“Commander!”

A man burst violently into the silent main hall. But the one reviewing ledgers piled like a mountain on the desk did not even glance at the intruder.

“Commander.”

“Wait.”

The man who had bowed waited in silence.

While the candle burned a little more, the man rifling through the papers signed one side of a ledger with a fine brush and then closed the book.

“Approve these documents and send them.”

“Yes.”

The person waiting at his side answered politely.

“Call in those who prepared these ledgers and lock them in prison separately.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Especially.”

Ho Ga-Myung tossed the ledger he had been holding onto the desk.

“The one responsible for these ledgers: seal his dantian, sever the tendons throughout his body, then lock him in the subterranean prison. Seize his family’s property by force. If anyone resists, make them suffer the same fate.”

“If they’re thrown into the prison like that, they won’t last long.”

“Oh? Almost made a mistake, did I? Then, before they die after not holding out, pull them out of the prison and behead them. I won’t leave them to die bearing our disgrace.”

“...I will carry out your orders!”

Four Sects Alliance’s military commander Ho Ga-Myung closed his eyes and pressed his temple gently.

“People are truly unpredictable. Which do they value more, life or a few coins?”

Even though they clearly know that embezzling the clan’s goods will mean a horrendous execution, and despite the not-small number who have actually died that way, the slightest opportunity and they sneakily do it again.

He was of the Evil Sect himself, but he was sick to death of such people.

But what could be done? It was the path he had chosen.

Ho Ga-Myung slowly opened his eyes and spoke.

“Report.”

“Yes, Commander! Preparations for departure are complete.”

“It is late.”

“...I have nothing to say for my mistake.”

Ho Ga-Myung’s gaze turned to the wide-open waters. A blue sky with the clouds cleared came into view. The storm had only recently passed and the waves were still high, but this should pose no major problem for sailing.

“Southern Island...”

Ho Ga-Myung slowly rose from his seat.

“No point in dragging this out. Embark the troops.”

“Yes!”

The reporter bowed deeply and ran outside. Ho Ga-Myung glanced at the papers still unprocessed, then abandoned them and moved on.

‘I’ll deal with Southern Island first and come back to finish this; that should be fine.’

It shouldn’t take that long.

However...

“Mun Bang.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Any reports on movements from the Nine Great Sects or the Heavenly Friends Alliance?”

“The last check was three days ago, and until then there were no notable movements.”

From where they are on the Yangtze river, there’s no way they could reach here within three days by any means.

“As for the Nine Great Sects, fine, but the Heavenly Friends Alliance too...”

A faint sneer briefly touched Ho Ga-Myung’s mouth.

“They wouldn’t be able to do much, would they?”

“They would.”

“...Sorry?”

Ho Ga-Myung said calmly.

“If they had known of the situation, they would have done something. That’s the kind of people they are.”

“But this place...”

“Whether Southern Island or not, that doesn’t matter. At the very least they’d have started a fight on the Yangtze to prevent us from concentrating here. The fact they haven’t moved means they didn’t receive word that we moved.”

Ho Ga-Myung immediately adjusted his assessment of the Heavenly Friends Alliance. Their intelligence was clearly weaker than he had expected, at least regarding Southern Lands.

‘The Nine Great Sects? No, those bastards, even if they knew, wouldn’t have passed it to the Heavenly Friends Alliance. No... actually, if they knew they’d have leaked the info to make the Heavenly Friends Alliance and Four Sects Alliance bleed each other’s strength. That old one would do that.’

As he sorted through the information, Mun Bang’s puzzled voice brushed his ear.

“...I don’t quite understand, Commander. If you insist on which side is related to Southern Island, isn’t it the Nine Great Sects? Why would the Heavenly Friends Alliance move? What would they gain from doing that?”

Ho Ga-Myung did not answer. There was no need to explain to make them understand. It was his job to assess and decide. They simply had to follow his orders.

