Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1412

The powerful Four Seas Alliance army packed the riverbanks, a dark wall of soldiers and banners. Black ships, like giant beetles, filled the wide Yangtze River, stretching as far as the eye could see. Towards this imposing sight, a golden wave moved on the water – the Shaolin monks, their robes shimmering like honey in the morning sun, rowing steadily forward.

It was overwhelming. Could he ever witness such a spectacle again in his lifetime?

But this was hardly the time to be awestruck by the scenery.

“M-My Lord!”

“Y-Yes, that’s right!”

Hyun Jong, who had been lost in thought, startled and raised his sword once more.

“A-All disciples, prepare to—”

“Just a moment! Ack! Just a moment!”

At that moment, Im So-byeong practically threw himself forward, grabbing Hyun Jong’s arm and clinging to it.

“L-Lord of the Green Forest?”

“Not yet, not yet! Wait just a little longer! We must strike all at once when those damned monks reach the riverbank!”

“Ah, that’s right! I understand.”

Hyun Jong swallowed hard, his throat dry. His heart was pounding in his chest like a drum.

He never thought he’d see the day they fought with the Nine Sects. It seemed impossible, yet here it was.

‘I can do this!’

Hope filled Hyun Jong’s eyes, which had been brimming with resolve.

Of course, the situation was still far from easy. Even with the Shaolin’s strength combined, facing the Four Seas Alliance would be no simple task.

But it would be incomparable to fighting with only the Cheonwoo Alliance. Moreover…

“It’s as if the heavens are helping us; they’ve become a timely diversion!”

The Lord of the Green Forest was right.

The best way to break through a densely packed enemy was to attack from both sides simultaneously. Now, they had accidentally got a chance to attack from both sides.

If they could seize this opportunity, they might be able to pierce through that thick center and open a path to the Yangtze River!

Even if they didn’t have to fight each other to the death, they might still secure a path to survival.

“My Lord! The enemy is wavering!”

Tang Gunak shouted, his voice uncharacteristically agitated.

Indeed, he was right. The Four Seas Alliance, which had been guarding the riverbank like an iron wall, was now in disarray, having discovered the presence of the Nine Sects crossing the river. The flags, once symbols of power, whipped and cracked in the wind, like angry banners.

‘It’s working!’

A clear path was visible, cutting through the solid iron wall. It was a path connecting them to Gangbuk, and at the same time, a path connecting them to the Nine Sects.

“Everyone, prepare! It’s almost time!”

The golden wave had now reached the center of the river. Considering their speed, they would soon reach the riverbank. They had to surge forward without missing that moment.

Everyone’s heart pounded.

‘The Tyrant!’

Hyun Jong’s gaze turned towards Jang Il-so’s carriage, located in the center of the Four Seas Alliance’s forces.

He was certain. No matter how many big plans Jang Il-so devised, no matter how many amazing tricks he employed, it would be difficult to stand against the harmony achieved by those who truly upheld the name of righteousness!

Perhaps Jang Il-so didn’t know. That even if their intentions differed, they could still join forces as long as their paths aligned!

It was then.

“They’re moving!”

The Four Seas Alliance’s forces began to undulate like a wave. The ripple, which had spread out from the ornate carriage, soon engulfed the entire alliance.

From his vantage point on the hill, Hyun Jong could see it clearly.

The Four Seas Alliance’s forces, lined up along the riverbank, were dividing precisely in half.

“W-Wait a moment?”

Around a single line that had appeared in the center, the army was splitting in half. As if… as if they were opening a path.

“The ships of the Suro Army are moving too! Left, left and right! They’re splitting apart and moving to the sides!”

A path was opening. A path leading between the Nine Sects and the Cheonwoo Alliance.

The path that they absolutely had to open was now opening on its own. The path that the Four Seas Alliance should have blocked with all their might was now being offered freely.

But Hyun Jong couldn’t celebrate that fact.

“Why…?”

Why were they opening a path for them? Why?

“What…?”

Beop Jeong was in the same state. He had floated into the air, but now he stared blankly at the scene with a bewildered expression.

The black ships of the Suro Army, which had almost docked at the riverbank, suddenly turned their bows to the left and right, opening the way for the Shaolin. It was as if they were welcoming them to the lands of Gangnam.

“E-Everyone, stop! Slow down, immediately!”

Beop Jeong shouted urgently at the incomprehensible situation.

“Abbot! Staying in the water is dangerous!”

“I know that!”

If the pirates of the Suro Army attacked from the water, they could face the worst crisis. Of course, Beop Jeong knew that as well. But unless he could accurately grasp the current situation, he had no choice but to do this.

