Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1161

“Abandoned, you say, Junior Sister?”

Baek Cheon frowned and turned to Yoo Iseol.

The Five Swords shared everything with each other. They had been through life and death together many times. Their bond was very strong, maybe even stronger than family.

Even so, Yoo Iseol’s comment was surprising.

“This isn’t our fault, is it?”

“No,” Yoo Iseol replied simply, her voice still without emotion.

“But the result is the same.”

“I was just asking.”

Yoo Iseol became quiet. This conversation could have stopped there. If the people were good at talking and hiding their feelings, they would have moved on. But they weren’t.

“What will happen?”

Yoo Iseol asked the question that someone had to ask, and Yoon Jong continued the conversation.

Yoon Jong looked at Im So-byeong, the one who understood the situation best. Or maybe, the one who could explain it most clearly.

“Then what will happen to Hae Nam?”

“Well,” Im So-byeong said, scratching his head with his fan, as if he was worried.

“Of course, the Hae Nam Sect is smart. They know their disciples will be in danger first. So, they’re probably planning to escape. If they aren’t fools, that is.”

“Ah, of course, they would…”

Im So-byeong shrugged and added, “But if they could handle it alone, they would have already left Hae Nam Island.”

Yoon Jong had looked relieved for a moment, but now his face became serious again.

“They might still be figuring things out…”

“In this situation?” Im So-byeong asked.

Yoon Jong didn’t answer, and Im So-byeong continued, “This might seem sudden to you, but Hae Nam has felt this coming for a long time. They probably knew they could end up like this years ago. If I were the leader of the Hae Nam Sect, I would have done one of two things when the Plum Blossom Island incident happened in the Yangtze River: run away from the island or try to attack the Sahae Union from behind.”

“That’s right.”

“They couldn’t do either of those things, so there must be a reason. I don’t know what that reason is. How could we know what’s happening so far away? But I have a guess.”

“If you have a guess…?”

“Didn’t some unorthodox people join the Yangtze River operation very late?”

“The Hao Clan?”

“Yes.”

Im So-byeong tapped his palm lightly with his fan.

“The Hao Clan is good at getting information. They can easily watch a large area. Anyone smart would have asked the Hao Clan to watch Hae Nam.”

“Wait. The Hao Clan Lord is in Hangzhou…”

“Do you need the clan lord himself to watch? The workers do the job.”

“Maybe the Hao Clan Lord has been avoiding Jang Il-so by saying he was watching the Hae Nam Sect. Then, when he couldn’t avoid it anymore, he gave in to Jang Il-so.”

Yoon Jong nodded, as if that made sense.

“That means Jang Il-so is ready to capture and kill them no matter where they go. Jang Il-so is very careful. He wouldn’t leave any problems behind him.”

Jo Gul tilted his head, looking confused.

“If that’s true, wouldn’t it have been better to get rid of them sooner? Why wait until now?”

“Attacking a sect from the Nine Great Sects is like starting a war with all of them. Jang Il-so couldn’t do that, at least not until the Plum Blossom Island incident.”

Jo Gul closed his mouth. Yoon Jong asked again.

“We’re getting off track… so what will happen to the Hae Nam Sect?”

“Well, why are you asking *me* that, Yoon Jong?” Im So-byeong chuckled.

“Are you pretending you don’t know? Or are you just acting like you care, even though you can’t do anything?”

The other Five Swords were annoyed by the sarcastic comment, but Yoon Jong calmly replied to Im So-byeong.

“I just want to know what you think, Green Forest King.”

His steady eyes looked at Im So-byeong.

“My ideas are not complete. So, I want to hear the thoughts of someone who understands the situation better than I do. That way, I can make the right choice.”

Im So-byeong stared at Yoon Jong silently, then looked embarrassed and scratched his head again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t need to say that.”

Im So-byeong nodded and spoke honestly.

“Jang Il-so doesn’t leave things unfinished. And he doesn’t just talk about taking over all the orthodox groups. Jang Il-so is scary because he has big dreams, but he’s also very practical about how he makes them happen.”

“In that case…”

“Wouldn’t it be obvious what Jang Il-so will do?”

Im So-byeong’s eyes turned cold.

“No one will survive.”

“He’ll hunt them down and kill them on purpose. He’ll probably try to wipe out anyone who is part of the Hae Nam Sect, even children.”

