If someone were to describe the scene here, what would they say?
No matter how skilled they were at speaking, they would struggle to find the words.
Was it because the situation was difficult to convey?
No. It was because no one would believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes.
Consider this.
The faces here were incredibly illustrious. Each person was capable of shaking the murim world with just their presence. Nearby was Shaolin, known as the best sect in the world, and far away was the ruler of the Southern Lands, leader of the Four Precepts Alliance, and the Ten Thousand People Clan.
And Kongtong and the Yangtze River pirates, who guarded them, were also renowned worldwide.
How could one describe the sight of these great figures, who have come to rule the world with their fame alone, falling silent at the appearance of one young swordsman?
Mount Hua's Sword Saint. That name was certainly significant. The title he earned against none other than Jang Ilso and the Four Precepts Alliance held a unique quality, incomparable to other titles.
But that was all.
No matter how great the name of Mount Hua's Sword Saint was, it was absolutely impossible to silence all those gathered here. No, it was impossible not just for Mount Hua's Sword Saint, but for anyone else in the world.
That was what they came to understand.
The fact that a person's presence was not determined by their reputation.
His dark, clear eyes slowly scanned the Yangtze River. Following those eyes, everyone present on the Yangtze River held their breath.
However, even in silence, they didn't know why they were so captivated by his every move.
Chung Myung's slowly moving eyes soon fixed on one place.
The Plum Blossom Island.
Right where Namgung's survivors were fighting fiercely.
"Ah…"
Namgung Myung's body trembled.
There he was.
He was just one man, but he came running for them.
Nothing might change. This war could not be undone with the power of one person.
And even if he wasn't alone, it would be the same. Now, even if someone came, they would not be able to cross the Yangtze River and save themselves.
So, it would be too much to hope for Mount Hua's Sword Saint to save them.
But.
'… this much is enough.'
Everyone in the world had abandoned them. They had turned their backs on them.
Perhaps what truly drove them into despair was not their situation, but the horrible loneliness of not having anyone to reach out to.
But at least, there was one person. Someone who ran over to save them. As if to prove that the path they had walked on wasn't completely wrong.
That alone was enough for Namgung Myung.
It was at the very moment when Namgung Myung was looking at Chung Myung with reddened eyes.
"Damned fools."
The Black Dragon King, who had climbed onto the bow of the Black Dragon Ship, spoke coldly in a heavy voice. The bandits who heard that voice trembled like puppies that had just met a tiger.
The Black Dragon King, who had glared at the bandits with boiling eyes, turned his head and looked directly at Chung Myung.
"Little bastard."
And he gritted his teeth.
For a moment, that little swordsman's presence surpassed everyone around. Right there in the Yangtze River. That was an unbearable humiliation for the Black Dragon King, the leader of the 18 Yangtze Riverways.
If he hadn't been humiliated by Jang Ilso earlier, he would have done something to overcome this, but having been oppressed by Jang Ilso once, he simply couldn't bear this situation.
"What are you going to do?"
His voice, full of anger, exploded.
"The only thing you can do is vent your anger there. No matter what you do, nothing will change."
It was a statement intended to suppress the opponent. But at the same time, it was a clear and cold fact being stated.
The situation was close to being done.
"Or are you planning to swim across the Yangtze River to this island? The path is already blocked, you moron!"
However, even after hearing those words, Chung Myung's expression didn't change at all. He simply stared at the Black Dragon King with a cold gaze.
That indifferent reaction twisted the Black Dragon King's insides. Just as he was about to shout, Chung Myung's mouth, which had been closed the whole time, slowly opened.
"I don't know if you can understand it with that stupid head of yours…."
"… What?"
"Let me correct you on three things you said."
Three things?
"First. Who is here alone?"
Step. Step.
At that moment, someone slowly walked up from under the mound on the riverbank where Chung Myung was standing.
A man with an impressive-looking black robe and a plum blossom pattern embroidered on the chest, with a white ribbon tied around his head.
Mount Hua's Righteous Sword, Baek Cheon.
He walked slowly with cold, sunken eyes and stood next to Chung Myung.
His cold eyes, like ice, seemed to freeze all the water in the Yangtze River.
It wasn't just Baek Cheon. The Plum Blossom Ice Sword, Yu Yiseol, approached Chung Myung and stood next to him.
Step. Step. Step.
Following her, they began to arrive one by one. Beyond one, ten, then a hundred swordsmen appeared with determined steps. Everyone's eyes held the coldness of the world.
"…"
The sound of someone gulping felt like thunder to them.
Mount Hua.
Now, that name couldn't be explained as a simple sect in Shaanxi. Mount Hua had finally arrived at the very Yangtze River.
"Young… Young lord…"
And then, Namgung Myung saw.
A man visible in the Mount Hua sect who was lined up with fierce momentum. The white robe dyed crimson with dried blood, but how could he not recognize that man?
Namgung Do-Wei.
He was standing there as if he were part of Mount Hua.
