What Is Happening? (1)

Cold sweat ran down Im So-Byeong’s face.

“…We’re trapped.”

A terrain where three mountains meet. The path, naturally, opens both to the left and to the right.

But whichever path they took, the end was the same.

A sheer, dizzying cliff.

A steep rock wall that would better be called ‘despair’ barred the way between the mountains.

Even in perfect condition it didn’t look easy to climb. So with their internal qi depleted and their bodies exhausted, there was no point discussing it now.

They could force themselves to climb, but the outcome was obvious. The pursuing Ten Thousand People Clan would slaughter them before they could resist.

Climbing the mountain wasn’t any better. The steep, rugged slope and dense forest would sap their strength and leave them even more vulnerable to attack.

So this place was basically a jar sealed by cliffs on all sides. Im So-Byeong had led everyone into a terrain closed off on all sides by his own feet.

“How did…”

The Ten-Thousand Great Mountains consist of layer upon layer of peaks, making it very hard to read the terrain. It’s difficult to know what lies beyond a mountain.

They had already confirmed this on the way to the Southern Island, and for that very reason Im So-Byeong had taken this as their escape route.

But even Im So-Byeong hadn’t imagined there’d be such a sheer cliff behind the mountain.

“Ho Ga-Myung…”

Grit.

He bit his lips until they bled.

He had thought he’d broken the encirclement. He thought he’d foiled every ambush. At least in terms of strategy, he believed he was ahead by more than half.

Because that’s how it’s been so far.

But in this moment he felt it: from the moment they entered that canyon until now, they’d been playing into Ho Ga-Myung’s hands.

‘It wasn’t amateurish…’

He had assumed the hastily assembled forces could only hurl themselves in blindly. But not only could they do that—they were enough. The plan had been to open and guide the path visible only to him.

Would it have been different if they’d bypassed the canyon?

No, it wouldn’t have. A different approach doesn’t change the destination.

Only the timing would differ; in the end they’d still have ended up in these Ten-Thousand Great Mountains.

Why hadn’t he suspected it? Why hadn’t he been wary of the Mind-Probing Inquisitor Ho Ga-Myung? Why had he not assumed Ho Ga-Myung could always stay one step ahead if he chose?

Ho Ga-Myung had actually accomplished more than what Im So-Byeong had achieved in leading the Green Forest.

“G-Green Forest King.”

Geum Yang-Baek’s voice was heard. Im So-Byeong’s eyes trembled. For the first time in his life, he realized someone speaking to him could frighten him.

“What should we do now?”

Im So-Byeong gritted his teeth.

What should they do? He wanted to ask instead—what on earth could they do in this situation?

The path they wanted was blocked by a high cliff, and thousands of troops were pressing in from behind.

And the allies who would have to face those frenzied enemies had long since reached their limits. Their strength to fight was already exhausted.

“Green Forest King!”

Geum Yang-Baek raised his voice again, but Im So-Byeong could not answer.

Countless words flashed through his mind, but any of them would only drag morale down in this situation.

And in that moment Im So-Byeong saw—no, felt—something.

The moment he hesitated to answer, he felt something leave the faces of the Southern Island disciples he was watching. The letters ‘hope’ they’d been clinging to vanished futilely.

‘No, not like this…’

What had kept their exhausted bodies moving had been the hope of survival and the will to fight the enemy.

The moment they lost that hope and will, they’d be like rats trapped in a jar.

So he had to somehow prevent them from losing all will.

‘But how?’

Should he urge them to fight to the death to take down at least one more enemy?

Or should he tell them, since they’re doomed anyway, to meet death solemnly and gloriously?

No strategy Im So-Byeong had studied, nor any of his experience, could answer that question. So he merely floundered helplessly in the approaching despair.

Then, someone’s calm voice was heard.

“Surrounded on all sides…”

It was Baek Cheon, who’d been blocking the pursuers from behind and arrived here bloodied at the end.

He looked around without any hurry. After carefully checking the high cliffs and surrounding terrain, he slowly nodded.

“This place will be difficult.”

Im So-Byeong felt his strength drain away in an instant.

Im So-Byeong realized he’d unknowingly relied on that Acting Sect Leader to some degree.

The moment Baek Cheon’s negative words came out, the thread of hope he had been holding onto felt like it snapped.

Baek Cheon turned and stared at the path they had come in by.

“Then there’s no choice. We’ll have to break back out and find another route.”

