Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1253. And to live! (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Waves surged, causing the small fishing ship to rock violently.
"Ouch!"
“Careful! Fall over, and you’ll get swept away!”
“Oh, stop worrying. You think I’ve only been at this for a year or two?”
“Sure, sure. That’s exactly what those who get swept used to say.”
“Man, such a jinx…”
The man hauling the net grimaced and pulled up the catch. It was empty. He clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Today’s catch is just…”
“It’s always like this the day after a storm. Quit complaining and get to work.”
“We’re probably going to end up empty-handed anyway. Why don’t we just call it a day and grab a drink?”
“Are you crazy? We’ve been starving through the whole storm! If I go home empty-handed, my wife’s going to skin me alive.”
“Not like there’s much left to skin.”
“What was that?”
The bronze-skinned men, tanned by the sun, bickered as they all pulled at the nets without exception.
Sweat dripped down in thick streams, but their faces were filled with joy rather than fatigue. As grueling as life at sea was, it was nothing compared to the agony of being stuck onshore, staring idly at the waves.
“We’ve got to catch something before the sun sets.”
"That's what I'm saying!"
As they cast desperate looks toward the indifferent sea, it happened.
"Huh?"
One of the men pulling the net let out a startled voice.
"H- Hey, what's that?"
"What are you talking about?"
"There... don't you see those ships over there?"
“Tons of ships out here; what’s so special?”
“N- No, there! Those ships! The ones swarming toward us!”
"Huh?"
The fishermen straightened, craning their necks to see. Sure enough, far off in the distance, dozens of massive ships were headed straight for the island.
“That’s…”
"That? That?"
Those who instantly recognized who was on those ships turned pale and shouted:
"T- Turn the ship!"
"Quick! Quickly move aside! We can’t cross paths with them!”
"But the net..."
“To hell with the net! Hurry!"
The fishing ships simultaneously abandoned their half-raised nets and frantically scattered in all directions. Moments later, massive ships crossed through the sea path they had cleared.
The fishermen trembled as they watched the ships pass. Their eyes caught sight of the massive flags fluttering in the wind, bearing a single red character embroidered upon them: ‘패’ (霸/Tyrant), the symbol of domination.
"E- Evil Tyrant Alliance..."
“They’ve finally come…”
It wasn’t the first time they had seen the ships of Evil Tyrant Alliance. Since three years ago, Evil Tyrant Alliance's ships had been patrolling the seas, monitoring Haenam.
But those were merely surveillance ships. Never before had such a fleet, bearing the banners of Evil Tyrant Alliance, come directly to Hainan.
Those who knew what that meant looked at the ships moving away with despair in their eyes.
"...Please."
They could almost smell the thick, iron scent of blood in the air already.
***
"Report?"
"Yes, Advisor! According to the scouts monitoring the island, it appears that no one has fled.”
Ho Gamyeong nodded slightly.
'Whether that's wise, or just foolish.'
There weren’t many options, but staying put wouldn’t change anything either.
Then again, when ordinary people reach a dead end, they tend to sit down in resignation rather than try to forge a new path.
"Still no movement?"
"None so far, sir."
A faint smirk of disdain flickered across Ho Gamyeong’s lips.
"Quite useless, this Sect Leader of Hainan."
From Hainan Sect's perspective, the option of leaving the island by ship wasn’t a viable option. Wherever they went, they would be unable to escape the net Ho Gamyeong had cast. In the end, what awaits them would only be an even more miserable death.
However…
"If they had chosen naval combat, there might have been a sliver of possibility."
Ho Gamyeong’s sole concern was the possibility of Hainan Sect taking to the sea and fighting. No matter how exceptional a martial artist might be, fighting aboard ships makes it difficult to display one's full abilities, and since Myriad Man Manor's martial artists aren't accustomed to naval combat, their odds might have improved.
'If we could have brought water fortress, I wouldn’t even have to consider this concern... '
But that was easier said than done.
