Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 665

The crowd swallowed hard, their gazes fixed on the mountain gate.

“The Ice Palace?!”

“They’re really coming.”

The crowd near the large, stone mountain gate of Mount Hua swallowed hard. All eyes were fixed on the entrance, waiting.

Along with the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, the Northern Sea Ice Palace was one of the Four Outer Palaces, reigning like a king in the Northern Sea.

After many years, they had finally come to Mount Hua.

Everyone knew that the Northern Sea Ice Palace was allied with the Heavenly Union. But it was much more important now that the Northern Sea Ice Palace had actually traveled all the way here from their distant home. This was a much bigger deal.

People watched eagerly. Then, the warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace appeared, walking through the opened path.

“…Oh.”

“Th-those people are from the Ice Palace…”

Everyone held their breath, not making a sound.

The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace’s arrival was shocking, but not scary. It was just new and interesting.

But the warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace felt very different.

‘They seem very focused and dangerous.’

‘Those are the famous swordsmen of the Northern Sea…’

The swordsmen of the Northern Sea Ice Palace were known for being as cold and sharp as the blizzards of the Northern Sea. The Ice Palace disciples showed that this was true.

The warriors wore long, white robes that flowed around them as they walked. Their faces were cold and serious, like ice. Seeing them march in perfect lines made everyone forget any doubts about the Northern Sea and just be amazed.

The Ice Palace had been away from the Central Plains for so long. Some people even wondered if they were still as important as the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families. But anyone who saw the Northern Sea Ice Palace now would have to agree that they were.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Resolute footsteps echoed.

They looked more like an army going to war than people coming to a friendly event. The crowd waited, holding their breath. Tension grew on the faces of those watching.

“Chung Myung Dojangnim!”

“Huh?”

The crowd looked around, confused by the sudden voice.

“A kid?”

“Why is there a kid there?”

A boy with a young face ran out from the warriors and sprinted towards the mountain gate.

“G-Grand Palace Lord! I told you that you must maintain your dignity…!”

Behind the boy, a middle-aged man followed, looking horrified.

‘What is this?’

Everyone was confused by what was happening and looked at them. But the boy didn’t seem to notice.

The boy, who had been running straight, stopped suddenly in front of one person.

“Haa… Huff, wheeze…! Chung Myung Dojangnim!”

Chung Myung chuckled as he looked at Seol Sobaek, who stood before him with a flushed face.

“You seem to have grown a bit?”

“Yes, Dojangnim!”

“Why did you come all the way out here? You could have just sent someone.”

“I tried to stop him.”

Han Imyeong, who had followed behind, sighed deeply.

“I said that I could come alone, but the Grand Palace Lord wanted to see Mount Hua for himself…”

Seol Sobaek turned sharply to Han Imyeong and said with a serious expression.

“How can we discuss a thousand-year plan without seeing with our own eyes what kind of place our allied sect is?”

Chung Myung saw this and said what he thought.

“Your tongue is still sharp.”

Very smooth.

“It’s really nice to see you again, Dojangnim!”

“Yes, yes. You’ve worked hard to come here.”

Chung Myung grinned and pointed behind him.

“But it seems like there’s something else you need to do right now?”

“Ah! That person… !”

Seol Sobaek nodded as if he knew. After waiting briefly for all the swordsmen behind him to enter the mountain gate, he took the lead and headed towards Hyun Jong.

Seeing this, Tang Gunak and Maeng So subtly stepped aside. They knew that a meeting between the Ice Palace and Mount Hua was needed.

Hyun Jong smiled slightly awkwardly. Seol Sobaek soon stood before him and made a grand gesture of respect.

“I am Seol Sobaek, Grand Palace Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. I greet the Head of the Mount Hua Sect!”

“Welcome, Grand Palace Lord. I have heard much about you.”

Hyun Jong looked at Seol Sobaek with warm eyes.

“You must have suffered many hardships traveling such a long distance from a remote land. I don’t know how I should thank you for you being here with us today.”

“Not at all, Head!”

