Chapter 1450: I Cannot Do It Alone (Part 5)

"Do as you wish."

In the end, Hyun Jong raised his hands. In truth, he had no cause to oppose them. What could one do to refute someone who said they would try persuasion first and then resort to other means if necessary?

"Thank you, Maengju-nim."

Having thus obtained Hyun Jong's permission, Tang Gunak smiled gently. At that moment, Chung Myung asked.

"So, is the Tang Family completely relocating to Shaanxi now?"

Tang Gunak glanced at Chung Myung and replied,

"Not exactly. We'll have to go back eventually."

"Huh? So, are you spending all that money just to decorate a temporary residence? Seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?"

In response, Tang Gunak smirked.

"It's not like I'm frugal. And..."

Tang Gunak turned to look at the disciples following him.

"I know that for them to adapt to Shaanxi, it's better to completely erase the term 'Sichuan.'"

"But why?"

"Once we drive out the Evil Tyrant Alliance, Sichuan will become completely uninhabited."

"..."

"Someone has to take care of it."

A subtle pain flickered in Tang Gunak's eyes. Without hearing what Tang Gunak was thinking, Chung Myung already knew.

Those who had served the Tang Family for generations, the refugees relocated from the Yangtze River, those who had come in desperation and couldn't be properly taken care of—these were the things weighing on Tang Gunak's mind.

"If that's the case..."

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not worrying about the future. It's just..."

Tang Gunak's gaze became sharp.

"It's not the time for half-hearted methods against the Evil Tyrant Alliance. We need something definite."

"Hmm."

Chung Myung nodded. This task could only be initiated by Tang Gunak. Knowing this fact, Tang Gunak, despite his temperament, pushed Hyun Jong into this play.

"Actually, I think it'd be better for the Tang Family to return to Sichuan. Whenever you want."

"Why?"

" 'Shaanxi Tang Family' sounds strange. Sichuan Tang Family is better!"

Chung Myung chuckled while looking at Tang Gunak, who seemed to be at a loss for words. And inwardly, he thought, Tang Gunak might be lacking in strength compared to Tang Bo, but he had decisiveness. And, above all.

'He has a lot of money.'

That bastard was just a beggar. An elder of the Tang Family who couldn't handle money properly and always...

Ah, it wasn't his place to tell anyone about this. Hey, just give me a bit more pocket money. That stingy Sect Leader Sahyung...

- What are you muttering about?

"Ahem."

Chung Myung, who coughed loudly, opened his mouth again.

"But it doesn't seem as easy as you think. What's the plan?"

"As I said earlier."

"But finding a place for them to stay won't be easy. There were lodgings built during the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's opening ceremony, but those are..."

"Are you talking about construction now? To me, the head of the Tang Family?"

This time, Chung Myung became tongue-tied.

"Your nagging seems excessive because your confidence is excessive. Sometimes, you need to understand the topic at hand."

"Hey... I used to say that to Dong Ryong."

Tang Gunak chuckled, but Chung Myung couldn't find a counterargument.

The Tang Family had the most skilled craftsmen in the world. Many people thought of the Tang Family's workshop as a place for crafting hidden weapons, but the artisans of the Tang Family were versatile jack-of-all-trades... No, they were laborers.

During the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's opening ceremony, everyone was amazed at the Tang Family's skill. If they mobilized them, building a hall and accommodating people wouldn't be a difficult task. Even the Tang Family martial artists were said to be better than most professional carpenters. 

"Are you going to expand it then?"

"That's the plan. If we consider defense, it would be better to build the main hall on the summit of Mount Hua, but..."

"That sounds like a pipe dream."

"That's right. It's a pipe dream. Right now, I hear people saying Mount Hua people are perverted for building palaces on clouds." [not sure lol]

"What? Who's saying such things? Who is it?"

"That's not entirely false, is it?"

"Why is it not false! It's completely wrong! In the first place, Mount Hua is..."

"To be blunt, if Mount Hua had opened a sect in Hwaeum instead of at the top of a rugged mountain, it would have surpassed Shaolin in its heyday."

"..."

"Last time I saw it, there was no place to expand the hall. So how many people would climb the mountain to its summit to join the sect?"

"Are you saying our ancestors were stupid?"

"And what did you say about the Tang Family ancestors?"

"Ugh..."

Chung Myung trembled. Was this guy seeking revenge like this?

"Anyway, it's difficult to build the main hall where Mount Hua Sect is. So, we should build it around Hwaeum. Gather all the sects there and construct a fortress."

"Hwaeum will become quite lively."

"It will."

Having said that much, Tang Gunak said to Chung Myung in a low voice,

"You."

"Yes?"

"Can we have a brief conversation?"

"Eh?"

Chung Myung blinked and looked at Tang Gunak.

The Five Swords were gradually creating some distance and observing Tang Gunak and Chung Myung.

"What are they going to talk about?"

"It's obvious, Sahyung. Isn't he going to ask for support for the Tang Family in the future?"

"Gol-ah... Do you think all people in this are as thoughtless as you are? If he wanted to ask for something like that, he would've asked Great Sect Leader, not Chung Myung."

"Oh, really?"

Jo Gol scratched his head. Then he opened his eyes wide and shouted,

"Oh? Got it!"

"What? What is it?"

Under everyone's gazes, Jo Gol energetically strengthened his shoulders.

"Think about it. What does the Tang Family need the most right now?"

