Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1691

A cool breeze swept across the table, making the wine in the cup ripple slightly.

Jang Il-so, who had been quietly touching the wine cup, looked up at the Wudang Mountain burning in the distance.

“So, it’s there?” His voice was slow and relaxed, but you could hear a sneer hidden in it.

“Was it you?”

“……”

“Oh, dear, oh, dear.” Jang Il-so slowly shook his head, making big movements like an actor on a stage. He always did too much, which made it hard to know what he really meant.

“I thought Taoists like you wanted to live forever… But looking at you now, you seem to want to be a poet. Your words are so full of feeling…”

Jang Il-so chuckled. His eyes, which looked wet and shiny, curved into thin crescents. He looked like a clown in clothes that were too big for him.

“To someone like me who isn’t smart, it all sounds like trying to catch clouds.”

“Jang Il-so.”

“Since you’re not making sense, I’ll tell you. It’s here, right now.”

“……”

“It’s you. Not in that burning mountain, but right here.”

Even though he was smiling, Jang Il-so looked like he wanted to stab Chung Myung with his eyes. But Chung Myung didn’t react to this challenging look. He just answered calmly, as if he had been expecting it.

“I didn’t expect you to understand my thoughts anyway.”

“Is that so?”

A deep smile spread across Jang Il-so’s lips.

“Then what about you? Can you understand what I’m thinking?”

“You….”

“You can’t, can you.”

“……”

“You just guess, and then you make yourself believe it. Right?”

Chung Myung’s face turned slightly cold.

“Don’t look so serious. I’m not trying to make you feel small. It’s the same for everyone, right?”

Jang Il-so’s eyes gleamed eerily.

“The truth is, no one can ever truly know what’s in another person’s heart.”

Chung Myung looked calm, but Jang Il-so’s eyes were full of anger. Their gazes met in the air.

“A sad idea, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Knowing what’s in each other’s hearts, really understanding each other. Everyone wanting the same thing, thinking the same way.”

Jang Il-so’s soft laughter burrowed into Chung Myung’s ears.

“Those things are just dreams for weak people. They can’t handle not knowing things for sure, so they hold onto these dreams. People can’t really know each other. You can never truly know what’s inside the person you’re looking at. Because they are afraid of this, they choose to believe a lie they made up.”

Jang Il-so looked at the mountain with a deep expression, like he was looking at a beautiful painting. Then he asked: “Do you really think it’s there?”

“……”

“Your thoughts, your will, what you want to believe… do you really think it’s there? Do you really think those ‘fragments’ of yours are held by them?”

“……Jang Il-so.”

“Just a fantasy.”

It was chilling. Chung Myung felt cold inside. Just a moment ago, Jang Il-so’s voice had been light and happy, but now it was strangely cold, even though his voice still sounded the same.

“People are born alone and die alone. That is a truth no one can change.”

“……”

“And all their lives, they can never see what others really mean. They only see fake smiles, excuses, and things that aren’t real.”

“That may be true for you, but not everyone lives like that.”

“Hmm…?”

Jang Il-so’s eyes curved even more sharply. Looking at those eyes, Chung Myung touched the wine cup in his hand without thinking.

“Do you really think so?”

“……”

“Really?”

Chung Myung’s eyebrows moved quickly. He felt uneasy for no clear reason. He was about to say something sharp, but Jang Il-so spoke again.

“Then… have you really been telling everyone exactly what you truly think? Or have you just been saying nice-sounding words, hoping they would believe you?”

The corners of Chung Myung’s eyes trembled faintly.

“Before you talk about ‘belief,’ are you really perfect? If they trust you as much as you trust them, are you really someone who deserves that trust? Really?”

“Don’t talk rubbish. You….”

“Ah, I understand.”

Jang Il-so’s eyes became dark for a moment.

“There must have been a reason. Maybe because you couldn’t say it, or because it was better if they didn’t know, or to make things better in the end, or for the future…”

The breeze on his hand suddenly felt much colder. Even though it shouldn’t have.

“But that kind of mask, covered in excuses, is what people call a ‘lie.’”

