Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1673

The smiling man and the man with a hard face kept staring at each other.

Jang Il-so raised an eyebrow, a flicker of real curiosity in his eyes for the first time. “I’m curious,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, “How did you guess I’d be here?”

Heo Do-jin’s face was like stone. His voice, though quiet, cut through the tense air. “It wasn’t guessing. It was knowing.” He paused, his dark eyes fixed on Jang Il-so. “For years, all I’ve thought about is you.”

Jang Il-so chuckled, a low, dismissive sound. He slowly shook his head, his smile fading, replaced by a look of distaste. “An old man obsessing over me? Frankly,” he said, his lip curling, “it’s just creepy.”

Heo Do-jin’s eyes were like deep pools of night, reflecting the burning anger and years of regret within him.

The elders of Wudang, whom he had led, also stared at the man in the red robe with tense faces.

‘Is that, really…’

Jang Il-so was there, within reach.

They had come down from the mountain following Heo Do’s instructions, but frankly, they were half in doubt. But they really did encounter Jang Il-so here, just as Heo Do-jin had said.

It was an absurd result.

Who would have imagined that they could so easily face Jang Il-so, merely by passing through their attacks?

Maybe Jang Il-so didn’t know Heo Do’s plan, or maybe he was just not careful. Either way, the outcome would be the same.

And perhaps… they might achieve a result beyond simply being ahead in a strategic battle.

The triumph of capturing the defeated Jang Il-so.

The tremendous glory of restoring Wudang’s honor to the top of the Jianghu in one fell swoop.

‘Indeed… it is indeed Senior Brother.’

While everyone else was focused on the war, only Heo Do-jin understood what this war was really about.

The arson that burned the mountain, the enemy’s invasion that drove the disciples to their deaths—none of these were the key to winning or losing.

The only one who held the key to victory on this Wudang Mountain was the man before him: the defeated Jang Il-so.

“Well, anyway…”

Jang Il-so casually looked around at the burning Wudang. Even though the battlefield was far away, the sounds of fighting were clear.

“I’m honestly a little surprised.”

“…”

“Even if you guessed I was here, for someone who should be protecting the mountain to abandon it and come down here… What’s gotten into you old-fashioned Taoists? Hmm?”

Jang Il-so smiled briefly.

“Even as we speak, innocent disciples are dying.”

At those words, Heo Do-jin glanced briefly at the mountain, then stared back at Jang Il-so.

What Jang Il-so said was right.

On that mountain, Wudang’s disciples were still shedding blood. He should be there, leading everyone and fighting to the death.

But Heo Do-jin did not think that was the right thing to do. That was just for his own satisfaction.

What he had to do was stand here, right in front of that man, in the most dangerous place in the world.

“I just know what’s more important.”

Heo Do-jin spat out the words.

“I cannot repeat the mistake I made because I could not bear the pain of a brief moment. I realized it thanks to you. Sometimes, you have to endure and persevere.”

“…”

“To save Wudang, I can endure even the pain of my whole body burning in hellfire. That is the karma I must bear.”

“…Heeeuuum?”

Jang Il-so’s eyes narrowed. Heo’s heart began to pound involuntarily at that venomous gaze.

Jang Il-so’s lips slightly parted as he stared intently at Heo Do-jin’s face, revealing his pearly white teeth.

“People, you see… are sometimes very foolish. They don’t even know what they want or what they are doing.”

“Enough with the nonsense…”

“Is that really what you wanted? Does it look that way?”

Jang Il-so’s gaze turned to the elders of Wudang behind Heo, the most important forces of Wudang, who should have been fighting fiercely.

What did it mean that they were here?

“Those pigs with twisted insides are very eager to hide their real desires with words like ‘grand cause,’ ‘justice,’ and ‘future.’ These words sound good, but even they don’t believe them.”

“Defeated one.”

“But… I can see it. What you truly want. Your desire hidden in those words covered with sweet sugar. You just…”

Jang Il-so pretended to cut his white, straight neck horizontally with his fingernail. With that one gesture, everyone fell silent and focused. Jang Il-so wore a deep sneer.

“You want this neck.”

Heo Do-jin’s face hardened coldly like ice.

“You…”

“Other words are just excuses. Isn’t your inner mind different? Since it’s just us here, be honest.”

Jang Il-so’s small whisper was strangely heard clearly by everyone there. His every word reminded Heo of past memories: the terrible cliff, that horrible humiliation.

Squeeze.

Heo Do-jin tightened his grip on the sword.

He could make up for all of it. If he took Jang Il-so’s head… all his mistakes would be washed away, and the Jianghu would not hesitate to put Wudang back at the top.

That head could reduce sacrifices.

That head could regain Wudang’s future.

That head could wash away all his faults.

Only that head…

It was that moment.

“What’s so solemn?”

Jang Il-so’s voice suddenly pierced Heo Do-jin’s ear as he sank into the abyss. It was a nonchalant and languid tone.

“Perhaps, do you think you have some great trick to change this situation? Huh? Do you think something will change just by standing in front of me?”

The arrogant tone, as if looking down endlessly, pierced the heart of the old Heo Do-jin.

“…Defeated one.”

“You seem to be mistaken. I can praise you for coming this far, but that doesn’t mean anything will change.”

