Chapter 1563
It’s different from back then. (3)?
“Where are they going?”
“…Surochae.”
Tang Soso’s face turned deathly pale.
“What on earth is he thinking, that fool!”
“..It’s his father’s enemy. It’s understandable. We should have anticipated it.”
“He’s already dead! Is killing the living for the sake of the dead something we should be doing?”
Tang Soso’s sharp voice rang out.
The person she was talking to sighed awkwardly. Tang Soso realized she was unfairly directing her anger and bit her lip.
“Wait! What about Hwasan? What about Baek Cheon Sasuk?”
“According to the latest reports, they seem to be moving towards Namgung.”
Tang Soso closed her eyes tightly. She had expected it, but it was still the answer she didn’t want to hear. Confirming it made her feel even more devastated.
‘War.’
Even if not at full strength, Namgung and Hwasan were clashing with Surochae.
Imagining the scene in her mind, Tang Soso became anxious.
“Then the current medical unit isn’t enough! We need to reinforce it! Deploy all the reserves!”
“Understood.”
“What about Tang clan’s squads?”
“…There hasn’t been an order to support them yet, so they’re continuing their missions.”
Tang Soso clenched her fists.
Of course, it is a very clear and accurate judgment. But why does she feel so frustrated, contrary to that rational mind?
“…Please inform each team. Tell the medical personnel in the teams to support that area.”
“Hmm. Got it.”
Despite giving all the instructions she could for the moment, her face remained dark. This was far from enough.
‘I should have trained more medical teams. Why didn’t I do it sooner…….’
She bit her lip hard, regretting her actions. Then she grasped the needles inside her sleeve.
“I can’t stand this. I’ll go too.”
“No, you won’t!”
Suddenly, a thunderous voice burst out, stopping her in her tracks.
“Have you forgotten? You are now in charge of overseeing the medics for all the teams!”
“I know, but…”
“Silence! Those people there are not the only ones. If the person in charge arbitrarily leaves their post and fails to issue proper instructions, who will trust the higher-ups? Your actions could bring great dishonor to Cheonumeng. And furthermore!”
Tang Soso’s uncle, Tang Gok [당곡(當鵠)], scolded her with a stern voice.
“This is an act of destroying everything you’ve painstakingly built. You must prove that what you advocated was not merely for the safety of a few people, but for Cheonumeng and Gangho!”
There wasn’t a single wrong word.
Tang Soso hung her head low. Her shoulders felt unbearably heavy. Until now, she had never had to worry about such things. This burden had always been carried by someone else.
“…Alright. I will stay here.”
“You’ve made the right decision.”
Tang Soso lifted her head again.
“But please hurry with the support! Quickly!”
“Understood!”
Tang Gok moved swiftly. Watching him, Tang Soso cast her gaze towards the distant south. Towards a place so far away it couldn’t be seen even from this high mountain stronghold.
‘Sago… Sasuk, Sahyeongs.’
Please. Please be safe.
❀ ❀ ❀
Chuil Gae’s face was pale.
The situation was simple. It couldn’t be any clearer. Surochae had landed in Gangbuk, Namgung clan charged towards them seeking revenge, and Chuil Gae and his party went to the vicinity of the Yangtze River to assess the situation. Isn’t it all too simple?
The problem is……
“Hey, Chuil Gae. What on earth is going on?”
“…”
“No, why is Hwasan’s entire force gathered here! Why is this getting so out of hand?”
Questions kept pouring in. Chuil Gae’s face twisted with frustration.
‘How am I supposed to know!’
He looked back with a face stiffened by tension.
‘Hoo!’
His heart pounded. Behind him, dozens of Hwasan’s swordsmen in black uniforms were sprinting, kicking the ground forcefully.
“Did the higher-ups order Hwasan to support Namgung?”
“I, I haven’t heard anything like that…”
“Then why are they all heading towards the Yangtze as if it’s the most natural thing? Shouldn’t we wait for instructions first?”
The answer to this was all too obvious.
‘Because it’s Hwasan.’
Expecting ‘that’ Hwasan Sect to calmly wait for orders from above was a mistake from the start. When had they ever waited for someone else’s judgment?
“Shouldn’t we stop them, even now?”
“How do you propose we stop them…? What skill do we have to overturn a decision made by the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan?”
The beggar who raised the question fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.
Although four squads from Hwasan had gathered, one squad consisted of only ten people, including a member of the Tang clan who was assigned for medical support.
In other words, there were at most thirty people from Hwasan here.
And with that limited force, they were going to confront Surochae, who had mobilized everything they had, to assist Namgung clan?
“They must be out of their minds…….”
Chuil Gae, who had been mumbling absentmindedly, clamped his mouth shut again.
Thinking back, whenever he heard news about Hwasan from afar, he would laugh and call them ‘those crazy guys.’
But now that he was directly involved in this madness, it was no laughing matter.
Among the black-clad swordsmen, one man stood out conspicuously. A man in white martial robes – Baek Cheon, the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan.
He gave off a distinctly different impression from Yoon Jong, whom Chuil Gae had first admired. However, his presence undeniably surpassed Yoon Jong’s.
‘Damn it… I have to trust them, don’t I?’
There was no way someone of his caliber would engage in reckless madness without thought.
That was Chuil Gae’s last bastion of hope. No, it was the hope he had to cling to.
As the beggars kept glancing over, Baek Cheon, sensing their stares, spoke up.
“Do we still have a long way to go?”
“…Sahyeong. We’ve already passed the initial target.”
“Not that.”
Baek Sang’s face hardened a bit more.
“If you’re asking about the distance to where Namgung and the Black Dragon King are likely to clash…… it shouldn’t be much farther now.”
“I see.”
