1295 — This Is Just The Beginning. (5)

“I- my arm here is a bit…”

“This should be fine. Go to that assistant over there and just get it disinfected.”

“…Soso. I’m still your older brother, though…”

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

Tang Soso, accompanied by Tang Pae, began quickly tending to the wounds of the Southern Island sect’s disciples. Tang Pae prided himself on his medical skills, but watching Tang Soso treat the injuries, he couldn’t in good conscience step forward to take charge.

“When did you learn all that? You’re incredibly skilled.”

“Brother, spend just one year in this damned sect. You can stitch up a cut while eating Tang broth.”

“Ah…”

Whether her internal injuries were any good, at least with external wounds Tang Soso was undeniably much more adept.

“H- hurry here a bit…”

“Don’t act so dramatic over a scratch and wait. Can’t you see people with worse wounds?”

“S-sorry.”

“Next!”

“Yes, Miss! I…”

Watching the disciples flock to Tang Soso, Geum Yang-Baek’s expression hardened.

‘…a physician.’

Of the Nine Great Sects, the Southern Island Sect wouldn’t be without a medical hall. But most of its medical staff left Southern Island during this exile. They were not primary fighters and had no reason to risk their lives in battle.

‘Even if they had stayed, would they have been of any help in a situation like this?’

Probably not.

They had no experience treating people so severely wounded. At best they knew how to care for those with internal injuries. Even if they’d come along, it would have been fortunate if they didn’t just get in the way.

“…And that person?”

“She’s from the Tang Family.”

Baek Cheon answered Geum Yang-Baek’s question evenly.

“She’s the daughter of Tang Gunak, head of the Sichuan Tang Family. Through ties she entered Mount Hua. Now she is a mainstay of Mount Hua’s Physician hall.”

“…of the Physician hall…”

“Yes.”

“Our sect has so many people getting cut and hurt that she’s become very skilled.”

“…”

“So you needn’t worry about wounds. Of course, extreme injuries are problematic, but we can perform any treatment possible here.”

A sigh escaped Geum Yang-Baek’s mouth.

Seeing people scrambling for treatment, he finally realized how crucial physicians are on the battlefield. Though he’d steeled himself to fight the Four Sects Alliance someday, he’d been absurdly complacent about this aspect.

Geum Yang-Baek felt frustrated with himself.

“Mount Hua… when did they prepare all of this?”

“It wasn’t deliberate preparation. It just happened naturally.”

“…That’s a bit of modesty.”

Baek Cheon gave a bitter smile at Geum Yang-Baek’s words.

It might sound like modesty, but Baek Cheon was speaking plainly. Would Mount Hua have intentionally bolstered its medical hall to prepare for a distant future war?

By chance Soso had joined, and through countless battles and duels with real blades treating the wounded repeatedly, her skill simply skyrocketed.

Soso’s talent was impressive, but as Mount Hua’s youngest she wouldn’t normally have had such influence.

But the reason Tang Soso could grow freely with support was…

Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung.

‘Because that fellow yielded to Soso, I suppose.’

Looking back, Chung Myung had been the only one to raise his voice so that physicians would be valued.

If asked whether Mount Hua had prepared, he would answer no…

“But we don’t have time to linger. The enemy is surely closing the distance even now.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Geum Yang-Baek nodded gravely.

Still, it was fortunate someone could provide even this much care. If they forced on without tending wounds, the longer they were pursued, the worse things would get.

“Don’t take to heart what he said earlier.”

“…Acting Sect Leader.”

“He speaks like that, but inside he has a lot of compassion.”

Geum Yang-Baek shook his head.

“Acting Sect Leader. I’m human, and I’m a warrior too.”

“…“

“… How could I not know how difficult it is to break through the encirclement at the forefront? It was my job, after all. No matter what I hear from the person in charge of this task, how could I possibly hold even the slightest grudge?”

“…Even if it is just words, thank you.”

“No. I truly think so. In our Southern Island as well…”

Geum Yang-Baek stopped mid-sentence. Baek Cheon knew what he had intended to say.

If the Southern Island Sect had even one person like Chung Myung, things might not have come this far. He probably wanted to say that.

But such words were not fitting for a sect leader to voice. They could easily be interpreted as belittling other disciples or elders.

Baek Cheon took a long breath and asked Tang Soso.

“Soso. Are we far?”

He had much to say, but this was no time for leisurely talk. Even now the enemy was closing the gap.

“All done! Sasuk!”

Tang Soso replied immediately and scanned the area quickly. She then frowned slightly, as if something caught her eye.

“There!”

“Yes?”

“You have a wound on your abdomen! Come here quickly!”

“Ah, no. This is fine.”

“Why are you judging that? Judgment is the physician’s job! Seriously, those with swords think my body is made of iron!”

“…Yes?”

“Aren’t you coming here?”

