Chapter 778: Life Is Always Full of Suffering (Part 2)

 

A small incense burner continuously emitted white smoke, filling the room with a thick, misty cloud, making it almost impossible to see.

The slow sound of drowsy breathing mixed with the heavy stench of alcohol.

An eerie atmosphere, as if not of this world, lingered in the dimly lit room.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

At that moment, footsteps—sharp and out of place—echoed from outside, followed by a cold, stern voice piercing through the door.

"Master, I have returned from the mission."

There was no response.

After waiting in silence for a while, the person issued a short command.

"Open the door."

"But... the Master..."

"I said open it."

"...Yes."

The tightly shut door was flung open, and the thick white smoke that had filled the room slowly billowed out.

Hoga Myung wrinkled his nose at the overpowering scent.

"Ugh."

As the smoke cleared a bit, he could see several people sprawled across the room, lying unconscious. The floor was littered with spilled alcohol, and a small incense burner continued to puff out smoke in the midst of the scene.

And there, at the center, on a large golden cushion arranged rather awkwardly, lay a figure Hoga Myung was all too familiar with, fast asleep.

Hoga Myung let out a soft sigh.

"Get up."

The people scattered around, lost in a deep sleep, didn’t stir.

"Let’s see if you’ll keep sleeping after I cut off your heads."

Somehow, that threat seemed to work. A few heads began to rise, and those who saw Hoga Myung standing at the door paled in fear and began to tremble.

"G-General..."

"Get out."

"Y-Yes!"

They scrambled to their feet in a panic. Still groggy from the alcohol, they stumbled and tripped over one another, creating a chaotic mess as they fled the room.

Once Hoga Myung confirmed that everyone had left, he sighed again and gave another order.

"Remove the incense burner."

"Yes, General."

The people who had accompanied him carefully entered the room, picked up the burner, and carried it out.

They cleaned the floor skillfully and opened the windows and doors wide to let fresh air in, as if they had done this many times before.

"That’s enough."

"Yes!"

As soon as Hoga Myung finished speaking, they bowed deeply and quickly left the room.

Finally, Hoga Myung approached the golden cushion and stood before it.

"Master."

"......"

"Master."

"Hmm?"

The person lying on the cushion—Jang Ilso—slowly lifted his head, frowning as he looked around.

"Myung-ah."

"Yes, Master."

"It’s cold. Close the doors."

Jang Ilso pulled the blanket tighter around himself, covering his entire body. Hoga Myung sighed deeply once again.

"Master, if you keep indulging like this in the middle of the day, it will diminish your dignity as the leader."

"...You start nagging the moment you arrive."

"I’ve told you before..."

"You just don’t understand. I despise boredom. Even if I know I must wait, I hate waiting."

"You need to get up."

"Ugh..."

Realizing that sleeping any longer was out of the question now that Hoga Myung had arrived, Jang Ilso grumbled and threw off the blanket, sitting up.

At that moment, the servants who had been waiting outside cautiously entered the room. The lead servant approached Jang Ilso with both hands outstretched, offering a small smoking pipe, which he took and placed in his mouth.

"You shouldn’t indulge too much in Mongyeon (Dream Smoke)."

"I know, I know."

"I'm not saying this out of concern for you, Master. That kind of smoke can’t harm you. But it’s different for everyone else."

"I said I know. Why do you keep nagging more and more these days?"

Jang Ilso waved his hand dismissively, and Hoga Myung bowed his head apologetically.

Meanwhile, the servants diligently began to tidy up Jang Ilso. They soaked fine silk in a basin of clean water and used it to wipe down his face, then carefully combed his disheveled hair.

As one of the servants gently wiped his eyelids with the silk, Jang Ilso frowned.

"That hurts. Be more careful."

"S-Sorry, Master! P-Please forgive me... I beg of you!"

The servant who had turned pale with fear immediately knelt and trembled like a leaf. Jang Ilso sighed in disbelief.

"Why are you so scared? Who told you I was going to eat you?"

"P-Please forgive me! Just this once..."

"Are you new?"

"Huh?"

Jang Ilso let out a long sigh and shook his head.

"What stories do they tell the new ones that makes them tremble every time I so much as clear my throat?"

"They’re probably just telling the truth."

"That wouldn’t make them afraid. Hey, there’s no need to be scared. I’m a kind person, you know."

"Y-Yes, Master. Thank you... so much."

Jang Ilso smiled faintly and patted the servant’s head as she shed tears of relief. Then he slowly stretched his arms outward. The servants standing behind him swiftly removed the white silk robe he had been wearing.

"......"

Hoga Myung exhaled quietly as the sight before him unfolded.

It was an absolutely perfect body.

Normally hidden beneath several layers of silk, Jang Ilso’s bare body was a masterpiece. His slightly lean frame was so well-proportioned that even Hoga Myung, who had seen countless warriors, couldn’t help but admire it. No matter how many times he saw it, it never failed to impress.

However, anyone seeing this body for the first time wouldn’t be able to focus on its perfection. No, they wouldn’t be able to pay attention to that at all.

Because their eyes would be drawn to the scars.

The body was covered in horrific scars. They crisscrossed all over him, as if dozens of black snakes were writhing and entangling each other on his skin. There were claw marks, stab wounds from sharp objects, sword slashes, cuts from axes, and gashes from claws...

Every imaginable type of scar covered his body.

It almost looked like a deliberate tattoo.

Jang Ilso blinked lazily as he stared at Hoga Myung, who had been silently watching him.

