Tang Gunak pointed a shaking finger across the river.
“My Lord! Look! Over there!”
Hyun Jong’s breath caught in his throat. Thick, black smoke billowed into the sky from the riverbank, staining the morning air with the acrid smell of burning wood and oil. He could see the flames licking upwards, even from this distance.
“I see it,” Hyun Jong said, his voice tight. His face was grim as stone.
Tang Gunak swallowed hard. “That’s… that’s where the Nine Great Sects’ ships were docked.”
Hyun Jong nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the smoke. “The Four Seas Alliance. It has to be.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Tang Gunak confirmed, his voice low. “Unless Beop Jeong has gone completely mad and decided to burn his own fleet…”
“We’ve been caught off guard properly.”
Tang Gunak slowly clenched and unclenched his hand, hidden within his sleeve.
This was the most frightening aspect of Jang Il-so.
When everyone’s eyes were focused on one place, he would stab at the most vulnerable spot that no one paid attention to.
Jang Il-so was even willing to put himself at risk to distract them.
“My Lord! The Surochae is moving.”
Everyone clearly saw the Surochae fleet, which had been occupying the Yangtze River, changing direction.
Even at a glance, the movement wasn’t abrupt.
“As if they were waiting for it…”
“It must’ve been planned already.”
His fingertips felt chillingly cold.
“Then…”
At that moment, Maeng So, who had been standing with his arms crossed at the back, opened his mouth.
“Should we assume that the Overlord’s movement to the east was also to draw attention in order to burn those ships?”
“Hmm.”
Tang Gunak let out a low breath.
It was undeniable that the defenses across the river had become less careful because Jang Il-so himself had moved.
Even if he didn’t know for sure, just the fact that Jang Il-so had moved away from across the river would have eased everyone’s minds to some extent.
Tang Gunak realized he had also become less careful. He wondered if everyone else had become even more relaxed.
“Perhaps that’s the case. If it’s Jang Il-so.”
Maeng So’s eyes sank heavily.
“Using himself as bait to divert attention, and then attacking where that attention has shifted away…”
Maeng So would look at a person and imagine an animal similar to them.
But he couldn’t think of an animal that suited that Overlord.
More cunning than a fox, yet more ferocious than a tiger. Where in the world could one find such a beast?
“The important thing is.”
At that moment, Hyun Jong, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“It’s not the fact that the ships were burned, but that Jang Il-so is still moving east.”
Tang Gunak and Maeng So looked at Hyun Jong with new eyes.
While the others were worried about what impact Jang Il-so’s move would have on this confrontation, Hyun Jong’s gaze was solely fixed on the disciples of Mount Hua.
Tang Gunak was about to say something, but Hyun Jong spoke first.
“The Nine Great Sects must know by now that Jang Il-so’s movements are not mere bluffs.”
“If they aren’t fools, they will.”
Tang Gunak’s gaze, filled with complex emotions, turned towards the other side of the river.
‘Overlord.’
It was hard to deny.
As Jang Il-so created the Four Seas Alliance’s main base across the river and began to seclude himself there, one thought was planted in people’s minds, even in Tang Gunak’s.
It seemed unbelievable that Jang Il-so would be satisfied with just Gangnam. But, at the same time, it was a possible thought.
The land of Gangnam was immensely vast. Throughout the history of the *Jianghu* (the martial world), it was rare for a Demonic Faction to completely control such a vast land.
In other words, Jang Il-so had already achieved a feat that would leave his name in the history of the *Jianghu*.
So, why would he bother waging war against the mighty Nine Great Sects just to devour more?
Changing one’s perspective slightly, one could see that Jang Il-so faced no threats at the moment.
Beop Jeong might be a rallying point when resisting Jang Il-so’s attacks, but he lacked the ability to gather strength to attack Gangnam based on his popularity, and the Heavenly Union, which was most hostile to Jang Il-so, was too weak to attempt to take Gangnam alone.
‘In other words, if Jang Il-so wants to maintain this structure, no one in the world can shake his position.’
Everything was guaranteed. Everything.
By secluding himself in that luxurious main base, by making that easy choice, Jang Il-so could probably maintain his position as the Overlord of Gangnam for decades.
No, perhaps he could live as the Emperor of Gangnam until the moment he died, considering his meticulousness.
That’s why he doubted.
He wondered if this situation had etched the word ‘stability,’ which didn’t suit that hungry beast Jang Il-so, even a little bit.
Even if he was a beast driven mad by desire, abandoning all of that and attempting a gamble that risked his life would not be an easy choice.
Because if he compromised just a little, he could literally have everything in his hands.
But those blazing flames were literally mocking all those thoughts.
Those flames became Jang Il-so’s mouth, saying that he would never be content with Gangnam.
Even if he himself were swept up in those flames and turned to ashes, he would forever aim for this Gangbuk.
Feeling the chilling malice embedded in those flames, Tang Gunak bit his lip tightly.
“Reporting!”
At that moment, someone who had rushed into the manor raised his voice.
“The Nine Great Sects are moving. They appear to be following the Surochae ships moving along the river!”
Tang Gunak nodded involuntarily.
Now that things had come to this, the Nine Great Sects would have no other choice.
They had no idea what Jang Il-so and those Surochae fleets moving east would do, so they had no choice but to follow them first.
“Shouldn’t we move as well?”
