Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 792

In the world of Jianghu, where martial arts groups called sects held power, a dangerous alliance was being discussed.

“The Four Power Alliance, you say?”

The Grand Gold Merchant leaned back in his chair, the silk of his robes rustling softly. His voice was a low murmur, like coins being counted, and it cracked with a hint of worry.

This was no small matter. In the world of Jianghu, where powerful martial arts sects ruled, an alliance like this could shake everything.

*Dangerous,* he thought, his fingers tapping nervously on the armrest. *Very dangerous.*

Of course, as Jang Il-so said, an alliance might be needed to fight the orthodox sects, now corrupted and acting wildly. But, thinking about it the other way around, the creation of the Four Power Alliance was also likely to create strong enemies for them.

Scritch, scritch, scritch.

Jang Il-so’s fingertip traced patterns on the wooden tea table, scratching lightly as he spoke, like he was drawing a map of his thoughts.

“The current power of the world is like this. First, the Nine Great Sects of Gangbuk, the northern region…”

The Nine Great Sects were scattered throughout the world.

Considering the Hainan Sect of Hainan Island in the South Sea, the Diancang Sect of Yunnan, and the Kunlun Sect clinging to the edge of Qinghai, limiting the sphere of influence of the Nine Great Sects to Gangbuk might seem wrong.

But it wasn’t entirely wrong either.

Because the center of the current Nine Great Sects was Shaolin and Wudang. Since the two sects were located around Henan in Gangbuk, and Jongnam, Mount Hua, and the Beggars’ Sect were guarding the edge, the center of the Nine Great Sects was clearly Henan, and also Gangbuk.

“And the Heavenly Union to the west.”

“Hmm.”

Thousand-Faced Hermit’s face twitched slightly.

He really didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t deny that the Heavenly Union currently had tremendous influence in the west of the Central Plains.

*It’s ridiculous.*

In the west of the Central Plains, there were the Kunlun Sect, the Diancang Sect, the Emei Sect, and the Qingcheng Sect.

Of course, they weren’t gathered together like the Nine Great Sects of Gangbuk, and they weren’t sects that actively engaged in the affairs of the Central Plains.

But even so, the Nine Great Sects were the Nine Great Sects. The Heavenly Union, which had established a firm sphere of influence amidst the checks and balances of those forces, couldn’t be ignored.

*Jongnam’s seclusion must have been significant. From the start, Jongnam was a sect located west of Mount Hua. If Jongnam had been strong, the Heavenly Union wouldn’t have even been able to start.*

Whether Mount Hua had caused Jongnam to seclude themselves, or whether they had seized the opportunity created by Jongnam’s seclusion, their cleverness was certainly extraordinary.

Thousand-Faced Hermit could clearly see it.

From the Northern Sea Ice Palace in the north to the Southern Savage Beast Palace below. A single line stretched out long.

*If they can maintain that line to the end, someday the Heavenly Union might become the force representing the world, not the Nine Great Sects.*

However…

There were clearly many problems.

“And what remains is.”

Thwack!

Jang Il-so spread his hand wide and struck the tea table. The place his hand reached was none other than Gangnam, the southern region.

“Gangnam.”

“……”

The influence of the government didn’t reach Gangnam significantly yet. That’s why the less traditional groups, avoiding the pressure from the Nine Great Sects and the oppression of the government, gathered in Gangnam.

“The key is the Yangtze River! If the less traditional groups of Gangnam can join forces to protect the Yangtze River, they won’t be able to move south. Then, we can firmly secure Gangnam.”

“But isn’t that just how things were before?” the Grand Gold Merchant asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jang Il-so shook his head slightly. “No,” he said, his voice low. “The world has changed.”

Crack.

Jang Il-so’s hand tightened on the tea table. With a sudden CRACK, splinters flew as his fingers ripped through the wood, leaving a jagged hole in the surface.

