Episode 1075. Who Made a Mistake? (5)
“Hahahahahahahahaha!”
There is no sight more evident in dividing winners and losers than those who burst out in frenzy and those who bow their heads in despair.
In any situation, the winner will eventually take the world’s attention. But at this moment, what caught the eyes of everyone here was not Jang Il-so, who was laughing like crazy, but Man-geum Dae-bu, who was slumping his shoulders in front of him.
The Great Master of Man-geum-dae-bu, Gong Ya-wol. The jewel of the Black Ghost Treasure who completely controls the west of Gangnam. One of the leaders of the Shinju Five Gangs, and a swordsman representing the Sa-pa.
The name that once adorned the world of martial arts will crumble. The glory and fear that once adorned that name will remain only as a faded memory. That is how martial arts was meant to be in the first place.
Man-geum-dae-bu slowly raised his head. Then he looked at Jang Il-so, who was looking down at him. There was no longer any sense of injustice or anger in his eyes. What was in his eyes, which refused even to show remorse, was only doubt.
“… … from the beginning.”
His mouth opened and a hoarse voice came out.
“Did you know from the beginning?”
“of course.”
“……how?”
Jang Il-so ended up laughing hysterically. As if he found it ridiculous.
“That’s such an obvious question.”
It was too cold to be the generosity of a winner, and too sharp to be sympathy for a loser.
“Because you are the father of many gold coins.”
“… … .”
“Do you need any more reason than that?”
It wasn’t really an answer. But the moment he heard those words, Man Geum Dae Bu was convinced.
“……okay.”
The rich man laughed in vain.
“I guess I didn’t need any more reason than that… … .”
When the opponent shows weakness, he stabs them. That was a very natural thing for Sapha, and it was even more natural for Man-geum-dae-bu. Looking back, it was such a simple thing… … .
“… … Was it a trap from the beginning?”
“No way.”
Jang Il-so has a sneer on his lips.
“Even if it were me, there’s no way I could have predicted the rampage of those demonic bastards.”
“From then on… … .”
Man-geum-dae-bu looked at Jang Il-so with empty eyes.
“How did you call Cheonmyeonsusa?”
That was the last question left for Man-geum-dae-bu.
Even if Jang Il-so had anticipated all of this, if Cheon Myeon-su had not come here in person, such a futile experience would not have occurred.
He was extremely cautious. He repeatedly checked to see if Jang Il-so had hidden Maninbang troops, and he approached with the feeling of knocking on a stone bridge, wondering if Jang Il-so had any spare strength left.
But I never imagined that Haomen’s Thousand Face Investigation would arrive here. Of course, that was because the Thousand Face Investigation was the most uncooperative one to Jang Il-so.
Jang Il-so turned his head slightly and looked at the Cheonmyeonsu Detective in the form of Wei Chung.
“You ask so earnestly, so I guess I should at least give you an answer.”
“It’s not difficult, Yeonju.”
Cheonmyeonsusa answered. His voice was not excessive, but it contained a clear example. He looked down at Mangeumdaebu with cold eyes that were completely different from when he looked at Jang Il-so.
Man-geum-dae-bu bit his lips tightly. Even though he knew that the author was not Wei-chung, he still couldn’t tell the difference just by looking at his appearance. If it weren’t for those frosty eyes, he might have believed that Wei-chung had betrayed him.
“I was uncooperative with Yeonju… … Why am I here?”
The thousand-faced detective slowly shook his head.
“What a stupid question, Master Man-geum. There’s no way someone like you wouldn’t know. In this world of martial arts, nothing is eternal. Whether it’s an enemy or a friend.”
He laughed heartily.
“And wasn’t it you, Master Man-geum, who put me in this situation when I had no intention of cooperating with Yeon-ju?”
“……me?”
“Neither the Black Dragon King nor you lost an arm?”
“… … .”
“Until then, I could have just been a benefactor. But the moment you two could no longer wield the power you once had, my position became difficult.”
The more he thought about it, the more astonished he became, and Cheonmyeonsusa clicked his tongue.
“The Sapaeyeon revolves around the four sects that dominate Gangnam. If the other two lose their power, who will the attention of the Yeonju be? So I had no choice. From now on, I can either oppose Yeonju, who will be the most wary of me… or pledge my loyalty.”
Cheonmyeonsusa shrugged his shoulders slowly.
“In the midst of all this, the Lord Lienzhu personally called me and offered me a seat next to him. What can I do? I have no choice but to acknowledge my own shortcomings and offer my loyalty.”
“Inside you… … .”
The great lord, who had been chewing his lips the whole time, asked with a heart that was about to spit out blood.
“Was there really nothing inside you? If only I could kill Jang Il-so, I could have reached the top of the Sa-pae-ryeon.”
This was the part I didn’t understand the most.
Even if Cheonmyeon Detective had come here with that intention, Jang Il-so’s life was clearly in danger. If he was Cheonmyeon Detective, he would have waited until Jang Il-so died before ambush-ing Man-geum Dae-bu.
It may not have been possible to change the fate of Man Geum Dae Bu from the moment he entered this place, but at least if it had been so, it would have been possible to take Jang Il So with him to the afterlife as a companion.
“Of course it was inside me too. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted by it.”
Even though Jang Il-so was right in front of him, Cheon Myeon-su said without hesitation that he was in conflict over Jang Il-so’s life. And Jang Il-so didn’t show any sign of being displeased with Cheon Myeon-su either.
“But why… … ?”
“If my greed was greater than yours, would you understand?”
Man-geum-dae-bu looked at Cheon-myeon-su-sa with eyes that seemed to have no idea what was going on.
“I’m sorry, but I have no desire to go back to the days when we used to bicker amongst ourselves in Gangnam. I’ve already seen that this barren land, and that fertile land, are not just pie in the sky.”
