Tempest in the Dungeon (2)
He hesitated, unable to answer my first question right away.
The second question I posed was even more direct and forceful.
“Would you give up your position as leader for her?”
It was a question he hadn’t anticipated, and it must have thrown Ma Cheol-gun into turmoil.
In the end, he expressed his confusion through anger.
“Who do you think you are to ask me that?”
I met his gaze, unfazed, and replied, “A foolish choice.”
“What?”
“She betrayed the organization and risked her life for you. And what have you done for her?”
Ma Cheol-gun’s eyes wavered. Before his wounded pride could spiral out of control, I softened my tone.
“I understand. You need time to sort out your thoughts. But this isn’t the time to be complacent. Her life might be hanging by a thread.”
At least for now, she was the panacea for Ma Cheol-gun’s troubles.
“How do we find her?”
“To find her, you need to find the head of the organization.”
“Why?”
“If she’s been captured, it’s likely by the leader. Even if she escaped, the organization will hunt her down. He never forgives betrayal. Either way, the only way to save her is to find and eliminate the leader.”
Ma Cheol-gun seemed to agree with my assessment.
“Who is this leader?”
“All I know is that he’s an old man. He’s shrouded in secrecy.”
“How do we find him?”
“Ju Cheol-ryong.”
“Of course, it had to be him.”
“Using Ju Cheol-ryong, we can trace the leader.”
Ma Cheol-gun had already considered this. He had recently invited Ju Cheol-ryong to a drinking session to gauge his intentions. Ju Cheol-ryong had been arrogantly dismissive.
In truth, Ma Cheol-gun hadn’t come to the dungeon for answers or to provoke the man inside. He wanted to make a good impression on someone she trusted, hoping for a favorable word from her later.
“I hope you understand why I can’t release you yet.”
“It’s fine. This place might be safer for now.”
“Thank you for seeing it that way.”
With a determined look, Ma Cheol-gun added, “I will save her.”
After Ma Cheol-gun left, Cheonma evaluated him harshly, dragging the fate of the martial world into the critique.
[That guy as the leader of the martial alliance? The righteous martial world is doomed.]
[And whose fault is that?]
[You’re not saying it’s mine, are you?]
[Would it be mine, then?]
[You fool! You should take responsibility for the fate of the righteous path.]
I couldn’t help but think he might be right.
After Ma Bong-gi, Ma Cheol-gun became the leader. The key figures of the martial alliance had become puppets of the hidden powers. The alliance was at its weakest since its inception.
If a war like the one in the past broke out now, could Ma Cheol-gun handle it? Not a chance. He wouldn’t last a year before being killed or forced to take his own life.
Cheonma rambled on about the rise and fall of the righteous and demonic paths. When I didn’t engage, he eventually spoke in a resigned tone.
[Honestly, what do the righteous path and the martial alliance matter? Life is fleeting. It’s best to enjoy good scenery, drink, and the company of beautiful women.]
[And what would that leave behind?]
[Joy, I suppose. You don’t know much about women, do you?]
[I know enough.]
[Ha, what would a righteous old-timer like you know? Come, let me show you the true world of women. Now that my inner strength is restored, let’s break out of here.]
The devil’s temptation is frightening. I found myself wondering if living like that, even once, might not be so bad.
[No.]
[Why not?]
[Because I have things to do. Things to protect.]
[Why? Why do you have to do it? Why do you have to protect them? Let everyone fend for themselves!]
He seemed eager to pick a fight. I knew I couldn’t make him understand with a few words. Cheonma wasn’t arguing because he didn’t understand my heart.
When I didn’t respond, Cheonma finally said, [You’re trapped in a mold.]
Perhaps that’s what he wanted to say all along.
After a long pause, I replied, […Maybe so.]
Galsaryang and Baekpyo met early in the morning at Blue. They had decided to use it as their base until the current situation was resolved.
“Are you worried?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yes. To be honest, when I first heard that our lord was imprisoned, I was very worried. But now, I’m okay. He’s someone who can handle things on his own.”
“That’s true.”
Galsaryang smiled faintly. Despite the dire situation, the two seemed quite at ease. The one most anxious and busy was Ban Seojeong, the leader of Cheonmanghoe, who was anxiously waiting for news with her information network focused on the dungeon.
Baekpyo, gazing out the window, suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
“I often think of the time our lord gave Myung-yi some pocket money and patted his head, telling him to listen to his parents. For some reason, recalling that moment always puts me at ease. Isn’t that strange?”
“Not at all.”
“Pardon?”
“Someone who protects what’s most precious, who gives that kind of trust—that’s our lord’s greatest strength. That’s why we can trust him. That’s why you could entrust your wife and Myung-yi to him, right?”
“Yes.”
Thinking of his wife and son, a deep longing crossed Baekpyo’s face.
“Do you miss your son?”
“I miss him a lot.”
Baekpyo grinned. The grueling training with the Black Panther Squad was bearable because of his wife and Myung-yi. He wanted to rush to see them right away.
Myung-yi must have grown a lot by now.
For now, he was substituting his longing with the occasional letter.
Galsaryang’s gaze softened as he looked at Baekpyo. Even though he wasn’t married, he understood Baekpyo’s feelings for his family.
“Trust in our lord, trust in yourself, and trust in the fate of your wife and Myung-yi. Everything will be fine.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two exchanged smiles. Yes, it was because of people like them that they could endure and move forward.
