〈 Chapter 587 〉 The Little Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace.
“Uihyeon is dead.”
A subterranean space in Hannam, filled with a damp stench.
There, a man knelt, giving a report to someone.
Before the bowed figure.
An old man sat atop a broken rock.
Having heard the report, the old man turned to look at the man.
“The body.”
“We were unable to find it, but judging by the circumstances, it is certain.”
“I see.”
The child is dead.
Hearing those words, bitterness lurked at the old man’s eyes.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
“Furthermore.”
The man added.
“…It seems the formation we deployed has been dispelled.”
At those words, the old man’s brow finally furrowed.
The formation was dispelled?
It was an interesting tale.
“The timing.”
“It was when not even a single shichen had passed since deploying the formation.”
“…Hoo….”
It was the most astonishing thing the old man had heard in recent years.
Whose doing could it be?
He wondered if it might be the Martial Arts Alliance, but the old man knew that could not be.
The Martial Arts Alliance didn’t yet have the capability to dismantle their formation.
It was only natural.
It was the Martial Arts Alliance that had cut off the growth of formations and sorcery with their own hands.
Having abandoned them, there would be no growth.
Therefore, the old man stroked his chin in thought.
‘One shichen.’
A mere one shichen.
If that was the time it took to dismantle their formation, one must have considerable depth in the art.
That was the question.
In all the vast Central Plains, there shouldn’t be anyone as outstanding in formations as they were.
The old man turned his gaze.
“Could it be you?”
At those questioning words, the one at the wall raised his head.
If there were anyone, it could only be him.
When it came to formations, a being as outstanding as he was in the medical arts.
“Sinui.”
“…It could not possibly be me.”
“That’s right. You couldn’t have done such a thing.”
The old man clucked his tongue and laughed.
“If you possessed any conscience, you ought not do such a thing.”
“If it wasn’t you… then who on earth could it be… I cannot fathom.”
“I’m curious, so go find out.”
“…Yes. Great Lord.”
Upon the order, the kneeling man disappeared.
Thus only two remained in the space.
Only then did Sinui open his mouth to the old man.
“Tell me now.”
Hearing him, the old man looked at Sinui.
“What do you mean?”
“The reason you called me here. I’m telling you to speak of that.”
“Mmm.”
At Sinui’s words, the corners of the old man’s mouth rose.
The reason for calling him….
“Because I wished to see a blood kin wandering outside. How does that sound?”
Sinui responded expressionlessly.
Because he knew it was nonsense.
Seeing that, the old man let out a chuckle.
“You are still as bleak as ever.”
“Speak the main point.”
“Very well…. I suppose I must.”
Tap.
The old man descended from the rock and moved toward Sinui.
“How is it? Is life outside somewhat bearable?”
“I repeat, the main point….”
“I am asking what it is like to live as a dog of the orthodox faction, having betrayed one’s clan.”
“Patriarch…!”
“Do you have excuses to spit out, Sinui?”
Many.
There were far too many words, excuses, and pretenses he could utter. But Sinui could not continue.
Because, as the saying goes, they would truly be no different from excuses.
“Whatever life you lived after leaving us, the reason I did not bother to care was simply because you were blood kin. Don’t you know that as well?”
“So, what is it you want from me now after all this time?”
“If you have witnessed such long years, I thought you would know by now. That the orthodox faction has no future.”
He did not refute the words.
It was something Sinui knew as well.
The orthodox faction had no future now.
Though countless reforms were being repeated ever since the Sword Sovereign stepped down.
There was nothing that could be called proper growth.
They merely repeated packaging the world as if it were peaceful.
Inside, it was already rotting, decaying further.
“Therefore….”
Recalling this, Sinui spoke to the old man.
“Perhaps, are you telling me to join your wretched plan?”
“Wretched….”
The old man’s eyes chilled at Sinui’s words.
“If it is not a wretched plan, then what is it?”
Ignoring this, Sinui continued.
“Blinded by revenge, you cannot see an inch ahead. Because of that, the few remaining blood kin are being sacrificed, are they not….”
Kwak—!
The old man grabbed Sinui’s neck as he spoke.
“Kk-euk…!”
“Jegal Uicheon.”
Sinui gritted his teeth with a grinding sound.
It was a name he hadn’t heard in decades.
“Even if all blood kin curse me, it is not something you may do.”
“At least. Truly, at least. It is not something for you who fled forgetting the calamity of the house to say.”
Just as his breath was gradually being cut off, the old man flung Sinui away.
Kung—! Sinui’s frail body rolled and crashed to the ground.
“Yes, you have always been like that since long ago.”
Watching Sinui who was hacking, the old man spoke.
“Among the blood kin who hid away nursing their anger, unable to forget the humiliation suffered at the hands of the Alliance, I recall you were unusually calm.”
It was a tale of the distant past.
An olden tale where even those who remembered were now few.
“‘One must not live drowning in revenge? One must find a different path even now?’ You even so advised the Patriarch of that time.”
There was such a memory.
Recalling that time, the old man laughed.
“What a ridiculous and selfish thing to say.”
“Just what must be forgotten and what must be seen differently?”
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
The laughter deepened.
It echoed through the space.
“Did you wish to live forgetting your karma, Jegal Uicheon? That’s right. Forgetting is truly a convenient thing.”
“…Patriarch….”
“Do not call me so.”
He was no longer the Patriarch.
With no clan remaining, what Patriarch was there?
There was a time he had been called so, but not now.
