Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1541

Everything stopped for a moment. Many questions filled their minds: *When? How? Where?*

Even with all these questions, Chung Myung spoke clearly and strongly. “Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Namgoong Dowi led the way, even though he knew Chung Myung knew it well. Yoo Iseol stayed close behind Chung Myung, like a guard.

They ran past hills and thick trees, and then they saw wide, open fields.

At the same time, a pure white streak of lightning followed behind them. Chung Myung glanced back, then quickly looked forward again.

A pure white weasel was desperately moving its short legs, chasing after them. It seemed Baek Ah had helped Namgoong Dowi find Chung Myung.

Someone must have told Namgoong Dowi, who was looking everywhere for Chung Myung, that Baek Ah could find him. That person was probably…

Chung Myung caught his breath. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice a little shaky.

Namgoong Dowi frowned. “I don’t know everything. The Green Forest King just told me – he was almost shouting – to bring you, Chief Envoy, right away.”

Chung Myung nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“He… he sounded really worried,” Namgoong Dowi added, his voice lower now. “Like something terrible had happened.”

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed. *Urgent? The Green Forest King?* He wasn’t usually one to panic, but even he knew the King was always calm and collected. If *he* was this worried, it had to be serious. A cold feeling settled in Chung Myung’s stomach.

“Hurry!”

The three people and one spirit creature increased their speed even more. They reached Mount Hua in an instant.

“Chung Myung!”

Jo Gul, who had spotted them, leaped over the roofs of the pavilions that spread out like black and white stones on a Go board and joined them.

“Sago was here too.”

“What about you?”

“I was on my way to the Grand Conference Hall because I was told to go there. But….”

Jo Gul looked at their faces and his own face became serious. He could see right away that something very bad had happened, worse than he thought.

“Let’s go together!”

Just then, Tang Soso approached quickly from afar, as if flying.

As soon as she landed, she stuck close to Yoo Iseol and said,

“Sago! The Four Evil Sects are…!”

“I heard.”

Yoo Iseol replied in a monotone voice. Tang Soso was nervous and worried just hearing ‘Four Evil Sects,’ but Yoo Iseol stayed completely calm. But inside, a cold knot of worry tightened in her stomach.

At that moment, the back of a person walking ahead came into view as they sped along the main road of Mount Hua.

“Sasook!”

Tang Soso called out loudly, and Baek Cheon, who was running, turned around. Then, he naturally adjusted his pace and joined them.

“Sasook, have you heard about it too?”

“Yes.”

Jo Gul, biting his lip, asked,

“Perhaps Yoon Jong Sahyung is…?”

Namgoong Dowi answered instead.

“Yoon Jong Dojang will already be in the conference hall. I told him first.”

“Ah.”

Jo Gul nodded.

Soon, the conference hall of the main sect appeared before them.

Chung Myung opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.

“Ah, Chief Envoy!”

When Chung Myung entered, a look of relief flashed across Lim Sobyeong’s face. It seemed he had been worried that Chung Myung was too late.

The leaders from different groups and also Yoon Jong and Hae Yeon were there.

Yoon Jong, who briefly met Chung Myung’s gaze, turned his head towards Lim Sobyeong with a calm face. Chung Myung also took a seat without concern.

“What’s the situation?”

Lim Sobyeong quickly opened his mouth.

“We just received word from the Beggars’ Sect. The Four Evil Sects have been detected.”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment.

Lim Sobyeong wouldn’t be acting this urgently over a minor movement. Something clearly suspicious had happened.

“More precisely.”

“The Four Evil Sects, who hadn’t moved from Zhangjiajie all this time, have finally started to move.”

“Where to?”

“The specific destination hasn’t been reported yet. The information was sent as soon as they started moving, so it seems it will take more time to confirm the follow-up information.”

Tang Gunak let out a groan.

Everyone there understood.

Jang Il-so rarely moved. But when he did, it was always something big, something shocking.

There are several reasons why the Heavenly Union is heavily defending Mount Hua, but to put it bluntly, it’s because it’s impossible to predict where and how the war will break out.

“If that’s the case….”

“The key is obvious.”

At that moment, Maeng So, the Beast Palace Lord, cut off Tang Gunak’s words and interjected.

“Are they coming for us, or for the Nine Sects?”

The land was split into two sides, east and west. Some groups, like Jongnam and Kunlun, were in the west. But Kunlun was weak and struggling to survive, even though it was called one of the ‘Nine Sects’.

Zhangjiajie is the point where the east and west are divided. The direction they move in greatly changes the aspect of the war.

To be more precise….

“Whose damage will be greater.”

Maeng So’s last words accurately pierced the core of this entire discussion.

Both the Nine Sects and the Heavenly Union needed to stop the Four Evil Sects. The real question was: who would become stronger and who would become weaker after this fight?

The worst part was that the Four Evil Sects – really, Jang Il-so – controlled everything.

“So, is there still no contact from the Beggars’ Sect?”

“Yes. Not yet….”

Maeng So opened his mouth again.

“Is it that they have no news? Or are they choosing not to tell us?”

Hyun Jong was startled and turned to look at the Beast Palace Lord.

“Palace Lord. What do you mean by that….”

“The Beggars’ Sect promised to help, but they haven’t really done anything yet. Maybe they are working with the Nine Sects and only telling them important news.”

Maeng So didn’t care about who was in charge or who was powerful. He just said what everyone else was afraid to say.

Lim Sobyeong said.

“I don’t think that will happen.”

Maeng So nodded, but didn’t say anything. His tight lips showed he still doubted.

Im So-byeong continued quickly, “We haven’t heard from the Beggars’ Sect again. There are two reasons why. First, maybe they left us out, like the Beast Palace Lord thought. Second, maybe they can’t easily find the Four Evil Sects. It might take time for them to get exact information.”

