Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1628

The main hall was quiet, sunlight streaming through the high windows. Dust motes danced in the beams of light as Hyun Jong sat at his large wooden desk. Then, Chung Myung’s voice called out, loud and clear. “Over here!” Hyun Jong looked up, a confused expression on his face. He stared at the long roll of paper Chung Myung placed on the table in front of him.

A petition…? No, a long scroll of a document, signatures lined up in a row. He wasn’t even sure what to call it.

“Signatures?”

“It would be strange to have the sect leader’s seal on it after I returned the authority, wouldn’t it? So, I got their handprints instead!”

Chung Myung puffed out his chest, looking proud. Hyun Jong’s eyelids twitched at the sight.

“This… that…”

Hyun Jong asked, his voice full of suspicion and worry.

“The sect leaders personally… stamped these?”

“Would I dare to stamp them myself? Come on, who in the world would be bold enough to forge the signatures of the sect leaders?”

“…Someone would.”

“Seems like it.”

“He’d do it and still have energy left.”

The heads of those inside the main hall nodded in unison. It’s not that people aren’t bold, but no one is as bold as him.

Looking at the different sizes of the handprints, it seemed real. Even if he could forge other people’s prints, there was no way he could have forged the massive handprint of the Beast Palace Lord, who even now seemed to be trying to escape the scroll.

“So, the sect leaders all did this voluntarily?”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“Do they even know what they’re signing?”

“Oh, it’s written right there! Why are you so suspicious all of a sudden? You weren’t like this before!”

“……”

Chung Myung-ah. Who do you think is the reason for all this?

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and examined the signatures before tilting his head.

“This one has six fingers?”

“Did it shake?”

“And this one looks like it was forcibly pressed down and smudged…”

Chung Myung smiled happily.

“That just means they were very excited to sign!”

“……”

“……”

Hyun Jong’s cheeks trembled.

“Does that even make sense, you rascal!”

“Ouch!”

The inkstone on Hyun Jong’s desk flew through the air. Chung Myung quickly bent low, his head almost touching the floor, to avoid the flying inkstone.

“I don’t even need to look. You must have coaxed, cajoled, and threatened those weak sect leaders who probably don’t even know what’s going on to forcibly stamp their signatures!”

“Seriously, I’m telling you that’s not it!”

“What do you mean it’s not! You mudfish!”

Jo Gul, who was watching the two turn the main hall into a mess in an instant, cautiously asked Yoon Jong beside him.

“But, Senior Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Is it usually possible for the words ‘sect leader,’ ‘weak,’ and ‘threat’ to appear together?”

“Would it be?”

“……Right?”

Jo Gul stared at the back of Chung Myung’s head as he dodged Hyun Jong’s punches with a disgruntled look. It shouldn’t make sense… but it does…

“Please calm down, Sect Leader.”

Unable to watch any longer, Tang Gunak stepped in to stop Hyun Jong.

“Ah, no. Clan Leader, this!”

“In any case, it is a fact that the sect leaders have signed. Surely you don’t think they signed because they couldn’t withstand the threats of the Mount Hua Sword Saint, do you?”

“……”

Hyun Jong couldn’t bring himself to answer this question. He had a strong feeling, but if he said ‘yes,’ wouldn’t that be ignoring all the leaders of the sects that were working with the Heavenly Union?

“That’s… not it, but…”

“Whatever the process, the fact that they signed means that they were willing to take responsibility for what they said.”

Tang Gunak stood up from his seat and strode towards the door.

Tang Gunak threw open the heavy wooden door to the main hall. For a moment, the sounds of the outside world rushed in – wind, voices, maybe even distant shouts. Then, *thud!* Tang Gunak slammed the door shut again, much faster than he had opened it.

Tang Gunak quickly locked the door and turned around, clearing his throat slightly.

“Ahem. That’s not what’s important right now.”

“No, wait. I definitely saw something outside just now…”

“There was nothing.”

“I definitely saw something…”

“There was nothing.”

“……”

Hyun Jong’s beard twitched slightly. He definitely thought he saw the sect leaders lined up and grinding their teeth through the briefly opened doorway…

Hyun Jong squeezed his eyes shut.

‘No. Let’s pretend I didn’t see it.’

What would change if he saw it…?

“Hoo.”

Hyun Jong’s gaze returned to the petition with the signatures. The process was very suspicious, but he couldn’t deny that the signatures were there. As Tang Gunak said, those sect leaders wouldn’t have signed so obediently if they were really powerless.

They might have had some internal dissatisfaction, but in the end, wasn’t this a sign that they would follow whatever decision was made?

But that support didn’t lighten Hyun Jong’s heart.

He looked at the handprints again. Each one represented a sect leader, a person he was responsible for. Could he really trust this wild plan of Chung Myung’s? But… what other choice did they have?

“Hey, you rascal.”

“Yes?”

“What are you trying to do?”

Chung Myung answered calmly, but also firmly.

“What do you mean, what am I trying to do? I’m trying to win.”

“……”

Hyun Jong was speechless as he looked at Chung Myung.

To win.

A terribly inadequate answer. But Chung Myung would have nothing else to add. He was simply choosing the best course of action to win and reduce sacrifices, so what other reason was needed?

It wasn’t Chung Myung who needed more reasons, but Hyun Jong himself, who was still not free from face, responsibility, and the gazes of other sects.

“Ugh.”

