Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1246. That’s That (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
After Heavenly Comrade Alliance and the group left the great hall, the remaining elders remained speechless for a while.
It was not despair itself that breaks people, but the moment hope vanishes entirely. And what had just transpired before their eyes was enough to rob them of even the faintest hope.
“Haa....”
Breaking the passes, Geum Yangbaek let out a sigh.
"Once the storm subsides, order the disciples to empty the mountain."
“...Haven’t we already done that?”
“They must have hesitated out of lingering attachment. When reality hits, some might change their stance."
“....”
“The same goes for the elders.”
Geum Yangbaek turned to look at the elders and spoke.
“Being with Hainan for so long does not mean you are obligated to face its end. Those who want to leave, leave. No one will blame you.”
At those words, a few elders grumbled under their breath.
“Where would old men like us even go, with death hanging over us like a shadow? Without martial arts, we can’t even cast nets to fish. Returning home would only make us burdens on our families.”
“That’s right, Sect Leader. My grandchildren won’t be happy with Hainan Sect disciple coming into the house. They’ll be worried that they’ll get hit by the Sapaeyeon’s lightning bolt. How can I return to Saga with any sense of shame?”
Geum Yangbaek smirked faintly.
"You should’ve behaved better in the first place."
"...You should at least have given us time to work things before saying such things."
The atmosphere, surprisingly, wasn’t as heavy as one might expect.
When there had been even the slightest possibility of action, they had expressed their frustrations and grievances toward one another, but when they realized that there was nothing more they could do, even those feelings seemed to dissipate.
"What about the martial arts of those requesting excommunication from the sect?"
"...We'll have to seal them."
“Must we....”
Geum Yangbaek shook his head.
“"Not because I resent them, but because I worry for them. The reason Evil Tyrant Alliance and Jang Ilso want to strike Hainan first is that they don’t want to leave any troubles behind. But would he leave alone those who've learned our martial arts?"
“....”
“If they were people who had been excommunicated and lost their martial art, Jang Ilso would not have gone out of his way to catch and kill them. He may be a wicked and ruthless man but not stupid, so he'll know the value of able-bodied workers."
The elders' eyes grew sorrowful. His logic was sound, but the reality was bleak. If things proceeded this way, there would truly be no one left in the world who practiced Hainan’s martial arts.
Though the knowledge would remain in their minds, passing it on without demonstration or instruction would be nearly impossible. The fate awaiting Hainan after their deaths was all too clear.
"Let’s leave no regrets."
As if he understood the feelings of the elders, Geum Yangbaek muttered the words almost to himself.
"If Heaven is watching, it will somehow preserve our legacy. Do you know? Who knows? Just as Mount Hua has risen again, perhaps Hainan will one day find glory greater than it has ever known.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
"It will surely be so."
Listening to the elders' words, Geum Yangbaek gave a bitter smile.
Though they spoke with such conviction, he knew better than anyone how slim those chances truly were.
Kureureurueng.
The sound of thunder drew Geum Yangbaek’s gaze toward the window. The storm still raged outside, the wind and rain howling relentlessly.
'I wish the storm would never end.'
Looking outside with a bitter expression, he soon turned away sorrowfully.
* * *
"...So it just ended like that?"
Soaked to the bone, the disciples couldn’t even think about drying themselves as they turned their eyes toward Gwak Hwanso.
“No, Daesahyung. They came all the way from Gangbuk, from across the Yangtze, with no real plan? If that’s the case, why did they even bother…?”
“Why are you asking Daesahyung that?”
Lee Jayang was annoyed and responded.
“If you want to complain, go yell at those Heavenly Comrade Alliance guys yourselves. If you don't have the courage for that, why are you pestering Daesahyung?"
“No, that’s not it....”
"What do you mean that's not it! Obviously...!"
“Enough.”
Gwak Hwanso gently grabbed Lee Jayang's shoulder to calm him.
"They're just speaking out of frustration."
Gwak Hwanso sighed and said.
“From what I can tell, even Heavenly Comrade Alliance didn’t expect Evil Tyrant Alliance to move so quickly.”
“No, how could that be....”
"While we're sensitive to every movement of Evil Tyrant Alliance and the coast, how could those stationed far in Gangbuk possibly know the situation here as well as we do?"
“....”
“They must’ve been just as shocked to see the forces of Evil Tyrant Alliance amassed along the coastline. And yet, they still made the effort to come here. That alone is something to be grateful for."
After saying this, Gwak Hwanso couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
He was never one to enjoy defending others. At any other time, he might have been the first to criticize them. But for some reason, he couldn’t muster any resentment toward those people now.
It wasn’t a matter of reasoning or logic. Perhaps it was just because of the drinking cups they had shared that night still lingering in his heart.
'How amusing.'
As if that time had been that long.
It simply meant that the scorn he had endured from the mainland all these years had left him with wounds deeper than he cared to admit. That’s why, despite himself, he felt some attachment to those who had braved the journey to this place.
"There's no point in resentment. Didn't they do what they could?"
“To be honest, I can’t see what they’ve done at all! If they were going to be like this, they shouldn’t have come at all. They’ve only gotten everyone’s hopes up for nothing….”
"Let's not speak that way."
Gwak Hwanso said in a bitter tone.
“Your father was a sailor, wasn’t he?”
“...Yes.”
