Chapter 1225: Is This Okay? (Part 5)

"Is it all done?"

"Yes. Now you just need to wait."

"Mm."

Tang Soso smiled brightly and turned to look at Yoo Iseol. Yoo Iseol rarely rushed people. It was indeed a rare sight for someone like her to ask repeatedly from behind.

'Looks like she's concerned about the children getting hungry.'

Tang Soso didn't miss the subtle glances Yoo Iseol was sending to the village children. The kids, with frightened faces, were hiding behind their mothers' skirts and watching this side while peeking out.

When Tang Soso asked, Yoo Iseol replied in a somewhat gruff voice.

"...It's hard."

"Yes?"

"Being hungry."

"..."

"Especially when you're young."

Tang Soso was momentarily speechless. Thinking about it, Yoo Iseol must have clenched her hungry stomach in her early years and endured each day.

She must have had memories Tang Soso couldn't empathize with.

"It's all done. We'll distribute it quickly."

"Yeah."

"So, bring some bowls, and don't just watch."

"Alright."

Watching Yoo Iseol rushing to get the bowls, Tang Soso chuckled softly.

Originally, they didn't have to go this far. They had saved lives, so they could just continue on their way.

The problem was dealing with the grain in the cart. To disguise what happened as the Evil Tyrant Alliance escaping with the grains loaded on their carts, they needed to get rid of this grain.

Even though they were told to eat it and clear it away reasonably, not a single person in the village readily dared to touch this grain.

Although she knew that the Evil Tyrant Alliance wouldn't be idle enough to investigate such things in detail, an instinctive fear prevented her from readily leaving.

So Tang Soso rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward. Normally, Jo Gol would have cooked the rice instead of someone valuable(?) like Tang Soso, but now Jo Gol was occupied with other tasks."

Tang Soso glanced at the sun and checked the pot with a sidelong glance. Although it was a necessary task, they couldn't afford to procrastinate.

If they didn't finish their work before those who set out to erase the traces of the cart returned, it would only be in vain.

"It's ready! Come and eat!"

"..."

"Hurry!"

When the villagers hesitated and hesitated to approach, Tang Soso, who had opened the pot with a ladle, scooped up the rice forcefully. Then, she generously filled the bowls that Yoo Iseol had brought.

"Here it is! Come quickly!"

"..."

"Please!"

When the villagers still couldn't bring themselves to approach, Yoo Iseol, who had been staring fixedly at them, reached out and grabbed a handful of rice that Tang Soso had scooped. Then, she stuffed it into her mouth.

Crack, crack.

Having stuffed her cheeks with rice until they almost burst, Yoo Iseol, who chewed slowly, swallowed the rice with a gulp. She glanced at the villagers and grabbed a large bowl of rice again.

"We, We too..."

Finally, the others started cautiously approaching. Those who were slightly frightened by Yoo Iseol's expressionless face were greeted by Tang Soso's bright smile.

"Come on! Please, come in! Our Sago eats more than you think. If you don't take it quickly, Sago will eat it all."

"Th-thank you..."

Anything was difficult at first. The villagers rushed forward, and Tang Soso started distributing rice. It was nothing more than plain rice with no proper side dishes, but the movements of eating were desperate, indicating how severe the hunger was.

Through tattered clothes, the worn rib bones were exposed. Seeing this, Tang Soso briefly stiffened her face but soon smiled brightly again.

"There's plenty of grain, so please eat more! It's not the grain I brought."

"Th-thank you!"

Tang Soso quickly began scooping rice with an energetic expression.

Inside the village head's house, Baek Cheon, who was there, opened his mouth after observing the situation outside.

"...Looks like the situation isn't good."

At that moment, a middle-aged man who introduced himself as Hyeongwook let out a deep sigh.

"It might sound a bit awkward for me to say this out of my mouth...but I feel fortunate to be able to receive grain even like this."

"..."

Considering the words that had come out of the mouth of someone who had almost lost his life to the Evil Tyrant Alliance just a while ago, it gave a rough idea of how difficult the situation was.

"For a month... no, if we had been left just another 15 days, rather than dying by the sword, we would have died of starvation."

"Wasn't it going well in Hwajeon?" [Hwajeon might be "slash-and-burn farming"...don't ask lol]

Hyeongwook shook his head.

"You might not know, but making a living in Hwajeon is not that easy. Usually, people gather herbs in the mountains, bring them down to sell, and use that money to buy grain."

"Yes, that's right."

"But... from a few years ago, getting grain has become too difficult. Naturally, grain prices skyrocketed, and later, the grain itself didn't even come to the market. Even if someone was willing to buy, with that money, we couldn't afford to buy grain."

"Ah..."

It was obvious if he considered it a few years ago.

The Gangnam Non-Agression Treaty. After the Evil Tyrant Alliance began to dominate Gangnam.

"Still, we somehow managed until now... but now it really seems hopeless."

Baek Cheon, who had solidified his complexion, asked again.

"Is it worse because it's a mountainous area?"

In response to that question, Hyeongwook nodded.

"No, sir. We are somewhat better off than others."

"...Really?"

