Chapter 1026: Just Understand (Part 1)

Baek Cheon bit his lips.

'What should I do?'

Everyone had their own sore spots, areas that should never be touched. The parts that, when provoked, revealed an uncontrollable rage.

For Chung Myung, that sore spot was clearly Magyo.

The problem was that Chung Myung's reaction when provoked was far more intense than others. Just hearing the word Magyo would turn Chung Myung into a different person, unlike his usual self.

Baek Cheon didn't understand why Chung Myung reacted so intensely to the mere mention of Magyo. But what mattered to him right then was not understanding but how to handle the situation.

"Chung Myung... This is..."

Baek Cheon tried to initiate a conversation in any way, but Chung Myung's cold voice immediately cut him off.

"Answer me, Sasuk."

Chung Myung's gaze was sharp.

"What has appeared?"

The aura emanating from him was icy. Even Baek Cheon, who knew it wasn't directed at him, couldn't help but shudder.

"Chung Myung... First, calm down."

"Answer me first."

"Chung Myung."

Chung Myung's face twisted with anger for a moment, almost as if he were about to explode.

Then someone gently tugged on his arm.

Chung Myung turned his gaze to the person who had touched him. Yu Iseol was staring at him with her usual expressionless face.

"Calm down."

"...."

"Calm down."

With her calm and unwavering voice, even Chung Myung couldn't help but exhale a long breath. Some color returned to his lips, which had been tightly pressed.

"Okay. I'm calm now. Tell me."

"...."

"Sasuk."

Baek Cheon let out a heavy sigh.

Continuing to hide it wasn't a solution. Ultimately, Chung Myung would find out.

Baek Cheon turned to Jo Gol as if asking him to explain. Jo Gol looked back and forth between Baek Cheon and Chung Myung, then scratched the back of his head and spoke.

"Uhm... That's... I still don't have the exact details of the situation, but... it seems like a messenger came from the Evil Tyrant Alliance."

"The Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

"That's what I heard."

Chung Myung's gaze calmed down a bit more.

"Go on."

"...That messenger said he wanted to meet the Sect Leader and that he had come to tell him that the Demonic Cult had appeared in Gangnam."

Jo Gol observed Chung Myung's reaction while speaking. However, it was not easy to read emotions from his expressionless face.

"And?"

Jo Gol shook his head.

"That's all I heard. Un Am sasuk took him to see Sect Leader. It seems that the Tang Family Lord also came, so they might be together now."

Once again, Jo Gol scrutinized Chung Myung's expression and continued with an unsure voice.

"So, I thought if there's something we need to know, they'd probably tell us."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Chung Myung turned and began to walk away. Baek Cheon called out to him urgently.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Chung Myung didn't even turn his head and replied.

"I need to verify it."

Fortunately or unfortunately, the words to rush to Gangnam didn't come out right away. But his subsequent words made Baek Cheon hurriedly run after Chung Myung.

"With those Evil Tyrant Alliance bastards."

"Hey, you crazy bastard!"

Baek Cheon sprinted and grabbed Chung Myung's arm.

"Why are you confirming it with the Evil Tyrant Alliance, you idiot!"

"..."

"At least calm down! It's not something that can be rushed into, is it?"

"Rushed?"

Chung Myung stopped, his back still turned to Baek Cheon.

Chung Myung looked at Baek Cheon. When their eyes met, Baek Cheon almost released his grip on Chung Myung's arm. Chung Myung's eyes felt strangely unfamiliar for a moment, though they were undoubtedly his. Something about his gaze was different from what Baek Cheon was accustomed to.

"Sasuk."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what Magyo is?"

Baek Cheon remained silent. Of course, he knew. He had experienced Magyo before. But he couldn't answer that question. He knew that understanding the essence of Magyo, which set it apart from what others knew, was not something he could explain.

"Let go."

"...No."

Baek Cheon bit his lip and shook his head.

"It's not right. You've lost your reason."

"Fine, I get it, let go."

"Dammit! Why can't you...!"

Baek Cheon grabbed Chung Myung's collar. It was at that moment that a loud voice cut through.

"What are you doing?"

A thunderous sound pierced their ears. Startled, Baek Cheon released his grip on Chung Myung's collar and turned to see Hyun Young, who was looking at them with an angry expression.

"What a great show you're putting on."

"...Sasuk-nim, this is..."

Baek Cheon had no words, and his sentence trailed off. Hyun Jong, who had been glaring at both of them without concealing his anger, spoke coldly.

"Follow me."

When the two of them didn't move immediately, Hyun Young clicked his tongue.

"Sect Leader is calling."

Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung. When Chung Myung started to walk towards Hyun Young, Baek Cheon heaved a relieved sigh and followed behind them.

The tense Five Swords also exhaled the breath they had been holding.

Jo Gol, who had been wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, couldn't hide his unease and turned to Yoon Jong.

"What happens now, Sahyung?"

"...I'm not sure."

Yoon Jong's face, which was focused on Chung Myung's back, seemed stiffer than usual.

"First, we should meet Sect Leader. We need to confirm how things are unfolding."

"Yes, Sahyung."

Jo Gol replied, his voice sounding somewhat uncomfortable.

