Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1384

“Ugh! This is awful! Why are there so many enemies?”

Jo Gul swore, slashing at the chest of an enemy charging toward him.

“Be quiet, you idiot!”

“This is just too much! Can you believe this?”

Jo Gul whined, his face red and sweaty.

They were supposed to attack Nanjing quickly, without meeting enemies in strong defensive spots?

‘We haven’t even reached those suitable positions yet!’

It seemed like every bad group in the world was here. They pushed through the dark forest, and enemies swarmed. They crossed a stream, and more enemies teemed. The problem was…

“Wh-what is it!”

“It’s an enemy!”

“Why are you all still surprised? We’ve been fighting enemies for ages!”

Jo Gul roared.

Jo Gul was angry. He thought their group, the Mount Heaven Alliance and Hainan, should be the ones surprising the enemy. But it was the other way around! They looked as shocked as if they’d been attacked in their own homes by surprise enemies.

“I’m really gonna die….”

Whoosh!

Just as Jo Gul was about to start lamenting his impending doom, Yoo Iseol leaped over his shoulder and charged forward.

Flap flap flap!

With a sound like a dragonfly taking flight, her sword spread its wings in all directions.

“Aack!”

“Aaaargh!”

In the blink of an eye, the enemy fighters, slashed in various places, clutched their wounds and tumbled to the ground.

“Sago!”

“…Fall back. If you’re going to keep whining.”

“Ah, no, that’s not it….”

Jo Gul, wearing a sulky expression, tried to explain himself but then shut his mouth.

He, too, was severely injured, but Yoo Iseol’s injuries were even worse. Yoo Iseol, who was even more hurt, was fighting bravely without a single complaint. This made Jo Gul feel even more pathetic for whining.

“Jo Gul, you already are pathetic.”

“Stop reading my mind! Did you learn mind-reading or something?”

Baek Cheon, tossing the words offhandedly, followed behind Yoo Iseol, who was charging forward.

“Samae! Are you alright?”

“Yes, Sahyung.”

Yoo Iseol nodded calmly.

“I can fight now.”

“Don’t overdo it. Your injuries are deep.”

“Yes.”

Though he told her not to overdo it, Yoo Iseol’s sword was no different than usual. Still nimble, clean, and swift.

And Baek Cheon, watching that sword, felt relief. He had been worried, deep down, that Yoo Iseol might lose her sword because of those deep injuries. Whether she could be a force right now was secondary; Yoo Iseol’s sword was a treasure that Mount Hua could never afford to lose.

But seeing that sword, he knew he had been worrying for nothing.

‘But the more I think about it, the stranger it seems.’

Baek Cheon’s gaze turned to the enemy fighters Yoo Iseol was cutting down.

“Rotate the front and rear guards. Those who are tired, replenish your strength!”

Gwak Hwan-so’s voice rang out. Not only Yoo Iseol but also the Hainan faction were pushing back the enemies with irresistible force. They were fighting so well, they could even control their attacks and just wound the enemies, not kill them.

So strong that they were no match? Because they had grown enough?

‘No. They’re too weak.’

The enemy group they were encountering now was far below the level of those who had held them back in Guangdong.

That’s why it was strange.

If Ho Gamyung or Jang Il-so had intended to capture them, they wouldn’t have sent these people. Those two couldn’t possibly be unaware that these people were of no help.

Even if they are weak now, these groups are still dangerous. How could these small fry be a match for those with the core of the Mount Heaven Alliance centered around Hainan?

But if so, then why? There was no way Jang Il-so or Ho Gamyung would do such wasteful things that had no effect.

“Acting Sect Leader.”

At that moment, Namgung Dowi, who had run up beside him, was about to say something but stopped and looked at Baek Cheon’s face.

“…It seems you’ve already noticed.”

“Yes.”

“These people aren’t here to fight us. Not only is their strength lacking, but it seems they didn’t even know we existed.”

“That’s certainly true.”

For a moment, Baek Cheon was about to turn his head toward where Chung Myung and the Green Forest King were, but he flinched and fixed his gaze forward.

‘Don’t rely on them!’

It was an unparalleled blessing to have those with high insight in one’s ranks. But the moment all analysis and judgment were left to them, that blessing would no longer be a blessing but a shackle.

If he didn’t have the ability to think and judge for himself, it would be meaningless. There was no guarantee that they would be by his side every time he had to make an important decision.

‘What good is this enemy group?’

They certainly weren’t strong enough to face the core members of the Nine Sects. If so, then?

“They’re gathering these people to face others, not us.”

“I think so too.”

“Which means….”

Goosebumps rose on the back of Baek Cheon’s hand.

Even if they weren’t strong enough to face the core of the Nine Sects, they could easily handle the small and medium-sized sects of the Orthodox Faction. Just because they looked like riffraff to them didn’t mean they actually were riffraff.

The problem was that as long as this enemy group was in Gangnam, there was absolutely no reason for them to face the small and medium-sized sects of Gangbuk.

“Could it be… I know it doesn’t make sense, but has Shaolin already consolidated its power in Gangbuk?”

“…Is that possible?”

“Probably not.”

Namgung Dowi, who had brought it up, laughed as if his own words were absurd.

In the past, when Shaolin raised its banner and shouted, countless sects would gather beneath it. But that was impossible now.

Everyone in the world had clearly seen what had happened at Plum Blossom Island. They knew that they, too, could be abandoned by Shaolin the moment they became isolated, so why would they be crazy enough to follow Shaolin’s orders?

