Chapter 1215: That's How It Is (Part 5)

Everyone looked at Im Sobyeong with a renewed gaze.

Due to his usual demeanor, people often forgot, but this man was indeed one of the leaders of the Five Great Evils and the Nokrim King, dominating all the mountains in the Central Plains.

How could a mountain path personally guided by such a person be dangerous?

"But hasn't Nokrim already withdrawn from Gangnam?"

In response to Tang Pae's question, Im Sobyeong casually laughed and waved his fan.

"What's the problem with that?"

"Yes?"

"People may have withdrawn, but the mountains haven't disappeared. And no one in the world knows the mountains as well as Nokrim does."

Im Sobyeong clenched the hand he had spread out.

"There won't be anyone who knows the mountains around Gangnam as well as I do. No matter how much the Evil Tyrant Alliance flies and crawls, in the mountains, they are not my match."

"...Indeed."

If Im Sobyeong's strategy and Nokrim King's knowledge were combined, even seemingly impossible stories would become plausible.

Just as everyone was about to express their admiration, a low voice echoed from a corner.

"So, you see..."

It was Chung Myung. An expression seemed to be on his face, asking, 'So what?'

"The words may sound grand, but in the end, it's just that the bandits are forced to run away and hide whenever government forces appear. That's why, like rats, they know how to travel without being detected."

"The terrain and secret paths of the mountains..."

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Nokrim, who dominates all the mountains in the Central Plains..."

"Dominates? That's bullshit."

Chung Myung snorted as if it was absurd.

"It's not dominating all the mountains in the Central Plains; it's the mountains that no one else uses or cares about. If they really dominated all the mountains in the Central Plains, why not build a fortress on Song Shan [where Shaolin is located]? How happy would the lonely Shaolin kids be to have a neighbor?"

"... "

Eventually, those who had been exclaiming in admiration just a moment ago looked at each other and started whispering.

"Come to think of it, it's a bit exaggerated."

"It does seem like too much, doesn't it? There aren't any Nokrim members on Mount Wudang or Mount Hua either. Not even one on Mount Southern Edge..."

"Now that you mention it, famous mountains don't have fortresses."

"Every famous mountain is occupied by a prominent sect. How bandits enter there?"

"Well, it's quite amusing. They can't even set foot on a famous mountain like Mount Oak [idk lol], but they set up fortresses on mountains no one else goes to in the Central Plains and claim to dominate all the mountains..."

Namgung Dowi glanced at Im Sobyeong and smiled strangely. Im Sobyeong's hand trembled slightly.

"Ahem! W-Well, of course, not all mountains, but at least I have a tight grip on the mountains in Gangnam."

"A tight grip?"

Chung Myung chuckled.

The guy was hiding in the name of someone else for fear of being discovered. Have you ever been there in person?"

"Says a guy who hid his name for fear of being discovered. Have you ever been there in person?"

"... "

"Those Evil Sect guys can't help but brag whenever they open their mouths. If only they toned down their damn boasting a bit, the average lifespan of an Evil Sect member would have been extended by at least ten years. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Baek Cheon asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"Well, isn't that a good thing?"

"Huh?"

"It means that the Evil Sect will die quickly."

"What...?"

Upon hearing this, Chung Myung looked at Im Sobyeong again, as if realizing there was some merit to it. Im Sobyeong's face twisted in frustration.

"And you call yourselves righteous sects even after saying such things! You're no different from the wicked guys in the Evil Sect!"

"What are you talking about."

Ignoring him with a clean dismissal, Chung Myung focused on the map spread out by Im Sobyeong.

"Anyway, in conclusion."

"... Yes."

"Going across Gangnam may be significantly more dangerous than other paths, but in return, you can arrive much faster, right?"

"... That's right."

"A dangerous and fast route?"

"... "

"Yeah, that's right. Dangerous and fast, that's what I mean."