Beop Jeong’s eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

“Just… what are you up to, Jang Il-so!”

“L-Lord of the Green Forest!”

Hyun Jong turned sharply to Im So-byeong. He thought that the Lord of the Green Forest might be able to interpret this situation. But Im So-byeong was just as dumbfounded.

Im So-byeong repeatedly examined the movements of the Four Seas Alliance with a bewildered expression.

Opening a path was understandable. If it was Jang Il-so, whom he knew, he could easily open a path on purpose and then aim for their backs.

Nevertheless, the reason why Im So-byeong was so bewildered was that he couldn’t sense any such intention in their movements. If that was their intention from the start, they shouldn’t have widened the path so quickly.

Then there were two possibilities. Either Jang Il-so was using an incredibly brilliant tactic that he couldn’t even imagine, or… they were really opening a path without any other intention.

But even if it was Jang Il-so, was it possible for him to use a tactic that Im So-byeong couldn’t even detect the slightest hint of? It would be impossible even for the cleverest strategist in history.

His mind raced.

“Then why?”

Im So-byeong’s face gradually turned as white as if he had seen a ghost.

No, it might be better to see a ghost. He was faced with a situation he couldn’t understand no matter how hard he racked his brain, and a greater fear washed over him.

But the bewildering situation didn’t end there.

“My Lord! T-They’re widening the distance even more!”

Hyun Jong clenched his fist tightly and trembled.

The Four Seas Alliance’s forces, which had opened the path, didn’t stop there and widened the gap even further.

If he looked at what was happening without clinging to the situation, the Four Seas Alliance was now dividing its army into two and advancing on both sides.

It was like… yes, it was like…

“They’re… retreating?”

From here?

The Cheonwoo Alliance on the hill were all speechless.

“B-Because of the Nine Sects?”

“There’s no way!”

“No, but if that’s not it, then this doesn’t make any sense…”

Even if the Nine Sects joined forces, there was no reason for the Four Seas Alliance to retreat. They were still in a favorable position. It was a fight where either side had a chance.

No, that wasn’t it.

Rather, from the Four Seas Alliance’s point of view, they had to fight. If they let the Cheonwoo Alliance go to Gangbuk like this, wouldn’t they gain nothing compared to what they lost?

So why were they suddenly opening a path? Why were they retreating instead?

“What is this…?”

Hyun Jong turned to Chung Myung as if he were possessed.

The Myriad Man House had paid an enormous price to kill Chung Myung and the young martial artists of the Cheonwoo Alliance.

And yet, they were retreating? Jang Il-so wasn’t a fool.

An indescribable sense of foreboding washed over him. They were the ones showing their backs, but it was they who were trembling with anxiety.

“W-What should we do?”

The leaders of the Cheonwoo Alliance and the Nine Sects, the most powerful people in their world, were now completely confused and didn’t know what to do.

Then, someone’s groan broke the bewilderment and tension.

“Ugh…”

“Ch-Chung Myung-ah!”

“Chung Myung-ah! Are you coming to your senses?”

Chung Myung’s eyelashes, who was being held by Tang Gunak, fluttered.

Soon, Chung Myung, who opened his eyes, looked around with a gaze that had no strength at all.

“Where is…?”

Chung Myung asked, but no one could easily open their mouths.

It was because they didn’t know how to explain the current situation. Even those who had watched with their own eyes couldn’t understand it.

But there was no need to.

Chung Myung’s vision was blurry. He looked around the battlefield quickly.

Then, his body shook and jerked.

“Those bastards…,” he said.

He pushed Tang Gunak away with shaky hands. Tang Gunak tried to stop him. But Chung Myung, even though weak, was very determined. Tang Gunak could not stop him.

Chung Myung stumbled forward, his eyes red.

“Jang Il-so…,” he said.

“Huh?”

“Where is Jang Il-so!” Chung Myung’s voice was broken and sounded like a scream. Jo Gul was confused and pointed to a carriage in the middle of the Sahe Alliance forces.

“There! He seems to be over there.”

Chung Myung saw the large carriage. Eight white horses were pulling it. Only Jang Il-so would dare to ride something like that. Chung Myung groaned.

“…There? You say he’s there?”

“Huh? Chung… Myung-ah?”

Jo Gul was scared. Chung Myung’s eyes looked at him with a terrible emotion he had never seen before.

“This… This is all wrong!”

Chung Myung cursed. He quickly grabbed Jo Gul’s sword from its holder. Then, he jumped into the air and released a scary sword power.

“Ch-Chung Myung-ah! What are you doing!”

“Aaaaargh!!”

Kwaaaaaaang!

