Chapter 1932 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1932. Anyone Else Have Something to Say? (2)

Hyeok Sawol swallowed dryly.

‘How did things end up like this...?’

He saw familiar faces. The first thing that was immediately apparent was that everyone gathered here was quite elderly.

Since this was a gathering of the leaders of various sects, it was only natural that they would be older. Yet even among them, those present here were clearly belonged to a generation even older than the rest. As such, they seemed to know each other to some extent.

In other words, the old gingers of the Jianghu—those with connections reaching far and wide in every region—had gathered here.

[Old ginger. Neulgeun saenggang. 늙은 생강. From the proverb “old ginger is spicier”. A Korean expression referring to experienced elders whose age has sharpened rather than dulled their capabilities.]

Given that, there should have been no shortage of things to discuss. Yet those assembled merely gauged one another’s reactions and hesitated to speak first.

At that moment, the old man seated at the center finally opened his mouth.

“No sound will leak out.”

“....Yes?”

“I have spread a barrier of qi around the area, so there is no need to worry. Speak freely.”

The sect leaders stared at the old man in surprise. The room they occupied was fairly large. Yet he was saying that he had enveloped the entire room with nothing but his qi? Just how profound would one’s internal energy have to be for such a thing to be possible?

But not a single sect leader voiced doubt at the astonishing claim. There was only one reason.

“Indeed. If it is the Divine Lord (Singun), such a thing is more than possible.”

“Then I shall speak without concern.”

All of them acknowledged that the old man before them, the Phantom Divine Lord, Yeo Mugwang, possessed more than enough ability to accomplish such a feat.

“This may be a discourteous thing to say, but... I never imagined that the Divine Lord was still alive.”

“Indeed. Has it not already been well over twenty years since the Divine Lord withdrew from the world?”

Receiving the gazes of those gathered, the Phantom Divine Lord nodded very slowly.

“So it has.”

For someone who had summoned them all here, it was an excessively indifferent response. Yet even such an attitude, which could easily have been mistaken for carelessness, was transformed into gravitas by the weight carried by the title Phantom Divine Lord.

Hyeok Sawol watched him with a hardened expression.

‘The greatest under heaven...’

He was once considered one of the strongest in the Jianghu. The entire world had regarded the Phantom Divine Lord as a powerhouse who could not be pushed beyond the top three.

‘Right, that was more than twenty years ago, wasn’t it?’

So much time had passed. Then just how strong was the Phantom Divine Lord now? At the very least, would he not have become even stronger than he had been back then?

For although the passage of years in the Jianghu might rob a person of sharpness, it only deepened the reservoir of their internal energy.

‘Compared to the current Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?’

No answer came easily.

Yet though his mind told him the comparison was not so simple, his heart whispered otherwise. Surely someone who had been discussed as the greatest under heaven twenty years ago ought to be at least a little superior to a young swordsman who had only just ascended to that position....

“Thank you all for gathering here.”

As though cutting off Hyeok Sawol’s train of thought, Cho Geosan, the Hundred-Faced Fox, spoke with a meaningful smile.

“I believe everyone gathered here despite such a sudden invitation because we all share the same sentiment. The current situation is not to your liking.”

The sect leaders, caught off guard by the abrupt statement, reflexively glanced around. Even though they had already been assured that sound could not escape, they could not suppress the unease that someone might somehow be listening.

Was this not an extraordinarily dangerous conversation to be having in the very belly of Mount Hua, of all places?

“No, wait a moment, we....”

Several sect leaders attempted to smooth over the situation somehow, but the Hundred-Faced Fox merely smiled again and waved his hand exaggeratedly.

“Ah, please do not misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand...?”

“I have no intention whatsoever of obstructing Mount Hua. And surely none of those gathered here came harboring such wicked thoughts either. Is that not so?”

“Keuheum.”

The Hundred-Faced Fox was a master at tightening and loosening the atmosphere at will. Those who had been drawn into his rhythm looked at Cho Geosan with visible discomfort.

“Then the reason we have gathered here is...?”

“Well now.”

The Hundred-Faced Fox scratched the bridge of his nose as though troubled.

“If I must put it into words, it is rather... yes, rather closer to helping Mount Hua.”

“Did you just say helping Mount Hua?”

“That is correct.”

