Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 797

Namgoong Hwang.

Byeokhyun.

Hyun Jong bowed to the two men.

“I am Hyun Jong of Mount Hua. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

They had all met at the Mount Hua Tournament. However, Namgoong Hwang and Byeokhyun’s attitudes toward Hyun Jong were noticeably different.

First, there was Byeokhyunja, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect. He smiled warmly at Hyun Jong.

“Mount Hua’s fame has spread far and wide, even to Sichuan. I expected Mount Hua to do well at the tournament, but your performance exceeded all expectations. Congratulations, Sect Leader.”

“You praise me too much. I don’t deserve it,”

“Praise? Not at all. It’s reassuring to have Mount Hua here with us, facing these wicked bandits.”

Hyun Jong’s face flushed slightly. He felt a swell of pride because he could tell that the Qingcheng Sect Leader’s words were sincere.

However, Namgoong Hwang did not share the same sentiment.

“What is Mount Hua even doing here?”

He stared at Hyun Jong with cold eyes.

“We already have more than enough fighters to deal with these bandits. Adding more people will only cause confusion. Since you arrived late, don’t get in the way. Just provide support from the rear.”

Hyun Jong was speechless.

“There’s no place for the Cheonwoo Alliance here.”

Byeokhyunja frowned.

“Clan Leader Namgoong, aren’t you being too harsh?”

“Too harsh? Let’s be honest. Even if Mount Hua started this, didn’t they hide on the island and act like gods while we fought the bandits?”

Hyun Jong’s eyes twitched.

‘Acting like gods, am I?’

Well, it might seem that way to those who didn’t know the full story. Life is a comedy from a distance but a tragedy up close.

Namgoong Hwang glared at Hyun Jong, clearly displeased. In fact, the Namgoong Clan probably had the worst feelings toward Mount Hua, even more than Wudang.

Wudang lost face by losing to Mount Hua in the martial arts competition, and they were difficult to approach due to their similar philosophies, but the actual damage wasn’t that significant.

However, the Namgoong Clan lost a lot because of Mount Hua.

First, the Tang Clan left the Five Great Families, the most powerful groups in the land.

Although it hadn’t been officially announced yet, joining the Cheonwoo Alliance meant breaking away from the Five Great Families. For the Namgoong Clan, the head of the Five Great Families, the Tang Clan’s departure was like losing an arm.

Secondly, they were losing control of the commercial district in Beijing.

The Namgoong Clan and the Peng Clan controlled the largest sources of funds among the Five Great Families. The Namgoong Clan had built a commercial district around Anhui, but the Hebei Peng Clan controlled Beijing’s commercial world.

However, thanks to the Eunha Merchant Guild’s special escort service, high-ranking officials began to favor the Eunha Merchant Guild, and the balance of Beijing’s commercial world was in danger. As a result, the burden on the Namgoong Clan increased.

Money and power were both being threatened. No matter how good-natured Namgoong Hwang was, he couldn’t possibly look at Mount Hua favorably.

And above all…

‘Damn it. Dowi was utterly humiliated by those Mount Hua bastards.’

Other sects were also humiliated by Mount Hua.

However, the humiliation of a regular disciple couldn’t compare to the humiliation of the young clan leader, who was supposed to be the next head of the family.

Given the situation, Namgoong Hwang couldn’t stand to see Mount Hua gain fame, especially not here.

“What do you think, Elder? Are you planning to work with Mount Hua?”

“Hmm.”

Beopgye hummed, stalling for time. This wasn’t something he could answer quickly. No matter what he said, problems would arise. Usually, these things were discussed quietly, but Namgoong Hwang’s directness left him with little to say. Too many people were watching.

“What do you think, Sect Leader?”

Heo Do-jin, who was walking toward them, smiled gently at the question.

“When you think about it, this Jang River conquest was possible because of Mount Hua, wasn’t it?”

“Hmm.”

Namgoong Hwang’s eyes narrowed slightly. Heo Do-jin continued.

“No one can deny that Mount Hua played a key role.”

