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1.
In the darkness, a smile flickered on the corners of the speaking woman’s lips.
Although he was speaking as if he found it pathetic, Ak Byeong-bi found his expression pleasing and cracked a joke. “[Because it is your and my child. He will probably become the greatest in the world. For the sake of such a child, preparing now is not too late.]”
The woman shook her head as if to say, “You are hopeless.” [Just how heavy a burden do you intend to place on the child?]
In fact, Akbyeongbi didn’t expect much from the child either.
However, I only thought about what I should give the soon-to-be-born child to express this overwhelming feeling.
Even I thought it was a bit pathetic that the conclusion was a weapon.
The woman gently stroked her belly. [I just want my child to live a healthy and happy life.] [Hmm… Then what should I prepare? Should I buy some land or an inn?] [Good grief…]
Akbyeongbi liked the sight of the woman shaking her head as if scolding him, saying he had no idea what was important at all.
Ak Byeong-bi liked that look of disdain.
I simply loved that face, smiling brightly as it looked at me, as if it possessed the whole world. [All you have to do is stay by my side.]
Is that enough?
Is it really possible to live happily with just something like that? [Yes. That alone is enough. For me and my child.] ⦙⦙⦙[But… … .]
Blood flows from the corner of the woman’s mouth. [But… … you… … .]
Blood began to gush out from between her feet. [You can’t even do that…]
A woman reaching out her hand resentfully as she collapses to the floor.
Ak Byeong-bi tries to run like a madman, but is trapped by chains binding his entire body and cannot move an inch. [Hehehe… You incompetent fool…]
Gu Gye-ak, having obscured the woman’s appearance, looks at Ak Byeong-bi with a look of disdain.
At that gaze, fire flares up in Akbyeongbi’s eyes.
“You bastard…! You bastard…!” [Live your life burdened with regret and despair.]
“Gugyeak!!!”
Clatter, clatter.
I gather all my inner energy and struggle, but my body won’t move.
Akbyeongbi, who started having seizures severe enough to move the entire bed.
The doctors and female physicians all rush in to subdue him, but Akbyeongbi does not calm down easily.
“Demonic acupoint! Point to the demonic acupoint!”
“That won’t work, Assemblyman!”
“I think I am using innate vital energy…….”
“crazy!”
I had heard stories about martial artists who could use their energy even while unconscious, but this was the first time I had heard of someone using their innate vital energy.
Why on earth is this patient struggling so desperately?
There’s nothing we can do about it.
At that moment, Dang Seo-hui, who was waiting as the guardian, uncrossed her arms and stepped forward.
I will give it a try.
The council member shook his head.
“Neither medicine nor acupuncture will work on this patient right now! Please move aside.”
“I know because I saw it, too. But…”
Three small mother-of-pearl bottles and three long needles appeared from Dang Seo-hui’s bosom.
I haven’t used poison yet.
“What? What do you mean… If that happened, this patient….”
“I will use just enough not to kill you. So… there is no need to worry.”
As Dang Seo-hui gestured as if fanning, the physicians and female physicians stepped back at the same time.
Ak Byeong-bi, with his eyes rolled back and only his white pupils visible, looked as if he were about to explode his vital energy and fall into a state of internal energy deviation at any moment.
Dang Seo-hui began to move her hands with cold, downcast eyes.
We are in a very difficult situation. We cannot die like this.
The unemployed woman’s hand began to move.
Why did the physicians and female physicians include Baeksu (百手) in her nickname?
I came to witness firsthand whether it was attached. #Two days after the incident occurred.
The number of people outside the accommodation increased.
Even beyond the existing security personnel, there were people loitering around the palace.
There were people from the Yellow Dust Gate, and there were also people experiencing a sensation of energy for the first time.
The number of people is increasing.
At my words, Hyeoltu, who was looking at the Go game record, clicked his tongue.
“Weren’t these kids already full of grievances against the Murim Alliance? It’s just a good spark that has been kindled.”
“Still, Elder Bloodbath, you would be able to take them all on, wouldn’t you?”
