Chapter 1244

Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1244. Is that all? (4)

Editor: Hoamzz

Co-Translator: Xoxo

A person truly becomes angry when they are confronted with a truth they want to ignore.

The feelings of the people of Hainan here now are exactly like that.

Words they knew but wished not to hear, realities they saw but yearned to turn away from. This young man Baek Cheon was shouting and thrusting before their eyes the very truth they wanted to avoid.

And because they too were human, their reaction was the same.

"How can you say such things!"

"Even if you came as Heavenly Comrade Alliance's special envoy, your words are far too much!”

"Can you take responsibility for those words?"

However, Baek Cheon didn't bother to carefully refute their fierce reactions. He merely stood in silence, listening to the flood of rebukes. His gaze swept over each person who shouted, one by one.

As he reacted so indifferently, the heated atmosphere gradually cooled down.

Baek Cheon waited leisurely until no one else spoke up, and only then did he open his mouth.

His voice, cold and composed, cut through the tension like a blade.

“The reason why I said these… Must I really explain?”

That brief statement was both consideration and a knife attached to his tongue.

The fact that Hainan had been abandoned by the Nine Schools Alliance was best known to those present here. Even those clinging to a final shred of hope did so only by leaning on the faintest possibility of compassion. And those who discussed reality were only looking for ways to change the minds of those who had turned away.

Not a single person here believed Ten Great Sects would actively step forward to help Hainan.

"Speaking of Chivalrousness, speaking of Righteousness."

Baek Cheon's voice penetrated the hearts of those wrestling with their tumultuous emotions.

"Going round and round discussing pleasant words. Putting forth grand principles to say we are right. And politely confirming each other's positions and withdrawing without hurting each other."

“....”

"Yes. We could do that. However..."

Baek Cheon's gaze flickered briefly behind him. Through the slightly opened door, he could see trees swaying in the typhoon and Hainan disciples standing guard outside despite the rain and wind.

“But this is not the time for that. Do you know what we saw as we approached your shores?”

“...What did you see?”

“We saw countless requisitioned boats and newly constructed ones.”

At those words, Geum Yangbaek tightly bit his lower lip.

"Did you say requisitioned?"

"Yes. They took everything, down to the smallest fishing boat."

The faces of everyone in the great hall instantly hardened. If even boats were being requisitioned, there was only one thing that could follow.

Invasion.

There was no need to confirm the truth. They too had already felt in their bones Evil Tyrant Alliance's attack was imminent.

“Sect Leader.”

Baek Cheon quietly gazed at Geum Yangbaek before speaking.

“The moment this storm passes, Evil Tyrant Alliance will begin advancing toward Hainan.”

“...Acting Sect Leader.”

“We have no time to waste on polite exchanges or idle words. That’s why I will simply state our position. Heavenly Comrade Alliance earnestly hopes Hainan will join us. We urge you to make Hainan’s name known once again, not through superficial Chivalrousness, but by reaching out to those who truly need help.”

Geum Yangbaek fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Unable to bear the silence, the anxious elders whispered quietly.

"Sect Leader. This is absurd. Voluntarily withdrawing from Ten Great Sects? This is unprecedented."

“Indeed. Consider this. Even if we preserve the name of Hainan, who will bear the consequences? What will Shaolin or Wudang think of us?”

"And what about public opinion?"

Of course, there were opposing voices as well.

“Why are we worrying about the future when we might not even have one if Hainan falls?”

“Isn’t that the truth? Ten Great Sects are merely watching from afar. It’s only natural to ally with those who are offering help right now.”

"Leaving Ten Great Sects doesn't make us an Evil Sects, and Heavenly Comrade Alliance isn't that inferior to Ten Great Sects, is it?"

As Geum Yangbaek fell silent, their voices gradually grew louder. Still, he sat with his eyes closed, listening to everyone’s words. Finally, he opened his eyes and fixed them on Baek Cheon.

“Acting Sect Leader.”

"Yes."

“...Asking us to voluntarily leave Ten Great Sects is an excessive demand. I believe you are well aware of this.”

“Of course.”

“To make such a suggestion, you must possess unshakable confidence and conviction. Am I correct?”

“Yes, that’s right, Sect Leader.”

Baek Cheon nodded heavily.

"I firmly believe that joining Heavenly Comrade Alliance is the choice that will bring Hainan justification, practical benefits, and a future."

"Justification, practical benefits, and... a future."

Geum Yangbaek quietly observed Baek Cheon and his group with sunken eyes. Indeed, there was a sense of the future in their presence.

'They're young.'

Looking now, the representatives of each sect were all remarkably young. Some might interpret this as a sign of disrespect to Hainan, but Geum Yangbaek saw it differently.

Heavenly Comrade Alliance was evolving and it was centered on the next generation. Hainan, on the other hand, had fallen behind this wave of change.

