Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 687

“…The Heavenly Demon, you say….”

The room was very quiet. Tang Gunak spoke, his voice sounding like a groan.

“Do you know what you’re saying right now?”

“Of course, I know.”

“He’s already dead. He died over a hundred years ago!”

“Yes, I know.”

Chung Myung knew this very well. After all, he was the one who had killed the Heavenly Demon.

“How can a dead man return?”

Chung Myung subtly turned his head to look at Seol So-baek.

He thought it would be better to hear this story from Seol So-baek. Noticing Chung Myung’s intention, Seol So-baek silently nodded.

“I will tell you more about what happened in the Northern Sea.”

Slightly nervous, Seol So-baek slowly began to speak.

A short while later, after hearing the explanation, Tang Gunak and Maeng So’s faces were frozen. They had heard that Chung Myung fought against the Demonic Sect in the Northern Sea, but this was the first time they had heard such detailed circumstances.

“The Heavenly Demon… coming back to life?” Maeng So’s brow furrowed deeply, lines appearing on his forehead like cracks in dry earth. His voice rumbled in his chest, low and dangerous, like a caged beast. “Can that really happen? Someone dead… returning?”

“Yes.” Chung Myung sighed briefly and said, “As you all know, ‘Heavenly Demon’ isn’t just one name in our history. It’s been used for many leaders.”

“That’s right. The term Heavenly Demon is ultimately a symbolic word referring to the leader and head of the Demonic Sect.”

“Yes. But….”

Chung Myung sighed briefly and said.

“Maybe ‘Heavenly Demon’ is more than just a title. Maybe the same person has been coming back to life again and again.”

“…No, that’s absurd….”

Maeng So shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe such a thing could be possible.

Of course, Chung Myung understood Maeng So. If he hadn’t experienced this resurrection himself, he would have dismissed it as nonsense and moved on.

But Chung Myung had no choice but to believe this fact.

The event he experienced firsthand.

The Demonic Sect’s bishop performed a soul-summoning ritual, sacrificing everything, only for it to fail.

And above all….

– Remember, disciple of Hwasan. This is not the end. The Demonic will return again. At that time, the true Demonic world will open. A Demonic world that no one can stop….

‘The Heavenly Demon’s last words.’

At the time, he thought it was nothing more than the curse of a dying man. But thinking about it now, it was significant.

“If you ask me to provide clear evidence, I honestly have nothing to say.”

“Hmm….”

“I can’t be sure that I’m right either. But in my opinion, the Heavenly Demon has already been resurrected. Then the same thing as in the past will happen again.”

Tang Gunak bit his lower lip tightly.

‘That terrible thing again….’

The Righteous-Demonic War.

The Demonic Sect War.

There were so many names for that war.

Generally, major wars have clear names. But people didn’t want to talk about how awful the war was. So, they didn’t even give it a proper name.

Another terrible war, so gruesome that it was unsettling even to mention, was about to break out again?

“The Heavenly Demon…. Yes. If the Heavenly Demon returns, that’s what will happen. In the first place, we didn’t annihilate the Demonic Sect. The Demonic Sect members who lost the Heavenly Demon simply retreated like a receding tide and disappeared.”

“And they burned Hwasan once before that.”

“Hmm.”

Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung with a bitter face and asked.

“So, what do you think we should do?”

“Do you believe it?”

“Of course, I do.”

He thought it would take a long time to persuade them. He even thought that they might not believe him until the end and would return. But Tang Gunak’s words were calm and without doubt.

“Everyone here believes in you and gathered here. If we don’t believe your words, whose words would we believe?”

“….”

“People from Sichuan do not easily give their trust, but once they give it, they do not doubt it. There is no reason for you to threaten us with lies.”

Hearing those words, Maeng So also nodded.

“I think the same.”

“….”

“It was difficult to believe at first because it was such an absurd story… but what the Dang Family Head said is right. If it’s the Hwasan Divine Dragon’s words, there must be a reason and a basis.”

Seol So-baek quickly opened his mouth.

“Of course, I believe the Northern Sea. Because I experienced it.”

Chung Myung stared intently at the three people before turning his gaze to Hyun Jong. Then Hyun Jong smiled and nodded.

“Continue.”

Chung Myung was somehow filled with a strange feeling.

In the past, he was stronger than he could ever be now. But his words and actions were not as trusted as they were now.

Even at the end of the war, there might have been those who blindly worshipped his strength, but there were few who believed his words implicitly.

Even in Hwasan, where he belonged.

But now, the heads of each sect, who should be more cautious than anyone else, were saying that they believed his words without clear evidence.

Chung Myung couldn’t exactly know what he had shown in this life that he had regained, that made them say this. However… the trust these people gave him filled a corner of his heart.

“…What do you think was the reason for creating the Cheonwu Alliance?” Chung Myung calmed his slightly trembling voice.

Everyone answered silently.

“The trade route from the Northern Sea to Yunnan is one reason. Growing stronger in the west of the Central Plains is another. These things help each group grow and make up for their weaknesses.”

“There’s also the overturning of the existing system represented by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.”

“The Saeoeo Palace too.”

All were correct. But Chung Myung spoke slowly.

“Of course. But… in fact, none of that is a reason for me. There’s only one real reason.”

His eyes shone firmly.

“Surviving.”

“….”

“A big wave is coming. A wave bigger than anything we’ve ever experienced, incomparable to anything else. It’s impossible to withstand it alone. We have to hold each other, grab those who are trying to be pushed out, and grit our teeth to survive.”