Seol Sobaek raised his head sharply and shouted energetically.

“Compared to the grace that Mount Hua has shown to the Northern Sea, coming all the way here is not even a hardship.”

Seol Sobaek paused briefly and glanced at Han Imyeong.

Han Imyeong gave a small, almost hidden nod, as if he was directing Seol Sobaek from behind the scenes.

“First…”

Seol Sobaek took a breath and said decisively.

“The Northern Sea has received great grace from Mount Hua. Thanks to the Head sending the Mount Hua Five Swords to the Northern Sea, we were able to resolve the Northern Sea’s troubles and save its people. The spirit of Mount Hua, which even offered its own food to help the Northern Sea people, is still spoken of in the Northern Sea!”

Chung Myung flinched slightly and looked at Han Imyeong, who wore a subtle, ambiguous smile.

‘He made him do it.’

That man, that… Aigo, this.

“And… and!” Seol Sobaek continued, his voice a little less loud now. Those who knew Seol Sobaek well would be able to notice the awkwardness, but most of the people here were seeing Seol Sobaek for the first time, so there was no way for them to know what was strange.

“Above all, the Northern Sea will never forget that we were able to prevent the evil plan of the Demonic Sect with the help of Mount Hua.”

Then, those who were listening around looked at each other with blank faces.

“Why is the Demonic Sect coming up here?”

Demonic Sect.

Even if they didn’t understand the other words, they heard that word clearly. It was a word that anyone living in the Jianghu could not miss.

“The Demonic Sect appeared in the Northern Sea?”

“Is he saying that Mount Hua helped the Ice Palace to stop the Demonic Sect?”

“That Demonic Sect?”

“Well, they must be remnants.”

“No, no! Even if it’s just remnants, stopping the Demonic Sect is still amazing! But why didn’t anyone in the Central Plains know about this?”

“Well, the people of the Northern Sea haven’t been to the Central Plains until now, so they haven’t talked to people here. Even if they wanted to tell the story, they didn’t have a chance.”

“So, Mount Hua did something so great and didn’t brag about it at all?”

“M-Maybe that’s how it is?”

Everyone looked at Hyun Jong and Seol So-baek in disbelief. It was hard to believe.

But even though Seol So-baek was young, the Ice Palace Lord of the Northern Sea wouldn’t lie in front of so many people.

Even though Seol So-baek was young, Han Yi-myeong and the strong swordmasters from the Ice Palace stood behind him. They had a powerful presence.

“Taoists are supposed to be humble and not brag. But still… to do something so big and say nothing about it.”

“If the Ice Palace Lord hadn’t said something, we would have never known.”

“Amazing. Truly amazing.”

Seol So-baek’s shoulders stiffened as he heard the crowd murmuring.

“The Northern Sea does not forget kindness. Everyone in the Northern Sea will remember what Mount Hua did and will repay them.”

As Seol So-baek tried to bow again, Hyun Jong reached out and gently took his hand, smiling kindly.

“I’ve heard…”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“That the disciples and the people of the Ice Palace have become friends. Is that right?”

“Yes, Sect Leader. We are proud to call ourselves friends of Mount Hua.”

Hyun Jong nodded.

“Then there’s no need to talk about favors. What’s the point of talking about ‘grace’ between friends? We believe in each other, that’s what matters.”

“Sect Leader…”

“Welcome. You are truly welcome.”

Seol So-baek, who had been looking at Hyun Jong with slightly confused eyes, soon smiled. Hyun Jong gently led him forward.

“Let’s go inside. It seems like we have many stories to share.”

Seol So-baek glanced back, and Han Yi-myeong nodded.

“Go ahead, Palace Lord. Leave the outside matters to me.”

“Then I’ll ask for your help, Chief Manager.”

“This way.”

Hyun Jong, Tang Gun-ak, Maeng So, and Seol So-baek walked towards the Sect Leader’s residence, chatting happily.

Even after they disappeared, the crowd was still shocked.

But that was only true for those who had come without a specific reason. Those who had come to Mount Hua with a purpose were whispering with serious faces.

