Chapter 1384: Of Course, Such A Thing Will Never Happen (Part 4)

"Damn it, now he's going haunt me in my dreams! You damn bastard!"

Jo Gol spat out harsh words. Now, just seeing the face of Ho Gakmyung made his blood boil. If you were to name the most hated person in the world, without hesitation, it would be Jang Ilso... No, Beopjeong? Uh...

Anyway, if someone were to ask, he might point to Jang Ilso or Beopjeong, but when it came to naming the most terrifying person in the world, he now had confidence in shouting Ho Gakmyung's name.

Even Chung Myung, who would kick open the doors of his room in the middle of the night with his eyes flipped up, wasn't as irritating as that man.

And though he cried out loud, the situation was far more serious than the voice he produced. A real enemy, unlike the wishy-washy ones blocking their way, had appeared again.

'Already?'

Baek Cheon's reaction was the same. They expected those guys to catch up, but they didn't anticipate it would be this fast. They thought it would be after they almost reached Nanjing at least.

But now, there was no time to review and examine where his predictions had gone wrong.

"Break through at full speed!"

"Yes!"

This place was adjacent to the Yangtze River, a wide plain. There was no risk of being forced into unfavorable terrain by the enemy's numerically superior forces like before, but on the flip side, there was no place to hide.

So now, all that remained was to collide force against force and break through.

"Hye..."

Baek Cheon tried urgently to call Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi, but they were already flying backward. They seemed to know what to do without even being told.

Even Baek Cheon, whose heart had somewhat relaxed, decided to do what he had to do.

Kwaang!

With almost a ground-shattering force, Baek Cheon rushed past Guo Hansuo.

"Iseol, Jo Gol, Soso! Cover the rear!"

"Yes!"

"Deputy Sect Leader! We'll help too!"

"Follow them!"

Without looking back, Baek Cheon, who gave an order to Guo Hansuo and spewed a red energy from his sword.

"Taaaah!"

The violently spewing plum blossoms rushed towards the Evil Sect disciples in front like a torrent of valley water. The faces of the Evil Sect members turned pale.

"Ah, Ahhhhh..."

The Evil Sect members, who couldn't even scream, were swept away by the rushing sword energy without mercy. Baek Cheon shouted,

"We'll reach the Yangtze soon. Let's go in one go!"

"Yes!"

Ho Gakmyung's lips curled slightly as he watched.

"Not too late."

Logically, it should be impossible for a larger group of lower-skilled individuals to catch up with a smaller face of higher-skilled ones. However, the impossible had happened due to the foolish choices they made.

Ho Gakmyung squinted his eyes. He could clearly see the wounded people they were carrying around.

'If they take the injured along with them, no matter how they fly or crawl, they won't be able to speed up.'

Moreover, in order not to be noticeable to the enemy, they had to hide intermittently, meaning they couldn't achieve their usual speed. They couldn't have maintained the speed they could normally achieve.

"Fools."

If it were him, he would have mercilessly abandoned the injured. Even if these people could become a force in the future, there was no need for everyone to risk the danger of annihilation for those who wouldn't be an immediate force.

But Ho Gakmyung knew, and they knew too. They could never make such a choice. The word, 'righteousness,' that had been shouted countless times, were like shackles binding them. No matter how much they struggled, they could never throw off the shackles.

"Every choice comes with a price. Kill them all. Leave no one behind."

The Myriad Man Manor members rushed forward without answering.

Their eyes were filled with profound malice.

It was not only Ho Gakmyung who held a grudge against those guys from the righteous sects. Even if the sense of camaraderie was thin among the Evil Sect disciples, could they be called members of the Evil Sect if they didn't harbor resentment for being toyed with by those less numerous and weaker than them?

Moreover, they were the Myriad Man Manor members. Those who never forgot their debts even if they forgot favors. The members of the Myriad Man Manor poured their lives like predators rediscovering prey that they had run away from after being bitten.

"Kahaaaaat!"

Naturally, blocking the advance of crimson waves were the guardians of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. 

"Monk!"

"I know, Siju!"

Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi, standing in front of the oncoming attackers, exchanged glances.

One person was the top, even representative, disciple of the Thousand-Year Shaolin, the leader of the Ten Great Sects. And the other was the Sogaju of the Namgung Family, destined to walk only the honorable and glorious path.

The place where they stood side by side, those who should have walked the most blessed path in the world, was the most dangerous and heavy place in the current situation.

However, there was no hesitation in the eyes of these two. They stood here not by anyone's choice but by their own will.

"Ooooh!"

"Taaaaaah!"

The power and sword energy emitted by the two rushed fiercely toward the approaching enemies.

Kwaaaang!

The Shaolin's Buddhist light and Namgung's sword energy exploded like bombs, momentarily illuminating the world brightly. It was truly a powerful blow. The Myriad Man Manor members rushing in were literally shattered in a single strike.

'Severe.'

Ho Gakmyung, without blinking, watched the scene, unknowingly biting his lips slightly.

