Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1186

Baek Cheon spoke kindly, but no one there thought his words were actually kind.

‘Good heavens…’

‘That Abbot…’

The leaders of the Heavenly Union Alliance stared at Baek Cheon, their eyes wide with disbelief.

It wasn’t the first time Beop Jeong looked foolish. Cheong Myeong had done it before. But this time, it felt more deliberate and insulting.

Namgung Dowi watched Beop Jeong’s face closely. He saw the corner of Beop Jeong’s mouth twitch. It was a small movement, but it showed Beop Jeong’s anger.

Even Jo Gul, who always wanted to kick the Abbot, looked surprised and whispered to Yoon Jong.

“S-Senior Brother.”

“What?”

“I-Is that alright?”

“Would it be?”

Yoon Jong replied casually, but Jo Gul couldn’t be so calm.

“B-But why is Uncle doing that?”

“Why? He’s always been like that.”

Jo Gul was speechless for a moment and closed his mouth tightly.

People might think Jo Gul was the most reckless in Mount Hua after Cheong Myeong, but they would be wrong. The Mount Hua disciples knew Baek Cheon was actually the most unpredictable.

At that moment, the silent Beop Jeong opened his mouth.

His voice was low, and everyone present could tell Beop Jeong was angrier than before.

“Acting Sect Leader.”

“Yes, Abbot.”

“…Is that Mount Hua’s intention?”

“It is.”

Baek Cheon remained calm, facing Beop Jeong’s anger.

“…Does the Alliance Leader also agree with this?”

Beop Jeong glared sharply. Hyun Jong glanced at Baek Cheon’s back and shook his head.

“You shouldn’t ask me that, Abbot.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have already given all authority regarding this matter to the Acting Sect Leader. So, it is not my opinion you should be asking for. Even if it were me, I cannot overturn the Acting Sect Leader’s decision now.”

The corners of Beop Jeong’s eyes visibly trembled.

Even people who disliked Beop Jeong felt a little nervous seeing him like this. But they were also more excited than nervous.

“Then, Mount Hua means that it will not share its intentions with Shaolin.”

“Yes. However, this is merely Mount Hua’s intention. The Heavenly Union Alliance may have different intentions.”

Beop Jeong, who had been glaring at Baek Cheon with terrifying eyes, turned his gaze to Hyun Jong.

“What is the intention of the Heavenly Union Alliance?”

Hyun Jong shook his head once more.

“The situation has changed, so we must ask for their intentions again.”

“Then ask here and now.”

“No, Abbot, that’s…”

“Is there a reason why it would be difficult?”

A coldness dripped from Beop Jeong’s face.

“Didn’t you say that formalities and etiquette could be ignored because the situation is urgent? You wouldn’t say that separate time is needed for such an urgent matter, would you?”

Even the matter of appointing a Sect Leader was done in front of him, so asking for opinions should also be done in front of him. It was too much to ask, but Hyun Jong couldn’t argue with Beop Jeong’s logic.

Beop Jeong was about to say another word and corner Hyun Jong.

“You don’t need to ask us.”

Namgung Dowi opened his mouth calmly while sitting upright.

“We have already answered. Nothing has changed from the beginning.”

Beop Jeong’s expression finally eased.

“That is a wise choice, Young Lord. Old feelings are…”

“I hope the Abbot doesn’t misunderstand.”

Namgung Dowi’s words surprised Beop Jeong. He was confused. He thought Namgung was agreeing to rejoin the Five Great Families.

Namgung Dowi seemed to read the doubt in Beop Jeong’s eyes and opened his mouth.

“Namgung has clearly stated his intention to follow the Sect Leader’s decision prior to this meeting.”

“That’s…”

“The Sect Leader of Mount Hua, that is.”

Only then did Beop Jeong understand what Namgung Dowi was saying, and he gritted his teeth without realizing it.

“Nothing has changed. If the Acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua has made a decision, Namgung will stand with that decision. The Namgung Clan will also not return to the Five Great Families.”

“Young Lord!”

The moment Beop Jeong raised his voice, a low chuckle escaped from Tang Gunak’s mouth.

