Episode 960. Where is the volcano? (4)
“…Please.”
By nature, kneeling and bowing one’s head is a servile posture that a warrior should never adopt.
But no one here thought Nangong Daowi was servile. How could a person think like that?
“…Sogaju.”
The first to move was Hyeonjong.
“Sogaju, this…. What is this….”
‘What happened?’ He was about to ask, but hesitated for a moment and shook his head.
Do you really not know?
Are you asking this because you don’t know what hardships Namgung is going through on the Yangtze River?
Instead of asking questions, Hyeonjong approached Namgung Dowi and grabbed his shoulder. The moment Hyeonjong’s trembling hand touched him, Namgung Dowi’s body also flinched.
“…a long writer.”
Namgung Dowi lifted his head with difficulty and looked at King Hyeonjong.
Hyunjong looked at his red-stained eyes and bit his lip without realizing it.
“On Maehwa Island….”
“….”
“Still… the spirited Namgung family members are trapped.”
“…Sogaju.”
“Those who are injured are dying day by day, and those who survive are just waiting to die… Yes, they are just waiting.”
Hyeonjong’s shoulders are shaking.
“Please… help me, Jang Mun-in. Help them…help them.”
When Namgung Do-wi tried to bow his head to the floor again, King Hyeonjong quickly grabbed his shoulder firmly.
“…don’t do this, Sogaju.”
“please.”
Meanwhile, Tang Junyue, who was watching the situation, turned his attention to Zhao Gai. Zhao Kai, seeing the young anger in those eyes, sighed and opened his mouth.
“Shaolin…”
But he paused for a moment and bit his lip.
Was all of this really Shaolin’s fault?
“Open, Gong, and Shaolin did not help Namgung.”
“why?”
“…All people have been saved. In such a situation, there is no way to fight Surochae on the river….”
“I’m not asking that, Elder.”
Tanggunak’s voice was so eerie that it felt like a demon crawling out of a married woman’s body. That’s how big his anger is.
“I know the situation. “What I ask is why are you still just watching?”
“….”
Zhao Kai was unable to answer readily.
There are so many reasons, but none of them are the real reasons.
“This…”
When Tang Junyue showed his teeth and glared, Zhao Gai couldn’t bear to meet his gaze and turned his head away.
Why doesn’t he know how hard that party worked to protect those that the old faction couldn’t protect?
When he was with the old faction, he laughed at them, but here he is just a sinner. No one who uses the name of the old sect dares to raise their head in front of Huashan and Tangjia. No, there shouldn’t be any.
“…What about Emperor Nangong?”
“….”
“What happened to the Nangung family?”
The reason Tanggunak asked this was simple. The Emperor Namgung he knows is not the kind of person who would risk his life for his son to escape.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he was not a great man who would send his son to a grave alone.
“Maybe…”
Zhao Kai lowered his head, unable to finish his sentence.
Puzzle.
The sound of Tanggunak grinding his teeth spread out eerily. Thick veins appeared on Tanggunak’s fist, which was exposed under his wide sleeves.
“please.”
At that time, Nangong Daowi raised his head and looked at everyone. Tears flowed from his eyes, mixing with dried blood.
“Them… please save them. I’m begging you.”
“….”
“Please….”
Hyeonjong gave strength to the hand holding Namgung Dowi’s shoulder. But no answer came out of my mouth.
If he had to risk his life, he would have already run towards Maehwa Island. But isn’t he the only one who has to risk his life now?
He can’t ask them to risk their lives.
“…I’m sorry.”
Hyeonjong’s shoulders are shaking.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Sogaju. I’m sorry.”
This was not an apology to Namgung Dowi.
Maybe that’s an apology to yourself. Those painful days, when I had to hold on and hold on, carrying the heavy burden of the volcano.
Didn’t Hyeonjong resent it?
No one is reaching out to help.
That no one would listen to his cries.
Didn’t I complain and cry several times?
