Chapter 1356: So He’s Coming, I See. (1)
Before they knew it, they had left the cave and run for a full day.
Im So-Byeong, who had been running, abruptly stopped in his tracks without any sign.
Those who had been running hard behind him froze in alarm. Those who had almost toppled over staggered upright and shouted angrily.
“Argh! What the hell, all of a sudden!”
A chorus of complaints erupted, but Im So-Byeong paid no heed and busied himself looking around.
“Wow, he’s not even pretending to listen. We’re swearing at him like this!”
“They say the Evil Sect is used to being cursed, so this level of insults wouldn’t even register.”
“Still, when Chung Myung lost it before, his eyes went white, didn’t they?”
“...That guy doesn’t just curse; he stabs people with his insults.”
“Ah, right.”
Im So-Byeong, who had been looking around, soon nodded.
“We’ll stop here for the night. This terrain is perfect to avoid enemy eyes and dodge the dew.”
“...Here?”
“Yes.”
“No, do we really need to rest...”
Yoon Jong, who had reflexively tried to stop him, suddenly closed his mouth and looked back. The disciples of the Southern Island showed clear signs of exhaustion; considering they’d run carrying the wounded with their weakened bodies, it was hardly surprising.
“It’s important to rest while you can. If you recklessly keep running because you’re in a hurry, you’ll end up wasting more time in the end.”
“Understood.”
Baek Cheon also nodded in agreement with Im So-Byeong.
“We’ll rest here. Everyone find a place to rest. But do not light any fires.”
Jo Gul, who carefully climbed down from Yoon Jong’s back, asked in puzzlement.
“Why no fire? The Ten Thousand People Clan won’t catch up for a long time yet.”
“This is Southern Lands. Even if it’s not the Ten Thousand People Clan, eyes are everywhere. The civilians climbing the mountain aren’t necessarily on our side.”
Hearing Baek Cheon’s explanation, Jo Gul’s face soured a little. Baek Cheon chuckled and patted his shoulder.
“Do you think people who only saw a light from afar would know who we are? If the Ten Thousand People Clan asks ‘Have you seen anything suspicious?’, of course they’d say yes.”
“Ah, I see.”
Only then did Jo Gul nod as if he finally understood.
“Then we should be careful.”
“Yes.”
“Sahyung, what are you doing? Find a place to rest. If you dawdle, others will take all the good spots.”
Jo Gul urged Yoon Jong. Baek Cheon watched him and smiled wryly.
At that moment a voice with a hint of laughter was heard.
“You’re getting good at handling people, aren’t you?”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It means you’re becoming a con man in the end.”
“...Thanks for the compliment.”
Chung Myung laughed as he looked at Baek Cheon’s expression.
In truth, Baek Cheon likely suspected that even if the civilians knew their identity, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t inform the Ten Thousand People Clan. But he couldn’t say that out loud, especially not in front of someone like Jo Gul.
“You should find a place to rest too.”
“You worry about everything. Your nagging’s increased again.”
Baek Cheon didn’t deny it and gave a wry smile—the remark wasn’t entirely wrong.
The Southern Island Sect’s disciples scattered around to find places to rest, which mostly meant finding flat ground to lie down on.
Lee Ja-yang, who plopped down after finding a spot, stared ahead with an exhausted face.
“It’s too damp here. Go lie over there. Give the one at the back this spot.”
“Ah, no, great sahyung. You’re probably tired too...”
“Enough, hurry.”
Gwak Hwan-So kept moving around making sure the other sahyung-sajae were cared for. Watching him, Lee Ja-Yang let out a hollow laugh.
‘He’s really something.’
Lee Ja-Yang had no strength left to even lift a finger. Yet Gwak Hwan-So, who had suffered twice as much checking on the sajaes and wounded, was going around taking care of everyone else first.
Has he got energy left? No way.
