Chapter 1354: That’s Just How He’s Made. (4)
When Jo Gul glared, Baek Cheon, Im So-Byeong, and Yoon Jong furtively looked away and bowed their heads.
“Are you people with any sense, or are you not? Yes!”
“Um⋯⋯.”
“Uh⋯⋯.”
“No matter how scatterbrained you are, you should take care of what’s necessary! How does it make sense to not arrange any way to join up, to leave them back there and come on without them! Yes?”
Of course, there was no excuse in many respects. Even those receiving the harsh words wondered what on earth they had been thinking to do such a stupid thing.
But⋯⋯.
“This is why I can’t relax my attention! If I take my eyes off for a moment they cause trouble, how could I be at ease, how could I!”
The fact that the one making that criticism was none other than Jo Gul pricked at their pride like a needle. Who would have thought they’d live to hear Jo Gul give them a scolding.
“I still thought you were sasuk, sigh⋯⋯. You should trust people who are worthy of trust.”
Baek Cheon’s head fell down weakly.
But Jo Gul, seemingly having left his pity and tears up in Northern lands, only pressed harder instead of comforting those slumped shoulders.
“Will just hanging your head down fix anything? You need a plan, a plan!”
He had a point.
In the end Baek Cheon silently glanced at Im So-Byeong beside him. Unfortunately, Im So-Byeong was of no help at all.
“Me⋯⋯ I missed something this basic⋯⋯. Me being on the same level as Taoist Baek Cheon⋯⋯.”
This bastard?
Baek Cheon glared, but Im So-Byeong looked truly despondent and didn’t register it at all. It felt as if his very spirit had left his mouth. Baek Cheon couldn’t press that face to come up with a plan.
Baek Cheon looked back at Jo Gul with a displeased expression.
“Uh, shall we stand here for a moment?”
“⋯⋯sasuk.”
“Huh?”
“This is the first time I understand why that Chung Myung guy loses his mind and curses whenever he sees sasuk.”
⋯⋯You really didn’t need to understand that.
“Good grief⋯⋯. Aaagh!”
Just as Jo Gul was about to yell, he suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth with a cry. A scabbard had unexpectedly slapped his mouth from the side.
“⋯⋯Quiet. My head’s ringing.”
Yu Yiseol lowered the scabbard listlessly and rested his forehead against Tang Soso’s shoulder.
“Ah, no, Sago! The fact your head is ringing right now is impor⋯⋯.”
“Quiet.”
“⋯⋯.”
Jo Gul, who might argue with Baek Cheon, couldn’t bring himself to argue with Yu Yiseol and stopped his scolding, pouting instead.
“Namgung young lord!”
At that moment Namgung Do-Wei and those he led joined them. The Southern Island disciples’ faces brightened at the sight. They had worried they might have gotten lost, but fortunately they had arrived correctly.
On the other hand, the faces of Mount Hua’s disciples paled a bit more.
“Sasuk.”
“Sahyung.”
“Dong-Ryong.”
“Which bastard was that just now?”
Baek Cheon glared. But seeing everyone’s blade-like stares, he quickly averted his eyes.
Namgung Do-Wei, who had joined at the front, asked straightaway.
“Has Taoist Chung Myung not yet joined?”
“⋯⋯.”
At that moment Baek Cheon understood why Chung Myung sometimes looked at him as if he could burst from frustration⋯⋯. Being oblivious is exactly what that phrase describes.
“He hasn’t joined? Surely there’s a plan, right?”
“⋯⋯.”
“You don’t?”
“⋯⋯.”
“No?”
“Well, for now⋯⋯.”
Just as Baek Cheon was about to say anything to cover things up,
“There’s no need to worry. He’ll come on his own.”
“Yes?”
Everyone turned their gaze in one direction. Within those gazes Tang Pae smiled faintly.
“Is there some method?”
“It’s hard to say, but probably.”
“⋯⋯Hard to say?”
