Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1255

“What is it?”

As Chung Myung nodded, Gwak Hwan-so hesitated slightly before asking.

“Everyone has decided to fight alongside us here, haven’t they?”

“I told you already. Do I have to repeat myself?”

Gwak Hwan-so waved his hand quickly.

“No, it’s not that… Did you come here planning to do this from the start? To fight as individuals even if we didn’t agree on a negotiation?”

Chung Myung responded with a kind smile.

“No.”

“…Pardon?”

“I didn’t plan anything at all.”

“⋯⋯.”

“I told you, we didn’t even know things were this bad until we got here! I knew that crazy Jang Il-so was insane, but even if he’s mad, he should know when to stop. Who would have thought he would turn his troops around and charge in like a madman while the fight on the Yangtze River was still going on? Only a madman would do that. Utterly mad.”

“⋯⋯Stop saying ‘mad’ so much, Chung Myung.”

“It’s making my head feel strange just listening to it.”

“Please understand. He gets a little crazy whenever he hears the name Jang Il-so.”

Gwak Hwan-so blinked.

“Then, after the negotiations failed that day, did you have a separate meeting and decide to do this?”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“We didn’t really have a proper meeting.”

“⋯⋯Then?”

“I just said, shouldn’t we be going soon? But no one left. So, well, that’s how it happened.”

“Ah, no. What kind of…”

“Geez, you think too much. You live such a complicated life.”

Chung Myung said without caring.

“Do you guys have some big plan or reason that made you follow the Sect Leader to Gangnam?”

“⋯⋯That’s not it.”

Of course, there was some reason. But Gwak Hwan-so couldn’t deny that his actions were more from a feeling than a plan.

“Then why are you trying to find a reason from us?”

“Let’s try to find some… Please…”

“You annoying guy, shut up.”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung looked at Gwak Hwan-so and said.

“Of course, it’s not like we were trying to help from the start. But after arguing a bit, getting a little angry, and just going along with things, we suddenly started talking about how to fight.”

“I kept saying no!”

“Someone shut that pest’s mouth.”

As Namgoong Dowi grabbed Im So-byeong’s mouth and pulled him away, Chung Myung continued, sounding relieved.

“So, there’s no need to think too much about it.”

“⋯⋯How can I not think too much about it?”

“You really don’t understand.”

“Pardon?”

“I said before, we’re not doing this to die with you.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Now that I’ve seen it, Gangnam’s defenses were weaker than he expected, like a wall with holes in it. I just thought we might have a chance if we did well.”

Gwak Hwan-so just stared at Chung Myung with a blank face.

“If someone is drowning and struggling in front of you, isn’t it normal to try to help until you can’t anymore?”

“That’s true…”

“It’s just that what you think of as ‘until you die’ and what we think of as ‘until you die’ are a little different. Don’t expect too much. If it looks like Hainan and everyone else is going to die, we’ll turn around and run without looking back. Only those who can do that came to Hainan in the first place.”

“I understand what you’re saying… But it’s easier said than done…”

“Can this guy really not understand what I’m saying?”

“Pardon?”

“Is it okay to just die?”

“⋯⋯What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve had all the good things from being a righteous sect until now. Now, are you just going to die and think you’ve done enough? Die ‘stylishly’ or ‘coolly’ and feel good about yourself? That’s not enough! What about the other righteous sect members who are fighting the Evil Sect Alliance and working so hard they’re spitting blood?”

Gwak Hwan-so closed his mouth.

“That’s ridiculous. You have to fight until your backbones are completely broken. Even if you die, you have to drag at least one more guy to hell with you. That’s the least those who carry swords and act all important have to do.”

“⋯⋯.”

“And you need to stop doing stupid things. Do you think that after you die like that, those Evil Sect guys won’t touch Hainan and will just leave? You’re supposed to be in Gangnam, how can you not know what those Evil Sect guys are like? You’re not idiots, are you?”

Gwak Hwan-so looked like he had been hit.

But Chung Myung just clicked his tongue and turned away, walking in another direction.

Baek Cheon came closer, smiling slightly, and said to Gwak Hwan-so.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always been like that.”

“No. It’s not how he talks, but…”

The content was more shocking.

‘Those who remain.’

He had never thought of that. The people they were worried about were only the people of Hainan Island. They had never thought about what would happen to the world or how the remaining righteous sects would fight.

But even if they died, the fight would go on. Especially since the Heavenly Union Alliance would fight against the Evil Sect Alliance until the very end.

He suddenly felt ashamed that he had only worried about the situation of the Hainan Sect and Hainan Island. He realized how short-sighted he had been.

Even though they had complained so much about the mainlanders for treating the islanders differently, when the crisis came, they didn’t care at all about what was happening on the mainland.

“⋯⋯We must fight.”

As Gwak Hwan-so nodded with a determined face, Baek Cheon smiled gently.

“That’s all that matters.”

“Um, but…”

“Yes?”

“May I ask one more question?”

“You can ask as much as you want.”

“I don’t know if we can get into Gangnam. But once we do, things will change. They will know we’re in their territory.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, of course, they will try to make the Yangtze River defenses stronger. Can we break through that with just our forces? Wouldn’t it be better to go around towards Yunnan…?”

Baek Cheon shook his head.

“The last thing we need to break through is the same.”

“That’s true, but…”

“The longer the route, the harder it will be for us. If we think about what’s possible, the only way is to get to the Yangtze River as fast as possible before they can defend it properly. Besides…”

Baek Cheon’s eyes darkened slightly.

“If we don’t cause trouble in the enemy’s main area, they will have time to relax. If they relax, they might do bad things.”

