Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1547

*Foolish wish? Childish impulse?* No. It wasn’t just that.

Even if it *was*, it didn’t matter anymore. A child’s sudden idea might bring a gentle frown. A poor man’s dream might be laughed at. But Yoon Jong was not a child now. And he was no longer someone with nothing.

Silence fell over the meeting room. The Clan Leaders were speechless, their faces frozen in surprise. Even Hyun Jong, the calm and wise leader, was quiet. The air felt thick with unspoken questions.

The Clan Leaders felt ashamed. They knew their past actions were wrong, so they couldn’t easily argue with Yoon Jong’s strong and clear decision.

“Yoon Jong…”

It was Baek Cheon who finally spoke. But he just opened his mouth and then stopped.

I understand how you feel, but now is not the time to be stubborn.

He wanted to say those words, and he still thought they needed to be said.

But he couldn’t. How much resentment had Yoon Jong swallowed, hearing those same words over and over? And now, as he was about to say them to Yoon Jong, the words just wouldn’t come.

Baek Cheon wasn’t sure why he hesitated. Had he finally understood Yoon Jong? Or was he just afraid because he now had more to lose? He hoped it wasn’t just fear.

No one dared to speak. To agree with Yoon Jong’s words would be foolish, but they didn’t have the courage to stop him either.

Knowing everyone’s thoughts, Yoon Jong spoke.

“I don’t want to harm the Alliance with a reckless decision.”

“……”

“But I believe someone must do this. So, don’t stop me, but send me. That’s all I ask.”

Finally, Baek Cheon sighed and said,

“It’s not possible.”

“Sasuk.”

“It’s not that I disagree with you. But I can’t send you alone.”

“I…”

“No matter what you say, it won’t work. If you want to go alone, you’ll have to defeat me first. Not before I’m dead.”

Yoon Jong bit his lip.

If Baek Cheon had spoken with authority, Yoon Jong would have argued right away. But now, Baek Cheon wasn’t acting as the Deputy Sect Leader of Hwasan, but as a Sasuk worried about his disciple.

How could he argue with that?

Just then, someone casually spoke up.

“What if he wasn’t alone? Would that be possible?”

Baek Cheon looked over and saw Gwak Hwan-so standing there calmly.

“Let me ask. If he is not alone, will you send him?”

“…That is…”

“No, let me ask this differently. Even if he doesn’t go, if we say we will go, will you stop us?”

Baek Cheon bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.

Gwak Hwan-so, representing Hae Nam and attending this meeting, was staring at Baek Cheon with more determination than ever before.

“Gwak Sohyeop. This is…”

“Come to think of it, we asked to join the Cheonwoo Alliance, but we never had a proper ceremony.”

It couldn’t be helped.

They had been busy since escaping Hae Nam Island. They hadn’t had any free time.

“If we go, will you send him with us?”

“Gwak Sohyeop.”

Before Baek Cheon could stop him, Gwak Hwan-so shook his head.

“Please don’t stop us. No, even if you do, we have to go.”

“Why is that?”

Gwak Hwan-so glanced at Yoon Jong.

“Because we have forgotten.”

“…Pardon?”

“Not always, but sometimes. And… now, sometimes.”

Gwak Hwan-so slowly shook his head, his face drawn and serious, like he carried a heavy weight.

“No. Now, we think about it less often than we don’t.”

Soon, everyone’s faces darkened. They realized who he was talking about.

Those who remained on Hae Nam Island.

They tried to tell themselves that the Four Evil Sects wouldn’t waste their time on Hae Nam, that Hae Nam wasn’t important to them right now, and they tried to feel calm.

But was that really true?

It was impossible to know.

They might have left them alone to focus on the war, or they might have used cruel blades as an example.

Whatever the Four Evil Sects did, all they could do was hope for the safety of those living on Hae Nam Island.

“I don’t want to complain. I’ve just realized something. What he said is right. It was so painful, but now I’m living as if it’s just something that happened.”

“……”

“We lost so many fellow disciples, and we lost our Sect Leader. Honestly, I’ve been unhappy the whole time. The Nine Great Sects abandoned us, the Demonic Sects attacked us, and I wondered why we had to suffer so much unfair pain.”

Several of the Five Swords nodded. Hwasan had felt the same way in the past, so they understood.

“But thanks to Yoon Jong, I realized how ridiculous that was. The people who suffered the most were those left on Hae Nam, and we, who abandoned them, were acting like we were the most miserable people in the world.”

He laughed sadly. Hyun Jong, his heart aching, comforted Gwak Hwan-so.

“Gwak Sohyeop, don’t blame yourself. Couldn’t it be helped?”

