Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 696

Nanchang (남창(南昌)), Gangseo Province (강서성(江西成)).

Nanchang, a city representing Gangseo, is not that big compared to other cities representing other provinces.

Nanchang is a place where its reputation is somewhat ambiguous compared to Wuhan of Hubei province which is upperside, Hangzhou of Zhejiang, and Hebei of Anhui located on the right.

However, even so, a city is a city. Even today, people are coming and going to the downtown area of Nanchang without any space to step.

And the same was true for the largest tavern in Nanchang, the White Crane Pavilion (백학루(白鶴樓)).

Those who filled the top floor of White Crane Pavilion were drunk and busy talking about something. Although it is far away from Hunan, which can be called the center of Jungwon, the topic that came up and down the most in their mouths was undoubtedly the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

“So!”

A man explained something, spitting saliva with a heated face.

“And Mount Hua walks in! Keuhh, that was really!”

“Oh!”

“What was it like?”

The people sitting around listened carefully to the man’s words.

The person sitting in front of them now had attended the founding ceremony of Heavenly Comrade Alliance with his own eyes even in the faraway Shaanxi. Attention is bound to be paid to his every word.

“It might be because I’m a person from Jungwon, but it definitely felt different. Should I say that I felt dignity?”

“Hey, you! No matter how well Mount Hua is doing these days, how can it be comparable to the North Sea Ice Clan or Namman Yasugung Clan, which are members of the Five Outer Clan? I heard even Sichuan Tang Family was there!”

“Oh my, Tsk. tsk! Were you there?”

“…I’m not.”

“Don’t talk if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes! Was I someone who talked of Mount Hua this way before I went there?”

No.

The person in front of them, Jinpyeong (진평(陳萍)), was the one who usually devalued Mount Hua. Didn’t he habitually say that no matter how high Mount Hua flies, it will remain just an ordinary sect that fails to enter the Ten Great Sect and eventually fall?

“You don’t know if you don’t see it with your eyes, your own eyes!”

“Just how great was it…?”

“The rumor that’s been circulating in Kangho hasn’t even half expressed Mount Hua! You guys, think about it. Neither Sichuan Tang Family, North Sea Ice Clan, or Namman Yasugung Clan are ordinary sects, are they?”

“Right.”

“Would such a sect give up the seat of Maengju without thinking and acknowledge Mount Hua to be at the seat of honor of Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”

“Hmm. Now that you mentioned it….”

The man loudly argued, grabbed the liquor glass like catching a fish and poured it all in one gulp.

“Keuu! I’m so thirsty!”

Then he grabbed the bottle of liquor. However, there was no remaining liquor in it, and it was completely empty. He frowned awkwardly.

Then, before he could say anything, the surrounding people quickly ordered more liquor.

“Waiter! Hey, waiter! What are you doing! Hurry up and bring the liquor here! A good one! And also bring a decent cold dish!”

“Yes, yes! I’m going now!”

Only after the new liquor arrived did the man fill his glass with a satisfied face and open his mouth again.

“Anyway, if you had seen Mount Hua with your eyes on Shaanxi, you would have agreed with me. Mount Hua is a greater sect than I thought. Of course, there might be some shortcomings in the number of people, but if that were a problem, Mount Hua’s fame wouldn’t have pierced the sky like it is now.”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

“Mount Hua can already be considered the ruler in Shaanxi, but in my opinion, it won’t stop at just that level. You’ll see. Together with Heavenly Comrade Alliance, Mount Hua will have wings! The day is not far when Mount Hua will be called a greater sect than that Ten Great Sect.”

“Ooh… really?”

“Well, if you hear the rumors, that’s not such a far-fetched thing to say. Even Jang Ilso of Myriad Man Manor tried to visit Mount Hua to keep them in check.”

“Amazing. Even that Jang Ilso…..”

Everyone sitting at the surrounding tables was now listening intently to their conversation.

There were those who were trying to maintain their dignity by just sticking their ears out, and those who had turned their chairs around and openly showed interest.

“Hey.”

At that moment, one of them who had been listening quietly opened his mouth casually.

“There must have been guests from the Ten Great Sect as well, how were they?”

“How was it? What do you mean?”

“Did they show any unpleasant expressions?”

“Ah.”

The man laughed as if he understood what he meant.

“I didn’t see any such expressions.”

“Oh…. Is that so?”

The man who asked the question tilted his head, asking back as if it was unexpected.

“From the point of view of the Ten Great Sect, I don’t think the existence of Heavenly Comrade Alliance would have been pleasant.”

“I don’t know about that. Even if that’s true, it wouldn’t have been easy to show such feelings there. That’s how great Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s momentum was.”
“Ah.”

Jinpyeong laughed quietly.

“I don’t know for now, but soon, even the Ten Great Sect will have to walk on eggshells in front of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”

“Eiii. Even so, does that make sense?”

“Hahaha. It’s common sense to think that way. But think about it. When you first heard the name Mount Hua, who thought they would make the Southern Edge Sect go into Bongmun and become the ruler of Shaanxi?”

“……Well.”

Everyone closed their mouths.

Indeed, there was no way to refute this statement. No one thought that Southern Edge Sect, who had a reputation among the Ten Great Sect, would be humiliated by Mount Hua, who was on the verge of demise and made to do Bongmun.

Of course, there were complicated circumstances behind this, but they didn’t know or care about those circumstances.

“Southern Edge Sect has also become like that, there’s no guarantee that the Ten Great Sect won’t be the same. By now, Southern Edge Sect must be afraid to unseal the gates. Haha!”

It was right at that moment.

Kwaaaang!

Someone slammed the table hard.

At the loud noise, everyone who had been chatting suddenly startled and turned their gaze in one direction.

