Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1090

Silence hung heavy in the air.

The words themselves weren’t shocking. Chung Myung had heard stories about the Demonic Sect before, sometimes as jokes, sometimes as warnings. But the same words could feel very different depending on when and how they were said.

The word ‘Destruction’ hit Chung Myung hard. He felt his chest tighten, as if a giant stone had been dropped onto him, making it hard to breathe.

Especially for those who had seen the terrible things in Hangzhou, these words meant even more.

“Destruction…”

Baek Cheon’s voice was low and heavy. They had seen it. They had witnessed the wretched state of Hangzhou, a city once known as the most splendid and beautiful in the Central Plains.

‘If that happened everywhere….’

Baek Cheon clenched his teeth without thinking. That, at least, had to be stopped no matter what.

“This is quite something.”

Im So-byeong broke the heavy silence. He scratched his head with his fan, looking troubled. The smile he usually wore was gone, replaced by a serious look.

“It seems a bit serious to just ignore it.”

“If the Demonic Sect gathers its forces and attacks the Central Plains like the Taoist said, does that mean we can’t stop them?”

Im So-byeong’s eyes were sharper than usual. Chung Myung nodded.

“Probably.”

“…Troublesome.”

Im So-byeong sighed. When enemies attack from outside, people usually stop fighting each other inside the country. Or at least, they should. But he knew it wasn’t that simple.

Sometimes, internal problems were solved because of outside invasions. But there were also many times when the fighting inside continued, and the country was destroyed by both internal and external forces.

Im So-byeong sighed again and shrugged.

“Of course… it depends on when the Demonic Sect decides to attack, but things don’t look good.”

Everyone thought of Beop Jeong and Jang Il-so.

The world was divided into three main groups: The Nine Sects and One Gang, led by Beop Jeong; the Evil Dominance Alliance, led by Jang Il-so; and the Heavenly Friendship Alliance, led by Mount Hua. Each group had a lot of power in their areas.

Im So-byeong scratched his cheek, feeling uneasy.

‘If only….’

If the Demonic Sect had attacked five years ago, things might have been better. Back then, the Heavenly Friendship Alliance and the Evil Dominance Alliance didn’t exist. If the Demonic Sect had attacked then, Mount Hua and Jang Il-so would have had to join Shaolin to survive.

But now, things were different. Shaolin had lost too much power in the last five years. It was almost embarrassing to compare Shaolin’s position then to now. Shaolin used to be the most important group in the Jianghu, protecting everyone, but now it had lost its importance and was struggling to control the Nine Sects.

On the other hand, the Myriad Man Manor and Mount Hua had become much more powerful. Comparing them to five years ago was pointless.

‘And there’s a lot of hatred between them….’

People act based on how they feel. If Beop Jeong, Chung Myung, and Jang Il-so had met five years ago, they might have found each other strange, but they wouldn’t have fought. But now, it was hard to imagine them even being in the same room. That’s how much hatred there was between them.

‘A group with those three….’

To Im So-byeong, this seemed even more impossible than the Heavenly Demon coming back to life or the Demonic Sect attacking.

He looked at Chung Myung.

‘What is he thinking?’

Chung Myung always seemed to know more than everyone else. Im So-byeong, who thought he could understand most people, was always surprised to realize Chung Myung’s plans later on.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

Hyun Jong, thinking the same thing, carefully called out to Chung Myung.

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“I want to ask you something. If things are really that bad, what do you think we should do?”

Hyun Jong sighed.

“We can’t just do nothing. We have to reduce the damage as much as possible.”

“That’s right, Sect Leader.”

The others agreed. But Chung Myung didn’t move or say anything.

“You said the only way is for everyone in the Central Plains to unite. Is that right?”

“…That’s probably right.”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes and nodded. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at Chung Myung with a tired look.

“Then I’ll ask you….”

“….”

“What are the chances of the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Evil Dominance Alliance, and us working together?”

The disciples reacted immediately.

“Impossible, Sect Leader!”

“We can’t join hands with Jang Il-so!”

“That bastard is out of the question!”

Hyun Jong was surprised by the strong opposition and looked around. Un-geom spoke for everyone.

“Sect Leader, I understand what you’re thinking. I respect that you want to do what’s best for the world, even if it means working with evil people. However…”

Un-geom looked determined.

