Finally, the Tang family had also stepped onto Plum Blossom Island.
The fingertips of the abbot, who had been watching this with wide eyes, trembled.
'This… what is this?'
That was insane. Using the wooden blocks as stepping stones to cross the river?
'That is easy to say!'
This path could be cut off at any time. If the pirates had just responded a little faster and destroyed those blocks in front and behind when they reached the middle of the river, Mount Hua and the Tang family would have been isolated on the blocks, which were no better than a single-leaf ship.
What kind of disaster would have happened after that?
This could not be called a strategy. Something that could not be discussed later wasn't even worth calling a strategy.
A strategy was to at least inflict some proper damage on the opponent and then get killed. But that was nothing more than an insane act, which would not cause much damage to the opponent and would just send them to hell if even one step of the plan was off.
But…
"How did that thing work!"
The abbot's voice burst out, mixed with shock, anger, and resentment.
It was ridiculous. Why was that reckless method being used! Without any price to be paid!
It was like watching those who jumped into the fit of hell's fire with oil on their backs and walked through the fire with no burns.
Common sense would suggest that those who clicked their tongues at the sight would be right, but when things turned out as such, don't all those who were watching the sight turn fools?
That was exactly what Shaolin was like now.
No matter how many times he thought about it, his decision was right. Jumping into the Yangtze River, guarded by those pirates and the Ten Thousand People Clan, was no different from committing suicide.
But what did that mean now?
Even though the odds of safely arriving at Plum Blossom Island were as slim as finding a needle in a haystack, since the Heavenly Friends Alliance actually succeeded, Shaolin, who had been hesitating to act, would end up looking foolish.
"This…!"
The abbot couldn't contain his anger, shaking his fist and glaring across the river.
Those who only looked at the surface would say that Mount Hua and the Tang family succeeded by exploiting the pirates' weaknesses, but if one looked deeper, that wasn't the case.
There was only one reason why all this happened.
"Jang… Ilso…."
The abbot clenched his teeth.
Jang Ilso, who was as cunning as the devil when it came to strategy, couldn't have overlooked what the abbot had in mind. If it were him, he would have leisurely waited for Mount Hua and the Tang family to reach the center of the river and then dismantled the wooden blocks ahead and behind.
But Jang Ilso didn't make a move.
No, it wasn't that he didn't move.
The Ten Thousand People clan's ship was on the other side of Plum Blossom Island, to the south, surrounding the island. That was a position that couldn't threaten Mount Hua and the Tang family.
On the surface, it seemed like he was surrounding Plum Blossom Island and pressuring the Namgung family, but in reality, he was just sitting back and observing everything happening in the Yangtze River.
As if he wanted Mount Hua and the Tang family to rescue the Namgung family safely and return!
"Jang Ilso! You fucking son of a bitch!"
A desperate curse escaped from the abbot's mouth.
The vicious malice made his body tremble. What was even more painful was that no one in the world would believe what he was witnessing.
Who would believe it?
Even if he spoke kindly and shouted that this was entirely Jang Ilso's plan, no one would listen to the abbot.
They would just laugh at him, dismissing it as Shaolin's struggle in a crisis.
This place was a dead end. There was nowhere else to retreat.
"Abbot…"
The abbot turned with a stern face. Jong Ri-Hyung, who had been watching the situation, asked in a low voice.
"… shouldn't we at least do something?"
"…"
"… it would have been better if they didn't come, but if we just watch and leave this place, the world's criticism directed towards us will not be low. Shouldn't we do something now?"
But what? What exactly could be done?
Were they supposed to follow the path Mount Hua and the Tang family made and show off? Are they supposed to chase off the Heavenly Friends Alliance despite being one of the Nine Great Sects?
Jong Ri-Hyung, who was observing the abbot's face, added with an anxious look.
"Of course, I know it is a difficult decision to make. But rather than just watching, it would be better to…"
"Wait."
"Abbot!"
"Didn't I tell you to wait!"
Jong Ri-Hyung's face went stiff in a moment of shock. His eyes showed disappointment in the abbot.
But the abbot could only bite his lips.
'No.'
He could not do this.
It was hard to explain. No, no matter how much he could explain, a person like Jong Ri-Hyung would not understand.
What would even happen if they jumped into the water now?
The vicious Jang Ilso would ignore Mount Hua and the Tang family and come after Shaolin alone.
To spread the word to the world that Mount Hua and the Tang family had done it without much difficulty, but Shaolin suffered enormous damage by chasing after them.
The abbot could see it happening.
That vicious and evil trap that Jang Ilso had laid out on the Yangtze River.
'Damn it.'
At least if there was the Gentle Crow Beggar, he would have understood why he couldn't move and defended the abbot!
Of all places, the Gentle Crow Beggar attached himself to Mount Hua. He must be seeing with his own eyes everything that Mount Hua was accomplishing among those advancing with their swords.
"Ugh…"
His heart felt like it was set ablaze.
It seemed as if everything that happened on this Yangtze River had been arranged to trap them, Shaolin.