A middle-aged man with a fierce look, who had been sitting quietly in the corner drinking, was glaring at Jinpyeong with narrowed eyes.

“I kept holding back… but you sure babble a lot through that mouth hole of yours!”

Jinpyeong, taken aback by the man’s ferocious demeanor, clammed up like a clam.

‘W- Who….’

He quickly scanned the man’s outfit with his eyes. On the shoulder of the man’s comfortable martial attire, there was a symbol that seemed familiar. Soon after, Jinpyeong’s face began to turn white.

‘So- Southern Edge Sect….’

Of course, it had been long since Southern Edge Sect entered Bongmun.

Now that the gate has been sealed, Southern Edge Sect’s disciples can’t walk around Kangho. But the Bongmun only applied to the main sect. Southern Edge Sect’s outer disciples were still roaming Kangho without any relation to the main sect’s Bongmun.

As proof of Southern Edge Sect’s high status, the number of subsidiary sects was also significant. Unfortunately, Jinpyeong has now met one of Southern Edge Sect’s subsidiary sects right before him.

“Who did you say was the ruler of Shaanxi?”

The man asked with a vicious demeanor.

Although those gathered on the top floor of White Crance Pavilion were confident in their skills, they could only swallow their saliva in front of the man’s menacing presence.

“I tried to put up with it if I could! But Southern Edge Sect can’t unseal their gate because they’re walking on eggshells in front of Mount Hua, you said? Say that again while looking into my eyes.”
“A- Aigo, Daehyeop. That’s not what I meant…”

Jinpyeong tried to hastily appease the man, but the man’s face showed no sign of softening. Then, the man’s companion spoke.

“Daehyung, calm down. Why are you getting so angry over thoughtless babble?”

“So, I should just let that reckless mouth go?”

“Of course, that’s not what I meant. Once you let the words out, you can’t take them back. Naturally, there must be consequences, right?”

But even the man’s companions, who were thought to be holding him back, slowly rose from their seats..

Finally, those who realized who they were called out with a slightly pale face.

“…It’s Three Swords of Taehaeng (태행삼검(太行三劍))!”

“Why, why are they here?”

Three Swords of Taehaeng.

They are sword masters that are active around Taehaeng Mountain. Their origins are from Southern Edge Sect’s subsidiary sect, and they roam throughout Kangho without forming a new subsidiary sect.

It was only natural that they couldn’t stand to hear such words in front of them, as they were known to have considerable pride as Southern Edge Sect’s outer disciples.

The man standing next to the one who had first lost his temper spoke to Jinpyeong. He had a cold look.

“You said Southern Edge Sect is afraid of Mount Hua?”

“……That, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then why did you say that?”

“….”

The man clicked his tongue as if annoyed.

“It seems you’ve forgotten that if you babble things you can’t be responsible for in Kangho, then you can’t protest even if your neck is cut. What will you do? Will you put out that reckless tongue? Or will you put out your wrist?”

“Dae- Daehyeop! This lowly man was out of his mind for a moment and talked nonsense. Ple- Please….”

Jinpyeong, with a discolored face, begged for forgiveness, but the faces of the three men were only cold.

“If you’ve babbled nonsense, you must pay the price.”

As the men slowly approached, Jinpyeong, in despair, squeezed his eyes shut.

‘I’m, I’m doomed.’

Although Taehaeng Three Sword is not a great master, they were not opponents Jinpyeong could handle.

And they were not considered great masters only when compared to Southern Edge Sect’s main sect masters. Weren’t they no different from grim reapers to ordinary martial artists?

It was already brave of him to not wet himself on the spot when such men were so angry and pressing down on him.

“Ple- please spare m-…….”

At the very moment, Jinpyeong completely prostrated on the ground, begging for forgiveness.

“……It seems like it wasn’t such a wrong statement, do you really need to intimidate people like that?”

Flinch.

The step of the three who were approaching Jinpyeong halted. They all turned their gazes in one direction.

A man in a white robe sat in a window seat and was drinking alone.

One of the Taehaeng Three Sword asked in a low voice with a hardened face.

“Did you say it’s not a wrong statement?”

“It was a bit exaggerated. But if you don’t allow them to even say that much and close their mouths, what else are people even allowed to say?”

“….”

“Only those who are not upright themselves tend to silence others and enforce control. Isn’t that the reason you’re intimidating that man now?”

The face of the Taehaeng Three Sword turned cold all at the same time.

“Who are you?”

“I’m a nobody, so I don’t have a notable nickname to boast about.”

“How dare a newcomer without a nickname babble like that?”

“Haha.”

The man who laughed shortly stood up slowly from his seat.

“Being famous doesn’t make a wrong thing right, and not being famous doesn’t mean one should endure injustice. At least, those who wield the Plum Blossom Sword should naturally do so.”

“Plum Blossom Sword?”

A chilling air settled on the faces of Taehaeng Three Sword.

Only then did they notice the flower pattern engraved on the chest of the man’s cloak.

Of course, they were disciples of the subsidiary sect and had left Southern Edge Sect long ago, so they had never seen Mount Hua’s plum blossom pattern with their own eyes.. But where else in the world is there a sect that uses a flower pattern as a symbol?

“You… you! Are you from Mount Hua?”

A smile blossomed at the corner of the man’s mouth.

“What does it matter? What’s important is that I have no intention of overlooking your injustice. Step back now. Otherwise, you’ll have to see how sharp my sword is.”

“This bastard!”

Chaeng! Chaeng Chaeng!

Taehaeng Three Sword drew their swords all at once.

Then, the man shook his head as if he had no choice.

“Then don’t blame my sword for being heartless.”

Seureung.

Slowly, the sword was drawn from the man’s waist.

In an instant, the room was filled with a tense atmosphere.