Nevertheless, King Hyeonjong could not bear to take Namgung Dowi’s hand willingly right now. I was almost gritting my teeth from the pain.
‘I…’
That was right then.
Slurp.
The sound of a sword being drawn was heard from behind.
Hyeonjong looked back with trembling eyes.
Baekcheon looked closely at the sword he had drawn and then put it back into its sheath. And with it tied tightly around my waist, I took one step forward and stood.
The eyes that looked at Hyeonjong in silence were full of courage.
“Baekcheon….”
Bang!
Yu Iseol’s process of pulling out his sword and checking it was much faster than Baekcheon’s. Likewise, she stood next to Baekcheon with her sword tied tightly.
It wasn’t just the two people.
Yoonjong walked over with hard eyes and supported Baekcheon. Jo Geol stood behind Yoon Jong with an angry look on his face, as if he was about to run away at any moment. Tang Soso silently stood behind Yu Yi-seol, and the remaining disciples of Hwasan, including Baek Sang, all drew their swords to check and formed their camp in silence.
“…You….”
Hyunjong fell silent for a moment, as if speechless.
No one has come forward and said anything. As if he hadn’t forgotten that it was Hyeonjong who decided all of this.
But their actions speak for themselves.
The moment his order is given, no one will rush to the Yangtze River without hesitation.
Jerk. Jerk.
Ungeom walks slowly and stands behind the children. Unam also stayed by his side with a stern expression, unlike usual.
Hyeonjong looked at that scene and bit his lip. A tremor arose in my heart.
I want to help.
He also wanted to run to the Yangtze River right now. But….
‘I am the palm of a volcano.’
It was at that time that Hyunjong was about to close his eyes.
Sreung.
Cheongmyeong, who had been silent all this time, pulled out his sword halfway and glanced at him.
“Cheongmyeong….”
Hyeonjong looked at him in surprise. However, instead of looking at Hyeonjong, Cheongmyeong looked at Namgung Dowi. And then he slowly opened his mouth.
“Answer me.”
“….”
Nangong Daowi lifted his trembling head and looked up at him.
“Why should we help you?”
“….”
“That place is a temple. If we help, we have to risk our lives too. “But why should we risk our lives?”
“….”
“Answer me.”
Nangong Daowi’s eyes shook greatly.
There is so much I want to say. There was no end to what could be said. But none of those words could completely convince them.
“…I am.”
In the face of desperation, logic collapsed and everything we had became useless. Now, all that was left was just one person named Namgung Dowi.
“I can’t… see.”
“….”
Cheongmyeong’s mouth became even tighter.
Nangong Daowi shook his shoulders and sobbed.
“I can’t watch them…my brothers, my family…my colleagues die like that.”
Cheongmyeong’s gaze landed on the crouching back of Nangong Daowi.
“please please.”
Cheongmyeong could tell the emotions that were on his trembling back. That trembling does not come from pain or sadness.
fear.
Nangung Dowi is trembling with fear.
I’m afraid that words of rejection will come out of Cheongmyeong’s mouth. I’m afraid that I will end up not being able to protect those I must protect.
Watching everyone die, I’m afraid that in the worst case scenario, I’ll end up surviving alone.
They are trembling in front of that great fear.
“….”
Cheongmyeong’s gaze, which had been glaring at Namgung Dowi in silence, then turned to Hyeonjong.
“Jangmun-in.”
“….”
“What do you want to do?”
The voice didn’t seem to contain any emotion. There was no urging or dissuasion. It was just a question.
It seems as if the choice is entirely up to Hyeonjong.
Hyeonjong bit his lips so hard that they turned white.
“I…”
What he originally meant to say was ‘I’m not helping.’
It’s okay to be criticized because you don’t know what to negotiate. In the end, he was no different from that Shaolin. It was okay to be laughed at. However, he could not command his disciples to risk their lives for others.
Hyeonjong may be able to do that, but Jang Mun-in of Hwasan, who went through those hellish days, cannot.
