In front of the hall where the meeting was being held, Jegal Jain stood with a grim expression.
Although Jong Ligok obediently followed him, Jegal Jain couldn't help but feel annoyed at being ordered around by such a young brat.
'How arrogant...'
If only Hyeon Jong or Tang Gunak had called him instead, he might not have felt so displeased. How disorganized could the Heavenly Friendship Alliance be if they couldn't even handle such a simple task properly?
As he pushed open the door to enter, Jegal Jain could already foresee what was going to happen. But it didn't matter.
'I'll just let off some steam!'
He gritted his teeth, his rough hands opening the door with an uncomfortable grip, revealing his irritation.
But then...
"What, did you have to boil a turtle to eat it? Why are you so late?"
As Jegal Jain stepped into the room, his mouth fell open in surprise. It was the sight of a young brat, his face full of anger, berating him.
'What?'
He was too taken aback to even get angry. He even started to wonder if he had done something wrong.
"Is this... my fault?"
"Everyone else is running around like headless chickens, why did it take you so long to get here?"
The impudent brat glared fiercely at him, leaving Jegal Jain speechless.
"Ugh..."
Just as he was about to let out a sigh of disbelief, the young man snapped again.
"Why couldn't you come earlier when you heard the call? Oh, are you not satisfied with being just a little late?"
Jegal Jain's sanity snapped.
"This...!"
As he was about to shout in anger, Jong Ligok, who was behind him, gently touched his shoulder and stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation.
"Sorry. We'll come earlier next time."
"Yes. It seems like the sect leader's words hold some weight after all."
"...Well, there have been quite a few incidents on our side."
Chung Myung nodded as if understanding.
"Well, anyway, you're all here now."
"I apologize."
As the door opened, Jin Geumryong and Li Songbaek from Southern Edge entered. Chung Myung furrowed his brow.
He hadn't missed the fact that Southern Edge's young disciples might question their qualification to be here! If Mount Hua's Chivalrous Knights were to come out, Jegal Jain could even attack Chung Myung based on his age and generation.
'Let me teach this arrogant man the reality under the protection of the sect.'
Jegal Jain eagerly awaited Chung Myung's words to fall. And finally...!
"Alright, understood. You're very quick."
"As soon as I heard..."
"Oh my! Even the sect leader is here before me. I've never heard of a disciple being late and making the sect leader wait. Martial Arts World is indeed upside down! It wasn't like this in my day!"
Thunk.
Jin Geumryong drew his sword, ready to strike. But Li Songbaek gently grabbed Jin Geumryong's wrist and tried to restrain him.
"...Words won't win against actions, senior brother. If you're not really going to draw your sword, just bear with it."
"..."
Jong Ligok spoke in a stern voice, "Stop wasting time and sit down. This is a serious gathering."
Despite Li Songbaek's protest, Jin Geumryong, who had been stubbornly resisting until then, couldn't argue further against Jong Ligok's words and reluctantly took his seat. Of course, amidst all this, he didn't forget to glare at Chung Myung as if he were about to kill him.
From Jeok Galsin's perspective, who had been anticipating a major clash, this scene was rather unexpected.
The first person to declare his name when breaking Southern Edge's Jin Geumryong's spirit had been Mount Hua's Chivalrous Knight. So, there must have been lingering resentment between them.
Moreover, considering the relationship between Southern Edge and Mount Hua, there was no way this would go smoothly, right?
However, Chung Myung only seemed to show a displeased expression with his arms crossed, but he didn't seem to have any intention of driving the two away.
Feeling desperate as there was no corner where things were going his way, Jeok Galsin couldn't help but speak up.
"...Are the two from Southern Edge allowed to participate in this gathering?"
"Yes?"
"Considering their generation and... position, they can't exactly be considered as senior members, can they? Wasn't this supposed to be a gathering for senior members?"
The faces of Jin Geumryong and Li Songbaek stiffened.
Pretending not to notice their expressions, Jeok Galsin continued. Though unintentionally, they seemed to have taken on the appearance of attacking Southern Edge, but it was too unsatisfying to just let it pass.
"Don't misunderstand. It's not that there's any dissatisfaction with their presence, but rather a question about their qualifications..."
"Qualifications?"
Chung Myung tilted his head with a mocking expression.
Instantly, several people in the meeting room started to avoid making eye contact with Chung Myung and pretended to focus elsewhere.
"Qualifications? What qualifications?"
"...Why are you suddenly saying that? Even if it's something I shouldn't say..."
"No, it's just interesting."
Chung Myung grinned and glanced at Jong Ligok.
"Does Southern Edge really need to fight with the Four Tyrants Alliance, sect leader?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Until a few days ago, those who would have been sitting here cursing us to death, glued to the side of the great bald king, now sit here talking about qualifications. It seems like the world is about to end soon anyway. What else is there to be worried about? Isn't this a mess? This is a mess. Is there really a need to go through all this trouble to fight in such a situation?"
