Chapter 1282: Who Came to Gangnam? (Part 2)

"We've arrived."

"Yes, it's happening soon."

The disciples of the Southern Island Sect crowded on the deck, gazing at the approaching land.

Gangnam.

Their faces tightened more than ever.

Of course, this wasn't their first time setting foot in Gangnam. Before the Gangnam Non-Aggression Treaty came into effect, they often visited the mainland.

Didn't they even pass through Gangnam to reach Mount Song during the Great Martial Arts Competition?

But the Gangnam of that time and the Gangnam now were completely different places, to say the least.

'In the end...'

Guo Hansuo bit his lips tightly.

Starting now, they would have to traverse the vast distance from here to the Yangtze River, covering a distance of two and a half thousand li. They had to break through the Evil Sect forces who were gnashing their teeth to capture and kill them.

'Can it really be done?'

Cold sweat covered his back. Thinking with the mind and executing with the body were different things. Even though he thought he was well-prepared, seeing Gangnam made his whole body stiffen with tension.

Guo Hansuo looked back. Not surprisingly, the other Southern Island Sect disciples were also stiffening their faces with tension. The situation of disciples on other ships was probably no different.

'Don't try to relax.'

Guo Hansuo consciously clenched and loosened his fist several times. If he didn't move even a little, it felt like he would suffocate in the tense atmosphere.

'It's natural to be tense. Trying not to be tense is more strange.'

Just as Guo Hansuo was about to exhale a long breath...

"It seems like everyone is here."

Im Sobyeong, who had walked leisurely towards the deck, unfolded a fan and gently waved it over his face. Namgung Dowi asked casually.

"Did we arrive at the expected time?"

"Mmm."

Im Sobyeong sighed lightly and folded the fan. A long sigh escaped him.

"It's a bit later than I thought."

"Is that so?"

Im Sobyeong nodded weakly.

"According to the plan, we should have arrived before three o'clock at the latest... That way, we could have moved as expected."

"..."

"Why was there such a headwind, ugh... I'm going crazy. A twist of fate, I suppose. Even though I'm a skilled strategist, even I couldn't have predicted the headwind."

"They say Zhuge Gongming [probably some famous strategist] could control the wind..."

At Namgung Dowi's casually thrown words, Im Sobyeong's cheeks twitched involuntarily.

"If I was Zhuge Gongming, would I be here talking like this?"

"No, no. It's not about lacking ability. Just..."

"Then what about Namgung Sogaju? If instead of Namgung Sogaju, the former lord of Namgung Family had come, all the Myriad Man Manor bastards would have been sliced and exploded on the coast!"

"Oh..."

"What?"

"I didn't know that Nokrim King held my late father in such high regard. I am deeply grateful."

"...This bastard?"

"Yes?"

"Ahem!"

Im Sobyeong turned his head with an disapproving fake cough. Somehow, this guy was becoming less manageable as time went on.

His gaze returned to the land of Gangnam. His face stiffened subtly.

Though it looked like a vast land, in reality, it was a stretch of terrain that protruded toward the sea in a straight line. When considering a landing, it was undoubtedly the type of terrain to avoid the most.

Firstly, the landing point was very clearly exposed, and to head deep inland, they would need to break through a straight distance of three hundred li. With no detours available.

To a strategist, it was a terrain that would only appear in their nightmares. [not sure]

"Are we really landing there?"

In response to the faint voice, Im Sobyeong answered brusquely.

"Why? Is there a problem? Didn't we swim from there back then?"

"I may not know much, but the situation is different now, isn't it? At that time, they didn't know about our presence, and... the direction of the forces' march..."

"Oh?"

Im Sobyeong looked at Namgung Dowi with an exaggeratedly surprised expression.

"Ah, so you know war strategies?"  [...what a bitch...hahaha]

"..."

"Hey, impressive. You also know the art of war. Oh, now that I think about it, I've heard of it. It's said that the royal studies one must learn to become Namgung Family's head includes war tactics. In addition to that, you need to learn literary skills like poetry, calligraphy, and painting, right?"

"It's not that impressive; it's just a bit of practical knowledge..."

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Im Sobyeong's fanning became violent.

"This is why! This is why poorly learned things are more of a problem!"

"..."

"If you didn't know anything, you would be like those gentlemen behind us, keeping your mouth shut and thinking, 'Oh, looks like we're getting off there.' Instead, you're meddling here, thinking that you've learned what watermelon tastes like just by licking the surface of the watermelon!"

"Uh, no, it's not like that..."

"That's why these so-called rulers ruin the country! Even though I learned so much! The military tactics I learned are different!" [?]

"I just gave my opinion..."

"Oh? Absurd! If you think you know the art of war just because you learned that, why did your predecessor rush to the Yangtze River? Did that gentleman forget to learn the art of war?"

"Pl-please don't touch my late father! It was an act not of the head but of the heart! With the heart!"

"Heart? What nonsense!"

"Don't insult my father!"

Guo Hansuo's eyes hazed over as he watched.

'Even in this situation, he's like that.'

He thought that anyone with hair would have naturally been tense in such a situation. But now it seemed not necessarily the case. Either that or those guys weren't people with hair. [idk lol]

"Tsk."

Im Sobyeong clicked his tongue and hurriedly waved his fan.

"Well, roughly speaking, it's not entirely wrong."

"That's right. So, when you think about it..."

"When you think about it roughly, that's right! When you think about it roughly!"

"..."

