Return of the Mount Hua

That’s why the world is interesting. (2)

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“Thank you for your hard work, Lord Ryeonju.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Ilso, who was now on the boat, smiled bitterly. Seeing this expression, Ho Gamyeong asked with a slight sense of curiosity,

“Was there a problem?”

“Problem… Well, I’m not sure if I should call it a problem.”

“…”

“Black Dragon King will be send to us, and the war has stopped. We’ve obtained everything we wanted.”

“Then why…”

“Hmm.”

Jang Ilso glanced back at Maehwado and lowered his head.

“No.”

He abruptly cut off his words and then gave a him order.

“Send a message to Surochae. Tell them not to touch those who are leaving Maehwado and to send them off peacefully.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Ho Gamyeong, who followed the orders without question, looked at Jang Ilso in silence.

“Why?”

“…Lord, I know better than to dare guess what you intend to do. But…”

“Tsk tsk. Don’t beat around the bush. Just ask your question. No need to make it sound so mysterious.”

A hint of suspicion flickered in Ho Gamyeong’s eyes.

“It’s true that the Black Dragon King is important. Without him, Surochae would lose control. If we can absorb them peacefully, that would be fortunate. However, Hao clan and the Black Ghost won’t just stand by.”

“True.”

“But even if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be too regrettable to let them go like this? At the very least, we could have inflicted some damage. They were trapped and surrounded in Maehwado, after all.”

“Hmm, you’re right. That makes sense.”

“So, what…”

Jang Ilso opened his mouth with a heavy sigh.

“The reasons are simple. First, it’s more beneficial for me if they return to Gangnam safely than if they die here.”

“…I see.”

“Second…”

Jang Ilso smirked and turned to Ho Gamyeong. Then, he asked an unexpected question.

“What do you think of Hwasan Geomhyeop?”

Ho Gamyeong’s expression stiffened at the mention of the Hwasan Geomhyeop.

‘What do I think of him?’

When someone who had observed every situation in Maehwado is asked such a question, the answer was rather obvious, wasn’t it?

“…A monster.”

“That’s right.”

Jang Ilso nodded in agreement.

“It’s suspicious if it’s even a creature that could have come from a human stomach. I still vividly remember the spectacle that monster showed us before. It’s been only three years, and it has become like that…”

Hwasan Geomhyeop defeated the Black Dragon King on his own. This means that he should now be recognized as one of the top experts in Gangho. In the long history of Gangho, there were many martial artists, but were there any others who achieved such a position at such a young age? When it comes to martial prowess alone, Hwasan Geomhyeop was a presence that surpassed Ho Gamyeong’s recognition and common sense.

“That’s why he is dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”

“Yes, he is dangerous.”

Jang Ilso raised the corner of his mouth.

“But the danger Hwasan Geomhyeop impose isn’t because he is just strong.”

Ho Gamyeong didn’t immediately understand the meaning of these words.

“…What do you mean?”

Jang Ilso turned his head slightly and pointed towards the direction of Hwasan Sword Sect, where Chung Myung was.

“It’s not because strong people are difficult to deal with. If you can’t win alone, fight with two people, and if two people can’t win, then gather three. That’s how it works.”

“This is the way of Sapa.”

Ho Gamyeong nodded in agreement. Jang Ilso continued slowly.

“The one who is strong isn’t necessarily the winner. It’s the one who knows how to survive. However, the problem is…”

He paused briefly, and his eyes narrowed.

“Hwasan Geomhyeop knows how to survive.”

“Yes?”

There was a hint of determination in Jang Ilso’s face.

“Gaemyeong.”

“Yes, My Lord?”

“Do you really think he would have rushed into Maehwa Island without any plans?”

Ho Gamyeong hesitated for a moment.

“No, I don’t think so. It’s unlikely. There is no way that a devil-like bastard with dozens of snakes in his stomach would just move impulsively without any countermeasures. Even if it started on an impulse, he would have finished calculating while running all the way here.”

