Chronicles of the Demon Faction - Chapter 908



Only Noblemtl

Side story 258. Devouring desire (2)

The place the two arrived was the top of a hill where the brightly rising moon was particularly visible.

Although he had not been to all of the civil war, it was such a peaceful place that even Lee Cheon-sang, who knew most places, wondered if there was such a place.

The blowing wind was cool and the moonlight that softly illuminated the darkness was lonely. It was a place where the sound of trees, not too many or too few, spreading their arms and dancing gave peace to the mind.

“What do you think?”

Dongjun spoke in a friendly tone, as if he was talking to a friend he had known for a long time.

“I come here when I have a lot of worries or want to clear my mind. From what I’ve seen, there are very few people who know about this place. And even those who do rarely visit. Except for me.”

“… … .”

“Do you have such a place?”

Lee Cheon-sang shook his head without saying anything.

Dongjun clicked his tongue.

“It’s a shame. I hope you will have a place like that someday. People can’t always run forward. I’m confident that it’s not hard, but when I realize that my heart is exhausted, places like this make me look back at myself.”

“So, why did you come to me?”

“Let’s put the reason aside for a moment and look at the moon. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here.”

Lee Cheon-sang looked up at the moon as Dong-jun had said.

There was no denying that it was certainly a place with beautiful scenery. Even to the indifferent eyes of Yi Cheon-sang, this hill seemed to be a place that would remain in his memory as quite a beautiful place.

How many times have I looked up at the moon like that?

“What is your dream?”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“haha.”

Dongjun smiled and nodded.

“Yes, the lightest and most trivial thing in the world is a dream, and the heaviest and most serious thing is a dream. It seems like it was the latter for you.”

“That’s not it.”

“hmm?”

“I just didn’t think it was a light matter to tell someone like you, a complete stranger.”

Rather, Dongjun’s smile grew even brighter at those words.

“If other people said something like that, I would frown. People with no skills at all are always so proud that they act like they’re being arrogant. But you’re not one of those people, are you?”

“… … .”

“You live by your own standards.”

“Everyone lives by standards.”

“Do you really think so?”

“The world is too chaotic to live without standards.”

“ha ha ha!”

I felt a deep sense of kinship with Dongjun’s face as he burst into laughter.

“You’re right. The world is too dangerous and chaotic to live without thinking. But you need to know. Sometimes, it’s not bad to just go with the flow without thinking. You need to know that there have to be times like that.”

“… … .”

“That’s how I lived. That’s how I lived until a few years ago. I lived only for the recognition of others without even thinking about finding my talent.”

“… … .”

“Do you know how much that thing called recognition makes people miserable? A life without recognition from others will send people into the abyss. On the other hand, the life of a person who has only received recognition is like a floating cloud. No matter what they do, they feel bored and it is difficult to feel motivation or the intensity of life. Excessive recognition gives people a life similar to that of someone who has not received any recognition.”

Dongjun didn’t look at the moon anymore.

In his eyes, only the two heavenly beings were visible.

“Years ago, I found out that I had been a member of a group called the Jongmahoe without even knowing it. It’s ridiculous. How foolishly I must have lived to waste my time without even knowing what group I belonged to.”

Lee Cheon-sang could not acknowledge that part.

The world is full of things happening all over the place that I don’t know about. In that sense, Dong-jun’s words that he lived in vain because he simply didn’t know where he belonged were nonsense.

But he understood his heart. Now, Lee Cheon-sang could understand the guilt of those who could not control their lives according to their own will.

“Do you know about the horse racing association?”

“embrace.”

“This isn’t a request, but I’ll ask you a favor. Can I ask you what kind of horse racing association you know?”

Lee Cheon-sang nodded.

“As the name suggests, it can be said to be a group that chases after demons. Those in power within the school select talented individuals, pass on the nameless martial arts, and those with achievements are listed in the Jongma Society. Of course, those who have not learned the nameless martial arts can also join the Jongma Society, but I think such cases are rare.”

“and?”

“The reason the Jongmahoe was created is because the Cheonmasin Church is not what it used to be. There are many different opinions, but the Jongmahoe is ultimately a fictitious organization created to select talented people who can put the new church on a solid foundation.”

Dongjun nodded.

“You know very well.”

“… … .”

“Then do you know this? Those who belong to the Horse Association must prove their worth one day. In order to prove their worth, they must defeat their fellow members and reach the top.”

“I know.”

“You know everything.”

“I know, but I never agreed with its meaning.”

Dongjun’s eyes sparkled.

The fact that he never agreed to that meaning was proof that he himself was a member of the Jongmahoe.

“Why?”

“The idea that you can only prove your worth by fighting to the death is only necessary when trying to decide who is a better killer, but it’s unnecessary when trying to decide who is a better person.”

Dongjun’s eyes widened slightly.

“That’s how you interpreted the fight.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You’re right. Except for one thing.”

“… … ?”

“Fighting and killing are, so to speak, merely a measure of how strong a member’s desires are. It’s not a killer’s talent or anything.”

“Isn’t that what you’re saying?”

