Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1080

Dust swirled around Jang Il-so’s boots as he turned his back on the defeated Mount Hua disciples. The air still crackled with the echoes of their clash. He glanced over his shoulder at Ho Gamyeong, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

“Hmm,” Jang Il-so murmured, a low sound that held a hint of amusement.

Ho Gamyeong raised an eyebrow, his eyes questioning. “Unexpected?”

“I thought,” Jang Il-so said, his voice smooth but edged with steel, “you’d be demanding we go back and finish off those Mount Hua fools by now.”

Ho Gamyeong sighed deeply. It wasn’t an entirely wrong expectation.

The reason he had held back was because Jang Il-so’s safety wasn’t assured. It was a blow to his pride to acknowledge the Mount Hua Sword Saint so highly, but Jang Il-so’s life was a thousand times more important than his pride.

So, in normal circumstances, with Jang Il-so’s safety now secured, he might have been ranting and raving about going back on their promise and capturing those fellows to kill them.

“Lord Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m not so foolish as all that.”

At Ho Gamyeong’s words, Jang Il-so chuckled. Of course, Jang Il-so had never thought of Ho Gamyeong as foolish. Jang Il-so wasn’t so generous as to give someone the position of assisting him simply because they had a high level of loyalty.

Ho Gamyeong looked at him for a moment, a wry smile flitting across his face.

“You say that, but… if you had wanted to take their lives, there would have been several ways. Isn’t it simply that you believe their usefulness hasn’t been exhausted yet?”

Hearing those words, Jang Il-so smiled faintly.

“It would be nice if you realized that a little sooner.”

“It is not an easy thing, Lord Leader.”

Ho Gamyeong sighed deeply.

“Whatever the reason, where would you find a subject who would simply watch his lord jump into a pit of fire?”

“Tsk, tsk. That’s your problem.”

“Even if you say that, I have no intention of changing.”

Ho Gamyeong was by no means a fool. Rather, he showed abilities beyond Jang Il-so in terms of managing the forces.

The reason Jang Il-so could nonchalantly unfold insane strategies was because Ho Gamyeong existed, adapting to whatever he did and operating the troops with all his might.

Ho Gamyeong understood his role perfectly. He was like Jang Il-so’s arms and legs, carrying out his plans. In that sense, Ho Gamyeong was truly qualified to be called Jang Il-so’s limbs.

Nevertheless, the reason Ho Gamyeong sometimes appeared frustrating was simply one thing: Jang Il-so’s safety was always his top priority, rather than victory or gain.

Jang Il-so shook his head as if he had given up trying to persuade him.

“You’re right. They mustn’t die yet. No, to be precise, the Mount Hua Sword Saint mustn’t die yet. At least, not until today.”

At that moment, the Thousand-Faced Hermit, who had been silently listening to their conversation, cautiously asked.

“Could it be because of the Demonic Sect?”

Jang Il-so glanced back at the Thousand-Faced Hermit. The corner of his mouth twisted into a gruesome smile, showing teeth like a predator.

“Perhaps. What do you think…?”

Seeing that smile, the Thousand-Faced Hermit felt his mouth go dry.

Jang Il-so was not in a state to fight properly because he had not managed his injuries. Perhaps, at this moment, the most dangerous person to Jang Il-so was not the Mount Hua Sect or the Demonic Sect, but the Thousand-Faced Hermit next to him.

Clearly, Jang Il-so would also be aware of that fact. But Jang Il-so showed no wariness towards the Thousand-Faced Hermit.

That composure made the Thousand-Faced Hermit nervous. Of course, his presence alone had always been second to none in the world, but the presence felt from Jang Il-so now was immense, beyond comparison to that time.

“The Demonic Sect. Yes, they were certainly threatening.”

Jang Il-so’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the image of Cheonsal.

“To the point that… I got goosebumps.”

The Demonic Sect was strong.

