Chapter 1809. If It Must Be Carried (9)

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"....Sword Under Heaven, Jongli Gok?" [cheonhageom, 천하검(天下劍). Tl note : Cheon-ha-geom literally means The Sword Under The Heaven / The Sword of The World. Same as Cheon-ha-sam-dae-geom, which is usually translated as The Three Greatest Swordsmen only, even though it means The Three Greatest Swordsmen Under The Heaven]

Thousand Faced Manipulator's face subtly twisted.

The leader of Zhongnan, Jongli Gok, known as the Sword Under Heaven, had stepped in to block his path.

A gaze that could only be described as 'unyielding' pierced Thousand Faced Manipulator.

"You look familiar. How unpleasant."

"….."

"No matter how depraved a sect you belong to, does the leader of a sect know no shame?"

The remark was a direct jab at Thousand Faced Manipulator, who was hiding behind a facade.

Thousand Faced Manipulator didn't respond, or more accurately, he couldn't afford to.

'Why is this man…?'

He wasn't so foolish as to be unaware of Jongli Gok's presence on the battlefield. What baffled him was the fact that Jongli Gok had come to aid Tang Gunak.

Jongli Gok wasn't someone to act in such a manner.

"This is... unexpected."

Thousand Faced Manipulator spoke with feigned composure.

"To think that the great Jongli Gok would stoop to helping others. Could it be that there's some relationship between the Tang family and Zhongnan I'm unaware of?"

Of course, this was the first time Thousand Faced Manipulator had 'met' Jongli Gok 'face-to-face'. While their paths may have crossed briefly in the past, they weren't close enough to understand one another deeply.

However, Thousand Faced Manipulator prided himself on knowing Jongli Gok well. As the leader of the Hao Sect, which controlled the world's information, how could he not?

According to what he knew, Jongli Gok wasn't the type to lift a finger unless it benefited his sect.

If anything, under the premise that the righteous sects would triumph on the battlefield, Jongli Gok was more likely to wish for Tang Gunak's demise. If the Sichuan Tang family weakened, Zhongnan could expand its influence into Sichuan.

Such was the cold-blooded nature of Jongli Gok, a leader who prioritized his sect's gain above all else, which had once elevated Zhongnan to the position of one of the Three Great Sects.

"You speak as though you know me well."

"Of course…"

"Coming from a mere seed of the evil sect, no less."

Thousand Faced Manipulator slowly fell silent

This was different.

The righteous warriors he had encountered before—those who were so upright that they came off as hypocritical—were nothing like this.

This was pure arrogance.

Jongli Gok was looking down on Thousand Faced Manipulator. Not out of some self-righteousness, but because he genuinely deemed him beneath notice.

Thousand Faced Manipulator was reminded of why he despised the righteous sects so much.

Shing!

Jongli Gok slowly raised his sword.

"There's no reason for me to kindly tell you what you're curious about. You're going to die anyway."

Thousand Faced Manipulator gritted his teeth.

Sword Under Heaven, Jongli Gok. How strong was he?

Though the world had largely forgotten due to the fleeting nature of life, there was once a saying:

Even if it was forgotten by most, Thousand Faced Manipulator, who oversaw the world's intelligence, remembered it vividly.

The Three Greatest Swordsmen of The World.

The number had varied—sometimes four, five, or seven—but the essence remained the same. The title was reserved for the strongest swordsmen of the time.

Namgung Hwang of the Namgung family, Heo Do of Mount Wudang, and Jongli Gok of Zhongnan.

Before the rise of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and the Evil Tyrant Alliance, the martial world had enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace. Thus, whether they truly deserved the title of the Three Great Swordsmen was never fully tested.

Yet, the fact that the title had been attached to their names, even briefly, was significant.

Thousand Faced Manipulator muttered to himself without realizing it.

"The Three Great Swordsmen… Truly dangerous."

"….."

"However, even someone like you can't take us all on alone. You're barely on the fringes of that title, aren't you?"

Jongli Gok smirked.

"If I knew I'd be this underestimated by some evil sect scum, I'd have ventured out of my sect more often."

"Even so, your reputation wouldn't have changed much."

To this, Jongli Gok nodded calmly.

"You're right. Even the strongest swordsman alone might find this difficult."

"At least you know your limits."

"But does it matter?"

"…Hmm?"

"Does it matter as long as I'm not alone?"

Thousand Faced Manipulator furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Quickly, come!"

"Ugh."

A group of figures quickly approached from behind Jongli Gok.

"Father!"

"…Pae?"

To an outsider, the scene would have looked utterly bizarre.

Tang Pae rushed to Tang Gunak's side, initially inspecting his injuries, only to startle upon noticing someone identical to himself.

It didn't take long for him to grasp the situation.

"….Thousand Faced Manipulator."

Tang Pae gritted his teeth. Just seeing that face seemed to explain everything.

But instead of venting his anger immediately, Tang Pae focused on tending to Tang Gunak. He knew what was most urgent.

"Father, let's retreat to the rear for now."

"W-wait…"

Tang Gunak tried to shake off his hand, but someone interrupted in an exhausted tone.

"Just go quietly. You're no help right now. An injured person should focus on recovery—that's their duty."

Despite the weary tone, the hands supporting Tang Gunak were swift and efficient.

"Hold on…"

Tang Pae turned to the person with a look of disbelief.

"Wait, you shouldn't be the one escorting him!"

"Why not? What's the problem? Are you discriminating against me now?" 

"You have to fight those people!"

"Why should I? Why? I'm just the type to sit in the back and point fingers while giving orders!"

