Book 29 Chapter 8

3000 vs 4

"Still, it's not like you can take on a thousand with one, right?"

"I don't believe it."

"I'm telling you, you really can."

At Jang Hong's words, full of disbelief, Biryu Yeon let out a light "Hmph" and retorted.

"I don't believe it. No, I won't believe it. Can't you see that number because of that messy bangs of yours?"

"There's no way. I can see it very, very well~"

"And yet, you can say such a thing so easily?"

"Of course."

The answer came back, so simply it was discouraging.

"Haa…"

Jang Hong's shoulders drooped, as if all his energy had drained away.

It was as if a silent cry of "At least hesitate out of politeness, you friend!" could be heard.

"Then, shall we make a bet? Uncle Jang."

"A, a bet? Are you confident enough to put money on it, you money-grubbing ghost?"

Jang Hong, wary of Biryu Yeon's overconfidence, flinched slightly.

"I'm getting tired of you repeating the same thing, but… I'm telling you, yes!"

Biryu Yeon emphasized again.

"Then it's really possible…! I still can't believe it…"

The full story was as follows.

About an hour ago.

Biryu Yeon, Jang Hong, Mo Yong-hwi, and Namgung Sang had just arrived at the spot they were currently in and quickly hid. This was because they had discovered something almost simultaneously.

"…There are many, Ryu Yeon."

"…There are many, eldest brother."

Biryu Yeon, after hearing Mo Yong-hwi and Namgung Sang's impressions, directed a consolidated question to Jang Hong.

"Uncle Jang, have you heard the saying that all roads in the four seas lead to one?"

His voice sounded somewhat displeased.

"I've heard it."

"Have you also heard of 'Manryugijong' or 'No matter how you go, as long as you reach Beijing'?"

"Of course, I have."

"But out of all those countless roads, there's only this one?"

Looking at Jang Hong with an expression as if he couldn't believe such an impudent person would defy the laws of nature, Biryu Yeon complained.

"Unfortunately, this is the only road."

Jang Hong was no less unfortunate, if not more so. However, he was definitely not so kind as to stop complaining.

"Do we really have to take this 'bothersome' road? Aren't there any more pleasant paths? I detest places crowded with people. It's too chaotic. Chaos is not good for my delicate mental health."

"Use that expression after your delicate mind has completely perished. Haa—"

Jang Hong let out a long sigh at Biryu Yeon's unending complaints.

"If there were such roads, I'd gladly tell you. Do you think anyone likes bringing you all here?"

"Oh, so it wasn't?"

He shot Jang Hong a suspicious glance, but it was hidden by his bangs. Expressing intentions through nods or glances was practically meaningless to Biryu Yeon.

"Haa, of course not? Obviously not. But what can we do when the sect leader is within their encirclement!"

Hiding behind a rock, Jang Hong pointed his finger nervously. His finger pointed to the backs of the people who were blocking the path they absolutely had to take. Martial artists with broad shoulders were lined up like a massive wall.

A few hundred martial artists, at least, had encircled the area in a semicircle, advancing step by step, tightening their net like a well-ordered formation with their sharp weapons pointed forward. It was a scene that could even be described as terrifying.

"Whew, I'd normally force our way through, but this is just too much, isn't it? There are too many of them."

Namgung Sang was almost overcome with shock at the number of people mobilized to capture just one person.

"It certainly won't be easy. But this is the path to rescue the sect leader. Even if it's a path to death, if it cannot be avoided, we will charge through."

"A model student-like opinion. I'll accept it with thanks."

Jang Hong responded to Mo Yong-hwi's straightforward conclusion with a sigh.

"It's called 'Cheonrajimang Munesae' for a reason, isn't it? Do you think it's called the 'Vast Siege Annihilation Formation' for nothing? Once trapped inside, they never let you out, and they annihilate every last ant to turn it into scorched earth. That's why it's called that. Getting in is simple compared to getting out."

However, even getting in was not easy now. Biryu Yeon clicked his tongue.

"Tsk tsk, there should be a distance between people, but these guys are too close together?"

Looking at the approaching men, the distance between each person was less than half a span.

"Exactly how many were mobilized, brother Jang?"

Mo Yong-hwi asked in a cautious tone.

"Do you really need to know that?"

