We’ll have to force them go that way. (1)

“Khhhhhuuu.”

“…”

“Khuuuuhuuhh.”

“…”

“Khuuuuhuuhhhhh.”

“Ah, come on!”

Finally running out of patience, Baek Cheon turned his head sharply towards Im Sobyeong and shouted.

“If you have something to say, just say it!”

“Can I really?”

“…No, please don’t.”

“I have done that because I was about to burst!”

“I have told you not to…”

Baek Cheon made a futile attempt to argue once again, but Im Sobyeong dismissed it cleanly and spoke up.

“Are you saying we cannot contact them now? Just send those villagers back to the town!”

“Well…”

“Is Vice Sect Leader lacking in speed? After being driven out like that, do you still want to take those people to Gangbuk?”

“…”

“Grain? Grain? Seriously, do you think they’ll carry this grain on their backs when they go to Gangbuk? They’ll end up abandoning all of that anyway. Why bother escorting people who can’t even provide that one thing we needed on the way to Gangbuk?”

“…”

“Just talk, that’s all you can do! We can turn those who are heading to the village back right now!”

Baek Cheon, who had remained silent throughout, let out a deep sigh.

“…Still, there’s a matter of human decency…”

“Decency?!”

In the end, Im Sobyeong, whose insides were turned upside down, even had his eyes turned upside down. Baek Cheon suddenly thought that Im Sobyeong resembled Chung Myung quite a lot. But even in resemblance, they only seemed to be alike in those kind of aspects.

“Decency? Decency! Well said! Have we violated any decency? Isn’t it them who have abandoned human decency?”

Baek Cheon had nothing to say to this. He still had the thought of rescuing them, but logically, he couldn’t defeat Nokrim King.

Moreover, wasn’t it just a cover-up of their incompetence with excuses like righteousness and decency, especially when they couldn’t solve things with logic in the first place?

“Dojang!”

“Khmm.”

“Dojaaaaang!”

Even when urged, Baek Cheon remained silent, so Im Sobyeong’s eyes lit up with fire.

“No, how could there be such gullible fools in this world…”

Thunk!

“Aaargh!”

Im Sobyeong, who had been running, suddenly fell forward as if shot. Following him, Namgung Dowi casually picked him up.

“Geez, he really whines like a baby.”

Chung Myung, who had smacked Im Sobyeong, brushed off his hands.

“Ugh…”

Im Sobyeong grabbed his throbbing back of the head and groaned for a while before opening his eyes wide.

“Why did you hit me! What did I do wrong…”

Thwack!

“Aaaargh!”

“Is this Sapa bastard insane? Where did he get the nerve to open his eyes like that? Should I just stab him right now?”

“…Chung Myung. You should speak before stabbing.”

“Oh. Right, of course.”

Baek Cheon let out a long sigh. It isn’t like that, darn it…

Chung Myung glared at Im Sobyeong, who was whimpering with his eyes shut.

“Anyway, he looks like a bandit!”

“Are you saying this because I look like a bandit?”

Im Sobyeong sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes, as he looked around in a panic. His poked eyes were bloodshot.

“In fact, isn’t everyone thinking the same way! Why bother saving those who don’t even appreciate it? Imagine meeting them again in Gangbuk. Do you want to awkwardly laughing at each other? Do you really want to see that scene?”

“Noisy!”

Chung Myung struck Im Sobyeong’s back of the head loudly once again.

“You act as you please, so that’s why you’re a bandit!”

“…”

“What?”

“Well… It’s not… entirely wrong, but at least you shouldn’t be saying that, Dojang?”

“What, darn it?”

Surrounding them, there were only people nodding along in agreement.

“That’s right.”

“That’s definitely true.”

“Sometimes bandits make more sense than Taoists.”

“But these bastards?”

When Chung Myung glared, everyone quickly turned their heads and pretended to be busy with something else. Then, they muttered under their breath.

‘I felt sorry for him when he got injured, but it was comfortable…’

‘He’s the nicest when he’s asleep…’

Im Sobyeong pressed his puffy eye with his fan and asked.

“No, then does that mean your insides don’t burst?”

“Insides?”

“Yes! Aren’t you feeling anything at all?”

“…Really, you want me to spill my guts?”

“…Yes? Oh, yes.”

“In terms of temperament, both the nobleman and the commoner are just superficial shells….”

“Hehehe! Chung Myung!”

“Mouth, mouth! Hey! That mouth!”

“Shut his mouth!”

Unable to tolerate the words that should never come from a Taoist’s mouth, Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong desperately rushed forward to block Chung Myung.

Despite the blocked sound due to the wind, Hye Yeon, who was nearby, couldn’t help but hear some of the muffled sounds. His face turned pale for a moment, and he expressed clear disapproval. With confusion swirling in his mind, he had to continue chanting to push those doubts away.

“Should I tell you more? I can still say a lot more.”

“…Taoist master, you’re quite fiery…”

Even bandits wouldn’t do that… Im Sobyeong shook his head.

Chung Myung snorted before speaking.

“But what can we do? After all, among them, there are people who have helped us.”

“There was a way to save only that person, wasn’t there?”

“These bandits… are they crawling up from hell rather than the mountains? Would that guy just leave if told to go alone, leaving behind the villagers he lived with?”

Im Sobyeong tightly shut his mouth. He knew Chung Myung’s words were not wrong.

Offering a sack of grain to Cheonumaeng was a gesture of minimal courtesy. In that case, it was only natural to save that person. And if it meant saving others for that person’s sake… well, that was unavoidable, wasn’t it?

“And… Even if you don’t care about the others, you shouldn’t be saying that! If we’re going to be that picky, then I would have already cut off your head first.”

