Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1642

Hoga-myung opened his eyes and put his hand over his face.

“Is this a dream?” he thought.

It was an old story, from a long time ago. A memory so clear he could almost touch it, but time had made it a little blurry.

Cold air touched his nose. It was dawn, before the sun came up. Hoga-myung always woke up at this time. He had tried not to waste a single day since *that day*.

He slowly sat up. The blanket fell from his chest with a soft sound.

He looked down at his chest. It was a lean body, covered in scars.

They were not as many as the scars on Jang Il-so’s body, but Hoga-myung’s scars also showed the life he had lived since *that day*.

He had survived for so long. Now, Hoga-myung was getting ready for the last fight. He wanted to take control of not just Gangnam, but also Gangbuk.

He had to ask himself, “Am I still ruthless?”

This question was like a repeated word for Hoga-myung. Something he had to follow, even if he was about to die.

It was how he would reach his goal, but also, in a way, more important than the goal itself.

Hoga-myung closed his eyes and stayed still. The room became even quieter than when he was sleeping.

How long had he been still?

Hoga-myung opened his eyes again. His eyes were dark and serious.

He got out of bed and opened the door. A servant was waiting.

“Your meal is ready…” the servant started.

“No,” Hoga-myung said, his voice cold. “Get my clothes ready.”

Hoga-myung’s cold eyes looked past the servant, as if seeing something far away.

“I must see the Lord,” he said, his voice firm.

The manor was small and quiet. It was nothing like the huge main base of the Four Factions Alliance. It didn’t take long to reach Jang Il-so’s house.

But when Hoga-myung reached Jang Il-so’s house, he stopped.

He looked up at the dark sky, saying nothing.

It was still long before sunrise. The night sky was the same as it had been since *that day* – the day their lives changed. But what about people? Was he the same person who stood under that sky back then?

Many memories rushed through his mind.

Days of fighting enemies he was terrified to face. Times when he was badly hurt, close to death. Times he had to run and escape from those chasing him. The day he first created the name Maninbang…

As time passed, Hoga-myung, once a young man with a fresh face, was now middle-aged. The White Ghost Clan, which started in a small alley in Guizhou, had grown into the Four Factions Alliance. They ruled Gangnam, and even beyond Maninbang, they were powerful in Guizhou.

It was hard to believe. Even Hoga-myung struggled to believe it himself.

But they had done it. Jang Il-so had achieved something amazing. Because of this, Hoga-myung had no regrets.

It wasn’t just about their success.

Hoga-myung had no regrets because Jang Il-so was still Jang Il-so. Even if they were still struggling in the back alleys of Guizhou, Hoga-myung would have no regrets, as long as Jang Il-so stayed the same.

Hoga-myung was who he was because of Jang Il-so.

That’s why…

Hoga-myung sighed softly. He looked at the house for a moment, then finally walked towards it.

The guards at the front of the house bowed deeply when they saw Hoga-myung. They should have at least pretended to stop him, even if it was just for show.

Hoga-myung’s face became even more serious at their reaction. He stood in front of the door without a word.

“Lord,” he said. “It’s Gamyung.”

There was no answer.

But Hoga-myung didn’t wait. He grabbed the doorknob. The guards flinched, but didn’t try to stop him.

Normally, entering the Lord’s house without permission was an act that could be punished by death. But for one person, this rule did not apply. That person was Hoga-myung. The guards knew this.

The door opened, and cold night air rushed into the room. Hoga-myung stepped inside quickly and closed the door behind him.

Inside, the darkness felt heavy and depressing. Small lanterns flickered, fighting against the gloom.

The room reminded him of the first time he met Jang Il-so in his dream. It was a clean room, but unlike the empty space in his dream, the feeling in the room was the same – dry and empty.

Hoga-myung’s eyes went to one place in the room.

A corner where the darkness was thickest, where the lantern light could not reach. In that deep darkness, a blue ghostly fire suddenly appeared between the red lanterns.

It was a strong, ghostly fire. Hoga-myung held his breath. It was a terrifying flame, burning with many feelings mixed together, feelings he couldn’t name.

“Lord…” Hoga-myung said quietly.

Jang Il-so was there. Standing in a place that reminded Hoga-myung of the past.

“…Gamyung?” Jang Il-so’s voice was low.

“Yes,” Hoga-myung replied, nodding.

“What is it?” Jang Il-so asked. “Why are you here so early?”

Hoga-myung didn’t answer right away.

The ghostly fire flickered slowly.

Footsteps sounded, and Jang Il-so stepped into the dim light. He wore a pure white robe, and no makeup. Hoga-myung knew him so well… but now, Jang Il-so seemed different, a little strange.

Hoga-myung watched Jang Il-so walk out from the dark corner of the room, far from the bed. “Were you not sleeping?” he asked.

“I just woke up early,” Jang Il-so said.

“Is that so,” Hoga-myung said slowly.

“I asked what was going on,” Jang Il-so repeated, his voice a little impatient.

