chief was close with the Heavenly Pillar Gate. But it was for the sake of the Demonic Path. It brought in money. But collusion! What does that mean!”
“Hmm…”
Seeing Takbal Lyeo’s bloodshot eyes as he demanded an answer, Neung Un-bi stroked his chin.
He wasn’t sure what the difference between ‘close’ and ‘colluding’ was, but it seemed his explanation was insufficient.
Then again, after all the years they had spent together, their trust wouldn’t crumble over a few words.
“Alright. Then I have no choice but to show you proof.”
“Pr-Proof?”
“Yes. I could make this bastard confess, but seeing it with your own eyes will be much faster.”
“…”
Neung Un-bi walked over and crouched in front of Jong Se-in.
*Squeeze.*
“Kugh.”
Since his vocal pressure points hadn't been sealed, Jong Se-in let out a pained groan as Neung Un-bi grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
“Where is it? Your secret ledger.”
“…”
Jong Se-in’s eyes, which had been trembling slightly as he met Neung Un-bi’s gaze, finally fell.
He had given up. He knew he couldn’t hold out any longer.
A cold silence filled the meeting room, where the leaders of each division of Dancheon Gate had gathered, including Internal Affairs Manager Takbal Lyeo and Patrol Hall Master Lee Do-seong.
And on the table lay several open books.
They were the secret ledgers, found after interrogating Jong Se-in.
Inside, the details of his dealings with the Heavenly Pillar Gate were meticulously recorded.
How many were sold for how much, and where that money went.
Even the time and place where the people were handed over to the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
It was written in such detail that it was more substantial than the official Dancheon Gate ledgers Neung Un-bi had inspected during his perfunctory audit.
At this point, the Dancheon Gate warriors who had disbelieved Neung Un-bi’s words had no choice but to accept them.
As they learned the full truth, a sense of emptiness filled their eyes.
While examining the ledgers, their gazes repeatedly shifted to Jong Se-in, who was kneeling beside Neung Un-bi, but they could only see the top of his head.
He kept his head bowed low the entire time.
But the ledgers were too detailed, and Jong Se-in’s silent, bowed posture was proof enough that it was all true.
The only silver lining was that none of them were involved in the dirty backroom deals.
At first, I thought they were real accomplices, seeing how loyal they were to Jong Se-in.
The meticulous bastard. No wonder he had his personal guards stationed at his residence.
I thought he would have hidden it in a safe with a mechanism, but I never imagined he would keep it right in his room.
It was placed so openly on the bookshelf that I thought it was just an ordinary book.
Then again, with his personal guards standing watch, would any of the branch’s warriors have dared to approach?
He must have believed that within the branch, he was as good as a king.
But pettily, the ledger also recorded the amounts distributed to his personal guards.
The bastard knew how to share the spoils, at least.
Well, that’s probably how he earned their loyalty.
“Do you believe me now?”
“…Mmm.”
It was only a groan, but how could one not know it was an affirmation?
“Then that’s settled.”
“…”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, all the branch warriors bowed their heads so low their foreheads touched the table.
It was out of shame for not knowing what had been happening right beside them.
Then, as if having made a decision, Takbal Lyeo rose from his seat.
And knelt before Neung Un-bi.
“Third Young Master.”
“…”
“Please punish us for our sins. Though we were unaware, we have tarnished the honor of the Demonic Cult.”
Following Takbal Lyeo’s lead, the other leaders also rose from their seats, knelt, and bowed their heads.
A strange light flickered in Neung Un-bi’s eyes as he sat in his chair, looking down at the tops of their bowed heads.
It is a very difficult thing to admit one’s mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
To ask for punishment even when they could claim it wasn't their fault showed just how great their pride was as warriors of the Demonic Cult.
But even if they didn’t know the details, their sin could not be forgiven.
How could Jong Se-in have sold off the captured people all by himself?
They were all accomplices.
They probably felt no guilt.
It was likely enough for them that they were sending ample tribute to the main sect.
But from Neung Un-bi’s perspective, he could never forgive their sin of using people as a means to make money.
They were bastards for whom beheading would not be enough.
“I am not the one who will punish you for your sins.”
“…Pardon?”
“Those who have been harmed by you.”
“…”
“Those who lost their homes and were sold off to various places because of you. You must ask for their forgiveness.”
“…”
A look of confusion appeared on the faces of Takbal Lyeo and the other warriors who had bowed their heads at Neung Un-bi’s words.
It was something they had never considered as members of the Demonic Cult.
Why should they ask for their forgiveness?
“The Demonic Cult, yes. The people of the Central Plains call us evil. They spread all sorts of absurd rumors. But what do the opinions of others matter? What matters is that I am not like that.”
“…”
“The Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions. In battles with those who live in the martial world, anything goes. Our paths and values are fundamentally different, after all.”
