Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1287

“Who?”

Jang Cheon-gi, the leader of the Yacha Clan, a small group of fighters in Guangdong, looked confused. “Who said someone came to Gangnam?” he asked.

“They say it’s from Hainan?”

“Hainan? Hainan has entered Gangnam?”

“That’s what they say! It’s complete chaos right now.”

“Well, this is strange…” Jang Cheon-gi repeated, stunned.

“It’s not like those Hainan guys suddenly went crazy from the sea breeze and walked into Gangnam on their own, did they?”

“How could they have come on their own? When the Myriad Man Clan invaded Hainan, they abandoned their base and ran to Gangnam.”

“Does that make sense?” Jang Cheon-gi asked. It was completely illogical.

Even someone who knows nothing about war would know this is strange. To run away means to get away from the enemy. What madman would run into the enemy’s base? The Hainan guys must know that Gangnam is controlled by the Four Evil Alliances.

“Anyway, we need to move now. Ho Ga-myeong has given instructions.”

“Instructions?”

“They’ve already landed on the coast and are heading north. An order has been given to all surrounding groups to set up a ring so that not even a rat can escape. It’s a call to action issued in the name of the Myriad Man Clan.”

“The Myriad Man Clan? Not the Four Evil Alliances?”

“…The order said it was from the Myriad Man Clan.”

“Why? No… Well, that’s not important,” Jang Cheon-gi said, shaking his head.

“It seems those Hainan guys really did come to Gangnam. I never thought I’d see the day…”

“Clan Leader, we don’t have time for this. It’s a direct order from that Poisonous Mind Rakshasa. If we don’t obey, who knows what will happen to us…”

Jang Cheon-gi flinched at the mention of Poisonous Mind Rakshasa.

The people of Guangdong fear Jang Il-so, the Overlord, the most. But for a leader of a small group like Jang Cheon-gi, it’s different. Jang Il-so wouldn’t even notice them, but Ho Ga-myeong watches them closely.

If Ho Ga-myeong didn’t like them, a small group like the Yacha Clan could be wiped out quickly.

“Y-yes! This is no time for this! Bring me my spear! And call everyone else! Where did they say we’re supposed to be?”

“They’ll tell us when we join up.”

“Alright! That’ll do! What are you doing! Hurry!”

“Yes, yes.”

Watching the chief assistant rush out, Jang Cheon-gi suddenly laughed weakly.

“It’s not like the Hainan Clan Leader has gone crazy old.”

Martial artists can get sick, but even if those righteous groups are stubborn, they wouldn’t listen to a crazy old man and walk into a death trap, would they?

“Stupid fools.”

Jang Cheon-gi clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Even if they want revenge, it would have been better to die at home.”

They clearly don’t know what Gangnam is like. If they knew that Gangnam now is completely different from Gangnam three years ago, they wouldn’t be so foolish.

In Gangnam, everyone is the eyes and ears of the Four Evil Alliances. You can’t even drink water without their permission.

“A fish that crawls into the desert will die of thirst. Especially with the Poisonous Mind Rakshasa hunting them…”

Jang Cheon-gi smirked and quickly left the room.

“So?” Ho Ga-myeong asked, his eyebrows twitching. He had just got off the ship. He stared at the bodies of the Hao Clan members scattered on the shore. Their faces were black, so they seemed to have died from poison.

“Are you saying they searched the empty ship and were poisoned?”

“…”

“And because of that, we’ve lost them completely?”

Yeop-wi’s face was pale from the poison, but he blushed with shame.

“I didn’t know they would use such a trick…”

“You didn’t know?” Ho Ga-myeong stared at Yeop-wi, who lowered his head.

“I have nothing to say. I will accept any punishment.”

Ho Ga-myeong shook his head. “No.”

Yeop-wi looked up, surprised. Ho Ga-myeong’s face showed no emotion.

“If there is any fault, it’s mine for giving orders that were too hard for them. I should have thought about that.”

Yeop-wi gritted his teeth at the cold voice.

It was true. He deserved the criticism. He wasn’t ordered to kill the enemy, just to follow them. He had no excuse.

But Yeop-wi was angry because he and the Hao Clan were the only ones who suffered. He had lost all his men, but Ho Ga-myeong and the Myriad Man Clan hadn’t lost anything.

He was furious to hear such mocking words.

“I didn’t know there was a master of poison among them. If I had…”

“Information?” Ho Ga-myeong stared blankly at Yeop-wi.

