Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1677

Yoon Jong was so confused that he couldn’t even think straight.

*Why?*

That was the only question in his head. Why was Jang Il-So here? Why now?

He couldn’t think of anything else. The man in the red robes seemed to fill the whole world, blocking out everything else.

“Uh……”

Yoon Jong wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

Jo Gul, Hae Yeon, Nangong Dowi, and even Baek Cheon were speechless, staring blankly at Jang Il-So. Everything seemed to have stopped.

Jang Il-So sat relaxed, as if he were in another world, freezing them all in place.

In this tense silence, only one person moved.

Thud.

Chung Myung’s footsteps echoed like thunder, jolting their frozen minds awake.

Chung Myung’s voice struck Yoon Jong’s mind like a torrent of icy water.

“Fine wine… You are acting very relaxed.”

Then, Yoon Jong realized: Chung Myung was already standing in front of them, facing Jang Il-So.

Crack.

Yoon Jong’s tense muscles relaxed at once. His mind began to work again.

‘Was he waiting to block us?’

No, that wasn’t it.

Jang Il-So hadn’t brought enough men for that. Even for Jang Il-So, trying to stop the Mount Heaven Alliance with so few men would be reckless—suicidal.

But if that wasn’t it, why was he sitting here so relaxed? What was he thinking?

As if reading Yoon Jong’s thoughts, Jang Il-So lightly touched the edge of the wine cup he had filled.

“Believe it or not, I do have some manners.”

Tap.

He gently slid the cup across the table, stopping on the opposite side, as if it were prepared for someone to sit there.

“The Sword Saint of Mount Hua deserves good wine, don’t you think?”

Jang Il-So gazed at Chung Myung with a bright smile. Chung Myung met his gaze with a crooked grin.

“You really don’t know how to treat a guest. You think you can entertain me with mere wine?”

“Hmm, still a greedy child. But don’t worry. I have prepared a gift as well.”

“……A gift?”

“Bring it out.”

Doubt and wariness flickered in Chung Myung’s eyes. The Evil Sect warriors behind him moved aside. Through the gap, a man dragged something out.

‘A person?’

It was a person in a wretched state, half-conscious.

“……What is…….”

“Huh?”

At that moment, someone from the Mount Heaven Alliance cried out in alarm.

“He, Heo Do?”

“What?”

Everyone, eyes wide with shock, examined the person being dragged out. An old man with blades embedded in his limbs, as if severing his muscles.

It was indeed Heo Do Jin-in.

“Th, this madman!”

Unlike his past self, his hair was completely white, and his face was soaked in blood, causing momentary confusion, but there was no mistaking it.

The man being dragged out by Hong Gyeon was undoubtedly Heo Do Jin-in, the former leader of the Wudang Sect.

Thump!

Hong Gyeon tossed Heo Do Jin-in aside like a discarded rag.

“That son of a bitch!”

As Jo Gul, filled with indignation, tried to rush forward, Yoon Jong gritted his teeth and gripped his shoulder tightly.

“Don’t act rashly!”

“But, Senior Brother!”

“Calm down!”

“This……”

Jo Gul was trembling with rage.

It was true that he hadn’t thought highly of Heo Do, but he was, after all, a former leader of the Wudang Sect. He didn’t deserve to be humiliated by those Evil Sect bastards.

Jang Il-So chuckled as he watched Jo Gul.

“Goodness, goodness… I don’t understand why you’re so angry. It’s a fine gift, isn’t it? I thought you’d be touched.”

“Shut your mouth, you bastard!”

“No need to be so upset. It’s just a good example.”

Jang Il-So glanced at Heo Do Jin-in. It was a cold, indifferent gaze devoid of any emotion.

“Those who don’t know their place often believe that all things can be achieved through mere desperation. But that’s not true. The way to get what you want isn’t by wishing for it, but by seizing it.”

Jang Il-So’s gaze shifted from the half-dead Heo Do Jin-in to Chung Myung.