Chung Myung, who had been pondering alone, began to laugh slyly. Simultaneously, a deep sense of unease settled on everyone's faces. Ultimately, the one person was desperately sought after. Baek Cheon, who had become the Deputy Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.

'Do something about it.'

'He's your disciple!'

'Now that you're the Deputy Sect Leader, you should do something!'

Unable to resist the unspoken pressure, Baek Cheon awkwardly smiled and opened his mouth towards Chung Myung.

"Chung Myung, um... I can roughly guess what you're thinking... um... there's no need to deliberately choose a dangerous path, right? Isn't that so?"

"Ah, Sasuk. I'm not a fool."

"Huh?"

"Do we really have to go that far?"

"R, Right?"

Baek Cheon's face lit up. Still, a sigh of relief involuntarily escaped him, feeling reassured that this guy had some sense.

However, at that moment, Chung Myung's grinning face appeared in his eyes. It was as bright as it was ominous.

"Yeah. Turning and going is the right thing to do."

"...Right? I think so too..."

"It doesn't matter to me. You said you would go comfortably, so what's the problem? Of course, you might arrive in Southern Island only to find it completely razed to the ground, including the roots of the pillars. But is that such a big problem?"

"... "

"You can take it slow, then. Once the situation stabilizes, that Jang Ilso guy will probably try to peel off the outer shell of the Southern Island folks first. Especially, if he hears that we've split from Shaolin, he'll burn them to the ground. But that's a story unrelated to us, right? After all, protecting the sect is something they should do with their own hands."

A cold sweat ran down Baek Cheon's spine.

"It's okay, it's okay. The sect can survive. Mount Hua Sect has already coolly burned and revived once, so why not Southern Island? Don't worry, don't worry. Since Southern Island is by the sea, it won't dry up like Mount Hua, so the roots of the pillars may be left."

Now, beads of cold sweat began to emerge on the foreheads of others.

"It's nothing. It's just a matter of being destroyed for about a hundred years and then rebuilding. It'd be nice if there were only about ten people left in the sect; the atmosphere would be like a family."

"... "

"Oh, of course, Sasuk who became Deputy Sect Leader by threatening Sect Leader, and Great Jangmun who stepped down from the position amidst discussions of righteousness or the future, those two might get some fingers pointed at them. And in the meantime, we may hear some whispers that the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is a group of hypocrites, but well, there's no need to take risks just because we don't want to hear that, right?"

"Stop... "

"Hey, it's okay, Sasuk. It's not a big deal. Huh? Righteousness? Ah, that's just something said in front of others! Isn't the world like that? Right? When others aren't looking, who actually cares about righteousness? People just pretend to risk their lives for righteousness in front of others. Who really upholds that? Just pretend a bit, and you can hear whispers like 'Ah, those guys must have tried something!' without being seen. Isn't that right..."

"Let's go by land!"

"Across the Yangtze River, damn it!"

"Straight to Southern Island! Straight!"

"Everyone shut up! Just take the fastest route!"

Panic-stricken, the crowd began to urge Baek Cheon.

"Deputy Sect Leader! Let's take the mountain path!"

"I-I'm sorry, Namgung Sogaju-nim. Please calm down..."

"Are you in a position to calm down right now? If we don't get to Southern Island in time, Namgung's honor will be completely trampled. Who will bear that responsibility? Who? Is it Deputy Sect Leader?"

"... "

"No, if think about it, wasn't the intention behind gathering people with strong enough martial arts so that they could handle this task? Even if someone dies while going to Gangnam and gets caught by the Evil Tyrant Alliance, it's not Deputy Sect Leader's fault, it's the fault of the person who applied for this task without having the capability to escape. Let's just go!"

"No... When did it become so extreme..."

"It's not extreme; it's reasonable!"

Since when? Since when did it become reasonable?

"Hmm. The words may be rough, but in truth, there's not much that's wrong."

Im Sobyeong subtly smirked at Baek Cheon.

