Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1532

It was a statement that stirred the heart.

It touched both those who understood Tang Soso’s words and those who didn’t quite understand them yet.

However, Tang Gunak clearly understood. But he showed no reaction. His face stayed calm. He just looked at Tang Soso with steady eyes.

“Medicine, you say.”

“Yes.”

“You want to turn the Dang family into doctors?”

Tang Soso shook her head a little.

“That’s not all. Just being simple doctors wouldn’t mean much.”

“Then?”

“Doctors who can protect themselves in battle, give steady support when people are hurt, and even save lives.”

Tang Gunak’s eyebrows moved a little. But he did not argue right away. He kept his mouth closed.

Maybe because of her father’s pressure, or because she had more to say, Tang Soso spoke a little louder.

“I realized this after going to Mount Hua and seeing many battles.”

“Go on.”

“Doctors are very important in battle.”

“The Dang family is already in battle. The Sichuan Dang family will be the first to rush to where the enemies are.”

“Yes, that’s right. The Dang family isn’t afraid of enemies. But as we are now, we can’t be on every battlefield at the same time. It’s impossible.”

Some people who were listening quietly nodded. Tang Soso spoke with confidence.

“I truly believe that dividing the Dang family into smaller groups and having them join each sect or mission is the best way to use the Sichuan Dang family’s power!”

As if she felt that wasn’t enough, she added.

“Even if we run out of poison and hidden weapons, the Dang family’s medical skills will still be there.”

“I agree, Patriarch.”

Dang Pae stepped forward again to support Tang Soso.

But besides those two, no one dared to speak. They knew how sensitive this topic was for the Dang family.

Even Chung Myung stayed quiet, watching Tang Soso and Tang Gunak.

Silence filled the hall. It felt heavy, like the air was too thick to breathe. Finally, Tang Gunak spoke. His voice was calm, but firm.

“It’s a good idea,” he said.

Tang Soso’s face lit up. A real smile appeared for the first time. But it vanished quickly.

“However,” Tang Gunak continued, shaking his head slightly, “it’s too early.”

“Father!” Tang Soso exclaimed, her voice full of disappointment.

Tang Gunak shook his head.

“It’s good that you’re trying to use your experiences to help the Dang family. If we can slowly improve the family based on what you’ve seen and felt, the Dang family will one day be great again.”

It sounded like praise at first, but Tang Soso felt a strong wall in those words. A wall so high that it would be hard to climb over no matter what she did.

“But you think too highly of yourself. They were able to survive because they were strong, not because of your great medical skills.”

Tang Soso looked silently at Tang Gunak.

“Medicine can save those who have fallen and let them fight again. But it takes a long time. Even if you were Hwata, you couldn’t immediately heal someone who is badly hurt and collapsed.”

Tang Soso bit her lip tightly.

“But short battles aren’t everything…”

“Listen to the end.”

His voice was low but stern. Tang Soso did not dare to argue and closed her mouth.

“In the end, the Dang family helping the injured from behind only leaves two people missing from the fight. Even when a single sword strike or a thrown dagger can decide the winner. Do you understand what I mean?”

Dang Pae’s face also became serious at these words.

“Patriarch, but that’s…”

“Was the fight against the Four Evil Sects so easy that we could waste time and resources?”

“……”

“Of course, it’s good to increase the chance of survival. But that only matters if we win. If we lose the fight against the Four Evil Sects, it won’t matter if anyone survives.”

He wasn’t wrong. At least, it sounded that way.

“But the war could last a long time…”

“It’s natural for martial artists to want to use swords, throw hidden weapons, and use poisons that they learned through pain.”

Tang Gunak looked at his son and daughter with gentle eyes.

“It wouldn’t have been easy to stop that natural desire and decide to save as many people as possible.”

Dang Pae’s shoulders shook a little. Tang Gunak nodded slowly.

“That heart is enough.”

Even though their ideas were different from his, Tang Gunak respected their intentions.

“Just adding things doesn’t always make things better. If having doctors with us could make a big difference, the Sichuan Dang family would already be known as the greatest sect in the world.”

Dang Pae flinched as if he were caught off guard. He seemed not to have thought that far.

“What’s important in war is having a stronger force than the enemy. Whether it’s martial power or strategy.”

Tang Gunak took a long breath.

“Everyone believes strongly in what they’ve seen the most. What you’ve experienced has naturally opened a path for you, but one person’s view and a sect’s view are sure to be different.”

At this point, everyone knew what Tang Gunak would say next.

And they also knew that Tang Gunak’s decision as the leader wasn’t wrong.

“So, your idea is rejected…”

“You’re wrong.”

…But one person disagreed.

Even as Tang Soso, who had started the discussion, was trying to agree, someone directly argued with Tang Gunak.

Hyun Jong looked surprised.

“I, Yoo Iseol, say you’re wrong. That’s wrong.”

The faces of everyone in the hall turned pale. Although the Cheonwoo Alliance didn’t focus on authority, it was rare for a disciple to argue with a sect leader.

