Two days had passed.
During those two days, the Shaolin monks remained motionless, rooted to the spot where they had first sat.
No one sat down, nor did anyone leave. They simply stared at Plum Blossom Island and the fleet of the Four Precepts Alliance blocking the way, their eyes bloodshot.
A stillness had settled over them, yet their hearts were more tumultuous than ever.
In this world, everyone eventually grappled with the gap between reality and ideals. Navigating those moments and finding one's place was what it meant to live.
However, the Shaolin monks of that day had not undergone such a typical process.
The threshold of Shaolin was too high for them to experience ordinary struggles, and the ideals they had learned were too lofty.
"… Abbot."
One of the Shaolin monks, unable to bear it any longer, looked at the abbot with red eyes.
Hae Bang.
He had once visited Mount Hua to deliver an invitation to the Martial Arts tournament. His voice strained and escaped his lips.
"Are we… just going to watch?"
"…."
The abbot's gaze remained fixed ahead, unmoving. It was unclear if he was listening.
But Hae Bang continued, undeterred.
"Are we really going to let the people of the Namgung family die like that?"
The abbot's neck muscles twitched slightly. Hae Bang finally raised his voice.
"Abbot!"
Only then did the abbot slowly turn his head, meeting Hae Bang's angry gaze.
"If we are, so what?"
"…."
"I will ask you in return. What would you like me to do?"
"…."
"Do you think we should fight the Four Precepts Alliance like this? Do you believe it is right to ignore the unfavorable battlefield and the forces being pushed back and jump into that river to die?"
Hae Bang bit his lip tightly.
The abbot's words were not wrong. Jumping into that river now was no different from jumping into a fire with a bundle of firewood on your back.
But…
Hae Bang immediately looked straight at the abbot and said.
"Is that foolish?"
"Hae Bang!"
"Wasn't it you, the abbot, who taught us that?"
At those words, the abbot went silent. His eyes wavered slightly.
"… Shaolin must protect the Central Plains. We must pursue the path of Buddhism, but we must not lose sight of the principles. You clearly said so."
"…"
"Is this the way to protect Buddhism? Or is this the way to protect the principles?"
"Enough…."
"Was it just words? Abbot?"
"Can you not keep your mouth shut?"
The one who raised his voice was not the abbot but Beop Gye. He glared at Hae Bang with an angry face.
"You can just vent your anger. But the abbot must make a decision that will put the lives of everyone here at risk!"
Hae Bang bit his lips until they bled.
"Would you be able to send all your sahyungs and sajils here to their death for those principles? Can you confidently say those words?"
Hae Bang lowered his head, unable to answer.
The abbot's eyes closed tightly.
In a situation where they could not do anything, everyone there was feeling twisted and horrible. It would only get worse as time passed. Just as a dark scar remained in the abscess that formed, perhaps even after the situation was done, that scar might never vanish.
'… Jang Ilso.'
This was why Jang Ilso was fearsome.
Jang Ilso had already won.
Even if Shaolin jumped into the river and rescued the Namgung family with their people on their backs, the scars engraved on their hearts would never heal.
Shaolin, who had been moving forward without hesitation, armed with two weapons, Buddhism and Righteousness, might no longer exist from that moment.
Thinking that the entire situation was a scheme devised by just one person gave them chills and made it hard to breathe.
A helpless sigh escaped from the abbot's mouth as he opened his eyes again.
He could feel it—the eyes of the disciples looking at him were no longer the same as before. The agony and distrust that had taken root in them were clearly revealed in their gazes.
And then, something fortunate happened to the abbot.
Jong Ri-Hyung of Kongtong, along with his men and the Gentle Crow Beggar of the Beggars Union, had arrived.
"What is the situation here?"
"… Amitabha."
Jong Ri-Hyung spoke, unable to hide his frustration as he looked at the ships blocking Plum Blossom Island.
"On the island…"
"Yes."
The abbot nodded weakly.
"There are survivors of Namgung there."
At that moment, Gentle Crow Beggar's eyes went dim.
Survivors.
It wasn't wrong. But wasn't the word "survivor" used to refer to the few who survived a force close to annihilation?
It was a very low tone.
"Those wicked people!"
They were also a leading sect, so it was obvious to them why the Four Precepts Alliance was blocking that place and keeping the Namgung family alive.
"Are we late?"
"… We came as fast as we could, but when we arrived, the Ten Thousand People clan had already taken over the river."
"T-this is… how could the Ten Thousand People clan of Guangxu be here…"
Jong Ri-Hyung's face darkened noticeably. Even the Ten Thousand People clan and the pirates alone were a strong force that wouldn't be easy for those gathered there to deal with.
But if those people had secured ships and occupied the river, he couldn't even imagine how many sacrifices they would have to make to break through that.
Jong Ri-Hyung asked.
"… Is it possible to break through?"
Gentle Crow Beggar answered calmly.
"Breaking through shouldn't be that difficult. If we put all our strength into it, what problem would there be?"
