Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1257. You'll figure it out (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The Evil Tyrant Alliance forces began to move into the island. Lee Jayang's face hardened as he watched this.
"Daesahyung."
"…"
“Doesn’t this mean we’re screwed?”
Beads of cold sweat formed on Lee Jayang's forehead.
The plan they had devised wasn't particularly complex to begin with.
Once Evil Tyrant Alliance forces landed on the shore and left their ships to head toward Mount Oji, where Hainan Sect’s main forces were stationed, the plan was to wait for the right moment and seize their ships to head mainland.
It was a simple yet foolproof plan.
Why? The reason was simple.
From the perspective of Evil Tyrant Alliance, it would be unthinkable that Hainan Sect, whose entire livelihood depended on this island, would abandon its main sect and advance to Gangnam.
It was such an insane plan that even Hainan Sect themselves had never thought of, so how could Evil Tyrant Alliance even consider the possibility?
The hardest part was making the resolution. Once resolved, it was a plan that would be harder to fail than to succeed.
However...
"Those bastards... they're guarding the ships? Do they figure us out?"
Gwak Hwanso answered in a tense voice.
"...They haven't discovered our plan. If they had, they wouldn't leave only this many forces. They would be guarding the shore like a fortress, actively hunting us down.”
Lee Jayang nodded. Certainly, Gwak Hwanso's words made sense. However...
'Regardless, isn't it true that our plan has gone awry?'
Seeing Ghost Platoon guarding the ship's weight heavily on his chest. Judging from their attire, they were undoubtedly Myriad Man Manor. If this many of Myriad Man Manor's martial artists remained to guard, their plan to seize the ships in one swift move would clearly be difficult to achieve.
'What should we do?'
Sweat trickled down the bridge of Lee Jayang's nose.
Though he was often called a ‘Pouch of Wisdom’ (지낭(智囊:지혜 주머니)) among the disciples of Hainan, he couldn’t find a suitable solution to this predicament.
Of course, if they deployed the full force of Hainan Sect, they could likely overwhelm them. After all, regardless of what anyone says, Hainan Sect was one of the powerful Ten Great Sects.
But that didn’t mean they could conclude the battle in one breath.
Aren't the opponents also the main forces of Myriad Man Manor, the core sect of Evil Tyrant Alliance?
A slight delay would give the main force of Myriad Man Manor enough time to notice the situation and return. If that happens…
'It's over.'
Even with the advantage of the terrain, victory would be hard to achieve in such a scenario. If they were caught between the main force and the defenders on the open shore, the outcome was all too predictable.
"For now, all we can do is wait as long as possible, Sahyung."
"Wait?"
“Yes. We must wait until the main force of Myriad Man Manor moves deeper into the island. Even if they realize we’re attacking the remaining defenders, it will take time for reinforcements to return.”
In that window of opportunity, they could quickly deal with the remaining guards.
"...The casualties will be high."
"We don't have another option, do we?"
A sigh escaped Gwak Hwanso's mouth.
The reason they had wanted to seize the ships quickly was because Myriad Man Manor's main force moving deep into the island was equally unwelcome.
Currently, Myriad Man Manor's goal was Mount Oji, where Hainan Sect’s main sect was located. However, the path to Mount Oji was lined with villages.
Having heard exactly what those Evil Sects bastards had done in Shaanxi while Mount Hua Sect was absent, Gwak Hwanso wanted to prevent Myriad Man Manor from approaching commoners by any means possible.
‘Is there no other way?'
However, what Lee Jayang said made sense too. If they rushed recklessly and ended up trapped or annihilated by a pincer attack on this island, the damage would be even worse.
'What about Sect Leader?'
Gwak Hwanso turned his gaze toward the opposite peak. There was no particular response from Geum Yangbaek's side, where they had split their forces and laid in ambush. They were probably equally confused.
“...And, it’ll turn out the same anyway.”
"Huh?"