In the current standoff with Righteous Sects, water fortress’s presence was essential. Reducing their numbers would risk exposing vulnerabilities and lead to severe consequences.
"It doesn't matter either way."
Even if Hainan Sect engaged in sea combat, it would only be a minor nuisance.
Being perfectly prepared was ideal, but there were times when speed mattered far more than perfection. In Ho Gamyeong's opinion, what mattered in this situation was swiftness rather than perfection.
“How much longer until we arrive?”
"Around half an hour, sir."
“And the distance from the coast to Oji Mountain?”
“If we march at full speed, we can reach it within an hour."
"One and a half hours... Let’s say it’s two hours to be safe.”
A languid look settled in Ho Gamyeong's eyes as he gazed at the sea. However, even at this moment, his mind worked rapidly to evaluate the situation.
This was a task entrusted to him by Jang Ilso. There was no room for even the slightest error.
"Given Hainan Sect Leader's disposition, he'll likely set up camp at their main sect and wait for us. With their gate thrown wide open, no less."
"...Surely they wouldn't be that complacent?"
“It’s not complacency; they simply see it as the natural course of action. The thinking of these Righteous Sects is sometimes absurdly peculiar, so much so that we can hardly comprehend it.”
To die fighting face-to-face with their opponents—such a notion was considered noble. This tendency becomes even more pronounced as crisis escalates, which was a characteristic of Jungwon Righteous Sects.
Recently, peculiar groups like Mount Hua Sect had emerged, making this attitude seem unusual. Until not long ago, most Righteous Sects of Jungwon were like that.
From the perspective of Evil Sects, it was nothing short of absurd.
For Evil Sects, if one's skills are inferior to the opponent, it's natural to achieve 'results' through whatever means necessary, be it poison, traps, or even taking hostages.
"Advisor-nim."
Ho Gamyeong turned his gaze at the voice calling from beside him.
"Was Ryeonju-nim's order to erase that island?"
Ho Gamyeong's face was slightly distorted at the question.
“How many times must I say it for you to at least pretend to understand? The only thing that needs to be erased is Hainan Sect.”
"Of course, I understand, sir. What I'm asking is what to do with the others heading there."
The voice was cold and sharp. Ho Gamyung let out a long sigh.
"That won't happen, Blood Sword Platoon Leader (혈검단주(血劍團主))."
"That remains to be seen."
Ho Gamyeong's eyes narrowed in displeasure.
While he could control those at Daeju (대주(臺主)) level without issue, those at Danju (단주(團主)) level couldn't be completely suppressed either by force or authority. Especially when he was operating alone like this, without Jang Ilso.
This stemmed from Ho Gamyeong's own position within the organization.
While his rank was higher, his martial prowess did not surpass theirs. Thus, he had no choice but to maintain a somewhat horizontal relationship.
Of course, as long as Ho Gamyeong didn't try to suppress them too forcefully, they wouldn't dare move against him who enjoyed Jang Ilso's protection, but...
“The journey’s been long, and the men are weary. If they return to the mainland without shedding some blood, they might just start causing trouble there instead.”
"Isn't that you rather than the Blood Sword Platoon?"
"I won't particularly deny it."
A sigh escaped Ho Gamyeong's mouth.
"Don’t overstep. You wouldn’t want to anger Ryeonju-nim."
"I'll try."
With that, Blood Sword Platoon Leader Gwae Yang (괴양(蒯壤)) turned coldly and walked away, as if he couldn’t bear to remain in Ho Gamyeong’s presence for another moment.
Watching Gwae Yang's retreating back, Ho Gamyeong furrowed his brows.
'Every single one of them...'
No matter how much effort he put in, the moment he was even slightly distanced from Jang Ilso, these people would reveal their vile nature.
Madmen who could be branded public enemies even within the blood-thirsting Evil Sects. Their uncontrollable madness was both the greatest strength and the greatest weakness of Myriad Man Manor.
