Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 864

“Kill them!”

“You filthy villains from the Demonic Sect!”

The street was crowded with people. Suddenly, men with weapons started fighting in the middle of it, yelling angrily.

Clang! Clang!

Weapons clashed, and blood sprayed in all directions.

“Oh, heavens! What’s going on here!”

“Eek!”

People screamed and ran, tripping over each other to get away. Merchants grabbed their children and pulled them behind their stalls, eyes wide with fear.

“What is all this chaos!”

“Not again!”

Just a few years ago, seeing martial artists fighting in the middle of the street was unthinkable. But now, such incidents were commonplace not only in Henan but also in various parts of Gangbuk.

“Aaaaargh!”

One of those fiercely fighting was struck in the chest by a sword, spraying blood as he fell.

The merchants squeezed their eyes shut at the gruesome sight.

To witness someone wielding a weapon against another, to see warm blood splattering everywhere, was too much for those who had lived simple, honest lives.

Crash!

The fallen man’s body crashed into a street stall. In an instant, the display was shattered, and the piled-up fruits scattered in all directions.

“Oh, dear!”

It was like a bolt from the blue for the merchant selling the goods, but who wouldn’t value their life over a few fruits?

“You dog-like bastards!”

“Let’s finish this today!”

The fighters with dirty clothes and angry faces looked full of hate. Those who faced their fierce momentum did not back down and charged at them.

But at that very moment…

“Stop!”

BOOM! Something heavy hit the ground, shaking the street. Everyone froze.

Seeing a group of martial artists approaching, various expressions appeared on their faces.

Everyone knew what yellow robes meant. It was only a matter of time before Shaolin arrived.

Thud. Thud.

Hye-bang of Shaolin, leading his disciples, frowned as he looked at the chaotic street.

Soon, a deep sigh escaped his lips.

Logically, the words that should come out of his mouth at this moment would be, ‘What is going on?’ But he didn’t feel the need to say those words because he already knew what was happening.

“Disciples, listen.”

“Yes!”

“Subdue all those who caused the disturbance and escort them to Shaolin!”

“Yes!”

“Master!” Kwak So-jong’s face turned red with anger. he yelled.

The character for ‘righteousness’ (義) was clearly engraved on the left chest of his white clothes, stained with dust.

“I am Kwak So-jong of the Righteous Blood Sect (義血門)! Those damned Demonic Sect bastards started this! Why are you treating us like criminals? Don’t you even care who is right and wrong?”

The Righteous Blood Sect was one of the small to medium-sized sects based in Henan. It was not a subsidiary of Shaolin, but it had maintained a close relationship with the temple for a long time.

When Kwak So-jong, the leader of the Righteous Blood Sect, openly questioned him, a look of fatigue crossed Hye-bang’s face.

“…Sect Leader. Have you not heard the Abbot’s message that those who cause disturbances within Henan will not be tolerated, regardless of the reason?”

“Damn it. So, are you saying we should just stand by and watch those damned Demonic Sect bastards rob the common folk in the Righteous Blood Sect’s territory?”

As Kwak So-jong raised his voice in protest, a deep sigh escaped Hye-bang’s lips.

“Didn’t we ask you to inform Shaolin if such a thing happened?”

“Are we supposed to wait for Shaolin, not knowing when you’ll arrive! It’s not like we’ve only said it once or twice!”

Hye-bang shook his head.

“The rights and wrongs will be determined by the Law-Enforcement Monks at the main temple. I am merely following the Abbot’s orders, so I hope the Sect Leader will understand.”

“Damn it!”

Kwak So-jong’s face twisted horribly.

The fight ended quickly because Shaolin arrived swiftly, so the damage wasn’t great. But that didn’t mean there was none. He clearly saw several of his disciples bleeding.

It wouldn’t be easy to lay down their swords and retreat in such a situation, especially in a case like this, where they believed they were in the right.

But at least in this Henan, Shaolin’s will was absolute.