“The Heavenly Union has brought together those who couldn’t be connected. And the existence of that Heavenly Union has reunited the Nine Great Sects, who were checking and fighting each other, into one. The world where they were just protecting their own sects with their necks craned is over. Now, what remains is, which force will survive!”

“Hmm.”

“The world will be reorganized into three forces.”

Thousand-Faced Hermit laughed as if amused.

“The Three Kingdoms Plan for the world. Does it make you feel like you’ve become Zhuge Liang?”

“If necessary, shouldn’t we do that?”

“Hee hee hee hee.”

At the end of the bizarre laughter, he nodded.

“Well, good. I originally decided to agree with Lord Pae’s idea anyway. Looking at how things are going, it’s clear that everyone will be ruined if things continue like this.”

Hao Moon was second to none in the world when it came to handling information and analyzing the situation. The words coming from the mouth of the Lord of Hao Moon certainly had power.

Even the Black Dragon King seemed tempted by those words.

“Are you saying you’ll make the Yangtze River the center?”

“I can’t say it’s the center. But I can say it’s the most important place right now. If the Yangtze River is pushed back, the way to divide Gangnam and Gangbuk will disappear. The key is to firmly instill the idea that the Nine Great Sects must endure enormous damage to cross the Yangtze River.”

“……Tearing off their arms, ripping open their bellies, and devouring their insides, is it?”

The Black Dragon King mulled over those words and gave a strange smile.

In fact, from his perspective, there was nothing bad about it at all. In order for the Nine Great Sects to target the less traditional groups of Gangnam, they would inevitably have to attack the Yangtze River Water Fortress to open the way. Anyway, if things continued like this, the first place to be ruined would be the Yangtze River Water Fortress.

Why would he refuse an offer to step forward and provide support in such a situation?

“Haha! This bizarre fellow is finally saying something worth listening to. Then I will also join the Four Power Alliance! But!”

Flames sparked from the Black Dragon King’s eyes.

“You’d better abandon the idea of using the Eighteen Yangtze River Water Fortresses as a shield. If that happens, I will definitely cut off your heads and die.”

“That’s an unnecessary worry. We also need the Yangtze River to survive.”

Jang Il-so lightly waved his white hand, expressing his clear intention.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap.

The last remaining Grand Gold Merchant rested his chin on one hand and tapped the tea table with the other. Seeing him continue to mutter something, he seemed to be calculating profits and losses.

Thwack!

As if he had reached a conclusion, the Grand Gold Merchant, who had strongly tapped the tea table with his index finger, frowned.

“The calculation is not favorable.”

“Why?”

“It’s not enough.”

He crossed his arms and explained the reason.

“When hundreds of sects are rampant, the strength of the forces doesn’t matter much. All sorts of circumstances intervene. But when those forces are merged into two, only who is stronger remains.”

“……”

“Even if the four sects in Gangnam unite and devour all the minor less traditional groups, their strength is insufficient. They might end up being ruined faster because of the alliance.”

Thousand-Faced Hermit frowned and answered back.

“If we use the relationship between the Heavenly Union and the Nine Great Sects……”

“That’s a pipe dream. The center of the Heavenly Union is the Sichuan Tang Clan and Mount Hua. They are orthodox sects. No matter how bad their relationship is, they can join hands at any time if they are the same orthodox sect. Even if they don’t join hands, they won’t stab each other in the back while fighting the less traditional groups.”

“……”

“If you don’t have the strength to stop the Nine Great Sects on your own, you’ll just be adding fuel to the fire, making things worse for ourselves. There’s no profit left. It’s impossible without the Green Forest. But hasn’t the Green Forest already gone to the Heavenly Union?”

Jang Il-so nodded greatly.

“That’s right.”

“Hmm?”

The Grand Gold Merchant narrowed his eyes at Jang Il-so’s unexpectedly agreeable attitude.

“Is there a way to fill the lacking power? Even if you bring in all the less traditional groups of Gangnam, it’s impossible to replace the Green Forest, right?”