“You should know what you can say and what you can’t. Wasn’t it the Hao Clan’s job to get that information?”

“That’s…”

“Enough,” Ho Ga-myeong said coldly.

“There’s no point in blaming the past. We can fix it in the future.”

It wasn’t a harsh word. It even sounded like he was defending him. But Yeop-wi didn’t trust Ho Ga-myeong’s words.

“First, we need to find them…”

“In the first place!” Yeop-wi interrupted, angry.

“If we’re talking about fault, isn’t it the Myriad Man Clan’s fault for letting them steal the ship and get to Gangnam so easily!”

“…”

“If that hadn’t happened, no one would have died!”

He glared at Ho Ga-myeong with angry eyes and asked, “Am I wrong?”

He shouted as if daring him to kill him, but Ho Ga-myeong nodded. “That’s right.”

“That’s… What?”

“You’re not wrong. It’s my mistake. No, it’s my fault.”

Yeop-wi stared at Ho Ga-myeong, astonished.

“It would have been better if we could have handled it in Hainan. But it wasn’t possible. Do you need more explanation?”

“…No.”

“Then that’s settled. However… there’s one thing we need to talk about.”

“What…”

“Don’t ask me ‘Am I wrong?’ again.”

Yeop-wi flinched and met Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes. Ho Ga-myeong’s cold gaze pressed down on Yeop-wi.

“Or are you still living in the past?”

Yeop-wi bit his lip. After trembling, he said, “…I’m sorry. I was rude.”

“It’s good that you know,” Ho Ga-myeong said, changing the subject.

“Use your network to find them, now. Use any means to investigate their location.”

“Yes. I will order them to stop them.”

“Make sure you understand me. I said investigate their location.”

“…What?”

“They are not people that can be stopped by one group.”

“…”

“The Hao Clan is strong. But don’t make meaningless sacrifices. Don’t approach them, just find them. We will handle the rest. Just do what you’re told.”

Yeop-wi nodded. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Move out.”

“…Yes.”

As Yeop-wi walked away, Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes turned cold. Then, a mocking voice said, “How merciful.”

Goe-ryang smirked. “Military Advisor, you are too fair for the Demonic Sect. If it were me, I would have torn out his tongue.”

“A useless act,” Ho Ga-myeong said calmly.

“It’s just anger. There’s no benefit. Even a little ability is better than none. We need that ability now.”

“But he insulted the Clan.”

“He insulted me, not the Clan,” Ho Ga-myeong said.

“It’s nothing for me to be insulted. It’s always been that way. So don’t worry about it.”

“As you wish,” Goe-ryang said unhappily.

Goe-ryang didn’t like Ho Ga-myeong either. But he knew he was right. The righteous groups often caused trouble because of pride, and the Demonic Sect often ruined things because of ego.

‘But if that bastard had mentioned the Clan Leader, I would have killed him on the spot.’

That’s why Ho Ga-myeong was so unpleasant.

“But I don’t understand.”

“Hmm?”

Goe-ryang chuckled. “When you’re in a hurry, you’ll use anything, but are those guys even as good as a cat? I’d rather the Mount Hua Sword Master fell off a cliff than hope those guys could catch him.”

“You’re right. But you know ability, but you don’t know people.”

“…Hmm?”

“I didn’t tell them to find him. I told them to find his location. That means don’t lose him.”

“Is there a difference?”

“If it’s the Mount Hua Sword Master I know…” Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes darkened.

“No. I can’t explain it. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Goe-ryang frowned. “How impressive.”

“There’s no time to waste. Let’s move.”

“As you wish, Military Advisor.”

As Goe-ryang turned away, Ho Ga-myeong ordered his assistant, who was waiting. The assistant looked at him and said, “But, Military Advisor. What about the guys who brought the ship?”

Ho Ga-myeong looked at the Hainan Clan’s expelled members standing on the shore. He said coldly, “Take those who can’t keep up as hostages, and bring those who have martial arts with us.”

“Yes.”

Yoo Gong closed his eyes. Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes flashed.

Goe-ryang would have said he was doing useless things again. But Ho Ga-myeong thought differently.

‘If there’s a surprise, it’s those guys.’

He thought this surprise would be fatal to them. Like a poison dagger that stabs them when they finally notice it.

“Depart.”

“Yes!”

As soon as Ho Ga-myeong gave the order, the Myriad Man Clan began to march north, toward the Cheonwoo Alliance and the Mount Hua Sword Master.