That insignificant choice had opened the path of self-preservation for many Orthodox Factions in the world.

‘That’s right, why did they foolishly….’

It seemed foolish for Shaolin to abandon others, but now they were paying the price. People didn’t trust them anymore.

In any case, with the reputation and power Shaolin had now, a full-scale attack on Gangnam was impossible. It might be possible to attack with a few sects that followed them, but it was difficult to gather all the small and medium-sized sects.

If so, then there was only one thing left.

“…Are they going to cross the river? Leading these enemy fighters?”

“Is that possible? They aren’t skilled enough to cross the wide Jang River with their bare bodies, are they? Even if everyone we see is all there is, countless ships would have to go back and forth several times. There’s no way the Nine Sects would watch that happen, is there?”

“We should assume something has happened in the meantime. Something that prevents us from stopping that crossing.”

“Such….”

Namgung Dowi’s face became even more serious. Combining the conversations so far, the conclusion was clear.

Northward advance. It was clear that Jang Il-so had drawn his sword.

‘Now?’

Namgung Dowi swallowed hard without realizing it.

No, it was possible. It was always possible. That Jang Il-so could start a war by crossing the river at any time. Ordinary people wanted stability and a perfect chance of victory, but what he wanted was chaos and a dramatic victory using it.

The reason why he couldn’t help but shudder at this fact, even though he knew all of this, was simple.

‘I thought it wouldn’t be now, even I did.’

War could break out at any time. That was a fact everyone here knew.

But at the same time, everyone thought that the time for that war to break out was at least not now. A little later, sometime, but at least some time had passed.

Jang Il-so was openly mocking their certainty and wishes.

“Why now of all times….”

“If you think about it the other way around, there’s no time but now, is there?”

“Yes?”

“Everyone lives in this world, but only a few people really control what happens. And right now, everyone important is watching Gangnam.”

“…”

“There’s no way Jang Il-so wouldn’t use such a situation. He’ll definitely try to lead it as he wants. Even if the time isn’t ripe yet, he’ll ignore that much if the conditions are right.”

“Then….”

Namgung Dowi’s voice trembled slightly because the meaning of those words hit him so vividly.

“Is the war breaking out because of us… because of us and no one else?”

Baek Cheon was silent for a moment. But soon, after organizing his thoughts, he opened his mouth again.

“War would have broken out eventually. Just because the timing is a little earlier doesn’t necessarily mean it’s our fault.”

“But….”

Namgung Dowi still couldn’t hide his discomfort and hesitated. Baek Cheon looked at him straight and asked.

“Then, if you knew this result, would you have stayed in Gangbuk to avoid war?”

Namgung Dowi couldn’t answer that.

“The opponent is Jang Il-so. If we hadn’t moved, he would have come up with another scheme based on the fact that we hadn’t moved and that Hainan had been destroyed. That’s the kind of guy he is in the first place.”

Namgung Dowi nodded weakly.

“So, let’s just think about breaking through this situation now.”

“That’s exactly right!”

The two turned around sharply at the voice that suddenly came from behind. Im So-byeong was shaking the fan in his hand and nodding.

“It seems the two of you have grown quite a bit. This strategist is very pleased.”

“Feels dirty.”

“Is being praised by a bad guy actually an insult?”

The two were unnecessarily upset. Then, Im So-byeong, who suddenly darkened his eyes, said.

“More than that, we need to focus on something else.”

“Yes?”

“If Jang Il-so is really thinking of starting a war… If he was thinking of advancing north, then one advantage we’ve been enjoying will completely disappear.”

“Advantage?”

The two hardened their expressions. What advantage had they enjoyed thanks to that Jang Il-so? They had only suffered losses.

In particular, Namgung Dowi, who had lost most of his family thanks to Jang Il-so, glared at Im So-byeong with murderous eyes. But Im So-byeong shrugged and said firmly.

“More simply, it means they don’t need to keep things balanced anymore.”

“Balance?”

“The existence of the Mount Heaven Alliance.”

Only then did the two understand Im So-byeong’s words and fall silent.

“Until now, Jang Il-so has been aiming for the division of the Orthodox Faction by leaving the Mount Heaven Alliance alone. But if a war breaks out, the story changes. The Mount Heaven Alliance is the force most likely to fight the most fiercely at the forefront of the war.”

“Certainly….”

They would, even if they didn’t want to. If one of them went crazy and screamed.

And that meant….

“Before, Jang Il-so left them alone because they were useful. But now, they will try to kill them because they are in the way. By any means possible.”

The two’s eyes turned to the back at the same time, to Chung Myung.

“That….”

Baek Cheon, who was about to add something while looking at his expressionless face, flinched for a moment.

His gaze turned not to Chung Myung but to the forest they had already passed, a little further back. The tall, jagged trees were shaking with a rustling sound.

“Al-already….”

“They’re coming.”

Im So-byeong folded his fan and gripped it tightly.

“Be prepared. It’ll be different from what it’s been so far.”

KABOOM!

Soon, the large trees collapsed one after another, and those all-too-familiar figures appeared. The Myriad Man House uniforms, which were not enough to be described as tiresome now.

Ho Gamyung, standing in the middle of them, growled with a chilling gaze.

“Let them know how vicious the revenge of the enemy fighters can be.”

Baek Cheon bit his lip until it bled.