Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1469

“Abbot! Important news!”

A man rushed into the wide courtyard and stopped respectfully in front of the monk in yellow robes.

“The Climbing Dragon Gate has agreed to join us.”

“Hmm. The Climbing Dragon Gate….”

Abbot Beopje nodded. The Climbing Dragon Gate was a small to medium-sized group, well-known in Hubei. Their help would be greatly appreciated.

“And the Grand Heaven Sect has also said they will follow us.”

This time, Beopgye sounded more excited.

“The Grand Heaven Sect?”

“Yes, Venerable Abbot.”

Beopgye nodded, pleased.

This was encouraging news. The Grand Heaven Sect was far beyond Beijing. Since they are far away, they are safe unless the whole world burns.

If word spread that even they were joining, others still watching would surely come.

“In just three days, at least twenty groups have said they want to join us.”

It was happening faster than expected. This showed that Beopjeong’s orders were working.

“But because they want to join so quickly, we don’t have enough space for them.”

“Hmm, I see. More will come. We can’t just fix this quickly. We need a real plan.”

After thinking, Beopgye spoke to the messenger.

“I understand. I will talk to the Abbot. Report any news right away.”

“Yes, Protector.”

“That is all.”

Beopgye finished his report, but Beopjeong said nothing. Instead, Peng Yeop, head of the Peng family, spoke.

“Good news.”

He nodded and added, “The Abbot’s wisdom shines.”

“Hmm.”

Beopjeong replied to Peng Yeop’s rare praise. But instead of being humble, he asked about something else.

“What about the Heavenly Union?”

“We don’t know for sure yet.”

“Twenty in three days?”

“Yes, Abbot.”

Beopjeong frowned slightly.

“Not enough.”

“⋯⋯.”

“It should have been at least thirty.”

Then Beopgye spoke without being asked.

“More groups wanted to join on the second day than the first. Today, we have more messages than ever. The other Nine Great Sects will send word soon.”

Beopjeong nodded silently, but his eyes were dark.

“That is what I expect.”

“⋯⋯Abbot.”

“But we should have seen even better results.”

The mood dropped again. Beopgye and the other two sect leaders watched Beopjeong, waiting for him to speak.

“I thought there were no more options… but they attacked Chengdu. They never do what we expect.”

Beopjeong said calmly. Jongli Hyeong seemed confused.

“Abbot, the Heavenly Union’s attack on Chengdu looks good, but it is empty and meaningless. So why…?”

“Amitabha.”

Beopjeong closed his eyes and chanted, stopping Jongli Hyeong.

“Sometimes, what looks good but is meaningless is important.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Especially now.”

Jongli Hyeong stopped talking. He felt something strange in Beopjeong’s calm words.

‘What is it?’

Jongli Hyeong’s face became serious.

He realized who had been making loud noises without real power.

“Abbot… I didn’t mean it that way…”

“No, Sect Leader. I didn’t mean it that way either.”

“Ah….”

“Ahem.”

Beopgye coughed to break the silence and move on. He was trying to help the Abbot.

Beopjeong looked at Beopgye, thanking him silently, and continued.

“Even though the Heavenly Union’s actions have changed things, they will still go as we want.”

Peng Yeop nodded in agreement. The Four Evil Alliance was stuck like a knife at Hubei’s throat, which was most important.

Thinking about the future and betting on it is for those with time to wait.

But now, the sects don’t have that time. The Four Evil Alliance has taken it away, forcing them to choose quickly.

It was like the Four Evil Alliance was helping the Nine Great Sects gather together.

“Even the Demonic Faction can be helpful sometimes.”

Beopjeong didn’t answer Peng Yeop. He simply chanted quietly with a calm face.

Peng Yeop sounded annoyed.

“But the location is a problem. Why Zhangjiajie?”

“Hmm? Clan Leader Peng, what do you mean?”

Joint Sect Leader Jongli Hyeong asked. Peng Yeop paused before speaking.

“Zhangjiajie can threaten Hubei, but it can also threaten Shanxi.”

“That’s right. Isn’t it obvious?”

Peng Yeop frowned at Jongli Hyeong.

“That means what’s happening in Hubei could happen in Shanxi too.”

