Return of the Mount Hua

I didn’t see anything. (5)

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‘Finally!’

Namgung Dowi’s eyes were filled with tension.

In truth, there shouldn’t have been any reason to be tense. Logically, what force in the world would dare to reject Namgung Clan?

Chances were slim to none. It may not happen even ones in thousand or ten thousand times, but if Namgung announced that they were switching to Sapaeryeon, he could guarantee that even Ryeonju Jang Ilso would turn around and swim across the Yangtze River.

Namgung Dowi glanced back briefly. Namgung Myeong’s face was calm and composed.

‘Well, he seems fine, but…’

Yet, Namgung Dowi couldn’t help but remain tense.

This was Cheonumaeng.

Based on everything he had seen so far, Cheonumaeng operated in a way that defied common sense, at least his common sense. Could he recall a single instance when Cheonumaeng had acted in accordance with his expectations?

‘Heh.’

Namgung Dowi let out a long breath.

He had no choice but to believe that sincerity would prevail. It was the only option available to him now.

“Acting Lord.”

Hyun Jong addressed Namgung Dowi quietly. Since he hadn’t officially taken over the position of Clan leader, the title Acting Lord was appropriate.

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

“Let’s start by confirming. Is it true that Namgung Clan is requesting admission to Cheonumaeng?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Namgung Dowi took a deep breath and then continued.

“I formally request admission to Cheonumaeng n this place once again. We, Namgung Clan, formally apply to join.”

“Hmm.”

Hyun Jong nodded with a heavy expression.

“There may be issues with existing factions, but are you okay with that?”

“Yes. Our decision is firm.”

Namgung Dowi’s eyes showed no hesitation.

It was only natural. Realistically speaking, the current Namgung Clan had nowhere else to go if it wasn’t for Cheonumaeng. Emotionally, being with the them was far better than being with Gupailbang.

With both reason and emotion urging him towards Cheonumaeng, what reason could there be to hesitate?

“May I ask for the reason?”

“I realized they had no intention of further negotiations.”

Namgung Dowi turned to everyone with a firm gaze and continued.

“My late father headed to Maehwado to take responsibility for the past Yangtze River incident and to re-establish the fallen unity of the Gangho. The name of Namgung Clan can not exist without virtue. That was the teaching of our ancestors.”

“Hmm.”

Tang Gunak narrowed his eyes. There seemed to be a lot on his mind as the discussion turned to Nangong Hwang.

“However, the Gupailbang and Odaesega prioritized their own interests over the alliance. That’s not wrong. I don’t blame them either. But!”

There was certainty on Namgung Dowi’s face.

“If my father had not died and had come to this land, he would have definitely wanted to be with Cheonumaeng and not Gupailbang. I think the future of the Namgung clan should be with Cheonumaeng, not with the nine sects and the five families.”

Just as Hyun Jong was about to nod as if to say enough, Namgong Dowi spoke again.

“And this decision is not just to overcome the current crisis. I want to instill a sense of pride in the children raised in the Namgong family. We should take pride in being a faction that pursues virtue rather than ulterior motives!”

The disciples of Hwasan, who were standing behind, unconsciously nodded.

In truth, something like pride was nothing special. It couldn’t compare to significant gains that could be obtained through seeking self-interest.

However, pride, being something that was worthless in the grand scheme of things, could still make one stand tall.

Shaolin had never dared to look Cheonumaeng and Namgong family members in the eye. Shaolin lacked pride in their faction, and their lack of pride was evident to everyone.

The disciples of Hwasan knew that such pride didn’t come from strength. Therefore, their heads naturally nodded in agreement.

Namgong Dowi bowed his head.

“So I humbly request,”

“Please accept Namgung Clan as a member of Cheonumaeng. We will strive for the better and continue to work hard to ensure that your decision will undoubtedly be the right one.”

Hyun Jong smiled warmly.

‘Impressive.’

It had been several days since Namgung Dowi left Maehwado. No matter how great a person was, they couldn’t free themselves from the shock of losing their father and watching fellow disciples die before their eyes. But Namgung Dowi showed unwavering determination. What he was discussing now was not the past but the future. Despite the hardships and pain of the present, he was moving forward toward the future of his family.

So, why wouldn’t he be encouraged?

Seeing a significant rise in his faction’s prestige after leaving his previous faction would naturally make anyone feel proud. Hyun Jong’s face, which had been stern since they arrived at The manor, finally brightened.

“What do you think?”

Hyun Jong’s voice was filled with enthusiasm. Seeing Hyun Jong pleased, Tang Gunak smiled.

“If Alliance Leader seems to have made up his mind, how could my opinion be of any help?”

“If you say it like that I feel embarrassed.”

With Hyun Jong’s words, Tang Gunak smiled, looking at Namgung Dowi.

“There shouldn’t be any for rejection. If it’s Namgung Clan, we should be the ones to offer our partnership first, right?”

“That’s right.”

“When such a sect makes a request, what force in the world could refuse? I am in favor.”

Hyun Jong nodded contentedly.

“Any objections from others?”

“There are none.”

Each of them responded as if they had made some kind of promise. Among them, there were no grudges against Namgung Clan, so it was only natural. From the perspective of Cheonumaeng, accepting Namgung to expand their influence was not a bad thing.

Even if their power had declined, it was still Namgung Clan. It wasn’t a level that ordinary factions could dare to oppose. The title of the Grand Master of the Five Great Families wasn’t just an empty phrase.

“This issue is not something we can decide solely with our opinions, but I believe the leaders of other factions outside of Central Plains will not object. So, as the heir, I permit Namgung Clan’s..”

“No, you can’t!”

