Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 683

A hum echoed. It was a strange, tuneless sound.

Around them, the volcano was a soft blue color. The hum, against this peaceful background, almost felt calm.

It *would* have been calm, if anyone else was humming. But it was Jang Il-so.

Hoga-myung carefully walked toward him as he hummed. Jang Il-so seemed happy as he walked down the mountain.

“Lord.”

“Hmm?”

Jang Il-so turned to Hoga-myung, his pale eyes gleaming.

“Why do you ask?”

“Lord… if you don’t mind, could I ask you something?”

“Questions again, Ga-myung? You’re always so serious. Go on, ask. When have I ever said no to your questions?”

Of course, he never had.

Jang Il-so was a great tyrant. He was naturally cruel. His moods changed quickly, and he was like a monster who enjoyed hurting people.

Yet, Jang Il-so always let people speak their minds.

He believed: ‘A king doesn’t fall because he does bad things. He falls because he stops listening to people.’ Jang Il-so thought that even a terrible king could stay in power if he listened.

He was a tyrant who always listened.

Jang Il-so was strange. He was both a cruel tyrant *and* someone who listened. These two things seemed impossible to put together, but Jang Il-so did.

“Lord.”

Hoga-myung took a short, deep breath and asked:

“I don’t understand why you came here in person.”

“Hmm?”

Jang Il-so smiled.

“Why? Do you think I’ve wasted my time?”

“How could I judge your actions, Lord?”

“So, you think it looks that way anyway?”

Even though the question could have been rude, Jang Il-so didn’t seem angry. He just clicked his tongue with a joyful face.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Ga-myung, Ga-myung.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“That’s your problem.”

He put his hands behind his back and walked toward the bottom of the mountain, continuing to speak.

“You are much better than me at making plans and figuring out what to gain.”

“…”

“But…”

A large smile spread across his face as he spoke. He was like a child who had found a very interesting toy and was so excited he didn’t know what to do.

“But you always miss one thing. The good things you see right now are not all that matters. You have to be ready to lose something now to get something bigger later. And sometimes, you have to work hard even if it doesn’t help right away, for something in the future.”

“…Do you think today’s visit will help the Myriad Man House?”

At that question, Jang Il-so glanced at the peak. His gaze was mocking.

“If it wasn’t important, would I have even come to this old, smelly temple?”

“…”

“Ga-myung, Ga-myung.”

Jang Il-so looked at Hoga-myung and smiled softly.

“What do you think the powerful Nine Sects and Five Great Families think about the Cheonwu Alliance? Do they see it as a problem?”

“Well… like a thorn in their side.”

“Yes. Only to that extent.”

The power of the Cheonwu Alliance could not be ignored. But until now, the Nine Sects and Five Great Families had faced stronger groups than the Cheonwu Alliance. And they had always won.

They would be careful, but they wouldn’t be afraid of the Cheonwu Alliance.

“Do you know what people who are afraid of change do when they first sense it?”

“Wouldn’t they try to stop that change?”

“Wrong.”

Jang Il-so gently waved his hand, glittering with various ornaments.

“When people are afraid of change, they just wait. They wait to see what will happen when things they don’t understand start to change around them.”

“…”

“They never move until it becomes clear what this change is and how it will flow.”

“Ah…”

Hoga-myung nodded.

He realized that the prestigious families like the Nine Sects and Five Great Families did act that way.

“Do you know what makes those people move?”

“…I do not know.”

“Fear.”

“…”

Hoga-myung couldn’t answer. He saw a flash of blue murderous intent in Jang Il-so’s eyes.

“They fear it will be too late if they wait longer. They fear losing everything they have now. They fear being pushed down and laughed at by people they hate!”

Twisted desire flickered in Jang Il-so’s eyes.

“When that fear is present, the strong who were relaxed become petty, and the merciful strong find fault. And if that doesn’t solve it…!”

Jang Il-so’s red lips widened. At the same time, his feet stomped on the ground.