There was a rough edge in Jang Il-so’s voice. This harshness was also familiar to Hoga-myung, but still felt different now.

Hoga-myung just looked at the dark corner where Jang Il-so had been standing. It was empty of furniture, the most bare part of the room.

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Hoga-myung asked.

Jang Il-so stopped talking and looked at Hoga-myung. For a moment, there was a pause that Hoga-myung could feel clearly. Then, Jang Il-so’s voice became much softer.

“I just have a lot on my mind,” Jang Il-so said.

It was the voice and manner Hoga-myung knew so well.

“I just needed time to think. But anyway… I asked you why you were here. How many times do I have to ask?”

“I just came to see if you are at peace, Lord,” Hoga-myung said.

“Peace?” Jang Il-so repeated.

“Yes.”

Jang Il-so stared at Hoga-myung, then laughed suddenly.

“…I don’t know if I’m being childish or you’re being an old worrywart. You worry too much.”

Jang Il-so walked slowly to a chair and sat down.

“Do you want some tea? Or maybe even some wine, even though it’s early?”

“No, thank you,” Hoga-myung said.

“How boring,” Jang Il-so said. “Sit down. My neck hurts looking up at you.”

But Hoga-myung just kept staring at Jang Il-so, not sitting down. Jang Il-so’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“…It seems you didn’t just come to look at my face.”

Hoga-myung said nothing.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Jang Il-so said. “Or should I keep waiting?”

Hoga-myung tried to understand Jang Il-so’s eyes. He saw kindness and trust. And… something else.

“Lord,” Hoga-myung began. “Do you remember?”

Jang Il-so frowned slightly, as if asking if he was talking nonsense.

Hoga-myung continued calmly, “I had a dream.”

“A dream?” Jang Il-so repeated.

“Yes. About the first time I met you, Lord.”

Jang Il-so chuckled softly. “That’s a memory worth dreaming about.”

“At that time, you told me, Lord, to always be ruthless. At every moment,” Hoga-myung said.

Hoga-myung closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, looking intently at Jang Il-so. “That word has been my guiding rule until now. Sometimes I couldn’t be ruthless enough because I wasn’t strong enough. But I have always tried to be ruthless.”

Jang Il-so nodded, his reply casual. “That’s right.”

“Now I understand,” Hoga-myung said. “Why you gave me that order, Lord. What you wanted from me. So, I want to ask you something. Have I met your expectations?”

Jang Il-so looked at Hoga-myung, his eyes now more suspicious. “This is sudden. Why are you asking this now?”

“Is it hard to answer?” Hoga-myung asked.

Jang Il-so sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. “Yes, you have done as well as I expected… No, better than that. If it wasn’t for you, I would probably be buried somewhere in Guizhou, just bones by now. Well, maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad either.”

Hoga-myung nodded calmly. “Today, I woke up and looked at myself. Am I ruthless now?”

Jang Il-so was silent.

“The answer was ‘no’,” Hoga-myung said, his eyes becoming darker.

“I haven’t been ruthless when I needed to be. That’s why I will be ruthless now. It’s the first thing you asked of me, Lord, and it’s the most important thing.”

Jang Il-so looked tired. “You’re taking a long time to get to the point,” he said. “What do you want to say?”

“Then, how are you, Lord?” Hoga-myung asked.

“…What?” Jang Il-so said, confused.

Hoga-myung looked straight into his eyes. “What I learned from you, Lord, wasn’t just to be cruel, or to have a strong will, or to be the best fighter. It was one thing… to have composure.”

Jang Il-so’s face became hard.

“So, I’m asking you. Do you have composure now, Lord? Are you acting like someone who has it, or someone who is struggling to get it?”

Jang Il-so’s eyes flickered slightly at Hoga-myung’s sharp question.

“Answer me, Gamyung,” Jang Il-so said, his voice rising. “What are you trying to say?”

A raw, rough emotion came into his voice. It was like the Jang Il-so Hoga-myung had first met.

Hoga-myung took a deep breath. He stared directly at Jang Il-so.

“Why do you think I don’t see myself as ruthless anymore?”

“…Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Jang Il-so said, his voice tight.

“I asked first,” Hoga-myung said firmly.

“What?” Jang Il-so snapped.

Hoga-myung’s face was now completely serious. He was glaring at Jang Il-so. “Did you have composure, Lord?”

Jang Il-so was silent.

“No,” Hoga-myung said. “It doesn’t have to be that. I’ll ask again, Lord.”

In Hoga-myung’s eyes, he saw two Jang Il-sos.

The ruler of Gangnam, the Overlord who had everything. And the young, immature Jang Il-so from the past.

Two people who looked the same but felt different.

It seemed nothing had changed over time, but one thing was clearly different.

“So,” Hoga-myung asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Jang Il-so’s face changed instantly. A blue ghostly light flashed around him. It was clear anger, something he had never shown to Hoga-myung before.