Read Novel Full Chapter 1250: That Is That? (5)
Chapter 1250: That Is That? (5)
Geum Yang-Baek looked at those before him in turn with a face of disbelief.
“Well...”
The reason he was flustered now was not that he couldn’t interpret what he’d heard, but precisely because he understood it.
He blinked a couple of times and looked closely again at the one sitting before him.
Mount Hua’s Acting Sect Leader had stepped back and sat formally as if his duties were complete, while in the seat where he should be sat a brash fellow openly wearing a displeased expression.
Actually, on reflection, this arrangement might be fitting.
Swept up by the fact that Baek Cheon had come here as Mount Hua’s Acting Sect Leader and a representative of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, he’d momentarily forgotten, but in truth the practical symbol of the famed Heavenly Friends Alliance was this person.
‘Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.’
No matter how prestigious the Mount Hua sect was, and no matter that the Acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua had come to hold a position no one in the murim world could trifle with, all of that paled before those four words: Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.
“So...”
Geum Yang-Baek cleared his throat briefly to calm his embarrassment and gently asked again.
“So... you mean to stay here and fight the Four Sects Alliance...”
“Let’s cut to the chase and get to the point, Sect leader.”
“...”
“What do you intend to do now?”
“Yes?”
Geum Yang-Baek blinked dazedly. What did you mean by ‘what do you intend to do’? Shouldn’t that be the question he asked them?
At that moment the Mount Hua’s Sword Saint, sounding exasperated, asked.
“You said you’d fight the Four Sects Alliance. How do you plan to fight?”
“...Well...”
How? Was this a matter to debate ‘how’? Just defend the main base and fight with all our might...
“Just defend the main sect, fight to the last person, and if everyone dies, so be it. You can’t possibly be thinking so complacently, can you? You, a sect leader?”
“Cough.”
A sudden cough escaped from Geum Yang-Baek’s mouth.
“Oh, surely not? After all, it’s not like only one or two lives are at stake — you aren’t already acting as if everyone is dead, are you? You’re still the head of a sect, after all.”
“...”
“Right?”
When Geum Yang-Baek failed to answer properly, Chung Myung’s face instantly contorted.
“I knew this would happen.”
“...”
“Have these folks been living on hero novels? Do they really think dying is such an easy thing?”
“Chung Myung, watch your words in front of the Sect leader.”
“Does the Sect leader have two lives so he can just die whenever he wants to?”
“Still—watch your tongue.”
Geum Yang-Baek was taken aback watching Chung Myung, whose face was full of irritation.
“So...”
“What?”
“...The members of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, including Mount Hua’s Sword Saint...”
“Just speak freely. This isn’t an official setting anymore.”
“Is that really all right?”
“Speaking comfortably makes things come out easier for everyone.”
“...Then very well. Do you really intend to fight that Four Sects Alliance and win?”
“What a predictable question.”
“Of course.”
“We must.”
For a moment incredulous, Geum Yang-Baek stared blankly at the faces of those who had replied.
“No, it’s just...”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“I understand the morale, but isn’t there something called reality?”
“Reality?”
Chung Myung scoffed derisively.
“Hey, sir.”
“...Chung Myung, he’s the Sect leader.”
“Isn’t ‘Sect leader’ basically ‘Sir’?”
“Still, you should call him ‘Sect leader’.”
“Tsk.”
Chung Myung frowned and reluctantly corrected himself.
“Yes, Sect leader. You’re talking about reality—then do you find my point hard to understand?”
“Hm?”
“According to the Sect leader, realistically the fate of those remaining here is nothing but to be killed by the Four Sects Alliance’s blades.”
“...”
“So since we’re going to die anyway, is it really so hard to understand wanting to at least give them a proper thrashing?”
Geum Yang-Baek frowned.
“I don’t know how my words were conveyed, but it’s not as if we planned to meekly die. Of course we intended to take as many companions with us as possible. Isn’t that the most natural thing?”