Their strength, under Jang Ilso's command, had propelled Myriad Man Manor to become the dominant force in Guangdong in a short time, but their uncontrollable brutality made it impossible to effectively divide or deploy their forces strategically.
In all under heaven, only Jang Ilso could keep them leashed. Even Ho Gamyeong, Myriad Man Manor’s undisputed second-in-command, couldn’t give them direct orders. He could only coax and appease them to keep them moving.
"Huuu."
While this was somewhat concerning and troublesome for Ho Gamyeong, that was all it was. Ho Gamyeong's gaze turned towards Hainan Island.
‘But for them, it’ll be a literal disaster.'
It was as if he could already see Hainan Island soaked in blood.
"Maintain maximum speed."
"Yes, sir!"
At Ho Gamyeong’s command, the fleet surged forward with greater urgency, pressing toward Hainan Island.
⁂ ⁂ ⁂
"Hurry!"
"Yes, Sahyung!"
Hainan Sect disciples ran until their feet sweated, drilling holes in the bottoms of ships moored at the coast. Gwak Hwanso watched anxiously.
"Think you'll make it in time?"
To Chung Myung's question, he turned from the ships and answered.
"We’re working on it."
"Seems like a waste of time. Wouldn’t it be better to just smash them outright?"
"Trust us. We're people who've lived with ships. We can make them float until the enemy arrives, then sink when they try to board."
"Hmm."
"Trust us. We're people who've lived with ships. We can float on the water until the enemy arrives, and then sink when they try to board the ship."
When Chung Myung glanced at Im Sobyeong, he shrugged and said.
"I was going to break them apart to make it look like they were wrecked in the storm, but that might seem unnatural. This way is better."
"Do you think those Evil Sects scum have the brains to notice something like that?"
"...Why are you treating Evil Sects like they're pigs and dogs?"
"Why are you cursing dogs and pigs? What did they do wrong?"
"...Did you have some grudge against Evil Sects in a past life?"
"What a strange thing to say. Why would I need a grudge to insult Evil Sects bastards? Objectively speaking, they’re worse than vermin."
Im Sobyeong silently slumped his shoulders. At that moment, Namgung Dowi approached with a curious expression.
“But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just destroy all the ships on the island? Why only the ones on this coast..."
Spotting a perfect scapegoat amidst the barrage of criticism, Im Sobyeong turned to Namgung Dowi with exaggerated shock.
"Wow. Just wow. Not even Evil Sects scum would think of that."
"…Huh?"
"If we destroy all the ships, wouldn’t it trap Myriad Man Manor forces on Hainan Island?"
"Well... yes?"
"You want to trap enraged Evil Sects on Hainan Island? What do you think will happen while they're repairing their ships?"
"Uh…"
… Hell will probably break out. They would take out their fury on the residents of Hainan Island.
Realizing the implications of his words, Namgung Dowi tried to correct himself, but Im Sobyeong didn’t give him the chance, seizing the opportunity to pile on.
"Keueu, as expected from the Azure Sky Namgung Family, a family that has survived the bloody rivers of Kangho for centuries. Indeed! Indeed! To achieve such great feats, one must value human life less than ants..."
"Sh- Shut up! That's not what I meant!"
"It's fine, it's fine. It happens. From an Evil Sects perspective, it's an excellent idea. But if you’re already thinking that way, why not consider switching sides…"
"Stop with your nonsense! Can’t you keep your mouth shut?"
Watching Namgung Dowi resort to grappling with Im Sobyeong, Tang Pae shook his head in exasperation.
That guy's mouth has really gotten quite crude.
And yet, it was strange to see. The two clearly didn’t get along, but in moments like this, they seemed oddly in sync.
Just then.
"That’s... Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword."
"What?"
Gwak Hwanso, who had been directing the disciples, hesitantly opened his mouth to Chung Myung.
"May I ask you something?"
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|Note
I was a bit confused. By right, it should be a ship, but you cannot possibly build a ship that fast so I assume it was a boat. But no, I will just stick with ‘ship’.
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