"Strength..."
Namgung Dowi bit his lips until they almost bled. "Gather your strength. Just a little more..."
He knew. He was desperately pushing his inner energy beyond its limit, holding onto his trembling hands, but he understood that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't save him.
It wasn't the first time.
He had seen this cursed situation before.
His hands, now dried and stained a dark crimson, shook as they neared his face.
"Sogaju..."
"Yes, Jin-ah. Just a bit more strength, and help will come! You can go back to Namgung, and that's when..."
Namgung Dowi's face contorted horribly.
That's why he couldn't say it wasn't allowed. He knew it was a blatant lie, as did anyone who said it or heard it. They knew how absurdly false those words were.
But Namgung Dowi clung to that blatant lie, with no other options.
"S-soga...ju-nim..."
"Namgung Jin..."
"Y-you must...survive..."
Namgung Jin's eyes gradually lost their focus as he continued to speak. At the same time, the strength slipped out of the hand that Nangong Dowi was holding.
"Namgung Jin!"
"Namgung Jin, you...!"
A heart-wrenching cry erupted from those who were watching his final moments. It was a mix of weeping, boiling rage, and uncontrollable voices venting their anger.
But Namgung Dowi only bowed his head, pressing his forehead against Namgung Jin's cold chest where the blood had dried.
'Don't cry.'
Blood flowed through his torn lips, but Namgung Dowi couldn't shed tears, not for Namgung Jin. He knew that showing tears would cause everyone to crumble. His eyes, reddened with fury, grasped the earth as if he could tear it apart.
Could they have saved him? Could they really not save him? If only they had received proper treatment from a medical expert, they might not have died. Or if they had some life-extending medicine from their family, they might have saved a few. But there was nothing here.
There were no healers to provide treatment or elixirs to extend life. All they had were the silent, desolate land and the monotonous river. And...
Namgung Dowi raised his head with a burning gaze, looking beyond the Evil Tyrant Alliance's ships surrounding the island and the sect members who were eagerly watching. Perhaps the burning in his eyes was truly aimed at the Shaolin Sect beyond the Evil Tyrant Alliance, more than the Evil Tyrant Alliance itself.
He knew.
All of this was Namgung Sect's fault. Passing the consequences of this to others was unjust. The burden of countless deaths resulting from this was solely Namgung Sect's responsibility.
But still...
Namgung Dowi clenched his teeth.
Perhaps he wouldn't blame them if they hadn't cried out. If they hadn't boasted about protecting the central region, about upholding justice, then perhaps it would have been more tolerable. But where was the unity they had shouted for? While these wounded people fought for the commoners, bleeding to death on this frigid land, what were they doing?
At that moment, a sound caught Namgung Dowi's attention. It was the groaning of another person struggling due to injuries. He exhaled slowly through his chapped lips, then reached out to gently close Namgung Jin's eyes before he stood up. Without a word, he looked down at Namgung Jin and spoke with a dry voice.
"Deal with the body."
He suddenly touched the ground and steadied himself. His previously listless eyes, devoid of any enthusiasm, suddenly widened.
".... That?"
In his blurred vision, there was a clear image. He blinked his eyes roughly and then looked straight ahead across the river.
With a start, Namgung Dowi bit his lips hard. His hazy mind suddenly cleared.
Perhaps the Righteous Sects on the other side wouldn't see it. They didn't have the leisure to look around, being surrounded by enemies. But it was certainly visible in Namgung Dowi's eyes as he observed the riverbank from this side.
To the side, far away from the area swarmed with the Righteous Sects, someone dressed in green clothing was looking in their direction, as if monitoring the situation.
'It's the Tang Family!'
It was undoubtedly someone from the Tang Family, the family that was already known to have withdrawn from the Yangtze River, confirming the situation here.
Namgung Dowi's thigh twitched for a moment.
'No, it can't be...'
It might be a hasty assumption. Perhaps they had sent someone to the Yangtze River for reconnaissance.
But...
Namgung Dowi, without a single movement, sat there as if he were a statue, staring at the Tang Family's man. The man thoroughly observed the movements of the Evil Tyrant Alliance and the Shaolin sect, as well as the situation inside Plum Blossom Island Island, and then turned away and moved further away.
A moment later, Namgung Dowi stood up as if he were possessed. It was as if he needed some time to distinguish whether what he had just seen was reality or a vision.
'If the Tang Family is here...'
Only after a long while did he turn his body, as if trying to figure out if what he had seen was real or not.
As he retraced his steps, he took in the entirety of the island's situation at a glance.
"Pull yourself together! You damn... You can't die!"
"Damn it... Why just us?"
"K-huhuhuk."
People dying in despair day by day, those unable to contain their grief while rescuing the wounded, the smell of putrid blood and corpses, and a pervasive sense of despair.
Namgung Dowi didn't stop walking.
'This is a foolish thing to do.'
He knew it too. "There might be no benefit at all. The situation will only worsen."
He lnew that too. "But why?"
The reason was too simple. He couldn't just sit here and wait for death to come. He had a responsibility to protect the people here.
He was the Namgung Family's Sogaju (Great Lord).
His steps quickened as he approached his destination. Finally, he arrived in front of Namgung Hwang, who appeared to have aged at least ten years since the injury.
Namgung Dowi silently gazed at Namgung Hwang. Exhausted from transferring his inner energy to the wounded, Namgung Hwang leaned against a shattered rock and closed his eyes. His face revealed deep regret and a heavy sense of responsibility.
A heavy sense of responsibility that felt suffocating.
Sensing his presence, Namgung Hwang slowly opened his eyes and looked at Namgung Dowi.
"What's going on?" Namgung Hwang asked.
Namgung Dowi continued to silently fix his gaze on Namgung Hwang, and their gazes locked in the air.
"You said it before," Namgung Dowi finally spoke. "If you set your mind to it, the Great Lord can escape from this island."
Namgung Hwang lowered his head.
"I'm not leaving. How could I, as the Great Lord of Namgung, abandon them and go somewhere else? I will stay on this island with them, sharing their fate. And..." He coughed dryly and twisted the corner of his mouth. "Even though I didn't know it then, now it's unreasonable."
"By yourself," Namgung Hwang said with a subtle hint of a smile, "but with the Elders' help, you might be able to get one person out of this island."
"...Dowi?"
"Jang Ilso belongs to the Evil Sect, but breaking one's own word is not his way. He must have his own plans, so even if we attempt an escape, he won't retaliate by attacking the island. In other words..."
Namgung Dowi interjected, chewing on his words, "It means it's worth trying to get at least one person out."
"..."
"Let me go, Great Lord," Namgung Dowi implored with a determined look in his eyes and a hint of anger. "Please save me even if it means risking your life."
Pale and drained, Namgung Hwang looked at his son. One day, a father faces a moment when his child stands at the same level as him. And now, Namgung Hwang distinctly felt what that emotion meant.
That's why he didn't ask. He didn't inquire about what his son was planning, why it had to be Namgung Dowi that had to go out, or any other questions. It was because it wouldn't make a difference.
"...What's the price?"
That was the only question he was curious about.
"As you said, all the Elders, including you, will have to risk our lives. So, tell me, what is the price we must pay when we give up our lives to extend everyone's life by a single moment?"
Namgung Dowi's eyes were filled with determination. Something that was now absent from Namgung Hwang.
"Hope."
"..."
"Isn't that enough?"
After a brief silence, Namgung Hwang gave a sardonic laugh. "Not enough?"
"..."
Namgung Hwang slowly rose to his feet. The determination in his already-grown son's eyes was like that of a young child.
"Enough." His hand tightly gripped Namgung Dowi's shoulder.