Episode 1026. Just Understand. (1)
Baekcheon bit his lips tightly.
‘What should I do?’
Everyone has a sore spot. A part that should never be touched. A part that reveals anger that even the person cannot control the moment it is touched.
For Cheongmyeong, that sore spot is clearly the Demonic Cult.
The problem was that Cheongmyeong’s reaction to being provoked by the reverse scale was incomparably more intense than that of others. After hearing the word “demon cult,” Cheongmyeong became a different person than usual.
Baekcheon didn’t know. Why on earth did Cheongmyeong react so violently just by hearing the word ‘demon cult’? But what was important to Baekcheon right now was not understanding, but responding.
“Cheongmyeong-ah. This is… … .”
Baekcheon tried to have a conversation somehow, but Cheongmyeong’s cold voice cut him off without fail.
“Answer me, Sasauk.”
Cheongmyeong’s eyes were dreary.
“What appeared?”
The murderous intent that flowed out was extremely cold. Even Baekcheon, who knew that it was not directed at him, trembled for a moment.
“Cheongmyeong-ah. First of all… …calm down.”
“Answer first.”
“Cheongmyeong-ah.”
For a moment, Cheongmyeong’s face twisted into a grim expression. He was on the verge of exploding.
Just then, someone gently grabbed his arm.
Cheongmyeong turned his gaze to the person who had grabbed his arm. Yui Seol was staring at him. As usual, she had a blank expression on her face.
“calm down.”
“… … .”
“subsidence.”
In that calm voice without any hesitation, a long breath finally escaped Cheongmyeong’s mouth. Blood gradually returned to the lips that had been tightly bitten.
“… … Okay. Now that you’ve calmed down, tell me.”
“… … .”
“Private school.”
Baekcheon let out a heavy sigh.
It’s not a good idea to keep hiding it. Eventually, Cheongmyeong will find out.
Baekcheon looked back at Jogeol as if to ask him to explain. Jogeol looked back and forth between Baekcheon and Cheongmyeong, then scratched the back of his head and opened his mouth.
“Ugh. That’s… … I don’t know the exact situation yet… … but it looks like a lion has come from Sapaeryeon.”
“Sapae-ryeon?”
“That’s what I heard.”
Cheongmyeong’s eyes settled a little more.
“Keep going.”
“… … The lion said he wanted to see Jang Moon-in and that he had come to tell him that the Demonic Cult had been established in Gangnam.”
As he spoke, Jo-geol kept an eye on Cheong-myeong. However, it was not easy to read his emotions from his frozen, expressionless face.
“and?”
Jogeol shook his head.
“That’s all I heard. Un-am Sa-suk-jo took him to Jang-mun-in. Since the story of Dang-ga-ju was also mentioned, he must be with them now.”
Jo Geul, who looked at Cheongmyeong’s expression once more, muttered in an uncertain voice.
“So, if there’s something we need to know, wouldn’t you please tell us right away?”
“… … .”
Cheongmyeong looked at Jogeol and the other five swords in silence for a while, then turned around and started walking away. Baekcheon shouted at him urgently.
“Hey! Where are you going!”
Cheongmyeong speaks without even turning his head.
“I have to check.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t say anything about running to Gangnam right away. However, the words that followed made Baekcheon panic and run to Cheongmyeong.
“To those bastards of the Sa-pae-ryeon.”
“Hey, you crazy bastard!”
Baekcheon ran at full speed and grabbed Cheongmyeong’s arm.
“Why don’t you check with the Sapaeryeon, Inma!”
“… … .”
“Calm down for now! This isn’t something that can be resolved by rushing.”
“Hurry up?”
Cheongmyeong looked back at Baekcheon. Baekcheon almost let go of the arm he was holding when their eyes met. Cheongmyeong’s eyes felt so unfamiliar for a moment. They were definitely Cheongmyeong’s eyes, but they were different from the ones he knew.
“Private school.”
“Huh?”
“Do you know what the devil’s cult is?”
Baekcheon kept his mouth shut.
Of course I know. I have already experienced the devil’s cult.
But I couldn’t answer that question. I knew that knowing a little more about the Demonic Cult than others didn’t answer the question of whether I understood its true nature.
“Let go.”
“……no.”
Baekcheon bit his lip and shook his head.
“That won’t do. You’ve lost your mind.”
“Okay, let go.”
“Damn it! Why are you ignoring me… …!”
Baekcheon grabbed Cheongmyeong by the collar. It was just as he was about to shout out loud.
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“What are you doing!”
A loud roar pierced his ears. Baekcheon flinched, released his grip on Cheongmyeong’s collar, and looked back.
Hyunyoung was glaring at them with an angry face.
“You guys are doing a good job.”
“… … Master Sasukjo, this is… … .”
Baekcheon, who had nothing to say, trailed off. Hyeonjong, who was glaring at the two without hiding his anger, spoke coldly.
“Follow me.”
When the two people didn’t move right away, Hyunyoung clicked her tongue.
“The long-time leader is calling.”
Baekcheon glanced at Cheongmyeong. As Cheongmyeong, who had been silent, started walking towards Hyeonyeong, Baekcheon also let out a sigh of relief and followed him.
Ohgeom, who had been tense, also let out the breaths he had been holding.
Jo Geol wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and looked back at Yun Jong, unable to hide his anxious expression.
“What happens now, Death Penalty?”
“……well.”
Yun Jong’s face, which was watching the back of Cheongmyeong ahead, was more rigid than usual.
“First, I need to see Jang Moon-in. I need to check how things are going.”
