Episode 1250. That’s it. (5)
Geumyangbaek looked at the people in front of him one by one with an expression of bewilderment.
“That…”
The reason he was embarrassed now was not because he couldn’t interpret what he heard, but rather because he understood.
He blinked a couple of times and looked again at the person sitting in front of him.
Hwasan’s assistant manager, Jang Mun, is now sitting back and seated as if his work is done, and in the place where he should be, some bastard is sitting with a disapproving expression on his face.
Actually, if you think about it carefully, this structure may be correct.
Although Baek Cheon was caught up in the fact that he came here as Hwasan’s Jangmun agent and the representative of the Cheonwoo Alliance, he forgot about it for a while, but in fact, this person is the actual symbol of the Cheonwoo Alliance, which is making a name for itself throughout the world.
‘Hwasan Sword Association.’
No matter how great the Hwasan sect is, and the Jangmun clan of Hwasan is now in a position where no one in the world can act carelessly, all of that becomes shabby in front of these four letters, ‘Hwasan Sword Association.’
“That…”
Geumyangbaek cleared his throat for a moment and calmed his bewildered mind before vaguely asking back.
“So… I’ll stay here and study with Sapae-ryeon…”
“Let’s cut it short and get to the point, Jang Moon-in.”
“⋯⋯.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
“yes?”
Geumyangbaek closed his eyes in a daze. What do you plan to do? Isn’t that something that should be asked here?
At that time, the Hwasan Sword Association asked as if they were frustrated.
“Ah, you said you were fighting with Sapaeryeon. “How are you going to fight?”
“⋯⋯That’s right⋯⋯.”
how? Is this something to discuss ‘how’? Just protect the headquarters and fight as best you can…
“It would be enough if we just defend the headquarters and fight as hard as we can to the last man. I’m sure you’re not having such carefree thoughts, are you? “A person who is said to be a scholar from a certain sect?”
“Cough.”
A cough suddenly burst out of Geumyangbaek’s mouth.
“Oh no, right? Well, it’s not like one or two people’s lives are at stake, so you shouldn’t act like everything has already been lost. “Still, it’s a long sentence.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Right?”
When Geumyangbaek couldn’t answer properly, Cheongmyeong’s face instantly distorted.
“I knew it would be like this.”
“⋯⋯.”
“But what kind of heroic novels did these people only read? “Do you think it’s that easy for a person to fall?”
“Cheongmyeong. “You have to be careful what you say in front of people.”
“They say Jang Mun-in has two lives, so it’s okay to just throw him away?”
“⋯⋯But you have to be careful what you say.”
Geumyangbaek was astonished as he looked at Cheongmyeong with all the irritation written on his face.
“So…”
“what?”
“⋯⋯The Cheonwoomaeng members, including the Hwasan Sword Association⋯⋯.”
“Just speak comfortably. “It’s not a public place anymore.”
“Is that okay…?”
“It’s good because we can communicate easily with each other.”
“⋯⋯Then I guess so. “Are you really planning on winning a fight against that evil spirit?”
“What an obvious statement.”
“That’s obvious.”
“That’s right.”
Bewildered for a moment, Geumyangbaek stared blankly at the faces of those who answered.
“No, that’s…”
“why? “Is there something wrong?”
“I understand the spirit, but isn’t there such a thing as reality?”
“reality?”
Cheongmyeong snorted.
“Hey, uncle.”
“⋯⋯Cheongmyeong, you are a long-time writer.”
“Isn’t Jang Moon-in your uncle?”
“Still, you should call me Jang Mun-in.”
“Tsk.”
Qingming frowned and reluctantly corrected himself.
“Yes, Jang Moon-in. “What are you talking about in reality? Are you having trouble understanding what I’m saying?”
“hmm?”
“If you go by what you said in a long sentence, realistically, the only fate left for the people left here is to be struck by the Sapaeryeon sword and thrown to pieces.”
“⋯⋯.”
“So, is it really that hard to understand to just give it a try when it’s already going to be a mess anyway?”
Geumyangbaek frowned.