The pressure was immense. Even after serving him for over a decade, Hoga Myung still found it hard to breathe in moments like this.

Hidden behind his luxurious silks was the true face of Jang Ilso, the Lord of Defeat.

Each scar told the story of the grueling path Jang Ilso had walked. With no background or support, he had carved his way to becoming the Lord of Defeat, founded Maninbang (Ten Thousand People Hall), and raised it to become one of the Five Great Powers.

As the servants finished wiping his body, they began dressing him again.

They draped a bright red robe embroidered with a golden dragon over his shoulders, placed a golden crown on his head, and adorned his wrists and fingers with jewelry. Finally, after applying red lipstick to his lips, the familiar figure of Jang Ilso, the Lord of Defeat, was complete.

"Hmm."

Jang Ilso, now dressed in his usual resplendent attire, leaned back on the cushion and gazed calmly at Hoga Myung.

"So, what’s the news?"

"Mount Hua has destroyed one of the pirate bases."

"Hahahahaha!"

Jang Ilso covered his mouth with one hand and let out a light, chuckling laugh.

"Those kids are always in such a rush. I knew they’d come, but I didn’t expect them to move so quickly."

"The situation has advanced faster than expected. Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon not only destroyed Daegyeong Base, but also annihilated the Black Serpent Base."

"So quickly?"

"Something unexpected happened. It seems Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon led not Mount Hua’s forces, but the Green Forest bandits."

"What in the world did that brat grow up eating?"

With just a few words, Jang Ilso was able to grasp the situation and shook his head in disbelief.

"Like a viper... If I’m not careful, even I might get bitten. Hmm. Well, no matter. What about the aftermath?"

"It has been handled cleanly."

Jang Ilso clicked his tongue and held out his hand. A servant, waiting nearby, carefully handed him a cup of wine. He clicked his tongue again in mock pity and shook his head as he sipped.

"Hmm. What a shame. Did you send plenty of money to their families?"

"We sent enough for their families to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

"Good. Very good."

Jang Ilso took another sip and smirked.

"In the end, human life is worth less than a single penny. Still, they traded their lives for gold, so they won’t feel too cheated, right?"

"I’m sure they won’t, Master."

"And send a few people to keep an eye on things. If word gets out that they received a fortune, vultures may start circling."

"I’ll see to it."

Hoga Myung bowed his head in response.

This was Jang Ilso’s way.

He sacrificed people for his own objectives without a second thought. But his calculations were meticulous. Once the payment was settled, he moved on without a single regret.

At this very moment, the sacrifices made for this plan had already vanished from Jang Ilso’s mind. He never looked back on the past.

"It’s all moving faster than expected, but it’s moving perfectly. I like that. This is Mount Hua, after all. Hahahahaha!"

Amused, Jang Ilso suddenly jumped to his feet.

"Myung-ah!"

"Yes?"

"Send out the prepared message!"

"Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer? I think it may be too soon."

"Yes, wine gets better with age. But sometimes, if you wait too long, it loses its freshness. Everything has its perfect timing."

Jang Ilso slowly traced his lips with his finger.

"By the time the message arrives, any missing details will have been filled in. The timing is perfect."

"As you wish."

"Hahahaha!"

Jang Ilso’s eyes glimmered like flames flickering in the wind.

"I’ve waited long enough. Long enough... I can’t stand waiting any longer."

His red lips curved into a smile, and a faint grinding sound came from his clenched teeth.

Nothing tormented him more than waiting. But even so, he was the most patient man in the world when it came to achieving his goals.

For if his impatience prevented him from seizing what he desired, the suffering of waiting would pale in comparison to the agony of failure. Jang Ilso despised waiting, but he was also a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

And finally...

The time to end this long wait had come.

"Thanks to Mount Hua, my plans have advanced by a decade. How could I not adore them? Of course I had to let that brat live and send him on his way! Hahahahahaha!"

His wild laughter echoed throughout the hall, mixing with the jangling of his ornaments to create an eerie and unsettling sound.

Watching this scene, a faint smile appeared on Hoga Myung’s lips.

‘The world has no idea what’s coming.’

And even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.

Just like a tiny spark can set an entire forest ablaze, once the fire starts, the important thing will be stopping the blaze, not figuring out who started it.

And soon, that fire would ignite.

The martial world, as dry as it was, was ready to go up in flames from even the smallest spark.

"I’ll proceed with the next phase of the plan."

"Hmm."

Jang Ilso’s eyes gleamed strangely.

"Myung-ah, Myung-ah."

"Yes, Master."

"What is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon doing now?"

"...He’s still on that island, not making any moves."

"Keep a close watch on him."

"Excuse me?"

Surprised by the unexpected command, Hoga Myung lifted his head to meet Jang Ilso’s gaze.

"He’s unpredictable. He could interfere and mess everything up, so don’t lose track of him."

A strange light flickered in Hoga Myung’s eyes.

‘Wasn’t Mount Hua’s role finished?’

He had thought that they had already done what was required. Now there was no more need for them. So why was Jang Ilso still mentioning Mount Hua?

Jang Ilso, who never looked back on past matters.

‘Could it be...?’

To Jang Ilso, had Mount Hua, or more specifically, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, not yet finished serving their purpose?

"Do you understand?"

"...I understand, Master."

"Good. Now, shall we go enjoy the flowers?"

Jang Ilso rose from his seat, humming a tune as he casually strolled out. Watching his back, Hoga Myung’s expression grew somber.

‘I can’t see it.’

He was far too small to fully comprehend the vast picture Jang Ilso was painting.