Chapter 360

Chapter 360
## Chapter 360. Encounter with the Enemy (7)

—

I fought with all my might to prevent my true emotions from leaking onto my face.

Yong-so-a observed me with an entirely indifferent expression.

His lack of emotion only made me push harder to maintain an unreadable mask.

After a moment, I posed a careful question.

I needed to find a solid reason to confirm whether he was genuinely tracking my footsteps.

“To dismantle the Murim Alliance……. What leads you to that conclusion?”

“Because it is an institution that shouldn’t have been established in the first place.”

“……Is it because the Murim Alliance reigns as the undisputed ruler of the Jianghu?”

“I am not simple-minded enough to be blinded by such narrow-minded principles.”

Yong-so-a, instantly detecting the underlying mockery in my words, made a point to clarify his own intentions.

He spoke as though he were stating an undeniable truth, without displaying even the slightest hint of hesitation.

If he was truly that composed…… it meant his motivations weren’t driven by a simple, fanatical belief in becoming the supreme ruler under the heavens.

To test the waters further, I threw out another probe.

“Hmm, it stretches belief to think that a single individual could orchestrate so many massive events.”

“I never claimed a single individual was responsible.”

“Are you implying that this is merely a theory of yours?”

“…….”

Faced with my final inquiry, Yong-so-a suddenly fell silent.

Deconstructing our exchange allowed me to deduce two distinct facts.

First, he strongly suspected that an outside power had covertly influenced the formation of both the Sa-heuk-ryeon and the Nok-rim-maeng.

Second, he didn’t have any suspicions directed at me personally.

‘Then again, pointing fingers at me right now would make little sense.’

Granted, I had laid the groundwork that allowed the Nok-rim-maeng and the Sa-heuk-ryeon to take root, but claiming I built those factions from the ground up would be an overstatement.

That was the honest truth. What kind of power did I possess to achieve something that massive?

I had merely accelerated the timeline for the individual destined to rule the Sa-heuk-ryeon in the days to come.

As for the Nok-rim-maeng, my actions were limited to averting the catastrophe that was meant to strike the Alliance Leader.

My involvement began and ended right there.

Taking credit for their creation would be downright embarrassing.

Consequently, even if a thorough investigation into my actions were conducted, there was zero tangible proof or evidence linking me to the birth of their organizations.

Yet, looking at it from another angle, the realization sent a shiver down my spine.

Despite the lack of any visible anomalies, he still harbored doubts about the origins of the Sa-heuk-ryeon and the Nok-rim-maeng, both of which seemed entirely natural on the surface.

His sheer intuition to sense an artificial narrative and attempt to unearth the hidden architect behind it was nothing short of alarming.

On the surface, his logic mirrored that of the stubborn veterans desperately clinging to their titles within the Murim Alliance.

But beneath that exterior, the underlying mechanism was entirely different.

To be precise, he was echoing the exact theories of men driven purely by passion and self-interest, except he was doing so with absolute detachment and cold logic.

‘He really is…… an unnerving bastard.’

During my previous lifetime, I had often anticipated that the day would come when Yong-so-a—the Dark Heaven Divine Sword—would hunt me down and end my life.

Naturally, the notion of him personally traveling such a massive distance back then was far-fetched.

Regardless, the Yong-so-a I remembered from my past was not a man who would simply let me slip away.

To end up as just another drop of blood on a righteous champion’s blade.

I had always assumed that would be my ultimate destination.

It was a grim expectation, but my foresight had proven accurate, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Though, by a stroke of luck, that bastard Gwak-gung had ultimately intervened.

In any case, I loathed the fact that Yong-so-a was actively probing into the shadows, claiming to chase a phantom adversary.

Because Yong-so-a was precisely the type of man who would unsheathe his weapon based on pure conviction alone, even in the complete absence of hard proof.

If he was bound to disrupt my designs regardless, it would serve me better to redirect his attention toward something that could benefit me.

The catch, however, was that Yong-so-a was no fool.

He would detect a falsehood the moment it left my lips.

After weighing my options carefully for a brief moment, I finally broke the silence.

“Hmm…… now that I think about it, a remarkably similar tale comes to mind.”

