"Abbot."
The abbot didn't respond to the call. There were times when he always wore a gentle smile, but now he remained silent, his face cold and hard, as if he had forgotten how to smile.
It couldn't be helped.
He had left with grand boasts, but he returned without any success from Mount Hua, an extremely humiliating experience for him.
He couldn't even bear to look at the faces of those who had been waiting for his return to Shaolin.
"Namgung is surrounded."
The news he received in the midst of this rendered the abbot silent.
No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was shocked. It was as if his mind had gone blank for a moment.
Of all possible scenarios, the worst outcome was thrust upon him.
"Tsk."
The Gentle Crow Beggar, who was watching the abbot, clicked his tongue.
It was a habitual act, not malicious, but that short clicking sound twisted the abbot's insides.
"It would have been better not to waste time and go straight to Yangtze."
"…"
It was unclear whether those words were a subtle sarcastic remark towards the abbot. But did it matter to the abbot? At this moment, he was more ashamed and afraid of being criticized for his mistakes than anything else in the world.
"… Amitabha."
After a long, long silence, the words he mumbled amounted to nothing more than a short prayer.
Peng Yeop, who had been waiting silently for a response, finally spoke with a slightly annoyed tone.
"This isn't the time for this. If the retreat is cut off, all they can do is hold out, and if the Four Precepts Alliance arrives first, the name of Namgung might vanish from the murim world."
"Hmm."
Someone's heavy, hushed voice echoed in agreement.
"We must go to the Yangtze River immediately."
Even Jong Ri-Hyung, who often opposed Peng Yeop, didn't refute him this time. This was proof of how urgent and frightening the situation was.
"Abbot."
The abbot, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them at Peng Yeop's prompting.
"… Let us do so."
A bright blue light emanated from the abbot's eyes.
"Now that the situation has escalated to this point, there can be no more hesitation. I will lead all the monks of Shaolin to the Yangtze River. So everyone here, please mobilize the power of each sect."
Jong Ri-Hyung asked in shock.
"A-Abbot. Are you planning on going to war?"
"… If it is necessary, there is no reason to avoid it, right?"
"But…"
It was clear what Jong Ri-Hyung wanted to say.
Going to war with the Four Precepts Alliance would be nearly suicidal. Even if they were fortunate enough to win, the benefits would be minimal and would primarily favor other sects.
However, despite understanding these concerns, the abbot seemed resolute this time, with no intention of backing down.
"I will send letters to each sect again and ask for support."
"… Will those who have backed out once change their minds now?"
"Since the situation has changed, they will have to make a choice too."
"…."
Jong Ri-Hyung fell silent.
He sensed that the abbot's tone was different from before. It wasn't particularly coercive, but it felt strangely uncomfortable to engage with him now.
"… If even the Tang Family steps up, it would be a bit easier."
Jong Ri-Hyung's grumble made the abbot twitch.
"What difference would it make if we sought help from those who aren't around?"
"That is true, but…"
"You all should know by now."
The abbot rebuked him with cold eyes.
"The reason I have endured all this time was to resolve things in the natural order, and it wasn't because Shaolin lacked any strength. But when things go this badly, sometimes you have to force things to work out."
It might not be wrong.
But given the situation, it was also true that the words meant nothing. If only he had made the decision a little earlier, things wouldn't have been as they were.
The abbot spoke in a sharp voice.
"We will head to the Yangtze River without delay. Speed is the most important thing now."
He had no choice. All of this was the result of the Namgung family's arbitrary decision. Still, if Shaolin truly claimed to be the leader of the murim, they had to accept that everything was Shaolin's responsibility.
If Namgung were to be isolated and defeated at the Yangtze River, public sentiment towards the Nine Great Sects would truly fall into the abyss. At least Namgung would have fought the Evil Sects, but the Nine Great Sects would end up as those ignoring them.
"Please hurry. We must arrive before the Hegemony Lord reaches the river!"
"Is it possible?"
When Jong Ri-Hyung asked worriedly, the abbot nodded.
"It is completely possible. Isn't it much closer here than in Guangxi, where the Ten Thousand People are? Even if the Hegemony Lord immediately moves after hearing the news, they won't be able to arrive before us."
Jong Ri-Hyung nodded as if he had a point.
"If you think about it the other way, it's like the Namgung family holding the pirates. It is hard to wipe out the pirates scattered over the Yangtze River. However, if they are all gathered in one place, it is a great chance. If the Namgung family and both sides can attack the pirates at this chance, the victory would come in an instant."
The abbot shouted firmly in a majestic voice.
"So let us move right away."
Peng Yeop responded immediately.
"Yes."
Jong Ri-Hyung still looked slightly unsure, but since he couldn't back out in this situation, he ended up agreeing. However, he didn't forget to make one request.
"Abbot, I will follow what you say, but you must also consider the possibility of the situation not being favorable. I believe that you will definitely draw out support from the other sects."
At those words, the abbot turned his head and looked at Jong Ri-Hyung.
"…"
A moment of silence followed. Soon, an emotionless voice pierced his ears.
"I will."
The answer was clearly a positive one, but Jong Ri-Hyung had a hard time shaking off the feeling that the response from a moment ago wasn't a good one.
