“What is it?”

When Chung Myung nodded, Gwak Hwan-So hesitated a little and asked.

“Everyone who decided to fight here are together with us, aren’t they?”

“I told you. Do you want me to say it again?”

Gwak Hwan-So waved his hand hurriedly.

“No. It’s not that... Did you come with that intention from the start? Even if negotiations with us break down, would you fight on your own?”

To that question, Chung Myung answered with an exceedingly gentle smile.

“No.”

“...What?”

“I didn’t have any particular # Nоvеlight # thought.”

“...”

“I told you. We didn’t even expect things to turn out like this until just before we arrived. I knew that Jang Ilso was crazy, but even if he’s crazy there’s a limit. Who would think he’d be insane enough to pull troops back from the Yangtze river front and charge in like a crazy person? No sane person would.”

“...Stop saying ‘crazy’ so much, Chung Myung.”

“Hearing it makes my head feel weird.”

“Understand. Just the three syllables ‘Jang Ilso’ throw him off a bit.”

Gwak Hwan-So blinked.

“So on that day, after negotiations broke down, you held a meeting and reached a conclusion?”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“There wasn’t really anything you could call a meeting.”

“...Then?”

“I just said, shouldn’t we get going soon? But nobody went. So, well, that’s how it happened.”

“Ah, no. What do you mean...”

“You live overly complicated lives.”

Chung Myung said dismissively.

“Do you have some grand logic or stance just because the sect leader is convinced and you decided to go to Southern land?”

“...That’s not it.”

Of course there was some logic. But Gwak Hwan-So couldn’t deny that impulse played a bigger part in his actions than logic.

“Then why look for logic from us?”

“Please, let us find some... please.”

“Evil Sect brat, shut your mouth.”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung glanced at Gwak Hwan-So and said.

“Of course we didn’t start out saying let’s help no matter what. But after a bit of bickering and some anger, things progressed, and before we knew it we were discussing how to fight.”

“I kept opposing it!”

“Someone shut that Evil Sect brat’s mouth.”

When Namgung Do-Wei grabbed Im So-Byeong’s mouth and dragged him along, Chung Myung continued as if relieved.

“So don’t think it’s anything grand.”

“...How can we not think it’s not grand?”

“You really don’t get it.”

“Pardon?”

“As I said before, we’re not here to die with you.”

“...”

“From what we experienced, Southern land’s defenses were laxer than expected, and we just thought there might be a chance if done right.”

Gwak Hwan-So just looked at Chung Myung with a dumbfounded face.

“If someone is floundering in the water, isn’t it human to help them until you die?”

“That’s true...”

“It’s just that the ‘until death’ you imagine and the ‘until death’ we imagine are a bit different. Don’t get any strange hopes. If Southern Island or anything else was truly doomed, we’d run without looking back. Only those who could do that came to Southern Island in the first place.”

“I understand what you’re saying... but that’s easier said than done...”

“Does this bastard really not understand what I’m saying?”

“Pardon?”

“Is it fine to just die and be done with it?”

“...What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve enjoyed everything being part of the Justice faction until now, and at the end you’d just die heroically without paying your due while everyone left in the Justice faction bleeds fighting Four Sects Alliance?”

Gwak Hwan-So fell silent.

“It’s laughable. You must fight until your spine is ripped out. Even in death, you should drag one more enemy to hell with you. That’s the minimum duty for those who brandish a sword and act proud.”

“...”

“And stop doing stupid things. Do you think after you all die like that the Evil Sect brats will leave Southern Island alone and just retreat? Even people in Southern Land should know the nature of the Evil Sect—how could you not? It’s ridiculous, truly.”

Gwak Hwan-So looked as if he’d been struck. But Chung Myung clicked his tongue shortly, turned his body, and ambled off toward another direction.

Baek Cheon walked over with a small smile and said to Gwak Hwan-So.

“Don’t worry about him. That’s just how he talks.”

“No. It’s less about the tone and more about...”

Rather, the content hit harder.

‘Those who remain.’

He had never thought that way. The ‘those who remain’ they worried about were only the people of the Southern Island. He’d never considered what would become of the world, or how the remaining Justice faction would fight.

But even if they died, the fight would continue. Especially the Heavenly Friends Alliance would fight Four Sects Alliance to the very end. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He suddenly felt ashamed for only worrying about the Southern Island Sect and the Southern Island. How narrow-minded that had been.

Even though they had disparaged islanders and complained about mainlanders, when crisis struck, their minds held no concern for the mainland’s circumstances either.

“...We must fight.”

Gwak Hwan-So nodded resolutely, and Baek Cheon smiled faintly.

“That’s settled.”

“Um, but...”

“Yes?”

“May I ask one more thing?”

“Ask as many as you like.”

“We might be able to enter the Southern lands. But once we’re in, the situation changes. They’ll realize we’ve entered their land.”

“That’s likely.”

“Then of course they’ll fortify the Yangtze river defenses tightly—can we break through that with only our forces? Maybe it’s better to detour toward Yunnan...”

Baek Cheon shook his head.

“You still have to break through at the end.”

“That may be, but...”

“The longer the approach, the more you’ll suffer. To secure the chance, the only way is to reach the Yangtze river as quickly as possible before they properly fortify. Besides...”

Baek Cheon’s eyes darkened slightly.

“If we can’t stir up the enemy’s center and extend that chaos into a confrontation at the Yangtze river, they’ll gain some breathing room. If that happens... the chance they’ll do pointless, destructive things will increase.”

Gwak Hwan-So closed his mouth.

He understood what they meant by ‘pointless things.’ If they hurriedly chose detours and gave Four Sects Alliance breathing room, that fury could turn on those left on the Southern Island.

