Return of the Mount Hua Sect
Chapter 895: It Is Better To Die Than To Not Possess It (5)

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung lightly scratched his cheek, exhaling deeply.

“… I was just thinking about having fun.”

“Don’t mess around.”

“I am serious.”

“….”

When Baek Cheon looked at him with indescribable contempt, Chung Myung waved his hand with an annoyed expression.

“What are you looking at me like that for? It is not for me to decide.”

“Uh?”

“Those ones should decide.”

Everyone knew who Chung Myung was referring to when he said, ‘Those ones’.

“… Four Precepts Alliance.”

“Right.”

When Baek Cheon spoke as if groaning, Chung Myung nodded lightly.

“That is certainly true, but…”

Yoon Jong tilted his head and said.

“But if what branch leader Hong said is true, then there could be a situation where the Four Precepts Alliance cannot move because of internal problems.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Of course, there will be internal problems. But they wouldn’t waste time because of that. He is not the type of person who would let that get in the way.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They also knew that the leaders of the Shenzhou Five Clans were no ordinary people. Didn’t they already witness their strength with their own eyes in the Yangtze River?

They were not pushed back an inch by the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families who commanded the world. No, in some ways, they were even overwhelming.

But…

‘Will Jang Ilso be overthrown by them?’

Even if he was caught by them, he wasn’t the kind of person who would waste time there. Jang Ilso would cut off his own ankle and go on his way.

Baek Cheon’s face hardened as he thought this far.

He wasn’t thinking this way because he was taking the leaders of the Shenzhou Five Clans lightly. It was because Jang Ilso’s presence was so much greater than theirs.

“If it is Jang Ilso, then…”

Chung Myung nodded and said calmly.

“And think about it. Wouldn’t Jang Ilso know that we know, that the North knows, and that the Justice faction knows everything?”

“…Of course, he would know it.”

“Yes, he would know. If he knew, he would prepare for it. There is no way he wouldn’t think about what I would do.”

Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung with a mix of respect and frustration.

It was a clear fact that Chung Myung hated Jang Ilso more than anyone else in murim. But when he heard it like this, he started to think that maybe the person Chung Myung acknowledged the most in the world was also Jang Ilso.

‘It is a little annoying.’

Who else could make that damned guy say something like that?

“And he has already moved.”

“Uh? What do you mean?”

When Jo Gul asked with eyes wide, Chung Myung chuckled.

“Is it really a coincidence that those Evil Sect people invaded Shaanxi at this moment?”

“…Did Jang Ilso plan that too?”

Yoon Jong shook his head.

“That seems like an insane idea. I questioned the Jiangxi Seven Killers, but Gal Cheon-rip had nothing to do with the Four Precepts Alliance. And he wasn’t the type to listen to Jang Ilso in the first place.”

Chung Myung stares at Yoon Jong and shakes his head.

“Sahyung.”

“Uh?”

“Sahyung is good, but the problem is that you are too kind.”

“…Is that an insult?”

Considering who those words were from, it was definitely not praise. Absolutely not.

“It is a lowlife move to make things happen by taking action yourself. A true master creates situations where things happen without you having to do anything.”

Chung Myung took a sip from a new bottle of alcohol and continued speaking.

“No matter how big the Southern land is, if Jang Ilso had wanted to, he could have cut off those guys before they even came up to the North. It is even stranger that he’d let them go when he’d already occupied the Yangtze River.”

“…Then Jang Ilso sent those people to Shaanxi on purpose?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Baek Cheon asked with a puzzled look. Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know that.”

“…”

At that, everyone’s eyes dimmed with subtle contempt. Chung Myung’s face twisted at their reaction.

“No, wait, am I some kind of mind reader? How can I know what that crazy bastard is even thinking!”

“You should know.”

“Insane people communicate well with each other.”

“Even if everyone else in the world doesn’t know, you should know him.”

“… these damned people.”

Chung Myung gulped down his drink as if his throat was burning.

Actually, he thought it was a joke, but his eyes were darker than before as if the words he hadn’t said had sunk into his eyes.

‘Jang Ilso…’

He put down the bottle and opened his mouth again, wiping his lips.

