That means he’s coming. (4)

“Perhaps?”

“Yes!”

Hong Daekwang vigorously nodded.

“Those bastards… Uh, no, the higher-ups speculate that this movement of Jang Ilso is not simply to capture Hwasan Geomhyeop but may be a move to penetrate Gangbuk.”

Tang Gunak’s face turned grave.

“If it’s east…”

It was possible.

Moving east from here along the Yangtze River would lead to Zhejiang. And those who were originally supposed to stop Sapaeryeon’s attempts to cross the river from Zhejiang were none other than Namgung clan.

However, Namgung clan has already exhausted the majority of its forces, and the remaining troops are stationed here.

In other words, it means that the east of the Yangtze River is now a perfect empty fortress. If Jang Ilso decides to enter the Zhejiang, there will be no force to stop him.

“What is the reaction from Gupailbang?”

“Naturally, there’s chaos. Right now, a directive has been issued from Shaolin to track Jang Ilso’s movements at all costs, even if it requires sacrifices.”

A bitter laugh escaped Tang Gunak’s lips.

Jang Ilso hasn’t arrived in a place where defenses are lacking, nor has he shown anything remarkable yet. He’s just made a pretense of heading east.

However, both Cheonumaeng and the entire Gupailbang were being shaken. No matter how many people there are in the world, there may be only one who can overturn the world with such a trivial action, and that would be none other than Jang Ilso.

“As for the Abbot of Shaolin, it must feel like having a fire under one’s feet.”

Tang Gunak said, prompting Han Imyeong to ask with a puzzled expression.

“What do you mean?”

“From the perspective of the Abbot, everything happening in Gangnam was deemed unrelated to Gupailbang. Of course, there was some involvement with Haenam, but since the Abbot has already cut off ties with Haenam, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Everyone nodded at his words.

“But if Jang Ilso moves east, the situation will reverse. If Namgung clan’s Young Lord is in Gangnam and their main forces are here, then it’s Gupailbang that must stop the advancing forces of Sapaeryeon.”

“Indeed…”

If Namgung clan had still been staying there, it would have been Cheonumaeng with the fire under their feet. But since Namgung is staying here, the situation has completely reversed.

Now Beop Jong must do whatever it takes to prevent them from stepping into Anhui.

If the enemy forces cross over, the next place they’ll strike is Henan, where Wudang and Shaolin are located.

In other words, if Jang Ilso decides to, they’re moving to a position where they can swiftly plunge a dagger into the heart of Gupailbang.

“Wait! So…!”

At that moment, Hyun Sang interjected with a worried expression.

“What about the children? What’s going to happen to our children? Won’t they be in more danger?”

Tang Gunak nodded slightly.

“Either way, it won’t become more dangerous. If Jang Ilso is really aiming for a northern advance, then the children will actually be much safer, and even if not, the encirclement will loosen.”

“Ah, I see.”

Hyun Sang finally nodded with a slightly relieved expression.

Tang Gunak glanced at Hong Daekwang discreetly before speaking again.

“From the perspective of Gupailbang, the situation may seem complex to handle, but when you think about it, we don’t really have anything to lose. Even if this is a tactic by Jang Ilso to cause confusion, we won’t suffer any losses.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

In truth, although the situation was complex, just the fact that Gupailbang’s members, who usually took things easy, watching a fire across the river, were startled as if sparks had landed on their feet, provided some relief.

It would be even better to cut off the attention given to the children sent as envoys of Cheonumaeng because of their fight with Gupailbang. And even if it doesn’t go that far, Gupailbang will no longer be able to watch the fire across the river.

“Indeed, it’s typical of Jang Ilso…”

When it comes to putting people in uncomfortable situations and making them break into a cold sweat by pricking their vulnerabilities, there’s no one to match him in the world.

“Elder Namgung.”

“Yes, Lord Tang.”

Namgung Myeong immediately responded to Tang Gunak’s call.

“Just to be safe, it might be a good idea to move the remaining swordsmen at Namgung’s residence to a safer location.”

“Understood. Since we have allies in Hebei, I’ll have them pack up and head north immediately.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Even if Young Lord was present, he wouldn’t have hesitated at all. While it’s concerning that the remaining foundation of Anhui is crumbling, shouldn’t we prioritize saving lives for now?”

Tang Gunak nodded in agreement. His thoughts aligned with this sentiment.

“Alliance Leader, then shall we take advantage of that opportunity and head to Gangnam…?”

As Tang Gunak turned to discuss the ensuing events, he paused momentarily, his mouth closing.

Hyun Jong’s face had drained of color, leaving him pale and devoid of vitality.

“…Alliance Leader?”

Despite Tang Gunak calling out again, there was no response for a while. Only after a moment did Hyun Jong slowly turn his head towards Hong Daekwang.

“Did you say east?”

Hong Daekwang nodded with a puzzled expression.

“Y-Yes.”

“Which way east?”

Hyun Jong pressed further.

“There are different places even within the east.”

“Ah… Well, initially they were heading southeast, but now the direction has changed to northeast. That’s why Gupailbang is in more chaos. If they head northeast from the bottom of the Poyang Lake, they’ll reach Zhejiang.”

Hyun Jong’s face grew even paler.

