So You Say? (2)
"What do you think?"
"No…"
Yoon Jong trudged back with an awkward look on his face and scratched the back of his head.
"We didn’t find so much as a single plank, Senior Brother."
"…Is that so?"
Baek Cheon frowned in confusion.
"How about you, Young Patriarch Dang?"
"The same, I'm afraid."
Dang Pae, who had been paired with Namgung Dowi, shook his head.
"We needed to find a boat first so we could contact the locals and buy one, but there wasn’t a single vessel along the nearby shore. There wasn’t even a fishing boat in what looked like a fishing village."
Baek Cheon’s face tightened as he thought it over.
What in the world is going on here?
Of course, there could be a shortage of boats.
This place had once served as the port for ships heading to Hainan, but it had already been years since traffic between Hainan and Jiangnan had ceased. They couldn’t have simply left the boats to rot; it wasn’t strange that they would’ve moved them somewhere useful instead.
But even so, it made no sense that there wasn’t even a fishing boat where sea met shore for miles around.
"Did you ask why, or…"
Namgung Dowi shook his head before Baek Cheon could even finish the question.
"The Green Forest King made it very clear that we were to minimize contact with the locals. If we had seen a boat, perhaps things would have been different, but since we didn’t, we couldn’t simply strike up conversation with anyone."
"…Well done."
It was hard for them to accept, but if they believed Im So-byeong, then Jang Il-so’s reputation in Guangdong apparently wasn’t as terrible as one might expect.
Jang Il-so was merciless beyond words to those who knew martial arts, but to ordinary people who didn’t, he seemed to be surprisingly lenient.
That meant that even if they were orthodox sects, they couldn’t be certain the common people would side with them.
And if the families of those locals happened to throw in with the Myriad Man Sect afterward, then truly irreversible disaster might follow.
Jiangnan really is a difficult land.
Even contacting ordinary commoners required caution…
"…We can think of a way once the situation becomes clearer, but there’s no point in rushing into anything, is there?"
At Dang Pae’s words, Baek Cheon slowly nodded. Just then, Cheong Myeong, who had been tormenting Yu I-seol, tossed out a lazy remark.
"I keep telling you, let’s just head back."
"…Wait a little longer."
"I don’t know why you keep wasting time for no reason. You’ve got perfectly good arms and legs."
"…Our arms and legs are more fragile than you think."
"That’s because you’re lazy about training! Lazy!"
"Ugh."
Baek Cheon shook his head, looking thoroughly fed up.
Then he spotted Yu I-seol and Dang So-so running toward them from far off. Even from a glance, their faces were urgent.
"Senior Brother."
"What is it, Junior Sister?"
"Senior Uncle! You really need to come take a look!"
Without hesitation, Baek Cheon started walking.
* * *
Broad-shouldered men had stripped off their shirts and were charring a massive log over fire. The southern sea air was already hot and humid, and with the added heat from the flames, their bodies were quickly coated in sweat.
"Hurry it up!"
"How’s that other job coming along?"
"It’s going smoothly. In about three more days…"
"Too slow! Finish it within two days! If we don’t have everything ready before the Military Strategist arrives, both you and I are as good as dead!"
"We’ll absolutely finish it within two days!"
A hairy brute glanced around and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Move faster, all of you! If the preparations aren’t complete on time, there’ll be hell to pay!"
"Yes, sir!"
The laborers hurried back and forth without even a chance to catch their breath.
Baek Cheon, hidden in the brush, narrowed his eyes as he watched.
Large and small boats were lined up so tightly along the shore that there wasn’t room to slip a paper between them. So that was why they couldn’t find even a single fishing boat—they had apparently requisitioned every vessel in the area.
And they’re building more here?
By rough count, they were constructing another five ships or so. They weren’t especially large, but the important thing was that they were increasing the number of boats here at all.
Baek Cheon cautiously backed away without making a sound. The others, who had also observed the situation and withdrawn, exchanged stiff looks.
"It has to be the Myriad Man Sect."
"That seems likely."
"Then those ships are…"
Dang Pae nodded grimly.
"They’re probably for Hainan. There’d be no need to requisition boats for no reason, so they must have gathered them recently."
Baek Cheon let out a heavy sigh.
But Jo Geol only tilted his head, looking as if he didn’t quite understand what that meant.
"Senior Brother. What are you saying?"
"…I’m saying those ships have finally become useful. If they’re going to Hainan, they need boats."
"Huh?"
"It means the Evil Tyrant Alliance is preparing to advance on Hainan."
Only then did Jo Geol understand. His expression hardened. He moved quietly toward the brush, checked the shoreline again, then came back with a grave face and muttered,
"All of those ships?"
"…"
"I mean, how many troops are they planning to send…"
Jo Geol shuddered as though gooseflesh had broken out all over him.
On land, one couldn’t easily estimate the size of an army just from the number of carts. But at sea, it was different. The number of ships was practically the same as the number of soldiers heading to Hainan.
"…This definitely doesn’t look like they’re just planning to teach someone a mild lesson."
Im So-byeong, who had been listening in silence, gave a faint snort.
"This is Jang Il-so we’re talking about. If he hadn’t made a move, perhaps things would be different, but once he does, he’ll try to erase even the name Hainan from the world. That’s the kind of man he is."
"…"
"More importantly, this may be turning into a much more urgent matter than we thought…"
Im So-byeong tapped his own head with his fan. When everyone looked at him with hard expressions, he said in a sour tone,
"In truth, the Evil Tyrant Alliance has no reason to move this quickly. Their internal situation still hasn’t fully stabilized, so they could afford to take their time…"
He fell silent as if considering something, then nodded.
