Chapter 1159: The Sect Abandoned by All (Part 4)

"Huh?"

"You?"

As bewildered glances were cast, Chung Myung distorted his face.

"Why? Can't I object?"

"Actually, that's not strange."

"No, if you think about it, it'd be even stranger if he obediently listened to what others said."

Everyone nodded in agreement to Baek Cheon's words, an authority on Chung Myung studies.

"I see?"

"That's correct."

"As expected of Sasuk."

"These bastards?"

However, when Chung Myung's eyes flashed, everyone quickly averted their gazes. Tang Gunak, who had lowered his eyes without realizing it, immediately flinched and quickly turned his head back to its original position.

"Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"Yes."

"What are your thoughts on this?"

Chung Myung raised his head slightly and looked at the map.

"Hey, listen carefully."

"Yes, Hyung-nim!"

Beomchung quickly spread the map and held it up. Although he looked much more dignified than when Nokrim King ordered him, no one found this fact peculiar. When it came to Chung Myung, people tended to accept the unusual.

Chung Myung picked his ears and stated.

"Well. It's not that I wouldn't like it if that great bald head became so angry that he turned into a ripe octopus head."

"He probably wants it more than anyone else."

"I think that bastard would ascend."

"Do you think heaven would accept him?"

"Ah... I didn't think about that."

On the day when Chung Myung ascends, a countermeasure meeting should be held in heaven. If they accepted someone like that, who knows what might happen.

"Of course, that's how it should be. Moreover, this is not just about emotions with Shaolin, right?"

Tang Gunak said in a solemn tone.

"Fucking Shaolin... Hehehehem! No, releasing emotions with Shaolin is nothing more than a side issue. The important matter at hand is to strengthen the power of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and show to the world that the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is now on equal footing with the Ten Great Sects."

"Hmm."

"As you know, people don't accept new things easily. To have greater influence than the Ten Great Sects through conventional means, we'll need at least a hundred years."

Even Hyun Jong nodded in agreement with this statement.

When Mount Hua was on the verge of destruction, Hyun Jong's dream was to enter the Ten Great Sects again someday. Even though he knew it was impossible, he still thought about it.

Even Hyun Jong, who had experienced the sorrow of being expelled from the Ten Great Sects, couldn't help but feel that way. What about others?

"But if a sect belonging to the Ten Great Sects chooses Heavenly Comrade Alliance instead of the Ten Great Sects, we can achieve that task that would take a hundred years in one go. Isn't that right?"

"Well, that's how it would be."

However, Chung Myung's reaction was oddly subdued.

"But why are you opposing it? Isn't it what you've always argued, to make the Heavenly Comrade Alliance stronger to resist the Evil Tyrant Alliance and the Demonic Sect?"

"Ah, fine, fine. Of course, it's a good thing if it works out."

"Huh?"

Chung Myung grinned.

"Okay, then let's see what happens. The Gangnam area swarming with those Evil Tyrant Alliance bastards. The crazy Jang Ilso opens his eyes wide, saying, 'Ohoho-hok! You've crawled in well!' and rushes at full speed to break through the welcoming land of Gangnam like lightning."

As soon as Chung Myung snapped his fingers, Hyun Young spoke as if he had been waiting.

"By the way, if you take Gugang as a reference, you have to travel three thousand li just to get to Damgang (湛江), which is next to the Southern Sea."

[3000 li = 932 miles]

"Hiyeeek!"

"Th-three thousand li?"

"In a straight line, to be precise."

Yoon Jong, who opened his eyes wide, looked at Tang Soso.

"So, Soso, when we went to the North Sea, how far was it?"

"At that time... Well, at that time, it was probably about five thousand li. We set off from Shaanxi, so..."

"F-five thousand li to the North Sea?"

Jo Gol's voice came out with a soulless tone.

"Even then, we almost died."

"...Right. I really thought I was going to die."

"There weren't even enemies there. But now, do we have to tear 3000 li through Gangnam, where there's nothing but enemies?"