“You… seem to know that well, don’t you?”

Countless people were speechless. They silently watched Heo Do Jin-in, barely clinging to life, and Jang Il-So, who was toying with his wine cup behind him. A heavy silence fell between them.

It was Jo Gul’s murderous voice, not anyone else’s, that broke the stalemate.

“We attack now! That bastard is right there!”

“……What?”

“I don’t know what that bastard is thinking, showing his face here, but we won’t get another chance like this! Now is the perfect time to take his head!”

“…….”

“If we kill him, it’ll all be over! Isn’t that right!”

Yoon Jong’s eyes wavered.

He was right.

Jang Il-So was standing there with a relatively small force. Of course, there was Hong Gyeon of the Myriad Man House and the elites he had personally trained, but they had almost the entire force of the Mount Heaven Alliance here.

“Before we miss this chance, we should attack right now……”

“What about Wudang?”

“……Pardon?”

Jo Gul turned his gaze sharply as an unexpected voice spoke. Nangong Dowi asked again.

“If we waste time here, what will happen to Wudang?”

“Ri, right now, Wudang is…….”

Jo Gul stopped, startled, as he was about to speak.

Who cares about Wudang? These were words that should never be uttered. No, he shouldn’t even think it. A person’s life should never be treated that way.

Jo Gul clenched his fist tightly.

“But if we let Jang Il-So get away, more people will die.”

“Wudang is waiting for us right now……!”

“Enough.”

Before the argument could truly begin, Baek Cheon’s curt voice cut them off. Then, with a cold face, he glared at Jang Il-So and spat out the words.

“That’s not it.”

“Yes?”

“It’s not easy,” Baek Cheon said slowly. He bit his lip, feeling everyone’s eyes on him.

*Jang Il-So.*

Could they really catch him? If Jang Il-So stood and fought fairly, yes, they could win. But what if Jang Il-So ran? What if he was just trying to escape?

“No,” Baek Cheon said, shaking his head a little. “It won’t be easy at all.”

They had more people, but Jang Il-So’s group was very skilled. Mount Hua knew this from past fights. It’s always hard to catch a smaller, stronger group. Yes, time and time again.

Before, Mount Hua was the smaller, skilled group running away. But now, *they* were the ones chasing. The situation had flipped.

They could try. And if they succeeded, it would be a truly unprecedented feat.

But what if they failed?

Then they would lose everything. The Cheonwu Alliance would miss their chance to save Wudang, Wudang would be destroyed, and they would even lose Jang Il-So.

That would be a blunder beyond any defeat the Cheonwu Alliance had ever experienced.

The Alliance was just people, after all. If they failed, would people still trust them? Their group was new and not very strong. Could they survive a big mistake?

The more painful truth was that the Alliance had only just reorganized its ranks a few days prior. Could they really chase Jang Il-So with this ragtag group, barely filled with enough bodies?

Baek Cheon’s fingertips trembled as he rapidly calculated in his head.

‘Bloody hell!’

Now he saw it too. How much was contained within this seemingly absurd gambit. How deadly the venom hidden within this perplexing move.

Baek Cheon’s gaze turned to Jang Il-So, who was leisurely filling his glass. Yes, that bastard was the problem above all else.

‘He’s insane.’

Even with the most perfect calculations, how could he so calmly offer himself as bait before so many enemies? How could he hold a knife to his own throat without changing his expression, intimidating the enemy instead?

‘Is this who we’ve been fighting all this time?’

He felt the blood in his body turn cold. Anger rose in Baek Cheon like a hot, red fire. It felt like it was burning his eyes, making everything else disappear.

And then.

“There are words that are common but contain truth.”

Chung Myung’s calm and composed voice jolted Baek Cheon back to his senses.

“Like how a gambler is bound to ruin himself.”

“Haha. Indeed, that’s true!”

Jang Il-So burst into hearty laughter, smiling gently at Chung Myung.

