Episode 934 It may have already started. (4)
It was a very long night.
During that night, which they had never experienced before in their lives, the swordsmen of the Namgung family had to live with the fear that the enemies might attack at any moment.
But that didn’t stop them from trying to escape the island. Haven’t you already painfully experienced how dangerous the dark river is?
In the end, the inspectors of the Namgung family had to stay up all night with their eyes open.
And when dawn finally broke, they had to face a despair deeper than the thick darkness.
Namgung-myeong groaned.
“…It is the battle line of the ditch.”
“Hmm.”
Emperor Nangong frowned.
The moment the sun rose from the east illuminated the river, the ships surrounding the island in the middle of the river appeared. They were all armed with large artillery pieces.
“…You little loach.”
Emperor Nangong gritted his teeth.
At a glance, it seemed as if they had dragged a pirate ship on the Yangtze River. It was a sight that showed the will not to let a single ant baby out of the siege.
“Great Lord of Changgung.”
“Yes matriarch!”
“Breakthrough?”
Namgung-myeong bit his lip.
“…It’s difficult, matriarch.”
“The reason is?”
He swallowed dryly and answered.
“The distance to the riverside is too far. “It’s not an impossible distance to cross if you try too hard, but… it’s impossible to reach the riverside while fending off the artillery and arrows pouring in from that enemy ship.”
Emperor Namgung bites his lip.
“How about I cross the river alone? “I don’t know about the Changgung members, but it wouldn’t be that difficult for me and the elders, right?”
“…It will be possible. But…”
Namgung-myeong couldn’t bear to open his mouth.
“The problem is that even if the head of the family and the elders manage to break through the siege and reach land… nothing will change.”
This is an island.
You need a ship to transport people to land. Even if Emperor Nangong went to the water to find a boat and came back to the island, how would he be able to deal with so many boats by himself?
Ultimately, the ship that was rescued will sink due to the pouring bombardment.
“But wouldn’t it be better than now?”
“Matriarch…”
Namgoongmyeong’s lips soon turned white as he bit down tightly. It’s a very embarrassing thing to say, but there’s no way not to say it.
“…The moment the head of the family and the elders leave this island, they will not wait for the head of the family and attack the island. If that happens…”
“Hmm.”
Emperor Namgung, who understood the story to follow without even hearing it, let out a sigh. Namgung-myeong said in a sorrowful voice.
“Those who remain on the island….”
“They will be exterminated.”
Emperor Namgung muttered softly and closed his eyes.
In a sect, an absolute expert is responsible for more than half of the sect’s total power. The Namgung family without Emperor Namgung can never endure Surochae.
The reason is simple.
A black ship was making a majestic appearance among the ships surrounding the island.
‘Black Dragon Ship…’ The
Black Dragon King will be on that ship.
There is no need to question the elders. The moment even one Nangong Emperor takes a step back, the Black Dragon King will definitely drive his ship here and attempt to land. In the Nangong family without the Nangong Emperor, who would face the Black Dragon King?
On a poisonous island with nowhere to run, the Black Dragon King would be like a cat jumping into a swarm of poisoned rats.
“In the end… there’s nothing you can do.”
“Matriarch…”
Nangong Huang’s face was calm. It didn’t seem like he was particularly angry.
But Namgungmyeong and Namgung Dowi saw clearly. The sight of blood flowing from his tightly clenched fist.
He is suppressing his anger by clenching his fists so much that his nails are digging into his palms. He never shows such signs to other members of the Namgung family.
“joy!”
Emperor Namgung snorted briefly and growled.
“Things that wouldn’t even dare to attack.”
Soon his booming voice spread loudly.
“Those idiots can’t get to the island anyway. If so, the confrontation will only continue. Instead of sitting around needlessly and wasting your strength, everyone should go and get some rest. “There is enough space to rest, so there will be no problem.”
As the inspectors of the Namgung family gave anxious looks, Emperor Namgung spoke again clearly.
“No need to worry. If you just hang on on this island for a while, everything will be resolved!”
“Matriarch…”
“Lord of the Changbow!”
“Yes matriarch!”
“Form the crew into groups and have them take turns resting. Be alert, but there is no need to relax too much! Just be on the lookout for ships approaching the island.”
“yes!”
Namgungmyeong called in the crew and quickly formed a group. And the remaining manpower was forced into the palace.
The crew, overcome with anxiety, seemed uneasy about resting inside the palace where they could not see the outside, but it was also true that there was no way to guard the outside, so in the end, they followed Namgungmyeong’s instructions.
Once the situation was somewhat resolved, Emperor Nangong quietly summoned Nangong Ming and Nangong Daowi separately. He moved to a place where the other Gasols could not see him and asked the two with a different look on his face than before.
“What do you think we should do from now on?”
He’s not an idiot either.
There was no way I couldn’t understand that the situation was going extremely badly.
“Matriarch…”
Namgungmyeong opened his mouth with a face full of humiliation.
“There is no way right now.”
“…There is no way?”
“Yes, matriarch… First, we must protect this island. “If you try to break the siege clumsily, Namgung will end that day.”