Red sword energy shot from Chung Myung’s sword. It cut through the air like a fast river. It crashed into the carriage carrying Jang Il-so.

“Eek!”

“Hey! What are you doing, crazy man?!”

Kwaaaang!

Dust flew everywhere. Chung Myung landed and covered his mouth. Dark red blood came out between his fingers.

“What in the world are you…”

“There! Look over there!” someone shouted. Everyone looked at the front instead of Chung Myung.

The dust slowly settled. The broken carriage was visible. A man slowly appeared.

He wore a red robe and shiny jewelry on his fingers and wrists. He had a special crown on his head.

“Ja, Jang Il-so…”

Baek Cheon bit his lip tightly.

Everyone held their breath when they saw his pale white face and blood-red lips.

But Chung Myung growled and asked,

“Who?”

“Huh?”

His face was twisted with anger.

“Who? Who is Jang Il-so! Is that him?”

“Chung Myung-ah?”

Most people thought Chung Myung was a little crazy. This was understandable. He was badly hurt and had just woken up. It was hard for him to be completely normal.

But some people understood what Chung Myung meant. They quickly looked back at Jang Il-so.

“Uh…”

“Ah… Ahh!”

Im So-byeong seemed to lose strength in his legs and fell down.

“Green Forest King! What’s wrong?”

The Green Forest King spoke with a scared look.

“No…”

“What do you mean…”

“No. That’s not him! That man is not Jang Il-so! He’s a fake!”

“…What?”

“We… we were all tricked! He wasn’t even here! He never planned to fight us!”

“What nonsense is this?”

Baek Cheon used all his strength to look at Jang Il-so again. Then, his eyes stopped and started to shake.

He had seen Jang Il-so many times. That’s how he knew.

That man is not Jang Il-so.

He looked the same, but something was different. He looked similar and dressed similarly, but he did not show the same scary feeling that Jang Il-so had.

Baek Cheon quickly turned his head.

“Then where is Jang Il-so now? If he’s not here, where could he be!”

“Hngh…”

At that moment, Chung Myung spoke weakly.

“That damn… bastard…”

Plop.

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“Damn it! Clan Leader!”

Chung Myung passed out. He heard urgent shouts in his ears. They sounded far away, as if he were underwater.

‘No…’

I can’t pass out here…

‘Jang Il… so…’

Someone’s crazy laughter sounded like a dream from far away.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Hmm,” Jang Il-so hummed and slowly turned around.

The inside of the carriage was fancy. But the outside looked old and worn, like a baggage cart.

No one would know that the inside was so nice. The old carriage looked like it was full of cheap things.

The only way to see inside was a small window. The door was hidden well.

Jang Il-so stared at the old carriage and horse. Then, he turned to look the other way.

Many people were kneeling down before him. They wore normal clothes, but their eyes and weapons showed they were not normal people.

They were the best members of the Myriad Man Clan. They had been hiding as low-level members of small groups. They had been loading grain onto carts and spreading out in Gangnam, away from the Beggars’ Union. Now, they were all here.

Jang Il-so looked at everyone kneeling on one knee. They looked like loyal people honoring their king. Then, he smiled and said,

“See, I told you.”

His lips were smiling in a mocking way. They were as red as blood.

“They’re not worth it.”

He thought everyone was just a pawn.

“You, and… me too.”

He could use everything. His fame, the fear others felt, and how people saw him. He could change and destroy them at any time.

There was nothing to protect.

There was no one to care about.

Everything in the world was just cheap trash.

Jang Il-so looked at the people kneeling before him. Then, he looked up at a tall mountain.

It was a blue mountain that seemed to reach the sky. It was a beautiful mountain that people called Qingcheng.

Thud.

Jang Il-so slowly walked between the kneeling people. He was walking towards the blue mountain.

“The beginning should be as great as possible. Let’s burn it all down.”

He spoke in a calm and gentle voice. The members of the Myriad Man Clan stood up one by one and followed Jang Il-so.

Behind the Myriad Man Clan members were people in different clothes and warriors in red uniforms.

The Hao Clan and the Blood Sect.

The groups that had formed the Sahe Alliance with the Black Ghost Squad and the Water Rogue Stronghold were now in Sichuan.

Everyone followed the crazy Jang Il-so. They walked up the mountain of Qingcheng.

“Hahaha…”

Jang Il-so laughed quietly. Then, his laugh grew louder and filled with joy and madness. It echoed through the mountain.

“Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha!”

A large, red fire was starting. It would burn Qingcheng, cross over Emei, go through the Tang Clan and Mount Diancang, and destroy the world. It was starting here in Sichuan.