Im So-Byeong questioned his own ears for a moment.

What did that man just say?

Baek Cheon spoke calmly.

“Green Forest King.”

“Yes?”

“Are there many spots like this here?”

It might have seemed abrupt, but Im So-Byeong grasped Baek Cheon’s intention even then.

“I don’t think so. If there were many places like this, the Demonic Cult couldn’t have waged guerrilla warfare here…”

“Then that’s enough.”

Baek Cheon took a deep breath.

“So we just need to break out here and re-enter by a side path.”

“…”

“Is that right?”

Im So-Byeong couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Of course it was right. Of course it was the correct thing to say.

Except that to get back out and find another route, they’d have to break through the Ten Thousand People Clan’s main force, which was enraged.

“Now, Acting Sect Leader. That…”

“Is there any other way?”

Baek Cheon’s calm question shut Im So-Byeong’s mouth once more.

Another way? There was no such thing. If there were, Im So-Byeong would have used it already.

There was nothing wrong with Baek Cheon’s words. The only option they had was to open that path again. Or else…

“So all we need to do is open the path?”

Yoon Jong’s question from behind was met with Baek Cheon’s nod without even turning.

“It seems so.”

“Good, not complicated. Then, Green Forest King.”

“Yes?”

“Take care of this one for me, please.”

Yoon Jong handed Chung Myung, who he’d been carrying piggyback, to Im So-Byeong.

“Uh…”

“Guard him with your life.”

Im So-Byeong accepted Chung Myung with a dazed expression. Yoon Jong, without another word, stood beside Baek Cheon.

“Monk, take care of our sahyung for us.”

“Taoist…”

“Quickly.”

Tang Soso, too, tried to hand Jo Gul to Hae Yeon and move forward. Jo Gul urgently reached out and grabbed Tang Soso’s sleeve.

“I—I also…”

“Huh?”

“I too… I still want to fight… ugh!”

Tang Soso’s large needle mercilessly struck Jo Gul’s hand that held the sleeve. Jo Gul flinched in surprise as Tang Soso snorted with a smile.

“The bleeding will slow down.”

“…”

“Pull yourself together. We’re about to die for real. Honestly, our sahyungs are hopeless.”

Tang Soso quickly withdrew the needle and stood beside Yoon Jong.

Everyone stared blankly at the three from behind.

“Green Forest King.”

“…Yes?”

“We’ll hold back the oncoming ones. Lead everyone through the opened path. Namgung Young lord and Tang Young lord will help.”

“…”

“We believe in you.”

Im So-Byeong’s pupils trembled tightly.

How could they step forward so plainly even in this situation?

They understood. It was like smashing an egg against a rock. No matter how hard they fought, annihilation was likely.

Yet they gladly stepped forward, unlike him who was seized by despair and at a loss.

Im So-Byeong bit his lip hard.

Logically, there was only one choice here: abandon Southern Island like baggage and have at least themselves climb the cliff.

If they did that, the Southern Island disciples following below would act as shields, allowing the rest to survive climbing the mountain.

Wouldn’t they know this?

No, they know. They would definitely know. No one is as used to climbing cliffs as those from Mount Hua.

But everyone acted as if such an option didn’t exist. They intended to protect Southern Island to the very end.

Foolish and stupid.

But even Im So-Byeong, who’d lived his life as an Evil Sect member for gain, couldn’t bring himself to say that aloud. The same would be true of anyone else.

“Sasuk. Seems like there are a lot of enemies, doesn’t it?”

“You’ll have a hard time.”

“You speak well, that one you do amazingly.”

“How presumptuous toward a sasuk.”

Tang Soso’s hand, laughing and talking with Baek Cheon, trembled slightly. Im So-Byeong saw that hand and understood.

They weren’t calm because they weren’t afraid. They were desperately suppressing the urge to run.

That realization made Im So-Byeong unbearable. Even if others didn’t know, he knew that his arrogance had caused this whole situation.

Had he ever doubted Ho Ga-Myung even once while overpowering him, they wouldn’t have walked into this trap by their own feet.

Just as Im So-Byeong was about to say something.

“Stop this now, Acting Sect Leader.”

A calm voice flowed out. Everyone’s eyes turned that way. Geum Yang-Baek, pale from poison and wounds, was looking at Baek Cheon.

“Do not shame us any further.”

“…Sect leader.”

“The sacrifices you’ve already shown for Southern Island Sect are enough. To ask more would be mere shame.”

