Tremble-.
As ti passed, the trembling of his left hand grew more severe.
It wasn't that Heo Cham was particularly putting strength into his left hand. No, it would be a more fitting expression to say that when he looked at the man standing in front of him, strength entered his left hand without him realizing it.
'Jeonjong...!'
Jeonjong. That was the na of the man looking at Heo Cham with a blank face from outside.
Jeonjong was once a mber of the sa Eighth Grinding Squad as Heo Cham and a precious colleague with whom he had shared joys and sorrows more than anyone else.
And he was also the very person who had made Heo Cham's left hand this way in the duel for the position of leader.
"It's been a while, Heo Cham."
Jeonjong said from beyond the bars with a calm voice.
At that, Heo Cham's face, which had been filled with surprise, instantly contorted, and now, with a face filled only with anger, he shouted at Jeonjong.
"Why did you co here?"
"It's been a while since I t a colleague. Aren't you happy to see ?"
"Colleague?"
For Jeonjong, of all people, to utter that word. Heo Cham was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even laugh.
"Yes, we were colleagues. But not anymore."
"...Are you still holding on to what happened back then?"
What happened back then. Heo Cham imdiately knew that it referred to their last duel.
Smirk-.
"Heo Cham, you're as narrow-minded as ever."
Clank-!
As Jeonjong said that with a sneer, Heo Cham couldn't hold back his anger and rushed at Jeonjong.
However, Heo Cham could not get closer to Jeonjong beyond a certain distance, and from behind, the chain that had already beco as taut as it could be was continuously making a cold sound.
"Jeonjong! Did you covet power that much?"
"..."
"I'm asking if you wanted to beco the leader so much that you would betray the trust of a martial artist and a colleague!"
As Heo Cham said that, Jeonjong's face instantly hardened coldly.
About two years ago from the present.
When the position of the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad beca vacant, the two captains were nominated as candidates for the leader.
However, since the usual conduct of the two was so outstanding that it was impossible to determine superiority, and their skills were also known to be almost equal, they had no choice but to follow the rules of the Demonic Cult.
The rule of the law of the jungle.
The two decided to determine who would beco the leader through a duel according to that rule.
"Do you rember? The day before the duel, we made a promise."
"..."
"That whoever beca the leader, we would bless each other. And we promised to compete fair and square with only our skills."
Heo Cham's promise was sincere.
Since Jeonjong was a close colleague with whom he had spent more than ten years, even if he were to be defeated in the duel, he could sincerely congratulate Jeonjong on his victory.
However, Jeonjong was not like that.
"You clearly said you would surrender to in the duel."
"..."
"I believed those words."
Since the two were known to have similar skills, the duel was fierce.
And at the end of that fierce battle, the one who brought the opponent to his knees first was Heo Cham, and Jeonjong had said that he would surrender, looking at Heo Cham who was pointing his saber at him.
Heo Cham believed those words, sheathed his saber, and turned his back.
However, at that mont, Heo Cham could discover the figure of Jeonjong swinging his sword at him from behind.
Tremble-.
The wound on this left arm was from that ti.
As he was injured to the point where he could barely use one arm, the duel could no longer continue, and in the end, the duel ended with Jeonjong's victory.
"Because of you, I can no longer live a proper life as a martial artist."
"..."
"Do you see this trembling left hand? It's what you did."
Heo Cham said that and showed his left arm to Jeonjong.
So that Jeonjong could feel guilt while looking at this, so that he could see it well.
"What are you thinking now, seeing this?"
"..."
"I'm asking how you feel after obtaining that position by betraying the trust of a colleague who was once your closest friend!"
A voice filled with resentnt.
Jeonjong silently looked at Heo Cham, who was asking him that.
And soon, he opened his mouth with a vicious smile.
"It feels great."
"...!"
"The world looks different after becoming the leader. If I could, I would want to make you feel this feeling too."
"Jeonjong...!"
In the end, unable to hold back his anger, Heo Cham once again rushed at Jeonjong.
However, the chain that was restraining Heo Cham did not allow any further approach, and not only did both his wrists turn red, but blood was also flowing, yet Heo Cham did not stop his movents.
Watching him, Jeonjong still maintained his vicious smile and said.
"When I first heard that you were caught in the prison, I couldn't believe it."
"..."
"Isn't this situation funny? That we, who once spent ti as colleagues of the sa Eighth Grinding Squad, now have such drastically different positions."
He had beco the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad, and Heo Cham was a prisoner locked up in there.
Even now, seeing Heo Cham, who was tied with chains on both arms and couldn't even swing a fist at him, Jeonjong was even feeling an unknown sense of ecstasy.
"Back then... I should have killed you back then!"
"Yes, if you had finished it properly in that duel, the places where we are standing now might have been different."
"..."
"But this is the reality. You are a prisoner locked in the prison, and I am the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad. It's too late to change that fact now."
"Jeonjong...! I will definitely get my revenge!"
"You, on ?"
Jeonjong said that and snorted.
"If you beco a vengeful spirit after you die, you might be able to get your revenge on ."
Swish-.
With those words, Jeonjong turned his back.
Then, Heo Cham shouted at Jeonjong's back.
"Where are you going! Co back right now, you bastard!"
"Unlike you, I'm a very busy person."
"Jeonjong!"
"It was nice to see you after a long ti. Though we'll never see each other again."
Thump- thump-.
Jeonjong's back, moving away.
Heo Cham shouted, spewing all sorts of curses, but Jeonjong disappeared without even looking back.
