657 Chapter 1545: Isn't That Enough? (Part 5)

Jo Gol found himself completely speechless.

This wasn't the familiar face of Yoon Jong.

He always wore a faint smile, making him seem affable, but now with his face hardened, a chill was palpable. It was difficult to easily speak before him.

"Yoon Jong."

Instead of Jo Gol, Baek Cheon called Yoon Jong with a sigh. He was trying to persuade him.

"Not possible."

But before he could say more, Im Sobyeong's resolute voice intervened. Im Sobyeong glared at Yoon Jong with a cold face.

"Do you understand the situation, Yoon Jong Dojang?"

"Of course."

"No, I don't think you understand."

Im Sobyeong interjected with a sharp voice.

"What the Evil Tyrant Alliance desires the most is the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is moving right now. Are you going to act as the enemy wishes right now?"

"…."

"I understand your concerns. However, moving now is definitely not a good move. What we need to do now is protect Hwaeum."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"In Hwaeum, all our strength and what we must protect are gathered. The moment we disperse our strength, Paegun will attack this place by any means necessary. He will find even the slightest opening and break in to destroy everything."

"That's right."

The Tang Family nodded in agreement.

"That's why we can't withdraw our strength. Even if it is just one person."

Im Sobyeong's expression was unusually cold. His firmness to not listen to any logic or appeal was felt.

Even though he didn't have an official title, he was clearly a strategist of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. He was also the leader of the Nokrim, a giant martial arts sect.

He was not someone that an individual disciple of Mount Hua could confront.

Moreover, now Nokrim King was willing to use force if necessary. The direction of an alliance should not be distorted just because of subtle disputes among disciples.

But even under all that pressure, Yoon Jong remained composed.

"Is that the reason I shouldn't go?"

"Yes."

"That is not the reason I shouldn't go. It's the reason for what the Heavenly Comrade Alliance should do."

"Yoon Jong Dojang."

"How long should we just defend this place?"

Yoon Jong's quiet voice echoed in the silent space.

"While people are dying, villages are burning, and those who shed blood and sweat for a year are being plundered even now, how long should we wait?"

"…."

"Seven days and nights?"

"Dojang."

"Or, one month?"

"Jang Ilso will definitely move. By then…."

"If he doesn't move, do you mean to just defend Hwaeum no matter what, even if everything else is destroyed?"

Im Sobyeong closed his mouth.

Jang Ilso would move. He was confident of that.

But convincing others of that was impossible. In this world, there are such things as one-in-a-million chances, and above all, saying that he could completely read Jang Ilso's movements was just arrogance.

Yoon Jong spoke again.

"You asked for the reason?"

"…."

"Then I'll give you an answer. Because there are people waiting for help."

It was a statement like driving a stake into the ground. A sigh escaped from Im Sobyeong's mouth.

"Dojang. Such obvious words…."

"Obvious?"

Yoon Jong's voice changed completely. A sharp and cold aura flowed. Yoon Jong turned his gaze to Chung Myung.

"Answer me."

"Sahyung!"

Jo Gol, who was startled, tried to intervene, but Yoon Jong didn't even give him a glance and only stared at Chung Myung.

"Is what I'm saying obvious?"

Chung Myung didn't say anything and kept his mouth tightly shut.

"Answer."

Yoon Jong urged again, and only then did Chung Myung let out a long sigh.

"The Nokrim King's words are not wrong."

"..."

"I understand your sorrow. Sahyung is that kind of person. However, now is not the time for such actions. It would be better to gather people to Hwaeum through the Beggar's Union or Ghost Sect. Because this place is relatively safe."

Yoon Jong, who had been silent, nodded.

"Is that your answer?"

"Sahyung."

Jo Gol tried to mediate somehow, but neither of the two paid attention to Jo Gol. Even Im Sobyeong, who had intervened between them, remained silent this time.

Im Sobyeong chose silence because he felt that this situation was not a simple emotional struggle between martial brothers.

With everyone's attention focused on him, Yoon Jong spoke slowly.

"I'm curious."

It was a firm and chilling question.

"Then why have you been criticizing the Ten Great Sects so much?"

"Yoon Jong!"

Baek Cheon stood up abruptly. Wasn't that statement crossing the line? However, Chung Myung cut off Baek Cheon without giving him a chance to intervene.

"Compare what can be compared. We're not doing this just to protect ourselves."

"Then who are you protecting more?"

"Everyone in Hwaeum. And the commoners in Gangbuk. Everyone..."

"What about Gangnam?"

"Well...?"

Yoon Jong coldly interjected.

"What about the people in Gangnam? They are the ones who suffered the most, aren't they?"

"What...?"

Chung Myung was about to tell him to stop saying absurd things, but swallowed his words.

They were discussing Gangbuk now, so why suddenly bring up Gangnam?

"Do you remember?"

"... What?"

