What On Earth Is This Guy? (4)

Jeok Ho held his breath.

He didn’t even dare lift his head to try and gauge Jang Ilso’s mood.

Most people assume the greatest hardship of serving Jang Ilso is having to watch every move because of his cruel nature.

But that’s something people say when they don’t really know the Ten Thousand People Clan and Jang Ilso.

Those who serve Jang Ilso closely are most troubled not because they must read his mood and change their attitude.

On the contrary, it’s because it’s impossible to read Jang Ilso’s expression that they are baffled.

It was the same now.

On the surface, Jang Ilso appeared angry.

Even if it wasn’t full-blown rage, he at least clearly seemed displeased.

But Jeok Ho had observed Jang Ilso for a long time.

He knew well how futile it was to judge the man called Jang Ilso by outward appearances alone. No matter what face Jang Ilso showed, no one could know what lay beneath it.

“He’s deceiving me…”

A trace of laughter touched Jang Ilso’s voice.

“That Ga-Myung, you mean?”

Jeok Ho made no sound and waited for Jang Ilso’s reaction.

There was no need to overthink it.

He had finished reporting everything he needed to.

Now all that remained was to wait for Jang Ilso’s judgment.

At last, Jang Ilso’s indifferent voice slid into Jeok Ho’s ear.

“Yes. Is that all?”

Jeok Ho slowly raised his head without speaking.

Though he knew it was pointless, he instinctively studied Jang Ilso’s expression; half-shrouded in steam, the face looked, as always, merely bored.

“No need to make such a fuss, tut tut.”

“…Alliance lord.”

“Who’s there?”

“Yes, Alliance lord!”

The young helper who had been on the side waiting darted forward.

She carried a tray with liquor and cups in her hands.

Jang Ilso smiled faintly and praised her.

“A quick-witted child, aren’t you.”

The helper’s face flushed slightly.

Jang Ilso slowly poured the liquor and raised the cup for display.

“If you’re done, be on your way.”

Jeok Ho’s fingertips trembled slightly.

As he’d already suspected, his task was finished.

His job had been only to report what he’d discovered; making any judgment on it was entirely Jang Ilso’s prerogative.

It wasn’t for him to dare interject.

Yet Jeok Ho could not easily back down.

Jang Ilso took a slow sip, then looked at Jeok Ho with a curious gaze and asked.

“Is there some problem?”

“…”

“Or shall we share a drink?”

“Alliance lord…”

Jeok Ho exhaled deeply.

He knew it was presumptuous, but this was the time to speak plainly even if it was impudent.

“I know your trust in the commander is steadfast, Alliance lord.”

“Hmm.”

“But this matter is not something you should let pass so easily.”

Jang Ilso looked at Jeok Ho as if amused.

Receiving that look, Jeok Ho continued calmly.

“If he only moved small and medium sects, I could wait and assume there was a reason. But personally contacting the Lower District Sect is clearly crossing a line.”

A flash of heat briefly stirred in Jeok Ho’s eyes.

“Depending on interpretation, it could be seen as him committing an act he shouldn’t.”

Jang Ilso’s languid gaze met Jeok Ho’s.

Steam still hung thickly between them.

After watching Jeok Ho in silence for a long moment, Jang Ilso chuckled softly.

“Something one mustn’t do, huh.”

A strange gleam of madness poured from his eyes.

“I’d like to hear what you mean by that.”

Jeok Ho bit his lip.

“Alliance lord. The commander has enormous authority. Of course, authority to move the Four Sects Alliance rests with you alone. But as you know, the commander can act on that authority. So can’t he privately move small and medium sects?”

“…And?”

“In other words…”

Jeok Ho spoke as if spitting the words out.

“If the commander harbors other intentions and joins forces with the Lower District Sect, based on the authority he holds, plotting a rebellion wouldn’t be that difficult.”

For a moment Jang Ilso stared at Jeok Ho blankly.

His expression was as if he’d been suddenly struck.

Jeok Ho swallowed dryly, waiting for his reaction.

“…Rebellion?”

“…”

“Ha… hahahaha.”

“…”

“Rebellion? Hahaha! Rebellion! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

The small laugh swelled into raucous hilarity.

He laughed so violently his movements spilled the cup’s liquor into the bath.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Jang Ilso clutched his belly with one hand and laughed for a long while.

Then, wiping a tear that escaped with a finger, he managed to bring his laughter under control.

“Ah… I don’t even know how long it’s been since I laughed like this…”

Jang Ilso, his eyes still touched by amusement, spoke softly.

“That was truly amusing. So now, off you go.”

“Alliance lord…”

Jang Ilso leaned back against the bath wall with an expression of boredom once more.

“Of course you’re doing your duty, but consider my position too. Joining in pointless things is only fun at first. Ga-Myung plotting a rebellion—I’d sooner believe that old Beop Jeong started growing his hair.”

“This matter isn’t so…”

“Enough.”

Jeok Ho flinched at the word.

When he looked up, Jang Ilso’s eyes had become utterly devoid of anything you could call emotion.

At the sight of that gaze, a chill ran through him as if the air had suddenly grown cold, despite knowing it shouldn’t be so.

