Don’t Bow Your Head. (1)
The Mount Hua disciples, who had been sprawled about like the dead, all lifted their heads at once, their eyes suddenly bright.
They had only caught fragments of what was happening while helping load people onto wagons, and the limits of what ordinary commoners knew were obvious. Naturally, the Mount Hua disciples wanted to hear the details of the Yangtze River situation.
But Chung Myung himself merely looked bored and picked at his ear.
“No idea. They’ll probably handle it themselves.”
“......Is that so?”
Chung Myung blew on the finger he’d just used to clean his ear.
“Still......”
“Nah.”
Before Tang Gun-ak could say more, Chung Myung waved him off.
“You can’t get the order backwards.”
“Hm?”
“Of the idiots who strapped on their swords and ran off to fight, and the innocent people getting caught in the mess, who comes first?”
“......Well......”
Tang Gun-ak couldn’t answer at once. Obviously the latter.
“Even if I were interested in that, it comes after everyone else has been evacuated.”
At Chung Myung’s words, Tang Gun-ak slowly nodded.
Once again, he found himself admiring this young Daoist. Knowing something in your head and actually doing it were two very different things. Right on his doorstep, the balance of the martial world was changing, and to turn away from that kind of spectacle took no ordinary patience.
He might be misunderstood because of his outwardly rash personality and exaggerated behavior, but there were not many in the current martial world with more patience than Chung Myung......
“But......”
“Hm?”
Chung Myung’s ears perked up. His hand, hanging at his side, kept fidgeting without rest, and his lips moved restlessly as though he wanted to say something.
His behavior clearly didn’t match his words, and Tang Gun-ak’s expression turned faintly sour.
Chung Myung hesitated before opening his mouth.
“That...... situation, the...... uh......”
“......”
“No, I’m not saying I’m curious or anything! Not that exactly, but maybe there could be some trouble during the transfer and...... that......”
“Didn’t you just say you weren’t curious?”
“Hey! Who said I was curious? That’s not what I meant!”
Tang Gun-ak sighed and shook his head.
Honestly......
“Hah! I don’t care if those Namgung bastards drop dead or not!”
Chung Myung suddenly exploded, then spun around to glare at his martial brothers and barked, “If you’ve all rested enough, get up! Dawn’s gonna come before you know it!”
“......That bastard’s just taking it out on us for no reason.”
“Someday I’m going to hit him. Someday......”
The Mount Hua disciples grumbled as they obediently got to their feet. Though they complained with their mouths, they too wanted nothing more than to move the Yangtze River refugees to safety as quickly as possible.
As for those who had already resolved to live there, there was nothing Mount Hua could really do for them. But at the very least, for those who had made the enormous decision to relocate to Sichuan, shouldn’t they do everything in their power to help?
“Any problems moving people to Sichuan?”
“Why would there be any?”
Tang Gun-ak replied calmly.
“For now, the priority is just getting them out of the Yangtze River region. Sending them to Sichuan can happen slowly. Thanks to the grain you brought and the grain shipped in from Maehwado, feeding the refugees hasn’t been a problem, so that’s a relief.”
“Then that’s fine. Have you secured land in Sichuan?”
“I’m still thinking about that.”
Tang Gun-ak’s brow creased slightly.
“Even with that many people, I’d like to settle them in Chengdu if possible, where the Dang Family’s influence is strongest......”
“But?”
“I’m not sure it’ll be easy for them to adapt to city life. Especially not people who’ve spent their lives beside a river.”
“Mm.”
Chung Myung nodded as if he found the reasoning convincing.
“So I’m thinking of settling them along the Min River west of Chengdu. That should be best for people who’ve lived by a river all their lives. It can’t compare to the Yangtze, of course, but it’s still a river, isn’t it?”
Hearing that, Chung Myung flashed a grin.
The number of refugees being moved was by no means small.