‘If they moved purely for gain, they wouldn’t go through this trouble.’

What made them unnerving was that their actions offered no principle to grasp. They might have their reasons, but from this side the logic was incomprehensible.

Only Jang Ilso seemed capable of factoring even their movements into his calculations, but...

‘This isn’t the important thing right now.’

Putting the thought aside, Ho Ga-Myung quickened his pace.

In any case, what happens in Southern Island will be a loud warning to them, clear proof of what befalls those who dare oppose the Four Sects Alliance.

So it must be handled absolutely decisively and brutally.

“No matter what they do now, it’ll be the same, whether the Nine Great Sects or the Heavenly Friends Alliance, they’ll only hear news of a burning Southern Island Sect.”

That’s why he was personally taking action.

“Finish all preparations within ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) an hour. We’re going to Southern Island.”

“Yes! Commander!”

“Sahyung. Didn’t we gather for our expulsion ceremony?”

“...I thought so too.”

“Then why are those people standing over there like that?”

“Who knows?”

Southern Island’s disciples, not yet informed of the situation, looked bewildered at the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s envoys.

In truth, the situation could only appear odd to them.

Of course, an expulsion ceremony needn’t be hidden from others, but isn’t it also awkward to display it openly?

Whether a disciple is expelled for a crime or leaves the sect voluntarily, it’s an embarrassing matter from the sect’s standpoint.

“Weren’t they just leaving after a meal?”

“They’re insisting on watching the expulsion ceremony too before they leave?”

“...That makes no sense.”

Yet no one dared to harshly criticize those who intrusively joined because standing with the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s envoys was none other than Southern Island’s sect leader Geum Yang-Baek.

Sometimes a single action shows more than a thousand words. Geum Yang-Baek standing there with them was undeniable proof that the sect sanctioned their behavior.

“Great sahyung. Have you heard anything from them?”

Those who couldn’t make sense of the situation ultimately sought out Gwak Hwan-So, for he was the last they knew to have spoken with them.

“The sect leader will explain.”

“Yes?”

“For now, wait.”

“...Understood.”

They were suspicious, but could not press further; the setting made it awkward even to continue speaking.

‘I can’t understand this.’

Lee Ja-Yang frowned. He always felt those who visited Southern Island crossed the line too often.

What kind of gathering was this?

A place to instill guilt in those leaving the sect? No, that’s not it.

This was a moment for those who vowed to protect Southern Island to look on the departing and steel their final resolve.

It should be all the more pure, and with such impurities intruding, discomfort was inevitable.

‘They say the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s young warriors are all prodigies of the realm.’

It seems the adage that rumors are the least reliable is true. Mere martial prowess doesn’t make one a prodigy, certainly not when they lack even basic tact.

As Lee Ja-yang struggled to soothe his unease, Geum Yang-Baek stepped up onto the platform.

Southern Island Sect’s disciples straightened and greeted their sect leader.

Geum Yang-Baek looked over everyone from the platform and began to speak.

“Today... an expulsion ceremony for those leaving Southern Island Sect was originally scheduled.”

‘Originally?’ Those who sensed something was amiss perked up at Geum Yang-Baek’s next words.

“But we will omit the expulsion ceremony. Instead!”

Geum Yang-Baek shouted in a resolute tone as he looked at his disciples.

“I will share with you all the plan to oppose those Four Sects Alliance invaders!”

Lee Ja-Yang frowned.

‘What is he suddenly talking about?’

How to deal with them had already been decided...

“I, Geum Yang-Baek! As Southern Island’s sect leader, will lead Southern Island Sect’s disciples to the Southern land which they occupy.”

The thunderbolt of that declaration shocked all of Southern Island’s disciples.

“What?”

“Wait, Sect leader!”

“To Southern Island?”

Of course, they had considered the possibility their leader might take another course; once things reached this point, they might board ships and head out to the vast sea, come death or life.