"Stop spouting nonsense and move aside already! You'll regret this later. When someone comes charging with an axe, will you still be fine with that?"

"Damn it!"

The person supporting Tang Gunak suddenly let go of his arm and sighed deeply.

"…Why does nothing ever go right, damn it all."

Tang Gunak, bewildered, stared at the man in disbelief and let out a bitter laugh.

"…. Nokrim King."

"Why are you calling me? What? Why? We're not exactly on friendly terms to be casually calling each other, are we? Isn't that right?"

"….."

"Ah, for crying out loud. Just go already. You're in the way."

Im Sobyeong walked forward, stumbling. Then, standing next to Jongli Gok, who had been waiting, he let out a series of sighs with an expression full of all kinds of annoyance.

"Well, well."

Im Sobyeong waved his fan lazily at Thousand Faced Manipulator.

"We meet again."

"…. Nokrim King. You're going to fight me?"

Thousand Faced Manipulator laughed in disbelief.

"Who would want to? Tch."

Im Sobyeong responded bluntly, irritation clear in his voice.

"What choice do I have? If I run away now and they charge at me later with their axes, I'd end up shattered to the bone."

"…. Are you really siding with the righteous sect, even in this situation?"

"It's precisely because of this situation that I'm siding with them, you idiot."

"What?"

The Nokrim King scowled.

"Traitors are always the most proactive allies. It's survival instinct."

"….."

"Honestly, if you lot hadn't made such a mess of things, I could've just groveled and lived quietly. But with things spiraling out of control like this, who do you think will face the harshest crackdown when the war ends? Isn't it obvious?"

Im Sobyeong's voice rose as his anger built, spittle flying as he spoke.

"What choice do we have? If we don't risk our lives and prove ourselves here, the 'evil sect' label will get us all killed later. We have to show we're the 'good' faction of the evil sect."

Thousand Faced Manipulator burst into loud laughter at the absurdity of it.

The 'good' faction of the evil sect! He never thought he'd hear such ridiculous words in his lifetime.

"Do you seriously think that makes any sense?"

"Whether it makes sense or not isn't for you to decide, so don't bother worrying about it."

Thousand Faced Manipulator, usually as sly as a snake, rarely found himself at a loss for words. But now, he couldn't hide his confusion.

Was it because of Jongli Gok's sudden appearance? Or because the Nokrim King, a man inseparable from the stigma of the evil sect, was standing in his way?

No. Both were shocking, but not impossible to imagine.

What truly left Thousand Faced Manipulator flustered was the fact that both events were happening at the same time.

Who could have imagined such a scene? The Nokrim King, Im Sobyeong, and the Sword Under Heaven, Jongli Gok, standing shoulder to shoulder to fight.

Heavenly Comrade Alliance.... among all the righteous sects… No, in the entire martial world, if asked who would least likely cooperate with Im Sobyeong, Thousand Faced Manipulator would pick Jongli Gok without hesitation.

Beop Jeong? That old monk might ally with the devil if needed.

Heo Do? Maybe in the past, but the current Heo Do isn't so inflexible.

But Jongli Gok? He despised the evil sect, especially its leader, the Nokrim King. There was no way they would ever work together.

Yet here they were, fighting side by side.

"Tch. In all my life…"

Im Sobyeong grumbled incessantly, and Jongli Gok furrowed his brow.

"As the leader of a sect, can't you at least maintain some dignity?"

"Oh, forgive me for not living up to the lofty standards of the great Zhongnan Sect Leader. But... since when did you start holding mountain bandits in such high regard?"

Jongli Gok's face twisted with barely concealed displeasure.

"That's why…"

"That's why you say you shouldn't associate with the evil sect bastards? Is that what you're about to say?"

Jongli Gok sighed briefly. To be honest, he didn't like this situation either. Collaborating with the evil sect, and not just any sect but the leader of the Nokrim? It was distasteful.

But there was no other choice.

Facing Thousand Faced Manipulator alone would be difficult. Bringing his disciples might help, but it would destabilize the entire front line.

'Where the hell is Geumryong?'

He hadn't seen him for some time. Resigned, Jongli Gok muttered quietly.

"We're desperate enough to need help from anyone, even a cat's paw. Do your best."

"And since when did you become my superior to give orders?"

"…. For someone who listens well enough, that's quite the question."

"F*ck." [tl note: he said 'ssibal' lmao]

Im Sobyeong gritted his teeth, unable to refute.

Who could he blame? It was his own fault for getting entangled with the most insane man in the martial world. When he decided to use Jongli Gok for his gain, who could have predicted this outcome?

"I heard Zhongnan Sect once outshone Mount Hua."

"Once?"

"Oh, there was never such a time?"

The provocation made Jongli Gok's veins bulge on his forehead.

"You insolent…"

Though their enemy was right before them, the tension between allies was palpable.

Watching this unfold, Tang Pae snapped out of his daze. He quickly prepared to move to the rear, but Tang Gunak tapped his shoulder.

"Pae-ya."

"I'm sorry, Father. I'll take you to safety immediately."

Tang Gunak needed treatment as soon as possible, ideally in a safe location.

But unexpectedly, Tang Gunak shook his head with effort.

"…Let's… wait… a moment."

"Sorry?"

Tang Gunak's gaze was fixed ahead. He was staring at the backs of two very unreliable-looking figures.

With a complex expression, Tang Gunak muttered something hard to describe.

"…I can't leave. It's too unsettling."

"….."

For once, Tang Pae couldn't help but nod. Truly, he couldn't agree more.