Read Novel Full Chapter 1231: That’s What They Say? (1)
Chapter 1231: That’s What They Say? (1)
For a moment, it felt as if a piece of flesh had dropped away from his chest.
Even though he had suspected it, the moment he saw that crushed plum blossom motif with his own eyes, his heart sank.
It’s a strange thing.
There’s no way the lives of those who died here could be worth different amounts. Whether they fought under the name of Mount Hua or under another banner, the dead all deserve equal respect.
So there was no particular reason to treat the name Mount Hua, or the fact that the Plum Blossom Sword was buried here, as something special.
Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off that plum blossom motif... because Chung Myung was, after all, just an ordinary person who hadn’t become detached from it.
Chung Myung lifted his head without a word.
The others stared at him with expressions that were hard to describe. Chung Myung spoke briefly.
“Bury them.”
“...Chung Myung.”
“Tch. Even though there’s no time for us.”
In the end, Yoon Jong let out a long sigh. Then he began gathering the exposed weapons and bones into the center of the pit. It looked like he was going to make a burial mound of sorts.
Chung Myung did not stop him either. One by one, the onlookers stepped forward and silently began helping Yoon Jong.
Even Im So-Byeong, as if it felt awkward to stand alone, quietly moved closer to Yoon Jong and began patting down the pile of dirt.
Chung Myung watched them for a moment, then turned his gaze. He could see the sharp peaks of the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains rising.
‘Sahyung.’
Buried here were not only Mount Hua’s disciples but even Chung Mun. Chung Myung could even remember exactly where their souls had been lost.
To others, it might be a matter of a hundred years ago, but to Chung Myung it was only a few years. If he put his mind to it, he might be able to climb that mountain and retrieve Chung Mun’s remains. If he could spare just one day, only a single day.
But...
Chung Myung slowly shook his head, as if trying to stop himself.
‘It’s a meaningless act now.’
The dead are just the dead. It’s the living who gather the dead for their own consolation.
And the Chung Mun he knew would never appreciate Chung Myung finding comfort that way. He would scold him for wasting time on useless things when lives that could be saved were not.
Chung Myung stared blankly as he pictured it, then snorted with a laugh.
There was no one left here to bully him like before. Chung Jin, who used to nag him endlessly, was gone; Chung Mun, who looked at him straight as an iron rod and wanted him to walk the right path, was gone; even that inappropriate crybaby Tang Bo was gone.
And yet... their memories, the meanings they left behind, gripped Chung Myung’s whole being more tightly than shackles.
‘It’s cruel, really.’
Chung Myung let out a soft sigh and glanced at those making the mound. Their hands showed considerable care.
“What a lavish grave...”
‘The Acting Sect leader of Mount Hua, Namgung’s young lord, the Tang Family’s young lord, the Palace Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, Green Forest King... None of them are insignificant. For such people to be making this mound with their own hands — isn’t that humbling?’
‘Consider yourselves honored, you damned fools. My corpse is probably lying around somewhere over there too.’
As Chung Myung grimaced, Yoon Jong covered the last bare patch of the mound with grass and stood. With his eyes closed and hands clasped, he began to chant the prayer.
The solemn prayer and the sutra chanted together by Hae Yeon spread softly across the quiet mountain.
Until the brief prayer had ended, Chung Myung simply stared endlessly at the towering peak shrouded in clouds in the distance.
“...I can see it.”
“Really...”
“At last...”
The bedraggled party of the Heavenly Friends Alliance all cried out with faces full of emotion. Before them stretched a vast, blue expanse.
“It’s the sea!”
“Waaah! We’ve arrived!”
“So the sea really exists!”
They all blurted out one exclamation each in their excitement.
“...It’s wider than the Yangtze river.”
“It’s not just that — you can’t see the end of it at all.”
“Tsk tsk. That’s how the sea always is.”
“Huh? Sahyung, have you seen the sea before?”
“No. This is my first time.”
Those who felt the sea breeze had emotions that couldn’t be put into words.
“...How many days did it take?”
“About seven days.”
“We arrived sooner than I thought.”
“Indeed.”
Now that they had finally reached the sea heading for the Southern Island, only one thought came to everyone’s mind.
“We should have gone around...”
“Told you...”
“What were we thinking chasing after fame and fortune?”
They all sighed in unison with gloomy faces.
If you judge by results alone, going straight through the Southern Lands wasn’t a bad choice.
After all, they reached the coast in only seven days and nights with little sacrifice, which should be seen as an astounding achievement rather than a bad outcome.
But that’s only an outsider’s view. Those who had actually forced their way along the route couldn’t evaluate it so calmly.
“...I’m still amazed I didn’t die of a heart attack in the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains.”
“Sahyung, were you scared too?”
“Honestly, halfway through I almost gave in to Chung Myung begging to turn back; I barely held back my tears.”
“I actually begged him a little.”
“...What did he say?”
“‘Do you want to die by my hand, or by the Demonic Cult’s?’ he said.”
“Then better to die by the Demonic Cult’s hand.”
Because those bastards would be a little less cruel.
“...You’ve had a hard time.”
Baek Cheon, listening to Yoon Jong and Jo Gul’s conversation, quietly patted their shoulders and offered comfort. Then he thought.
‘I really thought my heart would shake itself to death.’
During the journey, the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains were calm the whole way. In hindsight, there might not have been a safer route than that.
The problem was that the party here knew the terror of the demonic sect better than anyone.
