Chapter 204: Chapter 1092: I May Have Gone a Bit Too Far With My Words (Part 2)
"What? All of Kangho?"
"What are you talking about?"
Im Sobyeong clicked his tongue as a rain of criticism and ridicule poured down.
"Tsk tsk tsk. With no sense like this."
"...It's not that we lack in sense; it seems like you lack in sanity."
Namgung Dowi, watching this scene from a little distance away, was sweating so much that his back and waist were damp.
'Is it really okay to be like that?'
Nevertheless, he was the Nokrim King who dominated all the mountains of the Central Plain.
Of course, the Nokrim King was younger than expected, somewhat frail, and a bit... well, yes, a bit lacking in a certain robustness, but still, he was the Nokrim King. If things were as should be, a disciple of Mount Hua shouldn't be allowed to speak so disrespectfully...
"Tseut!"
As expected, Im Sobyeong clicked his tongue for a long time, looking uncomfortable. Nervous at that reaction, the tense Namgung Dowi hunched his shoulders.
"That's why you shouldn't talk to uneducated gentlemen! Dojangs don't understand anything. What do Dojangs know? Can Dojangs who don't even know what the Four Books and Three Classics and only read the Tao Classics guess the thoughts of a noble Confucian scholar?"
"A noble Confucian scholar?"
"This is why Confucius said that a scholar is a god of great power. I don't want to mix things up with evil Taoists."
Baek Cheon looked at Im Sobyeong with a bewildered expression.
"Is this what a bandit should say?"
"Hehe. Confucius said that one is a gentleman if one keeps the nine principles and the nine disciplines, so what does one's background have to do with anything? If you want to refute what I say, please come forward with the Three Classics."
Hearing that, Baek Cheon snorted.
"It seems like the Nokrim King doesn't know much."
"What?"
"The Book of Zhou, one of the three classics, is a must-read for Taoists."
"...Really?"
"Tsk tsk. That's why they are called Evil Sect. How can an Evil Sect member who grew up in the mountains understand the meaning of a distinguished Taoist tradition?"
In the end, Namgung Dowi's head drooped down. He gave up interpreting this insane conversation any further.
"Anyways!"
Im Sobyeong, as if asking when he had become so timid, fanned himself to freshen the atmosphere.
"The conversation between Maengju-nim and Chung Myung was simple. It means that in the future, when facing the Demonic Sect, we won't break the foundation of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
"So, what does that mean?"
"What is the foundation of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"
"Well...."
Baek Cheon glanced at his Sajils. As he did, everyone awkwardly cleared their throats and turned their heads away. Baek Cheon twisted his face in frustration. In the end, the answer was up to him.
"I can't say I know for sure, but... it's about being together with close friends you trust, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
"...Oh, really?"
"...."
When Im Sobyeong sent a disdainful look, Baek Cheon also subtly turned his head.
"...It's accurate, but one thing needs to be added. The most outstanding aspect of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is that it doesn't discriminate based on status or background."
Baekcheon agreed and nodded his head. That's why the Heavenly Comrade Alliance was now considered the largest force in the world of martial arts.
"From the beginning, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance was like that. In fact, although it's known as a prestigious family in Kangho, weren't there those who secretly looked down on the Sichuan Tang Family?"
"Which bastard did that?"
"...Soso, I'm not insulting you, so calm down."
"It's annoying."
"Whoa, whoa. Okay, calm down."
Baek Cheon smiled bitterly. Though Tang Soso might not like it, this was an unavoidable fact.
The Sichuan Tang Family was undoubtedly a prestigious and powerful force. No one would deny the fact that they were formidable.
But due to their characteristics of using poison and secret weapons, there was an underlying tendency in Kangho to consider the Tang Family as somewhat cowardly and, if anything, closer to the Evil Sect.
He just couldn't bear to say such things openly in front of a Tang Family member.
"It's not just Kangho. Historically, Sichuan has been a land looked down even in the Central Plain."
"...Well, that's..."
Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders.
"And what about Beast Palace and the North Sea? Although they are bound together and titled the "Five Palaces Beyond the Great Wall", in reality, the distance between them is twice as far as the distance between the Central Plain and them. They were never ones who could be tied together in the first place. The intention behind lumping them together is clear."
"..."
"Those who are not from the Central Plain."
Baek Cheon silently nodded his head. That statement was also not wrong. Ultimately, the title 'Five Palaces Beyond the Great Wall' carried a disdain for those who were not from the Central Plain.
"So, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance started out as a mishmash of sects that were regarded with contempt and sects that were looked down on, centering on the sect named Mount Hua, which was abandoned in the Central Plains.... Oh, no. Yoo Iseol, please put down that sword. I'm not saying this out of ill will... "
Yoo Iseol half drew her sword and glared at Im Sobyeong. As if urging him to continue.
"Didn't even the Evil Sect bastards, like the Nokrim scum, get involved in it?"
Only then did Yoo Iseol sheathe the drawn sword and nod her head.
Im Sobyeong felt wronged, but what could he do? That sword ghost was terrifying.
"So, what is the identity of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance? A mix of righteous, foreign, Evil, Taoist, and secular sects... Oh, there's even an excommunicated monk here. Should I call it 'unfathomable'?"
"Who mentioned excommunicated, who!"
"In that way, we gathered everything existing in the world, mixed it all together to create an identity, under a banner that says 'We are all friends,' and simply poured and swirled it around. Do you know what they call that?"