Jang Hong's counter-question conveyed his eyes:

'There are things in this world that are better left unknown. So if you don't want to fall into despair, don't ask.'

"Yes, I absolutely want to know."

However, this perfectionist Mo Yong-hwi was too stubbornly honest.

"Haa, I knew you'd say that. What we're seeing is just a part of 'Cheonrajimang Munesae'. These people aren't all of them. If I'm not mistaken… I think about three thousand were mobilized."

Jang Hong's words, said with a frown like he'd eaten something bitter, made Mo Yong-hwi and Namgung Sang gasp in shock simultaneously.

"Th, three thousand of them!"

Jang Hong nodded heavily.

"Ahaha, brother Jang, y, you're joking, right?"

Namgung Sang asked in a servile tone. Jang Hong raised his voice slightly, sounding irritated.

"Then why did you ask? I wish I could forget it too."

Three thousand was just a word, but when gathered, it was an enormous number.

Namgung Sang, with a dazed expression, let out a slightly deranged laugh and began counting the people.

"One, two… three. And… four."

Mo Yong-hwi, Jang Hong, Biryu Yeon, and himself.

He wanted to count more, and there were plenty of fingers left, but he had no more combatants to count. Namgung Sang's dejected shoulders slumped under the weight of despair.

"Why the long face? Don't look so crestfallen over just three thousand. It makes you look pitiful."

"You always say I look pitiful! And it's 'a full' three thousand, not 'just' three thousand. Aren't you worried, eldest brother?"

His tone, whether grumbling or tearful, was unclear.

"So what? Aren't all three thousand of those people formidable masters?"

Biryu Yeon, with an air of nonchalance, poured cold water on Namgung Sang's pathetic worries. Namgung Sang inwardly cursed himself.

'Right, this is the kind of person he is… Has he ever conformed to the general trend?'

"Heh heh, no matter how mediocre they are, the power of numbers is fearsome. Isn't there a saying, 'Many forces, no force'? When united by numbers, they sometimes exhibit the strongest, most terrifying power. Only those who can transcend that limit, one in a hundred or a thousand years, are true geniuses."

Sometimes, such geniuses appeared in the flow of history and changed the course of eras, but that was the stuff of legends.

"Huh? Did you call me?"

At that moment, Biryu Yeon suddenly leaned forward and interjected.

Jang Hong looked at Biryu Yeon and sent him a look that said, 'You're quite shameless. People don't usually openly declare themselves geniuses.' Biryu Yeon, not to be outdone, met his gaze with a look that said, 'Why? Did I say something wrong? I only ever speak the truth?'

At that shamelessness, harder than Mallyeon Gang, and that arrogance, piercing the heavens and cleaving the universe, Jang Hong was utterly speechless. Although the context was slightly different from everyday usage, in the sense of being dumbfounded and losing his speech, it was similar.

"Look closely. It's three thousand, three thousand. The sect leader is trapped within the encirclement spread by those three thousand."

At his emphasis, only Mo Yong-hwi and Namgung Sang, standing next to Biryu Yeon, became even more grim.

"But the fact that they're moving so slowly, ahh~, it's so slow I could yawn, means they haven't found it yet, right?"

To Biryu Yeon's languid question, Jang Hong's answer was resolute.

"If it were a place that could be found so easily, could it be called 'Daenanyuan'!"

"Wow, is it that secretly hidden?"

He feigned admiration.

"Of course. It's a place to distance oneself from great difficulties when they arise. In other words, the ultimate…"

Namgung Sang, who was listening nearby, interjected as if he understood.

"Hideout!"

"Absolutely not!"

Jang Hong denied it with fierce intensity. Namgung Sang, feeling awkward, mumbled.

"Huh? Isn't it? It seems like it is…"

"No, it's not! That place is, um… yes, that place is the ultimate 'refuge'."

It wasn't a particularly good alternative for all the thought he put into it.

"…What's the difference between a hideout and a refuge?"

Namgung Sang asked back in a dejected tone.

"Doesn't the nuance differ, the nuance! In the adult world, nuance is sometimes more important than truth! In any case, don't worry. That place is hidden where no one can find it!"

Seeing him boast so confidently, it seemed like it was hidden very well, wherever it was.

"Heh heh, 'no one'… something suspicious. Uncle Jang, you know where it is, of course?"

