"That's a good thing to say. Yes, it's a good thing."
Chung Myung, lying back on the bench holding a bottle of alcohol, muttered indifferently.
"Going together, matching steps. Of course, those are good words. But…"
Glug glug glug.
The alcohol went down his throat smoothly.
"Kahaaa! This is killing me!"
He pulled the bottle from his mouth vigorously and turned it around in his hand.
"Is it because the water tastes good here? The alcohol goes down so smoothly."
Chung Myung, licking his lips happily, soon returned to his indifferent expression and said.
"No, but think about it. No matter how much you try to match steps, can a person match steps with a grub? No, right?"
"..."
"So at least you have to do that. At least. Huh? At least treat them like a person so you can match steps or hands, right? No matter how you look at it, they're not human, so how can I possibly lead them?"
Chung Myung slightly turned his head and asked.
"Isn't that right?"
"..."
"I said, isn't that right?"
"Ughhh…"
But what came back was not an answer but a dying groan.
Baek Cheon, covered in dirt and lying face down, glared at Chung Myung with eyes full of deadly poison.
Glug glug glug glug.
But Chung Myung didn't even glance at him and just kept drinking vigorously.
"Kruuu!"
Chung Myung pulled the bottle from his mouth and clicked his tongue with a long sigh.
"So at least you have to make them human. Only then can we try to do anything."
"…Son of a bitch."
"What do ghosts… what do ghosts even do in life… not taking that bastard away."
"No, now I just wish they'd take me away. This place is hell… anywhere without that bastard is heaven to me."
It was when Five Swords, even more battered than when they fought in Hangzhou, was spitting out venomous curses.
Behind them, Im So-Byeong, who was in the same sorry state… no, even more pitiful in appearance, opened his mouth with a dying voice.
"No… I, I… no, I… why…"
Five Swords looked back at Im So-Byeong with indifferent eyes.
"Didn't you hear?"
"What…"
"Now the sects belonging to the Heavenly Friends Alliance move forward together with Mount Hua."
"But that…"
Yu Yiseol said with a sullen face.
"Because we're friends. Equal treatment. Equal training."
"..."
"So the Green Forest Sect will roll along too. Just like Mount Hua."
"I… I'm a patient…"
"Even patients roll along together."
"Is that even something a human says?"
The ones protesting in dying voices were not the Green Forest Sect members, but the Tang family members rolling alongside them.
Tears welled up in the eyes of those twisting their bodies in rage.
Mount Hua's Sword Saint, Mount Hua's Sword Saint, they'd only heard of it. No, they'd seen it too, but they thought that man's rampage had nothing to do with the Tang family.
Who in their right mind storms in at dawn and shouts, 'From today, I'll take charge of your training. If you feel like you are unfairly treated, go complain to the Tang family lord'?
And what is Tang Gunak doing that he hasn't even shown his face since morning to stop this?
Resistance?
Of course, they tried. It was more like timid resistance than real rebellion.
But after Tang Zhan, the one who tried to reason with Chung Myung nicely, was kicked and thrown into the icy Yangtze River, talk of resistance or rebellion became irrelevant to them.
"Um…"
At that moment, Namgung Do-Wei, who was sprawled out, quietly raised his hand.
"What now?"
"May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
Namgung Do-Wei glanced around cautiously before speaking.
"Um… earlier you gathered us and said… now we go together, right?"
"That's right."
"But what exactly does that have to do with this training… Ah, of course, our Namgung Family is doing what we've always done, so no complaints, but I think the Tang family and Green Forest folks have different circumstances."
"Ah, all this?"
Chung Myung hummed thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded.
"If you want an explanation, I should give you."
At those words, Five Swords's eyes widened.
"An explanation… from him?"
"That bastard?"
"Did the sun rise in the west?"
It was a perfectly reasonable reaction. Chung Myung only explains when he feels like it; otherwise, he just ignores you.
If you were to guess Chung Myung's proper reaction here, it would be, 'If I tell you to dig, you'll dig. Who is this wet-behind-the-ears kid glaring and pestering me?' But would he really explain so obediently?
At that moment of confusion, Tang Soso quietly muttered.
"They paid a lot of money."
"Ah…"
Five Swords nodded in understanding at that one sentence.
Yeah. They did pay a lot. No money, crime; money, no crime. This dirty world…
Regardless, Chung Myung shrugged and continued.
"I've realized it."
"…Yes? What do you mean?"
Chung Myung slammed the bottle violently onto the bench. His eyes blazed fiercely.
"Those Demonic cult bastards are so bloodshot, waiting for the Heavenly Demon to return! That sly Jang Ilso is licking his lips trying to do something about the Northern lands!"
"..."
"I was only obsessed with Mount Hua, that's what I'm saying."
Chung Myung's eyes gleamed as he looked over those groaning in front of him.
"There are so many 'ingredients' here."
At a glance, it looked like a fire was burning in Chung Myung's eyes. Maybe it really was.
"What does going together mean?"
"…Being of one mind and heart…"
"That bastard! You can tell he's from a good family by the obvious nonsense he's spouting again."
Bang!
Chung Myung slammed his palm hard on the bench and glared.
"Going together means sharing responsibility! It's joint responsibility!"
"..."
"In the past, only Mount Hua took the blame. But thinking about it, there was no reason for that! Is it Mount Hua's fault for not stopping the Demonic Cult bastards? You have responsibility too."
