Return of the Mount Hua

Just like back then. (1)

ROTMHS Glossary || About page

Bang.

The door flew open violently, making the oil lamp illuminating the room flicker precariously. Those seated with grave expressions all turned towards the entrance at once.

Chung Myung strode into the room, his face rigid.

“What’s the situation?”

“Sit down first.”

Chung Myung glanced at Hong Daekwang. He quickly looked away again and took a seat across from him. The Five Swords who had followed him inside also sat down. A grave atmosphere hung over all their faces.

“What are you talking about? The Demonic Cult?”

The instant he sat down, Baek Cheon directed his question at Hyun Jong. Hyun Jong let out a faint groan, his expression somber.

“I do not know the precise details either. First, the Beggars Sect’s Sect Leader…”

“I will explain, Alliance Leader.”

“Mm. Please do.”

Hong Daekwang nodded and began speaking without delay.

“An urgent report arrived from the Hebei branch of the Beggars Sect. Apparently, a northern tribesman was discovered by a sect called Hongjibang [홍지방(弘地房) – Vast Land Manor].”

“Hongjibang?”

“It is a sect located in Chifeng [적봉(赤峰)], at the northernmost edge of Hebei. It is closer to the great grasslands than it is to Gangho [there is a nuance here, ‘closer’ to grasslands can both imply the proximity and cultural/historical connection].”

“The north… So?”

“The difference in language makes a complete interpretation difficult, but the northerner, who collapsed from utter exhaustion, has repeatedly mentioned ‘demon [마(魔)]’ and ‘arrival [도래(到來)].’”

Chung Myung stared silently at Hong Daekwang. Under that heavy gaze, Hong Daekwang bit his lip.

“For now, this is merely the assessment of the Hebei branch members dispatched there… but the man who fled there appears to belong to a foreign tribe* that lives in the northern reaches of Mobei**. Judging by his clothing and appearance, they are almost certain.”

“Did you say beyond Mobei? Where exactly is that?”

Hong Daekwang answered Yoon Jong’s question.

“To put it simply, it is a frigid land that can be reached only after traveling far north across the plateau [고원(高原)] stretching beyond Hebei. It lies farther north than the Northern Sea. It is a land almost untouched by the people of the Central Plains.”

Chung Myung twisted the corner of his mouth.

“So it’s the remotest of remote regions?”

“Hardly anyone lives there.”

At Hong Daekwang’s explanation, Chung Myung slowly nodded.

“It must be barren.”

“Barren beyond words. For all practical purposes, it should be considered a land unfit for human habitation.”

“But people do live there.”

“That’s right. The man they found this time came from there.”

“Then if you go even farther north than that… there would be no people at all?”

“…Probably almost none.”

Chung Myung sneered scornfully.

Yes. It had to be a place like that. It must have been. Otherwise, they could never have remained hidden from everyone’s eyes for nearly a hundred years.

At that moment, Baek Cheon turned to Chung Myung as though something had just occurred to him and spoke.

“If it’s such a barren land… Chung Myung, do you remember what that madman we met in Hangzhou said?”

“Of course. How could I forget?”

Chung Myung bared his teeth.

No wonder he had been consumed by such hatred. They must have endured a hundred years in a hellish land that even the foreign tribes refused to set foot in. Was it really so difficult to imagine where that terrible hatred had come from?

After sinking into thought for a moment, Baek Cheon looked at Hong Daekwang and said.

“So, to sum it up, the foreign tribes living in Mobei were attacked by people they refer to as ‘demons.’ And a survivor fled desperately to the Central Plains. Is that correct?”

“That would appear to be the case.”

“But I don’t understand. Why would the foreign tribes ask the Central Plains for help? Their relationship is hardly one that would allow for that.”

“I cannot say for certain, but…”

Hong Daekwang spoke with an unusually serious expression.

“Among the words the half-conscious tribesman repeatedly mentions, there is apparently another word besides ‘demon’ and ‘arrival’ – it is ‘Hwasan.’”