“You just need to know what is certain.”

“What is certain?”

Chung Myung nodded.

“He is moving.”

The room became quiet.

Everyone knew it. Wasn’t it because they had thought of this possibility that they endured the difficult training?

Baek Cheon nodded.

“We should prepare before that so that we can deal with Jang Ilso no matter what he does.”

“Well…”

Chung Myung glanced at Baek Cheon’s words and laughed.

“Plan anything so that the water stays fresh, right?”

“Right.”

“… it wasn’t fresh water, but spoiled one.”

“Ah, you mean when sahyung threw up?”

“You are the one who threw up, moron!”

Yoon Jong kicked Jo Gul with his foot. However, Jo Gul had definitely grown over the past three years, and now he showed determination to say what he wanted to say even when he got hit.

“I just puked a little; sahyung threw up everything you had for breakfast!”

“When did I do that, you moron!”

Yoon Jong protested with a flushed face. However, no one wanted to tease Yoon Jong about that. Actually, in the midst of such harsh training, such a thing was just a small incident that could be laughed off.

“Rather than preparing, we should organize it.”

“Organize?”

“Yes. Organize it.”

Chung Myung slightly curled his lips into a smile.

“We should organize the situation that’s turning into a mess so that when that bastard Jang Ilso comes running with his eyes wide open, it’ll be easier to handle. Above all… we need to do something about those damned Nine Sects.”

As he brought up the Nine Sects, Chung Myung’s face began to boil red again. Hae Yeon flinched quietly and looked away.

“So there’s no need to think about it from now.”

Chung Myung’s voice was filled with confidence.

“The time for us to fight will come soon.”

Everyone’s faces hardened, and they nodded.

As the atmosphere died down in an instant, Chung Myung lifted the bottle of alcohol in his hand and shook it gently.

“So let us drink today.”

“That isn’t a bad idea.”

“He sometimes says the right things.”

The atmosphere quickly heated up again. Chung Myung, leaning back against the wall, snickered as he watched everyone competitively emptying their bottles.

‘We deserve it.’

In the past, Chung Myung would have cursed the young bastards for only playing around, but such words did not suit them now. They had endured the harsh training for the past three years without complaint.

Even Chung Myung of the past wouldn’t have been able to endure that training at their age. Of course, they would have done it if needed…

-Who? You? Youuuuu?

“Ah, that man, seriously.”

“Uh?”

“… No, it is nothing.”

Chung Myung quietly contorted his face.

Anyway.

Those who had driven themselves harshly needed a break, and that was only right. It wasn’t like Chung Myung stole alcohol from the warehouse because he wanted to drink…

-You are being a liar.

“No, this man is seriously-!”

“Why do you keep doing that?”

“… no.”

Chung Myung sighed deeply, unable to vent his frustrations.

‘Rather…’

Then, suddenly, a gloomy aura appeared in his eyes.

‘He is definitely up to something.’

It didn’t seem like Jang Ilso would start a war across the Yangtze River. Jang Ilso was the type who created a battlefield advantageous to him and manipulated it as he pleased.

The fact that the Evil Sect had been quiet recently suggests they were up to something. A decisive move to resolve the internal clashes within the Four Precepts Alliance and see the war against the Nine Great Sects to victory.

“… well, it makes sense.”

Chung Myung mumbled quietly, twisting the corners of his lips.

No matter how mysterious the strategy was, it was meaningless if one lacked skills. That was something Chung Myung had felt to his bones at the Yangtze River.

Now, Chung Myung… no, Mount Hua would show Jang Ilso what it meant.

“… sasuk. That kid is laughing horribly?”

“I told you to just leave him alone. It seems like he is losing it again. Things seem to be getting worse recently.”

“If he gets crazier than now, it will be hard to see him as a person.”

No… let Chung Myung do what he wanted.

Yes.

“The compensation is all done.”

“Hmm.”

“The corpses from the village that the Evil Sect people pillaged have all been collected and given funerals, and the survivors have been transferred to the next village. I promised to support them in the name of Mount Hua and the Eunha merchants so they will not be treated badly.”

“I see.”

“I heard that the bodies of the disciples of clan leader Wei Lishan are also being returned to Nanyang.”

