The members of the Namgung family who had retrieved Namgung Hwang's body wept and collapsed from exhaustion. They had already been pushed to their limits, making it nearly impossible to endure any longer.
The Tang family cared for them with all their might.
"How are they now?"
Tang Gunak glanced back at Hyun Jong with calm eyes.
"There are many seriously injured, but fortunately, no one is expected to lose their life."
"… That is quite fortunate."
Hyun Jong sighed.
Though he called it fortunate, he couldn't help but question whether the situation truly deserved that label.
The Namgung family had paid too high a price.
They had lost their lord and the elders all at once. Moreover, only a third of those who entered Plum Blossom Island had survived. Considering that nearly all of the Namgung family's troops had reached the island, this was a loss that would be difficult to recover from.
Hyun Jong looked at Namgung Do-Wei, who had lost consciousness. Though he appeared tired and injured, even with his eyes closed, it was clear he was young.
The burden was too heavy.
He probably wasn't thinking that far ahead now. However, once the sadness subsided and he regained composure, reality would begin to sink in.
The biggest problem was that almost all the elders—the backbone of the family—were gone. Although Namgung Myung was still alive, he wouldn't be able to assume the role of family lord.
And that wasn't the only problem.
Even if Namgung Do-Wei was a family genius capable of leading the Namgung family again, he was too young. It would take at least ten years before he could replace Namgung Hwang.
The predators of Kangho would not leave the Namgung family alone until then.
Hadn't Mount Hua already experienced this once?
The brilliant reputation of their past was actually detrimental to a powerless sect because it attracted more challengers seeking that fame.
A huge loss and a break with the previous generation.
That would be…
Lost in thought, Hyun Jong shook his head.
It wouldn't happen like that.
He couldn't just stand by and watch them suffer.
"Please look after them."
"Don't worry."
Tang Gunak smiled slightly.
His tone, as he spoke, was like someone entrusting his disciple to a physician. His eyes were filled with concern and affection. To Hyun Jong, whose relationship with the Namgung family was only a small connection, this sincerity was remarkable.
The more he looked at Tang Gunak, the more he thought he was amazing.
No, Hyun Jong wasn't the only one who was amazing.
Tang Gunak glanced at the Mount Hua disciples who were gazing at the Yangtze River from the railing.
Their side was truly impressive.
Of course, he knew Mount Hua had grown stronger.
If those trained by Mount Hua's Sword Saint over the past three years hadn't improved, that would have been strange. Yet, the way they held their swords surprised even Tang Gunak, who could gauge their strength.
What kind of training did they undergo to grow so quickly?
It was natural for their internal qi to strengthen and their techniques to become more refined. Don't all warriors dedicate themselves to that?
But their strength couldn't be explained so simply.
Well, they were amazing people.
Tang Gunak smiled slightly, a bitter edge to it, and turned his gaze back to the patient he was caring for. To him, it was simply surprising and amazing—and, on the other hand, a source of pride.
However, this was possible because Tang Gunak knew and understood the Mount Hua sect to some extent. For the Gentle Crow Beggar, who had unintentionally accompanied Mount Hua to Plum Blossom Island, it wasn't an easy situation to grasp.
Was Mount Hua always this strong?
To his eyes, there was no significant difference between when they entered Plum Blossom Island and now. Mount Hua and the Tang family had literally rescued the Namgung family from the island without suffering major damage.
"… This is troublesome."
The leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance was surely Mount Hua. However, that did not mean Mount Hua was the strongest sect within the alliance. Everyone had thought so—at least until now.
Mount Hua's leadership stemmed from being the core of the Heavenly Friends Alliance and a sect that embodied the alliance's values. In other words, the actual strength of the Heavenly Friends Alliance had been carried by the Sichuan Tang family.
But…
Not anymore.
If what happened on the Yangtze River became known to the world, no one would continue to think that way.
Now, Mount Hua has become the true leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance. It had grown into a great sect comparable to the leading sects among the Nine Great Sects.
He wondered how those sects would accept this situation…
Gentle Crow Beggar's gaze shifted to the riverside.
There, Shaolin, Kongtong, and a few Beggars Union disciples remained, having set up camp.
The abbot stared blankly at the two approaching ships. His eyes twitched faintly.
What was this?
Those who had entered the island on their own feet were now leisurely leaving. What was even more incomprehensible was that the pirate ships, which should have blocked their path, were actually opening the way.
What nonsense was this?
His lips trembled.
That didn't mean they intended for them to stay there forever.
Once Mount Hua and the Tang family had set foot on Plum Blossom Island, there were two possible outcomes.
Either they would be annihilated along with the Namgung family on the island, or they would be wiped out.
After much difficulty, they had succeeded in escaping Plum Blossom Island, but he expected to die one by one in the cold Yangtze River under attacks from pirates and the Ten Thousand People clan.
In the former case, he could do nothing. But if the latter happened—which was once in a thousand, once in ten thousand—he would naturally jump into the Yangtze River to help them. He couldn't bear to watch them die there while he escaped.
However, the situation was completely different from what he had expected.
"How…"
As if the dizziness he had felt was now a thing of the past, his eyes grew extremely complicated.
How on earth did all this happen?
The judgment he had made while standing here was absolutely correct. No matter how much he reviewed it, there was not a single mistake. Entering Plum Blossom Island was no different from committing suicide.
