Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1218. Who would help? (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Im Sobyeong kept his word.
Crossing the Yangtze River like a seal...... No, like a dog, and moving for a whole day, Heavenly Comrade Alliance group didn't encounter Evil Tyrant Alliance's surveillance, let alone the shadow of a person.
Im Sobyeong clearly proved his boast that as long as they were in the mountains, not just Sacheolryeon, but no one in the world would be able to discover their traces.
As if proving that he didn't win Nokrim King position by gambling, he truly knew the mountain paths of Gangnam like the back of his hand, and thanks to that, Heavenly Comrade Alliance group was breaking through Gangnam without encountering a single soul.
Of course... if the route they take can truly be called a 'path'.
Whoosh!
If one looked down from above, even the greatest martial artist in the world would feel weak in the knees and try to back away. From such a sheer cliff, fairly large rocks tumbled down.
It was fortunate that there were no passersby in such deep mountains with these steep cliffs. f anyone had been below, they would have surely met a tragic fate.
However, if there had been someone below, and if they had luckily avoided all the rapidly falling rocks, and so looked up in surprise, they might have seen something.
A dozen or so small things figures clinging to the sheer cliff face.
"Hi- Hiiiik!"
Namgung Dowi, instinctively looked down at the falling rocks, let out a horrified gasp and clung tightly to the cliff.
For someone with the distinguished title of Sogaju of the famed Namgung Family, the sight of him sprawled out like a frog, limbs spread wide against the cliff, might seem undignified. But at that moment, there was no room for dignity in his mind.
"Why... Why! Whyyyyyyyyy!"
Namgung Dowi screamed in desperation.
"Why are we going this route of all placeeees!"
His wails echoed pitifully through the air.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk."
Then, Im Sobyeong, dangling next to him, grasped a ledge with one hand while leisurely fanning himself with the other.
"Please be quiet. Someone might hear. We're in the middle of a covert mission, you know."
"Who would hear, who! We can't even see a single bird, let alone people."
Namgung Dowi screamed as if having a fit.
And indeed, below them, clouds were drifting by. Even if birds have wings, would they come up this high?
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk."
However, Im Sobyeong did not lend an ear to Namgung Dowi’s outburst.
"For someone destined to be the gaju of Great Namgung Family to make such a fuss over a mere cliff......"
"Mere cliff! Even Jang Sambong (장삼봉(張三丰)/ Founder of Wudang Sect) would die if he fell from here!"
“Whether you die from falling off a cliff or from being stabbed, dead is dead. If you’re so afraid of dying, how do you even wield a sword?”
"Are these two the same? Are these!"
“What’s the difference?”
Im Sobyeong clicks his tongue with a smirk.
"Anyway, you look undignified, so please be quiet, be quiet."
"Ugh...."
Namgung Dowi’s face flushed red with embarrassment, and he gritted his teeth before sneaking a glance downward.
Chills.
In that instant, he truly understood the meaning of ‘legs turning to jelly’. He quickly snapped his gaze back up and squeezed his eyes shut, shouting desperately.
"Ta- Tang Hyung-nim!"
“...What?”
"Are... you alright?"
"....Do I look alright?"
As he slightly opened his eyes and looked back, sure enough, Tang Pae's face had also turned almost pale. Tang Pae, struggling to maintain his composure, spoke slowly.
"D- Don't look down. It's a bit better if you think of this as flat ground."
“How can I think of this as flat ground when it clearly isn’t?”
"Just do it, man!"
"......"
At that moment, another pile of rocks tumbled down over their heads.
"Hiiiiiiik!"
"Aaaaaaaaargh!"
The two clung tightly to the cliff in terror. Rocks the size of adult fists fell right behind their heads.
"Th- This is crazy!"
Namgoong Dowi turned to Im Sobyong, his eyes bloodshot with frustration.
"Why! Why do we have to take this route! Why!"
"Oh, come now! Stop complaining so much. Everyone else is managing just fine."
