Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1158. A sect abandoned by all other sects (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
No one could easily open their mouths. Those who opened their mouths as if they had something to say would just close them again and again, unable to bring themselves to say anything.
The impact of Im Sobyeong's words was that profound.
“…The southern sea….”
“Breaking through Gangnam?”
Some were shocked by the recklessness of Im Sobyeong's plan.
Gangnam is literally the land of Evil Tyrant Alliance. It was not a place that was friendly to them in the past, but now it was a den of dragons and tigers—a place where calling it a death trap would not be an exaggeration.
Supporting a sect located at the farthest southern point of such a place—was that even realistically possible?
“How on earth would we even get a ship?”
“Supporting an island... It's not even an island in Gangbuk.”
Some people have focused on the location of Hainan Island, where Hainan Sect is located.
Hainan is a name that is very familiar to them, but at the same time, it is also a name that is endlessly distant. There is probably no one in the world who has not heard of Hainan, but there are probably only a few people who have actually visited Hainan Island.
In a sense, although Hainan Sect was one of Ten Great Sects, it felt more distant than even some of the outer palaces.
“No, wait a minute… In the first place, this would only be possible if they wanted our support. If we thoughtlessly charge into Gangnam without their consent and they reject us, we could end up completely isolated.”
“That would be the worst-case scenario.”
And some people questioned whether Hainan Sect itself could be trusted.
But... amid these different thoughts, one idea dominated everyone's minds.
“Ten Great Sects ….”
The moment Chung Myung opened his mouth, everyone in the room turned their heads to look at him. Chung Myung, who was receiving all the attention, smiled oddly.
“Are you saying that a sect will break away from Ten Great Sects?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Even going so far as to leave Ten Great Sects on their own two feet and join Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung tapped his cheek lightly with his finger as if in deep thought. But despite the appearance of deep contemplation, his conclusion came rather quickly.
“Just thinking about it….”
The corners of Chung Myung's mouth twisted wickedly.
“...makes me feel happy?”
This was something that didn’t even need deep consideration to understand its aftermath.
“If only it were possible. Yes, if it really happens, the repercussions would be enormous. This would be enough to turn the entire Jungwon upside down.”
The long, long history of Kangho.
Even in those long years, there was no sect that relinquished its position of Ten Great Sects with its own feet. No, those who lived in Kangho would never have even thought about the possibility of such a thing happening.
Such was the immense symbolism carried by the name "Ten Great Sects."
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the goal of all righteous sects in Kangho was to claim a place among Ten Great Sects or Five Great Family.
Even among the disciples of Mount Hua, there are those who are secretly waiting for the day of their return to Ten Great Sects. Of course, if Shaolin had full authority over Ten Great Sects, they would refuse even if they were offered a seat, but if the situation were different, there wouldn’t be many who would openly reject it.
In this way, the name Ten Great Sects was a symbol of Righteous Sects and was like the last bastion protecting Jungwon.
But now….
“It’s almost like you can hear the sound of that solid status cracking?”
The corners of Chung Myung's mouth curled up even further.
If something like that really happens, even once in a thousand, once in ten thousand chance, the name Ten Great Sects will no longer be able to remain a symbol of righteous sects.
Yes, if it truly happened.
“Hmm.”
Although Tang Gun-ak usually has a stiff expression on his face, his expression is more serious than usual right now. The situation held that much significance.
“If it comes true as Nokrim King says, it will surely be… a tremendous event.”
Everyone nodded in agreement as if entranced by the idea.
“Even Hainan Sect is not an ordinary force. It is one of the pillars of Ten Great Sects. At the very least... hmm...”
Tang Gun-ak trailed off, but Namgung Dowi, quickly catching on to what he was about to say, finished his thought.
“It is a power that cannot be compared to Namgung Family that lost more than half of its power.”
“…That wasn’t quite what I meant.”
“Don’t worry, Gaju-nim. The truth is the truth.”
Namgung Dowi’s eyes did not waver at all. It was as if they were saying, "What matters is not the present, but the future." Only after seeing those eyes did Tang Gun-ak nod.
“It may be an exaggeration to compare them to Namgung Family, but it is certainly true that there are not many sects in the world with such power. This is even more so if we limit it to sects that have the potential to work with Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
“Even though they’re the last seat in Ten Great Sects?”
At Jo-Gol's words, Tang Gun-ak shook his head.
“Although Hainan Sect was the last sect to join, it cannot be said that its power is the weakest among them. Compared to sects like Kunlun Sect, which was nearly destroyed by Magyo, Hainan Sect is much stronger.”
“Oh, is that so? But why….”
“That’s obvious.”
Chung Myung answered on behalf of Tang Gun-ak.
“Just because a stronger sect has emerged, they can’t kick out the original ones. That wouldn’t be the righteous thing to do.”
“But didn’t they kick us out?”
“Kaaargh!”
As Chung Myung's eyes began to roll back in anger, everyone glared daggers at Jo-Gol. Normally, Chung Myung would be blamed for overreacting to such a small matter, but in this case, it was the one who had provoked him that was at fault.
“N- No, I’m Mount Hua’s disciple too, so isn’t it okay for me to say this… right?”
“Just shut up, Jo-Gol.”
