Chapter 188: Chapter 1076: Next Time It'll Be Your Neck (Part 1)
Baek Cheon knew that he shouldn't say these words out loud right now. But the situation before his eyes made it unbearable not to say them. In the end, he absentmindedly opened his mouth.
"What... what's going on?"
The words were spoken by Baek Cheon, but in reality, it was an emotion shared by the disciples of Mount Hua. As those who lacked an understanding of the inner workings of the Evil Sect, they couldn't comprehend the Black Ghost Castle, who didn't show hostility to Jang Ilso, and Jang Ilso's subordinates who had attacked the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.
Moreover, due to the Black Ghost Castle still surrounding them, it was difficult to see beyond the situation. Therefore, it might be challenging to grasp the unfolding circumstances.
Fortunately, at their side, there was a member of the Evil Sect who understood and could explain the situation to everyone.
"Hmm."
Im Sobyeong opened his fan and swayed it gently while speaking.
"It seems that the Thousand-Faced Gentleman has attached himself to Jang Ilso."
"...Thousand-Faced Gentleman?"
Baek Cheon blinked and looked toward Jang Ilso. The chilling corpse of the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold and his subordinates standing in front of him...
"So, it's not that the subordinates of the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold betrayed him... are you saying it's the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, the Sect Leader of Hao Sect?"
"It seems so."
Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders.
"The Thousand-Faced Gentleman's disguise technique is unparalleled, and no one can recognize his transformation. Indeed, he's living up to his reputation. It's unbelievable that even the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold didn't notice a change in his close aide."
Though his tone was composed, Im Sobyeong was also quite surprised by the current situation.
'Chilling.'
If the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold didn't notice, it meant that Im Sobyeong was also at risk of falling into the same trap.
Of course, there could be an excuse for the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold. In a situation where he was about to cut someone's throat, who could notice a rabbit behaving differently behind him?
'But such situations happen frequently in Kangho.'
Im Sobyeong realized once again how unbelievably useful this absurd disguise technique could be. Of course, since Thousand-Faced Gentleman also had to risk his life to use it, it wasn't a skill that could be easily employed.
"...So, did Jang Ilso conceal Thousand-Faced Gentleman from the beginning and manipulate the situation like this?"
"It seems so."
Baek Cheon looked at Jang Ilso for a moment, speechless and dumbfounded.
'What kind of person is that...'
Baek Cheon and the disciples of Mount Hua were already prepared not to be surprised by whatever Jang Ilso did. Had they not already experienced how far removed from common sense this man was?
Nevertheless, at this moment, they couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the head of that man, Jang Ilso.
"Oh, no. Then..."
Yoon Jong turned to Im Sobyeong with a surprised expression.
"Did Nokrim King also know about this?"
In response, Jo Gol tilted his head.
"What do you mean, Sahyung?"
"No... in the situation just now... it seemed as if the Nokrim King was keeping pace with Jang Ilso, didn't it?"
"Come to think of it..."
Jo Gol, Yoon Jong, and Baek Cheon all turned to look at Im Sobyeong simultaneously. As he received those gazes, Im Sobyeong slightly twitched the corners of his mouth, then quickly unfolded his fan, covering half of his face.
"Hehehehe."
"..."
"Well, it's only natural. No matter how great Jang Ilso is, in terms of strategy, he can't possibly match me!"
'I didn't know.'
'I didn't know.'
'Bluff.'
As the three pairs of eyes narrowed simultaneously, Im Sobyeong chuckled and stuck out his tongue.
"...I though Jang Ilso might have prepared something, but I didn't know it would be the Thousand-Faced Gentleman."
"..."
"...Why are you looking at me like that? Even just suspecting that he prepared something should be worthy of praise, right? Jo Gol? Yoon Jong?"
There was no immediate response.
Baek Cheon let out a deep sigh. Honestly, in this situation, he couldn't even grasp who he should admire. Whether he should be impressed by Jang Ilso, who orchestrated all of this while hiding Thousand-Faced Gentleman, or Im Sobyeong, who had kept pace without knowing what Jang Ilso had hidden.
'Right, this guy is the Nokrim King.'
Suddenly, he felt it keenly. Always seeing him as frail and feeble, he had forgotten that this person had led Nokrim, engaging in fierce battles with the Myriad Man Manor. Considering the power gap between Nokrim King and Myriad Man Manor, Baek Cheon couldn't help but realize how remarkable Im Sobyeong was.
'Is this the strategy of those who contend for the world?'
It felt like a different world from where he lived.
"...By the way, why is Black Ghost Castle just watching this?"
Namgung Dowi asked with confusion, and in response, Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders.
"It's all settled."
"Settled?"
"Yes."
Namgung Dowi seemed to not quite understand. Im Sobyeong tapped his head with the fan. Apparently, these members of the righteous faction needed more explanation.
"So, let's think about it. Mount Hua just fought with the Wudang, and Sect Leader Hyun Jong of the Mount Hua Sect just lost his life to Wudang's Sect Leader Heodojin. What will you all do?"
