As he stepped out from the makeshift military advisor's tent, the subordinates followed suit.
"The military advisor, where is the Alliance Lord...?"
Instead of answering, Hu Jiaming glanced briefly at the subordinate. Sensing his mistake in the cold gaze, the subordinate quickly got to the point.
"There are murmurs of discontent centered around the Sun Palace."
"Be more specific."
"...It's been over three days since we arrived here, yet there hasn't been any sign of progress... Whether to advance or retreat, or at least to communicate intentions of staying here, they demand clarification."
Hu Jiaming's face cooled slightly.
"Just three days and they're already impatient."
"..."
"That's not all you want to say, is it?"
Hu Jiaming asked sharply, almost mocking.
"And the others?"
"There hasn't been any significant reaction yet, but..."
The subordinate's voice trailed off momentarily, instinctively glancing sideways before returning.
"Some... harbor doubts..."
Tsk.
Hu Jiaming's footsteps on the stone floor grew slightly louder. The subordinate quickly closed his mouth.
"Pathetic."
"...Apologies."
Only a few days had passed since the Evil Sect's unprecedented victory over the Four Symbols. Yet, discontent was already brewing?
"How tiresome."
While aware of the nature of the Evil Sect, it was still disillusioning every time. The subordinate added,
"...There's no need to worry too much yet."
"Understood."
Hu Jiaming brushed past the subordinate and moved on. The subordinate, who seemed to want to say something, hesitated and then bowed his head.
Hu Jiaming couldn't help but emit a discomforting grunt.
"Just... ten days."
Without the name Jang Ilso, it wouldn't last even ten days. That was the nature of this sandcastle called the Four Tyrants Alliance.
No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many accomplishments he amassed, once the pillar named Jang Ilso crumbled, everything would collapse like a pavilion of the Four Symbols.
"To think they're questioning a victory just achieved."
Hu Jiaming's steps towards the grand hall ahead grew irritated. He swiftly ascended the short steps leading to the hall, passing even the guard stationed there. He sharply eyed the subordinate standing at the door.
The subordinate flinched.
"G-General, to see the military advisor..."
"How long have you been inside?"
The subordinate couldn't even meet Hu Jiaming's eyes properly and bowed deeply. Fear was evident.
"Uh, I, I've been here since last night..."
Hu Jiaming's gaze grew colder.
"Devotion to one's master is admirable, but overstepping bounds often leads to consequences."
The subordinate began trembling like a leaf.
"Again."
"I-I mean, actually, since yesterday afternoon..."
The subordinate paled, continuously bowing his head.
Hu Jiaming withdrew his gaze, devoid of any warmth. The door remained tightly shut.
It wasn't the subordinate's fault.
"Who went in during that time?"
"Uh, nobody was allowed in, sir."
Hu Jiaming nodded briefly.
"Open it."
The subordinate seemed on the verge of collapsing.
It's understandable; the one who forbade entry was Tyrant Jang Ilso himself. And the one ordering to open it was Hu Jiaming, the military advisor of the Four Tyrants Alliance.
From their perspective, it was hard to ignore anyone's words. Helpless and trembling, there was nothing they could do but stand there, quivering.
"...No, never mind."
Finally exhaling softly, Hu Jiaming grasped the door handle himself. The subordinate involuntarily took a hesitant step back.
Hu Jiaming stood before the large bed, where Jang Ilso lay motionless, consumed by the thick scent of incense and alcohol. Despite repeated calls, Jang Ilso remained unresponsive, lost in a drunken stupor or perhaps a dreamlike state. Suddenly, Jang Ilso's hand shot out, gripping Hu Jiaming's face with a strength that sent shivers down his spine. As Jang Ilso struggled with his own demons, Hu Jiaming wrestled with his fear, knowing the danger of the situation. But what troubled him most was not the peril he faced moments ago, but rather the precariousness of Jang Ilso's current state.