Feeling a chill run down his spine, Im Sobyeong awkwardly chuckled, unknowingly touching his pale throat.

“Hehe, hehe… Haven’t I changed?”

Chung Myung looked at him with eyes filled with pity.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh?”

“Even bandits who used to kill people can change and become decent human beings after being beaten up, so why should we leave those people alone, whether they’re guilty or not?”

“…No, but the wrongdoing…”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

Chung Myung’s gaze briefly shifted to the distant sky. Then, almost as if talking to himself, he muttered,

“Yeah. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, they’re mistakes that are even difficult to forgive.”

Im Sobyeong remained silent. He felt like it wasn’t the right time to say anything.

“But people can change when there’s someone who understands and forgives them.”

It was at that moment when several people were nodding in agreement.

“Right, Dong Ryong?”

“I knew you’d say that, you bastard!”

Baek Cheon got enraged swung his fist. Chung Myung skillfully dodged and grinned.

“What’s the point of bringing up old grudges? Namgung is the same, isn’t it?”

“…Please let the past rest. Honestly, how many of us here can hold our heads high when it comes to discussing the past?”

“Hmm.”

“Hehehe!”

Some people coughed as if stung by the sharp remarks.

Even if it’s true that Hwasan has its faults, Tang Pae is someone who once stabbed Chung Myung in the stomach with a flying dagger, and Namgung Dowi is the one who boasted in front of him only to end up getting punched in the crotch. And aren’t Hye Yeon’s words from the martial arts competition finals still hauntingly remembered?

So everyone had no choice but to cough and remain silent at Namgung Dowi’s words.

“So, I don’t really believe in the saying that ‘a sprout is yellow.’ Of course, I may have been a promising young sprout from the start!”

“…That’s nonsense.”

“You weren’t just a yellow sprout, you were dead black…”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Even if you end up resenting it, at least save them first and resent them later.”

“…”

“If the former Sect Leader were here, he would have said the same thing for sure.”

At Chung Myung’s words, the disciples of Hwasan nodded in agreement. Surely, Hyun Jong would have done the same. When in doubt, just think about what Hyun Jong would have done. That path is undoubtedly the right one for the disciples of Hwasan.

Im Sobyeong, who had been listening quietly, grumbled discontentedly.

“Well… Your words are good, but it’s your kids who have to bear the risk because of that, you know?”

“What do I care if a few bandits get upset or not? Anyway, there are too many of them to handle, isn’t there?”

“…Are you even human, really?”

“Anyway, let’s leave the past behind.”

Chung Myung firmly cut off Im Sobyeong’s continued grumbling.

“We don’t have time to worry about that now. They’ll be coming for us soon.”

Baek Cheon nodded in agreement and spoke up.

“Reaching Nanjing won’t take as long as we think. Once we descend from the mountain, we’ll pick up speed, and it should take at most a day or two.”

A sense of tension spread across everyone’s faces.

The news that they would soon descend the mountain and arrive in Nanjing within a day or two was something that couldn’t be taken lightly.

It meant they were about to face an even greater challenge, and consequently, greater danger.

“Initially, I thought Nanjing would be the least risky option, but in reality…”

“It’s still unknown.”

“Yes.”

Im Sobyeong’s words were met with calm affirmation from Baekcheon. “Unknown” is an accurate description. Right now, Gangnam is being shaken up entirely because of their movements. So there’s no guarantee that Nanjing, where they’ll soon arrive, will be the same Nanjing they knew.

“Prepare yourselves. We will definitely cross the Yangtze River.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded loudly to Baek Cheon’s words. It was both a response and a commitment they made to themselves.

After running for a while, Im Sobyeong caught up with Chung Myung, who had slightly distanced himself from the others running ahead. Unlike the slight discontent he had shown earlier, his expression was now serious, devoid of any trace of laughter.

“Dojang.”

“Speak.”

“…The pursuit is slower than expected. And… there are no signs of those blocking the way ahead. Dojang, you understand what this means, don’t you?”

Chung Myung silently nodded.

During war, the absence of minor attacks only signifies one situation: the enemy is preparing a powerful blow to completely crush the other side.

“By now… Yes, he probably knows where we’re headed.”

“It’s not like we didn’t expect him not to know.”

“Yes, that’s true. But…”

Cheonumaeng and Haenam are not heading to Nanjing to deceive the enemy. Considering the time, distance, and the positions of each faction, it is the most favorable battlefield for them.

“Will he move?”

“It doesn’t matter whether he moves or not.”

“…Yes?”

“What’s important is that even if he doesn’t move himself, someone will move towards Nanjing. That’s enough.”

Chung Myung’s eyes darkened.

‘Then Beob Jong will inevitably have to follow.’

Beob Jong detests bearing unexpected losses. That was abundantly clear from his actions so far.

So Beob Jong will have to follow to Nanjing. Because he’ll want to keep the situation under his watchful eye. And because he’ll want to somehow block the variables that Chung Myung and Jang Ilso might cause.

Beop Jong didn’t know it was precisely what Chung Myung aimed for.

“Who said that?”

“Yes?”

“In the end, the world eventually returns to its natural state.”

“…But my thoughts are a bit different.”

Chung Myung’s lips curled upwards in a chilling smile.

Originally, it was Gupailbang’s duty to save Haenam. So, in reality, the hardships the group is experiencing should have been Gupailbang’s burden.

“If things don’t go as they should, then we’ll have to force them go that way. So that no one feels unfairly treated.”

His gaze turned towards the distant north.

To the land of chaos where all forces are gathering, Nanjing.