Chapter 1365: Indeed, You Have A Generous Heart (Part 5)

"Well then, we will get going."

"Yes, honored guests. Please!"

Hyeong Wook bowed at a right angle, greeting them. Despite the many events that had transpired, it was evident that Hyeong Wook was genuinely grateful. Thus, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance treated him with the utmost respect.

"Ah, well..."

After the greetings, Hyeong Wook awkwardly scratched his head.

"Um, may I ask... where are you headed?"

"Huh?"

Baek Cheon observed Hyeong Wook with a slightly strange look. Hyeong Wook quickly raised his hand in a hurried manner and spoke.

"Oh, it's not like that. Shouldn't Sirs decide where you're going? I just wanted to advise you to be careful if you're heading upward along the mountain range."

"Be careful...?"

"Even though this is a remote area, it doesn't mean we can't hear about the world. I heard that the upper area has been a bit turbulent lately. If you're heading north, it might be better to choose another route."

Baek Cheon smiled at Hyeong Wook's cautious words.

"Oh, I see. You were saying that. Please don't worry. We plan to head toward the south of the capital."

"Ah..."

Hyeong Wook nodded quickly.

"I'm, I'm sorry. You honored guests must have your plans. I'm just an ignorant…"

"Please don't say that. We appreciate your concern, and we're just thankful for your kindness."

Baek Cheon bowed politely.

"We have many stories to share, but... it seems urgent, and we should hurry on our way."

"Yes! Of course! You should indeed."

"Then."

Baek Cheon smiled and took his leave. When he turned, the others also exchanged nods with Hyeong Wook and turned away in unison.

Hyeong Wook watched them until their figures became distant and eventually disappeared.

Paah-aat!

The disciples of Mount Hua, who were at the forefront, shot forward like the wind. The footsteps that were so heavy when leaving the village were now noticeably lighter.

Baek Cheon ran at the front, and behind him, Jo Gol followed. Jo Gol's gaze was fixed on the grain carried on Baek Cheon's shoulders, which, if shared among them all, would hardly be more than a handful. It seemed like a treasure that must not be lost.

"...When you think about it, it's quite amazing."

"Hmm?"

As Jo Gol muttered, Baek Cheon looked back. Jo Gol's gaze was deeper than before.

"Thinking about it, that person Hyeong Wook, wasn't he the one who distrusted us the most when we visited the village before?"

"Was he?"

"He was. The other villagers were more friendly, but Mr. Hyeong Wook treated us like some roving bandits showing off strength."

Baek Cheon looked up at the sky for a moment, recalling the first time he met Hyeong Wook.

"Yeah. It seems like it was like that."

Upon reflection, Jo Gol's words were accurate. Hyeong Wook had certainly not concealed his distrust when they first visited the village.

"But seeing that person, who used to be like that, now doing this..."

"Is it strange?"

"Not so much strange as..."

Jo Gol seemed to find it difficult to express in words.

Fortunately, Yoon Jong articulated what he wanted to say with more refined language.

"I think I understand the meaning of what Chung Myung said earlier."

Baek Cheon looked at Yoon Jong with questioning eyes. Yoon Jong shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

"Of course, just because someone shows hostility towards us doesn't necessarily make them evil, and just because someone shows kindness doesn't necessarily make them good."

"That's a given."

"Yes. However... what changed that person's attitude was probably the kindness we showed before."

Baek Cheon nodded silently.

Certainly, there were concerns. It might be arrogant to call the change towards showing kindness to us a positive transformation. Therefore, both Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong were cautious.

But what was important here was not whether it was 'right' but the 'change' itself. As Chung Myung said, righteousness was not just about making their lives comfortable...it might be changing something.

It was still small and insignificant, but someday, it might grow into something bigger. Perhaps they had confirmed that possibility with their own eyes.

"I believed that righteousness was changing the world. That's why was momentarily desperate and speechless about the change in attitude of the villagers."

"Yoon Jong-ah..."

"But now that I think about it, that's true. Neither righteousness nor kindness directly changes the world. But, as humans, we might be able to make a little difference."

Jo Gol nodded at his words.

Because he saw it with his own eyes. Because he directly witnessed the change in one person.

"In the end, it's people who change the world. It may still be far off, but as each person changes, someday the world may be filled with kindness."

"It's challenging."

"So, isn't that the Tao? If it were easy, there would be no need to seek it throughout our lives."

Baek Cheon glanced at Yoon Jong. His face was incredibly refreshed, unlike before. For Baek Cheon, he had just experienced a feeling of comfort from Hyeong Wook, but for Yoon Jong, it seemed like he had seen something he couldn't.

That was enough for now.

"Let's follow the Tao a little later. Now is the time to quicken our pace."

"Yes, Sasuk."

"Supply is not as planned for now... We'll assess the situation and solve it as we go."

"Yes!"

Baek Cheon increased his speed. The wind quickly brushed against his face.

The figures of the villagers who had turned away from them, the appearance of the old man who had politely pressed them until the end, and Hyeong Wook's apologetic expression lingered in his mind. It seemed like it would not be erased for a long time.

But now, all that remained was the weight of a sturdy grain sack on his shoulders.

'Don't try to find the answer.'

Perhaps he and his martial siblings were still immature. Despite gaining fame in the world and taking on a heavy mission, they were still nothing more than young Taoists.

