Chapter 1305: Who The Hell Is That Guy? (Part 5)

Jo Gol stared ahead with a tense expression.

"Sahyung…"

"Shh."

But before he could say anything, Yoon Jong interrupted with a chilling tone. Yoon Jong, silently surveying the landscape through dense bushes, hardened his expression.

A narrow canyon.

In fact, numerous individuals were encamped in the narrow path, which was more fittingly described as a crack in a cliff rather than a narrow canyon. Their momentum seemed to transmit all the way to this distant place.

"Let's go back."

"Yes."

Yoon Jong and Jo Gol turned cautiously.

The bushes rustled with each movement of their bodies.

Though a faint sound, it was irritating, almost like scratching one's ears.

Carefully avoiding touching the bushes, the two moved forward, stooping low, and as soon as they passed the edge of the mountain, they sprinted forward.

After a while of running, they entered a deep forest at the back of the mountain.

As they entered the deep forest where even sunlight struggled to penetrate, murderous intent poured in from the front.

"It's me!"

As Jo Gol shouted, the murderous intent that had been hovering dissipated as if washed away. Jo Gol, leaping over the tall bushes, glanced at the people sitting in front of him.

The disciples of the Southern Island Sect were resting here and there.

'...It has decreased quite a bit.'

Jo Gol's expression darkened slightly. After briefly leaving and returning, the situation seemed more objective.

The number had significantly decreased compared to when they first arrived at the coast.

But they didn't just decrease in numbers.

The bigger change was in the aura they emitted.

The gazes of the Southern Island Sect's swordsmen, which were directed at Jo Gol, had a eerie aura.

It wasn't enmity toward Jo Gol.

Even after resting here for quite some time, the tension and energy from the previous battle did not easily disappear.

Clothing so soaked with sweat and mud that its original color was obscured. Faces caked with blood and dust. Lips, as parched as they were, cracked dryly, and the shadows beneath their tired eyes added an extra weight to their faces.

Rather than appearing like ordinary people, they resembled battle-worn soldiers.

Jo Gol suddenly realized how much they had changed.

If Jo Gol hadn't moved with them together to this place, he might not have believed that the people he saw in Southern Island and the individuals now exhausted and resting here were the same.

'It was only a few days.'

Of course, Jo Gol wasn't entirely incomprehensible to their situation. The experiences of the past few days surpassed the hardships most people would face in several years.

Jo Gol himself met Chung Myung and grew slowly. If he was thrust into the battlefield suddenly, he would've been like them.

No, he probably would've looked even worse than these people.

Or maybe it wasn't even possible to look like this.

Because he wouldn't have survived this far.

Contemplating deeply, Jo Gol was startled by a sensation beneath his feet.

He quickly lifted his foot.

"Ah... I'm sorry!"

What he had stepped on was a sword laid down by one of the Southern Island Sect's disciples. Rather than being carefully laid down, it was more accurate to say it was tossed or discarded aside.

Nevertheless, meddling with someone else's cherished possession was a very impolite act. It was common for people to be stabbed when interfering with someone else's cherished possessions.

And especially given the current situation, where it was stepped on with a foot...

However, the Southern Island Sect disciple just remained silent even after seeing his sword being stepped on. They just glanced at Jo Gol briefly, then without a word, casually dragged the stepped-on sword, tossing it in front of him.

There was no consideration to brush off the mud transferred from Jo Gol's shoe to the blade of the sword. At that moment, Yoon Jong approached quietly and sighed.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Sahyung."

Jo Gol nodded and followed behind Yoon Jong. The sight from a little while ago lingered uncomfortably in his mind.

'But it's still his sword.'

Jo Gol, being a disciple of Mount Hua, had been taught to cherish his sword like his own life.

Teachings are like ink that slowly seeps into white fabric, and if you hear the same thing for a long time, you unconsciously start abiding by it.

The Southern Island Sect, being a prestigious sect, would have received even more stringent education. Yet, here, a disciple of Southern Island was handling his cherished sword like a wooden stick.

Was he so exhausted to handle a sword as vital as life itself like that?

Or did it imply that even life itself was considered insignificant in this place?

Jo Gol shook his head, clearing his mind of such meaningless thoughts. It was all just speculation.

The two of them only stopped when they reached the gathering place of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance members.

"Sasuk."

At Yoon Jong's call, Baek Cheon, who was discussing something with Im Sobyeong, turned his gaze.

"Back already?"

"Yes, Sasuk."

"How's the situation?"

"Not good."

Yoon Jong explained with a stern expression.

"The canyon ahead is much narrower than anticipated."

"How does it compare to the valley where the Black Dragon House was last time?" [Yangtze River place thing]

"It seems even narrower than that."

Baek Cheon's face darkened slightly. Even the valley where they entered the Black Dragon House was steep and difficult to defend against attacks from above. If it was even narrower than that, there would be no viable escape route, making it more dangerous.

"And the enemies?"

"They're blocking every possible exit. Because the canyon was narrow, there weren't many of them to be seen from the outside, but they could have been lined up much further back. Considering they're also setting up a wide encampment towards the exit... the number might be at least five hundred."

"...Five hundred."

Baek Cheon murmured calmly. Despite his composed voice, his inner feelings were far from at ease.

'It's endless.'

It is impossible to count the number of people they had killed on their way here.

He had killed more people in the last few days than he had in his entire life so far.

Yet, the number of enemies being replenished was greater than the number of enemies being reduced.

Now, not just gloom but also a sense of despair began to envelop him.

"What if we bypass the canyon and climb the mountain?"