Not only had he stepped down long ago.
He was the Great Lord.
For now, that was enough.
“Was it comfortable? Those days living while forgetting the grudge of the clan?”
“I… have never once forgotten the clan.”
“How amusing. Do you not know how unsightly your words are now?”
How could one who ran away from the clan to live as a physician say such things?
The one who possessed the greatest talent in formations in the history of the Jegal Clan.
The existence who had been called the hope to raise up the Jegal family.
“That you would throw everything aside and run away—no one knew such a tale.”
“…Are you saying you resent me?”
“Hmm, well. Not now, but perhaps in the past I might have…. However.”
Sinui raised his weary body. Watching him, the old man spoke.
“Even if I resented you, it is not as if you have anything to say for yourself.”
One who escaped from the blood kin filled with rage, who ran to save the lives of filthy orthodox dogs.
What words could he have for them?
“Hundreds of years have passed since the Alliance pinned false charges on the clan and abandoned them miserably.”
The Jegal Clan worshipped the Blood Demon.
Having received such false charges, the Jegal Clan, which sat among the Five Great Clans, fell in an instant.
Extermination orders were issued and countless blood kin perished.
The blood kin who barely survived lived hiding their names.
Such was their life.
“And yet, ‘one must not live drowning in revenge’…. How can you say such a thing? Then, too. And to me now. You ought not say such things.”
“Patriarch.”
“Speak.”
There was one problem.
“How… how can you be certain?”
A slight tremor entered Sinui’s voice.
A question was contained in the old man’s eyes too upon hearing this.
“What do you mean?”
“…That their decision was truly a false charge. I am asking how you can be so certain.”
Shaaa.
Emotion vanished from the old man’s expression.
Seeing that, Sinui could be certain.
“Patriarch…. Could it be you already, already knew…?”
Silence flowed.
It was brief, but in that short silence, Sinui had to feel all manner of emotions.
“Sinui.”
The old man’s manner of address had changed.
“I have realized your will differs from ours.”
An expression appeared on his face again.
Seeing it, Sinui had to feel a chill run down his spine.
“It is merely a shame. With so few blood kin remaining now….”
Though the old man spoke as if he were truly regretful.
Sinui had to sense multiple meanings in those words.
“Since your will differs, it cannot be helped. You may leave.”
“…Patriarch.”
“Do not worry. Even though your will differs, I have no intention of doing anything to you. No matter what, are we not the same blood kin?”
Tsk, tsk.
“That you came in person upon receiving my letter, too. It must be because of that.”
“…Let us end the conversation here. You must be quite busy as well.”
It was a reaction suggesting the old man had no lingering attachment.
Was it truly so? Sinui could not guess.
At that moment.
Squeak—!
A door in the wall opened, revealing the entrance Sinui had used.
It was a clear expulsion.
Sinui said nothing in particular and turned around.
There would be no further conversation.
Immediately after Sinui disappeared, bidding farewell in silence.
The old man returned to the seat where he had been sitting and settled down.
At that moment.
“Will you be alright?”
A voice came from the pitch-black darkness. The old man did not react to it.
Because he had known from the start.
To the worried words, the old man answered.
“What do you mean?”
“…I do not know if it is alright to let him go like that.”
A traitor to the clan.
The shame of the blood kin who alone sought peace when everyone lived sharpening their blades.
The man could not understand.
“If you have judged his will to differ, it would be better to simply kill him….”
“Vice Lord.”
“…Yes, Gre—.”
The old man turned his head to look at the man.
“…!”
Meeting that gaze, the man had to flinch and tremble.
Because the eyes of the old man looking at him were so fierce.
“Have you forgotten our blood oath? I would not have thought you would do so.”
“…I… apologize.”
At those words, the man bowed his head.
“We do not kill the same blood kin. Is that not what we decided?”
“…But.”
“Moreover, this is something that friend knows as well.”
That Sinui took the trouble to come to him for this matter.
The reason Sinui had survived until now despite his betrayal.
It was all the same tale.
“If by chance Sinui goes outside and reveals our affairs….”
“Tsk, tsk.”
The old man laughed at the man’s worry.
His laughter was vaguely tinged with dismissiveness.
“Even if he does, it is already too late.”
Even if Sinui went outside and spread word of this matter.
It was already far too late.
Because he knew that, the old man too had sent Sinui away docilely.
The old man moved his gaze from the man to stare into empty space.
The ceiling where nothing could be seen.
Beyond it, the old man was seeing something.
“The gears have already moved.”
Once moved, they could no longer be stopped.
The resentment and rage toward the Alliance that he had never forgotten for a single moment.
Now was the time to repay it.
The problem was.
“Vice Lord.”
“Yes. Great Lord.”
“For the time being, we will need to keep ourselves hidden.”
“I will relay your words to the personnel.”
The matter of the formation being dispelled meant they needed to act somewhat differently.
‘That it was dispelled means.’
Problems could arise in the matters they had begun to scatter bit by bit in Hannam.
It wasn’t something that concerned him greatly.
Even so, there was a need to be cautious.
Of course….
‘Whatever happens. What is already late is all the same.’
Only that the time has been slightly delayed.
Having thought that far, the old man slowly closed his eyes.
‘Truly… not much remains.’
How long-awaited a matter was this.
The old man had to strive to quell his surging heart.
All that remained now was to watch the Alliance fall to ruin.
Already, no one could stop it.
So long as a great upheaval sufficient to overturn this did not occur, that is.