“Elder, the bond between Mount Hua and the Seoe Mun factions seems stronger than we thought.”

“…Indeed.”

Paeng Ak’s face became stone. *This changes everything,* he thought, his eyes fixed on the Sect Leader’s residence. *Mount Hua is not just strong, they are clever.*

The Cheonwoo Alliance was a very strange place.

It included Mount Hua, which had been one of the Nine Great Sects; the Sichuan Tang Family, a member of the Five Great Families; and the Nammah Yasu Palace and Bukhae Ice Palace, two of the Four Great Overseas Palaces.

Even if the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families weren’t enemies, they were a little awkward with each other. And their relationship with the Four Great Overseas Palaces was so bad that they could easily be called rivals.

But groups from these three powers had come together to form one alliance.

‘I thought the trade route connecting Yunnan, the Central Plains, and the Northern Sea was the most important thing about this alliance.’

Money can make anything happen. If there’s a lot of profit, even enemies can work together.

So, he thought the Cheonwoo Alliance was just an example of that.

But those who were watching now had to change their minds.

“The Tang Family didn’t just put Mount Hua in charge as a figurehead. Mount Hua is really the center of the Cheonwoo Alliance, not the Tang Family.”

This was a bigger deal than he thought.

People who join for money will leave quickly when the money stops. But people who are loyal will always help each other, even when things are hard.

“Send a message to the main sect. I think we need to tell them about this.”

“Yes!”

Paeng Ak, after giving the order, listened quietly. The crowd was now talking loudly about what had happened.

“So, according to the Yasu Palace Lord, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of Mount Hua saved Yunnan in the past?”

“Come on. How could that be? How would the people of Yunnan know something that we don’t?”

“Have you ever heard such nonsense! Would the Palace Lord of the Nammah Yasu Palace bow so respectfully to the Sect Leader of Mount Hua for something that might not even be true?”

“…Isn’t it just for show?”

“The Nammah Yasu Palace bows to Mount Hua just to put on a show? What does the Yasu Palace lack compared to Mount Hua!”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…”

“The Yasu Palace is a group that doesn’t forget its grudges, even when they’re starving. That’s why they stopped trading with the Central Plains for almost a hundred years! Would such a group lie and bow down in front of others just for money? Don’t say such ridiculous things!”

“…Then that means it’s all true. Then what kind of person was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?”

Some were busy talking about the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

“The Demonic Sect… Goodness, are there still remnants of the Demonic Sect left?”

“Even if the Central Plains doesn’t have them, it’s possible in the Northern Sea. The Northern Sea is huge and vast.”

“Even if it’s just remnants, it’s the Demonic Sect! Dealing with the remnants of the Demonic Sect is a great achievement! And they’ve been quiet about it until now?”

“That’s Mount Hua for you! They stopped the Green Forest’s Daebyeolchae and gave all the money to the people around them.”

“Huhu… Chivalry, is it? In this world?”

Paeng Ak, who had been listening to all the whispers, sighed softly.

‘It seems news will travel as fast as the wind.’

The words of the Yasu Palace and the Ice Palace were sure to grab people’s attention.

Those gathered here were either leaders of different groups or people who were so interested in the history of the Kangho that they came all the way here even if they didn’t need to.

Since they all heard it, the effect would be huge.

‘If this was planned…’

Paeng Ak’s eyes sharply focused on the Sect Leader’s residence.

‘Mount Hua is a more terrifying group than I thought… No, I should say that the Cheonwoo Alliance is a more terrifying place than I thought.’

He had to completely rethink his view of the Cheonwoo Alliance.

“Hee hee hee hee.”

“…”

But Paeng Ak turned his head slightly at the sound of laughter that suddenly came from nowhere.

The Divine Dragon of Mount Hua was cackling with a wicked look on his face.

“That’s why people should live virtuously. Hee hee hee hee.”

“…”

A cold feeling went down Paeng Ak’s spine. Chung Myung’s laugh didn’t sound like simple joy. It sounded like… a plan.