A deathly silence filled the room. After a long time, Yoon Jong spoke again.

“Is there a reason to go that far?”

“Yes, of course, there’s a reason,” Im So-byeong replied casually.

“That way, when the Sahae Union enters Gangbuk, the people won’t be able to fight back, will they?”

“People?”

“Small sects, wanderers, people who live alone, people who could cause trouble for the main army and attack the supply lines when the Sahae Union enters the Central Plains from the Yangtze River.”

Im So-byeong clicked his tongue.

“The Unorthodox Faction thinks they are the ones who have stopped us from taking over the Central Plains.”

“Ah…”

“It’s showing those people an example. It’s showing that no one who goes against the Sahae Union will survive, not even an ant. If that happens, the small and medium-sized sects that would have joined the Nine Great Sects or the Cheonwoo Alliance will hesitate. Even the brave people who would risk their lives to fight will stop and think.”

Yoon Jong’s face twisted.

“Just for that reason… just to set an example, you’re using such cruel methods?”

“Just for that reason?”

Im So-byeong glared at Yoon Jong with a cold look.

“What do you think we’re doing right now? Do you think this is a game where we run around with sticks pretending to be soldiers?”

“…”

“This is war.”

It wasn’t surprising, but these words made everyone realize how serious the situation was.

“Don’t think about justice in war. In war, winning is justice, and the winner is right.”

“Even so…”

“Well, that’s right.”

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“To be exact, ‘no one remembers the justice of the loser’ would be more accurate.”

Yoon Jong bit his lip. Chung Myung looked at him for a moment, then spoke to Im So-byeong.

“But that’s not all, is it? Right?”

Chung Myung looked at him with clear eyes, and Im So-byeong sighed and scratched his head.

“That’s right. I would have said that was all in the past, but…”

Yoon Jong and Im So-byeong each took a step back, and the atmosphere calmed down.

“Ahem.”

Tang Gunak spoke in the quiet atmosphere.

“Hae Nam is unlucky, but I don’t think we can do anything about it.”

He sighed.

“Hae Nam isn’t even part of the Cheonwoo Alliance. We shouldn’t offer help unless they ask us first.”

“Yes. It would be wrong to do so.”

Baek Cheon answered.

“But Clan Lord, if no one does that, the Hae Nam Sect will really fall apart.”

“Listen, Baek Cheon…”

“And,” Baek Cheon said quietly.

“There was a time when I really wanted someone to do that for me.”

“…”

“I couldn’t ask for help, and I was too proud to lower my head, but I wanted it more than anything.”

“That’s…”

“If we ignore Hae Nam, the Nine Great Sects and the Cheonwoo Alliance will be abandoning them. They won’t get help from anyone.”

Namgoong Dowi, who had been quiet, spoke.

“I agree.” Namgoong Dowi smiled as he felt Tang Gunak’s gaze.

“I’m alive now because of that help. I know what it’s like to be trapped and waiting to die.”

“Young Lord…”

“If you need someone to go, tell me. I will go without hesitation.”

“Listen, Young Lord. You have to rebuild the Namgoong Clan…”

“I don’t think Namgoong should ignore what needs to be done now for the sake of the future.”

“…”

“It would be better for Namgoong to die for a good reason.”

Tang Gunak looked at Hyun Jong, who was closing his eyes with a serious face.

Tang Gunak was about to say something when he heard a chuckle. He turned and saw Chung Myung smiling strangely.

“A sect abandoned by everyone… Yeah. I’ve heard that story before.”

“Hwasan Sword Saint.”

Chung Myung looked coldly at Baek Cheon and Namgoong Dowi.

“Listen carefully. Don’t think you can fix that mistake by dying. That mistake could cause the Cheonwoo Alliance to lose and the Sahae Union to win. Then your recklessness will drag everyone into hell.”

“…”

“Do you think the others are quiet because they don’t want to help? Grow up. You little brats.”

Baek Cheon bit his lip and glared at Chung Myung.

“Then what do you want to do? Just ignore them?”

“I…” Chung Myung was about to say something when an urgent voice came from outside.

“Alliance Leader!”

“What’s wrong?” Hyun Jong asked, realizing the seriousness in the voice. Then, he heard something that made everyone doubt what they heard.

“The Abbot of Shaolin is coming!”

“What?” Hyun Jong’s eyes widened.