Chapter 1415: If You Really Want It, You Should Take It. (4)

“…No.”

For a moment, a voice escaped as if in pain.

Everyone’s faces were pale, and Tang Gunak was hardened like iron armor.

Jang Ilso is heading to the Sichuan Tang Family. Is there anyone here who wouldn’t understand what that means?

Something terrible would surely happen.

“W-what should we do?”

A bewildered voice escaped from Jo Gul’s mouth. But there was no one to answer that question.

“No! This isn’t the time for that…!”

“Gul, calm down for now.”

“Calm down? Is this a time for calming down? Don’t you know what it means that Jang Ilso is going to the Tang Family?”

Bloodshot veins stood out in Jo Gul’s eyes.

Even if he had heard that Jang Ilso was heading to Mount Hua, Jo Gul would not have been this distraught. It would have felt like his guts were being cut out, but he could endure that.

The halls left on Mount Hua contained ancestral history, and seeing those halls burn would be horrific… but halls are just halls.

But the Tang Family is different.

The Tang Family is a settlement where those of one bloodline live together. Beyond those here, hundreds of dependents remain there intact. Haven’t they already seen how those people live?

Those who make poisons, those who create anesthetics, and those who will one day become proud warriors of the Tang Family to fight alongside them. All of them remain exactly at the ground Jang Ilso is heading to—the Sichuan Tang Family.

They’re in a situation where all of them might lose their lives at once.

“Let’s go!”

Jo Gul shouted as if clawing at the air.

“What are you all doing? We have to go at once! Let’s go to Sichuan. If we hurry, we might be able to stop it!”

“Gul, I said calm down first!”

“Damn it! This is not the time to be talking about calming down, sahyung!”

Uncharacteristically, Jo Gul glared at Yoon Jong. He even roughly shook off Yoon Jong’s hand that lay on his shoulder.

Instead of getting angry, Yoon Jong let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s already too late. We…”

“What kind of weak talk is that! So because we’re late, should we just watch?”

As Jo Gul glared fiercely, Yoon Jong clamped his mouth shut.

In truth, what Jo Gul was insisting on was nothing more than a desperate outcry. But Yoon Jong couldn’t blame him. How could he not understand that feeling?

“That’s also Tang Soso’s home!”

At those words, everyone’s gaze turned to Tang Soso.

Tang Soso bit her lip and fell silent; her face was pale.

Her usually bright face was now so pitiful that it was painful to look at.

Jo Gul clenched his fist tightly and shouted.

“If no one goes, I’ll go alone!”

“Hey, you bastard! Right now…!”

“I’ll go too.”

At that moment, someone added weight to Jo Gul’s words.

“We can go.”

“Taoist Baek Cheon.”

Namgung Do-Wei looked at Baek Cheon, who spoke with a hoarse voice. Even looking half-dead, Baek Cheon spoke decisively.

“It might not be too late. We must go right now.”

“…That’s absurd. Do you know how far it is from here to Sichuan? And if we try to cross the river hastily now, we’ll be annihilated. The pirate fleet hasn’t fully withdrawn yet.”

Im So-Byeong murmured weakly in opposition. But Baek Cheon’s gaze did not change at all.

“If we can’t cross the river, then we simply won’t cross it.”

“…What?”

Baek Cheon’s gaze turned toward the retreating forces of the Four Sects Alliance.

“Then we’ll break through them, won’t we?”

“…”

“If our goal is to reach Sichuan anyway, there’s no need to cross the river. If we follow the riverbank upstream, we can reach Sichuan.”

“Bae-Baek Cheon.”

In the end, even Hyun Jong’s voice came out, sounding as if trying to dissuade them.

Even now, they want to fight? Even after seeing that tremendous army with their own eyes?

“We must go.”

“First, calm down and…”

“Do I look excited right now, former Sect Leader?”

At that, Hyun Jong fell silent.

Baek Cheon’s words were not wrong. There was no sign of excitement in him at all.

“Those in Sichuan are also our friends. I do not abandon friends just because the situation is difficult.”

At that, everyone fell silent and stared at Baek Cheon.

No matter how many times you think about it, it’s impossible. Even if they left at once and went all out, by the time they reached Sichuan, the Tang Family would be reduced to not even a cornerstone.

And even if they had time, trying to break through the Four Sects Alliance forces to get to Sichuan would incur enormous losses.

Baek Cheon could not be unaware of that. Yet he was shouting that they would do it.

What could anyone say to that?

Even someone as battered as that was still willing to fight.

“…There is no time for discussion. I will break the path for now, so Alliance Lord, please gather the collective will and support our rear.”

“Bae-Baek Cheon, you damn!”

Baek Cheon gripped his sword as if he had nothing more to say.

“Calm down, Acting Sect Leader.”

A voice seized the back of Baek Cheon’s neck. Even Baek Cheon could not ignore those words.

Because the owner of that voice was Tang Gunak.

“Calm your ardor. If you cannot see reality clearly, you will commit an irreparable mistake.”

It was indeed a cold statement, but how could one blame someone for speaking like that about the disaster facing them?

“If the opponent is the Hegemony Lord, then even if we run now, it is already too late.”

Tang Gunak’s face was utterly calm. Baek Cheon cried out urgently.