Jang Il-so smiled kindly. The more he did, the more Chung Myung’s face hardened.

“Isn’t that right?”

Chung Myung saw it. The sneer on Jang Il-so’s face, the strange feeling around him, and the disappointment. And maybe those things weren’t even meant for Chung Myung.

“Even people who talk a lot about belief easily lie and try to show a fake version of themselves, instead of who they really are. All the time, they hide what they really mean deep inside.”

“……”

“And yet, they believe they know the hearts of others.”

He couldn’t say anything. At least, not at this moment.

“Haha! Haha!”

Jang Il-so, who had been quietly watching Chung Myung, suddenly started laughing loudly. But his laugh sounded empty, not happy.

“That’s why… Yes, that’s why the world is just like a play. Everyone hides their real face with thick makeup and acts the part they are told to play.”

Jang Il-so slowly touched his lips with his finger. His finger went over his lips, which were painted red, and reached the corner of his mouth. He pressed down and slowly pushed upward. Like he was making himself smile.

“Aren’t you curious about what kind of face lies behind that makeup?”

“……What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Ah, perhaps you don’t have the courage to find out?”

“Jang Il-so!”

Clang!

At the same moment that Chung Myung shouted in anger, the cup he was holding shattered. The cold wine flowed over his hand, resembling drops of blood.

Jang Il-so, who had been silently watching the wine dripping onto the table, slowly opened his mouth.

“I thought you would know.”

“What….”

“The way I see you, you are the best at hiding who you really are. You act like you are always right and don’t even try to understand others. For you, ‘understanding’ is just like giving to charity. You call it understanding when you look down on people who are weaker than you.”

Chung Myung’s face changed in anger. He felt very angry inside. But just like Jang Il-so’s sneer wasn’t really aimed at Chung Myung, maybe Chung Myung’s anger wasn’t really aimed at Jang Il-so either.

“You…!” Jang Il-so’s words were like an insult to Chung Myung. Worse than any curse.

“Isn’t that so? That’s how I saw it, though.” But Jang Il-so still wore the same smiling face.

“Isn’t it funny? You, who talk about belief, try to hide yourself from others, while I, who talk about lies, reveal myself without any hesitation.”

“……”

“This is also like an interesting play. What do you think? Will you put on makeup too? Or are you already wearing it? Maybe even thicker makeup than mine. Haha! Haha!”

Chung Myung stayed quiet, watching Jang Il-so laugh, his shoulders moving up and down. He laughed for a long time, and the sound filled the lonely night.

“Belief! Belief! Haha! Haha! How…!”

As he watched Jang Il-so laugh so much, Chung Myung thought. There was no sadness or pain in that laugh at all. But the fact that the laugh sounded so sad meant that Chung Myung felt a sadness that Jang Il-so didn’t have. I think I understand now. Why it felt so awful to be with this man every time. Why it was so sickening to look at him.

Then, Jang Il-so, who had just stopped laughing, smiled brightly and spoke in a relaxed way. “Then let me ask you something.”

“……What is it?”

“If that belief breaks, what will you do?”

“……”

“The belief that they will do what you expect, the belief that they will think like you, the belief that they will help you do what you want to do. If those silly beliefs are broken into pieces….”

Jang Il-so’s lips twisted up. It was a strange, twisted smile, like a cruel person looking at someone they have trapped. “Then what will you say then? Huh, Mount Hua Sword Saint?”

“They have all reached the summit.”

“……”

Doksim Najal Ho Gamyeong stared at the summit of Baeganam without answering.

The enemies had come into this place, pushed through the mountain without stopping, defeated everyone who tried to stop them, and finally reached Baeganam, where the Wudang were waiting.

Who could have believed it? The Four Great Evils. The most powerful people of this time, who had crushed the Nine Great Sects and taken control of a huge part of the world. Was it really possible for them to be so strong here, in this place where all Four Great Evils were together? Did anyone really believe in these guys, and expect something like this to happen?

Thinking about these questions, Ho Gamyeong could only think of one answer. At least one person. Only one person truly believed this would happen. That person was Doksim Najal Ho Gamyeong, himself.

