1284 — Who Came To Southern Lands Now? (4)

Gwak Hwan-So frantically flailed his limbs.

‘Faster!’

He gritted his teeth, with eyes bloodshot, and paddled. He didn’t fully understand how things had turned out. All he knew was he had to reach the shore at the fastest speed he could muster.

Whoooosh!

The current swept heavily across his body, and the underwater scenery streaked past him.

It was an immense speed. Gwak Hwan-So was swimming faster than at any time in his life. He was surprised at himself that he could move this fast underwater.

‘Ugh!’

But no matter how fast he flailed his limbs, the gap with those ahead of him only widened.

‘Damn it.’

Gwak Hwan-So bit his lip without realizing it and kept his eyes on the backs of the Heavenly Friends Alliance people, now barely visible.

Martial skill? Of course he’d lag behind there.

They weren’t just disciples of prestigious schools. They were core figures leading each sect. It would be an insult to directly compare his martial ability with those famed figures.

But…

‘How can I be worse in water arts?!’

This was the part Gwak Hwan-So couldn’t understand.

He was from the Southern Island Sect. He learned to paddle before he learned to walk and grew up with water as his playground. How was someone like him supposed to accept being slower in swimming than outsiders?

Water combat isn’t possible merely by having high martial skill. Just as some run well and others swim well, those unfamiliar with water struggle to swim proficiently no matter how hard they try.

Isn’t that even more true in deep water?

Yet the Mount Hua disciples who had grabbed people one by one were steadily moving out of his sight.

‘Damn!’

If the sect leaders and elders who had moved ahead of Gwak Hwan-So hadn’t paved the way connecting them, he might already have lost track of them in these rough currents.

As he roughly thrust his arm forward, about to push his speed with every ounce of energy he had left…

Grab!

Someone seized his leg.

Startled, Gwak Hwan-So turned and saw Lee Ja-Yang shaking his head violently, face on the verge of bursting. Lee Ja-Yang gestured toward the rear.

By then, a considerable distance had opened between Southern Island Sect’s disciples and Gwak Hwan-So. Just as he couldn’t catch up to the Heavenly Friends Alliance no matter how desperately he tried, the Southern Island Sect’s disciples trailing him couldn’t keep up with him either.

Gwak Hwan-So bit his lip.

Unable to let go of his longing, he stole a glance forward, recalled his role, and relaxed the strength he’d been pouring into his limbs.

‘Damn…’

He signaled Lee Ja-Yang to go on, then shot himself backward toward the rear of the group, lightly pushing the backs of the lagging disciples.

The exhausted disciples looked at Gwak Hwan-So. He nodded without a word. Only then did they find strength and swim forward again.

Gwak Hwan-So clenched his fists and followed behind the advancing disciples.

Splash!

The Mount Hua disciples, almost at the shore, pushed off the surface and leapt up.

Chung Myung impatiently flung Seol So-Baek off his shoulder.

“Aah! You damned lump of baggage!”

“Chung Myung!”

“Hey, you crazy bastard! You’re the palace lord!”

“Palace Lord? What Palace Lord? What’s he doing following us here if he can’t even swim properly!”

“B-but… he’s essential for persuading Southern Island Sect.”

“Essential my ass!”

“Gurgle… t-taoist…”

“Oi!”

Chung Myung pressed his foot into Seol So-Baek’s belly. Clear water began spurting from Seol So-Baek’s mouth.

“…He really can’t swim at all.”

“What chance did he have to swim in the Northern Sea? Even Chung Myung almost froze to death going into that water.”

“But come to think of it, didn’t Chung Myung once tie Baek Ah to a fishing pole to fish back then?”

Those who had been murmuring suddenly turned their distant gazes toward the far north as if by agreement.

“I wonder if she’s doing okay?”

“…We’re sorry.”

“To think we’d feel guilt toward an animal.”

Thinking of Baek Ah, desperately traversing the Southern Island with those short legs, the Mount Hua disciples bowed their heads briefly. Whether person or beast, one ought to have a conscience.

“No time for this. Move.”

“Yes!”

No sooner had Baek Cheon’s words fallen than Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, Yu Yiseol, Tang Soso, and Hae Yeon shot forward like lightning. Namgung Do-Wei glanced at Baek Cheon, slightly taken aback.

“What are you going now for?”

“We’re going to check for enemies nearby. We need to assess the situation to decide the next move.”

“I-I could… do something too…”

“No.”

Baek Cheon shook his head firmly.

“If people who aren’t coordinated move, problems can arise. Young lord, please check Seol Palace Lord’s condition here and control the Southern Island Sect’s disciples who arrive afterward.”

“…Understood.”

“When everyone gets ashore, give a short rest and erase all traces left on the beach. In the end the footprints will be found, but delaying that even a little will be a big help.”

“I’ll remember.”

“Then…”

Baek Cheon’s expression, decisive and crisp as he gave orders, changed in an instant. He turned his head listlessly. He was looking at Chung Myung, rattling Seol So-Baek in the rear.

“Won’t you get up? Won’t you, you bastard? Acting like a palace lord! Gulping water and rolling your eyes!”

