Chapter 1928 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1928. So a Day Like This Really Does Come. (3)

“B-Branch Leader!”

“Hm?”

“It’s an emergency! M-Mount Hua has requested that invitations be sent out!”

The Branch Leader of the Beggar Union’s Huayin Branch, Gwan Cheol, who had been promoted to Branch Leader after Hong Daegwang, clicked his tongue briefly.

[Gwan Cheol. 관철(管喆).]

“And what’s so urgent about that? Just do it. Send them out and be done with it.”

“No, it’s...”

“Didn’t you hear the order? Anything involving Mount Hua gets our full cooperation, even if it bankrupts the branch!”

“That’s not the problem...”

“Good grief. Why are you talking so much? Just send them!”

No one understood Gwan Cheol’s position better than Gwan Cheol himself.

After all, when the former Branch Leader Hong Daegwang—now the Sect Leader—had entrusted the branch to him, he had repeatedly hammered one thing into his head.

— If news from the branch reaches them late, you die. If Mount Hua has a complaint, you die. If nothing happens, you die. If something happens, you die. You’re going to die anyway, so just assume you're already dead and do your job.

The words were absurd. Yet Gwan Cheol knew with certainty that they were not entirely wrong. And he knew exactly what he needed to do to survive.

“Just do it. No matter what. Stop nitpicking.”

“The problem is... there are rather a lot of places these need to go.”

“How many?”

“A rough estimate would be over three hundred.”

“...What? How many?”

“Three hundred.”

Gwan Cheol’s eyes spun.

“B-By when?”

“The sooner the better, but they said it absolutely can’t take longer than seven days and nights. And...”

“And what now?”

“This came separately from the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. He said that if it takes more than three days, he’ll send a separate invitation to our main headquarters.”

Clear tears welled up in Gwan Cheol’s tightly shut eyes.

“That thug bastard that not even a dog would take.... Seriously. What’s the Paegun doing? If he’s dead, he ought to come back as a ghost and drag that bastard away.”

“B-Branch Leader, I think that’s a bit...”

“Forget that! Sort these immediately and send them to the regional branches!”

“The regional branches?”

“What, are we supposed to send all of them ourselves? Forward them to the branches and let them handle redistribution. Hurry up. Going through an extra stop means it’ll take even longer. Cut down your breathing time if you have to.”

“Even then, we don’t have enough messenger pigeons….”

“Request cooperation from the nearby merchant guilds, and send runners to the closer cities. What are those perfectly good legs attached to you for? Move! Run, you beggar bastards! Run!”

“Yes, sir!”

Before long, dozens of messenger pigeons soared into the sky with letters tied to both legs.

Then they scattered in every direction beneath heaven.

✿ ✿ ✿

“Sect Leader, I believe you should take a look at this.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“A message delivered by the Beggar Union. They say it came from Mount Hua.”

“Mount Hua?”

A strange light flickered in the eyes of the Lightning Leg, Gwak Pyo, Sect Leader of the Soha Sect in Henan.

[Lightning Leg. Seomjeongak. 섬전각(閃電脚). Gwak Pyo’s martial title, literally “Lightning Leg.”]

[Soha Sect. Sohamun. 소하문(溯河門).]

[Gwak Pyo. 곽표(郭慓).]

“An invitation from Mount Hua to us.... Let me see it.”

Tearing open the invitation his disciple handed him, Gwak Pyo read it carefully. Soon, a small scoff escaped him. The disciple, who had been watching cautiously, quickly asked.

“May I ask what it concerns?”

“They’re calling for a gathering of alliance leaders.”

“A gathering?”

“What’s so complicated about it? They want to gather the Sect Leaders of the world’s sects in one place.”

Gwak Pyo shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“It’s written politely enough, but there’s nothing polite about it. Companions are limited to two, and they claim they won’t accept gifts. Limiting attendance is one thing, but not accepting gifts? How is that any different from saying we should naturally prepare them anyway?”

“......”

“And let’s be honest. Telling everyone to come to Mount Hua within seven days and nights, without warning? Is this truly an invitation sent to sects scattered throughout the world? It seems Mount Hua’s neck has grown rather stiff since Shaolin entered bongmun. To think they’re saying things that even Shaolin beneath heaven would never dare say. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

The criticism in Gwak Pyo’s expression and tone was completely undisguised.