“Mount Hua is truly amazing.” It was hard to tell if he was admiring them or making fun of them.

But one thing was certain: no matter how amazing a sword is, it’s just metal if the person holding it isn’t a good swordsman. In the same way, no matter how famous the Mount Hua Sect is, it’s just another group if it’s not led by a swordsman like Chung Myung. (Mount Hua Sect is a famous group of swordsmen.)

‘I feel foolish for being so tense.’

There are plenty of strong groups.

No one thinks Shaolin is weaker than Mount Hua. (Shaolin is another famous group.) The Savage Ghost Alliance, a dangerous group of enemies, had even defeated Shaolin, so they definitely didn’t think Mount Hua was strong.

The reason Mount Hua was special doesn’t exist anymore, even for Mount Hua itself.

Ho Gamyung’s eyes narrowed.

“What about him?”

“If you mean the Green Forest King, he’s below the cliff. He couldn’t leave his main group to follow Mount Hua.”

Ho Gamyung nodded slowly.

Even while they talked, he kept watching the top of White Rock Cliff.

“Begin.”

“…But, Strategist, the Thousand-Faced Scholar hasn’t escaped yet.”

“He won’t escape.”

“…Pardon?”

Ho Gamyung’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“I never told the Thousand-Faced Scholar to escape.”

The adjutants were surprised. They looked back and forth between Ho Gamyung and the top of White Rock Cliff, unable to speak.

“Uh…”

“He’s at least a leader of the Hao Clan. If he lives, he’ll prove he’s worth something. If he dies, then that’s all he was.”

“……”

“Begin.”

“Yes!”

The adjutants nodded without arguing. They had to follow Ho Gamyung’s orders, whether they thought they were right or wrong.

Ho Gamyung had been staring at the top of White Rock Cliff, but finally looked towards the distant mountains below, where he knew someone was.

‘It’s time to pay for being too confident, Mount Hua Sword Saint.’

A strong anger filled Ho Gamyung’s eyes.

*Whoosh!*

The sword moved faster than lightning. No, even faster than that. It was there, and then it was gone, leaving only pain behind. One moment Ho Gamyung was watching the summit, the next, a searing fire exploded in his throat. *Crack!* He gasped, a sound he’d never made before, a wet, choking noise.

“Krrk…”

It was a sound he had never made before.

*Whoosh!*

The sword moved back as fast as it had come, barely touching his face before striking again. It was like a dozen streaks of light flashing past his body.

“Keuh!”

“Kkeuk!”

As he fell, he looked up and saw the person who had killed him coming closer. Before he could even try to fight back, the attacker ran past him, stepping over his body.

Plop!

Before his spirit could leave his body, Jo Gul’s sword slashed through the air again.

“Haaah!”

Jo Gul’s attack was so fast, it looked like he was splitting one sword strike into many.

“Y-you bastard!”

A huge man with a massive sword roared, his eyes full of anger as he put all his strength into his blade.

But.

*Whoosh!*

Before he could move his sword, Jo Gul’s sword struck him like lightning.

‘Huh?’

The giant’s eyes widened as Jo Gul’s sword stabbed into his side.

He felt terrible pain, but he tried to swing his greatsword with all his might. Or, at least, he tried to.

However.

*Crack!*

Jo Gul’s sword was faster, cutting through his shoulder and elbow. The greatsword, which he had pulled back with all his strength, stopped before he could even swing it.

Because his arm was cut, he lost control of his power, and it hurt him from inside. The pain of his insides being crushed washed over the giant.

Suddenly, a white sword stabbed into the giant’s open mouth.

Thwack!

He felt the sharp blade cutting through his flesh and bone. Then, everything went dark.

Thud!

The giant’s body fell backward.

“L-Leader!”

“The leader, defeated so quickly…”

Fear filled the eyes of those around him.

How many people had that dark, massive sword killed? How many bodies had it cut apart?

That greatsword, like a butcher’s knife, hadn’t even been swung properly. It seemed like it could destroy anything if it was swung.