Tang Pae awkwardly scratched his nose. He could feel it clearly: the Tang Family secret fragrance of Ten Thousand Mile Pursuit Incense spreading centered on Baek Cheon.
Tang Soso was no longer of the Tang Family, so she couldn’t use that pursuit incense, and Tang Pae himself had never used it either.
Then isn’t it obvious who drenched Baek Cheon in that incense without having to investigate further?
The only reason he couldn’t conclude the situation confidently was that they couldn’t understand how Chung Myung could have taken on the Tang Family’s pursuit incense.
If Chung Myung had learned the Tang Family’s cultivation technique and could thus wear that incense, it meant someone in the Tang Family had passed on forbidden martial knowledge to an outsider.
‘Father wouldn’t have done something like that⋯⋯.’
Tang Pae, lost in thought, slightly furrowed his brow.
Non-transfer To Outsiders is the Tang Family’s absolute rule that even the family lord cannot break. If Tang Gunak had taught Tang Family martial techniques to Chung Myung, he could be dragged from his position as Family Lord without a word to offer.
If it were the family lord, it might be something to try to contain; but what if someone who wasn’t the lord had done such a thing?
‘Even if punished by stripping their martial art and having the tendons of their whole body cut, there would be no excuse⋯⋯.’
But who would dare commit such a mad act?
It would have to be either a lunatic out of his mind or an absolute powerhouse warrior so great the family lord couldn’t do anything, otherwise impossible. Yet there is neither such a madman nor such a powerhouse in the Tang Family now.
‘There’s no way to know.’
Whatever he said could become a problem later. A single thoughtless word from him might inflict a fatal scratch on Tang Gunak’s authority.
So he could only hem and haw and smile awkwardly.
“Over there, young lord⋯⋯.”
“Ah, elder brother! Stop grinning like a fool and answer!”
Those who had been watching for any subtleness in Tang Pae’s smile widened their eyes and turned to Namgung Do-Wei.
Namgung Do-Wei added as if his patience had snapped.
“Are you mute?”
“⋯⋯.”
Do-Wei, your temperament has really hardened⋯⋯. If the previous family lord in heaven could see this, he’d be sad⋯⋯. Or maybe he’d actually be pleased⋯⋯.
With no answer coming, a rare glint of madness began to show in Namgung Do-Wei’s eyes.
“No⋯⋯!”
But then.
“What’s with the hostile atmosphere?”
“Gah!”
“Chung Myung!”
Chung Myung suddenly appeared like a ghost at their side, startling everyone. Taking in their stunned looks, he gave a small snicker.
“What is it? As if you saw someone you can’t stand.”
The Mount Hua disciples’ faces turned sour.
“⋯⋯You made it back alive.”
“You didn’t die.”
“Ah, that’s a pity.”
“You’re late.”
Jo Gul furrowed his brow and asked.
“How did you find us? I thought you didn’t know how to read Southern Island’s markings?”
“Tsk tsk. Kids these days. This elder has ways. That’s what experience is.”
“You’re the youngest, you madman!”
Those at the front began bickering as if they’d never been serious. The mood quickly grew lively. Gwak Hwan-So, running behind, narrowed his eyes.
‘Comrades⋯⋯.’
He realized that even as they traded harsh words, everyone was watching over the body of Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.
They meticulously checked whether his body might have suffered more damage while fighting alone in the rear.
Moreover, with the appearance of Mount Hua’s Sword Saint, energy returned in an instant. He hadn’t done anything remarkable after rejoining, yet his presence alone seemed to uplift them.
Just by being nearby he seemed to give strength to his sworn brothers.
‘Is that what comradery is?’
He didn’t want to admit it, but such comradery didn’t exist in the Southern Island. Relationships forged over decades were inferior to those who had only been moving together for a few years.
Gwak Hwan-So finally seemed to understand why Chung Myung hadn’t recognized the Southern Island as a proper fighting force and had treated them merely as something to protect.
“What about the sect leader?”
