Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 950

Ho Gamyung bowed deeply to Jang Il-so as he came onto the deck. “Lord Leader,” Ho Gamyung said, his voice full of respect. “You have worked very hard.”

Jang Il-so just nodded, a slow, thoughtful movement.

But the Black Dragon King looked worried, not happy like Ho Gamyung. “Jang Il-so,” he began, then corrected himself, “Leader. I don’t understand what you are doing,” he said, his face tight with confusion.

“Why must we keep Namgung alive for five whole days? I know we want to show everyone Namgung’s end. But why give them so much time?”

Jang Il-so turned slowly to face him. “It is needed,” he said simply. “It is very important, Black Dragon King.”

A cruel smile touched the corner of Jang Il-so’s mouth. “If we kill Namgung now, what story will Shaolin tell the other good groups when they arrive?”

The Black Dragon King paused, thinking. What *would* Shaolin say? *Would* they admit they were stopped by Jang Il-so and couldn’t cross the river?

‘Of course not,’ he thought. ‘If it were me, I’d say I rushed here, but Namgung was already dead, killed by those evil groups.’

No one here on the river could argue against Shaolin. It was just Namgung, the Evil Sect Alliance, and Shaolin.

Even if normal people saw this, who would believe them over Shaolin? Shaolin were the respected leaders of the martial world.

“We can kill Namgung later,” Jang Il-so said, his voice cold. “The point is to make sure everyone knows Shaolin stood and watched Namgung die.”

He laughed, a chilling sound. “Namgung is not our real enemy. It’s the Nine Great Sects.”

A shiver went down the Black Dragon King’s back. The Water Faction was also careful and slow in dealing with Namgung.

But he had never thought of using Namgung to shame Shaolin and trick the other good groups. Who else would think of such a thing?

The Black Dragon King felt a strange curiosity. How would Shaolin act when the others arrived? He imagined their faces, probably a mix of guilt and shame.

“But… more people will come to help them,” the Black Dragon King said. “What if they try to cross the river to save Namgung?”

“Them?” Jang Il-so laughed, a sound of disbelief. “If they were going to do that, they would have attacked already.”

“People who stop once, cannot start again easily. If they were in a hurry, maybe they would have attacked. But…” Jang Il-so looked towards Shaolin.

He asked quietly, “Do you see them? What do you think they are thinking? Do they look happy to have a chance to save Namgung?”

The Black Dragon King frowned. “If I were them…”

Jang Il-so smiled, showing his very white teeth between his red lips. It was a creepy smile, like a wild animal showing its teeth.

“I would want Namgung to die completely, so they would be quiet, wouldn’t I?”

The Black Dragon King stared, speechless, at Jang Il-so. “Even if they get help and save Namgung, Shaolin gets nothing.

The praise will go to those who come later. Even if Shaolin fights hard, all they get is Namgung, who will feel very angry at them when they go back to Gangbuk.”

“I’ll ask again,” Jang Il-so said, his voice lower. Cold sweat started on the Black Dragon King’s back. “Do you really think Shaolin *wants* to save Namgung? Really?”

“I… I don’t think so.”

Jang Il-so began to laugh softly. It was like he was going crazy because he found this all so funny.

The Black Dragon King shivered and bit his lip. ‘He’s mad.’

This man is not sane.

Control him? Impossible.

He and the other leaders of the Evil Sect Alliance had been wrong about him from the start.

This man will take control of the world and do whatever he wants with it.

“Humans…” Jang Il-so suddenly stopped laughing and looked at the Black Dragon King with a careless look. It was like he was saying, ‘You are the same.’

“What people say and what they do are different things.”

“People’s words are just stories they make up for what they want. Their real feelings are hidden deep inside. And the funny thing is…” Jang Il-so, who had been speaking quietly, looked back at Shaolin.

“People often don’t even know their own real feelings.”

“Aren’t you curious?” Jang Il-so asked. “How will Beopjeong act? And how will those monks, who have been taught to always do what is right, obey Beopjeong’s orders?”

Jang Il-so slowly touched his lips with his fingers. “One thing is sure: once people see their own bad side, they can never be the same as before.

Killing some Namgung or Shaolin is not important. What matters is to make them know. To show them they are not such great people.”

“Hmm.” Jang Il-so’s long eyes became thin slits. “Where’s the alcohol?”

The Black Dragon King quickly waved his hand. The men who were afraid of Jang Il-so jumped in surprise and ran to get it from inside the ship.

Even when they went to get the alcohol, Jang Il-so didn’t move to go inside. The Black Dragon King asked, “Here?”

“Isn’t it perfect?” Jang Il-so laughed softly. “Drinking while watching Shaolin, who can’t do anything, sounds wonderful.”

The Black Dragon King nodded seriously. “I-I’ll get a table…” The bandit who brought the alcohol spoke, his voice shaking and his face white.

Jang Il-so slowly held out his hand. “The alcohol first.”

