Read Novel Full Chapter 1249: That Is That? (4)
Chapter 1249: That Is That? (4)
Gwak Hwan-So thought.
‘What kind of crazy nonsense is this?’
At first he was startled, then dumbfounded, and finally flustered.
Chung Myung poured scorn, calling him stupid, but Gwak Hwan-So is Southern Island’s great disciple. He isn’t someone who could be foolish by nature. There’s no way he didn’t understand what they meant.
“So, um...”
He stammered as he opened his mouth.
“I won’t argue further about the failed mission as an emissary of the Heavenly Friends Alliance...”
“Yes.”
“You mean you’re renouncing all that status and joining Southern Island as a single murim warrior?”
“That’s right.”
Gwak Hwan-So gaped at the Heavenly Friends Alliance party. Watching them calmly shovel food in no matter what was being discussed, the sense /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ of reality he had barely recovered drifted far away.
After struggling to compose himself, Gwak Hwan-So finally forced out the most reasonable thing he could say.
“Are you insane?”
Too much? No, not at all. From his position it was the mildest possible remark. Where else could you find a gentler thing to say to someone intent on throwing their life away?
“Sss, look at how this bastard talks. Say that to Mount Hua’s Acting Sect leader!”
“Chung Myung, hold it!”
“You’re the one who treats Mount Hua’s Acting Sect leader the worst...”
Chung Myung was angry, but Baek Cheon only smiled.
“Do I look crazy to you?”
“...That’s not something a sane person would say.”
“It’s not entirely wrong, so it’s hard to refute.”
Baek Cheon shrugged calmly.
“But what can we do? It’s been decided that way.”
The blank-faced Gwak Hwan-So suddenly flinched as if something had occurred to him.
“Th-then, are all of you here?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Now he had no words.
‘Are they really sane?’
Who are the people here?
Mount Hua’s Acting Sect leader, Namgung’s young lord, the Tang Family’s young lord, and the Ice Palace’s lord. Isn’t even the Green Forest King here?
Of course the Green Forest King sat in a corner radiating ‘how did I get mixed up with these crazy bastards? I want to bite my tongue and die,’ but nonetheless he was present.
Gwak Hwan-So scratched his head helplessly.
Of course he was grateful. In a situation where everyone shunned Southern Island, they had come all the way there and, even after negotiations failed, offered to stay instead of leaving—how could he not be thankful?
He felt like dropping to the ground and crying in thanks.
But at that moment Gwak Hwan-So realized something anew: that he was such a rational person. Or perhaps he realized there were countless people far less rational than him.
“Don’t you know what position you’re in?”
“...”
“You are the ones bearing the future of your sects. Why on earth would such people throw their lives away on this distant land?”
“Because of that.”
“Pardon?”
Baek Cheon spoke calmly.
“As you said, we bear our sects’ futures. So every action of ours inevitably becomes an example for our sects.”
“You who know that...”
Baek Cheon cut him off with a firm voice.
“If we go back like this, how will those waiting for our return accept the situation?”
“...”
“Should we tell them we went to Southern Island, things went poorly, and we ran away before the Four Sects Alliance arrived?”
Baek Cheon quietly shook his head.
“We can’t. That would only set a precedent that when a powerful enemy appears you abandon your comrades and flee.”
“...”
“So we must fight. Not flee because the enemy is strong, but fight because the enemy is strong. That’s the minimum duty of those who preach honor and righteousness while reaping benefits.”
“But the Heavenly Friends Alliance...”
“Yes. Of course individuals, sects, and the alliance can have differing positions. Sometimes an alliance must override individual agreements. But...”
Baek Cheon stopped and chuckled softly.
“So what? The alliance leader isn’t here. He may scorch us later, but he can’t do anything to us right now.”
“...Pardon?”
The moment he said that, those nearby—especially Mount Hua’s disciples—looked gloomy.
“If the Sect leader finds out he’ll kill us.”
“He’s not just Sect leader now but former Sect leader.”
“No, even if the Sect leader knows he’ll kill us. Sahyung.”
“...Uh, well...”
“You’ve never seen Un Am’s sasuk get angry, have you?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it...”
“I’ve seen it once. I... I saw it, I...”
Jo Gul trembled as if terrified at the thought.
“The Sect leader shouldn’t have changed... We’re all dead.”
Mount Hua’s disciples fell into gloom, but Baek Cheon remained unconcerned.
“Worry about what comes later when it comes. For now we should focus only on what’s in front of us.”
At that moment Gwak Hwan-So realized for sure.
‘He’s a real madman.’
How much strangeness filled this outwardly normal-looking man.
His tone was polite and his face trustworthy, but inside was truly Mount Hua-like madness. Of course someone like him would be Mount Hua’s acting Sect leader.
His logic was arbitrary and inconsistent. He had no idea where to begin pointing out the faults.
But Gwak Hwan-So couldn’t bring himself to openly point that out. Not because their joining was advantageous.
Comrades.
That casual word “comrades” from Baek Cheon forcibly shut Gwak Hwan-So’s mouth.
