Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1411. It's time to wake up from the dream (6)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The army of Evil Tyrant Alliance filled the riverbank. Their fleet occupied the vast Yangtze River. And now, a golden tide surged toward that overwhelming presence like an unstoppable wave.
It was overwhelming. Who could ever witness such a sight again in their lifetime?
But there was no time to be overwhelmed.
"S- Sect Leader!"
"Th- That's right!"
Hyun Jong, who had been lost in a daze, startled and raised his sword again.
"A- All alliance disciples!"
"Wait! Aack! Just wait!"
In that instant, Im Sobyeong practically threw himself at Hyun Jong and clung to his arm.
“No- Nokrim King?”
"Not yet, not yet! Please wait just a little longer! We must strike all at once when those bald monk reach the riverbank!"
“Oh, right! I understand.”
Hyun Jong swallowed hard. His heart was pounding like mad.
He never imagined there would come a day when Ten Great Sects would fight side by side with them. That this utterly obvious thing would actually happen.
'We can do it!'
Hope filled Hyun Jong's eyes, which had been filled with nothing but grim resolve.
Of course, the situation was still far from easy. Even with Shaolin’s support, facing Ten Great Sects would never be that easy.
But it was incomparably different from fighting with Heavenly Comrade Alliance alone. Moreover...
"Did the heavens themselves intervene? The timing couldn’t be more perfect for a pincer attack!"
Nokrim King's words were precisely accurate.
The best way to destroy a dense enemy formation is simultaneous attacks from both sides. Right now, they had unintentionally captured the perfect opportunity for a pincer attack.
If they made the most of this opportunity, they might just punch through that thick center to open a path to the Yangtze!
They might secure an escape route without needing to fight with the determination of complete annihilation.
"Mengju-nim! The enemies are wavering!"
Tang Gun-ak shouted with an uncharacteristically excited voice.
Indeed, those words were correct. Evil Tyrant Alliance forces, which had been holding the riverbank like an iron wall, faltered upon spotting Ten Great Sects crossing the river. The flags that had been displaying their majesty were shaking chaotically like a stormy sea.
'It's working!'
A clear path cut through their ironclad ranks. This was the path connecting them to Gangbuk, and at the same time, the path connecting them to Ten Great Sects.
"Everyone prepare! It's almost time!"
The golden wave had now reached the river's center. Considering their speed, they would soon reach the riverbank. They must rush without missing that moment.
Everyone's hearts pounded wildly.
'Paegun!'
Hyun Jong's gaze turned to Jang Ilso's carriage in the center of Evil Tyrant Alliance's army.
He was convinced. No matter what world-shaking strategy Jang Ilso employs, no matter what heaven-and-earth-overturning magic he works, it would be difficult to counter the unity sincerely achieved by those bearing the banner of Righteousness!
Perhaps Jang Ilso did not know that even with differing intentions, if the path is the same, they could still combine their strength!
It was then.
"The enemies are moving!"
Evil Tyrant Alliance's forces began to ripple like waves. A ripple spreading out from the carriage at the center soon swept over all of Evil Tyrant Alliance.
Standing on the hill, Hyun Jong saw it clearly.
Evil Tyrant Alliance forces lined up along the riverbank were splitting precisely in half.
"...W- Wait?"
A single line had formed at the center, dividing the army into two. As if… they were opening a path.
"The water fortress fleets are moving too! L-left, right! They're splitting and moving to the left and right!"
A path is opening. A path connecting between Ten Great Sects and Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
The very path they had been desperate to force open was now parting on its own. From Evil Tyrant Alliance’s perspective, this was a path they should have blocked like an iron wall by any means.
But Hyun Jong couldn't cheer at that fact.
“Why...?”
Why would they create an open path? Why?
“What...?”
The same went for Bop Jeong. Having lifted his body into the air, he blankly watched that scene with a puzzled expression.
The black water fortress fleets, nearly anchored at the riverbank, suddenly turned their prows aside and cleared a path for Shaolin. As if welcoming them to the Gangnam.
"E- Everyone, halt! Reduce speed, right now!"
Bop Jeong urgently shouted at this incomprehensible situation.
"Bangjang! Staying in the water is dangerous!"
“I know!”
If the water fortress bandits attack from underwater, they’ll be in serious trouble. Of course, Bop Jeong knew this. But without precisely understanding the current situation, he could do nothing else.
Bop Jeong's eyes tremble as if the earth itself were shaking.
“What… What on earth are you up to, Jang Ilso!”
“No- Nokrim King!”
Hyun Jong swiftly turned to Im Sobyeong. If anyone could make sense of this, it had to be him. But Im Sobyeong looked just as dumbfounded.
Im Sobyeong examined Evil Tyrant Alliance's movements again and again with a perplexed face.
Opening a path was understandable. The Jang Ilso he knew wouldn’t hesitate to create an opening only to ambush them from behind.
