Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1376. Preparations are now complete (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
“Daeju. The water fortress attacked Kugang, burned down all the ships, and then withdrew.”
One of the beggars secretly trailing the luxurious four-horse carriage moving east from the headquarters contorted his face at this report.
“The ships?”
“Tha- That’s right.”
“Those bastards… Looks like they’re really going all out this time.”
He had expected this.
Beggar Union prioritizes information from the field above all else. No matter how brilliant a strategist might be, they understood that no amount of analysis could capture the raw, intangible tension of the battlefield.
The instincts of the Scentless Beggar (무취개(無臭丐)), honed by that 'field sense,' were screaming. Screaming that these movements were absolutely not mere bluffs.
An ominous tension, ready to explode at any moment, was vividly palpable even from this distance.
“What should we do?”
“…What do you mean, ‘what should we do’?”
“W- We’re in Gangnam, aren’t we? If war really breaks out, people like us will have our heads cut off in an instant. Shouldn't we escape while we still can?"
The subordinate's face had turned deathly pale with genuine anxiety. The Scentless Beggar's facial muscles twitched.
“Dammit, since when did beggars start running away just because they were afraid to die?”
“T- That’s not what I meant, but…”
"And you call yourself a member of Beggar Union Black Filth Squad (흑오대(黑汚臺))?"
The scolding, laced with irritation and anger, silenced the panicked beggar who now hung his head in shame.
"I apologize..."
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue shortly and turning his head away in displeasure, the Scentless Beggar calmly observed Evil Tyrant Alliance's main force as they continued their movement.
‘Escape?’
And just where would they run to? The moment they lost track of these people, even Gangbuk would no longer be safe.
Simply crossing the river doesn’t guarantee safety. Now that Jang Ilso has made his move, nowhere in the world is safe anymore.
That’s why they must never lose track of them.
Tracking their movements even at the cost of their lives—that is the 'Black Filth Squad ' duty, and simultaneously, his mission as their leader.
Lost in thought, the Scentless Beggar found himself smirking involuntarily.
'Besides, do they really not know we're tracking them?'
They probably do. Jang Ilso, who manipulates the entire world, couldn’t possibly be unaware that he’s being tracked. The reason the Scentless Beggar and his subordinates are still alive was probably because Jang Ilso has no intention of hiding his movements.
Which meant there was even less reason to escape now.
“Daeju-nim! They’re stopping!”
“Get down!”
As the Scentless Beggar lowered his slightly raised hand, his subordinates flattened themselves against the ground, concealing their bodies. Only their tense gazes showed through the rising reeds.
'What's this?'
The Scentless Beggar lowered his body and focused his internal strength into his eyes.
There was no reason for them to stop now. Nothing unusual had happened.
Which means?
His gaze instinctively turned toward the carriage at the center of the group. A magnificent, extravagant carriage drawn by four white horses.
The carriage door, which had remained firmly shut until now, finally began to open.
The moment a fluttering red robe came into view, the Scentless Beggar unconsciously forgot to breathe.
'Jang Ilso!'
Even from this great distance, where people looked no bigger than ants, there was no mistaking him. Though they say people in the world are as numerous as grains of sand, only one person would dare to dress in such a manner.
Paegun Jang Ilso. The leader of Myriad Man Manor and the lord of Evil Tyrant Alliance had finally revealed himself.
As Jang Ilso stepped out, everyone accompanying the carriage knelt in unison and paid their respects.
A chill ran down the Scentless Beggar's spine.
This was a sight that could never be seen among Righteous Sects.
Neither Shaolin Sect's Bangjang, who stands at the pinnacle of the Buddhist, nor Wudang Sect's Sect Leader, known as the guiding light of all Taoists, receives or should receive such reverence from anyone.
Only two men in the world could command such a display: the Emperor, ruler of the world, and Jang Ilso, king of Gangnam.
The Scentless Beggar bit his lip hard.
Even though martial artists live lives somewhat detached from the mundane world, they are still mere commoners. This was disloyalty to the Emperor and blind worship of power. It was also the behavior that those who refer to themselves as Righteous Sects should be most wary of.
And yet... the Scentless Beggar couldn't deny how his heart trembled at this sight. Though he would never admit it aloud, wasn’t the image Jang Ilso was displaying now the very one he had dreamed of, over and over again even in his dreams?
"That bastard..."
"Shh!"
The Scentless Beggar silenced his subordinate who was trying to speak.
Of course, even if it weren’t Jang Ilso but his grandfather, the distance was too great for them to be detected, especially by those skilled in stealth. But it never hurt to be cautious.
'What is he planning?'
The Scentless Beggar watched Evil Tyrant Alliance's movements with tense eyes.
Just then, Jang Ilso gestured something with his hand. As soon as his graceful gesture ended, some of those kneeling swiftly leaped up and dashed off somewhere.
'What...?'
The Scentless Beggar's eyes widened.
If some had moved while they were on the move, Scentless Beggar would have sent his own subordinates to follow them. But in this situation, he couldn’t act recklessly.
“Da- Daeju....”
