Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1368. Do you know what shame is? (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"Which direction? Again.”
When he heard Ho Gamyeong's voice, Hyeong Wook desperately clung to his fading consciousness.
‘Why was I resisting?’
Why resist? The sudden question arose. It hadn’t been that long, but he couldn’t remember why he had endured such brutal torture.
What exactly had he wanted to protect? Was that man's words wrong?
No. There was nothing incorrect. Hyeong Wook knew this too.
Even if he upheld loyalty here, those who had already left would never know. They wouldn't know whether he died here, or sold them out to live in wealth and glory.
To them, Hyeong Wook was nothing more than a fleeting and insignificant connection. People can easily toss a coin to a pitiful beggar, but they never remember the beggar afterward.
Isn’t it human nature to forget the moment you turn away after tossing a coin? Perhaps Hyeong Wook's name was already erased from the minds of Mount Hua Sect disciples long ago.
So Ho Gamyeong was right. If he had even an ounce of wisdom, he should pretend defeat and sell them out now.
All he had to do was close his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t even that hard, was it? Compared to the mistakes he had made in his life, this was a small thing.
He wasn’t a virtuous saint, nor was he someone with extraordinary resolve. Just a worthless one struggling to survive day by day. Then shouldn't this enough?
If he stubbornly persists to the end, everyone here might meet disaster.
Was that really the right thing to do? Was that truly the path he should take? The answer was set. What he should do was too clear.
Just open his unmoving lips and utter the two characters 'Nanjing’. Then everything would become so much easier.
And then just live on.
Even if he didn’t receive the immense wealth Ho Gamyyeong had promised, it would be enough to live as he had before. Tilling the fields, raising children, living an ordinary life where his body might ache but his heart had something to lean on—wasn’t that enough?
Hyeong Wook's mouth slowly opened. Nanjing. Just Nanjing. He only needed to say that one word.
No one would condemn him. No, they wouldn't even know he had done something worthy of being condemned. After all, everyone in this village had already betrayed Mount Hua group, so no one could judge Hyeong Wook’s conscience.
So if he just spoke those two syllables and everyone could regain their ordinary lives, what's wrong with that?
"Speak clearly. Quickly."
Ho Gamyeong even kindly pressed his ear close to Hyeong Wook’s mouth. So that Hyeong Wook wouldn't have to shudder while swallowing all shame, making it enough to just whisper softly.
Hyeong Wook's father had said that only those with power could afford to keep their conscience. Now he understood the meaning of those words. So there was nothing more to hesitate.
Hyeong Wook weakly opened his mouth.
He strained his throat to let the two syllables, ‘Nanjing’, slip out.
"...Go... eat... shit..."
But what actually came out weren't those two syllables.
Ho Gamyeong's face twisted like a demon’s.
'I don't know.'
Hyeong Wook couldn't explain the reason for his choice. Even if he were torn apart and died and faced the villagers’ condemnation in the afterlife, he would simply bow his head.
But why? A part of him felt strangely relieved and at ease.
Even seeing Ho Gamyeong's hand rise and begin to glow blue, Hyeong Wook couldn't help but smile faintly.
'Honorable Heroes-nim.'
That hand came crashing down toward him.
‘I guess I’m more of a man with shame than I thought.’
Kwaaaaaang!
A massive explosion erupted. Instantly, dirt shot up and clouds of dust enveloped everything.
The villagers watching Hyeong Wook and Ho Gamyeong, barely breathing, squeezed their eyes shut. The sight of the torture had been horrifying enough, but they couldn’t bear to see the final moment of his head being blown apart.
But when the dust clouds slowly cleared, a slightly different scene than expected unfolded.
Udeuk.
Ho Gamyeong was just grabbing a handful of dirt in his palm. Then he pulled his hand out of the hole next to Hyeong Wook's head.
His subordinates widened their eyes slightly in surprise.
"Advisor-nim!"
“What a waste of time.”
Ho Gamyeong straightened his body. And looked down at the still-breathing Hyeong Wook with cold eyes.
Baek-b immediately ran over and bowed his head.
"Advisor-nim, I will handle this."
“Leave it.”
Ho Gamyeong cut him off in an indifferent voice.
"Without proper treatment, he won't last even a quarter-hour anyway. No need to make his passing comfortable by severing his breath."
“…Yes, Advisor-nim.”
There wasn't a trace of mercy in Ho Gamyeong's eyes.
If he were to kill Hyeong Wook here and now, it would only result in the perception that he, unable to achieve his goal, had resorted to using his martial arts on powerless commoners.
"In the end, a worthless worm is just a worthless worm."
After leaving behind that cold remark filled with malice, Ho Gamyeong turned sharply.
“Advisor-nim, what about them…?”
Baek-bi glanced at the villagers and asked. Ho Gamyeong waved his hand irritably.
“Leave them.”
"But…."
Baek-bi, who never usually questioned orders, let his words trail off. The implication was that with things having gone wrong like this, shouldn't they make an example to prevent losing face?
Had this been in his days at Myriad Man Manor, Ho Gamyeong would have wiped them all out without hesitation. But his judgment must be different now.
“Have you forgotten the order from Lord Ryeonju?”
"Ah..."
Baek-bi turned pale instantly and hurriedly bowed his head.