“However… it sounds a bit strange coming from you, don’t you think?”

Chung Myung smirked. He certainly felt stung by those words. Without turning his head, he spoke behind him.

“Sasuk.”

“Yeah.”

“You get it, don’t you?”

Much was omitted, but Baek Cheon nodded silently. He could understand the general idea. He understood the situation they were in.

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

But he didn’t understand those words at all.

“We can’t waste time being held back. That’s playing into his intentions.”

“But Jang Il-So is……”

“He wants me.”

“……”

“Then we just give him what he wants.”

As if there was no need to say more, Chung Myung nonchalantly walked towards Jang Il-So.

“Ch, Chung Myung!”

Baek Cheon, startled, reached out to grab Chung Myung but quickly retracted his hand and gritted his teeth.

‘A gambler is bound to ruin himself.’

Now Baek Cheon understood. Those words weren’t for Jang Il-So. They were for Baek Cheon himself.

Pouring everything into capturing Jang Il-So right now was, in essence, a gamble with uncertain results. He couldn’t entrust the Alliance’s fate to such a gamble.

The best choice he could make now was to completely ignore the bait in front of him. No matter how great that bait might be.

But that didn’t mean they could just leave Jang Il-So and his group alone. Otherwise, they would follow the Alliance from behind.

So, what was the best move the Cheonwu Alliance could make right now?

Just as they had offered themselves as bait, the Alliance would throw bait that the enemy couldn’t move past and then withdraw.

That bait was the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Chung Myung.

That was the conclusion he had barely reached after countless conflicts. A conclusion that some hadn’t yet reached, and most hadn’t even considered, but Chung Myung and Baek Cheon had already arrived at it before their eyes even met.

“Yoon Jong-ah!”

“No.”

Baek Cheon was about to order Yoon Jong to stay here with his party, but Chung Myung cut him off.

“I’ll go alone.”

“You crazy bastard! Does that even make sense?”

Baek Cheon exclaimed, but Chung Myung didn’t elaborate. He simply said a few words and moved forward.

“Let’s go.”

In the past, Chung Myung would have tried to explain this situation to Baek Cheon and make him understand. But now, Chung Myung only threw out a few short words.

Yes. As if he believed that Baek Cheon would understand without needing a detailed explanation.

Crack!

Baek Cheon clenched his fist until it bled.

Even in the midst of all this, Chung Myung calmly approached Jang Il-So. His steps were as leisurely as could be.

‘Really……’

But Baek Cheon saw it. He saw the Red Sword members lined up behind Jang Il-So flinch at his calm steps, each revealing their killing intent.

Just as the Cheonwu Alliance felt pressure and fear from Jang Il-So, they were feeling the same emotions from Chung Myung.

Chung Myung passed the fallen Heo Do and stood across from Jang Il-So. Then, he plopped down on the chair prepared there.

It was a scene no one could believe. Chung Myung and Jang Il-So, enemies, sitting like friends, sharing wine in the middle of a battlefield. It was like a strange dream.

Chung Myung picked up his wine glass on the table. There was no hesitation in his movement as he drank the wine.

Thud.

He put the empty glass down on the table and briefly shared his thoughts.

“Good wine. Too good for the likes of you.”

“I’m glad you like it. I’ve prepared plenty, so drink as much as you like.”

The Orthodox and the Unorthodox.

Gangbuk and Gangnam.

No, perhaps enemies who transcended such boundaries.

The two were calmly sharing a drink. The Cheonwu Alliance members, as well as the Unorthodox Alliance members, were half lost in a truly surreal scene.

However, Baek Cheon, who was staring intently at the scene, opened his mouth.

“Let’s go.”

“Sa, Sasuk?”

“Older Brother Disciple! What do you mean?”

“Don’t forget what we have to do.”

Baek Cheon’s gaze had already left the bizarre scene and was now directed towards the burning Wudang Mountain. His fingernails dug into his palm.

“Save Wudang. That’s what we have to do.”