Boom! Boom!

Anchors the size of a person’s torso dropped into the sea one after another. The sound of the anchors striking the water spread toward the shore like cannon fire.

Even someone who didn’t know what this sight meant would feel their body tremble at the spectacle.

“Commander! Mooring is complete.”

Someone hurried into the cabin and bowed in reporting. But Ho Ga-Myung’s eyes, fixed on the ledger, did not move.

“Hmm.”

After a moment, Ho Ga-Myung snapped the ledger shut with quick hands.

He clicked his tongue.

Without a moment’s delay he rose and walked out of the cabin. Passing through the narrow doorway, the view of the green island came into sight.

The Central Plains looked noticeably different. Yet Ho Ga-Myung moved with an expression of little interest.

Creak—

Each step he took made the deck groan and shudder. He walked to the bow and scanned the shore with emotionless eyes. Then he asked.

“What of the fishermen?”

“They all fled in a hurry; there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the shore.”

“But those who were on the shore must have seen us.”

Ho Ga-Myung glanced at the boats anchored along the shore and spoke.

“The Southern Island Sect will learn of us soon enough. It’s no good letting them prepare. Disembark.”

“Yes, Commander!”

One who bowed crisply turned and shouted loudly.

“Move!”

“Yes!”

Those waiting on each ship quickly leaped overboard.

Splash! Splash!

Nearly a thousand men jumped into the sea at once, turning the blue water into white foam in an instant. Those who landed ran forward in perfect formation and gathered on the white sand.

Watching them with cold eyes, Ho Ga-Myung stepped to the bow and lightly leapt down onto the white sand.

He straightened his back and turned his gaze to see the Ten Thousand People Clan’s warriors in formation. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

After a moment, someone who had joined a bit late bowed his head.

“Commander!”

“You’re late.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Ho Ga-Myung shook his head shortly, as if displeased.

If any other Evil Sect witnessed the scene unfolding on this shore, they would be stunned into silence. In truth, the appearance of these men was more like soldiers than murim folk—rigidly and strictly organized.

Among all the sects in the world, only the Ten Thousand People Clan could display such a sight.

But even that did not satisfy Ho Ga-Myung.

“Commander! Preparations are complete! Your orders!”

“Hmm.”

Ho Ga-Myung nodded.

Honestly, any person would feel their heart swell in such a situation with so many awaiting only their command.

But there was not a hint of excitement in Ho Ga-Myung’s eyes. As always, he calmly assessed the situation.

“Advance?”

“Wait.”

Ho Ga-Myung grabbed his left sleeve with his right hand and rubbed it lightly, as if sinking into deep thought. After a long moment he spoke in a steady voice.

“Strange.”

“Yes?”

“There’s too little of a defensive response.”

“Yes?”

Mun Bang, hearing that, asked with puzzlement.

“They couldn’t have expected us, so isn’t it natural they didn’t prepare? Even if fishermen saw us, the Southern Island Sect wouldn’t have been informed yet...”

But Ho Ga-Myung shook his head and said coldly.

“There are no footprints.”

“...What?”

Mun Bang, Ho Ga-Myung’s subordinate, looked over the white beach again after hearing him. Indeed, by Ho Ga-Myung’s observation, there were no footprints to be seen.

But why was that strange?

“Commander. Isn’t no footprints a good thing?”

Ho Ga-Myung turned his head and stared at Mun Bang.

“A good thing?”

“Yes. It proves there were no people on this shore; doesn’t it mean they don’t know our whereabouts?”

Ho Ga-Myung slightly knitted his brow.

“There are anchored boats, but you don’t find it odd there are no footprints?”

“...Ah!”

Only then did Mun Bang understand, and he looked again at the shore. Besides their ships, other vessels were all anchored. If boats were anchored, people had disembarked. Yet there were no traces of people on this beach.

It was certainly odd.

“...Could the footprints have been wiped away by a typhoon?”

“Sailors always tend to their boats after a storm. If those repairing the vessels saw us and fled, they would have left footprints on the shore.”

“...”

“It’s unnatural.”

Ho Ga-Myung lifted his head and stared at the island before him.

“Then it would mean they knew we were coming and set a trap in advance... do those island bumpkins have the capacity for that?”

Ho Ga-Myung slowly turned his gaze to Mun Bang. The chill in his eyes made Mun Bang’s face go pale.

“You seem to mock the Nine Great Sects.”

“C-Commander. That’s not what I meant...”

“Do you know when a person is most despicable?” 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Um...”

“When they delude themselves that what they gained by luck was achieved by their skill.”

Mun Bang fell silent, as if he had no words. Ho Ga-Myung spoke in a chilling voice.

“If the Alliance lord had not bestowed favor, these men would have ended as mere garbage of Guangdong, yet they swagger as if they were something—such arrogance deserves death.”

Mun Bang hurriedly bowed his head.

Ho Ga-Myung did not get angry easily. He was the type to sigh and let things go even when a subordinate was openly rude. Not out of kindness, but because his belief was that it’s better to have such people than not.

But there was one exception.

The moment someone sullied even a sliver of Jang Ilso’s authority, Ho Ga-Myung transformed from a cold commander into a demon who cared for nothing.

Mun Bang, aware of that fact, could only tremble in fear.