Baek Cheon shook his head at Chung Myung’s question.
“He hasn’t joined yet.”
“Why? It didn’t seem like anything had gone wrong, did it?”
Geum Yang-Baek should be the most skilled at identifying sect markings and trailing them. It’s certainly odd that such people would be the last to join.
“That’s why.”
“Hm?”
“Because he said that since he can recognize the markings best, he’d take the rear guard.”
“Hmm?”
Chung Myung glanced back. A peculiar smile bloomed at the corner of his mouth as he stared into the distance for a moment.
“Did you order him to?”
“As if I could order the sect leader to do that. He volunteered. He said that if anything happened he could join up immediately.”
Chung Myung nodded.
Until now the Southern Island Sect had either waited for Baek Cheon’s commands or resisted them. But this time they judged what needed to be done on their own.
It seemed clear they assigned the remaining capable elders to guard the rear and sent the young forward.
Those who had stood aloof with folded arms began to walk into the deadly path with their lives on the line, to protect what must be protected even at all costs.
The fierce battles from Southern Island to the gorge and onward to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains turned them into sword guardians rather than elders.
‘Now I can make use of them.’
Just this met the minimum standard Chung Myung had in mind.
“How about a way to communicate?”
“None in particular for now.”
Communication would come from their side anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Chung Myung nodded lightly and scanned the area. After checking the condition of those running behind, he snorted a laugh.
“What a mess.”
“⋯⋯Honestly, it is.”
It’s certainly not a good situation yet. Many of the Southern Island’s disciples are wounded and have difficulty moving, and even considering the rearward personnel, their numbers have clearly dwindled.
Carrying and hauling the unconscious slows their speed greatly. Overall, they’re nothing more or less than routed survivors fleeing to save their lives.
But neither Chung Myung nor Baek Cheon were in the least disappointed by that fact.
In any case they succeeded in joining up, and as a result they had perfectly broken through the Four Sects Alliance’s encirclement and were charging south through the Southern lands region. The losses were great, but the victors of the battle in Guangdong were, without dispute, the Heavenly Friends Alliance and Southern Island.
Chung Myung’s gaze grew markedly serious.
‘If we can make it only to the Yangtze⋯⋯.’
From where things stood now, if there were no variables, there should be no major problem until then. Yes. As long as there are no variables.
Chung Myung’s gaze turned to the rear. A strange light flickered in his eyes as he looked at the jagged, ominous mountain ridges.
❀ ❀ ❀
Flap-flap.
The red hawk perched on Ho Ga-Myung’s wrist rose high into the sky, then shot off in an instant toward the far northern heavens.
Ho Ga-Myung slowly lowered his gaze and looked at the one running before him.
“Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Rough breaths burst from Yu Gong’s mouth.
From the moment he first spotted the marking until now, he had been running without a moment’s rest. Others only needed to run, but he had to run to avoid falling behind while also keeping his senses sharp to find the sect’s markings.
Naturally, his stamina was being drained rapidly.
‘Damn it⋯⋯.’
With his mind in turmoil as well, everything inside and out seemed to torment him.
It was then.
“There — your marking.”
Startled by the voice, Yu Gong snapped his head up. Sure enough, the Southern Island’s marking was carved into a large tree standing before him.
Just as he quickly began to interpret the sign and open his mouth,
“North⋯⋯.”
“It’s the same pattern as before. Northeast. Keep going.”
For a moment Yu Gong stared blankly at Ho Ga-Myung. Ho Ga-Myung, expressionless, instead stared back at Yu Gong.
“Is there a problem?”
“⋯⋯No.”
Yu Gong quickly averted his gaze. Ho Ga-Myung’s cold voice flew into his ear.
“You’d best not pull any stunts. Unless you want to see all the family you left behind torn to pieces.”
Yu Gong bit his lip until it bled. A great terror began to fill his eyes.
He was in Ho Ga-Myung’s palm. As if on a gigantic hand from which he could never escape.