“It’s a completely different matter. If you want to select a talented killer who is good at killing people, why not throw him into a murder organization instead of looking for that talent in a horse racing association?”

It wasn’t a wrong statement. Lee Cheon-sang tilted his head.

“then?”

“How fiercely I strive and how desperately I desire it.”

“… … !”

“It’s not about what I can do to beat my peers who are similar in age and talent to me, but how deep and great my desire is to achieve it, even if it means killing those talented people.”

It was a vague statement. But at least I could tell the difference between the Jongmahoe and the Salsu organization.

but.

“No matter what the meaning of the process is, the result is no different. In the end, the Jongmahoe is like training assassins for a murder organization.”

Dongjun shook his head.

“It’s probably a matter of interpretation. I don’t want to force my thoughts on you. I just want you to understand this one thing.”

“… … .”

“That in the future, you will definitely have to fight to the death, and that in that fight, you don’t necessarily have to take up a sword.”

Lee Cheon-sang nodded after pondering Dong-jun’s words for a moment.

“I see.”

Dongjun’s eyes widened slightly.

“Do you understand?”

“So, from now on, I will try to build a friendship with you and use your mind to induce you to kill other members of the sect.”

It doesn’t mean that you have to fight straight away, but that you can use your head to defeat your enemy’s enemy.

That was the difference from the indiscriminate competition of the killing organizations. The Jongmahoe did not simply choose the one who was better at killing and stronger, but also needed the ability to destroy the opponent by exercising strategy, wisdom, and, if necessary, political power.

Dongjun, who had been quietly watching Lee Cheon-sang, laughed out loud.

“Hahaha! As expected, you’re amazing. You’re much smarter and more understanding than I vaguely thought. Why am I suddenly scared?”

“Did you come here to tell me that story?”

Dongjun spoke honestly.

“I wanted to know about you. I’ve heard a lot about you, but I’ve never actually met you. All I’ve heard is things that are hard to believe. Like you became a top-tier expert in less than a year, or you entered the civil war alone and thoroughly obtained what you could from the many powerful figures.”

“… … .”

“I thought it was nonsense. Rumors are always false. But that day, at the military department, I could see what a talented person you were.”

A hint of murderous intent was seen on Dongjun’s face, which had been filled with kindness.

“I started to think that maybe those rumors were all true.”

“… … .”

“After all, if you are also a member of the Horse Association, I have to make a decision. Should I boil you, who could possibly be my best competitor, and swing you like a sword, or… … should I kill you as quickly as possible?”

Lee Cheon-sang nodded.

“Whatever decision you make, work hard at it.”

“what?”

Dongjun, who was dumbfounded by Lee Cheon-sang’s answer, soon burst into laughter again.

“Hahaha! You really are a funny guy.”

“In the end, you called me because you didn’t know much about me.”

“yes.”

“and.”

The thumb of Lee Cheon-sang’s left hand pressed up against the circle of the Seven Nights.

Click.

A faint murderous aura hovered over the hill.

“If you think you can win, you might as well kill me right here and now so that I don’t leave any regrets.”

“… … You really are quite perceptive. I wish that clumsy girl Songha would learn a little.”

“So, have you made a decision?”

Dongjun, with his mouth closed, stared blankly at Lee Cheon-sang.

After a while.

“I haven’t gotten off yet, but I know this one thing.”

Swish.

The folding fan slowly opened.

“For now, I am stronger than you.”

“It looks like that.”

“Is it easy to admit it?”

“If winning a fight was about being strong, I would have died thirty times already.”

A look of admiration appeared on Dongjun’s face.

‘There’s a guy like this.’

Just as you have seen through your opponent’s skills, your opponent will have seen through yours as well.

The only difference was the martial arts they used, but Dongjun was clearly stronger than Lee Cheon-sang. In addition, unlike Song-ha, Dongjun had outstanding experience and a flexible mindset to accept any variables.

He was confident that he would never let the gap narrow even by one step. However, Lee Cheon-sang did not panic or become nervous.

‘This isn’t a bluff. If a fight were to break out, this guy would really be confident he could win. Against me.’

He was a cool guy. And he was a strong guy.

It was to the point where I thought that if there had been just three people with such talents among the leaders of the Cheonmasingyo, the Jongmahoe would never have been born.

That’s why Dongjun couldn’t leave Lee Cheon-sang alone. It was only after meeting him like this that he realized how talented Lee Cheon-sang was.

Woohoo.

The moonlight seemed to be getting darker little by little.

Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes sparkled with color.

‘It’s like the magic that Yui Yisang has mastered.’

However, the difference was that while Yui’s magic was less mature, Dongjun’s magic was sufficiently mature.

‘It’s not easy.’

I had a feeling that this would be one of the most difficult fights I’ve ever had.

When the surrounding air reached the critical moment.

Chomp!

Dongjun, who covered himself with a fan, gained momentum.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to press on, but I’m too attached to this place to do that.”

“… … .”

“Let’s put off the fight until later.”

Dongjun turned his back without hesitation.

Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes deepened.

When he put the Chil-yado back into its sheath after watching Dong-jun’s back moving away for a long time.

Flash!

A single ray of light flew towards Lee Cheon-sang’s forehead.