“Ah…? Ah!”

Jongli Hyeong understood Peng Yeop.

The sects of Hubei were the first to join. They were under Wudang’s influence. With the Four Evil Alliance about to invade, they had no choice.

So, the sects of Shanxi could gather under Mount Hua because of the Four Evil Alliance.

“It’s like the Four Evil Alliance has divided us into two groups. What does the Abbot think of that devil’s plan?”

Beopgye smiled quietly.

Jang Il-so would want the Nine Great Sects and the Heavenly Union to be balanced. If one side fell quickly, the other would take over and become too strong.

If that happened, the Four Evil Alliance couldn’t win.

The three leading forces have different goals, so they will move differently. It’s hard to know what to do in this confusing situation.

But Beopjeong wasn’t worried.

“People try to twist it, but water simply flows.”

The room was quiet. Three men sat facing an older man named Beopjeong. Beopjeong was a leader, and his voice was calm and clear, like a wise old priest.

“Excuse me?” one of the men asked, confused. Beopjeong spoke slowly, “Think of water. Sometimes it goes around things, sometimes it rushes fast. But water always finds its way to the sea. It is the same with power. No matter what the Cheonwu Alliance does, or what the Tyrant plans, the direction is already set.”

Beopjeong’s eyes were half-closed, and he looked past the men in front of him, as if seeing something far away. He continued, his voice sure, “The Cheonwu Alliance might seem strong now, but their time is ending. They will become weaker. The Nine Great Sects will become the most powerful. This has happened before, and it will happen again. It is the way things are meant to be.”

This was not just a suggestion, it was a statement. Jongri-hyung and Peng-yeop, the two men listening, did not argue. They thought Beopjeong was right. They believed the Nine Great Sects were becoming stronger.

One man thought, *It’s just Shanxi.* *Even if the Cheonwu Alliance controls Shanxi because of Jang Il-so’s plan, it is only Shanxi.* Shanxi is a big place, but it is small compared to the whole world. It is not as important as the Nine Great Sects, who have power over a large area.

This action by the Cheonwu Alliance will only slow down their losing power. It will not change things in a big way.

Then, another man, Beopgye, spoke. “I agree with what you said, Abbot,” Abbot is a title for a respected religious leader. “But I am worried about something.”

Beopjeong asked, “What worries you?”

Beopgye said, “Doesn’t the Cheonwu Alliance have the Hwasan Sword Saint?”

When Beopgye said “Hwasan Sword Saint,” Beopjeong’s eyebrows moved slightly. The name “Cheonwu Alliance” did not bother Beopjeong anymore, but “Hwasan Sword Saint” seemed to trouble him. Beopgye continued, “The Sword Saint must also know how things are going. Will he just watch as everything happens?”

“What can the Sword Saint do?” Beopjeong asked, almost laughing.

“Excuse me?” Beopgye was surprised by Beopjeong’s tone.

Beopjeong repeated, “I mean, really, what *can* he do?”

Beopgye hesitated, “Well…”

Beopjeong smiled a little. “If there was a big war, maybe he could do something. If they were strong enough to fight the Four Evil Sects alone, maybe they would try. But now? What can they do now? They can only look around and ask for help from others, right?”

“But…” Beopgye started to say.

Beopjeong interrupted, “He is strong, yes. But even he cannot change everything. Do you understand? Think of famous heroes from history. Even the wisest person cannot always win, and even the greatest warrior cannot defeat a whole country by himself.”

Beopjeong finished calmly, “That is the flow. No one, not even a Sword Saint, can stop it.”

Beopgye nodded slowly. “I understand.” Beopjeong closed his eyes and quietly said a prayer.

When you live a long time, you learn things. One thing is that sometimes it is better to wait than to act too soon. Beopjeong had waited patiently. Even when Jang Il-so, who was very skilled, and Chung Myung, who was like a monster, caused trouble and chaos.

Now, the chaos they created was helping Beopjeong, the Shaolin group, and the Nine Great Sects. Beopjeong thought, “The Hwasan Sword Saint must know this too. He must know he can’t do much now.” Beopjeong looked far away, out of the window. “I wonder what he looks like when no one is watching. He always acts so cheerful, but what is he really thinking?” Shaolin is a very old and respected group.

