Paaah!
Beopjeong leaped forward, striking the ground relentlessly. In an instant, he leaped over the obstructing mountain and crossed the flowing river in one bound. He continued to move forward without respite.
And behind him, a group of monks in yellow robes, representing the highest authority of the Shaolin, followed suit.
Three hundred Shaolin warriors.
Who in the world wouldn't feel overwhelmed by such a sight? It was a spectacle akin to the embodiment of the Shaolin's power.
However...
The faces of the monks following behind Master Beopjeong didn't reflect their illustrious reputation; instead, they were pale, as if their legs, pounding the ground, might snap at any moment.
"Ba-Bangjang!"
A disciple who was right behind Master Beopjeong called out with urgency, but Master Beopjeong didn't even turn his head.
"Bangjang! Our disciples can't keep up any longer. We need to slow down!"
Only then did Master Beopjeong's head turn back. His face displayed not concern but deep, cold anger.
"We can't slow down."
"Disciples might collapse!"
"It doesn't matter."
At that, Master Beopjeong's head snapped back to the front. His face showed no signs of worry, and instead, there was an unwavering determination.
"Disciples who fall behind will be left behind. They can catch up at the Yangtze River later! Right now, arriving at the Yangtze River as quickly as possible is what matters!"
"But..."
"It's irrelevant!"
Master Beopjeong's voice was razor-sharp, and the disciples involuntarily flinched.
His firmly clenched lips seemed to express his resolution, telling them everything they needed to know.
"Anyone who falls behind can catch up later. What's important now is getting to the Great River as soon as possible!"
"But, Master..."
"It's an urgent matter!"
"But, Master! If we arrive at the Great River after pushing so hard, but our disciples are too exhausted to fight, won't it all be in vain?"
"That doesn't matter!"
Beopkye recoiled at Beopjeong's cold words.
His lips, bitten so tightly, seemed to represent his determination.
"We'll leave those who fall behind. They can join us at the Yangtze River later. Right now, it's crucial to get to the Yangtze River as quickly as possible."
"But..."
"Stop talking nonsense and increase your speed!"
"...Understood!"
Beopjeong's eyes blazed with a fierce determination.
"No more," he thought.
He had already made multiple mistakes, and if the situation worsened further, it could become irreparable. He couldn't bear to see Shaolin's reputation dragged through the mud during his tenure.
A crisis at any time could be an opportunity for Beopjeong. The current situation, which could only be described as the worst-case scenario, still offered a chance. If Shaolin arrived at the Yangtze River in time, defeated the Su Lo Chae, and rescued the Namgung Family, they could turn the situation around.
That's why Beopjeong couldn't afford to miss this opportunity; it was absolutely crucial.
"Faster!" he urged.
Their goal was simply to arrive at the Yangtze River before Jang Ilso. Absolute power was always relative. Facing the entire Evil Tyrant Alliance with the strength of the Shaolin was impossible, but facing just the Su Ro Chae?
Without waiting for the cooperation of other factions, joining forces with Namgung was sufficient to subdue the Great River. In fact, they could even ensure the safe escape of the Namgung Sect from the island, even if the rest of the task was more challenging.
The subsequent matters could be handled while waiting for other factions to arrive. Right now, the most important thing was to reach the Yangtze River ahead of Jang Ilso.
"Hurry up, right now!"
"Yes!"
The Shaolin monks, clad in their yellow robes, dashed towards the Yangtze River, driven by their determination.
* * *
"So, what I mean is..."
"..."
In response to the softly spoken words that followed, Chung Myung's bulging cheeks slightly twisted and puffed up again.
'Are they going to explode?'
'Se're in front of Sect Leader..so probably not.'
'No, but it does seem like it's about to burst any moment.'
However, what seemed like a balloon about to burst suddenly deflated slowly, along with Chung Myung's frustration.
'I can endure this, I can endure this.'
'Ohh.'
'You've grown, Chung Myung... You've made Master proud.'
Hyun Jong, who was examining Chung Myung's expression, cleared his throat softly.
"So, you're saying this is inevitable."
"..."
"I'm not suggesting we go. It's just... well... We're an established martial arts sect, but still, it feels a bit unusual to decline such a request."
Chung Myung's gaze slowly lowered. He noticed a single report lying on the table.
"So, you're saying...?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Mr. Tang... I mean, Tang Gaju requested assistance?"
"That's correct."
Hyun Jong nodded thoughtfully.
"So, Sect Leader wants to go?"
"This isn't about wanting to go or not. It's not a matter of choice. Isn't this something we've already agreed upon?"
"..."
"It's not about personal gain; it's a matter of righteousness, so we can't help it, right?"
This time, Chung Myung's eyes started to redden, bloodshot. Hyun Jong briefly turned his head to look up at the distant ceiling. Although he was the Sect Leader, the head of a sect, facing his face at times like this was scary.
"Ughhhhh..."
A groaning sound escaped from Chung Myung's lips.
The situation was quite simple. Chung Myung had declared that he would not get involved in the matters of the Yangtze River. Of course, it was Hyun Jong who made decisions for the Mount Hua Sect, not Chung Myung. However, as long as Chung Myung had a valid reason, Hyun Jong couldn't act against his will.
But now, the report from the Yangtze River had provided Hyun Jong with a reason he had lacked before.
"Do we need more manpower to evacuate the Yangtze River's people?"
"So you're saying..."
Cheongmyeong rubbed his face with both hands.