“… … Yes, death penalty.”
Yunjong let out a short sigh as he listened to Jogeol’s somewhat uncomfortable answer.
A heavy silence fell on the room.
Tang Gun-ak sat next to Hyeonjong, whose face was unusually gloomy, and to his left and right were Hwasan and Tang family leaders.
It wasn’t Hyeonjong or Tang Gunak who made the atmosphere in this room so dark. It was Cheongmyeong sitting across from him. Since he was silent with a hardened expression, no one was able to speak up.
It was a scene that clearly showed how much influence Cheongmyeong’s presence had on Cheonwoomaeng.
“Your Majesty.”
“……yes.”
As if he thought the silence was getting too long, Dang Gun-ak slyly urged him on. Then, Hyeon-jong opened his mouth in a heavy tone.
“In the Saphaeryeon… … .”
Then he paused for a moment and closed his eyes tightly. He continued speaking only after everyone sighed two or three times.
“I have received a report from the Sapaeryeon. It appears that those who are presumed to be members of the Demonic Cult have appeared in Hangzhou.”
“… … Demonic Cult.”
Someone let out a groan.
Those who remain silent and those who sigh helplessly will not feel much different. The weight of the two letters “demon cult” is not light for anyone.
Especially… … .
“The devil… … .”
The reaction of the disciples of the volcano was incomparably more intense than that of the Tang family. It was only natural. The volcano’s feelings toward the Demonic Cult were inevitably complex and dark.
“Was there nothing else to say?”
Hyun-jong shook his head at the question.
“He said that this is all for now. He said that he would send me additional information separately.”
Hyunsang nodded with a serious expression. This time, Hyunyoung opened her mouth.
“If it was something that was told to be passed on by the Sapaeryeon, then it must have been Jang Il-so’s instructions. Can we trust all of those words? It could be Jang Il-so’s work.”
But the Tang army shook its head.
“I don’t think that’s very likely, Elder.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because the area known to have been the source of the outbreak is Hangzhou.”
Tang Gun-ak spoke as if he was forcing his lips apart from the ones that were not moving.
“The Volcano people will know this very well. That Demonic Cult does not discriminate between martial artists and commoners. Isn’t that why they became public enemies?”
Hyunyoung nodded silently.
But honestly speaking, he didn’t know that fact very well. The fall of the volcano didn’t just make the history of the volcano forgotten. There wasn’t much information left about the Demonic Cult in the volcano either.
“Hangzhou. It is a place where many people live. Hangzhou in particular is a place where people from all over the world flock. If what Sapaelian said is true, it won’t take more than a few days for the news to spread.”
“Hmm. Indeed… … .”
“Jang Il-so would never resort to such an obvious trick.”
Hyunyoung nodded, thinking that there was some truth to what Dang Gun-ak said.
Besides, according to Hyeonjong’s words, Sa-pae-ryeon didn’t really ask for anything. They just relayed the situation. No matter how much Jang Il-so’s tricks made him tremble, it was too early to suspect Jang Il-so.
“underneath…….”
At that moment, Dangpae opened his mouth with a trembling face.
“Doesn’t that mean there’s a high probability that the information they’re giving you is true?”
“… … .”
No one answered that question.
“Ahem.”
Hyunjong cleared the air by coughing loudly.
“Anyway, that’s the situation I’ve been told. So… … First, I’ll contact Gaebong and find out what’s going on in Gangnam before deciding on the direction of Maeng.”
Everyone nodded. In this situation, it was clearly the right answer.
But Hyun-jong, who said those words, still had a look of concern on his face. His gaze was fixed on a person across from him.
“Cheongmyeong-ah.”
At that soft voice, Cheongmyeong opened her closed eyes and stared at Hyeonjong. Her gaze was eerily calm.
Hyunjong asked softly, his voice dripping with laughter.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
Cheongmyeong remained silent for a while.
“Cheongmyeong-ah?”
“I’m not sure if speaking up will make any difference.”
He opened his mouth only after being called once more. His voice was sharper than usual.
“If you understood the significance of the emergence of the Demonic Cult, you wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for information.”
“… … What does that mean?”
“Cheonma does not discriminate between martial artists and commoners. He clearly said so.”
Cheongmyeong’s gaze turned to Tangjunak this time. That was definitely what he had said. Tangjunak nodded slowly.
“… … That’s right.”
“Do you understand what I mean by that?”
The moment Dang Gun-ak was about to ask again, Cheongmyeong spoke first.
“Today was Hangzhou.”
“… … .”
“Tomorrow it will be soju.”
Tang Gun-ak couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
“The next will be Wenzhou, and the next will be Fuzhou.”
It was a voice without any warmth. But even colder than that was the meaning behind those words.
“The village is erased.”
Someone swallowed dry saliva.
“The city is being erased.”
“… … .”
“Everything that lives will be erased.”
Hyeonjong’s fingertips trembled involuntarily.
“During the day that Jang Moon-in asked us to wait.”
Cheongmyeong’s eyes stared at Hyeonjong as if they were piercing through him.
“Not hundreds, but thousands of lives will be lost.”
“… … .”
“so!”
The voice of Qingming was raised for the first time.
“… … There were people who fought, risking their lives, knowing that there were people behind them who would seek to exploit them.”
Ugh.
The sound of Cheongmyeong’s voice echoed throughout the silent room.
“Cheongmyeong-ah… … .”
“I’m not blaming you. Just understand, Jang Moon-in.”
“… … .”
“What is the price of a day of waiting like that?”
Hyunjong closed his eyes for a moment, feeling dizzy.
