Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1417

Hyun Jong bit his lip tightly.

Beop Jeong should have been the symbol of kindness as the Abbot of Shaolin. But the Beop Jeong that Hyun Jong remembered was mostly filled with anger. It wasn’t that he only showed Hyun Jong an angry face, but those images were much clearer in his memory.

So, Hyun Jong sometimes disagreed with him and thought of him as someone he couldn’t work with. How many unreasonable demands had Beop Jeong made on Hwasan and the Cheonwoo Alliance until now?

But this time, even Hyun Jong couldn’t argue.

“So…”

Beop Jeong gritted his teeth and spoke.

“How many times have I told you! It’s just for your own satisfaction! Your self-satisfaction could throw the martial world into even greater chaos! How many times have I told you this!”

“…”

“What are you going to do about this! Those bastards are attacking Sichuan, which is now unguarded. What are you going to do about this situation!”

Beop Jeong bit his lip, unable to hold back his anger.

Actually, it wasn’t only Hyun Jong’s fault. Beop Jeong was also responsible for causing this situation. If he hadn’t been tricked like a child by Jang Il-So’s plan, there might have been a way to protect Sichuan.

But he didn’t see it. Blinded by the power of the Cheonwoo Alliance, he didn’t notice what Jang Il-So was planning. There had been signs several times.

If he hadn’t missed Jang Il-So’s moves, he might have been able to save Sichuan and the Cheonwoo Alliance.

But even knowing this, his anger toward the Cheonwoo Alliance didn’t go away. After all, the Cheonwoo Alliance’s trip to Hainan was the start of all this, right?

“Abbot.”

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and said,

“I know you have reason to be angry. But isn’t now the time to decide what’s right? We need to find a way to help Sichuan.”

“Help, you say?”

A cold voice came from Beop Jeong’s mouth.

“With what?”

“…”

“Sichuan is over three thousand miles away from here. How are you going to help them from that far away! Even if you run as fast as you can, do you think the defeated army will just be standing around?”

Hyun Jong squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like Beop Jeong’s voice was piercing his lungs.

Hyun Jong knew it too.

Looking back, everything was already decided. Jang Il-So’s real goal wasn’t to destroy them. It was to subtly push Chung Myung and his group and Hainan to the east, drawing the Cheonwoo Alliance and the Nine Sects to the east as well.

To the east of the Central Plains, where they couldn’t interfere for days, no matter what happened in Sichuan.

“If we combine our strength…”

“Wake up, Alliance Leader!”

A loud roar came from Beop Jeong’s mouth.

“Combine our strength? Are you saying we should fight them and go to Sichuan? Yes! Let’s break through! But what if we do? Do you think the people in Sichuan will be okay until we get there? Against the Four Evil Vipers, a group of dangerous villains?”

“…”

“Do you think you’re the only one who wants to rush to Sichuan and save them? Qingcheng and Emei are in Sichuan! Don’t you know what that means!”

Hyun Jong was speechless for a moment.

Qingcheng and Emei are important sects of the Nine Great Sects. If they lose their power, the Nine Great Sects won’t be as strong as before.

And it won’t stop there.

Kunlun, among the Nine Great Sects, has been weak for a long time. Hainan also lost a lot of strength because of the recent tragedy.

If Qingcheng, Emei, and maybe even Jeomcang in Sichuan were to be destroyed in this situation… the Nine Great Sects might lose more than 30% of their power because of this event.

Thirty percent at once. Or even more if you include Hainan. In less than a month.

For the Nine Great Sects, this might be a bigger loss than the Great Demonic Sect War in the past. It’s not something you can easily talk about fixing.

So, Hyun Jong can’t blame Beop Jeong, even if he’s half crazy with anger.

“If you hadn’t recklessly gone to Hainan, Sichuan wouldn’t be in this tragedy! Don’t you know what that means? This is the price for what you’ve done. The world will judge you!”

Beop Jeong’s cold stare went through Hyun Jong to Tang Gunak.

Tang Gunak, faced with the blaming stare, didn’t look away and stared back fiercely.

“That’s why I said so much!”

Beop Jeong was about to shout again, grinding his teeth, when…

“…Did you just say it was reckless?”

Beop Jeong stopped talking.

Geum Yang-Baek, the leader of Hainan, looked terrible, like he was about to die any moment. He walked out from behind. He stumbled with every step.

Beop Jeong, who had been boiling with anger, suddenly felt cold, like ice water had been poured over him. He clenched his fist.

“That means…”

A dangerous feeling came from Geum Yang-Baek’s eyes.

“Are you saying that those who rushed to Hainan to save us were reckless and useless? Tell me that while looking at me, Abbot.”

It was the spirit of someone facing death. Even Beop Jeong was overwhelmed by the strong spirit of someone who had accepted death.

“Head, that’s…”

“Why is it!”

Geum Yang-Baek shouted and took another step toward Beop Jeong, like he would swing his sword any moment.

“Why is it their fault!”