“Well.. that-“

“Here they are.”

Jang Ilso pointed towards the river. Ho Gamyeong turned his gaze in that direction, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Dozens of ships were coming into view.

“What… is that?”

“They’re the ships summoned by Hwasan Geomhyeop, most likely. They needed them to escape from Maehwado.”

“But didn’t we already order Surochae to take control of all nearby ships?”

“Yes, we did. But even with those orders, there must be someone skilled enough to overcome the obstacles and secure ships like that.”

“Are you talking about Im Sobyeong?”

“That’s right. It’s him.”

Jang Ilso chuckled. However, unlike him, Ho Gamyeong’s face drained of color.

So, Hwasan Geomhyeop managed to secure ships through Nokrim’s Im Sobyeong while rushing here to rescue Namgung? And they did this even though there’s a naval battle underway?

“But the naval battle…”

“We don’t need to fight a naval battle. We just need to scatter the ships enough. They’re skilled enough to navigate the remaining distance themselves.”

Ho Gamyeong’s back was drenched in cold sweat.

All of these gathered here are renowned martial artists throughout the land. But how many of them would have realized that there’s such a hidden plan behind this battle? How many would have guessed that even with all these martial artists gathered, there’s such a hidden strategy in place?

“Well, then…”

Ho Gamyeong’s face paled as if he had just realized something.

“Are you saying that you, Lord Ryeonju, ventured into Maehwado alone, even though you suspected that Im Sobyeong was bringing ships?”

“That’s right. Is there any reason not to?”

“Well, no…”

“In the end, it’s the same. No matter how formidable that man is, he can’t gamble on a ship that may or may not arrive.

Ho Gamyeong sighed heavily as he watched the approaching fleet cutting through the currents. The more he listened, the more chilling the story became. But even more eerie was the fact that Jang Ilso, who had narrowly escaped a deadly situation, was strangely cheerful.

“Do you understand now? Do you understand why I’m just letting them go?”

“Yes, Lord Ryeonju.”

With ships secured, they could have escaped from that island even if they suffered some losses. If it had turned out that way, Black Dragon King would undoubtedly had lost his life.

‘Clearly, that is a loss on our side.’

In that case, it might be better to return the Black Dragon King and let them go peacefully.

“I wonder how long it’s been since I felt this way.”

“…Ryeonju.”

“Hmm.”

With a subtle expression, Jang Ilso once again took in the view of the Maehwado.

“Gamyong.”

“Yes.”

“Send what you’ve prepared. Anyway, since it looks the way I wanted, they should receive at least one gift.”

“I will do so.”

Jang Ilso, waving his hand as if annoyed, slowly walked away. His two eyes, as he stepped onto the ship, settled calmly, cutting through the blowing cold wind. At the end of his gaze was the plum blossom island.

“The way of the world, if you gain something, you also lose something.”

His red lips traced a faint smile.

“Do you know what you’ve lost, in your current state?”

Whether you know or not doesn’t matter. Knowing won’t change anything.

***

“Ih, they’ve arrived so quickly, those useless humans!”

He ground his teeth as he watched the approaching ships standing on the railing. If that useless scoundrel had arrived just a bit faster, he could have cut off that damn Jang Ilso’s head.

“Tsk.”

Now, Maehwado was quite a distance away. The enemies on Maehwado simply watched as they boarded the ship.

With the Black Dragon King held hostage by Hwasan and their agreement with Jang Ilso – they had no other choice.

Then, someone approached Chun Myung.

“Dojang.”

“Hmm?”

When he turned his head, he saw Namgung Dowi staggering toward him.

He walked unsteadily, stood in front of Chung Myung and took a long deep breath. Then, he lowered his head deeply. It was not the greeting of a martial artist, but a direct bow.

