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Episode 1035. We’re not there. (5)
The boat that Jang Il-so was riding moved further and further away from the riverbank.
As Jang Il-so sat down and watched the river flow by, he heard Ho Ga-myeong’s voice in his ear.
“Your Majesty.”
“hmm?”
When Jang Il-so turned his gaze, Ho Ga-myeong, who had been rowing, calmly opened his mouth.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
Jang Il-so nodded absentmindedly.
“I’ve said this many times, but just ask. Why bother?”
Hogamyeong said after thinking about it for a moment.
“I know that Your Majesty needs someone who has mastered the Taoist martial arts to deal with the Demonic Cult.”
“Right. But?”
“But I don’t understand why it has to be that volcanic sword.”
“Hmm.”
Instead of answering, Jang Il-so smiled as if he found it amusing.
But that smile alone wasn’t enough of an answer for Hogamyeong.
“If His Majesty the Lord wants to, he can bring in not only that shaman, but even Shaolin.”
“Sure… … it might be possible.”
This is not a relationship issue. The Demonic Cult is a more serious problem than anything else for those living in the martial world.
But that also means that Jang Il-so has a powerful card that is incomparable to anything else. With that card in his hand, if he had wanted to, he might have been able to move Shaolin.
“If you need a sharp sword, wouldn’t it have been better to join hands with them? It is true that the Hwasan Sword Association cut off the Black Dragon King’s arm, but it is the sharpest sword in the Jeongpa… … .”
“Tsk.”
Jang Il-so clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like it. Then Ho Ga-myeong hurriedly lowered his head as if he was sorry.
“Gae-myung-ah.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You sometimes miss the point in strange places.”
Ho Ga-myeong looked at Jang Il-so with questioning eyes and told him what he thought.
“In my opinion, there are sharper swords in the Jeongpa. And there are swords that are easier to control. No matter how sharp the Hwasan Sword is, a sword that can hurt the person holding the handle can never be called a famous sword.”
Jang Il-so smiled faintly and nodded quietly.
“That’s right. You’re right too.”
“But how… … .”
“As you said, the Jeongpa must have a sword that is easier to handle. And it must also have a sword that is stronger and safer.”
“yes.”
“But, pseudonym, why don’t you know? Just because it’s not dangerous to me, it means it’s not dangerous to others.”
“… … .”
“If the enemy was that easy to deal with, then I wouldn’t have had to cross this river. What I want is not a safe and sturdy sword. I want a demonic sword that can perfectly cut off the enemy’s head, even if it means cutting off my arm.”
Jang Il-so’s eyes, gently curved with a smile, shone.
“That’s why I’m calling it the Volcanic Sword Association. Do you understand?”
Hogamyeong nodded slowly and silently.
But despite his seemingly agreeable nod, his expression was not at all convincing. His thoughts had not changed.
‘… … The Volcanic Swordsman is a very dangerous person.’
By Jang Il-so’s side, Ho Ga-myeong has fought in countless fierce battles and overcome countless crises. Perhaps, in the entire Sapa, there is no one who has immersed himself in the mud of the battlefield as much as Jang Il-so.
His senses speak for themselves.
That bastard, the Volcanic Swordsman, was more dangerous than any enemy they had ever faced. Several times more dangerous.
‘No, there’s no need to even discuss the senses.’
People say that no other sect has expanded its influence in such a short period of time as Maninbang. That may be true. That is, except for that volcano.
The Maninbang is also a sect that started from a small black island in Guangxi and rose to the position of the leader of the Sa-pae-ryeon. However, the Hwasan sect was also an absurd sect that climbed from a third-rate sect that was expected to soon fall to the position of the leader of the Cheonwoo Alliance.
If you ask who is seeking a higher position, it is obviously Maninbang. However, if you ask which path was more difficult… … .
Hogamyeong bit his lip slightly.
‘How many years has it been?’
In less than a decade, Hwasan, which was a small sect in Shaanxi, has come this far.
At the center of it all, no matter what anyone says, is the Volcanic Sword Association.
That’s why it’s dangerous. More so than anyone else in the world.
‘of course.’
Jang Il-so must have thought about all of these things as well. Considering all of that, he must have been trying to use that Hwasan Sword as an arrow to cut off the bishop’s head.
But Hogamyeong did not agree with that idea.
‘Because what we pursue is different.’
To Jang Il-so, everything is just a means to put the world under his feet. He could sacrifice everything, including Maninbang, Sapae-ryeon, Hwasan Sword Association, and Ho Ga-myeong, and even Jang Il-so himself.
For him, purpose is something that cannot be exchanged for anything.
But it’s not a household name.
The most important thing for Ho Ga-myeong was not having Kang-ho under his feet, but Jang Il-so’s safety.
He can do anything to protect Jang Il-so’s safety. In the past, the reason he tried to kill and eliminate the Hwasan Sword Association who entered Gangnam despite disobeying orders was because he thought that the Hwasan Sword Association could one day become a threat to Jang Il-so.
“and…….”
As if he had read Hogamyeong’s thoughts, Jang Il-so opened his mouth with a subtle smile.
