Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1284. Who came to Gangnam (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Gwak Hwanso flailed his limbs desperately.
'Faster!'
He swam with gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes. He didn’t know exactly what was happening. All he knew was that he had to reach the shore as fast as he possibly could.
Splash!
The current crashed heavily against his body, the underwater scenery flashing past him at an astonishing speed.
He was moving incredibly fast. Gwak Hwanso was swimming faster than he had ever since he born. en he was amazed that such speed was possible in the water.
'Keuk!'
No matter how desperately he moved his limbs, the gap between him and those ahead of him only grew wider.
'Damn it.'
Gwak Hwanso unconsciously bit his lip and followed the backs of Heavenly Comrade Alliance now barely visible.
Martial prowess? Of course, he would fall behind.
These weren’t just ordinary disciples of prestigious sects. They were the core figures leading their respective sects. Directly comparing his martial prowess with these world-renowned figures would be disrespectful to them.
However...
‘How can I lose in water techniques!’
This was precisely what Gwak Hwanso couldn't understand.
He was a man of Hainan. He had learned to swim before walking and grown up with water as his playground. How should someone understand a situation where such a person falls behind foreigners in swimming speed?
Water techniques aren't something possible through martial prowess alone. Just as someone skilled at running might not necessarily be good at swimming, those unfamiliar with water shouldn’t be able to swim adeptly no matter how hard they try.
Shouldn't this be especially true in deep water?
Yet Mount Hua disciples, each carrying someone, were gradually disappearing from his field of vision.
'Damn it!'
If not for the sect leader and elders of Hainan Sect clearing a path ahead of them, he might have already lost track of them in these rough waters.
Just as he stretched his arms forward with all the strength he could muster, trying to increase his speed even further.
Dopseok!
Someone grabbed his leg.
Startled, Gwak Hwanso turned to look and saw Lee Jayang violently shaking his head with a face that looked ready to burst. Lee Jayang gestured urgently toward the rear.
Before Gwak Hwanso knew it, the distance between Hainan disciples and him had grown considerably. Just as he couldn’t catch up to Heavenly Comrade Alliance members no matter how desperately he swam, Hainan disciples trailing behind him couldn’t keep up with him either.
Gwak Hwanso bit his lips tightly.
Unable to let go of his lingering frustration, he glanced ahead briefly, then reminded himself of his role and loosened the tension he had been maintaining in his limbs.
'Damn it....'
After signaling to Lee Jayang to keep moving forward, he propelled himself toward the rear. He moved to the very back and gently pushed the struggling disciples forward.
The exhausted disciples looked at Gwak Hwanso. Gwak Hwanso nodded without saying anything. Only then did the disciples muster their strength and begin swimming forward again.
Gwak Hwanso clenched his fist tight and followed behind the disciples.
Paaah!
The Mount Hua disciples, nearing the shore, burst out of the water with powerful leaps.
Chung Myung irritably tossed aside Seol So-baek whom he had been carrying on his shoulder.
“Argh! This damn deadweight!”
“Chung Myung-ah!”
“Hey, you madman! That’s Ice Palace Gungju!”
“Gungju? What gungju? What’s a brat who can’t even swim doing all the way out here?”
“That’s.... he's absolutely necessary for persuading Hainan Sect."
"Necessary my ass!"
“Keugh.... Do- Dojang.....”
"Ei!"
Chung Myung pressed Seol So-baek's stomach with his foot. Clear water gushed out of Seol So-baek's mouth with a cough.
“…He really can’t swim at all.”
“Why would he ever need to swim in the Northern Sea? Even Chung Myung almost froze to death the last time he stepped into the water there.”
“But wasn’t there a time when Chung Myung tied Baek-ah to a fishing pole and used it for fishing?”
Those chatting casually suddenly, as if by silence agreement, cast wistful glances toward the distant north.
"Wonder if it’s doing well?"
"...We're sorry."
“To think we would feel guilty toward a beast.”
Mount Hua disciples observed a brief moment of silence, thinking of Baek-ah who must be desperately crossing Gangnam on those short legs. Human or beast, one should always have a conscience.
“We don’t have time for this. Get moving.”
"Understood!"
As soon as Baek Cheon finished speaking, Jo-Gol, Yoon Jong, Yoo Iseol, Tang Soso, and Hye Yeon rushed forward like lightning. Namgung Dowi glanced at Baek Cheon with a slightly bewildered expression.
“What are they doing now?”
"They went to check for enemies in the vicinity. We need to understand the situation to determine our next move."
"I- I should also..."
"No."
Baek Cheon shook his head firmly.
“If someone not in sync with the group moves on their own, problems may arise. Namgung Sogaju, please check on the state of Seol Gungju and help organize Hainan disciples as they arrive.”
"...Understood."
“Once everyone’s ashore, give them a short rest and erase all traces. It’s inevitable that they’ll find our tracks eventually, but delaying that moment as much as possible will help.”
"I'll keep that in mind."
“Then....”
Baek Cheon nodded and was about to issue another directive when his expression suddenly shifted. He turned his gaze helplessly toward the back, where Chung Myung was shaking Seol So-baek like a wet rag.
"Not getting up? Aren’t you going to wake up, you punk? You call yourself a gungju! Eyes rolling back just from drinking some water!"
“M- My breathe.... Breathe.... Dojang....”