“B-breath… breath… Taoist…”

“Does she think she’s still a child? Man, if she were born into a family she’d already be at childbearing age! Don’t act weak. Won’t you get up? Hey, you… Ah!! Ouch! Ear, ear! No, sasuk! Why touch someone else’s precious ear! Ahh!”

“Come along, man.”

“Ah! Dong-Ryong, the ear! Leave the ear! Hey, you…”

Baek Cheon ignored it, grabbed Chung Myung’s ear tightly, and dragged him off into the forest. Namgung Do-Wei, staring blankly at the scene, let out a deep sigh.

“Why?”

When Tang Pae asked the reason for his sigh, Namgung Do-Wei only wore a bitter expression without speaking.

“Is it because you feel the gap with them hasn’t narrowed?”

“No. It’s not that.”

Namgung Do-Wei shook his head.

“I know I’m still lacking. I also know that the Namgung Family’s martial arts isn’t something you can rush to improve by impatience. If I just continue to cultivate steadily, someday I’ll be worth testing against others. Perhaps not against the Mount Hua’s Sword Saint, though.”

“Then why?”

“…Isn’t it strange?”

“Huh?”

Namgung Do-Wei glanced oddly toward the forest where the Mount Hua disciples had vanished and spoke.

“They are too skilled at everything.”

Tang Pae nodded somewhat awkwardly at that. Namgung Do-Wei silently looked at his hand. A reddish mark remained clear on the wrist Baek Cheon had grabbed and pulled in the water. The clarity of that mark seemed to tell the distance between Baek Cheon and Namgung Do-Wei.

“They even dog-paddle well.”

“What’s with worrying about who swims…”

“That’s not all, is it.”

Namgung Do-Wei hardened his expression and added.

“I was thinking only about arriving as quickly as possible, but they take the next move for granted too. When you look at them, you can’t help but wonder what they can’t do. Doesn’t it seem like they’d do well at anything they’re asked?”

Tang Pae nodded as well. Indeed, Mount Hua’s disciples had that quality — they seemed twice as capable and more skilled than others at anything.

“You might match them somewhat by straining your martial arts, but can you keep up with those aspects…?”

“You’re worrying over such petty things.”

A suddenly sharp voice cut in. Namgung Do-Wei turned with a wary face to see Im So-Byeong, soaking wet, wringing his clothes as he approached, annoyance written across his face.

“Do you think someone who grew up seeing and eating only the best in the warm Namgung Family is the same as those who’ve endured all sorts of things outside?”

Namgung Do-Wei retorted sullenly.

“The difference between me, grown like a greenhouse flower, and those people, like weeds who endured hardship?”

“Ah. So you understand that much. Wow, people’s heads do get sharper with time.”

Despite the blatant sarcasm, Namgung Do-Wei didn’t get angry; instead he let out a small laugh.

“I get what you mean, but then why is the Green Forest King like that?”

“…Huh?”

“The one who really rolled around in the outside weeds seems to be the Green Forest King, but in fact he seems to be good only at using his head and not much else.”

“Th-that… um… that’s…”

“So it seems there are different kinds of weeds, huh? Some weeds are useless, it seems.”

“Ugh…”

Watching their conversation, Tang Pae was thoroughly fascinated. It was the first time he’d seen Namgung Do-Wei land such a blow against Im So-Byeong.

‘You have grown, Do-Wei!’

Pride welled up in Tang Pae’s heart.

Im So-Byeong sputtered complaints belatedly, but Namgung Do-Wei didn’t listen and fell into thought.

‘Mount Hua people are clearly different.’

Are they good because they’ve experienced everything? That isn’t entirely wrong, but it misses the point. The real crucial fact is that those “everything” includes things others might never experience in a lifetime.

Do those raised so roughly truly learn to do all those things?

‘No way.’

It can’t be. Southern Island Sect’s disciples likely lived fairly rough lives for a Justice faction, yet from the moment the situation began until now they’ve been scrambling just to keep up.

But Mount Hua’s disciples moved as if they already knew all this. As if they’d anticipated this situation long ago and prepared.

Namgung Do-Wei, pondering whether this was possible, shook his head.

Preparing for war isn’t that difficult: raise martial skill, stock supplies, secure power. But foreseeing the events that will occur within that war and cultivating the appropriate abilities in advance is practically impossible.

‘I don’t know.’

Namgung Do-Wei grew curious anew. What kind of world did Mount Hua’s Sword Saint Chung Myung see? Was he really looking at the same world as others?

At that moment, Southern Island Sect’s disciples began arriving on the shore one by one. At the front, Geum Yang-Baek and elders ran out. Namgung Do-Wei bit his lip without realizing it.

‘The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families of the world’s best.’

A bitter chuckle escaped his mouth.

‘If something’s wrong, it’s the world I was seeing. I was the fool dreaming and living inside it.’

Reality is always cruel. But Namgung Do-Wei would no longer avert his eyes from the approaching reality. If that is the real world, he’ll face it without avoiding it someday…

“Do-Wei. Stop standing there and come press the Seol Palace Lord’s stomach. The water’s not out yet.”

“…Yes.”

But it seemed a bit too early for Seol So-Baek.