Chapter 93: Chapter 981: This Is Why the World Is Interesting (Part 1)
Mocking eyes.
Those eyes seemed to be speaking.
They were asking whether you, who boasted of having the whole world under your feet, had actually anticipated this situation.
Tch!
Jang Ilso instinctively raised a hand to cover his face. He believed it was not appropriate to reveal the expression he was making to others.
He was the Myriad Man Manor's leader. And the Evil Tyrant Alliance's Ryeonjul. He was not supposed to contort his face over a mere Mount Hua's Sect Leader.
At that moment, Chung Myung spoke, "As the Sect Leader has ordered, the Black Dragon King will be released as you wish. However..."
He paused.
Chung Myung exerted pressure on the foot he had placed on the Black Dragon King's head. A pained groan sounded as if it was about to be torn from the Black Dragon King's mouth.
Watching this with a blank expression, Chung Myung glared at Jang Ilso.
"I do not trust you."
"..."
"The Black Dragon King will only be released once we have arrived in Gangbuk."
Jang Ilso wordlessly glared at Chung Myung. His eyes showed a restless, deep blue aura.
"So, go away now. My patience has its limits."
Jang Ilso chuckled quietly.
His shoulders, which had been trembling gently, began to shake violently. Yet, strangely, no laughter could be heard.
Silent madness.
Watching the unsettling scene, those present clenched their fists.
Jang Ilso, who had laughed soundlessly for quite some time, slowly removed his hand from his face. His expression had returned to its usual calmness.
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso slowly turned his head to look at Hyun Jong again.
"Sect Leader."
"Please, speak, Ryeonjul."
"I believe that the words of the Sect Leader will surely be kept."
Hyun Jong nodded silently.
"I will do so."
Jang Ilso nodded, seemingly satisfied with the response.
"You mentioned that you won't negotiate with the Evil Sect, but... that's your perspective as the Sect Leader. I also have my own reputation to uphold, so I can't just blindly follow your words. Therefore, I will keep my word according to my standards."
Jang Ilso raised his hand slightly, and at that moment, two ships approached from the fleet waiting in the background, heading toward the Plum Blossom Island Island.
Seeing this, the disciples of Mount Hua's Sect tightened their expressions, and Jang Ilso smiled faintly.
"These are empty ships."
"...?"
"Those who achieved great merits are returning home with their rewards. We can't disrupt their way just for our own benefit. Please consider it as my favor."
The disciples of Mount Hua exchanged suspicious glances as they couldn't reconcile Jang Ilso's name with the word 'favor'.
However, Hyun Jong expressed his gratitude with a deep bow.
"Thank you."
Jang Ilso looked at Hyun Jong silently as he lowered his head in acknowledgment.
There was an awkward atmosphere, and Jang Ilso watched Hyun Jong for a long time. Finally, he slowly spoke, "Sect Leader of Mount Hua, the leader of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
His voice was solemn, carrying a subtle resonance.
"...Hyun Jong."
Jang Ilso nodded slightly, and for the first time, he appeared calm and different from the exaggerated figure he had portrayed before.
"I'll remember that name properly."
"It's not such a remarkable name that the Paegun will remember."
"Kuk-kuk."
Jang Ilso chuckled lightly and turned without any lingering feelings. He walked slowly toward his rowboat located behind Chung Myung.
Naturally, he was approaching Cheongmyeong, and their eyes met as he neared. Chung Myung and Jang Ilso's eyes locked in the air.
"...This time."
Jang Ilso opened his mouth with a sardonic smile.
"I took a hit this time. Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."
Chung Myung's mouth twisted slightly.
"This time?"
With a subtle smile that bore a resemblance to Jang Ilso yet was distinctly different, Chung Myung spoke again.
"You're talking well for a guy who barely survived by the skin of his teeth and went home."
"..."
"Get lost."
Jang Ilso shook his head lightly as if there was no other option and passed by Chung Myung. When his body moved past Chung Myung, there was no one left to see his face.
Crackle, crackle!
The rings that had been fitted on his hand touched and squeezed together, producing a sharp sound, as if wailing in agony.
Thud, thud.
He briskly walked towards the rowboat, and the boat started to move automatically towards the river, heading downstream.
"Mount Hua... and Hyun Jong."
A pale blue aura seemed to emanate from Jang Ilso's face.
Outwardly, this seemed like a positive result. In any case, he had prevented the death of the Black Dragon King and erased a significant debt. Of course, the crisis itself was created by Jang Ilso and the Myriad Man Manor's inaction. However, the fact that he had saved the Black Dragon King's life remained unchanged.
For those who couldn't understand the conversation, it might appear to them that Jang Ilso had single-handedly entered Plum Blossom Island without spilling a drop of blood and rescued the Black Dragon King with his three-inch tongue.
Jang Ilso's reputation would undoubtedly soar higher. Yes, outwardly, at least on the surface.
However, inside, Jang Ilso was filled with an unavoidable sense of humiliation.
'Is this what I...?'
Jang Ilso's face contorted like an evil spirit.
'Is this Jang Ilso, who begged for his life under the mercy of a guy whose name I couldn't even remember? Is this me?'
Hyun Jong was a presence beneath his calculations. The entry of Mount Hua and the Tang Family into Plum Blossom Island and the Black Dragon King's crisis went as planned.
But what followed was entirely different from what he had expected.