"The terrain is extremely steep. We may manage it, but whether the Southern Island Sect's disciples can follow suit..."

"...There might be an ambush."

"That's likely. We sensed their presence like a passing breeze."

Baek Cheon nodded. If it was Jo Gol, it might be uncertain, but with Yoon Jong confirming, it was undoubtedly true.

An ambush on the cliffs could be nothing to Mount Hua's disciples.

In fact, it could even be easier to deal with than enemies spread across flat terrain.

However, not everyone here was a disciple of Mount Hua. Without delving into the specifics of the Southern Island Sect, even immediately considering Namgung Dowi or Tang Pae, they wouldn't be able to exert half their skills on the cliff.

It was uncertain for Im Sobyeong, who could bend the mountain like his own home.

Baek Cheon cast a curious gaze toward someone. Chung Myung was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed.

Baek Cheon's eyebrows twitched for a moment.

Whenever that guy hung Mount Hua's disciples on the cliffs or threw them underwater, Baek Cheon thought he was simply finding an efficient way to torment them.

However, after being here for a while, he had come to feel it several times.

All their training had a purpose.

Of course, in a peaceful world, the training might have been meaningless. However, in an ongoing war where fights and killings continued, all those experiences could potentially save lives.

'Did that guy anticipate all of this?'

It was impossible to know. But he couldn't ask.

Ever since entering this battle, Chung Myung had drastically reduced his words.

And when resting, he closed his eyes, focusing solely on recovering his stamina.

As if it would allow him to fight for even just one more moment.

Baek Cheon knew. That was the right thing to do.

In a meeting, half of the conversation was likely meaningless.

It might just be a conversation consuming stamina to suppress the anxiety swelling in their chests, to confirm that they weren't going down the wrong path.

But Chung Myung was mechanically doing only what needed to be done, as if he were a person devoid of emotions.

It was to the point that Baek Cheon doubted whether he was the same Chung Myung he knew.

"Sasuk?"

Baek Cheon took a long breath and turned his gaze to the other side.

"Nokrim King."

"Yes."

"What do you think?"

Im Sobyeong, habitually scratching his head with the tip of his folding fan, spoke.

"Bypassing would be the wisest choice, but... in a war, we can't always follow the right judgment."

Baek Cheon nodded. Bypassing would only extend the time of escape. As long as the speed of enemies replenishing surpassed the speed of defeating them, as time passed, they would have to face even more opponents.

"As for the rear..."

"I recommend not thinking about it."

Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders, shaking the fan.

"Well, there's no answer even if we think. We should only focus on moving forward for now."

It was a valid point.

However, as Im Sobyeong mentioned earlier, knowing what's right doesn't always make it easy to execute. Despite his efforts to erase it from his mind, the thought of Myriad Man Manor trailing behind persisted.

'They probably reached quite close.'

How far would it be? Two hours? Or maybe one?

Since they were stopping here, at least within an hour, they would have covered the distance to reach this place.

"So, in the end, we have to break through."

Baek Cheon looked at the exhausted disciples of the Southern Island Sect who were sitting down. Would they be able to withstand the fierce battle that would follow from now on, being in such a tired state?

From yesterday until today, they hadn't rested for more than a moment. It was a time when they couldn't even close their eyes, and they had insufficient time even for training, let alone practicing martial arts. Despite being pushed to the extreme in their training, they had to endure the threat to their lives for several days.

Could they withstand this battle?

"Let's consider bypassing."

"Deputy Sect Leader."

"It's not about avoiding. We need to be realistic. Yoon Jong, how does the level of the enemy look?"

Yoon Jong spoke calmly with a firm expression.

"It's not precise, but it seemed like there were some from the Evil Tyrant Alliance. I felt sporadically eerie energy."

Baek Cheon spoke to Im Sobyeong again.

"If we break through there and suffer significant losses, it's meaningless. And even if the losses aren't great, if we deplete everything there, there will be no choice but to be chased and die."

"Hmm."

"Let's avoid the falling rain. Just passing through there won't be the end, right?"

Baek Cheon's words also made sense. Im Sobyeong remained lost in thought with a hardened complexion.

Then, unexpectedly, another voice interjected.

"Go through the canyon."

Baek Cheon turned his gaze. Chung Myung, who had opened his eyes at some point, was approaching with a sword at his waist.

"Chung Myung."

"We just need to cross there."

"... Chung Myung. You might be fine, but they..."

"Sasuk."

Baek Cheon closed his mouth.

"We just need to cross there."

There must be a reason when Chung Myung said so. Wasn't he the one who initially chose this escape route?

Baek Cheon said.

"Let's do that. But remember, it's pointless if the losses become too great."

"Losses?"

Chung Myung laughed as if it were ridiculous, revealing teeth that looked eerie in their whiteness.

"You have to see the situation straight, you bookworms."

"...What are you talking about?"

"Even if there was a way to bypass, I would have gone there."

Baek Cheon looked at him with confusion, and Chung Myung said casually.

"You won't be surrounded on a narrow path. You just have to deal with the enemy in front of you, right?"

Baek Cheon's hand trembled for a moment.

But, Chung Myung just smiled coolly, whether aware or unaware of his expression.

"Whether it's a hundred or a thousand, as long as you cut them down, the path will open. Is there a better path anywhere?"

Baek Cheon forced himself to ignore the chilling sensation creeping up his spine.

"...When do we depart?"

"Now."

There was a coldness in Chung Myung's eyes.

"Prepare yourself. It will be more gruesome than you think."

Everyone nodded with serious expressions.