Chapter 1274: A Tiger in A Trap (Part 4)

Humans have employed every possible means to conquer the sea. Thus, humans, once unable to navigate the sea, have now ventured beyond the nearby waters to the distant oceans.

For ordinary people, it might have seemed unimaginable, but the efforts and tenacity of those who dared to confront the sea have achieved such monumental results.

Funnily enough, those who challenge the sea end up facing the greatness of the sea itself. No matter how hard they row and how much they spread their sails, there comes a moment when they cannot steer the ship as they wish.

At that time, all they can do is wait. Hoping that the sea's Dragon King will show them mercy and guide them.

Guo Hansuo looked at the sea with somewhat perplexed eyes.

High waves crashed, and headwinds blew. In times like this, human strength became useless.

All he could do was fold the sails, raise the oars, and silently wait.

In truth, Guo Hansuo did not dislike these moments. In his thoughts, these moments were when a person truly becomes one with the sea, when the flow of the sea and the flow of human life align.

However, now, as Guo Hansuo gazed at the sea, what came to his mind was not satisfaction derived from a sense of unity but an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. He had previously believed that nature was supposed to be something to coexist with rather than resist. Being carried away by the raging sea wasn't such a bad thing.

At this moment, Guo Hansuo was keenly realizing that his previous thoughts were just the self-consolation of a powerless individual.

'War...'

His hands were still trembling. Even though it had been a while since he had left the coast, the tremors did not subside. He hesitated even to pull his hands out of the sleeves, fearing that someone might notice his shaking hands.

It was amusing. After all, wasn't what had just happened something Guo Hansuo had dreamed of his entire life?

He had long waited for the day when he would wield his sword against the wicked and unruly Evil Sect.

Though the circumstances were unfavorable, he had endured and promised himself countless times that given the opportunity, he would fight courageously and prove the indomitable spirit of a swordsman from the Southern Island Sect.

However... the war he saw with his own eyes was so different from what he had imagined.

The scent of fresh blood still lingered in his nostrils.

He realized for the first time how repugnant the smell of human blood could be. He realized for the first how desperate the cries of those dying with guts pouring out could be. He realized that in the midst of the fierce battle, stepping on the severed heads of his comrades and advancing forward was commonplace.

The romance of the battlefield he had dreamed out turned out to be nothing more than a delusion. Righteousness and courage that bloomed while life and death intersected?

'Bullshit...'

Guo Hansuo bit his lip hard.

He wished to show someone who uttered such words the dead eyes of those who had been pierced through the heart. Anyone who has seen the eyes of someone desperately searching for their severed arm, or the vacant eyes of someone trampled while searching for their fallen comrade, would understand that the battlefield was nothing but the stench emanating from corpses.

Guo Hansuo wrapped his trembling hands around his shoulders.

The screams of those dying seemed to echo in his ears.

What made it even more difficult for Guo Hansuo was the fact that among those screaming and dying, there were also his fellow disciples.

"Yangso....(楊笑)"

Especially Yangso, a disciple he had cherished.

Smaller in stature and gentle in temperament, Yangso did not fit in with the rough-and-tumble Southern Island Sect.

Therefore, Guo Hansuo thought it would be better for him to leave the mountain and lead his own life.

However, Yangso did not abandon the Southern Island Sect. Despite his lack of skill, he insisted on accompanying Guo Hansuo on the journey to Gangnam with firm determination.

And thus, he met a futile death, unable to even escape even the Southern Island Province.

Even more pitiful was that his body could not be recovered.

The overwhelming sense of tore at Guo Hansuo's heart.

'What was I looking for, anyway?'

If only he could tear apart the self from the past who dreamt of making a name for himself on the battlefield. The blood flowing on the battlefield was the blood of the disciples he cherished, and the brilliant prestige gained in the battlefield came at the cost of countless lives.

What did he see and dream about in the first place?

"Sahyung."

Guo Hansuo turned his head. Lee Ziyang, was approaching. His complexion was paler than usual, indicating that he, too, was not without psychological distress.

"What's going on?"

"...Eight."

"..."

"Eight have been lost."

Guo Hansuo closed his eyes tightly.

'It was such a one-sided fight.'

They overwhelmed the enemy without losing momentum. They broke through the enemy's defense line and seized the ships in one fell swoop.

A total victory. It was so overwhelming that it couldn't be expressed with any other words.

Nevertheless... Even so, eight died.

Then, in the land of Gangnam, where they would have to engage in far more brutal fights compared to Southern Island, how many more people would die?

"...Did you confirm who they are?"

"Yes, Sahyung..."

Guo Hansuo, who was about to ask for their names, soon shook his head with a dismal expression.

What meaning did it have?

Even if they identified the victims, it wouldn't help to find their bodies for a proper funeral. They weren't just leaving one battlefield; they were heading toward another battlefield.

"The damage seems considerable."

"Yes... But if it weren't for Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, the damage would have been much greater. Perhaps..."

Lee Ziyang's words trailed off. However, Guo Hansuo understood what he was trying to say.

'He probably means that the Southern Island Sect could have been annihilated then and there.'

It wasn't a wrong statement.

Even if they had quickly seized their ship, if they were chased and caught before moving the ship, there was a high possibility that everyone would have become fish food.

Chung Myung alone prevented the worst-case scenario.

