Chapter 961: You Didn't Let Me Down (Part 1)

"Gwanpyeong!"

Namgung Myung infused energy into the unconscious patient.

"Just a little... Just a little more! Hang on!"

The condition of the injured was worsening. Their physical injuries were severe, but the most significant problem was their loss of morale.

They had lost their "hope."

"Sogaju will undoubtedly come to their rescue. So, just a little longer! Hold on!"

Namgung Myung spoke as if he were cursing.

He had already exhausted the energy in the patient's body. He sweated profusely, trying to squeeze out every bit of energy. But Gwanpyeong's condition only worsened.

"Aren't you going to hang on? You damn bastard!"

In the end, Namgung Myung's shout, filled with anger, burst out.

He removed his hand from Gwanpyeong's point of resuscitation and grabbed him by the collar.

"Did you not see with your own eyes? How our Gaju left! Why the elders sacrificed their lives!"

"..."

Gwanpyeong's unfocused eyes slowly refocused.

"They sacrificed their lives to save you! So, at the very least, shouldn't you try to endure? You damn bastard!"

Namgung Myung's desperate cries sounded like a plea. The patients who were losing consciousness, and those who were taking care of them, all lowered their heads and held back their tears.

Gwanpyeong's gaze, which had been staring blankly into the distance, struggled to move and finally landed on Namgung Myung.

"Le... Leader..."

His parched lips trembled and opened.

"Ga... Ju... Sogaju..."

"That's right!"

Namgung Myung urgently grasped Gwanpyeong's hand.

"He will definitely come! He will come back with a solution! So hang on a little longer! Bite the pain and hold on!"

There was no significant change.

It was just that his lips, which had been weakly open, were now firmly closed. Their conditions were still far from good, and the situation remained challenging. But for Namgung Myung, this small change was enough.

As long as they didn't lose their will to live.

Namgung Myung clenched his teeth and raised his head.

"… Don't forget why Gaju and the elders sacrificed their lives."

The eyes of everyone in the room became resolute.

"Those who watched their deaths with their own eyes, those who bear the name of Namgung because they were protected by Gaju, should at least not die in shame! So, use any means necessary, cling to your lives relentlessly until Sogaju returns!"

"Yes!"

Namgung Myung looked up at the sky with his lips trembling. He didn't want to meet the eyes of the other disciples, afraid that his tears would flow.

Having lost Gaju and the elders, Namgung had lost his sense of purpose. Namgung Myung alone couldn't lead them. So the only one he could rely on was Namgung Dowi.

"Sogaju..."

He knew it was too much to expect from a young boy. But it was like a destiny for the one who would become Namgung's Gaju.

"Please, as soon as possible..."

Namgung Myeong's gaze turned towards the vast land on the other side of the river, where Namgung Dowi was currently stepping on.

* * *

Paaaaat!

A single beam of light cut through the dense forest.

Soon, dozens of beams of light followed, slashing through the ground.

"Haah!"

Harsh breaths escaped from Jaogae's mouth.

For someone who was an elder of the Beggar's Sect, he was still capable in martial arts, even though he wasn't at the same level as other elders. Yet, right now, he was merely following those who had rushed ahead.

The beggars who had come with him had already fallen behind, far from his sight.

"This… this is..."

Of course, the circumstances needed to be taken into account. Jaogae had already exhausted all his energy by running endlessly to and from the caves with Namgung Dowi.

But still...

'Didn't they go back and forth between Guangdong and Wuhan all today?'

How could they maintain such a speed?

Jaogae's gaze moved ahead to a man carrying Namgung Dowi on his back, Baek Cheon.

Paaaat!

With each step that Baek Cheon took, his feet firmly planted into the ground, propelling them forward. There was not even a slight tremor in his upper body. He was putting in extra effort to minimize the burden on Namgung Dowi, who was seriously injured.

"How is his condition?"

"Not good..."

When Baek Cheon asked softly, examining Namgung Dowi's condition, Tang Soso answered in a low voice.

"He's lost too much blood."

Tang Soso slightly bit her lip.

Namgung Dowi had sustained quite severe injuries at the moment. To take him to the battlefield in this state? From a medical perspective, it was a crazy thing to do.

But...

'I can't do it.'

Tang Soso was a physician, but also a warrior. That's why she could understand Namgung Dowi's point of view. These people, who were like family, were waiting for death under the enemy's blade, so leaving them behind to take a break here?

If they died, they died. There was no way around it.

'But his condition...'

Tang Soso's gaze turned toward Namgung Dowi's face, which lacked any color. His pulse was very faint and irregular. He could stop breathing at any moment.

"Cough!"

At that moment, Namgung Dowi, who was clearly unconscious, coughed up a large amount of blood. Tang Soso grabbed Dang Cheon's shoulder in panic.

"Sasuk! This is too much..."

"Stand aside."

Then, someone abruptly interrupted and approached. Tang So-so turned around to find that Tang Gunak had somehow run up beside them.

She nodded and stepped aside, allowing Tang Gunak to take her place by Namgung Dowi's side.

"Hmm."

Tang Gunak briefly examined Namgung Dowi and his expression stiffened slightly.

"Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

Up ahead, Chung Myung, who had been running with an indifferent expression, turned back briefly.

"His condition is extremely critical. He might die on the way if we continue like this."