“Certainly not.”

Jang Il-so nodded a couple of times, picked up his glass, and took a sip.

Clink.

As he put down the glass, he gave a meaningful, mischievous smile. His red lips were wet, making him look even more playful.

“If it’s Gangnam, then yes. But… there’s no need to gather strength only in Gangnam.”

“……Not Gangnam?”

“Wouldn’t that person be a sufficient answer?”

As Jang Il-so pointed to the back, everyone turned their heads in surprise.

*Who?*

*I didn’t sense them?*

In particular, undisguised astonishment surfaced on the faces of Thousand-Faced Hermit and the Grand Gold Merchant. To think there would be someone who could approach this close without being detected by their senses.

“……”

Someone was standing in the corner where the light of the lamp didn’t reach, casting a deep shadow.

The moment everyone saw him wrapped in a dark crimson blood-colored robe from head to toe, their spines tingled and their hairs stood on end.

“……Who are you?”

“I am the Blood Palace Lord.”

“The Bl-Blood Palace?”

The Black Dragon King stared, eyes wide, at the figure emerging from the shadows. “Blood Palace!” he gasped, the words bursting out in astonishment.

The Blood Palace was the most secret and mysterious of the Five Outer Palaces. No one even knew where it was.

It was a place of great power and secrecy. These two things seemed to fit together there. The Palace Lord of the Blood Palace, the strongest of the Five Outer Palaces, had shown himself.

“This… Palace…”

A chilling voice, like nails scraping against metal, echoed from the darkness.

“Shares… the intentions… of the Myriad… Clan Leader…”

The Black Dragon King, Grand Treasurer Man, and Thousand-Faced Scholar looked at each other.

“If… the Blood Palace joins us…”

“That changes things.”

The Blood Palace was a force to be reckoned with, as strong as the Green Forest. It might even be stronger.

Just the power coming from the Blood Palace Lord showed this was true.

Grand Treasurer Man’s mind worked like a fast machine. ‘More power… yes, the Blood Palace is much better than the Green Forest for what we need,’ he thought quickly.

The corners of Grand Treasurer Man’s lips finally curled upwards.

“Enough. The Black Tortoise Stronghold will join the Four Tyrants Alliance.”

“The Eighteen Riverswater Forts of the Yangtze River will also join the Four Tyrants Alliance.”

Everyone looked at the Blood Palace Lord. He nodded slowly, as if there was no need to repeat what he had already said.

“It’s called the Four Tyrants Alliance, but there are five groups…”

Someone whispered, “It’s called the Four Tyrants Alliance, but there are five groups now…” Another replied, “The name is just for show. It sounds stronger. And the Blood Palace Lord doesn’t seem to mind being the ‘extra’ tyrant.”

“More groups will join the Four Tyrants Alliance. It could even be called the Evil Tyrants Alliance, instead of the Four Tyrants Alliance.”

Jang Il-So silently placed five empty wine cups in front of him and began to fill them with wine.

“An excellent decision.”

“But!”

Grand Treasurer Man raised his hand slightly.

“Before we share the cups, we need to make something clear.”

“Speak.”

“Who will be the Alliance Lord?”

Everyone was silent, not wanting to answer quickly.

“If we keep the same unclear system under the name of an alliance, it won’t work. Maybe normal groups can work together without a strong leader. But for us, it won’t work. We need one clear leader and a strong plan.”

“Hahaha! That’s right. But don’t worry about that. I will become the Alliance Lord and lead you all!”

“It’s too much for you, Black Dragon King. Don’t try to take over. Just stay where you are.”

“Thousand-Faced Scholar! Do you want to die right now!”

The Black Dragon King’s voice was like thunder, but the Thousand-Faced Scholar ignored him and smiled slyly.

“Information is power, right? And who knows more secrets than me? I should be the leader.”

“Without money, you can’t do anything, even with power. The one who provides the money has the power. Isn’t that right?”