If it were Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, the person who cherished the disciples of Mount Hua and would never let go of an opportunity to profit, Jang Ilso believed he would never give up the proposal he had extended.
That's because it was a proposal that could not be bad for Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. He could save all of Mount Hua's disciples and gain a reputation for rescuing the Namgung Family in Plum Blossom Island. With just this achievement, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Mount Hua could gain a legitimate upper hand against Shaolin and the Righteous Sects.
This was an offer that no one with a brain could afford to miss. Especially for someone as clever as Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, there was no way to refuse it no matter how much he didn't like it. Absolutely!
That was why Jang Ilso was able to head to Plum Blossom Island alone, without a single guard. Because he believed that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword would never be able to refuse this proposal.
However...
'Hyun Jong.'
Hyun Jong rejected his proposal.
To an offer that anyone with even the slightest understanding of its benefits could never refuse, that man, Hyun Jong, thoughtlessly threw it to the floor.
That was something that Jang Ilso could not understand in any way. And if we look at it objectively, at that moment, Jang Ilso was as good as dead.
At that moment, Jang Ilso was nothing more than a clown who had put his head into the open mouth of a tiger, overconfidently.
Yet the fact that he survived was merely a matter of pure luck.
Jang Ilso, who had shaken everything in his hands as he pleased, for reasons that he himself could not understand, escaped with his life alone.
"Hee, hee, hee."
Blue energy lit up in Jang Ilso's eyes again.
"Hyun Jong…"
The reason a madman was called a madman was because he did things that couldn't be understood by common sense.
In that sense, Jang Ilso may have looked like a madman to others, but to Jang Ilso, Hyun Jong was a madman. An insane human being who couldn't be understood or calculated even with his head.
And he was in the position of the head of Mount Hua and the lord of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. That too with the unwavering support of Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword.
"This is why... the world is interesting."
Jang Ilso forcibly twisted his lips, as if trying to suppress the burning sensation in his chest, as if he had swallowed charcoal.
However, his pupils had sunk into a deep gloom.
"Huuuuu."
"Ahh..."
The moment Jang Ilso left Plum Blossom Island, there was a collective sigh of relief from the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect. Some wiped the sweat from their foreheads, while others vigorously shook their heads.
The pressure exerted by Jang Ilso was enormous, enough to make them feel suffocated just by facing him, as if their skin was being sliced by razor-sharp blades.
Why was that person, the Leader of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, so formidable, and every encounter with him felt like your body was experiencing it.
But that was why...
"Sect Leader."
It was only natural that they had deep trust in the eyes that looked at Hyun Jong. Even against Jang Ilso, who was the ruler of Gangnam and the ruler of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, Hyun Jong didn't back an inch.
Hyun Jong didn't use force to confront Jang Ilso or try to push him back. He simply faced Jang Ilso as he always did, calmly and composedly.
Who could do that?
Once again, they realized how extraordinary their Sect Leader was.
"You've worked hard, Sect Leader."
The words came from Tang Gunak, the leader of the Tang Family, meaning that Tang Gunak shared the same thoughts.
"No, Lord."
Hyun Jong nodded slightly.
'I sweated a lot just to keep my legs steady. We are all part of the Tang Family. How can a person be so...?'
Tang Gunak smiled gently.
'He's a remarkable man.'
Anyone who saw Jang Ilso's back as he turned and left would feel the same way as Tang Gunak.
Who in the world could have turned Jang Ilso away like that?
"That was truly amazing..."
"I'm sorry, but it seems like we should discuss it later, Lord."
At that moment, Hyun Jong's gaze turned to the Namgung Family.
"As long as the Heavenly Comrade Alliance keeps its promise, there will be no further attacks. First, we need to quickly move the wounded from Namgung for treatment."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Tang Gunak, who was not used to having his words interrupted, had to experience it. But at this moment, there was not a trace of discomfort on Tang Gunak's face.
Hyun Jong's concern about whether more of Namgung Sect's swordsmen would die due to their severe injuries was clearly conveyed.
"Move the wounded onto the ship! We will return to Gangbuk."
"Yes!"
Even the disciples of the Mount Hua Sword Sect responded to his words with an uplifted spirit. Interestingly, even the warriors of the Sichuan Tang Family, who were not their direct subordinates, raised their voices in agreement.
Tang Guank chuckled when he saw that.
Perhaps even his subordinates had officially recognized Hyun Jong as their leader at this moment.
'He has gained a lot.'
Although it all started impulsively, he had indeed gained a lot.
Reputation, legitimacy, achievements... many things.
At that moment, Hyun Jong rushed toward the wounded Namgung swordsmen on the other side, perhaps worried that the fire had ignited there.
Tang Guank nodded as he watched his retreating back.
'But the most significant thing we gained here might be him.'
As I thought about it, there was something that made him curious.
Tang Gunak turned his head slowly. He saw Chung Myung, who was still standing there, glaring at the Myriad Man Manor across the river with the Black Dragon King beneath his foot.
Tang Gunak couldn't help but wonder.
'Did you foresee everything up to here?'
Of course, Chung Myung was unlikely to provide an answer.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds I thought the author was just manipulating things but thinking it over, I think Ilso thinks Hyun Jong is a "madman" because he sticks to his principles rather than weighing the costs and benefits of stuff like Ilso and CM. Still a little scuffed though IMO since Hyun Jong still cares a lot for the lives of his disciples...
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