“We...”
Gwak Hwan-So forced out words that wouldn’t come.
“We refused the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s offer.”
“Yes.”
“We confirmed we would not join the alliance.”
“I know.”
Gwak Hwan-So straightened his eyes and stared at Baek Cheon.
“And yet are we comrades of the Heavenly Friends Alliance? Worth fighting alongside even to the death?”
“...What?”
Baek Cheon looked baffled at that remark.
“No, Southern Island not joining the Heavenly Friends Alliance doesn’t make them an Evil Sect, they’re still a part of Justice faction—so why can’t we fight together?”
“...”
“Of course there’s some awkwardness between the Nine Great Sects and the Heavenly Friends Alliance. But coldly speaking that’s between the alliance and Shaolin—what reason do we have to bear ill will toward Southern Island?”
Gwak Hwan-So couldn’t answer and fell silent. Baek Cheon smiled faintly and continued.
“That’s not the point. The important thing is Southern Island is standing alone against Four Sects Alliance now, and we are here.”
His voice had been calm from the start, as if stating an unremarkable fact that didn’t merit debate.
“So we fight. I don’t see why any other words are needed.”
A moment of silence passed.
Gwak Hwan-So’s head dropped. Emotions surged. He didn’t want them to see the expression on his face.
He bowed his head and spoke in a slightly restrained voice.
“...Mount Hua doesn’t exactly have fond feelings for Southern Island, does it?”
“Of course, honestly it’s not a warm feeling. There’s baggage involved.”
“But...”
“But that doesn’t justify us leaving Southern Island.”
Gwak Hwan-So bit his lip. He didn’t know what to say or where to begin...
“And you seem to be mistaken... the alliance’s position and an individual’s position are different. But that doesn’t mean the alliance would abandon Southern Island if it knew the situation.”
“...”
“We simply came without fully understanding the situation. If we’d known, even if Southern Island didn’t join the Heavenly Friends Alliance, we would have aided Southern Island with all our strength.”
Gwak Hwan-So bit his lip hard and asked.
“Is that... the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s way?”
“No.”
“...Pardon?”
“This isn’t the alliance’s way—it’s the duty of those who bear the sword.”
Gwak Hwan-So’s chest stirred.
It’s so easy to say such things. Gwak Hwan-So had heard them countless times and uttered them many times himself.
But how many in the world could really stake their lives on those words? Yet the few who could were right here before him.
“...Thank you.”
For now Gwak Hwan-So set aside his position. This was not a word from Southern Island’s great disciple but from an ordinary disciple of Southern Island.
“Even if it’s only words, thank you for saying it. Thank you for saying you’d die with us...”
“Who said that?”
At that moment an extremely displeased voice abruptly cut across and snapped Gwak Hwan-So’s sentence.
“...What?”
“Who said they’d die with you?”
“...No, I mean just right now.”
“Argh, is this bastard really out of his mind?”
Chung Myung contorted his face in a scowl and spat curses.
“Who the hell’s going to die, you idiot! Am I crazy? To die out here? I’d be carefully interred in Mount Hua’s plum forest and be praised for generations!”
“...I really don’t want to see that with my own eyes.”
“A curse, that’s a curse.”
“Toss him off cliff.”
“Wouldn’t burying him on Southern Edge Mountain be better? The curse would last generations.”
Chung Myung snapped his head around and glared, and Mount Hua’s disciples hurriedly shrank back.
“Who the hell’s going to die, you bastard.”
“Ah, no... Isn’t that the situation?”
“Situation? What situation?”
“Four Sects Alliance is...”
“Hey!”
Sparks practically flew from Chung Myung’s eyes.
“When Four Sects Alliance invades, should we all put our throats out and beg to be killed? They won’t all come, only some of them will. It makes my blood boil to see the Nine Great Sects acting like old fools ready to die! Hey, you bastard! If you have time for arguing here, think about killing the ones who are coming!”
“S-strength...”
“To hell with strength! Battles aren’t won by the strongest, by the one who wins. If we fussed about strength, the Central Plains would’ve been destroyed a hundred years ago!”
“That’s true too.”
“Those Demonic Cult bastards are really strong.”
“...They used to be even stronger. I don’t know how they beat them back.”
“Compared to that, Four Sects Alliance is nothing.”
Gwak Hwan-So stared blankly at everyone, dumbfounded. Then Chung Myung spoke clearly.
“Listen up, you bastard.”
“...”
“There’s a difference between fighting with the will to die and going to die. Who’s going to die here for you? Don’t talk crap. I’m going to fight the Four Sects Alliance, not die here.”
“Mount Hua’s Sword Saint...”
Chung Myung glared at Gwak Hwan-So with slightly narrowed eyes.
“So if you’re going to spout useless nonsense and waste time, go prepare. After we eat we’ll head out to discuss it.”
“...What do you mean, discuss?”
“What else.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Chung Myung.
“We need to discuss how to kill those Four Sects Alliance bastards.”
A crooked smile formed on Chung Myung’s lips.