Also, this wasn’t just about the Cheonwoo Alliance. Only the Dang family could decide if this was right or wrong. That’s why even the leader, Hyun Jong, had stayed quiet…

“Th, then An…”

“Because Soso is here,” Yoo Iseol said. Her calm voice continued, not bothered by the surprised looks from all around.

“Because Soso is here, we can fight.”

Tang Gunak frowned a little and asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Um.”

Yoo Iseol frowned and was quiet for a moment. It wasn’t because she was upset. She was thinking about how to explain what she meant.

Luckily, she didn’t need to think for long. She didn’t need to explain.

Instead of answering, Yoo Iseol quietly looked to the side.

“……”

The person she looked at flinched and looked back at Yoo Iseol. Soon, understanding what she meant, he sighed deeply and spoke.

“I also agree with my junior sister.”

“Bae, Baek Cheon-ah!”

“No, these guys?”

Woon-am was panicking, unable to calm down. If something happened here, today would be remembered as the ‘Mount Hua Baekja Rebellion.’

But Baek Cheon quickly calmed down and spoke calmly.

“Patriarch, you said that increasing our strength is the way to win.”

“That’s right.”

Tang Gunak’s tone also changed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t treat Baek Cheon as easily as he treated Dang Pae or Tang Soso.

“What my junior sister means is simple. We have been in situations where we had to use every last bit of strength we had… No, even strength we didn’t have.”

“……”

“And the reason we didn’t have to worry at that time is because Soso was behind us. Because even if I fall here, Soso will heal me.”

Tang Gunak frowned even more.

“The confidence that comes from having someone you trust and can trust your life to is something those who haven’t experienced it can never know. It gives us so much power and makes our swords lighter.”

Tang Gunak, who had been listening quietly, replied with a slightly cold voice.

“As I said before, if that were really important, the Dang family should have become the greatest sect in the world. The Dang family is the best at having doctors behind them.”

“That’s not true.”

“Hmm?”

“Sadly, isn’t the Dang family the only sect that can’t have that confidence? I’m a doctor, so what good is it to have another doctor behind me?”

Tang Gunak was speechless for a moment.

He had never thought of it that way, so he was at a loss.

“And I don’t think the Dang family hasn’t benefited from having doctors behind them.”

This could sound like the Dang family just wasn’t strong enough to be the greatest sect in the world. Tang Gunak frowned.

“Watch your words.”

“No. That’s not what I mean. I mean that the Dang family has been enjoying the benefits of fighting with doctors behind them, but they just haven’t realized it. In fact, is medical skill even useful in peaceful times?”

“Hmm?”

“How often does the Dang family fight as a group with the intention to die in normal times? The effects of medical skill only show in a large-scale war like this.”

“Ah…”

“Is that so?”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong nodded blankly.

The Dang family’s medical skill is a power that only matters when life is in danger.

“In other words, the Dang family only shows its true power when in crisis. So, as the patriarch said, the secret to the Dang family being the strongest on the battlefield might not just be poison and hidden weapons.”

Tang Gunak groaned softly.

“Uhm. I understand what you’re saying.”

“Yes. Thank you for understanding.”

“But… it’s hard to accept your words as they are.”

Tang Gunak was stubborn about this.

No, Tang Gunak was a stubborn person from the start. He only showed kindness to a few people.

“Even if what you say is true, it’s just a personal feeling.”

At the rejection, Jo Gul and Yoon Jong covered their heads. Yoo Iseol rarely frowned, and Tang Soso sighed.

But Baek Cheon didn’t think the conversation was over.

“Personal words…”

He smiled at Tang Gunak.

“I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“In the history of the Sichuan Dang family, has a Dang family member ever supported someone from another sect?”

“That’s…”

If you looked for it, there was one.

In the past, during the Demonic Sect Rebellion, the Dark Dignitary of the Dang family was said to have stuck to the Sword Dignitary of Mount Hua like glue.

But the Dark Dignitary died during the war and couldn’t share the details of what happened.

“Isn’t there?”

“For now, that would be… right.”

“Then we’re the only ones who have actually fought with a Dang family member behind us, risking our lives.”

It was a fact that couldn’t be denied.

It was amazing how those Five Swords had survived until now, considering the path they had walked. No one would be surprised if the Five Swords suddenly became Three Swords or Two Swords. It was that rough.

“Also, haven’t you, Patriarch, never had a similar experience?”

“What you say is true, but this is the Dang family’s…”

“I really don’t understand,” Baek Cheon interrupted Tang Gunak.

At the same time, the eyes of the Five Swords widened.

“We, who have experienced it, are saying that it’s helpful, so why are those who haven’t experienced it saying that it’s not helpful? What…”

“……”

Everyone who guessed that Baek Cheon’s unfinished sentence was ‘What do you know?’ couldn’t help but smile.

“That crazy bastard…”

Those words that Chung Myung said with a dazed face perfectly showed how everyone felt.