Lee Ja-Yang could even see Gwak Hwan-So’s legs trembling. He probably wanted to collapse anywhere at that moment.
Gwak Hwan-So was just holding on because there were things he had to do.
“...He’s impressive.”
They say crisis tempers a person, and it seemed that saying wasn’t wrong.
In fact, Lee Ja-Yang had acknowledged Gwak Hwan-So as the great sahyung, but he hadn’t held him in high regard—he’d thought Gwak Hwan-So’s hot temper and selfish streak made him unsuited to the role of Sect leader.
But in the current Gwak Hwan-So, the flaws Lee Ja-Yang had seen before were nowhere to be found.
Across the harsh path from Southern Island to here, Gwak Hwan-So had become, unquestionably, someone fit to be Southern Island’s Sect leader.
Even though they’d faced the same crisis, Lee Ja-Yang seemed unchanged, while Gwak Hwan-So had used it as a stepping stone for growth.
‘He’s of a different caliber.’
Lee Ja-yang smiled bitterly.
There had been a time when he considered putting Gwak Hwan-So in the Sect leader’s position and nudging him to steer the Southern Island Sect to his will, but now he couldn’t even imagine it—how could he manipulate someone who’s grown like that?
He could only resign himself to doing as ordered, as if dead.
‘...That is, if we survive.’
A small hope quietly took root in Lee Ja-Yang’s eyes.
In the sahyung-sajae’ eyes as they looked at Gwak Hwan-So was steadfast trust—a look that had never been seen in the Southern Island Sect before.
It was unbearably hard and painful now, but if they could get out of here, have that Gwak Hwan-So become the Southern Island’s Sect leader, and have Lee Ja-Yang support him with all his strength, reviving the Southern Island Sect’s glory might not be just a dream.
Staring blankly at that scene for a moment, Lee Ja-Yang laughed in disbelief and took rations out of his bundle.
‘They’ve gone too far.’
For now, surviving comes first...
“Sahyung, do you have any rations left?”
At that moment someone approached and asked. Lee Ja-yang replied.
“Why? Didn’t we pack enough rations?”
“...We lost our supplies during the fight.”
“Ah...”
They had packed as much food as possible when leaving the Southern Island but after fierce battles, keeping supplies intact wasn’t as easy as they’d thought.
Especially among the wounded, fewer people still had supplies than those who had lost them.
“Then at least eat this for now.”
“S-sahyung, then could I have some too...”
Lee Ja-Yang’s face stiffened slightly. A few people quietly got up and began searching for food.
“Does anyone have any water to spare?”
“We’re out of wound medicine—anyone have wound medicine?”
“...This is bad.”
Watching the situation, Lee Ja-Yang’s expression grew increasingly stern.
They had thought they’d prepared well to pass through the Southern lands, but supplies were already starting to run out before they’d even reached halfway.
Normally they could have just bought more supplies with the money they’d brought, but not now. Where in the Southern lands could they spend money? They had to avoid people’s eyes.
In this situation, money was nothing more than useless baggage.
‘Even if other things can be ignored, lack of food is a serious problem.’
Of course, martial artists can endure longer without food than ordinary people.
But that’s merely endurance. If they couldn’t properly eat while exhausting themselves running at full speed, the result would be obvious.
“...I-I don’t have any rations either...”
“I only have enough for one meal; if I give this to you, what am I supposed to eat?”
“Has anyone hidden anything? This is not the time to be saving!”
At first there was just uneasy murmuring, but tension began to spread. If left like this a bit longer, a big problem could arise.
“Everyone...”
It was just as Gwak Hwan-So was about to say something.
Thud!
Something fell in front of them.
“Are the deer blind here? There’s people right here and they just walk past like nothing.”
Chung Myung tossed a hunted deer toward the Southern Island Sect’s disciples, dusted his hands, and chuckled. The disciples stared fixedly at the deer on the ground.
Baek Cheon scowled disapprovingly and nagged.