“…….”

Yong-so-a, who was in the middle of sipping his tea, tilted his gaze slightly upward.

His posture signaled me to go on, indicating he was prepared to give me his full attention.

‘This arrogant piece of work is putting on the airs of a master.’

I offered that single bait and immediately clamped my mouth shut.

His detached scrutiny pressed heavily against the atmosphere, but I couldn’t care less.

The Yong-so-a standing before me now was not the formidable foe from my previous existence.

Moreover, if I eagerly rushed to convince him, the narrative would lose all its weight.

After all, don’t humans possess the greatest capacity for belief when they are the ones desperately seeking the truth?

“…….”

As I remained motionless, perfectly mimicking a man with nothing left to say, Yong-so-a finally broke the silence after a prolonged lull.

“What kind of tale is it?”

“Pardon?”

For the moment, I persisted in playing dumb.

A faint crease materialized between the man’s eyebrows.

It was quite amusing to witness.

“……I asked you to elaborate on that similar story you mentioned.”

“Ah. That particular matter.”

Then, adopting a completely nonchalant attitude, as if the detail was trivial and of no real consequence to me, I dropped the information casually.

“I am referring to the figures who emerged in Sichuan. Word has it they claimed to be the lineage of the Blood Demon Sect (*Hyeol-ma-jong*). Furthermore, they made an additional declaration. They claimed the remnants of alternative Demonic Sects would soon mobilize to exact their vengeance.”

Naturally, no such words had ever been uttered.

To begin with, the Blood Cult was merely a rogue faction that had severed ties with the original Demonic Cult.

But if Yong-so-a insisted on launching a crusade, wouldn’t it be far more advantageous for the entire martial world if he targeted the underbelly of the Demonic Cult instead of hounding me?

Given the circumstances, even the Great Jade Emperor would overlook a deceptive tale told for the greater good. It was the logical choice.

I absentmindedly twirled my wine cup and gave a careless shrug.

“Granted, no sensible person would place their faith in the hollow boasts of such fanatics. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hollow boasts, you say?”

“Well, isn’t that usually the nature of things?”

I offered a response that neither fully confirmed nor entirely dismissed the idea.

“…….”

Reflecting on my interactions with Jegal-cheon-gi or Jegal-so-myeong, one never needs to present the entire tapestry to individuals of genius intellect.

They prefer to grasp a single, isolated thread and weave the rest of the map themselves; their pride prevents them from standing by while someone else provides an inaccurate guide.

And my assumption hit the mark flawlessly.

“…… Judeo-Christian.”

Yong-so-a’s gaze sharpened, as though he had extracted something invaluable from the crumbs of my statement.

“Other Demonic Sects, is it……”

At the very least, this distraction seemed to successfully divert a significant portion of the suspicion aimed at me.

Yong-so-a appeared to plunge deep into his own thoughts, likely constructing a grand scheme within his mind.

I assumed I could finally enjoy a brief moment of relief…….

“Something is amiss.”

All at once, Yong-so-a’s eyes flashed with renewed intensity.

“It strikes me as peculiar that you are only choosing to share a piece of intelligence this vital with me at this exact moment.”

He fixed me with a gaze that practically radiated distrust.

“It borders on calculated.”

Damn it all, there really is no pleasing this man.

Contrary to my initial anxieties, Yong-so-a refrained from interrogating me or raising further objections for the remainder of our journey.

Whether he was deliberately masking his lingering doubts about me, or simply too engrossed in planning his pursuit of the scattered Demonic Cult survivors, I couldn’t entirely tell.

Regardless, Yong-so-a remained largely silent.

I had assumed he would redirect his course toward Sichuan the instant the words left my mouth.

“Yong-so-a, you ought to sample this dish as well.”

“…….”

Yet, Yong-so-a did not break away from our traveling party.

To make matters worse, it became an absolute trial because I was forced to share a table with them every single time we stopped to eat.

‘Seriously, why does he insist on dining at the exact same table?’

On several occasions, I deliberately sought out the most isolated spots, attempting to blend into the crowd of academy students just to evade their company.

“Jin-so-un, do you find this particular spot to your liking?”