If that happened, the Southern Island would bear the full brunt of the damage that should befall the Southern Island Sect. That’s why Baek Cheon intends to harry the enemy’s core and push toward the Yangtze river, intensifying the standoff between the Heavenly Friends Alliance and Four Sects Alliance so Four Sects Alliance won’t think of turning troops back.

‘I hadn’t cared about the mainland’s affairs.’

These people were still worrying about those who’d remain in Southern Island. So they’d rather take on more risk to draw Four Sects Alliance’s attention away from the Southern Island.

“...Is it possible?”

“Well, that’s something we’ll have to see. However...”

“However?”

Baek Cheon gave an enigmatic smile.

“No one here is desperate to die. Mount Hua’s number one principle isn’t enforcing agreements or upholding justice. The most important principle is to survive first.”

It was at that moment.

“Look, look. Finally crawling over , look at that!”

“Huh?”

Everyone turned at Chung Myung’s shout.

Something small and white was swimming quickly toward the now rather calm center of the sea.

“Baek Ah!”

“Oh my, Baek Ah!”

“Heavens, she’s really come!”

The Five Swords ran to the shore without exception. Tang Soso splashed into the sea and scooped Baek Ah up. Half-exhausted, Baek Ah lolled her tongue and hung limp in her arms.

“Sahyung! She’s completely exhausted.”

“...She’s admirable, isn’t she?”

“That’s not admirable, that’s stupid. I would have bolted without looking back.”

“...That’s why Baek Ah is smarter than you. If she fell into those cruel hands, she’d really become a pelt.”

When Tang Soso brought Baek Ah to Chung Myung, he grabbed the scruff of Baek Ah’s neck that was cradled in her arms and lifted her up.

“Did you handle it okay?”

Even exhausted, Baek Ah snapped to attention and nodded vigorously. Then she looked at Chung Myung with bright, proud eyes, as if it was time for praise.

But as always, Chung Myung delivered a crushing betrayal to the one with expectations.

“Now, now. Pull yourself together.”

Ki!

“See this? This?”

Chung Myung lightly shook a small whistle in his hand and hung it around Baek Ah’s neck. Baek Ah tilted her head at the whistle resting against her throat.

Ki?

“That’s important. Deliver it well.”

Kiit?

“Now go.”

Baek Ah tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand at all. Her big dark eyes sparkled and the little head tilt was adorable, but the reality inside was a bit bleak.

“Why aren’t you understanding? Go again.”

Ki?

“What are you doing?”

Ki...i?

At that moment everyone saw it: Baek Ah’s snow-white face turning an icy blue.

‘Is that fur? How can fur turn blue?’

‘Has the Beast Lord ever seen something like that?’

‘Who would believe this if we said it?’

At that moment Baek Ah convulsed and screamed.

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiik!

Animals might understand some human speech, but humans cannot understand animal speech. Yet strangely, those here could interpret that cry exactly.

“It’s a curse.”

“It sounds like a curse, doesn’t it?”

“It’s definitely a curse.”

If it had been a human language, it would have been profanity—an obscenity too shameful to hear.

“This brat!”

Chung Myung flung Baek Ah aside.

Kiiii!

Pointing at the retreating Baek Ah, Chung Myung shouted.

“I fed you and let you sleep until you were fat like a pig, and now you’re all worked up and gone mad! Where did you get that hissing from!”

“Chung Myung... you should speak properly. She lived better in Yunnan.”

“Honestly, she only suffered after coming here...”

“She must be wondering why she came now. No, probably she felt that way long before.”

Of course Chung Myung didn’t hear all that. Baek Ah spun, landed, snorted indignantly, and ran back. Chung Myung grabbed her and brought her small face right up to his.

“There’s no time, so go quickly and deliver— ugh!”

At that moment Baek Ah’s forepaw struck Chung Myung’s cheek fiercely. The unexpected blow snapped his head around.

Gasps erupted around them.

“Oh!”

“She counterattacked!”

“Hah, she’s waited long enough. Honestly, it’s time she hit back.”

At that moment Chung Myung flared his eyes and glared at Baek Ah.

“You little—?”

Kiiii!

A beast-like human and a human-like beast began to brawl viciously.

Seeing that, Baek Cheon covered his face with both hands.

‘Don’t fight so seriously with a beast...’

Even if it’s a spirit creature, still.

Huff! Huff!

After a long scuffle, Chung Myung, exhausted, grabbed the scruff of panting Baek Ah and ground his teeth.

“Argh! If she hadn’t kept goading, I’d have drowned a weasel today for sure!”

Ki!

“Deliver it properly. If you’re late, you’ll really be roasted. Got it?”

Kiiiiii!

“Damn it! Don’t talk back!”

Baek Ah, who resisted to the end, finally drooped and nodded weakly with tears falling. She had given up.

“Go! Quickly!”

Kiiiiiiii!

Baek Ah hit the ground, let out a howl filled with malice, and ran toward the sea. Everyone watched in stunned silence.

“...She came all the way from the Yangtze river to here, and leaves as soon as she arrives.”

“...Even if she’s a small creature, I wonder if this is something to command.”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you.”

“My condolences.”

Everyone was solemn, but only Chung Myung seemed unsettled and puffed with annoyance.

“Anyway, she’s getting faster and faster!”

‘Bloodless, tearless brat.’

‘Animal abuser.’

‘Personality trash!’

As everyone watched Baek Ah recede across the sea, it happened.

“...Sasuk.”

“I saw it too.”

To Yoon Jong’s surprised voice, Baek Cheon replied in a very grave tone.

Far out in the sea they were watching, a fleet appeared like a small dot.

“...It’s the Four Sects Alliance.”

A suffocating tension began to rise along the coast, where the mood had been somewhat relaxed.