Then Tang Gunak muttered.

“That big wave… is the Demonic Sect.”

“Yes.”

“It could also be the fire that Jang Il-so ignites.”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung’s voice, strong and clear, cut through the air. Everyone turned to him.

“It’s like everything else,” he said. “This Cheonwoo Alliance… it could make things worse, like pouring oil on a fire. It might make the danger even bigger.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over their faces. “But we can’t just sit here and do nothing. We know what happens when you are too relaxed and happy with things as they are. We learned that lesson before, didn’t we? We know the price we paid.”

It wasn’t just Mount Hua that suffered from the scars of that war.

The four great sects present had each suffered significant damage from the Demonic Sect.

“Trusting each other is not just a nice idea,” Chung Myung continued. “We will need to fight side-by-side soon.”

Everyone felt the tension.

They all knew that Chung Myung rarely spoke so seriously. His words felt very important.

“That’s the kind of resolve we need.”

Meanwhile, Chung Myung realized his perspective had changed.

At first, Chung Myung thought the alliance would protect Mount Hua, taking the damage for them. But now, he no longer saw these three sects as just shields.

In his heart, the Cheonwoo Alliance had become a true alliance. A friend to protect Mount Hua and him, and one he had to protect.

Then, Maeng So stroked his chin and said,

“I thought we could just create an alliance and get some benefits, but things are getting a bit complicated.”

He chuckled, then looked at Chung Myung with determined eyes.

“When do you think this will happen?”

“It won’t take years. No, maybe it’ll be tomorrow.”

“Years… No, maybe it’ll be in a few days…”

Maeng So thought for a moment, organizing his thoughts, and then nodded clearly.

“Then there’s only one thing we need to discuss now.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Planning the long-term future of the alliance is not my job. That’s for the alliance leader and the Tang Clan leader. I only have one thing to do: what does the Beast Palace need to do right now to survive that great wave?”

“Hmm.”

“I will focus on making the Beast Palace stronger from this moment on. Strengthening the Beast Palace is the most important thing.”

It might sound a bit selfish, but Maeng So’s next words silenced even Chung Myung.

“If we don’t, it will only be a repeat of the past. In the past, the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was saved by Mount Hua and the Plum Blossom Sword Saint! So this time!”

He looked at Hyun Jong and Chung Myung with blazing eyes.

“The Beast Palace will protect Mount Hua.”

Chung Myung bit his lip silently.

What he had done in the past, what Mount Hua had protected, was not meaningless.

“The same goes for the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”

“……”

Seol So-baek spoke with a determined face.

“The Northern Sea Ice Palace dares not say that it will protect Mount Hua. I know our power is not that great. But…”

Her gaze was too firm and upright for a child.

“The Ice Palace will fight at the front and retreat last. We will prove that our spirit is second to none.”

But Hyun Jong, who was listening, shook his head.

“It’s not about protecting.”

“……”

“It’s fighting together. That’s what brothers are for.”

“Then the conclusion is simple.”

Tang Gunak opened his mouth with a smile.

“The strong survive. That is always true. However, from now on, instead of just training, we must train for real combat.”

“We should also prepare for the sects to work together.”

“Also…”

Maeng So added.

“The more people, the better. We should look for more places to join the Cheonwoo Alliance.”

“Oh! Why look so far away! The Green Forest is right here!”

Maeng So glanced at Im So-byeong and said indifferently.

“I’m talking about a place we can trust.”

“If you look at me, you’ll see trust…”

“A bandit should be quiet.”

“……Yes.”

Im So-byeong, who had become sad, became quiet again. Then Maeng So spoke with a slightly serious face.

“There is one thing you must keep in mind.”

“Yes?”

“If the terrible event of the Demonic Sect’s invasion happens again, it will be much worse than the last war. In the past, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint stopped the Heavenly Demon, but this time, there is no one who can do that.”

“……”

“If the Heavenly Demon returns with the same power as in the past… we may have to fight a battle we cannot win. Because he is the Heavenly Demon.”

Everyone nodded with dark faces.

The greatest demon of all time.

One who was human but more than human.

His name is like a scar in the minds of those who live in the Jianghu. How can one be calm when they hear that name? But then Chung Myung said calmly,

“But we stopped him once.”

“Hmm?”

“So we can stop him this time too. That’s what the Cheonwoo Alliance is for.”

At those words, Maeng So smiled slightly.

‘Mount Hua…’

In the past, the Beast Palace was saved by the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of Mount Hua. And now, for some reason, he had a feeling that he would be saved by this small Mount Hua swordsman.

“Of course, we have to!”

“You must remember. Brothers who die together is meaningless. It only has meaning if we live together.”

“……”

It was as if the words, meant to encourage them, carried a heavy weight. Everyone listened closely to Chung Myung’s words.

Chung Myung reached out his hand.

Tang Gunak smiled and covered his hand with his own.

Maeng So also immediately placed his thick hand on top of it.

Seol So-baek’s small hand came up, and Hyun Jong’s wrinkled hand was placed on top of it.

Im So-byeong, who was watching, smiled awkwardly and put his hand underneath Chung Myung’s.

“Not dying together.”

“Surviving together.”

Strength filled their clasped hands.

“Definitely!”

After a long time of preparing and talking, it was the moment when the Cheonwoo Alliance finally found its true meaning and began to rely on each other.