Denying that fact was neither pride nor anything else. It was just a foolish act of not grasping reality. The Demonic Sect, where someone like Cheonsal existed so nonchalantly, might be so strong that even if the entire Central Plains joined forces to fight, it would be difficult to deal with.

“But that’s all it is.”

Jang Il-so drew a clean line.

“Not preparing for the future is a foolish act, but not doing what needs to be done right now because of something in the distant future is an even more foolish act. I’m not so free as to have my eyes stolen by foolish fanatics who may or may not appear again.”

“However, Lord Leader. If the existence of the Heavenly Demon they speak of is true…”

“Even so, nothing changes.”

Jang Il-so’s voice flowed out indifferently.

“Certainly… someday, as they say, that Heavenly Demon will return and the Demonic Sect will invade the Central Plains.”

Ho Gamyeong nodded.

The existence of Cheonsal alone made it difficult to ignore the possibility of the Heavenly Demon appearing. It was beyond Ho Gamyeong’s common sense that someone of that caliber would believe in a far-fetched legend and remain so patient.

“But that doesn’t mean we can just wait for that time, which may never come, and twiddle our thumbs, does it? Human life isn’t that long. And my patience isn’t that great either.”

A fleeting, gruesome expression crossed Jang Il-so’s face. But soon it softened as if it had never been.

“And… there’s no real way to prepare, is there? Because the Demonic Sect is scary, should we live happily with those righteous pigs?”

“…That is difficult.”

That was realistically impossible. Even if Jang Il-so wanted that, the Righteous Sects would not accept it. The emotional rift between them was already too deep.

‘Rather….’

Ho Gamyeong glanced back.

If the center of the Righteous Sects was the Mount Hua Sword Saint-led Cheonwoo Alliance, there might have been another way. But the Nine Great Sects and the Four Evil Sects had a relationship that made cooperation impossible from the start.

“If you’re really afraid of the Demonic Sect, there’s only one way.”

The Thousand-Faced Hermit and Ho Gamyeong looked at Jang Il-so at the same time. Jang Il-so didn’t even glance at them, casting his gaze at the distant sky.

“I’ll unify the Central Plains before that Heavenly Demon returns and invades it. Then there’s no need to awkwardly cooperate or not. Everyone will be united under me to face them.”

This was also an absurd statement. Unifying the Central Plains couldn’t be that easy.

But to their ears, this sounded like a more realistic story. Compared to the dreamlike tale of cooperation between Righteousness and Evil, the idea of unifying the Central Plains was at least tangible.

And….

The Thousand-Faced Hermit’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘It’s not necessarily something to see as difficult.’

Just three years ago, no one had imagined it. That Jang Il-so would unite the Shinju Ohpa into one, create the Four Evil Sects, and become its leader. And that in just three years, he would completely subjugate even those Four Evil Sects under his feet.

Compared to that absurd achievement, leading the Four Evil Sects and unifying the Central Plains seemed rather easy, didn’t it?

“Stagnant water doesn’t flow until the dam is broken. Those guys with heavy asses who won’t move even when a dagger is pointed at their chins won’t feel a sense of crisis about the existence of the Demonic Sect, which they haven’t even seen with their own eyes.”

“⋯⋯.”

“So nothing has changed. We just need to do what we have to do. Like we always have.”

Ho Gamyeong nodded heavily.

Absurdly delusional stories and strangely realistic stories were mixed together. Stories where it was impossible to know how much to believe and how much to dismiss.

But there was definitely a power in Jang Il-so’s stories that drew people in.

“Lord Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“May I ask you just one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

As Jang Il-so gently permitted, Ho Gamyeong hesitated slightly before asking.

“But if… the Demonic Sect’s attack is faster than expected, what do you intend to do if it happens while we’re fighting those Righteous Sects?”

“Tsk, tsk. Gamyeong, Gamyeong. You’re saying strange things.”

Jang Il-so chuckled.

