Return of Mount Hua Sect

“The entrance is too narrow.”

“Hmm… and there are too many distractions.”

The eyes of the sect leaders turned to the river.

In front of the deep valley in the middle of the cliff on the other side, there was a line of water flowing steadily.

‘It is a lot harder than I thought.’

This was why dealing with this many pirates was difficult.

If they were located in open land like other sects, all they would have to do was wipe them out using the overwhelming strength of Shaolin, Namgung, Wudang, and Qingcheng.

However, to attack this territory, they had to endure damage from the start.

‘No, not from the entrance.’

Only after battling with those ships would they be able to enter the valley.

‘At such times, I envy the Evil Faction.’

Namgung Hwang gritted his teeth.

Looking at the topography of the valley made him feel uneasy.

Here, the means available were limited due to civilians who might or might not be inside, but that wasn’t the case for those people. There was no telling what kind of sinister trap might be lurking in that narrow valley.

“We need to secure the top side.”

“Right. I don’t know what they will do.”

“… It won’t be easy.”

They didn’t think about defeat. So much strength was gathered here that it would be too much to handle for a single pirate group.

But the most important thing now wasn’t victory.

They had to do better than other sects while taking as little damage as possible. That was why their minds were filled with complex considerations.

‘If you want to make a contribution, you need to be proactive. But if that happens, there is no choice but to suffer great damage.’

‘They just like it when we shed blood.’

‘What do I do?’

Among those who were looking at each other, Beop Gye was the first to speak out.

“Shaolin will take the lead.”

“As expected, you are Shaolin. Who in the world would doubt the sincerity of Shaolin? But this time, please let Wudang take the lead.”

“Namgung also brought a ship.”

“A ship was brought in by Qingcheng.”

The four people glanced at each other.

“Then first of all…”

“Hahahaha!”

“Who will lead…”

“Here, take a cup.”

“…Yah, they need to make a decision!”

“Yah! Bring out the alcohol we brought! I know you people also brought it!”

“….”

Namgung Hwang’s face, which had turned a little calm, appeared contorted.

“This…”

“Calm down, Lord Namgung.”

“I do not care about that.”

“Ughh…”

At the dissuasion of the other elders, Namgung Hwang widened his eyes with a look on his face as if he was going to die.

Sure enough, regardless of the troubles on the side, there was a huge party happening in the back.

The Mount Hua people in the back, the bandits in green, and the pirates in blue were all together drinking.

“To drink alcohol on the battlefield…”

The people who were quite sympathetic to Mount Hua also frowned as if they didn’t understand this.

“Never mind! Do you have any thoughts about those who consort with the Evil Factions? We cannot let people like that go into the battlefield. Unless one wants to get stabbed in the back.”

“Hmm.”

The three people looked displeased.

But there was only one person, Venerable Heo Do, who clicked his tongue when he saw it.

‘How stupid.’

It wasn’t something to be upset about because they were drinking.

The important thing was that they prepared alcohol. In other words, one of them had known from the moment they came here that the Nine Great Families and Five Great Families wouldn’t let them join and they wouldn’t be able to participate.

Wasn’t this something they could guess?

‘Eh.’

They were Mount Hua.

They were the most spirited people of the Central Plains who were currently enjoying a good reputation. However, at the same time, they belonged to a sect that had been expelled from the Nine Great Sects for over 100 years. In other words, none of them had experienced the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families.

He wasn’t sure if someone who had experienced the two factions would even understand their happenings to this extent, but Mount Hua, which had been pushed out of the union for over a hundred years, was confident and even prepared alcohol?

What they should pay the most attention to was their insight.

And whoever guessed that probably…

Venerable Heo Do turned to Chung Myung, who was happily drinking alcohol in the center.

‘Truly a person who cannot be judged.’

How could someone at his age have such insight? He had seen many geniuses in Kangho, but this was truly a first for him.

‘There are so many people with great talent.’

Of course, the talent that Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon had was incomparable to that of others. But more than talent, what made Venerable Heo Do nervous was his calmness and insight, which made him feel like he was at the mercy of a strong person decades his elder.

‘Maybe I should think about this again.’

Clearly, his judgment wasn’t wrong. It was clear that Mount Hua would struggle for some time to come as they wouldn’t be able to narrow the gap with Wudang.

But… What if, as time went by and they died, that boy ended up as the sect leader of Mount Hua? Would the Wudang of that future be able to handle Chung Myung?

‘The more I think of it, the more I fear….’

“Hahaha! Sect leader! Get a drink! Woah, loving this scenery here!”

“… we have tea.”

“Eh! On days like this, I prefer alcohol over tea! Straight! One glass!”

“…”

Venerable Heo Do’s eyes twitched.

It was amazing, but…

It was truly amazing, but…

For some reason, Venerable Heo Do, who thought highly of that bastard compared to others, hated things the most.

“… is it alright?”

“…”

“Is it really alright?”

In the meantime, so many, too many monstrous acts were being committed by that man.

Now, even if an Imoogi popped out from the backyard of Mount Hua and tried to ascend to the heavens, Chung Myung would catch it, beat it, and go on a rampage after the spiritual core. Baek Cheon would just turn his back and watch it happen.

But…

‘Is this really alright?’

The best of the four sects had gathered before their eyes.

Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng, and Namgung.

The people whose names were enough to make a person tremble. How could they not realize how amazing it was for not one but four such sects to gather?

But… right in the middle of that, Taoists, bandits, and pirates were gathered and drinking.

‘Even if it wasn’t this place, this scene sure as hell is strange!’