Just then, a guest entered Blue.
Ban Seojeong approached them with a new report.
“We’ve received contact from our person in the dungeon.”
Galsaryang and Baekpyo tensed at her words.
“They’ve managed to release the pressure points and can now use their inner strength.”
Both Galsaryang and Baekpyo sighed in relief.
“Ah! As expected of our lord.”
“Indeed.”
They knew better than anyone how difficult it was to break the suppression techniques used in the martial alliance’s dungeon.
Baekpyo looked at Galsaryang and said, “It seems the most unnecessary worry in the world is worrying about our lord.”
“That’s why we must worry about him.”
“Sir? What do you mean?”
“Do you think the fate of this world will leave someone as great as our lord alone?”
Finally understanding Galsaryang’s point, Baekpyo nodded.
“You’re right. I’ll stay vigilant and work even harder.”
Galsaryang nodded. It felt like urging a horse already running at full speed, but it was better than leaving room for regret.
Galsaryang turned to Ban Seojeong.
“Could I trouble you for another cup of good tea?”
Now that his mind was at ease, he thought he might as well enjoy another cup and linger a bit longer.
The atmosphere in the cave was as somber as the hearts of those within it.
A bizarrely shaped mirror was affixed to a secluded wall, exuding an eerie aura as if something might leap out at any moment.
An old man and a man without eyebrows stood before it.
“After the grand ritual failed, we activated the Soul-Seeking Mirror. But we haven’t found Cheonma’s soul yet.”
Indeed, the mirror showed nothing.
“Has it vanished into the underworld?”
“It seems so.”
“Even if it possessed someone, wouldn’t the mirror detect it?”
“Yes, but no human without a prepared vessel could withstand Cheonma’s soul.”
“So, it’s gone to the afterlife.”
“Yes.”
“What a pity. We invested so much time and effort.”
The old man wasn’t one to dwell on past failures. He was ready to move on to the next step.
“Given the circumstances, we must proceed with the plan.”
The man urgently protested.
“That’s too dangerous.”
“But we have no other choice.”
“I’ll find another soul to replace Cheonma.”
The old man shook his head dismissively.
“Think of how much time, money, and effort we’ve invested in this. I don’t have that kind of time anymore.”
“But the chances of success are less than ten percent.”
“We must try anyway.”
“Sir!”
At that moment, there was a sound from outside. A man in black entered, delivered a message, and left.
The man returned to the old man, looking shocked.
“What is it?”
“A report from the martial alliance.”
“What is it?”
“The person who seems to have disrupted the grand ritual is imprisoned in the martial alliance’s dungeon.”
“What?”
The old man was taken aback.
“Why is this report only coming in now?”
“The cave was sealed for treatment, temporarily halting reports.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
It was an order he had given himself, sealing the cave for Cheon So-seon’s treatment.
“The one who disrupted the Grand Ritual is locked up in the Martial Alliance’s dungeon?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Who is he?”
“His identity remains unknown. We suspect he might be the one who’s been opposing us all along, or perhaps one of his subordinates.”
“It was the man I saw that day.”
“Really? What makes you so sure?”
“Who else in this world could kill the Twelve Sages and the Sword Master in one sitting? And even injure So-seon so gravely? It must be him.”
The old man recalled the figure from that day. He had never encountered anyone with such formidable skills since he first entered the martial world.
“And this man is captured in the dungeon?”
The old man asked skeptically, and the man reported back.
“They say he was caught in the explosion. Currently, both his blood energy and internal power are suppressed.”
“Is that so?”
The old man’s eyes gleamed sharply. This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate him.
“What about Ma Cheol-gun?”
“He met with him but didn’t take any further action.”
“He believes he was saved by him.”
“That’s highly likely.”
“We must deal with him before he leaves the dungeon. Can it be done?”
“It’s possible, but it will require significant sacrifices. As you know, the security of the Martial Alliance’s underground prison is always at the highest level.”
Under normal circumstances, they would have retreated. The organization had been on a losing streak, and after the failure of the Grand Ritual, they couldn’t afford to waste any more resources.
But they couldn’t forgive the one who disrupted the ritual. Especially since Cheon So-seon nearly died because of him.
“It doesn’t matter. We must kill him this time. If he escapes the dungeon, we’ll need ten times the strength we have now.”
With eyes burning with determination, the old man added, “I don’t like it, but we’ll have to ask them for help.”
[Hey, Cheon-gwang.]
For the first time in a while, I reached out to Cheonma first.
[You brat! I told you not to call me by my name, and here you go again!]
Yet, he secretly enjoyed it when I did.
I understood how he felt. I was the same. Back when I was the leader, no one ever called me, “Hey, Hajin.”
There’s a certain thrill in experiencing something new. Living as an outcast, I’ve had my fill of such experiences, so I could guess how Cheonma felt.
[What else would I call Cheon-gwang but Cheon-gwang? I can’t call you Baek-gwang, can I?]
[Good grief! Such a corny old man’s joke!]
[Hahaha.]
Still, he was curious about why I called him.
[Why did you call me?]
[Teach me a demonic art.]
[What?]
Cheonma was taken aback.
[No way!]
[No? Fine, then.]
After a moment, Cheonma asked. He couldn’t resist his curiosity.
He asked cautiously, [I won’t teach you, but… what kind of demonic art are you interested in learning?]