Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1220

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A wild boar, placed whole over the blazing bonfire, turned round and round.

Dang Pae stared blankly at the sight. A thought came to him, obvious and useless: ‘Is this really okay?’

We’re supposed to be avoiding people’s eyes… Ah, no, of course, no one would come all the way to this cave in the middle of a steep cliff to see the light, so it doesn’t matter… But still…

“Tsk. If I had known it would be like this, I would have brought some alcohol.”

“Is this bastard possessed by a ghost who died unable to drink in his past life? This isn’t Gangnam, you know!”

“What does it matter when there’s not a soul in sight?”

“…That’s true.”

Dang Pae stopped thinking when he heard Chung Myung mutter. ‘If I knew we’d only travel through cliffs and mountains, I wouldn’t have been so nervous,’ Chung Myung said.

What bothered him most was this: they were clearly relaxed, taking breaks, yet they moved twice as fast as he expected.

‘If I think about it that way, I should be clapping for how amazing they are, but…’

“It’s cooked!”

“Ah, wait! It’s not cooked enough inside yet!”

“Then can’t we just eat the outside first?”

“…Are you a genius?”

“Let’s eat!”

The sight of the Hwasan disciples rushing at the roasted pig made him feel like even the last shred of respect he had was cleanly swept away.

Don’t use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique to cut pork, you crazy fools!

Dang Pae felt his patience wearing thin as he watched the Five Swords. Baek Cheon, acting as the Sect Leader’s representative, asked Im So-byeong,

“How is it? Are we moving according to plan?”

“Hmm.”

Im So-byeong poked his cheek with his fan and replied, “If you ask if it’s according to plan, it’s a bit subtle to answer. Of course, I did anticipate some variables, but…”

Im So-byeong turned his head to look at Namgung Dowi with a sulky face. Watching him groaning as he lay down, he made a blatantly contemptuous expression.

“I didn’t anticipate variables like that…”

“…”

Certainly, this wasn’t Im So-byeong’s fault.

No matter how great someone is at seeing the future, there was no way he could have predicted the Young Master of the Namgung Family’s acrophobia. In the first place, does it even make sense for a martial artist who uses a sword to have acrophobia?

“Well… even considering that, it’s true that we’re moving within the expected range. Traveling across Gangnam in just five days was amazing. At this rate, we should be able to reach the coast heading to Hainan within five days.”

“Five days…”

Baek Cheon pondered slightly.

To traverse Gangnam in five days was an incredible feat. Even in normal times, not in a situation like now, he doubted whether it would be possible.

It was only possible to even attempt it because only those who could be called supreme masters had joined the group. Seol So-baek was a bit of a concern, but Chung Myung was somehow dragging him along.

So, it was definitely good news, but…

“How about we increase the speed a little?”

Baek Cheon wanted to reach Hainan as soon as possible. The situation of the Hainan sect was one thing, but it was right to reduce the time spent in Gangnam, where he didn’t know when something might happen.

But Im So-byeong shook his head firmly.

“The speed is already at its limit.”

“We could reduce the time we spend resting or sleeping. There’s no need to waste time like this…”

“That won’t do.”

Im So-byeong cut him off as if it wasn’t even worth listening to. Then he shrugged and said.

“Of course, I understand that you are anxious. But there’s a limit to what people can do. No matter how great someone is, it’s impossible to maintain concentration for three whole days.”

“…That’s true.”

“What’s more important to us now than speed is caution. If our senses become even slightly dulled, we might miss someone’s presence. If that happens, we’ll end up in a situation worse than going late.”

Baek Cheon slowly nodded. It wasn’t just that they were resting because they had found a cave, but Im So-byeong was managing the group’s stamina in his own way.

“Being discovered is a problem, but the aftermath is an even bigger problem. If it were just me… I’d just bury anyone, whether they’re civilians or not, and shut their mouths…”

“Aha aeia!”

“Hejingeo!”

When the Five Swords glared back with bulging eyes while chewing the meat they had stuffed in their mouths, Im So-byeong sighed deeply.

“…What are they saying?”

“That a member of the Unorthodox Faction is about to die!”

“…Thank you for the translation. So, I can’t just shut their mouths as I please, and the only option is to move forward without being discovered as much as possible. To do that, we need adequate rest.”

“I understand.”

Baek Cheon nodded, convinced.

‘He’s not wrong.’

He glanced at Namgung Dowi and Dang Pae.

The Five Swords were somewhat used to the harsh forced march, but this was the first experience for Dang Pae, Namgung Dowi, and Seol So-baek. They were trying their best to appear calm on the outside, but…

‘There’s no way they’re not struggling.’

To climb a steep cliff and move for a whole day was unimaginable for most people. And it wasn’t just hanging on the cliff, but moving faster than a horse, wasn’t it?

In the meantime, they couldn’t neglect guarding their surroundings, so their stamina was bound to be rapidly depleted.

‘The fact that those guys are eating more than usual must mean they’re nervous. Well, who wouldn’t be nervous in this situation…’

“Aww, damn it! I should have just gotten one bottle from the Wild Beast Palace Lord!”

There is someone… Someone who threw the word ‘nervousness’ onto the Hwasan cliff and left it there…

Baek Cheon sighed deeply.