Everyone looked at the map with bewildered faces. They had momentarily lost their sense of reality as they looked at the map that included the entire Central Plains. It wasn't until they heard the words 'three thousand li' that they finally felt it.

"Th-then, how long would that take?"

"If we take general upbound traffic as the standard... Let's see... If we assume that we can somehow manage to go up to seventy or eighty li a day..."

"F-forty days?"

"If you're lucky, maybe a month. Even then, when only traveling on well-maintained roads."

"Ha... Haha...."

Baek Cheon burst into laughter.

'This won't work.'

Honestly, anyone who could survive in Gangnam dominated by the Evil Tyrant Alliance for a month was someone who didn't need to go to Southern Sea in the first place.

If that person was a Martial God, why bother going to strengthen the forces? At any time, you could just sweep away the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

"No, well. Let's say we go. Let's say we go all the way to the Southern Sea."

Chung Myung said, picking his ears with a sullen expression.

"What are we going to do when we get there?"

"What do you mean by that? Ah! I understand what you mean. Well, considering the situation isn't favorable, wouldn't it be helpful if the Southern Island Sect cooperates?"

"No, what will cooperating accomplish?"

"…What?"

Chung Myung twisted his face.

"Let's say those guys have lost their minds and say, 'Ah! We were pissed by that big bald guy anyway! So now, let's join the Heavenly Comrade Alliance!'

"Huh."

"Then they say, 'Oh, I see! Now we'll leave it to you!' and we just come back? How does that change anything?"

"…The affiliation of the Southern Island Sect would change."

"Ah, yes. That's a very gooood thing. Now, when the Evil Tyrant Alliance bastards start beating up the Southern Island Sect, we'll probably hear that we were watching from afar. That big bald guy will probably say with his tongue in his cheek, 'If it were the Ten Great Sects, we would have helped. Damn it! Ta-bul!' or something."

Just listening to it made you feel twisted inside.

"…Then help… no, no."

Even Jo Gol stopped the words he was saying. It was that absurd. Sending reinforcements so far away, what would that do?

If you could send your main force to the southernmost part of Gangnam, you didn't need to help. Because by the time you got there, you would've wiped out the Evil Tyrant Alliance. 

"Ugh. That's thinking too one-sidedly."

"Huh?"

At that moment, Jo Gol hehehe-ed and said.

"I've learned something from you during this time. At times like this, just think the opposite! If the Evil Tyrant Alliance attacks the Southern Island Sect, we'll attack the Yangtze River! Then their front will be separated into two!"

"Oh, really? Then while the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and the Evil Tyrant Alliance have a full-scale battle, the big bald guy will probably be clapping from the side! Well done! Well done! Both of you fight, and both of you fall!"

Jo Gol's cheek twitched slightly. Chung Myung smirked.

"Hey, you crazy guy! Do you think that if we eat one more Southern Island Sect, we'll gain the strength to catch the Evil Tyrant Alliance? Do you know what's it called when the weaker side does a pincer movement?"

"Uh, well?"

"Annihilation! It's called annihilation!"

When Chung Myung, furious, was about to run towards Jo Gol, Hyun Jong quickly grabbed the back of his neck.

"Chung Myung."

"No, that guy makes people explode…!"

"Yeah, yeah. But since we're in a meeting, let's hit him later."

"Mmm."

When Chung Myung groaned, Jo Gol lowered his head.

"Umm. But Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. I think Jo Gol Dojang has a point. A pincer movement isn't necessarily a strategy that only the side with a lot of troops can use. If we can somehow find a way to move the Ten Great Sects…"

"Then attack Jang Ilso."

"…Yeah?"

"That guy shouldn't be thought of as an ordinary person. That bastard is the one who came all the way here and said he would even kneel down to beat down the Demonic cultists that appeared on his land."

"…."

"Attack Jang Ilso in that situation?"

Chung Myung snorted.

