Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1360

Tang Gunak asked, his voice tight with worry, “Is it true then?”

Hong Daegwang nodded quickly, his face serious. “Yes, it is!”

Hong Daegwang explained, “The Beggar Clan leaders believe Jang Il-so isn’t just trying to catch the Mount Hua Sword Saint. They think he might be planning to go north.”

Tang Gunak’s face hardened with concern.

Tang Gunak repeated, his eyebrows furrowing. “Eastward? That’s not good.”

He knew it was possible, and the thought made his stomach clench.

Hong Daegwang continued, “Going east along the Yangtze River would take him to Zhejiang province. Zhejiang is supposed to be protected by the Namgung Clan.”

He paused, and Tang Gunak understood the problem. The Namgung Clan was strong in Zhejiang, with their main base in Anhui. But now, they were weak and staying here in Jiujiang.

Tang Gunak said slowly, “So, the east side of the river is open.”

Hong Daegwang nodded grimly. “If Jang Il-so goes to Zhejiang, there’s no one strong enough to stop him.”

“What is the reaction of the Nine Great Sects?”

Hong Daegwang said, “Of course, the Nine Great Sects are in chaos. The Abbot of Shaolin has ordered everyone to find Jang Il-so, no matter what it takes.”

A hollow laugh escaped Tang Gunak’s lips.

Jang Il-so hadn’t even attacked anyone yet. He had just *acted* like he was going east. But that was enough to scare not just the Heavenly Union, but all the Nine Great Sects. It showed how much power Jang Il-so had. Even a small move from him could shake the whole world.

Tang Gunak said with a small laugh, “The Abbot must be panicking.”

Han Yi-myeong asked with a puzzled expression at Tang Gunak’s words, “What do you mean?”

Tang Gunak explained, “The Abbot probably thought the problems in Jiangnan didn’t matter much to the Nine Great Sects. Hainan was involved, but the Abbot didn’t care about Hainan anymore. He thought it was lost.”

Tang Gunak said, “If the Namgung Clan was still strong, *they* would be the ones in trouble. The Heavenly Union would be worried. But because the Namgung Clan is weak and here, the Nine Great Sects have to deal with it now.”

He paused. “Beop Jeong, the Abbot, now has to stop Jang Il-so from going to Anhui.”

If the Four Great Evils were to cross Anhui, the next place they would reach was Henan, where the Wudang and Shaolin were located.

This meant Jang Il-so could quickly threaten the most important places of the Nine Great Sects – Shaolin and Wudang.

At that moment, Hyun Sang joined the conversation with a worried expression. “Wait! Then… What about the children? What will happen to our children? Will they be in more danger?”

Tang Gunak shook his head. “The children will be fine. If Jang Il-so goes north, they’ll be safer. Even if he doesn’t, it will still help them.”

Hyun Sang nodded, looking a little relieved.

Tang Gunak glanced at Hong Daegwang before speaking again.

Tang Gunak said, “For the Nine Great Sects, this is a big problem. But for us, it’s not so bad. Even if Jang Il-so is just trying to confuse everyone, we don’t lose anything.”

He smiled slightly. “It’s actually a little satisfying to see the Nine Great Sects finally worried. They’ve been watching our troubles from a distance for too long.”

Someone added, “It would be great if Jang Il-so started fighting with the Nine Great Sects. Then he’d forget about the children we sent.”

“That’s Jang Il-so for you,” someone said. “No one is better at making people panic with unexpected moves.”

“Namgung Elder.”

“Yes, Clan Leader Dang.”

Namgung Myeong responded immediately to Tang Gunak’s call.

Tang Gunak said, “We should move the rest of the Namgung Clan members to safety.”

“I understand. We have ties in Hebei, so I will have them pack their bags immediately and move to Hebei.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Even if the young lord were here, he wouldn’t hesitate at all. It’s worrying that the base in Anhui will collapse, but we must prioritize survival, mustn’t we?”

Tang Gunak nodded. He felt the same way.

Tang Gunak, who turned to Hyun Jong to discuss what to do next, paused and closed his mouth. “Alliance Leader, then we should seize the opportunity and head to Jiangnan…”

Hyun Jong’s face was white as a ghost.

“Alliance Leader?”

Tang Gunak called out again, but there was no response for a while. After a moment, Hyun Jong’s head slowly turned towards Hong Daegwang.

“You said eastward?”

Hong Daegwang nodded with a puzzled expression. “Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Where in the east?”

“…Pardon?”

“Where are they heading in the east? Not all of the east is the same.”

“Ah… Well… At first, they seemed to be heading southeast, but now they’ve changed direction to northeast. That’s why the Nine Great Sects are in such an uproar. If you head northeast from the lower part of Poyang Lake, you’ll reach Zhejiang.”

Hyun Jong’s face turned even paler.

“All…Alliance Leader?”

