Chapter 1417: Even If It’s Meaningless. (2)

Beop Jeong, who had turned and was walking away, bit his lip hard.

The vast Yangtze River spread before his eyes, but even that could not unclog the tightness in his chest.

“Beop Gye!”

“Yes! Abbot!”

“Send word to the Beggars’ Union and have them get this news to Sichuan by any means! Use whatever method you must!”

“A-Abbot… But it’s already…”

“I know that too!”

“…”

Startled °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° by Beop Jeong’s outburst, Beop Gye closed his mouth with a pale face. Beop Jeong glared at him, took a deep breath, and spoke again.

“Qingcheng and Emei may already be too late, but if we hurry the news, Dian-cang might be able to withdraw. Now is the time to clutch at even a straw!”

“Ah, understood! Abbot!”

Beop Gye nodded vigorously.

As he hurried to prepare a dispatch to the Beggars’ Union, Jong Ri-Hyung quietly approached Beop Jeong’s side.

“Abbot…”

Beop Jeong turned to Jong Ri-Hyung with cold eyes. Startled, Jong Ri-Hyung mustered his courage and spoke again.

“Are you truly thinking of not going to Sichuan?”

“…”

“I know, Abbot. I know it’s likely too late even if we go. But as you just said…”

“You mean that if we rush there, there might still be a way to save them.”

“Y-Yes, that’s what I mean. No matter that the enemy is the Hegemony Lord or the Four Sects Alliance, aren’t they Qingcheng and Emei? They wouldn’t be defeated so easily.”

A sigh escaped Beop Jeong’s lips.

Despite suffering so much, Jong Ri-Hyung still couldn’t shake the bad habit of underestimating the Evil Sect.

Even after all that had happened.

Indeed, Qingcheng and Emei carry lofty names. But the power of the Hegemony Lord they face is no longer comparable. At best only a few survivors might remain. Even if they gather them, what would truly change?

“Sect leader.”

“Yes. Abbot.”

“It’s not that we won’t go — it’s that we cannot go.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Jong Ri-Hyung asked back with a blank face.

“Where do you think the Four Sects Alliance forces who withdrew from here will head?”

“W-Well. Of course they’ll head to Sichuan, won’t they?”

“What if they don’t?”

“Eh?”

“What will you do if they are not heading to Sichuan?”

A look of puzzlement appeared in Jong Ri-Hyung’s eyes. He couldn’t immediately grasp what Beop Jeong was saying.

Seeing Jong Ri-Hyung’s reaction, Beop Jeong shook his head and continued.

“They have withdrawn from Nanjing, but they haven’t headed to Sichuan yet. The Pirates’ fleet is the same. They’ve retreated from here, but they still occupy the Yangtze River.”

“…Then?”

“Yes.”

Beop Jeong nodded gravely.

“If we rashly head to Sichuan, they will surely push up into Henan.”

“T-That…”

Jong Ri-Hyung’s gaze turned toward the Four Sects Alliance army holding a distance.

Indeed, as Beop Jeong said, their pace of retreat had noticeably slowed, ready to change direction at any time.

“E-Even without Jang Ilso here?”

It was Peng Yeop, not Beop Jeong, who answered that question.

“There is no Hegemony Lord present, but there remain the remnants of the Ten Thousand People Clan who had headed for Southern Island with Black Ghost Fort, and the minor sects are here.”

“…”

“And with that level of force alone, sweeping away Henan — now a vacant territory — wouldn’t be particularly difficult.”

Jong Ri-Hyung stared at Peng Yeop as if his mind had gone blank.

“T-Then…”

He murmured as if he finally understood the situation.

“You mean that even though we plainly know they’re trampling Sichuan, we cannot withdraw from here?”

“…”

“W-What kind of situation has it come to? Really…”

It felt like sinking into an endless quagmire.

The trap Jang Ilso had set would not let them go easily. The cost of stepping into the snare he laid down was immense. Once a foot sank into the mire, no amount of struggle only buried it deeper.