Biryu Yeon asked suspiciously, and Jang Hong replied with a grin.

"I don't know."

Jang Hong's immediate answer left the group stunned.

"You said you don't know?"

Mo Yong-hwi asked with a bewildered face.

"I don't know where it is either. And you don't all have to look at me like that. It's scary enough to make someone commit murder."

Even Jang Hong didn't seem to know exactly where it was.

"Thinking about it, don't we need a bait to throw to those three thousand people around here, Uncle Jang? You, who are good at escaping, would be a great bait…"

Jang Hong felt a chill down his spine, not so much from Biryu Yeon's words, but from the other two seeming to implicitly agree with them.

"Why, why are you guys doing this! Ahem, ahem, don't worry. Even if I don't know where it is, I know how to find it. Ah, so stop looking at me like that."

Jang Hong urgently tried to calm them down. The atmosphere was palpably menacing, as if they might be beaten to a pulp, let alone become bait.

"H.o.w?"

Biryu Yeon asked, as if this was their last chance. Jang Hong said, sweating nervously.

"You just have to find Namcheon!"

It was a completely unsatisfying answer that hardly dispelled the remaining three people's doubts.

"Namcheon?! You don't mean Namcheonmyeolgeop, do you, brother Jang?"

Mo Yong-hwi's voice, as he asked again, carried a hint of intense emotion. It was appropriate to call it fear.

It was no wonder.

It had only been a few days since he had suffered terribly because of Seocheonmyeolgeop at Macheon Pavilion. And he had lost a fellow student.

At that time, Mo Yong-hwi didn't have the strength left to face him. Even if he was exhausted from shaking off the women who swarmed him, he had no confidence that he could win even if they fought again in peak condition.

Would he be able to win next time? The answer didn't come easily.

"Don't worry, it's not the Namcheon from Namcheonmyeolgeop."

Only then did Mo Yong-hwi let out a sigh of relief and ask.

"Is that so? Then that's a relief. Then what is this Namcheon you're talking about, brother Jang?"

"It's a flower."

"A flower?"

"Yes! A flower! If you find that flower, you'll know where Daenanyuan is."

"……?"

Two of the three remained silent, and the remaining one asked.

"How do you find that flower?"

Then Jang Hong replied.

"Well."

It was a very unhelpful answer.

"Then what happens when you find that flower?"

"You'll automatically know."

"Automatically? What kind of forgotten windfall is that? This unreliable question-and-answer session that's been going on forever. Honestly, uncle, you just want to be bait, don't you?"

Unable to bear the frustration, Biryu Yeon pressed on with a chilling smile.

"Unfortunately, there's no other way. How should I put it… Should I say that I know it, but I've just forgotten it?"

The word 'just' seemed to be in the wrong place.

"Did you get amnesia?"

He meant, how could someone forget such a crucial location.

"It's because that place is sealed by suggestion!"

"Sealed by suggestion, you say…"

Namgung Sang muttered, shocked.

"That's too much. Why go to such lengths?"

Mo Yong-hwi, unable to hold back, also asked. Jang Hong then wore a bitter smile, as if he had swallowed something unpleasant.

"It's because in the underworld, they don't believe in human endurance. No matter how special the training, there are always clear limits. Also, the possibility of betrayal cannot be ignored. Therefore, in Muyeongdae, the 'forgetting' seal through suggestion is placed on the shadows for the most important information."

He then paused before continuing.

"Because you can reveal what you know, but you can never reveal what you don't know."

There was no better security system for preventing the leakage of classified information.

"Because you can't trust people, you manipulated brother Jang's mind too? This is too much!"

Mo Yong-hwi clenched his fist, unable to contain his indignation.

He had seen the scene where the suggestion placed on a subordinate in a butcher shop was lifted, but it hadn't really resonated with him.

Besides, Jang Hong was supposed to be the one to place the suggestion, not the one to receive it.

"I appreciate the defense… But it seems like I'm the one who placed that suggestion."

With a face that looked embarrassed, Jang Hong scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smile.

"Ah, really…"

The two replied in cold voices.

"Sob, how could you do something so cruel, you devil!"

Only Biryu Yeon turned his head away and exclaimed dramatically. Anyone who heard him might mistake him for being the one who was subjected to suggestion.