“I don’t know how my words were conveyed, but I didn’t intend for you to die just because it was us. Of course, I was thinking of taking at least one more person with me as a companion. “Isn’t that such an obvious statement?”
“We’re making more sense now.”
Cheongmyeong smiled and said.
“Let’s go a little further than that.”
“A little more?”
Geumyangbaek’s face became more serious, as if he was being drawn into Cheongmyeong’s words.
Cheongmyeong gestured with his hand and shouted.
“Hey explain!”
“Hmm! “I will tell you.”
Then Lim So-byeong came forward and sat down.
“Of course, it is clear that Haenam Mountain is a suitable place to defend against enemy attacks due to its topography. “Occupying a mountain area first and intercepting those climbing the mountain can be said to have been the standard of military strategy since ancient times.”
“⋯⋯That’s right.”
“But the problem is that this is not a fight that ends with just holding on. The moment you protect the mountain area, you will be surrounded, and in the end, all that matters is how long you can hold out and die. Those who attack will also have no need to rush.”
Geumyangbaek said with a worried face.
“I understand what you mean. But I think I missed one thing: this is not an island. No matter how wide Haenam Island is, the island’s topography ultimately has its limitations. Even if we abandon Haenam Mountain, we cannot take advantage of the vast terrain. “Because we’re surrounded by the sea, it just ends up being a game of tag.”
“Of course that is also true.”
“And if that happens, it will inevitably cause harm to the civilians living in Haenam Island. Moreover, if that happens, Haenam’s disciples who were sent down to the private house will inevitably be noticed by the enemy.”
At that moment, a strange thing appeared in Lim So-byeong’s eyes as he looked at Geumyangbaek.
I thought he was just a person who spoke the truth, but he turned out to be a person with more insight into the situation than I thought.
“So the Haenam faction cannot escape this mountain. In order for Haenamdo to survive even after the Sapaeryeon attack, we need to give them a clear goal and terrain to occupy.”
“What Jang Mun-in is saying is that all of the targets that the Sapae-ryeon will attack must be pushed into this mountain so that no damage occurs elsewhere, right?”
“That’s right.”
Geumyangbaek sighed.
“My heart is truly grateful. But we are not stupid enough to stick to this method. Over the past few years, we have been thinking about how we should fight when the Sapae-ryeon invades. “This is the only conclusion.”
“Hmm. That certainly makes sense. “This is an island, and if the goal is to somehow reduce the damage to others, it would have been the path that had to be chosen in the end.”
“I’m glad you understand…”
“but.”
Lim So-byeong, who stopped Geumyangbaek from speaking, grinned.
“That’s a story about being trapped within the confines of an island.”
“⋯⋯Yes?”
Geumyangbaek asked back as if what that meant. Lim So-byeong smiled and elaborated.
“There is a method that perfectly satisfies all the conditions Jang Moon-in mentioned. “This is a method that completely eliminates the damage that Haenam Island will suffer even if we do not protect this place, and makes them, who are clearly protecting the disciples sent down to Saga, focus all their attention on only the Haenam School.”
“No, where on earth is that method…?”
Geumyangbaek, who had been speaking, momentarily closed his mouth.
It also came to mind in his mind. What is Lim So-byeong’s method of speaking now? Although I had never thought about it until now and thought it was nonsense, there was one way that could perfectly satisfy that condition.
“No way…?”
“yes.”
Lim So-byeong grinned.
“There’s a fire in my master bedroom, but no one cares about other houses.”
“⋯⋯.”
“The moment we lead the Haenam faction and step on Gangnam land, they will not even be able to care about Haenam Island.”
“Are you in your right mind to say this?”
“Of course I’m sane.”
Geumyangbaek’s mouth opened wide. Looking around, not only Lim So-byeong but his companions all had calm faces.
“So, rather than guarding and holding on here, let’s attack Gangnam, their stronghold?”
“yes.”
“Are you putting that out there as a strategy now? “I knew what would happen when that happened…”
At that moment, Cheongmyeong responded harshly.
“What is happening?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know that?”
“Ah, so what’s going on?”
