Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1428

Simple footsteps echoed. Jang Il-so walked slowly through the Tang family estate.

An old man had slowed him down a little, but it was not important. He had already forgotten about Tang Jo-pyeong.

He looked around at the Tang family buildings, many of which were broken and falling apart. Some were still standing, others were burned. It was like a small picture of how messy and ruined Jianghu was now.

A strange feeling washed over him.

“Lord, we looked everywhere, in every corner, but no one is here.”

“You are wasting your energy. It’s useless.”

At Jang Il-so’s words, Jeok-ho lowered his head.

Important families like the Five Great Families usually have secret places in their homes. Jeok-ho thought they might have hidden a place by burning buildings, but it seemed he was wrong. Confusion flickered across Jeok-ho’s face.

“Does this mean… the Tang family really left their home and ran away?”

The Sichuan Tang family? Really?

Even Jang Il-so did not expect this. If he had known even a little bit, he wouldn’t have come on this trip that was now useless, right?

“Hmm.”

As if reading his mind, Jang Il-so hummed softly.

“…Which could it be?”

“Yes?”

“Are the Tang family crazy? Or am I even more famous than I thought? So famous that the Sichuan Tang family would leave their home and run away like cowards?”

It was probably both.

The Sichuan Tang family they knew would never abandon their home. The fact that they had fled meant that the current Tang family was not the one they knew.

And even if they had changed, they wouldn’t have made this choice unless the one coming to trample them was the Tyrant, Jang Il-so. They would have fought to the death here.

Jang Il-so’s eyes sank darkly.

Whatever the reason, he didn’t like that things were not going as he planned. It felt like cold water had been thrown on the fire in his heart, the fire that had been burning since he destroyed Mount Emei and Jeomchang. He felt a strange anger in his stomach.

“The Sichuan Tang family… Anyway, anyone connected to the Cheonwoo Alliance is annoying. Or maybe it’s because they are connected to that kid?”

A chuckle escaped Jang Il-so’s lips.

It couldn’t be related. There was no way the Mount Hua Sword Saint could do anything from this distance.

But Jang Il-so couldn’t shake the feeling that the Mount Hua Sword Saint had something to do with this.

“That troublesome child.”

He had sent that kid far to the east to stop things like this from happening, but he was still causing trouble even from far away.

Jang Il-so slowly licked his lips. It was a moment when a wicked light flickered in his eyes.

“Lord!”

One of the Hong-gyeon ran up and bowed deeply before Jang Il-so.

“We found where they went! They are going north.”

Jang Il-so nodded. Of course, they would head north. There was no other way for them to survive.

“The scale?”

“Everyone. It looks like they all left together, even the people from the Tangga Pagoda.”

Jang Il-so’s eyes narrowed as if this news was unexpected.

“All at once?”

“Yes!”

His red lips twisted for a moment.

“Hmm. So… you’re saying they are taking everyone, even people who are not really family, women, children, and even kids who can’t fight, and running away together?”

“…”

Ha, if they were going to change how they do things anyway…

Jang Il-so’s gaze turned north.

“They should have been a bit smarter. Don’t you think?”

Jeok-ho nodded.

If they had been prepared to sacrifice about half of their family members and scattered in all directions, it would have been difficult for Jang Il-so to deal with. He wouldn’t have been able to be certain who to catch and who to let go until he had caught them.

But fleeing in one direction was like waving a flag and asking him to chase them, wasn’t it?

“Chasing after someone isn’t really my thing… but since they’re seducing me this much, it would be heartless not to chase after them. Prepare yourselves. We must catch them before they leave Sichuan.”

“Yes, Lord!”

It was the moment when Hong-gyeon was about to follow his order immediately.

“Ah, before that.”

“…Yes?”

Jang Il-so slowly looked around the half-collapsed buildings of the Tang family and said.

“If someone has made a big choice… wouldn’t helping them with that choice be a kind thing to do?”

A bright smile spread across Jang Il-so’s face.

“Burn everything. Don’t leave anything here that reminds people of the Tang family in Sichuan. Let even the ashes blow away in the wind and disappear.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Everyone bowed quickly and then ran off in a line. Jang Il-so’s lips parted slightly.

“I wonder… Tang Gun-ak.”

How would he accept this result?

With this, the Sichuan Tang family had lost its roots. Given the characteristics of the Tang family, they would never be able to regain the power they currently held.

Even so, would Tang Gun-ak say that this choice was right?

The descendants of the Tang family would curse and denounce Tang Gun-ak for generations, but even so, could he praise those who abandoned their family and left, saying they did well?

Even though the Sichuan Tang family would never be called the overlord of the Central Plains again?

“That level of hypocrisy is a disease.”

Jang Il-so chuckled.

Pitiful. Unfortunate. So, couldn’t he show him a little kindness?

Whoosh!

Flames rose from all directions.