"Then…"
Jong Ri-Hyung smiled as if he had found hope in those words. But at that moment, Gentle Crow Beggar suddenly dimmed the light.
"However, this isn't a battle to break through the encirclement. We have to break through the place they are holding with our bare hands, reach the island, rescue the Namgung family, and cross back here."
"…."
"That means we have to fight the same battle twice. The second time, we will be fighting with people on our backs and with our exhausted bodies."
Sweat began to form on Jong Ri-Hyung's forehead. Only then did he see how absurd the situation was.
"I-if we gather forces at Plum Blossom Island?"
"We will just get surrounded together. Are they just going to let us gather there?"
"…"
"Then how about we also get a ship?"
Gentle Crow Beggar snickered.
"Couldn't the Hegemony Lord have thought of that? There probably won't be a single ship within a few thousand miles from here. If we go further than this and get a ship, by the time the ship arrives here, the Namgung family will cease to exist."
The abbot nodded. Although Gentle Crow Beggar certainly had a cynical side, he was able to grasp the situation quickly and accurately, as expected of an elder of the Beggars Union.
"Then what should we do?"
"What should we do?"
Gentle Crow Beggar looked at the deployed ships. To be exact, he was glaring at the people inside them.
"Either we squeeze out all the strength we have in us and risk our lives to rescue the Namgung… if not, we have to watch them die over there."
"D-Die there…!"
Jong Ri-Hyung's face turned pale.
'W-what on earth is this?'
He had thought of many scenarios as he hurried to the Yangtze River, but he had never imagined a situation so absurd.
"W-what do you plan on doing, abbot?"
Jong Ri-Hyung ended up asking that.
He thought that this was something he couldn't possibly judge. It was unbearable to break through that defense of ships and make so many sacrifices, and it was unbearable to watch the Namgung family die with his own eyes.
"… Amitabha."
But the abbot shook his head.
"I don't think it is something we can judge on our own."
"T-then."
"Since the Peng family hasn't come, how about we make a decision after the Peng family lord arrives?"
"T-that seems like the right idea."
Jong Ri-Hyung nodded.
But it wasn't really a word he said after judging whether the abbot's words were right or wrong. He was just relieved that the decision-making got postponed for the life of a sect, even by a little.
Actually, if one thought about it a little, it wasn't something to be relieved about.
Jong Ri-Hyung looked around at the disciples, who were still confused because they hadn't properly grasped the situation.
'Damn it…'
There was too much time.
There were just three days left. It was too short to decide the fate of a family, but it was too long a time to stew in their uncertainty.
From then, they had to fiercely agonize over their ideals and reality as if they were being punished.
What kind of situation was it?
Gentle Crow Beggar frowned as he watched Jong Ri-Hyung, who didn't know what to do.
'I was wrong.'
Of course, a decision has to be bold. A decision that is postponed and pushed cannot be the right one.
Moreover, from the conversation they had already had, it felt like he could see what decision they were leaning toward.
However, the Gentle Crow Beggar couldn't criticize them.
It was undeniable that there had been subtle friction between the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families. Would they have the loyalty to risk their lives to save the Namgung family?
Not only risking their lives but the fate of the sect too?
This was something Gentle Crow Beggar also wanted to turn down.
He turned his gaze inward, confronting the cynicism and self-loathing that resided within him, and then looked out at Plum Blossom Island.
'Namgung family lord. How could you do such a foolish thing?'
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
Yet, the Namgung family lord wasn't entirely to blame. Those present also felt as though their hearts were being carved with a knife. How much more agonizing must it have been for the Namgung family lord to endure that situation on Plum Blossom Island with his family?
It was an extremely harsh price to pay for a single mistake.
Gentle Crow Beggar, who had remained silent until now, spoke with an emotionless expression.
"I think it would be wise for you to remember one thing."
The abbot and Jong Ri-Hyung turned their attention to him.
"Whatever your choice is, it is up to you two to make it. However…"
Gentle Crow Beggar bit his lip tightly before continuing.
"The world will remember the choice you two make here. And history, beyond this current world, will remember it."
"…."
"I hope you make the right choice."
With that, he turned away. It was too difficult to face them any longer.
It wasn't out of hatred towards them. It was because of the hatred he felt towards himself when he saw them.
'What about me?'
Wasn't he also among those who agreed with them? Perhaps he was the most cowardly person there, leaving the decision to them while merely speaking of righteousness.
As Gentle Crow Beggar retreated, a fellow beggar followed.
"Should we report the situation to the main sect?"
"… yes."
But with only three days left, the main sect wouldn't be able to make a decision in time. It was indeed a harsh choice for their Beggars Union leader, who was old and had little time left to live.
"Then I will do so."
"Wait…"
At that moment, Gentle Crow Beggar bit his lip.
He knew it was something he absolutely should not do, but he had no choice. As an elder of the Beggars Union, it was a path he shouldn't have chosen, but as an individual, he ended up saying it.
"… where did you say Mount Hua was?"