“Now you’re making sense.”
Chung Myung grinned and said.
“Let’s take it one step further.”
“One step further?”
Geum Yang-Baek’s face grew grave as if he were being drawn into Chung Myung’s words.
Chung Myung gestured and called out.
“Hey, explain!”
“Ahem! I’ll explain.”
Then Im So-Byeong stepped forward and sat down.
“Of course, geographically it’s certain that Southern Island Mountain is well-suited to defending against the enemy. Controlling high ground and intercepting those who climb is a classical tenet of military strategy.”
“...That’s right.”
“But the problem is this isn’t a fight that ends by simply holding out. The moment you defend the mountain you’ll be surrounded, and in the end it becomes only a question of how long you can hold out before dying. The attackers, too, will no longer be in a hurry.”
Geum Yang-Baek said with a sour expression.
“I understand what you’re saying. But you seem to be missing one thing: this place is an island. No matter how large the Southern Island is, there are geographical limits inherent to an island. Even if you abandon Southern Island Mountain, you can’t make use of wide terrain. Surrounded by the sea, it will be nothing more than a game of tag.”
“Of course, that’s also true.”
“And if that happens, the common people living on the Southern Island will inevitably suffer. Moreover, the disciples sent down into villages by Southern Island will inevitably fall into the enemy’s sight.”
At that moment there was a spark in Im So-Byeong’s eyes as he looked at Geum Yang-Baek.
He’d thought him merely a purveyor of platitudes, but he had more insight into the situation than expected.
“So the Southern Island faction cannot leave this mountain. For the Southern Island to endure after Four Sects Alliance’s attack, we must create a clear objective and terrain for them to occupy.”
“Sect leader, your meaning is that you must herd all of Four Sects Alliance’s targets into this mountain so that other places won’t suffer?”
“Exactly.”
Geum Yang-Baek sighed.
“I truly appreciate the sentiment. But we’re not foolishly sticking to this method for no reason. For years we’ve been pondering how to fight when Four Sects Alliance attacks. This is the conclusion we’ve reached.”
“Hmm. There’s certainly logic in that. If this is an island and the aim is to minimize others’ casualties, then it would be an inevitable choice.”
“I’m glad you understand...”
“However.”
Im So-Byeong cut Geum Yang-Baek off mid-sentence and smirked.
“That’s the story when you’re trapped by the limits of being on an island.”
“...Yes?”
Geum Yang-Baek asked back as if asking what he meant. Im So-Byeong smiled and elaborated.
“There is a way to perfectly fulfill all the conditions you mentioned. A method that eliminates all damage the Southern Island would suffer even without defending this place, that reliably protects the disciples sent down to the families, and that forces them to concentrate all their attention solely on the Southern Island Sect.”
“No—where on earth is such a method...”
Geum Yang-Baek, who had been speaking, abruptly fell silent.
Because the method Im So-Byeong was speaking of had sprung into his own mind as well. A way he had never once considered, thought impossible, yet which could perfectly satisfy those conditions.
“C-could it be...?”
“Yes.”
Im So-Byeong grinned broadly.
“When my own house is on fire, no one pays attention to other houses.”
“...”
“The moment we lead the Southern Island Sect onto the Southern lands soil, they won’t be able to spare a thought for something like the Southern Island.”
“Are you speaking in a right state of mind?”
“Of course I’m sane.”
Geum Yang-Baek’s mouth dropped open. Looking around, not only Im So-Byeong but his entire party wore composed expressions.
“S-so you mean, instead of holding and enduring here, we should go on the offensive into their stronghold in Southern lands?”
“Yes.”
“You’re presenting that as a strategy now? Do you even realize what would happen if we did that...”
At that moment Chung Myung replied nonchalantly.
“What would happen?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“I mean, tell me what would happen.”
“Good grief! If that happens, then of course...”
Geum Yang-Baek’s mouth closed of its own accord before he could finish.