“Mount Hua is still Mount Hua, after all. Do they not realize they cannot become Shaolin?”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“Shaanxi is far away. Is there any reason for us to go? If they came personally to invite us, that would be different, but traveling all the way to Shaanxi because of a single invitation would be beneath our dignity.”

“W-Wait a moment, Sect Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“Wouldn’t it be wise to reconsider? I believe we must attend this gathering.”

Gwak Pyo looked at his head disciple with a puzzled expression.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“Sect Leader. This isn’t just anywhere, it’s Mount Hua.”

The Soha Sect’s head disciple, Lee Jahong, continued with an exasperated look.

[Lee Jahong. I Jahong. 이자홍(李蔗紅).]

“Mount Hua, the very sect that led the war against the Evil Tyrant Alliance to victory. And the center of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance at that. If a place like that calls for a gathering, what do you intend to do if you ignore it?”

“Tsk, tsk. That’s the sort of thing you say when you know one thing but not the next.”

“Pardon?”

Gwak Pyo smiled faintly. It seemed he would have to teach this young disciple, who still didn’t understand how the jianghu worked, a lesson about reality.

“If the Evil Tyrant Alliance still existed, then yes, naturally we would have to answer this summons. But the Evil Tyrant Alliance no longer exist, do they?”

Lee Jahong stared blankly at Gwak Pyo.

“Which means we no longer need anyone to rely on. So why should we concern ourselves with Mount Hua’s opinion? Mount Hua is all the way out in Shaanxi, after all.”

Gwak Pyo clasped his hands behind his back and chuckled.

“Rather than wasting time on that, we ought to be doing something more productive. For instance, strengthening our hold over Henan while Shaolin remains in bongmun. Who knows? Perhaps this is our chance for the Soha Sect to become the hegemon of Henan.”

A strange anticipation bloomed across Gwak Pyo’s face.

Shaolin had entered bongmun to take responsibility for what it had done, while Wudang had been driven to the brink of annihilation during the war against the Evil Tyrant Alliance. The influence of the two sects that had once dominated the vast region stretching from Henan into northern Hubei had effectively vanished. As a result, Henan had entered a complete power vacuum.

Empty spaces are naturally filled. The sects that had spent years keeping their heads down beneath the prestige of Shaolin and Wudang were now quietly jockeying for position over the vacant throne of Henan.

To leave Henan at a time like this? That would be sheer stupidity. He couldn’t afford to waste time because of Mount Hua…..

“Come to your senses, Sect Leader!”

“Huh?”

Gwak Pyo flinched at the sudden shout from his disciple.

“That’s exactly why you have to go! That’s exactly why!”

“Jahong?”

“Sect Leader! Who do you think the hegemon of the current jianghu is?”

“The hegemon? Well...”

The Nine Great Sects and One Union had declined, and the Evil Tyrant Alliance had been destroyed.

That left only the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

“The Heavenly Comrade Alliance, of course. But the alliance isn’t exactly intact either, is it?”

“Why are you being so frustrating? The hegemon of today’s jianghu isn’t the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, it’s Mount Hua. Mount Hua!”

“...Now, now.”

Gwak Pyo let out a hollow laugh and tried to correct him.

“You foolish boy, talking nonsense again. It’s true that Mount Hua played the decisive role in this war. Who would deny that? But the position of the Northern Dipper of the Jianghu isn’t handed out so easily. Mount Hua still lacks the power and influence required for such a position.”

Shaking his head firmly, Gwak Pyo continued.

“Therefore, Mount Hua may become a hero, but it cannot become a hegemon. That is the natural order of the world. Do not mistake—”

“Why are you saying things that will ruin the sect, Sect Leader?!”

“R-Ruin the sect?”

Blinking at the unexpectedly harsh outburst, Gwak Pyo stared at him. Meanwhile, Lee Jahong, unable to contain his frustration, began pounding his own chest. It was the first time Gwak Pyo had ever seen his disciple react so violently, and it left him thoroughly bewildered.

“Do you know who is at Mount Hua? It is the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword! The Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword! The very Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword who took the Paegun’s head!”

“That... I know as well, but…”

“And who is the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword? Isn’t he the greatest under heaven in the current jianghu?”

