Chương 332: Chapter 1220: Who Will Help? (Part 5)
As they watched the precarious movement of the carriage through the narrow alley, those gathered whispered as quietly as possible.
"… What do you think is inside the carriage?"
"Looks like grains."
"Why would the Evil Tyrant Alliance be carrying grains?"
"Maybe it's something they collected forcibly?"
"If it's collected forcibly, they should be heading in the opposite direction."
"… Is that so?"
Doubt filled everyone's eyes. However, the doubt didn't last long as snippets of conversation from those pulling the carriage reached their ears.
"This damn thing!"
A rough-looking man at the front of the carriage grumbled with irritation in his voice.
"Why do we have to do something like this!"
In response, the man following behind, wearing a martial artist's robe, chuckled and replied.
"We do what we're told. Any objections?"
"We should be asked to do something reasonable! It's not like I've lived this long to deal with those pests and end up distributing grains. It's absurd."
At that moment, members of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance exchanged perplexed glances.
'Distributing grains?'
'The Evil Tyrant Alliance?'
Their minds momentarily became tangled with thoughts, but before they could organize their thoughts, the conversation continued.
"What is Jang Ilso thinking…"
"Hush!"
The rough man had become agitated and crossed a line, prompting the man beside him to scan the surroundings with a contemplative expression.
The members of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, startled by the commotion, instinctively lowered their bodies further to conceal their presence.
"Is this guy crazy! Saying something like that to get us into trouble!"
"What trouble! Is there anyone else here besides us!"
"Night words are heard by mice, and day words are heard by birds! Keep babbling like that, and you'll have a noose around your neck before a month passes! Understand what kind of world we're in right now."
"… Damn it."
The rough-looking man snorted in frustration.
"We're already struggling to survive, and now we have to distribute this precious grain to those worms! What the hell are they thinking!"
"Perhaps the higher-ups have their own reasons."
"Reasons? Does that mean the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold had no reasons?"
"Ah! Why bring up that name!"
As soon as the words 'Great Master' were mentioned, the man's face turned pale. He nervously darted his eyes as if afraid someone might have overheard.
However, the rough-faced man boldly shouted even louder.
"Why not? Can't I mention that name?"
"No…"
"Seriously, when the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was alive, did we ever have to worry about affording a drink? We had no fear in the world back then! But after those damn Myriad Man Manor guys took over the Evil Tyrant Alliance…"
"This guy, really, shut your mouth! Do you have any idea what trouble you'll get into!"
"Trouble? What trouble could we possibly get into! We're already in a situation where we don't have enough to eat, and now we have to offer this valuable grain to those useless commoners! It's maddening!"
Listening intently to the conversation, disciples of Mount Hua exchanged glances.
"It seems to be those Black Ghost Castle guys, right?"
"... Seems that way."
"Jang Ilso seems to be making a big fuss…"
The gaze of Im Sobyeong became serious for a moment.
Though it sounded like a common complaint, the information embedded in the conversation was more significant and crucial than one might think.
First of all, the grains loaded on the carriage were being distributed to the commoners under Jang Ilso's orders. And no matter how authoritative Jang Ilso's orders may be, the internal response to those commands was not favorable.
'Yeah, that makes sense...'
Jang Ilso was probably stockpiling resources on a massive scale in preparation for the war with Gangbuk.
Even though the Evil Tyrant Alliance had swallowed the Black Ghost Castle whole, gaining substantial funds, providing sufficient supplies to subordinates while preparing for war was undoubtedly challenging.
Amid such circumstances, the act of distributing the acquired goods to the commoners made it naturally difficult for favorable words to be spoken.
"Seriously, what good came from the emergence of the Evil Tyrant Alliance for us? We were living decently, then dragged to that damn Yangtze River, suffered there for who knows how long, and now just when we thought we were free, we're pulling carriages!"
"That's true..."
"The conquest of Gangbuk has stood still. What good will we get from that anyways? The upper-ups get all the good stuff. I'd rather earn some money, have a good drink tonight—that's better! Isn't it?"
The rough-faced man looked at those following him, seemingly seeking agreement. Though no one dared to respond recklessly, their eyes clearly indicated an alignment with the man's harsh words.
