Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1069

Trust is a nice word. When people trust each other, they become stronger.

But for some, trust is like a sandcastle on the beach. Beautiful for a moment, but easily destroyed by the waves.

‘I knew it all along….’

Baek Cheon bit his lip hard.

Who could argue that Jang Il-so is the one person you should never trust? The one you should never rely on?

Yet, Baek Cheon had lowered his guard because of what Jang Il-so had shown him during that fight. The feeling of fighting together as friends can make people forget their problems, at least for a short time.

But Jang Il-so is, after all, Jang Il-so. Baek Cheon should have known better than to trust that snake, not until the very end….

“Sasuk….”

“…….Yes.”

Baek Cheon heavily drew his sword.

The Black Ghost Troop’s forces were closing in, numbering at least two hundred. If Hong Gyun, who was guarding Jang Il-so, joined them, their numbers would increase even more.

These enemies were strong. They were chosen and trained by the Black Ghost Troop and the House of Myriad Evils. Ten Mount Hua disciples could not win against so many. But….

“We have to fight.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes became like ice. A cold fire seemed to burn behind them. This danger was not new. Every fight they had faced felt like this – impossible to win.

‘All we need to do is open a path.’

There was no reason to fight them head-on. They just needed to break through and cross the Yangtze River. Of course, the distance from Hangzhou to the Yangtze River was very long, but… that was something to think about later. First, they needed to escape.

Baek Cheon looked at Jang Il-so with a fierce look. Seeing him glaring so fiercely, Jang Il-so chuckled.

“Naughty boy. How dare you look at someone with such eyes.”

Baek Cheon was glaring at Jang Il-so, trying to provoke him, but he was really focused on Chung Myung.

Mount Hua’s strength was mostly still there. Namgoong Dowi, who had led their breakthrough, was almost exhausted. Hae Yeon had also used a lot of his inner energy, but they should still be able to keep up.

The biggest problem was Chung Myung. Baek Cheon glanced at his back.

‘Can he even take a step?’

It seemed impossible. His wounds were so bad that it was a miracle he was alive. And Chung Myung never groaned, even when he was dying, so his internal injuries were probably worse than his external ones.

But… Baek Cheon was sure.

When a fight started, Chung Myung would charge towards Jang Il-so without looking back. That was just his way.

But this time, he had to stop Chung Myung from doing that, no matter what. Even if it was just so they could live and not cry over Chung Myung’s dead body.

If that was the case, then Baek Cheon was the only one who could take Chung Myung’s place.

Baek Cheon’s eyes were turning cold with a murderous intent.

Jang Il-so, who had been watching the Black Ghost Troop elites with a strange look, slowly spoke.

“A very… appropriate encirclement. I’m almost tempted to give you a compliment.”

He looked at one spot with a crooked smile.

“But… I don’t remember giving that order. Hmm? Man-geum Daebu.”

Baek Cheon turned his head. He knew he shouldn’t look away from Jang Il-so, but he instinctively looked at Man-geum Daebu.

Man-geum Daebu was walking through the Black Ghost Troop elites, his empty sleeve waving. Unlike Chung Myung and Jang Il-so, who were messy from the fight, he looked perfectly clean, without a single wound.

Man-geum Daebu met Jang Il-so’s gaze and spoke without any expression. In a voice that showed no emotion,

“A truly… excellent subordinate knows what their superior wants and does it.”

“Haha.”

Jang Il-so laughed in a way that was hard to understand. It was not clear if he was happy or angry.

“Those guys are dangerous.”

Man-geum Daebu looked away from Jang Il-so and at the Mount Hua Sect. The disciples bit their lips, faced with his emotionless gaze.

“The Lianju must have felt it too, right? Those guys are different from the traditional groups who are too proud of their power and just want to be in charge. Someday, they will surely cause problems for Lian.”

“……”

“They must be stopped before it’s too late. A tiger must be caught and killed when it is still a cub.”

Hearing that, Jang Il-so slowly looked at the disciples of Mount Hua. He finally looked at Chung Myung.

“There is certainly some truth to that.”

“That…”

Baek Cheon clenched his teeth. Jang Il-so seemed to be enjoying those words as he slowly nodded.

“A tiger must be caught and killed when it is still a cub… Yes, that’s right. But….”

A dark and scary feeling started to come from Jang Il-so as he looked at Man-geum Daebu.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late to be saying that now?”

Baek Cheon sensed something was wrong.

Jang Il-so and Man-geum Daebu were not looking at each other like allies. There was no goodwill in their eyes.

It was more like beasts looking at an enemy who had entered their territory.

‘Could it be?’

Jang Il-so spoke again. His words made Baek Cheon certain.

“There’s no way you set up such a big encirclement just to catch these guys, so… Man-geum Daebu.”

An endlessly eerie and murderous light flowed from Jang Il-so’s eyes. It was so chilling that it seemed to freeze the very soul.