The one who was most anxious right now was none other than Hyun Jong.
He said that, guessing his feelings, but unexpectedly, Hyun Jong didn’t really answer that question, and just stared at the ships on the river with a stiff look.
“My Lord?”
Tang Gunak asked again, and Hyun Jong opened his mouth with a stiff face.
“Clan Lord.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“What do you think the Overlord is aiming for?”
“Yes?”
What was he aiming for?
Wasn’t it already clear what the Overlord was aiming for? To completely seize control of the Yangtze River by burning the Nine Great Sects’ fleets, and then…
“Isn’t he trying to cross over to Gangbuk?”
Hyun Jong quietly shook his head.
“Do you think the Overlord would have done all this for just that one thing?”
At those words, Tang Gunak’s mouth involuntarily closed.
Certainly, there was some truth to that. Until now, Jang Il-so had always aimed for more than they had thought.
“But… what could Jang Il-so possibly gain from this…”
The Nine Great Sects. The Heavenly Union. The Four Seas Alliance.
The elites of those four forces would gather in one place.
‘Ah, no.’
That wasn’t all. If their predictions were correct, the Mount Hua disciples, who were heading north from Gangnam, were also likely to encounter them there.
In other words, it meant that all those who were leading the fate of the world would gather in one place.
‘What is he trying to do?’
Tang Gunak felt a chill run down his spine.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t matter, but if it was the Overlord, he would definitely try to gain something from that situation. Something they couldn’t even imagine.
But what on earth…
“We must hurry.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
The Nine Great Sects showing their movement was like expressing their will to open the way for them to go east as well.
If so, they had to move east first. No matter what happened, they wouldn’t be able to respond if they weren’t there.
“We will depart within an hour. Prepare.”
“Yes!”
As Tang Gunak hurriedly ran off, Hyun Jong tightly closed his eyes.
‘Cheong-myeong.’
The image of Cheong-myeong’s face, smiling innocently, flashed through his mind.
The face of Cheong-myeong, who always hid his true intentions with a smile.
‘Could you have foreseen even this situation?’
He couldn’t know.
But he believed he could.
On this grand game board called the *Jianghu*, the only one who could sit on the opposite side of the Overlord was Cheong-myeong.
Hyun Jong hoped so… he desperately hoped so.
Baek Cheon kicked off the ground and scanned his surroundings with a stiff face.
His senses were sharply alert, sweeping in all directions, but he didn’t feel any signs of the enemy.
‘What on earth is going on?’
Not long ago, they had attacked and killed nearly thirty members of the Demonic Faction. It was something they had done deliberately, even though they could have avoided it.
But no matter how much time passed, there were no signs of increased vigilance.
‘Is it possible that they haven’t noticed that nearly thirty people have disappeared?’
That couldn’t be.
No matter how many martial artists the Four Seas Alliance had, thirty was not a small number anywhere.
Especially in a situation like now, where the enemy was stirring up the inside.
Then, logically, this kind of thing couldn’t happen…
Baek Cheon unknowingly turned his head slightly. And at that moment, Baek Cheon and Cheong-myeong’s eyes met.
Baek Cheon tried to vehemently turn his head away and avoid Cheong-myeong’s gaze, but…
“Heo-eo-eo-eo.”
“How strange? We beat up thirty of them, but why aren’t those guys freaking out? They should be, for sure?”
“It’s not like their eyes suddenly disappeared, right? Isn’t that right, Green Forest King?”
“Haha. What’s wrong?”
Im So-byeong grinned and took the words.
“If the Daoist says that, wouldn’t the person who foamed at the mouth and struggled, saying that we’d all die if we touched the wrong guys, be very, yes? Very embarrassed? A gentleman, as a matter of course, does not dwell on the difficulties of others. One must also know how to generously move on.”
“I guess that’s right?”
“Of course. Of course. Would the Branch Leader have opposed it with malice? He did it all with good intentions. Even the sages said not to blame malice, but not to blame stupidity either, didn’t they? The wise Daoist should understand.”
“Kuh. If you put it that way.”
“Of course. Of course.”
Baek Cheon’s hand, holding the sword, trembled.
Why wasn’t fate punishing these guys? Why weren’t they suffering for their words?
Even having just one of them was frustrating, but putting two similar ones together made him feel like plum blossoms were dancing in his stomach.
“Tsk tsk. That’s why I told you so many times. How can a Daoist not trust people’s words like this?”
“It’s because the morality of the *Jianghu* has fallen to the ground. Who else can we blame?”
“By the way, Cheong-myeong.”
Just as Baek Cheon was about to explode, Yoon Jong naturally opened his mouth and changed the subject.
“So, is it really true that the Nine Great Sects are moving?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know either.”
Yoon Jong looked at Cheong-myeong with eyes that said, ‘What kind of bastard is this?’
He knew they were coming, but he didn’t know why? Did that even make sense?
Cheong-myeong smirked at that look.
“What I know isn’t the reason why the Great Bald Head is moving.”
“Then?”
“It’s the fact that Jang Il-so will use any means to drag the Nine Great Sects in.”
Cheong-myeong twisted his lips.
A situation where all sides were blocked. This was the only way to break through this situation.
‘I’ve got all the cards. All that’s left is to fight.’
A fierce blue light flickered in Cheong-myeong’s eyes.