"Yes!"
As Jo-Gol quickly shrank into a corner, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and continued.
“…Anyway! No matter where you look, it’s certain that there is no sect as good as Hainan Sect.”
“That’s right.”
Danggunak also completely agreed on this point.
“Strength is strength. But what's even more important than strength is symbolism. A sect as big as Hainan Sect chose Heavenly Comrade Alliance over Ten Great Sects. Does anyone not understand what that means?"
The room became as quiet as a dead mouse. The sound of someone swallowing their saliva echoed like thunder.
“Of course… Even though it’s Hainan Sect, it’s just one sect, so a mere declaration won’t overturn the world. But at the very least..."
Tang Gun-ak's stern gaze swept over everyone in the room.
"It could definitely alter the course of events. Without a doubt."
Chung Myung, with his hands clasped behind his head, murmured nonchalantly.
"People's perception of us has already shifted since Namgung Family became a member of Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
"Precisely."
Tang Gun-ak lightly flicked his fingers, as if to draw everyone's attention.
“It’s a bit awkward for me to say this myself, but… honestly, it's a bit difficult to group the Five Great Family and Ten Great Sects together on the same level. Of course, Namgung Family when Namgung Hwang was the patriarch could be compared to any of Ten Great Sects… But the other families are honestly hard to compare to Ten Great Sects. The public perception also doesn’t place Five Great Family on the same level as Ten Great Sects."
"That's true."
"Which is why this holds such significance, doesn’t it? It would mean that Heavenly Comrade Alliance has finally become capable of surpassing Five Great Family and even encompassing Ten Great Sects. Perhaps..."
A smile similar to Chung Myung appeared on the corner of Tang Gun-ak's mouth.
“Through this opportunity, Heavenly Comrade Alliance may be able to surpass the status of Ten Great Sects.”
That statement was the decisive blow.
Surpassing Ten Great Sects.
For Heavenly Comrade Alliance, it was a task that they had to accomplish someday. But at the same time, it was something so distant that it was difficult to even discuss.
Yet now, the key to achieving that goal was beginning to unravel from an entirely unexpected direction.
“…What would happen if that really happened?”
As Yoon Jong muttered absentmindedly, Jo-Gol snorted and answered.
“What will happen? The Great Bald King’s head will be steaming like a boiling pot! He’ll be just like a searing hot stone!"
“…..We might really get to see Bop Jeong die from anger?”
"At that point, you can bet he'll go into a qi deviation for sure. Bangjang of Shaolin might even change."
At that moment, Im Sobyeong slapped his fan down with a sharp sound.
Everyone fell silent and looked at Im Sobyeong. Although his speech had not been weak before, at this moment, his speech surpassed even Tang Gun-ak.
“It’s not just that.”
“Huh?”
“Tsk, tsk. Think about it carefully. What is the biggest difference between Ten Great Sects and Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"
"Attitude?"
“…That’s true, but….”
Im Sobyeong sighed and said.
"Why do you think Ten Great Sects are called Ten Great Sects?"
“What are you talking about?”
"Because only ten sects can bear that name. But not Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Heavenly Comrade Alliance has no limit to the number of sects. And it’s not just reserved for major sects."
"Ah…."
“Until now, many sects have been keeping an eye on Ten Great Sects and hesitated because of them, but the moment Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s status surpasses Ten Great Sects’! No, the moment we become equal, perceptions will change.”
Chwaaak!
Im Sobyeong smiled sinisterly, half covering his face with the fan he had spread out.
"Rather than serving under Ten Great Sects, wouldn't it be better to stand proudly as a member of Heavenly Comrade Alliance?"
“….”
"And I've already set up a brilliant move in advance, haven't I?"
“What brilliant move?”
“Nokrim! It’s Nokrim! If there had been no Nokrim in Heavenly Comrade Alliance, most sects would not have dared to visit Heavenly Comrade Alliance. they would’ve thought it was just talk. But now, Heavenly Comrade Alliance includes none other than Nokrim, a group of Evil Sects!"
“….”
"People will start to think, 'We may be lacking in strength, but surely we'll be treated better than those Evil Sects!'"
“…That, Nokrim King…? You're not wrong, but... is it okay for Nokrim King to say that?"
"It's the truth, so what does it matter? It's not like I'll be treated like a proper person just because I say otherwise, and if I want to be treated fairly, I should have been born in Namgung Family.”
“No, but why do you keep bringing us up..."
"That's exactly why!"
Chwaak!
Im Sobyeong suddenly raised his voice.
"With just this one move! This single move can change the entire landscape of Jungwon. And if this one move succeeds!"
His eyes gleamed with a sharp, blue light.
“Heavenly Comrade Alliance will have the minimum power to fight against Evil Tyrant Alliance. If only we can succeed in this. Do you understand?”
Anyone who didn’t grasp the situation after hearing this had no place in the room.
"We have to do this."
“It’s something that has to be done somehow.”
“Then who will go?”
Just as everyone pledged to make this a success.
A nonchalant voice rang out.
"I’m against it."
"Huh?"
Everyone's eyes widened slightly.
The reason for their surprise was clear. The one who opposed this was Chung Myung, who seemed like the one who would push for the idea more strongly than anyone else.
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