Chapter 1245: Is That Really All? (5)

Voices of the elders, flustered, spilled out here and there.

“Ten people?”

“A-a-all the people here are the entirety of them?”

“How could this⋯⋯.”

The group from the Heavenly Friends Alliance guarding Baek Cheon were instead bewildered by that reaction.

“⋯⋯sahyung. Why is everyone like this?”

When Jo Gul asked in a whisper, Yoon Jong replied with a bitter smile.

“Perhaps⋯⋯ they assumed we were merely an advance party.”

“An advance party?”

“They couldn’t imagine only ten people coming all the way to Southern Island⋯⋯ so they must’ve thought we led a larger force and only our small group crossed the sea first.”

“Uh⋯⋯.”

Jo Gul looked at the Southern Island Sect’s elders with a stunned expression.

Of course Jo Gul might be considerably astonished, but from their perspective this reaction was only natural.

From the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s standpoint, they had sent renowned figures and the heads of each sect to show utmost sincerity. But from Southern Island’s point of view, they couldn’t even imagine that such figures would travel alone without attendants.

Which sect leader in the world would abandon their sect and traverse enemy lines alone? This goes beyond the commonsense of the Jianghu and even ordinary worldly logic.

So naturally they assumed there must be others who came with them. It was a misunderstanding born from an inability to thoroughly compare circumstances.

“Then what on earth did you come here for!”

“Abandon the Nine Great Sects and join the Heavenly Friends Alliance? Are you planning to use the name of a doomed sect until the very end?”

“What shamelessness!”

The elders’ rage flared like wildfire and poured onto the party.

Some widened their eyes in surprise at the intense reaction. Others frowned. No matter how desperate the situation, risking their lives to come here for their sake and being met with such a response seemed wrong to them.

“Enough⋯⋯.”

“Sect leader! How is this any different from peeling the pelt off a sick tiger!”

“They say they won’t help, but they want to take the name! Why should we be treated like this⋯⋯.”

“Enough!”

In an instant Geum Yang-Baek’s voice burst out like a beast’s roar.

The elders, dumbfounded, looked at Geum Yang-Baek — none of them had ever seen him so enraged despite having stood by him for so long.

“You men of the South Sea⋯⋯.”

At Geum Yang-Baek’s cold glare, the elders all bowed their heads deeply.

“Even if what these people did differs from our assumptions, the fact that they tore through danger to come help Southern Island does not change. Isn’t that so?”

“Sect leader⋯⋯.”

“There are those who should be helping us, yet you point fingers and complain that we won’t give more to those who at least cared enough to help. No matter how fickle human hearts are, is this truly the disgraceful conduct befitting elders of Southern Island?”

The elders couldn’t bring themselves to look Geum Yang-Baek in the face and bowed even lower. A small sigh escaped from Geum Yang-Baek as he glared at them; he turned his head and looked at Baek Cheon.

“I apologize for showing such an ugly scene. Everyone is desperate⋯⋯.”

“No, Sect leader. We should have prepared more ourselves⋯⋯.”

“No. We are simply grateful for your understanding.”

Geum Yang-Baek smiled faintly. But unlike before, a definite shadow lay across that smile.

“Acting Sect Leader, I understood what you said well.”

“Sect leader, yet⋯⋯.”

“No.”

Geum Yang-Baek shook his head.

“It’s not that we’ve changed our minds because you didn’t bring those to be aided with us. We only had unwarranted expectations.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Even if, as those foolish elders say, the Heavenly Friends Alliance came to use only our name⋯⋯.”

“Ah, that⋯⋯!”

“Yes, I know. That can’t be so. Though I am Southern Island’s Sect leader, I don’t think the name of Southern Island is large enough to move everyone here.”

Geum Yang-Baek laughed wryly.

“If by any chance you had come with such intent, it would be an excessive courtesy to be used given the effort you have made.”

Geum Yang-Baek seemed serenely detached as if he’d transcended [N O V E L I G H T] it. Baek Cheon bit his lip quietly.

Then Geum Yang-Baek slowly shook his head and spoke.

“However, Acting Sect Leader. I’m sorry to say this, but we must decline the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s proposal.”

“⋯⋯Sect leader.”

“The reason is simple.”

Geum Yang-Baek quietly lifted his head and looked toward the ceiling. His gaze was on the ceiling, but what he was likely seeing was something else.

“Southern Island belonged to the Nine Great Sects, but it could never be a true part of them. It was only hastily inserted to fill the gap left by Mount Hua.”

Though self-deprecating, his tone was merely calm.

“Therefore, despite belonging to the same Nine Great Sects, we endured implicit discrimination. And at the root of that discrimination likely lay contempt for us islanders of the South Sea.”

“That is⋯⋯.”

“Islanders cannot be trusted. Islanders have no fidelity. Islanders betray as casually as eating; they shift like the sea.”

Geum Yang-Baek let out a short, bitter laugh.

“Perhaps you inlanders will find it hard to understand this feeling. And⋯⋯ maybe even the Lord of the Ice Palace would find it hard to understand. What those who are discriminated against must endure to wedge themselves among those who discriminate.”

Baek Cheon, looking puzzled, asked Geum Yang-Baek.