Of course, everyone dies.
Every Southern Island sect’s disciple who steps onto Southern land soil will die without exception. But that is...
‘Isn’t that the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) same now?’
Momentarily bewildered, Geum Yang-Baek shut his mouth tight and fell silent. The silence was broken by Chung Myung’s tut.
“Tsk tsk. That’s why people who pretend to be brave are so shallow.”
“...”
“You have the courage to stay home and die, but not the courage to go out, fight and die?”
Geum Yang-Baek couldn’t respond at all. He just stared blankly at Chung Myung.
“If we’re going to die anyway, let’s die with a bang.”
“...”
“If the Sect leader truly wants to show the Southern Island’s spirit, you shouldn’t be dying here. If you must die, you should go and die there. I don’t think I need to explain which is the nobler course of action to take.”
Unwittingly, Geum Yang-Baek clenched and unclenched his fist.
The thought that it was an absurd strategy and the notion that Chung Myung was right tangled together in his mind.
“Then...”
Geum Yang-Baek looked around at everyone with a stern face.
“Are you all intending to charge into the enemy and die honorably alongside the Southern Island Sect?”
He briefly wondered whether the word ‘Just death’ truly fit here, but for now he couldn’t find a better expression.
Chung Myung answered bluntly.
“No.”
“...What?”
“That’s Southern Island’s stance.”
Geum Yang-Baek frowned. So what exactly was their position?
“Listen carefully, sir.”
“Sect leader.”
“Ahem. Yes. Listen well, Sect leader. There’s no road to simply go die. There are only ways that offer a higher chance of survival.”
“...”
“Our plan is not to die in the Southern lands.”
Chung Myung lifted the corner of his mouth.
“We will retrace the path we came.”
“...Retrace?”
“Yes.”
Chung Myung said firmly.
“We will lead the Southern Island Sect and reverse course through the Southern lands. We’ll save as many as we can and reach the Yantze river.”
Geum Yang-Baek’s eyes widened to the maximum.
“If we succeed, Southern Island sect’s name will spread throughout the world. Even if we fail, it’s a hundred times better than dying here. The important thing is that between the two methods, the one with even a slightly higher chance of survival is clearly the Southern land route.”
“H-hey, that’s...”
“If you truly are Southern Island’s Sect leader, you shouldn’t meekly accept Southern Island Sect’s end—you should look for any possible way to carry on the name Southern Island and try. That’s what a Sect leader must do.”
“But...”
At that moment, Chung Myung’s previously irritated face turned eerily calm. The chill of that cool gaze ran down Geum Yang-Baek’s spine. Chung Myung spoke.
“I will open the way.”
Geum Yang-Baek froze as if rooted to the spot and couldn’t move. Baek Cheon, however, calmly corrected Chung Myung’s words.
“Not you—I—we will open it.”
Chung Myung immediately nodded.
“Yes. We will open the way. So the Southern Island only has one decision to make: whether to believe in even the faintest chance and fight back, or give everything up and die here obediently.”
“...”
“You said you wanted to leave something behind, didn’t you?”
“...”
“Listen carefully, Sect leader. Those who give up fighting because they cannot win leave nothing to the world. Only those who give their all to the very end can leave something behind.”
Those words struck Geum Yang-Baek like a heavy club.
“I’ve laid out the path. All that’s left is the choice.”
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at Geum Yang-Baek.
“What is Southern Island Sect’s choice?”
Geum Yang-Baek bit his lip silently.
Chung Myung, who would ordinarily try to topple his opponent with logic, at this moment simply waited for Geum Yang-Baek’s judgement, knowing this was a path no one could be forced down.
After much contemplation, Geum Yang-Baek finally parted his heavy lips.
“From now on...”
Everyone watched Geum Yang-Baek.
“What do you want the Southern Island to do for you?”
Chung Myung grinned widely. It was an answer he couldn’t have been happier with.