The slowly rising flames soon grew as large as the mouth of a demon, swallowing the remaining buildings of the Sichuan Tang family.

Everything of the Sichuan Tang family, a prestigious family of Sichuan and renowned throughout the world as the progenitor of poison, was burning.

The fire was huge, so big that everyone in Chengdu could see it. It was like a signal saying that Sichuan was now controlled by the Four Faction Alliance.

The firelight made dark shadows on Jang Il-so’s face. He watched the buildings burn with a strange smile, then turned away, not feeling sorry at all.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The kindness he could show Tang Gun-ak was to make it easier for Tang Gun-ak to forget about his past and move on. If all those who tried to escape were killed, he could get angry and resentful without having to hide his true feelings.

He would be able to curse and shed tears of blood, saying that he tried to protect the lives of those who were going to die anyway, but even the Tang family’s foundation was burned down.

“Really, I’m too nice for my own good.”

Jang Il-so, who smiled as if he was troubled, lightly moved his steps.

The destination was north.

Where the Tang family members had fled.

Wham!

Tang Gun-ak was running fast, pushing off the ground hard, but he suddenly slowed down.

He glanced back and saw that the distance between them had widened again. He knew he should slow down and stay with the others, but his feet kept moving too fast.

He bit his lip tightly.

He knew.

They were already exhausted. No, even if they weren’t exhausted, there were only a few who could keep up with the fast running technique that Tang Gun-ak was using as fast as he could.

So, there was no need to keep showing this and revealing his impatience. It was pointless anyway, and it would only make him more anxious.

Even though he knew that fact clearly, his heart kept rushing ahead and making mistakes.

Tang Gun-ak glanced down at Chung Myung, who was tucked under his arm.

‘Mount Hua Sword Saint.’

Tang Gun-ak also knew. How much of an unreasonable demand he was making now. The Mount Hua Sword Saint and the Five Swords were not in a normal state. Anyone who knew even a little about healing would be shocked and yell. They really needed to rest.

But Tang Gun-ak was stubborn, and it was making things hard for everyone. Maybe it was already too late anyway.

But…

“Patriarch!”

At that moment, Hyun Jong, who had followed him to his side, spoke while panting.

“Patriarch, I’m sorry. You must be in a hurry, but we are not as strong as you…”

Tang Gun-ak bit his lip with an even more miserable heart.

Why was he apologizing?

It wasn’t just Mount Hua who couldn’t follow him properly. The Tang family’s elites couldn’t follow him either. But why was Hyun Jong bowing his head to him?

Tang Gun-ak said with a miserable heart.

“I’m sorry. But please try a little harder. We’ve almost reached Sichuan, so Chengdu is just around the corner.”

“Yes! Don’t worry. Even if my legs break and I die, I will get to the Tang family, even if I die there.”

At those words, Tang Gun-ak glanced back.

As expected, the Five Swords following Hyun Jong also had determined faces. Even though they secretly wanted to sit down and collapse right now.

‘If…’

If they could save even one person from the Tang family after this hard run, the Sichuan Tang family would always be grateful to Mount Hua. Tang Gun-ak remembered this very clearly.

And at that moment.

Tweet!

A loud bird call from the sky made everyone look up quickly.

“It’s the Beggars’ Union! It must be a message bird from the Sichuan Beggars’ Union!”

He thought fast and acted fast.

Tang Gun-ak jumped up quickly and flew into the air. He reached out and caught the message bird as it flew past.

Grab!

After landing, he quickly opened the small tube on the bird’s leg, moving like lightning. Tang Gun-ak’s face became serious as he read the message inside.

“Patriarch, what does it say?”

“…Look.”

Tang Gun-ak handed the message in his hand to Hyun Jong. Hyun Jong’s face also hardened as he checked the contents.

[Hao Mun and another group are going south to Jeomchang. The Myriad Man House is going north, chasing the Tang family members who escaped from Sichuan.]

It only conveyed the situation concisely, but the meaning of that situation was not concise at all.

“Are you saying they split into two?”

“…It seems so.”

Bewilderment appeared in Hyun Jong’s eyes.

If they had attacked one place together, they could have fought them. But now they split into two groups… it’s impossible to help both places at once.

If they split their already small group into two, Mount Hua and the Tang family could be beaten separately, which would be the worst thing.

Yoon Jong, who had heard the situation from behind, shouted as if there was nothing to think about.

“What are you waiting for? We have to go north first! The Tang family is there!”

Of course, this was a conclusion that was too obvious to be obvious.

But the bewilderment and agony on Hyun Jong and Tang Gun-ak’s faces deepened even further.

“…So, this was it.”

Hyun Jong muttered in a slightly trembling voice. Tang Gun-ak bit his lip.

– You must save Jeomchang, no matter what.

Beop-gye had kept saying Beop-jeong’s words over and over. Only now did Tang Gun-ak understand what they meant.