"When we lost to Myriad Man Manor at the Yangtze River and made a treaty to hand over all of Gangnam, we couldn't sleep for three days and nights."

As the story of the Yangtze River Disaster came up, everyone's faces stiffened.

Chung Myung also closed his mouth.

"The suffering we endured was not because we lost. It was because we knew what kind of pain the countless people in Gangnam would suffer in our absence. The guilt of not being able to protect them was more terrible than the defeat against the Evil Sect."

Some people nodded slowly. It was a story that everyone here could empathize with.

"Chung Myung, you know it the best. You were the one who suffered the most at that time."

Chung Myung did not respond. However, his eyes were sinking into an infinite darkness.

"But..."

Yoon Jong glanced at everyone and fixed his gaze on Chung Myung again.

"What about now?"

"..."

"Is it painful?"

A profound silence settled in the room.

"It's strange. The pain they are experiencing hasn't diminished at all. No, maybe now, on the brink of war, it's worse than back then. But now, no one cares about the pain the people in Gangnam will endure."

"Yoon Jong. That's..."

"Because it's unavoidable."

Yoon Jong even cut off Hyun Jong's words.

"Yes. Because it's unavoidable. Because we lack the strength. It's not something we can do now. So we had no choice but to endure. But now..."

Yoon Jong's eyes narrowed.

"Is it really unavoidable?"

There was a hint of sarcasm on his lips.

It seemed to be a laugh mixed with self-pity or a mockery towards those watching. That was how piercing Yoon Jong's words were to everyone's hearts.

"Because it was unavoidable, we retreated. So we firmly wanted to protect Gangbuk. But now ,we have to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people in Gangbuk. Why? Because it's unavoidable."

Jo Gol observed Chung Myung without realizing it. He couldn't read any thoughts whatsoever from that expressionless face.

"So, are you going to give up Gangnam, give up Gangbuk, and even surrender Hwaeum if you lack strength? What's next? If you still lack strength, what do you plan to do? Will you only protect the Heavenly Comrade Alliance or Mount Hua, just like back then?"

"Yoon Jong!"

"It is strange."

Yoon Jong stared at Hyun Jong directly. Jo Gol, watching this, felt his breath caught in an instant.

It was Yoon Jong.

Along with Yoo Iseol, he was the one who believed and followed Hyun Jong the most in Mount Hua. He was now shooting a sharp glance at Hyun Jong.

"All the words are correct. There is not a single wrong word. But... strangely, doesn't that correct statement resemble what we have vehemently denied and declared as a big mistake all this time?"

"Sahyung. Now..."

"I thought these feelings were due to my immaturity. Everyone is superior to me, so naturally, I thought we would have different thoughts. But... is the final conclusion everyone gathered here just 'regardless of who dies, let's crouch here like turtles and wait'?"

"Sahyung!"

Chung Myung raised his voice as if he couldn't listen any longer, frowning as if he couldn't allow this.

"Don't speak recklessly. There is no one here who doesn't worry about the commoners. The reason we have to do this now is that if we lose..."

Chung Myung's words trailed off for a moment. Then, he closed his mouth immediately.

What he was about to say just now seemed so similar to what he had heard in the past. Chung Myung scoffed and criticized Beopjeong who expressed such thoughts in front of him. All the words from that time were coming back to him now.

Self-contradiction.

Everything that had brought the Heavenly Comrade Alliance to this point was now pushing a knife at his choice.

"I'm not asking you to think the same way. People's thoughts are different. But don't force that choice on me."

"For what?"

Baek Cheon, who had been listening quietly, stared at Yoon Jong and asked.

"What can you do alone? What can you do with that righteousness, that justice, and your fairness? Are you going to comfort yourself by begging a few people?"

"Baek Cheon-ah, your words are too much!"

Hyun Jong tried to mediate urgently, but Yoon Jong opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for that question.

"As Sasuk said, I may not be able to find anyone alone. Perhaps it is just a foolish act. It could even be criticized as something trivial."

Yoon Jong closed and opened his eyes for a moment.

"But at least, I can prove one thing."

"Prove?"

"That it wasn't a lie."

Yoon Jong's gaze turned to Chung Myung again.

"All that we have done until now was not merely amusement for those with power. The hand we extended was not offered with leftover graciousness after protecting everything we had."

He paused for a moment, clutching the sword at his waist.

"Moreover, everything we have done until now was not merely for the sake of gains afterward. Even if it means facing losses, I am prepared to walk that path with determination, holding this sword in my hand!"

Chung Myung remained silent. He just stared at Yoon Jong holding the Plum Blossom Sword.

The gaze moved from the Plum Blossom Sword to Yoon Jong's uniform, the small plum blossom carved on his left chest, and finally, to Yoon Jong's face.

Yoon Jong faced Chung Myung squarely and said firmly.

"That is what I learned from Mount Hua."

Chung Myung closed his eyes as if the person in front of him had become distant. His eyelashes were trembling finely.