"I guarantee that the moment we push through the Yangtze River, they'll casually withdraw their forces without a care."

"…So, they'd abandon the Yangtze River?"

"Tsk tsk. This is why those above… No, those higher-ups."

Chung Myung shook his head slightly.

"They're trapped in the prejudice that people can't easily give up the land they've taken once. That's why they think Jang Ilso will resist. Jang Ilso is not someone who defends. He's an attacking man. If we attack, Jang Ilso will nonchalantly withdraw his troops. Then what should we do?"

"Well…."

Tang Gunak sighed.

"We have to keep attacking. Otherwise, it's meaningless."

"Yes. We have to keep attacking until we reach the Southern Sea. How many li?"

"…Three thousand li."

"Yes, yes. If we face those guys and drag time against them, it will take about a month. With that time, Jang Ilso will steam the Southern Island Sect, build a Southern Sea villa, write a poem or two, and come back to play."

"…."

"What if Jang Ilso comes back like that?"

Chung Myung stared at the map with cold eyes.

"What we feared during the Demonic Sect incident in Gangnam might actually happen. We'll be eatun up in the middle of nowhere in Gangnam, right?"

"…Just thinking about it is terrible."

Distance was the problem, the distance. So, realistically, when the Southern Island Sect is attacked, there would be no way for them to help.

At that moment, Baek Cheon tilted his head as if he couldn't understand.

"No, so… I don't know why the conversation has come this far. What we initially discussed wasn't about leaving the Southern Island Sect there. That Southern Island Sect..."

"Dong Ryong."

"Yeah?"

Chung Myung looked at Baekcheon as if he were the most pitiful person in the world. Baekcheon flinched and glanced around as if checking the atmosphere.

"Oh, right. Once we bring the Southen Island Sect kids here, it's over, right?"

"Well, yeah. The problem is the ship, but somehow, we'll plan that out."

"Oh. Yeah. They arrive on land by boat. So, what do we do now?"

"What do we do? Well…."

"Yeah. There are probably over five hundred Southern Island Sect kids, so we have to take them and break through Gangnam."

"…."

"Meanwhile, it's meaningless if they lose power, so we have to keep them intact."

"Wow… What an achievement?"

"What, you bastard?"

"Ah, I told you to speak! In words! In words!" [lmao def nokrim king]

When Hyun Jong pulled Chung Myung back this time, even Chung Myung couldn't calm down easily.

"If that were the case, would I be here worrying? Just go down to Gangnam, beat up Jang Ilso, and come back with his head! Hey, you crazy people! We're strengthening our forces to defeat the Evil Tyrant Alliance, but you're bringing up an idea that can only be done by beating up the Evil Tyrant Alliance? And everyone's saying 'Wow' at that? Hey, you people! Because of you, I feel like my stomach is rotting inside, it's rotting!"

Everyone coughed awkwardly, avoiding Chung Myung's gaze. After fussing for a while, he finally seemed to calm down and took a deep breath.

"The saying 'blessing is a calamity in disguise' is used in times like this. It's good if you get something. But to get it, you have to lose more than what you gain."

"...."

"The bald King bastard isn't leaving this place alone because he's thoughtless. There's no clear answer. If you mess with this, it's a place where you'll end up getting hurt for no good reason."

"Well, indeed...."

"We thought too much."

"It's a shame. It was a good idea."

The gathered people nodded in understanding of the practical difficulties. The plan wasn't bad, but it wasn't something easily executed. It seemed more beneficial to just watch.

Everyone accepted that fact. However, only one person, Yoo Iseol, continued to gaze at Chung Myung with a silent, penetrating look.

Chung Myung, aware of the piercing gaze, narrowed his eyes.

"Why, got a problem?"

"Then, what about Southern Island?"

"Huh?"

"...What about the people of the Southern Island Sect?"

"..."

"...Are they just going to be abandoned like this?"

Chung Myung suddenly fell silent. His eyes darkened.