Chapter 1550
Nevertheless. (5)
“Let’s go! Run now!”
“Why are we suddenly running?”
“Everyone else is running too!”
Jo Geol shouted as he sprinted out of Hwaeum, determined not to fall behind the other groups.
“We’re not even heading in the same direction, so why are we running together?”
“Just run!”
Gwak Hoe rubbed his forehead in frustration. When Jo Geol had pleaded to be part of his team, he should have refused, even if it meant getting beaten up. What was he thinking?
“So, where are we going?”
“Jiangsu!”
“Ugh…”
Gwak Hoe’s face twisted in dismay. Jiangsu was one of the farthest places they could reach from Shaanxi. It would be nice if it were a coincidence, but that was unlikely.
“How long will it take to get to Jiangsu…? Sahyeong, where are we going?”
Jo Geol, ignoring Gwak Hoe’s grumbling, sprinted straight towards Yoon Jong’s group, which was ahead.
“Sahyeong! Where are you heading?”
“Anhui.”
“Of course!”
Jo Geol nodded vigorously. The situation was most critical in Anhui right now. So, naturally, he assumed that some of Hwasan’s groups would be assigned to Anhui.
“What about Sasuk?”
“Also in Anhui.”
Jo Geol’s face hardened for a moment. Was it a coincidence? Or…
“Sahyeong. Sasuk…”
“Geol, where are you heading?”
“Me? Jiangsu.”
“As you know, Jiangsu borders Zhejiang. You remember Hangzhou is in the north of Zhejiang, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
How could he forget a place that brought him such terrible memories?
“When the public order of a city collapses, the impact spreads like a chain reaction. Even though Anhui didn’t collapse rapidly due to the sects following Namgung, the situation in Jiangsu must not be good. Moreover, if the remnants of Demonic Cult still linger, the problem would be even more… Geol, are you listening to me?”
Jo Geol slowly moved away from Yoon Jong.
“Where are you going?”
“No, please continue on your way.”
“Now that you’re in a position to lead people, you should pay attention to these matters…”
Jo Geol tightly closed his eyes. What was he thinking, worrying about someone like him?
“What about Sago?”
“Who knows?”
“Ah, come to think of it, it seems Soso didn’t form a group. Is she going with Sago?”
“No.”
Yoon Jong shook his head firmly.
“Soso is not in a position to move as just a team leader right now. She’ll probably take a position at one of the mountain strongholds as an intermediary, overseeing the situation with the medical corps.”
“Ah…”
It made sense once he heard it. Tang Soso was the one who established the Swift Medical Corps, and she was the one who deployed them for this mission, so it would be more effective for her to manage them directly.
Even though he understood, Jo Geol felt a bit distanced from Tang Soso for a moment. While he had struggled to even form a small squad, Soso was already leading a large group of people.
“I’ll have to work hard to avoid embarrassment.”
Yoon Jong chuckled at that.
“That’s a surprising thing to say.”
“What is?”
“That you still think there’s anything left for you to be embarrassed about.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Jo Geol glared at Yoon Jong with a scrunched-up face, then cautiously glanced around.
“But… um…”
“What now?”
“Chung… Myung, by any chance?”
Yoon Jong’s expression suddenly darkened. To someone who didn’t know him well, it might just seem like he had become serious, but Jo Geol, who was familiar with him, didn’t miss the hint of coldness in his expression.
“There’s no need.”
“What?”
“A team? He’s capable of handling things on his own.”
“No, Sahyeong. How can you say that…?”
“I’m just stating a fact. A team wouldn’t be any help to him. Incompetent team members would just hold him back.”
It’s not wrong. Jo Geol actually agrees.
However, he couldn’t easily nod in agreement because of the peculiar coldness in Yoon Jong’s voice.
“He’s different from us in the fist place”
“Sahyeong?”
“I’m going ahead.”
Yoon Jong left Jo Geol behind and pushed forward.
“Sahyeong! Let’s go together!”
As he ran ahead, Yoon Jong’s face finally twisted slightly.
‘Pathetic.’
It was a rebuke aimed at himself.
He tried to shake off the complicated thoughts in his head and focused on the back of the person running ahead.
‘Sasuk.’
Yoon Jong’s eyes were dark as he watched Baek Cheon’s back.
‘If everyone insists on being so reckless… then I’ll do the same.’
Firmly resolving himself, Yoon Jong pushed his legs harder.
“It might not be the right time to say this, but… it’s quite a spectacle.”
At Tang Gunak’s words, Chung Myung frowned slightly.
However, Chung Myung had to admit that Tang Gunak’s comment was quite accurate. The sight of many teams, each consisting of ten or so members, spreading out across the land was indeed a rare spectacle.
“What about the Beggars Sect?”
“They said they’ll join in on their own.”
“Slow as ever.”
At Chung Myung’s offhand criticism, Tang Gunak glanced at him.
“Shouldn’t you give them some credit?”
“They’re only now doing what they should have done ages ago. There’s nothing to praise. Their previous actions deserved all the criticism.”
Tang Gunak smiled bitterly.
In the past, even if the Beggars Sect offered help, it was usually just by gathering beggars at a convenient location. All the meticulous sorting and deploying of them would have been left to Cheonumaemg.
But things were different with Hong Daekwang, the new Sect Leader. Now, regardless of where the teams deployed from Hwaeum headed or how quickly they moved, the Beggars Sect could track their movements and follow up without delay.
‘Quite impressive confidence.’
Perhaps, as Chung Myung said, this was the level of efficiency the Beggars Sect should have shown from the beginning.
“Oh, and they said they’ll quickly relay the locations of the Evil Sects in each province.”