“….”
“What the matriarch said is correct. “No matter how good it is, you won’t dare to land on the island that Namgung is guarding.”
“…It’s not that you can’t dare, it’s that there’s no need to.”
Namgung-myeong, who had hit the nail on the head, kept his mouth shut.
Even if the tiger is caught in a trap, it is suicidal to approach the tiger while it is still strong. An experienced hunter will wait leisurely for the tiger to weaken without rushing.
When it loses the strength to resist, it will leisurely approach and suffocate its skin without damaging it.
“good night. Let’s say that’s the only option for now. So, if I hold on, things will change?”
“…Salvation will come.”
“Salvation?”
Namgungmyeong nodded his head with difficulty.
“Yes… there is no way that Shaolin or the Gu faction would welcome the fact that our Namgung is surrounded by Surochae. “If only they would come to our aid, we would be able to lift the siege and escape this island.”
Emperor Nangong’s face distorted.
“Have you not already experienced their power?”
“Go, matriarch.”
“We couldn’t even properly resist their attack. Don’t you still know that the reason we were able to win the battle three years ago with a one-sided victory was not because we were stronger than them, but because that defeated army was trying to drag us into the Black Dragon House?”
“….”
“But Shaolin can deal with them on the river? “Do you really think that way?”
“Matriarch…”
It’s not an angry, scolding voice.
Rather, he was asking about the situation in an extremely calm manner.
“Even so, it is Shaolin.”
“….”
“It may be difficult to completely save us with their power, but at least they can open a way out.”
“…I see.”
Emperor Nangong nodded and looked up at the sky.
His shoulders looked a little smaller than usual.
“Was it excessive greed?”
“…let’s go.”
“It started out to escape from the shadow of Shaolin and stand fully in the name of Namgung, but it ended up being captured by the enemy and waiting for Shaolin’s salvation. “I’m so funny to myself that I can’t stand it.”
“Don’t say things like that, father.”
At that time, Nangong Dowi spoke firmly.
“Winning or losing a battle is not important. “What matters is not winning the battle, but winning the war.”
“….”
“No matter what ups and downs you go through, if you can win in the end, you are never defeated. “If I wasn’t Namgung’s bloodline, I would have laughed at my father’s attitude right now, not at the crisis Namgung is facing.”
“Dowie!”
Namgungmyeong shouted in shock, but Emperor Namgung heard that and laughed again.
“That is correct. “The sound of the Emperor Nangong of the world crying.”
Emperor Namgung chuckled, then gritted his teeth and said.
“There is always an opportunity. “If we can withstand this siege, the moment will surely come when we will throw them all to the bottom of this cold river.”
“It will be so, father.”
“Dowi.”
“Yes matriarch!”
Emperor Nangong gave instructions firmly.
“Make sure the gasols don’t get upset.”
“There is nothing to worry, matriarch. Nangung’s swords are by no means weak. “If my heart was going to be broken this much, I wouldn’t have dared to use Namgung’s name.”
Emperor Nangong rolled up the corners of his mouth and nodded.
My son has grown so much that I am becoming his strength. Doesn’t every single word sound more like the matriarch than that?
“Great Lord of Changgung.”
“Yes, matriarch.”
“Help Sogaju.”
Namgungmyeong nodded.
“It will definitely happen.”
Namgungmyeong and Namgungdowi bowed deeply and left. Emperor Nangong, who remained alone on the riverside, quietly turned his head and looked at the ships surrounding the island.
‘All I have to do is hold on until Shaolin’s salvation comes?’
Emperor Nangong twitched the corner of his mouth.
‘Myeong-ah is also good at lying.’
No, actually, I can’t say this is a lie. Because that is definitely true.
There’s just something left unsaid.
If Shaolin finds out about this situation and starts to move, that defeated army will also move.
What if the defeated army and the Maninbang reach the Yangtze River before that Shaolin?
‘At that time, this will be the tomb of me and Namgung.’
That loser would never want to miss this opportunity.
“haha.”
He laughed self-deprecatingly and glared at the Black Dragon Ship in the distance.
“Even if I die here, I will take your head with me. Black Dragon King!”
The momentum he gave off spread through the waves of the Yangtze River.
And that momentum was clearly conveyed to the Black Dragon King, who was looking at the island from the river.
“Emperor Namgung.”
A triumphant smile appeared on the Black Dragon King’s lips.
The energy that Emperor Namgung exuded was truly threatening. Even more so than when I mixed hands with him three years ago.
But that’s it. The time when a wild beast runs wildest is when it is caught in a trap. That momentum only tells us about the situation that Emperor Nangong is currently facing.
“Did you send a message to Lianju?”
“Yes, Black Dragon King!”
“Good.”
A bitter smile appeared on the Black Dragon King’s lips.
“Then… would you like to slowly cook the rat in that poison?”
An uncontrollable laugh escaped my lips.
‘I will teach you clearly what it means for blood to dry, King’s Sword.’
Soon this river will be dyed red with Namgung’s blood.