“huh?”
What? Huh? Hey, then why are you here?
“Didn’t you come to protect us?”
“Well, that may be the case on the surface, but wouldn’t the bigger purpose be to keep you under surveillance so you can’t escape?”
“…….”
Even if they suspect each other of the inside story, you don’t usually talk about such things openly.
I shouldn’t have brought it up and just ended up ruining my mood.
Anyway, just waiting around like this is dangerous.
Not only is it uncertain what decision the Black Alliance will make internally, but if we just sit back and wait, we might even miss the timing to respond.
Please let me meet the leader of the Black Alliance.
“Huh? Why are you telling me that?”
“For now, you are the only one I can turn to for help, Lord Bloody.”
“help?”
Bloody Battle chuckles but does not take his eyes off the game record.
Do you think I have that kind of authority?
“The Bloodthirsty One is not a fool; there is no way he would meekly follow the Black Alliance just because it was formed, is there? You have likely come here at the personal request of the Black Alliance leader, haven’t you?”
Bloody Battle’s eyebrows twitched.
“You quick-witted fellow. So, you really are different from the other Divines?”
Bloody Battle, who had been speaking incomprehensible words, asks indirectly.
“What do you plan to do when we meet?”
We have to solve the problem.
“problem?”
I even went back to get here.
I am not yet certain that a third life has been promised.
So in a place like this
“We can’t just die like this, can we?”
Oh?
The gaze of the bloody battle turns toward me for the first time.
Are you saying you intend to fight to the very end, even if it means dying?
“Why are you so sure you’re going to die already?”
“If not, never mind.”
He seemed completely uninterested in the bloody battle and started playing Go again while looking at the game record.
So, is it saying it’s not my business anyway?
Then, how about we make a bet?
I looked at the Go game record in his hand.
Bloody Fight also looks up at me, as if his interest has been piqued.
“bet?”
If I win ten games of Go, please arrange a meeting with the leader of the Black Alliance.
“Haha, now that I’ve been praising him so much, he’s trying to grab me by the hair! In that case—.”
Bloody, who had been giggling, suddenly hid his laughter.
“What will you give if you lose?”
I did not avoid his gaze.
What do you want?
A smile returns to the corners of Bloody Battle’s lips.
Your life.
Il-myeong, who had been facing the wall on one side, suddenly turned his head.
“Jin Siju!”
Soon, the cold voice of the bloody battle weighs down the air.
“If you don’t like that, then keep your distance. The insolence you have shown so far is already making me extremely uncomfortable.”
Il-myeong, who had approached before I knew it, grabbed my arm and pulled me.
I shook off his hand and stepped forward.
“great.”
“what?”
I raised my hand and stopped the speech.
Instead, if I win, you must keep your promise.
Bloody Battle’s expression became more emotionless than ever.
Does what I’m saying sound like a joke?
“Surely not.”
Or do you not know how precious your life is?
It is neither of them.
I sat facing him and looked straight into his eyes.
I just have no intention of foolishly waiting for death.
Then, after organizing the Go stones, I picked up a white Go stone.
The bloody battle that had been quietly following my movements leaned forward.
“I don’t dislike arrogant fellows. But I never let a haughty one get away with it.”
The bloody battle took the white stone from me.
“I will not take your life. But instead, I will take your left arm.”
If your right arm is cut off, you cannot use the sword, but if your left arm is cut off, you will lose the Blue Dragon Ring.
However, there is no other alternative to choose from right now.
“……
All right.”
I looked at Il-myeong, shook my head slightly, and placed a black stone on the Go board.
The match began in an instant.
The fierce gaze subsided calmly.
Consort Yeom.
“yes.”
Grab the left arm.
“Hmm… I suppose it can’t be helped. Even without an arm, he’s still my husband.”
Shhhhh.
At that moment, Yeom Gwi-bi untied the ornament she was wearing at her waist and wrapped it around my left arm with a rustling sound.
Was what was strapped to the waist a flexible sword?
