Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1548

People in a state of panic usually show different reactions. But when they get too scared, they freeze and can’t speak.

Those in the conference room were in exactly that situation.

A voice whispered, “What is this?”

Another, louder, “Why is *he* here?”

“Jongnam?” someone breathed, the name barely audible.

Small sounds of shock and worry came from around the long wooden table. You could see people shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

Luckily for Hyun Jong, almost everyone in the room was fixed on Jin Geum-ryong. Hyun Jong’s mouth hung open, his face pale with surprise, but no one seemed to notice his silly expression.

“That…”

Just then, someone appeared to break this awkward silence.

Thud. Thud.

A man appeared from behind Jin Geum-ryong. Unlike Jin Geum-ryong, who looked so cold it sent chills down your spine, this man seemed gentle.

The man smiled warmly at the Hwasan people and greeted Hyun Jong with a bow.

“I am Lee Song-baek of Jongnam, here to greet the Alliance Lord.”

“Huh.”

“Young Master Lee?”

“It’s a pleasure to see you, Hwasan people,” Lee Song-baek said with a sheepish smile.

“I didn’t expect to see you all again so soon.”

Jin Geum-ryong frowned slightly. Lee Song-baek flinched and took a small step back.

“Maybe this isn’t the best time to chat privately.”

“Hmm.”

As soon as Jin Geum-ryong turned to face forward again, Baek Cheon snapped.

“What gives you the right to show your face here?”

“My junior brother even fought alongside you, so why can’t I come?”

“Y-Young Master Lee is Young Master Lee! You are…!”

“Me?”

Jin Geum-ryong glared at Baek Cheon with a smile that showed arrogance, coldness, and infuriating smugness.

“Is it part of Hwasan’s teachings to have no manners? Calling your elder brother ‘you’.”

“Who’s your brother! I’ve never had a brother like you!”

Baek Cheon seemed about to fall backward. Yoon Jong buried his face in his hands.

He was ashamed that he had felt respect for that man even for a moment. How could he argue with his elder brother like a ten-year-old, even at his age?

“Why did you come?”

“You don’t think I came to Hwaeom because I wanted to, do you? You’re still as foolish as always.”

“Who called you here! What madman would call Jongnam to Hwaeom!”

“Me.”

“…”

“I called them, didn’t I?”

“Ah.”

Baek Cheon nodded, quickly understanding.

Right, he’s a madman. And not just any madman.

Jin Geum-ryong shook his head at the sight.

“When are you ever going to have any dignity?”

Then Chung Myung said, as if throwing it away.

“Enough. Turn that irritating face away and sit down somewhere.”

Jin Geum-ryong’s lips twisted unpleasantly.

“Irritating face? He looks no different from your granduncle, does he not?”

“That’s why I’m saying it, isn’t it?”

“…Ah.”

Jin Geum-ryong sat down with a look of acknowledgment. Despair clouded everyone’s faces. Why does he understand this?

Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak couldn’t come to their senses at the absurd situation.

“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” Lee Song-baek said carefully.

Hyun Jong waved his hand quickly.

“Not at all. How could I be uncomfortable? I’m just a little taken aback.”

“Um, we are also a bit… embarrassed to be here like this. We just received a message to send the person in charge to Hwaeom as quickly as possible, so we rushed over.”

“…A message…”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Yes, I’ve said it several times. I sent it.”

“…Why?”

“Why, you ask?”

Chung Myung gestured towards Jin Geum-ryong.

“You said you were short on manpower. Is there any force better than Jongnam among the forces you can mobilize right now?”

…No, there isn’t. Absolutely not.

Even without adding the words ‘you can mobilize right now,’ there are only a handful of forces better than Jongnam, even if you searched the entire world.

“That’s true, but…” Hyun Jong trailed off, blinking.

He didn’t even want to say things like why he called Jongnam without permission. It’s not like that damned brat hasn’t done things without permission once or twice.

The problem is that they are Jongnam, not some other sect.

Jongnam proudly belongs to the Nine Great Sects. No, belonging is not enough. It is a sect that should be seen as one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects.

But for them to come running to Hwaeom, the headquarters of the Cheonwoo Alliance, after receiving a single message from Chung Myung, isn’t that a strange situation no matter how you look at it?

“You came faster than I expected?”

Jin Geum-ryong gnashed his teeth at Chung Myung’s words.

“…I don’t care if you cause trouble, but if you wanted to play with fire in your house, you should have been careful not to let the sparks fly into the neighbor’s house. Isn’t that basic?”

“What are you talking about? The guy who came to someone else’s house to play with fire and even stole their property is talking about basics?”

“…That was in the past.”

“What did you say, you little…! Do you want to die today?”

As Chung Myung flared up and tried to get up, Jo Gul and Dang So-so quickly grabbed him and held on. Even Yoon Jong, who was currently on awkward terms with him, grabbed Chung Myung, surprised.

“Hoo! Hoo! Thinking about it makes me angry again?”

No… Why did you call them if you were going to get so angry?

At that moment, Im So-byeong, who had been silently watching the situation, let out a hollow laugh. People’s gazes turned towards him.

“Green Forest King?”

“That’s right. This… now that I think about it, the situation is like trying to tear down our mountain fortress and accidentally setting fire to the next mountain over, isn’t it?”

“What does that mean?”

“Didn’t we create the Cheonwoo Alliance’s main base in Hwaeom?”

“That’s right.”

Even though the main base is more like a village, no, a city, it’s still the main base.

“And that main base has become the primary target of the Four Evil Alliances.”

Everyone nodded.

“Then, if the Four Evil Alliances attack Hwaeom, do you think Jongnam will just sightsee in Seoan and then go back?”

