Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 980

Groan.

The ship groaned loudly as its hull scraped against the unseen sandbar beneath the waves. A moment later, a figure in flowing red robes slowly descended from the still ship. The red of the robes stood out sharply against the pale sand of the beach.

“…Jang Il-so.”

Baek Cheon’s face twisted horribly.

The moment he saw that man’s face, his blood ran cold. He wanted to charge forward and plunge his sword into that neck right now. The other disciples beside him were no different, their shoulders trembling.

Then, Baek Cheon noticed Chung Myung. The moment he saw that back, still and unmoving, Baek Cheon exhaled the breath he had been holding.

Not too far apart, Jang Il-so with a smiling face and Chung Myung with a blank expression were looking at each other.

The moment the two men, whose attire and expressions were so starkly contrasting, met, everyone on the island held their breath.

Jang Il-so flicked his finger, and the ring that had fallen on the ground was sucked into his hand. Jang Il-so, who slowly put the ring back on his long finger, glanced at the Black Dragon King.

“…Turned into rags.”

His gaze reached the Black Dragon King’s severed shoulder. As if he had seen something ugly, Jang Il-so frowned. Then, he smiled softly and looked at Chung Myung again.

“What do you think, Hwasan Sword Saint? Do you really need to take that head?”

At Jang Il-so’s subtle voice, Chung Myung let out an open sneer.

“Need to?”

Chung Myung’s foot pressed down on the Black Dragon King.

“Keeeugh…”

A suppressed groan leaked from the Black Dragon King’s mouth, unable even to resist.

“This thing?”

Jang Il-so shrugged his shoulders slightly exaggeratedly.

“Since you belong to a righteous sect where you have so many talented people, you wouldn’t understand my feelings, but in the evil sect, it’s not easy to find someone like him.”

“…”

“My position is that I have to pick up and use anything I can, whether it’s a bug or a cripple. Don’t you think it’s pitiful?”

“You still talk too much.”

“I’m glad you acknowledge it. It’s my specialty, you see.”

Jang Il-so chuckled.

“So… how about you spare him?”

“…”

“The Black Dragon King, who has become a cripple with his arm cut off, wouldn’t be much of a threat in your eyes, would he? So, if you just leave him here, I’m thinking of picking him up and using him well.”

“Why should I?”

Chung Myung’s cold gaze seemed to pierce through Jang Il-so. After staring like that for a moment, Chung Myung smirked.

“No, no. I can do that.”

He glared at Jang Il-so, baring his teeth like a wolf that had been attacked. Filled with all the anger he could show.

“If you’re willing to offer even that insignificant head of yours as compensation.”

“Hahaha.”

Jang Il-so slowly stroked his white neck.

“Oh, my. I didn’t know this neck was so valuable. Enough for the Hwasan Sword Saint to desire it.”

Madness flickered in his pale eyes. A person with a weak heart would be intimidated by that gaze alone.

“But that’s difficult. Even if it’s an insignificant neck, it’s still too precious to exchange for the life of a bug-like thing.”

The Black Dragon King trembled under Chung Myung’s foot. Even though he was barely breathing thanks to Jang Il-so, this treatment was too harsh for him, who had been the absolute ruler of the Jang River.

But he couldn’t even open his mouth.

The moment he expressed his anger, Chung Myung’s sword would not hesitate to cut off his head. The Black Dragon King, who had faced Chung Myung directly, knew. This guy was not a human who hesitated before killing.

“Then tell me.”

Chung Myung said, tossing the words out in an emotionless voice.

“Tell me with your smooth words. Why I should spare this guy. And why I should…”

His clear gaze pierced through Jang Il-so.

“Spare you.”

Jang Il-so’s red lips drew a sinister curve.

‘Chilling.’

It was no joke; meeting those eyes made his spine feel as though it was freezing over for a moment.

‘I thought he would come back as a tiger at best.’

This was more like a monster than a tiger.

As Jang Il-so’s white hand, dangling below his sleeve, tightened, the rings rubbed against each other, creating a rattling sound.

Jang Il-so glanced down at his hand. His eyes darkened for a moment.

When his whole body was adorned with ornaments, he could know his condition most accurately. The fact that his hand was tightening involuntarily meant that he was feeling extreme murderous intent toward Chung Myung right now.

‘Do I want to kill him?’

Right here, right now?

Is he worth discarding everything he had planned so far to eliminate? Is that Hwasan Sword Saint that threatening?

His mind had not yet finished contemplating the Hwasan Sword Saint, but his instincts were clearly saying so.

That he had to kill that Hwasan Sword Saint right here, no matter what it took.

Instinct governs the will to live. Right now, his instinct was accepting that small swordsman as a more distinct threat than anyone he had ever met.

Jang Il-so chuckled softly and raised his hand to cover his face.

It was because he didn’t want to show anyone the murderous intent that might be revealed on his face. Although his face was covered, his eyes shone with a cold light, like ice, revealed between his long fingers.

He wanted to cut it off.

He wanted to cut off that neck and soak his hands in that blood.

A dark pleasure flickered in his mind at the thought, but he pushed it down. Impulses were for fools.

But…

“Compensation…”

Of course, Jang Il-so rejected the voice of his heart.

Not being able to control his impulses, not being able to distinguish between right and wrong, and moving only according to his instincts. That was the kind of thing that he hated the most, the kind of thing that pigs and dogs did.

“What do you want, Hwasan Sword Saint?”

“…”

“Tell me. Tell me what you want. I’ll grant you anything I can. Even if it’s…”

A smooth voice, laced with poison, wrapped around Chung Myung’s ear.

“An excessively generous mercy that would allow you to leave this island without having to bow your heads to the ground and beg for your lives.”

