Chapter 824:This War Is Mine (4)

 

Once the Grand Duke of Gold descended to the base of the cliff, he regarded Jang Il-so with a piercing gaze.

‘The Conqueror…’

There were two reasons he had accepted Jang Il-so’s proposal.

The first was a sense of impending crisis.

He feared that, as Jang Il-so had warned, they would be picked off one by one without even a chance to fight back. When power builds up too intensely, it inevitably seeks an outlet, and for this power, the best target was none other than the Unorthodox Alliance.

And the second reason…

‘I thought I could use him and discard him without any loss.’

Now, however, it was clear that his second calculation had completely missed the mark.

Though he’d prided himself on understanding Jang Il-so fairly well, the real Jang Il-so was a figure beyond his ability to manipulate. From the moment Jang Il-so approached him until now, no development had escaped his control.

‘In the end, I was the one being used as a pawn.’

A chill ran down his spine.

In this war that had blazed like molten lava, the ones who might fear Jang Il-so most weren’t necessarily the orthodox factions, but rather his own unorthodox allies who had fought under him.

If even he, the Grand Duke of Gold, felt a tightening in his chest, how much more did the others?

“In any case…”

The Grand Duke of Gold masked his inner thoughts and spoke calmly.

“It was a profitable deal.”

“Profitable?”

Hearing this, the Black Dragon King’s face twisted in anger.

“That’s only in your view. Jiangnan took nothing but losses! Half of the Black Dragon Stronghold has been decimated—an irreparable loss!”

The Black Dragon King glared at Jang Il-so, his eyes filled with fury.

“Jang Il-so! You claimed you’d bring benefits to Jiangnan! Was this all a trick?”

“Calling me names… Tsk, tsk.”

Thousand-faced Water Snake clicked his tongue.

“I knew you were ignorant, but I didn’t realize you lacked all decorum. Watch your mouth, Black Dragon King. The Unorthodox Alliance has just begun. If the leader’s dignity is damaged, it will benefit none of us.”

“Silence, you sneaky rat! Are you in league with Jang Il-so to deceive me?”

As the Black Dragon King burst out in anger, Thousand-faced Water Snake’s gaze turned icy.

“Keh-keh…”

At that moment, Jang Il-so chuckled softly and spoke gently.

“There’s no need to get so angry. I have indeed brought benefits to Jiangnan.”

“…Benefits? Did you say benefits?”

“Now, whatever you choose to do in Jiangnan, no one will try to stop you. Not for the next three years.”

The Black Dragon King narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“But the authorities…”

“The authorities alone cannot handle a large sect. Whenever they acted, they always had the support of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Families. Without their involvement, the authorities will likely turn a blind eye.”

“Hm.”

“If that happens, restoring what you’ve lost will be easy, won’t it? In fact, Black Dragon Stronghold will likely grow stronger.”

The Black Dragon King stared at Jang Il-so for a moment before clearing his throat loudly.

“It better be true, Leader.”

“I assure you it is.”

“I’ll let it slide this time.”

As the Black Dragon King reluctantly backed down, Thousand-faced Water Snake smirked and asked Jang Il-so.

“Do you think they’ll keep their promise, Leader?”

“They have no choice. Or rather, they will have to keep it.”

A twisted smile formed on Jang Il-so’s lips.

“There’s no one easier to manipulate than those who are bound by honor and reputation. It’s not something to worry about.”

“Hmm. I’ll trust you on this, Leader.”

The Grand Duke of Gold also spoke.

“That means the priority now is to stabilize the Unorthodox Alliance as quickly as possible.”

“Indeed.”

“Then we’ll return to our sects to reorganize and prepare for the new structure.”

“That’s necessary.”

“There’s just one thing I’m curious about.”

The Grand Duke of Gold tilted his head slightly, his gaze dark.

“If you had even mobilized Blood Cult, it wouldn’t have been too difficult to wipe them all out here. Shaolin, Wudang, Namgung—they would have been worth the risk, wouldn’t they?”

