Read Novel Full Chapter 1237: Who Did You Say Has Come? (2)
Chapter 1237: Who Did You Say Has Come? (2)
“Clothes to change into!”
“No, I need water to wash first!”
“No! None of that matters, a dry place to sleep! Anywhere with an eave!”
“Food.”
“Sago, you already ate earlier.”
“Food!”
“......”
Gwak Hwan-So stared blankly at those scolding him. Even as the cold rain lashed his face and the howling wind pushed him, he remained dazed.
‘What on earth did these people think coming all the way here for?’
No, no, he shouldn’t think like that. They had come all this way; he should be grateful to the point of tears. He ought to be thankful...
They had braved a raging typhoon to find Southern Island, which was hanging by a thread...
“Ah, what are you just gawking at!”
“As expected from folks who live in the warm south, slow as molasses!”
“Wow, the guest is getting soaked!”
“If this were Mount Hua, someone would’ve gotten punched already!”
Why the hell are these bastards like this?
If they’d just shut their mouths a bit, a solemn, sacred atmosphere would hang in the air, so why have they got to yell and ruin it all... why...
“Hey! Do we have to keep waiting like this!”
What unsettled Gwak Hwan-So most was that the man angrily tearing hair off his rain-soaked face and shouting wasn’t from Mount Hua.
‘Isn’t that Namgung Do-Wei?’
Even though he lived in Southern Island, there was no mistaking Namgung Do-Wei, the Mountain Severing Sword. The proud presence he’d shown at the murim tournament had been enough to stir fierce rivalry in Gwak Hwan-So.
‘At least until he got his ribs broken by Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.’
Anyway, Namgung Do-Wei back then had been the very image of an aristocratic scion...
“...Do guests visit here once every ten years? Don’t you know how to host? Huh?”
“Do-Wei, calm down for now.”
“No, hyung! These gentlemen...”
But fortunately Gwak Hwan-So didn’t have to do anything. Soon Southern Island’s Sect leader Geum Yang-Baek cut through the driving rain and wind, running so fast his eyebrows seemed to stream behind him.
Gwak Hwan-So swore he’d never seen the Sect leader run that fast in his life.
“Y-you said you came from Mount Hua?”
Geum Yang-Baek skidded to a halt (nearly slipping in the rain), eyes wide, staring at those standing at the gate.
‘Sect leader...’
Gwak Hwan-so cast a pitying look at Geum Yang-Baek, knowing he too would soon be overwhelmed, but at that moment...
“Might I enquire whether you are Southern Island’s Sect leader?”
Baek Cheon, who had already tidied his attire in a flash, bowed politely to Geum Yang-Baek. The Sect leader hurriedly returned the salute.
“I-I should g-get a hold of myself. I, I am Southern Island’s Sect leader, Geum Yang-Baek!”
“I am Baek Cheon of Mount Hua. Though limited in ability, I currently serve as the Acting Sect leader, delegated with the Sect leader’s authority.”
It was a flawless, picture-perfect bow with nothing added or left out. Those who had been fussing behind him had straightened their clothes and stood in perfectly proper posture.
“Um, um...”
Dazed, Gwak Hwan-So pointed a finger. Seeing their faces that seemed to say, “Rogues? What are you talking about? We’ve always been like this,” fury rose in him.
“Th-they look like frauds...”
At that moment Geum Yang-Baek whipped around and sternly rebuked Gwak Hwan-so.
“You fool! What blasphemy is that in front of guests who visited Southern Island? Has the wind blown your mind away?”
“No, Sect leader, that’s not it...”
“Then what do you mean!”
“Th-those people were definitely just a moment ago...”
“‘Those people’? Have you truly lost your mind? Can’t you shut that mouth this instant?”
“Wah...”
Seething with injustice, Gwak Hwan-So spun aside, as if having a fit. There had to be other witnesses who had clearly seen them earlier...
‘None.’
Those beside him all avoided his gaze and pretended not to notice, loudly signaling they didn’t want to get struck down by the Sect leader for sticking their necks out.
‘Bastards...’
Tears pricked Gwak Hwan-So’s eyes. “There’s no one you can trust in the world,” he thought, his sworn brothers abandoned him just to avoid a scolding...
Geum Yang-Baek, glaring at the world-wearied Gwak Hwan-So, abruptly turned his head and looked at Baek Cheon.
“My apologies. The youngsters are flustered...”
“Please do not worry.”
Baek Cheon smiled warmly. Even amid the pouring rain, his face radiated incomparable warmth.
“You’ve been through such a grave ordeal that I understand nerves are frayed. Properly we should have followed protocol and sent a notice before coming; we were ignorant of Southern Island’s situation and came without ceremony, please forgive our rudeness.”
Geum Yang-Baek was instead deeply impressed by Baek Cheon’s thoughtfulness.
“How could you be concerned about such things? Knocking at our gate in this typhoon alone is enough to move us.”
“...Sect leader. You are being deceived...”
“...”
Geum Yang-Baek crushed Gwak Hwan-So with his gaze, then quickly softened his expression and cautiously asked Baek Cheon.
