Episode 1735. What is right? (5)
Settlement after a battle is not as easy as you might think.
Especially if the battle ends in a way that cannot escape the term ‘defeat’, the person in charge of the military is bound to encounter numerous problems.
Morale is low, supplies are cut off, and the enemy may attack again at any moment… … .
And above all, the anxiety that the next battle might lead to defeat again.
Putting all that together was no different from restoring the almost shapeless rags to their perfect form.
Nevertheless, Ho Ga-myeong, the Doksim Raksha, who was in charge of the overall military affairs of the Sapaeryeon, was surprisingly able to accomplish everything without much difficulty.
He was even a person who could fully understand and accept that it would not be possible with his own abilities alone.
Like right now.
The temporary tent was rather crude to be said to be fancy or luxurious. It was a space that would be more appropriate to describe as a bit desolate. Still, no one who set foot here could even dare to say that.
It was because of the large chair placed in the inner center of the tent and one person sitting languidly on it.
Even though the man was not giving off any special energy or doing anything special, he was completely in control of this large tent with just his presence.
“so?”
Jang Il-so, who was leaning awkwardly on a wide chair, asked with an indifferent look.
“I don’t really like talking around. “What do you want to say?”
Jinpyeong, the sun palace lord, bit his lip.
Throbbing.
The wound pierced by the volcanic brat from the previous battle still throbbed. This is an injury that could have been life-threatening if it had not been done properly. Of course, the scars of that battle no longer remain on my body, but the memory of that moment could not be erased or burned.
However, the pain that was actually causing the Sun Palace Lord to groan now was not left behind by that little boy. The Sun Palace Lord said as if he was chewing.
“A thousand-face investigation… … . “What are you going to do with that guy?”
The eyes of the Lord of the Sun, filled with anger, seemed to pierce Jang Il-so at any moment.
“The palace lord must have heard that he attacked me! But why is he still alive and walking around here? why!”
An angry shout echoed throughout the tent.
In fact, it is false to say that a thousand-faced monk walks around here. He has been in hiding since the last battle.
But everyone knew what the Sun Palace Lord wanted to say.
“Answer me, Ryeonju! “Is this really the way of Sapae-ryeon?”
It was not the defeat that enraged the Sun Palace Lord, who barely woke up after losing consciousness for several days. It wasn’t even her archers’ lost lives.
It was the fact that the person who attacked him and caused this whole situation was not punished in any way.
It was difficult for him to tolerate this complacent response.
“I’m not asking you now!”
Jang Il-so did not even move a muscle and looked at the Lord of the Sun in front of him with narrowed eyes. Then he spoke in a sour voice.
“You’ve already said it for the second time. I don’t like taking turns. “Just tell me the conclusion.”
Jang Il-so slowly pushed his body forward, which had been leaning back. Then she tilted her head toward the sun palace and asked secretly:
“What do you want? Tell me. what do you want?”
“… … “His neck.”
“… … “Hmm.”
“At least an arm. No, I’ll have to take one leg. “Otherwise, my anger won’t go away!”
Jang Il-so tapped his cheek in a somewhat exaggerated manner with his long finger, as if he was worried.
“If this matter is not carried out, our sun sign will return to the South Sea immediately. This… … .”
“warning? Or threats? Which one?”
The Sun Palace lord could not continue speaking and closed his mouth. This is because Jang Il-so’s eyes, smiling while resting her chin, felt extremely cool.
“It’s not difficult. Yeah, it’s not that difficult. If you commit a crime, you must be punished. Is not it?”
It was when the Sun Palace Lord was about to quickly nod his head.
“however… … “Then it’s a little unfair.”
“… … “Unfair?”
“Brother Cheonmyeon committed a crime. Because he attacked his colleague. but… … “If that is a crime worthy of having an arm cut off, what kind of punishment should the person who was the direct cause of the defeat by failing to stop those brats be punished?”
At that moment, the Sun Palace Lord’s face visibly stiffened.
“Ryeonju, that’s… … .”
“Answer me. “What kind of punishment should I receive?”
It wasn’t that there was nothing to say about the Sun Palace Lord. But she couldn’t answer. This is because you could see with the naked eye that Jang Il-so’s smiling face was filled with life.
The fear of Jang Il-so, which had been forgotten for a moment due to boiling anger, instantly cooled the Sun Palace Lord’s blood.
“I am… … .”
But he did not back down easily. It is not because of anger. This is because the pride of a sun sign is the sun sign lord himself. Even for that reason, he couldn’t back down like this.
The Sun Palace Lord bit her lip.
“If that’s Ryonju’s answer… … “We will return to Namhae.”
Jang Il-so sighed and shook his head as if he was truly sorry.
“Oh dear. “Why are you acting more and more stupid?”
“… … “Ryeonju!”
“Don’t you know yet? “There is no way back for you now.”
Jinpyeong, who took Jang Ilso’s words as a threat, gritted his teeth. However, Jang Il-so’s next words were a little different.
“The war will end now. Because neither we nor they have the strength to continue this war. “So what happens after that?”
At that moment, Jinpyeong’s eyes briefly wavered.
I’ll say it again, Jinpyeong is by no means clueless. So there’s no way you can’t understand what that means.
After the war ends, there are winners and losers.
Since most of the power they have has already been mobilized, there is no ending in which only moderate damage is done to each other and boundaries are drawn again. There will only be an ending in which one side is completely destroyed.
If that happens… … .
Will the winner, who has swallowed up as much blood and resentment as he can, be satisfied with the fullness of swallowing up a chunk of central land?
When Jinpyeong couldn’t say anything, Jang Ilso burst out laughing.