“Amitabha.”

Beop Jeong muttered the prayer softly. Unbearable anger welled up on his face.

All of this was caused by the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s premature move. Yet the ones suffering for that foolishness were none other than the orthodox sects.

Qingcheng and Emei’s annihilation seemed certain, and even Dian-cang had become endangered.

But the damage to the Heavenly Friends Alliance would at most mean the Tang Family — missing its main forces — getting trampled, right?

Of course, given the Tang Family’s reliance on poisons and secret techniques for more than seventy percent of its power, having their clan trampled is no small matter, but one sect’s damage cannot be compared to the annihilation of three sects.

What tortured Beop Jeong most was that he could do nothing but watch those three sects be wiped out.

‘In the end.’

A hollow laugh slipped from Beop Jeong’s mouth.

‘We, despite having done nothing wrong, must lose, and they, having done what they shouldn’t, gained Southern Island.’

How on earth was he supposed to accept this absurd situation? Since they ultimately benefited, should he say they were right?

“Then…”

Jong Ri-Hyung asked with a pale face.

“A-Are you saying there’s nothing we can do? Abbot?”

Hearing that, Beop Jeong turned his head and looked at the Four Sects Alliance army.

After watching them for a long time, his gaze finally shifted to the Heavenly Friends Alliance.

Things that could be done.

What they could do…

“There are things we can do.”

Beop Jeong’s eyes sank low.

At that moment, everyone fell silent. The aura emanating from Beop Jeong made them hold their breath. After staring impassively at the Heavenly Friends Alliance for a while, Beop Jeong finally opened his mouth slowly.

“What we… can do.”

Hyun Jong, who had been silently watching the departing Justice faction, turned his head weakly.

‘It hurts.’

The words were like a blade, honed to wound. What made Hyun Jong even more despondent was that there was nothing particularly untrue about them.

All of this might ultimately have been caused by their arrogance.

Therefore, he could not blame them for not helping. He could only clutch his burning chest.

“Don’t make that face, Alliance Leader.”

Hyun Jong turned toward the voice. Southern Island’s sect leader, Geum Yang-Baek, was looking at him with a deep gaze.

“Sect leader…”

“If it weren’t for the Heavenly Friends Alliance, if no one had rushed to Southern Island’s aid — not a single Southern Island disciple present here would have survived.”

Geum Yang-Baek looked at his disciples and shook his head.

“And yet if you, Alliance Leader, blame yourself, won’t we become those who survived for nothing?”

“That… was not my intention. I’m sorry, Sect leader.”

“No. It’s just…”

Geum Yang-Baek gathered his strength and spoke again.

“Even if the outcome didn’t go as desired, there is not a single person in the world who would say the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s intent was wrong.”

“…”

“And now is not the time for self-blame. Shouldn’t we help Sichuan?”

Hyun Jong looked at Geum Yang-Baek in astonishment.

His life was already on the edge; even those unversed in martial arts could see it. And yet Geum Yang-Baek spoke not of his own condition but of Sichuan.

“Sect leader. First, your health…”

“No.”

Geum Yang-Baek shook his head.

“I’ve already lived long enough. What’s important now is not me, but Sichuan.”

“No. Even so…”

“Because I know.”

Geum Yang-Baek looked at Hyun Jong with determined eyes.

“Because I know all too well how those in a desperate position with no one to help feel. The Heavenly Friends Alliance reached out to them. But now, isn’t Sichuan being left without aid?”

“…”

“Go, Alliance Leader. We will help as well. Even if it’s only a meaningless struggle, isn’t there someone who should flail on behalf of another’s death?”

Hyun Jong’s head eventually nodded.

He knew.

No matter the situation, what they must do was set. Even if meaningless, they could not refrain from rushing to Sichuan.

Hyun Jong steadied himself and turned to look at the heads of the other sects.

“Now that the Justice factions have stepped out, we must find some way to reach Sichuan even on our own. How…”

“Impossible.”

