Tomorrow's Fortune (3)
I was wrong to think that the words left by that bastard Gun Yuhyeon were just the pathetic flailing of some loser gambler.
Right. Time. Place.
My head was crammed full of those three words.
That crazy ideological inquisitor was finally stirring up shit.
"Then there's no helping it," or what? What the fuck? No helping it??
Not just me—Ilmyeong stared at Ak Byeongbi with blazing eyes too.
His lips were twitching like he was sending a transmission, but Ak Byeongbi just flinched slightly, his expression unchanging.
Then a grating metallic voice cut in from the side.
"Kekeke… I knew it. Isn't the petty scheming of you hypocritical orthodox scum predictable?"
The guy called the lord of Hwangsa Gate—the one who'd been sneering since earlier—spat out his taunt.
"They probably came here under the pretext of an envoy just to gauge our scale."
At the man's words, Ak Byeongbi's gaze sharpened noticeably.
"Do you think the Murim Alliance would resort to such petty tactics?"
The man lit up instead, grinning.
"Framing the innocent and executing them—isn't that the Murim Alliance's specialty?"
Ak Byeongbi rarely exploded in anger.
Crunch.
"…How dare you flap that filthy trap of yours."
Hey, old man, this is enemy territory smack in the middle!
This wasn't about whether an alliance or treaty would form anymore.
It was a fork in the road: declare war on paper or with the envoy's heads.
Considering that beheading the envoys was the surest declaration of war, our lives were hanging by a thread right now.
At that moment—
"Enough! Why speak like that in front of guests? No wonder the black path gets called mannerless."
A man standing opposite the Hwangsa Gate lord barked.
Gang Maengji, lord of Heuksa Hall. A black path heavyweight I'd crossed paths with at the Mareung Plateau.
He turned to Cha Seokdu and laid it out.
"Alliance Lord. Our Sahyeokryeon is a fledgling force just starting to stir. No need to kick off with war from the get-go. If we start fighting before the founding ceremony hangover wears off, what will the world think of us?"
Those around Gang Maengji nodded one by one, and the Hwangsa Gate lord sneered.
"Formed a group just to play power games, huh?"
He stroked his weapon provocatively, right in plain view, baiting Gang Maengji.
"Too bad—looks like you'll never be alliance lord in this lifetime."
"…You'd best shut your piehole."
"Kekekeke, showing your true colors already."
True to black path form, they looked ready to throw down right there in the debate hall. The Sahyeokryeon lord cleared the air.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Enough! No more disgrace."
"…."
"…Ahem."
The hall's mood sank like after a downpour.
As I looked at Sahyeokryeon lord Cha Seokdu, he met my eyes.
He gave me a slight nod, then spoke.
"This matter can't be settled on the spot, so we'll discuss it again after the founding ceremony."
I was touched just that it didn't end in disaster. I bowed deeply and led my group out of the hall.
Slam. The last to enter the inner chamber, I slammed the door hard and approached Ak Byeongbi.
He'd barely returned before reaching for another cup.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Trying to drink."
"…."
Do I look like I care?!
I reined in my emotions as best I could.
"You wanna bury your bones here?"
"…."
He glanced between the cup and my face, then downed it in one go, resolute.
"Kuh… What's your beef?"
"My beef?"
If war with Sahyeokryeon broke out, the blood spilled would dwarf even the Blood Cult war from the original history.
And the Murim Alliance would face the Demonic Cult in an even shakier state than before.
…I had zero intention of sitting idly by for that.
"Doesn't matter if rivers of blood flood the land?"
"…."
"Plenty of Ak family folk buried under corpse mountains."
I caught my breath, then stared him down.
"That the sight you wanna see with your own eyes?"
Thud. Ak Byeongbi slammed his cup down rough.
The tension was razor-thin. Ilmyeong stepped in to block me.
"Jin donor… Best stop there."
I shook off his hand.
"You want war with Sahyeokryeon too, senior brother Ilmyeong? That the 'justice' Shaolin preaches—letting blood flow like that?"
"Jin donor…."
"The captain's actions might make innocents bleed. You gonna just watch?"
"…."
Ak Byeongbi glared murderously, then lifted the bottle to his lips.
"What do you want from me?"
"Didn't Mantongbu tell you what to do?"
"…Impossible, you mean."
Heat rushed to my head.
"Impossible? They're already open to a treaty!"
Ak Byeongbi fiddled with his cup, then downed another.
"…If you're so frustrated, you do it."
"What?"
"You do it!"
I'd pegged him as responsible, even if he'd used the Inspection Hall for his gain and suspected me as a black path spy.
The Ak Byeongbi from my past life hadn't been this low.
I looked down at his bowed head with cold eyes.
"To think a man like this upholds 'justice'… Inspection Hall's done for."
"…."
Even my contempt-laden jab didn't lift his head.
"Jin donor… Step out for some air."
Ilmyeong tugged me, fidgeting. I let him lead me out.
"Fine. I'll handle it from now on. You just drown in booze, Captain."
Ak Byeongbi didn't twitch as Dang Seohee and Ilmyeong dragged me out.
As I gathered my emotions, Ilmyeong hesitated and approached.
"Jin donor… Try to understand the captain a bit."
I tilted my head.
Ilmyeong wasn't this clueless….
This was squarely the captain's fault.
We weren't here just to celebrate.
Our mission: aid the Murim Alliance warriors bleeding in Sichuan, ensure they fight safe.
So no time for pointless pride, damn it.
"Did I do wrong?"
My mood soured my tone.
But I didn't care about Ilmyeong's feelings now.
He slowly shook his head.
"…No."
"Then what am I supposed to understand?"
"…."
Ilmyeong glanced at Dang Seohee, hesitating. She chimed in softly, knowing something.