Gwak Hwan-so closed his mouth.

He understood what they meant by ‘bad things.’ If they were too busy running away and chose to go around, giving the Evil Sect Alliance time to breathe, they might take their anger out on those left behind on Hainan Island.

If that happened, the Hainan Sect would have to bear all the damage. That’s why Baek Cheon was trying to cause trouble in the enemy’s main area, head towards the Yangtze River, and make the fight between the Heavenly Union Alliance and the Evil Sect Alliance worse, so that the Evil Sect Alliance wouldn’t even think about turning their troops back.

‘I didn’t even care about what was happening on the mainland.’

These people are worried about those who will stay in Hainan even now. That’s why they are willing to take a little more risk to take the Evil Sect Alliance’s attention away from Hainan.

“⋯⋯Is it possible?”

“Well, we’ll have to see. However…”

“However?”

Baek Cheon smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was a smile that knew something important.

“No one here is eager to die,” Baek Cheon said. “The most important rule of our sect is simple: survive.”

Just then…

“Look! Look at it crawling over here!” Chung Myung shouted.

“Huh?”

Everyone turned to see something small and white moving quickly towards them from the calm sea.

“Baek Ah!”

“Oh, Baek Ah!”

“Goodness, it really came!”

The Five Swords rushed to the shore. Tang Soso splashed into the sea and scooped up Baek Ah. Baek Ah lay tired in her arms, her tongue hanging out.

“Sahyung! It’s completely worn out!”

“…How admirable,” one of them said.

Yoon Jong disagreed, “It’s not brave, it’s silly. If that man catches Baek Ah, he’ll make it into a fur coat.”

Tang Soso carried Baek Ah to Chung Myung, who grabbed the ferret by the neck and lifted it.

“Did you handle it well?”

Even exhausted, Baek Ah seemed to snap to attention, nodding. Then, it looked up at Chung Myung with bright, expectant eyes, as if waiting for praise.

But Chung Myung never gave praise easily.

“Alright, alright, snap out of it.”

Squeak!

“See this? This?”

Chung Myung lightly shook a small tube in his hand and fastened it around Baek Ah’s neck. Baek Ah tilted its head, looking at the tube.

Squeak?

“That’s important, so deliver it well.”

Squeak?

“Now, go.”

Baek Ah tilted its head, confused. Its big black eyes were shiny and cute. But the situation was not good for Baek Ah.

“Why don’t you understand? I said go back.”

Squeak?

“What are you doing?”

Sque…ak?

Everyone saw Baek Ah’s snow-white face turning blue.

‘Isn’t that fur? How can fur turn blue?’

‘Has the Palace Lord of Beast ever seen something like that?’

‘Who would believe it if I told them?’

Baek Ah burst into a frantic shriek.

Screeeech!

Animals can understand some human words, but not the other way around. But everyone knew what Baek Ah’s cry meant.

“It’s cursing.”

“Sounds like cursing?”

“It’s definitely cursing.”

If Baek Ah was a person, it would be shouting very bad insults. Insults that were too rude to say out loud.

“Why, you little rascal!”

Chung Myung threw Baek Ah away.

Screeeech!

Chung Myung pointed at Baek Ah. “I fed you and sheltered you so you could grow fat as a pig, and now you’re spoiled! Who do you think you’re yelling at!”

Yoon Jong pointed out, “Baek Ah ate better and lived better in Yunnan.”

“Honestly, it’s not been as happy since it came here…” someone said.

Someone else added, “Baek Ah is probably regretting coming here.”

Of course, Chung Myung didn’t hear them. Baek Ah twisted its body, landed on its feet, and, filled with anger, charged back. Chung Myung snatched Baek Ah up and brought its small face right up to his.

“There’s no time, so hurry up and deliv… Ack!”

Baek Ah’s paw struck Chung Myung’s cheek. Chung Myung’s head snapped to the side.

Cheers erupted.

“Oh!”

“It fought back!”

“Kuh, it’s been holding back for a long time. It was about time it hit him, honestly.”

Chung Myung glared at Baek Ah.

“You little punk?”

Screeeech!

Chung Myung and Baek Ah started to fight like animals.

Baek Cheon covered his face. ‘I told him not to fight seriously with a beast… even if it is a spirit beast.’

Huff! Huff!

Chung Myung, exhausted, grabbed Baek Ah by the neck and ground his teeth.

“Ugh! If I didn’t need you, I’d cook you for dinner today!”

Squeak!

“Deliver it properly. If you’re late, you’ll really become roasted meat. Got it?”

Screeeech!

“Hey! Don’t talk back!”

Baek Ah kept resisting, but finally nodded, tears streaming down its face. It seemed to have given up.

“Go! Quickly!”

Screeeech!

Baek Ah, set down on the ground, let out a cry filled with resentment and ran towards the sea. Everyone watched, speechless.

“…It came all the way from the Yangtze River to here, only to go back as soon as it arrived.”

“…Even if it’s a small creature, I wonder if this is something we should be making it do.”

“Sorry we couldn’t protect you.”

“Poor thing.”

While everyone felt sorry for Baek Ah, Chung Myung seemed unable to shake off his anger, huffing and puffing.

“That thing is getting more and more out of hand!”

Everyone thought: ‘He’s heartless. He’s abusing that poor animal. He’s terrible!’

Just then, as everyone was watching Baek Ah disappear into the distance…

“…Sasuk.”

“I saw it too,” Baek Cheon replied in a stiff voice.

In the distance, they saw small dots on the sea. It was a fleet of ships.

“…It’s the Fourth Evil Sect.”

Suddenly, the relaxed feeling on the shore was gone. Tension filled the air.