But the Southern land? Who in their right mind would flee a tiger only to throw themselves into a tiger’s den?

But Geum Yang-Baek did not wait for their comprehension and continued.

“And! The envoys of the Heavenly Friends Alliance present here will also head to Southern land with Southern Island Sect.”

All eyes then turned to those standing below the platform. Amid the many stares, they stood composedly, as if to prove all this was true.

“Now, Sect leader. Why this sudden...”

“I am not forcing you!”

Geum Yang-Baek shouted.

“We omit the expulsion ceremony because being expelled publicly may be an impossible choice for some. Those without the resolve to share Southern Island Sect’s end, stay on this island. You will live if you do.”

“...”

“But!”

Geum Yang-Baek bit his lip and shouted.

“Those who will fight under the name Southern Island to the end! Those who will stake their lives to open a path, follow me. We will break through to the Southern land, pierce the enemy’s heart, and head for the Yangtze river. There we will continue our fight with the treacherous Four Sects Alliance, not in Southern Island but on the Yangtze!”

“...”

“Those who trust me!”

Geum Yang-Baek shouted as he looked around at everyone.

“And those who cannot abandon the name Southern Island Sect, step forward! I will gladly cross the sea with them. We will let the world know Southern Island’s spirit lives on!”

In the heavy silence, Southern Island Sect’s disciples simply stared at Geum Yang-Baek. His words were full of fierce resolve but light on logic, and they didn’t know how to react.

Then, the silent Gwak Hwan-So slowly stepped forward and faced Geum Yang-Baek.

“Disciple Gwak Hwan-So, I dare to ask the sect leader one question.”

“You may ask!”

Gwak Hwan-So saluted and spoke in a clear voice.

“Sect leader, what is your reason for choosing to fight in the Southern lands rather than here?”

Geum Yang-Baek took a deep breath and said:

“Some say fishermen understand and conform to the ways of the sea.”

“...”

“What do you think? Is that true?”

Some shook their heads.

“No. Not at all. The best way to conform to the sea is not to go out on it. If you never sail, you can’t be lost to a sea that turns on a whim! Many tragedies in Southern Island would not repeat if that were so.”

Geum Yang-Baek cried out with resolute eyes.

“Yet we go to sea. Knowing how perilous it is, knowing we may never return, we still sail and cast our nets. That’s the way of those who fight, the way of those who resist!”

All present are sons and daughters of those who wrestle with the sea; none here would fail to understand Geum Yang-Baek’s words.

“To us, Southern lands is like a sea of raging waves. So what, would we moor our boats and starve staring at the sea? Would we accept death because sailing into a storm is reckless?”

No. No one would. Not someone from Southern Island, at least.

“The reason we go to the Southern lands?”

Geum Yang-Baek took a deep breath and bellowed.

“To fight! And to live! Even if it seems utterly reckless, those who live by the sea know there is nothing more foolish than staying put and waiting for death!”

Geum Yang-Baek’s gaze turned to the Heavenly Friends Alliance party standing to one side.

“They reminded me of something even I had forgotten. Things we who live by the sea should have understood first were awakened by these visitors from the land. If we truly wish to protect, if we truly wish to live, we must stand and fight!”

Finally, Geum Yang-Baek’s gaze fixed on Gwak Hwan-So.

“Therefore I will go. No matter how fearsome the Four Sects Alliance are, they are not as terrifying as a sea of raging waves.”

Gwak Hwan-So nodded slowly, then drew the sword at his waist.

“My father also never returned from the sea.”

“...”

“In my youth full of resentment, I blamed such a father. But... now I am of an age to be responsible for others, and I have come to understand my father’s choice. Sometimes one must risk danger.”

The two men’s eyes met in midair.

“If the sect leader intends to head toward Southern lands.”

Gwak Hwan-so thrust the sword he gripped forward.

“Disciple Gwak Hwan-So, as a son of Southern Island Sect, I will follow that path!”