Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 985

Silence fell over the courtyard. It was so quiet you could hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees nearby. Baek Cheon stared at Beopjeong. His face was empty, like a mask.

“What…” Baek Cheon began, his voice barely a whisper.

*What was this crazy monk saying?* Collusion? The Cheonwu Alliance, working with those evil Sa-pah? It was unbelievable.

Anger exploded in Baek Cheon. His face flushed red, and his fists clenched.

“You—!” He started to move towards Beopjeong, eyes blazing, but a hand grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back down.

Baek Cheon spun around, teeth gritted. It was Un-geom. Un-geom’s face was also tight with anger, but he shook his head slightly, trying to calm Baek Cheon down.

“…Wait,” Un-geom said, his voice low and strained.

“Sasuk!” Baek Cheon protested.

“The Sect Leader needs to deal with this,” Un-geom said firmly. But even as he spoke, Un-geom’s one hand, resting on Baek Cheon’s shoulder, trembled with his own barely controlled rage.

It wasn’t just Hwasan who was shocked by Beopjeong’s words. Jongri-hyung, the Sect Leader of the Mount Song Sect, stared at Beopjeong with a face that was beyond astonishment, bordering on dismay.

‘Collusion, you say.’

What on earth was he talking about? Surely, he had been watching what happened on Plum Blossom Island.

And at that moment, Hyun Jong broke the silence and spoke.

“I…”

His face showed neither anger nor resentment. He simply faced Beopjeong with an emotionless expression. But anyone who knew Hyun Jong even a little would immediately recognize the immense fury he was suppressing.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking, Abbot.”

There was not a hint of emotion in his tone. It was rare to hear Hyun Jong speak like this.

Beopjeong smiled faintly and countered his words.

“Exactly as I said.”

“…”

“Logically speaking, there is no reason why the Surochae wouldn’t attack the Cheonwu Alliance as they left the island.”

“The reason is simple. We took the Black Dragon King hostage.”

“Is that so?”

Beopjeong turned his gaze towards the ship, as if surprised.

‘I see.’

He nodded, realizing now that the Hwasan Sword Saint was still on the ship.

“I understand what you mean.”

“Does that answer your question?”

Beopjeong slowly shook his head.

“No.”

At that answer, Hyun Jong’s face hardened coldly.

“That is not enough, Sect Leader.”

The smile vanished from Beopjeong’s face.

“Surely, the Sect Leader isn’t going to claim that those pirates possess such great loyalty?”

“Abbot.”

For the first time, anger flickered across Hyun Jong’s face.

In truth, depending on how one looked at it, the questions Beopjeong was raising could be considered legitimate. The way they had left the island certainly seemed unnatural from where they were watching. It wasn’t as if Hyun Jong couldn’t understand that.

But even so, the only reason he couldn’t suppress his anger now was this: Malice.

A chilling malice was thickly embedded in every word Beopjeong spoke. He wasn’t asking questions and hoping for a reasonable explanation. No matter the answer, he was driven by a malice that sought to drag them down into the dirt and trample them.

“We risked our lives to save Namgung.”

“I, too, wish to express my gratitude for the Cheonwu Alliance’s assistance in rescuing Namgung. However…”

Beopjeong’s gaze turned towards the Hwasan disciples lined up behind Hyun Jong. Towards those young swordsmen who were glaring at him with murderous intent.

“So, who lost their lives?”

“Abbot!”

Hyun Jong let out a scream-like shout, but Beopjeong didn’t even blink.

“Isn’t it too unnatural that you stormed into a place occupied by the Ten Thousand People Clan and the Surochae, and came out unscathed?”

In the end, an unbearable rage bloomed on Hyun Jong’s face.

What on earth was this madman spouting?

“Logically, isn’t the only possible explanation that there was some kind of agreement between the Cheonwu Alliance and the Sa-pah? Or are you going to claim that the Cheonwu Alliance is so powerful that they don’t need to suffer any casualties against that Sa-pah?”

Beopjeong’s face was stern. Listening to his serious expression and strong words, as if he wasn’t trying to cause trouble, you might think Hwasan really had done something wrong.

Sure enough, the disciples of the Mount Song Sect and the Beggars’ Sect, who had been listening to this conversation with bated breath, began to exchange glances. People started to think that Beopjeong might be right.