In principle, the martial sects had little to do with commoners, but as the hegemon of Sichuan, the Dang Family was deeply regional and would not want to miss out on refugees who would stand firmly behind them.
So normally, it was only natural to settle people in an area where one’s own power was strongest and reap the benefits from there.
The Dang Family had also sacrificed a great deal to support these people.
But right now, Tang Gun-ak was placing their lives above the Dang Family’s gains. Even if it meant losing a little influence, he was looking for a place most like the one they had lived in.
This is the Dang Family all over.
Feeling inexplicably pleased, Chung Myung nodded emphatically.
“Sounds like a good idea.”
“Does it? Hmm. I’m still not sure. I may need to look for somewhere better.”
Three deep wrinkles formed between Tang Gun-ak’s brows. Chung Myung finally burst out laughing. This was a face the Dang Family elder hadn’t even shown when he’d been keeping watch over him.
“The Sect Leader said he’d support them as much as possible under the name of the Heavenly Alliance, so don’t worry too much. For now, getting out of here is the priority.”
“Indeed.”
Tang Gun-ak nodded quietly.
Then it happened.
“Are those people from Mount Hua?”
“The Mount Hua Sect disciples are here!”
People suddenly poured out of the manor and gathered around the Mount Hua disciples.
The refugees who were still staying there had spotted them arriving and rushed out barefoot to greet them.
“You’ve truly suffered a great deal.”
“Oh my. Look at all that dust on your face.”
The people who ran out clasped their hands, and the women wiped the dust from the Mount Hua disciples’ faces with their sleeves. The unexpected warmth of the welcome sent the disciples’ faces blazing red.
“N-no, there’s no need for that......”
“It’s not like we did anything worth this.”
But the refugees seemed to feel differently.
If they’d tried to walk here on foot, they would not have arrived even after days and days of travel. To come while also bringing children would have meant pounding the road for more than ten days.
In this grim atmosphere along the Yangtze, how could they not be grateful to the people who had stepped forward and helped them?
At that moment, someone lightly tugged at Jo Gul’s sleeve.
“Um...... could you take this......?”
“Huh?”
Jo Gul turned and blinked at what was being held out in front of him.
“This is......?”
“It’s dumplings. There aren’t many, but please at least have something to fill your stomach......”
“......”
Jo Gul took the dumplings wrapped in cloth without quite knowing how, then hurriedly rubbed his nose.
“You really didn’t have to......”
Of course, his body was beyond exhausted.
No matter how skilled a martial artist he had become, and no matter how far his level had risen beyond what most men could ever dream of, dragging wagons loaded to the limit with goods and people back and forth between Wuhan and Jiujiang several times a day was hardly easy.
And yet all that fatigue, all that heaviness, seemed to vanish in that moment.
“......Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
As Jo Gul awkwardly bowed his head, Yoon Jong tapped his shoulder.
“You planning to eat that all by yourself?”
“......Yes. I’m eating it alone. I’m not giving any to you, sahyung.”
Under normal circumstances, Yoon Jong would have grabbed Jo Gul by the collar, but now he only smiled faintly.
Some said righteousness was something given without expectation of return.
But whenever Yoon Jong experienced moments like this, he couldn’t help thinking that wasn’t quite right.
It wasn’t that there was no return. It was simply that the meaning of that return was different.
Warm hospitality, a few words of thanks, a handful of dumplings—weren’t those more than enough payment for them?
“Thank you.”
Baek Cheon bowed his head to them on behalf of the group.
“When you think about it, all of you are suffering because of the fault of people who carry swords. We can’t compensate you for everything, but we’ll do our best to help.”
“What are you saying? How could this possibly be Mount Hua’s fault?”
“Yes! I don’t know about the others, but we know how much Mount Hua and the Dang Family have done for us. Even beasts know kindness when they receive it. If we, as human beings, can’t recognize that, what are we then?”
“Exactly. We’re just grateful, that’s all.”
Watching them wipe at their eyes with their sleeves, Baek Cheon smiled softly.