Paegun Jang Ilso had issued an order to the entire Evil Tyrant Alliance not to harm commoners carelessly. While one or two might be overlooked, touching an entire village would be tantamount to openly defying that order.
While others might do as they pleased if not caught, Ho Gamyeong was different.
Jang Ilso even released grain reserves to win the favor of the people of Gangnam. In such circumstances, for Ho Gamyeong to tarnish that effort over mere petty pride would be absurd. Hyeong Wook alone was already more than enough, excessive even.
"It's not bad for them to watch how one who defies Lord Ryeonju dies and engrave that fact in their bones. More importantly..."
Ho Gamyeong coldly snapped.
“There must be clear traces left behind. Search every corner.”
"Yes!"
As soon as Ho Gamyeong’s order was given, everyone moved swiftly and in perfect order. Ho Gamyeong watched them with dark eyes.
'What a fool...'
He had wasted time.
Normally, the moment he realized someone was resisting better than expected, he would have immediately given the next order. But he couldn’t make that decision this time.
Ho Gamyeong knew it too. That his actions were half-driven by stubborn pride.
Ho Gamyeong's strength originally came from his coldness. Unlike Jang Ilso who burn like fire, he was infinitely calm and cool. But in this matter alone, he had lost his coolness. He had no choice but to admit it.
Ho Gamyeong closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
'Mount Hua...'
If the one this guy had protected out of loyalty had been any sect other than Mount Hua, Ho Gamyeong would have simply sneered at stupid commoners not knowing how to look after their own rice bowls.
But the moment those two words 'Mount Hua' entered the equation, suddenly a stubborn desire welled up to witness that will being broken.
It was truly a foolish pride. What did it matter whether the resolve of some insignificant man was broken or not?
Ho Gamyeong, who had been concerned about Lord Ryeonju’s excessive obsession with Mount Hua, had now become even more obsessed with Mount Hua than Lord Ryeonju himself.
“Advisor-nim! We’ve found traces over here.”
"Attach pursuit units. We follow immediately."
"Yes!"
Ho Gamyeong slowly lowered his gaze.
Hyeong Wook lay there like a lump of blood. Like an insect… No, perhaps even worse than an insect.
"Does this mean I lost to an insect?"
Ho Gamyeong muttered self-deprecatingly and strode away. As he retreated, Myriad Man Manor martial artists who had been waiting with bated breath followed behind.
The presence that had filled the village withdrew like a receding tide. It felt as if the nightmare they had brought to the village had never happened.
Only Hyeong Wook's devastated body was left behind and the dark red blood soaking its surroundings proved that time had been real.
"Did, did we survive..."
The villagers who thought they were all dead without a trace muttered in disbelief.
The people who had been blankly staring in the direction where Myriad Man Manor had disappeared finally came to their senses one by one and turned their attention to Hyeong Wook.
“Hyeo- Hyeong Wook!”
"My god, this guy!"
They rushed toward him in a panic, but none could bring themselves to touch him.
There was no place to lay a hand. Not a single part of him was unharmed, and they had no idea where to start or how to help.
"You fool! Y- You stubborn rascal!"
But Elder Hyeong unhesitatingly grabbed Hyeong Wook and pulled him into his embrace, as if already knowing his son's fate.
“I told you…! I told you, it was meaningless! Gratitude, favors…! I told you many times people like us only suffer! You stubborn fool! You! You...!"
The elder’s heart-wrenching wails echoed through the village.
Hyeong Wook's wife wept as if her soul had left her, unable to even look directly at his body, while their young children were too frightened to approach. They all instinctively sensed Hyeong Wook's fate.
"For people like us... For people like us, I told you even that was too much to hope for... What was so hard about saying one word? You fool…! You stubborn fool! You stupid fool! Ugh…!”
His aged, wrinkled face was soaked with tears, and those tears trickled down onto Hyeong Wook’s bloodied face.
Perhaps because of those tears, Hyeong Wook briefly regained consciousness and slowly lifted his eyelids.
“Ah… Father…?”
"Y- Yes! You rascal! Yes, it's me! Your father!"
Hyeong Wook raised his hand with difficulty. The elder quickly grabbed that trembling hand.
“You rascal, come to your senses! You can’t die like this! This isn’t how it’s supposed to end! Your old father is still alive, why are you leaving! Why!"
Hyeong Wook looked at the elder, seemingly struggling just to keep his eyes open, and pulled up the corner of his mouth.
"rry..."
His voice was so hoarse it was hard to understand, and it seemed like it could cut out at any moment.
"I'm... sorry..."
With those words, Hyeong Wook's head slumped.
As the strength left the hand he was holding, Elder Hyeong embraced his son even tighter and wailed until his throat could burst.
“Hyeong Wook! Hey, you rascal! Hyeong Woooooook!”
The villagers, unable to leave, began to weep one by one. Now only sorrowful crying filled the village entrance.
And there, in that place where all Myriad Man Manor martial artists had departed, there was still one person who couldn't leave.
Yoo Gong stood there blankly watching the wailing villagers.
Indescribable emotions welled up in his eyes.
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Omg, the fact that he has a whole ass family to think about, but didn't for the sake of gratitude. The fact that he was the one so easy to gave up on his father for the villager, just a few days prior. But this time had given up on even them...
(I mean, he could have been petty enough, just to teach these Comrade who sold him out the minute they had the chance to)