When it seemed like the decision had been made, Im So-Byeong finally spoke.
"There is no need to take it so seriously."
"Uh?"
When Chung Myung asked again, Im So-Byeong smiled slyly.
"People are naturally grateful if you help them once, but if you help them ten times, they take it for granted. And they confidently expect you to help them the eleventh time."
"…."
"And if you don't give them that eleventh help, they curse and criticize you."
"…. What do you take people as?"
"It is natural, it is natural. Isn't that how everyone is?"
Im So-Byeong looked around as if asking for agreement. But all he met with were critical and cold eyes.
"You cannot fool your origins, after all."
"I wonder if anyone would say he is not a bandit."
"… Evil Sect is Evil Sect."
Im So-Byeong's eyes trembled.
"A-am I the only one? Just me? Am I the only one who is trash here?"
"Yes."
"Yep."
"Seems like it."
Im So-Byeong's head dropped.
He could faintly hear the mumbling, 'These damned Taoists, I cannot get along with them. They act more like bandits, but at such times they…' but the disciples of Mount Hua ignored him as if they couldn't hear him.
"So what?"
"Ahem."
Im So-Byeong cleared his throat and continued.
"The important thing is the method, the method! You don't just step down; you make a declaration and step down."
"… declaration?"
"Yes. What happens if you don't help them the eleventh time?"
"You said we would get cursed."
"Right! If you don't help, you get cursed. But what if we change the technique? If we boldly declare that we won't help them from now on and step down, what happens?"
"… wouldn't we still be cursed at?"
"Hahaha. You are so narrow-minded. You are wrong!"
"Then?"
Im So-Byeong answered with a big smile.
"They will curse you even harder. It is like wanting to kill…"
"Ya, you moron!"
Bam!
Chung Myung flew through the air and kicked Im So-Byeong in the chest. When Im So-Byeong screamed and fell, the Five Swords and Tang Gunak were shocked and quickly subdued Chung Myung, dragging him away.
Chung Myung, whose eyes were wide open, growled like a dog that had found a thief.
"No, you are just being a bit too much! Why are you provoking people to make them angry? What kind of plan is that? Let us see how strong the heads of the bandits are!"
"Calm down, Chung Myung!"
"He is the Green Forest King! You cannot kick him!"
"Come on now, Chung Myung. He is a bastard, but he still has a position. We need to treat him well."
But the Green Forest King was the Green Forest King. Im So-Byeong, who was kicked, bounced back up like a dragon and stood up.
"Oh?"
At that sight, the disciples of Mount Hua nodded their heads as if to say, 'He is indeed the Green Forest King.'
"Wait a minute… what is… cough! Cough! Cough… why is this cough… cough!"
Im So-Byeong, who was coughing loudly while his body shook, suddenly spat red blood from his mouth.
"Mom!"
"Eik!"
After everyone's shocked scream, silence fell over.
Im So-Byeong quietly looked down at the blood soaking the ground. Then he weakly turned to Chung Myung, making Chung Myung grumble.
"What kind of man is he? Coughing up blood because he got kicked once?"
'Is he even human?'
'Devil.'
'Why did something like that step into this world… I would rather consider Jang Ilso as kind, Jang Ilso!'
"… are you alright, Green Forest King?"
Im So-Byeong nodded feebly at Tang Gunak's question.
"… Yes, don't worry. Don't wor… cough cough!"
"…."
"More than that… till the end of the… cough…."
Chung Myung nodded absentmindedly.
"Right. Well, try it."
"How far… did I say? That… cough. Well, they will hate you. But cough! Just let them know we are not the ones they should hate."
"… They would turn the arrow towards the Nine Great Sects?"
"Huh. You speak such odd things. Why are… cough! Cough! Ahem! Turn the arrow. That is expected."
Im So-Byeong snickered.
The sight of him laughing while bleeding was not victorious but rather unsettling, yet no one pointed it out.
"It is better. Since Mount Hua lifted the Closed Gate in Shaanxi and defeated the Xi'an raiders, we now have a justification."
"Justification?"
"Yes. What better justification is there than returning to protect your land? Since the Evil Sect left Hubei and Hunan and is extending its reach to Shaanxi and Sichuan, you can just say that you are returning to your sect to protect the place you are meant to."
"…."
Chung Myung looked at Im So-Byeong with an 'oh?' face.