“Alliance… Leader?”

Sensing that something was amiss, Tang Gunak called out to Hyun Jong in a serious tone.

After a moment, Hyun Jong’s mouth opened weakly.

“Nanjing.”

“Uh… Yes?”

“If they’re moving northeast from there, they’ll arrive at Nanjing.”

“That, that’s correct. It would be around the vicinity of Nanjing. If they reach the Yangtze River, they’ll come straight to Hefei. Hefei is where Namgung clan is located, and it’s also the way to Henan. Distance-wise, it’s even closer to Henan than Wuhan.”

Hong Daekwang explained enthusiastically, spraying spit as he spoke.

“If Jang Ilso is aiming for a northern advance, there’s no place more critical than this. Their destination might not be Nanjing…”

“How…?”

Hyun Jong’s fingertips trembled slightly. Unable to contain himself, Tang Gunak asked again,

“Alliance Leader, please explain why.”

“It’s Nanjing.”

“Uh… Yes?”

“That’s where the children are heading according to the letter sent by Chung Myung.”

Tang Gunak didn’t immediately grasp the significance of the statement. However, soon its meaning sank in, digging into his mind.

“…The children are heading to Nanjing?”

“…Yes.”

“Why?”

In truth, asking why didn’t hold much significance. The destination of the children was determined before Jang Ilso moved.

But apart from that statement, Tang Gunak had little else to say.

“If Jang Ilso is targeting Gangbuk… that might not be a problem…”

Hyun Jong’s murmuring face turned as pale as if he had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.

“If… if that’s not it, and they’re trying to block the path by tracking the movements of those children…”

Even without hearing the next words, they could already discern what was to come. The fate of the children in Gangnam was all but sealed.

The color drained from Tang Gunak’s face as well.

“Isn’t there a way to contact the children before they encounter Jang Ilso? That weasel…!”

Baek Sang, who had been maintaining silence, shook his head.

“It’s impossible. No matter how much he is a spirit beast, it’s impossible to locate them in such vast lands of Gangnam.”

Tang Gunak was momentarily stunned. Now the situation had fully dawned on him.

Jang Ilso had simply made a move east. With that move, he had ensnared both Cheonumaeng and Gupailbang with an inescapable noose around their necks.

Even around the necks of the children in Gangnam…

“Paegun…”

The terrible pressure of this name weighed down Tang Gunak’s whole body like an unimaginable weight.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Northeast?”

“Yes. It’s certain.”

Peering through the thick bushes, the beggars concealed their movements while meticulously observing those who were traveling in the distance.

Surrounding the massive carriage at the center, it was unmistakably Sapaeryeon, even among them were those who could be referred to as the ‘core’ without any doubt.

The beggars’ spines were quickly drenched in cold sweat. If they were to be noticed, they wouldn’t meet a peaceful end.

However, fear couldn’t paralyze them. Perhaps the fate of the world depended on their actions.

“You, go and report this immediately.”

“What about you, captain?”

“I’ll continue tracking. Our opponent is Jang Ilso. We never know what he might do next.”

“Yes, understood.”

The subordinate suppressed even their breath as they stealthily slipped away, avoiding making any sound with their footsteps.

Glancing back discreetly, the beggar once again kept a close watch on the movement of Sapaeryeon.

His gaze caught the dazzling carriage that was captivating enough to draw attention. Just its splendor alone was incredibly imposing.

‘Are they preparing for a war against the world?’

Inside it demons lurked.

Demons who toyed with the world as they pleased.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Hmm.”

Lying diagonally on the luxurious and comfortable silk bedding, Jang Ilso gazed slowly out the window, taking in the scenery outside.

The view through the square window was quite limited, but Jang Ilso didn’t feel stifled in the least. Even though he couldn’t see everything, the scenery beyond unfolded perfectly in his mind, vividly depicted right before his eyes.

For those who couldn’t see the unseen or move without moving, they had no right to claim dominion over the world.

“Ryeonju, the beggars are on the move.”

“Hmm… I despise dirty things, but…”

Jang Ilso, who had furrowed his brow momentarily, soon burst into laughter.

“But I suppose I’ll have to tolerate that much. For enduring the foul smell, they will leave many things behind as compensation.”

Everything those beggars have seen with their own eyes will be relayed across the river without missing a single detail. They won’t have the slightest clue that Jang Ilso facilitated it all.

“Now then… How shall we proceed, hmm?”

Jang Ilso, with anticipation gleaming in his eyes, looked out the window before spreading his hand.

Resting on his palm was the vast world. The once silent world slowly began to ignite once again.

“Gupailbang, Cheonumaeng, Sapaeryeon, and Hwasan Geomhyeop…”

The was enough firewood gathered. This is enough to cause a huge disaster that will set the whole world on fire. And it would be Jang Ilso himself who would ignite that fire.

Taking his eyes off the northern-facing small window, Jang Ilso looked at the opposite window. It was the one illuminating the south.

For a moment, a chilling madness gleamed in his eyes.

“You’d better hurry up a bit. If you are late, everything might already be burnt to ashes. Habahaha.”

A cruel smile played on Jang Ilso’s lips. It was a twisted smile, akin to the ruthless fate awaiting everyone in the world.