“The latter.”

Chung Myung neatly summarized the situation. “There’s no betrayal from the Beggars’ Sect.”

“Then there’s only one possibility. The movements of the Four Evil Sects are beyond the interpretation of the Beggars’ Sect’s informants. Maybe they don’t know *what* to say about this situation.”

“C-Could that be possible?”

Seol So-baek frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He heard the words, but his mind couldn’t make sense of them.

Tang Gunak agreed and stepped forward. “I, too, don’t understand. Even if it’s difficult to predict and confirm the direction, they should be able to confirm the number of people moving or the sects that have joined. Not even sending that information means…”

Tang Gunak stopped talking, and worry filled the room. Everyone felt uneasy, like something bad was coming. Then, Un Am tapped the table.

The emergency meeting room was simply furnished with a long wooden table and chairs. Maps and scrolls were spread out, lit by flickering candles, casting long shadows on the worried faces gathered there.

In the tense silence, Unam, who usually stayed quiet, suddenly moved.

Everyone was surprised by the small noise and turned to look at him.

Although he was the Sect Leader of Hwasan, Unam’s presence wasn’t very significant when the Heavenly Union held meetings. Chung Myung was here, and so was the Union Lord, Hyun Jong. Everyone thought he would just keep his seat.

Unam smiled awkwardly under the pouring gazes.

“I’m sorry, but… I think the roles of host and guest have been slightly reversed.”

“What do you mean?”

When Hyun Jong asked, Un Am calmly opened his mouth.

“Whether we have information about them or not, isn’t what we need to do obvious? It seems right to do that first.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes widened slightly.

He was right.

Whether the Four Evil Sects came here or struck the Nine Sects, they would eventually have to fight. Considering the Four Evil Sects’ mobility and aggression, it was right to prepare as quickly as possible.

Even if it ended up being anticlimactic, wouldn’t a futile effort be better than stamping their feet because they were too late?

“Chief Strategist.”

At Hyun Jong’s call, Chung Myung nodded and immediately opened his mouth.

“The Sect Leaders of each sect should immediately summon their disciples. We must respond immediately, no matter how those blighters move.”

“Understood.”

“We will do so.”

“And while I don’t doubt the Beggars’ Sect’s sincerity, it would be impossible to grasp the Four Evil Sects with their abilities alone.”

Chung Myung’s gaze turned to Im So-byeong.

Im So-byeong then began to speak, as if he were a thief with a guilty conscience.

“Ah… I see what you mean. If we mobilize the bandits scattered throughout the mountain ranges, we can definitely know their movements, even if we don’t know their intentions.”

But Im So-byeong soon sighed and shook his head.

“But Chief. The Green Forest bandits are under the name of one sect, but they aren’t as organically connected as the Beggars’ Sect. It will take at least three days for the facts they see and confirm to be conveyed to us. At best, it will be three days. Then it will be too late to respond.”

“I know.”

“Then how…?”

“The Shadow Moon.”

Im So-byeong’s eyes widened at that moment.

“Huh?”

“Each mountain stronghold doesn’t communicate well with each other, and their reports will be slow. But we have those who are friendly with each stronghold and quick on their feet.”

Im So-byeong unknowingly gripped his fan tightly.

Certainly, the Shadow Moon had been using the Green Forest’s mountain strongholds as lodgings. Naturally, friendships must have been formed. And unless the Heavenly Union was scattered and had to send carrier pigeons one by one, there would be no one in the world as quick as the Shadow Moon in delivering news.

Im So-byeong nodded.

“If I get permission from the Shadow Moon Lord, I will proceed immediately. Then, at least within Gangbuk, we will be able to perfectly grasp their movements.”

“I’ve already gotten permission. You just give the orders.”

A strange light flashed in Im So-byeong’s eyes.

Since when had he been thinking about this? After the incident in Sichuan? Or after the demonic transformation in Hangzhou? Or…

“I will do so.”

The timing wasn’t important now. Im So-byeong quickly nodded.

“Move. So that we can respond immediately to any news that comes in.”

“Yes!”

It was the moment Chung Myung resolutely tried to shake off his seat and stand up.

“A message has arrived from the Beggars’ Sect!”

“What?”

Im So-byeong shouted.

“Come in! No, just speak quickly!”

The person who burst through the door blurted out without even taking a breath.

“Urgent news! Shiyan is under attack! Evil sects are attacking everyone there!”

The faces of everyone in the conference room turned blue.

Shiyan was a small city above Zhangjiajie. And it was a little closer to Shaanxi than Henan.

The Four Evil Sects’ blade had begun to fly towards this place.

“This…!”

“We must move immediately!”

“Chief Strategist!”

Chung Myung’s hand slammed into the table, his fist clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. His eyes burned with anger and worry. But the news didn’t end there.

“Union Lord!”

Another person burst through the door.

“This is news from the Beggars’ Sect. Currently, evil sects have appeared near Shijiazhuang! They are attacking nearby towns, and they say a response is needed.”

“…What?”

Shijiazhuang?

“Isn’t Shijiazhuang in Hebei?”

“Why are the evil sects there?”

“Reporting!”

Before they even had time to think, people with pale faces burst in one after another.

“Evil sects are rampant near Beijing!”

“Evil sects have appeared in Hefei and are killing people without question!”

“The Myriad Man Clan has appeared near Xi’an! They say that Jongnam is responding now!”

“Small and medium-sized sects near Xinyang have been attacked!”

Everyone’s eyes trembled.

There were still people running towards the conference room. All of them were pale, so the news they were bringing probably wouldn’t be much different.

“What on earth is happening?”

A heavy feeling of unease settled in the room, like a thick fog that made it hard to breathe. It felt cold and damp, chilling everyone’s hearts.