“Hwasan?”

“Why would Hwasan suddenly come up? Is that true?”

At the startled reactions of Hwasan’s disciples, Hong Daekwang struck the table.

“I cannot say that I am entirely certain. His pronunciation is far too unclear. We will only know for sure once he regains consciousness. But what if the tribesman really is saying ‘Hwasan’?”

Hong Daekwang’s gaze became unusually solemn.

“Then we may not have time to wait for that tribesman to awaken.”

“But…”

“There is no need to doubt it.”

At Chung Myung’s voice, which suddenly cut in, Baek Cheon turned his gaze towards him.

“He has nothing to gain by going out of his way to deceive us.”

“That… Hah, yes. You are right.”

Chung Myung could guess how the words ‘Hwasan’ had come from the tribesman’s mouth. Of course, explaining it to everyone present here would be difficult.

“So, in conclusion……”

Chung Myung looked around at everyone present and spoke.

“The Demonic Cult is moving south.”

A chilling silence instantly descended upon the room.

The Demonic Cult moving south. Who among them could fail to understand what that meant? It was not that they did not understand. The weight of those words was so immense that they did not dare open their mouths.

“There is still… something we need to confirm.”

Hong Daekwang shook his head firmly.

“Far too much of this does not make sense. If they really were attacked by the Demonic Cult in the first place, how could a survivor who had not even learned martial arts reach the Central Plains first? The cultists cannot possibly travel slower than he does.”

“That is simply how the Demonic Cult is.”

“….What?”

Chung Myung answered calmly.

“What makes the Demonic Cult terrifying isn’t that they’re swift or efficient. They move so slowly it defies reason, yet no one can stop them. That’s what makes them terrifying.”

“…”

“You already experienced it in Hangzhou. Did you not?”

Hong Daekwang could not bring himself to answer.

For he felt that the moment he said yes, he would be admitting that the Demonic Cult was even now advancing towards them from the north.

“Those bastards did not so much as budge for more than a hundred years, so why now…!”

“Old Beggar.”

Chung Myung cut him off, looking straight at Hong Daekwang.

“There is no reason. Just as there never is.”

He would not let Hong Daekwang deny reality.

“We have to move, right now. Otherwise, the casualties will grow beyond control. Remember. The reason the Demonic Cult is so frightening is that they are not a sect of Gangho. They do not distinguish between commoners and martial artists. They do not even distinguish between officials [관(官)] and civilians. They simply kill everything in sight, and then kill some more. And once there is no one left to kill, they move on in search of the next thing they can slaughter.”

A chill crept down their spines. No one could readily speak.

“That is the Demonic Cult’s way.”

Baek Cheon, who had been listening silently, narrowed his eyes.

The others were being crushed beneath the weight of Chung Myung’s words. It was obvious that the oppressive force carried by the name Demonic Cult had left them barely able to breathe.

Perhaps because of that, none of them seemed able to look directly at Chung Myung.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“…..What?”

“Did you perhaps know? That the Demonic Cult would invade around this time?”

“What?”

Hong Daekwang turned to Baek Cheon, startled.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“…Isn’t it strange when you think about it? Starting with this Alliance Assembly itself.”

“The Alliance Assembly?”

As Hong Daekwang mulled over Baek Cheon’s words, he turned to Chung Myung with a shocked expression.

“Come to think of it…..”

When one thought about it, was the timing not far too coincidental?

In truth, this Alliance Assembly had no particular objective. It merely had a suitable pretext and a suitable reason. It was, quite literally, a meeting held simply because it could be held.

Even so, the reason everyone had accepted holding this Alliance Assembly was because they thought it was necessary to clearly establish Hwasan’s position. That was the simple reason.

But.

‘What if Hwasan had faced the Demonic Cult’s invasion without first putting the situation in order through an Alliance Assembly?’

How much greater would the damage have been then?

