Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 790

The Black Dragon King reached the top step with a heavy *thump*. He *towered* over Jang Il-so, his eyes *burning* with rage like a tiger’s. Each step he took seemed to *shake* the floorboards of the quiet restaurant.

“That little whelp… So you’re having a good time? Coming all the way to Hangzhou just for a bit of pleasure?”

For an ordinary person, just meeting that gaze would have stopped their heart. But his opponent was Jang Il-so.

Glug, glug, glug.

He remained calm despite the fierce glare, filling his wine glass and smiling.

“Please, have a seat.”

“……”

“You didn’t come all this way just to chat, did you?”

“Perhaps I came to take your head.”

“Haha! Hahaha!”

Jang Il-so, facing the Black Dragon King, laughed heartily and slowly rubbed his neck. The ornament on his wrist jingled lightly.

“I didn’t realize this neck was worth so much. To make the Black Dragon King himself travel this far… It seems Jang Il-so hasn’t lived for nothing.”

The Black Dragon King’s eyes narrowed slightly at Jang Il-so’s flattering words.

‘Like a snake,’ he thought.

Living as a member of the Demonic Faction meant enduring all sorts of schemes and plots. Unlike the Orthodox Sect, who put on a false appearance of fairness and tried to have at least a little justification, the Demonic Faction didn’t care about their methods to defeat an opponent.

Those who became leaders of the *Shinju Ohpa*, one of the five most powerful groups in the Jianghu world, climbed to their positions by overcoming treacherous schemes that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.

But…

The Black Dragon King’s cold eyes scanned Jang Il-so.

This man was different from the others.

The *Janggang Aquatic Eighteen Strongholds*, the *Green Forest Seventy-Two Camps*, and the *Hao Gate* – all those sects had their own histories. The leaders of the current *Shinju Ohpa* had inherited or seized power from their predecessors. Of course, that process was by no means easy, but it was certainly different from working his way up from nothing.

But not Jang Il-so.

This man had literally crawled up from the bottom, created the *Myriad Man Manor*, and even made himself one of the *Shinju Ohpa*.

That was why, even though Jang Il-so was the youngest of the *Shinju Ohpa* leaders and lacked experience, no one laughed when he and the *Myriad Man Manor* were associated with the name of the *Shinju Ohpa*.

The thought of what might be hidden beneath that smooth and suave smile made his stomach feel uncomfortable.

“Now that you know your head is valuable, you wouldn’t be too upset if it were cut off, would you?”

“Offering my head isn’t that difficult.”

“……”

Jang Il-so smiled faintly and continued.

“But if you return with my head, what do you plan to do about those Orthodox Sect fellows who are turning the *Janggang* into a wasteland?”

“That…!”

The Black Dragon King’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

“He speaks the truth.”

The Black Dragon King swiftly turned his gaze toward the voice that had spoken from beside him.

‘When…?’

A middle-aged man with an utterly unremarkable appearance had somehow appeared. He was the sort of middle-aged man one might pass by ten times a day on a busy street, utterly ordinary in appearance. He sat down on one of the empty chairs at the table.

His goatee was somewhat distinctive, but it didn’t particularly stand out.

“Anyone can raise their voice. But resolving the matter is a different issue.”

“Thousand-Faced Scholar…”

The Black Dragon King bit his lip.

No one knew the man’s real name.

No one even knew what his true face was.

The face he showed now was merely one he had created. If he wanted, he could transform into any face, even altering his voice and physique as he pleased.

The reason was simple.

He was the leader of the *Hao Gate*, the Thousand-Faced Scholar.

“Care for a drink?”

Without a word, Jang Il-so took the empty glass beside him and placed it in front of himself.

Glug, glug.

Then, he picked up the filled glass and lightly tossed it towards the Thousand-Faced Scholar.

Despite flying through the air, not a single drop of wine spilled from the full glass.

The Thousand-Faced Scholar caught the glass and downed it without hesitation, then placed it back on the table with a clink.

“Good. *Chwihyang* wine, is it?”

The Black Dragon King let out a soft snort of scorn.

“You usually hide like a rat in a cat’s den, acting cautious, but you readily accept a cup of wine offered by another.”

“I might have thrown away a cup offered by the Black Dragon King.”

“What did you say?”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar smiled in a friendly way.

“But I can trust a cup offered by the Overlord. At least the Overlord isn’t one to lose something big while wanting something small.”

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“You lot…”

The Black Dragon King, filled with anger, ground his teeth, his beard trembling.

The Thousand-Faced Scholar continued to smile as he watched him.

“Black Dragon King, you need to control your anger. Aren’t you the most urgent one here right now?”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Not at all.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar shook his head slightly.

At the same time, his expression changed completely. The face that had seemed so gentle and generous just moments ago was gone, replaced by a sharp, blade-like gaze fixed on the Black Dragon King.

“It means the situation is that dire. If you’re going to act rashly, then get lost and don’t interfere.”

“You rat-like bastard!”

Just as the Black Dragon King was about to explode in anger, the Thousand-Faced Scholar spoke to Jang Il-so again.

“The Green Forest won’t come… Ah, did you perhaps try to call them?”

“It would be pointless.”

“I suppose so.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar nodded as if he understood. He was the leader of the *Hao Gate*. The *Hao Gate*, along with the Beggars’ Sect, shared the world’s information. He couldn’t possibly be unaware that the Green Forest’s heart had turned and they had joined the *Cheonwu Alliance*.

“Still, I thought they had some pride, but to become like dogs, obeying others… Could it be that the Overlord tormented them too much?”

He was referring to the past war between the *Myriad Man Manor* and the Green Forest.

“If that’s all they could handle, there’s nothing to be done.”