“Worth the risk…”

Jang Il-so raised the corners of his mouth in a slight smile.

“What I want isn’t to win battles, but to win the war. My opponent… no, our opponent is not Shaolin or Wudang. It’s all of Zhongyuan.”

“……”

“Do you know why people fear ghosts?”

“…Is it because they are difficult to face?”

“No.”

Jang Il-so shook his head.

“It’s because they know what ghosts are.”

“……”

“A child who doesn’t understand what a ghost is won’t fear one when they see it. But an adult who has heard countless tales about ghosts, about why they’re frightening, will fear them.”

The Grand Duke of Gold’s face stiffened slightly.

“Soon, everyone across the land will fear me, and they’ll fear the name of the Unorthodox Alliance. Things will become a bit easier after that.”

The Grand Duke of Gold shook his head.

It was the same when they came to this place. Though he seemed to reveal everything, Jang Il-so never truly shared anything.

But one thing was certain.

“Creating the Unorthodox Alliance was a good decision.”

“Haha.”

Jang Il-so laughed softly.

“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t cling to the name Black Ghost Hall. I’ll discard the name Maninbang as well.”

“…Understood. I’ll see you soon then; we have much to discuss.”

The Grand Duke of Gold turned away, signaling the end of their meeting.

The Black Dragon King also turned with a satisfied smile. Finally, Thousand-faced Water Snake clicked his tongue as he looked at Jang Il-so.

“The hard work begins now, Leader.”

“I must accept it.”

“Well, I look forward to it. I have no doubts about your capabilities.”

“Of course.”

“Keh-keh-keh. It’ll be fun. Very fun indeed.”

With a sly smile, Thousand-faced Water Snake disappeared. As everyone left, a chilling, suppressed killing intent emanated from Jang Il-so’s eyes.

“…Cunning snakes, all of them.”

When Jang Il-so turned, a white carriage harnessed to eight horses stood ready. Standing beside it, waiting silently, was Ho Gamyeong, who approached him with a cloth in hand.

“You’ve been through a lot, my lord… or rather, Leader.”

“Look at this mess… it’s an utter disgrace.”

Jang Il-so groaned, and Ho Gamyeong handed him a damp cloth with a bitter smile.

“Perhaps I should have brought along some servants.”

“As if I don’t have hands—no need.”

Taking the cloth, Jang Il-so began wiping the blood off his body.

“Everything has gone exactly as you planned, Leader.”

“It’s only the beginning.”

Jang Il-so replied casually, switching cloths multiple times to clean his upper body. Ho Gamyeong retrieved a pristine white robe from the carriage and draped it over his shoulders. After adjusting his attire, Jang Il-so frowned at his damaged ornaments.

“Tsk.”

Crack.

Ripping off the broken ornaments without hesitation, he brushed his disheveled hair back with a sigh.

“Those snake-like bastards won’t follow me willingly. Now that the immediate threat is gone, they’ll try to swallow the Unorthodox Alliance themselves.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Yes, that’s how the unorthodox sects operate. They’re not interested in larger prey on the horizon; they’d rather draw swords over a single bean right in front of them. The orthodox factions are less trouble than those lot.”

Had Jang Il-so defeated Shaolin and Wudang here, it would have been clear what would follow.

The rest wouldn’t see the remaining orthodox factions as their enemy but would target Jang Il-so instead. They’d unite to eliminate Jang Il-so and divide Jiangnan amongst themselves in a messy struggle.

This pattern had been proven countless times in unorthodox history.

“But… they can no longer do so.”

A sly smile crept over Jang Il-so’s face.

“The Unorthodox Alliance must never possess power in and of itself. Only the Unorthodox Alliance under my rule will have meaning. What I gained in this war is not some petty treaty. It’s that the name Jang Il-so will now spread across the world.”