In any case, the three of them couldn't say anything more. Criticizing the suggestion seal was tantamount to criticizing Jang Hong.

"But even if we try to find the red flower of Namcheon, it's only possible after breaking through the encirclement of those three thousand people."

Then Biryu Yeon suddenly threw in a remark.

"Huh? That's simple, isn't it?"

"Simple? Did you mean 'difficult' incorrectly?"

But Biryu Yeon's expression was refreshingly bright, making it unlikely he had spoken out of turn.

"You, it's not a slip of the tongue…"

"Of course. One, two, three."

Biryu Yeon's index finger pointed to Jang Hong, then Mo Yong-hwi, and then Namgung Sang in turn. Then, returning to Jang Hong, he pointed again and said.

"Thousand, thousand, thousand."

"……?"

What was the meaning of the finger-pointing that had just occurred?

The three people's confusion was soon resolved.

"Since it's three thousand, it's perfect if each person takes one thousand."

He said it as if it were as easy as eating rice cake while lying down.

"Wait, but why one against a thousand? Doesn't the math seem strange?"

Jang Hong, feeling perplexed, raised his hand in protest.

Biryu Yeon then raised his index finger again and, with an expressionless face, pointed to Jang Hong, Namgung Sang, and Mo Yong-hwi in turn, saying.

"One, two, three. Three thousand divided by three is one thousand. So, one against a thousand. You don't know such simple arithmetic?"

Jang Hong said with a look of disbelief.

"I mean, there are four people, so why are you dividing by three?"

"Me? I'm obviously excluded."

"No, why?"

"Geez, why should I get involved in something like this? Besides, I have a conviction that all my friends are warriors who can take on a thousand. How could a handsome and manly man like myself betray his conviction? Such a tragedy must not happen. So, I'll just watch you all with warm eyes from here."

His words flowed as smoothly as flowing water.

"In other words, Ryu Yeon, you're saying you'll just sit back and watch?"

"Correct! Mathematically, it fits perfectly, doesn't it? 'One against seven hundred and fifty' sounds strange, doesn't it? Things that don't fit perfectly aren't beautiful. They feel lacking."

Biryu Yeon replied with a smirk. Of course, his opinion was not likely to be accepted. Namgung Sang, in particular, interjected urgently.

"No, it's not strange at all! Eldest brother! Even if it's lacking, it's fine! It's fine! It's really fine!"

"Self-deprecation isn't good, Sang-ah. Humans should… consider their infinite potential…"

"Shut up, and don't even think about slacking off, even if it's one against seven hundred and fifty. Or give us a reason we can accept."

Jang Hong's voice was unusually firm.

"But I'm not the type to deal with thousands. I deal with tens of thousands. Because I'm a one-against-three-hundred-thousand type."

'He's serious, he's really serious.'

'He's serious about that!'

'As expected, he was serious! That's what I thought!'

Though their methods differed, the same sentiment struck the three of them profoundly.

However, they couldn't let him get away with it by fumbling.

'I won't be fooled by him this time again!'

Jang Hong, who had been constantly put in a difficult situation by Biryu Yeon recently, had no intention of staying still.

"If you're so confident, why don't you face those three thousand people alone? If you can face three hundred thousand, then three thousand should be a piece of cake, right? How about it, can't do it, right? We don't need to lie to each other."

Essentially, what this elder was saying was, 'Trust this elder's broad chest and tell me everything.'

"Why would I need to lie? It's all the truth."

Biryu Yeon seemed genuinely serious.

"It's not a lie? Don't lie."

"Have you been deceiving people all this time, uncle? Why don't you believe me?"

"Ouch, my chest suddenly feels a little warm, but still, I don't believe you. I can't lie and say I believe something I don't believe, can I?"

"Fine. Then how can I make you believe me? Shall we make a bet?"

And the conversation took a strange turn.

"A bet? What will you wager?"

"I'll wager one of the things I cherish. Money!"

"You're really too honest about liking money. How much will you wager?"

Not all money is the same, and the most important thing was the amount.

"Hmm, since it's three thousand, let's go with three thousand nyang. How about it?"

Jang Hong flinched for a moment.

"Th, three thousand nyang…?"