"Even though we live in the mountainous region, there are hardly any troublemakers coming here, right? Those who live in big places are really only surviving day by day."

Baek Cheon turned his head with a troubled expression.

The villagers seemed possessed eating rice. Looking at their pitiful appearances, it was heartbreaking to the point of misery. Yet, was their situation considered relatively better?

Then, what might be happening elsewhere?

"That... When you say 'trouble'... are you referring to the trouble caused by the Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

The man couldn't bring himself to answer. Even uttering those words seemed to terrify him.

"Every now and then..."

After hesitating for a while, the man spoke with great difficulty.

"When you go down the mountain to go to the market... there are corpses scattered on the road. Half-rotten bodies."

"..."

"People who died of starvation, and we couldn't even bring ourselves to clear them away."

"How could such..."

"They don't have the energy themselves. And... even if we clear it, someone else will die again."

Baek Cheon turned to look at Im Sobyeong with a blank face. Im Sobyeong shrugged.

"Don't act surprised. Weren't you already expecting this?"

"Jang Ilso... Jang Ilso's goal is to swallow up Gangbuk. Why would someone like him... This, this won't help at all..."

"Yes, that's correct. Jang Ilso is like that."

Baek Cheon remained silent at his words. He understood the implications of Im Sobyeong's words.

"But other sub-leaders in the Evil Tyrant Alliance are different. They never had much interest in places like Gangbuk from the beginning. What's more important to them is that they completely exploit places that used to be moderately controlled by righteous sects and were lost to them."

"I don't understand."

Baek Cheon bit his lip until it bled.

"Even if they are the Evil Tyrant Alliance, they are not fools. Despite being ignorant of morals and not knowing what they need to protect, they wouldn't be stupid once they become the leaders of a force, right? If they loot their own territory, what do you think will happen?"

In the first place, martial artists were like parasites attached to ordinary people. How could those who only wielded swords and learned martial arts make a living?

"Sects operate their bases by earning money from the support funds provided by the people in their region and by running businesses with the money they earn from the stores they use. But if the people in that region dry up, where would they earn money to sustain their base?"

"They aren't so ignorant as to not know that. Nokrim is also an Evil Sect, but they don't exploit people like this."

If the number of people traveling through the mountains decreased, the one who ultimately suffered would be the sect. Therefore, sect members didn't try to harm those who passed through the mountains.

Violating this rule was not only a disgrace to the sect but would lead to the sect's downfall due to internal strife among the bandits fighting over the mountains, rather than external attacks.

"In normal circumstances, it wouldn't have come to this point. However, this time was different. Have you forgotten? Do you remember what happened in the Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

"..."

"Certainly, if their foundation disappears, whether it's the Evil Tyrant Alliance or righteous sects, survival becomes impossible. But this isn't a situation where they need to consider that. After all, if they're defeated and consumed by the enemy, it's all lost, isn't it?"

Only now did Baek Cheon understand.

The Black Ghost Castle, the Hao Sect, and even the Su Lo Chae must have known that eventually, they would have to compete among themselves to determine the leader of the massive organization known as the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

So, without looking back, they gathered funds and stockpiled provisions.

"What about attacking people and being abusive? That has nothing to do with it, right?"

"Dojang, it seems you've forgotten, but the Evil Tyrant Alliance originally consists of such people. Would those who live by protecting what's rightfully theirs willingly devote themselves to the Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

"..."

"In times of peace, the higher-ups would have restrained themselves appropriately. However, since war is imminent, is there any need to forcibly control the lower ranks to reduce morale? And what's the point if those who judge that elsewhere is better end up leaving? It's only a loss."

"No..."

"Maybe it's possible with a small sect, but it's impossible with one of the Five Great Evils."

Baek Cheon had a puzzled expression, as if he both understood and didn't understand. No, maybe he understood but didn't want to accept it.

Looking at him, Im Sobyeong let out a strange smile.

"You knew about it, didn't you?"

"..."

"If there was such turmoil in Gangbuk, wouldn't you have guessed what might be happening in Gangnam? Even those who were forced out of here towards Gangbuk have made people's lives miserable, and they have to endure tougher guys here?"

A bitter taste filled Baek Cheon's throat, as if he had swallowed poison.

They simply hadn't considered it.

Seeing the grim state of public sentiment due to those who were driven out to the North after the Gangnam Non-Aggression Treaty, it was something that could be easily inferred.

As he headed towards Gangnam, all his thoughts were solely consumed by Southern Island. He had no concern for those living here. That fact made Baek Cheon feel utterly ashamed.

Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't make such a serious expression. The situation will improve. As Dojang said, Jang Ilso is not foolish, and the internal cleanup in the Evil Tyrant Alliance is already finished. Maybe now they'll start managing things properly. It's like sowing grain this time."

"..."

"But."

Im Sobyeong's calm voice sharply pierced through Baek Cheon's ears.

"The fear that one's life could be taken away at the slightest whim of someone, the fear of being powerless and desperate, having to bow down servilely no matter what happens due to lack of strength—those fears will never disappear as long as the Evil Tyrant Alliance's reign continues."