But how could he confirm it? In the end, he had no choice but to answer with an anxious heart.
"… I will join the group."
The abbot's gaze turned to Gentle Crow Beggar, and he nodded.
"You can take the answer as such. There is no time, so please return to the sect right away, finish the preparations, and then gather at the entrance of the city."
"Yes, Abbot."
"We don't have time! Hurry!"
"Yes!"
"Then."
Those who were sitting suddenly got up and hurriedly walked out. Finally, Gentle Crow Beggar, who lifted himself off the ground, took a reluctant step and turned his head.
He saw the abbot sitting in place with his eyes closed.
'When it was time to make a decision, he hesitated endlessly, but when it was time to be careful, he decided on an answer without thought and moved ahead.'
He didn't evaluate the abbot as someone bad. As the leader of Shaolin and a great abbot in the murim world, he had fulfilled his role well so far. Indeed, he had successfully mediated conflicts between the sects with his gentle personality.
But.
'They say a good king in good times can turn to a tyrant in troubled times.'
As the world began to change rapidly, it felt like the strengths of the abbot were not being utilized at all.
He wanted to stop the abbot.
But there was just one reason why he couldn't oppose the decision.
'This has to be hell.'
The tragedy of the Namgung family could be surmised.
'Please hold on, Namgung family lord.'
The Gentle Crow beggar, known for his filial nature, ran towards the Beggars Union main hall like the wind.
Namgung Myung looked down at the person who had fallen in front of him. His face gradually twisted into an expression of rage.
The person who had died with his eyes wide open was someone he knew very well.
All the members of the Namgung family were like kin to him. But now, the first victim among those he considered family had appeared.
"This is…!"
He gritted his teeth in anger.
It felt as if the poisoned blade stuck in the side of the corpse was stabbing his eyes.
Nine times. That was the number of times they had been attacked in the past three days.
The culprits?
None.
No one got hurt, no one died. The attackers emerged from the river, attempting to assault those guarding the area, only to end up dying themselves.
It was so absurd it bordered on trivial. It was a result that confirmed Namgung Hwang's assertion that there was no reason to get caught in the water where your feet touched the ground.
But this was the only outcome. If everything had gone so smoothly, Namgung Myung wouldn't have been so angry now.
When they repelled the first attack, everyone's courage soared, and their morale rose endlessly. After stopping the second attack, there was a suggestion that instead of this, they should try to approach the pirate's ship and attack it.
And when they finally repelled the third attack, Namgung Myung realized.
During the two days of attacks, not a single person had slept properly.
Yet the attacks continued.
Sometimes they took advantage of the darkness of night, and sometimes they came in broad daylight.
And that wasn't all. When the morning dew settled when the deep sunset dyed the river….
The attacks continued regardless of the time.
The Namgung Family's swordsmen bravely repelled their attacks one after another. Still, the attack that had just occurred had finally resulted in the first casualty.
"… Empty one of the warehouses and move the body."
"Leader. First, let us bury…."
Namgung Myung's sharp gaze suddenly turned.
"Will his soul rest in the land of pirates?"
"… I am sorry."
Namgung Myung gritted his teeth and said.
"If we endure for a few days, we will be able to escape the island. Then we can collect the bodies and leave. So do as I say."
"Yes."
He pressed his eyes hard as he watched the comrades move the bodies.
'Damn it.'
They were not strong opponents. No, they were nothing more than trash.
And yet, there were casualties.
Because they were pushed to the limit by continuous attacks, they ended up making mistakes that they would never have made under normal circumstances.
This island was large. It was large enough for hundreds of people to live there at the same time.
But at the same time, this island was narrow. If the pirates set foot on it, they could run all the way to the other side of the island in no time.
In other words, they were currently trapped in a pavilion with a collapsed wall, guarding against invasion by enemies.
'No, that situation would be a hundred times better.'
In that case, at least they would be able to know where the enemy was.
But they had no idea where pirates would attack from. Maybe the pirates were waiting for a chance even in the waters that Namgung Myung was looking at.
So, no one could rest easily. They didn't know when the pirates would attack and when their defenses would be breached, and they would storm into the island.
Even though they knew they needed to rest, the tension that had reached its limit didn't allow them even a moment of relaxation.
And then…
Kwaaang!
"Damn it!"
"Why are you shooting useless things like that, those bastards!"
The pirate ships surrounding the island occasionally approached stealthily and fired their arrows. Of course, the trained Namgung family swordsmen would not be hit by projectiles flying from a distance.
But this was an island where there was no place to hide.
If they were careful, they could avoid it, but if not, it was no wonder they would die. In such a situation, who could even relax?
'If this continues, we will be the first to die before we can swing our swords.'
Those pirate bastards were eating away at their minds, not their bodies. They knew all too well how to make people suffer the most.
"Endure a little longer. Support will definitely come!"
"… Yes."
The response was not enthusiastic. The morale that had risen so high while blocking the initial attack had already fallen to the ground.
Now, all that was left was to just wait.
The sun was already setting. Namgung Myung unconsciously clenched his fists.
Once again, the endlessly long night was creeping toward Plum Blossom Island.