“If Namgung is not part of the Five Great Families, then the Sichuan Tang Family also finds it difficult to find a reason to return. Abbot, the Tang Family will also follow Mount Hua’s decision.”

Beop Jeong bit his lip and glared at Tang Gunak. Baek Cheon and Namgung Dowi were still young, so they could be swayed by impulsiveness and vigor. But how could Tang Gunak, who had lived long enough to know the world, say such a thing?

But Tang Gunak was simply relaxed.

“Some things in life can’t be counted like numbers. Besides, if I said I would join the Five Great Families, the Head of the Tang Family would kick me out! I’m not ready to retire yet, am I?”

At those words, everyone turned to look at Dang Pae. Dang Pae coughed awkwardly with an embarrassed face.

“No… well, it’s not that I thought that far, but I just thought I should have a serious talk with you separately.”

“…You did have thoughts.”

“Well, I saw this right in front of my eyes.”

“It might be a little disappointing, this.”

“Ahem. It’s a slander.”

Dang Pae’s jesting began to ease the atmosphere. No one laughed openly, but short bursts of laughter faintly flowed out from here and there. Beop Jeong’s expression hardened even more at the changed atmosphere.

“T-The Ice Palace too!”

At that moment, Seol So-baek shouted with a flushed face, as if excited.

“The Northern Ice Palace will also stand with Mount Hua in this endeavor. If Mount Hua protects the Heavenly Union, the Ice Palace will stand alongside Mount Hua to defend the Heavenly Union to the very end!”

Baek Cheon gave Seol Sobaeck a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Palace Lord.”

“N-No problem at all! Isn’t this the most obvious thing to do!”

Seol Sobaeck looked nervous. Maeng So gently pulled on Seol Sobaeck’s sleeve to calm him. Then, Maeng So turned to Beopjeong, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.

“Well,” Maeng So said, his voice calm but with a sharp edge, “now that things are like this… even if the Southern Savage Beast Palace *wanted* to join the Nine Great Sects, I don’t think the Union Lord would be very happy about it.”

Beopjeong said nothing, his face tight.

Maeng So continued, his smile widening slightly. “If the host doesn’t want you, you can’t just invite yourself to dinner, can you? The Southern Savage Beast Palace will stay in the Heavenly Union. I’m sure the Union Lord will be very pleased.” Maeng So’s last words were dripping with sarcasm, though his smile remained fixed.

His words were sharp and hurtful. But Beopjeong, sensing the unyielding resolve behind them, couldn’t find the words to argue back.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Im So-byeong, who spat out an angry remark.

“What are you all looking at?”

Im So-byeong openly showed his displeasure, waving his hand as if shooing away a stray dog.

“All you righteous sects aren’t going in, so if a bunch of bandits shamelessly try to force their way into the Nine Great Sects, they’ll get a wooden gong smashed over their heads. I’m not an idiot.”

“You should at least give me a choice and then ask me to choose. You should have asked in the first place.”

Still, the gazes didn’t waver, so Im So-byeong shuddered and waved his hands dismissively.

“Ah, I’m staying. I’m staying, okay? Do I really have to say it myself?”

That was it. In less than an instant after Hyun Jong had mentioned the dissolution of the Heavenly Union, every sect within the Heavenly Union had agreed to its continued existence.

Im So-byeong chuckled and said.

“But isn’t this a bit too hasty? We’re fine with it, but the righteous sects would have something to gain by going over there. Isn’t young master Namgung feeling regretful? Isn’t he secretly kicking himself?”

At those words, Namgung Dowi turned to him with an annoyed expression and sighed.

“As I said… Namgung will simply follow Mount Hua’s lead.”

“Well, that’s…”

Namgung Dowi continued firmly.

“If you receive a favor, you must repay it. That’s only right. But that’s not all there is to it.”

Namgung Dowi’s gaze turned to Baek Cheon. If Hyun Jong was merely someone he was grateful to, Baek Cheon held a slightly different meaning for him.

“Even when there was only the favor, Namgung intended to follow Mount Hua. But now, there’s more than just a favor between Mount Hua and Namgung. In a short time, we trained together, sometimes hitting and getting hit, cursing and rolling on the ground together.”

“Do you know what you call people like that?”