“Th-then aside from that...”
He hesitated after starting to speak. Baek Cheon looked young enough to be spoken down to, yet one of the earlier statements snagged at him. So Geum Yang-Baek carefully altered his tone and asked.
“You said Acting Sect leader?”
“Yes.”
Baek Cheon smiled and nodded.
“Presumptuous as it may sound, that’s how it is. I have been entrusted with full authority by Mount Hua’s Sect leader as the Acting Sect leader, and as a special envoy of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, I have come to request a meeting with your Sect leader.”
A cold shiver ran down Geum Yang-Baek’s spine, perhaps due to the cold # Nоvеlight # rain.
‘Acting Sect leader...’
It was a phrase rarely heard.
Typically, the post of Acting Sect leader is given when the Sect leader temporarily yields duties to the heir apparent before formally stepping down.
It’s common in palaces or great clans, but exceedingly rare in the murim world, and for a simple reason: in the Jianghu, power vacuums from an elder’s illness seldom occur like they might in courts or clan houses.
In the murim world, one doesn’t necessarily weaken with age, often the opposite, so why would an acting position be needed?
Yet to create such a position, appoint someone, and send them to Southern Island meant what then?
‘It must mean they consider us that important!’
His fingertips trembled. He noticed that those standing behind Baek Cheon all looked formidable.
“Then the others as well...”
He meant to ask if they were all from Mount Hua.
At Baek Cheon’s subtle cue, those waiting bowed in unison to show respect.
“I am Namgung Do-Wei, young lord of the Namgung Family. I currently serve as temporary lord of the Namgung Family in place of my late father.”
“I am Tang Pae, young lord of the Tang Family from Sichuan. I have come on behalf of the lord.”
“I am Seol So-Baek, lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace!”
Geum Yang-Baek was taken aback, eyes widening in shock.
“Mount Hua, Namgung, the Sichuan Tang Family, even the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
Each of those names was no lesser than Southern Island. Even if any one of them had visited alone, it would have been impossible to treat them with anything but utmost respect.
And yet, individuals of such renown and rank had come together to visit Southern Island, braving this raging typhoon.
Geum Yang-Baek’s lips trembled. Not from the cold, no matter how chilly the rain, his martial training would not let such a chill seep into him.
“To Southern Island...”
He forced his trembling lips open, unsure what to say, and began with the most appropriate words.
“Thank you for visiting Southern Island.”
Baek Cheon smiled in reply, but then a dying voice came from behind them.
“Um... setting the mood is fine, but... cough Before we start the mourning, can we get out of the rain... cough”
“Shut your mouth, you Evil Sect bastard.”
“...I really feel like I’m dying. Really... cough cough
!”“It’s fine, it’s fine. One Evil Sect bastard dying won’t change anything.”
“...Is that even a person?”
Im So-Byeong glared with a corpse-pale face, then spat blood. Baek Cheon looked at him with a face that said there was no answer, cleared his throat, and spoke.
“Forgive me, but if it’s not rude, may we first ask for shelter from the rain? Everyone’s energy is greatly depleted from swimming across the sea...”
Geum Yang-Baek was jolted awake by those words.
“What kind of discourtesy is this! What are you all doing? Quickly escort our guests who visited Southern Island to the guest hall! Now!”
“Yes!”
Geum Yang-Baek bowed deeply.
“We can discuss particulars shortly. For now, it’s best you rest a little.”
“We appreciate your consideration. If you’ll pardon us, we’ll be presumptuous.”
“This way, please!”
Lee Ja-Yang stepped forward tactfully to guide the visitors.
Southern Island’s disciples, who had been staring blankly, finally snapped to attention and followed to escort them.
The last two remaining, Geum Yang-Baek and Gwak Hwan-So, watched in a daze as the visitors headed toward the guest hall.
‘This can’t be a dream, right?’
Gwak Hwan-So tapped his cheek. But there was no need to be so dramatic, the rain soaking him and the chill running through him told him this was real.
‘So have special envoys of the Heavenly Friends Alliance really come to Southern Island?’
And such illustrious figures at that?
To Southern Island... this Southern Island, in the midst of a typhoon... huh?
“...Sect leader.”
“Hm?”
Gwak Hwan-so muttered blankly.
“About... earlier.”
“Speak.”
“Earlier he said... that Taoist Baek Cheon... no, that the Acting Sect leader swam across the sea to come, didn’t you?”
“...I think I heard that.”
“Now?”
Rrrrrrrr!
Gwak Hwan-So and Geum Yang-Baek looked up at the distant sky at the same time. The raging typhoon and the bolts of lightning were clearly visible.
A deep silence settled between them.
They knew the sea well. They were the sort who could not fail to know what the ocean looks like in such a typhoon.
For a moment they pictured waves as tall as houses smashing the sea, and they exchanged awkward laughs.
“I must have heard wrong.”
“Th-that’s probably it, right? Haha... one would have to be out of their mind.”
“Haha...”
“...”
They recalled the many whispers they’d heard from across the sea.
Mount Hua is a sect with no backers.
Only now did the two of them painfully understand what that meant.