"Then the direction of the resentment will change. You are leaving not because it is difficult or annoying but to protect what you have to. Then who will the remaining people look at?"
"Who?"
"Tsk tsk. Instead of people going a long way to protect other civilians, wouldn't they see those Taoist bastards who are playing the role of a recluse by staying in their sects? While everyone outside is having a hard time, the Taoist bastards who are behind the gate cannot even show their noses… no, put their fist down. Put that fist down! Cough! Cough! N-nose blood!"
When Im So-Byeong quickly pushed into the blood-soaked front, Chung Myung reluctantly put down his slightly clenched fist. However, his eyes were still filled with a grim expression.
Swish!
Im So-Byeong spread out his blood-soaked fan.
"You just need to remind the people that originally, Kangho was guarded by another sect, Sichuan was for the Tang family, Shaanxi for Mount Hua, and Hubei was under Wudang. Then, naturally, they will remember once again that the Tang family left the place they had to look after and helped others."
Hyun Young nodded as if he liked what Im So-Byeong was saying.
"Indeed, there is such a way. It would be much better than just leaving."
However, Baek Cheon seemed to have a slightly different idea.
"But it isn't like the real Evil Sect people were in Sichuan, so aren't we just pretending?"
"Hehe. What do you mean, Taoist Baek Cheon? Sichuan already has the Evil Sect within it."
"Uh?"
Baek Cheon was shocked, and even more surprised was Tang Gunak, who asked Im So-Byeong.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. I don't know exactly who they are. Still, they are definitely members of the Evil Sect hiding in various parts of the Sichuan mountains, threatening the lives of those who travel around."
If the Evil Sect people were hiding in various parts of the mountains and threatening those who come and go…
Uh… then what did you usually call those people…
"… bandits?"
"Ehh!"
Im So-Byeong waved his fan.
"An unknown Evil Sect. An unknown one! Anyway, those Evil Sect guys will cause trouble soon. They will not kill anyone, coincidentally. Very coincidentally!"
Baek Cheon's mouth dropped open.
So, in order to give the Tang family an excuse to leave, The Green Forest would disguise itself as an Evil Sect and cause an accident in Sichuan?
"No, would they be fooled by that? Of course, there is a different…"
"Nope."
"Nope."
"… Yes. It won't work. Right."
If the Evil Sect people were in the mountains, they were bandits; if they were in the river, they were called pirates, and others were thugs.
They didn't even have the word 'bandits' written on their faces, so how would one know which side the guy belonged to if the clothes were changed?
"Surely…"
Tang Gunak nodded as if he had a point.
If the rumor that an Evil Sect caused a disturbance in Sichuan, big or small, spread correctly, no one would begrudge the Tang family to return to face the Evil Sect.
After all, wasn't it the Sichuan Tang family? The Sichuan Tang family was going to protect Sichuan, so who could ask them to leave Sichuan alone and continue to protect the rest of the people?
Everyone understood and dazedly accepted, so Im So-Byeong opened his mouth in triumph.
"Hahahah. It seems like you understand. Do you know what this is called?"
"Conspiracy."
"Despicable task."
"Dirty."
"A s-scam! A scam! It is a scam. It isn't dirty, you Taoist bastards!"
The lonely bandits' bloody cries, as always, were not heard by the Taoist bastards.
Only Chung Myung looked at Im So-Byeong as if he was impressed.
"I saved a dying man, but I cursed him a lot, saying he was of no use. Now he has many uses."
"Useless! I almost broke my back making money on Plum Blossom Island!"
"You would have broken your wrist trying to steal."
"… If I had known this would happen, I really should have just stolen it."
"If you had, it would have been your neck and not the wrist."
"…"
Chung Myung also thought about spreading rumors through the Beggars Union or Green Forest to ease the responsibility. Still, he couldn't think of making Green Forest disguise as the Evil Sect people and cause trouble in Sichuan.
"Evil Sect is definitely Evil Sect. The level of plotting is different. Is it because of what he used to do?"
"… I said it was a clever plan."
"Tsk tsk. The same water becomes milk when a cow drinks it and poison when a snake drinks it. The same plan is clever when it comes from the Justice faction's head and conspiracy when it comes from the Evil Sect's head."
"N-no, that is…"
"If you feel wronged, just become one of the Justice faction. Who would want to be a bandit?"
"…."
Im So-Byeong felt his eyes getting blurry and closed his mouth.
Baek Cheon whispered quietly to Chung Myung.