Yoon Jong exhaled a short sigh as he heard Jo Gol's response. The room was filled with a heavy silence. Unlike usual, Tang Gunak sat next to the somber-faced Hyun Jong. To his left and right, members of the Mount Hua Sect and the Tang Family's elite gathered.

The somber atmosphere in the room wasn't caused by Hyun Jong or Dang Gunak. It was Chung Myung, who sat across from them, his face hardened in silence, preventing anyone from speaking.

The scene vividly demonstrated the extent of Chung Myung's influence within the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

"Sect Leader."

"Yes."

Sensing that the silence had gone on for too long, Tang Gunak cleared his throat slightly. Then, in a heavy tone, Hyun Jong spoke, breaking the silence.

"The Evil Tyrant Alliance...."

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes tightly. The words continued after everyone had sighed a couple of times.

"The Evil Tyrant Alliance reported the situation. It appears that those suspected of being associated with Magyo have appeared in Hangzhou."

"....Magyo."

Someone whispered, almost like a sob. Whether in silence or as a helpless sigh, everyone's sentiments were likely not much different. The weight conveyed by the two letters, "Magyo," was heavy for anyone, especially...

"Magyo...."

The reaction from the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect was so intense that it couldn't be compared to that of the Tang Family. Understandably so. Mount Hua's emotions regarding Magyo were truly complex and dark.

"Was there no other information?"

Hyun Sang's question received a nod from Hyun Jong.

"They said this is all they know for now. And additional information will be provided separately."

Hyun Sang nodded with a thoughtful expression. This time, Hyun Young spoke up.

"If this message from the Evil Sect is relayed, it's likely an order from Jang Ilso. Can we trust his words? It might be one of Jang Ilso's schemes."

But Dang Gunak nodded his head.

"The probability of that happening is not high, Elder."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because the location known to have been attacked is Hangzhou."

Dang Gunak spoke, forcing his lips that refused to part.

"Mount Hua Sect members, in particular, should be well aware. Magyo doesn't discriminate between aristocrats and commoners. So, haven't they become common targets?"

Hyun Young silently nodded in agreement. However, to be honest, he didn't know this fact very well. The downfall of Mount Hua had not only erased their history but also left them with limited information about Magyo.

"Hangzhou, it's where many people reside. Especially, Hangzhou is a place where people gather from all over the world. If what the Evil Sect says is true, it won't take long for that fact to spread to everyone."

"Well... indeed..."

"Jang Ilso won't deliberately perform such an obvious scheme."

Hyun Young's words made sense, and Hyun Young nodded in agreement. Moreover, according to Hyun Jong, the Evil Tyrant Alliance didn't seem to make any specific demands. They just relayed the situation. Even though they were anxious about Jang Ilso's schemes, it was premature to suspect him already.

"Then..."

At that moment, Tang Gunak spoke with a troubled expression.

"Doesn't it mean that there's a high probability that the information they conveyed is true?"

No one responded to his words.

"Ahem."

Hyun Jong cleared his throat loudly, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Anyway, the situation we've received is like this. Therefore... first, I plan to inquire with the Beggar's Union to find out what's happening in Gangnam, and then decide our direction."

Everyone nodded. In this situation, that was undoubtedly the right course of action. However, Hyun Jong, who said this, still had a concerned expression. His gaze was fixed on someone on the other side.

"Chung Myung."

In response to the voice that had just called, Chung Myung opened his eyes and stared at Hyun Jong. His gaze was as sharp as it could be, filled with intensity.

Hyun Jong, with a calm tone, asked.

"Do you have something else to say?"

Chung Myung remained silent for a moment, holding his tongue in silence.

"Chung Myung?"

"Even if I speak, I don't know how it will change anything."

Called once more, he finally spoke. His voice was unusually sharp.

"If you understand the significance of the appearance of the Demonic Sect, you surely didn't say that we would leisurely wait for information here."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Heavenly Demon doesn't discriminate between aristocrats and commoners. You clearly said that."

This time, Chung Myung's gaze shifted towards Tang Gunak. It was clear that he was referencing Tang Gunak's words. Tang Gunak nodded slowly.

"You're right."

"What do you mean by that?"

Just as Tang Gunak was about to ask further, Chung Myung continued.

"Today was Hangzhou."

"..."

"Tomorrow will be Suzhou."

Tang Gunak couldn't find the words to reply.

"After that, it'll be Wenzhou, and then Fuzhou."

His voice, unlike any warmth, was cutting, but the message was colder than that.

"Villages will disappear."

Someone audibly swallowed dry saliva.

"Cities will disappear."

"..."

"Everything that's alive will disappear."

Hyun Jong's fingertips trembled involuntarily.

"Let's wait for a day as Sect Leader suggested."

Chung Myung's eyes bore into Hyun Jong, piercing through him.

"Thousands of lives will vanish, not just hundreds."

"..."

"And so!"

Chung Myung's voice raised for the first time.

"…There were people who risked their lives to fight, even though they knew that there were people behind their backs who were looking for their own interests."

Tak.

The sound of teeth grinding echoed in the silent room.

"Chung Myung...."

"It's not about blame. Just understand, Sect Leader."

"..."

"It's about the price we pay for waiting for a day."

Hyun Jong closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a sense of unease.