Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1433

“How far away are they?” Dang-oe’s voice was tight.

“It’s hard to tell exactly,” another voice trembled, “but they are close!”

“Blast it!” Dang-oe cursed under his breath, his teeth gritted.

He bit his lip, frustration burning in his chest. If his martial arts were not damaged, he would feel the enemy’s strength, know their distance. Now, he was stumbling in the dark.

“Faster! We must get further away!”

“Chief Elder!”

The elders stared at Dang-oe, their faces confused and worried.

“Chief Elder! We have women and children with us, people who can’t fight! How can we run faster? They will catch us!”

“So? Do you have another way?”

Dang-oe shouted, his voice breaking.

“We are the Sichuan Dang Clan! We must fight to the very end! Don’t you know that?!”

The elders bit their lips. Dang-oe’s eyes became cold. He saw their faces were not strong and determined.

“Why? Are you old fools suddenly afraid to die? Are you going to abandon the clan and run away?”

“N-No, Chief Elder, it’s not like that…”

“If it’s not that, then what is it?”

One of the elders hesitated before speaking.

“Wouldn’t it be better to surrender?”

“…What?”

Dang-oe’s face went blank as if he had been struck. Surrender? A word he had never even thought about. And now, it was coming from a Dang Clan elder.

“What did you just say?”

One elder felt Dang-oe getting angrier. He looked away slightly and kept talking.

“I know the Tyrant is a villain, but he doesn’t hurt people who can’t fight. He has no reason to kill them, right?”

“…”

“If we fight without a plan here, we will give them a reason to hurt us. It would be better to surrender…”

“Have you finished speaking?”

“…Chief Elder.”

“You witless fool!”

Dang-oe’s face turned bright red.

“Is that what a Dang Clan elder should say?!”

But this time, the elder was not scared by Dang-oe’s angry words.

“I’m saying it because I am a Dang Clan elder! You know we can’t stop them alone!”

“Y-You…”

“If we had something to protect, we would fight with our lives! But now, the Dang Clan has nothing left to protect, right? So why risk our lives? Shouldn’t we save as many of the Dang Clan’s children as possible?”

Dang-oe, who had been glaring at the elder, suddenly felt his strength leave him.

It wasn’t anger or disappointment. It was because the words ‘the Dang Clan has nothing left to protect’ had hit him hard.

If they had fought inside the Dang Clan, it would make sense. But now, like he said… there was no reason. Was there a reason for women and children who couldn’t even fight to risk their lives?

If they were fighting to survive, wasn’t it right to choose the best chance of survival?

“The Tyrant might be terrible, but… he is different from the villains we know. So maybe he will treat them well…”

“No!”

Dang So-bo, who had been helping Dang-oe, spoke firmly.

“That won’t work, Elder.”

“How dare you!”

The elder’s face flashed with anger. How dare a nobody interfere when he and Dang-oe were talking? This could never happen in the Dang Clan.

“What do you know that makes you speak?”

“I don’t know anything. But I know one thing. There is a life worse than death.”

“What?”

“If we surrender to them, what about the Clan Lord? How will those who left the clan fight them?”

The elder stared blankly at Dang So-bo, speechless.

“The Sichuan Dang Clan might die sadly, but they will never live in shame. Haven’t you elders said that yourselves! So how can you tell us to become prisoners?”

At Dang So-bo’s words, the eyes of others around her filled with determination.

Some people joined the Dang Clan from other groups. Others knew they would leave the Dang Clan one day. Because of this, they were never fully accepted as Dang Clan members. But still, they felt they belonged to the Sichuan Dang Clan.

“Then what about the children? Can you decide the fate of children who aren’t even teenagers yet?”

Dang So-bo paused for a moment at the elder’s question. Then, the elder turned to Dang-oe and spoke.

“If it’s too hard, maybe we should at least take the children and run…”

“Enough!”

“Chief Elder! Think carefully! If we take the women of the Dang Clan with us like this…”

“I said enough!”

Dang-oe shouted, stopping the elder.

“If you want to leave, go. The Dang Clan will not chase you. No one will blame you for wanting to live.”

“Chief Elder! Why do you misunderstand me?”

“Huh… Haha.”

A sad laugh came from Dang-oe.

The elder’s eyes showed he was sure he was right. Dang-oe saw his own past self in those eyes, full of strong desires.

“The young ones… they couldn’t be trusted.”

“…Yes?”

“What would people who haven’t lived long know? I thought only those who had seen the good and bad of life could lead the clan.”

“Chief Elder?”

“Yes, that’s what I thought. That’s what I believed. I thought that women who couldn’t fight, or young people who didn’t know the world, should just deal with it and keep going.”

Dang-oe looked down at Dang So-bo. Even though she looked tired, her eyes were still clear and bright.

“…I’ve wasted my life.”

“Ch-Chief Elder.”

“Being old doesn’t make you wise, and being young doesn’t make you foolish. I thought I had to guide those who seemed like children. But I was the real child.”