Dang-seo-hui, weaving effortlessly through the gathering of students, would inevitably displace whoever was seated next to me before I could even object.

Following that, after Hwa-jeong-san cleared out the remaining academy students with a few intimidating glances, Yong-so-a would calmly stroll over and claim the vacant seat.

“I was under the impression you served as the Unit Commander for these youths, so why do you persist in hiding in the shadows?”

“I fail to comprehend why you consistently choose to exhibit such out-of-character behavior.”

Because sitting across from you lot ruins my damn appetite, that’s why.

“…… Tensor.”

Aside from that recurring annoyance, no other complications arose.

Though truth be told, that situation on its own was a massive pain in the ass.

Even as we progressed further, the journey remained relatively peaceful.

I had fully anticipated that the moment we set foot back inside the academy grounds, my first destination would be the Execution Hall.

Because I was entirely convinced that the instructors had orchestrated some kind of underhanded trap.

Furthermore, the toll of academy students who had perished within the confines of the Silent Forest was staggering.

Given that the value of every single life lost was immense, I knew the aftermath would not be smoothed over easily.

After all, those corrupt instructors would never willingly answer for their misdeeds.

‘Naturally, I had absolutely no intention of acting as their scapegoat either.’

However.

“It brings me great relief to see you return unharmed.”

Instead of the arrest warrant I had braced myself for, the Execution Hall representatives tasked with greeting us behaved with utmost professionalism and respect.

“Word has reached us that academy representative Jin-so-un personally guided the surviving student body to safety.”

An officer who appeared to hold significant seniority went so far as to use formal honorifics with me while requesting my participation in the debriefing.

“My objective is simply to conduct a routine preliminary inquiry prior to the official, formal investigation.”

He didn’t even insist on escorting me directly to the formal interrogation rooms of the Execution Hall.

Instead, I found myself sitting across from two officers inside the familiar confines of the academy representative’s office, conversing in a surprisingly relaxed setting.

Naturally, I made sure to keep the Seven-Colored Flower safely hidden away.

“……Hmm, so you are asserting that under those dire conditions, you took charge of the students and managed to break out of the demonic territory?”

The Execution Hall investigators listening to my account traded a subtle, unreadable look between themselves.

I leaned back against my chair and spoke in a measured tone.

“Correct. Is there an issue with my statement?”

“No. It is less an issue and more…… a question regarding the sheer credibility of the events.”

Credibility? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“If you are embellishing the details to secure greater recognition, there is truly no necessity for it. Academy representative Jin-so-un has already amassed a more than sufficient record of achievements. Securing additional merit points at this juncture will not yield any significant benefit.”

He spoke with a courteous, almost patronizing tone as if he were looking out for my best interests, but his words lit a sudden fuse of anger deep inside me.

“……I provided you with the bare minimum of what occurred. Furthermore…… I have zero desire to inflate my own record by capitalizing on the deaths of my fellow academy students.”

“Ah, pray accept my apologies. It was never my intention to trivialize the loss of your companions.”

“…….”

The mention of them as ‘companions’ struck a heavy, unexpected chord in my chest.

When I really thought about it, we were never actually friends.

Had they made it back alive and walked the stage at graduation alongside me, we likely would have gone our separate ways without ever sharing a meaningful bond.

That was the bitter irony of it all.

The reality that I only truly came to view them as companions after their breathing had stopped.

“I apologize if my phrasing caused offense.”

“……I understand.”

I chose not to press the matter any further.

Truthfully, I was having a hard time adjusting to the uncharacteristic leniency displayed by the Execution Hall staff.

“For the time being, we shall conclude our initial inquiry here.”

“Do you have no inquiries regarding the events that transpired at the Mandok-mun?”

“Ah…… well, that particular affair will be thoroughly examined once the primary investigation gets underway. However, you need not lose sleep over it.”

To my astonishment, they exhibited virtually no curiosity regarding our detour to the Mandok-mun, an action I was certain would land me in hot water.

Of course, the clarifying remark the investigator offered immediately afterward left a sour taste in my mouth.

“Taking into account the official report submitted by Yong-so-a, the mere fact that your group survived the journey to the Mandok-mun is nothing short of a divine intervention.”

