Return of the Mount Hua Sect - Ch. 824
The Desolate Gold Elder, who had descended the cliff, glanced at Jang Ilso.
‘Hegemony Lord….’
There were two reasons why he accepted the proposal.
The first was a sense of crisis.
It was due to this sense of crisis that, if things had continued as Jang Ilso said, they might have been defeated without even taking action. Power that was built up to an excessive level was bound to be directed outward, and the best target for that power was none other than the remaining Evil Factions.
And the second reason…
‘It was calculated that there would be no loss even if he put it to good use and abandoned it.’
This made it clear.
His second thought wasn’t entirely wrong.
Although he was proud of understanding Jang Ilso to an extent, the real Jang Ilso wasn’t someone he could fully comprehend. From the time he arrived until now, nothing escaped Jang Ilso.
‘Is it actually me who got used as a piece?’
A shiver ran down his spine.
In this war, which burned like lava, the people who feared Jang Ilso the most might not have been those of the Justice faction but those who fought under him.
It felt like his heart was clenching at just the mention of it, but who else would have been this appalled?
‘Anyway…’
The Desolate Gold Elder hid his true feelings and spoke with a pretense of calmness.
“Anything left?”
“Anything left?”
The Black Dragon King’s face contorted as if he had just listened.
“That would be your position. The Yangtze River suffered losses! Above all, the fact that the Black Dragon pirates were decimated by half is a huge damage!”
The Black Dragon King glared at Jang Ilso grimly, his killing intent radiating.
“Jang Ilso! He must have said that it would bring benefits to the Yangtze River! Are you kidding me?”
“It is you… tsk tsk.”
The Thousand Faced Scholar clicked his tongue.
“I knew you were ignorant, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent. Be careful with your words, Black Dragon King. This alliance has just begun. If the dignity of the Lord is harmed, it won’t be good for us either.”
“Shut up, you rat! Didn’t you also join forces with Jang Ilso and deceive me?”
As the Black Dragon King began to show signs of aging, the Thousand Faced Scholar’s eyes turned cold.
“Tsk. Tsk.”
But then Jang Ilso smiled softly and spoke.
“There is no need to get so angry. I brought tangible benefits to the Yangtze River.”
“…Benefits? Did you just say benefits?”
“Now, no matter what you do on the Yangtze River, no one will try to stop you. For the next three years.”
The Black Dragon King frowned, looking slightly suspicious.
“But the officials…”
“It is difficult for the officials to deal with the pirates alone. Whenever they step forward, they always seek help from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families. If they cannot proceed, the river turns a blind eye to it.”
“Hmm.”
“If that is the case, isn’t it a matter of repairing the damage? In fact, the pirates will be stronger.”
The Black Dragon King stared at Jang Ilso in silence for a moment and then cleared his throat loudly.
“That must be true, right, Alliance Lord?”
“Of course.”
“I will trust you this once time.”
As the Black Dragon King slowly retreated, the Thousand Faced Scholar asked with an accusatory tone.
“Will they keep their promise, Alliance Lord?”
“They have no choice but to uphold it. No, they will keep their promise.”
Jang Ilso smiled.
“There are no people better to play with than those obsessed with justice and respect. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Hmm. I trust the Alliance Lord.”
The Desolate Gold Elder also spoke up.
“Then, the important thing now is to stabilize the Alliance as quickly as possible.”
“Right.”
“… then, we will make our way, organize the sects, and prepare a new strategy.”
“Right.”
“But.”
The Desolate Gold Elder slightly tilted his head and asked, his eyes dark.
“We haven’t mobilized the Blood Cult. It wouldn’t have been difficult to wipe them out there. Besides, Shaolin, Wudang, and Namgung would have been worth the damage, right?”
“Worth the damage…”
Jang Ilso smiled.
“What I want isn’t to win the battle but to win the war. Our opponent isn’t just Shaolin or Wudang, but the entire Central Plains.”
“…”
“Do you know why people are afraid of ghosts?”
“… Isn’t it because they are tough to deal with?”
“No.”
Jang Ilso shook his head.
“Because they know what a ghost is.”
“…”
“A child who doesn’t know what a ghost is will not be afraid even if he sees one. But adults have heard countless times what it is and how scary it is, and are scared of ghosts.”
The Desolate Gold Elder’s face hardened slightly.
“Soon, everyone in the world will fear me and the name of the Four Sects Alliance. From then on, things will get easier.”
The Desolate Gold Elder shook his head.
It was the same when he arrived. Even though this man said everything, he said nothing in the end.
But he was certain of one thing.
“It was a good decision to create the Alliance.”
“Hahaha.”
Jang Ilso laughed slightly.
“If you think so, don’t be obsessed with the name of Black Ghost Fort. I, too, will throw away the name of my clan.”
“… Yes. See you again. There will be a lot to discuss.”
The Desolate Gold Elder turned around as if his work was done.
Then, the Black Dragon King also turned around with a happy smile. The last remaining was Thousand Faced Scholar, who looked at Jang Ilso and laughed.
“The path to hardships is opened, Alliance Lord.”
“I guess we’ll endure it.”
“Please look after us in the future. Just know that I have no doubts in the Alliance Lord’s abilities.”
“Of course.”
“Hehehe. Sounds fun. Right.”
The Thousand Faced Scholar walked away with a mean smile on his face. As everyone dispersed, the blue qi in Jang Ilso’s eyes began to shine.
“…such cunning snakes.”
Behind Jang Ilso, who had turned away, a white carriage with eight horses was ready. Ho Ga-Myung, who was waiting quietly at the back of the carriage, greeted Jang Ilso with a cotton cloth.
“Thank you for the hard work, Clan Leader. No… Alliance Lord.”