“You…”

The moment those words ended, a blue aura of killing intent erupted from the bodies of all the Hwasan disciples. Their eyes bloodshot, they stretched their feet forward, gripping their swords as if they would charge at Jang Il-so at any moment.

“Don’t be rash.”

It was none other than Un-geom who suppressed the atmosphere that seemed about to explode. As soon as his words ended, the rage that had been sweeping through the Hwasan disciples disappeared as if it were a lie.

It couldn’t be helped.

Un-geom’s words were always weighty, but especially in front of Maninbang and Jang Il-so, that weight was further increased. No one could be more angry in front of Un-geom.

The swordsmen of Hwasan, who had regained their composure, shut their mouths tightly. But their swords were still emitting a blue light, aiming at Jang Il-so.

Then Chung Myung spoke again.

“Jang Il-so.”

“Hmm?”

Chung Myung’s eyes were excessively emotionless.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Jang Il-so smiled deeply as he looked at him.

“Misunderstand? Me?”

“You know nothing.”

For a moment, Jang Il-so’s expression changed slightly. Chung Myung’s words were not heard as empty words full of bluff, but as meaningful words.

Chung Myung continued.

“What do you think is the reason why you haven’t had your head cut off even after stepping foot on this island?”

Jang Il-so silently looked down at Chung Myung and remained silent.

“Did you think that I couldn’t kill you? Did you think that I would accept your offer in order to save even one more person?”

Chung Myung smiled, revealing his teeth.

“You stupid evil sect bastard, you think the world revolves around your will.”

At those harsh words, Jang Il-so smiled brightly and gently stroked his chin.

“Then what’s the reason?”

“…”

“May I ask what is the great intention of the Hwasan Sword Saint, who upholds the righteousness of the Central Plains, in keeping the head of this wicked and heinous leader of the evil sect attached?”

Even with the insulting words, Chung Myung did not react at all. He simply answered emotionlessly.

“It’s tiring to tell a stupid guy the answer, but that’s also a Taoist’s duty. Wash your ears and listen carefully, you moron. There’s only one reason why I’m not killing you.”

“…”

“Because it’s not my authority.”

Jang Il-so’s eyes narrowed.

It was a very small change in expression, but those who had seen Jang Il-so until now could clearly know. It was the first time that a look of doubt had appeared on his face, which had always been confident in his actions.

“…What does that mean?”

“Even a three-year-old child would know, but.”

Chung Myung retorted coldly.

“I’ll have to explain it very clearly for a moron like you. I’m just Hwasan’s sword. The only person in the world who decides who Hwasan’s sword will aim at is one person.”

“…”

At that moment, Jang Il-so’s gaze moved. Past Chung Myung, to one person behind him.

“If you want to keep that pathetic life and go back, bow your head and beg the Sect Leader. Because no one here but him can save you.”

Creak.

The Plum Blossom Sword, which had been touching the Black Dragon King’s neck, scraped against the sand. It was like a warning that if the Sect Leader gave the order, he would cut off Jang Il-so’s head right now.

A slight embarrassment flashed across Jang Il-so’s face, which was always smooth as if it had been drawn.

‘He moves according to the Sect Leader’s orders?’

What kind of ridiculous words were these?

Of course, he was from the evil sect and they were from the righteous sect. Unlike the evil sect, where power represents everything, he knew that the righteous sect had its own rules to follow. Hadn’t Jang Il-so been taking enormous profits by using that fact until now?

But that was just the story of ordinary people.

There was no way that the dull Sect Leader could control someone like the Hwasan Sword Saint. Even objectively, Hyun Jong was not an ordinary person.

And yet, the Hwasan Sword Saint, who was so arrogant that he looked down on even the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families who dominated the world, and so venomous that he revealed his killing intent even in front of him, the leader of the Four Evil Sects, was following Hyun Jong’s orders?

Jang Il-so was so stunned that he was about to laugh. But the bizarre words were soon proven to be true.

Even at Chung Myung’s ridiculous words, none of the Hwasan disciples’ eyes wavered. Not even a hint of doubt flickered.

That meant that they were taking Chung Myung’s words too naturally. It wasn’t just a simple improvisation, but it meant that the Hwasan Sword Saint had been keeping those words until now.

The moment he realized that fact, Jang Il-so’s back was soaked with cold sweat. He didn’t know how many years it had been since he had been so embarrassed and nervous.

‘Then I’ve come into the tiger’s den with my own feet.’

He thought that the subject of the negotiation would naturally be the Hwasan Sword Saint. That’s why he was able to come here alone. The Hwasan Sword Saint, who had a brilliant mind, would not be able to ignore the fact that Jang Il-so’s death here would be a loss for Hwasan.

But… if the subject of that negotiation was Hyun Jong?

Jang Il-so twisted his lips for a moment and chuckled.

‘Maybe this will be my grave.’

He slowly straightened his back and walked confidently towards Hyun Jong, who was watching.

Flutter.

The hem of his long robe fluttered roughly. Jang Il-so, who lightly straightened his attire, deeply clasped his hands towards Hyun Jong. With perfect manners.

“Jang Il-so of the Four Evil Sects.”

Jang Il-so looked at Hyun Jong with eyes like a crescent moon.

They had already met before. But he paid his respects as if he was meeting Hyun Jong for the first time.

“I greet the leader of the Heavenly Union and the Sect Leader of Hwasan.”

Hyun Jong, who let out a low sigh, paid his respects to Jang Il-so.

“I am Hyun Jong, the leader of the Heavenly Union and the Sect Leader of Hwasan. It’s nice to see you again, Tyrant.”

It was as courteous as could be.

But the coldness of the blade hidden within swept through the hearts of everyone watching the scene.