"Ah, no…"
That's true, but… well…
Chung Myung, who was angry, suddenly smirked.
"We have to go together. Yes, we must. But why should only Mount Hua suffer? Everyone should equally see hell, equally visit their deceased grandfathers briefly, and share the burden equally."
"Ah, no. That's…!"
"My grandfather is still alive…"
Just as the Green Forest and Tang family members tried to protest.
Clap clap clap clap clap.
Loud applause came from beside them.
The Mount Hua guys, who were dying, suddenly regained their energy, stood up, and gave Chung Myung a loud round of applause.
Then, wiping tears that hadn't even come out, they repeatedly praised him with wet voices.
"That was an inspiring speech."
"I'm usually not one to cry, but this made me tear up."
"I agree!"
Those bastards…
The Green Forest Sect and Tang family glared madly at the Mount Hua guys, but Namgung Do-Wei's gaze, who had asked the question, was fixed on Chung Myung.
"So… what you mean is…"
"Yes."
Chung Myung nodded.
"Even if people try to run together, they should at least keep the same pace. Frankly, when the high priest appeared in the Southern Lands this time, how many could actually fight there?"
Chung Myung's eyes fixed on the Tang family.
"At best, one from the Tang family."
The Tang family members bowed their heads deeply.
The Sichuan Tang family is never belittled for their skill, but this Southern lands incident is different. Considering what happened there, among the Tang family, only Tang Gunak is deemed capable of performing in Hangzhou.
This time, Chung Myung's gaze fixed on Im So-Byeong.
"One from the Green Forest Sect."
Unlike the Tang family, Im So-Byeong proudly lifted his chin.
"That's how bandits are! What more do you want?"
Chung Myung, looking at Im So-Byeong with a displeased face, suddenly turned his head to Namgung Do-Wei.
"One from the Namgung Family."
"..."
"And that too is a shaky half-step."
Namgung Do-Wei bowed his head deeply.
Before Plum Blossom Island, when Namgung Hwang and the elders were alive, the Namgung Family would be different, but now they couldn't deny that.
It was a grievance worth feeling, but Namgung Do-Wei knew that grievance couldn't make up for the lack of skill.
"But, what? Heavenly Friends Alliance? Heaavenly Frieeends Alliaaance? Frieeends?"
Chung Myung's eyes gleamed.
"Friends are friends who freeze and die together. If the Demonic Cult bastards invade now, you'll probably say, 'We'll cheer from behind, so Mount Hua, you go solve it,' and just clap from behind. You bastards!"
"..."
"Do you think I'll stand for that?"
Chung Myung's madness reached its peak and raged.
"This time, no one dies alone! If we die, we die together; if we live, we live together! When Mount Hua goes to die, you all go to die with them. That's friendship!"
…Chung Myung, I don't think that's right…
"Ah, shut up, sahyung!"
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul glanced at each other for a moment.
"Did you open your mouth?"
"No?"
"..."
"Anyway!"
Chung Myung shouted angrily and glared.
"Tang family!"
The Tang family members flinched and shrank their necks.
"Namgung family!"
Namgung Do-Wei bowed his head deeply.
"Bandit bastards!"
"…No. Don't discriminate, at least call us the Green Forest Sect…"
Im So-Byeong protested, but Chung Myung didn't hear that part.
"Before those Four Sects Alliance bastards or Demonic Cult bastards invade, I'll at least make you earn your keep, so just shut up and train as you're told."
"Um, um…"
At that moment, Tang Pae, the young master of the Sichuan Tang family, timidly raised his hand.
"What?"
"Well… the taoist might find it hard to understand, but the Sichuan Tang family focuses on poisons and secret techniques, so our training methods differ from typical martial arts. So we prefer to train autonomously…"
Upon hearing that, the Tang family members looked at Tang Pae with hopeful eyes.
But Chung Myung sharply crushed that hope.
"It's fine."
"…Yes?"
"I said it's fine."
"…Ah, no. That…"
"The Tang family lord agreed to this from the start, so just be quiet."
Tang Pae's head drooped. No wonder he hadn't been seen since dawn; he must have already sold off his retainers.
"No need to worry."
Chung Myung looked at everyone with eyes full of determination.
"It takes me some time to find problems, but I'm very skilled at solving them. So… half a year. Before that half year passes, I'll make every one of you into human beings without exception."
"..."
"Only then will we."
A very gentle smile spread across Chung Myung's lips.
"Truly become friends."
At that moment, everyone had only one question: could the word 'friend' really be used like that…?
"Now, then let's begin…"
At that moment, Im So-Byeong raised his hand high. His eyes flashed with poison.
"What? No objections…"
"No, that's not it!"
As Chung Myung tilted his head in confusion, Im So-Byeong shouted with a voice full of malice.
"When are the Beast Palace and Ice Palace troops coming?"
"..."
"We have to be friends. They're part of the Heavenly Friends Alliance too!"
Hearing that resolute voice that no one dies alone, Chung Myung looked at Im So-Byeong with genuine admiration.
"…As expected of an Evil Sect bastard. You hold different talents."
Everyone secretly agreed with that.
"Well, I'll take care of that."
Chung Myung smirked and stood up.
"Now, let's start. The process of becoming true friends. Hehehehe."
Those who saw that smile seriously considered leaving the alliance. Very seriously.