Cho Geosan continued slowly, yet with complete confidence.

“Managing all under heaven is hardly an easy task. No matter how great Mount Hua’s achievements in the recent war may have been, shouldering everything alone would be difficult.”

“But Mount Hua is not alone, is it? They also have...”

“Of course. There are sects that stand alongside Mount Hua. Yet even with their assistance, it remains difficult. Was not governing the affairs of all under heaven a burden even for Shaolin, which had the Nine Sects at its back?”

“Hmm. Now that you put it that way...”

The sect leaders quickly exchanged glances.

“It was the same in the past. When the prestige of the Nine Sects was not yet so overwhelming, did not even small sects like ours pool our strength to support them?”

The sect leaders each nodded.

In truth, despite what had just been said, even the smaller sects had not once bowed their heads easily to Shaolin or the Nine Great Sects and One Union in those days. Yet at some point, the balance of power had tilted as naturally as water flowing downhill, and the world had become what it was before the war.

“The situation has changed, so we must change as well. Rather than merely following them, it would be more proper for us to support Mount Hua while boldly voicing our opinions as we did in the past.”

At that moment, a somewhat hoarse voice spoke bluntly.

“Do you really think that will go as you wish?”

The gazes of those present turned toward the speaker.

There sat Hyeok Sawol, his face expressionless.

“The reason Mount Hua has called this alliance gathering is obvious enough. Do you truly think they will sit by and watch us make such moves?”

Just as Hyeok Sawol was about to add another remark—

“If they will not sit by and watch... then we must make them do so.”

“What?”

Hyeok Sawol flinched and turned toward the Hundred-Faced Fox. Was that not an extraordinarily dangerous thing to say?

Yet the Hundred-Faced Fox merely smiled at ease.

“There is no need to think of it as something so difficult. Difficult matters are often best resolved simply. There are two reasons Mount Hua is able to convene this alliance gathering now. One is that they rendered tremendous service during the recent war. The other is...”

As the Hundred-Faced Fox deliberately paused, one impatient sect leader blurted out the answer first.

“Because the greatest under heaven is in Mount Hua.”

“Yes. Precisely.”

The Hundred-Faced Fox smiled faintly.

“But what if... that greatest under heaven were no longer the greatest under heaven? Would Mount Hua still possess the power to stop us then?”

By the time he had spoken that far, anyone incapable of understanding his meaning would never have been invited here in the first place. Naturally, every sect leader’s gaze turned toward the Phantom Divine Lord.

“Surely...”

“Divine Lord (Singun), do you intend to act personally?”

A strange anticipation filled their voices. The Divine Lord answered that expectation as though it were only natural.

“If it must be done.”

A faint groan escaped Hyeok Sawol.

“Hmm... Your opponent would be the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. The very sword under heaven who slew the Paegun.”

“The greatest under heaven, huh.”

The Phantom Divine Lord let out a faint smile.

“I have never cared for such empty fame, but... my head is still attached to my shoulders. Is not that position far too heavy for a mere child?”

“Oh...”

The sect leaders widened their eyes in admiration. The Divine Lord smiled and declared.

“I intend to show those gathered here. To show them who it is... that deserves to be spoken of as the greatest under heaven in the current Jianghu.”

The sect leaders murmured as though entranced.

“If only that comes to pass...”

Yet Hyeok Sawol continued to shake his head.

“If that is all you have prepared, then I will take my leave.”

“Hm? Sect Leader Hyeok, what do you mean by—”

“We are men responsible for our sects.”

At Hyeok Sawol’s firm words, everyone fell silent. They all understood how much weight those words carried.

“As you say, if the Divine Lord can defeat the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, perhaps you may achieve what you desire. But what if, even by the slightest chance, things do not turn out that way? What becomes of those who supported your cause then?”

Hyeok Sawol shook his head as though he did not even wish to imagine it.

“I am no longer young enough to wager everything on a gamble. I will withdraw.”

Having finished speaking, Hyeok Sawol moved to rise.

“I will not stop you. However.”

The Phantom Divine Lord looked at Hyeok Sawol and smiled faintly.

“Take this with you.”

“Take what—”

The moment he saw what the Phantom Divine Lord held out, Hyeok Sawol’s eyes flew wide open.