While Beopjeong wondered about Chung Myung’s true feelings, far away, Chung Myung stood alone, looking at the mountains. Chung Myung stood looking at the mountains in the distance. The sun was setting, and the mountains looked dark and quiet. Baek Cheon watched him from behind, saying nothing.

Baek Cheon knew Chung Myung well. Chung Myung was always telling everyone what to do, pushing them forward. But sometimes, he would turn away, looking at something far away. It was like he was hiding something, not just looking at the scenery.

Baek Cheon understood. Chung Myung was thinking deeply, his back to everyone. Baek Cheon could feel how worried Chung Myung was. But Baek Cheon knew that trying to help right now would not work. He sighed quietly and walked closer to Chung Myung. “Chung Myung-ah,” he said softly.

Chung Myung jumped slightly and turned around. “Ah! You surprised me,” he said. He hadn’t even noticed Baek Cheon coming up to him. He must have been lost in his thoughts.

“Is our work here done?” Baek Cheon asked. “Should we go help somewhere else?”

Chung Myung looked surprised. “Already finished?”

Baek Cheon smiled. “What do you think? We are Hwasan.”

Chung Myung chuckled. “Ah, right. You guys are good at… making things disappear.”

Baek Cheon continued, “We have been wanting to flatten these mountains for years. We are sure we are the best at destroying mountains in this area.” Chung Myung thought, *That sounds about right.* Then, Baek Cheon became serious. “I know you are thinking hard about something.”

Chung Myung looked up, “Huh?”

Baek Cheon said, “I might not be able to solve your problems, but I will do whatever you decide. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung with steady eyes. Chung Myung looked back, a little surprised by Baek Cheon’s serious expression. “Sasuk…” Chung Myung said quietly. Sasuk is a term for a respected older friend or brother in their group. Chung Myung nodded slowly, biting his lip. “Thank you for saying that. I was worried.”

Baek Cheon patted Chung Myung’s shoulder. “Yes. I understand how you feel. If you are worried, you can always talk to me.”

“Actually,” Chung Myung said suddenly, “it doesn’t look like we’ve done enough here.”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon blinked, confused. Chung Myung pointed ahead. “Look. We should probably make this area bigger. I was worried we were doing too much work for no reason. But if you say it’s okay, then we don’t need to worry. We can just keep digging and figure out what to do with it later.”

“Wait… what?” Baek Cheon asked, not understanding.

“You see that tallest mountain over there?” Chung Myung pointed to a very distant peak. “Let’s dig up to there.”

“That’s… that’s twice as much as we’ve done already!” Baek Cheon exclaimed.

Chung Myung grinned. “But you said you were the best at destroying mountains, right?”

Suddenly, Baek Cheon felt a cold feeling on his back. It was like a wave of anger, stronger than anything he had felt even when facing the most dangerous enemies. He knew, without turning around, that his fellow disciples were staring at him with furious eyes. He knew he should not look back. If he saw their faces, he might die of fear. Chung Myung turned to leave, saying lightly, “Okay, I’ll leave this to you. Finish it by tomorrow.”

“Chung Myung-ah! Wait! Hey! You little…!” Baek Cheon called after him, but Chung Myung was already walking away quickly.

Chung Myung walked away, leaving Baek Cheon behind, and looked over the wide open space they had created. He hummed to himself. He knew that Beopjeong, the Abbot, was sending messages everywhere. He also knew that the Cheonwu Alliance’s news was not spreading as fast as they wanted. It was clear that the Cheonwu Alliance was losing in this situation. Chung Myung thought, *If Jang Il-so and Beopjeong really wanted to destroy the Cheonwu Alliance, even I might not be able to stop them.* But then, Chung Myung smiled. “Well, it seems like everyone is trying to be clever…”

A knowing smile appeared on Chung Myung’s face. “If they think I will start acting now, they are wrong. It’s already too late.” His plan was already finished. It had been set in motion a long time ago. Now, it was time to wait and see what would happen. He had planted seeds of trouble long ago, and now it was time to see what would grow.