But I couldn’t bear to say that I wasn’t helping. No matter how hard I tried, only a faint moan escaped as if my throat was clogged.
At that time, Cheongmyeong, who had been looking at Hyeonjong in silence, opened his mouth.
“There was one person I thought was great.”
“….”
“He was a great writer. Everyone believed in him and followed him, and everyone was willing to risk their lives for him. “He was literally the perfect person to lead a sect.”
Hyeonjong closed his eyes tightly. Because those words sounded like a criticism of his weakness.
“but.”
Cheongmyeong looked straight at Hyeonjong and said.
“In my opinion, Jang Mun-in is by no means inferior to him.”
“Cheongmyeong….”
“There’s just one thing missing.”
Cheongmyeong closed his mouth for a moment.
There was a short silence, and Hyeonjong, unable to overcome the weight, sighed and asked first.
“What was it?”
At first glance, it was a voice full of earnestness.
“What am I lacking… what?”
Cheongmyeong answered with an expressionless face.
“It’s something you know.”
There was no wavering in Cheongmyeong’s gaze.
“The sword in Jang Mun-in’s hand…”
He paused for a moment, and the corners of his mouth twitched, revealing his pure white teeth.
Slurp.
His sword was completely pulled out of its scabbard.
“…how sharp it is.”
The moment those words fell, all of Hwasan’s disciples drew their swords at once.
The swords lowered in the darkest dawn glowed white in the darkness.
Tang Gunak, who was watching in silence, clenched his fists. This feeling of goosebumps running all over your body should probably be described as shivering.
A calm, clear voice came out.
“I am the sword of Jang Mun-in.”
Hyeonjong’s body trembled slightly.
“Command.”
Cheongmyeong revealed his teeth and spoke powerfully in a sharp tone.
“Doing the black will. If Jang Mun-in commands me, I will carry out his will. Me and them!”
Hyeonjong’s eyes scanned Hwasan’s disciples in battle line.
Everyone was only looking at Hyunjong with eyes without a single hesitation.
What was visible in those eyes was a trust that was unwavering. It was a belief that their long story would never make a wrong choice.
“We’re just going to make it happen.”
Hyeonjong quietly closed his eyes.
It seemed as if he was struggling, as if he was gathering his mind, or as if he was looking at the path he should follow again.
After being silent for so long, when he finally opened his eyes again, there was not a single trace of hesitation left in his eyes.
“Disciples of Huashan, listen.”
“Yes, Jang Mun-in!”
All the disciples of Hwasan knelt down on one knee to show respect.
“I will go to the Yangtze River.”
Everyone’s eyes shined clearly even in the dark.
“Rescue Namgung, who is trapped in Maehwa Island, and let those Safa groups know that there is still a plan in this land!”
“yes!”
The answer sounded as if it came from one mouth.
The disciples of Hwasan stood up all at once.
Namgung Dowi, who was watching the scene, sobbed loudly. My tense body collapsed. But before his body could even hit the floor, someone grabbed him and forced him up.
“wake up.”
“Dojo.”
Cheongmyeong gritted his teeth and dragged Namgung Dowi.
“If something needs to be done, do it yourself. “We’re not saving you.”
The voice sounded like an angry animal growling.
“We fight together.”
“….”
“There is no such thing as accomplishing something for someone else. You are the one taking the lead. “You save Namgoong.”
Nangong Daowi, who was looking at Cheongmyeong with trembling eyes, gradually stopped trembling. And the bright blue determination was filled with venom.
“yes! “It will!”
When Cheongmyeong looked back, all of Hwasan’s disciples were staring at him with confident faces. It seemed as if they were waiting for Cheongmyeong to speak.
Cheongmyeong responded to their will by lightly nodding his head.
“let’s go!”
Finally, the eastern sky began to brighten and turn red.
And the two sects of Hwasan and Sicheondangga began to advance to the Yangtze River in the name of Cheonwoomaeng.