“Put down your weapons and retreat. Cooperate with Shaolin for now.”

“…Yes.”

The disciples who heard the order glanced at Hye-bang with eyes full of dissatisfaction before turning their heads away.

Hye-bang felt as if a dark cloud was filling his heart.

Just a few years ago, would Shaolin have ever received such looks in Henan?

He briefly chanted a Buddhist invocation. In any case, now was not the time to be caught up in such emotions because even at this moment, he didn’t know what might be happening elsewhere.

“You all will have to come to the main temple as well.”

Hye-bang’s gaze turned to one side.

Unlike the Righteous Blood Sect, who, though expressing dissatisfaction, could still be considered cooperative, the eyes of the group on the opposite side were filled with murderous intent as they looked at Hye-bang.

“That damned monk is spouting nonsense. Why should we cooperate with you?”

Hye-bang sighed deeply.

‘I’m not wise enough to know why the Abbot does this. Why does the Abbot leave these people alone?’

Those baring their teeth were, of course, members of the Demonic Sect.

Of course, the Demonic Sect members were not unfamiliar to Hye-bang. Even in Henan, where Shaolin’s influence was strong, the Demonic Sect clearly existed.

But they should have been called the Black Faction rather than the Demonic Sect. Where people lived, there were bound to be dark corners, and those who parasitized in such places inevitably formed groups.

But these people were different from the Demonic Sect members Hye-bang knew. Those who had crossed over to Gangbuk to escape the Evil Blood Alliance were brutal and fierce, attacking without mercy and showed no respect for Shaolin and the Nine Great Sects.

“Then what will you do?”

It was a polite but harsh question. It contained not only fatigue from the situation but also the annoyance and animosity Hye-bang felt towards them.

“Heh heh. A monk who knows how to get angry. They say those with thick faces don’t get angry easily.”

“Face?”

“Yes, face! You monk! It’s your fault we are here!” He paused, spitting on the ground. “If you Shaolin hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have lost everything! We wouldn’t be running from those Evil Blood dogs!”

“⋯⋯.”

“When you come to a new place, it’s only natural to look for a way to make a living! Are you saying we should just starve to death doing nothing? Don’t talk rubbish! If that were the case, we wouldn’t have risked our lives to flee all the way to Gangbuk. I’d rather die fighting than starve to death sucking my thumb!”

The thief’s excuse sounded like it could be true, but Hyebang quickly dismissed it. Stealing was wrong, no matter the reason.

Just because theft is done to avoid starvation doesn’t make it any less of a crime. No, a decent person wouldn’t even consider taking from others to survive.

To Hyebang, who had trained strictly at Shaolin Temple, such words were no excuse.

“So, you refuse to comply?”

“Heh heh. Do Shaolin monks think blades can’t pierce their skin?”

Hyebang’s expression turned icy.

“Gongmu.”

“Yes, Sasook!”

“Subdue them and take them all into custody!”

“Yes!”

Before the words were even finished, the Shaolin disciples charged at the heretics, weapons in hand. It was a savage sight, unbecoming of monks who should be preaching mercy.

“You dog-like monks!”

“We’ll tear the skin off you!”

“Subdue them now!” Gongmu roared.

Swords clashed against swords, and shouts filled the air. Dust rose from the ground, mixing with the smell of sweat and fear. Hyebang watched the chaotic fight, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. *Monks should preach peace, not fight like this,* he thought, his Shaolin training clashing with the harsh reality before him. He closed his eyes briefly and whispered a Buddhist prayer.

“Amitabha….”

He and the other Shaolin disciples rushed into the fray, sweat dripping down their faces as they struggled to control the growing chaos. At first, Hyebang had believed only the newcomers from Gangbuk were causing trouble. But now, even local Henan groups, and the already tense Zheng sects, were joining the rebellion. It felt like trying to hold back a flood with his bare hands. The chaos in Henan was only getting worse.