Jang Il-so ran his finger across his lips.

“Reputation may be worthless, but sometimes it wields greater power than any violence.”

A glimmer of admiration crossed Ho Gamyeong’s face as he looked at him.

Since when had Jang Il-so envisioned all of this?

Since he gathered the leaders of the Five Eastern Spirits?

Or perhaps when Mount Hua invaded Jiangnan?

Or even during the Green Forest uprising?

No, probably not.

‘At least by the time he met with the leader of the Tang Clan, he must have seen this coming.’

That must be why he stopped Ho Gamyeong from killing Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

This wasn’t just seeing one step ahead. Jang Il-so was a man who toyed with the world in his grasp.

“For now, we’ll be embroiled in an extended struggle, dealing with the parasites in those snake-like mouths won’t be easy.”

“But I believe you’ll handle it, Leader.”

“Tsk, tsk. Gamyeong, you overestimate me too much. My head already aches.”

Shaking his head, Jang Il-so climbed into the carriage. Ho Gamyeong followed, closing the door, then took out a prepared drink and offered it respectfully.

“I took the liberty of preparing it.”

“Have I ever told you that I like you for this?”

Jang Il-so grinned.

“We’ve a long road ahead, but I think tonight calls for a toast. Don’t you agree?”

“Absolutely, Leader.”

“Haha!”

Just as Jang Il-so was about to pour the drink, he paused.

“Hm?”

Ho Gamyeong glanced toward the carriage door. There was a commotion outside.

‘What’s happening?’

The battle should be over by now.

Jang Il-so’s brow furrowed slightly, and Ho Gamyeong spoke promptly.

“I’ll go see—”

But just as he stood, a sharp object suddenly pierced through the carriage wall with a loud crack.

Instantly, Ho Gamyeong broke into a cold sweat.

The sword, its sharpness radiating a deadly aura, had stopped mere inches from his face.

“……”

Had it come just a bit further, he would have been a dead man.

“Tsk.”

Jang Il-so clicked his tongue as he deflected the sword that had burst through the wall.

“So impatient… tsk.”

Sighing, he grabbed two bottles of alcohol and stood up.

As he opened the door and stepped out, he saw the warriors of Maninbang gathered around the carriage to protect it. On the other side stood a single man.

“Stand back.”

The warriors of Maninbang, ready to leap at the man, looked at Jang Il-so in surprise.

“Stand back, I said.”

“Yes!”

The warriors hurriedly retreated, creating a path. Jang Il-so stepped down from the carriage and pulled out the embedded sword.

“…Is this a farewell gift?”

“Bring it back. It’s expensive.”

“Tsk. Well, that ruined the mood.”

Feigning disappointment, Jang Il-so tossed the sword back. Chung Myung caught the sword with its green tassel and slid it into its sheath, staring intently at Jang Il-so.

Jang Il-so sighed lightly.

“This carriage was expensive too…”

“Come to Shaanxi, and I’ll buy you a new one.”

“In exchange for my head?”

“That’s a price you should be willing to pay, don’t you think?”

“Haha!”

Jang Il-so tossed one of the liquor bottles toward Chung Myung, who caught it and silently brought it to his lips, drinking deeply.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

Watching Chung Myung drink without hesitation, Jang Il-so smiled.

“Now that’s the spirit.”

He, too, drank from the bottle.

Ho Gamyeong looked on, dumbfounded.

To him, both Chung Myung, who had stormed past a wall of warriors to throw a sword at Jang Il-so’s carriage, and Jang Il-so, who offered him a drink in response, were beyond comprehension.

When the two men lowered their bottles, they looked at each other.

A sinister grin spread across Jang Il-so’s face, his teeth showing as he growled low, like a beast threatening its prey.

“So…”

His voice was a dangerous rumble, full of malice and hostility.

“Why did you come back to me? Surely, you’re not begging me to kill you.”

In response, a murderous glint filled Chung Myung’s eyes.