Jang Il-so was smiling. No, he was sneering.

He was sneering at Heo Do-jin, who finally stood here after deciding to abandon his disciples with bone-shaving pain. At his choice. And furthermore, at him.

“Do you know why?”

“…”

“Because the one standing in front of me right now is just you. Heo Do.”

It could be dismissed as just a simple and light provocation.

But strangely, upon hearing these words, the biggest crack appeared on Heo Do-jin’s expressionless face.

“Haha!”

Jang Il-so, who did not miss this change, laughed seductively.

“How pathetic. An actor who doesn’t even know that his role is over and remains on stage! He’s the only one who doesn’t know that no one is watching him.”

Shiver.

Heo Do-jin’s sword trembled faintly for a moment.

He had been waiting for this moment. Wasn’t the time of seclusion he had endured solely for this moment?

But Jang Il-so, whom he faced even while ignoring the deaths of his disciples and the burning Wudang, was not even treating him as an opponent.

Heo Do-jin gritted his teeth and spoke calmly.

“Tricks to provoke…”

However, Jang Il-so clicked his tongue and gave a cold laugh before he could even finish listening. A light of contempt flashed in his pale eyes.

“Tricks to provoke? Tsk tsk. That’s why they’re old men. Do you still think you have enough value to do that? Huh?”

“…”

“How pitiful.”

What really angered Heo Do-jin was not Jang Il-so’s words themselves.

It was Jang Il-so’s eyes: indifferent eyes looking down at something worthless. There even seemed to be a pity, as if looking at something very pathetic and uncivilized, lurking within them.

That gaze was completely twisting the heart of this old Taoist, who had lived a life of noble practice.

“Jang… Il-so.”

“Do you package what you threw away because you couldn’t bear it as patience, and call what you gave up because you couldn’t overcome it as sacrifice?”

Jang Il-so chuckled.

“How insignificant. Even that Tao is.”

“You…!”

Heo Do-jin gnashed his teeth.

“What do you know…!”

“Ah, ah.”

Jang Il-so slowly waved his hand.

“I’d like to play with you more… but I have things to do too. I don’t have time to waste on a withered old man who’s just waiting for the day he dies.”

Clatter.

The rings on his fingers rubbed against each other, making an eerie sound.

“If you absolutely cannot accept it, then confirm with that old body how meaningless the time that was given to you fairly was.”

Heo Do-jin’s hand, holding the sword, trembled.

“I will make you regret those words.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Jang Il-sooooooo!”

Heo Do-jin’s sword flew towards Jang Il-so like a ray of light.

“Strategist?”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem…?”

When Ho Gamyeong, who was giving instructions, suddenly fell silent, the adjutants became tense. But Ho Gamyeong didn’t even glance at them, just stared intently at the top of the mountain, then darkened his eyes and said.

“It’s easy.”

“Yes?”

“It’s too easy.”

A question flashed across the adjutants’ faces for a moment.

Easy? The task of capturing the enemy camp was still sluggish.

The Thousand-Faced Envoy had stepped forward and the power of the Sun Palace had been invested, bringing a bit of victory, but that was it. Considering that Ho Gamyeong never allowed complacency in any case, it was by no means a situation that could be expressed like that.

One of the adjutants cautiously said.

“Their resistance is still strong, Strategist.”

“It can’t just be strong. The opponent is Wudang.”

“Ah…”

Ho Gamyeong narrowed his eyes.

There are two possible scenarios to consider when the enemy feels weaker than expected: a trap, or…

‘They divided their forces? No. It’s not a situation to aim for the rear. Then…’

Ho Gamyeong’s gaze turned to somewhere below the mountain, or rather, beyond the mountain that could not be seen from here.

Soon, a sigh and a firm voice came from Ho Gamyeong’s mouth.

“I see. They’re aiming for the Sect Leader. No, have they already arrived?”

“Yes? S, Strategist. What are you saying…!”

The adjutants’ faces turned ashen. They were also capable enough to assist Ho Gamyeong in military strategy, so they couldn’t have failed to understand Ho Gamyeong’s words.

“W, we should send support right away…”

“It’s no use.”

“Yes?”

Ho Gamyeong gave a cold sneer.

“The trick they came up with…”

A brilliant move? No, that’s not even called a trick. It’s just a desperate struggle thrown out by someone who has lost the upper hand.

“Even if you knew you had to aim for the tiger, if the one biting its tail is a dog, it will only get bitten to death. They didn’t know their place and thought they were tigers, how foolish.”

Or… it meant that the wounds Heo Do-jin had suffered were greater than Ho Gamyeong had expected, enough to make someone who once possessed Yeogi fall so far.

He had seen it countless times: the sight of those trapped in the past losing themselves.

Anyway, thanks to that, he had seized an opportunity.

“Listen.”

“Yes, Strategist!”

“Mobilize all available forces. We will occupy that cliff within one gak from now.”

“Yes!”

The adjutants began to move busily. Ho Gamyeong was still watching the cliff, pondering over that foolish choice.

It was neither the Evil Faction Alliance nor the Sun Palace that was burning Wudang.

They were ending Wudang’s history with their own hands at this moment, with an irreversible choice.