“Sect Leader…”

“So,”

Heo Do-jin cut off Namgoong Hwang.

“Please give us the credit for this conquest, Clan Leader. We came to the Jang River seeking an agreement, but if Mount Hua takes all the credit, we’ll lose face.”

Hyun Jong’s face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at Heo Do-jin. He had guessed what Heo Do-jin was implying, but he didn’t expect him to be so direct.

“Please.”

Heo Do-jin bowed slightly, and Hyun Jong quickly waved his hands.

“No, please don’t do this. It’s not a big deal. Why are you being so polite, Sect Leader? I’ll do as you ask.”

“Thank you.”

Heo Do-jin smiled gently and continued.

“It’s not just about credit. As you can see, the terrain is difficult.”

Hyun Jong’s expression hardened as he looked at where Heo Do-jin was pointing.

‘Such terrain…’

The river wasn’t very wide at this point. Compared to other parts of the Jang River, it was quite narrow. He could probably cross it without too much trouble.

But the real problem was what lay beyond.

“That inside…”

Across the river was a towering cliff face. A deep, narrow valley cut into the cliff, looking like a jagged wound in the stone.

“Are you saying the Black Dragon Bandits are in there?”

“Yes. It’s only wide enough for a large ship to pass through,”

Beopgye added to the explanation.

“We tried to go around the back, but that’s not easy either. The cliff is too high to jump down. We’d have to use ropes, but finding ropes that long is difficult. And, considering the skills of those inside, we’d likely suffer heavy losses just climbing down the cliff.”

“Hmm. That’s right.”

When Mount Hua attacked Daegyeongchae before, the Green Forest warriors descended the cliff.

However, that was possible because Mount Hua blocked the archers below and drew the enemies’ attention away from those coming down.

At a certain height, occupying the high ground is an advantage, but this cliff was so high that it only made the descent dangerous.

“But attacking from above doesn’t have to mean climbing down, does it? What about dropping rocks…?”

“Are you suggesting we pour boiling oil down there?”

Namgoong Hwang interrupted with a mocking voice before Hyun Jong could finish.

“Mount Hua’s reputation as a righteous sect must be exaggerated.”

He sneered openly.

“Who knows who’s down there? There might be captured civilians or laborers. Are you saying we should throw rocks on their heads?”

Hyun Jong sighed softly, a groan escaping his lips.

It was a harsh judgment, but true. Those who came to the Yangtze River to talk couldn’t just attack wildly. They had to think about the villagers living nearby.

Beopgye, a monk with a calm voice, spoke politely to a stern-faced man. “Patriarch Namgung,” he said, “perhaps you should take a moment to calm down.”

“Ahem!” Namgung Hwang, the leader of the Namgung family, coughed loudly. He understood Beopgye’s indirect warning.

Beopgye explained the plan clearly. “We must use the small roads at the front to enter,” he said. “The main path is too dangerous for the villagers. We must protect them. The warriors of Surochae are strong, they won’t be hurt by an attack on the smaller roads.”

“Then…”

“Too many people in a narrow path will only be a hindrance. It’s hard to know which groups will join the attack. Too many people in the narrow paths will cause problems. Since Hwasan arrived last, they should step aside.”

“…I understand.”

Even Hyun Jong couldn’t argue when Beopgye himself said so.

These four sects were united as part of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families. This unity was important to them. They felt awkward towards Hyun Jong. He belonged to the Cheonwu Alliance, which was separate from their group.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Don’t mention it…”

Although the conversation was happening a short distance away, Baek Cheon could hear it all clearly. His jaw tightened, and a muscle in his cheek jumped with anger.

‘Damn it.’

Some were openly hostile, others were overly polite, and some tried to gently persuade them. But the message was the same from everyone: Hwasan was being excluded. Hwasan, who had fought Surochae first and risked war for the sake of the Yangtze River’s common people.

‘Is this their way?’

Just as Baek Cheon was biting his lip to suppress his anger,

Step.

‘Hmm?’

He saw someone approaching Hwasan. With each step, he could sense that the person wasn’t approaching with friendly intentions, even from his young energy alone.