But what left Im Sobyeong baffled was that he sensed no such intent in their movements. If that was their plan, they wouldn’t expand the path so quickly.
Then there are two possibilities. Either Jang Ilso is using an incredible tactic that one could hardly imagine, or... he was really opening the path without any other intention.
But even for Jang Ilso, was it possible to execute a tactic so flawless that even Im Sobyeong couldn’t detect even a hint of it? It would be impossible even if Zhuge Liang came back to life, let alone Jang Ilso.
His mind raced rapidly.
“Then why?”
Im Sobyeong’s face grew as pale as if he had seen a ghost.
No, seeing a ghost might have been better. The more he thought, the less sense it made, and the greater the terror that crept over him.
But the confusion didn’t end there.
“Ma- Maengju-nim! T- They're widening the gap!"
Hyun Jong’s fist was clenched tight as he quivered.
Evil Tyrant Alliance forces that had opened the path didn't stop there but continued to widen that gap.
If one were to detach from the situation and simply observe what was unfolding, it appeared that Evil Tyrant Alliance was splitting its forces and advancing to either side.
Almost as if… Right, almost as if…
"They're... retreating?"
From here?
Everyone in Heavenly Comrade Alliance gathered atop the hill was at a loss for words.
"B- Because of Ten Great Sects?"
"That can’t be!"
"No, but if not that, then how does this..."
Even with Ten Great Sects joining, Evil Tyrant Alliance has no reason to retreat. They still stand in an advantageous position. It was a battle where either side had room to try.
No, that's not right.
Rather, from Evil Tyrant Alliance’s perspective, they should fight. If they simply allowed Heavenly Comrade Alliance to cross back north, they would gain nothing compared to what they had lost.?
So why were they suddenly opening a path? Why were they retreating?
“…What on earth…”
Hyun Jong looked back at Chung Myung as if possessed.
Myriad Man Manor had made tremendous sacrifices to kill Chung Myung and the young martial artists of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
Yet they retreat? Surely Jang Ilso wasn't the world's greatest fool.
An indescribable ominousness descended. The enemies were the ones turning their backs, yet it was them who trembled with unease.
"W- What should we do?"
The giants of Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Ten Great Sects that lead the world were floundering around, not knowing what to do.
Just then, a groan snapped them out of their bewildered and tension.
“Ugh…”
“Chu- Chung Myung!”
“Chung Myung-ah! Are you awake?”
Chung Myung, cradled in Tang Gun-ak’s arms, fluttered his eyelashes weakly.
Then he opened his eyes, scanning the area with a gaze utterly drained of strength.
"Where...?"
Chung Myung asked, but no one could bring themselves to answer.
They didn't know how to explain the current situation. Even those who had witnessed it with their own eyes couldn't understand it.
But there was no need.
Chung Myung’s hazy eyes took in the battlefield for a moment.
A moment later, his body jerked violently.
"Th- Those bastards are...!"
He hurriedly pushed away Tang Gun-ak with his trembling hands. Though they tried to stop him, the sheer will in Chung Myung's feeble movements made it impossible.
Staggering as he stood, Chung Myung's eyes turned bloodshot.
“Jang Ilso....”
"H- Huh?"
“Jang Ilso!”
His cracked voice burst forth like a scream. The flustered Jo-Gol pointed at the carriage in the middle of Evil Tyrant Alliance forces.
"Th-There! It seems like there."
The moment he saw the gigantic carriage pulled by eight white horses that no one but Jang Ilso would dare ride, a groan escaped Chung Myung's lips.
"...There? You mean there?"
“Huh? Chung... Myung-ah?”
Jo-Gol flinched. The eyes of Chung Myung turning back to him contained a dreadful emotion he had never seen before.
"You... You bastard!"
Spewing curses, Chung Myung suddenly reached out and drew Jo-Gol's sword from its scabbard. Then he immediately kicked the ground, soared upward, and emitted a terrifying sword energy.
“Chu- Chung Myung! What are you doing!”
"Uaaaaaaaaah!"
Kwaaaaaaaaa!
The red sword energy pouring from the tip of Chung Myung's sword crossed the riverbank like a torrent in an instant. And it was immediately buried into the carriage that Jang Ilso was riding in.
“Eek!”
"Wh- what are you doing, you punk!"
Kwaaaaang!
Dust and debris exploded into the air. After landing back on the ground, Chung Myung clamped a hand over his mouth. Dark red blood spilled between his fingers.
"What on earth are you..."
"There! Look over there!"
Someone suddenly shouted. In an instant, all eyes that had been fixed on Chung Myung turned forward.
As the thick dust gradually settled, a carriage shattered into pieces was being revealed. And within it, the figure of a man slowly taking shape.
A deep crimson robe, dazzling ornaments adorning his fingers and wrists, and the distinctive crown atop his head.
“J- Jang Ilso…”
Baek Cheon bites his lips tightly.
The moment a face pale as death and lips red as blood appeared, everyone unconsciously held their breath.
