Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1256. You'll figure it out (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Puung! Puung!
Anchors the size of a human torso plunged one after another into the water. The collision of water and iron echoing like cannon fire along the shore.
Even those who didn’t understand the significance of the scene would find their bodies trembling instinctively at such a sight.
"Advisor-nim! The anchoring is complete."
A man who hurriedly entered the cabin prostrated himself as he reported. However, Ho Gamyeong’s gaze remained fixed on the ledger before him.
"Hmm."
Only after some time passed did Ho Gamyeong close the ledger with swift hand movements.
Tok.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he rose to his feet and strode out of the cabin. As he passed through the narrow door, the view of the green island spread before him.
The scenery was distinctly different from Jungwon. However, Ho Gamyeong moved his steps with a look of no particular interest.
Creak.
The wooden deck groaned with each step he took. Reaching the bow, he scanned the shoreline with an emotionless gaze before asking,
"What of the fishermen?"
"They were all too busy fleeing; it seems no one remains on the shore."
"But those on the shore must have seen us."
Ho Gamyeong cast a glance at the ships anchored on the shore before speaking again.
"Hainan Sect will know soon enough. Letting them prepare defenses won’t do us any good. We disembark."
"Yes, Advisor-nim!"
The subordinate bowed sharply and turned to bellow the order.
"DISEMBAAAAARK!"
"Yes!"
Those who had been standing by on each ship quickly jumped overboard.
Splash! Splash!
As nearly a thousand men leaped into the water simultaneously, the blue sea suddenly foamed white with bubbles. Those who descended moved forward in perfect unison, gathering on the white sandy beach.
Ho Gamyeong, who had been looking at the scene with cold eyes, stepped onto the ship's bow and lightly launched himself down onto the beach.
Standing straight, his sharp gaze scanned the ranks of Myriad Man Manor martial artists who had quickly formed an orderly formation. His eyes narrowed slightly.
A moment later, someone who joined slightly late bowed his head.
"Advisor-nim!"
"You're late."
"I- I'm sorry, sir."
He shook his head slightly, a clear gesture of disapproval..
If another sect were to witness the scene unfolding on this shore, they would be left speechless with shock, if not bewildered. The sight was so structured and disciplined that it resembled an army rather than the typical chaos of martial artists.
Of all Evil Sects in the world, only Myriad Man Manor could display such a sight.
Yet even this level of discipline failed to satisfy Ho Gamyeong.
"Advisor-nim! Preparations are complete! Your orders!"
"Hm."
Ho Gamyeong nodded.
For most people, having so many men awaiting their orders would have been enough to swell their chests with pride.
But there wasn’t a trace of excitement in Ho Gamyeong’s eyes. He merely assessed the situation with his usual calm demeanor.
"Shall we advance?"
"Wait."
Ho Gamyeong lightly rubbed his left sleeve with his right hand. He seemed lost in deep thought. Only after a long while did he speak in a level voice.
"Strange."
"Sorry?"
"There's too little response."
"Huh?"
Mun Bang asked with apparent confusion.
"They wouldn't have anticipated our arrival, so it's only natural that they wouldn't have had time to prepare defenses. Even if the fishermen saw us, word wouldn't have reached Hainan Sect yet..."
But Ho Gamyeong shook his head and spoke coldly.
"There are no footprints."
"…What?"
Mun Bang blinked in surprise, then scanned the pristine white sand of the beach. Indeed, as Ho Gamyeong pointed out, there wasn’t a single footprint in sight.
But why was that strange?
"Advisor-nim, isn't the absence of footprints actually fortunate?"
Ho Gamyeong turned his gaze sharply to Mun Bang, fixing him with an icy stare.
"Fortunate?"
"Yes, sir. If no one was here, it means they remain unaware of our presence."
Ho Gamyeong frowned slightly.
"There are anchored boats, but no footprints. And you don’t find that strange?"
"…Ah!"
Mun Bang, finally realizing, looked at the shore again in surprise. Beyond their own ships, several others were moored. For ships to be docked, people must have disembarked. Yet, no traces of them remained on the beach.
It was undeniably odd.
"…Perhaps the storm erased the footprints?"
"Sailors naturally maintain their ships after a storm passes. If they saw us, they would have fled. There should be footprints left behind."
"…"
"It's unnatural."
Ho Gamyeong raised his head to look at the island before him.
"Then that means they knew we were coming and set a trap in advance... Do you think these island bumpkin capable of such planning?"
Ho Gamyeong slowly shifted his gaze to Mun Bang. The cold glint in his eyes made Mun Bang's face turn pale in an instant.
"You seem to think little of Ten Great Sects."
"A- Advisor-nim, that’s not what I meant…"
"Do you know when a person appears most pathetic?"
"I'm not..."
"When they delude themselves into thinking a stroke of luck is their own accomplishment."
Mun Bang remained silent, as if having nothing to say despite having a mouth. Ho Gamyeong continued in a cold voice.
"If Ryeonju-nim hadn’t bestowed his grace, the likes of you would’ve ended as mere trash in Guangdong. Yet, you puff yourselves up as if you’re something significant. It’s enough to stir my killing intent."
Mun Bang quickly bowed his head deeply.
Ho Gamyeong rarely showed anger. Even when subordinates behaved rudely, he often brushed it off with nothing more than a sigh. Not because he's kindhearted. It was because Ho Gamyeong's principle was that having such people was better than having no one at all.
But there's one exception.
If anyone so much as tarnished the authority of Jang Ilso, Ho Gamyeong transformed from a calculating strategist into an unrelenting demon who knows no bounds..
Knowing this all too well, Mun Bang couldn't help but be terrified.
"A- Advsior-nim! That absolutely wasn't my intention!"
"Then?"
