Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1638

Water splashed. Dirty water sat in puddles on the narrow alley floor. Footsteps walked through it, not caring.

The alley was so narrow, two men could barely walk side by side. It looked like many alleys, but it felt different.

Red lanterns hung outside each shop, their light harsh and bright. A strong, bad smell filled the air, but it was hard to tell where it came from.

But there was more. Loud, shrill laughter and desperate cries never stopped, hurting your ears. The air felt strangely damp and heavy, almost like something bad was in the air. It was a very unpleasant place.

This was a street for pleasure. People came here for alcohol, women, gambling, and even fights.

People who found normal life boring came here for excitement. This alley, more dangerous and exciting than anywhere else, drew people in with its bright red lights, just like every night.

Then, a man walked into the alley.

Drunk eyes looked hard at the clothes of the man who walked in.

He wore a scholar’s robe. This was the kind of clothing worn by educated men, officials, and those who followed Confucian teachings.

These robes were normal on main streets, but in this alley, they stood out.

People thought scholars like him avoided these dark places, full of people’s wants and sins.

Their eyes, still blurry with drink, now looked sharp.

People are suspicious of those who are different. His strange clothes were enough to break the rough peace of this alley.

Angry looks started to come from all around.

If an ordinary scholar had walked into the alley, he would have turned around because of the hostility.

But this man didn’t. He walked in, and the dirty water splashed on his ankles.

People stared at him, but he walked as if he didn’t see them, or as if they didn’t matter.

The guards of the alley looked at him carefully. They noticed more than just his robe.

His robe was dirty, but not in a way that meant it was old and worn. It was more like it had become dirty recently, as if he had been through something difficult and hadn’t had time to clean it.

It made people curious.

But when people looked at his face, they forgot about his clothes.

His face was ordinary. Young, but not special. The kind of face you’d forget quickly if you saw him on the street.

But his face and eyes were not ordinary at all.

He had no expression, no emotion.

It wasn’t just being quiet or cold. It was like something was missing from him, something important he had lost.

His eyes were dull and cloudy, but then, a sudden flash of anger would appear. In those moments, this scholar, who seemed so out of place, suddenly looked like he belonged in the darkness of the alley.

The scholar walked through the alley without stopping.

He stumbled sometimes, but he kept going, as if this was his only goal.

“Hey,”

Someone said, staring at him angrily.

“What are you doing here? This isn’t a place for kids like you.”

The scholar didn’t even look at the large man. He just kept walking. The large man’s face turned red because he felt ignored.

The large man’s face flushed red. He wouldn’t let this scholar ignore him.

“Are you deaf?”

Just as the angry giant reached for the scholar’s shoulder, another hand grabbed his arm from behind.

“What is it?”

The giant turned and saw another man, who was calmly shaking his head.

“What is it, Brother Hong?”

“Let him go.”

“That kid?”

“Let him go.”

The giant looked unhappy, but he nodded. When he looked back, the scholar was already far away. He hadn’t even paid attention to them.

“Do you know who that is?”

“I don’t know his name, but I know his family name.”

“What is it?”

“Ho.”

“Ho?”

The giant looked surprised.

“Then maybe…”

“Yes.”

The giant looked at Brother Hong and nodded slowly.

I understand. That’s why he told me to leave him alone.

If his name is really Ho, then we shouldn’t touch him. Not if we want to stay alive.

The giant watched the scholar walk away.

The scholar took another step.

“Give up,” a voice in his head whispered. His lips curled into a bitter smile. “He’s too powerful for you. You know that, don’t you?”

Of course, he knew.

He wasn’t stupid. Some people were too powerful to fight, no matter how hard you tried.

Even though they lived in the same world, they were very different.

“No one will care about you, or help you. Even if they know what happened was wrong.”

He smiled sadly. Was he laughing at the voice, or at himself for not being able to argue?

“If you want revenge, then keep doing what you’re doing. Keep swallowing your anger, until you are strong enough to punish him yourself.”

When will that day come?

After he dies of old age? Will that evil man live a long, rich life, while I suffer? Is that what they call revenge? Is that all I can hope for?

“The world is unfair. That’s why people like us have to fight, right? We have to make this unfair world better. Don’t let your personal feelings ruin everything. Even if it’s hard and takes a long time, isn’t that what a true scholar does?”

“I don’t believe he will stay powerful forever. Bad deeds always have consequences. Even if you don’t do anything, he will fall one day.”

“Your future is too important to waste on revenge! You can do so much good! Think of the bigger picture, the greater good!”

Dirty water splashed around his ankles. He wouldn’t have liked it before, but now he didn’t care.

What is clean and dirty in this world?

Is that powerful man, who destroyed my family for a little wealth, clean? Are my family, who died because of his cruelty, dirty?

What about those who preach about right and wrong but did nothing? Are they clean?

He felt sick inside. What was the point of all his learning?

All the morals and laws he had studied, all his good intentions to help the weak – where were they now? Worthless.

He had valued empty ideas like they were real treasures. If he hadn’t been so foolish, if he had seen through their lies, maybe he could have died with his family, instead of living like this.

When they cut off his father’s head, he had talked about morals and teachings.

When they hurt his sister, he had thought about wise words.

Who should be punished?

The evil man who destroyed his family for greed, or himself, who was too blind to see what was happening until it was too late?

Confucius said that a good person looks for problems within themselves, while a bad person blames others. Maybe, by those words, he deserved to be punished.

But he couldn’t die yet.

Not while those evil men were still alive. As long as they were breathing, as long as they were enjoying the wealth they stole from his family, he had to live.

The scholar stopped walking.

A large, red door was in front of him. There was no sign, but he knew this was the place.

Because there were no drunk people here.

Even the most drunk, even the toughest thugs, stayed away from this place.

The scholar knocked hard on the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He didn’t wait for an answer. He just pulled the handle. The door opened easily.

Behind the red door, it was completely different. Quiet and still, with a sense of danger hanging in the air. He stepped inside, not hesitating at all.

“What?”

A man who was lying down, drunk, sat up.

This man was thin, not like the giant outside. But when the scholar looked at him, he felt a sudden fear.

This man was a killer.

He had heard stories about this place – that it was full of murderers who killed without thinking. Maybe this man’s hands were always covered in blood.

But the scholar didn’t turn back. He couldn’t be afraid anymore.

He had lost that right a long time ago. He had only one thing left now.

“I am…”

Anger filled his eyes.

“Ho Gamyung.”

“Ho Gamyung?”

“Take me to your leader.”

The man holding the sword frowned.

The scholar, Ho Gamyung, spoke as if spitting out the words.

“Baek Angwi… I’m here to see Jang Ilso. I have a deal to offer.”