“Well then, shall we—”
“If we’ve rested enough, let’s get moving, Sasuk.”
“......Hm?”
When he turned around, his martial brothers and juniors were already gripping the wagon handles.
“Geez, maybe it’s because you’re getting old. You sure aren’t quick on your feet.”
“Even now, the people of the Yangtze are desperately waiting for us. We need to move as fast as we can.”
“......You bastards?”
Baek Cheon glared.
When they’d been whining that they were dying, that they were really going to die like this, that Chung Myung should shove a wine bottle in that damn mouth of his and let him sleep so they could get some rest too—when had that been?
“Ah, no, it’s already night. You’re going again?”
“Hahaha. What does night matter to a martial artist? We’ve got people waiting, so of course we have to go.”
Jo Gul?
“Still, you should rest a little.”
“We’ve rested plenty. This is nothing.”
Yoon Jong?
They were all becoming more and more like Chung Myung; their words and actions never seemed to match.
“Ah, Sasuk!”
“Fine! Fine, you little shits.”
Baek Cheon snorted a laugh, then walked toward the wagons. But just as if something had occurred to him, he stopped, then turned back.
“Chung Myung......”
Baek Cheon was about to call him over when he suddenly shut his mouth.
Chung Myung had already slipped free of the crowd and was standing at the far end, staring blankly at something.
South. Toward the distant place where the Yangtze lay.
......
There was something unreadable in his back. Baek Cheon hesitated, wondering whether to call him again, then shook his head and walked slowly over. From behind, he placed a hand on Chung Myung’s shoulder.
“Hm?”
“......We should be getting ready to leave, Chung Myung.”
“Ah, right.”
Chung Myung nodded as if it were no big deal. Baek Cheon didn’t ask what he’d been thinking. It wasn’t hard to guess, and there was no need to confirm it.
As he looked at Chung Myung’s back heading toward the wagons, Baek Cheon spoke quietly.
“A man should take responsibility for his own mistakes.”
“......Hm?”
Chung Myung turned around. Baek Cheon glanced at him, then moved past him with practiced calm as he spoke.
“But when I made mistakes in the past, and you stepped in for me......”
“......”
“I mean...... back when I, as the Great Disciple, wasn’t properly leading my martial brothers and juniors, and you stepped in and changed everything......”
Baek Cheon paused for a moment, though he still did not look back.
“I was truly grateful.”
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly spun around and added,
“At the time. Only at the time. Not now.”
“Hey, this guy—”
“Let’s go.”
Baek Cheon snorted and stood in front of the wagon, gripping the handle.
“We need to finish the job before things get any worse. We can think about what comes next afterward.”
“......”
Chung Myung looked at him silently for a moment, then smiled.
“Dong-ryong really has grown up. Now you’re even saying things like that to me.”
“I’ve always been older than you, you bastard! I was then, and I still am now!”
“What are you babbling about?”
Chung Myung clicked his tongue and turned to look at Tang Gun-ak.
“We’ll be off then. One of the people we just brought in is a child, and they look pretty worn out, so please take a look at them.”
“The physicians already here are seeing to that, so don’t worry.”
“As expected, you don’t leave any openings.”
Chung Myung grinned and sprang up onto the wagon.
“All right, let’s go!”
“Heave-ho!”
This time, the Mount Hua disciples set off dragging the wagons without another word. As the wagons accelerated and rapidly disappeared into the distance, the refugees raised their voices and cheered them on.
Watching the noisy scene, Tang Gun-ak smiled quietly and shook his head.
“What a problem.”
He had never expected to grow so attached to children who weren’t even half his age. At this rate, he might not even be able to keep acting like an adult.
“Dang Family, we can’t lose either.”
He turned and shouted, “Organize the supplies! Finish the work before Mount Hua comes back again!”
“Yes, Patriarch!”
Tang Gun-ak’s shoulders were straighter than ever as he headed back toward the manor.