“Are you really going to keep going, Sahyeong?”
“I have to.”
“But, that’s…”
Baek Sang started to say something but then closed his mouth. He knew that voicing it would mean siding with Yoon Jong.
However, this also meant that, in this situation, Baek Sang acknowledged that Yoon Jong’s words were correct.
“…This is Namgung’s unilateral decision.”
“I know.”
Baek Cheon nodded lightly and added,
“And I also know that the ones who have acted unilaterally the most are us, Hwasan.”
“…”
“Do you know what I thought every time we did that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Since we caused it, it’s right for us to bear it. It’s only natural for us to clean up our own mistakes. That’s the choice I made. But…”
Baek Cheon closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again.
“I’ve thought that it would be nice if just one person understood me without judging right or wrong, without me having to prove that there was a reason for it.”
“It’s not just you, it’s us, Sahyeong.”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Baek Cheon mumbled as if it was just a slip of the tongue.
“…It was us.”
Yoon Jong, running a little farther away, glanced at Baek Cheon’s profile.
Yoon Jong’s gaze, as he looked ahead again, was complicated.
“Won’t those Surochae bastards show up soon?”
“Yes.”
“Then aren’t we going to fight those bastards? Namgung clan won’t be entangled with these stupid bastards!”
“Probably.”
“And even though you know that, you’re still going? With just thirty people?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh!”
Jo Geol clutched his chest, which ached from the frustration that had reached its peak.
He couldn’t tell if the maddening frustration was due to the situation or Yu Iseol’s way of speaking.
He missed Yoon Jong, who was likely far ahead. Even though he’s been acting strange lately, at least he was someone he could talk to.
“No, seriously, is this really okay? If we keep going like this, the entire Hwasan’s force that came out will end up fighting Surochae!”
“I suppose.”
“No, Sago!”
Jo Geol bit his lip.
Things were escalating. If a problem arose, someone might have to take responsibility for this unilateral decision.
But whose decision was this? Baek Cheon’s? Or Yoon Jong’s?
At times like this……
Jo Geol instinctively started to turn his head, but an emotionless voice without any highs or lows pierced his ears.
“There isn’t.”
“…What?”
“He might come. But.”
Yu Iseol, her gaze fixed forward, spoke calmly.
“The last time I heard, he was far from here. No matter how fast he is, he can’t come faster than us.”
“…”
“And that person is your Sajil.”
Jo Geol’s face hardened involuntarily.
Yu Iseol’s words sounded like a reminder not to rely on Chung Myung like a child whenever something happened.
“…I was just curious. I was worried that damned guy might be rushing ahead of us to cut off the Black Dragon King’s head first! Isn’t he more than capable of doing that?”
Jo Geol knew it too. He was talking too much. Probably because he felt embarrassed for having his true feelings revealed.
“Need to be prepared.”
“…What kind of preparation?”
Yu Iseol didn’t answer. She didn’t specify who needed to be prepared or for what. Instead, she pointed ahead with her chin.
“Get ready.”
“What?”
Only then did Jo Geol see it too.
Corpses were strewn all over the place. They had been brutally shattered by someone’s powerful sword.
“Surochae……!”
It seemed Namgung Dowi had already clashed with Surochae.
Which meant that a fierce battle, with lives already on the line, was taking place just ahead.
‘Young Lord Namgung!’
As Jo Geol’s entire body tensed up, Yu Iseol suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Sago?”
Her eyes, as unfathomable and deep as a tranquil lake, stared intently ahead.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Black Dragon King! They’re breaking through!”
At the urgent report, the Black Dragon King, Jeok Segwang, let out a bitter laugh.
“Should I say it’s impressive?”
Namgung’s swordsmen, whose once pristine white robes were now stained red, were charging towards them. The venom and intense killing intent in their eyes were palpable.
“They’re practically no better than demonic cultists.”
Laughter seeped out of the Black Dragon King’s lips in a low, mocking tone.
For once, those stupid Namgung bastards made a decent decision. After all, Surochae cannot exist without the Black Dragon King. The moment his head falls, they will lose their power and disintegrate.
Isn’t that why Jang Ilso spared his life instead of killing him outright?
“Black Dragon King! You should take cover for now…”
Boom!
The person speaking next to him was struck by the Black Dragon King’s fist, spewing blood as he was sent flying.
“Foolish bastard! Do you expect me to flee from those brats?”
A ferocious aura surged around him.
“Even with one arm lost, I am Jeok Segwang! I will not be killed by mere dogs!”
The Black Dragon King gripped his treasured guandao tightly.
Retreat was not an option.
He needed to prove himself. To the young pups charging at him for his head, and to his subordinates who were watching him with somewhat skeptical eyes.
Evil Sect is just a display of strength. To maintain his position as the Black Dragon King, he must continue proving his strength.
Namgung’s neck may serve as a decent means for this.
“Clear the way. I’ll handle these bastards myself……”
The moment the Black Dragon King was about to shout.
“Jeok Segwaaaaaaaaaaaaang!”
Just then, a roaring sound exploded ahead.
When the Black Dragon King instinctively looked up, against the backdrop of the blue sky, there was a figure exuding terrifying killing intent.
A face once dignified, now stained with blood, contorted like a demon’s.
No longer fitting the label of a mere boy, this swordsman aimed for the neck of the Black Dragon King, Jeok Segwang, like a relentless predator.
“Hahaha!”
The Black Dragon King’s guandao soared upwards, while Namgung Dowi’s sword struck down.
Black blade clashed with white sword.
With an unwavering determination to achieve victory, the intense energies filled with mutual hatred collided head-on.
Kwaaaahhh!
A massive explosion erupted, as the clash began hurtling towards the inevitable conclusion.
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