But Chung Myung asked with a growl.
"Who?"
"Huh?"
His face was contorted with anger.
“Who? Who’s Jang Ilso? Who is it? That bastard over there?”
“Chung Myung-ah?”
Most assumed Chung Myung had lost his mind. It was completely understandable. He had suffered such severe injuries and had just regained consciousness, so it would be difficult for him to be completely sound.
But a few among them understood the meaning of Chung Myung's words and hurriedly looked back at Jang Ilso.
“Uh....”
"Ah... Aaahh!"
Im Sobyeong’s legs gave out as he collapsed on the spot.
“Nokrim King! What’s wrong?”
Nokrim King muttered with a face possessed by spirits.
"It's not..."
"What does that..."
"No. No! That’s not Jang Ilso! It’s a fake!"
“...What?”
"We’ve... We’ve all been fooled. He was never here to begin with! He never intended to fight!"
"Wh- What nonsense?"
Baek Cheon gathered all his remaining strength and scrutinized Jang Ilso again. Then his eyes froze, and moments later they began to tremble violently.
He had seen Jang Ilso up close many times. That’s how he knew.
The man wasn’t Jang Ilso.
The appearance was identical, but something was undeniably off. He has a similar appearance and is similarly adorned, but Jang Ilso's unique oppressive presence wasn't there at all.
Baek Cheon suddenly turned his head.
"Th- Then where the hell is Jang Ilso right now? If he’s not here, then where?"
“Huu....”
At that moment, an exhausted voice came out of Chung Myung's mouth.
"This damn... bastard..."
Thud.
“Chung Myung-ah!”
"Damn it! Tang Gaju!"
As he sank into unconsciousness, frantic shouts echoed near Chung Myung's ears. It was muffled as if heard underwater.
'No....'
If he passed out here...
'Jang... Ilso....'
Somewhere in the distance, a laugh of pure madness rang like a hallucination.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Hm.”
With a faint hum, Jang Ilso cast a leisurely glance behind him.
While the carriage interior was luxurious, stepping outside revealed that the exterior was so shabby it looked exactly like a large cargo cart.
One would never know from the outside. That such a splendid interior existed inside an old carriage that appeared to be piled with cheap goods.
Aside from the well-concealed interior entrance, there was only a tiny window the size of half a hand span linking the inside to the outside.
Jang Ilso gazed momentarily at the dingy carriage and ragged horses before turning to the opposite side.
Before him knelt countless people. Though dressed in plain attire that wouldn’t stand out anywhere in the world, the glint in their eyes and the weapons on their backs made it clear that these were no ordinary men.
These were the elites of Myriad Man Manor, disguised as lowly laborers of Evil Sects, who had spread throughout Gangnam under the guise of grain merchants, evading Beggar Union’s notice. Now, they had all gathered here.
Like loyal subjects kneeling before their king, they waited in silence as Jang Ilso’s eyes swept over them. Then he muttered with a faint smile.
"Didn't I tell you?"
His lips, red as blood, curved in a mocking smile.
"...It wasn’t worth it."
In the end, they were all just pieces on a board.
“You, and… me as well.”
He himself, the reputation he had built, even the fear others felt toward him and their perception of him. These were all merely things to be used for Jang Ilso. He could twist and trample them anytime.
There was nothing worth protecting.
No one he deemed worth clinging to.
Everything in this world was just cheap trash.
Jang Ilso let his gaze rest on his kneeling subordinates for a moment, then slowly lifted his eyes. A towering mountain loomed before him.
A blue mountain that seemed to reach the sky. A mountain that the world calls Blue Fortress (Qingcheng/ 청성(靑城)), named for its blueness that inspired admiration.
Step.
Jang Ilso slowly set foot among those prostrated. It was a path that extended all the way to the top of that verdant mountain.
"The grander the beginning, the better. Let’s burn it all to the ground."
A calm and gentle voice rang out. Following Jang Ilso’s steps, Myriad Man Manor martial artists who had been lying prostrate rose one by one.
Behind Myriad Man Manor following him, there were people in various disguises and martial artists in blood-red robes.
Hao Sect, and Blood Palace.
The forces that had formed Evil Tyrant Alliance alongside Black Ghost Fortress and water fortress now revealed themselves on Sichuan's land.
All of them followed the madman Jang Ilso, trampling up Qingcheng Mountain as if crushing it beneath their feet.
“Hahahaha.”
A stifled laugh escaped Jang Ilso. That small laughter grew steeped in uncontrollable delight and madness, echoing across the entire mountain.
“Hahahahah! Ahahahahahah! Ahahahahahahahahah!”
The great blood-red calamitous fire (겁화(劫火)) that would burn Qingcheng, cross Emei, sweep through Tang Family and Jeomchang, and eventually engulf the world, finally bloomed.
Right here, in the land of Sichuan.
|Note
겁화(劫火) : the cosmos-destroying conflagration at the close of a kalpa (Hinduism)
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