As I suspected, there was a hidden catch.

Even though my personal account was undoubtedly far more detailed and offered a much clearer picture of the crisis.

They placed immensely more weight on a document simply because it bore the prestigious name of ‘Yong-so-a.’

“…….”

Once more, the vast chasm between his societal standing and my own stared me in the face, sending a surge of resentment through my veins, but I quickly forced myself to calm down.

An immense number of lives had been extinguished throughout this ordeal.

Individuals who weren’t close to me in life, yet had transformed into companions only in death.

Even though we shared no fond memories while they walked this earth, it was my solemn obligation to honor their passing.

Swallowing my fragile pride for a moment was a small price to pay.

Some might mock me, questioning why I was burdening myself with such pointless guilt when my tenure as the leader of the Sahwal Unit had already concluded.

Yet, during the specific window of time when I functioned as their commander.

And

At the exact moment they executed my strategies without a single shred of doubt.

I was the one who held the scales of their survival in my hands.

They had placed their complete faith in me, effectively handing over their very existence to my keeping.

Because of that, I refused to turn a blind eye to that obligation, unlike the wretched figures from my previous life whom I utterly despised.

“We shall break off today’s session with this.”

The moment I stepped out of the building following the conclusion of the debriefing, a massive crowd of academy students was waiting outside the entrance of the representative hall.

“What is the meaning of this?”

When I called out to them with a bewildered expression, the gathered students finally noticed my arrival and turned around to face me.

“Unit Commander?! The Unit Commander has finally emerged!”

“Commander! Did those bastards subject you to something terrible in there?”

“Did they attempt to pin the blame for the entire disaster on your shoulders, Commander? We tried to force our way inside to defend you, but they barred the doors! Those miserable cowards……!!”

The crowd consisted of everyone from the former squad leaders to those who had been dragged straight from the Medical Hall, their bandages still fresh and wounds unhealed.

“…….”

Every single survivor had assembled there, their eyes fixed intently on me.

I forced open my mouth, though the words felt incredibly heavy to utter.

“……What nonsense are you spouting about a Unit Commander? It has already been days since we crossed the border out of Yunnan.”

Hearing my dismissive reply, the academy students raised their voices in protest.

“What a miserable thing to say! Once someone leads us as Unit Commander, they hold that title for life, isn’t that the rule!”

“Exactly! The Sahwal Unit literally walked through the jaws of death together! You are obligated to remain our honorary commander!”

“Don’t think you can just slip away from us like this! The Commander still owes us a massive round of drinks!”

Good grief, what kind of insubordinate soldiers speak to their superior officer with such complete lack of respect?

“You absolute lunatics.”

Even the individuals who would typically tremble at my harsh language merely grinned back at me, flashing their teeth in a ridiculous display of camaraderie.

“Heh, since our Unit Commander is completely unhinged, it only stands to reason that the subordinates would turn out crazy as well.”

“They do say that people naturally begin to mirror one another when they survive the same battalion, don’t they? Bahahaha!”

Staring at the crowd of youths who were desperately forcing themselves to maintain a facade of exaggerated high spirits, it became painfully obvious that I wasn’t the sole person being crushed under the memory of our fallen peers.

Every single one of them was fighting with all their might against the suffocating weight of grief.

Because if they allowed themselves to sit quietly within the isolated walls of a private hospital room after making it back alive, the darkness would inevitably creep back in.

Knowing that they would completely break down if they let themselves dwell on the crushing sorrow and remorse that threatened to drown them like an incoming tide, they fabricated any flippant excuse they could find to gather together and put on an act of forced cheerfulness.

Recognizing the pain hidden behind their laughter, I chose not to shatter their illusion.

“Quit babbling idiocy and return to your recovery wards. I don’t want to hear anyone whining that their wounds hurt too much to drink when the time comes to empty those liquor jars.”

Ultimately, this emotional burden was a cross each individual had to bear on their own strength.

Just as I intended to carry mine, they had to learn to shoulder theirs.

If they failed to master that resilience in the days ahead.

“Let us reconvene once everyone has fully mended.”

Then nothing but a grim, unforgiving reality awaited them—one where survival would be entirely out of reach.