Chapter 1931 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1931. Anyone Else Have Something to Say? (1)

“Righteous Sword... K-Keuhuk. The Righteous Sword Plum Blossom.”

“Pffft—ghk—”

“Why? It’s cool. Khehehehehehehe!”

Baek Cheon’s face twisted miserably.

“Plum Blossom, they said! Plum Blossom! Not even Mount Hua—Plum Blossom!”

“What’s wrong with plum blossoms....”

“Who said there was anything wrong with them? Uahahahahaha!”

The moment Baek Cheon quietly tightened his grip on his tray, Yoon Jong stopped Jo Geol.

“That’s enough, Geol-ah. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Ah, um... sorry.”

“Isn’t he the Righteous Sword? The Righteous Sword! It isn’t righteous to tease such a righteous person! He’s a man of an entirely different level from someone like you, whose greatest claim to fame is being called fast.”

“Kheuheuk. This lowly fellow failed to realize that, Sahyung. I shall reflect on my actions.”

“Good. Keep working hard, and perhaps someday you’ll earn an epithet with a character like ‘Ui’ (righteous, 義) or ‘Jeong’ (orthodox, 正) in it. You should follow Sasuk’s example.”

“....One day I’m really going to kill you. I mean it. I’m really going to kill you.”

“Oho, you should conduct yourself in a manner befitting your epithet, Sasuk.”

“Exactly.”

Watching Baek Cheon tremble with rage, Yoon Jong and Jo Geol desperately held back their laughter.

At that moment, Tang Soso turned toward Yoo Iseol, who was quietly eating beside Baek Cheon, and smiled brightly.

“Sago, I think your new epithet is pretty nice this time.”

“.....”

“To be honest, your previous epithet was always a little strange. Ice Sword? What kind of epithet is Ice Sword? It’s not as though we’re from the Ice Palace.”

“......”

The corners of Tang Soso’s mouth slowly curled upward. Yoo Iseol’s chopsticks twitched ever so slightly.

“So then, which do you prefer, Sago? Flying Sword Beneath the Moon? Or The Sword Leaves Plum Fragrance?”

Clack.

Yoo Iseol’s chopsticks suddenly struck her bowl.

“Hm? Which one? Which one? Ah, don’t tell me you’re one of the Flying Sword Plum Fragrance supporters?”

Yoo Iseol’s ears turned bright red. It was such a rare reaction that Tang Soso’s smile deepened even further.

“I’ve finished eat—”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

As Yoo Iseol sprang to her feet, Tang Soso swiftly grabbed her robes.

“Wow. That’s an impressive grappling technique.”

“She shows no mercy either.”

“Sit down, Sago. Come on. Do you know how important this is?”

“I-I...”

“Go on, answer me, Sago. Which one do you like? Which one appeals to you?”

Yoo Iseol struggled, but Tang Soso somehow managed to keep hold of her and refused to let go. Watching this tragic act of insubordination unfold in real time, Baek Cheon’s body trembled.

“You... you think you’ll get away unscathed? It’s us now, but you’re next. Do you think your epithets won’t change? Do you think you won’t get new ones? Just wait until that day comes.”

“Well, maybe.”

Jo Geol answered indifferently.

“Even if we end up receiving epithets, I doubt any of them will contain the character ‘Ui’ (righteous, 義).”

“Ah...”

“Those kinds of epithets are for righteous people, after all. Isn’t that right, Sasuk?”

Baek Cheon swallowed his tears. Even if he had received an epithet, why did it have to be something so grandiose….

“No, the epithet itself is supposed to be a good thing.”

“Who said otherwise?”

“I’m simply jealous, Sasuk. Please accept my admiration!”

It’s these bastards. The epithet wasn’t the issue. These bastards were the issue.

“Enough.”

Baek Cheon swiftly wiped the expression from his face and turned his head.

“Baek Sang-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Any problems with welcoming the sect leaders?”

“.....”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“....There haven’t been any issues so far.”

After glancing at Baek Cheon’s expression, Baek Sang smacked his lips in disappointment before obediently changing the subject.

“As of today, more than fifty sect leaders have arrived. I imagine even more will come tomorrow, and I expect most of them will have arrived within three days. There will likely still be some arriving on the fourth day, but we can’t wait indefinitely for every last person. Therefore, the alliance gathering is scheduled to begin on the fourth day.”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“The schedule seems to have moved up by about two days compared to what we expected.”