“The signal to attack is supposed to come from Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Even if we’re concerned about the commoners, Heavenly Comrade Alliance wouldn’t risk themselves for the sake of Hainan’s commoners, would they?”
"…"
Lee Jayang briefly gritted his teeth with what seemed like an angry expression.
"Only after those damned Myriad Man Manor bastards have done all the damage they can will they step forward to fight. Because that's rational."
Gwak Hwanso let out another sigh.
Lee Jayang’s words didn’t entirely align. He surely knew that waiting as long as possible was the best option in this situation. There was only one reason he was so full of discontent despite this.
'Was it around here?'
It was because the village where Lee Jayang lived before joining Hainan Sect lay along the path from the shore to Mount Oji. If Myriad Man Manor forces advanced directly toward Mount Oji, they would inevitably pass through said village.
And in that village lived Lee Jayang’s family.
While his head argued for rationality and sacrificing the few for the many, his heart seemed unable to accept it.
After all, who could remain calm in a situation where their silence might lead to tragedy for their family?
"Jayang..."
“Don’t worry about me.”
Lee Jayang cut him off coldly with a slightly irritated voice.
“I’m not so foolish as to not know what’s most important. I understand that my family can’t be treated as more special than any other Hainan villagers.”
"…"
"So don't worry. I won't act like an idiot and ruin everything by rushing out impatiently."
Lee Jayang bit his lips hard as he finished speaking.
Gwak Hwanso couldn’t find any words of comfort for Lee Jayang. All he could do was firmly grip his Saje's slightly trembling shoulders.
“Endure it.”
"...I told you I know."
Who wouldn’t want to rush out right now?
But they must endure. If they couldn’t, even more people might lose their lives.
“It’s actually fortunate that Heavenly Comrade Alliance has command. If Sect Leader had command, I might have already run to him by now."
Lee Jayang said with a forced smile. But the forced smile only made him appear more pitiful. Gwak Hwanso lowered his head slightly.
It was just then.
"No. Wait a moment, Sahyung. Is this really alright?"
"...Hm? What's wrong?"
Another disciple who was with them opened his mouth with a panicked expression.
"This isn’t something we can solve by wasting time, is it?"
"What?"
"Have you forgotten? We drilled holes in all those ships. They're floating now, but they'll all sink soon!"
Lee Jayang and Gwak Hwanso's faces turned pale instantly at these words.
They had been so tense that they had completely forgotten about it.
"We, we drill holes to the ship thinking it would be better than destroy them... If we delay, everything will be discovered because of this. Then..."
Lee Jayang and Gwak Hwanso exchanged looks filled with dismay.
'Damn it.'
If they had known it would come to this, they would have just destroyed the ships outright like they had been told! Why did they have to be so stubborn?
"Wh- What about Mount Hua? Would Mount Hua Sect know about this?"
"…I don’t know. Even if they do, they can’t know exactly when the ships will sink. We're the ones who drilled the holes and made the preparations."
"Ah, shouldn't we tell them?"
"How? We can't reveal ourselves right now! They're up ahead!"
"This is..."
"I- It's my fault for doing something unnecessary..."
Realizing just how badly things had gone awry, Lee Jayang stared desperately ahead with trembling eyes.
And at that moment.
"...Huh?"
Lee Jayang's mouth slowly opened.
"That... that... what?"
"Hm?"
Gwak Hwanso looked at Lee Jayang with a puzzled expression. Lee Jayang’s face had gone ghostly pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Th- That... what is... that crazy... that crazy bastard?"
"Crazy?"
If there's a crazy bastard here... Could it be?
Gwak Hwanso’s gaze darted toward the direction Lee Jayang was staring at.
"...That’s."
And in that moment, Gwak Hwanso’s eyes widened to twice their usual size.
Walking casually down the slope toward the beach, a man had a sword slung carelessly over his shoulder as he strolled along.
"Mo- Mount Hua... Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?"
"Th- That crazy bastard, what in the world is he..."