“I don’t think you’re slandering Ga-Myung. But… you should speak knowing what you’re saying.”

“I…”

“It was none other than I who gave Ga-Myung that authority.”

Jang Ilso laughed.

His lips had regained a flush of color.

“And you’re telling me now that my choice was wrong. Do you understand?”

“I… I don’t mean that…”

“I know you do.”

Jang Ilso’s eyes curved like a crescent.

“If you’d spoken with that intent, this bath wouldn’t still be so clear.”

A chill ran down Jeok Ho’s spine.

For a moment he imagined this clear water stained red by his own blood.

“Anyway, how dutiful. I understand that sentiment well enough, so off you go.”

But Jeok Ho stubbornly would not leave.

Jang Ilso sighed and refilled the empty cup.

Loyalty was good, but dealing with those whose heads didn’t match that loyalty was tiresome.

“Alliance lord.”

“Do you still have something to say?”

“I’m not arguing with intent. I’m arguing for risk.”

“Risk?”

“Yes. One cannot peer into a person’s heart. We must look only at appearances. The forces the commander led, the small and medium southern sects, and the Lower District Sect’s strength combined—it’s enough to threaten you, Alliance lord.”

“…”

“It’s not the commander I fear. It’s the Thousand Faced Scholar. If he’s behind all this…”

If by some one-in-a-million chance that happened, there would be no turning back.

On the surface it might seem difficult for anyone to stand against Jang Ilso, but the crucial point was that the forces were being mobilized by Thousand Faced Scholar and Ho Ga-Myung.

They would never move rashly without conviction.

In the worst case, it might already be a situation that’s hard to reverse.

So we must act quickly, even for a moment…

“Hmm.”

But Jang Ilso continued to look placidly at the cup, a strange smile on his lips.

Gazing at the perfectly still liquor without a tremor, he asked.

“Ga-Myung is dealing with Thousand Faced Scholar?”

“…”

“And aiming at me?”

“Not to that extent, perhaps…”

“Then what choice is there? He should die.”

Jeok Ho, startled, hastily lifted his head.

Eyes wide, he asked again.

“A- Alliance lord?”

“What?”

“Ah, no… how could you say such a thing…”

“Don’t act like a child.”

Jang Ilso’s smile deepened.

It was an ominous smile as if facing an enemy, but his voice was calm.

“If I misjudged someone, who could blame me if they’re killed?”

“Do you really trust the commander that much?”

“No.”

Jang Ilso said as if bored.

“It’s the same even if it’s you. It’s a task I entrusted and authority I granted. If that authority turns against me, the only option is to give up their head.”

“That authority…”

“That’s nonsense. I’m not a god. If I tried to control everything, I’d just be a man limited to this place.”

His lips, reddened with blood, parted and revealed white teeth.

“Isn’t dying by a knife in the back better than rotting away sitting idle? Isn’t it?”

“…”

“Now go.”

Jeok Ho sighed heavily.

“…If so, at least send me to Guangdong. I’ll see it with my own eyes.”

“No.”

“How…”

“You’d, no doubt, try to seize Ga-Myung the moment you saw any problem, wouldn’t you? Whatever he’s doing.”

“…”

“There must be a reason Ga-Myung moves like that. It likely isn’t meant to harm me. So just leave it be.”

Having finished speaking, Jang Ilso slowly drank.

Jeok Ho’s face went blank.

Even Jeok Ho, truly loyal to Jang Ilso, sometimes could not understand him.

“…I will withdraw.”

Jeok Ho left the bath slowly, leaving Jang Ilso who no longer spoke.

Glancing at his retreating figure, Jang Ilso turned to the helper, smiled, and asked.

“Is there any other liquor prepared?”

“I’ll bring it right away, Alliance lord!”

“There now, there now. Don’t run. The bath is slippery. You’ll get hurt.”

Watching the young helper run off, Jang Ilso smiled faintly, tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling.

Steam fuzzed and water beaded on it.

Staring at it, he murmured softly.

“Ga-Myung…”

Ho Ga-Myung plotting a rebellion? That was not even worth suspecting, let alone considering.

And even if such a thing truly happened, it wouldn’t matter.

He could simply die and be done with it.

But it seemed certain Ho Ga-Myung was scheming something.

And he was doing it without reporting to Jang Ilso, even ignoring orders Jang Ilso had given first.

What on earth would Ho Ga-Myung need to go this far for?

“Is it a post worth risking your life for?”

Jang Ilso idly touched his lips with his fingertip.

He slowly dragged his finger across his lips and muttered.

“…There’s something there, isn’t there? Right?”

And whatever it was would be both terribly dangerous and utterly alluring to Jang Ilso.

Because Ho Ga-Myung wanted to eliminate it by any means.

A single word floated into Jang Ilso’s mind.

But it could never be there.

Lost in thought, Jang Ilso snorted a laugh.

If something that could never happen had already happened, why would it be strange for something that shouldn’t be there to be there?

“Hmm.”

His eyes shimmered.

“I’ll at least have to check.”

The corner of his mouth curled into an oddly enticing smile.