“The greatest under heaven?”

Gwak Pyo blinked blankly.

“It’s true that the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword defeated the Paegun, but... calling him the greatest under heaven is a bit excessive, isn’t it?”

“Stop saying such frustrating things! Is there anyone in the jianghu right now who can defeat Cheong Myeong Dojang?”

“….No one comes to mind immediately.”

“Exactly. Fine, let’s assume there is someone. Maybe somewhere out there a hidden master exists who can beat Cheong Myeong Dojang. Then tell me, how long will that last? Five years? Ten?”

Gwak Pyo fell silent.

“Whether he’s the greatest under heaven right now isn’t what’s important. As far as I know, the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword has only just reached the age of twenty. Then sooner or later he’ll become the greatest under heaven regardless. And once he does, he’ll sit on that throne for decades and will not step aside. What happens then?”

[Age of Twenty. Yakgwan. 약관(弱冠). Traditionally the age of twenty, when a man reaches adulthood.]

“......”

“Mount Hua will possess even greater authority than Shaolin! What is history? Given enough time, it becomes history. What is authority? If no one dares oppose you, that’s authority. Influence? Influence, you ask? If Mount Hua announced disciple recruitment right now, do you have any idea how many people would flock there?”

Gwak Pyo could not offer a single rebuttal. He simply nodded, as if entranced.

“At least Shaolin had Wudang as a rival and the Divine Five Tyrants of the Central Plains as enemies. What rivals or enemies does Mount Hua have now?”

[Divine Five Tyrants of the Central Plains. Shinju opae. 신주오패(神州五霸). It refers to the Five Great Evil Sects: the Myriad Man House, the Eighteen River Strongholds of the Yangtze River, the Hao Sect, the Black Ghost Fortress, and the Seventy-Two Nokrim Strongholds.]

“Uh... none?”

“And here we are, celebrating because a mere region called Henan has opened up. Meanwhile, Mount Hua has already swallowed the entire jianghu. So what exactly are you planning to do about an invitation from a sect like that? Have you considered how long a sect that antagonizes Mount Hua could survive, even if it managed to seize Henan?”

“...A-Alright, alright. Slow down a little...”

“No!”

“Huh?”

“Pack your things immediately. We’re going to Shaanxi!”

“A-Alright.”

“Hurry! We need to reach Shaanxi as quickly as possible.”

“I said I understand...”

Watching Gwak Pyo stumble off in a daze to pack his belongings, Lee Jahong bit down on his lip.

‘If that were all there was to it, it wouldn’t be such a big deal.’

If Mount Hua had only the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, even Lee Jahong would not have been making such a fuss.

But Cheong Myeong was not the only one at Mount Hua.

Was there anyone in the jianghu who did not know how greatly his fellow disciples—the ones known as the Mount Hua Five Swords—had distinguished themselves in this war?

‘I can’t say for certain that they will be the ones to decide the fate of the world in the future, but it is undeniable that among the younger generation, there is no one who can truly compare to them.’

Even if there were, there would be no more than one or two. Did one really need to think very hard about the future of a sect that possessed so many outstanding talents gathered in one place?

“Huu...”

Lee Jahong let out a deep sigh.

His Sect Leader was simply too old to recognize these changes immediately.

‘A generation has passed. This war will become the turning point that changes the jianghu.’

From now on, every sect would have to prepare for the world that was coming next. And Lee Jahong had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. Somehow, they had to establish a good relationship with Mount Hua. That would determine the next several decades of the Soha Sect’s future.

“I’m coming too, Sect Leader!”

Shouting loudly, Lee Jahong turned and ran toward his room.

✿ ✿ ✿

That day, conversations much like the one at the Soha Sect were taking place throughout the world.

Some set out on the road to build ties with Mount Hua, just as Lee Jahong had.

Others set out to see with their own eyes the momentum of Mount Hua, which they had only heard about through rumors.

Each carried different thoughts in their hearts.

Some suppressed their twisted resentment. Some harbored hostility toward the name Mount Hua. Some believed they owed Mount Hua a great debt of gratitude. Some wished to see what figures from across the world would gather there.

Countless people took to the road all at once.

Their destination was Shaanxi. The land that held the most rugged mountain beneath heaven.

❀ ❀ ❀

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