Jeok Galsin's face turned a shade of crimson. He was about to retort sharply.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
"...!"
Suddenly, laughter erupted from beside him, interrupting Jeok Galsin's retort. It was Jong Ligok who had burst into laughter unexpectedly.
"Uh... Sorry."
Jong Ligok coughed and tried to suppress his laughter. He avoided making eye contact with Jeok Galsin.
Chung Myung, mocking, continued, "People should have some dignity."
"...!"
"What's wrong with those who think they're all that just because they've gained a little fame? Constantly getting angry and nitpicking at others. If it were up to temperament alone, you'd just..."
"Come on, let's calm down, military leader. This isn't the time to get angry."
"I'm not angry, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. So let's just... calm down."
Tang Gunak wiped his forehead, dripping with sweat, and tried to calm Chung Myung down. And he thought to himself, 'I knew this would happen.'
Chung Myung seemed to be holding back despite Jeok Galsin's attitude. Even after showing disrespect to Hyeon Jong multiple times. Perhaps Chung Myung had kept those feelings inside him and was now trying to lash out. That's why you always have to be careful with someone who holds a grudge.
"Ha."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue loudly and looked around at everyone.
"So, is everyone really here now?"
Bang!
"I-I'm sorry! I received the message late..."
As Baek Cheon forcefully pushed the door open and entered, Chung Myung grabbed his face in frustration.
"Ugh, damn it. I should've just gone out and died."
"..."
Meanwhile, Jegal Jain took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
In truth, he knew.
The reason his words had been accepted so far was that the Heavenly Friendship Alliance had, in its own way, shown him consideration. But the moment they withdrew that "consideration" and attacked his mistakes, his position would rapidly diminish.
Once the "consideration" disappeared, all that would be left were evaluations of a collapsed Five Great Families and the cause of defeat.
That's why Jegal Jain was quickly trying to rally the Southern Edge and Moyong families. Even if the pretext disappeared, as long as there was power, they wouldn't lose their right to speak.
But that damn kid seemed to know his intentions and rebuffed him before the meeting even started. All eyes were on him as he did it.
He couldn't even properly refute his words, so now his position was almost completely shattered.
"It can't end like this."
If that was the case, there was only one path left. He was the family lord of the Zhuge Family. Armed with logic, he was confident he could crush that soldier with words.
"But why did you suddenly gather everyone like this?"
Just then, Jong Ligok opened the door.
"We need to have a meeting."
"Didn't we already?"
"Can you call what happened earlier a meeting? Everyone just said their piece and it was over."
"Hmm."
Jong Ligok nodded in apparent agreement.
Certainly, all that remained from that meeting was speculation about the existence of a traitor. It was a significant speculation, of course, but it was just one thing.
"So, does that mean you've discovered the identity of the traitor?"
Jong Ligok's eyes sharpened as he looked at Chung Myung. Everyone's gaze turned to Chung Myung.
"As long as there's a traitor within the righteous sects, any measures we take will be meaningless. That's why we couldn't continue the meeting. If there's a spy, our strategies will be exposed, and if there's a traitor, they could backstab those they once trusted. Even so, the fact that you urgently gathered everyone like this suggests that you've discovered the traitor's identity, doesn't it?"
Various emotions flickered in the crowd's eyes.
Curiosity, anger, concern, and a strange unease.
Amidst all those gazes, Chung Myung... rubbed his earlobe nervously. Very nervously.
"What nonsense."
"Huh?"
"Why are you talking such nonsense? What does it matter if there's a traitor or not?"
"Um?"
Jong Ligok didn't even try to hide his confusion.
"What do you mean? Are you saying you don't know the identity of the traitor or whether there is one?"
"No, how would I know that? Do you think I'm some kind of Taoist who can really divine things?"
Chung Myung sighed in annoyance.
"If I had that talent, why would I bother wielding a sword and going through all this trouble? I could just stick a flag somewhere and make money!"
Unexpectedly, Jong Ligok was left speechless, unable to even maintain his composure.
"Do you not know?"
"No. I don't."
"Then... why did you suddenly gather everyone at this late hour?"
"That's why everything's falling apart."
"..."
Chung Myung chuckled dryly.
"The important thing isn't whether there's a traitor or not. The real important thing is..."
"What kind of nonsensical statement is that! Whether there's a traitor is not important!"
At that moment, Jegal Jain cut Chung Myung off and abruptly stood up.
"What did you say?"
"Can you take responsibility for those words?"
Jegal Jain's eyes were burning with fury.
As Jegal Jain shouted, Chung Myung's lips curled up slightly.