“For Go, just the right hand should be enough, right?”
i look forward to.”
widely
– Tak
Only the sound of Go pieces moving echoed inside.
“It’s not widely known, but I have several identities.”
Even if we overlook my speed, the pace of the fierce battle to place the Go stones is formidable.
“One of them is an Imperial Knight named ‘Doa’.”
The hand stopped abruptly.
To think the name ‘Doa,’ the former imperial Go master who created countless miraculous game records, would pop up here.
Bloody Battle also pauses for a moment and looks across at me.
“Do you know Doa?”
I, too, initially learned Go using ‘Doa’s’ game records, so I could not possibly forget his name.
“It is the end of the world. To think that the Bloody Battle was Doa… How did you manage not to get caught? It should have been obvious that you were a figure of the Dark Path immediately.”
“It is simply that I could not cast him out. Since he is a Black Daoist, his skill would have been too valuable to be wasted.”
The speed returned to its original state.
I didn’t lose in the slightest in terms of the bloody battle or the speed at which I played Go.
The bloody battle that revealed my identity asks me as if doing me a favor.
“Do you now know who you bet on?”
yes.”
Apologize now and behave yourself. Then, I will not take your arm in exchange for acting as your opponent.
To think that even a Black Daoist possesses tolerance. It is truly a surprising sight. However.
I shook my head without the slightest hesitation.
Let’s keep the bet.
what?”
As I told you, I can’t die like this.
Honestly, I’m not confident I can win with martial arts.
Unless it were a life-or-death battle.
Escaping from his grasp?
It would be easier to escape the Buddha’s palm. At least the Buddha doesn’t smash heads, right?
However, Go is different from martial arts.
“And, you know, I’m confident in my game of Go.”
I began to retrieve all the tens of thousands of Go game records stored in the library of my mind. Upon hearing the news that Ak Byeong-bi had woken up, Hwang Bu-sik headed to the lodgings where the delegation was staying.
“Normally, this was a matter that should have been reported separately, but I was considerate enough to allow them to at least say their final goodbyes to each other. ‘In any case, it is as if I owe a debt to the Black Flame Dragon.’ Upon arriving at his lodgings, Hwang Bu-sik frowned as he watched the Black Daoists encamped near the lodgings, emitting killing intent.”
Those bastards who prioritize their own emotions over procedures had hurriedly taken up positions here before any decision could even be made by the Black Alliance Command.
Stupid fools do not realize at all that they are always pushed back by the White Path sects because of this.
Get those guys out of here.
At Hwang Bu-sik’s command, the armored warriors simultaneously dispersed the Black Daoists who were gathered near the lodgings.
Although there was some minor resistance, there were still no direct rebels.
But how long will this situation last?
Although Gu Gye-ak, who was practically the leader of the pro-war faction, died, public opinion within the Black Alliance actually gained more traction in favor of the pro-war faction.
Those who had been merely watching from behind Gu Gye-ak began to emerge one by one and build their own forces, while the pro-peace faction members were often pushed to the back, losing even their standing.
At this rate, a real war might break out.
Hwang Bu-sik shook his head to clear his mind and entered the delegation’s lodgings.
Contrary to expectations that he would have been waiting for himself.
The delegation and the guards were huddled together, heads together, despite his arrival. ‘Go?’ Hwang Bu-sik hurried closer in bewilderment.
As the bloody battle between Jin So-un and Yeom Gwi-bi takes place, Yeom Gwi-bi wraps her hidden weapon, the Yeonsa Sword, around Jin So-un’s left arm.
Although Bloody Battle’s Go skills were famous even within the Black Martial Arts World, it was actually Jin So-woon’s movements that surprised Hwang Bu-sik.
Matching the speed of the bloody battle, he was placing the Go stones without slowing down, as if performing a sword dance.
Although Hwang Bu-sik knew nothing but the basic rules of Go, he could clearly tell that the moves being exchanged between the two were extraordinary. ‘Still, I suppose I can’t defeat the Bloodthirsty Elder.’ Hwang Bu-sik could not help but sigh when he realized that Jin So-woon was in danger of having his arm severed, though he did not know the underlying reasons.
