Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 785

“Heads down! Now!” a warrior shouted. “Anyone who moves will be killed!” The pirates, chained together with heavy iron, knelt on the ground, heads lowered. Warriors from Mount Hua stood around them, their faces hard and their eyes cold.

Heo Do-jin looked around at the scene, his face grim. ‘This is awful,’ he thought, his stomach turning. The smell of blood was thick in the air, making it hard to breathe. He had been a warrior of Mount Hua for many years, gone on many brave adventures, and fought in many battles. But even *he* felt sick at the sight of so much death.

‘My students are not fighting as well as they should be,’ Heo Do-jin thought, frowning. This small group of pirates should have been defeated quickly, in less than an hour. It wasn’t that he thought Mount Hua was too strong. It was just obvious that Mount Hua was much stronger than these pirates. But it had taken them much longer than an hour – almost two hours! ‘They need more real fighting practice,’ he realized.

“It’s lucky we fought these weaker pirates first,” he thought. If they had faced a big group of pirates without knowing this problem, some of his students would have been hurt, or even killed. He knew people might get hurt in fights, but as the leader, he wanted to keep everyone as safe as possible.

“We’ve captured them all, Head,” Heo San-ja said. Heo Do-jin nodded. “Good. Hand the pirates over to the local officials. Take the treasure from their hideout and give it to the people in town. If we can find who owns the stolen things, give them back.” Even as he said this, Heo Do-jin smiled to himself, a little embarrassed. ‘This is exactly what Mount Hua would do,’ he thought. Everyone would think they were copying the famous Mount Hua Sect. But he didn’t care. Being compared to Mount Hua was better than doing nothing at all to help people.

“Head,” Heo San-ja said, his voice hesitant. “There’s… something wrong.”

“Wrong?” Heo Do-jin frowned, turning to him. “What is it?”

Heo San-ja hesitated again, then said, “We searched the pirates’ storage place… and… there’s not much treasure.”

Heo Do-jin stared at him. “Not much? What do you mean, ‘not much’?”

“Just… not much,” Heo San-ja repeated, swallowing nervously. “The people of Wuhan said these pirates have been attacking boats on the Yangtze River a lot lately. They said many people have lost a lot of valuable things… but these pirates don’t have much treasure here.”

Heo Do-jin was silent for a moment, thinking. Heo San-ja continued, “We questioned the pirates. They say they didn’t steal anything like that.”

“Not *these* pirates?” Heo Do-jin asked, surprised.

“It seems so,” Heo San-ja replied. “And they say they don’t know who *is* attacking the boats.”

Heo Do-jin closed his mouth, his mind racing. After a long pause, he said slowly, “The simplest explanation is… there are just two groups of pirates.”

“Yes,” Heo San-ja agreed.

“But… if not…” Heo Do-jin stopped, not wanting to say it out loud. ‘Someone planned this,’ he thought, a cold feeling in his stomach. This wasn’t just about pirates. It could mean someone was trying to trick Mount Hua, to make them look foolish.

“What should we do now, Head?” Heo San-ja asked.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Heo Do-jin said, shaking his head slightly. “Whether we made a mistake, or caught the wrong pirates, or if someone is trying to trick us – it doesn’t matter. What matters is we came here to help people who are suffering from pirates.”

Heo San-ja was silent for a moment. “Gather all the treasure we found and give it to the people,” Heo Do-jin continued.

“But… there isn’t much,” Heo San-ja said, worried. “People have lost a lot. They might be disappointed if we only give them a little.”

“Just tell them we will find the other pirates soon,” Heo Do-jin said firmly.

“Understood,” Heo San-ja said, bowing deeply and walking away. Heo Do-jin was left alone, a knot of worry tightening in his chest.

‘A plan against the Yangtze River pirates?’ Heo Do-jin thought, his mind racing. The Yangtze River was huge, but who could be powerful enough to pretend to be pirates and trick *real* pirates without them noticing? Heo Do-jin thought of a few powerful groups, but quickly pushed those thoughts away. ‘It doesn’t matter who it is,’ he decided. Whatever their plan was, Mount Hua would not be stopped. They would keep going, even if it was dangerous. But…

“If someone is playing games with us,” he muttered to himself, his voice low and angry, “they will regret it.” He turned sharply, a sudden chill in the air, and walked away quickly, his mind troubled.

“Amitabha!” A powerful Buddhist chant echoed across the river. *Oooooong!* The sound of a musical instrument, like a zither, filled the air, vibrating like a swarm of angry bees. “Run! Shaolin!” pirates screamed, their eyes wide with fear. A monk in bright yellow robes stood tall, a symbol of immense power in this world. For those who were friends, Shaolin monks were a great help. But for enemies, there was nothing more terrifying. Everyone knew that yellow robes meant Shaolin Temple. Shaolin, the temple with a thousand-year history. No one could ignore that name. Even if all the pirate groups on the Yangtze River joined together, they might not be able to defeat Shaolin. For a small pirate group to fight Shaolin was impossible. The pirates knew this instantly. As soon as they saw the yellow robes, they gave up. They turned and ran, screaming, desperate to escape.

Beopgye watched the pirates run, his eyes narrowing slightly. ‘I understand why the Abbot sent us,’ he thought, ‘but…’ It seemed like a waste of Shaolin’s strength to deal with such weak pirates. Of course, it was important to do what was right and stop evil. But it took a lot of time to travel all the way to the Yangtze River and back. Fighting these small pirates wouldn’t make the Shaolin monks any stronger.