Logically, they should have already been tired to the point of exhaustion. Thus, their strength should have weakened, and their swords dulled.

But what they were showing now was sharper than what they had shown before. Even in the eyes of Ho Gakmyung, whose martial arts were not high, it was clear.

'Did they grow even in this situation?'

He understood it with his head.

They were the most promising talents in Kangho, having experiences that no one else in the world could have. Undoubtedly, even if one searched every corner of the martial world, there would be no one who had undergone such intense practical training.

However, knowing it with the mind and feeling it by witnessing these growing talents in front of him were completely different.

Perhaps what Ho Gakmyung was feeling now was a sense of terror. It might be the fear of watching a beast grow day by day from a distance, unable to control it directly.

Ho Gakmyung lightly clenched and unclenched his fist. However, for him, there was still an opportunity to cut off the breath of the not-yet-fully-grown beast.

To take their lives?

No.

Ho Gakmyung's gaze turned to one side. The true lifeline of the beast called Heavenly Comrade. The source nurturing it.

'Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. No...Plum Blossom Sword Demon.'

Locking eyes with Chung Myung, who was coldly staring at him in the center of the group, Ho Gakmyung's gaze was full of murderous intent.

"Listen. This is not my order. It's an order from Ryeonju-nim. Carry it out with your lives at stake!"

"Yes!"

"Even if there are sacrifices."

The moment these words were spoken, the faces of the subordinates became even more rigid.

"Do not let Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword go alive. Kill him without fail! Even if it means losing all the others as a consequence!"

"Understood!"

Hearing the exploding responses, Ho Gakmyung slowly nodded his head.

He suffered a miserable defeat. Perhaps the mistake he made would be irreparable for a lifetime.

But he could confidently say it was not a worthless defeat.

Because of that defeat, Ryeonju-nim decided to take the life of the Plum Blossom Sword Demon. So it wasn't meaningless at all.

"You can never survive, Plum Blossom Sword Demon."

Ho Gakmyung muttered as if he was making a promise to himself.

* * *

"They're pushing from both sides!"

"We've experienced this before, respond!"

Southern Island was no longer the Southern Island of the past. Even without being ordered by someone, they moved themselves and engaged in battle. Swift and precise, to the point where there was no need to speak.

However...

"This doesn't look good."

In Im Sobyeong's eyes, there seemed to be something not visible. He subtly turned to Chung Myung, who was beside him, and asked.

"Wasn't it earlier than expected?"

"...."

"In that case, there must have been an unexpected variable.... Usually, in situations like this, I think of one thing first."

"There's no need for that."

"So, it's not betrayal."

"No, there is no such thing."

There was a strange light on Im Sobyeong's face. He noticed that there were countless things contained in that answer.

Chung Myung did not say there wouldn't be a traitor. But he didn't consider the fact that there might be one. Identifying a traitor in the current situation would be meaningless.

It was better to trust each other and move forward. Even if it meant being pushed into a pitfall.

"You're still too aggressive."

Im Sobyeong nodded his head slightly with a slightly astonished look.

"But what will you do? We've used up all the usable tactics, and the enemies are closing in from behind. Although the Yangtze River is nearby, by the time we arrive there, there will be only about ten people left."

About ten people.

Chung Myung understood why Im Sobyeong mentioned the number. He was subtly suggesting abandoning Southern Island.

"Wasn't it predetermined from the beginning?"

He had said it. Chung Myung himself.

If he found himself in a truly unavoidable crisis, he would abandon Southern Island. Because the members of the Heavenly Comrade were much more important than they were.

If letting them live meant losing the lives of those who came with the Heavenly Comrade, Chung Myung himself would not be able to forgive himself.

"Or, were you a more remarkable hero than I thought, Dojang?"

Chung Myung sneered with a raised corner of his mouth.

"I've said it every time.... I've never thought of myself as a hero. I don't want to be such a person."

It was a voice that gave off a strange feeling. Im Sobyeong looked at Chung Myung for a moment with narrow eyes and then nodded his head.

The reason he was able to regain his composure after leaving the canyon was one. Regardless of any failure, as long as he wasn't blocked by enemies, the option of separating from Southern Island and surviving together with the Heavenly Comrade Alliance was always available.

"It's a good answer. Then the conclusion is not predetermined, right?"

"Of course not. But...."

"....Yes?"

A chilly voice reached Im Sobyeong's ears.

"This isn't that critical."

"....Dojang?"

Chung Myung's two eyes were boiling.

It was unusual of him recently to show such dark, calm eyes. Im Sobyeong's chest sank. He had a hunch. Chung Myung had now released something he had been suppressing.

"Are you coming out like this?"

Muttering, Chung Myung turned and walked forward.

Im Sobyeong, who realized what he intended to do, hurriedly reached out. He tried to grab the hem of his clothes, but what he held in his hand was just empty space. Chung Myung was already running.

"Dojang! Dojang-ahhh!"

Im Sobyeong shouted as if his throat would burst. His eyes widened. He couldn't understand why he was so agitated, but it felt like his insides were going to burst.