“That’s a basic task. Why do they talk as if they’re doing something special? Those beggars…”
When frustration finally showed on Chung Myung’s face, Tang Gunak shook his head.
“But in the case of the Ghost Gate, we’ll need to move from our side. There’s no suitable way for them to join us.”
“No need to worry. Just select a few members and send them to each location.”
“To each location?”
“Yes. Specifically, to the mountain strongholds. The Ghost Gate uses mountain bases near each city as intermediate points, right?”
“Indeed… instead of telling them to find their own way, we can inform them of the locations from the nearby mountain strongholds.”
“Yes.”
Tang Gunak nodded. With that, most of the problems were resolved.
He looked up at the sky and took a long breath.
‘A day?’
No, not even a day. Just half a day.
The time it took for this massive alliance to gather opinions, come to a conclusion, and reorganize their formations.
Some might say that was still slow, but Tang Gunak knew how such meetings among various families and sects usually went.
Half a day was an astonishingly fast pace, beyond what words like “miraculous” could describe.
And then…
“We’ll use the mountain strongholds as intermediate supply points.”
As Im Sobyeong quickly approached and spoke, Tang Gunak asked,
“Do we need supplies? Just…”
“Don’t say something so ridiculous. Do warriors not need to eat? While that might be possible under normal circumstances, in situations where they have to repeatedly engage in intense battles, they will inevitably get hungry. Since we don’t know how long this will take, we must be prepared.”
“Hmm.”
“And the supplies are not just for them. No matter how quickly we move, there will inevitably be those instances where we are already too late. We need grain and money for the refugees.”
Tang Gunak nodded. This was something he hadn’t considered.
“We’ll designate central mountain strongholds and connect them with nearby merchant groups. This is something Master Hwang of Eunha Merchant Guild will handle.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Tang Gunak inwardly marveled.
They had set out hastily, but that wasn’t all. Instead of finishing preparations before sending people, they sent them out first and completed preparations afterward. This seemingly impossible feat was made possible by the three pillars of Noklim, Ghost Gate, and the merchants.
‘In the past… in Gupailbang, this would have been unimaginable.’
It wasn’t because they were lacking or insufficient. The very foundations were different.
Wudang dominated from southern Henan to Hubei, Shaolin had immense influence throughout Henan, and Jongnam completely controlled Shaanxi.
However, these three regions did not connect. It wasn’t even easy for a merchant group from Hubei to travel to Shaanxi. Connecting regions was that difficult.
But Cheonumaeng’s approach was different. Cheonumaeng moved throughout the entire Central Plains without regional limitations, organizing by specialties.
Nokrim and the merchants. Ghost Gate and the Beggars Sect.
With these four forces having bases throughout the Central Plains…
“Was it from the beginning?”
“What do you mean?”
“No, never mind.”
Tang Gunak shook his head. What was the point of analyzing it now? The important thing was that this was the current situation.
Chung Myung continued speaking.
“What we need to focus on is turning each mountain stronghold into a proper base.”
“I’ll ensure it. We’ll receive support from the Beggars Sect, and we’ll also send our own personnel.”
Im Sobyeong let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh… How did the mountain strongholds become nests for the Just Sects?”
But he knew better than anyone that there was no other option.
“Make sure it’s done properly.”
“Don’t worry. That’s…”
“No. Make absolutely sure.”
“…”
A look of surprise crossed Tang Gunak’s face as he looked at Chung Myung. Chung Myung’s eyes had become cold and serious.
“We need to maintain a perfect communication network. We must be able to quickly recall those we’ve sent out at any time. If this is Jang Ilso’s scheme, he will undoubtedly aim for a moment when our forces are spread thin.”
Tang Gunak nodded.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Only after receiving a firm confirmation did Chung Myung turn his head.
Behind the Namgung clan’s members who were running ahead the fastest, Baek Cheon, Yoon Jong, and Jo Geol were also running. There were also people dispatched from Jongnam in the vicinity.
“Hoo!”
With a short breath, Chung Myung took a decisive step forward.
“Then, if anything happens, contact me as soon as possible.”
“Are you going too?”
“Hey! Come here!”
Kiii!
At Chung Myung’s words, Baek Ah, who had been waiting nearby, swiftly climbed onto his shoulder. His black eyes seemed determined, as if he understood the gravity of the situation.
“It’s not that the Beggars Sect’s messenger pigeons are slow, but there are times when they might be conspicuous. For really important messages, use this guy to relay them.”
“Hmm.”
Tang Gunak looked a bit reluctant. Chung Myung shrugged.
“It’s not that I haven’t considered staying at the headquarters…”
His gaze briefly shifted forward.
“But there might be some variables to deal with.”
Tang Gunak sighed. Once Chung Myung made up his mind, there was no changing it. That’s just how he was.
“I won’t try to stop you. But remember one thing.”
“What is it?”
“You’re no longer just a disciple of Hwasan. You’re the General of Cheonumaeng. The lives of hundreds, even thousands, depend on your every move.”
Tang Gunak stared firmly at Chung Myung.
“Never forget that weight.”
Chung Myung looked at Tang Gunak quietly before giving a slight shrug.
“…What an obvious statement.”
His voice sounded harsh, but there was a subtle difference from his usual tone. Perhaps it was just Tang Gunak’s imagination.
Before Tang Gunak could dwell further on it, Chung Myung turned around.
“Well then.”
Paah!
In an instant, his body shot forward. Like a beam of light, he rapidly closed the distance between himself and those who had gone ahead.
Tang Gunak clenched his fist within his sleeve.
‘I have no choice but to trust now.’
Though an unknown unease still churned within him, Tang Gunak resolutely turned away from it and faced forward.
He too had to give his all here.
“Let’s go.”
With determination, Tang Gunak moved his reluctant feet.
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