“Sect leader, we still…”

“Take the wounded and climb the cliff. Southern Island Sect will hold the rear.”

“S-Sect leader!”

Southern Island Sect’s disciples turned in surprise to Geum Yang-Baek. But Geum Yang-Baek answered calmly.

“Wasn’t that the plan from the start?”

Geum Yang-Baek’s gaze turned to Chung Myung on Im So-Byeong’s back.

“Mount Hua’s Sword Saint told us at least not to sit and wait for death. To go die where one can die with honor.”

“…”

“I think this place is exactly that place.”

“Sect leader. We can still…”

“Acting Sect Leader.”

Geum Yang-Baek smiled kindly.

“To be honest, I agreed with that statement and yet disagreed it. I couldn’t understand how rushing into the enemy and dying in battle was necessarily honorable.”

“…”

“But now it’s fine. Though it’s hard to find honor in the annihilation that comes from fighting the Ten Thousand People Clan…”

Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung and spoke.

“Now I think I know. What honor we must protect last. What we must protect last. What our role is.”

Baek Cheon’s shoulders began to tremble faintly.

Southern Island’s disciples, too, couldn’t bring themselves to speak and simply looked at Geum Yang-Baek.

“Until now you have protected us. You shed blood in our stead and bore the burdens we shouldered. So at least… now let us repay that debt.”

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

“Isn’t that right?”

Light returned to Southern Island Sect’s disciples’ eyes.

It’s not that they didn’t understand the situation. They only needed the final resolve.

And Geum Yang-Baek’s words now gave them the courage for that final resolve.

“At least at the end, be true to Southern Island. Wouldn’t it be shameful for Southern Island’s seafolk to die only ever receiving help from those from the land?”

“That’s right, Sect leader!”

“We will do it!”

“Aren’t you tired of only running away?”

Southern Island’s disciples raised their voices as if shouting defiantly.

They had always run away without having a proper chance to fight.

They couldn’t accept fleeing under someone’s protection until the very end only to be stabbed in the back and die. That would tarnish even their final moment.

“Even in the afterlife, we must have words to say to the sahyung who died before us.”

Geum Yang-Baek smiled softly at that.

“True enough.”

They spoke more calmly and composedly than they had so far.

Baek Cheon’s face darkened as he watched.

There’s no desperate resolve on display. No boiling fighting spirit. But precisely because of that, he could tell how firm their decision was.

To insist further would be an insult to them. Even Baek Cheon understood that much.

“Hwan-So, Ja Yang!”

“Yes, Sect leader.”

Gwak Hwan-So and Lee Ja-Yang, their eyes set with firm resolve, rushed out at Geum Yang-Baek’s words.

“You two follow them.”

“…What?”

“Wait, Sect leader. What do you mean by that!”

“If only you two survive, Southern Island won’t be considered as erased. Live and someday raise Southern Island’s name across the world again.”

“Sect leader!”

Gwak Hwan-So prepared to strongly object, but Geum Yang-Baek gripped his shoulder.

“I beg you.”

“…”

Gwak Hwan-So’s shoulders trembled.

“Please, sahyung.”

“Lee Ja-Yang sahyung, I beg you. Don’t let our deaths be meaningless.”

“Survive.”

Under the torrent of voices and gazes, tears began to pour from the two men’s eyes.

They couldn’t refuse. There was no time to stall by saying they wouldn’t go.

So they couldn’t even offer a brief refusal. That fact made it unbearable for Gwak Hwan-So and Lee Ja-Yang.

“Acting Sect Leader. Please take care of them.”

“…Sect leader.”

Geum Yang-Baek smiled gently and stepped forward.

He brushed past Baek Cheon and whispered softly so only he could hear.

“Mount Hua’s Sword Saint must be kept alive.”

When Baek Cheon couldn’t bring himself to reply and bit his lip.

“…Cough.”

“Chung Myung!”

“Mount Hua’s Sword Saint!”

Chung Myung, who had been piggybacked on Im So-Byeong’s back, coughed up blood and opened his eyes. His half-lidded, blurred gaze scanned the surroundings.

“…Where is this…”

Chung Myung’s eyes grew clearer.

“We were toyed with.”

Im So-Byeong bowed his head deeply. But the follow-up was different from what he’d expected.

“…Just as expected.”

Im So-Byeong looked up in surprise.

Even then, Chung Myung’s expression remained ambiguous, revealing nothing of his thoughts.