“I have only one thing to say.”

Hyun Jong opened his mouth with a hardened face.

“Hwasan did not compromise with them. It is simply that they could not do anything to us because we held the Black Dragon King hostage.”

“Hmm?”

Beopjeong’s eyes curved strangely.

“So, what you’re saying is…”

Seeing that look, Hyun Jong’s face paled slightly. He, too, had realized what was about to come next.

“…that the Cheonwu Alliance agreed to spare the life of the terrible villain, the Black Dragon King, in exchange for being allowed to leave Plum Blossom Island?”

Hyun Jong squeezed his eyes shut.

The reason Hwasan had decided to spare the Black Dragon King was because revenge was Namgung’s right. But who would believe that story in this situation?

For those who heard Beopjeong’s shocking accusations, it would sound like Hwasan had pleaded for their lives to be spared by letting a terrible villain go free.

The current Jianghu was too harsh to readily believe Hyun Jong’s words.

“That’s going too far!”

At that moment, someone raised their voice abruptly. It was Jao-gae.

Beopjeong’s gaze turned towards him.

“If you cannot trust the words of the Cheonwu Alliance, perhaps you can trust my words, who is not part of the Cheonwu Alliance. I witnessed everything on that island. From what I saw, the Cheonwu Alliance did not collude with the Sa-pah!”

Jao-gae glared at Beopjeong and spoke with emphasis.

“I can swear on my name.”

But Beopjeong simply shook his head.

“Your name is not worth that much.”

“What did you just say…”

“Wasn’t it you, the Beggar, who abandoned his position as an elder of the Beggars’ Sect to prove your words?”

At the surge of anger, Jao-gae trembled.

‘That madman!’

But he couldn’t argue against it. How could he argue against words that didn’t make sense?

“And!”

Beopjeong frowned and said.

“What people see and hear isn’t the whole story. If what I fear is true, the world must prepare for a great calamity. Will you be responsible for what you say?”

“Listen here, Abbot!”

“This is none of your business!” the Abbot roared.

His hand slammed onto Zhao-gae’s shoulder, heavy and cold like stone. Zhao-gae, despite being a respected elder, was no match for the Abbot’s raw power. The Abbot was the head of the famous Shaolin Temple, and his authority was absolute here. When the Abbot used his strength, Zhao-gae froze, unable to move even a finger.

“Be careful, Beggar,” the Abbot said, his voice low and dangerous. “If they secretly planned with that Demonic Sect – those evil magic users – then going to Plum Blossom Island might have been part of their scheme. We can’t just decide what happened based only on what we saw inside.”

“But…” Zhao-gae started to argue, his voice shaking.

He trembled, feeling the Abbot’s iron grip. He tried to speak again, but the words caught in his throat. He knew it was pointless. The Abbot wasn’t listening; his mind was already made up.

*How could this be?* Zhao-gae thought.

Didn’t Zhao-gae understand? He couldn’t help but understand why the Abbot was acting this way. That’s why he found it even harder to control his anger, feeling a bitter taste rising from his stomach.

“I will ask again,” the Abbot said, turning to Hyun Jong.

“Is it true that the Cheonwu Alliance made a secret deal with the Demonic Sect to free the Black Dragon King?” The Demonic Sect was a group known for evil magic.

Hyun Jong tried his best to stay calm. He felt that if he lost his temper, he would be pulled into the Abbot’s plan.

“…It might look that way. But it’s not really a deal.”

“So, you think Jang Il-so cared so much about the Black Dragon King that he freed Hwasan, Tang, and Namgung for him?”

“What are you…”

“And,” the Abbot continued.

The Abbot’s eyes, sharp and cold like winter ice, scanned Hyun Jong. “It also means you begged for the Black Dragon King’s life in exchange for saving him.”

“Abbot,” Tang Gun-ak said, stepping forward, unable to watch the scene any longer.

“How can you call that a deal? If you want to go that far, didn’t Shaolin also make a deal with them on the Yangtze River to save your own lives?” Tang Gun-ak was referring to a past scandal.

Hearing this, the Abbot smiled slightly.

“That’s right, Clan Leader. You are correct.”

Tang Gun-ak’s face hardened at the Abbot’s reaction.