“This is ridiculous. What kind of nonsense is this? Ugh.”
Jang Ilso groaned. Ho Ga-Myung smiled bitterly and held out a cotton cloth soaked in water.
“I guess I should have brought maids with me.”
“It’s not like I don’t have hands; it’s alright.”
Jang Ilso took the cotton cloth and wiped the blood away.
“Everything went as planned.”
“Now is the start.”
Jang Ilso answered indifferently and wiped his body, changing the cloth several times. Ho Ga-Myung took out a long white cloth from the carriage and draped it over him. Jang Ilso, who neatly organized his clothes, frowned at the broken accessories.
“Tsk.”
Clench.
He ripped off the broken accessories without regret, pushed back his flowing hair, and sighed.
“There is no way those snakes will just follow me. First, the urgent fire was put out, and from now on, they will try to devour the Four Sects Alliance.”
“It will definitely come out that way.”
“Right. That is the habit of the Evils Faction. They are the ones who pull out their swords to eat a single bean in front of them rather than a large prey afar. Those people are more problematic than the Justice Faction people.”
If Jang Ilso completely eliminated Shaolin and Wudang, what would happen next was obvious.
They would recognize Jang Ilso as their enemy, not the remaining Justice Factions. They must have united behind the scenes and fought to get rid of Jang Ilso and his clan, aiming to share the Southlands.
This was proven in the history of the Evil Faction, something that happened countless times.
“But… they cannot do that anymore, right?”
Jang Ilso gently raised his lips. A peculiar smile appeared on his face.
“The Four Precepts Alliance shouldn’t have power on its own. Only those under my control should have meaning. What I gained from this was nothing like a treaty, but the name of Jang Ilso being spread throughout the world.”
Jang Ilso gently traced his lips with his fingers.
“Fame is nothing but useless trash not worth a penny. But sometimes, it gives us more power than any violence does.”
A look of admiration passed through Ho Ga-Myung’s eyes as he looked at him.
Since when was Jang Ilso drawing this picture?
Since the time when the leaders of the Evil Faction gathered together?
Or since when Mount Hua invaded the Yangtze River?
Or was it during their ploy at the Green Forest?
No, no.
‘At least he would have foreseen this when he faced the Tang Family lord.’
So when Ho Ga-Myung tried to deal with Chung Myung, he was made to a stop.
It wasn’t about looking ahead. Jang Ilso was someone who held the world in his hands and played with it.
“Now, we will have to fight hard for a while. It won’t be easy to get the valuables out of those snakes.”
“But I believe that you can do it.”
“Tsk, tsk. Ga-Myung, Ga-Myung. I heard you tend to overestimate me. I am already having a headache.”
Jang Ilso shook his head and got into the carriage. Ho Ga-Myung followed, closed the carriage door, took out the alcohol prepared in advance, and offered it.
“I have prepared it.”
“Have I ever told you that this is why I like you?”
Jang Ilso smiled.
“There is a long way to go, but we can raise a toast now. Right?”
“Of course, Alliance Lord.”
“Hahahaha!”
It was the moment when Jang Ilso was about to pour alcohol into the glass.
“Hm?”
Ho Ga-Myung turned his head to the carriage door because there was a commotion outside.
‘What is happening?’
Wasn’t the battle finished?
Jang Ilso frowned, and Ho Ga-Myung immediately spoke up.
“I will head out and see…”
But just as he attempted to rise from his seat—
Kwang!
Something sharp suddenly pierced through the carriage wall.
In that instant, cold sweat broke out over Ho Ga-Myung’s body.
The sword, so sharp it seemed capable of cutting through anything, stopped just half an inch from his face, leaving him in an awkward stance.
“…”
Had the sword advanced just an inch more, he would have been dead.
“Tsk.”
Jang Ilso clicked his tongue, having blocked the sword that had suddenly pierced through the carriage wall.
“It’s because you’re so impatient.”
He sighed, then stood up, holding the bottles.
When he opened the door and stepped outside, he saw his men surrounding the carriage, with a man standing across from them.
“Go.”
The subordinates, poised to attack the man at any moment, looked back at Jang Ilso in surprise.
“Take a step back.”
“Yes!”
The Ten Thousand People Clan retreated to the left and right, clearing the way. Jang Ilso got off the carriage and pulled out the sword that was stuck in it.
“… Is this sword a parting gift?”
“Bring it. It is quite expensive.”
“Tsk. Speak nicely.”
Jang Ilso threw the sword in his hand with a regretful look. Chung Myung, holding his Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword, sheathed it and stared at Jang Ilso.
Jang Ilso sighed lightly.
“This carriage is also expensive…”
“When you come to Shaanxi, I’ll buy you a new one.”
“In exchange, I give my head?”
“Shouldn’t you risk that much?”
“Hahahaha!”
This time, Jang Ilso threw the alcohol in his hand at Chung Myung. Chung Myung caught the bottle and tilted it to his lips.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
Jang Ilso smiled, seeing Chung Myung drink it without hesitation.
“Tastes like alcohol.”
Then, he began to drink as well.
Ho Ga-Myung looked at the scene blankly.
Chung Myung suddenly rushed in and threw the sword at the carriage in which Jang Ilso was riding while Jang Ilso offered Chung Myung a drink.
He couldn’t understand their world.
The two took the bottles from their mouths and looked at each other.
A smile appeared on Jang Ilso’s face. Baring his teeth, he growled softly, like an animal threatening its prey.
“Kuak…”
That growling voice seethed with murder and hostility.
“I saved you as much as I could, so why come back? It’s not like you’re begging me to kill you.”
Then, a deep sorrow filled Chung Myung’s eyes.