Return of the Mount Hua Sect (HTL 1634+)

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The world trembles. No, it shakes violently.

"Charge!"

It suddenly becomes clear. There's no need for words or passionate encouragement to make their blood boil.

Just charging toward the enemy is enough to ignite Evil Tyrant Alliance's spirit like never before. More than eighty percent of this strangely rising heat was caused by the man in the red long robe at the front.

War requires a justification. Supplies are crucial. Flawless strategy and operations are indispensable too.

But seeing this scene reveals something new.

For those who call themselves 'Evil Sect', only one thing matters more than anything else—a certainty of victory.

"Could it be this intense...."

Thousand Faced Manipulator, Dam Yeohae muttered in disbelief, his startled gaze fixed on the crimson cloak fluttering at the front.

'I guess he is that confident.'

If Jang Ilso is directly leading a battle, he won't lose. He'll definitely win.

For those who bear the name of Evil Sect, this belief is more than conviction—it's nearly a faith. Dam Yeohae glanced back briefly.

'Even those people over there feel the same way.'

Even people from Hao Sect, who were supposed to follow his orders and not from the Evil Tyrant Alliance Lord, also had an unusual fervor in their eyes.

'This is Jang Ilso.'

It's an uncanny level of authority.

They even seemed to believe that their previous losses were due to Jang Ilso's absence. After all, Evil Tyrant Alliance has always emerged victorious when he's present.

But that's not all.

'If he had taken the time to explain and prepare them…?'

It might have been easier to understand the situation and the strategy, and they could have been more thoroughly prepared for battle.

However, the current enthusiastic atmosphere would have been impossible.

When you have time during a war, you inevitably think about the possibility of defeat. And in war, defeat means death, and death is scary to anyone.

Jang Ilso didn't allow any time to be consumed by worry. He left only time for excitement and anticipation. Yes, just like now.

Thousand Faced Manipulator licked his lips.

Then, he glanced sideways at a group he saw in the distance. The expression of the man at their forefront was noticeably displeased.

'Sun Palace Lord.'

It must seem absurd. This rising fervor would be difficult to grasp. Or, maybe, he even felt a pang of inferiority toward Jang Ilso, who effortlessly achieved something he, as royalty, could never manage.

But Thousand Faced Manipulator couldn't sneer at him. After all, his own expression likely mirrored that man's.

'Myriad Man House, Hao Sect, South Sea Sun Palace, Blood Palace which isn't here. And… the remnants of Black Dragon Fortress and Black Ghost Fortress.'

Their power is overflowing. It was more than enough to compete with the righteous sect bastards. And if they add this overflowing morale into that?

'No, there's even one more thing.'

The Hao Sect Lord's gaze shifted one last time.

There, a group of black-robed figures with faces covered by black masks were silently running.

❀ ❀ ❀

His soul seemed to be trying to escape from his body repeatedly.

The mask Jin Songwon had placed on Baek Cheon clung tightly to his face, but he didn't even think of it as uncomfortable.

He was already too shaken by something else.

'To suddenly launch an all-out attack like this?'

This doesn't seem like Jang Ilso. Or, maybe it's too much like him?

This is a full-scale attack without any visible tactics or strategy. The Jang Ilso Baek Cheon knew would never engage in such reckless moves. Yet, that's why it's also so characteristically Jang Ilso. Because no one would expect Evil Tyrant Alliance to crash into them head-on at this moment.

'What the…!'

However, Baek Cheon had no time to sort out his thoughts.

"Move faster!"

"Hurry up, you sluggish idiots!"

"Anyone who falls behind, I'll cut you down myself! Feel free to lag if you want to die by my hands!"

The Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors were shouted from behind him. It felt closer to cursing at the top of their lungs than threatening.

If you think about it, it made sense. With Jang Ilso leading them directly, any stragglers that disrupt the plan would face certain death.

"Run faster!"

Baek Cheon's breathing became labored, his mouth open as he struggled to keep up.

'They're really keeping this speed?'

This is not a normal pace. The larger the force, the slower it usually moves. Moving a group of one hundred isn't the same as moving a thousand.

Yet they were doing it—achieving the impossible, driven by this feverish morale. It was as if everything they had done was for this very moment.

"Hah... Hah..."

Baek Cheon's chest heaved as he gasped for breath.

'Damn it!'

Having lost most of his martial arts skills, he was struggling just to keep up.

If they kept advancing at this speed, they'd reach the main alliance before anyone had time to comprehend the situation. Then, what would happen later was obvious without having to think deeply about it.

'What should I do?'

He was anxious, his heart burning.

But he had no time to think of a solution. Sweat soaked the mask on his face, making it cling even tighter.

Eventually, Baek Cheon began to fall behind.

Some of the masked warriors glanced at him briefly before passing him indifferently.

'Damn it!'

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth and tried to gather his true qi, but his cracked dantian kept dispersing it.

"You piece of trash!"

An Evil Tyrant Alliance warrior, seeing Baek Cheon falling behind, rolled his eyes.

"You don't listen when spoken to nicely? Fine!"

Gnashing his teeth, the warrior drew his sword and swung it toward Baek Cheon's back.

"I'll sever that useless spine of yours!"

There was no hesitation in the attack. Startled by the fierce killing intent from behind, Baek Cheon panicked.

'I have to block it…'

But in that moment, his hands refused to cooperate, moving sluggishly. Just as Baek Cheon instinctively closed his eyes tightly—

Clang!