Jang Il-so smiled faintly.

“And it’s not entirely my fault. If the Thousand-Faced Scholar hadn’t been planning to attack me from behind, I would have taken over the Green Forest long ago, wouldn’t I?”

“If that had happened, we would have been eaten next. Or perhaps the Aquatic Stronghold would have taken the opportunity to move south.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar chuckled.

The Demonic Faction was such a place.

A war of all against all.

Yesterday’s enemy became today’s ally, and yesterday’s ally became today’s enemy.

In the first place, there were no allies in the Demonic Faction. Even when joining forces to fight, there was always an enemy and another enemy. If someone was waging war, it was only natural to aim for their back. Not aiming was not cowardly, but careless.

That was why the *Shinju Ohpa* only defended their own territories and engaged in occasional skirmishes. If they waged a proper war, someone would surely aim for their back and come running.

“What about the others?”

“I sent letters, but…”

“Hmm.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar shook his head.

“There’s no point in waiting any longer. So, Overlord, what did you call us here for?”

The Black Dragon King ground his teeth.

“I haven’t said I’ll listen yet.”

“Then leave, Black Dragon King. I won’t stop you.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar clicked his tongue.

“There’s no point in fighting for dominance here. Everyone’s feet are on fire right now. Or perhaps a dagger is already at their throat. And…”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar’s gaze towards the Black Dragon King was like a blade.

“The Aquatic Stronghold knows that better than anyone.”

“……”

The Black Dragon King bit his lip, holding back his anger.

“So? Are those brilliant fellows going to gather and start calculating?”

“Then it will be an all the more precious occasion.”

The Black Dragon King turned around at the sound of another unfamiliar voice.

A man was slowly walking up the stairs.

The face that was revealed had no expression.

Not a trace of emotion could be felt, and even his complexion was pale, devoid of any color. But that very fact gave the person looking at him an even stronger sense of pressure.

The man in the blue robe spoke in a cold voice as soon as he reached the top floor.

“What matters is what benefit we gain from this meeting. If you’re not going to calculate, there’s no point.”

“Damn bastard…”

The Black Dragon King cursed at him, but the Thousand-Faced Scholar nodded in agreement.

Of course, the benefit he was thinking of and the benefit that man was thinking of were slightly different. That man divided everything in this world into profit and loss.

Not all members of the Demonic Faction were faithful to their desires.

Sometimes they endured for the sake of something bigger, and sometimes they hid and disguised themselves in order to set a perfect trap.

But that man was different. All that was in his head was immediate profit.

Of course, there were countless people in the world who were obsessed with money, and the ones who valued money the most were naturally merchants. They were willing to sell their souls for dazzling gold, and they didn’t hesitate to travel thousands of miles to obtain it. So merchants were often called ‘greedy people’.

But those who truly knew the inner workings of the world did not use the term ‘greedy people’ for such people. The truly money-crazed people were different.

Those who would do anything for money.

Those who followed the principles of the world risked their necks for yellow gold, but those who even mocked the principles of the world risked their lives for ‘real gold.’

Gold was merely a luxury.

The real gold that controlled people was not gold, but salt.

That was why it was common for any country to prevent merchants from handling salt. The act of touching salt was often treated as equivalent to treason.

The black ghosts who risked all those dangers and dealt in illegal salt.

That was the *Black Ghost Fortress*.

And this man was the leader of that *Black Ghost Fortress*, the *Myriad Gold Grandee*, Gongya Wol.

*Myriad Man Manor*. *Hao Gate*. *Janggang Aquatic Eighteen Strongholds*. *Black Ghost Fortress*.

The leaders of four of the *Shinju Ohpa* forces had gathered on the top floor of the *Chwihyang Restaurant* in this Hangzhou.

Anyone who knew even a little about the *Jianghu* would not have been able to breathe easily if they saw this sight.

“Greedy person…”

Just as the Black Dragon King was about to say something, the *Myriad Gold Grandee* waved his hand casually.

“Cut the useless talk, Black Dragon King. I’m a busy man. Let’s hear the purpose first.”

“……”

“Overlord. Tell us why you called us here. If you talk nonsense, you’ll pay dearly. Wasting my time is a grave offense.”

The Overlord smiled mysteriously and replied.

“If there’s one thing the Grandee lacks, it’s elegance and leisure.”

“Anything that doesn’t make money is of no use to me.”

“Please, take a seat first.”

The *Myriad Gold Grandee* glanced at Jang Il-so but didn’t particularly object. He simply sat down across from the Overlord as he had said.

The Thousand-Faced Scholar also strode over and sat in the prepared seat, and the Black Dragon King, who had been standing until the end, walked over with an unpleasant expression, making a thudding sound, and roughly pulled out a chair. Then, before sitting down, he growled.

“If you talk meaningless nonsense, I won’t let you off, Jang Il-so!”

“Meaningless nonsense…”

Jang Il-so smiled, gently stroking the glass in front of him.

“Appearances are important.”

His gaze reached the Black Dragon King.

“Money is, of course, invaluable.”

This time, he looked at the *Myriad Gold Grandee*.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that nothing is more important than information.”

Finally, Jang Il-so gave his gaze to the Thousand-Faced Scholar and filled his glass.

Glug, glug, glug.

The sound of pouring wine spread strangely throughout the quiet, almost silent, top floor of the *Chwihyang Restaurant*.

“But all of that…”

Jang Il-so, holding the glass, twisted his lips. It was a clear sneer, unlike anything he had shown so far. Jang Il-so’s eyes, drawing a curve, shone as pale as moonlight.

“Isn’t it all just a story for when you still have your head attached?”

The atmosphere on the top floor instantly turned as cold as ice.