“C-Commander! I never meant that.”

“Then?”

“I was simply stupid and spoke carelessly. How could I think the Ten Thousand People Clan’s methods were something I obtained from the Alliance Lord! That could never be.”

Ho Ga-Myung silently watched the prostrate Mun Bang.

Despite the blazing sun, Mun Bang felt a chill run down his back.

“Rise.”

“Yes!”

Mun Bang rose without delay.

“This is the one time, I let you be.”

“T-Thank you, Commander!”

Mun Bang bowed quickly, sweating profusely.

It might have seemed like a routine scolding to others, but Mun Bang knew well that he had just stepped a foot into the gates of hell and slipped back out.

“W-What will you do?”

He quickly changed the subject; he didn’t want Ho Ga-Myung dwelling on his mistake.

“There will be traps.”

Ho Ga-Myung looked at the thick foliage and said softly.

The shore was dazzlingly white, the grass touching it vividly green. But the brush and mountains beyond were even denser and darker than those of the Central Plains.

If there were ambushers, they would surely be there.

“Do we bypass?”

“No.”

Ho Ga-Myung’s mouth twisted slightly.

“If they’ve dug a trap, we should go to it.”

Mun Bang kept his mouth shut and watched Ho Ga-Myung. He had questions, of course, but he wasn’t in a position to ask them aloud now.

“Don’t misinterpret the mission, Mun Bang. Our orders are not merely to take down the Southern Island Sect’s sign. It’s to annihilate everything using the name Southern Island Sect without leaving a single one.”

“Ah...”

“If we bypass the trap, those who dug it will scatter like homeless vermin. Cleanup will become troublesome.”

Ho Ga-Myung stared at Southern Island’s dense forest with eyes devoid of emotion.

“If the things to be exterminated gather together, that’s better. It lets us finish the work faster.”

“Yes!”

“Advance as planned. But!”

Ho Ga-Myung gazed back at the ship they had come on. After a moment of silence, as if pondering, he spoke again.

“Leave the Tiger Ghost Troops to guard the ship.”

His expression was utterly indifferent.

“Cutting off our retreat is the most obvious ploy for those who pride themselves on strategy. Losing the ship isn’t a problem, but it’ll be a nuisance.”

“We’ll carry out the order!”

“Do as commanded.”

“Yes!”

Mun °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Bang sprinted toward the Tiger Ghost Troops. Relief at having survived his mistake and a new chill swept through him.

‘To think it’s only handling Southern Island Sect’s people...’

As Ho Ga-Myung said, Mun Bang might not deserve pride in the Ten Thousand People Clan’s strength. Yet objectively, the Clan’s force did overwhelm Southern Island.

And yet Ho Ga-Myung planned his strategy cautiously as if testing each stepping-stone while facing such Southern Island.

Because a tiger takes no chances when catching a rabbit?

Not that. It’s precisely why he’s frightening.

Right now, Ho Ga-Myung’s mind contained nothing but how to execute Jang Ilso’s orders perfectly.

Choosing to go into an enemy-trapped area isn’t some expression of confidence that they can charge in and defeat the enemy without losses.

Ho Ga-Myung simply chose the path that would finish the enemy faster, even if it meant accepting some losses, in order to comply swiftly with Jang Ilso’s order to deal with Southern Island. For Ho Ga-Myung, only Jang Ilso’s command mattered.

That fact sent a chill down Mun Bang’s neck.

‘I must not make a mistake in this matter.’

Mun Bang reaffirmed himself and raised his voice toward the Tiger Ghost Troops.

“They are moving out!”

“Good. Then... huh?”

Yoon Jong, watching the shore, blinked and spun to look at Baek Cheon.

“The forces are splitting?”

Baek Cheon blinked and checked the situation on the shore. Indeed, part of the enemy force had stayed behind and seemed deployed to guard the anchored ships.

“Green Forest King?”

“Hmm.”

Im So-Byeong scratched his head with the end of his fan and snorted a laugh.

“Ho Ga-Myung seems to be giving Southern Island Sect more credit than expected. Well, that’s who he is. He’s certainly keen-minded. Excellent.”

“No, the plan’s gone awry—are you calmly praising him now?”

“What are we going to do?”

Voices of complaint rose here and there.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Im So-Byeong’s face contorted as he scolded.

“Did these fellows overestimate camaraderie? Do they think real war will go smoothly as planned? The basic principle is to prepare countermeasures for countermeasures and change moves as needed!”

“So does that mean Ho Ga-Myung just got one over on us?”

“Does it mean we got thrashed?”

“Does it mean we lost?”

“...Bastards.”

Im So-Byeong ground his teeth. Then Baek Cheon asked again.

“So what do we do now?”

“Nothing really changes.”

Im So-Byeong snorted and said.

“We wait until the enemy creates enough distance according to plan... then seize the ships!”

“What about those guarding them?”

“Well, uh...”

Im So-Byeong looked quietly at the person who had spread out.

“The Central Plains’ top-performance Evil Sect-smasher will handle it.”

Chung Myung, sword already drawn, was staring intently at the Tiger Ghost Troops positioned on the shore. Everyone who saw him shivered; Chung Myung’s bared teeth were truly chilling.