Chapter 451: Chapter 1339: What Has Happened? (Part 2)
Ho Gakmyung clenched his fists repeatedly, alternating between tight grips and loosening. His fingertips tingled. After a moment, he opened his eyes.
'What are the variables?'
He had examined it ten times, twenty times, but there were no remaining variables. However, he didn't tire; he considered the possibility that there might be some hidden variables.
'None.'
No matter how much he thought, nothing came to mind. Even if it was Shaolin trapped inside, not Mount Hua, there would be no way to escape.
"At last..."
A long sigh escaped from Ho Gakmyung's lips. After a long pursuit from Southern Island to here, they had finally succeeded in cornering them into a dead end. It came at the cost of many sacrifices.
"Commander!"
The faces of the subordinates showed a sense of accomplishment. It was a natural reaction since they had finally forced the enemy into a situation where there was no escape.
But Ho Gakmyung's expression, the one who had orchestrated all of this, remained unchanged. He simply looked at the path between the mountains with cold eyes.
'Nokrim King.'
Nokrim King surely believed he could manipulate the situation. He had never experienced a proper defeat. While there were instances where he lost due to the difference in forces, he was confident that he would never lose in a battle of wits.
What Ho Gakmyung delved into was the arrogance of Im Sobyeong.
'This is what it means to fight in enemy territory.'
Nokrim was familiar with the mountains, especially Im Sobyeong, who was remarkably knowledgeable about the terrain. He probably had a mental map of the terrain of all the mountains in the world.
But even so, he might not have had the terrain of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains in his head. It was a place Nokrim had never set foot in.
Nokrim's people didn't reside in the mountains but in places where people frequented. Therefore, there was little reason for them to be interested in the uninhabited Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
But Ho Gakmyung was different.
This was Guangdong, where Myriad Man Manor had fought countless battles. Even if he didn't know the internal structure of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the path from Guangdong to the great mountains was deeply engraved in his mind.
So, there was only one thing Ho Gakmyung had to do.
Make them believe that they were choosing everything by themselves.
"Commander! Please give the order."
"Wait."
"How...?"
Ho Gakmyung spoke with emotionless eyes, staring ahead.
"We must wait until everyone is aware that they have fallen into a trap. Without knowing that fact, it's no different from fighting head-on."
Ho Gakmyung slowly and lightly clenched and unclenched his fist.
"When everyone fully realizes that they are trapped, the situation will change. People tend to fall into despair at such times."
"But, can't we strike now and finish them off?"
"Fighting willingly on the cliff and being unintentionally pushed into the cliff are entirely different. Eventually, you will be overwhelmed by the sense of despair. Trying to maintain the heat forcibly will cool down rapidly, like a breeze blowing away the forced warmth."
"Ah..."
"Just wait a little longer. It won't take much time."
The subordinate's fingertips trembled slightly.
The enemies, like mice, had finally been driven into the trap. Even in this situation, Ho Gakmyung remained unexcited, observing the situation calmly.
Their composure was something that could not be imitated. This was the reason why Ho Gakmyung, with his indomitable will, had made a name for himself throughout the land.
"If they try to escape, that's fine too."
"Yes."
In that case, just stab them to death on the cliff.
"Or... did you plan this from the beginning, Commander?"
Ho Gakmyung furrowed his brow subtly. His expression showed displeasure with the question. However, the subordinate was too absorbed in his own feelings to notice.
With a light sigh, Ho Gakmyung replied.
"If I were Ryeonju-nim, perhaps."
"What do you mean...?"
"If it were Ryeonju-nim, it would be possible. To drive them from Southern Island to here, it's an absurd thing."
"..."
"However, I am not Ryeonju. No, I cannot be Ryeonju. I am just a small person [lowly/petty person]. So, rather than the same process, I am creating the same outcome."
The subordinate tilted his head. He didn't fully understand the meaning behind Ho Gakmyung's words. How could the results be the same when the processes were different?
"When you say the same outcome?"
"There are more than ten terrains that could trap them on the way out of Guangdong."
"..."
"This is just one of them. If they had chosen a different path, we would have driven them there."
The subordinate stared blankly at Ho Gakmyung. To him, it was hard to distinguish which side was more impressive.
In fact, it was quite natural for Ho Gakmyung. In order for a small person to intervene in a colossal conflict, he had to struggle fiercely until his nails cracked.
If not, he would become a human not qualified to guard Jang Ilso, unable to keep up with the pace.
'Im Sobyeong, you're still lacking.'
Certainly, the Nokrim King was formidable. However, even someone like Im Sobyeong would ultimately be unable to escape the realm of 'genius.'
Ho Gakmyung admitted early on that he was a small person, but Im Sobyeong remained confident that he was unmatched in the world.
This difference resulted in the current outcome. A person who is certain doesn't doubt their own victory.
"The time has come."
Ho Gakmyung slowly released the tightly clenched fist.
"Attack. Kill every single one without leaving a single trace."