Bloody Battle was famous for getting its fair share, at least in bets.
Jin So-un’s arm was as good as severed. ‘Is this the end?’ The divine beings, overestimating their abilities like this, eventually collapse.
It was incredibly unfortunate that the Black Flame Dragon, whom I thought would be different, ended up following the same path as the other Divine Beings.
I approached where the game was taking place to see how things were unfolding.
The two people who had been placing Go stones without resting for quite a while.
It was Hyeoltu who paused first. ‘Hmm? Huh…!’ Hyeoltu could not take his eyes off Jin So-woon’s face, looking indignant.
Trembling
The body of the bloody battle began to tremble slightly.
Hwang Bu-sik was astonished.
Bloody battle, an absolute master of an unimaginably high level even when he was a child.
His usually composed face stiffened.
It was a sight hard to believe even with one’s own eyes.
“You cornered the Bloody Battle Elder with a game of Go? How many Go players could possibly fluster him like this, considering he has few rivals in the Black Martial Arts World… no, even in the entire Jianghu?”
The angry voice of a bloody battle cuts through the air.
“How on earth did you do that?”
I didn’t do anything special. Just thread.
Power.
It is.
I don’t know much about Go, but judging by the atmosphere, I could tell that Jin So-un had the advantage.
After glaring at Jin So-un for a while, Hyeoltu let out a sigh and placed two Go stones on the board.
Two points signifying an admission of defeat.
The rapid-fire sword wrapped around Jin So-un’s arm came loose, and Hyeoltu hung his head.
I have completed all ten victories. Please keep your promise.
“I get it.”
Does that mean he didn’t just win one game, but ten?
Jin So-un spoke upon seeing Hwang Bu-sik with a dumbfounded expression.
“Has the commander woken up?”
Huh? Th-right.
May I go now?
“Ahem. Alright, let’s go.”
The bowed absolute master.
In contrast, Shinseong, who has just begun to shine, stands tall and steps outside with confidence.
Hwang Bu-sik found this strange sight somehow natural. Even to me, without any expertise, Ak Byeong-bi’s condition looked serious.
Gray face.
Eyelids that look as if they were tanned black.
According to the doctor, Dang Seo-hui forcibly woke up someone who was originally unable to wake up.
It certainly doesn’t look like it’s in good condition.
Still, now was not the time to be considerate of this person’s condition.
This human time.
door.
Because we were all in danger of dying, even we.
“Why did you do that?”
Akbyeongbi weakly raised his head and looked at me with lifeless eyes.
Within those veins that twisted like a spiderweb, complex emotions such as remorse, regret, and despair were contained.
“I am…….”
He parted his dry lips and let out a rough voice.
“Did not do it.”
“Right now… this is not a situation where we can escape the crisis with wicked words.”
I snapped at him, who had once again tightly shut his mouth.
“Not only the director, but the lives of the entire delegation depend on it.”
This incident will absolutely not end with just Ak Byeong-bi’s life.
It will affect not only the delegation but also the Murim Alliance and the warriors dispatched to Sichuan.
It means that even if I pooped, I pooped quite a lot.
That is the situation.
Ak Byeong-bi, unable to even open his eyes properly, squeezes out a voice.
Is ‘that guy’ definitely dead?
It was clearly the trace of the Evil Family’s Flame Spear.
Ak Byeong-bi bowed his head low and remained silent for a long time, as if lost in deep remorse.
Then, he soon raised his head.
“If it could be settled with just my life, that wouldn’t matter. But… I definitely didn’t do it.”
At the completely unexpected story, not only I, but also Il-myeong and Dang Seo-hui, kept their mouths shut tight.
“It is something I have wished for a hundred times, a thousand times. I vowed again and again that if the moment ever came when I could cast aside everything I carry on my back… whenever that time came, I would rush to Hwangsamun without delay. But…!”
A dry, cracking voice, sounding like scraping metal, rang out loudly enough to be jarring to the ears.