He wanted to see it too. What would Heavenly Comrade Alliance look like in the future, led by those young martial artists? And what it would look like if Hainan's young sect leader were among them.

However... whether the future they had also existed for Hainan was another matter entirely.

With a heavy tone, Geum Yangbaek spoke.

"It's embarrassing to say this myself... but Hainan's current situation is too urgent to discuss justification and future."

“Se- Sect Leader.”

“Quiet.”

A startled voice emerged from behind, but Geum Yangbaek’s slight raise of his right hand swiftly quelled the objections.

“Some may find their hearts stirred by your words, Acting Sect Leader. Others may empathize with the future you envision, but… honestly, those words don't particularly resonate with me."

Baek Cheon nodded quietly. Hainan's current situation was far too dire to discuss such matters.

“I am not saying we should abandon the future with Heavenly Comrade Alliance. But isn’t Righteousness and Chivalrousness only possible when both parties are equal?”

“That is correct.”

“Then, I ask you to speak frankly about what you have prepared. For us..."

Geum Yangbaek looked straight at Baek Cheon and asked.

“If Hainan joins Heavenly Comrade Alliance, what can Heavenly Comrade Alliance do for us?”

Baek Cheon drew a deep breath before replying.

“We cannot promise you anything concrete.”

“....”

"If we must make a promise, it would only be that we will never turn away and will protect what must be protected when Hainan faces a crisis and is driven to the edge, just like now."

Geum Yangbaek's eyes narrowed. Baek Cheon continued.

“And I believe that is what matters most. When there's no need to risk danger for each other, any words can be said, any promises can be made. When you joined Ten Great Sects, did you ever imagine that they would not come to Hainan’s aid in a moment like this?”

“...Of course not.”

“Yet here we are, without any such promises, and we have come to you.”

“....”

"That is all we can do for you, and that is all we seek. The 'Comrade' (우(友)) in Heavenly Comrade Alliance exists to stand together through faith, not profit."

Baek Cheon’s eyes shone with conviction.

"What we can offer you is that faith. Not a relationship that exists only when it is beneficial, but a bond where we can be there for one another when it truly matters.”

Geum Yangbaek looked at Baek Cheon with a peculiar expression.

For a moment, an unusual silence settled between them.

Heavenly Comrade Alliance group guarding Baek Cheon and the elders guarding Hainan sect leader began to sense the oddity of the situation when Geum Yangbaek finally broke the silence.

“Acting Sect Leader.”

"Yes."

"I'll ask directly. What can Heavenly Comrade Alliance offer Hainan, which now faces its final battle against Evil Tyrant Alliance?”

The elders looked at Geum Yangbaek in shock.

His words, so blunt and straightforward, were unlike the Geum Yangbaek they knew. It also seemed too materialistic to say to someone who had come from afar to help Hainan.

Then Baek Cheon answered.

“What our Heavenly Comrade Alliance can do to resolve Hainan’s current situation is....”

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Baek Cheon's mouth. A moment later, his voice rang out both clearly and chillingly in everyone's ears.

“…nothing.”

Swaaaa.

Everyone realized once again that it was pouring rain outside. The sound of rain, which had gone unnoticed until now, seeped into their consciousness. That was how deeply the chilling silence permeated the great hall.

How long did this suffocating silence last?

Finally, Geum Yangbaek's calm voice flowed out.

“As soon as tomorrow.”

“....”

"To a sect that might have to take down its plaque tomorrow, all you can offer is building a relationship where you can help when needed."

A hollow laugh escaped Geum Yangbaek's mouth.

“And yet, for this immediate crisis, you can offer no aid?”

Baek Cheon shut his eyes.

There were many things he could say. Countless things he wanted to say. But Baek Cheon refrained from uttering even a single word. No, he could not. Because no words would be of help to the current Hainan.

Evil Tyrant Alliance's advance was much faster than they had expected, and they had arrived at Hainan without making any preparations to stop them.

“I’ll ask again, Acting Sect Leader.”

Geum Yangbaek suppressed the myriad of emotions boiling within him as he spoke.

"Are these ten people here all that Heavenly Comrade Alliance has sent to help Hainan? Or are there other measures prepared to help Hainan?"

His words carried an expectation that he couldn't shake off until the very end. However, Baek Cheon betrayed even that faint glimmer of hope.

"For now... these people here are all we have, Sect Leader."

No matter how powerful Heavenly Comrade Alliance might be, only these ten people here could be of immediate help in the calamity that would strike after the typhoon.

Ten people. Not an insignificant number, but far too meager to turn the tide of a battle where the survival of an entire sect and a force was at stake.

Yes, it was far too meager.

“Just....”

Geum Yangbaek couldn’t even finish his sentence as he bit down hard on his lip.

"Is that really all?"

His voice, mixed with anger, dejection, and despair, spread coldly through the silent great hall.