“…”
“However, you must not harm those unrelated to the martial world. You must not oppress the powerless. The affairs of the martial world must end within the martial world.”
Neung Un-bi’s calm words struck a deep chord not only in the hearts of the Dancheon Gate branch warriors but also in Wang Cheon, Ju Seung, and the New Moon Squad members who were standing by in case of trouble.
“That is the pride one must have, not just as a member of the Demonic Cult, but as a warrior. It is the proper way for one with power to wield that power.”
He spoke of the character of a warrior, of one who possesses strength.
For the members of the Demonic Cult, who had lived as if brainwashed under the law that the strong take all, it was an incomprehensible statement.
But his words lodged deep in a corner of everyone’s heart, igniting like an ember.
Their faces flushed with shame, and their heads bowed even lower.
“Find them.”
“…”
“If you truly repent your sins, find those you have sold off and return every single one of them to their original places.”
“…”
“Furthermore, bow your heads and compensate them. If they need money, compensate them with money. If they demand your lives, then offer your lives. That is the only way to be truly forgiven.”
“…”
“However, this is not an order given as an inspector representing the Cult Leader. It is a request from one human being to another.”
With those words, Neung Un-bi rose from his seat.
Takbal Lyeo and the Dancheon Gate warriors remained with their heads bowed, but Neung Un-bi didn’t even glance at them as he walked past and left the meeting room.
*Creeak, thud.*
The door to the meeting room closed behind him, leaving them still unable to lift their heads.
He left the decision to them.
Hoping that although their upbringing and lives had been different, their basic human decency remained intact.
“My lord.”
“…What is it?”
Wang Cheon, who had followed Neung Un-bi outside, was grinning.
“They all looked like they were drowning in a sea of emotion. It’s like you took lessons in public speaking somewhere. Even our hearts were pounding the whole time you were talking.”
“Emotion, my ass.”
He had only spoken what he knew.
“Anyway, what are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Finding them is one thing… but you told them to compensate them, didn’t you?”
“…”
“Does the Dancheon Gate branch have that kind of financial capacity? It seems even the money Jong Se-in stashed away won’t be enough…”
“Hmm…”
“They probably won’t even bat an eye if you report it to the main sect.”
“…”
“Were you perhaps not planning on forgiving them?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You said it yourself, didn’t you? To compensate them even with their lives.”
“That was…”
“They all looked ready to go find those people and cut their own throats as per your command.”
“What command? I said it was a request appealing to their duty as human beings! And you saw it too. From the moment we got here, their tone, their actions, they weren’t exactly loyal. The way they glared at us was downright murderous.”
“Well, of course. Have you forgotten your own situation, my lord?”
“What?”
“The Third Young Master with no support base, the Third Young Master with an extremely low chance of ascending to the top. Even if you’ve made a name for yourself recently, that fact hasn’t changed.”
“…”
“Even if it’s just a branch, do you think they’d want to be loyal to a Third Young Master who’s far from the line of succession? Their own futures are on the line.”
“Then why now?”
“Somehow, it was cool. Cool enough to bet their lives on, regardless of the future. You weren’t exactly oppressing them, but it felt like… you were a true warrior?”
“…”
Bet their lives?
Just because they were a little moved, as you put it?
Were they really that simple?
“And you clearly stated it in the middle of all that. That you were the inspector, the Cult Leader’s representative.”
“S-So they’d bet their lives on that?”
“You called it a request, but who would take it that way? The branch chief’s crimes are clear as day… Of course, they’d think of it as an order.”
At Wang Cheon’s words, Neung Un-bi blinked blankly.
So, to sum it all up… order or not, if they don’t have the money, those guys are really going to die?
No, why is their thought process like that!
“Anyway, you have a really cool way of ordering people to their deaths. Especially since you know they don’t have any money.”
“…”
His mind went blank.
Even if they found the people who were sold, how many of them would tell the ones begging for forgiveness to ‘die!’?
Then, as Wang Cheon said, wasn’t this the same as ordering them all to go and die on their own?
If they couldn’t provide sufficient compensation…
Hah, damn Demonic Cult bastards. Why is everything so extreme?
Killing with a borrowed knife—no, this was no different from an order to commit suicide, was it?
“This won’t do. We need to move quickly.”
“To where?”
Where else?
To get the money, I’ll have to shake down the Heavenly Pillar Gate!
And for a fight of that scale, what power do I have as a mere disciple? This could easily escalate into a war between the Orthodox and Demonic Factions.
It was a time-honored script, a natural progression for a children’s squabble to become a fight between adults.
And if I can’t solve it with my own strength?
Of course, I’ll have to go tattle to my powerful dad.
Besides, I was planning on spilling everything anyway. With a healthy dose of exaggeration, of course.