Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 867

“Are you sure about this, Captain?”

“About what?”

The men who had gathered had now left. Damhae, the youngest of the Kangho Seven Killers, also called ‘One Smile, One Kill’, spoke carefully.

“It feels like things are getting out of hand.”

“Youngest.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Small problems, if you ignore them, become big problems.”

Gal Cheon-rip grinned.

“People can’t ignore minor disasters. Think of a small fire in a house. Everyone helps to stop it. Even if they don’t like the homeowner, they will help.”

“Yes.”

“But a huge fire in the mountains? People just watch because it’s too big to handle.”

Damhae nodded, as if understanding.

“But I’m still worried. Aren’t we all part of the Righteous Faction? Shaanxi and Henan aren’t that far apart. What if the Shaolin or Beggars’ Sects come running…?”

“That won’t happen.”

“Yes?”

Gal Cheon-rip smirked.

“The reason those Nine Sects are acting up is because they’re desperate. They are ashamed, so they have to hide or pretend everything is okay, right?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“But that doesn’t make their shame go away. Those who have been disgraced want one of two things: a chance to redeem themselves, or…”

Go Song, the second of the Kangho Seven Killers, also known as Yama’s Axe, chuckled knowingly.

“For others to suffer the same fate.”

“Exactly.”

Gal Cheon-rip nodded slowly.

“Do you think they’ll try to stop the Mount Hua Sect from suffering? They might pretend to be sad, but inside, they’ll be cheering.”

“…Still, they’re supposed to be the Righteous Faction.”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Gal Cheon-rip, muttering about the Righteous Faction, snapped his fingers.

“Righteous Faction this, Righteous Faction that. They’re still just people. It’s not like those Righteous Faction blokes are born reciting Buddhist or Taoist scriptures. We’re all the same on the inside.”

He chuckled, and Ilsoilsal Damhae nodded silently.

He didn’t fully understand, but once Gal Cheon-rip had spoken this much, he couldn’t press further.

Though they were sworn brothers, Gal Cheon-rip was a fearsome figure among them. There was no point in angering him.

“But Captain,”

Go Song, Yama’s Axe, spoke with clear displeasure.

“It’s fine to make things big, but are you really going to give those guys a share?”

“Of course.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, I said so. We need to be clear about the money. But…!”

Yama’s Axe and One Smile, One Kill looked at Gal Cheon-rip with anticipation.

“If they’re willing to follow us even after all this is over.”

Gal Cheon-rip smirked, and suspicion filled Go Song’s eyes.

“Follow us? You’re not thinking of taking them in, are you?”

“I am.”

“Haven’t we brothers done well enough without taking in subordinates? Why bother now…?”

“Done well?”

In an instant, Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes turned bloodshot.

“Is that why we’re wasting our days in this remote Gangbuk land?”

“…”

A thick killing intent came from him, turning Go Song and Damhae’s faces pale.

“That Jang Il-so became the boss of Gangnam, but I’m stuck here in Gangbuk, like I’m nothing. What am I lacking compared to that bastard that I have to suffer this fate?” (Gangnam and Gangbuk are areas)

“…Captain.”

Gal Cheon-rip gritted his teeth.

“It’s all about power. I can handle Jang Il-so, but we can’t handle the Myriad Man Clan. Not to mention the Four Evil Alliances.”

Go Song nodded, as if understanding.

“That’s true. If we had power, we wouldn’t be oppressed by those Nine Sects now.”

“We wouldn’t have had to run to Gangbuk in the first place.”

Just because they were part of the Demonic Faction didn’t mean they had no pride. In fact, compared to the Righteous Faction, who could bend their pride for the greater good, the Demonic Faction rarely had a reason to lower their pride.

“I thought I could live freely as long as I had power. I didn’t think I needed to bother managing subordinates and building a force. But… I was wrong. He was right. I will bring all those bastards under my command.”

“But those guys…”

Just as Go Song was about to say something negative, Damhae opened his mouth as if he understood.

“You’re planning to make things even bigger, aren’t you?”

“Hmm?”

Gal Cheon-rip looked at Damhae with interest.

“Why do you say that?”

“If we just steal some money and run to Qinghai, they can scatter and avoid pursuit. But if we create a big problem that they absolutely have to solve, they’ll need shelter to avoid the trackers who will chase them to the ends of the earth.”

“Haha! You’re still the youngest. That’s right.”

Gal Cheon-rip burst into laughter.

“First, we’ll rob the Eunha Merchant Guild to get money. Then, instead of going straight to Qinghai, we’ll turn Shaanxi upside down.”

“Shaanxi…?”

“Then the Chongnam Sect will eventually break their seclusion and come out. The Chongnam Sect is persistent, so they’ll try to find and punish everyone involved in this. Then those guys will need a shadow to protect them.”

“If they’re scattered, they’ll lose their lives to the relentless pursuit, but even Chongnam can’t bring all their forces into Qinghai. The Four Evil Alliances will be a nuisance.”