After a tense moment, Jang Ilso released his grip, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Hu Jiaming with a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. As Jang Ilso reached for a nearby bottle, Hu Jiaming couldn't help but notice the trembling of his hand, a stark contrast to his usual composure. Despite the lingering thirst, the bottle emptied quickly, leaving Jang Ilso staring into the void with a dry chuckle.
The sound of a shattered bottle broke the silence, Hu Jiaming wiping his face with a trembling hand, sweat glistening on his brow. He knew Jang Ilso better than anyone, yet the man before him now seemed like a stranger, battered by the winds of fate.
With a calm but firm voice, Hu Jiaming urged Jang Ilso to rise, reminding him of his responsibilities as the alliance lord. As their brief exchange ended, a heavy silence descended upon the room, filled only by the echoing breaths of two men adrift in their own turmoil.
Before long, a faint chuckle echoed above his breath.
"Knock knock knock."
Jang Ilso's hand slowly fell away from his face.
Simultaneously, Hu Jiaming let out a short sigh. Once again, Jang Ilso's familiar face was revealed before him.
It was a demeanor overflowing with composure, cunning, and the unsettling presence of a ruler of the times.
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso's eyes, now returned to their natural state, stared intently at Hu Jiaming.
"Do you have doubts?"
"Yes, sir alliance lord."
Jang Ilso chuckled softly.
"It can't be helped."
Jang Ilso pulled himself up slightly.
"Aren't you curious if those hesitations stem from my looming confrontation with that leader and the significant injuries I might sustain?"
Hu Jiaming couldn't deny it.
"If I do suffer injuries, it would only make those wounds more enticing for me to exploit."
Jang Ilso chuckled knowingly before smoothing his tousled hair.
"Understood."
"...Sir alliance lord."
"You've rested enough; now it's time to move again. Stop worrying and summon the subordinates."
He was diplomatic, but when Hu Jiaming didn't budge easily, Jang Ilso clicked his tongue lightly.
"Anyway, worrying like an old man won't help."
Jang Ilso rose slowly from his seat.
"I've been itching to move anyway. Even if I wanted to rest, the snorting of those pig-like creatures would make it impossible."
A twisted smile played at the corner of Jang Ilso's mouth. It was only after seeing this that Hu Jiaming finally nodded.
"I will summon the subordinates."
"Very well. Might as well have a bottle of wine."
"That's absolutely not allowed."
"Such cruelty."
Hu Jiaming turned and left the chamber. One thing was certain: regardless of the situation, Jang Ilso remained unchanged.
However... even so, Hu Jiaming couldn't bring himself to ask.
In his heart remained one true question.
The jaw.
Alone now, Jang Ilso sank back onto the bed. His groping hand, reflexively searching for a bottle of alcohol, soon faltered.
His head slowly drooped. His unfocused eyes gazed up at the ceiling.
His vision was hazy.
The once blurry ceiling sharpened, then quickly blurred again. No, it distorted into a different image from the initial one, gradually changing.
Red, it was red.
An unforgettable sight.
The vast land was entirely crimson. It overlapped with the ceiling before him.
Everything was returning to death. That sight, which he would rather have not seen, remained etched in his eyes as if refusing to disappear. It kept appearing.
"...Even when I open my eyes, it's the same."
A short, rueful laugh escaped his lips.
Everything in the world crumpled and distorted, melting into that place. Pouring, tangling, collapsing.
Everything he had created. Everything his touch had reached. Things he once held and trusted. And... even Jang Ilso himself.
A red, red, red, and red world.
In his slowly flickering and withering vision, the destruction of everything in the world loomed.
And in the midst of that world, stood someone alone.
Jang Ilso, who had just regained some composure, felt his hand trembling once more.
A figure amidst the crimson-drenched world.
That figure constricted his breath.
The figure of someone he had never seen before. The one who would turn everything back to ruin.
"Knock... knock knock."
A dry laughter escaped from Jang Ilso's lips.
"...There's no time."
He had to hurry a little.
His oily eyes gradually reddened once again. The color of the world he saw, bathed in that crimson light.