“They call for blood.”

His words came out sharp and fast, like he was biting them off. His voice was strange and made Hoga-myung’s ears ring.

Hoga-myung swallowed hard at the thrill and tension that filled his body. But then, Jang Il-so spoke again in a relaxed voice.

“Well, it won’t happen right away, though.”

“…”

“I just kicked their butts. Saying that if they’re so relaxed, they might get eaten by the Cheonwu Alliance.”

Hoga-myung had a question.

“But if they do that…”

But he stopped talking. He wasn’t sure if Jang Il-so’s actions would really make the Nine Sects and Five Great Families move. But he didn’t want to say that, because it would sound like he was doubting Jang Il-so.

Jang Il-so explained as if he understood.

“Ga-myung.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“You know, people? What you see changes when your position changes.”

“…”

“What reason do they have to fear the Cheonwu Alliance?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Even though four strong groups have joined together, isn’t the Cheonwu Alliance still weaker than the Nine Sects, the One Gang, and the Five Great Families?”

“That’s right. You’re right. But you see.”

Jang Il-so gave a meaningful smile.

“Let’s say another sect joins that Cheonwu Alliance. For example… yes, the Green Forest.”

“Yes.”

“Would the Nine Sects change then?”

“What if the Qingcheng or Emei sects in the West, or even Kunlun, joined the Heavenly Union?”

Ho Gamyeong thought about this and then became quiet.

“The Nine Great Sects are the Nine Great Sects. Yes, they are just the Nine Great Sects and One Union. They won’t change much, even after a thousand years. Ten sects. This is a rule that can’t be broken.”

“Yes.”

“But the Heavenly Union is different. It can grow as much as it wants.” Jang Il-so’s face twisted.

“There are no limits to how big it can get. Sects that used to be part of the Nine Great Sects! Sects that are now part of the Five Great Clans. Even sects that were once part of the Four Outer Palaces. Even those who were once part of the Demonic Sect can join the Heavenly Union!”

“⋯⋯.”

“What does the Green Forest mean to them? What does it mean that I went to visit?”

Ho Gamyeong’s face hardened. He realized how scary Jang Il-so could be.

Actually, Jang Il-so hadn’t done anything.

He had just given a gift, made a suggestion that probably wouldn’t be accepted, said a few words, and left. It was nothing, really.

But…

Would people who heard about it see it that way? Would they believe Jang Il-so visited Mount Hua for no reason?

They would think that was impossible.

Before, they would never have imagined the Heavenly Union working with Jang Il-so, but now things were different.

Something they thought impossible was now a possibility, even if it was a small one.

Could they ignore that?

“You know, Gamyeong-ah,” Jang Il-so said, leaning back with a small smile, his voice soft. “Big scares? They aren’t so bad. People forget them quickly. Like a bad dream you wake up from, and then it’s gone.”

“Yes, Chief,” Ho Gamyeong said slowly, watching Jang Il-so carefully. His heart was still beating fast from their earlier talk.

Jang Il-so’s smile faded a little. “No,” he said, looking past Ho Gamyeong as if seeing something far away. “The *real* fear… it’s like a tiny itch. You’re lying in your warm bed, all cozy, and then… *tickle*… at the bottom of your foot.” He wiggled his fingers as if something was crawling there. “Just a little thing at first. You try to ignore it.”

Ho Gamyeong stayed silent, feeling uneasy just listening to Jang Il-so.

“But,” Jang Il-so whispered, “that little tickle… if you ignore it… it grows. It gets bigger and bigger. Until it’s not just an itch anymore. It’s… fear.”

Jang Il-so had made a small crack by showing up at Mount Hua.

‘Besides, the Heavenly Union and the Nine Great Sects don’t get along anyway.’

It didn’t matter if Jang Il-so created the problem or just made a hidden problem worse. Either way, the problem would now grow bigger because of the sects themselves.

