Episode 996. Just leave it alone. (1)
“I salute you, Lord Ryeon!”
Hu Jiaming bowed his head deeply towards Jang Ilso.
“You’re acting new.”
Jang Il-so waved his hand as if it was no big deal.
It’s really insignificant.
From the moment the Black Dragon King was defeated by the Hwasan Sword Association, the outcome was already decided. No, to be precise, it may have been decided from the moment the Namgung family headed toward Maehwa Island.
All Jang Il-so did was to lead the whole trend as he wanted. Therefore, it was only natural that he received the loyalty of the Black Dragon King.
“Now, Surochae will definitely come under Lord Ryeon’s command.”
“It was long.”
Jang Il-so shook his head as if he was disgusted.
“It took three years to acquire Surochae, which could be said to be the weakest force among the Sapaeryeon. “It’s boring.”
Hu Jiaming looked at Jang Ilso with eyes full of respect.
Three years.
It may seem like a long time. But what if it took three years to swallow up all that water? Who would dare disparage that period of time?
This is an achievement that cannot be described as great.
“What about the ditch?”
“I am following along well without any complaints. Even if you have complaints, you won’t be able to let them out in the current situation.”
“Hmm.”
Jang Il-so looked at the riverside. Lighted boats were lining the Yangtze River.
“A reasonable amount….”
“…Yes?”
“Catch a couple of people with positions and set an example. “Where everyone can clearly see.”
Hu Jiaming hesitated for a moment and spoke.
“Right now, there is no one who has committed a crime…”
“Tsk, tsk. ” A pseudonym, a pseudonym. “Why are you always so honest?”
“….”
“It doesn’t matter whether someone committed a crime or not. “The important thing is that the person who committed the crime is needed.”
“Yes, Lord Ryeon.”
“It’s stupid to solve a problem after it arises. Truly smart people leave no room for problems. That’s what humans are like. When someone does something different, I feel the urge to try it too. “Once the rebellious spirit is engraved in you, it does not disappear, even if it is suppressed.”
“….”
“The best thing is.”
Jang Il-so slowly traced the bottom of his lips with his fingertip.
“It prevents you from even harboring any sense of rebellion in the first place. For that, you need to be appropriately scared. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Lord Ryeon. “I will kill two people who can serve as examples and hang them on the sails.”
But Jang Il-so sighed once again.
“A pseudonym….”
“Yes?”
Hu Jiaming gave a puzzled look. Jang Il-so shook his head.
“When did I tell you to kill me? “I’m not that bad of a person.”
“If you do it….”
“You have to live.”
Jang Il-so said in a calm voice.
“Hang him alive. It’s good to peel off the shell. “Make sure everyone can see clearly how they suffer for days and days without being able to live or die.”
Hu Jiaming’s eyes widened slightly.
“Cut out the flesh from time to time, sprinkle salt on it, and let it be infested with bugs. Every time I fall asleep with the moans of a dying person as a lullaby, shouldn’t I feel like I never want to die like that, even if I die? “It makes you think that it would be better to slit your own throat, sink to the bottom of the river, and become food for fish than to die like that.”
The peaceful and calm voice, as if talking about everyday life, strangely felt several times more cruel than the gloomy voice.
“There are many ways to gain loyalty, alias. But now I need nothing more than fear. “They are the ones who obey without a word even a fool like the Black Dragon King, so it is enough to show them their stronger power and crueler hands.”
“…I will do that.”
Jang Il-so quietly smiled at the obedient answer.
“Yes, that will do.”
Hu Jiaming swallowed dry saliva.
In fact, Jang Il-so’s hand is not particularly cruel. Killing an enemy brutally is not something that would be considered a bad thing in Sapa.
The problem was that they were now Jang Il-so’s subordinates who had to rule.
“Ryeonju. “Can I ask you one thing?”
“Hmm?”
“…What do you plan to do, Black Dragon King?”
“Why the Black Dragon King?”
“Do you plan to keep me alive?”
“Hmm.”
Jang Il-so looked at the household name as if it was amusing.
“What do you think?”
“I think it would be better to kill him. A man like the Black Dragon King is never truly loyal to others. “He is the type of person who will expose this to Lord Ryeon again at any time.”
“An untamed wolf?”
“I don’t know if the word wolf is appropriate for that bear-like bastard, but he will never be tamed.”
“A pseudonym.”
“yes.”
“Do you know how to tame an untameable wolf?”
“…I do not know.”
“You just have to pull out all your teeth.”
Jang Il-so said harshly.
“You can pull out its teeth, pull out its claws, and if it doesn’t obey, cut off its legs.”
“….”
“Then, even if you can’t be as loyal as a dog, at least you won’t be able to bite or scratch me? If that happens, they will no longer be any different from dogs.”
“But what is the meaning of the Black Dragon King who has become like that?”
“Tsk tsk. “It’s an alias.”
“Yes, Lord Ryeon.”
“What is important is the fact that I am subjugating the wolf.”
“….”
“It doesn’t matter one bit whether the wolf has sharp teeth or whether its claws are deadly. “Isn’t the important thing that the wolf, who didn’t listen to anyone, is being locked in my cage, wearing a leash, and submitting?”
“…I know what you mean.”
“Anyone can kill the Black Dragon King and take Surochae. But that’s just the appearance of a new Black Dragon King. It is different from placing the entire water rod under your feet. “That’s something not everyone can do.”