The scolded man, dejected, ran toward Tang Soso. She roughly rolled up his clothes and quickly examined the wound. Her hands were unhesitating as she applied salve and roughly stitched the gash closed.

“Ugh…”

“Don’t act dramatic. There are countless people who are worse off.”

“…Yes.”

After wrapping the bandage, Tang Soso looked around and addressed everyone.

“There are limits to treatments while fleeing. At that time we’ll only be able to do emergency care.”

“Yes.”

“But still, come to me whenever you get a chance. If you keep postponing care because of circumstances and let your body worsen, you’ll truly become a burden later. Do you understand?”

“Yes! Understood.”

“Good.”

Tang Soso sprang up from her seat and turned to Baek Cheon.

“It’s really all done, sasuk.”

“Alright.”

Baek Cheon gave a small smile and nodded.

The situation remained urgent, but it was oddly heartening to see Tang Soso be Tang Soso wherever she was.

“Everyone, let’s depart immediately.”

“Yes.”

“Keep in mind: the enemies you’ve faced so far were not the true strength of the Four Sects Alliance. Soon the real Four Sects Alliance will confront us.”

At that statement, the slackened tension tightened again. Everyone’s faces set as a chill ran down their spines.

Though they already knew and preferred not to think about it, Baek Cheon deliberately brought that fact up for all to hear.

“But if you follow orders properly, we will surely lead you to the Northern Lands. So do your best.”

“Understood, Acting Sect Leader.”

Geum Yang-Baek answered before his disciples. As he spoke, the others nodded as well.

Trust that had barely fractured seemed largely restored thanks to Dang Soso.

“Monk Hae Yeon, will you be all right?”

Hae Yeon smiled faintly at Baek Cheon’s question.

“Five is no problem.”

“Monk…”

“However… even if Taoist Chung Myung gets wounded, do NOT hand him to me. I’d rather die than carry him on my back. If worse comes to worst, at least gag him and give him to someone else.”

“What, you bastard?”

“…Amitabha.”

Baek Cheon smiled slightly at Hae Yeon’s jest.

A person’s true strength shows at times like this. In that sense, Tang Soso and Hae Yeon were genuinely strong people.

“We will depart. Keep the formation tight.”

“Yes!”

Those who had tended the wounded immediately resumed their run.

Paaaaaat!

‘Certainly…’

Gwak Hwan-So nodded inwardly in admiration.

The difference between briefly channeling qi and not doing so was enormous. He could feel strength in his legs. Thanks to that, they could definitely pick up speed.

The problem was that soon they wouldn’t even have time to channel qi like this.

At that moment, Jo Gul’s voice drifted by, speaking to someone.

“Sahyung.”

“Hm?”

“Doesn’t the encirclement seem a bit loose? I feel nothing ahead. It might be beyond my senses, but…”

“It won’t be an illusion.”

Yoon Jong answered calmly.

“No matter how many the Four Sects Alliance has and how they control Southern lands, they don’t have enough numbers to fill all of Southern lands with troops.”

“That’s right.”

“In the end they’ll only be able to set multiple layers of encirclement. We’ve broken the first layer, so we’ll probably pass through a stretch with no enemies for a while.”

“Then isn’t this more doable than expected? It means we only need to break through a few times like this…”

As Gwak Hwan-So inwardly began to agree, Yoon Jong’s voice sunk into his ear heavily.

“It won’t be so.”

“Why not?”

“The Four Sects Alliance won’t have expected to stop us with the first defense line. The role of the first line is merely to delay us briefly, to buy time to set a proper trap at the next line.”

“…You mean a defense line manned by the Four Sects Alliance?”

“Yes.”

“Well… wasn’t that something we suspected anyway? If we keep doing this, we can break through.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Yoon Jong gave Jo Gul a quick smile, then glanced back. He saw Hae Yeon running silently with Yang Po slung over his shoulder.

‘Like now… if only we could keep it up.’

The gravest problem was not external.

A moment ago, Yoon Jong had clearly witnessed a possible crack. This time Tang Soso and Hae Yeon stepped forward, so they managed to get through somehow.

But what if the number of wounded increases?

If wounded multiply and they are forced to slow their advance, leading to more people being held back and more injuries in a vicious cycle.

What then?

Will they carry the wounded and die with them? Or abandon their sworn brothers and hasten onward?

Mount Hua had found that answer.

Over time, after much had been endured, through fights and debates, they had accepted the path they would take, repeating acts others deemed utterly meaningless.

But Southern Island lacked that process.

So they would now have to face it: what it truly means to risk one’s life to uphold the lofty benevolence and duty they had only spoken of.

Perhaps… at the end of the seemingly impossible march across Gangnam, what awaited them was a confrontation with the ugly selves they’d long pressed down and hidden in their hearts.

‘Heavenly Supreme.’

Yoon Jong closed his eyes gently.

He could only hope that the hell Mount Hua would someday face wouldn’t leave wounds too deep for them.