This was a gesture of respect, indicating that it was not Namgung Dowi, the future Lord of the Namgung Clan, but a mere human Namgung Dowi.

“Truly… Thank you so much.”

“…”

Chung Myung stared blankly at Namgung Dowi with an expressionless face.

Then, Ogeom, who had been a little distance away from them, began to whisper among themselves.

“Why is he acting like that?”

“Leave him alone. How many times do you think he’s heard words of gratitude in his life? Probably heard only insults as easily as eating food.”

Those guys?

Just as Chung Myung was about to scold them, Namgung Dowi raised his head.

“Thanks to Dojang’s intervention, the Namgung clan can carry on that name. As for how to repay this favor…”

“Repayment can come later.”

“…Yes?”

“What you should not forget first is probably the resentment.”

Chung Myung glanced briefly to the side, revealing the figure of the Black Dragon King, who had fallen unconscious.

“How about it, even now? We don’t really need to keep the promise with the Sapa bastards, do we?”

It was a suggestion to try and kill the Black Dragon King.

But Namgung Dowi shook his head without a moment’s hesitation.

“No, we don’t.”

“Oh?”

Still struggling, his eyes showed no signs of wavering whatsoever.

“Killing the Black Dragon King here is not Namgung’s revenge. It would be just my venting my anger. Someday, with my own strength, I will confidently defeat the Black Dragon King and honor the spirits of the deceased.”

Chung Myung nodded approvingly, as if satisfied. And Namgung Dowi added something that didn’t need to be emphasized.

“My father would wish for that too.”

When the topic of Namgung Hwang came up, the atmosphere on the ship momentarily fell silent.

Chung Myung, after giving a slight nod, lightly patted Namgung Dowi’s shoulder.

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

Just as Namgung Dowi was about to smile, something happened.

“Chung Myung!”

“Yes?”

“A boat is approaching.”

“What?”

He kicked off the deck and rushed to the other side.

However, to his surprise, the approaching boat was a small dinghy carrying only one person. It was the same dinghy that Jang Ilso had been on just a while ago.

“What’s going on?”

Chung Myung furrowed his brow.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the person on the boat was not Jang Ilso. It was someone who had been seen by Jang Ilsu’s side a few times before.

As the dinghy reached Chung Myung’s ship, a loud voice echoed:

“Hwasan Geomhyeop!”

Instead of responding, Chung Myung gazed silently.

“It’s a gift from Lord Ryeonju.”

A person on the boat carefully lifted a large object from the dinghy.

‘A coffin?’

Chung Myung’s eyes widened slightly as the large coffin was placed on the ship.

Thunk!

In solemn silence, he accepted the coffin.

Ho Gamyeong, who had been quietly observing Chung Myung, turned the boat around without a word.

A heavy and melancholic atmosphere enveloped the ship.

Gently placing the coffin down, Chung Myung looked at Namgung Dowi. He too, seemed to understand, as he slowly opened the coffin’s lid.

And…

“My Lord…”

“Aaah… My Lord…”

“Waaaaa…”

As the coffin opened, a chorus of cries erupted from Nangong’s disciples.

Namgung Hwang.

It was a devastating sight, but what lay within the coffin was undoubtedly his lifeless body.

“Father! Father! Ugh…”

Namgung Dowi, holding onto the body, slumped down, sobbing uncontrollably.

They had thought he would forever rest beneath the cold waters of the river, unable to even give him a proper farewell. Yet, Namgung Hwang’s body had returned in a manner they never expected, inside a coffin.

Chung Myung, who had been observing the tearful Namgung’s disciples with dark eyes, shifted his gaze. Towards the distant ship.

“…That damn guy.”

Filled with resentment.

The day he would understand Jang Ilso would never come. They were destined to run on parallel lines forever.

But…

“At times, he does something human.”

Chung Myung spat out the words and turned away.

On the ship heading towards the northern banks of the river, a poignant chorus of wailing continued for a while.

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