Return of the Mount Hua

I didn’t see anything. (3)

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“Dojang.”

“Go.”

“But… Dojang.”

“Oh, I said go.”

“Dojang…”

“Oh, for crying out loud!”

Chung Myung abruptly turned and kicked Namgung Dowi away.

Thud!

“Oops!”

Namgung Dowi rolled over after Chung Myung’s kick.

“But seriously, this bastard! See what he’s saying?”

Chung Myung blinked rapidly and glared at Namung Dowi.

“Hey! Do you think we’re pushovers? Just because you say we should accept you, we should accept? The great Namgung Family is joining, and you think the Cheonumaeng punks would not refuse? Is that what you’re saying?”

Namgung Dowi stood up in astonishment.

“Do, Dojang! I didn’t mean that…”

“Or else? Or else what? Did Sect Leader give his permission? Did the patriarch of Tangga give his permission? Oh, I see! Not even that? Now that you’re Namgung’s successor, you’re like the boss of Hwasan and Tangga, right?”

“Me?”

‘How dare I?’

“Yes, you! You bastard! Are there any other Namgugs here besides you?”

Namgung Dowi looked at Chung Myung with a pale face as if he had seen a ghost.

When had he ever experienced such a scolding in his life? As the successor to Namgung clan, he had always lived with the praise and admiration. The existence of Chung Myung was particularly harsh for him.

But as always, Chung Myung didn’t care about other people’s status.

“Who does this guy think he’s fooling? When things were going well, he was going around calling himself the leader of the Five Great Families and protector of Anhui. But now that he’s hit rock bottom, what? We’re suddenly one big happy family? One big familyyyyy? I’ve never even had a meal with you, and now you’re a part of our big family? You bastard!”

“It’s not like that, Dojang! First, please listen to what I have to say…”

“No need!”

Watching this scene, Ogeom observed with peculiar expressions. As the successor of Namgung clan the young lord Namgung Dowi had always maintained his dignity. Yet, now he was desperately trying to hold onto Chung Myung, who was berating him.

Not far away, Jo Geol looked at Baek Cheon with a curious expression and asked,

“Sasuk.”

“Yeah?”

“Was that yangbang always like this?”

Baek Cheon hesitated for a moment. He wanted to say,

‘Do you get it now?’

But he couldn’t find the right words.

Well… even though that young nobleman seemed quite tidy and admirable during the martial arts competition…

“The Black Dragon King will want to take out his frustration on someone, and the current Namgung clan is a perfect target. It all started when Namgung attacked Surochae. Now Namgung clan’s strength is down to almost a third of what it used to be.”

“Surochae will attack Namgung?”

Yu Iseol spoke as if she had already guessed this, and Baek Cheon nodded in agreement.

“Normally, Namgung wouldn’t be afraid of Surochae even if they attacked them, but the current situation is not good. Not only did they lose a lot of their forces at Maehwa Island, but they have completely severed ties with the Gupailbang.”

In this situation, even if Surochae attacked Namgung, would the great sects still come to their aid? Baek Cheon laughed coldly.

“Surochae’s defeat itself isn’t a big issue. The problem is that the Black Dragon King may have lost a significant portion of his control over them due to this incident. When there’s internal discord, it’s common to attack external enemies to solidify your power, right?”

“Yes, Sasuk,”

Yoon Jong nodded in understanding.

“From Surochae’s perspective, Namgung clan is currently the easiest target,”

Baek Cheon remarked.

“That’s right.”

At that moment, Jo Geol spoke up, catching their attention. He seemed to caught onto something, and his expression was somewhat bitter as he gazed at Namgung Dowi.

“But that’s not the only reason.”

“Hmm?”

Baek Cheon turned his head toward Jo Geol.

“In it’s essence, a clan relies on power. No matter how upright they may try to be, various issues can arise.”

“Are you saying that past grudges might resurface?”

“Yes. After all, Gangho is not a place where the weak are left alone.”

Tang Soso also nodded with a bitter expression.

“Jo Geol is right, Sasuk.”

Baek Cheon sighed quietly.

“Yes, you’re right. There’s no doubt that other factions would have realized this fact as keenly as Hwasan.”

Since the attack on Hwasan and the loss of power that followed, it was clear that those who had taken advantage of Hwasan’s weakness would not let the opportunity slip by. The past grudges and conflicts might indeed resurface in Gangho.

‘No. It won’t be like that’

In a place like Gangho, when those who held power lost it, the friendly faces turned into foes. Namgung clan, even though Surochae is quiet now, might face a situation similar to what Hwasan experienced in the past.

“As long as they can no longer cooperate with the great sect’s and great families, there are no factions left to help Namgung clan. The remaining Five great families are too distant, and they don’t necessarily get along well with each other either.”

“That’s right.”

“So… Namgung Dowi needs a roof over his head. I mean, not Namgung’s young lord himself, but the subordinates who are left alive. They need a place to rest.”

“But, Sasuk.”

“What? Do you still have questions?”

“No… what I was curious about was something else.”

“What is it?”

Yoon Jong looked at Namgung Dowi with a troubled expression.

“Why does he have to go through Chung Myung to join Cheonumaeng? If he wants to join, he could simply speak to the Sect Leader or the Sichuan Tang. After all, he’s already seen that he can’t defy Sect Leader’s orders.”

Namgung Dowi had been persistently clining to Chung Myung despite already being kicked and pushed away. Baek Cheon watched this situation with a strange expression and said, “Maybe he’s deeply injured, making it hard for him to make sound judgments.”