"If there’s a reason, it’s one of two things."
"And what are they?"
"Either the internal cleanup in the Evil Tyrant Alliance finished far sooner than we expected…"
"…"
"Or the existence of Hainan Sect is irritating Jang Il-so far more than we imagined."
"Would Jang Il-so really care that much about Hainan? At most, it’s just…"
"I thought so too, but after seeing what’s happening in Guangdong, I think I understand it now. For Jang Il-so, Guangdong is no different from a garden he has carefully tended. Even though he belongs to the unorthodox faction, he’s won the people’s support, and because it’s in the rear, it’s a perfect stronghold with no danger of enemy invasion."
"…That’s true."
Even if the war between the Evil Tyrant Alliance and the orthodox sects ended with the orthodox side’s victory, unless that victory were overwhelming, they would have a hard time advancing as far as Guangdong. Why?
"The 100,000 Great Mountains…"
"Exactly, Young Patriarch Namgung."
Namgung Dowi let out a groan.
They had passed through the 100,000 Great Mountains themselves, so they knew. Geographically and strategically, it was a natural fortress—one almost impossible to advance through. Guangdong, with the 100,000 Great Mountains at its back, was the safest stronghold Jang Il-so could possibly have.
"But if Hainan is behind him, that changes everything. We saw Hainan as a knife pointed at the Evil Tyrant Alliance’s back, but to Jang Il-so…"
"It’s an evil enemy that could burn down his garden whenever it feels like it."
"Yes. So of course he’d want to root it out completely. So that, even if problems arise, Guangdong itself can be protected."
Baek Cheon frowned.
"That makes sense logically, but is Jang Il-so really the kind of person who thinks that far ahead? The one I know would…"
"Don’t misunderstand, Acting Sect Leader."
"…What do you mean?"
Im So-byeong spoke in a solemn voice.
"To the world, Jang Il-so is merely a storm-tossed hero who rose to his current position through one victory after another. But Jang Il-so did not always win."
"…"
"Before his name was properly known, he was struggling just to keep his life intact. That’s how the unorthodox faction is. They try to crush promising seedlings before they can grow."
Cheong Myeong nodded as though in agreement.
"Jang Il-so is a man who got here by enduring the countless claws of those who tried to tear him down—sometimes running, sometimes losing, sometimes sacrificing far more than he could afford. Don’t think of him as some lunatic obsessed with war. What he wants is to seize everything. And to do that, he knows what must be prioritized."
Perhaps there was no one who disliked Jang Il-so more than Cheong Myeong himself. Since even he gave such an assessment, there was no reason not to believe it.
Im So-byeong tapped his fan against his head again.
"Hmph. At this point, trying to figure out why they’re moving so quickly doesn’t seem very useful. What matters is… those ships will soon be loaded full of Myriad Man Sect bastards and dropped onto Hainan."
"…"
"Onto that island with nowhere to run."
Namgung Dowi asked with an increasingly anxious expression,
"How much time do we have?"
"Let’s see. Judging by it, the people building these ships were probably the ones who were already left in Guangdong… so the ones who’ll board them are likely the ones coming this way now. If we estimate the time needed to finish those newly built ships…"
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
After tapping his shoulder in a steady rhythm with the tip of his fan, Im So-byeong nodded gravely.
"Five days at most. It won’t take longer than that."
A groan escaped Baek Cheon’s lips.
Damn it.
As things had originally been expected, the Evil Tyrant Alliance shouldn’t have moved for at least several more months. They had assumed that once the preparations for war against Jiangbuk were complete, Hainan would be the first target.
So they had come to Hainan first with a small force. To discuss matters with Hainan Sect before anything else.
But if things remained this way, persuading Hainan to join the Heavenly Friends Alliance would become completely meaningless. If the sect was going to be wiped out in five days, what use was the Heavenly Friends Alliance then?
"What will you do, Acting Sect Leader?"
"Senior Brother… what will you do?"
Baek Cheon brooded with a hard face. There were two options. First, admit quickly that they were too weak and retreat now. Or second, get into Hainan as quickly as possible, warn them, and work out a response together.
"…There’s no need to think about it for long."
Again, he was glad they had cut straight through Jiangnan. If they had chosen some foolish detour, they would have heard that Hainan had been annihilated before they had even gotten halfway here.
"First, we go to Hainan."
"…Won’t that be too dangerous?"
"Even if it is, it won’t be to the point that the people here can’t get away."
Baek Cheon spoke with firm resolve.
"But Hainan doesn’t know the Evil Tyrant Alliance will attack at this point in time. We at least have to tell them that much, don’t we?"
Everyone nodded at that. Even in this situation, there were those who still managed to think realistically.
"But how do we get to Hainan? Those bastards have requisitioned every boat. Should we try to steal one at night?"
At Namgung Dowi’s question, Baek Cheon glanced off to one side without answering.
"…Acting Sect Leader?"
At once, sensing something ominous, Namgung Dowi asked in a trembling voice.
Baek Cheon, still staring at the distant sea with his own eyes, turned back and fixed one person with a piercing look.
"…You can do it, right?"
"I told you, yes, I can do it."
"You really can do it, right?"
"Honestly, have I looked like a liar to you?"
Cheong Myeong answered with a wide grin.
"It’s only about fifty ri at most, isn’t it? At that distance, you could practically lie down and swim there by half a day."
Baek Cheon nodded, then looked at the others.
"So he says."
"…"
"…"
Silence fell.
For the first time in his life, Namgung Dowi felt the urge to stab Baek Cheon’s clear, bright eyes right out of his face.