Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 883

‘Why has it come to this?’

Confusion clouded Gal Cheon-rip’s face.

Until he entered Seoan, everything had gone according to his plan, even when he was fighting the Silver Sea Merchant Guild.

So why has it come to this?

Was it Mount Hua’s intervention?

He had expected them to get involved. In the past, when the Myriad Man Clan invaded Seoan, Mount Hua stepped in, not Jongnam. Three years ago, they acted like they owned the world, causing trouble throughout Gangbuk.

They wouldn’t ignore something like this happening in their territory, even if they were in closed-door training.

But…

Gal Cheon-rip’s teeth ground together hard. What he hadn’t expected was how strong Mount Hua had become.

‘This is impossible.’

How could they have become so strong in just three years?

It didn’t make sense. The Mount Hua he knew and the one he was seeing now were completely different.

If he had known they were this strong, he would never have come to Seoan.

He had carefully measured Mount Hua’s strength three years ago. So, was his assessment wrong back then?

It couldn’t be.

If they had been this strong then, the Janggang Catastrophe wouldn’t have happened. And the Gangnam Non-Aggression Pact would never have been signed.

Even the great sects had to endure humiliation from Jang Il-so to survive, but Mount Hua had resisted fiercely.

But that also meant that even though Mount Hua resisted so strongly, they weren’t strong enough to change things.

So…

‘They really changed this much in just three years? They became this strong?’

Who would believe it?

‘If getting strong was so simple, why would anyone struggle!’

If anyone could easily become strong just by training, then everyone would be powerful.

But these guys were breaking all the rules of the Jianghu. They had gone from a small sect to a powerful one in just three years.

He still couldn’t fully understand how strong they were. He didn’t have anyone strong enough to test them.

He had brought his best fighters, the elite from the less traditional groups in Gangbuk. He was sure they could cause chaos even in distant Qinghai. But now…!

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

Where, exactly?

“Aaaaargh!”

A scream cut through the air. It was his younger brother, who had tried to turn the tide of the battle.

They could have easily controlled the smaller battles.

But here, they were being swept away.

Everything was falling apart.

His plans to lead these men to Qinghai, build a power base, and become a major force in the war were collapsing.

“Th-this…”

Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes burned red.

‘Mount Hua!’

It was all because of them.

Just then, he heard slow footsteps approaching. They were slow and steady, out of place in the chaos of the battlefield.

Gal Cheon-rip turned sharply, his face twisted like a demon’s.

A man was walking towards him.

The man’s appearance meant several things.

It meant that Mount Hua had enough swordsmen to spare, and that the remaining fighters couldn’t stop one of them from flanking them.

More than anything…

“How dare you!”

Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes were bloodshot.

It meant they thought so little of him that they sent just *one* person to fight him.

Against Gal Cheon-rip, the Ghost Blade Demon.

“Th-this…”

He felt his blood run cold.

“…Who are you?”

The man smiled slightly.

“I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t have any fancy titles, if that’s what you mean.”

“A nobody without a title?”

“That’s right.”

He sounded apologetic, but he looked confident. This made Gal Cheon-rip even angrier.

“…Not the Mount Hua Sword Saint, not the Mount Hua Righteous Sword… A nameless nobody dares to face me? And you’re just a cripple with one arm?”

The man shrugged, not showing any anger.

“I’m a little sorry about that. Anyway, since you asked, I’ll answer. I am Un-geom, a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua.”

Un-geom raised his only hand and slowly drew his sword.

“Since my master is busy, I have no choice but to step forward. Don’t blame me too much for being a nameless nobody.”

Gal Cheon-rip closed his mouth.

He wasn’t even angry anymore. It was true that when a person became too angry, they became calm.

“Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

Un-geom replied calmly to Gal Cheon-rip’s surprised face.

“Don’t look at me like that. I haven’t had a chance to hear who you are. I came running as soon as I heard the news.”

Un-geom shrugged.