“That...!”

It was the treasured sword hanging at Hyeok Sawol’s waist. There was no possibility of mistake. Hyeok Sawol’s hand trembled faintly.

‘When...? No... How on earth?’

He could not believe it.

Could he possibly have relaxed his guard while dangerous discussions like these were taking place in this room? Even if he had, would it make any sense for him not to notice a sword disappearing from his waist?

‘I didn’t see it. I didn’t even sense his presence.’

Which meant only one thing. Had the Phantom Divine Lord wished it, Hyeok Sawol would already be a dead man.

Of course, Hyeok Sawol could not be called one of the great masters whose names shook the world. Nevertheless, he had spent his entire life studying martial arts. He was not someone who could be handled this easily by just anyone.

Then the conclusion was obvious.

“...Divine Lord. It seems you have attained a great accomplishment.”

[Daegong. 대공(大功). Literally “great accomplishment.” In martial arts contexts, a state where one’s cultivation or martial attainment has reached an exceptionally high level of completion.]

Everyone who witnessed this could not suppress their astonishment.

“What a pity.”

The Phantom Divine Lord shook his head.

“Had my enlightenment come even a few days sooner, I would have been the one to take the Paegun’s head. I emerged from seclusion too late.”

“Hmm.”

“But though I may have been too late to bring down the Paegun, it seems not everything is too late yet. What do you say? Do you still feel the same way?”

A brief conflict flickered across Hyeok Sawol’s face.

But the conclusion had already been decided. Without a word, he sat back down.

“I will hear the plan.”

Seeing this, Cho Geosan, the Hundred-Faced Fox, smiled in satisfaction.

‘That’s right. In the end, humans cannot cast aside their desires.’

No matter how much someone pretended to be a sage, desire would always burn within their heart. The only difference was whether they managed to conceal it to the very end.

And the Hundred-Faced Fox’s desire was so firm that there was no need to hide it at all.

‘It’s not as though Mount Hua alone has the right to claim an ownerless mountain, is it?’

[Ownerless mountain. Muju gongsan. 무주공산(無主空山). Literally “an empty mountain without an owner.” An idiom referring to a vacant position of power or authority waiting to be claimed.]

If they could only spread the Divine Lord’s fame throughout the world during this alliance gathering, then gathering a force that surpassed even the Heavenly Comrade Alliance within a short period of time would not be impossible.

And if that happened, the one standing at the very top and directing everyone below would naturally be Cho Geosan, the Hundred-Faced Fox.

By some measures, it was an absurd and preposterous plan. Yet Cho Geosan had no doubt whatsoever that it would succeed.

‘Because the world has always flowed this way.’

So long as human desire existed, history would repeat itself again and again. Muttering to himself inwardly, the Hundred-Faced Fox let a chilly smile spread across his face.

✿ ✿ ✿

Kiiiiiiik!

“Ah, I see. So that’s what happened.”

Kiiiiiik! Kiiiiiiiiik!

“Right, right.”

Squatting in front of a weasel that was energetically waving its short forepaws while explaining something with great enthusiasm, Cheong Myeong quietly watched and smiled faintly. Then he thought.

‘I don’t understand a single thing it’s saying.’

How could anyone understand the language of a weasel? But that did not matter. He had prepared for that.

“What’s it saying?”

“It says people have gathered, and the sounds from inside the room can’t be heard.”

A disciple of the Beast Palace, who could understand the speech of spiritual beasts to some extent, neatly translated Baek-ah’s words.

“Ah, really?”

Cheong Myeong smiled.

“Good work. Here.”

Kiiik!

Catching the jerky and bottle of liquor that Cheong Myeong tossed over, Baek-ah left the room together with the Beast Palace disciple. Cheong Myeong stared at their triumphant retreating figures and grinned.

If people had gathered, that meant they intended to talk. And if the sounds from the room could not be heard....

“Why go to such lengths to hide it? Everyone already knows anyway.”

Cheong Myeong muttered and grinned. Still, it was a relief. At least now, there would be no chance of things becoming anticlimactic.

“Well, it was never likely in the first place.”

Because people can never truly cast aside their desires.

“The world has always flowed that way.”

✿ ✿ ✿

And at last.

The day of the alliance gathering dawned.

❀ ❀ ❀

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