That means he’s coming. (1)

Before they knew it, they had emerged from the underground tunnel and ran for a solid day.

Im Sobyeong, who was leading the charge, suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, without any warning.

Those following behind, sprinting with all their might, froze in shock, nearly stumbling and falling over. With great effort, they managed to steady themselves and let out startled cries.

“Hey! What’s going on all of a sudden!”

Strong complaints erupted, but Im Sobyeong paid them no mind, scanning the surroundings without pause.

“Huh, not even acknowledging us. Even after we curse this much?”

“Well, for Sapa, getting cursed at is just part of the job, they say.”

“For something like that, he rolls his eyes when Chung Myung is being mean?”

“…Yeah, that guy doesn’t just curse people, he stabs people with curses.”

“Oh, I see.”

Im Sobyeong, who had been scanning the surroundings, nodded soon after.

“Let’s camp here for the night. It’s a terrain that’s not too conspicuous to the enemy’s eyes and perfect for avoiding dew.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Well, do we really need to take a break…”

Yoon Jong, who was about to reflexively object, suddenly fell silent and looked back. The faces of the disciples of Haenam showed signs of exhaustion. It was more than enough to carry even the injured with their still-healing bodies.

“It’s important to rest when you can. Rushing blindly will only end up delaying us further in the end.”

“Understood.”

Baek Cheon also nodded in agreement with Im Sobyeing’s decision.

“We’ll rest here. Everyone, find a place to rest. Just don’t light any fires.”

Carefully going down from Yoon Jong’s back, Jo Geol asked with a hint of confusion.

“Why no fires? Maninbang’s bastards won’t catch up with us for quite some time.”

“This is Gangnam. Even though it’s not Maninbang, there are eyes everywhere. Just because they’re commoners climbing the mountains doesn’t mean they’re necessarily on our side.”

As Jo Geol listened to Baek Cheon’s explanation, his expression turned slightly somber. Then Baek Cheon chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“Do you think people who only see distant lights would know who we are? If Maninbang ask if they have seen anything suspicious, of course they will say they have.”

“Oh, I see now.”

Jo Geol nodded as if finally understanding.

“Right, we should be careful.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s find a place to rest. If we hesitate, others will snatch up all the good spots.”

Jo Geol urged Yoon Jong. Baek Cheon smiled bitterly.

Then, a voice mixed with laughter chimed in,

“You’ve become quite skilled at handling people.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“In the end, it means you’re becoming a con artist.”

“…Thanks for the compliment.”

Chung Myung looked at Baek Cheon’s expression and laughed.

In fact, Baek Cheon must have thought deep down that even if civilians knew the true identity of their group, there was no guarantee that they would not inform Maninbang. However, he couldn’t express those concerns openly, especially not to someone like Jo Geol.

“You should find a place to rest too.”

“You worry too much. And your nagging increased again.”

Baek Cheon didn’t deny it and smiled helplessly. After all, the remark wasn’t entirely wrong.

The disciples of Haenam scattered to find places to rest. However, it amounted to no more than finding a relatively flat spot to lie down.

Sitting down wearily after finding a spot, Lee Jayang looked around with a fatigued expression.

“It’s too humid here. Go lie down over there. Give this spot to the guy behind.”

“Oh, no, Daesahyeong. You must be tired too…” .

“Enough, just go.”

Gwak Hwanso continued to move around, checking on other disciples and injured members of the sect. Watching him silently, Lee Jayang let out a bitter laugh.

‘He’s truly amazing.’

Lee Jayang himself barely had the strength to lift a finger now. Yet, Gwak Hwanso, who had worked twice as hard as others by looking after fellow disciples and injured comrades, was now looking out for others first.

Does he have any strength left? Hard to believe.

Even Lee Jayang could see Gwak Hwanso’s legs trembling. He probably wished he could just collapse anywhere right now.

But Gwak Hwanso was enduring it because there was work to be done.

“…Amazing.”

It is said that crises hardened people, a saying that seems to be true.

Truth be told, while Lee Jayang had recognized Gwak Hwanso as a comrade, but he hadn’t particularly held him in high regard. His impatient nature and selfish tendencies didn’t seem fitting for a position that required consideration for everyone.

Yet, in the present Gwak Hwanso, Lee Jayang couldn’t find any of the flaws he had perceived in the past.

From Hainan to this place, traversing the arduous path, Gwak Hwanso was becoming a remarkable person worthy of the title of Haenam’s Sect Leader, no matter what anyone said.

Even facing the same crisis, Lee Jayang didn’t seem to have changed much, while Gwak Hwanso was using the crisis as a stepping stone for growth.

‘The difference lies in one’s capability.’

Lee Jayang chuckled.

There was a time when he roughly placed Gwak Hwanso in the position of Sect Leader and thought he would manipulate him and Haenam according to his will by poking him in the side. But now, he didn’t dare. How could he wield any influence over Gwak Hwanso, who had grown so much?

‘…If we survive, that’s all.’

Suddenly, a small glimmer of hope flickered in Lee Jayang’s eyes.

The eyes of his Sahyeongs and Sajes looking at Gwak Hwanso were filled with unwavering trust, a gaze that had never been seen in Haenam of the past.

Though it’s incredibly difficult and painful right now, perhaps it’s not just a dream for Gwak Hwanso to become the Sect Leader of Haenam and for Lee Jayang to assist him with all his might, to revive Haenam’s glory once more.