“…”

“If we’re going to talk about rules, isn’t it your fault for ignoring the Nine Great Sects and our many requests for help! If you had helped us even once before things got this bad, would this have happened today!”

Beop Jeong was silent, as if he couldn’t speak.

You can’t argue with logic.

How meaningless and cruel is it to explain to those who have been left behind the reasons why they had to be left behind?

Even if he was blinded by anger, he could still understand that much.

“But you don’t care about what you’ve done! Are you blaming those who did what you should have done for being foolish? Are you still the Abbot of Shaolin after that? Are you still a Buddhist! Are you?”

Blood came from Geum Yang-Baek’s mouth, who was very upset.

“Cough!”

“Head!”

“You mustn’t get upset, Head!”

“Get out of the way!”

Geum Yang-Baek pushed away his disciples who were trying to stop him. A chilling coldness stayed in his eyes.

“Did you say that the world would judge them?”

“Head…”

“Yes! That might be true. But that won’t be everyone! Even if everyone judges them and points fingers, only Hainan will stand by their side! Even if Hainan is destroyed and nothing is left! Those who have the Samparang crest on their hearts will take the stones and the blame of the world!”

A cry that seemed to squeeze the soul echoed.

Beop Jeong sighed without realizing it. Geum Yang-Baek’s roar was one thing, but the angry stares from the Hainan disciples behind Geum Yang-Baek were truly strong.

You could tell just by looking at their eyes that the relationship between Hainan and the Nine Great Sects had crossed a point of no return.

In a situation where the sects in Sichuan might be destroyed, even Hainan, which could have helped, had broken away from them.

“Huh, haha…”

Beop Jeong laughed for a moment.

“That’s right. Everything is my fault.”

“…”

“Sichuan is burning and covered in the blood of innocent sects, all of that is my fault! All of it!”

Beop Jeong glared at Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak again. But that stare couldn’t reach Geum Yang-Baek.

At that moment, Maeng So, who had been quiet, spoke.

“This is not the time for this. I know there are old feelings between us, but now is not the time. We must first talk about how to help Sichuan.”

“Y-you’re right, Abbot. Now is…”

Jongri Hyung also supported Maeng So. It wasn’t that he didn’t have bad feelings toward the Cheonwoo Alliance, but now every minute was important.

However, Beop Jeong simply glared at Maeng So with cold eyes.

“Did you say talk about how to help?”

“…”

“What’s the point of you and me talking about how to help? You have never listened to what I’ve said! When have you ever agreed with even one of my ideas?”

“Abbot. How can you say such things…”

“Am I wrong?”

Hyun Jong didn’t know what to say.

Of course, the situation is complicated if you look at the details. But if you look at the results, the Cheonwoo Alliance has always rejected Beop Jeong’s ideas and always done what they wanted.

So, Beop Jeong isn’t wrong to say that.

“So? Now you’re telling us to help you?”

“Qingcheng, Emei, and Jeomcang are also in danger. Isn’t it your job to protect them!”

“Yes, that’s right! So, I have been trying to protect them until now! I even came all the way here to save you, risking my life to cross the river!”

“…”

“But all you’re saying is that everything is my fault.”

Beop Jeong looked at the Four Evil Vipers’ forces, which were staying away, and sneered.

“It’s impossible to break through them. Or maybe it is, but that’s what Pae Gun wants. There’s no need to take more damage when we can’t avoid great damage already. I will go back to Gangbuk.”

“Abbot! But Sichuan is in danger now…”

“Don’t you know that if we take even more damage here, it will be too late to fix things!”

Thud!

Beop Jeong stomped his foot, and the ground shook.

With a fierce look, Beop Jeong glared at the Cheonwoo Alliance.

“If we all die here, evil will take over the world! Jang Il-So will control the world!”

Everyone’s face darkened.

“The Cheonwoo Alliance talks about what’s right, but all they do is rush to the scene and start fighting! Does Jang Il-So not know that you will do that?”

“…”

“This is not the time for this, but listen carefully. This is my last advice. Don’t go to Sichuan. Unless you all want to die there!”

Beop Jeong turned away.

The disciples of the Nine Great Sects looked at the Cheonwoo Alliance for a moment before turning away.

At that moment, Hyun Jong could tell.

‘The disciples…’

Until now, the leaders of the Nine Great Sects might have looked at the Cheonwoo Alliance with dislike, but the disciples had been friendly to them.

But not anymore.

The way they looked as they turned away was no longer friendly.

The wall between the Nine Great Sects and the Cheonwoo Alliance had become too strong to break down.

At that time, Beop Jeong, who had turned around, said with a sneer,

“Even so… you will go to Sichuan, right?”

Hyun Jong didn’t answer. Baek Cheon did.

“We will.”

Baek Cheon replied calmly, without any shaking in his voice. Beop Jeong glared at him coldly and turned his head sharply, causing a cold wind to blow.

“Yes. You will.”

Hyun Jong looked at Beop Jeong walking away and squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Jang Il-So…’

It was as if he could hear Jang Il-So’s laughter.

The crazy laughter of that clever man who had gotten everything he wanted.