“These…”

Just as the three were giving each other cold looks, Jang Il-So spoke.

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Jang Il-So finished pouring the wine into the cups and shook his head slightly.

“The only one who can become the Alliance Lord of the Four Tyrants Alliance is me, Jang Il-So.”

Flames blazed in the Black Dragon King’s eyes.

“That damn bastard… so this was your plan all along.”

“Claims require evidence.”

“And what the definite benefits will be.”

Jang Il-So smiled and pushed a cup of wine in front of each of them.

“The Black Dragon King is strong and bossy, but he can’t work well with others. Conflicts with other groups are going to happen. Also, the Black Dragon King can’t leave the Yangtze River. If the Alliance Lord is at the front lines, everything will be over if the front lines are pushed back, right?”

“…Hmm.”

The Black Dragon King looked at the cup of wine in front of him and groaned.

He was annoyed, but Jang Il-So was right.

“Information is very important, but it can also be harmful. No one wants to follow someone who knows all their weaknesses and flaws.”

“…A fundamental problem, is it? Tsk.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar also picked up the cup of wine that was offered to him. He had to agree with this.

“Money is powerful, but this is the martial world. And saying that someone cares about profit means that the Alliance Lord might only care about his own gain. Shouldn’t the leader of the alliance be someone who can put aside their own interests for the good of everyone?”

“…A sound argument.”

Grand Treasurer Man nodded. He wasn’t sure he could choose the good of the alliance over the good of the Black Tortoise Stronghold if they disagreed.

Jang Il-So picked up one of the two remaining cups and tossed it to the Blood Palace Lord.

“The groups from beyond the pass don’t matter.”

The Blood Palace Lord caught the cup and nodded silently.

“Not only that…”

Jang Il-So’s eyes flashed with madness. Everyone who saw that look flinched.

Each of them was arrogant, but there was something about Jang Il-So that even scared them. He was in control now.

“Those who stay in their own areas, only caring about their own interests, can’t become the Alliance Lord. The one who becomes the Alliance Lord of the Four Tyrants Alliance must be hungrier than anyone else, and must want more than anyone else.”

Jang Il-So grabbed the Jiangbei region on the map drawn on the tea table.

Crack!

Jang Il-So tore off that part of the map and clenched his fist. The sound of splintering wood was sharp in the tense silence. Dust from the broken map sprinkled onto the table.

“I don’t want to just take Jiangnan and be a king in this useless place. I want that place. I want that place more than anyone else. Just looking at it makes me burn with desire. I can’t satisfy this hunger even if I drink a thousand bottles of wine or eat ten thousand bushels of grain.”

Everyone held their breath.

The madness in Jang Il-So’s eyes showed that he was serious.

“Only that matters.”

“Follow me, and I will lead you. Not to this stinking backwater of Jiangnan, but to Jiangbei, the center of the Central Plains!”

“Haha!”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar laughed and shook his head.

“I can’t beat you. The Sect Leader of the Hao Clan, Thousand-Faced Scholar, respects the Alliance Lord.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar clasped his hands in respect. Grand Treasurer Man sighed and nodded.

“That would be the most profitable thing to do. The Stronghold Lord of the Black Tortoise Stronghold, Grand Treasurer Man, respects the Alliance Lord.”

“…Damn it.”

The Black Dragon King still looked unhappy, but he couldn’t back out now.

“Don’t expect any respect from me.”

“Of course.”

“…The Chief of the Eighteen Riverswater Forts of the Yangtze River, the Black Dragon King, accepts Jang Il-So, the Overlord, as the Alliance Lord of the Four Tyrants Alliance!”

“Raise your cups.”

Jang Il-So raised his cup first, and everyone raised their cups high.

“From now on, we are brothers. Wine for brothers! Swords for betrayers!”

Clang!

The wine cups hit each other roughly in the air.

Soon, everyone emptied their cups.

The Four Tyrants Alliance.

And so, a dangerous new group was formed. This group would try to change the world completely.