“Yes, that’s right, Alliance Leader. We weren’t strong enough, and we didn’t have the ability. At that time, it couldn’t be helped. But, you see…”

Gwak Hwan-so looked at Hyun Jong and quietly asked,

“Is that still true now?”

Hyun Jong was silent. A clear determination appeared on Gwak Hwan-so’s face.

“Hae Nam is still weak. We can’t retake Hae Nam Island, and all we can do is hope that this sad feeling will reach those suffering across the sea. But…”

Gwak Hwan-so paused, catching his breath before continuing.

“Now we have it. We have those we can save, those we can help.”

“Gwak Sohyeop…”

“If we have the strength to reach them, but we sit here doing nothing, wouldn’t that be the same as admitting that we didn’t go to save the people of Hae Nam Island because we were afraid?”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes.

He knew that Gwak Hwan-so’s words would eventually lead this meeting in a direction that no one wanted, but he couldn’t stop him. How could he?

Gwak Hwan-so gripped the sword at his waist tightly.

“Unlike Yoon Jong, I still don’t have pride in my sword. I haven’t achieved anything, and I haven’t protected anything. I still don’t know the grand reason why I should use this sword. But, just one thing!”

Gwak Hwan-so faintly gritted his teeth.

“I know that we must not show our Sect Leader, who died a tragic death, such a sight.”

“……”

“Hae Nam will go to save Anhui.”

Just then, someone spoke up.

“No. That’s too bold, Gwak Sohyeop. That’s not Hae Nam’s business.”

Gwak Hwan-so sighed.

If anyone else had said that, he would have exploded in anger. But if that man was speaking, he could understand. No, it was impossible to talk about this without that man.

“I will go.”

Namgoong Dowi, his face hard, spat out the words.

“If everyone doesn’t go, I will deal with it. Even if I have to stab myself in the leg, I will deal with it. But if someone goes, only the Namgoong Clan can go.”

The Clan Leaders took long, shaky breaths.

The things they had been holding back were bursting out and spreading. Like a dam breaking in one place after another, sending out streams of water.

The Cheonwoo Alliance was young. So, it sometimes acted on emotion before logic.

And now, leading this meeting were not the Alliance Leader Hyun Jong, nor the Deputy Alliance Leader Tang Gunak, but the young martial artists of each clan.

“This…”

Tang Gunak pressed his temples as if he had a headache.

Soon, his sharp gaze returned to Yoon Jong, who had started all this.

He was calmly facing Tang Gunak. It wasn’t confidence from doing nothing wrong. It was the will to accept punishment if he had to because of this.

That was… a belief in himself.

Tang Gunak opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stopped. He didn’t even know if he wanted to scold him or praise him for being admirable.

Even as he opened his mouth, those to Yoon Jong’s left and right stepped forward as if to protect him.

It was Jo Gul and Tang Soso. It may have been an instinctive movement, but that one step was enough to silence Tang Gunak.

The two of them glared at Tang Gunak with slightly tense faces. They clearly wanted to protect Yoon Jong. Tang Gunak saw this as a challenge to his authority, not just loyalty.

Their eyes stared at him, asking questions he didn’t want to answer. Did they think he had forgotten Seongdo’s pain? Had he forgotten turning away when they needed him most?

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten. He could never forget.

He was still angry. Even hurting Jang Il-So very badly wouldn’t be enough to stop his anger.

Tang Gunak sighed softly.

“Do you think I don’t know how you feel? If I had my way, I would have been buried in Sichuan back then. But those who dragged me here…”

He chuckled wryly.

He thought about it. It didn’t make sense. Things changed all the time. Logic was twisted to fit what people wanted. Positions changed whenever it was easy for them.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to blame them.

“Acting Clan Leader.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

Thus, Tang Gunak called for Baek Cheon.

Here, those who had led the Central Plains mingled with those who would lead it in the future. Baek Cheon seemed the only one capable of understanding both sides and finding a path forward.

“What should we do?”

Baek Cheon glanced back.

He saw the calm Yoon Jong, Jo Gul and Dang So-So with their hardened expressions, Yoo I-Seol still lost in thought, and even Chung Myung with his eyes closed.

Having surveyed them all, Baek Cheon met Tang Gunak’s gaze squarely.

Baek Cheon said, “We should not send them.”

“S-Sasuk!”

Tang Gunak narrowed his eyes, probing Baek Cheon’s intentions.

“The reason?”

“Because the strategist’s words are true: the moment we are defeated by them, we will lose everything.”

Yoon Jong didn’t immediately retort, but lightly clenched and unclenched his fist.

He merely gazed at Baek Cheon’s back. The back of one who had endured more than him, who harbored a stronger will.

“Then should we do as you say?”

“But we should send them!”

“…What?”