“…membership…”

Hyun Jong, who was about to graciously approve the membership, turned his gaze toward the source of the opposing voice.

Im Sobyeong, who had always leisurely waved his fan and smiled, was now glaring at everyone with a menacing expression.

“No… Nokrim King…”

“I cannot permit it until the dirt is out of my eyes!”

“Eh…”

“How can such a thing happen in the world! I absolutely cannot allow this…”

Thunk!

Without hesitation, Chung Myung kicked Im Sobyeong away and rolled his eyes.

“But where did this guy come from? Does this place belong to Sapa bastards?”

Im Sobyeong, who had been kicked in the side and rolled on the ground, didn’t back down and raised his head defiantly.

“No! Isn’t this going too far? What did Namgung do to Cheonumaeng? These guys were just playing among themselves in Anhui and decided to come under Cheonumaeng’s roof because they got beaten up by Sapaeryeon!”

Im Sobyeong emitted a sinister aura from his eyes. His presence was so formidable that not only Hyun Jong but everyone in the room flinched.

Unfortunately, there were people here who didn’t pay any attention to Im Sobyeong’s presence. Chung Myung, who had been calmly observing him with narrowing eyes, stabbed his two fingers into his eyes.

“Ah!”

Im Sobyeong covered his eyes and staggered backward. At the same time, everyone involuntarily twisted their faces and covered their eyes.

“Who is this Sapa guy trying to glare at now? I’ll pluck his eyeballs out for sure!”

“Ugh!”

While wiping tears from his stinging eyes, Im Sobyeong glared at Hyun Jong with vengeful eyes. Since it was obvious that talking to Chung Myung would be futile, he decided to latch onto someone who might listen.

“Even though we’re Sapa! We’ve worked like dogs for the past three years! If we had to carry goods, we carried them! If we had to carry people, we carried them! If we had to escort, we escorted!”

As Im Sobyeong’s voice grew louder, Hyun Jong shrank a bit.

“We’ve been doing this for a full three years! What? You want to bring Namgung into Cheonumaeng? We haven’t even joined yet? How can you permit Namgung’s membership while leaving us out?”

“…”

Hyun Jong had no words, even if he had ten mouths.

In fact, if you looked closely, for the past three years… no, even before that, Hwasan had been exploiting Nokrim for all it was worth. It was unlikely that any other faction or merchant would meticulously exploit and strip a single power to this extent.

Of course, all of these actions were closer to Chung Myung’s doings than Hwasan’s, but in any case, if Chung Myung belonged to Hwasan, then the responsibility lay with Hwasan.

“People should have a conscience!”

Im Sobyeong accused, and the response came not from Hyun Jong but from Chung Myung.

“Ah, if you feel wronged, you can form your own alliance. This guy! Who said you had to join us?”

Normally, Im Sobyeong would have kept quiet in the face of such words, but today, as if there was nothing left to lose, he shouted loudly.

“No, I was born, and my father was Nokrim King! What should I do, looking at me like this? Oh, please, let me repent and be born again. Can you understand the feelings of someone born as the heir of a Sapa leader?”

“How would I know? I’m an orphan.”

“…Ah, then you really wouldn’t understand.”

Im Sobyeong nodded as if he had come to terms with it.

While everyone watched in astonishment, Im Sobyeong spoke again.

“I was also born as the son of a lowly family and wanted to take the state examination and become a government official in the past! But my father was a bandit leader, so how could I wash my hands of that? If my birth is like this, please help me somehow so I can live a decent life! Just because of my background, you look down on people like this?”

“…”

“Abolish discrimination! Evil leaders should step aside…”

Thud!

It seemed to have gone too far, and Chung Myung slapped Im Sobyeong.

“No, this guy has crossed the line! Come on, you want to die by my hand today!”

“Stop it, Chung Myung.”

Perhaps feeling that it was a sight too embarrassing to witness without tears, Hyun Jong quickly tried to dissuade Chung Myung.

“Cough, cough.”

Even Tang Gunak was awkwardly coughing his their fist, covering his mouths. The disciples of Hwasan were also looking up at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. The atmosphere was filled with embarrassment.

“In truth… among the words Nokrim King spoke… there wasn’t much that was wrong…”

Hyun Jong’s face turned slightly red as he addressed Im Sobyeong.

“We understand Nokrim King’s words quite well. We also understand that, by principles, it’s time for us to accept Nokrim into Cheonumaeng.”

“Yes, Leader!”

“However…”

A slight look of discomfort and awkwardness crossed Hyun Jong’s face.

“The situation right now is that the other factions are trying to portray us as having already allied with Sapaeryeon, so it’s not easy to approve the membership right now. How about we wait until the situation calms down a bit before processing this? We ask for your understanding.”

“Ah, approval at a later time?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking.”

Upon reflection, it was indeed a reasonable proposal. Given the circumstances, having Nokrim join Cheonumaeng would serve as a valuable bargaining chip with the factions attempting to forge alliances with Sapaeryeon. Im Sobyeong, despite his eccentric behavior, couldn’t fail to comprehend this logic.

However, Im Sobyeong had other plans. He rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a piece of paper, then handed it over to Hyun Jong.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a written pledge.”

“A… a written pledge?”

“Yes, it’s a written pledge stating that Nokrim will be accepted into Cheonumaeng! And we will make it public within a year!”

Hyun Jong looked at the written pledge with trembling eyes. The tiny characters were so densely packed that it was almost painful to read.

“N-Nokrim King?”

“Stamp it, Leader.”

“…”

“Now!”

“…”

In this unexpected turn of events, the approval for Nokrim’s membership was granted right there at the same time with Namgung, leaving a subtle sense of ambiguity and discomfort behind.

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I love Im Sobyeong, he is badass.