“This time, I really didn’t do it!”
Can you swear?
I stake the honor of the Ak family… … .”
I gazed down intently at his bloodshot eyes.
“No, not that. I mean risking something more precious.”
Akbyeongbi glared at me with a murderous look.
Crunch.
He gritted his teeth and barely managed to spat it out.
I can say this on my dead wife and unborn child.
It looked as if blood would flow from his lips at any moment.
The foolish father could not achieve revenge with his own hands.
It was a look that seemed to wish he had taken revenge with his own hands.
As I watched this, I couldn’t even doubt it anymore.
Then what happened to your wound, Commander?
“I don’t know. I was just drinking because I thought you guys had returned, but then my side started burning and I just collapsed.”
If we take Ak Byeong-bi’s words at face value, it means he attacked Gu Gye-ak and Ak Byeong-bi separately, making the people around them believe that Ak Byeong-bi had ambushed Gu Gye-ak…
Does this make sense realistically?
It makes more sense that Ak Byeong-bi, out of revenge, took up a spear and made a hole in Gu Gye-ak’s chest.
However, for some reason, I trusted Ak Byeong-bi’s words more, even though he had only shown me this pathetic side of himself.
This is driving me crazy.
The expressions on Il-myeong and Dang Seo-hui’s faces were not much different from mine.
Being astute, they would know better than anyone how serious this situation is.
Then, Ak Byeong-bi opened his mouth.
“If the situation is not brought under control, hand over all responsibility to me.”
And make sure, by any means necessary, that the Murim Alliance is not harmed. ……
“You could do it.”
What on earth is this guy talking about? How is he telling me to do such a difficult task…
*bows*
Akbyeongbi bows his head.
What are you doing?
“I beg of you. If you do just that, I will speak to your family and ensure you receive adequate compensation.”
What’s up with this guy? Why is he suddenly acting like he never does?
“If you were attacked, someone else must have secretly set a trap for you, Commander. Don’t you feel wronged?”
“I cannot put you, the Murim Alliance, and the warriors of Sichuan in danger just to clear my name.”
Akbyeongbi stares straight into my eyes.
“Moreover, since I have ultimately exacted revenge regardless, I have no lingering attachment to life. So, leave me with me and move forward as much as you want.”
That’s a terrible thing to say.
“Jin So-un!”
He, who called out to me with all his might, speaks in a deep voice.
We cannot move forward while resolving every absurdity and contradiction in the world. Sometimes, certain things simply must be carried on our shoulders as we move forward. And—.
His eyes flashed.
Now is exactly such a time.
“Therefore, go forth. Neither I nor Akga will hold you responsible or hold you accountable for this matter.”
There is no way someone you hated so much would suddenly look nice just because they said something like this.
From the start, I have no intention of moving forward while resolving all the irrationalities and contradictions of the world, as he said.
but.
I plan to do that only when a bigger problem arises.
I patted the shoulder of Ak Byeong-bi, who was barely holding on to his body after losing all strength.
“Isn’t this case resolved simply by finding the culprit who ambushed the two of them, the commander and Gu Gye-ak?”
I have no intention of choosing only the easy path from the start.
That couldn’t possibly be the right answer.
So please do not worry. I swear I will definitely catch the culprit.
I stated my firm resolve.
“I swear on my grandfather’s honor!”
Ak Byeong-bi grits his teeth and snaps his head away.
Just as I was about to leave, leaving behind Akbyeongbi who was composing himself.
Dang Seo-hui, who had been watching silently, tilted her head.
“Is Jin So-un’s grandfather the famous Po hexagram?”
No, he is someone who worked as a courier in Anhui Province.
Her head tilts further to the side.
Then why did you stake your grandfather’s honor?
I shrugged my shoulders.
He is the only one in my family who is even remotely famous.
Akbyeongbi and Ilmyeong, who had turned their heads, look at me with bewildered eyes.
Tsk.
Seriously, you’re ruining the good mood by asking something so trivial.