“And in return…”

The moment Tang Gun-ak saw the smile on the Abbot’s face, he knew he had made a mistake.

“Wudang took responsibility by closing its doors, and Namgung went into seclusion. Shaolin also paid a heavy price. So, I ask, if this situation is the same as the Yangtze River incident…”

The Abbot’s voice now had a clear force. “Which sect in the Cheonwu Alliance will pay the price for secretly working with that Demonic Sect?”

“You son of a…” Tang Gun-ak spat out a curse, his face turning red with anger, veins popping out on his neck. He now understood what the Abbot wanted.

Shaolin could no longer become as great as it once was. If the story of what happened on the Yangtze River spread, no one would think of Shaolin as righteous.

Instead, the Cheonwu Alliance would become even more famous, far beyond Shaolin’s reach.

A normal person would try to fix their reputation and rise again. But the Abbot wanted to drag Hwasan down into the mud with them.

Words change depending on who says them.

The story of Hwasan bravely attacking Plum Blossom Island, which was surrounded by the Demonic Sect, to rescue Namgung and escape safely would be a great achievement.

But what if people said that Hwasan had made a deal with the Demonic Sect to save the Black Dragon King so they could escape Plum Blossom Island safely?

Like mud on a muddy road, Shaolin’s past mistakes were hidden. But Hwasan was like fresh snow; even a tiny speck of dirt would stand out.

Tang Gun-ak, realizing this, glared at the Abbot with murderous intent. Unlike Hwasan, the Tang family didn’t hate Shaolin. But now, Tang Gun-ak looked at the Abbot like he was his worst enemy.

He was disgusted by the Abbot’s evil plan.

The Abbot smiled slightly.

“I hope you won’t get too upset. I don’t think the Cheonwu Alliance is foolish enough to secretly work with that Demonic Sect for something so unimportant.”

Tang Gun-ak frowned. After trapping someone, why was the Abbot saying this now?

“No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense. Hwasan, Tang, and Namgung are too important to be compared to the life of the Black Dragon King. Those three great sects are worth more than the life of a simple bandit leader.”

“Enough with the…”

“Unless, in addition to the Black Dragon King’s life…”

At that moment, the Abbot’s voice echoed clearly throughout the Yangtze River.

“…you had a secret agreement to give even more.”

“That crazy bastard!” Tang Gun-ak finally roared.

They risked their lives to enter Plum Blossom Island. Why should they be treated like this?

But this unreasonable comment worked. The disciples of the Nine Great Sects, who were guarding the Abbot’s back, started to look at Hwasan differently.

This was natural.

They were proud to be disciples of the Nine Great Sects. But this time, they could only watch Hwasan’s brave actions on the Yangtze River.

Was it because they were weak?

No. No matter how strong Hwasan was, they were still one of the Nine Great Sects. They couldn’t be weaker than Hwasan.

So, how could they explain Hwasan defeating the Demonic Sect and rescuing Namgung without them even helping?

It seemed unnatural.

Because Hwasan had seemed so righteous, they were only suspicious. If any other sect had done the same thing, they would have thought there was a secret plan.

Tang Gun-ak’s face turned pale.

*Damn it.*

They probably didn’t know that the disciples were jealous.

The Abbot was making those who had watched from the Yangtze River feel jealous.

If many people have doubts, their voices will become stronger and spread.

*What should I do?*

How could they get out of this situation where the most powerful leader in the Jianghu (the world of martial artists) was trying to trap them, and the most trusted people in the world were suspicious of them?

Even Tang Gun-ak didn’t know what to say.

“Sect Leader,” the Abbot said, looking at Hyun Jong with a strange smile.

As if to finish them off.

“I will ask one last time. Did Hwasan really not make any agreements with that Demonic Sect?”

Hyun Jong looked up at the sky, feeling hopeless.

*How terrifying.*

Too cruel and scary. He thought he knew the Jianghu, but this evil plan made him shiver.

“I’ll say it again!” Hyun Jong was about to shout.

“…What if we did collude?” a cold voice interrupted.

Everyone on the riverside looked towards the voice.

“What are you going to do if we colluded?” Hwasan Sword Demon, Cheong-myeong, asked as he walked towards them.

His face was colder than the harsh winds of the Northern Sea.