725 Chapter 1613: So, We Have To Break It Ourselves (Part 3)

"Sahyung."

"Shh."

Jo Gol, who was listening in a corner as if he had somehow entered the meeting without qualifications, whispered to Yoon Jong.

"No, how can I keep quiet...What's going on? Retracting their commanding authority?"

"Well, it's..."

After glancing around for a moment, Yoon Jong hesitated before speaking. Frankly, he wasn't too sure himself, but...

"Although it is said we receive orders from the Alliance, aren't we actually following the orders of each sect?"

"So, what does that mean?"

Yoon Jong's face twisted slightly.

"If the Sect Leader and the Alliance Lord give conflicting orders, whose orders should we follow?"

"Of course, we should follow the Alliance Lord's orders, right?"

"Huh?"

That was true, but... well, it was true.

"Let me rephrase. If the Vice Lord and the Lord give different orders simultaneously, whose orders should the members of the Tang Family follow?"

"Well..."

Of course, it should be Hyun Jong.

But in reality, it would be Tang Gunak. From the perspective of the Mount Hua people, Hyun Jong was the Alliance Lord and the great sect leader, but to put it bluntly, from the perspective of the Tang Family, he was just an outsider.

"It seems like they want to change that."

"Oh, that…that… … ."

Jo Gol, who stuttered for a moment as if something had broken down, tilted his head.

"How are they going to change that? Is it even possible?"

"So, about the command authority..."

As Yoon Jong's frustration grew, he was about to raise his voice, but Hyun Jong's sharp gaze focused on him like a blade. Yoon Jong and Jo Gol both lowered their heads as if struck by lightning. Everyone had unknowingly become engrossed in their conversation.

"Ahem."

Tang Gunak cleared his throat slightly and looked at Chung Myung.

Baek Cheon had thrown a bomb at the last meeting. However, compared to what Chung Myung just said, calling it a bomb seemed inadequate.

The command authority... Did he understand the words he was saying now?

"Chief, I understand the intention. But..."

"In reality, it's not easy, right?"

Tang Gunak nodded.

"That's right. This is..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. As the meeting room fell silent again, Jo Gol couldn't bear it and spoke up.

"Sahyung."

"Stop it..."

"No, why is this so serious? Is this such a big deal?"

"Ha..."

Taking a deep breath, Yoon Jong replied in a whisper.

"Then, can you fight under the orders of someone other than the Mount Hua Sect Leader?"

"Of course. Aren't we part of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"

"Even if the orders come from a member of the Southern Edge Sect?"

"...Yes?"

For a moment, Jo Gol's eyes wavered.

"No, not the Southern Edge Sect Leader, but what if it's Jin Geumryong Sohyeop? Do you have the confidence to rush towards the enemy under his orders?"

Jo Gol closed his mouth like a clam. Although he was preparing to answer that naturally, when he heard it in this context, he couldn't respond rashly.

"Recalling the command authority means that. The entire system we've known so far will disappear. And we will have to adapt to the new system."

"Is it really so extreme? He must have some thoughts as well."

"That's something we can say because we're Mount Hua people. From the perspective of other sects, the situation could be even more extreme."

Without going far, Im Sobyeong alone was an example. Until recently, he held a strategic position, and his opinions were indirectly conveyed through Hyun Jong.

However, if the command authority was centralized, a situation would arise where those who until recently were under the command of someone lending an ear to the noise of a bandit would now have to risk their lives. [not sure] Could everyone truly accept that?

Everyone seemed to share similar thoughts, as the silence this time was quite lengthy. Finally, Chung Myung opened his mouth.

"Realistically, it's difficult. It's all talk without action. It's better to start with what's possible... You're still saying that after going through all this?"

Chung Myung looked straight at Tang Gunak. Tang Gunak's expression stiffened slightly.

"The reason the Beggar's Union lost is simple, isn't it? Even with a system that has been in place for hundreds of years, they couldn't overcome their limits. The concept of unity alone can't break the distinction between 'us and others.'"

"Of course, that's true, but..."

"If we fight under such a shaky system, even if we manage to win, it's obvious we'll leave behind massive casualties and bitter conflicts. Surely, after defeating them, we won't go back to dividing ourselves and fighting among us again, will we?"

Everyone's faces stiffened. Only Chung Myung remained composed as he continued.

"So, there's only one solution, right? We have to unite our strength without dividing into sects anymore."

Instead of waiting for Tang Gunak's response, Chung Myung turned his gaze towards his martial siblings.

"Those who adhered to the old system were undoubtedly defeated. But those who clumsily broke through those boundaries unexpectedly returned after beheading the Black Dragon King. Is there any sect here that has achieved greater accomplishments than them?"

There wasn't. Surprisingly, there wasn't.

In the heavy atmosphere, Chung Myung's eyes gleamed coldly.

"Let's face reality. Ever since we became enemies with the damned Evil Tyrant Alliance, we haven't achieved a single victory against them. We've never won, never gained any advantage. It's been a series of defeats. Every time we clashed, we lost, only to regret afterwards."

Some bit their lips.

"Yet, do you believe we can win by properly sobering up and fighting? Without changing anything?"

Chung Myung let out a faint chuckle, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

"People are supposed to learn from history, right? But why does it seem to me that we're like a sinking ship?"

"Chief, your words are a bit extreme."

