Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1156. A sect abandoned by all other sects (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
When everyone else seemed speechless, one person had a different reaction.
“Why is that?”
At that moment, Yoon Jong turned Jo-Gol's chin away without asking or questioning.
"Ow!"
Yoon Jong clicked his tongue briefly as he watched Jo-Gol fall down in an instant.
"Please, try acting like a human for once…"
But at that moment, Jo-Gol sprang up and shouted,
“Ah, it’s not me!”
"Huh?"
As Yoon Jong blinked in confusion, Jo-Gol protested with a face full of resentment.
“No, Sahyung! I am still the son of a merchant family who lived up and down. How could I not know where that is?”
“…R- Really?”
"Yeah."
"Oh, then that makes sense. So, that’s an island, and the part with the diagonal lines between the land and the island is the sea."
“If it’s an island?”
“Hainan Island.”
Yoo Iseol still looked puzzled. However, even Tang Soso couldn't help her any further. The reason Yoo Iseol was confused was that she couldn't understand why Im Sobyeong was pointing at Hainan Island, and even Tang Soso didn't know the reason.
As Yoo Iseol's fierce gaze and Tang Soso's doubtful gaze poured in at the same time, Im Sobyeong smiled faintly.
“Huhuhuhu. Yes, that’s correct. This place is Hainan Island."
“…Wa- Wait a minute.”
At that moment, Baek Cheon interrupted, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Hainan Island?"
"Yes!"
"The actual Hainan Island?"
"Do you have poor eyesight?"
“N- No, that’s not it….”
Baek Cheon opened his mouth with an expression that said he didn't understand at all, but still asked, trying to understand.
“Then, perhaps… the major sect Nokrim King said that can join us? Is it really… no, it can't be?"
“Huhu. Why not!”
Paang!
Im Sobyeong slapped the map with his palm, looking triumphant.
"There are many sects in the world, but the only major sect based on Hainan Island is one and only!"
“….”
"Yes! There's no need to hide it! It’s none other than Hainan Sect!"
“Gol-ah.”
“Yes, Sahyung.”
“Do you know what’s for lunch today?”
"I think it’s beef day."
"Oh, that sounds good. Should we go get some lunch?"
“Yes, agree.”
“Then I guess I'll head to training."
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, there’s still some work left to do. Let’s start with that first….”
As people began to stand up one by one, with disinterested expressions, Im Sobyeong raised his voice even more.
“N- No, why is everyone reacting like this? I’ve come up with such a brilliant strategy!"
"I'm hungry."
"Ah, my shoulder still hurts from training yesterday."
"Will we be training in the evening as well?"
“Listen to me!”
When Im Sobyeong shouted, Baek Cheon nonchalantly replied while picking his ear.
"I’d listen if what you said made any sense."
“That guy is done for. I thought he might be smart for a while there."
“All bandits are like that. If they were so smart, would they make a living as a bandit?”
The comments were no longer just criticism but outright ridicule. But at that moment, Im Sobyeong spread out his fan, and covered the lower half of his face, chuckling quietly.
“My, my….”
Everyone frowned as they watched Im Sobyeong shake his head.
“Why is that guy doing that again?”
"Just leave him be. Looks like he's lost it."
Im Sobyeong, however, remained in his own world, unfazed.
“Huhu. Geniuses who are ahead of their time always suffer from the envy and misunderstanding of those around them. It’s something they have to go through, so I’m not even angry."
"…Ah, yes, sure. Whatever you say."
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
As people began to head for the door, Im Sobyeong hastily lowered his fan and shouted.
“No! I told you to listen first!”
"What's the point of listening? It's all nonsense anyway."
“No! Why do you keep refusing! A person should consider all possibilities! Your rigid prejudices and fixed ideas are blocking out so many good ideas…!"
“No, you rascal!”
Baek Cheon finally snapped, raising his voice.
"Talk some sense! Hainan Sect belongs to Ten Great Sects, so why would they side with us? Why! Don’t those yangbans have any thoughts?”
“Aren’t there two people of Five Great Family here? Did you ever imagine that Tang Family or Namgung Family would leave Five Great Family to join Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"
“Huh?”
Im Sobyeong said firmly.
"If you had said that just five years ago, you would have been certified as insane anywhere in the world. You would have been lucky if they treated you like a human being!”
“That’s….”
Baek Cheon trailed off. It wasn’t entirely untrue. They were in the midst of everything, so it all felt natural to them.
But for those who watched Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s activities from afar, wouldn’t it have been shocking that Tang Family and Namgung joined Heavenly Comrade Alliance?
"If Five Great Family could join, why can’t Ten Great Sects! Did those bastards come out of the womb with golden halos around their heads?! Damn it! Ten Great Sects is just Ten Great Sects! Why do they always discriminate and ignore people…”
"Whoa, whoa, Nokrim King, that's not the point. Leave your personal grudges out of this."
“Oh, right.”
As Bonchung calmed him down, Im Sobyeong changed his expression completely. Those watching him became even more exasperated.
“Even Ten Great Sects eat the same meal as us. Just because they were once part of Ten Great Sects doesn't mean they always will be—something the people of Mount Hua have already proven…."