“We didn’t expect everyone to rush here this eagerly.”

Baek Sang scratched his head as though he, too, found the situation bewildering.

“If this had been in the past, it would’ve taken at least half a month.”

“Exactly.”

Taking that into account, they had expected it would take seven days and nights for the sect leaders to arrive, but things were progressing far faster than expected.

“Should we take that as a sign that Mount Hua’s standing has changed that much?”

“....There are probably several reasons one could give, but it’d be a little awkward to go looking for some other explanation.”

An awkward expression settled over Baek Cheon’s face.

Perhaps it was because, in every undertaking carried out under the name of Mount Hua, they had grown accustomed to encountering people who looked down on them to some degree. He still couldn’t quite get used to a situation like this.

“In any case, make sure the hospitality is flawless. At times like these, it’s all the more important to pay attention to such things.”

“......”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just a little strange hearing you say something like that, Sahyung. Have you really started preparing yourself to become Sect Leader? And now that you’ve even obtained such a fine epithet— Agh!”

Baek Cheon kicked Baek Sang without hesitation and exploded.

“Hey, you bastard! You too?!”

“I only teased you once! Why am I the one getting hit?”

“The last one to do it is always the worst.”

“......Then I suppose the truly terrible one is someone else.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

It was then.

Creeeeak.

The dining hall doors opened with an ominous groan. At that moment, as though he had sensed something dreadful, Baek Cheon froze solid before slowly turning his head with painful stiffness.

“Who else would I be talking about?”

And then Baek Cheon saw it.

The appearance of a demon descending upon the mortal world.

“Hey, Sasuk.”

Cheong Myeong, wearing an utterly delighted grin from ear to ear, looked at Baek Cheon and said.

“I heard you got yourself a new epithet?”

Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut. He almost wished he could simply faint.

✿ ✿ ✿

“Hmm. Mount Hua...”

The sect leaders who had been shown to the guest quarters wore peculiar expressions.

Those who had joined the Heavenly Comrade Alliance had visited Mount Hua before, but for the sect leaders gathered here now, this was their first visit.

And having now seen Mount Hua with their own eyes.... How should they put it?

“....Was Mount Hua always such a well-off sect?”

“Indeed. The rooms aren’t particularly large, but... the furnishings in the guest quarters seem rather high-quality.”

“I didn’t have especially high expectations because it’s a Taoist sect, but... it appears to exceed them.”

After checking the rooms assigned to them, the sect leaders gathered in the large common room on the first floor of the guest residence and exchanged glances.

The reason they had rushed all the way to Mount Hua was not solely to curry favor. Some feared future repercussions. Others were genuinely curious about Mount Hua as a sect.

But the purpose of those gathered here was slightly different still.

The war was over. At the very least, there would be no upheaval on the scale of this war for quite some time.

And that meant that, for a while, the world would be ruled not by force, but by money.

Thus they wanted to see for themselves. Just how much capacity did Mount Hua possess, the sect that had reportedly handled much of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s supply operations throughout the war? Did it have the ability to turn its current superiority in strength and legitimacy into superiority in wealth as well?

“...From what I’ve seen so far, I would say it does.”

“My thoughts are no different.”

They were not saying this merely because of the fine items visible before them.

Just as they themselves had arrived in haste, Mount Hua could not have had much time to prepare. Wasn’t that only natural? It hasn’t been that long since the war ended.

Yet despite that, Mount Hua had managed preparations on this scale within such a short period.

That meant its administrative and financial capabilities were far more impressive than expected.

“There’s no choice but to acknowledge it.”

“Mm.”

Mount Hua’s power had now reached a point beyond the ability of others to challenge. Setting everything else aside, so long as there was no martial artist capable of standing against the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, no sect would dare oppose Mount Hua for the foreseeable future.

That left only one question, whether Mount Hua possessed the ability to turn that power into wealth. And now, they had seen that ability with their own eyes.

If that was the case, there was no reason to go out of one’s way to oppose or become hostile to them.

“We should cooperate as much as possible.”

“I share the same sentiment.”

“Mm.”

While the sect leaders actively exchanged opinions, a faint trace of contempt flickered across the face of one man who had remained silent.

‘How pathetic.’

As the others discussed how best to win Mount Hua’s favor, the man finally rose from his seat, looking as though he could no longer bear the conversation.

‘Is that really how people are?’

Without a word, Hyeok Sawol brushed back the streaks of gray hair that had fallen across his face and stepped outside.