“It can’t be yours!”
“Is that a problem?”
Cheonmyeonsusu calmly responded.
“I would rather aim for the position of one person below all others than remain the ruler of a remote foreign land. It’s not a particularly special or strange choice.”
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His gaze turned back to Jang Il-so.
“Besides, Haomen was not born with the ability to be at the top. Information is only meaningful when there is someone who uses it.”
“… … Heh heh.”
Man-geum-dae-bu, who had been listening quietly, laughed in self-deprecation. Cheon-myeon-su-sa was probably just stating his position, but to Man-geum-dae-bu’s ears, all those words sounded like nothing more than a reproach that he had brought trouble upon himself by being greedy and not fitting for it.
As if he understood her feelings, Cheonmyeonsusa smiled and added something that he didn’t necessarily have to say.
“And there was another, more decisive reason.”
“……reason?”
“If I have to place someone above me… … it shouldn’t be you. My pride won’t allow it.”
“… … .”
“Maybe that’s the biggest reason.”
Man-geum-dae-bu bit his lip. The real reason why Cheon-myeon-su-sa was attached to Jang Il-so is unknown. It will probably be the same in the future. The human mind is extremely fickle. It is impossible to completely understand someone’s intentions.
But anyway, Jang Il-so did what Man-geum-dae-bu couldn’t do. That was the most decisive difference that decided the match.
Man Geum Dae Bu’s gaze, which had been looking at Cheon Myeon Su Sa, shifted to Jang Il So.
“Did you know about volcanoes?”
“No way.”
“then…….”
Man-geum-dae-bu’s eyes were filled with doubt again. There were too many things he wanted to ask.
Then, what was the response that seemed to have been planned out together? How could they have done that without even talking to each other?
But the words that followed immediately shattered all of Man Geum Dae Bu’s doubts.
“You still don’t understand, Gong Ya-wol.”
Jang Il-so opened his mouth and laughed out loud.
“The very act of having such a question… proves that you are not qualified to participate in this. People can guess what dogs are thinking, but dogs cannot know what people are thinking. Do you understand?”
Those words stabbed Man Geum Dae Bu’s heart more than anything he had ever heard before, because they denied everything about Man Geum Dae Bu.
All that was left for him was a proud defeat. But now, with just a few words, Jang Il-so had taken away the last bit of pride he had left.
“I see… … . In the first place… … I wasn’t qualified.”
Man-geum-dae-bu, who had given up on everything, turned his gaze towards Heuk-gwi-bo, who was standing there looking at them for the last time.
Even though they were the ones he raised like his own children, no one is rushing to save him now. They are just blankly watching what is happening here.
It’s a sight he’s seen countless times before.
The only difference is that Man Geum Dae Bu, who had taken Jang Il So’s place as a given until now, is now sitting in the place of those he had killed.
What could be different? Yeah… … . That’s all.
“… …Kill him.”
“… … .”
“It is the winner’s right to take the loser’s life. I admit defeat. Kill him, Jang Il-so.”
Man-geum-dae-bu closed his eyes. Jang Il-so slowly bent down and looked at him. His long eyes narrowed slightly.
Man-geum-dae-bu pushed Jang Il-so to the brink of death. If he had gone just one step further, his blade might have reached Jang Il-so’s heart. In the end, he was defeated, but in any case, he deserved to be acknowledged.
However, at this moment, he abandoned all his foolishness. He did not curse but simply accepted it calmly, even though what was in his hands was flowing away.
“That’s great.”
Jang Il-so nodded as if he was impressed.
“He is truly a great man of gold.”
And then he lightly touched Man Geum Daebu’s shoulder. Man Geum Daebu flinched slightly at the touch.
“I have no choice but to admit it. Gong Ya-wol, you are different from the idiots I’ve seen so far.”
At those words, Man-geum-dae-bu slowly opened his eyes and met Jang Il-so’s gaze in front of him. The moment he saw the eyes drawing a strange curve, a ray of hope rose in a corner of his heart. Perhaps… … .
“so…….”
In that moment, Jang Il-so’s face twists cruelly.
“I don’t like it.”
Jang Il-so’s hand grabbed Man-geum Dae-bu’s face. A cold wind like the North Sea’s cold wind gushed out from the fingers that penetrated his skull.
“Ugh… … . Kkaaaaaaah!”
Man-geum-dae-bu let out a desperate scream at the sudden intrusion. Jang Il-so’s eyes, looking down at him, flashed with madness.
“Yes… … . This is how it should be. This is death, Gong Ya-wol. If you lose a gamble that puts your life on the line, you should die a dirty and miserable death. You shouldn’t act noble and stick your nose in it. Okay?”
“Ugh… … . Kreuk… … . Kreuk… … .”
Dark red blood flowed from the mouth of the great lord. His limp hands and feet convulsed. Just by looking at him, you could tell how much pain he was in.
“Why? Did you have even a moment of hope?”
“Krrrrrrr… … .”
“You should know this, Gong Yawol. There is no such thing as a good death for people like us. Either you live and become a devil, or you die a dirty and miserable death. There are only two options. You knew that, didn’t you?”
A fierce aura swirled in Jang Il-so’s eyes.
“So… …don’t feel so wronged.”
Plop!
In the end, the head of the wealthy man exploded.
The headless corpse fell limply. Looking at that miserable corpse, who would think of the Man-geum-dae-bu, the jewel of the Black Ghost Treasure and the leader of the Shin-ju-o-pae, who ran rampant through the world?
Jang Il-so muttered as he quietly looked at the red blood soaking his hands.
“Anyway… …the blood that people shed is all the same. You and me.”
He shook his hand and slowly turned his body.
The cold wind of Gangnam blew sadly over the body of the great lord, who was cooling down.
