Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 686

Maeng So, the Beast Palace Lord, had his arms crossed and a serious look on his face. He was thinking hard. After a moment, he spoke clearly.

“This is the first time I’ve met him,” he said.

Everyone looked at him, waiting to hear more.

“Everyone sees people in their own way. When I meet someone for the first time, I often think of an animal that feels similar to them.”

Tang Gunak remembered a past conversation with Cheong-myeong and the others. He looked at Maeng So with interest.

“That’s true. When you first saw me, you said I reminded you of a black leopard, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Oh, and I also thought of a large snake,” Maeng So replied.

“Hoo.”

Maeng So glanced at Tang Gunak and continued, “People usually think snakes are dangerous because they have venom. But while a small snake will show its fangs easily, a large snake rarely bothers people. Even if you poke it, it just moves away as if it’s annoyed.”

Hyun Jong watched Tang Gunak with a strange look in his eyes.

“When that snake hunts, even though it seems calm, it’s very fast. It catches its prey quickly, faster than many other animals, and swallows it whole. And once it’s full, it doesn’t hunt for months, becoming very lazy.”

Tang Gunak laughed, as if amused.

“Indeed, you haven’t changed. So, what about when you saw the Lord?”

“He was like a large bison, a leader bison.”

Everyone understood this statement easily.

Tang Gunak thought about Maeng So’s way of seeing people. He thought it made sense. Then, he suddenly frowned.

“Wait,” Tang Gunak said. “Didn’t you say before that the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua was like a snake?”

Maeng So hesitated for a moment. “…More like a fierce weasel now.”

“…”

Tang Gunak could only smile sadly at Maeng So’s expression, as if the Divine Dragon had dropped in rank.

“There’s some truth to that…” he mumbled.

“A weasel. A fierce weasel. A large, very large… house-sized weasel,” Maeng So repeated.

“…”

“With poison on its claws, spreading venom and snarling all the time…”

“That’s enough,” Tang Gunak interrupted.

He felt he had heard enough. He had to agree that weasels were incredibly fierce animals, despite how they looked.

At that moment, Maeng So’s smile turned a little bitter.

“But, when I saw Pae Gun this time…”

Everyone in the room waited for Maeng So to continue. They were very curious about what animal Maeng So thought of when he saw Jang Il-So.

“…Nothing came to mind. That’s why I’m afraid of him,” Maeng So admitted.

Tang Gunak’s expression became serious at Maeng So’s unexpected words.

Maeng So was as big as a mountain. It was hard to believe such a statement came from him.

However, Tang Gunak and Hyun Jong already understood Maeng So’s character. He was a very honest person and wouldn’t try to hide his weakness. Even though he looked big and maybe a little simple, Maeng So was actually very clever and calm.

“Jang Il-So is like a ferocious tiger in some ways, and like a cunning fox in others. He’s like a venomous snake with deadly poison, and sometimes like a giant elephant relaxing in the hot sun,” Maeng So explained.

Maeng So’s face twisted slightly.

“He’s like a peacock showing off its beautiful feathers, and also like a crocodile hiding in the water, waiting for its prey…”

At that moment, Cheong-myeong, who had been listening seriously, slyly asked Im So-byeong,

“What’s a crocodile?”

“…Do you really have to ask me that now?” Im So-byeong responded.

“Don’t you know?” Cheong-myeong asked.

“No,” Im So-byeong said.

“If you don’t know, is it the end of the world?” Cheong-myeong teased.

“…”

Im So-byeong’s heart hurt more than his face now. Just as he was about to complain loudly, Hyun Jong glared at Cheong-myeong fiercely. Startled, Cheong-myeong quickly changed the subject, shrinking back.

“But something’s strange,” Cheong-myeong said.

“What is it?” Hyun Jong asked.

“You said you didn’t see anything. But from what you’re saying, it seems like you saw too much, didn’t you?” Cheong-myeong pointed out.

Maeng So shook his head.

“I could see parts, but it didn’t match any animal. Something that couldn’t be found in animals stood out too clearly,” he explained.

“What is that?” Hyun Jong inquired.

“Desire,” Maeng So stated.

Those who heard Maeng So’s words nodded with serious faces.