"If you think my words are extreme, then you should change something right now. Our way of doing things, everything we believed was right. And..."

Chung Myung bit his lip before pointing at himself.

"Even the things I believed were right."

It was a profoundly meaningful statement.

* * *

Exiting the meeting room almost last, Jo Gol scratched his bushy hair and sighed.

"...Is this okay? The faces of the Sect Leaders were serious."

"Why wouldn't they be? This is such a sensitive issue."

"Then why do it? Why go this far?"

"But he believed it had to be done."

"Chung Myung, huh?"

"Yeah."

Jo Gol gave Yoon Jong a slightly odd look before poking him.

"Sahyung's decisions have been quite unusual lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Recently, you've been stubbornly opposing Chung Myung at every turn as if you're going to defy him to the death. But now, why do you seem to be subtly approving?"

That guy...

Yoon Jong sighed heavily.

"If people were as simple as you, the world would be much more peaceful."

"...Was that a compliment?"

"Yeah, it was."

Unable to deny it, Yoon Jong quietly spoke.

"Even though we may have different opinions, there's one thing we agree on. Continuing to fight in the same way as before will inevitably lead to serious conflicts among us, even if we manage to defeat the Evil Tyrant Alliance."

"...Why is that?"

"Because someone else will die in the end due to those who hesitated at the last moment."

Jo Gol nodded as if he vaguely understood.

In this recent battle, they had collectively defeated the Black Dragon King by combining their different strengths.

But what if, at that crucial moment, someone quietly withdrew to conserve their strength? And because of them, someone from the Mount Hua died?

Jo Gol would never forgive them for the rest of his life. Perhaps, he would express even more intense hostility than when facing the Evil Sect.

"Even if we win the war, it's all meaningless if we leave behind regrets that can't be washed away."

"Is that why?"

"...It might be also be because we can't win otherwise."

Jo Gol nodded, now vaguely understanding.

"It's... strange, but also natural."

"What do you mean?"

"This kind of things was always natural for Chung Myung. He's always been changing something, hasn't he? After coming to Mount Hua, he changed everything from the martial arts to the training methods, even the system."

"..."

"But then, at some point, he... how should I put it? He started respecting others. In the past, he would've beaten everyone until they agreed with him, but at some point, he started listening to others, if possible?"

"....That's true."

Yoon Jong felt the same. And he just attributed it to Chung Myung growing up and maturing.

But Jo Gol's thoughts seemed a bit different.

"Perhaps he couldn't stand it anymore?"

"....Couldn't stand it?"

"Yes. Maybe he wanted to do this from the beginning. Think about it. Originally, he was the type of person who, if he thought something was right, wouldn't even consider others' circumstances and would just overturn everything and yell for everyone to follow."

Memories of countless hardships came flooding back. He felt an ache all over his body.

"....Maybe so."

"And it'll probably be the same this time."

Yoon Jong let out a short sigh.

"It's not as simple this time, Gol-ah. We could trust him with everything before because ultimately, we had nothing to lose. Other sect leaders might not think as easily as we do."

But Jo Gol responded with a wry smile.

"The important thing isn't that. Whether there's something to lose or not is the way of thinking for people like Sahyung. The important thing is that we win by doing what he says. Isn't that right? And..."

Jo Gol said firmly.

"That's what's right."

Yoon Jong fell silent.

"If it's right, then we should do it. Naturally."

"That's true, but..."

Jo Gol cut off whatever Yoon Jong was about to say.

"Ah, honestly, I don't know anymore."

There was a hint of annoyance on his face.

"At some point, it's strange. Sahyung, Great Sect Leader, even Chung Myung and Sasuk... they're all becoming complicated. Maybe they're thinking too much. It wasn't like this before."

A hollow laugh escaped from Yoon Jong's lips.

"That's because back then, we..."

"Don't say something ridiculous. Did we not have to think before? We had plenty to think about back then. In fact, there was even more to consider when that guy first came. How many times did we consider reviving a fallen sect when he came?"

Yoon Jong paused for a moment. Listening, he realized that the statement was true.

"There's only one thing that's changed. That guy didn't care about our feelings or positions before. Even today, he's the same. If it were like before, when the Sect Leader suggested that we take some time and reconvene, he would've thrown a fit. Now he's saying we don't have time for that."

The image of Chung Myung, sprawled out in anger, was easily conjured in Yoon Jong's mind. He knew it even without seeing it.

"That's right."

"We're still enduring it."

"But isn't that right?"

"Is it?"

Jo Gol looked at Yoon Jong quietly.

"Well, I don't know. I used to think Sahyung was a bit rough around the edges but an interesting person, but lately, it feels different."

"In what way?"

"It feels like he's resembling the other sect leaders I used to see in the past. Analyzing and considering everything, ultimately choosing the safest option."

"...."

"Boring."

Jo Gol turned his body.

"Gol-ah."

"I'm going to see Chung Myung. Since he stirred up something interesting after a long time, this time, we should properly turn things around without pulling punches in the middle."

Jo Gol glanced back slightly.

"Sahyung can stay here since he will be tied up anyway. That's it."

Yoon Jong watched Jo Gol's departing figure blankly.

"...Changed? Me?"

His eyes trembled slightly. It was a statement that he couldn't easily dismiss, heard through none other than Jo Gol's mouth.