"Why shouldn't you land at a point the enemy can anticipate? Because the enemy can prepare, dig traps, or build defensive lines, right?"

Namgung Dowi agreed and vigorously nodded his head. Im Sobyeong shouted.

"There are no forces building that defense line there now! Those so-called forces are all rolling around in Southern Island right now!"

"Ah..."

"In such a situation, if you hesitate to land and delay time, a nonexistent defense line will be created. The most important thing in military tactics is not the essence but the timing, timing! In war strategy what now is right could later be wrong. Do you understand?"

Namgung Dowi nodded, seeming to understand now. However, there was still one unanswered question in his heart.

"...Then why did you say you were going crazy earlier?"

"Because it's regrettable, it's regrettable!"

"What?"

Im Sobyeong grimaced nervously, directing his gaze towards the land of Gangnam.

"If we had arrived just three hours earlier, we could have somehow rushed to Guangdong and burned down the main base of the Myriad Man Manor."

"..."

"If that had happened, Jang Ilso's face would have been quite a sight! Oh, even the heavens are indifferent. What can we do about this headwind at a time like this..."

"...Are you actually considering doing that?"

"Why not? Aren't we human too? That Jang Ilso deliberately set up defenses and military fronts with Nokrim, and every time he casually brushed us off, my stomach twisted even more! Half of my health deterioration is because of that bastard!"

"And the other half?"

"Because of Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, right?"

...It sounded like nonsense, but there was something oddly convincing about it...

"Ugh, too bad."

Im Sobyeong sighed deeply with regret and complained.

In truth, he didn't consider burning down the main base just as a means to vent his frustrations. Regardless of ethics and principles, destroying the main base of any faction holds significant meaning.

Just looking at Mount Hua made it evident. Despite losing all its upper-level members on the summit of Ten Thousand Mountain, there was no talk of Mount Hua's downfall. The official confirmation of Mount Hua's decline came only after remnants of the Demonic Sect invaded and set fire to Mount Hua's temples.

Buildings shouldn't be treated as simple structures. The main halls of a sect carried symbolic significance. If he could have burned down the main base of the Myriad Man Manor while he was here, it could have undoubtedly dealt a significant blow to Jang Ilso's firm control...

"Tch. There's nothing we can do now."

There was no way. Going there recklessly to burn down the main base might result in all of them being roasted. Unfortunately, even if it was regrettable, there was no choice but to give up cleanly.

"Listen well!"

Im Sobyeong raised his voice, and all eyes turned to him.

Guo Hansuo swallowed dry saliva. To be honest, he didn't trust Im Sobyeong, a member of the Evil Sect. He had never felt the utility of a plan Im Sobyeong presented.

However, the reason Guo Hansuo paid attention was simple. All the prominent figures of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, including Chung Myung, Baek Cheon, and Namgung Dowi, were all attentively listening to Im Sobyeong's words.

That they were paying attention to his words alone was enough validation for Im Sobyeong.

'He must have come up with something incredible.'

Even though he was a member of the Evil Sect, since the leaders of several righteous sects listened to his words, that surely indicated an extraordinary...

"Once we land, there won't be any military tactics or strategies."

"Uh..."

No, there must be...

"Don't twist your head too much, just run until sweat pours from your feet. We have to move forward as much as possible before those damn Evil Sect bastards build a proper net of defenses!"

In an instant, the alarmed Guo Hansuo shouted.

"Wait a moment! If we do that, won't they find our whereabouts?"

"That doesn't matter."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter if they find out. They'll find out anyway. If that's the case, it's better to go faster even by a step!"

Guo Hansuo's mouth hung open.

'Is he crazy?' 

No matter how you think about it, it wasn't a reasonable thing to say. However, as he turned his head to seek agreement, deep despair engulfed Guo Hansuo.

"He's making some sensible remarks for a change."

Chung Myung, the world-famous Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, grinned

"It's nice to hear something simple."

Baek Cheon, Mount Hua's Deputy Sect Leader, nodded in agreement.

"For once, it's reasonable."

Even Namgung Dowi, who was his last hope, expressed his agreement as if there were no other options.

Watching this process, Guo Hansuo felt his own mind becoming strange.

'Are we really going to do this?'

This insane plan?

"Wait a moment!"

"Oh, what is it now?"

Guo Hansuo desperately squeezed out some words. He had to say something sensible.

"If, if we go deep into enemy territory and end up surrounded, what will we do? We won't beable to turn back, right?"

"What are you saying?"

The answer came not from Im Sobyeong but from Chung Myung.

"Do you think the Evil Tyrant Alliance are pushovers? So if you hide your ass behind a rock, you won't be surrounded?"

"That's... "

"If you're planning on breaking into someone else's house and causing trouble, you have to be prepared to be surrounded."

"No, it's not that. Even if you're prepared, what will you do if you do get surrounded?"

"What should I do? What should I do?"

Chung Myung confidently stuck his stomach.

"I'll think about it then!"

Guo Hansuo's face sank into despair. But the others seemed to have different thoughts again.

"It's definitely reasonable."

"Good plan."

"There's no room for disagreement."

The demons nodded vigorously. Despair filled Guo Hansuo's eyes. It would be better to turn back now...

"Then, first, the landing?"

"Of course. However..."

Im Sobyeong chuckled as he looked at the coast.

"Even if they don't have troops, they still have eyes. We should give them a little gift, no?"

"Huh? A gift?"

Im Sobyeong's face was instantly dyed with a sinister light.