Tang Gunak, sensing that something unusual was happening, called out to Hyun Jong in a serious voice.

After a moment, Hyun Jong’s lips opened weakly.

“Nanjing.”

“…Yes?”

“If you move northeast from there, you’ll arrive at Nanjing.”

“T-that’s right. The area around Nanjing. If you cross the river, you’ll immediately reach Hefei. Hefei is where the Namgung Clan is located, and it’s also a gateway to Henan. It’s closer to Henan than Wuhan is.”

Hyun Jong’s face turned even paler. Hong Daegwang explained enthusiastically, spitting as he spoke. “If Jang Il-so is aiming for a northward advance, there’s no more critical place than this. Perhaps his destination is Nanjing…”

“How could this be…?”

The tips of Hyun Jong’s fingers trembled slightly. Tang Gunak couldn’t bear it any longer and asked again.

“Alliance Leader, please tell us why you’re acting like this.”

“Nanjing.”

“…Yes?”

“It’s written in the letter that Chung Myung sent… the place where the children are heading.”

At first, Tang Gunak didn’t understand. Then, the meaning hit him hard.

“…Are you saying the children are heading to Nanjing?”

“…”

“Ah, no. Why?”

In fact, there was little point in asking why. The children’s destination would have been decided before Jang Il-so moved. But there were few words Tang Gunak could say other than that right now.

Hyun Jong muttered, his face as pale as someone who had encountered a ghost in broad daylight. “If Jang Il-so is aiming for the north of the river… it wouldn’t be a problem…”

“If… if that’s not the case, and he knows the children’s movements and is trying to block them…” He didn’t need to hear the next words to know. The fate of the children in Jiangnan was as good as decided.

The blood drained from Tang Gunak’s face as well.

“Is there no way to contact the children before they encounter Jang Il-so? That spirit beast…!”

Baek Sang, who had been silent, shook his head. “It’s impossible. No matter how capable Baek Ah is, it can’t find the children somewhere in that vast land of Jiangnan.”

Tang Gunak was momentarily stunned. Only now did the situation feel completely real.

Jang Il-so had simply made one move to the east. With that one move, he had placed a trap around the necks of both the Heavenly Union and the Nine Great Sects. Even around the necks of the children in Jiangnan…

“The Overlord…” The terrible pressure of those two words weighed down on Tang Gunak’s entire body like a heavy weight.

“Northeast, you say?”

“Yes. It’s certain.”

Beggars, hidden in the thick bushes, watched closely those moving in the distance.

Surrounding the massive four-horse carriage in the center, as if guarding it, were indeed the Four Great Evils. Even among them, they were definitely the strongest.

The beggars’ spines were quickly soaked with cold sweat.

If they were to be spotted by those eyes, they wouldn’t even be able to die easily. But they couldn’t back out just because they were afraid. Perhaps the fate of the world depended on their movements.

“Go immediately and report this fact.”

“What about you, Chief?”

“I will track them a little further. The opponent is Jang Il-so. You never know what he might do.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The subordinate held his breath and quietly slipped away. The beggar, glancing back, watched the movements of the Four Great Evils again.

His eyes were drawn to the four-horse carriage, so splendid it caught the eye. Just how grand it was was amazing.

‘Is he planning to wage war against the world?’

A devil was riding inside.

A devil who controlled and played with the world.

“Hmm.”

Buried in luxurious and comfortable silk bedding, Jang Il-so leaned back and relaxed and looked at the scenery outside the window.

The view through the square window was very small. But Jang Il-so didn’t feel the slightest bit closed in.

Even if he couldn’t see everything, he knew all the scenery outside was clear in his mind. It was like he could see it all in his head.

He could see things others couldn’t. He could act before others even thought of moving. He believed only people like him should rule the world.

“Leader, the beggars are moving.”

“Hmm… I hate dirt…”

Jang Il-so, who had slightly frowned, soon burst into laughter.

“But I have to put up with that much. I’ll leave them with a lot for putting up with the bad smell.”

What those beggars had confirmed with their own eyes would be told to everyone across the river, exactly as they saw it. Without knowing that Jang Il-so had made it happen.

“Now… how will you move? Hmm?”

Jang Il-so looked out the window with eyes full of excitement and spread out his hand. He felt like he held the whole world in his hand. The silent world slowly began to burn again.

“The Nine Great Sects, the Heavenly Union, the Four Great Evils, and the Mount Hua Sword Saint…”

There was enough firewood gathered. Enough firewood to start a huge fire that would burn the entire world. And Jang Il-so himself would light that firewood.

Jang Il-so, who had taken his eyes off the small window facing north, looked at the window on the opposite side. It was a window facing south.

In that moment, a look of cold madness came into his eyes.

“It would be good to hurry a little. If you’re late, everything will already be burned. Hee hee hee.”

A cruel smile on his red lips. A twisted smile, like the cruel fate awaiting everyone in the world.