"I can't stand this... Darn it! These bunch of misfits are driving me crazy!"
And he began to slap his own mouth with his hands. Baek Cheon watched him, bearing it in silence.
"So this was how it turned out.'
Chung Myung had mentioned something similar when they discussed the matters of the Tang Family and the Yangtze River.
- Even if it's inevitable, we should help those living in the Yangtze River. Some people might be willing to move to Sichuan if we support them. Tang Gunak made a fuss about leaving, so as an agreement for our withdrawal from the Yangtze River, we promised to let the Yangtze River residents who requested it settle in Sichuan. Mount Hua fully supported that."
Tang Gunak eventually accepted Chung Myung's proposal, and now, they were in the process of moving the Yangtze River's residents to Sichuan.
But...
"No! Is there really a lack of manpower? Sichuan! What? Sichuan! It's not like it's a place where Tang Gunak relatives don't gather! How can there be a lack of manpower?"
"Hasn't the situation changed?"
"Oh! Those darn Namgung bastards! Anyway, they're not doing anything useful! I should have let those bastards wither at the time!"
Yoon Jong whispered to Jo Gol.
"When is he talking about? What does he mean by 'that time'?"
"Isn't he referring to the Yangtze River DIsaster? No, that's not it. Anyway, that Taoist guy is always saying things like that. He's Chung Myung after all."
If it were an ordinary day, Chung Myung would have given a bombastic side eye to Yoon Jong, but he was not in the right state of mind.
The situation in the Yangtze River was deteriorating faster than he had anticipated. While he had expected the Su Lo Chae to occupy Plum Blossom Island when he had been planning the move, he didn't foresee the existence of "that crazy bastard."
With the appearance of unexpected variables, the situation began changing even faster than Chung Myung had anticipated. In other words...
"Originally, it would have taken about a month to evacuate everyone as planned, but as you know, the situation in the Yangtze River has changed. The timeline has been accelerated, and with the deteriorating conditions, more residents naturally want to go to Sichuan."
"…."
"We can't deny that we share some responsibility in this matter. Moreover, this isn't an action taken in the name of our sect, but rather in the name of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, isn't it? I am the recognized leader, and I can't simply ignore the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's work and pass it off..."
"Sect Leader."
"Hmm?"
"...So, you just want to go and help, right?"
"Hehehe."
Hyun Jong coughed loudly, his face turning red.
'Anyways, this man's attitude changes just from hearing the name 'civilians''
It was quite ridiculous. However...
'That's a good thing.'
Chung Myung appreciated that kind of foolishness in Hyun Jong. No, he deeply respected it. Being foolish out of ignorance is stupidity, but being foolish while understanding is admirable.
"So, responding to the support request is the first step..."
"…."
Chung Myung still had a blank expression, so Hyun Jong added.
"We don't mean to do anything specific at the Yangtze River. It's just about quickly evacuating the residents who are there, right? Do Shaolin and the other sects rushing to the Yangtze River have the capacity to pay attention to us?"
"…The baldy doesn't care about that even during normal times. He doesn't have peripheral vision."
"…Well, you're right. He doesn't have peripheral vision."
Yoon Jong quietly asked Baek Cheon.
"Do you think Sect Leader knows what he's saying?"
"Do you?"
"…."
Hyun Jong said something he shouldn't have said in front of a bald person glanced at Chung Myung once again.
"So, it's best to prevent the damage from getting worse, right?"
Chung Myung sighed deeply.
'I never thought about this.'
The upcoming war had a high probability of expanding beyond expectations. So, who would suffer the most in that war?
Shaolin? The Su Lo Chae? The Namgung Family? Or perhaps the Myriad Man Sect?
Not at all.
The ones who would suffer the most were the residents living near the Yangtze River. The fighting experts had their own goals and had participated in this of their own free will, so there was nothing to say even if they died. But what kind of sin did the residents, who had lived quietly until now, commit?
That was why Hyun Jong was coming out. Just to reduce any potential unfortunate deaths as much as possible.
"Chung Myung."
"…."
"Chung Myung!"
"…."
"Chung Myung!"
"Ugh! Ok, I got it, I got it!"
Chung Myung shouted angrily as if he had a fuse lit. He glared at everyone with fiery eyes.
"Instead! We won't get involved in the Yangtze River's war no matter what! Absolutely not! Even if those guys attack first, We'll run away and never fight! I won't do any good deeds for that big baldie!"
"Well, of course! It's about saving the commoners! I don't plan on fighting either. Not even a bit!"
"Tsk!"
Chung Myung, who looked at everyone with discontent, turned his head away with a snort.
"You idiots."
As soon as they heard that civilians were in danger, their expressions changed. Although he had told them repeatedly to think about themselves first, it seemed like his words didn't even reach their ears.
But...
"Right. That's how Mount Hua should be."
Hyun Jong's words to Baek Cheon likely meant this. For Mount Hua to be Mount Hua, they couldn't refuse this mission.
"I got it."
"Oh!"
"Let's go. We should hurry and help the people evacuate."
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Geez, seriously! What's going on...?"
Before more agonized sounds could come from Chung Myung's mouth, Hyun Jong urgently shouted.
"Hyun Young! Hyun Sang!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Get all our disciples ready! We're heading to the Yangtze River immediately. Remember this. We need to arrive as quickly as possible. Even saving one more person is crucial!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
The atmosphere in the room grew heated.
And so, the decision was made for Mount Hua's journey to the Yangtze River.