"Then why not just head back?"
At that moment, a sarcastic voice suddenly cut through the air.
It was a voice so cold that it was hard to believe it was directed at the abbot.
When the abbot reflexively turned his head, Hae Bang was looking at him with a sneer.
"If you are just going to watch without stepping forward, then why should we stay here?"
"… Hae Bang."
"Or are you telling me to watch and learn from this? The heroic deeds of Mount Hua? Or the sight of Hae Yeon, dressed in black robes, saving the Namgung? Are you telling me to wear the black robe of Mount Hua instead of Shaolin's yellow ones to act as I please?"
"Can you shut up, you fool!"
Beop Gye shouted, unable to listen any longer.
But his voice also lost some of its authority. It seemed as if he knew that no matter how severely he accused them now, his words wouldn't work on the disciples.
Hae Bang stared at the abbot and Beop Gye and said,
"There is something that the elder once told me."
His eyes were colder than ever.
"Pursuing one's own Buddhist law is not the only way. A true Buddhist should know how to lead the poor people to Buddhism, even if it means burning our own body. It is hypocrisy and a sin to just watch them suffer from afar."
At that moment, Beop Gye fell silent.
"Who is committing a crime right now?"
"Y-You bastard…"
"Yes."
Hae Bang said without any expression.
"The crime of slandering the abbot of the sect isn't light at all. I will go to the confession hall and reflect on myself."
With those words, he turned around with no regret, as if he could no longer bear to watch it.
"Y-You fool! Will you not stop right there?"
But Hae Bang didn't stop walking. Instead, several Shaolin monks, who had been watching Hae Bang, turned their eyes of contempt towards Beop Gye and then followed Hae Bang.
Dozens of Shaolin monks, including Hae Bang, walked away from the Yangtze River, not sparing it a single glance.
"T-those…"
Beop Gye, feeling deeply ashamed, bit his lip.
Even if he disagreed with the abbot, how could one act like this? Was it even possible for a disciple of Shaolin to defy the abbot's orders and act on their own accord?
As the Shaolin abbot's aide, he couldn't just stand by and watch.
But…
Clench.
Even though he clenched his fists, he couldn't stop those who were leaving. He just closed his eyes tightly.
What could he possibly say to them?
They were too pure and untainted to teach them how to protect themselves in this harsh world. How could he tell them to learn how to roll in the mud?
He understood both the abbot and them. That was why he had no choice but to remain silent.
"Abbot."
At that moment, Jong Ri-Hyung spoke in a cold tone.
"Are you really going to just watch this?"
"If not!"
The abbot's voice rang out loudly, surprisingly tense, unlike his usual demeanor.
"If you think so, shouldn't Kongtong step forward? If Kongtong doesn't use Shaolin as a shield, can Kongtong even make their own decisions correctly?"
Jong Ri-Hyung bit his lips.
He glared at the abbot with humiliation and anger, then slowly nodded.
"… I understand the abbot's intentions."
Then, he turned away from the abbot.
Clench.
The abbot's shoulders shook as he clenched his fists until they bled.
'Jang Ilso, and… Mount Hua's Sword Saint!'
He glared at Plum Blossom Island and the ship floating leisurely on the river, his desire to destroy them both burning within.
'I will never forget this humiliation.'
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso, observing the river from the large ship, chuckled softly.
"Don't you think the abbot must be quite furious by now?"
Ho Ga-Myung replied with a sneer on his face.
"Even if he is, there's nothing he can do. Once someone stops moving forward, they always find an excuse to remain stagnant. They fail to realize they're battling against themselves."
"You're right. But…"
Jang Ilso stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"It's a pity. If someone had been pushed so far, they'd plunge into the water, even if it meant losing their sanity. That cowardly old raccoon is being overly cautious."
"Are you planning to provoke him further?"
"Let him be. There's no point in engaging with a fool who doesn't realize his caution is suffocating him."
Jang Ilso gazed across the river with a sneer.
Those who were overly confident in their intelligence often failed to admit their mistakes. Instead, they believed the world didn't recognize their actions as right. Dealing with such people was much easier than dealing with fools.
The fact that they couldn't extricate themselves would remain a persistent issue for Shaolin. That alone would surpass the intended outcome of their actions on this river.
"Now, what remains is…"
Jang Ilso's attention shifted to Plum Blossom Island.
At that moment.
Paat!
A black line shot up from the ship that had slipped from the pirates' control and was heading towards Plum Blossom Island. The line ascended like a black meteor and landed on the island's ground with precision.
At that moment, Jang Ilso burst into laughter. He leaped over a distance of more than 20 meters in a single bound…
"I told you, the idea of prediction is meaningless."
He looked at the person who had reached Plum Blossom Island with a broad smile.
He was discussing the sight of Chung Myung charging directly into the front line of the war, gripping his sword in reverse.
"Now is the climax."
Jang Ilso slowly licked his red lips with his tongue, his eyes widening.
His appearance was like that of a poisonous snake before a tasty prey.