How they should live to uphold the Tao they believe in was something they would ponder over for a lifetime. So, instead of hastily judging, they should just remember. Someday, all these memories, everything seen here, would melt into them.

However...

'Who could it be?'

Chung Myung occasionally mentioned someone he 'knew.'

Baek Cheon's interest in that had grown.

Before, he thought Chung Myung was speaking of someone who didn't exist in the world, but recently, he learned otherwise. There was a profound wisdom in the words when Chung Myung referred to 'someone.' There was something that was rare to find even in Chung Myung.

"It's respect..."

As he mumbled, Chung Myung, who had been running silently, tilted his head.

"Hmm?"

"No, nothing."

"Boring."

When Chung Myung cut off the interest as if he didn't understand, Baek Cheon smiled wryly.

'Someday...'

And he forcefully pounded the ground. He tightly grasped everything that had emerged within him, ensuring nothing slipped away.

❀ ❀ ❀

"There's none."

At the blunt statement, Yugong flinched. Forgetting to hurriedly scan his surroundings in surprise, he stood frozen on the spot. Cold sweat started to form on his forehead.

When he turned around with a creaking sound, he was met with the indifferent face of Ho Gakmyung. As their eyes met in mid-air, Ho Gakmyung asked.

"Is that so?"

Yugong's fingertips began to tremble.

Ho Gakmyung's words were correct. There was no trace of the sect's symbol anymore. Despite searching desperately, there was not a hint to be found.

He had considered the possibility of misinterpreting the passed symbols and taking the wrong direction, but the likelihood was extremely low. Ho Gakmyung had already completely understood the symbols of the Southern Island Sect. Yugong and Ho Gakmyung both giving the wrong answers was unthinkable.

"The fact that the symbol is cut off means that the rear guard has completely joined."

"Ah, I might not have found it yet. If you give me a little more time..."

"Give you more time?"

Ho Gakmyung asked indifferently.

"You mean you can find it?"

Yugong couldn't confidently answer. He knew that he was forcing things.

Ho Gakmyung narrowed his eyes, and Yugong also shrank.

But fortunately or unfortunately, Ho Gakmyung, as he was now, didn't matter much about Yugong. His mind was filled with thoughts about the sudden change shown by the Southern Island Sect and the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

'If you think rationally, it means they realized they were being followed.'

Otherwise, there was no reason for them to join so suddenly.

The only thing that bothered him was how they detected the pursuit. Yugong said he was doing his best to track them, but from Ho Gakmyung's perspective, he was keeping a reasonable distance.

If there were no particular variables, they would have already noticed.

"Hmm."

Ho Gakmyung, who had been lost in thought for a moment, turned his gaze to Yugong.

"What do you think?"

"Um... yes?"

"Why do you think they no longer leave a symbol?"

"Uh, how I...?"

Ho Gakmyung narrowed his eyes.

"I'm curious now."

"...What?"

The corner of his mouth was clearly hinting at a mocking smile.

"Didn't he rip out his own claws and become a dog? Still, I wonder whether he can guess what other wolves are thinking."

"... "

"But it seems like it was a waste of effort. Alright. A dog is just a dog."

Yugong bit his lip in a mixture of humiliation and anxiety. Ho Gakmyung coldly raised his head, observing his reaction.

"It's confirmed. Your role is over."

In reality, Ho Gakmyung's words were just uttered without any special meaning. It was just a statement to organize the situation.

However, Yugong couldn't accept it that way. The combination of the words 'dog,' 'hunt,' and 'end' brought to mind 'discarded like trash' in an instant.

The color drained from his face in an instant.

"So, fall back..."

"Th-there's something! Something!"

Ho Gakmyung, who was about to tell him to fall back, closed his mouth and looked at Yugong. Yugong desperately turned his head, fearing that his words might be cut off, and poured out words as if he were afraid.

"Th-there's something they want to hide! Something that should never be caught! Something that should never be discovered by someone in the future, those kinds of things!" [Aw, fuck...]

"..."

"They want to leave no intentional trace. Whatever it is! There must be something they need to hide, something that should never be caught. So, it's like... "

It was a disorganized speech, but Ho Gakmyung understood what he was trying to say.

"Something they want to hide."

A meaningful light dawned in his eyes.

"That makes sense."

Snap!

When Ho Gakmyung flicked his finger, his subordinates swiftly approached from both sides.

"Search the nearby area. Even if it's trivial, report anything that catches your eye. Time is ticking. Don't waste more than that."

"Yes, sir!"

As Ho Gakmyung's command fell, the subordinates, armed with various tools, scattered in all directions.

Drip.

Sweat dripped from Yugong's face, accumulating at the tip of his chin. Anxiety seemed to gnaw at his entire body.

Before the sweat could completely dry, some of those who had dispersed returned.

"There's a small village about ten li to the northwest."

"A village?"

"Yes!"

Ho Gakmyung touched his chin for a moment.

"A village, huh..."

Was that village the thing they wanted to hide by any chance?

It was something that didn't make sense. If what they were chasing was a different existence, they would naturally have ignored such information. However...

Ho Gakmyung, who was staring intently at Yugong, nodded slowly.

"We move."

They would know once they arrived. What exactly was hidden there?