Lee Jayang, who had been absent-mindedly envisioning that scene for a moment, chuckled as if in disbelief and pulled out a ration from his pouch.

“I’ve gone too far.”

For now, survival comes first…

“Sahyeong, do we have any rations left?”

Someone approached and asked. Lee Jayang asked back,

“Why? Didn’t we bring enough food?”

“…We lost some while fighting.”

“Ah…”

When they departed from Hainan, they took as much food as they could, but preserving supplies intact during the fierce battles was not as easy as they had hoped.

Under normal circumstances, they could have used their prepared money to purchase new supplies, but not now. Where in Gangnam could they possibly spend money when they must avoid people’s eyes?

In such a situation, money is nothing but a useless burden.

‘Even if other things may be true, the shortage of food is a serious problem.’

Of course, martial artists can endure longer periods without food compared to ordinary people. But that’s just endurance. If they can’t properly consume food while exerting all their strength and running at full speed, it’s obvious what will happen, isn’t it?

“I… I don’t have any rations either…”

“I barely have enough for one meal. If I give this to you, what will I eat?”

“Doesn’t anyone have anything hidden? Now is not the time to save!”

At first, there was a bit of confusion and agitation, but gradually tension spread. If left unchecked, it seemed like a big problem would arise.

“Everyone…”

Before Gwak Hwanso could finish his sentence.

Thud!

Something fell in front of them.

“What’s wrong with these deerlings? Clearly, there are people here, yet they pass by like nothing’s wrong.”

Chung Myung grinned as he tossed the hunted deer towards the group of Haenam’s disciples, casually brushing off his hands. Haenam’s disciples were fixated on the deer lying on the ground.

With a disapproving glare, Baek Cheon started his scolding.

“Hey, we’re not supposed to light a fire, remember?”

“Ah, another nagging! You’d probably nag instead of crying from the moment you were born. Noisy and bothersome!”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung swiftly skinned the deer with his sword, displaying a skill that seemed more than just a few times of practice.

“…That’s too proficient.”

“Weren’t he a Taoist?”

“Must be, right?”

He soon lifted a large cut deer leg with both hands.

“What are you trying to do… huh?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened. The deer’s leg quickly emitted white steam, indicating that it was cooking. Chung Myung chuckled triumphantly.

“This is called scorching hot yang palm, scorching hot!”

“…Have you ever seen such a crazy person?”

Baek Cheon’s mouth fell open.

“I’ve never seen anyone use yang palm to cook meat in my life…”

“No, Sasuk. He has done it before. Back then, in the Northern Sea.”

“Really?”

If the people from the Southern Sea Sun Palace, who used hot yang arts, heard this, they would be amazed.

While Baek Cheon blinked in disbelief, Chung Myung continued to cook the deer without hesitation. After a moment, he casually tossed the well-cooked leg back.

“Eat.”

“Uh… me?”

Taken aback, Seol Sobaek hastily shook his head.

“Oh, no! I… Others should eat before me…”

“Forget it, just eat.”

Chung Myung looked at Seol Sobaek and chuckled.

“You’ve done well enough. So stop overthinking and eat your fill of meat.”

“…Dojang.”

Seol Sobaek’s lips quivered slightly.

Despite being the Lord of the Ice Palace, he was still young and inexperienced, making it difficult for him to be truly effective in combat situations. Perhaps he was aware of this fact, as he had been trying his best not to draw attention to himself and not be a hindrance.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired.

Meanwhile, Chung Myung continued to dismantle and cook the deer nonchalantly. The aroma around him stirred their appetites and wafted through the air.

The disciples of Haenam could only watch in silence as Chung Myung cooked the meat. When he tossed them some meat, they gratefully accepted.

“Thank you, Dojang!”

“Really appreciate it.”

Chung Myung chuckled and asked.

“Feeling exhausted?”

“Well, to be honest…”

“Feeling drained, huh? Eating meat should give you a burst of energy, right?”

“Um, yes! Thank you…”

“But that’s not it. From my experience, just eating meat won’t give you much strength.”

“Really?”

“There’s something else that really boosts your strength.”

Chung Myung reached into the deer’s split belly and pulled something out. A moment of silence fell as Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“This is the best, this.”

“That…?”

What he held in his hand was the still-warm liver of the deer.

“Eating this raw is like a miracle drug that can revive even the dead. Let’s all have a bite.”

“Eating it raw?”

“Alright, who wants to go first?”

As Chung Myung sliced a piece of the deer liver, Haenam’s disciples slowly backed away in unison.

Chung Myung frowned as if he couldn’t understand the situation.

“Strange. Why do people make such a fuss about not being able to eat this when they eat fish raw all the time?”

“Well… How can people eat that…?”

“Well…”

At that moment, everyone’s gaze shifted to Seol Sobaek, who was standing behind Chung Myung.

Seol Sobak licked his lips and looked at the hot liver held in Chung Myung’s hand.

“Could I have that instead of the meat? In the Northern Sea, raw reindeer liver is considered a delicacy.”

“…Ah.”

“Moreover… the blood keeps dripping onto the ground. Why waste it? Do you know how good that is for the body?”

“…”

“If you’re going to discard it, please give it to me! We can’t eat it because we don’t have any.”

“Uh… Well, alright then.”

“Thank you, Dojang!”

Seol Sobaek expressed gratitude and delight. Watching him approach the deer with saliva dripping, Chung Myung suddenly thought.

Uniting Cheonumaeng might be even more difficult and terrifying than he thought.