“I…”

Dang-oe shook his head.

“There’s no time to talk. If you want to leave, go! And those who will die as Dang Clan elders, stop the Myriad Man Hall behind us! The Dang Clan will fight to the very end. That is the duty of those with the Dang name!”

A strong will filled Dang-oe’s eyes. The elders saw his strong will and answered firmly.

“Yes, Chief Elder!”

Dang-oe turned. He wouldn’t look back.

“Hurry, everyone! The enemies are chasing us.”

Dang-oe encouraged the tired people and grabbed Dang So-bo’s arm.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes.”

Dang So-bo helped Dang-oe and led him away.

A sad smile stayed on Dang-oe’s face. He could feel the movement behind him. Most of the elders would have jumped forward to block the enemy, but maybe some others were running away.

But Dang-oe didn’t look back. He didn’t want to know who stayed and who left. Anyone who left, wasn’t it all Dang-oe’s fault in the end?

‘The Dang Clan.’

Who is the enemy of the Dang Clan?

Are the enemies those chasing us with swords?

Or are they the ones who divide the Dang Clan – those who separate fighters from non-fighters, women from men, young from old, and break the Clan apart?

‘Father…’

The previous Clan Lord had told Dang-oe: You are not fit to be the Clan Lord of the Dang Clan. Even though you are more skilled than your younger brother, you should never be the Clan Lord.

He didn’t understand and was angry and full of hate. He spent his life trying to prove those words wrong.

But now, he seemed to understand.

‘It wasn’t me.’

He should never have become the Clan Lord.

Because he would have divided everything in the Dang Clan. He would have separated everything and set limits.

For a while, that might seem better.

As the young Dang-oe had said, for a while, that decision might have made the Sichuan Dang Clan stronger.

But Dang-oe had now seen the end of that.

‘Clan Lord.’

He had always disliked Tang Gunak.

If Tang Gunak hadn’t been foolish enough to join Mount Hua, the Dang Clan would not be in danger.

But… maybe Dang-oe was the one who caused the current crisis.

If he hadn’t gotten involved and trusted Tang Gunak’s plans, maybe the Dang Clan would be stronger and better now?

“Cough!”

“Ch, Chief Elder. Are you alright?”

Dang-oe turned to Dang So-bo.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you saying that? Just hang on a little longer!”

Dang-oe smiled sadly.

‘Too… I realized it too late.’

Dang Jo-pyeong’s angry face came to Dang-oe’s mind. Maybe that was what he wanted to say. He couldn’t say it in fancy words because he had worked with metal his whole life. But he showed it in his eyes and actions.

Maybe he had been shouting all along, but Dang-oe hadn’t heard. Even if people shouted, someone who covers their ears cannot hear!

If he had known this sooner…

“T-They’re coming! They’re coming, Chief Elder!”

Dang-oe turned around. He didn’t want to see, but he had to.

Far away, on the horizon… a red wave rushed towards them.

The red color spreading across the yellow-brown land was scary. But Dang-oe was looking at a man in the center.

The man’s red robe fluttered in the air. Dang-oe groaned.

“T-Tyrant…”

He had wanted to see him at least once, but not like this. Not now.

The Tyrant, Jang Il-so’s eyes seemed to pierce him even from far away.

“Lord! It’s them.”

Jang Il-so scratched his eyebrow with his fingernail.

“Hmm, only this many? The Dang Clan is finished.”

“There are hardly any who can fight! Only a few old men at best!”

“So it seems.”

“Should we capture them alive?”

Jeok-ho looked at Jang Il-so. It was a normal question. Killing them was not special. But if they were captured, they could be used to force Tang Gunak and the Cheonwu Alliance to do what they wanted. That would be more useful.

But Jang Il-so just clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. That’s why they’re villains.”

“S-Sorry.”

“Look.”

Jang Il-so pointed his chin forward. Jeok-ho looked that way. The Dang Clan elders were moving to the back, full of energy. Like angry, poisonous cats.

“What are you looking at? Not there. Look behind them.”

“…Yes?”

Jeok-ho saw those behind the elders.

Women and children crying.

And workers who were gasping for air, who couldn’t fight.

“Do you see?”

“…What do you mean?”

“If you want to know if someone is an enemy, look at their eyes, not their strength. Look. All those eyes are saying they will fight.”

Jeok-ho nodded.

“Normally, people who can’t fight would be terrified of the Myriad Man Hall chasing them. But now, the women and workers looking back were full of hate.”

“It doesn’t matter if they are strong or weak. Anyone who wants to fight and stands on this land is a fighter.”

“…”

“And if they are fighters, we must respect them. Understand?”

“Yes, Lord!”

“Good.”

Jang Il-so smiled wickedly.

“Kill them all. Don’t leave anyone alive.”

“Understood!”

As Jeok-ho gestured, the Myriad Man Hall charged forward.

“Haaah!”

Watching them run, Jang Il-so quietly said.

“This might cost too much for drinks later… but remember, this is what villains do.”