"Hey, who doesn't know that? If you keep blabbering such things, your skin might be peeled off while you're still alive. They may be acting like righteous sect people, but those Myriad Man Manor bastards are not real humans."
"... "
"Do you remember what happened to the guy who badmouthed Ryeonju last time and got caught by Myriad Man Manor? Seriously... It's been almost twenty years since I've joined the Evil Sect, and I never imagined a person could be killed so cruelly."
Even the rough-faced man seemed to empathize with those words, releasing a heavy snort without further comment.
"Though the Demonic Sect guys are said to be cruel, even they might get angry when they see the Myriad Man Manor guys. Without even going to Ryeonju, just getting in their ears is enough for us to die a filthy death!"
"Ugh, damn it!"
The rough-faced man ground his teeth in frustration.
"In a world like this..."
"Tsk tsk. Don't blame it on that. Still, we're relatively better off. We're better than the guys drafted to the Yangtze River and the Southern Island Sect. We don't need to worry about fighting."
"I'd prefer that. What's the point of holding a sword in this situation?"
"Damn, control your temper a bit."
"I'd rather die cleanly with a sword than doing something like this."
The man who was speaking suddenly made a strange expression. Then he asked.
"How much farther to the village we're going to?"
"We'll arrive soon."
"Was this the last stop?"
"We stopped here, and then we'll head to Hyeongyang."
"Hyeongyang..."
The rough-looking man chuckled and nodded his head.
"It's a village deep in the mountains. Well, we better hurry."
"... "
"Hurry up. We need to arrive before sunset!"
"Yes!"
The carriage started moving forward again, picking up speed. Only when the group was almost invisible in the distance did the members of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance who had been hiding rise to their feet.
Staring silently in the direction where the carriage disappeared with complex and strange expressions, they soon turned their heads to exchange glances.
"What... nothing serious, right?"
"Jang Ilso said to distribute grains, but even if they're from the Evil Sect, they wouldn't do anything absurd, would they?"
"True. They know how terrifying Jang Ilso is."
"We have a long way to go, and it's a waste of time for no reason."
"All those words make sense. So..."
Exchanging glances, those who had been expressing the obvious nodded in unison.
"Let's go."
"Let's just follow."
"We can just watch for a bit. If nothing happens, we can continue on our way."
"But it might cause a delay in time..."
"Don't sleep if you're not tired!"
Im Sobyeong covered his face with a grim expression.
'I've been taking mountain paths to avoid seeing such a scene.'
What was frightening wasn't being caught by people's eyes. It was people catching their eyes!
"Um... It's unlikely, but just in case, I'll tell you out of concern... "
"Yes?"
"... We are currently in the middle of Gangnam."
Im Sobyeong spoke as if summarizing the situation.
"Since it's almost impossible to persuade you guys, I won't stop you, but... Even if something happens, don't get involved. If things escalate, it could become an irreversible situation. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Oh, of course."
"We certainly don't have such intentions."
"We need to check what the Evil Tyrant Alliance is up to. This could be important information, right?"
Turn off the lights in your eyes before speaking... If anyone saw this, they would think that a pack of tigers had emerged out of the bushes. Why are you exerting so much force on the eyeballs...
Baek Cheon glanced at everyone and then spoke.
"No one should step forward without my permission."
"Yes, Deputy Sect Leader."
"Okay."
Baek Cheon's gaze shone sharply.
"Let's just confirm what's happening."
* * *
Swiftly advancing through the narrow alley, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance soon discovered a small village.
Judging by its small scale, it seemed to be a village that sustained its livelihood through hunting or cultivating fields.
"Is this the place?"
"Shh."
Lowering their voices, they climbed up the hillside, reaching a vantage point where they could clearly see what was happening in the village.
The grain carriage they had seen earlier was parked in the village square, and about thirty people who appeared to be villagers were standing awkwardly with frightened faces.
"... Is this everyone in the village?"
The village head in front trembled and replied.
"Yes, yes! Th-this is all the people living in our village."
The rough-looking man furrowed his brow.
"This is what the Evil Tyrant Alliance is doing. You know what happens if you deceive the number of people, right?"
