Chapter 462: Embracing the Darkness (2)

BOOM!

The impact was powerful enough to shake three or four of the cavern chambers.

Fortunately, he had instinctively held back some of his strength. This place was not merely his residence; it was part of the domain his master had established. Given his master's fearsome reputation, even punching a single hole in the wall could earn him a scolding.

But that was one thing, and this was another.

"That... that son of a bitch!"

RUMBLE!

Jeon Hong's furious roar carried a tremendous surge of Killing Intent.

His bloodshot eyes turned toward his right arm.

There was nothing below his right shoulder.

The pain was not as severe as he had expected. No, he could not feel it at all.

The sense of loss was simply too overwhelming. Only someone who had experienced it could understand the horror of looking down and realizing that the right arm he had used his entire life was gone forever.

"Aaaargh!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Jeon Hong pounded the ground again and again. His left fist was soon covered in blood. He had been striking the ground without using his Inner Qi.

How long did he continue like that?

"Hah! Hah!"

He had been so consumed by rage that he had even forgotten to regulate his breathing.

After several ragged breaths, Jeon Hong suddenly grimaced and clutched his chest. His internal injuries made him feel as though his insides were being turned inside out.

Damn it! Damn it!

Once he became aware of the pain, there was not a single part of his body that did not hurt.

The sword wounds crisscrossing his entire upper body like a spiderweb had still not fully healed. Considering his usual recovery rate, it was almost unbelievable.

The indescribable pain only fueled his anger further.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

RUMBLE!

Jeon Hong threw open the door and stormed outside, only to flinch.

"You certainly do recover quickly."

"...Senior Sister."

Standing outside Jeon Hong's quarters with her arms crossed was Buseon.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Did you come to see just how badly your adorable junior brother got beaten?"

His tone was openly hostile.

Buseon shook her head.

"I'm not interested in your defeat."

"Hah! What a ridiculous thing to say. You must have been laughing to yourself. To someone who had to claw her way up with her meager talent, the defeat of a junior brother hailed as a genius must taste sweeter than honey."

Buseon merely regarded him in silence.

Jeon Hong frowned. For some reason, she seemed like a different person from the Buseon he had known.

"Whatever. Get out of my way."

"Where are you going?"

"Do I have to report my every move to you?"

Unexpectedly, Buseon nodded.

"Yes."

"...What did you just say?"

"Master anticipated that you would do something rash."

Jeon Hong flinched. No matter how wildly he behaved, like an unruly colt, the mere mention of his master was enough to make him lose his nerve.

Buseon continued impassively.

"And Master was hardly the only one who foresaw it. Everyone who knows you expected you to go on a rampage the moment you woke up. And here you are, behaving exactly as we expected."

The corners of Jeon Hong's eyes trembled.

He felt sick to his stomach. Not because of his internal injuries, but because the sight of Buseon insulting him so openly was utterly revolting.

"Master personally ordered me to keep you under control."

"That's absurd! Master has plenty of capable subordinates at his side! Why would he give an order like that to you?"

What he really meant was whether she possessed the ability or qualifications to carry out such a responsibility.

Yet Buseon remained completely unmoved by his aggressive tone.

"Are you questioning Master's judgment? Or do you simply not trust him?"

"...!!"

His attempt to insult her had backfired spectacularly. Jeon Hong could find no answer to her question.

Buseon glanced at his missing arm.

"Go back inside and rest. You may be recovering quickly, but those injuries hardly look like something you can afford to aggravate."

"...Grrr."

She was mocking him. Jeon Hong was certain of it.

Buseon turned away. The cold manner in which she dismissed him, as though she had said everything she needed to say, grated on his nerves.

Unable to contain his resentment, Jeon Hong threw out another question.

"How did you sweet-talk him?"

Buseon stopped.

"What are you talking about?"

"How exactly did you sweet-talk Master into entrusting you with such an important responsibility? Did you bribe him? Or did you offer him a few pretty women?"

"...I didn't realize you had sunk so low."

Killing Intent flickered in Jeon Hong's eyes.

"Sunk so low?! You'd better watch your mouth, or else...!"

"Or else?"

WHOOSH!

Shock spread across Jeon Hong's face.

Buseon had turned her head to glare at him, and the overwhelming aura pouring from her body seemed to seize both his mind and body.

Her power was staggering.

The dark, savage presence that stirred his most primal fears was something he had only ever experienced from his master, Yangcheon.

Thud!

Perhaps the shock was simply too much. Before Jeon Hong knew it, he had collapsed onto the ground.

The corners of Buseon's mouth rose.

At the same time, Jeon Hong's face flushed red. He had made an utterly humiliating spectacle of himself.

"The thing sitting on your shoulders is there so you can think. And that mouth of yours isn't just for stuffing food into. You should also use it to choose your words carefully."

"...!"

"Now I see what you truly think of Master. Bribes? Women? What a joke. A pathetic fool like you has no right to call himself a disciple of the Fighting King. I'm ashamed that I ever felt the slightest envy toward you."

Buseon turned away again.

"Stay in your room and reflect on your actions. If you ignore this warning and do anything foolish, you'll be thrown straight into the Brain Prison."

With that, Buseon disappeared.

Jeon Hong remained seated on the ground, his entire body trembling as though an earthquake had struck.

A moment later...

BOOM!

His fist finally punched a hole in the ground.

"AAAAAARGH!"

*****

The following morning.

"Have you been up all night?"

Yeon Hojeong merely raised a hand in acknowledgment of Jeongan's greeting.

Jeongan looked across from him.

