Chapter 129: Chapter 1017: What Did You Just Say? (Part 2)
Glug, glug.
The clear liquor flowed from the bottle, making a melodious sound as it poured into the cup.
Jang Ilso, who had been silently watching the liquor, had a subtle smile on his face.
"...They won't offer support?"
"That's right."
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso's smile deepened slightly. However, Ho Gakmyung sensed the uneasiness hidden behind his smile.
"The reason is..."
"Enough."
Jang Ilso waved his hand as if there was no need to hear more.
"I suppose I must have said something that sounded absurd. Isn't that right?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
He chuckled lightly and slowly sipped his liquor. The strong and fragrant liquor left a lingering aroma in his mouth as it slowly spread through his body. While savoring this sensation, Jang Ilso suddenly turned his head to look at the Yangtze River.
"Well, does it seem like they're making a move?"
"The side that seems determined to confront us actively would be the Hao Sect."
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso nodded slowly.
"The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold is probably keeping his mouth shut."
"He's not showing any intention to cooperate, but that doesn't mean he's acting hostile either. To describe the situation accurately, 'watchful waiting' would be the most appropriate term."
"'Watchful waiting'..."
Jang Ilso chuckled softly.
Well, could that be called 'watchful waiting'?
Of course, in terms of simply observing without taking action, 'watchful waiting' would be an appropriate term for The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's position.
But when you look inside, the story becomes somewhat different.
By now, The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was probably calculating frantically what moves would be advantageous for him.
"He must be busy bouncing the abacus."
The dark Yangtze River flowed deeply and blackly. Jang Ilso, lost in thought, glanced at Ho Gakmyung and asked.
"What about Su Lo Chae?"
"Most of them have been dealt with. There was no significant resistance, so it went smoothly."
If the Black Dragon King heard this, he would be enraged and spew blood, but Ho Gakmyung was merely conveying the facts.
"I'm not completely satisfied, but it seems there are no opposition forces strong enough to resist."
"Indeed."
Jang Ilso chuckled softly without taking his eyes off the Yangtze River.
"A person like Black Dragon King wouldn't tolerate anyone."
The Evil Sect believes that the victor takes everything. Regardless of their origin or social status, the strong take everything in this world. The strong conquer everything. That's the world the Evil Sect lives in.
But this extreme structure is cruel even to those who have taken everything. Those who have taken everything live in constant fear that someday, they too will lose everything.
That's why the leaders of the Evil Sect don't tolerate anyone who could threaten their position in the first place. What they want is perfect domination.
"It's such a stupid thing to do."
Jang Ilso's gaze slowly sank.
The Namgung Family had lost significant a lot on the Yangtze River. The outstanding clan head, pillars of the family elders, and even the main forces were wiped out.
However, the Namgung Family did not crumble. Now, they were trying to rebuild the sect, centered around Namgung Dowi, who can only be called a child.
On the other hand, Su Lo Chae, despite retaining most of its forces, was in disarray because the monster known as Black Dragon King had lost power. Thanks to this, they had not been able to resist properly and surrendered to Jang Ilso.
"Quite a comedy."
This was probably the most significant difference between the righteous and the Evil Sect.
Sometimes, the Evil Sect was led by monsters threatening the world. Those led by such individuals trampled the righteous and stained the world with blood.
But that's it.
The stronger the leader's power, the larger the void becomes when that absolute ruler's influence disappears. The moment the evil sect loses its absolute ruler, they fight among themselves once again.
That's why although Shaolin with a thousand-year history exists, it is difficult to even find a Evil Sect with a hundred-year history.
"It's not a bad comedy from my perspective, though."
Jang Ilso chuckled softly.
Su Lo Chae, who had lost its leader, Black Dragon King, had completely fallen into his hands. Now, only the Hao Sect and Black Ghost Castle remained.
Of course, the Mara Blood Palace still remained, but from his perspective, the Mara Blood Palace was like a curse. If you tried to dominate them from the outside, the costs you incur would be greater than the benefits you would gain.
"Although I don't know about Black Ghost Castle, it seems we need to quickly control the Hao Sect. In order to engage in a battle with the righteous faction across the Yangtze River, we definitely need the Hao Sect's intelligence."
Ho Gakmyung, who was secretly watching Jang Ilso's reaction, let out a small sigh.
"I never thought the Thousand-Faced Gentleman would be so actively confrontational. I thought he was someone who could read the currents."
"He's doing it because he knows," Jang Ilso said.
"...What?"
Jang Ilso flashed a wry smile.
"It's not that he's doing it because he doesn't know; he's doing it because he knows. He knows the people and the situation too well."
"..."
"If he once bows his head, he knows he can't lift it again. While he still has strength left, he's trying to rebel."
"I understand that part, but... the situation is the situation, isn't it? He shouldn't be ignorant that the time to unite and fight those hypocrites from the righteous faction is now."
"But it's probably meaningless."
Jang Ilso chuckled wryly.
Ho Gakmyung bristled slightly.
Of course, he didn't deny that. After all, that was the nature of the Evil Sect. If it's something profitable, isn't doing anything for it the very essence of the Jang Ilso chuckled wryly.?
But in everything in the world, there is a sense of timing. It's not the time for them to have a full-scale battle among themselves...