"It’s just that I was foolish and ran my mouth carelessly. How could I possibly think that Myriad Man Manor's methods were something I obtained rather than what Ryeonju-nim bestowed? Such a thing is absolutely impossible."
Ho Gamyeong silently stared at the prostrated Mun Bang.
Even under the scorching midday sun, Mun Bang felt a chill run down his spine as though a cold wind swept across his back.
"Rise."
"Yes!"
Mun Bang rose without delay.
"This will be the only time."
"Tha- Thank you, Advisor-nim!"
Cold sweat poured down Mun Bang’s face as he bowed deeply.
While it might appear as mere routine light criticism, Mun Bang knew all too well. The fact that he had just placed one foot in hell's gate and managed to withdraw it.
"Th- Then what shall we do?"
He hastily changed the subject. Nothing good would come from letting his blunder linger in Ho Gamyeong's mind.
"There will be traps."
Ho Gamyeong muttered as his gaze swept over the thick vegetation ahead.
The shore was blindingly white, and the grassland touching it was an endless green. But beyond that, the forest and mountains loomed dark and densely overgrown, even more so than those of Jungwon.
If there was an ambush, it would undoubtedly be hidden there.
"Shall we go around?"
"No."
Ho Gamyeong's lips curved into a peculiar smirk.
"If they've set traps, we should oblige them by walking into them."
Mun Bang kept his mouth shut and stared at Ho Gamyeong. Of course he had doubts, but he was in no position to ask Ho Gamyeong questions right now.
"Don't misunderstand our mission, Mun Bang. Our orders aren't simply to take down Hainan Sect's signboard. We are to annihilate everything that bears Hainan Sect name without leaving a single trace behind."
"Ah…"
"If we bypass the traps, the ones lying in wait will scatter like insects without a nest. Cleaning them up afterward will be a hassle."
Ho Gamyeong gazed at Hainan's thick forest with eyes devoid of any particular emotion.
"If those we need to eradicate have conveniently gathered, all the better. It just means we can finish this job faster."
"Yes!"
"We advance as planned. However!"
Ho Gamyeong said, his eyes drifting to the ship they had arrived on. After a moment of silent contemplation, he spoke again.
"Have the Ghost Puppet Squad (창귀대(倀鬼臺)) remain to guard the ships." (It might refer to a folklore about a person who died from a tiger and became a ghost. It lures the living to be the next victim.)
His expression remained utterly indifferent.
"Cutting off the enemy’s retreat is the most predictable move for anyone who thinks they know art of war. Losing the ships wouldn’t be an issue, but it would be bothersome."
"As you command!"
"Move."
"Understood!"
Mun Bang ran towards Ghost Squad with all his might. The mixture of relief at surviving his earlier blunder and a lingering chill coursed through his heart.
'Just to deal with Hainan Sect...'
As Ho Gamyeong had said, perhaps Mun Bang had no right to feel pride in the strength of Myriad Man Manor. But it was an objective fact that Myriad Man Manor's military force overwhelmed Hainan's.
Still, Ho Gamyeong treated this operation with the caution of crossing a fragile bridge.
Was it because even a tiger hunts rabbits with its full effort?
No, that wasn’t it. And that was what made it frightening.
Right now, Ho Gamyeong's entire focus was fixed on executing Jang Ilso’s orders to perfection.
His willingness to walk into the enemy's trap wasn't some manifestation of confidence that he could defeat the enemy without casualties even while jumping into their trap.
It was simply because he prioritized swift execution of Jang Ilso’s command over potential losses. Because to Ho Gamyeong, nothing mattered except Jang Ilso's orders.
That fact sent chills down Mun Bang's neck.
'I absolutely cannot make a mistake this time.'
With renewed resolve, Mun Bang raised his voice as he approached Ghost Squad.
***
"They’re moving!"
"Good. Then... huh?"
Yoon Jong, observing the situation on the beach, widened his eyes and turned to Baek Cheon.
"Their forces are splitting up?"
Baekcheon blinked and turned his attention back to the situation on the shore. Sure enough, part of the enemy’s forces was staying behind, seemingly to guard the anchored ships.
"Nokrim King?"
"Hmm."
Im Sobyeong scratched his head with the end of his fan, then smirked.
"It seems that Ho Gamyeong thinks highly of Hainan. Well, he’s that kind of person. Thoroughly meticulous. Quite impressive, really."
"No, the plan has gone awry, is this the time to be casually praising the enemy?"
"What now?"
Complaints rained down from all directions.
"Ei, really."
Im Sobyeong's face distorted and snapped.
"Have you yangban watched too many romance novels? Do you think real warfare just rolls along smoothly according to pre-arranged plans? The basics are about both sides preparing for each other's preparations and changing tactics on the spot!" ("이 양반들이 연의를 너무 봤나? 실제 전쟁이라는 게, 뭐 다 미리 짜 놓은 대로 술술 잘 굴러갈 것 같아요? 서로 서로 대비의 대비를 하면서 그때그때 수를 바꾸는 게 기본이죠!")
"So you're saying Ho Gamyeong got one over on us?"
"Got us good?"
"Did we lose?"
"…Damn bastards."
Im Sobyeong gritted his teeth audibly. Then Baek Cheon asked again.
"What do we do now?"
"Nothing changes."
Im Sobyeong said with a sly smile.
"We stick to the plan. Wait until they’ve moved enough distance, and then… we seize the ships!"
"What about those guarding them?"
"Well, that..."
Im Sobyeong turned his head to gaze meaningfully at a certain person.
"The finest Evil Sects destroyer in all of Jungwon will take care of that."
Chung Myung, who had already drawn his sword, was staring intently at Ghost Squad positioned on the shore. The sight made everyone shudder involuntarily. Chung Myung's appearance with his teeth exposed was truly chilling.
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