"Chaos."
"Destruction."
"Chowder stew."
"No, no."
Im Sobyeong chuckled.
"The world calls it 'Heaven,' you know?"
"Heaven..."
Baek Cheon pondered. Im Sobyeong tapped his neck with the fan. A smile still lingered on his lips.
"The Heavenly Comrade Alliance embraces everything. As long as you can fulfill the two letters, 'trust', it doesn't discriminate based on origin and status. It means anyone can belong to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
"...That's right. Even those bandits."
"That's right."
"My point."
Im Sobyeong looked at Baek Cheon with a wounded expression. However, Baek Cheon showed a strange gesture with his face, as if saying, 'What? Did I say something wrong? You bandit?'
"...So, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance doesn't need to divide its power. If necessary, it can embrace everything within it."
"No, that's easier said than done… … ."
"Moreover, what's fascinating about the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is not just that. Despite being a force created by the most diverse individuals, isn't its cohesion the strongest among the three current powerhouses?"
Baek Cheon nodded.
It was not even worth discussing the Ten Great Sects, who were on the verge of dividing apart.
If we broadened the interpretation of 'cohesion' a bit and evaluated even those were were oppressed by Jang Ilso, the Evil Tyrant Alliance might rank higher. However, from a common sense perspective, among the three factions, the one most strongly united would undoubtedly be the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
"This is a crazy place. Think about it. When the Demonic Sect attacked, the disciples of Mount Hua and Shaolin, who are the least friendly factions in the world, joined forces, and Namgung, the leader of the Five Great Families, added their strength. Even I, the Nokrim King, was dragged in."
"..."
"The Heavenly Comrade Alliance, the Ten Great Sects, the Five Great Families, and the King of Nokrim. Do you think this is a combination that could naturally coexist?"
"...Certainly not."
Baek Cheon scratched the back of his head. It had been too natural until now, but in reality, this was a ridiculous situation.
If all these individuals could easily get along, why would martial artists bother distinguishing between righteous and evil, between prestigious and minor sects, within the same righteous sects, dividing into Ten Great Sects and Five Great Families, competing with each other silently?
"But in the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, it's possible. So, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance doesn't need to align itself with the thoughts of others. Just accept yourself into the Heavenly Comrade Alliance! What does that mean?"
"What does it mean?"
"It means you don't have to cater to the entire world. Just raise your own faction, and the Heavenly Comrade Alliance will become that entire world. Whether it's the Ten Great Sects or the Evil Tyrant Alliance, just swallow them whole. Rather than forcibly uniting like a patchwork, we can push them all under the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
"..."
"Hehehehe. I thought he was just a runt, but he turned out to be such an ambitious man. He can't stand not winning, as expected. Hehehehe."
Im Sobyeong's eyes turned towards Chung Myung, who was above the eaves. There was an excited expression in his eyes.
But Baek Cheon felt that something in his words didn't quite add up.
And right at that moment, Yoo Iseol, who had maintained her silence until now, spoke up.
"Different from before."
"Hmm?"
Baek Cheon turned to Yoo Iseol. She was looking at Chung Myung, not Baek Cheon.
"Mount Hua failed. Thoroughly."
"..."
"Before, I thought it was because of ungrateful people. But that's not it. The reason Mount Hua failed was because it was alone."
Baek Cheon nodded. This aligned with what Chung Myung said.
"So, it will be different this time. Now, Mount Hua is no longer alone. Even if it's not as strong as before, there are people who will fight together and protect each other. So, don't be afraid because we can do it."
Everyone nodded. Clumsy as it may be, this statement resonated much more with them.
"That's right. If Mount Hua was alone before, there would have been nothing it could do within the alliance."
"But not anymore. Tang Family will do its best to help us."
"Not just the Tang Family. Simply because we formed an alliance means we don't have to bow our heads. Mount Hua is not just a simple sect now; it represents the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
Baek Cheon sighed deeply.
'Homework is piling up.'
In the past, Chung Myung would have gone to great lengths to explain in detail so that everyone could understand what he said. Wasn't Chung Myung the type of guy to frustrate people but also somehow make them understand?
But not this time. He just threw out the topic and withdrew, as if telling them not to follow along but to think for themselves.
"Everyone may interpret it differently."
"...."
"But I think that's right. After all, an alliance is a place where people with different thoughts can reconcile those thoughts."
"Yes, Sasuk."
"I think so. What Samae said is correct, and Nokrim Wang's words might...have some truth."
"…I think the treatment is very different."
Ignoring Im Sobyeong's words, Baek Cheon spoke up.
"But I think this way. The essence of the conversation between Sect Leader and Chung Myung was simply the Heavenly Comrade Alliance itself. The reason they made it was to protect each other. It's not right to force sacrifices on each other, as it goes against the fundamental reason we created the Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
"...You're right."
"It will be a difficult path. Chung Myung is now protecting the world from the devil's snare of the Demonic Sect while protecting everyone he wants to protect. It's going to be a thorny path. So..."
Baek Cheon raised his head and looked at Chung Myung again.
The full moon, hovering above, gently illuminated Chung Myung.
"Let's help him. We also want to protect that guy."
"Yes, Sasuk."
"Yes, Sahyung."
A faint smile appeared on Baek Cheon's lips as he looked at Chung Myung.
There was no need for everyone's thoughts to be the same. What mattered was to trust each other, to try to protect each other.
That was an alliance, a bond, a sect.
Yeah. That was family.
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