“Amitabha,” Beopgye murmured. “The pirate leaders must be very worried now.” Shaolin, Mount Hua, and Qingcheng – three of the most powerful groups in the land – were all coming to the Yangtze River. Even the Namgung Clan, a famous family of warriors, had joined in. People called the Yangtze River pirates strong, but they were no match for this kind of force. ‘This might be the end of the Yangtze River pirates,’ Beopgye thought. ‘They might be wiped out completely.’

If only one group had come, they might have just fought a little and then left. But now, four powerful groups were here. If it was just the famous Nine Sects, they might have been able to stop easily and not lose too much pride. But even the Namgung Clan, a very respected family, had joined. Now, none of them could afford to look weaker than the others. They all had to achieve something big.

‘And most importantly…’ Beopgye thought. Everyone was talking about how Mount Hua had been the first to fight the pirates. News was spreading fast. Being the first to act was always better than following others. Shaolin, Qingcheng, and the Namgung Clan didn’t want people to think they were just copying Mount Hua. They had to do even better than Mount Hua to prove themselves.

“Amitabha,” Beopgye chanted again, but this time his voice sounded troubled. ‘But…’ he thought, worried. If this fight destroyed the Yangtze River pirates completely, or hurt them badly, it could upset the balance of power in the land. The Yangtze River was like the heart of the country. If things went wrong there, it could cause problems everywhere. No one knew how far the effects would spread.

‘Abbot,’ Beopgye thought, questioning his leader’s decision. ‘Surely Beopjeong knows this… Why did he order us to attack so quickly?’ It was wrong to ignore people who were suffering right in front of them. But wasn’t it also wrong to risk causing even more suffering to many others, just to help a few now? ‘I don’t know,’ Beopgye admitted to himself. He knew that even though people talked about helping everyone in the world, only a few powerful people really controlled what happened. Beopgye wasn’t one of those people. He just had to do his duty as best he could.

“Don’t let any pirates escape and hurt innocent people! Capture them all!” Beopgye commanded.

“Yes!” the Shaolin monks roared back, their voices like thunder. They charged forward, moving with a power that seemed too strong for peaceful monks. “…Amitabha,” Beopgye murmured again. “Hopefully, everything will be alright.” The small action Mount Hua had started was now like a snowball rolling down a hill, getting bigger and faster. Neither Shaolin nor Mount Hua could stop it now. They could only hope that this snowball wouldn’t crush the lives of ordinary people.

News that Shaolin and Mount Hua were fighting the pirates spread like wildfire across the Yangtze River. People who lived and worked on the river were overjoyed. They cheered louder than anyone. They had suffered for so long, thinking pirate attacks were just a part of life. But who would be happy to have their money stolen? Recently, the pirates had become even crueler, and everyone was suffering. Now, Shaolin, Mount Hua, and the Namgung Clan were stepping in to help. How could people not be happy? These groups were so powerful that even Qingcheng, another famous group, seemed less impressive. People living by the Yangtze River were full of hope that things would finally get better.

“Just like the Nine Great Sects! Just like the Five Great Clans!” someone shouted happily. “They finally came to help when things got bad!”

“Exactly!” another person agreed. “They should have come sooner!”

“They were probably waiting to see how serious it was,” someone else said. “Aren’t they supposed to be the good guys?” People were saying good things, praising the powerful groups. Usually, everyone would just agree and keep praising them. But now, things were a little different. Some people started saying other things, different opinions began to emerge.

“Don’t be foolish,” one man interrupted, his voice sharp. “Do you really think those powerful groups came to help *us*?”

“Well, yes!” someone replied. “They’re fighting the pirates, aren’t they? Of course, they came to help!”

“And what about all the years before now?” the first man argued. “Weren’t there pirates then? Weren’t people killed and taken as slaves by pirates for years?”

“Well…” the other man hesitated, clicking his tongue nervously. “You need to understand who to thank,” the first man continued, his voice rising. “This is all because of Mount Hua. Be grateful to Mount Hua!”

“What are you talking about?” another person argued. “How can you say it’s *all* thanks to Mount Hua? Yes, Mount Hua started fighting the pirates, but you can’t say they’re the only reason everyone is here!”

“Oh, you’re so clueless!” the first man scoffed. “If Mount Hua hadn’t acted, the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans wouldn’t have even bothered with the Yangtze River! Mount Hua, the leader of the Heavenly Union, is fighting pirates and winning the support of the people here. The other groups are jealous! That’s why they’re rushing here!”

“…That’s a bit of a strange way to think about it,” someone mumbled.

“So, are you saying they didn’t know about the pirates for years and just ignored them?” the first man challenged.

The other person was silent.

“Don’t be so easily fooled!” the first man declared. “That’s what those powerful groups want you to think. Be grateful to Mount Hua! Mount Hua is the only one who came to help the Yangtze River people without wanting anything in return!”

“That’s right. I’m really thankful to Mount Hua,” someone agreed.

“Just wait and see,” the first man said confidently. “I think the Heavenly Union, the group Mount Hua leads, will become more powerful than the Nine Great Sects very soon!”

“Oh, here he goes again, lost his mind again,” someone joked.

“I’m telling you, it’s true!” the first man insisted. Some people supported Mount Hua, while others still defended the Nine Great Sects, who had been important for a long time. But everyone agreed that the fighting on the Yangtze River was getting bigger and bigger. And then… something unexpected started to happen. The fighting began to change things in a way no one could have predicted. A powerful wave of change, starting from the Yangtze River, was spreading across the whole land, changing everything.