Return of the Mount Hua

That’s why the world is interesting. (3)

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The disciples of Namgung Hwang who had managed to retrieve his body were overwhelmed with grief, some of them collapsing from exhaustion. They had already been pushed to their limits, and it must have been even harder for them to endure.

And in such a state, the members of Tangga did their utmost to care for them.

“How are they?”

Tang Gunak looked at Hyun Jong with a calm expression.

“Many are seriously injured, but fortunately, it seems there are no more lives lost.”

“…That’s at least some relief.”

A sigh escaped from Hyun Jong’s lips. In reality, he had said it was fortunate, but whether this could truly be considered fortunate was questionable.

‘Namgung has paid too heavy of a price.’

They had lost both their Lord and the elders in one fell swoop. Furthermore, among those who had entered Maehwado, only about a third had survived. Considering that almost all of Namgung’s strength had been deployed to reach Maehwado, this was an irreplaceable loss.

Hyun Jong looked at the unconscious Namgung Dowi. Despite looking tired and battered, his youth was clearly evident, especially with his eyes closed.

‘The burden on him is too heavy.’

At this moment, he probably couldn’t even begin to fathom it. However, once the sorrow subsided and peace was regained, the reality would start to set in.

Above all, the most significant problem was the loss of nearly all the previous generations who should have been the pillars of the Namgung family. While Namgung Myeong still remained, he was unlikely to be able to take on the role of the family head.

Furthermore, that wasn’t the only issue.

Even if Namgung Dowi was a genius send by heavens – he was still too young. It would likely take more than a decade for him to be capable of replacing Namgung Hwang.

“The hunting dogs of Gangho won’t leave Namgung clan alone until then.”

Hadn’t Hwasan already experienced that? A glorious reputation from the past becomes a hindrance to a martial clan with no power. Many covet such fame.

Great losses and a disconnect from the previous generations. It felt like…

Hyun Jong, lost in thought, shook his head.

‘It won’t be like that.’

He couldn’t stand by and watch them go through such suffering.

“Please, do your best.”

“Don’t worry.”

Tang Gunak smiled gently. His request seemed like that of someone entrusting their disciple to a physician. His eyes were filled with concern and compassion. How could he invest such sincerity in a small connection like Hyun Jong’s relationship with Nanggung clan?

‘The more I see, the more remarkable he is.’

No, it wasn’t just Hyun Jong who was remarkable.

Tang Gunak glanced briefly at Hwasan’s disciples who were watching the river from the railing.

‘Actually, the remarkable ones are over here.’

He was well aware that Hwasan had become stronger. It would be strange if the disciples who had been trained under Hwasan Geomhyeop for three years while at Bongmun hadn’t become stronger. However, the way they wielded their swords had surprised even him, who had expected it.

‘What kind of training can lead to such a rapid growth?’

It was natural for their inner energy to strengthen, and their swordsmanship to become more refined. Didn’t all martial artists dedicate their time generously to achieve that?

However, their strength couldn’t be explained solely by that.

‘Anyway, he’s an amazing person.’

Tang Gunak chuckled slightly and returned his gaze to the patient he had been tending to. To him, it was simply astonishing and fascinating. And in a way, it was also a source of pride.

But for Jao Gae, who had unintentionally ended up traveling with Hwasan to Maehwado, understanding the current situation wasn’t easy.

‘Was Hwasan really this strong?’

In his eyes, there wasn’t a significant difference between when they entered Maehwado and their current situation. Hwasan and Tangga had indeed rescue Namgung clan from Maehwado with minimal casualties.

‘..there will be trouble.’

Clearly, the leader of Cheonumaeng was Hwasan. However, being the leader didn’t necessarily mean being the strongest within Cheonumaeng. At least, that’s what everyone had thought until now.

The reason Hwasan could lead was that they were the focal point of Cheonumaeng, a faction that proved its worth and upheld the values Cheonumaeng sought. In other words, until now, the substantial martial power of Cheonumaeng had been managed by Sichuan Tang.

But…

‘Not anymore.’

Once the events on the Yangtze river became known to the world, no one would think that way anymore. The Hwasan faction had now risen to become the rightful leader of Cheonumaeng. They had become a true top-tier martial faction, capable of rivalling the leaders of Gupailbang.

‘How they will react to this situation…’

Jao Gae’s gaze turned towards the riverside.

There, some remnants of Shaolin, Kongtong, and a few beggars were still camped.

***

The Abbot stared at the two approaching ships with a vacant expression. A faint twitch appeared at the corner of his eyes.

‘How did this happen?’

Those who had walked in with their own legs and left by ship, departing from the island as if nothing had happened. What was even more incomprehensible was that the ships from Surochae, who should have blocked their path, were instead clearing the way for them.

‘What on earth…’

His lips trembled slightly. However, he had no intention of staying here indefinitely.

Once Hwasan and Tangga had set foot on Maehwado, there were only two expected outcomes. They would either be annihilated alongside Namgung in Maehwado or, if they managed to escape, they would face the attacks of Surochae and Maninbang in the frigid Yangtze River.

While he couldn’t intervene in the first scenario, in the latter, he had planned to jump into the river to help them if they were being picked off one by one. After all, he couldn’t just stand by and watch them die without attempting to save them.

However, the situation had deviated completely from what he had anticipated.

‘How…?’

His eyes, which had once been filled with fervor, were now filled with an insurmountable complexity.

‘How on earth did this…?’

Beop Jong’s judgment when he stood here and disembarked was absolutely correct. No matter how much he reviewed it, there was no room for error. Entering Maehwado was nothing short of suicide.

But now, all of that was utterly meaningless.