“You think you’re still a child! Man, you would have kids by now if it was secular world! Acting all fragile. Not waking up? Hey, you bast…. Agh!! Ouch! Ears, ears! No, Sasuk! Why my precious ear! Ack!” (Secular world is just ordinary people world. And Kangho is martial world where martial artist and the likes do their thing.)
"Come with me, this guy."
“Argh! Dongryong, my ears! Leave my ears alone! Hey, you....”
Baek Cheon pretended not to hear and grabbed Chung Myung by the ear, dragging him away into the forest. Namgung Dowi let out a heavy sigh as he watched dazedly.
"What?"
When Dangpae asked the reason for his sigh, Namgung Dowi remained silent and only had a bitter expression on his face.
“Is it because it feels like you’re not closing the gap with them?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Namgung Dowi shook his head.
“I’m well aware that I’m still lacking. And I also know that the martial arts of Namgung Family aren’t the kind where impatience leads to better results. If I just keep steady and diligent, I believe that someday I’ll at least be able to hold my own against others. Though perhaps not Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword."
"Then why?"
“…Isn’t it strange?”
"Hm?"
Namgung Dowi glanced strangely at the forest where Mount Hua disciples had disappeared and said.
"They're too proficient at everything."
Even Tang Pae nodded somewhat sullenly at those words. Namgung Dowi silently looked down at his hand. A red handprint was clearly visible on his wrist where Baek Cheon had grabbed and guided him underwater. That clear mark seemed to represent the distance between Baek Cheon and himself.
"They're even good at swimming."
“What does swimming have to do with anything…?”
"That's not all, that's why I'm saying this."
Namgung Dowi added with a hardened expression.
“I was only thinking about getting to the shore as quickly as possible, but they’re already planning their next moves like it’s the most natural thing. Sometimes, I look at them and wonder what these people can't do. Doesn’t it feel like they would excel at anything you asked of them?”
Tang Pae couldn't help but nod. There was definitely something like that in Mount Hua disciples. They gave the impression that they could do anything better and more skillfully than others.
" I might somehow match our martial prowess if I push myself hard enough, but I wonder if I can keep up with that kind of thing.....”
“You’re worrying about the most useless things.”
Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted. Namgung Dowi turned around with a slightly sour expression to see Im Sobyeong approaching, wringing out his soaking wet clothes. His face was filled with every ounce of irritation in the world.
"How could someone who grew up seeing only good things and eating only good things in the warm Namgung family be the same as those who grew up experiencing all sorts of hardships out in the world?"
Namgung Dowi asked with a sulky expression.
“The difference between me, who grew up like a greenhouse flower and those who grew up as weeds surviving through hardships?”
"Ah. Seems you understand that much. Wow, people can actually get smarter."
Despite the blatant sarcasm, Namgung Dowi did not get angry but instead smirked.
“I understand what you mean, but then what about Nokrim King?”
"...Eh?"
“The person who seems to have actually grown up rolling around in the wild weeds would be the Green Forest King, yet all he’s only good at using his head and nothing else."
"That... uh... that's."
“I guess there are different kinds of weeds, huh? Seems like there are weeds that aren’t useful for anything too.”
“Uh....”
Watching their exchange, Tang Pae found himself amazed. It was the first time he had seen Namgung Dowi deal such a solid blow to Im Sobyeong.
'You've grown, Dowi!'
Tang Pae felt a wave of emotion and pride welling up in his chest.
Though Im Sobyeong belatedly struggled to retort, Namgung Dowi ignored him completely and sank into thought.
'There's definitely something different about Mount Hua disciples.'
Good at everything because they've experienced all sorts of hardships? That explanation wasn’t entirely wrong, but it was missing the core point. What's really important was that the 'all sorts of hardships' include things that other people won't experience in their entire lives.
Do those who grow up in such harsh conditions truly learn to do everything?
'That can't be.'
That’s impossible. Even Hainan Sect disciples who lived quite roughly for Righteous Sects barely managed to keep up from the moment this situation began until now.
But the disciples of Mount Hua moved as if they already knew what to do. As though they had foreseen and prepared for these situations long ago.
Wondering if this was even possible, Namgung Dowi shook his head.
Preparing for war wasn’t so difficult. You raise martial prowess, stockpile provisions, and secure power. But it was realistically impossible to predict what would happen during the war and cultivate appropriate abilities in advance.
'I don't understand.'
Namgung Dowi felt a sudden curiosity. What kind of world does Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung see? Was it really the same world as everyone else’s?
Just then, Hainan Sect disciples began arriving at the shore one by one. At the forefront were Geum Yangbaek and the elders. Namgung Dowi unconsciously bit down hard on his lip.
'The world's greatest Ten Great Sects and Five Great Family.'
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.
'If anything was wrong, it would be the world I was seeing. The one I foolishly dreamed of while living in ignorance.'
Reality always cruel. But now Namgung Dowi wouldn’t turn away from the approaching reality. If that was the real world, he would face it without avoiding it no matter when...
“Dowi, stop standing around and come here to press on Seol Gungju’s stomach. There’s still water left in him.”
“...Yes.”
But for Seol So-baek, perhaps it was still a little too soon.
Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. The Patreon membership for Mount Hua and Infinite Mage is the same. The benefit:
Advance chapters of Mount Hua : 76
Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 10 Chapters
|Note
Comments Box