"Who! Who is doing fine!"
"Can't you see over there?"
"Huh?"
As he looked where Im Sobyeong's fan was pointing, he met eyes with someone. His mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"....."
"....."
There, clinging to a jutting rock with one hand, while munching on a rice ball with the other, was Jo-Gol. Awkwardly, he hid the rice ball behind his back.
"Ah, sorry. I was a bit hungry...."
"....."
"Well, it was getting a bit boring too."
It wasn't just Jo-Gol.
The disciples of Mount Hua Sect following behind all had calm expressions as if scaling this towering cliff was no more than a casual stroll.
Their expressions seemed to say, 'Ugh, this guy is blocking the way again.'
"A- Aren't you scared?"
"Of this place?"
"....Yes."
"Why?"
Jo-Gol shrugged nonchalantly. The moment Namgung Dowi saw him move, he nearly fainted and almost wet himself.
"Well, it's quite high but...... compared to Mt. Hua, this is like flat land, so not really."
"Hey, in Mount Hua Sect, you can climb this high in just two months."
"Why bring up Mount Hua? Even a neighborhood kid from Huayin Village could play catch here."
"Hurry up and get moving. Is this your first time climbing a cliff?"
Tears started to well up in Namgung Dowi's eyes.
"...It's true."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"He- Hefei."
"Huh?"
"In Hefei.... there are no mountains...."
"...."
"Ugh."
Somehow, everyone became solemn.
"Ugh...."
"......"
"Uuuugh...."
"......"
Inside a small cave in the middle of the cliff, Namgung Dowi lay down, clutching his head. They had wanted to go further, but the sun had set, and they happened to find this cave that even birds would struggle to enter.
The others let out a deep sigh as they listened to Namgung Dowi's constant groaning.
"...The renowned Namgung Dowi afraid of heights."
"But doesn't it make him more human? Honestly, he always felt so upright, like a model disciple who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if you stabbed him."
"Right. Honestly, he was like Sasuk before he cracked his head."
"Why are you bringing me up again!"
Five Swords clicked their tongue and looked at Namgung Dowi. It was true that Namgung Dowi's face was as pale as a man who had just escaped from hell.
"Is it really that scary?"
"...,He said Hefei has no mountains. It's all flat land there."
"Rich kids, I tell you..."
"No, if you put it that way, isn't Acting Sect Leader also from a rich family?"
"Gol-ah. Compare what's comparable. Compared to Namgung Family, the sect leader of Southern Edge Sect is like a neighborhood beggars."
"....The real beggars are Sahyung and Chung Myung, though."
"But this bastard?"
Five Swords looked at Namgung Dowi as if he both understood and didn't understand. Knowing that namgung Dowi wasn’t one to complain easily, for him to be this scared must mean that it was truly terrifying...
On the other hand, it was complicated for them to understand someone who was afraid of such a cliff.
In the first place, those who fear cliffs are filtered out even before reaching Mount Hua's gate. So in their eyes, Namgung Dowi was like a strange (?) species they were encountering for the first time in their lives.
"But it really doesn't seem like he's exaggerating. Even Tang Sogaju has turned pale."
"That guy is funny too. There were plenty of mountains in Sichuan."
"Who, who the hell actually climbs cliffs like this in Sichuan!"
Tang Pae, who was at least maintaining a human appearance better than Namgung Dowi, shouted angrily, forgetting all about face and everything alike.
"If people walked here, would it be a cliff, huh? It's a cliff because no one walks there!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Maquis of Wu led an entire army through such treacherous paths."
"Because that's Zhuge Liang! If just anyone had done that, would he have made it into history?"
"....That makes sense?"
As Im Sobyeong nodded, Tang Pae shouted again as if having a fit.
"No! Couldn't we just go over the top of the cliff! Or if not that, go below the cliff! Why on earth! Why on earth are we going along the middle of the cliff! Why! We're not spider cubs!"
"I told you. We need to avoid people's eyes."