“Yes?”

“Friends.”

Namgung Dowi said, looking at Baek Cheon, and then smiled slightly.

“Of course, we’re not that close, and we’ve only built up resentment, so it’s closer to being bad friends than good friends. But even so, a friend is still a friend, isn’t it? If repaying Mount Hua’s favor is Namgung’s duty, then wanting to go with my friends is Namgung’s will.”

Namgung Dowi’s gaze turned to Beopjeong this time.

“And… anyway, the acting sect leader thought highly of me and showed me trust. Even though the Union Lord probably still sees me as an immature whelp.”

Beopjeong frowned. Namgung Dowi shrugged.

“If I weren’t a fool, I’d choose the place that values me more. Especially since my friends are there. Why would Namgung hesitate? There’s not a single reason to return to the Five Great Families.”

At those words, Im So-byeong chuckled.

“I thought you were just some nobleman born with a silver spoon, but it turns out you’re just good at what you do. It must be tough for those born without anything.”

Im So-byeong’s jesting brought out even louder laughter.

But Beopjeong couldn’t laugh. Far from laughing, he glared at Baek Cheon with eyes that seemed to emanate a chilling aura.

‘That’s why… that’s why I had to prevent this situation.’

It was something he already knew. If you gain Mount Hua, you gain everyone; if you lose Mount Hua, you lose everyone.

That’s why he led Hyun Jong and Chung Myung, the core of Mount Hua, down a path from which they couldn’t escape. But instead of Hyun Jong or Chung Myung, someone completely unexpected suddenly emerged and ruined all his plans.

‘No, not yet.’

Beopjeong suppressed the rising resentment and anger. If it had been before, he might have roared in fury, but he wasn’t the same as before. He still had a way.

Beopjeong focused on Baek Cheon, summoning all the patience he possessed. If the situation had come this far because of Baek Cheon alone, then overturning Baek Cheon’s decision would return everything to its proper order.

“Acting Sect Leader.”

“Yes, Union Lord.”

“Do you believe that the choice Mount Hua has made is the right one?”

At that question, Baek Cheon silently stared back at Beopjeong.

Baek Cheon was pinned by the heavy gaze of Beopjeong, a giant of the age.

“You made your choice with youthful passion and raised your voices, but you haven’t proven the truth of your choice in the slightest. If you make the wrong choice based solely on passion without logic, how do you intend to bear the countless bloodshed that will result from it!”

Baek Cheon’s lips were tightly sealed. Beopjeong further intensified his pressure.

“Are you truly going down the path of becoming a sinner for eternity? Do you really not know how much turmoil that choice will plunge the world into!”

It was a frosty rebuke. Beopjeong’s hand, resting on his knee, trembled uncontrollably, unable to contain his emotions.

Baek Cheon quietly looked at Beopjeong, as if intending to receive all that anger head-on. And after a long while, he slowly opened his mouth and asked.

“Did you say passion?”

“Indeed.”

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding, Union Lord.”

Beopjeong’s eyes sharpened.

“What misunderstanding could there possibly be!”

“Of course, I am still just a young man full of passion. Naturally, I can make misjudgments, and I lack experience.”

“If you know that…”

“However.”

At that moment, Baek Cheon’s even voice cut off Beopjeong’s words, piercing sharply into his ears.

“I may be like that, but the sect leader of Mount Hua does not choose the direction of the sect with mere passion. That is because that is the position of the sect leader of Mount Hua.”

“What…”

“Know this clearly. The one you are facing now, Union Lord, is not the second-generation disciple Baek Cheon, but the acting sect leader of Mount Hua, Baek Cheon.”

“Acting Sect Leader!”

“And!”

At that moment, Baek Cheon glared at Beopjeong with a face full of anger.

“If you, as the Union Lord, know what kind of place Mount Hua is, if you know what the ancestors of Mount Hua did for the world! Before you criticize us for being foolish and raise your voice.”

Baek Cheon paused, his chilling gaze cutting into Beopjeong.

“First, show the respect that is due to the one representing Mount Hua. That is the duty that a person should uphold. Do you understand?”

“Crack!”

The prayer beads in Beopjeong’s hand were finally shattered into pieces.