“Ugh…”

The scene showed one thing clearly.

They were used to killing others easily, but this man was even faster and deadlier than they were. He knew how they would use their swords and how they would attack, as if he could read their minds.

That curly-haired young swordsman, that is.

“O-One Sword…”

*Crack!*

One Sword Splits the Light. Jo Gul’s sword stabbed the enemy’s neck. He didn’t even bother wiping the blood off his face. Jo Gul looked past the terrified enemies to the Wudang swordsmen, who were fighting back desperately. (Wudang swordsmen are another group of swordsmen.)

Jo Gul showed his blood-soaked teeth.

“Get out of the way! You Savage Ghost bastards!”

“Geol, don’t push yourself too hard!”

“When am I supposed to push myself if not now! Damn it!”

Jo Gul’s eyes were bloodshot as he jumped forward like a murderous demon. People called Jo Gul

“That guy, honestly…!”

Yoon Jong gritted his teeth and followed Jo Gul.

Tap!

As Yoon Jong jumped, he saw the shoulder of an enemy twitch beside him.

*Whoosh!*

The sword moved faster than he could think. They had fought the Savage Ghosts so many times. Their bodies knew what to do even before their minds did.

The sword blocked the spear that was flying towards Jo Gul’s side. Then, without stopping, it cut off the spearman’s wrist.

“Aaaah! My hand! My haaaand!”

*Whoosh!*

As if they had planned it, Jo Gul’s sword stabbed the screaming man’s neck.

Their bodies were covered in scars from the Savage Ghost Alliance. Each scar had taught them something. This was true for everyone there.

Ratatat!

The plum blossom sword energy, released by the Mount Hua swordsmen, sounded like hundreds of butterflies taking flight. It poured down on the enemies filling White Rock Cliff. (The plum blossom sword energy looked like a cloud of pink petals, each one shimmering like a tiny, sharp blade. It sounded like a hundred butterflies fluttering, but with an underlying hiss of danger.)

The beautiful sight turned the familiar Wudang Mountains into a scene from Mount Hua.

Fully bloomed plum blossoms swayed in the wind, and swirling plum blossom petals surrounded the bodies of the enemies.

“P-Plum Blossom Sword Formation!”

“Evade!”

They looked delicate and fragile, but did any of the Savage Ghosts not know that each of those petals hid the deadliest blade in the world?

The Savage Ghost Alliance screamed and tried to retreat, but the space was too crowded.

Scritch! Scritch! Scritch! Scritch!

The plum blossom sword energy stabbed into the bodies of the enemies.

The Savage Ghost Alliance screamed in pain as the sword energy tore through their flesh and bone.

“Euraaaah!”

Kwak Hwe charged past Yoon Jong, trying to stab the necks of the enemies who were thrashing around after being hit by the plum blossom sword energy, to make sure they were dead.

“Shut up!”

*Crack!*

Kwak Hwe twisted and swung the sword that had stabbed the neck, moving towards the enemies like a hungry snake.

It was a mean and deadly sword.

“Aaaaargh!”

A Savage Ghost screamed as he swung his sword at the blade flying towards him.

But.

*Whoosh!*

Instead of the clash of swords, there was only the sound of air being cut. Kwak Hwe’s sword, which had disappeared like a trick, reappeared in front of the Savage Ghost’s heart.

*Crack!*

The sword stabbed the enemy’s heart and then darted through the air, as if looking for its next victim.

It was very persistent and deceptive.

The Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Formation, designed to kill the enemy, was pushing the enemies back even more fiercely than the Savage Ghosts themselves.

“You bastard!”

A spearman, his eyes bloodshot, put all his power into his spear and thrust it towards Kwak Hwe.

Khaaaaa!

The spear, surrounded by air and with terrifying power, flew towards Kwak Hwe as if to tear him apart.

Kwaang!

“Sasuk!”

But Baek Cheon blocked the spear aimed at Kwak Hwe with one strike. He looked at the enemy and shouted.

“Don’t stop!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon’s eyes flashed.

“Let the enemies know that Mount Hua has arrived!”