"Logically, taking the safest route is the best option, but in the first place, heading to Southern Island itself wasn't a logical course of action."

"That's true."

"It's a crazy act."

"But wasn't it Deputy Sect Leader who suggested it?"

All eyes turned towards Baek Cheon. A bit startled, Baek Cheon stepped back.

"But why are you nitpicking now?"

"There are people like that. They make grand plans, but when it comes time to execute them, they start backing out."

Baek Cheon's clenched fist trembled.

Of course, his frustration wasn't primarily because of the subtly provocative disciples. It was because of Chung Myung and Jo Gol, who were hiding behind them, half-exposing their faces and constantly mocking him, saying, 'Sasuk backed down.'

"Sasuk."

At that moment, Yoon Jong, who had been silently lost in thought, spoke up.

"I understand your hesitation. But when you think about it, this isn't something to contemplate. Even if we make a good decision, if everything is over by the time we arrive in Southern Island, wouldn't it all be in vain?"

"... Yes."

"We chose to go to Southern Island not because of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's power or the perspectives of each sect. It was simply because of the agreement that we couldn't abandon Southern Island, which is isolated and waiting to collapse."

Baek Cheon nodded in agreement.

"In my opinion, Sasuk has probably already made a decision. But I think I know why you're hesitating until the end. So, let me speak from the perspective of a disciple."

"... "

"Remember what Sasuk said. Righteousness that doesn't take on risks on its own is not righteousness. Conversely, someone attempting to fulfill the righteousness must naturally be willing to take on the risks."

"Amitabha."

Hye Yeon nodded and interjected.

"Dojang Yoon Jong's words are correct, Deputy Sect Leader Jangmun."

"... "

"Make a decision."

Everyone focused their gaze on Baek Cheon.

In reality, Baek Cheon wasn't the highest-ranking figure here. Despite being the Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua, he was overshadowed by the sect leaders of Nokrim, Namgung Family, and even the North Sea Ice Palace.

In terms of position, Baek Cheon couldn't compare to them.

However, there was no hesitation in the gazes directed at Baek Cheon. Implicitly, everyone acknowledged that Baek Cheon was the decision-maker for this group, and without hesitation, Baek Cheon accepted that responsibility, nodding his head.

"Let's head to Southern Island."

"... "

"By the fastest route."

At that statement, smiles appeared on everyone's lips. Just as Baek Cheon was about to reciprocate with a smile.

"He really accepted that?"

"He doesn't seem to be in his right mind."

"A man like that becoming the Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua. The future of Mount Hua seems obvious."

No, these bastards? Are you guys going that way?

"Well... We can't help it. We have to criticize, right?"

"If even one person dies, it's all Sasuk's responsibility."

"Ugh. It's all because we met Sasuk; what a troublesome ordeal."

Even The Five Swords turned their heads, clicking their tongues. Baek Cheon was dumbfounded. However, before he could find the words, Chung Myung opened his mouth to summarize the situation.

"Anyway, the decision is made. Nokrim King."

"Yes."

"Guide the way clearly."

Chung Myung sent a momentary, piercingly cold and calm gaze that seemed to penetrate him. Im Sobyeong wiped away his smile and firmly nodded.

"I will do my best."

"Good. Then let's go."

Everyone's gaze shifted to the wide expanse of the Yangtze River and the land beyond. From now on, they would head in that direction.

"So, where do we arrange for a boat?"

"Boat? What boat?"

"....We need a boat to cross the Yangtze River, right?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Why? Do you want to rumors to spread in Kangho that we're taking a boat to Gangnam?"

"... Then?"

Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively, gesturing towards the river.

"Dive."

"... "

"As quietly as possible. Gently. So that no one else notices."

"... "

"Let's go."

The shoulders of the group, who had been looking at the yellow Yangtze River, slumped simultaneously.

The road of righteousness was long and treacherous by nature.