Hyun Jong groaned and glanced at Tang Gunak. Tang Gunak chuckled.

“Are you laughing?”

“I regret that I can’t be of assistance, but it seems that this is a matter that the Sect Leader must choose entirely on his own. That’s probably why the military strategist and the other sect leaders aren’t getting involved here either.”

They seemed like they were going to come……

“……Is your opinion still the same, Clan Leader?”

“It is.”

Tang Gunak nodded.

“I understand that it’s unconventional and you might be hesitant. But… if I were in a position to decide, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

“May I ask why?”

“Hmm.”

Tang Gunak paused slightly.

He had already said the reason several times, so what Hyun Jong wanted now was probably a more sincere look into his heart.

“There are many reasons in the world.”

“Yes.”

“But sometimes, all those reasons and grounds become meaningless. In front of a single word.”

“If you mean a single word…?”

“The greater good.”

Tang Gunak looked at Hyun Jong with resolute eyes.

“In fact, reasons and grounds are only necessary for those who have not established a proper greater good. I believe that everything else is meaningless in the face of the greater good that the Mount Hua Sword Saint has discussed.”

A low voice escaped from Hyun Jong’s lips.

“The greater good…”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. A long time passed as Hyun Jong thought deeply. No one interrupted him.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

Hyun Jong, who had finally opened his eyes, said to Chung Myung.

“I know what you’re trying to do, but as the leader of the Heavenly Union, I cannot allow this. The members of the Heavenly Union are not here to become tools of Mount Hua.”

Chung Myung’s face hardened slightly.

“The heads of each division have a responsibility. I cannot put those who are still immature in such positions. The heads of each division will be chosen from among the sect leaders of the sects that share the same goals as the Heavenly Union.”

Just as sighs of helplessness were about to escape from Chung Myung and Tang Gunak, Hyun Jong spoke again.

“Instead, how about this?”

“……Yes?”

“Those you recommended. So, those guys…”

Hyun Jong’s gaze turned to Baek Cheon, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul.

The look in Hyun Jong’s eyes as he looked at them was not worry, but trust.

“Let’s appoint them as the deputy heads of each division to assist the heads. Wouldn’t that allow for the quick decisions you want?”

“Huh?”

“Oh…”

Chung Myung’s mind began to race.

Since the people who would become the heads were also among the sect leaders who signed this petition, they wouldn’t particularly try to stop the decisions of those who became deputy heads.

He couldn’t deny that there would be a slightly more cumbersome process, but what he was trying to do wouldn’t collapse.

“Certainly… that would make the other sects a little less unhappy.”

“That’s probably the case.”

Tang Gunak nodded in admiration.

If Chung Myung hadn’t gotten the signatures, it would have been difficult for the Five Swords to voice their opinions to the heads, but since they had already agreed to the Five Swords leading the divisions, whether formally or otherwise, it would be burdensome for the heads to ignore their voices.

As a result, they would be slightly relieved of their responsibilities in exchange for giving up some authority.

Tang Gunak chuckled.

If this opinion had come from someone else, it would have been praised as a very political move, but Hyun Jong would have no such intention. His desire to be considerate of those who shared the same goals as the Union had resulted in a brilliant solution.

“What do you think?”

“Heeeuuuum.”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek for a moment and then nodded.

“It’s a bit clumsy, but it doesn’t seem like there will be any major problems. But!”

“Yeah?”

Chung Myung grinned.

“Let me choose the people who will become the heads.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I can choose well.”

The corners of Chung Myung’s mouth twisted wickedly.

“I roughly saw their expressions when they signed.”

“Expressions?”

“Yes, well. Some people signed nicely, and some people resisted. If we appoint the heads from among those who signed nicely…”

“They resisted, you rascal! You said they didn’t!”

Hyun Jong’s inkstone, which had barely been returned to its place, flew through the air again. Chung Myung quickly bent his body to avoid the inkstone and stammered out excuses.

“Ah, no! The resistance isn’t that kind of resistance…”

“What you’re doing now is resistance! Come here! Can’t you come here, you mudfish!”

Tang Gunak shook his head as he watched Hyun Jong raging and Chung Myung running away.

‘He saw their expressions beforehand?’

He thought it was strange that he was so eager to get the signatures and make such a big deal out of it, but it seemed that the sly fox had predicted that Hyun Jong would come to this answer. The process of getting the signatures was probably to pre-select those who would cooperate with the Five Swords even after becoming heads.

How far ahead did he think when he started this?

Tang Gunak shook his head once more. Chung Myung was running, Hyun Jong was chasing, and Tang Gunak was nodding. The situation was complicated, but the answer had come out anyway.

But.

One of the bystanders who had not been involved in this ridiculous situation and the series of decisions cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um, but…”

“……”

“……”

“What about our opinions…?”

But that hollow voice was drowned out by the commotion in the room.

“No, that…”

Jo Gul’s hand stretched out into the air meaninglessly.

No… if they were going to decide something like this, shouldn’t they at least get some input from the people who would be suffering from the head’s nagging and the glares from below…?

Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon’s hands were placed on Jo Gul’s shoulders.

“Just give up.”

“Now that it’s come to this, let’s just relax.”

Suddenly, he was going to become a deputy head, a position he never wanted, and lead people who were more than twice his age.

“……Why is it always like this?”

“What can we do? We have to adapt.”

“……”

Baek Cheon, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul. A mournful sigh escaped from the three of them at the same time.