But now, all of that meant nothing.
Since Mount Hua and the Tang family—that was, the Heavenly Friends Alliance—had entered Plum Blossom Island on their own feet and rescued the Namgung family, his cool judgment would be seen as a foolish miscalculation, and his patience until the end would have been cowardly indifference.
There was no way to avoid the situation where the Nine Great Sects would be criticized by the world. No, the Nine Great Sects were not the problem right now.
"…"
The abbot glanced behind him. The Shaolin monks lined up behind him and looked at the two approaching ships with expressionless faces. They didn't even glance at him.
He clenched his fists without realizing it.
These were the people who had kept their positions even when Hae Bang left. This meant they had not lost faith in the abbot even then. But now, these people were turning away from him.
These foolish bastards!
At that moment, the abbot was silently praying to calm his boiling emotions.
"… Abbot."
Jong Ri-Hyung, who had been watching the situation from the side, looked at the abbot with trembling eyes. He was also a sect leader and could not be so foolish as to not know where this was heading.
"W-what are you going to do now?"
"…"
The abbot was as silent as a clam. The saying that even if you had ten mouths, you would have nothing to say must have been made for such a situation.
"If things were going to be like this, wouldn't it have been better for us to join Mount Hua when they headed to Plum Blossom Island? If we go back like this, what will the world think of us?"
When the abbot remained silent despite the torrent of reproaches, Jong Ri-Hyung raised his voice in frustration.
"Abbot!"
"Calm down!"
The abbot looked back at him with an angry face. Jong Ri-Hyung flinched at the gaze.
The abbot pressed his lips together and said,
"… They will arrive soon. Should we raise our voices here?"
"But…"
"Just wait."
The ship was just about to reach the riverbank.
"It isn't over yet."
Light flowed from the abbot's eyes.
Meanwhile, the ship carrying the Heavenly Friends Alliance finally reached the riverbank.
Kwang!
The sound of the ship's front lightly touching the sandbank echoed like thunder.
Gulp.
In the heavy silence, where even the sound of swallowing was audible, everyone's eyes turned to the ship.
"Carry the injured carefully!"
"Yes!"
The Sichuan Tang warriors in green robes jumped off the ship, carrying the survivors of the Namgung family.
Jong Ri-Hyung closed his eyes tightly.
They really saved them.
From afar, it was hard to tell if the Namgung family was truly on that ship. But at that moment, it became an undeniable fact that the Heavenly Friends Alliance had rescued the Namgung family.
What should they do now?
It was something to be happy about—something to be extremely happy about and praised for.
But Jong Ri-Hyung couldn't feel that way. He felt disgusted with himself for not being able to purely rejoice that those who had suffered had returned from the dead.
Perhaps the Kongtong disciples lined up behind him felt the same.
Meanwhile, the survivors of the Namgung family were carried off one after another from the ship. The Tang family members, who found a flat place to lay down the unconscious Namgung family, checked their condition once more.
After that, Mount Hua's swordsmen finally appeared.
Dressed in black robes, they jumped off the ship hurriedly and lined up in place. No one spoke or looked away.
Perhaps it was nothing more than an act of ignorance toward those present. No matter how heroic they were, it was clearly rude not to even look at Shaolin and Kongtong.
However, those standing there were grateful. They simply did not have the confidence to meet their gazes.
At that moment, Hyun Jong, the sect leader of Mount Hua, appeared behind them.
Step.
The abbot, who had been silently watching, moved first.
He walked meaningfully toward Mount Hua, bowed deeply to Hyun Jong, and gave a round of applause.
"Thank you for your hard work, sect leader."
Hyun Jong smiled quietly.
The two had experienced a conflict that could be called extreme before coming to the Yangtze River, but their faces now showed no trace of ill feelings from the past incident.
"You are absolutely right. I just did what I had to do."
The abbot was silent for a moment, then bit his lip.
What Hyun Jong said was a common humble remark.
However, the phrase "what I had to do" really struck a nerve with the abbot. Didn't that imply that Shaolin hadn't done what should have been done?
Of course, Hyun Jong had no ill intentions. The abbot knew that Hyun Jong was not someone who would deliberately sneer or mock. However, the lack of ill intentions made the abbot feel even more ashamed.
His eyes flashed with intense light.
"But."
Slowly straightening his back, he looked meaningfully at Mount Hua and the Tang family, then turned his gaze toward the fleet of pirates still occupying the Yangtze River.
"I think you need to explain one thing."
Hyun Jong narrowed his eyes for a moment.
"Explain?"
"Yes, sect leader. It might seem trivial, but it is important."
"… What is it?"
The abbot glared at Hyun Jong with cold eyes.
"If my eyes do not deceive me, it seems that the pirates and the Ten Thousand People clan opened the way for the Heavenly Friends Alliance to escape. Isn't that right?"
Hyun Jong fell silent.
It wasn't because of the question itself but because he instinctively felt the sharpness behind the abbot's words.
"I don't understand how such a thing is possible with the common sense of a small monk."
"Abbot, right now…"
"So, you will have to explain that to me, sect leader."
The abbot spoke, squinting his eyes.
"I am asking whether the Heavenly Friends Alliance was in collusion with the Evil Sects on Plum Blossom Island."
The air along the riverbank froze for a moment.