The sword flying toward his back was deflected just in time.

"What the hell is this guy!"

"Don't interfere on our side."

Jang Han, who was filled with rage, flinched when he saw Jin Songwon standing in his way. Jin Songwon glared at Jang Han with cold eyes.

"That was the agreement, wasn't it? Did you forget because your head's just that bad?"

Jang Han's face flushed as he shouted in anger.

"It's an order from the Ryeonju! You—"

"Then tell the Ryeonju to come here in person."

"What? Ho, How dare you!"

"I'm curious."

Jin Songwon glared at the Evil Tyrant Alliance warrior and spat out.

"I wonder if your so-called great Ryeonju would even bother about one nobody's head rolling."

"..."

"Shall we find out?"

When Jin Songwon gripped his sword tightly, Jang Han paled and stepped back.

Following orders is, of course, important, but there are always things more important than orders. As Jin Songwon suggested, it's likely no one above would even care if his head was lost.

Eventually, Jang Han lowered his head.

Jin Songwon gave him a brief, disdainful look before turning indifferently. Then he quickly pulled Baek Cheon close by the shoulder.

"You're bothering me."

"…..I'm sorry."

Without a word, Jin Songwon continued running forward, holding onto Baek Cheon's shoulder.

He wasn't simply pulling him along by the shoulder. A substantial flow of true qi poured in from Jin Songwon's hand resting on Baek Cheon's shoulder. Thanks to that, Baek Cheon was able to use his lightness skill much more easily.

Baek Cheon, feeling a bit relieved, was taken aback.

Unless it was a healing skill [yosang gyeol, 요상결(療傷結)], true qi from another sect can instead become poison. However, Jin Song-won's true qi helps the circulation of Baek Cheon's qi without any conflict.

"This is…"

"Nothing remarkable."

After a pause, Jin Songwon added-

"It's from my sect."

Not Diancang sect, but my sect.

The significance in his words struck Baek Cheon deeply, leaving him momentarily speechless. After hesitating, he spoke carefully.

"To call it 'nothing remarkable'…"

It was a truly impressive skill. So impressive that the name 'Diancang' came to mind naturally.

Yet Jin Songwon's response was dismissive, even indifferent.

"Meaningless. Just a trivial skill that'll soon disappear."

Baek Cheon's gaze faltered.

If Diancang were to vanish, its martial techniques would also vanish—not just the techniques, but everything that generations of people had protected and passed down for centuries.

How must that feel?

But all that escaped Jin Songwon was a brief, bitter laugh.

"Are you pitying me?"

"It's not like that."

"That's good. You're the one who should be worried right now, not me."

Jin Songwon's words brought Baek Cheon back to reality.

"If the Heavenly Comrade Alliance is crushed by the Evil Tyrant Alliance, there won't be much to regret. Whether sooner or later, everyone will face the same end."

Baek Cheon's gaze wavered.

The end. And extinction.

Yes, this wasn't the time to worry about Jin Songwon. In fact, that end might come even sooner for the Heavenly Comrade Alliance than it would for Diancang sect.

"Sect Leader. Are you really... seriously planning to fight against the Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"

"..."

"Even now…"

"I could snap your neck easily, you know. And I'm not a patient man."

A cold intent directed at Baek Cheon surged out of Jin Songwon.

"I'm just a dog. I bark when told to bark, crouch when told to crouch. And if they order me to roll in the mud, I do it without hesitation. That's all."

But Baek Cheon looked him in the eye without the slightest flinch.

"This is not right."

"It hasn't been right since the beginning. Since Hubei. No, maybe even since Yunnan."

[tl note: 'Since Yunnan' refers to the time when the diancang sect was destroyed in Yunnan, and the 'Since Hubei' refers to when Shaolin etc. were destroyed there.]

"It's not too late."

Jin Songwon scoffed at Baek Cheon's words.

"What do you mean it's not too late?"

"For you, Sect Leader.…"

"Are you going to persuade everyone? Convince them to welcome us back into the righteous sect? Do you have the power to do that?"

"..."

Baek Cheon couldn't answer.

"Didn't think so."

Jin Songwon's low chuckle pricked Baek Cheon's skin.

Baek Cheon knew it, too. It was impossible for anyone, not just Baek Cheon.

The continuation of the Diancang Sect was no longer feasible.

If the Evil Tyrant Alliance won, Diancang's name would naturally disappear.

Even if the Heavenly Comrade Alliance won, the outcome wouldn't change. The Peng Family and the Kongtong Sect were destroyed, and Shaolin lost half its strength—no, perhaps even over seventy percent of its power.

And Diancang had cooperated in that. How could the world forgive Diancang for such a betrayal?

Baek Cheon already knew the answer. Biting his lip, he struggled with the thought.

Jin Songwon watched him passively, his eyes reflecting the quiet turmoil within Baek Cheon.

'In the midst of all this.…'

He truly was a ridiculous man.

His sect might face total ruin. Yet even in such a dire situation, this man was worrying about Diancang. Even if it was tied to his own sect's fate, who could care about the fate of another sect in this situation?

Jin Songwon briefly glanced back.

Countless masked warriors were following him. Their lifeless eyes, visible through the holes in their black masks, held no trace of vitality. Only a dull, ashen gaze.

Jin Songwon gritted his teeth.

'There was no other choice.'

And there would be none in the future.

All that remained for him was to plunge into certain doom, to find a way to rest forever.

At least then, his heart would no longer ache so deeply.