“Well, they might try to ignore it. But… even if they can ignore everything else, they won’t be able to ignore the fact that the Green Forest King was there. That would mean the Heavenly Union could work with the Demonic Sect.”

Ho Gamyeong looked at Jang Il-so, admiring him even more.

“Did you know Im So-byeong was there?”

“Uh, of course not.”

“Yes?”

Jang Il-so replied, looking indifferent. “I’m not a god, how would I know where he is?”

“Then?”

“It didn’t matter if he was there or not. I had already sent someone to Mount Hua to show their face for him. But when I saw him, I just changed what I said.”

“⋯⋯.”

“I feel sorry for him. He looked like he had bitten into a lemon! Haha!”

Jang Il-so spread his arms wide. His sleeves, embroidered with splendor, fluttered.

“Did you see the atmosphere?”

“Yes.”

“Change brings hope, but it also brings fear.”

“⋯⋯.”

“I just kindly showed reality to those who were clueless and excited. I told them that unpredictable things would happen from now on. Now, those who were there won’t be happy about the Heavenly Union.”

“⋯⋯.”

“The Nine Great Sects! The Five Great Clans! Everyone who was there! Even the idiots who were just eating! Everyone will know that the peace they have now won’t last! Their worry will create suspicion, and that suspicion will lead to fighting.”

Ho Gamyeong’s body trembled.

“We are just…”

Jang Il-so lowered his arms and smiled brightly, as if he hadn’t said anything.

“All we have to do is take advantage of the chaos. Do you understand, Gamyeong-ah?”

“Yes, Chief.”

Ho Gamyeong couldn’t fully understand what Jang Il-so was planning or what he was hiding.

Ho Gamyeong shouldn’t know all of Jang Il-so’s thoughts, and Jang Il-so shouldn’t understand all of Ho Gamyeong’s thoughts either. If they shared the same thoughts, one of them would become useless.

“But I’m worried about one thing…”

“Hmm?”

“Will Mount Hua be able to do what it needs to do?”

“⋯⋯.”

Jang Il-so didn’t answer right away.

“That’s why I came to check.”

“Yes?”

“A force is just a group of people. It’s silly to make plans without seeing the people in that group. I don’t believe anything I haven’t seen myself.”

Jang Il-so muttered to himself, then laughed softly.

“Mount Hua… Yes, Mount Hua. The Divine Dragon of Mount Hua.”

He rolled up his sleeves. When he mentioned the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua, he got goosebumps.

“I would have messed things up if I hadn’t come. Yes, you have to see things like that for yourself. You can never know what kind of beast you’re dealing with until you see it!”

Ho Gamyeong stared at Jang Il-so, a little dazed. There was a strange look on his face that he hadn’t seen before.

Ho Gamyeong had worked for Jang Il-so for a long time, but he had never seen him look like that.

‘What on earth…’

The Divine Dragon of Mount Hua’s reputation was shaking the world, but he was still just a young Taoist. Compared to Jang Il-so, he was like a puppy.

Ho Gamyeong couldn’t guess what Jang Il-so had seen in the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua to make him react like that.

“You asked if Mount Hua would be able to do what it needs to do?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t really know. Whether they will only do what they have to do…”

Looking at the distant peaks of Mount Hua, Jang Il-so’s eyes flashed. He couldn’t hold back his laughter and said excitedly,

“Or… whether they will set the world on fire!”

“⋯⋯.”

“Haha! It will be fun to watch.”

Ho Gamyeong stopped and stared at Jang Il-so’s back as he walked on. Then, he looked up at the peaks of Mount Hua that Jang Il-so had been looking at.

He couldn’t guess all of Jang Il-so’s thoughts, but he knew one thing for sure.

No sect in the world, no one, had ever survived making Jang Il-so an enemy.

He could almost see the halls of Mount Hua burning brightly and turning to ashes.

‘What can we do?’

Of course, it wasn’t their fault. It’s just that their opponent was terribly strong.

Because the Overlord, Jang Il-so, was that kind of person.