No matter how skilled they were at tracking, it was impossible to follow such martial artists at this point. Especially when they had to remain hidden while doing so.
But the situation didn’t end there.
With each gesture from Jang Ilso, another group vanished before their eyes.
This must be what they mean by having one's nose cut off right before one's eyes. The Scentless Beggar finally couldn't contain his anger and spat out a curse.
"Damn it..."
Just then, having finished issuing his orders, Jang Ilso turned away without a shred of hesitation.
As the deflated Scentless Beggar was about to release his held breath, Jang Ilso suddenly and casually looked in their direction.
Kung!
His heart sank. The Scentless Beggar instinctively buried his head deeper, as if needing to burrow into the earth itself to escape that gaze.
‘D- Did he notice?’
He had assumed Jang Ilso merely suspected they were being followed. But for him to know exactly where they were?
That's impossible. No one in the world could detect their presence from this distance. It was absolutely impossible.
Cold sweat poured down his back. He thought as he exhaled heavily. But he couldn't bring himself to raise his head. His body refused to obey, like a rabbit trying to hide from a wolf’s gaze, sinking deeper and deeper into the ground.
The thick scent of soil, grass, and the damp, musty smell of sweat filled his nose. How much time had passed like this?
“Daeju, they’re moving again.”
Only when a trembling voice came from behind did the Scentless Beggar snap back to reality as if waking from a trance. Realizing the disgraceful state he was in, he released the grass he had been clutching tightly and slowly raised his upper body.
The carriage door was firmly shut, and the escorting forces were moving as if nothing had happened.
The Scentless Beggar found himself speechless. He felt utterly toyed with, but strangely, he wasn’t even angry. After all, anger is something you can only direct at someone who is your equal.
He was Daeju of Black Filth Squad of Beggar Union.
Though he held a status that couldn’t be ignored anywhere in Kangho, all he could do now was feel relief at having survived. Even as the sweat trickling down his spine cooled, sending shivers through his body.
“Daeju, what should we do? Should we continue tracking them?”
“...Tracking?”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
“Leave them be. Just report back to the headquarters and then follow the main force.”
“But....”
"What do you think we could learn by following?"
When no answer came, a self-deprecating smile formed on the Scentless Beggar's lips.
“Don’t be reckless. Just focus on tracking them properly.”
"Yes."
The Scentless Beggar bit his lip. His gaze locked onto the small, square window on the carriage. A window that allowed those inside to look out, but made it nearly impossible for those outside to see in.
Right now, Jang Ilso was watching the world through that small window. Yet he, who sees this vast world with both eyes, cannot begin to grasp Jang Ilso's field of vision.
‘Even if I can’t see it with my eyes, I will follow his steps. No matter what it takes.’
A faint glint of killing intent flickered in the Scentless Beggar's eyes as he stared at the carriage.
The blindingly white carriage and the crimson carrier pigeons fluttering in all directions.
At this moment, that tiny carriage was undoubtedly the center of the world.
❀ ❀ ❀
Tak.
The carriage door closed firmly.
"It's so inconvenient without Gamyeong. To think I must give even such trivial instructions myself... tsk, tsk."
Jang Ilso let out a leisurely sigh and reclined against the plush bedding. His languid movements were filled with a hint of annoyance.
He slowly grasped the alcohol bottle and cup placed on the small table and filled the cup.
Despite the noticeable rocking of the carriage, the transparent liquid streamed smoothly into the cup, filling it without a single ripple. The rich aroma of strong alcohol spread throughout the confined space.
Tak.
After setting the bottle down, Jang Ilso tilted his head and gazed at the cup where the alcohol rippled slightly. The alcohol that had been rippling with each movement of the carriage soon became perfectly still without the slightest tremor.
A gloomy aura flickered in his bright eyes as he watched the cup. He slowly took a sip of the alcohol.
He savored the aroma spreading from his mouth to his stomach. Only then did Jang Ilso’s gaze shift to the small, square window of the carriage.
He wiped his alcohol-wet lips with his finger and muttered.
"It's not difficult. Yes, not difficult at all."
It didn’t matter that the world he could see from here was small.
As long as he could draw those he was watching into this small world, wasn’t it the same as seeing the entire world through this tiny window?
One, one more.
All those he had been closely observing were gathering within this small window.
Those who crave power, those who cannot sever their emotions, those who blindly follow orders, and… those pitiful souls groaning under the weight of their ideals.
“Hmm.”
The sound of music reached his ears. Drum beats grand enough to draw everyone's attention. This is the sound announcing the beginning of a grand stage.
"The preparations... are now complete."
Muttering as if speaking to someone unseen, Jang Ilso slowly turned his head to the opposite side. Toward the wall of the carriage where there was no window.
His crystal-clear gaze, nearly void-like in its transparency, directed somewhere south beyond that wall. It was filled with what seemed like hatred, yet also a deep, unfulfilled longing.
“So come quickly, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. A stage cannot begin without its protagonist.”
A deep smile spread across his face. His smile was as ominous as the crimson crescent moon.
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