“That’s not all.”
“yes?”
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“… … Yeah, that’s not all.”
Jang Il-so slowly raised his hand and swept the corner of his mouth. His lips, as red as blood, were torn by the rough touch. Jang Il-so’s eyes held an unfathomably deep light.
Ho Ga-myeong sighed without realizing it. Is there anyone in the world who can guess what is in Jang Il-so’s mind?
The lord he chooses is so excellent that he sometimes makes it difficult for his followers.
Hogamyeong’s complexion slowly hardened.
‘It’s dangerous.’
Sure, you might need a demon sword to deal with the Demonic Cult, just like Jang Il-so said. But what about after you defeat the Demonic Cult?
In a situation where there is no enemy, a sword or something like that is of no use. It becomes a monstrosity that must be discarded.
The more confident a person is in himself, the more likely he is to get hurt by the sword. This is because he is convinced that he alone can handle the sword.
so…….
A cold darkness settled over Hogamyeong’s eyes as he rowed silently.
* * *
King Hyeonjong, who had been silently watching Jang Il-so’s boat sail away for a long time, let out a deep sigh.
‘It’s huge.’
Every time I faced Jang Il-so, I felt as if a huge mountain was weighing down on me.
Yet the reason he can stand calmly in front of Jang Il-so is very simple. It is because there is another Taishan behind him.
Hyeonjong turned his head and looked at Cheongmyeong.
At that moment, several things came to mind, but in the end, I shook my head. There are so many things I want to say, but there is nothing I can say.
There was only one thing left.
“Are you really going to go?”
Cheongmyeong smiled faintly at those words.
The agony that had been felt a moment ago had already disappeared as if washed away. Her eyes were clear enough to be transparent, and her face was full of playfulness. It was her usual clarity.
“Well, wouldn’t it be polite to go when it’s raining so much?”
Hyeonjong, who had been staring at Cheongmyeong’s smiling face for a long time, let out a deep sigh.
I know I shouldn’t be like this, but when I see that confident face of Cheongmyeong, my anxiety goes away. I know full well how much is hidden behind that smiling face.
“Then the volcano too… … .”
“No, Jang Moon-in.”
When Cheongmyeong spoke so bluntly, King Hyeonjong frowned.
“Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
“so…….”
“It’s not the volcano that’s in danger, it’s us.”
“hmm?”
Cheongmyeong shrugged.
“That bastard Jang Il-so is like a poisonous snake. He’ll sting you whenever he gets a chance.”
“… … I guess so.”
“So it’s dangerous for the entire volcano to enter that area. If something goes wrong, we need to be able to come to the rescue at any time.”
Hyeonjong kept his mouth shut.
Rather than everyone entering Gangnam together, it would be better for Hwasan to keep a sharp eye on the other side of the river to disrupt Jang Il-so’s calculations. It certainly makes sense.
But… … there is one thing that Qingming has not revealed.
“Just answer one.”
“Yes, Jang Moon-in.”
“The reason you don’t want to take the other disciples of the volcano with you… is it because you’re worried about them? Or is it because it’ll be easier for you to get out if something happens?”
“It’s the latter.”
A strange heat passed through Cheongmyeong’s eyes.
“This time… … .”
The corners of his mouth twisted.
“I really wanted to go wild.”
Cheongmyeong shrugged his shoulders as he watched Hyeonjong, who seemed to be contemplating what to say for a moment.
“You don’t have to worry, Jang Moon-in.”
Cheongmyeong glanced at those standing behind him.
“Honestly, I don’t really trust it, but I’m not going alone anyway.”
Hyunjong reluctantly nodded his head slowly.
“I am…….”
Then he looked at Cheongmyeong and those standing behind him and sighed.
“I still don’t know. What is right and what is wrong.”
“… … .”
“But I know one thing.”
A smile appeared on Hyeonjong’s lips for the first time.
“When I can’t choose, all I have to do is… … just trust.”
“Long story.”
“Remember one thing, Cheongmyeong.”
Cheongmyeong stared at Hyeonjong silently. The hesitation on Hyeonjong’s face was now gone. Hyeonjong stared at Cheongmyeong with deep, thoughtful eyes.
“If something happens to you guys in Gangnam.”
“… … .”
“Hwasan will definitely hold that Sapae-ryeon, Maninbang, and Jang Il-so accountable. Even if it is something you do not want, even if that decision is foolish and will push Hwasan into even greater ruin than before.”
Hyunjong’s voice no longer wavered or trembled wickedly.
“I will not hesitate.”
He looked at each and every one of those standing before him without exception. The unprecedented sharpness in his gaze proved that it was not just empty words.
“so…….”
Faith and concern, worry and trust.
Hyunjong’s voice contained all of it heavily.
“You must come back alive.”
Qingming straightened his body. At the same time, the other disciples of Huashan straightened their postures.
“Yes! Long story short!”
The disciples of Hwasan in this place all threw their lottery tickets at the long-legged Hyeonjong.
The unfinished relationship, the deep regret that remains, and even the new determination. Cheongmyeong’s gaze, which contained all of these things, turned to the land beyond the Yangtze River.