“Of course, it’s not that animals don’t have greed. Sometimes they hunt too much, use the weak as toys, and do cruel things because there is no law or morality,” Maeng So continued.

“That’s harsh,” Cheong-myeong commented.

“That’s the truth,” Maeng So replied.

Maeng So remained calm. The Beast Palace had always seen animals as friends, but that didn’t mean they worshiped them.

“But no animal is as greedy as a human. I felt an enormous greed from Jang Il-So, a greed that was beyond comprehension. It was so strange. He was the first person I’ve seen who perfectly fits the term ‘incarnation of greed’.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Even though they had only faced him for a short time, Jang Il-So was definitely extraordinary.

“An incarnation of greed…” Tang Gunak repeated.

Tang Gunak stroked his chin. He didn’t show much expression, but his slightly furrowed brow showed his complicated feelings.

“I have met Jang Il-So once. That was the first time I had a real conversation with him, but…”

Tang Gunak groaned softly as he began to speak.

“The troublesome thing about Jang Il-So, in my opinion, is that he is unpredictable,” Tang Gunak stated.

“…Did you say unpredictable?” Hyun Jong asked.

“Yes,” Tang Gunak confirmed.

Tang Gunak remembered Jang Il-So’s appearance when he had visited Maninbang and during this meeting. He closed his eyes tightly.

“Everyone has a tendency. If you understand this, you can predict how they will act when something happens,” Tang Gunak explained.

“Hmm… That’s right,” Hyun Jong agreed.

“But that’s impossible with Jang Il-So,” Tang Gunak said.

Tang Gunak looked at everyone with a dark and gloomy gaze.

“I felt it during our previous meeting, and also when he came to Mount Hua this time… Jang Il-So’s actions are unpredictable. In other words, no one knows what he will do now that he has left Mount Hua,” Tang Gunak warned.

“…”

A heavy silence filled the room.

It was truly unsettling.

Various complex emotions swept through the hearts of those gathered, but the strongest feeling was definitely unease.

There was something about Jang Il-So that made everyone feel uneasy, something so great that even the leaders of each group couldn’t ignore it.

“First, we need to find out what he is planning. And we also need to figure out why he has only started to act now,” Tang Gunak said.

As soon as Tang Gunak finished speaking, everyone looked at Im So-byeong. He was the only one who could provide some answers right now.

Im So-byeong slowly rubbed his face.

Maybe it was worth the effort of questioning Gwa Chung-hyeol, because his face, which had looked like a swollen dumpling when he first arrived, had started to look normal again.

“Why now…” Im So-byeong repeated quietly.

Im So-byeong shook his head.

“It seems there will be a difference in how we see this,” he said.

“Can you explain what you mean?” Tang Gunak asked.

“Hmm…”

Im So-byeong hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully, then looked at everyone.

Im So-byeong stood before the assembled leaders. Dust motes danced in the single ray of sunlight that pierced the gloom of the meeting hall. He spoke calmly, his voice steady. “As you all know, there has been a long fight between the Myriad Man Clan and the Green Forest.”

A deep voice rumbled in agreement. “Indeed.”

Im So-byeong nodded slowly. “But that fight… it wasn’t the whole story. Neither the Myriad Man Clan nor the Green Forest really wanted to destroy each other completely. The Green Forest just needed an enemy to keep their own fighters in line. And the Myriad Man Clan also needed someone to fight against.”

Someone shifted in their seat, and a question cut through the air. “Why is that?”

Im So-byeong paused for a moment, then continued in the same calm tone. “Think about it. What would happen if the Myriad Man Clan crushed the Green Forest and took them over? What then?”

“The balance of the Five Supreme Powers of the Divine Province would be shattered.”

“Then who would stir?” Hyun Jong leaned forward, his eyes narrowing to slits as he listened intently. A small frown creased his brow, showing he was deeply worried by what he was hearing.

“The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

No one could truly understand Jang Il-so or guess what he would do next. But Im So-byeong could at least guess why Jang Il-so was acting this way. “Even a small pebble dropped into a calm lake can create big ripples. Though the worlds of the unorthodox and orthodox factions may differ, the Myriad Man Clan has grown too large and powerful to live without interaction. If they expand their influence further, they are bound to attract unwanted attention.”

“But then, how does the Cheonwoo Alliance fit into this picture?”