“But… but shouldn’t we at least try something?!”

“What if that’s what the Hegemony Lord wants?”

For a moment Baek Cheon’s hand trembled slightly. Tang Gunak reproached him in a calm voice.

“Even if your rage is exactly what the Hegemony Lord intends, can you still speak like this now?”

“That is…”

Baek Cheon couldn’t finish his sentence and bit his lip hard.

It’s absurd. How could anyone manipulate even a person’s emotions according to their intent?

But the problem was that the opponent was Jang Ilso. It was ridiculous, but with him, it seemed he could even hold people’s emotions in his hand.

Tang Gunak glanced calmly to the rear and spoke.

“Ho Ga-Myung isn’t coming.”

“…”

“Alliance Leader. First we must join with Shaolin, then cross the river. We don’t know what might happen here.”

“Family Lord…”

A fleeting look of pity passed over Hyun Jong’s face.

“Alliance leader.”

But Tang Gunak didn’t even blink. He spoke as if he could guess what Hyun Jong wanted to say.

“Do not underestimate the Tang Family.”

“…”

“Even if they are not a sect devoted to martial arts, the Tang Family is the Tang Family. The Tang Family is not fearsome because it is strong, but strong because fearsome people gather there.”

Those who heard that shivered slightly.

“Even if they are not warriors, they bear the Tang surname. They will know how to extract themselves; you needn’t worry about that.”

A variety of emotions passed over Hyun Jong’s face.

He understood what Tang Gunak was saying. He also knew that was what had to be done.

But he could not bring himself to nod in agreement.

How could a person be like that? He knew that those words were not entirely sincere.

As Hyun Jong still only moved his lips, Tang Gunak looked at Meng So and spoke.

“Palace Lord.”

“Uh, yes. Speak.”

“Please lead the alliance. Right now, the only person here who can make a proper judgment is you.”

At that, the beastly lord clicked his tongue in a ‘tsk’.

“Are you really okay with that?”

Tang Gunak did not answer, but stared intently at Meng So. Understanding the meaning of that look, Meng So sighed deeply.

Adding words to a warrior who has already steeled himself would be nothing but an insult.

“It’s fine.”

And the answer to Meng So’s question came not from Tang Gunak but from Tang Soso.

“…They’re all capable people; they’ll escape somehow. They will, without fail.”

Tang Pae also nodded.

“The Tang Family’s mechanical defenses and traps cannot be so easily breached. There will be a way.”

Everyone knew it. Even they didn’t truly believe those words.

No matter how much the Sichuan Tang Family relies on poisons and secret devices, without the elite present here, it’s hard to face the force of Four Sects Alliance.

But no one dared point that out.

After a long silence, Meng So spoke.

“First…”

He looked down for a moment. The barren land revealed as the Four Sects Alliance withdrew was being trod by the Northern Faction that had crossed the Yangtze river.

“First… let’s join with them. It would be right to discuss together. Sichuan isn’t the only one in crisis; they will be anxious too.”

Several people nodded.

It’s not only the Heavenly Friends Alliance that has fire at their heels. If anything, the Qingcheng sect and Emei Sect—the Northern Sects that would be the first targets of invasion—would be even more urgent.

“Alliance Leader!”

“…Understood.”

Hyun Jong also nodded. He knew there was no other option now.

“Let’s go.”

Hyun Jong led the way and struck the ground of Nanjing. To that bleak place the Four Sects Alliance had just been treading.

The others of the Heavenly Friends Alliance followed him in unison.

As Jo Gul gritted his teeth and pushed off the ground, Yoon Jong’s small voice came to his ears.

“Gul, are you okay?”

“…What do you mean?”

“…Aren’t your family near the Tang Family?”

Jo Gul closed his mouth.

Right. His family is right in front of the Tang Family gate. The Four Seas Trading Company where his family is.

“You…”

“That’s not what’s important right now.”

Jo Gul cut him off and increased his pace, going ahead. Watching his retreating figure, Yoon Jong bit his lip hard.

‘Jang Ilso!’

Yoon Jong never imagined in his life he’d come to hate someone this much.

‘How far do you intend to go?’

When he turned his gaze, he saw Chung Myung had again lost consciousness.

‘Please…’

He knew.

That asking anything more from Chung Myung in this moment would be cruel to the point of brutality.

But still, Yoon Jong couldn’t help but hope.

Because in a situation like this, the only one who could remain unshaken would be Chung Myung.

Even if he couldn’t swing a sword once, just being conscious would have given many people comfort.

Before Yoon Jong could finish that regretful thought, Hyun Jong met Beop Jeong who had crossed the river.

“…Abbott.”

Beop Jeong, who had just come out of the Yangtze river was soaking wet, looked at Hyun Jong after confirming that the Four Sects Alliance forces had withdrawn far away. Then he asked.

“What do you think?”

Hyun Jong could not bring himself to speak, but forced his mouth open.

“The Hegemony Lord… Sichuan…”

“I’m asking what you think.”

Beop Jeong’s eyes were chillingly cold.

“Are you not ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) asking how it feels to have sacrificed others as offerings to the Four Sects Alliance as the price of that arrogance?!”

Beop Jeong’s furious shout thundered and struck Hyun Jong’s ears.