The bigger problem was the expressions of those who were drinking alcohol.

“… I feel like I have a hole in my stomach.”

“Can we have this?”

“I-it’s better to fight.”

Mount Hua felt the pressure of the sects in front of them, but actually, it was nothing compared to what the bandits and pirates were feeling.

The Green Forest bandits looked entirely dazed and unfocused.

“Ha, haha… one glass…”

Rattle.

The hand of the person raising the glass was trembling.

‘I feel like throwing up.’

‘Aren’t they suddenly going to change direction and attack us?’

‘Lord of the mountains! Please save me!’

It was a natural reaction.

Somehow the situation became like this, but the Nine Great Sects in front of them were originally enemies to the bandits, not allies. This would mean that the sects attacking them wouldn’t be a surprise.

But instead of running, the bandits had to sit down and drink in front of them. It would have been easier to burn oil and drink it.

But if they had to ask, it was still better.

“Hic!”

“…”

“Hic!”

‘I think a corpse would have a better complexion.’

The bandits glanced at the pirates with pitiful faces.

They were the warriors of the Green Forest, considered the best among bandits, and there was even the Green Forest King.

But the pirates were literally just pirates in name. Until recently, they were in the position of being the attacker rather than subjugated.

Since these people were brought in like slaves and started drinking in front of a place where their former colleagues were being subjugated, it would be wise for them not to drink.

“… then, why did you bring alcohol?”

“H-he told me to bring it… what more talent do we have…”

Then they should do it.

Do it when they are told. The person who ordered it was Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

The pirates looked like they were about to collapse from a heart attack at any moment, and the bandits sitting ahead were thinking of running away. When they were told to drink, they did so, but the disciples of Mount Hua watching were unsure if this was all right.

And the four sects who looked at them were boiling with rage.

Everyone occupying the riverside was experiencing an uncomfortable, unpleasant, and tense situation.

Meanwhile, in the middle of this was one person having the best time.

Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp!

Chung Myung coolly poured the drink and popped the bottle out of his mouth.

“Kaaak! Kuak! The drink tastes so good! Unbelievable! The scene is kick-ass!”

Hyun Jong stared at Chung Myung with a shocked gaze.

He understood. Everything Chung Myung did was calculated in his own way. Although it was flustering for a moment, following along was beneficial.

He knew it, but…

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes, sect leader.”

“…Can we really do this?”

Although the rhythm was amazing, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“They said we shouldn’t get involved.”

“Even so…”

“If they stay sulky behind the scenes, those bastards will only feel better. You must understand this so that you can survive in the difficult political world in the future.”

“… what?”

“Politics isn’t about doing good things for yourself! I am telling you to turn your back on those people you don’t want to see!”

Hyun Jong smiled happily at Chung Myung’s words.

‘Ancestors.’

He was having a hard time these days. Sometimes it was harder than before.

Please do something about this guy…

“And.”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung spoke in a slightly more serious voice, wiping the alcohol from his mouth with his sleeve.

“Kids also need to learn how to watch from behind. Until now, whenever something happens, they have developed the habit of rushing in to solve it, but they haven’t forgotten what happened to Mount Hua when we did that, right?”

“… of course, I didn’t forget.”

“They are the ones who just watched even though Mount Hua was about to collapse. But it’s even weirder that I could only watch the disaster unfold. I feel like pouring oil into the river and setting it on fire.”

The moment he heard those words, Hyun Jong’s face hardened.

“Well, even if the sect leader continues as such, it will be dangerous. Because you aren’t the kind of person to watch it happen. But what about those? When Mount Hua was burning, and the disciples were dying miserably, did anyone come to help? They turned around, drank, and robbed our warehouses.”

Hyun Jong clenched his fists.

‘That…’

He was angry.

When he looked back, those sects were the ones who didn’t help even after seeing the Demonic Sect invade, set flames to Mount Hua, and kill their disciples.

What Mount Hua and their party were doing now wasn’t following Buddhism across Kangho, but in the past, what they did was truly Buddhism. But now he felt uncomfortable watching those people wage war?

‘Doesn’t it mean that I forgot all about it just because our life got a little better?’

Hyun Jong gritted his teeth briefly.

“Alcohol!”

“Uh?”

“Bring me alcohol! Let me have a drink too!”

“S-sect leader!”

“Bring it!”

Hyun Young was shocked by Hyun Jong’s shouting and went to get some alcohol. Watching this, Chung Myung grinned.

“I understand.”

Hyun Jong nodded his head with a stiff expression.

“There are things to forget and things not to. I never intend to return the same, but…”

“That is enough.”

Hyun Jong turned his head and shouted to the disciples.

“Drink! Let’s have some fun in the water!”

“Yes, sect leader!”

Hyun Jong poured the alcohol that Hyun Young brought into his mouth in one sip.

“Kuak!”

“Now, please have some snacks too.”

“Okay!”

Chung Myung chuckled as he watched Hyun Jong chewing on the beef jerky.

Yes, they must not forget.

What did they do to Mount Hua in the past? And Chung Myung shouldn’t forget either. What mistake did Mount Hua make then?

‘If it is like this…’

One day, the day would come when they, too, would shed blood and tears like Mount Hua.

“Let’s just watch them. But, um…”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“This really shouldn’t become a landscape of hope across the river.”

“… What does that mean?”

“No. Is this how it should be? I don’t know. Heheheh.”

Seeing Chung Myung make incomprehensible noises and a wicked laugh, Hyun Jong gave up trying to understand and shook his head.