“And since no one here told me, I have no choice but to not know.”

Gal Cheon-rip laughed humorlessly.

Was he being defeated by someone like this?

“I am the Ghost Blade Demon, Gal Cheon-rip. Of the Seven Killers of Gangseo.”

“Ah, is that so.”

Un-geom nodded.

Gal Cheon-rip gritted his teeth at his calm reaction.

“This fool doesn’t even seem to have heard the name Ghost Blade Demon.”

“I know it.”

Un-geom looked at Gal Cheon-rip calmly.

“I know it. I’ve heard of the Ghost Blade Demon and the Seven Killers of Gangseo.”

“Yet you dare to face me?”

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”

Gal Cheon-rip’s lips twitched.

He had been like a god in Gangnam. How could he be humiliated like this?

“That arm.”

“…Hmm?”

“Who cut it off?”

Un-geom stared at Gal Cheon-rip, trying to understand the question.

Then, Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes flashed.

“I heard that someone survived when the Myriad Man Clan invaded Mount Hua. Is that you?”

“That’s right.”

“So you couldn’t even handle a division leader of the Myriad Man Clan. Yet you dare to face me? Jang Il-so himself would have to face me!”

Un-geom’s face changed.

But he wasn’t despairing or humiliated. He was trying not to laugh. He bit his lip, struggling to keep from laughing.

Gal Cheon-rip’s face hardened.

“…What’s so funny?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I know it’s rude, but I couldn’t help it when you mentioned Jang Il-so.”

“……”

“I have one question. When was the last time you saw the Tyrant in person?”

“…The last time?”

Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes narrowed. It had been at least fifteen years since he had met him. Maybe longer.

But so what?

“I promise you, if you had seen the Tyrant of three years ago, you wouldn’t say that.”

“You little turtle…”

Gal Cheon-rip’s face turned red. Un-geom stared at him coldly.

Even though Gal Cheon-rip was an enemy fighter, Un-geom, as a Taoist, should respect people. But when Jang Il-so’s name came up, even Un-geom couldn’t help but laugh.

He had seen Jang Il-so push Chung-myung and the Five Swords to the edge of death.

Gal Cheon-rip wasn’t weak, but Jang Il-so was on a different level. Jang Il-so was evil incarnate, and Un-geom shuddered just thinking about him.

Gal Cheon-rip didn’t really know Jang Il-so.

“Maybe you could handle the Tyrant if he was still the one you remember.”

Gal Cheon-rip understood Un-geom’s words and gritted his teeth.

“This bastard dares to insult me…”

“He never stopped improving. But what about you? I haven’t heard the name Seven Killers of Gangseo in a while, and you haven’t changed much, have you?”

“……”

“People who live in the past are as good as dead.”

Those words cut into Gal Cheon-rip’s heart.

“And those who are happy with what they have will fall behind.”

Un-geom looked at the Mount Hua disciples fighting bravely and the Five Swords protecting them.

‘It’s hard to keep improving.’

But these people had done it. Someone had even reached the highest level and still worked harder than everyone else.

As their master, he couldn’t let them down.

Un-geom raised his sword and pointed it at Gal Cheon-rip.

“You said I couldn’t even handle a division leader of the Myriad Man Clan, right?”

“…So?”

“Let’s see how much I’ve changed since then. And how far you’ve fallen since you were compared to the Tyrant.”

“……”

Gal Cheon-rip stared at Un-geom blankly.

His anger disappeared, replaced by a cold killing intent. He wanted to tear this man apart.

“That sword…”

Gal Cheon-rip slowly drew his sword. As the Sword of Mourning, which had taken many lives, entered his hand, his heart turned cold.

“I hope your sword is as sharp as your mouth. Otherwise, you’ll be begging me to kill you.”

Un-geom smiled.

Un-geom took a stance, ready to use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

“Come.”

“I’ll tear that mouth apart!”

Gal Cheon-rip rushed towards Un-geom like a storm.