Jang Hong had been wary since the words 'bet' came out of that annoying mouth. He had known this person for years, but he was not someone who would carelessly propose a bet unless he was confident he wouldn't lose a single coin.

'Is it really possible? Really? Truly?'

"Geez, you can't trust people because you're always deceiving them, can you? Now you can't even trust your friends! How pathetic! If you can't trust your fr.i.e.n.d.s. like that, then you don't have to. But then I wouldn't have any reason to go through the trouble of doing 'that', would I?"

In other words, if he didn't accept the bet, Biryu Yeon wouldn't fight the three thousand people. It meant he would either fight with the three of them, or fight alone.

"O, alright, let's do it!"

Mo Yong-hwi and Namgung Sang were surprised by Jang Hong's answer. That's because a bet with Biryu Yeon was a direct path to defeat.

"Oh, really? That's my friend!"

Biryu Yeon smiled broadly, looking surprised that he had actually accepted.

"But three thousand nyang is too much. How about three hundred nyang?"

That amount was something Jang Hong could manage within his means.

"Fine, let's do it for three hundred nyang. So timid, when you like big things."

He added a remark that didn't need to be attached.

"Wh, who said I like bigger things? Don't slander me!"

Jang Hong jumped up in protest.

"Wow, are you really going to pretend you don't remember now? You said you were saved by your chest once, didn't you? You pervert!"

"Wh, who said anything about chests! I'm not a pervert! Never!"

"There are always people who make unconvincing arguments."

Jang Hong's clumsy protest was immediately brushed aside by Biryu Yeon.

"I'm just a normal twenty-something man who simply likes beautiful things!"

Then Biryu Yeon gaped in disbelief and said.

"Wow, twenty-something? With that face, twenty-something? This is an outrage! How can you be so shameless!"

It wasn't for nothing that Ok Yu-gyeong was shocked to hear his set age.

"I, I'm still young! I'm still in my prime! I am eternally twenty-something!"

Jang Hong cried out, but Biryu Yeon just snorted with a grin.

'Talking to this guy any longer is just going to be a loss for me!'

So Jang Hong shifted his target.

"Senior Namgung, do you also think so?"

Since Jang Hong had entered Cheonmu Academy in the same year as Biryu Yeon, Namgung Sang was officially two grades higher. Namgung Sang then adjusted his clothing and posture and said.

"Oh my, senior? This Namgung Mo cannot dare to be called that. Please speak more casually, uncle. Please just call me 'Sang-ah'."

BOOM!

'Not just uncle, but great-uncle! As expected, anyone influenced by that Biryu Yeon is hopeless! I need to find someone who's not yet contaminated and is clean!'

Shocked, Jang Hong's gaze searched for his last hope.

"Mo Yong-gun, do you also think so?"

Jang Hong firmly believed that this upright friend would be his ally. However, Mo Yong-hwi was too upright. So much so that he couldn't lie.

Turning his head away from Jang Hong's earnest wish and trust-filled gaze, Mo Yong-hwi cleared his throat and said.

"Ahem, we need to move quickly to find the sect leader, Uncle Jang."

Jang Hong's trust shattered into pieces. He slumped to the floor.

However, his actions did not attract Biryu Yeon's attention. Watching him, Mo Yong-hwi inwardly sighed.

'Should I call this pathetic, or enviable…'

Mo Yong-hwi was confused by them, who felt no sense of crisis even in such a dire moment. As a serious person, the weight of the crucial mission to rescue the sect leader alone made his stomach feel heavy.

At times like this, he was a little envious of those two people with their carefree or perhaps bold personalities. But as someone with a naturally serious disposition, it was a way of life he couldn't dare to imitate.

A moment later, Mo Yong-hwi quietly asked Biryu Yeon.

"Ryu Yeon, do you have any good ideas?"

Biryu Yeon replied with a smile.

"Hey, Hwi. Do you know why such a large crowd, a disorganized rabble, collapses?"

"I don't know?"

"It's distrust."

"Distrust? The distrust from 'Hell of Distrust'?"

Biryu Yeon chuckled at Mo Yong-hwi's bewildered question.

"Heh heh, distrust does create hell."

"But what does that have to do with this?"

"See for yourself. Then you'll know."

Biryu Yeon grinned mischievously, wiggling his raised five fingers, a terrifying smile.