"Why would there be people on top of the cliffs! In such deep mountains!"
Im Sobyeong pulled Jo-Gol in front of him without saying anything. Then he said.
"Please say that again."
".....Ah."
Right. There are people... Not just any people, but ones living atop cliffs, even building their homes up there.
Come to think of it, aren't those guys real lunatics?
Im Sobyeong continued.
"Why are you acting like you don’t know? You think there aren’t people in remote, hidden places like this? Deep mountains are the last place you should approach if you want to avoid people! Why do you think all the famous mountains in the world are filled with Taoist and Buddhist temples!"
"......"
"Still, Taoist and Buddhist monks are a bit better. At least those yangban build structures to say 'I'm here'. Do you know how often an entire mountain bandit stronghold gets wiped out when they find a suitable cave and decide to build a base, only to have a hermit who's been in seclusion for a hundred years jump out and slaughter the whole group?"
"...They’re not even dragons, why would people suddenly appear out of nowhere like that?"
"That's what I'm saying!"
It's the martial artists that are the problem, the martial artists.
It seemed that Chung Myung's words, ‘There are no sane guys among those carrying swords’, which he would always say whenever he opened his mouth, were not so wrong.
"Do you know how many things you have to consider just to run a business in the mountains! What if there's a Taoist or monk wandering around here! What if there's someone who's been training alone in a deep cave for decades with crazed eyes, harboring some story! What if there's someone who was excommunicated from a Righteous Sects, sharpening their sword in some secluded place."
"......"
"And what if you finally find an empty spot and build a mountain bandit fortress? Suddenly, rumors spread about some miraculous elixir found in the area, and every guy with a sword from all over the place comes running into the mountains..."
Baek Cheon patted Im Sobyeong on the shoulder.
"Don't cry, just keep talking."
"...I'm sorry. I got a bit emotional."
"That's why you shouldn't have become a bandit......"
"I was born a bandit's son! What was I supposed to do?"
"I ran away from mine."
"......"
Im Sobyeong, who was speechless for a moment, stared blankly at Baek Cheon. At this point, he seriously needed to reconsider who was the greater rebel here.
"......Is Seol Gungju doing alright?"
Tang Pae, who had taken his eyes off the idiots bickering endlessly, asked Seol So-baek. Those beast-like fellows don't need to be worried about, but isn't Seol So-baek somewhat normal?
"Ah. Thank you for your concern. I'm fine."
Seol So-baek answered with a bright smile.
"It was a little scary, but since I was being carried, it wasn’t tiring."
"......"
"And would it be possible for Chung Myung Dojang to fall from a place like this? If he did, it wouldn't even be something to feel wronged about. That’d be worse than getting struck by lightning from a clear sky."
People call that 'unjust'... What on earth is this guy's way of thinking?
At that moment, Namgung Dowi, as if he had found a glimmer of hope, suddenly sat up.
"C- Can you carry me on your ba......"
"Lie down, lie down!"
"Think before you speak. You'll be ridiculed for life for that."
"Think of your late father!"
"Ugh....."
Namgung Dowi collapsed again, groaning in pain. Everyone shook their heads in unison.
From the moment they decided to cut through the Gangnam region, they had steeled themselves for hardship... But who could have imagined the hardship would look like this?
Tang Pae heaved a deep sigh.
"Anyway, since we've got a chance to rest, let's have some dry rations...."
"Eucha!"
Just then, a voice was heard from outside the cave and something fell inside with a thud.
Tang Pae’s jaw dropped as he saw a wild boar and a deer suddenly appear in the cave. Then, Chung Myung dusted off his hands and went inside.
"I'm hungry! Cook something!"
"Meat!"
"Let's eat!"
Seeing Five Swords rush over with glee, Tang Pae squeezed his eyes shut.
'These guys would adapt even if thrown into the middle of hell......'
At least, they didn't have to worry about starving along the way. It was a small blessing amid a thousand miseries.
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