"Poison?"

"Hidden weapons?"

"Money?"

"Tsk tsk. It's not that. What the Tang Family needs to regain its glory is powerful strength."

"...So?"

"Now, isn't Gaju-nim a bit regretful! So, he's trying to push forward what failed before! Probably trapping that guy again in an inescapable snare, marrying him to Tang Family's women...Hmph-ah!"

Tang Soso kicked Jo Gol will all her might.

"He'll die if you do that, Soso!"

"Please just die!"

Baek Cheon let out a deep sigh as he watched them...When would these guys ever grow up?

His gaze turned to the two who had distanced themselves.

"What do you want to say so hurriedly?"

"I wanted to talk about it when we arrived at Hwaeum...No, it won't be easy to bring up the topic once other sects join."

"Well, it's not like there's a rush. Isn't Gaju-nim more focused on me and the Mount Hua Sect right now?"

"That's why it should be now."

"Oh?"

"If we lose to the Evil Tyrant Alliance, everything will be over."

Chung Myung remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

He trusted Tang Gunak a lot. But it was trust in Tang Gunak as a human being, not as a comrade-in-arms. No, it wasn't just Tang Gunak. Perhaps Chung Myung didn't trust any other sects belonging to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance as fellow martial artists.

'There's no sense of crisis.'

Those who had lived in an era of peace often lacked the fear of a knife entering their throats at any moment. So, when the time came to make a decision, they hesitated.

But now Chung Myung clearly knew. Tang Gunak had filled the lack of crisis for himself. Therefore, he had to look at Tang Gunak with a different perspective now.

"So, what do you want to say?"

"We're not a place where we can lose to the Evil Tyrant Alliance."

"...Okay?"

"No matter how capable Jang Ilso is in strategy, if we united as one under the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and could pull in the support of the Ten Great Sects, we wouldn't have easily lost to the Evil Sect."

"...Is this what someone who got beaten up would say?"

Tang Gunak slightly frowned, and Chung Myung turned his head with a nonchalant expression.

"The timing and place..."

"Agh, I slipped! It was a mistake!"

"Hmm."

Tang Gunak cleared his throat and spoke again.

"The reason we lost is simple. We lacked a system, despite having the intention to help each other. The Evil Tyrant Alliance follows Jang Ilso's decisions, be it right or wrong, and they commit their lives to it. That's the secret of their power."

Silence hung in the air.

"But in order for us to decide on things, we need to discuss opinions, differentiate between right and wrong based on those discussions, and persuade those who disagree."

Chung Myung stared at Tang Gunak with a stern expression.

"This kind of alliance can never work."

"...I understand what you mean, but I don't think this is something the person who opened a new path through conversation a while ago would say."

"Of course, this method has its advantages. It's necessary at times. But... Do you really believe in sticking to this method even in wartime?"

Chung Myung couldn't provide an answer.

Because he had seen it before. How a coalition with a chaotic leadership structure and numerous heads resulted in chaos on the battlefield.

If not for Cheon Mun stepping forward and coordinating everyone, they wouldn't have been able to resist the Demonic Sect effectively.

"I've learned for sure through this incident. The Heavenly Comrade Alliance needs a change. While trust among us should be straightforward...we need to change this situation with multiple leaders. Whether it's right or wrong, once a decision is made, it must be strictly followed."

"Like the Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

"I hate to admit it, but... that seems necessary."

Chung Myung took a deep breath.

"I understand. Are you saying it's difficult for the Maengju-nim to fulfill this role?"

"You understand. Maengju-nim isn't lacking, but he's not the kind of person who can forcefully impose decisions when opinions differ. And he's not someone who can tolerate sacrificing allies for the greater good."

"Now, things have changed a lot."

"...He would collapse. He wasn't that strong of a person from the start."

"Hmm."

Chung Myung nodded, acknowledging the point.

"What are you trying to say? So, in the end, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance needs a proper leader, and other leaders must be placed under that person's control, right?" 

"That's right."

"...I see."

When the nearly collapsed Tang Family had offered everything, it seemed a bit odd. Now, he understood the reasoning behind it.

"I get what you're saying. So, in the end, Gaju-nim should be able to perform this role, right?"

In response, Tang Gunak, after a brief moment of silence, looked at Chung Myung without saying a word. Chung Myung nodded as if understanding.

Certainly, if it could be done like that, even if their power weakened, they could restore their reputation beyond what it used to be. With that reputation as a foundation, they could aim for the revival of the Tang Family.

"But you didn't need to ask me for that. There isn't anyone else suitable for the position besides Gaju-nim. Since I'll actively support you, please do well."

If Tang Gunak's position as Vice Lord and military commander [not sure] was formalized and power was concentrated, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance would undoubtedly stabilize. Although it would be somewhat different from now, they had to accept it for the greater good.

However, Tang Gunak's reaction was slightly different from what Chung Myung had expected.

"It seems you misunderstood, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"What?"

"I'm not the suitable person. Those affiliated with the Heavenly Comrade Alliance don't owe me anything. There's no reason for them to listen to me. Instead, I'm thinking of stepping back from the position of Vice Lord."

"What? No, that's... What do you mean?"

"You, it's time to stop meddling behind the scenes."

Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung with a determined gaze.

"It's time for you to officially take the position of Chief Commander of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. The Tang Family will fully support you with all our strength."

Chung Myung's face became blank, as if something had struck him.