Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 682
A humming tune echoed.
The sound spreading against the backdrop of the bluish atmosphere of Mount Hua felt peaceful.
If only it weren’t Jang Ilso who was humming the tune.
Ho Gamyeong sneaked up toward him as he hummed and descended the mountain as if he was in a good mood.
“Bangju-nim.”
“Hm?”
Jang Ilso looked back at Ho Gamyeong and his pale eyes glistened.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can I ask you a few questions?”
“You’re saying all sorts of weird things, too. When have I ever stopped you from doing that?”
Of course, he never has.
Jang Ilso is a great tyrant. He is inherently cruel, an uncontrollable emotional person, and a human mocker who delights in throwing people into a quagmire.
But one thing Jang Ilso never violates is not blocking any speech.
– The king’s downfall is not because of his wickedness. It’s because he doesn’t listen. No matter how wicked the king is, he never falls as long as he listens to others.
That was Jang Ilso’s doctrine.
A tyrant who does not block speech at the same time.
It was Jang Ilso who reconciled these seemingly irreconcilable two concepts. And that’s what made Jang Ilso what he is now.
“Bangju-nim.”
Ho Gamyeong took a short breath and opened his mouth.
“I don’t understand why you came here in person.”
“Hm?”
Jang Ilso twisted the corners of his mouth.
“Why? Does it seem like a waste?”
“How dare I judge Bangju-nim’s actions?”
“So it seems that way, right?”
Jang Ilso was not at all offended by a question that could sound rude. He just clicked his tongue with a happy face as usual.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Gamyeong-ah, Gamyeong-ah.”
“Yes, Bangju-nim.”
“That’s the problem with you.”
With his hands behind him, he continued speaking while moving his feet toward the bottom of the mountain.
“There is no way for me to follow you when it comes to devising strategies and calculating benefits. You’re excellent.”
“….”
“But….”
A big smile accompanied his words on his lips. He looked like a child who found a very interesting toy and didn’t know what to do with it.
“You don’t understand one thing. The visible gains are not everything, huh? You should know how to take a loss for a bigger gain. And sometimes, you have to bear the effort that doesn’t help you right now for the sake of the distant future.”
“…Do you think today’s visit will help the crowd?”
At the question, Jang Ilso turned and glanced over the peak. The look of ridicule was evident.
“If it wasn’t for that, would I really bother stepping into this rotten-smelling Taoist sect?”
“….”
“Gamyeong-ah, Gamyeong-ah.”
Jang Ilso chuckled quietly, looking at Ho Gamyeong.
“What do you think the presence of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance will be seen in the eyes of those stubborn old men of Ten Great Sect and Five Great Family?”
“It’s… it’s going to be like a pain in the neck.”
“Yes, that’s just about it.”
The power of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance cannot be ignored. But so far, Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family have faced forces greater than Heavenly Comrade Alliance and have always emerged victorious.
They might be cautious, but they won’t be afraid of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
“Do you know what those who fear change do when they first sense it?”
“Do they not try to stop the change?”
“Wrong.”
Jang Ilso gently waved his hand, adorned with various ornaments.
“Those who fear change will simply wait when an unknown event starts happening before their eyes.”
“….”
“They won’t move until it’s clear what the change is and how it will unfold.”
“Ah…”
Ho Gamyeong nodded loudly.
Come to think of it, there was certainly such a tendency among the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family.
“Do you know what makes those people move?”
“……I don’t know.”
“It’s fear.”
“….”
Ho Gamyeong didn’t answer any questions. It was because he saw a sudden blue gleam in Jang Ilso’s eyes.
“Fear that if it gets a little later, it might become irreversible. . Fear that they might lose everything they’re enjoying now. Fear of being trampled and ridiculed by those they look down on!”
Jang Ilso’s twisted desire flashed in his eyes.
“When there is that fear, the strong who used to be generous become petty, and the merciful strong grasp at straws. And if that still doesn’t solve the problem…!”