“Yes.”

Im So-byeong’s eyes darkened slightly. “Perhaps the one who welcomes the founding of the Cheonwoo Alliance the most is none other than Jang Il-so. Lighting a fire in a quiet forest will immediately draw attention. But who would care if you light a fire in a burning forest?”

“…”

“Whether a hero or a villain, they are ultimately born in times of chaos. On the other hand…” Im So-byeong stated sharply with cold eyes, “A villain who is not born in chaos can only rot away in a peaceful world. It may be fortunate for ordinary citizens, but it would be truly dreadful for someone like Jang Il-so.”

Chung Myung’s snort cut through the air, close to Im So-byeong’s ear. He leaned back, arms crossed, looking bored, but his eyes held a sharp glint.

The words that followed were full of anger. Everyone knew this was more than just being rude. “…Those who know nothing of chaos.”

Im So-byeong, who had been momentarily lost in thought, cleared his throat briefly and continued. “Jang Il-so’s goal can only be one thing: to stoke the fire even higher, and to drive the world into chaos. To create a world where he, and the Myriad Man Clan, can run wild without restraint.”

“…”

“I cannot, however, guess how he will do this.”

“Hmm.” Tang Gunak nodded slowly.

“The existence of the Cheonwoo Alliance… and his appearance within it, he thought it would make the chaos worse.”

“Yes. That is what I think, at least.”

“Chaos. Chaos, you say…” It was a reasonable explanation. No, it was almost certainly correct. The biggest concern was not being able to find a clear reason for Jang Il-so’s visit to Mount Hua, but if his purpose was simply to create chaos, then his actions were certainly understandable.

“Then…”

“Yes.”

Im So-byeong answered, knowing what Tang Gunak was about to say. “He will do something more. He certainly will.”

“…”

“He will increase the chaos even more, and based on that, he will try to do something. If it is Jang Il-so, that is.”

“Hmm.” Tang Gunak, with a dark expression, glanced at Chung Myung.

‘Strange.’

Normally, he would have shouted several times before the conversation even reached this point, but he was strangely silent, offering no particular opinion.

Anyone else would assume he was silent out of consideration for those present, but was Chung Myung ever that kind of person?

“Hwasan Divine Dragon.”

“Yes?”

When Tang Gunak cautiously asked, Chung Myung crossed his arms and spoke casually. “Well, I know that Jang Il-so or whatever that guy is, isn’t an ordinary fellow…”

“Hmm?”

“But is there really a need to be so concerned?”

“…”

“We already talked about the answer, remember? It means that guy needs the Cheonwoo Alliance.”

“Huh?”

“He needs chaos. Doesn’t that mean he needs a situation where the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families can’t fully commit their forces to the unorthodox faction?”

“…That would be the case.”

“Then that guy won’t interfere with the Cheonwoo Alliance for at least a while. From his perspective, the larger the Cheonwoo Alliance grows, the easier it will be to achieve his goals. So that’s that.”

“…”

Tang Gunak felt his energy drain away. He stared blankly at Chung Myung, his mind struggling to catch up.

This young Taoist priest had a habit of grasping the core of the matter too easily. The core that was hidden in a hazy fog, difficult to see.

Im So-byeong looked at Chung Myung and asked. “Is that all?”

“Yes?” His eyes were shining strangely.

“I sometimes think that the Hwasan Divine Dragon hides what he truly wants to say. Are you truly not worried because you don’t think Jang Il-so will be a problem for now?”

“…”

“Or is there something else that truly concerns you?”

Chung Myung sighed.

Im So-byeong was not the only one who thought that way. Chung Myung clicked his tongue at the searching looks.

“Well, I guess it’s time to talk about it.”

Chung Myung looked at everyone once and opened his mouth. “The Heavenly Demon will come.”

His expression, tone, and voice were all very calm. As if stating something that was sure to happen, there was no hesitation.

That was why it felt even more eerie.

“…The Heavenly Demon?” Tang Gunak stared at him, slightly stunned.

“What are you saying…”

“It’s just my thought for now, but I’m almost certain. The Heavenly Demon will definitely return.”

Tang Gunak, who rarely even got upset, turned pale in an instant. And Maeng So’s hands also began to tremble.