“From the moment you step into the mud, it is impossible to get out without getting yourself dirty. Either become a mess and survive… … “You either die there, or you only exist.”
“this… … .”
“And it’s a bit unfortunate… … Don’t you have to use anything to survive in that mud? Even if it means being an asshole who sticks a dagger into a colleague’s chest.”
Jinpyeong’s face trembled. She was about to twist her body, unable to bear the anger and humiliation, when Jang Il-so smiled again and opened her mouth.
“Just about half. Half of the wealth that Hao Mun had accumulated so far. That would be more than enough compensation. yes?”
Jinpyeong stared at Jang Ilso with slightly surprised eyes.
“If it’s not enough, I’ll add a little too. It’s probably my fault for not managing it properly. It is said that since he has taken away the wealth that the old black ghost had accumulated, he will be able to at least save his face. How about it, are you satisfied?”
After thinking for a moment, the Sun Palace Lord slowly nodded.
Actually, I didn’t come looking for compensation, but the wealth Jang Il-so presented was an amount that would make even the Sun Palace Lord bewildered. With that money, not only could the Sun Palace’s position be strengthened, but it could also instantly stabilize Yunnan, which would fall into their hands after the war.
If you have that much money, you can endure as much anger as you want.
“The promise is… … .”
“of course.”
Jang Il-so picked up the liquor bottle in front of him and tilted it towards the empty glass.
“I have never once broken a promise until now.”
Two snake-like eyes stared piercingly at the Sun Palace Lord. She still had a smile on her face.
“Drink. “Because alcohol is a good medicine that helps get rid of old emotions.”
Jinpyeong stretched out his hand and took the glass. He hesitated for a moment, but then slowly took a sip of his drink.
Jang Il-so looked at him with a grin.
Jinpyeong didn’t know.
Jang Il-so’s cool gaze seeping through his beautifully curved, oily eyes.
The infinitely cold and deep, bottomless pit-like eyes were pulling the Sun Palace Lord Jinpyeong into a distant, deep place.
After the Sun Palace Lord returned. Jang Il-so, who remained in the tent, raised a glass full of alcohol and quietly looked down at the alcohol, which was flowing as if it was about to overflow at any moment.
It’s in a glass that doesn’t overflow. Just like the current Sapaeryun.
“Would he have been satisfied?”
In response to the question of Hu Jia-myeong, Jang Il-so said while still keeping his eyes on the glass.
“It doesn’t matter. “In times like this, what is needed is not satisfaction, but understanding.”
“I understand… … .”
“To put it further, wouldn’t that be an acceptable justification?”
Jang Il-so smiled.
“Even if you look like that, you have a precious body. Such people sometimes consider grandiose causes more important than practical interests.”
Hu Jiaming nodded in agreement.
Wealth is not important. What is important is that the wealth was obtained in the name of Hao Wen’s apology and compensation for Si Pai Lian. As the lord of the Sun Palace, it will be a sufficient accomplishment to show off to archers.
‘That’s lame.’
I admit that there are aspects of the Sun sign that are unfair. Even if the Sun Palace Lord held Hu Jiaming responsible and tried to cut off his head, he would do so.
But the current response is truly lame. If you have a grudge against Hao Wen-ju, you can go see him in person. Although he went into hiding, he did not leave the battlefield. To visit Jang Il-so to discuss Hao Wen-ju’s work… … .
‘It may mean that there was no intention to hold Hao Wen-ju guilty in the first place.’
Or it may have been a calculation that they could not afford to lose that much power ahead of war. Anyway, with this, the Sun Palace will keep quiet for a while.
“It’s always like that.”
“yes?”
“It’s always close.”
Jang Il-so said, quietly looking at the glass that seemed to be overflowing.
“Doing your best is far from stable. Problems will inevitably arise and things will inevitably falter. “It feels like it’s going to shake and explode at any moment.”
Hu Jiaming nodded without realizing it.
“I guess being able to handle that is an ability.”
Jang Il-so, who was muttering, suddenly looked towards the tent entrance where the Sun Palace Lord had exited.
“Children are easier to handle. “If you put a candy in its mouth, it will stop crying.”
“Are you worried about the Cheonmyeon investigation?”
“Even old ginger is easier to handle than you might think. Those who value their lives more than anything else do not take risks. “No matter how deep the resentment is as the sea.”
Jang Il-so’s eyes sank darkly.
“What’s really hard to deal with is… … “These are things where you’re not sure what you want.”
Hu Jiaming realized who the people Jang Ilso was discussing were.
“Where were they then?”
“It is said that he climbed the mountain and entered the shaman realm.”
“no no. “pseudonym, what I ask is next.”
“… … yes?”
“After that, the fate remained unclear for another day. Then, I calmly rejoined the group. “Isn’t that right?”
Ho Jiamyeong answered yes. But a doubt arose inside me.
Something like that could happen at any time, right? Especially on the battlefield where lives are at stake.
It was right after a big defeat. Even if they had been worrying all day about whether it would be right for them to continue to be with the League of Fighters, it is not something that is worth finding fault with. Because no one has multiple lives.
However, Jang Il-so, who probably knows this fact better than anyone else, is tripping over it.
“Ryeonju. they… … .”
“I know, pseudonym. “Nothing is certain in this world.”
Although the conversation seemed to be flowing, it was strangely disjointed. However, before Hu Jiaming could figure out the reason for the discrepancy, Jang Ilso opened his mouth.
“But. “Even if we can’t make it certain, we can put a knife to his throat, right?”
“… … .”
“Bring the blood palace lord.”
The corners of Jang Il-so’s mouth rose strangely.
“I’m also curious. “What on earth are you thinking?”
The two eyes, which had been so quiet the entire time, also began to sparkle strangely again.