At that moment, Im So-Byeong sharply cut off Hyun Jong’s words.

“Green Forest King.”

“I understand your intention, but there is no way. Unless the Justice faction sects fight alongside us, it’s difficult for us alone to break through that defensive line. Even if we claw our way through, we’ll be attacked all along the route to Sichuan and suffer losses, and the moment we reach Sichuan we’ll be overwhelmed by joint attacks from all sides and be annihilated.”

A cold statement, but a starkly realistic one. To those who had already suffered the same fate to arrive here, it sounded all the more chilling.

“T-Then can’t we just cross the river?”

At Namgung Do-Wei’s suggestion, Im So-Byeong’s eyes turned cold.

“Do you think they have completely withdrawn?”

“…”

At that, Namgung Do-Wei turned to look at the Four Sects Alliance. Those retreating had already halted, keeping a distance from which they could charge again at any moment.

“Ho Ga-Myung has probably already joined them over there. He’ll try to buy as much time as possible. If we attempt a reckless crossing, they’ll certainly charge again. Then we’ll be attacked from the rear.”

Seeing the Pirates’ fleet still arrayed on the Yangtze River, those present bit their lips.

“Then…”

“We cannot move until they withdraw.”

“There must be some method! Are you saying we should just stand by and watch like this?”

Namgung Do-Wei shouted in frustration, but Im So-Byeong didn’t bat an eye.

“They cannot initiate the attack either. And if the Shaolin Abbott calls in support including the Beggars’ Union, they’ll realize the disadvantage and withdraw. At most a day…”

“But that’s too late!”

Bang!

Jo Gul stamped the ground and emitted a powerful ki-wave in every direction. But Im So-Byeong merely looked at everyone with a calm face.

“Reality is reality…”

“Not everyone needs to go.”

At the voice that cut him off, Im So-Byeong turned his head. Standing there with a pale face was Baek Cheon.

“Not everyone has to go. Nor can they.”

“Taoist.”

“Cover the rear. I will cross the river. I’ll lead those with swift feet to Sichuan.”

Im So-Byeong stared at Baek Cheon in disbelief.

With a face as if he might enter a coffin at any moment, what ridiculous talk was this?

“Is that even possible?”

Im So-Byeong glared at Baek Cheon, barely restraining his anger. How far would this man go before he was satisfied?

“Really!”

“Whether it’s possible or not.”

“…”

Baek Cheon looked at Im So-Byeong with a firm expression.

“That’s the only thing I need you to say, Green Forest King.”

“…”

A few people approached and stood behind Baek Cheon, their faces saying that no matter how much anyone protested, it would be useless.

The fact that those standing behind them were the most severely wounded among them made Im So-Byeong sick to his teeth.

“…Impossible.”

“Green Forest King!”

“Sichuan is not Southern Island. A few of you alone can do nothing. If you go, you’ll only die pointlessly!”

“We must at least try…”

“Try or not, if it’s impossible, it’s impossible!”

“…”

Just as Baek Cheon bit his lip until it bled,

“Amitabha.”

A prayer came from not far away. The tone was clearly not Hae Yeon’s voice, and everyone turned in surprise.

Beop Gye.

The Shaolin second-in-command had quietly approached them. The heated conversation had been so intense they hadn’t noticed him.

“Ah, no?”

“Amitabha. I bring the Abbot’s message.”

“A message?”

Everyone stared at Beop Gye in blank astonishment. What more could Beop Jeong possibly have to say to them now?

“If you truly intend to go to Sichuan.”

“…Yes?”

Beop Gye said sharply, his eyes deep.

“We, the Justice faction, will use full strength to hold off the Four Sects Alliance remnants here. You select your elites and cross the river.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

“W-What did you just say…”

“We will firmly guard your rear. However…”

A sonorous voice flowed from Beop Gye’s parted lips.

“Even if Qingcheng and Emei are already lost, you must at least definitely save Dian-cang.”

“…”

“Can you do that?”

Hyun Jong’s face stiffened.