“Now that I think about it, I’m suddenly pissed off.”
Yoon Jong suddenly kicked Jo Gul.
“Argh! Why are you hitting me all of a sudden!”
“If you hadn’t brought up that name, we’d have come in peace!”
“...What can I do if it popped into my head?”
All this trouble started with that cursed fellow Jo Gul. While crossing the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains, the bastard suddenly blurted, ‘About those remnants of the Demonic Cult we saw back then — that Heaven Killer or whatever — what if he’s here?’
They answered that it was nonsense, that it could never be, but the thought had already lodged itself in their heads and wouldn’t go away.
From then on, in their minds the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains turned from an ‘abandoned mountain that used to be the Demonic Cult’s base’ into a ‘dangerous den where Demonic Cult members and the Heaven Killer might be hiding after coming into the Central Plains.’
As a result, their nerves were on edge, and by the time they scrambled out of the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains like hunted people, they were almost senseless from exhaustion.
If it had ended there, Yoon Jong might not have been so furious. The bigger problem was that after that they had to pass through Guangdong, the stronghold of the Ten Thousand People Clan.
Of course, most of the Ten Thousand People Clan’s forces were now concentrated on the Yangtze river, leaving Guangdong almost empty, but still, Guangdong is Guangdong.
“...We managed to arrive alive.”
“Which bastard suggested we cut through the Southern Island?”
“The Evil Sect bastard!”
“...Thank you for letting us know, Namgung’s young lord.”
A collective sigh escaped everyone’s mouths. It was a mix of complaint and relief.
“Anyway...”
Baek Cheon spoke as if to summarize.
“While passing Guangdong we probably faced death two or three times, maybe four or five, but... if the outcome is good, isn’t that all that matters?”
“...Is everything really fine if only the result is good? We need to fundamentally reconsider, sasuk.”
“Isn’t a good result better than screwing it up?”
“No, that’s true, but...”
Baek Cheon shook his head.
“We were fortunate. Even the Four Sects Alliance couldn’t possibly control every pass across this vast Southern land, but still, I expected we’d run into the enemy at least once in Guangdong.”
“Indeed. Heaven and earth must have helped...”
“Krrrgh!”
“They helped...”
“Krrrrrghhhhh!”
Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon, and Namgung Do-Wei kept giving sour looks to the one who kept clearing his throat. Exhausted Im So-Byeong, half a wreck from fatigue, was raising his head with the most triumphant expression.
Finally, Yoon Jong said with a sigh in his voice.
“Well... rather than heaven and earth helping, it was Green Forest King who chose the route well, right?”
“Hahaha! You don’t have to thank me! I just always do my best to devote myself for you all. Hahahaha!”
Watching Im So-Byeong cheerfully fan himself, everyone shook their heads.
“...Yoon Jong. Sometimes I really feel you’re a true man of the Tao.”
“Yes?”
“Seeing that expression and being able to say it—I’d never want to admit it out loud myself.”
“I agree, Acting Sect leader.”
“Kgeung.”
Honestly, they couldn’t help but acknowledge Im So-Byeong’s abilities.
It was the same on the mountain roads leading through the Ten-Thousand Great Mountains; even in Guangdong, without Im So-Byeong’s improvisation they’d have been in trouble several times.
“...Whether it’s unfortunate or fortunate to have been born into the Evil Sect.”
“Huh? Of course it’s unfortunate, right?”
Namgung Do-Wei asked as if it was nonsense, and Baek Cheon twisted his face a little.
“Imagine if that man had been born into the Demonic Cult or a bureaucratic family.”
“...It’s really fortunate he was born into a mountain clan.”
“Isn’t it?”
It was a relief for the whole world as well.
Baek Cheon lifted his head and gazed at the vast sea.
‘In any case, we’ve arrived here safely.’
From now on the real part would begin, but at least arriving here without major issues brought some relief.
“By the way, sasuk.”
“Yes?”
“How do we cross to the island?”
“Well, of course...”
“Swim for it!”
Those present turned their heads to the sudden interjection. Chung Myung, standing with one leg cocked, looked at them askance as if to ask, ‘Why are you asking something so obvious?’
“Is ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) there any other way to cross water?”
“...Chung Myung. It’s an island, an island.”
“So what if it’s an island? Is the island going to drift away? It’s there anyway — if we keep swimming we’ll get there sooner or later.”
Namgung Do-Wei looked at Im So-Byeong helplessly.
“Try to refute that logically, Green Forest King.”
“...This is difficult even for me. I can’t even figure out where to start arguing.”
“Well, still...”
“At least if something made sense we could argue about it...”
Namgung Do-Wei sighed repeatedly as he looked at the bewildered Im So-Byeong.
At that moment, a hand of salvation reached them.
“Stop the nonsense and try to find ships.”
“No, why would we...”
“Enough.”
Baek Cheon cut off Chung Myung at once.
“Even if something happens and we have to swim part of the way, it’s better to conserve our strength for now. With so few people we don’t need a big ship; a small fishing boat won’t take long to find, so get boats first.”
Chung Myung pouted. Still, considering it a decision by the Acting Sect leader, he didn’t argue further.
“Good. Then let’s disperse and look for boats. But keep your identities as hidden as possible.”
“Yes!”
They exchanged glances and scattered from that place.
Baek Cheon, the last to remain, fixed his gaze on a small patch of land dotting the distance.
‘Southern Island...’
First of all, they had to reach that place.