Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1381. Of course, that won't happen (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Jeok Ho's face strangely hardened.
‘Trust…’
He knew. In no way could Jang Ilso’s words be wrong. Yet the reason he couldn't immediately nod in agreement was because Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword he had conceived of and the one Jang Ilso spoke of didn’t quite align.
'What kind of person was Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?'
Truthfully, Jeok Ho didn’t know much about Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. He had never met him in person, let alone exchanged words with him. But it wasn't particularly difficult to infer what kind of person he was just from his actions and public rumors.
'An absolute rising martial master.'
He survived a bout with Paegun and even joined hands to defeat Magyo's bishop.
Even those who belittled Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword wouldn’t dare deny that he was among the greatest warriors under the heavens, and at such a young age no less.
‘And he’s at the center of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.’
Despite having barely passed the age of twenty, he firmly occupies a position among the giants vying for dominance in Kangho.
But Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’s true strength didn’t lie in his martial prowess or his influence.
'The most important thing would still be that Chivalrousness.'
Wherever the title ‘Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’ was mentioned, that word always followed. It was the strongest force, one that made even his martial prowess and the influence he had built seem trivial.
That's why he couldn't understand Jang Ilso's words.
To say that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, who is evaluated as virtually the incarnation of Chivalrousness, doesn't trust people...
"Do you find it hard to believe?"
Jeok Ho shook his head.
“It’s not that it’s hard to believe, but it’s difficult to understand right away. The Chivalrousness he upholds would be difficult to achieve without trust."
"Hmph."
Jang Ilso let out a small scoff. His eyes curved into a smile.
“No, no. You’ve got it completely backward.”
“...What do you mean?”
“I told you, that the most incorruptible scholar might actually be the most greedy."
Jeok Ho nodded briefly.
“Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword isn’t much different.”
Jang Ilso glanced out the window before asking.
"To begin with, what does it truly mean to help someone?"
“...I don’t understand…?”
“Think about it. What does it mean to help? Have you ever seen a poor person help a rich one?”
Confusion colored Jeok Ho's eyes. Nonsense. What need would a poor person have to help a wealthy one?
“I’ve never seen such a case. But isn’t that just common sense? Those who have more give to those who have less…”
Jeok Ho closed his mouth. Only after uttering those words did he understand what Jang Ilso was trying to say.
“Do you understand?”
Jang Ilso's eyes shone like the jewels draped over his entire body.
"Helping is fundamentally an act of bestowing upon those weaker than oneself. Of course, anyone can do this. Anyone. However..."
His soft, gentle voice rang out chillingly.
"No one ever seeks to save everyone under the heavens. No one tries to help everything within their reach. And no one considers that natural."
“….”
“What does that mean? It means he sees everyone in the world as weaker than himself. Even if he isn’t aware of it himself."
Jeok Ho's expression turned strange.
"But, Ryeonju-nim. Surely Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword isn't the only one who thinks that way."
“Right. But he turns that thought into reality. He does what others only dream of doing. That means he considers himself to be incredibly extraordinary.”
Jang Ilso paused mid-sentence and chuckled briefly as if amused. His red lips looked particularly chilling.
"Of course, he's probably unaware of this too."
Perhaps Jang Ilso was right.
Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword was indeed bizarre. The word 'extraordinary' alone doesn't suffice to explain him. While his achievements were extraordinary, the actions he took to achieve them were far from normal.
"Trust comes from acknowledging others. But that guy never acknowledges anyone. His recognition of others only extends to those within his reach—and no further."
"That's..."
"Right."
Jang Ilso nodded slowly.
"It’s the same way an adult looks at infants. You might praise a child who walks better than their peers, or marvel at a toddler who can barely take their first steps but already recites the Thousand Character Classic. But…”
A mocking tone brushed through Jang Ilso's words.
"Would you ever call that ‘trust’?"
An adult doesn’t trust a child. That’s a separate issue from whether they can have positive feelings toward the child.
An adult can highly evaluate a child’s potential and acknowledge their greatness, but ultimately, they can’t take their eyes off the child’s immaturity.
Then he must become a chivalrous martial artist himself.
If the world were filled with nothing but three-year-olds, even someone like Jeok Ho, who could never be called a good person … No, who should rather be called a villain, would become a chivalrous hero. Because he wouldn’t be able to leave the children within his reach alone.
What Jang Ilso was saying now was that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’s near-fanatical chivalry ultimately stemmed from a lack of trust in others—more precisely, a lack of trust in their immaturity.
This was completely contrary to the world’s evaluation of him. Would the world agree with this assessment?
No, before that, how would Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword react if he heard these words?
Jeok Ho didn’t know, but it certainly won't be pleasant.