[Johwa Sect. Johwamun. 조화문(調和門). Literally “Gate of Harmony.”]

[Hyeok Sawol. Hyeok Sawol. 혁사월(赫詞越).]

Mount Hua possessed everything. Power, legitimacy, and even capability.

But whether people would accept Mount Hua’s rule was an entirely different matter.

‘The jianghu was once Shaolin’s world. Then it was Wudang’s world. And it was also Namgung’s world. That has remained true for a very long time. Now, are people truly willing to place Mount Hua’s name in that position instead?’

It was not merely a question of what ought to be. It was a question of people’s perceptions.

Even those currently speaking of Mount Hua’s rule with such enthusiasm would immediately change their tune and begin tearing Mount Hua down the moment they saw the slightest weakness. After all, no one enjoyed having yet another existence standing above them.

He could guarantee it. The instant even the smallest weakness appeared, the people of the world would strive more fiercely than anyone to drag Mount Hua down.

‘But for now, there is no weakness.’

If only there were some opportunity—some catalyst capable of breaking Mount Hua’s momentum as it surged forward like a swift blade cutting through tangled hemp....

[Kwaedo nanma. 쾌도난마(快刀亂麻). Literally “cutting tangled hemp with a sharp blade”. An idiom describing the decisive resolution of a complicated problem through bold and direct action.]

“You seem deep in thought.”

At the sudden voice, Hyeok Sawol turned around. The face of the person approaching him was familiar.

“You are... Sect Leader Cho?”

Hyeok Sawol raised his eyebrows as he watched Cho Geosan walking toward him with a smile.

[Cho Geosan. 초거산(肖巨産)]

“You’re still alive?”

“Haha. That’s rather rude for a greeting, Hyeok Hyung.”

“Hyeok ‘hyung’, huh?”

Hyeok Sawol clicked his tongue.

Come to think of it, there had once been a time when the two of them addressed each other as sworn brothers. But so much time had passed without contact that the relationship now felt awkward.

“Still, perhaps asking whether I’m alive is an appropriate question. Men of our generation have either retired or entered their coffins by now.”

“That’s true.”

Had Hyeok Sawol possessed a proper successor, he too would have washed his hands of such affairs long ago. But since he did not, what choice did he have? He had no option but to drag his aging body all the way here.

“But Hyeok Hyung. Isn’t it regrettable to simply be treated as the receding wave?”

Hyeok Sawol shook his head as though drawing a line.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I have no interest in it. To begin with, the current situation isn’t something you can change through your own abilities. No matter that you were once called the Hundred-Faced Fox.”

[Hundred-Faced Fox. baekmyeon hori. 백면호리(百面狐狸). ]

Cho Geosan, known as the Hundred-Faced Fox, smiled faintly.

“Now that’s an interesting thing to say.”

“What’s interesting about it?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To my ears, Sect Leader, what you just said sounds like this: If only I had sufficient ability, I’d like to overturn the board at least once.”

Hyeok Sawol frowned.

“You’re still the same.”

“Sect Leader Hyeok.”

The Hundred-Faced Fox, Cho Geosan, smiled.

“What do you say? If I truly possessed the ability, would you help me turn the situation around?”

“As I said, you don’t possess such ability.”

“And if I did?”

“By what means could you possibly—”

“You’re asking the obvious. What is a fox’s specialty?”

“Specialty?”

Hyeok Sawol repeated the word with mild irritation, then suddenly stiffened.

“A fox borrowing a tiger’s might? You’re saying you’ll borrow someone else’s power?”

[Hoga howi. 호가호위(狐假虎威). Literally “the fox borrows the tiger’s authority.” A classical idiom referring to someone who relies on another’s power, prestige, or influence to intimidate others.]

“As expected of Sect Leader Hyeok. You understood immediately.”

“But whose prestige are you talking about? Who in the world today possesses enough power to stand against Mount Hua?”

“No such force exists. But...”

“But...?”

“What if it were a person?”

At the voice that suddenly sounded from behind him, Hyeok Sawol turned around.

“N-No, you are—?”

Shock spread across Hyeok Sawol’s face.

“D-Divine Lord, how did you...”

The old man who had appeared behind Hyeok Sawol, the Phantom Divine Lord, Yeo Mugwang, smiled faintly.

[Phantom Divine Lord. hwanyeong singun. 환영신군(幻影神君).]

[Yeo Mugwang. 여무광(呂無曠).]

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