“Yes? Oh… Yes!” The bandit quickly gave him the bottle. Jang Il-so took it and walked slowly to the edge of the ship, sitting on the railing.

“Good.” He looked at Shaolin across the river. They stood there, unable to move, like statues made of stone. It was a truly amazing sight.

Someone with a strong belief will jump into fire. But someone who stops in front of fire once, can never jump in again.

Jang Il-so wanted to leave a lasting mark on their minds. ‘I don’t care about winning just one battle.’

What’s important is to win in the end.

Just then, Ho Gamyung came closer carefully. “Lord Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“Of course, they won’t cross the river now. But the groups that come after might be different, right?”

“They are just weak,” Jang Il-so said. “Shaolin is not acting. Do they really have the courage to fight us alone?”

“Namgung, who should lead the Five Great Families, is like this, and Tang, another important group, has turned away. Shaolin doesn’t know what to do, and Wudang, the next best group, has closed its doors.”

Jang Il-so described the situation slowly, then smiled slightly. “All that’s left are just people who talk big but do nothing.”

Ho Gamyung nodded slowly. Just when they thought Jang Il-so was finished, he spoke again. “However…”

“Yes?” Ho Gamyung looked at him with a confused face. Jang Il-so didn’t answer right away, and just smiled strangely.

“There is one on their side too.”

Ho Gamyung asked, “What are you talking about?”

“A crazy person you never know what he will do.”

“Haha!” Jang Il-so shook his head, laughing, and started drinking straight from the bottle.

‘Isn’t that right?’ He looked north, his eyes fixed in that direction.

Namgung Dowi fell to the ground, broken. He heard everything.

Jang Il-so used his power to make his voice travel across the whole river. It was like he wanted everyone to know what was happening.

So, even on Plum Blossom Island, they had to hear Jang Il-so and Beopjeong talking.

“Haha…” A sad laugh came from Namgung Dowi. Was it really this cruel?

The world of heroes and fairness he had dreamed of was just a dream. The real world was terribly cruel.

But what bothered him most was that he had no way to escape this cruelty.

“Ugh…”

“Cough.”

Sounds of pain came from everywhere. Namgung’s swordsmen fell, bleeding and twisting in pain. Those who had held on with their minds, even though they were hurt, now seemed to collapse, all their energy gone.

‘Why did we come here?’

When they came to Plum Blossom Island to protect fairness and the heroic groups’ pride, they had not hesitated for a moment. But now, as things had become like this, he had to laugh a sad laugh at himself.

Did it ever really exist? Did that fairness and heroic groups’ pride really exist?

If it did, why was Shaolin just standing there, being made fun of by Jang Il-so?

“Ha… Haha…” It felt like everything was being taken away. Everything about him…

*Thud.* Just then, someone put a hand on Namgung Dowi’s shoulder.

He turned his head weakly. It was Namgung Hwang. His face was pale, still shocked, but his mouth was set, more determined than ever.

“Get up.”

“Father.”

“Help the injured. Now we have to just keep going. We have to save even one more person.”

“For the next five days…”

“If we keep going?”

Namgung Dowi, feeling too much, stopped him and bit his lip until it bled. “What happens after five days? Are we just supposed to be happy to die after holding on?”

“Dowi…”

“Do you really think they will help us? Really?” Namgung Hwang closed his eyes.

His son had shown himself to be a true Namgung until the very end. Even Namgung Hwang was surprised.

So, the feeling of betrayal would be the strongest for him, more than anyone else here.

“They…”

*Grip.* Just as Namgung Dowi was about to speak again, Namgung Hwang grabbed his shoulder hard again.

“Are you going to leave those who are dying just because they don’t help?”

“There is no such thing as a pointless fight. Sometimes, you don’t fight to win, you just fight because you have to.”

Namgung Dowi bit his lip. His shoulders shook a little. Namgung Hwang waited silently for Namgung Dowi to calm down.

“I’m sorry. I…”

“It’s okay.”

Namgung Dowi tried hard to stand up, his body feeling heavy. “I will help the injured and try to hold on as long as I can. But…”

“I know.” There is a limit to how long the injured can last in this place with not even a single piece of food left. No one knows how many will live through these five days.

“Just get out alive.”

“Even if it’s only one person.”

Namgung Dowi closed his eyes slowly, listening to Namgung Hwang’s words. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. Now, his eyes were full of strength again.

He turned around quickly and shouted, “Those who can move, follow me! Help the injured and heal them!”

An answer came back, but it sounded weak, without energy. It showed how bad the situation was for Namgung.

But Namgung Dowi didn’t try to force them to be brave. He just focused on helping the injured in silence. Because there are times when talking doesn’t help.

Namgung Hwang looked slowly at Namgung Dowi and Namgung Myung, who were working hard. The ships all around the island.

And Shaolin, stopped far away. ‘Lonely.’

It felt like the world had left them alone.