The chair had been pushed back slightly. An empty wine cup and scattered chopsticks lay on the table.

Her eyes narrowed.

"The Lord of Ink Dragon Manor... Don't tell me he's already left."

"He has."

Yeon Hojeong's voice was remarkably dry.

Jeongan studied him for a moment before taking the seat opposite him.

"Commander Yeon, you asked me to accompany you, didn't you?"

"I did."

"I'm sure you had several reasons for inviting me, but you also know that I accepted because I wanted to meet the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor, don't you?"

"I know."

"Then why didn't you call me?"

Jeongan had been aware that a master of unimaginable power had arrived the previous night. She had sensed a powerful wave of Inner Qi coming from the rear garden.

But after that, she had sensed nothing at all.

Which meant that the visitor was a master whose presence lay beyond the reach of her senses.

Without a word, Yeon Hojeong filled his cup. Five liquor bottles stood beside him.

Jeongan waited patiently.

He must have his reasons.

Although they had not known each other long, Jeongan trusted Yeon Hojeong.

At the very least, he was not someone who would lie to her or break a promise he had made. Of that much, she was certain.

After some time had passed, Yeon Hojeong finally spoke.

"Listen carefully."

He told her everything, holding nothing back: why Putuo Hermitage had ended up in its present state and what Yangcheon had in mind.

Rustle.

Jeongan's fingers tightened around her sleeve, trembling faintly.

"All that... All that because of such petty attempts to turn people against one another?"

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

"Don't call it petty. A single whispered word can give someone courage. One sarcastic remark can destroy a person's confidence and rob them of the will to do something they were perfectly capable of doing."

"Even so!"

"What they did was undoubtedly wrong. But would marching in with an army and crushing them have been any better? I wouldn't say so. The important thing is that Putuo Hermitage fell victim to an attack by Ink Dragon Manor."

"That was cowardly. Putuo is a temple where people devote themselves to spiritual cultivation. Even if Ink Dragon Manor harbored ill feelings toward us, they should at least have tried talking to us first..."

"Trying to resolve a conflict through dialogue is the ideal approach. But even the orthodox sects will dispense with conversation and draw their swords when they believe they're stronger than the other side. Why would Ink Dragon Manor be any different?"

"So you're saying we should just let them get away with it?"

Yeon Hojeong's gaze deepened.

"Of course not."

"Exactly. I don't know what happened in the course of all this, but if Ink Dragon Manor is responsible for what happened to my temple, then this is something I absolutely cannot overlook."

"All right. Since you've brought it up, let's hear what you think."

Yeon Hojeong crossed his arms.

Despite having stayed awake all night, his gaze seemed even more penetrating than before.

"If you can't let it go, what do you intend to do? Ink Dragon Manor isn't an organization you can take on with your strength alone. You couldn't even handle Yangcheon himself, much less the entire organization. So are you planning to gather people who will support you and attack Ink Dragon Manor?"

Jeongan did not waver, even though Yeon Hojeong had made no offer to help her himself.

"Of course. I know my own limitations. I'm not someone who places no value on her own life, either. But I can't just sit back and do nothing."

"..."

"You said it yourself before, didn't you, Commander? That I was wrong to respond with half measures. If I had been willing to risk my life and stand against what was happening to Putuo Hermitage, even if I couldn't change things immediately, taking that stand would have been a change in itself."

"I did."

"Now that I know what happened, I can't simply sit still. But I don't intend to gather a force and launch an attack, either. Not yet."

"Then what?"

"I'm going to contact the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor and ask him to meet with me."

Yeon Hojeong burst out laughing before he could stop himself.

The situation was serious, but he simply could not help it.

Jeongan frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, sorry. I'm not laughing because I look down on you. And I'm not dismissing your decision as the shallow thinking of someone who lacks experience. It's just..."

Yeon Hojeong scratched his cheek.

"It struck me that this is exactly what anyone ought to do."

"Of course. Meeting him and talking things through should be the first step."

Her thinking was so straightforward that it bordered on innocence.

But Yeon Hojeong believed her judgment and her determination were right.

She didn't understand the world? She was young and inexperienced?

True enough. But before everyone in the world scoffed at Jeongan's judgment, perhaps they ought to have considered the fundamental problems that had allowed the world to become such a place in the first place.

A conflict had arisen? Then it should be resolved through dialogue.

Dialogue failed? Then they should try talking again.

The other party refused to meet? They should still make every effort to arrange a meeting and talk things through.

Those who committed wrongs should offer sincere apologies, and those who suffered harm should receive appropriate compensation.

That was how things ought to work.

But that's not how the world works.

Jeongan was young and inexperienced. Things would not be resolved simply because she approached them the way she believed they should be handled.

Nevertheless, Yeon Hojeong was genuinely pleased by her determination and resolve.

He raised his voice toward the window.

"Gangryang! Get ready to leave!"

Jeongan tilted her head.

Get ready to leave? All of a sudden?

A short while later, Gangryang came rushing up to the fourth floor.

"What is it, Brother? Why are we suddenly leaving? Where are we going?"

Yeon Hojeong drained the remaining liquor in his cup, set it down firmly, and rose from his seat.

"Where else? We're going back to confront the man who made such a mess of everything."

"What?"

Yeon Hojeong fixed his gaze on Jeongan.

"Are you prepared to risk your life?"

Jeongan nodded vigorously.

"Of course."

"Good."

HISS!

In an instant, Yeon Hojeong expelled the alcohol fumes from his body. He rolled his shoulders as he spoke.

"Let's go set things right, starting with what's been twisted out of shape. That's what we should do."