“Which side are you really hunting here?”

“……”

“Them? No, no. That can’t be.”

Jang Il-so grinned, showing his teeth.

“It must be me.”

“……”

“Or am I wrong?”

Man-geum Daebu stared at Jang Il-so silently with indifferent eyes. Jang Il-so seemed amused by his gaze.

“When you think about it, it’s a good opportunity. Yes, a really good opportunity. I’m so tired, after leading these few people here.”

“……”

“But… I never thought the great Man-geum Daebu would do something so foolish. Did those Demonic Sect bastards break the abacus you were so proud of? Do you really think that you can take my place if I disappear? Seriously?”

“Place?”

Man-geum Daebu, who had been listening quietly, replied coldly.

“Not right for someone who is losing.”

“……”

“I don’t care about positions. After all, the Four Evil Sects are just something we created because we needed it. If you disappear, Gangnam will just go back to how it was.”

Those words made everyone understand the situation.

Man-geum Daebu’s encirclement was not to capture the disciples of Mount Hua. He was targeting Jang Il-so.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Jang Il-so looked at Man-geum Daebu with cold eyes.

“Do you think those traditional groups will leave Gangnam alone if the Four Evil Sects disappear?”

“You’re wrong, Jang Il-so.”

Man-geum Daebu no longer called Jang Il-so Lianju.

“Mistaken?”

“They don’t hate the Four Evil Sects. They hate you and the House of Myriad Evils.”

“……”

“Do you think those groups, who are too busy fighting for power right now, would waste their time on Gangnam without you? They’re not attacking Gangnam because of you. The possibility of them heading to Gangnam exists because of you.”

That was a painful point. Jang Il-so could not argue and simply chuckled.

But Man-geum Daebu’s words were not finished.

“And… why should I even care about such things?”

“Hmm?”

A chilling smile appeared on Man-geum Daebu’s face.

“Even if the Four Evil Sects, with you in charge, rule the world, it seems unlikely that there will be a place for me, wouldn’t you agree?”

“……”

“Isn’t that right?”

Listening to Man-geum Daebu’s idea, Jang Il-so smiled a slightly strange smile. Man-geum Daebu met his gaze with a chilling aura.

“Once the hunt is over, the hunting dog goes into the pot. There’s only one way for the hunting dog to survive.”

Man-geum Daebu’s voice spread coldly across the desolate land.

“Either bite the hand and run away before the master becomes suspicious… or bite off the master’s neck first.”

“……”

“What do you think, Jang Il-so?”

Everyone looked at Jang Il-so. Jang Il-so scratched his head with a movement that was too big and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk.”

Soon, his long eyes curved into crescents.

“I thought you would at least wait until the Shaolin Sect retreated….”

“You don’t underestimate your enemies. But… you made a big mistake when you stopped thinking of me as an enemy.”

Man-geum Daebu glared at Jang Il-so with murderous eyes.

“If you wanted to make me your dog, you should have put a leash on me. Did you really think I would be the same as the mongrels you’ve been training?”

“…Those are painful words.”

“In Jianghu, it’s never too late to regret. If you make a mistake, you have to pay the price. That’s the law of the Demonic Path.”

Man-geum Daebu pointed at Jang Il-so, Hong Ryun, and Mount Hua.

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

“The Lianju….”

“Don’t capture him alive. Kill him. Leave no loose ends.”

“Understood!”

The Black Ghost Troop elites showed a thick murderous aura and slowly tightened their encirclement. It was a cautious approach. Their unwavering stance gave an even greater sense of pressure.

“Tsk.”

Jang Il-so clicked his tongue and glanced at Chung Myung.

“Since things are like this, it seems we have to join forces, wouldn’t you say?”

Chung Myung looked at him with a look that showed he didn’t care.

“You were acting all high and mighty, and now you can’t even manage one of your own men. You’re a moron.”

“……When someone falls into a pit, shouldn’t you help them? Instead of spitting on them because it’s fun. Seriously, you have such a bad personality.”

Chung Myung shook his head and gripped his sword, hearing that he had a bad personality from a member of the Demonic Path.

He had been pretending, but this was a real crisis. Both he and Jang Il-so were barely able to stand.

However, Chung Myung’s gaze was on the backs of the Mount Hua disciples. They were protecting him without a single gap.

Just as Dangbo had done in the past, they were protecting him now. No, maybe not just now, but every time he fought.

Chung Myung looked at Man-geum Daebu, watching those backs, which had grown much larger. Forcibly pushing the feelings that rose up in his heart into a corner, he spoke in a cold voice.

“As expected of a Demonic Path bastard, you still don’t understand. Then I’ll have to make you understand.”

Chung Myung showed his teeth angrily.

“There hasn’t been anyone who has made Mount Hua an enemy and come out without getting hurt.”

At that moment, sword energy erupted from the swords of the Mount Hua disciples.