"…I think you went a bit far too, Jin Sowoon."
"…."
They exchanged complicated looks as my face hardened.
Finally, Ilmyeong clenched his fist, resolved.
"Jin donor… What you hear now stays with you alone."
"What?"
After agonizing pauses, Ilmyeong spoke.
"Hwangsa Gate lord Gu Gyeak. He's the mastermind behind the 'Cheongju Incident.'"
The Cheongju Incident: hundreds of black pathers raided an Ak family procession. Thirty Ak members and two hundred black pathers died.
I cocked my head at them.
"…And?"
"…."
"Just 'cause his family's enemy was here justifies the captain?"
Fights and battles rage across the jianghu nonstop.
Too many die to count.
Cheongju Incident? Sure, scarred Ak Byeongbi.
But so what?
Jianghu's full of folks with equal or worse pain.
Me included….
Damn it….
Can't let personal grudges ruin the big picture.
Ilmyeong sighed long at my hardline stance.
Then, cautiously:
"Back then… the captain's lover died."
"…."
"And she was pregnant."
My boiling head went ice-cold, like when my father and sect brothers from the Small Justice Squad died agonizing before my eyes in my past life.
Ilmyeong's lips moved again—the story wasn't over.
"The one who killed the captain's lover… was none other than Gu Gyeak."
My mouth felt frozen too.
"The captain scoured the land for him—no stone unturned. Fifteen years passed… and that bastard Gu Gyeak shows up as Hwangsa Gate lord right in front of him."
"Shit…."
Dang Seohee frowned at my curse.
"Cursing's bad."
Like I want to.
Had to.
What was Jegal Somyeong thinking sending him?
If he knew the backstory, why send him as envoy captain?
…Maybe Jegal didn't know?
"The Chief Strategist knows. Why send him as captain? No idea. Must have deep reasons."
Deep reasons or not, this was fucked.
Who could preach peace with their family's killer right there?
"Why not tell me sooner?"
"…Not easy to say."
"Haa…."
Suddenly, Ak Byeongbi's overreaction in the Ak Jupyeong incident made sense.
Humans can't easily forget deep emotional scars.
As I wracked my muddled brain, Ilmyeong spoke.
"…The captain meant it when he said that."
"What?"
"Handing it to you."
More like 'If you're frustrated, you do it.'
"Probably frustrated with his own limits."
Even knowing the backstory, I had no clue how to fix this.
The envoy captain—enemy—was pushing for war right in front of us.
Ignore and treaty? Ak Byeongbi's heart shreds to rags.
Don't? Corpse piles haunt me.
Ilmyeong cut in.
"The captain wants the treaty too."
"…Why think that?"
"A man who never touches booze suddenly drowning? Means he wants it bad."
"…."
The one enduring the most pain was Ak Byeongbi?
"…Doesn't excuse his actions."
I said it cold on purpose, but Ilmyeong smiled softly at me.
"He wouldn't want excuses. Focus on the mission for now."
"…."
Even ignoring his plight, alliance was a pipe dream—peace treaty tough too.
Over half seemed to back Gu Gyeak's hawkish talk.
Even rallying Cha Seokdu, Gang Maengji, and my Mareung Plateau ties—treaty unlikely.
Worst: stranded in enemy heart, powerless.
If we knew internal dynamics, we could sway—but no Haomen pull here in Sahyeokryeon core.
Ilmyeong bowed slightly.
"Sorry to dump this on you."
I shook my head.
"Whatever. Spilled milk."
We brainstormed tactics around the pavilion without venturing out, but no solid plan emerged.
Then, footsteps approached.
"Mind if I join? Won't intrude."
The voice belonged to Gun Yuhyeon, who'd flustered Ilmyeong earlier—from Cheon-gwan Gate.
"What brings you here?"
"You haven't shown at the gambling den, so I worried and came."
I shook my head politely.
"Bad time for that. Please go."
"Haha, not here to gamble."
Gun Yuhyeon smiled amiably.
"Overheard on the way. Trouble?"
"…."
"Treaty in jeopardy? Right?"
I tensed without showing it.
"How'd you know?"
"Secret or not, big ears hear all."
"So?"
He stepped closer.
"Maybe I can help."
I locked eyes with Ilmyeong. We nodded subtly.
Use every asset.
His offer worth hearing.
"Why help?"
Gun Yuhyeon scratched his head.
"Not all black path sects are bloodthirsty maniacs. Some took the path out of circumstance. Plus, war with the Alliance hits us hard—Cheon-gwan Gate especially."
War hurts all, weak most.
His sharp mind figured they'd suffer biggest in Sahyeokryeon-Alliance war.
Ilmyeong asked:
"How can you help, Gun donor?"
"You may know: in current Sahyeokryeon, major sects' voices outweigh the lord's."
Obvious from the hall vibe.
Cha Seokdu claimed lordship on founding merits, but it felt shaky.
As we pondered, Gun Yuhyeon whispered conspiratorially.
"But someone can sway the big picture."
"Someone with real power?"
He nodded.
"Yes. The lord gave the cause, but another laid the foundation."
"Who?"
"Seen the man by the lord?"
"Damak…."
Gun Yuhyeon nodded as I named him.
"Him."
"He can sway it?"
"Yes. Most operators follow Damak. If he and the lord align, even opposing lords can't block a treaty."
Damak the Black Dragon—talent shining in this life too.
"But will he meet us? Seemed wary of the Alliance."
Gun Yuhyeon smiled meaningfully.
"Unofficial, but there's a meet."
"What kind?"
"Gathering of black path 'saints'—sort of."
Private black path party. Humiliation dwarfing Iron Sword Sect awaits.
"Damak attends as chief strategist."
But frontal path failed.
"Join us?"
Side route it is.
"Fine. Thanks."
Whatever the cost.