Chapter 1253: And To Survive! (Part 3)

A small fishing boat bobbed up and down in the oncoming waves.

"Oof!"

"Be careful. If you fall, you'll get swept away!"

"Don't worry too much. Do you think I've been doing this for just a year or two?"

"That's true. And those who went that way before all said the same."

"This guy is bad luck..."

The person pulling the net, with an annoyed expression, looked at the raised net. The net was empty. The one who pulled it frowned.

"Today's harvest is..."

"It's always like that the day after a typhoon passes. Stop complaining and get to work."

"Anyway, it looks like it's going to rain today. How about folding up and going for a drink?"

"Are you crazy? I've been hungry all through the typhoon, and if I go in empty-handed today, my wife will probably rip my head off."

"There wasn't much of one in the first place."

"What?"

Men with sunburned, tanned skin, tirelessly pulled the net.

Despite the constant flow of thick sweat, their faces were filled with joy rather than hardship. No matter how hard the work on the boat was, it couldn't compare to the pain of spending endless time on land without going out to sea.

"We should catch something before the sun sets."

"I agree!"

It was at that moment when they, with indifferent gazes, sent hopeful glances to the sea.

"Huh?"

One of them, pulling the net, exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, what's that over there?"

"What are you talking about?"

"There... Can't you see a ship there?"

"We're in the middle of the sea, what do you expect?"

"Oh, no. There! Those ships over there! They're coming!"

"Huh?"

The ones working stopped what they were doing, straightened their backs, and raised their heads. Indeed, the sight of dozens of massive ships heading towards the island from afar became clear.

"Uh..."

"What is that?"

Momentarily, those who recognized who was on those ships fell into contemplation and shouted.

"Turn the boat! Quickly! Get out of the way if you don't want to collide!"

"But the net..."

"Never mind the net! Hurry!"

The small fishing boats frantically scattered in all directions, abandoning the nets they had collectively pulled up. A moment later, the large ships crossed through the sea path they opened.

The fishermen watched with fear as the passing ships. A massive flag hung on the ships. On the red flag was the character "Tyrant".

"Evil Tyrant Alliance..."

"Those guys..."

It wasn't the first time they had seen the ships of the Evil Tyrant Alliance. For three years, the ships of the Evil Tyrant Alliance had been patrolling the sea, keeping an eye on Southern Island.

But this time, it was the first time such a fleet had come to Southern Island, showing off the might of the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

Those who knew what that meant watched the ships moving away with eyes full of despair.

"...Please."

It felt as if the smell of blood was already thick in the air.

"Report?"

"Yes, Commander! According to those monitoring the island, it seems there are no signs of anyone leaving the island."

Ho Gakmyung nodded lightly.

'Whether it's wisdom or foolishness...'

There probably wasn't much choice. However, just sitting and waiting wouldn't change anything.

After all, when an ordinary person reaches a dead end, they tend to sit right there instead of trying to open up a path.

"Is there still no movement?"

"So far, none."

A hint of mockery flashed in Ho Gakmyung's eyes.

"A person who can't be of any use. Even the Sect Leader of the Southern Island Sect."

From the perspective of Southern Island, the option of leaving the island by boat was not a good one. No matter where they went, they couldn't escape the net that Ho Gakmyung had spread. In the end, they would only face a more miserable death.

However...

"If they had declared naval war, there might have been a slight chance."

The only thing Ho Gakmyung was concerned about was that they might come to fight by boat. Even if he was a formidable martial artist, it would be difficult to showcase his skills while on boats, and ordinary methods wouldn't be familiar to the Myriad Man Manor, so the odds would tilt in their favor.

'If only we could bring those Su Lo Chae guys...'

But realistically, that wasn't easy.

The Su Lo Chae was essential for facing off against the opponents in the North. Furthermore, the decrease in Su Lo Chae's forces would be noticeable and have a significant impact.

"It doesn't really matter anyway."

Whether they came to wage war or not, it would only be a little troublesome.

While perfect preparation would be good, sometimes speed was much more critical than perfection. In Ho Gakmyung's judgment, what mattered most in this situation was not perfection but swiftness.

"How much time do we have left?"

"We'll arrive within half an hour."

"What is the distance from the coast to Mt. Oji?" [idk, somewhere on Southern Island]

"If we advance at full speed, we can reach it within an hour."

"About an hour..."

Ho Gakmyung's eyes, staring out at the sea, hardened. But his mind was quickly organizing the situation even at this moment.

Jang Ilso had entrusted him with this task. Not even a tiny bit of negligence was allowed.

"Judging by the temperament of the Sect Leader of the Southern Island Sect, he might be holding a feast and waiting for us to attack, with the mountain gates wide open."

"Could he really be that relaxed?"

"It's not about being relaxed, but considering it as a matter of course. The way those from the Central Plains think can sometimes be so absurdly strange. It's hard for us to understand."

The tendency to consider dying head-on in a battle as admirable, especially as the crisis intensified, was pronounced in the Central Plains sects.

It was only recently that strange sects like Mount Hua had emerged, making that kind of attitude seem odd. Just a while ago, most of the sects in the Central Plains had that kind of demeanor.

So, from the perspective of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, it was incomprehensible.

If the opponent was weaker in skill, the Evil Sect considered it natural to use poison, set traps, or even capture hostages to create a 'result' that ensured victory.

"Commander."

At the voice calling him from the side, Ho Gakmyung turned his gaze.

"Did Lord Ryeonju order to wipe out that island?"