“But, Sect leader. Then there’s even less reason to hesitate, isn’t there? As you said, no matter how hard Southern Island tries, becoming a true member of the Nine Great Sects is remote. Yet the Heavenly Friends Alliance does not discriminate among sects within the Alliance. Even the Green Forest is recognized as a member of the Alliance. So⋯⋯.”

Baek Cheon trailed off and closed his mouth.

It wasn’t just that repeating the offer felt pointless; it was because Geum Yang-Baek’s faint smile troubled him.

Geum Yang-Baek spoke.

“Acting Sect Leader, what do you think fidelity is?”

“⋯⋯Yes?”

“I mean it literally. What is fidelity?”

Baek Cheon couldn’t answer immediately. Explaining what fidelity is would be easy in general, but that wasn’t what Geum Yang-Baek was asking now.

When Baek Cheon did not answer, Geum Yang-Baek spoke.

“I believe fidelity is something you prove at the end.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Acting Sect Leader. For a long time Southern Island was a sect they found hard to trust to the end, a sect that might turn away from the Nine Great Sects someday. No matter how much we cried out for talks or pleaded, their deeply rooted prejudice did not vanish.”

“⋯⋯.”

“This isn’t only about Jianghu affairs. Southern Island may have strength, but the people of the Southern Island who lack power suffer discrimination and prejudice simply because their skin is different or because they don’t live on the mainland.”

“Sect leader⋯⋯.”

“But if we, the Southern Island sect, at the final moment abandon the Nine Great Sects and grasp the hand of the Heavenly Friends Alliance as you suggest, what do you think they will say?”

Geum Yang-Baek spoke without waiting for Baek Cheon’s reply.

“Just as I thought.”

“⋯⋯.”

“After all, they were untrustworthy island bastards.”

Geum Yang-Baek, who had paused briefly, shook his head.

“Acting Sect Leader. We are not fools. We’re not so stupid as to be unaware that the sects of the Central Plains, including the Nine Great Sects, have already abandoned Southern Island. Knowing it, despite knowing it, we had no choice.”

“Sect leader. It was they who first abandoned fidelity.”

“Even if that’s true, what would change? In the end the only thing that will remain is the fact that Southern Island didn’t keep fidelity.”

A sigh slipped from Baek Cheon’s lips.

“If we grasped the hand offered by the Heavenly Friends Alliance at the end⋯⋯ we could expose to the world that the Nine Great Sects have no fidelity and shame them. But⋯⋯ the contempt heaped upon those who remain would only deepen. People tend to magnify another’s small fault more than their own great wrongdoing, don’t they?”

Even Baek Cheon couldn’t refute that.

“Thank you, Acting Sect Leader. Whatever the reason, there is nothing I can say besides offering thanks for coming all this way through danger.”

Geum Yang-Baek bowed deeply. Baek Cheon quickly withdrew the hand he had half-extended to stop him.

Because Geum Yang-Baek continued speaking in that posture.

“But regrettably, from Southern Island’s position, we cannot accept that proposal. The Southern Island faction may end like this, but the people of the Southern Island must continue their lives afterwards. Please understand Southern Island’s position which must take that into account.”

“⋯⋯Of course we understand.”

Baek Cheon said with a bitter expression.

“Then⋯⋯ what will you do now?”

“I don’t know.”

Geum Yang-Baek raised his head and smiled serenely. On the contrary, Baek Cheon’s invitation had cleared his mind.

“Some will leave, some will surrender, and those who remain will stand and prove themselves. My role is to share the fate of those who choose to stand and prove it.”

“⋯⋯.”

“When we thought a way out had been found, I thought perhaps we could change stance once, thinking we might fight prejudice for the rest of our lives. But if the end is already decided, we should conclude in a way that does not shame the name Southern Island.”

Baek Cheon lowered his eyes quietly with a heavy heart.

‘I should have come a little earlier.’

There was nothing to be done. Thus he could say nothing.

Whatever he said now would only be an insult to Southern Island.

“The storm will pass soon. Living long on an island teaches you that.”

Geum Yang-Baek looked around at Baek Cheon and those seated behind him and said.

“When the storm subsides, leave the island. We are people whose bones must be buried here, but you are not. Unless all of us go, we won’t bother pursuing a single small boat leaving the island.”

Jo Gul unconsciously gripped his own thigh. Those calm words oddly stabbed his chest.

“So⋯⋯ when you return to the Central Plains, please convey just one thing. Tell them Southern Island kept fidelity to the Central Plains and the Nine Great Sects, and fulfilled its duty as a Justice faction sect.”

Geum Yang-Baek, eyes closed, said quietly.

“That alone is enough.”

Baek Cheon, who had not taken his eyes off Geum Yang-Baek, finally turned his head to look at one person behind him. But the person returned a gaze devoid of emotion.

Baek Cheon let out a short sigh, rose slowly from his seat, and respectfully performed the murim bow toward Geum Yang-Baek.

“I have clearly received the Sect leader’s intent.”

Geum Yang-Baek also rose and returned the salute to Baek Cheon.

“I pray for the safety of your Alliance’s warriors.”

The meeting ended bitterer than anything; the result was a complete breakdown.