Tang Gunak and Hyun Jong gaped. Baek Cheon said calmly,

“Defeat, loss—these are ultimately forms of disadvantage. But the Cheonwu Alliance was not created to seek advantage.”

“Now listen here, Acting Clan Leader!”

“Yes, both ideas are right in some ways. Just because one is right doesn’t mean the other is wrong.”

Tang Gunak let out a faint groan. Of course, it was true. But such obvious words would solve nothing.

“So, what are we supposed to do?”

“If two are right, why would three be wrong?”

“…What did you just say?”

“If three are right, then four would be right as well.”

Baek Cheon, wearing clean white robes, smiled softly. In that moment, Tang Gunak felt a sudden respect for Baek Cheon. It wasn’t because Baek Cheon was strong or scary, but something else… something powerful.

“If you ask me to choose the right answer between two, I cannot answer. Because neither is wrong. But why must we choose?”

“Baek Cheon.”

“Everyone is here.”

Baek Cheon looked at everyone in the conference room.

“Don’t ask us to choose,” Baek Cheon said firmly. “You should have told us to find a better way. A way to save people and not lose to the enemy.”

“I-Is that even possible?”

Baek Cheon shook his head.

“I don’t know. But it would be better to spend time finding a better way than wasting it on pointless emotional squabbles and confirming differences in opinion.”

“……”

“Right now, the Cheonwu Alliance has people from every sect in the world gathered here. What might be impossible with my own experience, my own thoughts, might be different if we put our heads together. Even if it’s not perfect, can’t we find at least one way that will work?”

Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak stared blankly at Baek Cheon. Not just because they were dumbfounded. But simply…

“I am trying to be the Sect Leader of Hwasan, as well as the greatest swordsman in the world, and also a strict yet caring teacher, and a reliable person whom my disciples can always trust and follow.”

“That’s impossible, Sasuk.”

“He’s already messed up a few.”

“Failure.”

“You lot…”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth and turned sharply, causing the Five Swords to flinch and quickly look away.

Calming his mind, Baek Cheon looked forward and continued.

“It is difficult to accomplish all of that, but not impossible. It may be difficult and arduous, but I will try to do it somehow. So why must the Cheonwu Alliance choose only one?”

A hollow laugh escaped Im So-Byeong’s lips.

“Ha… I guess the real madman is someone else.”

The Five Swords nodded in agreement. Baek Cheon looked clearly at Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak and said,

“Give the order.”

“……”

“Then I will find it. By whatever means, even if I have to squeeze everyone here dry. It won’t be perfect, but it will still be a valuable answer.”

A laugh, like air escaping, flowed from Yoon Jong’s lips.

‘Sasuk.’

His back now looked larger than anyone else’s in the world to Yoon Jong.

“Easy to say.”

But Tang Gunak coldly cut off Baek Cheon’s opinion.

“If coexistence were possible, why would we be agonizing over it? Isn’t it because it’s impossible that we’re agonizing?”

“Clan Head.”

“The problem arose in the first place because of a lack of power. It’s not a problem that can be solved with tactics. It is impossible to solve two problems at the same time.”

Baek Cheon took a long breath and bit his lip slightly.

It was then.

“Then we just need to increase it.”

Tang Gunak’s gaze turned. Chung Myung, who had been quiet until now, spoke in a relaxed voice. He was leaning back in his chair, looking very calm.

“If we can’t do both because of a lack of power, then we can just increase the power.”

“…Isn’t that why we’re doing this, because it can’t be done?”

“It can be done.”

“Right. It can… What? It can?”

Tang Gunak was startled.

“Yes, it can.”

“With what means? Did you perhaps call the Beggars’ Sect?”

Chung Myung contorted his face.

“Don’t mention the Beggars’ Sect!” Chung Myung said, annoyed. “What power do those beggars have? It’s good if they just don’t eat too much food.”

“……”

“You know, those layabout bastards. But they are disgustingly strong.”

“…What on earth…”

“There’s no need to explain. It seems they’ve arrived.”

Tang Gunak and Hyun Jong were about to ask what he meant when…

“G-Grand Elder! No, Alliance Leader! A guest has arrived!”

“A guest? What guest?”

The conference room door swung open, and a familiar… no, a very familiar face appeared.

“Y-You! Why are you here? You crazy son of a…”

Yoon Jong watched as Baek Cheon’s noble face, which had been inspiring respect just moments before, twisted into a comical grimace.

Of course, he understood.

“Your mouth is for speaking, not barking. You still haven’t learned, have you?”

“Heh heh…”

The person who made Baek Cheon’s face twist in annoyance bowed politely. He looked exactly like Baek Cheon – it was like looking in a mirror!

“Jin Geum-Ryong of Jongnam. I greet the Alliance Leader.”

A bomb had been dropped in the middle of the Cheonwu Alliance.