“Jang Il-so is not someone you can trust. We saw what he did in Hangzhou.”

“…Hmm.”

If anyone else had said this, Hyun Jong might have thought they were just young and didn’t understand the situation. But Un-geom wasn’t like that. He was the most calm person in Mount Hua. The fact that he was saying this meant that there was something about Jang Il-so that only those who had seen him could understand.

Tang Gunak spoke up.

“And Alliance Leader, it will also be hard to negotiate with the Nine Sects and One Gang.”

“…Clan Leader Dang.”

Tang Gunak shook his head, looking serious.

“They care most about their pride and their own interests. Do you think they will agree to an alliance with the Heavenly Friendship Alliance?”

Hyun Jong couldn’t argue and remained silent.

“Even if they do form an alliance, it won’t be strong. It will be like a group of people who all want different things.”

Hyun Jong sighed. He knew this was probably true.

Then, Chung Myung spoke.

“No. It might not be that difficult.”

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“You madman! What are you saying!”

The disciples looked at Chung Myung in shock. But Chung Myung just stared at Hyun Jong, not showing any emotion.

“Uniting with the Nine Sects and One Gang, and even bringing in Jang Il-so, might be easier than you think.”

“No, it’s not that easy….”

“If they want something, just give it to them.”

Chung Myung cut off Im So-byeong. Im So-byeong closed his mouth.

Chung Myung looked at everyone.

“If they want a reason, give them a reason.”

“….”

“If they want benefits, give them benefits.”

Hyun Jong’s face became serious.

“If Shaolin wants to be the leader of the Jianghu, then we can bow to them in the name of the Heavenly Friendship Alliance. If we act like we are giving up to the Heavenly Friendship Alliance, Beop Jeong can use this to hide all the bad things he has done, so he will agree.”

“That’s….”

Tang Gunak started to say something, but then stopped. This was actually a good idea. Beop Jeong wanted to restore Shaolin’s honor. If the Heavenly Friendship Alliance, and the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, bowed to Beop Jeong, then all his past mistakes would be forgotten.

Beop Jeong would even work with his enemies for that.

“If Jang Il-so wants something real, then give him something real. He wants to go into Gangbuk and take over more land for the Evil Dominance Alliance. If we give him the Jang River area controlled by the Heavenly Friendship Alliance, and give him some of the land near Sichuan and Shanxi, Jang Il-so will accept the offer.”

“…Ugh.”

Im So-byeong groaned. It wouldn’t be perfect for Jang Il-so. But it was enough to get him to talk. That bastard wouldn’t say no to getting something for free, especially since it would cost him a lot to take the Jang River area and the western lands of the Central Plains.

“So… if you want, an alliance is possible.”

Hyun Jong didn’t say anything and stared at Chung Myung. He knew that when Chung Myung talked like this, he was hiding his real thoughts.

“However, Sect Leader.”

Chung Myung’s voice was serious.

“That means we have to sacrifice ourselves for the good of everyone.”

“That much….”

“Of course, we can start by giving up something small. But once we form an alliance like that, we will have to give up more and more to keep it going. If no one wants to sacrifice, then I will have to sacrifice myself.”

“….”

“First, a finger.”

Chung Myung’s voice was cold.

“Then, an arm.”

“….”

“Eventually, we will have to give up everything, even our lives.”

Chung Myung looked at everyone with cold eyes.

“For the sake of peace in the Central Plains.”

Hyun Jong’s face became hard. He understood what Chung Myung was saying.

“If we do that, we might be able to protect the peace of the Central Plains. But Sect Leader… you have to understand one thing.”

Chung Myung’s voice was sharp. It was advice, concern, and regret.

“There will be no place for Mount Hua in that peaceful Central Plains. Sect Leader, you will see Mount Hua being laughed at, not even destroyed.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes trembled.

“Even so, if that is the greater good that you want to protect.”

Chung Myung paused. Then, he looked at each of the disciples, as if remembering them.

“If that is what Mount Hua wants….”

“….”

“I will just follow.”

Chung Myung closed his eyes.

In his mind, he saw someone crying tears of blood.

‘Sect Leader Brother….’

Chung Myung clenched his fist.