"What will you do?"
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso's hands, adorned with rings that slightly scraped against each other, clasped together on his lap. His long, slender fingers intertwined, creating a gentle friction between the rings.
"For a while, let's just leave them be, Gakmyung-ah," Jang Ilso said in a soft voice mixed with a sigh.
Jang Ilso spoke in a slightly nasal voice.
"In my thoughts, I want to go there myself to make them realize their purpose, but..."
A deep frown creased Jang Ilso's two eyes. Watching the Yangtze River with an eerie look in his eyes, he then relaxed and shook his head.
"That won't do. Those middle-aged guys need me too much, don't they?"
His chuckling laughter rippled through the serene Yangtze River.
Ho Gakmyung, who had been watching him for a while, finally spoke up in a hesitant voice.
"Lord Ryeonjul, may I ask one question?"
"Hmm?"
He lowered his posture and asked.
"I don't know what you are thinking, Lord Ryeonjul. Just your presence alone will cause them to splinter, and they will wage war against each other."
In other words, Jang Ilso was simply gaining significant benefits by guarding this place at this very moment.
"But Lord Ryeonjul, no matter how much they split, if the Evil Tyrant Alliance does not stand firm, we cannot take advantage of the situation. Even though we were commanded to protect our homes, I find it difficult to understand why you're leaving them alone, considering they can't take a proper stance."
"Tsk, tsk."
Jang Ilso clicked his tongue, then poured himself a drink.
"Gakmyung-ah, Gakmyung-ah."
"Yes, Lord Ryeonjul."
"You underestimate those middle-aged guys too easily."
"...What?"
A twisted smile appeared on Jang Ilso's lips.
"It's true that Bangjang is being pushed around, but he's not that easy. If he were, he would've already been devoured by Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. Nevertheless, he's worthy of being called the leader of Shaolin."
"..."
"Right now, by withdrawing and cleaning up behind us, Beopjeong will also back off to prepare for us. Tying that guy's feet is the top priority."
"But even if Beopjeong doesn't have to leave here, can't it use the current situation to unite the Righteous Sects?"
"It's possible."
"Then don't we have to stop it?"
Jang Ilso looked at Ho Gakmyung with a peculiar smile.
"Do you really think we can stop them from uniting, Gakmyung?"
"...Yes?"
"Gakmyung-ah, you underestimate the venom of those who have something. Right now, the reason they're not uniting is because we're underestimated. If they're truly threatened, they'll set aside their old grudges and unite against us. They've always been like that."
Ho Gakmyung could only nod his head.
Indeed, that was true. The Ten Great Sects, when the world was at peace, had competed for power among themselves. However, when disaster struck, they always united as one to resist the enemy. Was there any guarantee that wouldn't happen just because the opponent was the Evil Tyrant Alliance?
"Even if we corner them like this, we won't gain anything by driving them into a corner. There's something else we really need."
"...May I ask what that is?"
Jang Ilso's lips twisted.
"Fear."
"...Yes?"
"Fear. Yes, fear. But that..."
A sardonic smile curled on Jang Ilso's lips. However, his gaze remained dark.
"It's not fear of us. It's something more trivial and insignificant."
Ho Gakmyung didn't understand Jang Ilso's words. But he couldn't muster the courage to ask again, as an inexplicable pressure, though devoid of emotional tones, weighed down on him.
"Do you know what humans do first when they're sick of fear?"
"..."
"They seek their own way."
A wry smile appeared on Jang Ilso's face.
"Throwing away the pretense of cooperation or justice and finding their own path. Isn't that human nature?"
"Lord Leonyu..."
"Where should I look? Let's see how those grand monks can resist their true nature."
Jang Ilso licked his lips slowly, moistened by alcohol.
"Almost there. Almost."
He could see it in his eyes.
It wasn't just an obvious division of power that was evident on the surface. It was a tiny crack caused by the wedge in the heart of the person named Beopjeong.
Little by little, the carefully opened crack would eventually yield significant results. The time was ripe.
"Just a little more..."
Right then.
"Lord Ryeonjul!"
Someone rushed towards him and knelt down.
"Lord, there's a problem."
"Hmm?"
Jang Ilso looked at him with an annoyed expression.
"What's going on? It can't be that Hao Sect is attacking, can it?"
"That... that's..."
The man, who had turned pale, began to speak rapidly.
"What did you just say?"
A more intense reaction than usual came from Ho Gakmyung, who had heard the report.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"Y-yes!"
Ho Gakmyung had no words for a moment. His face turned pale in an instant.
"Why... at a moment like this..."
Even he, who had proven his abilities countless times as the military leader of Myriad Man Manor, was now only baffled and could do nothing more than be dumbfounded. He urgently checked Jang Ilso's expression.
Clack, clack, clack, clack!
The rings tightly fitted on Jang Ilso's fingers emitted an uncomfortable metallic sound. Despite the threatening gesture, a steady smile played on his lips.
"So, that's why..."
He slowly rose from his seat.
"Life can be quite interesting, you see. Unexpected variables pop up from time to time."
Madness flickered in his eyes. Jang Ilso's pearly white teeth were exposed. It was a laughter filled with resolute anger and intense pleasure.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds noooo cliffhanger...
thank god I can translate...
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