"All the Wudangs die that day."
"We will never leave them alone!"
"We'll burn the Wudang Mountain and plunge a knife into the back of anyone who runs out!"
"..."
"..."
Jo Gol, who shouted last, sensed the gazes directed at him and flinched.
"Why, why? Is there something I can't say...?"
"Are you even human?"
"Humanity..."
"This is surprising even for Chung Myung."
"No! The last comment was too much!"
Although Jo Gol felt extremely unjust at the last comment, fortunately or unfortunately, Im Sobyeong diverted the gaze focused on him.
"Yes. That's how the righteous faction thinks. But such things don't happen in the Evil Sect. From the beginning, we don't have that kind of loyalty."
And this is also a societal problem for the Evil Sect.
Unlike the righteous sects, who upheld their dignity, the Evil Sects lived in constant conflicts that erupted without warning. If they waged war until one side was completely annihilated every time, the Evil Sect itself could not survive.
Of course, the disciples of Mount Hua were not unaware of this fact. However, knowing it in their heads and witnessing it directly were worlds apart.
"So, this means..."
Jo Gol said as if he couldn't understand at all.
"Isn't it the situation where we lost to the Southern Edge and became the Southern Edge's disciples from that day on?"
"You bastard! Even if it's an analogy… … ."
"Stop spouting nonsense! Are you crazy?"
"I feel like I'm going to throw up."
Just thinking about it made their stomachs churn. For those affiliated with the Mount Hua Sect, it was an unthinkable event, something that couldn't happen even if the world turned upside down.
However, those in front of them were accepting such a situation without any apparent resistance.
'How can they be like that?'
No matter how much they say they're a sect that values only profits, how can they just sit back and watch as their leader's head explodes? It was an unpleasant thought, but...
If Hyun Jong were going through the same thing right now, the disciples of Mount Hua here would have already lost their reason, doing anything to kill Jang Ilso and avenge their leader.
"...Is this the difference between the Evil Sects and the righteous sects?"
The gap seemed larger than expected. It wasn't just about belonging to different places; their tendencies and thoughts were entirely different. That's why they couldn't mix, like water and oil.
Baek Cheon, as if something occurred to him, turned to Im Sobyeong.
"What about the actions of Jang Ilso earlier?"
"You saw it accurately."
Im Sobyeong nodded slowly.
"To the Evil Sect, 'winning' is important, but more than that, there's something even more crucial. It's 'being stronger.' If Jang Ilso had only won with cunning without showing his strength, he wouldn't have gained control so easily."
"I see..."
"It may seem simple, but on the other hand, it's a complex matter. The most important thing is proving in any way possible that you are someone worth following. It may be a risky move, but the results speak for themselves."
This meant that when the Thousand-Faced Gentleman attacked the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, Jang Ilso was already plotting the next move. At that point, what was important to him wasn't finishing off the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold but devouring the Black Ghost Castle, where the owner would disappear.
Baek Cheon glared at Jang Ilso with a stern face.
'Now, in the Evil Sect, there is truly no one who can compete with Jang Ilso.'
Jang Ilso was originally a member of the Evil Tyrant Alliance. However, as seen in the recent Yangtze River incident, Jang Ilso didn't completely control the Evil Tyrant Alliance. At least, Black Ghost Castle and Hao Sect didn't simply follow him.
But now, such things wouldn't happen anymore. Jang Ilso had already taken care of Su Lo Chae in the Yangtze River, and now, in this place, he had control over the Black Ghost Castle. And even Thousand-Faced Gentleman had sworn allegiance to Jang Ilso.
This only meant one thing.
A complete domination of the Evil Sect.
The seemingly impossible task had finally been achieved at this moment. Perhaps the disciples of Mount Hua were witnessing a historic moment with their own eyes.
It was precisely at that moment that an unknown thrill ran through Baek Cheon's body.
"Huh?"
Jo Gol's voice, interrupting his contemplation, pierced through Baek Cheon's ears.
"Wait a moment, Sasuk. Hasn't Jang Ilso unified the Evil Sect right now?"
Baekcheon frowned.
"What nonsense..."
"No, it's not that. I mean, doesn't that mean everyone here has become Jang Ilso's subordinates?"
"Why suddenly talk about something so obvious..."
As Baek Cheon was about to speak, he suddenly shut his mouth. The focus in his eyes gradually blurred as he looked at Jo Gol. After a moment, he turned his head to the side. The figure of Black Ghost Castle slowly turning in their direction appeared.
Jo Gol's voice, tinged with exhaustion, reached him.
"So... "
"..."
"Aren't we screwed now?"
As Black Ghost Castle, or rather, now just the Evil Tyrant Alliance, glared at them with sharp eyes, Jang Ilso was casting a bright and peculiar smile.
A helpless laugh involuntarily escaped from Baek Cheon's lips.
"It seems like..."
He raised the lowered sword once again.
"...that might be the case."
Hongyeon, who had figured out the new prey, also revealed a cruel smile as they stealthily approached Mount Hua.
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