"Then you must know. How often fathers set out to show their sons the sea, only for a storm to strike, and neither returns."
“I know.”
"The sea is cruel, not the father. Even if that choice led to both their deaths, can you call that father foolish and point fingers at him?"
"...I understand what you mean, Sahyung."
Though the words were spoken in frustration, the other Hae-nam disciples didn’t truly resent or hate Heavenly Comrade Alliance either. If anything, they felt more grateful.
After all, it was Heavenly Comrade Alliance who, after three long years of indifference and neglect from others, were the only ones who came to find them.
They had come to Hainan, forsaken even by its own allies, to say, Let us stand together.
When they think that no one in the world needs Hainan Sect, they said, ‘We still need you’.
“Jayang.”
"Yes."
"When the storm passes, select and prepare a sturdy ship. So they can leave immediately."
“...Do we really have to go that far?”
Lee Jayang grumbled, but seeing the quiet, firm expression on Gwak Hwanso’s face, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine. Fine. I’ll do it."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
When the person who usually complained the most was acting this way, Jayang couldn't keep grumbling either.
“And, just in case, prepare two or three ships separately.”
"What? There's barely ten of them, why do we need more ships?"
"There will be those people. Those who don't want to die, but can't bear to live in Hainan after abandoning the sect's name."
“...Sahyung.”
"Just have them ready. That's all."
Lee Jayang bit his lips hard.
"...Understood."
"Good."
Gwak Hwanso closed his eyes.
'Those who want to flee...'
Perhaps he was talking about himself. If he could, if it were possible, he wanted to run away right now.
To somewhere he could survive.
But he couldn't. He was Hainan's eldest disciple. If someone has to die carrying Hainan's name, it has to be Gwak Hwanso.
“Think it through carefully.”
“Sahyung. We....”
“Don’t say anything you’ll regret.”
Gwak Hwanso stood and walked outside.
Watching him leave, the other disciples also departed one by one with deep sighs.
* * *
“...It’s really as Sahyung said.”
Go Hong couldn’t help but murmur in awe.
Yoo Gong's words that there was nothing they could do had proven absolutely correct. Even the sect leader and the elders, who hadn’t completely abandoned hope, were forced to accept it.
“Amazing.”
A strange sense of relief washed over him. This was Yoo Gong, someone who could view situations this objectively. Since such a person had decided to leave the sect, Go Hong's choice couldn't be wrong either.
But unlike Go Hong, who couldn’t stop marveling, Yoo Gong didn't show any particular emotions.
"...So that's how it turned out?"
“Yes. Sect Leader said that once the storm passes, those who leave the sect will be formally excommunicated. But we must give up our martial arts."
"That's the right course of action."
"Losing our martial skills is unfortunate, but... what can we do? Better than dying."
Yoo Gong nodded.
This was something he had already anticipated. Returning to worldly life while retaining martial skills would only put them in danger.
They must become insignificant. They could only survive by becoming nobodies that Evil Tyrant Alliance wouldn't even bother hunting down and killing.
Survival came first—only then could anything else follow.
“But how did Sahyung even know? That such prominent figures would come all this way and yet have no plan at all?”
"It's not that they had no solution."
"Yes?"
"It's that Evil Tyrant Alliance is that fast and fearsome."
Go Hong tilted his head, confused, but Yoo Gong was no longer looking at him. His gaze was fixed on the rain, pouring steadily outside.
t was exactly as he had expected. Not a single thing had deviated.
Realistically, it wasn't a situation where they could hope for anything, so he naturally assumed this would happen.
So surely this was for the best. If unexpected variables had entered the picture, things could have gone awry. If they had brought some force, even if it was just a little, Sect Leader might have had hope, and instead of sending the disciples away, he might have mobilized everyone to fight Evil Tyrant Alliance.
It was fortunate that things proceeded as planned without such mishaps. And yet...
'I don't understand. Why do I feel so bitter?'
- You held out well, kid.
That line kept echoing in his ears. The audacious words of that younger man lingered like a stubborn splinter in his thoughts.
“What are those Heavenly Comrade Alliance guys doing?”
"They're holed up in their rooms, not coming out. They must feel too ashamed to show their faces."
"...I suppose so."
Yoo Gong slowly nodded his head.
Nothing had changed. Not a single thing was different. Everything would proceed as predicted.
By tomorrow, when the storm cleared, the guests will leave, and Evil Tyrant Alliance will trample Hainan. Those who choose to share Hainan's fate will accept death, and those who chose life, like Yoo Gong and Go Hong, will walk their own path while turning a deaf ear to the screams behind them.
And that would be the end of Hainan Sect, erased from the world forever.
“Stupid....”
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
Yoo Gong shook his head.
“Get ready in advance. Just because we’re in a rush doesn’t mean the sect leader will be, too. Once the excommunication ceremony is over, we need to leave immediately. Let’s not waste time and risk an unfortunate mishap."
"Understood, uh... Sahyung."
“...You can still call me Senior Brother for now."
"Ah... Yes, I will."
Go Hong scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
That night.
The storm that enveloped Hainan grew even fiercer than the day before as if clawing at the land with desperate fingers, refusing to let go.
But when dawn broke the next day.
"...It's stopped."
The once-ferocious winds and torrential rain had ceased as if they had never been. The world outside now lay calm and indifferent—like the cold, indifferent sea.
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