"Oh, dear Lord... How could we dare deceive you? Everyone from our village is here. We've gathered exactly as instructed, down to the last infant."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Nodding, the man inquired the number of people in front of him.
"Thirty... For a deep mountain village, that's quite a population."
Nodding to himself, he tapped the bags of grain in the carriage and shouted loudly.
"Listen well! Ryeonju-nim has compassionately sent you the grain. All of this is a gift from Ryeonju-nim, so be grateful and accept it."
"Is that true?"
"Do you think I would gather you all just to make a joke?"
"N-no, of course not. We are just very thankful..."
The village head looked at the bags of grain on the carriage with an unbelieving expression. Amidst the fear of sudden invasion by the armed Evil Sect men, the surprise of receiving grain was overwhelming.
"Express your gratitude to Ryeonju-nim. Remember the name of Ryeonju-nim from the Evil Tyrant Alliance, leader Jang Ilso."
"Th-then, yes, yes! If we don't acknowledge the kindness, how can we call ourselves human? I will live my entire life remembering this gratitude!"
Tears welled up in the village head's eyes.
Already, this year's severe drought had pushed them to survive on meager harvests. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before even infants succumbed to starvation. Amidst this worry and sleepless nights, who would have expected the notorious leader of the Evil Sect to distribute grains in such a manner?
More appreciated than a monk preaching good words from a distant place was the villain distributing food right in front of them. This was a natural sentiment for any person.
The rough-looking man chuckled heartily.
"Really? Are you grateful?"
"Yes! Yes! Sir, truly... truly, thank you very much. The grace of Lord Ryeonju-nim is as vast as the sea."
"Yes, that's right."
"And, on behalf of the village, we also extend our gratitude to the heroes who brought this grain."
"Haha, there's no need to thank me."
"No, how can we..."
"I can't understand your words."
"Uh... yes?"
At that moment, the man drew a blade from his waist like a lightning strike and delivered a fatal blow to the village head's chest.
Thunk.
"What... what are you doing!"
It happened before the man next to him could react.
The village head stared at his wide-open chest for a moment, then collapsed on the spot.
Screams erupted from everywhere.
"I told you. There's nothing to be thankful for."
The rough-looking man with blood splattered on his face chuckled.
[For clarification, I'm pretty sure we're switching to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's pov, who hasn't witnessed the scene above yet.]
His personality was worse than he thought.
As Namgung Dowi noticeably became more defiant, Yoon Jong awkwardly changed the subject.
"Anyway, it's impressive. We see all these paths the same way, but to distinguish and guide like this, especially without ever seeing it before."
"Hehehe. It's not that I'm remarkable. For a Nokrim member like me, this is just the basics. A member of Nokrim, claiming to dominate the mountains, should at least know the mountains..."
"Huh, running around like a frightened mouse to avoid the government troops and boasting about taking the shortcuts again."
As Chung Myung retorted, Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders. Seeing this, Yoon Jong widened his eyes.
"Hey! Why are you killing the mood and all! He's helping us so much!"
"What are you talking about? It's only natural that Evil Sect bastard would be helpful!"
"Huh? Why are you suddenly... "
"If he weren't helpful, he would've been dead already!"
Ah...
"If they're not helpful, why keep the Evil Sect kids alive? It's more profitable to grind them up and use them as fertilizer!"
Uh... Chung Myung. It's not entirely wrong what you're saying... But no matter how you look at it, you seem more like an Evil Sect guy.
Baek Cheon silently patted Im Sobyeong's shoulder.
"Cheer up."
"...Thank you."
"So, run away with determination like I did."
For a moment, Im Sobyeong's mouth was left agape. Then, during the moment he tried to say something.
"Shh!"
Suddenly, Chung Myung's expression changed. Signaling to be quiet, he cautiously moved forward, parting the bushes left and right.
Others followed suit, holding their breath.
When he raised his head, a small path through the bushes revealed a procession approaching slowly.
A large carriage and a group guarding it.
But the most noticeable among them was the large flag planted in the carriage. The characters for "Tyrant" were boldly embroidered.
"...It's the Evil Tyrant Alliance."
For a moment, tension crossed everyone's faces. They all tried to break through the procession as quietly as possible.
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