“That’s right. That damned Jang Il-so is helping us.”

Gal Cheon-rip’s face twisted. Just saying Jang Il-so’s name seemed to irritate him.

“Anyway, we just need to control those who have no way to return to the Central Plains. And…”

He paused, baring his teeth like a hungry beast.

“We’ll wait for the Four Evil Alliances and the Righteous Faction to fight each other, then re-enter Gangnam. That’s what a triumphant return is all about.”

Go Song looked at Gal Cheon-rip with admiration. He thought he was just wasting time with courtesans, but it seemed he had been thinking about this all along.

“But those guys will be wary…”

“They’ll be cautious and try to stick to the plan. But…”

Gal Cheon-rip chuckled.

“It’ll only last for a while. How long can a dog wait when food is right in front of its nose? We don’t even need to push them. If we step in and cut down a couple of them, they’ll get even more excited and run wild. By the time they realize it, it’ll all be over.”

“I suppose…”

That’s just what the Demonic Faction was like.

Ilsoilsal Damhae frowned.

“But Captain… those who didn’t listen to the Four Evil Alliances, will they listen to us? It’s not that we’re lacking compared to the Myriad Man Clan, but these guys don’t listen to anyone in the first place.”

“Leave that to me. I am Guidomujeong.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The coordination was now complete.

“How many years has it been since we were called the Kangho Seven Killers?” (Kangho is the martial world)

“At least fifteen years.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s about time we got tired of this name. We should change it soon. Instead of the Kangho Seven Killers, we should be the Qinghai Seven Devils to save face when we return home, don’t you think?”

Gal Cheon-rip stood up and strode to the window.

He looked down at the peaceful streets of Luoyang and twisted his lips into a smile.

“If the world is burning, we should throw in a spark. Let’s show the world that the Demonic Faction isn’t just the Four Evil Alliances.”

The next morning, Cheol-gwi appeared outside the gates of Luoyang in a desolate, dry field. He quietly looked around and frowned. The field was empty except for him.

Just in case, he used his senses to check if anyone was hiding nearby, but there was no one. Cheol-gwi, looking anxious, gritted his teeth.

“…Damn it, was it just talk?”

He had come a little early, but he didn’t expect to see no one.

Cheol-gwi briefly wondered if he had the wrong location, but he shook his head.

“Damn it. The Kangho Seven Killers can go freeze to death.”

Just as he was about to turn back, thinking he had made a pointless trip…

“Hmm?”

He noticed a few people walking towards him in the distance.

“…They’re not all cowards, it seems.”

But with this many, it would be difficult to rob the Eunha Merchant Guild, let alone a neighborhood stall…

But Cheol-gwi, who was cursing inwardly, slowly opened his mouth.

One. Another one.

Against the backdrop of the rising sun, more and more people began to reveal themselves. The murderous aura they emitted was so intense that even Cheol-gwi felt nervous and broke out in a cold sweat.

‘T-This is more than I expected!’

He thought maybe fifty people would gather at most…

“Whew.”

At that moment, someone whistled next to Cheol-gwi. Startled, Cheol-gwi turned around to see Gal Cheon-rip grinning, having approached unnoticed.

“Looks like more people gathered than I thought?”

“…I didn’t expect this many to gather, Captain.”

“Really?”

Not only that, but the Kangho Seven Killers had all appeared and were greeting the approaching men.

“Fortunately, my reputation isn’t too shabby. Don’t you think, Cheol-gwi?”

“…”

Cold sweat beaded on Cheol-gwi’s forehead.

Who didn’t know how cruel this man was? Just being this close made his hair stand on end.

But fortunately, Gal Cheon-rip didn’t pay much attention to Cheol-gwi. He just looked at the approaching men and smiled as if pleased.

It seemed he had underestimated the Demonic Faction. To see so many people gathering, determined to shed blood.

“Ha, they’re like crazy dogs.”

In other words, there were that many members of the Demonic Faction suffering under the pressure of the Nine Sects.

Ilsoilsal Damhae shrugged.

“Seeing this many gathering from the crack of dawn, I think there are still some who haven’t arrived yet.”

“It doesn’t matter. They’ll join us.”

The direction has already been decided, so there’s no need to wait for all of them. To achieve what he wants, it’s better to move before this sharp killing intent dulls.

The gathered men glared at Gal Cheon-rip with bloodshot eyes.

Gal Cheon-rip nodded, pleased with their fierce spirit.

“Welcome, you trash.”

He considered saying a little more but stopped. Now was the time to show them with action rather than words.

“Let’s depart immediately.”

He said in a dark voice.

“Let’s turn Shaanxi, a province known for its mountains and ancient temples, into a living hell. I’ll let you get your hands on wealth, blood, and whatever else you desire!”

At those words, the gathered Demonic Faction members bared their sharp teeth and laughed. They couldn’t hide their excitement about what was about to happen.

“Let’s go.”

The pack of ravenous wolves began to run west in a group, towards Shaanxi, where Mount Hua was located, west of Luoyang.