His clothes and complexion clearly showed how much he had suffered, but his sharp gaze was in no way inferior to that of Mount Hua.
The hundred or so swordsmen didn't utter a single word, but glared at the pirates of Yangtze with cold eyes.
It was a truly terrifying sight. The intimidation that had never been seen in the past Mount Hua sect was now weighing down on the Yangtze River.
Everyone there saw Mount Hua during the past Yangtze River incident. That was why they knew.
The reason that the Mount Hua sect was feared was not because they were strong. It was because they were a sect that never backed down. It was that much of a burden to deal with a sect that would never back down, no matter the consequences.
Mount Hua was not the only one who had reached that place.
"It seems that it isn't completely too late."
The group of people in green robes revealed themselves.
If you don't recognize them after seeing their distinctive wide-sleeved green robes, you don't deserve to enjoy the world of murim.
"S-Sichuan Tang family!"
Tang Gunak, who appeared to be leading the Tang family, surveyed the Yangtze River with a stern face, as if he would remember those who died here.
The Namgung family's swordsmen looked at Mount Hua and the Sichuan Tang family, and Namgung Do-Wei standing next to them, with trembling eyes.
The Namgung family's young lord was there. Even though he was horribly injured, he had brought Mount Hua and the Tang family to save them. He looked like he would collapse and die at any moment.
Just that fact alone gave them a new fighting spirit. Everyone clenched their teeth. The young lord had suffered such great injuries and still refused to give up their life, so how could they easily throw their lives away and give up?
"And… second."
Chung Myung glared at the Black Dragon King. At that moment, the body of the Black Dragon King trembled.
'What, those eyes…'
This was the first time he had properly faced Chung Myung. In the previous war, he had only briefly watched him fight Jang Ilso. At that time, he had secretly ridiculed Jang Ilso for not being able to deal with even one young brat right away.
But now, the moment he looked into Chung Myung's eyes, he realized it too.
That guy was not an ordinary person.
There was no way someone with eyes like that would be ordinary.
"Kid?"
A low laugh escaped Chung Myung's mouth. It was a twisted laugh that seemed to openly mock or self-mock.
"A real kid does not know what war is and speaks just nonsense."
Chung Myung stretched out his hand to the side. Then, the disciples of Mount Hua handed him a spare sword. Chung Myung, who received the sword and wore it on the waist sheath, twisted his lips and said.
"I will tell you, kid."
Chung Myung's mouth turned to a sly smile, revealing his pure white teeth.
"What a war really is."
At that moment, goosebumps ran down the Black Dragon King's back.
'What?'
Why did those words, which could be considered a normal bluff, feel so eerie?
'Damn it!'
The Black Dragon King bit his lips. It was a brief moment, but the fact that he was momentarily overwhelmed by that force tore his pride apart.
"Finally, the third one."
Chung Myung laughed like the devil.
"You don't find a path, you fucking moron. You make one!"
That was the moment.
The warriors of the Sichuan Tang family pulled their hands from under their sleeves. The Black Dragon King, who saw what they were holding, glared at them.
'Wood blocks?'
The Tang family warriors rushed ahead, holding wooden blocks too big to hide in their sleeves.
And!
Paat!
As if they were assassin weapons, the wooden blocks were released from the hand and flew through the sky over the Yangtze River.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
At that moment, everyone on the Yangtze River witnessed the spectacle. The wooden blocks that the Tang family warriors had thrown onto the river's surface settled without sinking, floating to provide a makeshift foothold.
Hundreds of these wooden blocks lined up, forming a single path that cut through the wide expanse of the Yangtze River.
This was the only path leading to their destination, Plum Blossom Island!
"Sasuk! Sago!"
Clang!
Baek Cheon and Yu Yiseol drew their swords.
"Break through the pirates!"
"Okay!"
"Yes!"
"Namgung Do-Wei!"
"Yes!"
"Clear the way! You will carve a path to Namgung with your own hands!"
Namgung Do-Wei responded with a face full of determination.
"Yes!"
There was no need for further explanation. They would understand what to do without additional instructions.
"Namgung Family!"
Chung Myung shouted until his throat was raw.
The Namgung family's swordsmen gritted their teeth and looked at him.
"We are coming now."
"…"
"Hold onto your pants and hang on!"
For a moment, something fiery surged within the hearts of the Namgung family.
"Yes!"
Clang!
Chung Myung unsheathed his sword and bared his teeth.
"Okay then…"
Everyone on the Yangtze River waited.
His next words.
"Let's go. To save Namgung!"
Paaat!
As soon as the words were spoken, Baek Cheon and Yu Yiseol shot forward like rays of light without a moment's hesitation. The Mount Hua and Tang families followed suit, forming a long line.
It was as if a black dragon and a green dragon were dancing across the Yangtze River.
Chung Myung kicked off the ground and leapt over the two dragons, soaring quickly into the air.
"I am coming, you bastards!"
Chung Myung's sword, with its back to the sun rising over the Yangtze River, shone brightly, as if it would dispel all the darkness lingering over the river.