Jang Ilso’s red lips opened wide. At the same time, his silk-wrapped foot stomped on the ground.
“They call for blood.”
That voice.
Cheating out each syllable, the eerie voice penetrated Ho Gamyeong’s ears.
Ho Gamyeong swallowed his dry saliva for a moment due to the shivers and tension that wrapped around his entire body. But before he knew it, Jang Ilso spoke again more relaxedly.
“Well, it won’t be exactly like that.”
“….”
“I just kicked their butts. If they continue being so complacent, they might be devoured by Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
Silence fell on Ho Gamyeong, and doubt filled his eyes.
“But just because of that, they…”
However, he couldn’t continue his sentence. From his point of view, it was doubtful that such an action could actually move the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family, but expressing it directly would mean doubting Jang Ilso, so he couldn’t speak up.
Jang Ilso added as if he had understood his heart.
“Gameyong-ah.”
“Yes, Bangju-nim.”
“What do you mean by people? Huh? When you stand in different positions, what you see changes too.”
“….”
“Why should they be afraid of Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. Although the four strong sects have formed an alliance, compared to the Ten Great Sect or Five Great Family, isn’t Heavenly Comrade Alliance still lacking?”
“That’s right. You’re correct. But here’s the thing.”
Jang Ilso showed a meaningful smile.
“Let’s say there’s another sect in that Heavenly Comrade Alliance. For example… Right, like Nokrim.”
“Yes.”
“Would anything change for the Ten Great Sect then?”
“….”
“Or if Qingcheng or Emei in the West, or even Kunlun, were to join the Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”
Ho Gamyeong, who was still imagining the situation in his head, closed his mouth.
“The Ten Great Sect is just that, the Ten Great Sect. Even if a thousand years pass, they won’t change much. There are ten sects in total. This is now an unbreakable, absolute rule.”
“…Yes.”
“But the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is different. It can grow as much as it wants to…”
Jang Ilso’s face twisted.
“There are no restrictions on its expansion. Sect that was part of the Ten Great Sect in the past! Sect that is currently part of the Five Great Family. Sect that was part of the Outer Clan. Even those who were part of the Evil Factions can become members of Heavenly Comrade Alliance!”
“….”
“What would it mean for them to have Nokrim in there? What would it mean for them if I were to go there myself?”
Ho Gamyeong’s face hardened. This is because he realized Jang Ilso’s fear once again.
Actually, Jang Ilso didn’t do much.
He gave a gift, made an impossible proposal, said a few words, and returned. This was nothing.
But….
Would those who heard about the situation think the same way?
Would those who believe there must be a reason for everything think that Jang Ilso visited Mount Hua for no particular purpose?
They would think it’s unlikely.
Originally, the idea of Heavenly Comrade Alliance joining hands with Jang Ilso was unimaginable, but now the story has changed.
Even if the heavens and earth were turned upside down, what was once considered impossible now has a one in a thousand, one in ten thousand chance of possibility.
Would they really be able to ignore that possibility completely?
“The anxiety that presses down on people isn’t that significant. Once you get past that situation, you feel a sense of relief.”
“Yes, Bangju-nim.”
“The real anxiety that torments people is different. It’s the tiny, creeping uneasiness that tickles the soles of your feet when you’re trying to sleep in a soft, comfortable bed, thinking there’s nothing to fear.”
“….”
“It’s when that uneasiness grows that people truly understand fear.”
Jang Ilso created a small crack between them by showing himself in Mount Hua.
‘Besides, Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Ten Great Sect aren’t that good of a relationship in the first place.’
Whether he created the crack or exposed something hidden, it didn’t matter. Either way, the now visible cracks would cause them to grow even larger on their own.
“Well, they can try to ignore it. But… they won’t be able to pretend not to know that the Nokrim King was there, as it implies that the Heavenly Comrade Alliance could even join hands with the Evil Faction.”
Ho Gamyeong looked at Jang Ilso with a new look of admiration.
“Did Bangju-nim know that Im Sobyeong was there?”