"..."

Chung Myung responded as if there was no need to think.

"A warrior on the front line..."

His lips twisted, and his white teeth were revealed.

"If you can die riding on someone else's back, that's a luxury."

It was a horrifyingly cold statement. But Tang Gunak nodded as if he had expected that.

"The medecines of the Tang Family are not suitable for this situation. Did you bring any pills or elixirs with you?"

Chung Myung's head turned toward Hyun Jong. Without hesitation, Hyun Jong immediately responded.

"Hyun Young!"

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

"Bring out the pills."

"Yes."

At present, there were not many Heavenly Spirit pills [I forgot the name lol] left in Mount Hua. Due to the discontinuation of exchanges with Yunnan during the chaos, they couldn't obtain materials. Therefore, these medicinal pills were exceptionally important. No one knew what might happen on the road they were racing on, and even this single medicinal pill could potentially save one more disciple of Mount Hua.

However, both Hyun Jong, who gave the order, and Hyun Young, who received it, did not show any hesitation. Without delay, Hyun Young took out the medicinal pills from his embrace and handed them to Tang Gunak.

"Umm."

Tang Gunak, who had accepted the medicine bottle, immediately opened the lid. A clean scent brushed against his nostrils. Even at a glance, it was evident that this was no ordinary medicinal pill; it was a precious treasure.

Raising Namgung Dowi's chin, Tang Gunak, who was carrying the medicinal pills, inserted them into Namgung Dowi's mouth. After forcibly making him swallow the medicine by squeezing his throat, Tang Gunak placed his hand on Namgung Dowi's back, who was still carried on Baek Cheon's back, and began to transfer his energy.

Using energy while running was by no means an easy task. A small mistake could not only endanger Namgung Dowi but also pose a risk to Tang Gunak himself.

However, Tang Gunak's hands were resolute.

Ooohhh!

As time passed, large beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Those around him watched this sight with seriousness. To use his energy to heal while heading for the battlefield was by no means a decision that could be made lightly, and it consumed one's inner strength rapidly. That's why Tang Gunak, while running, was pouring his heart into Namgung Dowi.

How much farther did they run?

"Hoo..."

Finally, Tang Gunak's breath rushed out of his mouth.

"He's passed the most dangerous part. But... if he pushes himself any further here, the elixir he took may be worthless. Right now, I've only managed to mend a lifeline that was about to snap."

He said to Chung Myung.

Although he said it in a roundabout way, in the end, it meant that they couldn't guarantee his lives if they pushed themselves too hard.

However, Chung Myung didn't bat an eye even when hearing that.

"Still planning to bring him?"

In response to the question, he chuckled.

"What an obvious question."

"...Can't stop you, can I?"

Tang Gunak nodded. However, he, too, had the same thought as Chung Myung. As a member of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, he had temporarily resisted just as a matter of courtesy. But he was also aware that if he were in Namgung Dowi's shoes, he might make the same choice.

'Even if his limbs were cut off, he'd crawl to the Yangtze River.'

For a martial artist, there were times when things were more important than life itself.

Tang Gunak's gaze flicked briefly toward Baek Cheon.

Jung Moon readily handed over the precious elixir to someone who wasn't his disciple. But Baek Cheon, who could lose his breath at any moment, was dragging someone on the brink of death to the Yangtze River.

'The most surprising thing is this.'

Baek Cheon was carrying an unconscious individual due to his injuries. Maintaining this speed while carrying someone was no easy feat, and doing so with such stability that it prompted admiration was even more astonishing. Considering his young age, it was even more surprising. He possessed both exceptional inner strength and delicate energy manipulation. If Baek Cheon hadn't protected Namgung Dowi so carefully, there wouldn't have been a chance for treatment in this situation.

Tang Gunak looked around with fresh eyes.

Fixed on the front, while the disciples of Mount Hua were running with all their strength, he felt the pressure they were under. He had already witnessed Chung Myung's growth with his own eyes, but what he felt from him was the conviction that Chung Myung had not yet revealed everything.

But...

"What I should pay attention to may not be Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, but these people."

The distance between the Mount Hua disciples and the Tang Family was gradually increasing. Even the elite warriors of the Tang Family found it difficult to keep up with them.

Of course, this wasn't a measure of their martial prowess, but it was undoubtedly a significant scene.

While Gunak was contemplating so many things, the disciples of Mount Hua, including the Five Swords, were simply strengthening their determination.

"Faster."

Paahh!

Baek Cheon's foot struck the ground. If they arrived late and Namgung Dowi was killed, everything would be in vain.

'I can't bear to see that happen.'

Now he had no desire to think about strategies, tactics, or the overall situation. What meaning could it possibly have now? Baek Cheon just wanted to protect the earnestness of this man carried on his back.

If Mount Hua were in the same situation, Baek Cheon wouldn't be any different from Namgung Dowi.

'Don't worry. I'll definitely get you to the Yangtze River!'

With a roar, Baek Cheon urged them on.

"Increase your speed! We can't afford to be late!"

"Yes!"

Paahh!

The disciples of Mount Hua, carrying Namgung Dowi, picked up their pace even more.

But... time flowed mercilessly.

Finally, on the fifth day as said by Jang Ilso, the sun rose beyond the Yangtze River.