“…Ah.”

“Really?”

“They’ve already trampled on all the prominent sects while attacking Sichuan. If they’re targeting Hwaeom, then Seoan will naturally be next in line.”

“Ah…”

It was a moment when everyone felt a little sorry for Jongnam.

“Serves them right.”

“…”

“…”

“Geol-ah.”

“…Yes, Sasuk.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I just became the sect leader?”

“I’m seriously considering it too.”

The Hwasan disciples covered their heads as they watched Baek Cheon flip the bird at Jin Geum-ryong. He might be a talent who could bring prosperity to Hwasan, but the moment that man became the Hwasan sect leader, the relationship with Jongnam would be over and a catastrophe would ensue.

Im So-byeong said with a sigh.

“Depending on the direction of their advance, Seoan might be attacked even before Hwaeom.”

Jin Geum-ryong’s face turned red. A vein throbbed on his forehead, and his hands clenched into fists. He glared at Chung Myung and Baek Cheon with terrifying eyes, then gritted his teeth and said.

“You should be kneeling and apologizing for coming to Jongnam Mountain… Instead, you throw a letter and make people come all the way here?”

“So what?”

“Then get lost. I’m not stopping you, not stopping you at all.”

Chung Myung and Baek Cheon looked at each other and snickered at the same time.

The other sect leaders of the Cheonwoo Alliance quietly looked up at the ceiling. They were ashamed.

“This…”

“Haha! Calm down, Sasuk!”

As Jin Geum-ryong turned red and purple as if he was about to explode, Lee Song-baek quickly stepped forward. After making Jin Geum-ryong take a deep breath, he quickly joined the conversation.

“Anyway, we also know about the situation, so the sect leader is very concerned.”

“Hmm.”

“If you’re so concerned, you should have come yourself, instead of sending the kids? Are you not that desperate yet?”

Here is a brat the size of a rat scolding them for sending kids to an important place. The soul left Lee Song-baek’s eyes.

“You shouldn’t be the one saying that.”

“…Hwasan of all people shouldn’t be saying that.”

“Have some conscience.”

Fortunately, the Five Swords were there to speak for him.

‘I’ve seen this scene a lot before.’

‘People’s lives are all the same.’

‘They’re having a hard time too.’

Lee Song-baek wiped the cold sweat from his brow and continued.

“In any case, Jongnam’s position is…”

“Cut to the chase.”

“Yes.”

At Chung Myung’s words, Lee Song-baek nodded heavily and got to the point.

“We cannot join the Cheonwoo Alliance, but we can form a united front against those who invade Seoseo.”

“That’s a joke.”

Chung Myung smirked.

“Negotiations should be done between equals. How many sects are gathered here? What makes Jongnam think they can negotiate on equal terms?”

“Jongnam, you say?”

Jin Geum-ryong glared. Baek Cheon quickly stepped in and scolded Chung Myung.

“Chung Myung-ah! Be careful with your words. It’s not ‘Jongnam,’ but ‘some second-rate disciple of Jongnam’.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Chung Myung scratched his head and then nodded.

A vein popped out on Jin Geum-ryong’s forehead.

What did these guys eat to grow up so fearless?

And everyone here is impressive enough even for Jin Geum-ryong, who has nothing to fear in the world, so why are they just letting these reckless fools run wild?

“A united front…” Tang Gunak stroked his chin and opened his mouth.

“Does that mean Jongnam can help when the Four Evil Alliances attack Hwaeom?”

“Yes. However, the opposite is also true.”

There’s no need to think about the opposite.

No matter how much they hate Jongnam, they can’t just leave them to be attacked by the Demonic forces.

Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak looked at each other. This…

“We…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

At that moment, Chung Myung quickly cut off their words. There were still more demands to make.

“If that’s the case, then at least more than half of Jongnam has to be in Hwaeom.”

“…What nonsense are you talking about? Why should we do that?”

“Is there any guarantee that you won’t just sit back and watch when the Four Evil Alliances attack Hwaeom?”

“Does Jongnam look like a sect that would do that?”

“No. You guys not only sat back and watched, but you also came and set fires and stole things. You shameless bastards. Thinking about it makes me angry again, you bastards!”

“Ah, please calm down!”

“Why did you call me if you were going to be like this!”

“Don’t touch your sword! I said, take your hand off the sword!”

While Chung Myung was causing a ruckus and the people around him were suppressing him, Jin Geum-ryong silently looked out the window. It seemed he was just ignoring them because he couldn’t say yes or no.

It was a brazen and ridiculous attitude, but it was a great improvement compared to the past when he would just deny everything.

Lee Song-baek opened his mouth with an awkward expression.

“I understand what you’re saying. But since we came in a hurry, we don’t have the authority to decide that…”

“Let’s do that.”

But Jin Geum-ryong abruptly cut off Lee Song-baek’s words.

“I don’t want to talk for long, so I’ll accept the proposal.”

“Sasuk. That’s…”

“I have the authority to do that much. It’s annoying to have to face the unpleasant Hwasan bastards, but we’ll put up with it.”

“Look at that big mouth.”

Baek Cheon flared up. Chung Myung smiled at Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak.

“How is it? Is it roughly resolved then?”

Hyun Jong and Tang Gunak’s faces became complicated for a moment.

They wouldn’t have called them knowing the situation would turn out like this. What were they thinking, trying to ally with Jongnam? Is it really right to bring Jongnam into Hwaeom now?

Numerous thoughts tangled in their heads like a skein of yarn, but in the end, there was only one answer to give at this moment.

“Good!”

“We agree!”

The temporary alliance between Hwasan and Jongnam was officially concluded.

Something that seemed like it would never happen had come to pass.