“Why should we worry about that? If those Righteous Sects beg us to call a truce and join forces, then we can worry about it then, and if they don’t bend their pride even in that situation, shouldn’t we just die together?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Know this clearly. Either way, it’s impossible for us to defeat the Demonic Sect by joining forces and then fight again to win against the Righteous Sects. Think about the characteristics of that damned Demonic Art. The side that suffers more damage will inevitably be us.”

Crack!

Jang Il-so’s ring made a fleeting, eerie sound.

“In other words, the world can’t be mine at that time anyway. If it’s a world I can’t have, what does it matter to me whether it collapses or not? Rather….”

Jang Il-so’s eyes drew a strange arc.

“It’s better if it all burns away.”

Ho Gamyeong closed his eyes silently.

Certainly… even if Righteousness and Evil unite to stop the Demonic Sect, in the end, only the Righteous Sects will benefit.

“⋯⋯To achieve your will, Lord Leader, we must settle the matter before the Demonic Sect runs rampant.”

“That’s right.”

“Understood.”

Ho Gamyeong also nodded heavily, as if he had made up his mind. The most important thing to him was Jang Il-so’s safety. And the second was to carry out Jang Il-so’s will.

“But… what does that have to do with sparing the Mount Hua Sword Saint? According to what you said, wouldn’t it be better to quickly kill someone who could be a threat?”

“I told you, the Cheonwoo Alliance is united around him right now. If the Mount Hua Sword Saint disappears, the Cheonwoo Alliance will be nothing. If we kill the Mount Hua Sword Saint here, the Cheonwoo Alliance will quickly fall apart and become easy prey.”

“That is certainly true.”

“Can we reap that fruit?”

After thinking for a moment, Ho Gamyeong shook his head.

“It is difficult.”

“Why?”

“We cannot cross the river until we stabilize the Surochae and the Black Demon Fortress. And… right now, the death of Man Geumdaebu and the injury of the Black Dragon King are also critical.”

“Yes, that’s right. Then who will reap that fruit, taking advantage of the opportunity we’ve created?”

“⋯⋯The Nine Great Sects, driven mad.”

Jang Il-so nodded.

The Nine Great Sects probably hated the Cheonwoo Alliance as much as the Four Evil Sects… no, perhaps even more. So they would definitely not hesitate to take advantage of that weakened gap.

“Until now, drawing a line centered on the Jang River had meaning. But… if the Nine Great Sects swallow the Cheonwoo Alliance, that line will become a wall that we can no longer cross. That’s the worst-case scenario.”

“Certainly….”

That was why Jang Il-so also had to keep Chung Myung alive.

It was truly a strange relationship.

“A very useful card, truly useful.”

Jang Il-so muttered and turned around. Towards someone who would be beyond that distant horizon.

After silently staring at the horizon for a while, Jang Il-so said in a cold voice.

“But… it won’t be anymore.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Those who raise tiger cubs must never let their guard down. You never know when that cat will become a real tiger. The fangs of the tiger will be embedded in the neck of those who fail to recognize that time.”

Ho Gamyeong’s concern was exactly that. That Chung Myung was too dangerous to keep alive solely for his value.

“All cards have a time when their usefulness runs out. So this is the last time. Next time….”

A chilling light flashed in Jang Il-so’s eyes, promising danger like a viper ready to strike.

He glared at the horizon like a giant Imugi aiming for the world, then turned his body without any regrets.

“Let’s go. We’ll be busy for a while.”

“Yes, Lord Leader!”

As he moved his steps, Jang Il-so’s mind began to spin rapidly.

‘The Demonic Sect, the Nine Great Sects, the Cheonwoo Alliance, and the Four Evil Sects….’

A variable called the Demonic Sect had emerged in the already complex structure. But Jang Il-so was rather enjoying this situation.

‘Everyone will know. That opportunity is not something to wait for, but something to create.’

His excited eyes flashed cruelly.