Jang Il-so’s gaze moved to the side. Not towards the Yangtze River, but towards the wide Gangnam land on the other side.
“Even if no one else knows, at least two of you will understand the meaning. “That’s enough for now.”
Jang Il-so smiled seductively.
Acquiring Surochae is the same as saying that Jang Il-so acquired at least 50% of the Sapae-ryeon’s forces.
Originally, Jang Il-so was said to be the leader of the Sapae-ryeon, but if two or more of the remaining three joined forces to fight against him, there was no way he could deal with them. However, from this moment on, Jang Il-so has the power to fight the entire Sapae-ryeon.
“It’s a pity that I couldn’t repay you for what I was hit with, but I’ve made quite a profit at this level.”
Ho Ga-myeong, who was quietly watching Jang Il-so laugh as she muttered to herself, cautiously opened her mouth.
“Ryeonju.”
“Yes?”
“Then from now on…”
“You just have to leave it alone.”
“…You mean like this?”
“okay.”
Jang Il-so reached out and picked up a bottle of alcohol. Then I took a sip of my drink and stared across the river.
“Aren’t there things in this world that require time? Let’s take it easy and wait for those ditch bastards to accept me. “The presence of the enemy on the other side will make that possible.”
“…Wouldn’t that Shaolin be the first to step out?”
“I can’t do that.”
Jang Il-so waved his hand.
“Shaolin is now facing its worst situation. If I leave like this, I can no longer stop the fall. Listen carefully, pseudonym. The world does not run through force alone. No matter how strong Shaolin is, a name once lost cannot be returned.”
“But there’s nothing special about being here, right?”
“Instead, war clouds hang in the air.”
“…War luck?”
Jang Il-so looked at the household name with a strange smile.
“Why did I sign a three-year treaty during the previous Yangtze River Disaster?”
“This is because we needed time to control the internal affairs of the Sapaeryeon.”
“okay. That too. But more important than that was to cut off their veins.”
“If you say Mac…”
“No matter how much we disapprove of each other, if war breaks out, we have no choice but to unite. For example, don’t the people in the imperial palace who are plotting against each other as if they are going to kill each other unite when a foreign enemy invades?”
“That’s right.”
“What would they have done if they had planted all the seeds of discord and acted as if we would immediately invade Gangbuk?”
“I would have buried all of that and tried to deal with the Sapaeryeon for now.”
Jang Il-so nodded as if he was satisfied.
“yes. Isn’t that why it has no meaning? So I gave them plenty of time to sink their teeth into each other.”
“….”
“It’s the same this time too. If he steps down like this, all responsibility will fall on Shaolin. That middle-aged man doesn’t want that situation. That’s why I’m shouting from there right now.”
Jang Il-so spread his arms exaggeratedly.
“War is coming soon! The moment this treaty ends, blood will flow and flow! So now is not the time to place blame on anyone!”
“Sure….”
“He’s a treacherous old man.”
Jang Il-so shook his head.
“But… that cunning helps us too. There is nothing bad about the clouds of war. Because I will get the same benefits that Shaolin gets. In the meantime, I will be able to steadily acquire the water rod and suppress the discontent that will flow from behind.”
Hu Jiaming gazed across the river with new eyes.
It’s amazing.
As far as he knows, Jang Il-so and Shaolin have never conveyed their intentions to each other since Hwasan withdrew from Maehwa Island.
Nevertheless, they are doing something that benefits both sides, as if they are working together. Jang Il-so is deploying Surochae forward to give strength to So-rim’s words, and So-rim is not leaving the riverside, giving Jang Il-so time to take over Surochae.
‘Maybe this is real collusion.’
There is no need for conversation or documentation. We just implicitly move in a direction that is mutually beneficial.
Considering the meaning of the word collusion, is there any situation more fitting than this?
“In the end, it means that if you just take the time, everything will go as you want.”
“…I wish so.”
But surprisingly, Jang Il-so touched the tip of his chin with a slightly ambiguous expression.
“It was dangerous. It was very breathtaking. “If I did something wrong, I would have put my head on the line.”
Although he didn’t specifically refer to somewhere, he had no choice but to know where Jang Il-so was talking about.
“If there is a variable, it would be a volcano. I really don’t know what they can do. Especially that…”
Jang Il-so suddenly stopped talking.
One variable, Cheongmyeong, can somehow be handled. All you have to do is think of the worst case imaginable. Cheongmyeong will steadily follow that path.
But…
‘Hyeonjong.’
The old man had no idea where he was going to end up. I couldn’t understand his way of thinking at all.
‘I’m out of my mind.’
It is understandable to pursue profit, and it is also understandable to pursue agreement.
However, one can cherish one’s own clan more than the court and at the same time demand sacrifice from that clan for the sake of others.
Where else in the world are there crazy people like this?
“I don’t know. “If the day comes that my head falls off… it will be because of those damn bastards.”
“That will never happen.”
“okay. “I guess so.”
A flash of death flashed across Jang Il-so’s eyes as he stared across the river.
‘Not yet… not yet. Not yet.’
But that time will come at some point.
This is the day when the entire volcano is stained with blood at his hands.
Jang Il-so’s tongue slowly grazed his red lips. The taste of blood seemed to linger.