“This is frustrating! If that happens, of course…”
Geumyangbaek’s mouth, which was about to speak, suddenly closed.
Of course everyone dies.
Every disciple of Haenam who steps foot on the land of Gangnam will die. But that…
‘Isn’t it still the same now?’
Geumyangbaek, who was momentarily confused, kept his mouth shut and remained silent. What broke the silence was the sound of Cheongmyeong clicking his tongue.
“Tsk tsk. “This is why these guys clumsily pretend to be courageous.”
“⋯⋯”
“You have the courage to stay in the living room and die, but you don’t have the courage to go and die fighting?”
Geumyangbaek could not even reply in any way. I just stared blankly at Cheongmyeong.
“If we’re going to have sex, let’s do it hotly.”
“⋯⋯.”
“If Jang Mun-in really wants to show Haenam’s spirit, he shouldn’t die here. Even if I die, I have to go and die. “I don’t think there’s any need for me to explain which is more correct, right?”
Geumyangbaek clenched and unclenched his fists without realizing it.
The thought that it was a ridiculous strategy and the thought that Cheongmyeong was right were all tangled together in my head.
“Then…”
Geumyangbaek looked around at everyone with a stern expression.
“Are you guys planning to jump into the enemy camp with Haenam and block the prisoners?”
I suddenly wondered if the word ‘oksae’ was really appropriate here, but I couldn’t find any other expression for it at the moment.
Cheongmyeong answered clearly.
“no.”
“⋯⋯Yes?”
“That is Haenam’s position.”
Geumyangbaek frowned. So what is their position?
“Listen carefully, uncle.”
“Jangmun-in.”
“Okay. yes. Listen carefully, Jang Moon-in. There is no way to die. “There is just a way to have a higher chance of survival.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Our plan is not to die in Gangnam.”
Cheongmyeong raised the corners of his mouth.
“We’re going back the same way we came.”
“…go back?”
“yes.”
Qingming said firmly.
“I will lead Haenam and climb Gangnam in reverse. I will survive at least one more of them and reach the Yangtze River.
“Geumyangbaek’s eyes grew so big that they couldn’t get any bigger.”
If successful, Haenam’s name will spread throughout the world. Even if I fail, it will be 100 times better than losing here. “The important thing is that of the two options, the one with the slightly higher chance of survival is definitely going to Gangnam.”
“Look at this guy. “That’s…”
“If you are truly a long-time writer of Haenam, you should not humbly accept the end of Haenam, but instead try to find a way to carry on the name Haenam. “Because that’s what a Jang writer should do.”
“But…”
At that moment, Cheongmyeong’s face, which had been filled with irritation until now, calmed down. The moment I saw those cool eyes, a chill went up Geumyangbaek’s spine. Cheongmyeong said.
“I open the way.”
Geumyangbaek was unable to move as if frozen in place. But unlike him, Baekcheon calmly corrected Cheongmyeong’s words.
“We are the ones opening it, not you.”
Cheongmyeong nodded immediately.
“yes. We will open the way. So, you only have to decide on one Haenam. Are you going to believe in the slightest possibility and fight back? Or are you just going to give up and die here?”
“⋯⋯.”
“You said you wanted to leave something behind, right?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Listen carefully, Jangmun-in. Those who give up fighting because they can’t win have nothing to leave behind in the world. “The only ones who leave something behind are those who did their best until the end.”
Those words hit Geumyangbaek like a dull weapon.
“I gave you the way. All that remains is a choice.”
Cheongmyeong narrowed his eyes and stared at Geumyangbaek.
“What is Haenam’s choice?”
Geumyangbaek bit his lip without saying a word.
Normally, Cheongmyeong would have tried to destroy his opponent with logic, but at this moment, he just waited for Geumyangbaek’s judgment. This is because I know that this is not a path that anyone can push on.
After thinking for a long time, Geumyangbaek finally lifted his heavy lips.
“From now on…”
Everyone was keeping an eye on the Golden White.
“What can Haenam do for you?”
Cheongmyeong grinned. It was an answer I could not like more.
