Jang Mugeuk’s gaze was ordinary.
He didn’t have the same intensity in his eyes as the others, nor did he seem to be pressuring with his qi. But the moment Jin Siwoo, who was standing by Pyo-wol’s side, looked him straight in the eyes, he froze and couldn’t breathe properly .
It was as if a giant rock was weighing down on his chest, making it impossible for him to even breathe.
Jin Siwoo’s face instantly turned white.
Since Jin Siwoo had Jin Geum-woo as his elder brother, who was among the top ranked warriors in the world, the standards by which he evaluated warriors were high.
He had the tendency to compare them to his older brother, whether they would be above or below Jin Geum-woo.
Until now, there were only a few people whom Jin Siwoo thought were clearly superior to Jin Geum-woo.
One of them was Pyo-wol.
While he couldn’t exactly tell how strong Pyo-wol was, he still vaguely thought that Pyo-wol might be stronger than Jin Geum-woo.
However, when he met Jang Mugeuk today, he was shocked in a different way from Pyo-wol.
He felt a mountain-like pressure coming from Jang Mugeuk’s body.
The force was pressing him down so much that he couldn’t even move a muscle.
Jin Siwoo raised his qi as he tried to continue looking at Jang Mugeuk.
‘What the hell is this–’
People often evaluated Jang Mugeuk in the same rank as Jin Geum-woo. However, the Jang Mugeuk whom Jin Siwoo had seen today with his own eyes could not be said to be equalled.
Jin Siwoo felt his entire body tremble.
He looked away from Jang Mugeuk and looked at Pyo-wol instead.
He thought that Pyo-wol would definitely feel some pressure as well. However, contrary to his expectations, Pyo-wol didn’t seem to feel any pressure even as he met Jang Mugeuk’s gaze head-on.
On the contrary, it was the people around them who felt suffocated.
Not only Jin Siwoo, but also all the other members of the Golden Heaven Society watched the confrontation of the two with their mouths shut.
They all thought that Pyo-wol would simply accept Jang Mugeuk’s proposal, just like they did.
They were all impressed when they saw Jin Geum-woo before, but Jang Mugeuk was even more overwhelming. So they all thought that it was only natural for Jang Mugeuk to become the new master of the Golden Heaven Society.
Jang Mugeuk had the skills, character, and incredible background as a member of the Heavenly Military Sect.
He had all the makings of a great martial artist.
But contrary to their expectations, Pyo-wol was not overwhelmed by Jang Mugeuk, nor did he give him the answer they expected.
“I refuse.”
“Hmm…!”
Jang Mugeuk was not surprised by Pyo-wol’s words.
He didn’t think Pyo-wol would accept his proposal in the first place since it was indeed presumptuous. His question was rather rhetorical, for the sake of showing it to Dok Gohyang, who was right next to him.
As he expected, Dok Gohyang looked disappointed.
He said to Pyo-wol,
“Why don’t you think about it again?”
“No matter how many times I think about it, my answer will be the same.”
“So it’s really a no…”
Dok Gohyang’s expression turned as hard as a stone.
There was no more kindness in his eyes as he looked at Pyo-wol.
“What a shame! We could have been good friends.”
“Not friends, but rather tools.”
“What?”
“Isn’t that the case?”
“……”
Dok Gohyang couldn’t answer properly. He hadn’t expected Pyo-wol to see right through him.
Dok Gohyang stared at him for a moment.
If Jang Mugeuk’s eyes were like mountains, Dok Gohyang’s eyes were like a stormy sea. His eyes were as frightening as the waves rushing in.
“I hope you don’t regret your decision today.”
“That will never happen.”
“There is nothing as meaningless as the word ‘never’ in this world. I’ve learned that as I’ve lived.”
“That may be true. But I don’t think I’ll regret today’s decision.”
Pyo-wol’s voice was very dry, devoid of any emotions.
The lack of emotion in his voice sent a chill down the spine of Dok Gohyang and even Jang Mugeuk.
Jang Mugeuk then spoke in a low voice so that others wouldn’t hear,
“Um Soso made the mistake of inviting you here. She shouldn’t have called you here at all.”
“Is it because you can’t get rid of me with everyone here watching?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s a shame, isn’t it?”
“It’s a pity, but since my friend has finally given up in trying to lure you in, it’s not a complete loss. I guess we’ll have to settle with this for now.”
“Are you going to absorb the Golden Heaven Society and use it to dominate the world?”
“I don’t know.”
Jang Mugeuk didn’t give a definite answer, but it was as good as giving an answer since Pyo-wol already knew what he was thinking.
It was clear that everyone present here in the room would be the ones leading Jianghu in the future, even if their abilities might be a bit lacking at the moment.
In five or ten years, their status would be drastically different from what it is now. And if they still all decided to support Jang Mugeuk, it wouldn’t be too difficult in taking control of all of Jianghu.
It’s not necessary to rule others by force.
As long as Jang Mugeuk could gain the agreement and support of those who would lead the next generation, he could easily dominate.
Pyo-wol thought that Jianghu was changing.
In the past, many factions tried to solve everything with force.
Such was the case with the Celestial Demon Order and the demonic cult who tried to establish their power in Jianghu in the previous generations. But they all had failed, causing Jianghu to undergo significant changes during the upheaval.
But now, Jianghu warriors do not simply comply with those who have a strong influence or powerful military might.
They are more exclusive towards those they do not feel an emotional connection to. Jang Mugeuk knew this fact, which was why he wanted to get his hands on the Golden Heaven Society.
It was clear that Jang Mugeuk wanted to spread his own ideals by taking over the Golden Heaven Society that Jin Geum-woo had created.
Pyo-wol believed that Jang Mugeuk was more dangerous than any other.
Jang Mugeuk already had a strong ally who is Dok Gohyang, and adding the Golden Heaven Society to the mix would be like giving him wings.
Jang Mugeuk and Pyo-wol stared into each other’s eyes for a while.
It was Pyo-wol who stepped back first. He then turned to Jin Siwoo,
“Let’s go back.”
“But Brother–!”
“It’s best to leave now.”
Jin Siwoo’s face twisted at Pyo-wol’s words, but he soon nodded.
“Okay.”
Part of him wanted to grab Jang Mugeuk by the throat and argue with him right away, but he knew it wasn’t a good idea.
No matter what he said right now, the people in the room wouldn’t listen to him. Jang Mugeuk already had complete control over their minds.
As frustrated as he was, he had to step aside now.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login