"Yes!"
As soon as Ho Gakmyung's words fell, the subordinates, who had been waiting only for their master's command, ordered the attack with frightening intensity. The Myriad Man Manor disciples, who had been revealing their fangs like hunting dogs, began to run. Their appearance was similar to a landslide pouring down.
Ho Gakmyung moistened his lips, which had dried up unnoticed.
Clearly, there were no variables. But there remained one possibility that he might not achieve his goal.
The possibility that those of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance may abandon Southern Island and try to escape up the cliff.
If they choose that path, it will be difficult to cut off their breath from here.
Originally, considering the movements of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, it was not worth considering as a variable. However, at this moment, it couldn't be helped but to think about it.
Not anyone else, but Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword was unconscious.
Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword would undoubtedly not retreat, but for the others, it was uncertain. In the final moment, people reveal their true nature.
But...
'If that happens, they can no longer be the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.'
Ho Gakmyung knew. Sometimes, human value comes from something that cannot be measured quantitatively.
This applied not only to them but also to Jang Ilso.
Could the Jang Ilso who lost his path still be Jang Ilso? Could the Jang Ilso who decided to forgo ambition and be satisfied with reality, still wield the same influence as now?
Impossible.
Even if the power he held was the same... No, even if his objective power was greater, Jang Ilso would become an entity that wouldn't be able to aim for more.
Jang Ilso's value lied in his path.
The same applied to his opponents.
Even if they manage to survive, could they still be called Heavenly Comrade Alliance, having abandoned what they tried to protect in the end?
At that moment, they would die.
Their lives may be spared, but the Heavenly Comrade Alliance that pressured even the Evil Tyrant Alliance and the Myriad Man Manor would no longer exist. Even if it was a path that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword did not choose himself, the responsibility would still fall back on Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword.
'I'm curious.'
What choice will they make?
Will they uphold the righteousness they boasted about, leaving only their names behind while decaying? Or will they preserve their petty lives and pin their names on the rubbish heap?
Ho Gakmyung stared ahead with cold eyes.
The roars and footsteps of the Myriad Man Manor members penetrated his ears like music. Soon, screams would start to mix in with them.
'Is there any redemption left?' [not clear]
Regardless of how things turned out, the fact that he defied Jangilsa's order remained unchanged. And the fact that he suffered significant damage from a small number of enemies also remained unchanged.
So, naturally, he had to take responsibility for that. Even if it meant giving up his life, Ho Gakmyung would never regret it.
If sacrificing his life could allow Jang Ilso to take one step closer to its great cause, he would gladly smile even in the afterlife.
A faint smile appeared on Ho Gakmyung's lips. It seemed like the first sincere smile since he encountered them.
However, the expected screams didn't reach his ears. Instead, a strange sight began to unfold.
Some of the Myriad Man Manor members who had rushed into the gorge of the Ten Thousand Peaks were coming back from outside.
"What's going on?"
"Commander!"
The pensive individuals bowed before him.
"What happened?"
"They... they disappeared."
Ho Gakmyung momentarily didn't understand what they were saying. Although he had considered every possibility, the situation they reported wasn't among them, causing confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"T-They disappeared!"
"Disappeared?"
The bowing individuals held their breath. They couldn't possibly be unaware of how absurd this situation was.
"Did they climb the cliffs?"
"T-There are no traces! They literally disappeared, like an illusion..."
"And you call that an explanation!"
Ho Gakmyung shouted like thunder. Everyone was startled, witnessing such an outburst from him for the first time.
"Out of the way!"
Pushing the bowing individuals aside as if kicking them away, Ho Gakmyung rushed towards the location himself.
"This is impossible!"
If only the Heavenly Comrade individuals had disappeared, leaving Southern Island behind, it could be somewhat understandable. But the fact that even Southern island's disciples had vanished was beyond belief.
Unless some divine intervention occurred, how could such a thing be possible?
It's impossible. Such a thing cannot happen!
However, a moment later, what Ho Gakmyung faced was the foolish faces of the Myriad Man Manor disciples, who were bewildered and fumbling around, not knowing what to do.
They truly were gone. The towering cliffs and steep mountains remained unchanged, but the figures of Haenam's disciples were nowhere to be seen. They had disappeared as if soaring into the sky.
"This... "
Tremors began to run through Ho Gakmyung's hands, as if he were about to grab something.
How? How could such a thing happen? How?
Ho Gakmyung, who had always been cold and rational, looked around in dismay like a madman.
"Uh... Uh..."
After a while, he began to tear at his hair. His neatly arranged hair became disheveled and flowed down like a waterfall.
If the unimaginable had happened, someone was responsible for it.
"Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword!"
A beast-like roar burst from Ho Gakmyung's mouth.
"Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sworrrrrd!"
His scream echoed fiercely through the cliffs and soared into the sky.
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Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds i spared you guys the cliffhanger and uploaded this chapter later...you're welcome
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