Summon all the sects of the realm now and discuss the matter? Absurd. Ask all the sects under heaven to obey Hwasan’s commands because the situation had become urgent? Had such a thing been possible, there would have been no need for an Alliance Assembly in the first place.

In other words, without this meeting, would it not have been nearly impossible to respond to the sudden news of the Demonic Cult’s southward advance?

“Is it true, Hwasan Shinryong?”

When Hong Daekwang asked, half-believing and half-doubting his own words, Chung Myung answered with an expression devoid of emotion.

“I’m not a fortune-teller. How could I possibly have known something like that?”

“…Right? Yes, of course. But don’t you think the timing is far too coincidental?”

“I merely thought that the sooner we prepared, the better.”

“…”

“We already confirmed in Hangzhou that the Demonic Cult still has its gaze set on the Central Plains. If they have any sense, they wouldn’t let the moment when our strength has been weakened by a great war pass them by.”

Hong Daekwang nodded with a low groan. It was certainly a convincing answer.

“But to act on nothing more than such suspicions… No, no. That is not what matters right now.”

Hong Daekwang rubbed his face with both hands, his mind racing. At that moment, Chung Myung cut in decisively. His voice sounded strangely cold.

“There’s only one thing we have to do now. Inform the Sect Leaders here of the situation and gather those who will fight them.”

“…Are you suggesting we start a war?”

“Yes.”

Hong Daekwang recoiled in shock and waved his hands.

“Hwasan Shinryong. I understand what you’re saying. I also understand that it is something we absolutely must do. But everything you’re saying rests on the premise that the Demonic Cult is invading the Central Plains right now.”

“Yes. And that is the truth.”

“Yes, it probably is true! Damn it, it probably is! But believing that something is true and it actually being true are clearly two different things!”

Hong Daekwang’s voice rose without him noticing.

“If we say something like that now, the Sect Leaders here will think we are scheming to rope them into something. They will think the timing is suspiciously convenient. I would not believe it either. The war only just… only just ended, and now we are supposed to go through that horrible thing again…”

“Whether they believe us or not doesn’t matter.”

Chung Myung cut him off coldly.

“If we do nothing, everyone dies. That’s all.”

Hong Daekwang bit his lip hard.

He knew better than anyone that there was not a single thing wrong with Chung Myung’s words. But realistically, was there any way to convince them?

‘Who would have thought I would feel the absence of Shaolin and Wudang at a time like this.’

Authority was something Hwasan could not yet fully establish, no matter how much it proved itself. And now, that authority was needed more desperately than ever.

“Hwasan Shinryong. I believe you. But this will not be enough. All I can do is keep them here for a few more days. Even that requires Hwasan’s cooperation. In the meantime, somehow find a way to…”

“That will be enough.”

“…..What?”

Hong Daekwang looked at Chung Myung with questioning eyes. But nothing of what Chung Myung was thinking could be read from his expression.

“Everyone will know within a few days anyway.”

“Wait, Hwasan Shinryong. Are you mistaken about just how far away Mobei is? If their advance is as slow as you say, then we should still have time…”

Hong Daekwang suddenly trailed off. As though he had realized something.

“Do you understand now?”

“…”

“I told you. The reason they’re so terrifying is that they make no distinction between people.”

“Surely not…”

“It was the same a hundred years ago. Everyone will probably find out soon enough.”

Chung Myung quietly stared at the precariously flickering lamp flame. The feeble flame shimmered in the reflection of his eyes.

“Just like back then.”

Everything repeats itself. Sometimes in an even more horrific way.

Next chapter >>>

________

(?) Why is Uncle Hong calling Hyun Jong the Alliance Leader.. Isn’t it now Jongli Gok…

*이족(異族) – foreign ethnic group; non-Han people usually if spoken in such context of a historical setting.

**Mobei [막북(漠北)] – part of modern day Mongolia (Outer Mongolia), barren lands of extreme cold north of the Gobi desert. 

________

Please, subscribe/donate on Patreon or Buymeacoffee – support my work and help me buy official cookies to purchase the chapters. My schedule is on the About page.