As Baek Cheon examined his face, he was momentarily taken aback.

‘Namgung Dowi?’

It was Danakgeom Namgung Dowi, who had been utterly defeated by Chung Myung in the past Cheonhabimu Tournament. His face, as he approached the disciples of Hwasan, was cold and expressionless, as if clad in iron armor.

Step.

Namgung Dowi, standing right in front of Baek Cheon, stared silently before opening his mouth.

“Where is Hwasan Shinryong?”

“…Pardon?”

“Hwasan Shinryong.”

Instead of answering, Baek Cheon subtly turned his head.

At the same time, everyone’s gaze followed Baek Cheon and focused on one place.

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmph!”

“…”

“…”

Namgung Dowi’s eyes twitched.

‘I’m sorry.’

Baek Cheon sincerely apologized to Namgung Dowi from the deepest part of his heart. Considering how Namgung Dowi must have felt walking all the way here, he shouldn’t be showing such a sight. That was the least he could do as a matter of courtesy…

“Ugh, untie him.”

“Are you sure, Elder?”

“Untie him quickly!”

“Yes!”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong untied the cloth that bound Chung Myung’s mouth and unwound the steel ropes that were wrapped around his body. Chung Myung, as if he had been waiting for it, screamed with a reddened face.

“Ptooey! Hey! You should’ve tied it so I could breathe! I thought I was gonna die!”

“That’s not important right now. We have a guest, Chung Myung.”

“Huh? A guest?”

Only then did Chung Myung turn his head to look at Namgung Dowi.

“Ah…”

Namgung Dowi hardened his expression and opened his mouth in a heavy voice.

“It’s been a while…”

“…Who are you again?”

Namgung Dowi, speechless for a moment, looked away.

And Baek Cheon couldn’t bear to watch that sight and turned his head away.

‘I’m truly sorry.’

Perhaps he should have just kept him tied up.

Just then, the oblivious Jo Gul quickly whispered to Chung Myung.

“It’s Namgung Dowi! Namgung Dowi! Danakgeom Namgung Dowi!”

“Ah? Namgung Dowi?”

“Yes!”

Chung Myung looked at Namgung Dowi for a moment longer, then said,

“…Who’s that?”

“You fought him in the Bimu Tournament!”

“I’ve beaten so many guys in the Bimu Tournament, how am I supposed to remember them all?”

“He was one of the stronger ones!”

“Hae Yeon?”

“No, no, the one after that!”

“Lee Songbaek?”

“…”

Baek Cheon saw it. The look of genuine apology on Jo Gul’s face as he glanced at Namgung Dowi… That was a truly rare sight.

“W-well, who’s after that?”

“After that, they’re all small fries. How am I supposed to remember all the small fries one by one?”

Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively, dusted off his clothes, and stood up from his seat. Then, Namgung Dowi bit his lip tightly and glared at him.

“You’ve forgotten me…”

“Ah!”

Just then, Chung Myung, who had suddenly stuck his face in, exclaimed and clapped his hands. Namgung Dowi gave a twisted smile, as if he had expected it.

“Now you recognize…”

“That handsome and annoying guy from back then! Was his name Jin Eunryong? Right?”

“It’s Namgung Dowi!”

“Huh… that’s strange. If he’s handsome and annoying, he must be from the Jin family.”

Namgung Dowi and Jin Dongryong… No, Baek Cheon trembled simultaneously.

Then, Chung Myung, who had been pondering even more, shouted again, “Ah!”

“Right! Yeah, it’s you! Nice to see you! I remember now that I see your face! Back then, that… uh…”

Chung Myung’s gaze, which had been smiling brightly, glanced downwards. At the same time, the gazes of everyone who had been at the Bimu Tournament back then followed Chung Myung and glanced downwards before quickly returning to their original positions.

“…Sorry. I had a lot of anger inside me back then. I shouldn’t have gone that far. Is it… alright? Is there any problem or anything…”

“Kkeueuk…”

Namgung Dowi’s handsome face contorted in rage, his features becoming sharp and monstrous, like a Yaksha demon.