“Ei, of course not.”
“…Yes?”
Jang Ilso replied with a sullen face.
“I’m not a god; how would I know where that guy would be?”
“Then …?”
“It didn’t matter if he was there or not. I had already sent someone to Mount Hua to show their face on my behalf. I just changed my words accordingly when I saw him.”
“….”
“I feel sorry for him. He looked quite upset. Hahahaha.”
Jang Ilso stretched his arms wide. The splendid embroidered sleeves fluttered loudly.
“Did you see the atmosphere there?”
“…Yes.”
“Change brings expectations, but at the same time, fear as well.”
“….”
“All I did was kindly shove reality in the faces of those excited fools who knew nothing of the world. I showed them personally that from now on, unpredictable events will unfold. They won’t find the existence of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance enjoyable anymore.”
“….”
“Ten Great Sect! Five Great Family! Even the guys who gathered there! Even those idiots who know nothing and just eat will all know! The fact that peace will no longer continue like it is now! The anxiety they harbored will give birth to doubts, and those doubts will lead to bloodshed.”
Ho Gamyeong’s body trembled.
“We’re just…….”
Jang Ilso lowered his arms, which had been spread wide, and smiled brightly.
As if he had said nothing at all.
“We just need to take advantage of the chaos in the world. Do you understand, Gamyeong?”
“…Yes, Bangju-nim.”
Of course, Ho Gamyeong couldn’t fully understand how far Jang Ilso was looking ahead or what more he was hiding.
Either way, Ho Gamyeong should not know all of Jang Ilso’s thoughts, nor should Jang Ilso understand all of Ho Gamyeong’s thoughts. The moment they both think the same, one person loses their value.
“But one thing I’m concerned about is…….”
“Hm?”
“Will that Mount Hua fulfill its role?”
“….”
Jang Ilso didn’t immediately answer the question.
“That’s why I came to check.”
“…Yes?”
“Power is ultimately about gathering people. It’s foolish to make plans with just your head without seeing the people who make up that power. I don’t trust anything I haven’t seen with my own eyes.”
Jang Ilso muttered to himself as if talking to himself, then let out a faint laugh.
“Mount Hua…. Yes, Mount Hua. Mount Hua Divine Dragon.”
He rolled up his sleeves. When he said “Mount Hua Divine Dragon” in his mouth, goosebumps ran down his arm again.
“…If he hadn’t come, I might have made a mistake. Yes, you have to see it with your own eyes. You can never know such a beast if you don’t see it with your eyes!”
Ho Gamyeong looked at Jang Ilso with a bit of a dazed look. There was an energy that had never been on his face before.
Ho Gamyeong had served Jang Ilso for many years. But even he had never seen Jang Ilso make such an expression before.
‘What on earth…’
Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
Although its fame shakes the world now, it is still just a young Taoist. Compared to Jang Ilso, even calling it a day-old puppy would be an exaggeration.
What did Jang Ilso see in Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Ho Gamyeong didn’t dare to guess.
“You asked if Mount Hua could fulfill its role?”
“…Yes.”
“Well, I don’t really know either. Whether they will only do what they should…”
Looking at the now-distant peak of Mount Hua, Jang Ilso glinted meaningfully. Then, unable to suppress the laughter that was seeping out, he spoke excitedly.
“Or whether they will plunge the world into a sea of flames!”
“….”
“Hahahahaha! It’ll be fun to watch.”
Ho Gamyeong stood still and stared intently at Jang Ilso’s back. Then, without realizing it, he looked up at the peak of Mount Hua that Jang Ilso had been watching.
Although he couldn’t guess all of Jang Ilso’s innermost thoughts, one thing was certain.
No sect in the world, not one, ever turned Jang Ilso into an enemy and survived.
It was as if he could already see the hall of Mount Hua, which was set ablaze and burned to ashes in flames.
‘What can be done?’
Of course, it’s not their fault. It’s just that their opponent is terribly evil.
Paegun Jang Ilso is such a person.