"What did you say, you bastard?"
“Chung Myung-ah!”
“Chung Myung-ah! Calm down!”
"Get him out of here! Quick! Why'd he have to bring that up and set Chung Myung off when he was just sitting quietly!"
The frightened Five Swords and the elders pressed down on Chung Myung, whose eyes were half-crazed. A manic intensity burst from Chung Myung's half-crazed gaze.
"What? Kicked out of Ten Great Sects? This damned bandit has a mouth with a hole in it!"
"I- I didn't say Mount Hua was kicked out..."
"But this guy...!"
“I, I told you to calm down!”
"Hey! Hold him tight, hold him tight! If he hits him now, Nokrim King is done for!"
Im Sobyeong, sweating nervously, retreated a few steps.
“Keu- Keuhum. Anyway….”
Paang!
Im Sobyeong spread his hand wide and smacked the map where Hainan Island was marked once more.
"To understand what I’m saying, you need to grasp the situation Hainan Sect is currently in."
"Do we have to listen?"
“Should we?”
Despite the disinterested reactions from some, Im Sobyeong continued undeterred.
“Here is the part to watch out for.”
He drew a long horizontal line across the large map.
There was no one here who did not know what that line meant. It was something that stretched across Jungwon. The Yangtze River.
“The current Jungwon is divided into the south (Gangnam) and the north (Gangbuk) by the Yangtze River. The south of the river is ruled by Evil Tyrant Alliance, while the north of the river is much more influenced by Ten Great Sects and Five Great Family.”
“Hmm.”
As familiar information was brought up, people started paying attention.
"The Yangtze River flows from Sichuan and continues to form the boundary between Sichuan and Tibet, created by the Hengduan Mountains. In other words, the moment the Yangtze River is occupied, the path from south to north is completely blocked."
“What an obvious statement.”
"Then let’s look at this. Where are Ten Great Sects located?"
“Well….”
Baek Cheon's expression, which was about to answer calmly, suddenly changed.
"Shall we see?"
Im Sobyeong quickly pulled out a fine brush from his sleeve, opened it, and began marking dots on the map.
"Do you see it now?"
Baek Cheon nodded silently. Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders and said.
“As you can see, most of the sects belonging to Ten Great Sects and Five Great Family are concentrated in the upper part of Yangtze River. Emei, Qingcheng, and Diancang exist in Sichuan prefecture just above Yangtze River, while Wudang is in Hubei also above Yangtze River, Southern Edge Sect, and Mount Hua Sect, and Shaolin is in Henan and Shaanxi above Hubei. Needless to say, Kunlun in Qinghai and Kongtong in Gansu.”
“That’s right.”
It was something new. It was already widely known that Ten Great Sects and Five Great Family were located in Gangbuk. There was no need to ask again.
Except for that one location.
Im Sobyeong fiercely slashed his brush across Hainan Island, located beneath Guangxi.
"What about here?"
“…It’s in Gangnam.”
It's only natural. Hainan Island is located in the southernmost part of Jungwon.
Yes. Only Hainan Sect exists in Gangnam. And it’s not just Gangnam, it’s located in the Southern Sea, far from Gangnam, which is ruled by Evil Tyrant Alliance. It’s in a position where it can’t receive help from any of the sects.
“As you know, Ten Great Sects and Evil Tyrant Alliance have already crossed a point of no return. It’s only a matter of when they decide to reveal their true enmity toward each other."
“Well….”
"Then let me ask you one thing."
Im Sobyeong raised one corner of his mouth in a sly smile.
"Where do you think the war will start?"
“….”
“Until now, everyone would have assumed that the war would start at Yangtze River. But… is that really the case?”
Baek Cheon remained silent.
"Let me ask you again: would Paegun really want to start a war while leaving enemies behind them?"
No. Everyone in the room could confidently agree on this point. Jang Il-so would never let anyone who could come after his back alive.
"I assure you, the signal for war won't come from the Yangtze River. It'll come from Hainan Island. To us, Hainan Island may seem isolated and helpless, but to Paegun?”
Chung Myung, who was still being held down by others, gently pushed them off and sat up straight.
"...It looks like a separate special force behind enemy lines, doesn't it?"
"Exactly. When focusing his forces on the front lines, Jang Ilso will see Hainan as a place that can at any moment strike into Evil Tyrant Alliance's territory and wreak havoc on their rear."
Im Sobyeong smiled faintly.
“What do you think, Dojang? If you were Paegun, what would you do with Hainan Island?”
"I'm not that bastard Jang Ilso, so that question's pretty irritating."
“….”
"But…."
Chung Myung rested his chin on his hand and his eyes sparkled.
"If I were Jang Ilso... No, even if I weren't Jang Ilso, I wouldn't just leave Hainan Island alone."
"That's true..."
"But saying that's where the war will start is wrong."
"…Yes?"
At that moment, Chung Myung's voice slowly subsided.
"Before the war begins, he'd want to take care of it first."
“….”
“Right now, as soon as possible."
With those words, the atmosphere in the room grew cold and tense.
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