Now that Hwasan and Tangga, in other words, Cheonumaeng, had jumped into Maehwado on their own and rescued Namgung, his cold judgment had become the folly of a fool. The patience he had held onto until the end would be seen as the cowardice of a timid person.

There was no way for the entire Gupailbang to avoid being pointed at by the world. No, the Gupailbang wasn’t the problem now.

Abbot glanced briefly behind him. The Shaolin’s monks standing in the rear were watching the two ships approaching with expressionless faces. They didn’t even spare him a glance.

He unconsciously clenched his fist.

These were the warriors who had stayed in their positions even when Hye Bang departed from here. It meant that, even at that moment, they hadn’t lost faith in him. But even now, at this very moment, they were turning away from Beop Jong.

‘These foolish…!’

Abbot, trying to calm the rising turmoil within him, silently cursed them to soothe his inner frustrations.

“…Abbot.”

Watching the situation from the side, Jonglihyeong, with trembling eyes, turned to Beop Jong. He, too, was a seasoned leader of a faction. He couldn’t be so foolish as not to know how the situation might unfold.

“W-What should we do now?”

Abbot remained silent as if he had a hundred mouths but nothing to say.

“If it was going to be like this, wouldn’t it have been better for us to accompany Hwasan when they headed to Maehwado? If we return like this, how do you think the world will perceive us?”

Even amidst the torrent of reproach, Beop Jong kept his lips sealed like a clam. Even if he had ten mouths, he wouldn’t have had anything to say.

“Why did we…!”

Jonglihyeong, frustrated, raised his voice as he turned to the Abbot, who stared back at him with trembling eyes.

“Sect Leader!”

“Stay calm!”

Beop Jong silenced Jonglihyeong, who was about to speak again, with a stern look. Even if he had ten mouths, there was no need to speak words at a time like this.

Now, the ships were about to reach the riverbank.

“It’s not over yet.”

A faint azure light shone in Beop Jong’s eyes.

Amidst this, the ship carrying Cheonumaeng finally reached the riverbank.

Thud!

The sound of the ship’s bow lightly grazing the riverbank resembled thunder. The silence that followed was so profound that even the sound of swallowing dry could be heard. All eyes were fixed on the ship.

“Carefully transfer the wounded!”

“Yes!”

Green-clad Tang warriors leaped from the ship, holding the survivors of Namgung.

Jonglihyeong closed his eyes.

‘They’ve truly been rescued.’

From a distance, it was hard to discern the truth. Whether Namgung clan was really on that ship or not. However, at this moment, the fact that Cheonumaeng had rescued Namgung was undeniable.

‘Now, what should we do?’

It should have been a moment of joy, a moment to celebrate. However, Jonglihyeong couldn’t bring himself to feel that way. Despite the relief of seeing the suffering individuals return alive, he was overwhelmed with self-loathing. He couldn’t genuinely celebrate this fact.

Perhaps the warriors behind him, the loyal followers of Kongtong, felt the same way.

Amidst all this, survivors from Namgung’s were continually carried off the ship. The Sichuan Tang members who had laid Namgung’s unconscious disciples in a flat area checked their conditions once more.

Then, at last, the members of Hwasan revealed themselves.

Dressed in black robes, they jumped off the ship and assembled in place. No one spoke, and no one averted their gaze.

Perhaps it was an act of disregard or indifference towards the people present here. Despite their heroic deeds, not even a glance was spared for the members of Shaolin and Kongtong.

But those who stood here were somewhat grateful. They simply couldn’t bring themselves to meet the eyes of Hwasan’s warriors.

Behind them, Hyun Jong, the Sect leader of Hwasan, made his appearance.

Beop Jong was the first to take a step forward.

With a meaningful stride, he approached Hyun Jong and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sect Leader.”

Hyun Jong responded with a quiet smile. Despite the intense conflicts they had gone through before arriving at the river, neither of them displayed any lingering negative emotions on their faces.

“It was the least we could do. We simply did what needed to be done.”

Beop Jong fell momentarily silent and bit his lower lip.

Hyun Jong’s words were a common display of humility. However, within those words, the phrase “something that needed to be done” seemed to scratch at the heart of the matter within Beop Jong. In other words, wasn’t this implying that Shaolin hadn’t done what should have been done?

Certainly, Hyun Jong meant no malice. He wasn’t the type to intentionally belittle or mock in the presence of others. But oddly enough, his lack of malice only made the Abbot feel more humiliated.

Beop Jong’s sharp eyes narrowed.

“However.”

He straightened his back slowly, surveying Hwasan’s disciples and the nearby riverbank with a meaningful gaze. Then, he directed his gaze towards the fleet of ships still occupying the river.

“I believe you need to provide an explanation.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes momentarily narrowed.

“An explanation, you say?”

“Yes, Sect Leader. It may be something trivial or something significant.”

“What is it?”

Abbot stared at Hyun Jong with cold eyes.

“If my eyes didn’t deceive me, it seemed that Surochae and Maninbang opened a way themselves for you to depart. Isn’t that so?”

Hyun Jong remained silent, not because of the question itself but because he sensed something unsettling in Abbot’s words.

“As an Abbot of Shaolin, I fail to comprehend how such a thing could be possible.”

“Abbot, right now…”

“So, you should provide an explanation, Sect Leader.”

Abbot narrowed his eyes and spoke with force,

“I am speaking about my doubts regarding whether Cheonumang has formed an alliance with Saparyeon at that plum blossom island.”

In that instant, the air by the riverside grew cold.

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It was so hard to translate these chapters about Abbot’s behavior, I wanted to throw away my laptop.