"...When you think about it, it was really reckless."

"That's right."

"If I had known it was an operation like this, I would have refused."

"Maybe."

Guo Hansuo's response was consistently calm. Upon this, Lee Ziyang twisted his face.

"Aren't you angry, Sahyung? One slip-up, and we would all have died! And disciples died because of that reckless strategy!"

Guo Hansuo stared at him without a reply. Then Lee Ziyang bit his lips.

"Is it his fault that the disciples died?"

"...No, I mean..."

"And if he had told us that it would turn out like this in the first place, we probably wouldn't have joined. If that happened, what would have become of us by now?"

Lee Ziyang couldn't answer.

By now, they would probably have all fought in the sect and died. There was no guarantee that this Gangnam expedition would save the Southern Island, but the fact that they had extended their lives a bit more couldn't be denied.

'There was no way to tell in advance.'

It was not something that could be understood just by hearing it.

Because it was something that could only be believed without seeing it with one's own eyes.

Who in the world would believe that one person alone could face the main force of Myriad Man Manor and buy time?

So, it couldn't have been said in advance. A truth no one believed in was worthless.

"They are not the ones at fault. If there is a wrong side, it's us who blinded ourselves to the fact that we were heading towards Gangnam without properly assessing the situation."

"Well..."

"How can people from the mainland know about the tides ebbing? No, did we even know that the tide was receding in the first place? It's something you should have thought about, something I should have thought about. Due to our stupidity, we almost killed everyone. But now, are you blaming others?"

"..."

"Incompetent ones who, led by nothing but enthusiasm, couldn't even do what they were supposed to properly. And now, are we supposed to blame those innocent ones?"

With a twisted face, Lee Ziyang bit his lip until it bled.

Guo Hansuo sighed, looking at him in that state.

He understood the pitiable appearance of Lee Ziyang. What could the disciples do? How could they console themselves for the loss of their martial siblings, the death of those who should not have died? 

"I'm sorry. Sahyung."

At that moment, Lee Ziyang bowed his head apologetically.

"I... was foolish and cowardly."

"Ziyang..."

Watching him quietly, Guo Hansuo raised his head. He understood Lee Ziyang's heart very well. Moreover, Lee Ziyang was the one who prided himself on being the most cool-headed person in the Southern Island Sect. The shock must have been even greater than expected.

A brief silence lingered between them. When Guo Hansuo, in an attempt to say something in the awkwardness, opened his mouth, Lee Ziyang spoke again.

"Sahyung."

"Speak."

"How can they be like that?"

Lee Ziyang said with a disappointed expression.

"I don't understand. How can they remain calm in such a situation? How can they even look at all...?"

He strailed off and remained silent. It was clear how much shock Lee Ziyang had suffered.

A person who had been living only by looking at the sky covered with clouds finally leaped above the clouds, only to discover an endless expanse of sky beyond.

Instead of feeling joyous, it must have been bleak and bewildering.

"How can someone remain calm in such a situation? And how can someone not be afraid even in such circumstances?"

"How can one stay composed in such a situation? And how can one avoid being scared even in such circumstances?"

"Do you think it's because it's you?"

Guo Hansuo shook his head.

Strength was something he could understand. They were strong, and he was weak. That was a part where there was no need to find reasons. If the Southern Island Sect become more disciplined and put in more effort, they might be able to narrow the gap to some extent, even if they can't overcome it completely.

But...

It was still visible now. The figure of Chung Myung's back, who leaped alone into the midst of hundreds of troops charging like mad.

'Can I become as strong as that person by wishing for it?'

Guo Hansuo already knew the answer.

"One thing is certain, while we were just venting our frustration on this island, they were shedding blood and fighting."

"..."

"Those mainland 'seniors', even though they lack any skills, have been mocking us, boasting without any merit..."

Guo Hansuo chuckled.

"The real 'seniors' were us. 'Seniors' who have never wielded a sword properly, have never killed a person before."

"Sahyung...."

"You said you were curious about how he could fight like that, right?"

Lee Ziyang looked at Guo Hansuo with questioning eyes. Guo Hansuo's gaze was focused far away, toward the land of Gangnam.

"We will soon find out. No..."

Guo Hansuo's face suddenly turned cold.

"We have to find out. If we don't find out, we'll just die over there."

Lee Ziyang slowly nodded his head.

Their journey had just begun. If they could survive and break through the Gangnam filled with those Evil Sects... Maybe then, they might understand the battle that took place on this coast a little.

'I just hope it turns out that way.'

Guo Hansuo closed his eyes in silence.

After calming his throbbing heart for a while, he remembered, as if belatedly.

"What about Chung Myung Dojang?"

"... It seems like they're currently pulling out the steel needles embedded in his body and stitching his wounds."

"Pulling out the steel needles?"

"Yes. There were more than ten steel needles longer than fingers stuck in his body. According to Yubong, if he was an ordinary person, he would have died ten times over."

Guo Hansuo was momentarily taken aback.

"He seemed fine..."

"...' It's not a big deal.' "

Lee Ziyang said with a despondent voice.

"To him."

Guo Hansuo's gaze turned toward the cabin.

The cabin where Chung Myung was being treated. Guo Hansuo, who had been silently watching it for a while, let out a deep sigh.