Both their mouths gaped open. Despite all this, Chung Myung’s expression remained nonchalantly indifferent.
⁂ ⁂ ⁂
"Tsk."
Heo Maeng (허맹(許孟)), daeju of Myriad Man Manor Ghost Platoon, clicked his tongue with a distorted face.
"Fuck."
It was full of things he didn't like.
Having rushed all the way from the Yangtze River to this remote island, only to be stuck guarding ships at Hainan Island, it was no surprise his mood was foul.
"Why does it have to be us?"
"If you had something to say, why didn't you say it when Advisor was here?"
"Dammit. What could I possibly say to that guy who wouldn’t even bleed if you pricked him with a needle?"
Heo Maeng looked at the ships behind him with an annoyed face.
"Anyway, this is the problem with Advisor. Who would target these mere ships? If he's that worried, leaving a few men would suffice. Does it make any sense to assign an entire platoon to guard ships?"
"Shh. You’re too loud."
"If Ryeonju-nim were here, he wouldn’t bother with such trivial things. This is why I hate working with Advisor."
This time, even the others around him kept quiet.
"Still, it wouldn’t do us any good to lose the ships."
"Don’t say nonsense. This is Hainan. It’s an island! The place is littered with ships. If we lose these, we can just grab new ones."
"Advisor must have his reasons."
"Fuck."
Heo Maeng grumbled and cursed harshly.
"I came all the way to Hainan thinking I would finally get a taste of blood, but now it looks like I’ll just be sightseeing and going home."
"It’s not like you would get to have much fun even if you went up there with Advisor."
Heo Maeng let out a deep, frustrated sigh.
'Huh?'
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly.
On the vast grassland bordering the shore, near the edge of the dense thickets, a figure was trudging toward them.
"What's that?"
"...That must be a punk from Hainan Island. Maybe they’re heading for the ships."
"Foolish bastard rushing to his death. Nothing better to do, might as well play with him..."
Heo Maeng licked his lips and started rolling up his sleeves, but then suddenly went silent.
'Hm?'
Because the clothes of the person walking slowly seemed somehow familiar.
'That... martial clothing?'
Martial attire emphasizes mobility, clearly different from common commoners clothes. And black martial attire at that.
This wasn’t particularly unusual. Black martial attire was a favorite among many martial artists in Jungwon. Besides, it wasn’t impossible for a wanderer unaffiliated with Hainan Sect to be wandering around the island.
The problem came next.
"...That."
"What?"
"Is that… a plum blossom?"
At Heo Maeng’s question, everyone’s heads snapped toward the approaching figure. Their gazes locked onto the pattern on the man’s chest.
"…It looks like it?"
"Y- Yes. It's a plum blossom."
"Plum blossoms?"
Among thousand sects in Kangho, there was only one known for wearing black martial attire adorned with a plum blossom pattern.
"M- Mount Hua?"
But why would Mount Hua's martial attire appear in a place like this?
"Da- Daeju!"
"Hm?"
"Th- That person... that! Th- That's him! That bastard!"
"Which bastard?"
"M- Mount Hua…"
"What?"
"Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword!"
The four words ‘Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’ send shockwaves through everyone stationed on the shore.
Just hearing those four words made their previously relaxed muscles tense up as if they were ready for battle.
"Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?"
"Yes! He’s Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword! I remember clearly!"
"Wh- Why is that fucking bastard here...?"
Before they could piece the situation together, the man had already closed the distance. Now standing just a short distance away, Chung Myung stopped walking. Then he opened his mouth toward Ghost Platoon who were watching him with tense gazes.
"Hey, you lot. Do you know how to scream?"
"…What?"
Someone unconsciously asked back at those unexpected words. Chung Myung replied nonchalantly.
"Scream well."
The sword resting on his shoulder slowly came down into his hand.
"Loud enough for those bastards who went ahead to hear clearly."
Chung Myung's sword catch the hot sunlight and give off a chilling gleam.
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