They couldn’t understand it at all.

***

Many people had gathered in the large hall, reminiscing of the days when countless bandits would gather here, huddled over accounting ledgers in a frenzy.

Thanks to Hyun Jong’s consideration, Namgung Dowi had the privilege to be present here. He surveyed the faces of those gathered and swallowed hard. There was an unparalleled atmosphere in the atmosphere.

In the past, he might have not felt such intense pressure in a place like this. But now, he had to grit his teeth and bear it, as if his body involuntarily shrunk under the weight.

Was it because Namgung clan, who had lost Namgung Hwang, was standing at a crossroads and looked pitiful?

Not really.

‘Their status now is on a completely different level compared to back then.’

Those who hadn’t experienced it might not understand. But anyone in a similar position sitting here would likely feel similar emotions, he was confident of that.

Namgung Dowi sneaked a glance at Hyun Jong.

‘It’s the same with this person.’

When he first met Hyun Jong, he was nothing more than a Sect Leader of an nameless faction. He had climbed the main stage where the leaders of the participating factions sat during the Martial Arts Tournament, but he was still just a nonody. He could have been driven away from that stage at any moment.

However, when they met again, he had become a formidable Leader of Hwasan, who managed to even defeat Wudang and became a core member of Gangho’s main factions. Now, he was the master of Cheonumaeng, standing confidently against Shaolin’s head, Beop Jong, and the leader of Sapaeryeon, Jang Ilso.

It was not strange at all to feel tension in the presence of such people; in fact, those who weren’t tense might be considered crazy.

Namgung Dowi reflected on how Hyun Jong, as well as Tang Gunak beside him, were in similar positions.

Of course, Tang Gunak had held a high status in the past too. However, could the Tang Gunak from a few years ago truly compare to the current Tang Gunak, who was a prominent figure in Cheonumaeng?

Absolutely not.

Namgung Dowi was well aware of the power of the Five Great Families. Despite their names being listed side by side, they were ultimately not on the same level as the Gupailbang. In other words, even the Emperors Sword Namgung couldn’t have dared to compare himself to the Abbot of Shaolin.

However, Cheonumaeng was different. They had already proven that they could occupy an equal position with the Gupailbang. Disciples of Hwasan and members of the Tangga were exceptional in their own right.

‘The problem is, this isn’t all.’

Cheonumaeng still had power to spare. They could summon the Nanman Beast Palace and the Ice Clan whenever they wanted. That alone made it abundantly clear just how remarkable Cheonumaeng was.

And most importantly!

Namgung Dowi’s gaze focused on Chung Myung, who was making his annoyance abundantly clear.

‘A young swordsman who defeated the Black Dragon King with his own skill.’

Even if they didn’t know it now, once this fact spread throughout the community of martial artists, it would undoubtedly cause a major uproar. In fact, it might have already caused chaos or even turned things upside down.

Up until now, Chung Myung was already quite famous. Despite there being no shortage of individuals who were regarded as the top martial artists in the world, Chung Myung stood out and was exceptionally renowned for one simple reason.

‘Because he is the person who never dwells on possibilities.’

In other words, Chung Myung was destined to become the very best at some point in the future.

In the world of martial arts, there was no one who held the title of the absolute best, not at the present time nor during most other periods. Determining who was the strongest usually required actual competition because there were too many contenders, and it was challenging to face off against anyone, given what was at stake.

That’s why terms like “Three Greatest Swordsmen in the World” or “Five Greatest Wanderers in the World” existed. But Chung Myung was different.

He had proven at the competition that he was destined to become the best someday, and his subsequent actions had only reinforced that belief.

‘And now, the Black Dragon King.’

Everyone would soon come to realize this. Cheonumaeng would soon possess an indisputable number one martial masters in the world. Everyone in the martial world would understand the significance of this.

‘It might really change the balance of power in Gangho.’

‘And by Chung Myung’s hands..’

Namgung Dowi clenched his fists. He is a very difficult person to follow, but you cannot help but follow him. Because the path that person walks is the path to the top.

“So, I’m glad to see everyone here again. Well, it’s all thanks to me preparing the ship on time, but I won’t accept any thanks. Helping each other as fellow members of Cheonumaeng is only natural… Keh!”

As Im Sobyeong was rambling on, Chung Myung’s fist abruptly struck him on the chin.

“Why is this guy still talking when I let him off the hook? Hey, you stupid bastard! If you had come on time, we could have taken everything from Jang Ilso! I told you to get the ship ready quickly, and you still managed to be late?”

As Chung Myung pondered, he vented his anger on Im Sobyeong by landing punches on his face. Im Sobyeong desperately defended himself.

“No, it’s not my fault! I did my best…”

“Oh, you! You’re a Sapa too, so you can just watch another Sapa leader flee! Stop with the excuses and die, you bastard! Die!”

Namgung Dowi’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.

‘What, what is this…?’

How could such a situation continue in front of so many people.

“Ahem.”

At that moment, Hyun Jong cleared his throat softly. Namgung Dowi turned to look at Hyun Jong with a look of astonishment.

“Let’s begin the meeting.”

“Yes.”

“Die! Die, you bastard!”

“As the first agenda…”

While Chung Myung was venting his anger at Im Sobyeong, the others were calmly starting their discussion, Namgung Dowi gazed up at the ceiling in bewilderment.

‘Should I just ask to be put back under the Five Great Families?’

Clearly… adapting wouldn’t be easy.

Ha… Ha ha…

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