"But… isn't that a bit too much?"
"What is too much? Even if you freeze and die, what money do you even have? You should at least be grateful for this."
"…"
When he heard that, it felt painfully true…
At that moment, Tang Gunak, who thought that if he left the situation as it was, it would end with Chung Myung verbally beating Im So-Byeong, quietly intervened.
"If that happens, we will have a reason to get the Tang family out of the Yangtze River. But I am still concerned for the civilians who suffer there."
To that, Chung Myung responded.
"Do not worry. We have a way."
"Uh? There is a way?"
"Even if it is said that we cannot help it, some of the people living on Yangtze River island will move to Sichuan if you give them some support."
Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung, a bit shocked.
"To Sichuan?"
"Yes."
Tang Gunak gave a light nod.
"You have to give them a chance. If they move to Sichuan, not just the Tang family but also Mount Hua will be able to support them. The money we have accumulated over the past three years is overflowing."
This time, Im So-Byeong clapped his hands as if he was impressed.
"There is definitely an overflow of money. And even if you give them a chance, there probably won't be many people who actually want to move, so it won't cost much. Hehe. The idea of anticipating all this and making a fuss about it. The devil will even cry…."
"But, this bastard, the more he speaks!"
"Wait, Chung Myung!"
"If you hit him again, he will die!"
After a brief pause, Chung Myung finally calmed down and opened his mouth.
"That way, I will feel better."
"Hmmm."
Tang Gunak looked at Hyun Jong as if asking for permission. Then Hyun Jong smiled brightly and nodded.
"If the family lord cares for common people like that, how could someone who walks the path of Taoism be obsessed with such wealth?"
"… he is obsessed."
"He should be obsessed."
"We were beggars, sect leader."
"B-be quiet, you people! Don't we have guests here?"
Hyun Jong, who was furious with a red face, coughed loudly and spoke again politely.
"So do as you wish."
"… thank you, alliance lord."
When Tang Gunak nodded, Im So-Byeong smiled brightly.
"Then we will withdraw from Plum Blossom Island in step with the Tang family."
"Uh? Plum Blossom Island?"
"Plum Blossom Island is in front of the Tang family. If war breaks out, that would be the first to fall."
"N-no, that is okay, but…"
Chung Myung licked his lips.
"It is a shame to lose all the money I haven't earned yet… should we stay a bit longer?"
"… people's lives are most important now."
"Right. But…"
Chung Myung blew on the finger he used to dig into his ear.
"Are bandits treated like humans these days? It wasn't like that in the past."
Im So-Byeong was speechless for a moment and looked at Chung Myung with a face that said, 'Is this man really a human?' but Chung Myung was still looking sullen.
"He won't be much help to the world even if he lives, so why don't we just earn money through him?"
"Give up now!"
"Don't make hasty decisions!"
"Money is money, but shouldn't we stay alive first?"
"Anyway, these days, people don't understand how precious money is! Tsk tsk, it wasn't like that back then."
Were there only devils in the world back then?
"Ahem. I think that is right, Green Forest King."
"Thank you, lord."
Up until then, Im So-Byeong had thought that Chung Myung was the real leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance. But, at this moment, he was grateful to heaven that Hyun Jong, not Chung Myung, was the alliance leader.
If that devil had been sitting in the position of Alliance leader, the world would… no, the world may not know, but the Green Forest might have been burned down.
When things were roughly sorted, Chung Myung began to snicker.
"I have laid the groundwork so that bastard can start moving."
"… laid the groundwork?"
"No, well. It is nothing. Hehehehe."
Everyone trembled with nervousness as they watched him laugh with the most excited look without knowing any details.
'So you are saying that you dared to screw us over? You bastard abbot!'
Chung Myung's mouth began to twist.
"I have been away for three years, so I guess he has forgotten who I am."
"…"
"Take a bite of this now. Hehehehe! Hehehehe!"
"…"
Finally, looking at Chung Myung, who was starting to fall into insanity, Jo Gul asked Baek Cheon quietly.
"… why is that guy at it again?"
"What are you going to say? It seems like he is plotting something inside."
What if it was the same water? If a cow drank it, it was milk, and if a snake drank it, it was poison?
'Then that guy is a snake. And a vicious one at that.'
The evil eyes of the giant evil dragon turned south.
Far, far away, to the Yangtze River, where chaos that would shake the world would turn to ground.