At first, Hyebang thought only the Gangbuk heretics were causing problems. But now, even groups from Henan itself, and the tense Zheng sects, were joining in. Everyone was defying Shaolin and causing chaos.

It felt like pouring water into a bottomless pit. He was doing his best to stabilize Henan, but the situation was only getting worse.

Lost in worry, Hyebang shook his head strongly.

‘Do not dwell on it.’

He forcibly dismissed the thought that all this might be happening because Shaolin’s reputation was not what it once was. Then, with a sigh, he moved on.

No matter how difficult, everything eventually comes to an end. So, until then, he had no choice but to keep trying and trying.

Bang!

The door was thrown open violently.

“Daeyeong!”

The one who burst in twisted his face. The strong smell of alcohol was so strong it made his head spin.

“Daeyeong! Wake up, Daeyeong!”

The most luxurious brothel in the ancient capital, Hwahwaru, top floor.

A man occupying the most expensive room lay sprawled on a large, luxurious bed.

“Ah, Daeyeong! Please, wake up!”

The man, who had been sleeping as if dead, twitched his eyes and slowly raised his eyelids.

“…Bloody hell.”

He clutched his head as if it were ringing, and asked in a cracked voice,

“What is it? So early in the morning.”

“Daeyeong, the Red Horse Squad that went to deal with those Uihyeolmun guys has been dragged away by the Shaolin monks.”

“……”

“What do we do?”

“Haa…”

The man reached for a bottle of alcohol on the bed. But no matter how much he turned it upside down and shook it, not a single drop remained.

Annoyed, he threw the bottle down and looked at the one who had come to report.

“Aso.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have any money?”

“Where would I get money? Didn’t Daeyeong take all my remaining emergency funds to play here?”

“…I did.”

“If those Red Horse Squad guys had done their job properly, we would have collected a large amount of money by now, but it’s all ruined. There’s nowhere to get money anymore, no matter how hard you look! That’s why I told you not to come to Henan!”

“Tsk.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“Stop talking nonsense, you idiot. Where in Gangbuk is easy pickings? Should we go to Hubei, where all sorts of bastards are running wild? Or Hebei, where the Emperor is? Or Sichuan, which is like a dragon’s den?”

“……”

“It’s the same everywhere, everywhere.”

At those words, the one who had come to report sighed deeply and asked,

“…So what do we do now? At this rate, we won’t be able to establish ourselves properly in Henan.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

The man chuckled.

“It’s all for the best. If it looks like we can’t establish ourselves, we can just give up.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve got a rough idea of the place, so let’s pull off one big score.”

“One big score?”

The man’s eyes gleamed.

“It’s about time to retire anyway. My back still hurts from being beaten by that Jang Il-so whenever it rains…”

“So, are you thinking of robbing someone?”

“Yes. It’s robbery. Gather all the guys you can gather.”

“How many?”

“All of them!”

The one who heard those words frowned.

“…No. If Daeyeong says so, a cloud of guys with bloodshot eyes will gather, but where are you planning to hit with them? Robbing an average place won’t even cover the cost of rice.”

“A big place. A very big place.”

The man’s eyes turned west.

“We need to rob one of the Ten Great Merchant Guilds to make enough money to live on for the rest of our lives, don’t you think?”

“O-One of the Ten Great Merchant Guilds?”

“Yes. I have a plan. Gather all the guys who are interested in my name.”

“A-Alright, Daeyeong!”

Gathering people without a plan would be hard for anyone else. But Aso knew Gal Cheon-rip’s reputation. Men would follow him anywhere, even into danger, just because of his name. So, Aso nodded quickly and ran to gather the men.

The one who said these words was none other than Gal Cheon-rip, the First Killing Star of the Seven Killings of Gangseo, the Ghost Blade of Heartlessness.

If it was the word of Gal Cheon-rip, whose fame was known to have rivaled even Jang Il-so in the past, a pack of starving wolves would gather, clutching their empty bellies.

The ancient capital, Luoyang.

Black storm clouds were gathering over the sky of Luoyang.