Bang- bang-!
A trendous sense of humiliation and anger was felt.
As if trying to release that anger sohow, Heo Cham repeatedly slamd the handcuffs on his wrists against the wall.
But would that release his anger?
It would only make his own hands hurt, and his anger could only deepen.
"What the hell kind of guy is he!"
"Let sleep! Do you live here alone!"
"If I co find you, you'll really die!"
"Guard! Please move to a place without prison noise!"
As Heo Cham made such a noise, the inside of the prison was instantly filled with the cries of the prisoners.
However, unlike before, Heo Cham continued to slam the handcuffs against the wall as if he didn't care about such cries, and in the end, he stopped the act only after the wall and the floor were stained with blood.
"Haa... haa..."
Heo Cham's rough breathing.
He had slamd the handcuffs against the wall until he was out of breath, but the handcuffs only had countless scratches, and there was not a single broken spot.
"..."
In fact, until now, Heo Cham had thought that he had forgotten all his resentnt towards Jeonjong.
Even if Jeonjong had done such a thing to him, since he was a close colleague, he had tried to settle it by disappearing from that place rather than taking revenge.
However, Heo Cham had just keenly realized that that was impossible.
'To think I was going to forgive a guy like that...'
He still couldn't forget the sight of Jeonjong looking down at him with a sneer instead of apologizing.
If Jeonjong had sincerely apologized to him at that ti, Heo Cham had been planning to forgive him.
He would have dismissed that mistake as just a mistake made while blinded by power, and would have buried it in his heart as he had originally planned.
However, the attitude Jeonjong had shown him was far from a sincere apology; rather, it had poured oil on his resentnt and set it on fire.
As a result, Heo Cham's whole body was trembling with a desire for revenge that he had never felt before.
'I will definitely get my revenge... I will pay him back several tis over for what I have endured until now!'
However, Heo Cham had no choice but to face reality right away.
In this state, wasn't he destined to die here, let alone get revenge on Jeonjong?
Although it was frustrating, as Jeonjong had said before, the only way Heo Cham could get revenge on Jeonjong would be to beco a vengeful spirit and cast a curse.
Thump- thump-.
At that mont, Heo Cham could hear the sound of footsteps walking towards him.
"...!"
Could it be that Jeonjong was coming back?
As he had that thought, Heo Cham moved closer to the bars again and shouted towards the place where the footsteps were heard.
"Hey, you bastard who's worse than a dog or a pig! A bastard like you must have sold out the country in your past life!"
"..."
"Vile bastard. Cowardly bastard. A beastly bastard who couldn't even beco a person!"
"Are you talking to ?"
"Yes! Who else but you..."
At that mont, Heo Cham's mouth, which had been spewing curses, finally stopped.
And as if he had seen a ghost, Heo Cham's mouth hung open and he couldn't close it.
He began to make babbling sounds like a mute, looking at the person who had stopped in front of him.
"Uh... uh..."
"..."
"Y-Y-Y... Young Master Cheon Myeong...!"
"You curse well. You're the first person to spew such profanities at ."
"..."
The owner of the footsteps was not Jeonjong.
Looking at Cheon Myeong, who was looking at him with a calm face, Heo Cham couldn't say anything.
"Thanks. I'll be able to live a long life because of you."
Cheon Myeong said, looking at Heo Cham.
At that mont, Heo Cham could realize what mistake he had just committed.
'W-what have I done...!'
To think he had spewed curses at Cheon Myeong that were too vulgar to even utter.
Fortunately, it hadn't gone as far as cursing his parents, which is the king of curses, but that didn't an this situation was okay.
Because of that remark just now, he had committed a fault greater than the cri for which he had been brought here.
Heo Cham had instantly beco the highest-ranking person in this prison.
"Y-Young Master! There's a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes! Those curses just now were not directed at you, Young Master, but at another guy..."
"So you're saying you're not at fault?"
He had tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but sohow the situation seed to have gotten worse.
In the end, Heo Cham knelt down and prostrated on the floor.
"I have committed a cri worthy of death!"
"..."
"But I really didn't an to curse you, Young Master!"
Heo Cham began to beg Cheon Myeong for forgiveness, prostrating himself.
Cheon Myeong silently looked at Heo Cham, and soon, he said in a low voice.
"I know."
"Yes...?"
"I said I know. That those curses were not directed at ."
"..."
How did Cheon Myeong know that?
As Cheon Myeong readily believed his words, Heo Cham rather had that question inwardly.
"Actually, I was hiding nearby and overheard your conversation with the man nad Jeonjong."
"...!"
To think that Cheon Myeong had heard that story.
Heo Cham looked up at Cheon Myeong with wide eyes.
"You've also lived a pretty complicated life."
"..."
As Cheon Myeong said that to him, Heo Cham couldn't help but feel complicated.
Pity, contempt, sympathy.
With what emotion on earth did Cheon Myeong say those words to him?
Whatever it was, it seed that Heo Cham would not be able to lift his bowed head.
"Heo Cham."
At that mont, Cheon Myeong called Heo Cham, who was bowing his head.
Even though Cheon Myeong had called his na, Heo Cham was still bowing his head, and as if it didn't matter, Cheon Myeong continued to speak.
"Do you want to get revenge on that guy?"
"...!"
Heo Cham, who had raised his head and was looking at Cheon Myeong.
Cheon Myeong looked at him and said with a aningful smile.
"I can let you get your revenge."
(End of Chapter)
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