Hyun Jong, who had been listening to the report, nodded quietly.

With this, they could say that Mount Hua’s work in Xi’an was finished. It took a little longer than expected, but thanks to that, they were able to finish it more neatly.

“Merchant lord.”

When Hyun Jong called him, Merchant Lord Hwang Jongi straightened his body with a slightly tense expression. He had a feeling that something official was about to be discussed.

“Yes, sect leader.”

Hyun Jong looked at Hwang Jongi and began to speak.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“N-No, it was nothing.”

When Hwang Jongi waved his hand in embarrassment, Hyun Jong smiled warmly and continued.

“I am not just talking about this incident. Knowing how much the merchant lord suffered while Mount Hua was in charge of the Closed Gate, it has been hard for me to raise my head.”

“S-sect leader.”

Hyun Jong bowed his head to Hwang Jongi.

“I am always grateful for what you have done for Mount Hua, which was lacking.”

Hwang Jongi was startled and tried to stop Hyun Jong.

“Why are you doing this, sect leader! Mount Hua is lacking!? How can you say such a thing! Mount Hua is not lacking at all.”

At those words, Hyun Jong slightly raised his head.

“You said we are not lacking?”

“Y-yes.”

Hyun Jong looked somewhere, then stared at that place and asked again.

“… do you really think so?”

“…”

Hwang Jongi couldn’t open his mouth for a moment.

Because at the end of Hyun Jong’s gaze were the Mount Hua disciples, all banging their heads on the floor.

“Ugh….”

“Head….”

“This little bastard Jo Gul… who would use his internal qi? Do you want to get kicked out?”

“… don’t do this to him again….”

A roar like a lion burst from Hyun Jong’s mouth.

“Aren’t you going to bang your heads straight, you damned bastards!”

These people here were not the disciples of Mount Hua who returned to the Eunha merchant at dawn and got caught. They were the world’s most evil people who drank all the alcohol they could, passed out, and came back in the morning smelling of alcohol…

‘These morons!’

‘How can they not be alright?’

‘I believed these people were sahyung-sajes.’

Hyun Jong’s voice was filled with anger as he addressed the Five Swords, who were glaring at each other like drawn knives.

“The problem hasn’t even been resolved yet! Alcohol? Alcohol? And you’re stealing it from someone else’s warehouse? Are you still Taoists? Are you still Taoists?”

At that moment, Chung Myung raised his hand as if he had been struck on the head.

“What?”

“Ughh… hehe. I did something wrong, but if you think about it, Eunha and we aren’t the only ones…”

“What, now?”

As Hyun Jong’s eyes widened, Hyun Young and Hyun Sang hurriedly grabbed him from both sides and held on.

“Sect leader, calm down!”

“Others are watching you, sect leader!”

“That is the problem!”

Hyun Jong shouted like thunder and glared at the elders as if he was about to devour them.

“Isn’t this because others are watching! I cannot live because I am not this shameless!”

“Ahem!”

“In the past, that guy would cause trouble by himself, but now…”

Everyone, including Baek Cheon, flinched at those words and closed their eyes.

“… I thought he would have matured a bit after suffering for three years, but he’s worse than before! Even worse! What on earth will happen on Mount Hua!”

Hyun Jong, who was so angry that he couldn’t stand it anymore, sighed and turned his head. Then he held Hwang Jongi’s hand and bowed his head.

“Thank you for being such a help to the worthless Mount Hua…”

“…”

Looking at Hyun Jong’s face, which was a mixture of sadness and resentment, Hwang Jongi couldn’t say anything. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

Hyun Jong raised his head after vaguely apologizing for his disciples stealing the alcohol and for showing him their worthless side.

“Hyun Sang, Hyun Young.”

“Yes, sect leader.”

“Get ready right away.”

“Uh?”

“We return to Mount Hua.”

Hyun Sang looked at Hyun Jong with a happy face.

“Now that we have finished the work here, we will have to return to Mount Hua…”

“I cannot stay here any longer because I am so embarrassed! Pack your bags! Now!”

“…”

“Quick!”

“… Yes.”

That was how Mount Hua’s return was suddenly decided.