“Did you say ‘Evil Tyrant Alliance’?”
Hong Dae-gwang nodded furiously at Hyun Jong’s slightly agitated voice.
“Yes! Sect Leader-nim. Evil Sect Tyrant has declared Evil Faction Unification (????(邪道一統)).”
“Evil Faction Unification ....”
Again, a groan came out of Hyun Jong’s mouth as he repeated the phrase.
But Jo-Gol seemed puzzled upon hearing that term and looked back at Yoon Jong wondering as if he didn’t understand.
“Um... Sahyung.”
“What?”
“That, what’s Evil Faction Unification ?”
Aghast, Yoon Jong glanced back at Jo-Gol. Jo-Gol, who read the visible contempt on the expression, protested as if he felt unfair.
“N- No, I know its meaning! It’s about uniting all the Evil Sects, right?”
“...Yes. It’s a relief you know.”
“But, aren’t the Evil Sects already unified? The Five Great Evil Sect has come together as one... Of course, there is Nokrim, but now half of Nokrim belongs to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and has almost completely withdrawn from banditry, so it is difficult to call it an Evil Sect....”
Upon hearing that, Hong Dae-gwang shook his head as he looked toward Jo-Gol.
“That’s half right and half wrong.”
“Yes?”
“It is true that Five Great Evil Sects represent Evil Sects. But the Five Great Evil Sect is not everything there is to Evil Sects. Aren’t there countless Evil Sects in the world?”
“T- True.”
The Galho Sect that Jo-Gol defeated was one of the Evil Sects.
“Now, the Evil Tyrant Alliance has declared to put all those Evil Sects under their command.”
“What? All the Evil Sects?”
It was only then that Jo-Gol, who understood what Unified Evil Path meant, was greatly taken aback.
“Is that even possible? No matter how much.......”
“It’s hard. Considering the nature of Evil Sects.”
“Their nature?”
When Jo-Gol asked what he meant by that, Hong Dae-gwang clicked his tongue.
“Think about it for a second. They’re Evil Sects. Evil Sects! These people intensely dislike rules and regulations. Would those people willingly bow their heads under someone else? Why do you think your Evil Sects are being pushed aside by Righteous Factions?”
“...Is it because your martial arts skills are weak?”
“That’s wrong.”
“Then why?”
“Because they can’t create a big force.”
Baek Cheon asked back as if he didn’t understand.
“But isn’t the Five Great Evil Sects a huge faction comparable to the Ten Great Sects faction?”
“Yes, yes. But that’s the limit. Evil Sects couldn’t grow beyond that. If they tried to expand further, if the leader’s power didn’t reach every corner, there would always be internal strife, and sects splitting up.”
“Oh....”
“The Ten Great Sects and the Five Great Family are all sects that have been around for hundreds of years. But Evil Sects doesn’t last for less than a hundred years, even if it’s a giant sect. Because over time, it collapses on its own.”
Hong Dae-gwang distorted his face.
“So think about it. It is normal for the Evil Sects to be divided even within themselves, but does it make sense for them to sincerely submit to a stronger sect?”
Hyun Jong was deep in thought for a moment, let out a sigh, and opened his mouth.
“Hong Buntaju.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“But as far as I know, the Evil Sects also went under stronger sects?”
“If one looks at the inside story, it’s a little different. There are sects near Mount Hua that went under to Mount Hua too, right?”
“....”
“...Aren’t there?”
“That... Uh....”
That’s when Chung Myung casually interjected.
“Ah, there’s some in Xian now.”
“R- Right! There are! They exist!”
“....”
“What if he fails?”
“He’ll die.”
Chung Myung chuckled.
“He’ll die the most miserable death, without a shred of flesh left. He probably knows that too.”
All small and medium-sized Evil Sects that protest are trampled and subjugated. In the meantime, he must keep in check the other leaders of the Five Great Evil Sect who may try to stab him in the back at any moment.
This is an incredibly dangerous tightrope walk.
Yet, in the lingering aftermath of a war that hasn’t yet subsided, Jang Ilso has declared himself on that tightrope.
“What do you think? What are the odds of him succeeding?”
Chung Myung frowns at Baek Cheon’s question.
“...Four out of ten. No, maybe three... it might even be two out of ten.”
“Two out of ten?”
That’s more like gambling than a calculated risk.
“Even for Jang Ilso?”
Unconsciously, Baek Cheon made a comment that put Jang Ilso in high regard, but there was no need to correct his words.
“It is because of Jang Ilso that I’m giving this much credit. If it were another Evil Sects bastard, he’d already lost his head and turned into dog food by now.”
Ironically, Chung Myung valued Jang Nilso even higher.
“Then....”
Baek Cheon swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth. He pondered whether he should ask or not until the very moment he spoke, but he just couldn’t hold back.
“...if Jang Ilso succeeds through those slim odds. I mean, if he manages to unify all the sects, then what happens?”
“If he succeeds?”
“Yes, if he succeeds.”
Chung Myung twisted the corner of his mouth with a grim expression.
“On the surface, it might seem as if Evil Tyrant Alliance has unified all the Evil Sects, but in reality, Myriad Man Manor would’ve swallowed all the sects. In other words...”
“....”
“A sect that has never been seen before and would never be seen again in the future would emerge.”
Chills ran down Baek Cheon’s back.
“And Jang Ilso would become the only entity leading the largest Evil Sects force of all time. Something that has never been witnessed in the history of Kangho.”
A suffocating silence fell upon the room.
It was such a huge remark that they didn’t even know how to react.
Through the silence, Chung Myung’s faint laughter rang.
People look at Chung Myung with stupefied expressions.
“The madman is acting exactly like a madman would. If he can’t have it all, he’s willing to be torn to shreds and die, right?”
Jang Ilso must have been patient and endured for this very moment.
That Jang Ilso has now started to move.
Then he will never stop until he engulfs the world or burns it all down. Even if he swallows too much and his stomach explodes and he dies, even if he himself burns to death in the fire he started himself!
That’s just how a person like Jang Ilso lives.
Meanwhile, Baek Cheon’s face as he looked at Chung Myung was utterly stiff.
Everyone was weighed down by the enormity of Jang Ilso’s work, but only Chung Myung looked rather delighted.
It could just be a misconception, but.......
“I’m curious, too.”
Then Chung Myung said with a bizarre smile.
“Is Jang Ilso really a vessel that can put the entire Evil Sects under his control, or a f*cking moron who’ll burst from trying to swallow something he can’t digest.”
Chung Myung’s gaze turned towards the door, or more precisely, something beyond it
Until now, the world seemed to be waiting for Chung Myung to move. But now the world has started to come upon Chung Myung.
‘This is what makes it fun.’
Chung Myung clasped his fist tightly.
“However... regardless of that, the outcome will be the same. I’m gonna show you that the screw-up you made can’t be fixed, no matter what.”
Fixing his gaze to the south, he grinned, showing his teeth.
And maybe.
Someone far away from here might be smiling at this side by now.