Ho Gakmyung's face slightly distorted at the question.

"How many times do I have to say it for you to pretend to understand? The only ones that need to be wiped out are the Southern Island Sect."

"Of course, I know. What I'm asking is not about the Southern Island Sect, but how to deal with those that will head towards that island."

It was a chilly tone. Ho Gakmyung sighed long.

"There won't be such a thing, Blood Sword King (血劍團主).."

"That remains to be seen."

Ho Gakmyung's eyes narrowed displeasingly. While he had no problem controlling a branch leader (臺主), suppressing a lord (團主) entirely, whether by force or power, was impossible. Especially when he operated independently without Jang Ilso.

This was because, compared to his influence within the sect, Ho Gakmyung did not possess strong military power.

Despite his high position, they held the real power. Therefore, maintaining a somewhat equal relationship was unavoidable.

Of course, unless they dominated Ho Gakmyung excessively, they couldn't do much against him since he had Jang Ilso's support. However...

"The children have been exhausted after the long journey. If they return without shedding blood, they might cause trouble on land."

"Doesn't that refer to you, not the Blood Sword Sect?"

"I won't explicitly deny it."

A sigh escaped from Ho Gakmyung's lips.

"Be reasonable. So that Lord Ryeonju won't be displeased."

"I'll try."

After ending the conversation, Gwayang (蒯壤), the leader of the Blood Sword Sect, turned coldly away from Ho Gakmyung as if he didn't want to stay a second longer.

Seeing Gwayang's back, Ho Gakmyung frowned.

'All of them...'

No matter how hard he tried, the moment he distanced himself even slightly from Jang Ilso, they revealed their wicked nature. These lunatics, who couldn't handle the Evil Sect and were driven out as public enemies, were the biggest strength and weakness of the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

Although their power made the Evil Sect stronger, the uncontrollable brutality of these fanatics divided the strength of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, making it impossible.

The only one who could leash them was Jang Ilso. Even Ho Gakmyung's authority, as the acknowledged vice leader of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, couldn't control them. He could only guide and soothe them to move.

"Huh."

It was somewhat bothersome and irritating for Ho Gakmyung, but that was all. His gaze turned toward Southern Island again.

'But for them, it'll be a disaster.'

The sight of Southern Island, soaked in blood, seemed already visible.

"Maintain maximum speed."

"Yes!"

With Ho Gakmyung's order, the fleet accelerated even more, advancing rapidly towards Southern Island.

* * * 

"Hurry!"

"Yes, Sahyung!"

Southern Island's disciples rushed around, drilling holes in the bottom of the boats anchored on the coast until sweat poured down their feet. Guo Hansuo anxiously watched their movements.

"Will it be done in time?"

Taking his eyes off the boat, he responded to Chung Myung's question.

"We're doing our best right now."

"Seems like a waste of time. Breaking them all might be better."

"The enemies aren't fools. If we arrive at the coast and all the boats are broken, they'll suspect something is planned."

"Hmm."

"Trust us. We're people who live on boats. We can make them stay afloat until the enemies arrive, and as soon as they try to board, we can make it sink."

When Chung Myung glanced at Im Sobyeong, he shrugged and said.

"We could try to break them into pieces as if they were destroyed by the typhoon, but it might look a bit unnatural. This is better."

"Would those Evil Sect bastards have the brains to notice things like that?"

"...Why do always look at the Evil Sect members like dogs and pigs?"

"Why insult dogs and pigs? What sins have they committed?"

"...Did you have a feud with the Evil Sect in your past life or something?"

"That's nonsense. Why should I have to lose to those Evil Sect bastards just to insult them? Even objectively, the Evil Sect guys are worse than bugs."

Im Sobyeong silently slumped his shoulders. At that moment, Namgung Dowi approached with a puzzled expression.

"But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better just to destroy all the boats on the island? Why only the boats on this coast..."

While Im Sobyeong was unable to catch his breath and was being verbally beaten, he found a suitable punching bag and looked at Namgung Dowi with an exaggerated surprised face.

"Wow, this is unexpected. An idea that even an Evil Sect bastard couldn't come up with."

"...Excuse me?"

"If we destroy all the boats, won't it tie up the feet of the Myriad Man Manor guys who have landed? They are the venomous snakes of the Evil Sect, right? So, while those guys are repairing the boats, what do you think will happen?"

"Uh..."

...Hell would probably break loose. They'd unleash their fury on the residents of Southern Island.

Only then did Namgung Dowi understand what he had inadvertently said and tried to correct himself quickly. However, Im Sobyeong didn't give him a single chance and dug into the gap.

"Heh, indeed, as expected of the Heaven's Friend Namgung Family, who has withstood the rivers of blood and death for hundreds of years. Truly! Truly! To build up such achievements, you have to consider human lives as less than ants..."

"S-stop! That's not what I meant!"

"It's okay, it's okay. It could happen. From the perspective of the Evil Sect, it's a very excellent idea. But if you're going to do that, why not take this opportunity to defect to a side that suits your nature..."

"What kind of bullshit is this! Can't you just shut up!"

Watching Im Sobyeong and Namgung Dowi grappling with each other, Tang Pae shook his head helplessly.

That guy had also become so foul-mouthed.

But it was strange to watch. Although the two of them had a terrible relationship, at times like this, they strangely seemed to get along well.

Then it happened.

"Um... Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"Hmm?"

Guo Hansuo, who was directing his disciples, hesitated and opened his mouth towards Chung Myung. 

"May I ask you something?"