Well, Chung Myung was always like that, and Im So-byeong’s complexion was definitely darker than usual. He was trying his best to appear calm, but since Im So-byeong had a congenital illness, there was no way his stamina could be very good.

“Certainly… it would be better not to rush too much.”

Im So-byeong grinned when Baek Cheon said that.

“It seems that you are thinking about many things.”

“I suppose…”

“Well, you don’t have to feel so burdened. There’s no one here who can’t even take care of the person behind them.”

The moment Baek Cheon chuckled and was about to nod, Im So-byeong turned to look at Namgung Dowi with a sulky look.

“Except for one.”

“…”

By now, it wasn’t just about where Namgung Dowi came from. It seemed like Im So-byeong just naturally disliked him…

“Anyway, I’m glad that the road to Gangnam doesn’t seem as dangerous as I thought. I was prepared for some level of engagement.”

“Even for the Unorthodox Alliance, finding ten people in this vast Gangnam is like finding a grain of sand in the desert.”

“I suppose so.”

Putting himself in their shoes, if Baek Cheon were to mobilize the Hwasan disciples and find the Unorthodox Faction bastards who had infiltrated Gangbuk, he would have kicked them in the head and asked if they were crazy.

“There are only two risk factors.”

When Baek Cheon looked at him with questioning eyes, Im So-byeong slightly hardened his expression.

“That Jang Il-so is so persistent that he could find a grain of sand in that desert if he set his mind to it.”

Baek Cheon felt a chill run down his spine at Im So-byeong’s words.

Certainly, if it was Jang Il-so… If it was that Jang Il-so, it might be possible.

“But there’s no need to worry too early. No matter how powerful and cruel he is, he wouldn’t even imagine that we would be in Gangnam at this time.”

“I suppose…”

“Would he even think there are people crazier than himself?”

“…”

Is that a compliment?

“The other side is more of a concern, though…”

“…The other side? Is there something else that’s a problem?”

At those words, Im So-byeong made a reluctant expression.

“I don’t think there’s much point in me talking about it. We can only hope that such a thing doesn’t happen.”

It was when Baek Cheon was about to open his mouth to ask something more.

“Hey! If you eat all of that, what am I going to eat! You gluttonous bastards!”

Im So-byeong was horrified and ran towards the roasted wild boar. The wild boar that had been hanging whole over the bonfire was losing its shape at the speed of light.

Baek Cheon sighed and shook his head.

“It’s not that way, it’s this way.”

“…What are you seeing that makes you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious that it’s this way?”

The Cheonwoo Alliance group entered the thick forest. They looked around, amazed by how dense the trees were.

The trees grew so close together, their branches tangled overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight. The air was damp and smelled of earth and pine needles. It was difficult to tell which direction was east, west, south, or north. But Im So-byeong was guiding everyone by finding the direction even within that, as if possessed by a ghost.

“This way?”

“I said this way!”

“Why are you getting angry…”

“Just follow me! Don’t keep going ahead!”

“No, it’s too slow…”

“What?”

Everyone realized once again that Im So-byeong was very versatile in this respect.

Ah, of course…

“Tsk. Originally, going up was faster.”

“…”

“Because of whom! Tsk!”

Im So-byeong’s personality was even worse than he thought.

When Namgung Dowi became noticeably depressed, Yoon Jong quickly changed the subject with an awkward face.

“Anyway, you’re amazing. To us, all the paths look the same, but you can distinguish and guide us. I heard you’ve never been here before.”

“Huhu. It’s not that I’m amazing, it’s just that this is basic for a Green Forest Warrior. How can the Green Forest, which dominates the mountains, not know the mountains…”

“He’s grandly exaggerating again, saying that he’s familiar with the back roads because he’s been running away from the government troops like a rat.”

When Chung Myung snapped, Im So-byeong drooped his shoulders. Yoon Jong glared at Chung Myung when he saw that.

“Hey! Why are you discouraging people! He’s being so helpful!”

“What are you talking about? It’s only natural for a member of the Unorthodox Faction to be helpful!”

“Huh? What’s that suddenly…”

“If he wasn’t useful, he’d be dead already!”

Ah…

“Why keep a member of the Unorthodox Faction alive if he’s not helpful? It’s more profitable to grind him up and use him as fertilizer!”

Wow… Chung Myung. What you’re saying isn’t wrong… but no matter how I look at it, you seem more like a member of the Unorthodox Faction.

Baek Cheon silently patted Im So-byeong’s shoulder.

“Hang in there.”

“…Thank you.”

“So, why don’t you break out like me?”

Im So-byeong, who was momentarily speechless, opened his mouth for a moment. Then, just as he was about to say something.

“Shh!”

Suddenly, Chung Myung’s expression changed. He gestured for silence and carefully moved forward, lightly parting the bushes to the left and right.

The others also followed him, holding their breath.

When he poked his head out, he saw a procession slowly approaching through a small path in front of the bushes.

It was a large cart and a group guarding the cart.

But the most striking thing among them was the large flag stuck in the cart. The character ‘覇’ (Dominion) was embroidered on it in a dignified manner.

“…The Unorthodox Alliance.”

A sense of tension flashed across everyone’s faces in an instant. They watched the procession intently, suppressing their presence as much as possible.