“Ryeonju-nim, I understand… what you mean…”
Jeok Ho, feeling slightly confused, raised his head and looked at Jang Ilso.
“But how does that relate to what you said before…?”
“Tsk, tsk. After all that, you still don’t get it?"
"…I apologize."
Jang Ilso took a swig straight from the bottle to wet his mouth. He wiped his lips lazily with his thumb before speaking again.
"Didn't I say? That people lie to themselves. The key is that child Chung Myung firmly believes he trusts everyone."
“….”
“Then it’s simple. All I have to do is predict the decision his true self, the one he doesn’t even know, will inevitably make. Do you understand what that means?"
"It's difficult to grasp….”
Jang Ilso stared at Jeok Ho quietly. His bright eyes, devoid of even a hint of emotion, seemed to bear down on one's very being.
“What would you do if a child were by the water?”
"Well… I'd keep an eye on them first."
“What if the child fell into the water?”
“...Depending on the situation, I might run to help.”
“Even if that child has nothing to do with you?”
Jeok Ho slightly furrowed his brows.
“Of course… I wouldn’t call myself a good person, but isn’t that just human nature? Saving a child wouldn’t cost much effort anyway.”
“Right. That’s true, depending on the situation.”
Jang Ilso nodded as if he'd received the answer he wanted..
"Then let me ask you, what would you do if many children were fighting among themselves by that water, divided into factions?"
“….”
“What if, in the process, countless children could fall into the water and drown? If immature children who can barely walk properly were foolishly fighting in a dangerous place, without truly understanding the consequences?"
Jeok Ho closed his mouth.
"You... Right, what would you do?"
Obviously, one must go. Anyone would give the same answer. Any human would have to go.
A firm voice escaped Jeok Ho's mouth.
"If they're children... I would have to run to them. Because they’re not adults, but children.”
“Right. Of course, you would.”
“….”
“Do you understand?”
Jeok Ho nodded.
“Drawing in Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword isn’t that difficult. Just create a grand incident for him. Gather as many immature beings who can’t even take care of themselves and set up a big stage. He’ll come running, no matter what.”
“….”
“There’s no need to go through any extra trouble.”
Of course, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword would surely disagree with Jang Ilso's words. He would surely reach his conclusion after countless calculations and reasoning.
Jang Ilso was saying that the outcome had already been decided. That it would happen as a result of Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’s unconscious self, which even he is unaware of.
‘Is this even possible?’
Is it humanly possible to see through someone’s choices more clearly than they can themselves and devise a plan accordingly?
Jang Ilso spoke of it so casually, but the thought alone sent a shiver down Jeok Ho’s spine. Hearing this, he finally understood why Jang Ilso considered the art of war meaningless.
Because in the face of a person’s true nature, standardized methods were utterly meaningless.
“So… Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword will come on his own?”
"Isn't he already doing so?"
“….”
"All I need to do is merely reduce that child's choices to a certain extent. Then, the decision he makes will be obvious. And..."
Jang Ilso smirked crookedly.
"That child inherently draws people to him. He may not realize it himself... but his mere presence will gather even more people around him. Like firewood piling up in an open space."
“….”
"Isn't that sufficient?"
Jeok Ho unconsciously found himself gaping blankly.
'Does this mean Ryeonju-nim envisioned this situation from the moment he left headquarters?'
Did he predict that all of this would happen just by revealing yourself and moving? Was that also the reason for the conspicuously enormous carriage?
Jeok Ho felt speechless.
Suddenly, he was afraid. Strength, persistence, and malice.
While there are countless reasons why people fear Jang Ilso, right now Jeok Ho felt he had fully discovered a genuine reason to fear him.
Who on earth could possibly oppose someone like this?
A trembling voice escaped Jeok Ho's mouth.
“In the end… If everything that Ryeonju-nim said is true, then no one in the world can stand up to Ryeonju-nim. Since no one would fathom such depths."
"Well. Who knows."
"…Yes?"
The corners of Jang Ilso's mouth twisted strangely.
"Evaluating others is easier than you might think. But knowing oneself is exceedingly difficult. Even for me."
“….”
"If someone... Yes, if someone were to discover the me that even I don't know. If there’s someone who can grasp the true nature hidden within me, even I don’t know…”
Jang Ilso slowly caressed his own white neck. His eyes sparkled.
“That person would be the one to take my head.”
“….”
“Of course, that won’t happen. Hahaha.”
Jang Ilso chuckled as he took another sip of his drink. Jeok Ho trembled as a creeping sense of terror seeped into his very toes.
Jang Ilso was right.
Such a thing would absolutely never happen. No one in the world could possibly understand this man. No one in the world could peer into this abyss.
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