“Hey, I said don’t light a fire.”
“Ugh, nagging again! You must’ve been born nagging instead of crying. Annoying—shut up and watch!”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung slashed the deer’s hide off with his sword. It wasn’t the work of someone who’d never done it before.
“...You’re quite skilled.”
“Weren’t you a Taoist?”
“Probably.”
He then hefted a large-cut deer leg in both hands.
“What are you doing... huh?”
Baek Cheon widened his eyes. The deer leg quickly steamed white as it began to cook; Chung Myung chuckled triumphantly.
“This is Flame Yang Qi, Flame Yang Qi!”
“...Have you ever seen such a madman...”
Baek Cheon gaped.
“In all my life this is the first time I’ve seen someone cook meat with Flame Yang Qi...”
“No, sasuk. He did this before, up in the North Sea.”
“Really?”
If the people of the South Sea Sun Palace, who pride themselves on Flame Yang Qi, heard that, they’d be mortified.
While Baek Cheon blinked, Chung Myung remained busy cooking the deer leg. A moment later he casually tossed the well-cooked leg back.
“Eat.”
“...Yes?”
Seol So-Baek, who caught the tossed deer thigh in surprise, hastily shook his head.
“Ah, no! Me... others should have it more than I do...”
“It’s fine, just eat it for now.”
Chung Myung smiled faintly as he looked at Seol So-Baek.
“You did well enough. So don’t think useless thoughts—fill up on meat.”
“...Taoist.”
Seol So-Baek bit his lip slightly.
Though he was the lord of the Ice Palace, he was young and inexperienced, and it was hard for him to be a real asset in such battles. Perhaps knowing this himself, he’d been trying not to draw attention and not be a hindrance.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired.
Chung Myung continued nonchalantly butchering and cooking the deer, and the aroma whetted their appetites.
The Southern Island’s disciples couldn’t bring themselves to ask; they watched blankly. When they received the pieces Chung Myung tossed, they expressed vehement gratitude.
“Thank you, Taoist!”
“Thank you so much.”
Chung Myung grinned and asked.
“You’re very tired, right?”
“...Actually, a bit...”
“Your body’s weak, right? You’d feel full of energy after some meat, wouldn’t you?”
“Y-yes! Thank you so much...”
“But you know what—I’ve tried it. If you only eat meat, it doesn’t give you that much strength.”
“...Hm?”
“There’s something else that really gives you strength.”
Chung Myung shoved his hand into the split belly of the deer and pulled something out.
A moment of silence fell. Chung Myung’s eyes shone as he spoke.
“This is the best, this is it.”
“...That?”
In his hand was the steaming liver of the deer.
“If eaten raw, this is a restorative that could make the dead sit up. Let’s all have a piece.”
“...You want us to eat that raw?”
“Come on, who wants to go first?”
Chung Myung cut off a piece of the liver and slowly approached the Southern Island’s disciples.
“Eeeek!”
The disciples of the Southern Island all recoiled at once.
Chung Myung frowned as if he couldn’t understand why.
“Strange. People eat fish raw, so why are you freaking out about this?”
“Th-that’s not the same—how can a person eat that...”
“Um...”
At that moment everyone’s gaze turned to Seol So-Baek, who stood behind Chung Myung.
Seol So-Baek licked his lips and stared intently at the hot liver in Chung Myung’s hand.
“Could you give that to me instead of meat? In the North Sea, raw reindeer liver is a real delicacy.”
“...”
“And... there’s been blood dripping on the ground for a while—why waste that? It’s so good for the body.”
“...”
“If you’re going to throw it away, give it to us! We can’t get enough of it.”
“Ah... all right.”
“Thank you, Taoist!”
Seol So-Baek lit up with joy. Watching him approach the deer, mouth watering, Chung Myung suddenly thought.
He realized that uniting the Heavenly Friends Alliance might be even more difficult and terrible than he’d imagined.