Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1414. If you really wanted it, you should have grasped it (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
At the sudden sound of approaching footsteps, Jang Ilso slowly turned his gaze.
He saw a figure approaching him.
An unfamiliar face. Of course, Jang Ilso couldn't possibly remember every individual among Evil Tyrant Alliance's multitude, but at least among those who could approach him closely, there was no such face.
If so, the person's identity was too obvious.
"The situation?"
"The cleanup is more or less finished, Ryeonju."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
There iwass only one person in the world who dares to approach Jang Ilso with an unknown face, and that was the leader of Hao Sect, Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman, whose appearance was so ordinary that one would hardly remember it after turning around, silently gazed at Jang Ilso's back.
Standing against the backdrop of Qingcheng burning catastrophically.
'Paegun....'
Initially, he had thought him extraordinary.
In the long history of martial arts, there has never been a single Evil Sects person who has so easily manipulated Righteous Sects.
It couldn’t be described with mere words like ‘brilliant’.
Jang Ilso seemed to see something that others couldn't. That was why Thousand-Faced Gentleman had admired him. That was why he had acknowledged him.
But now that one of Ten Great Sects, Qingcheng, has been trampled so mercilessly, that admiration had turned to something else.
“Are they all dealt with?”
"…A few rats escaped, but the pursuit team will handle them shortly."
“Pursuit team?”
“Yes. From Hao Sect....”
“Stop wasting effort on such nonsense.”
When Jang Ilso indifferently cut him off mid-sentence, Thousand-Faced Gentleman firmly closed his mouth.
"They're merely rat pups. No need to waste resources on such beings. Let them go. Let them spread the word. How Qingcheng was completely destroyed.”
Thousand-Faced Gentleman unconsciously nodded.
It wasn't that he actively agreed with that intention. He simply believed that Jang Ilso would be more correct than himself.
Now Thousand-Faced Gentleman seemed to understand. He would never see the world as the man did.
"Do you intend to leave the Blood Palace Gungju as is?"
When Thousand-Faced Gentleman asked, Jang Ilso glanced sideways.
The Blood Palace’s elites were busy slaughtering Qingcheng’s disciples here, but Blood Palace gungju had yet to appear.
Since the palace disciples had been sent without delay, it would be difficult to say they hadn't obeyed Jang Ilso's command, but the fact that he ultimately didn't appear in person created a somewhat strange feeling.
Jang Ilso shrugged.
"At least that much was done."
"And that's enough for you?"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman asked with narrowed eyes.
"I don't expect loyalty. One merely takes the consequences of one's actions. Whether those consequences are good or bad."
Jang Ilso’s lips curved upward. It looked like a benevolent smile at a glance, but Thousand-Faced Gentleman did not miss the eerie aura lurking behind it.
Jang Ilso has never liked waste. In a situation like this, he wouldn’t want to provoke unnecessary conflict with the Blood Palace gungju. Yes, the Jang Ilso of the past would normally leave it at that.
But Thousand-Faced Gentleman knew better.
Jang Ilso was simply biding his time.
Jang Ilso never forgets.
Even if he momentarily yields to the wall of reality, he never forgets the fact that he yielded. That was why Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold met a miserable death, and Black Dragon King became Jang Ilso's dog with one arm lost.
Perhaps the fate of Blood Palace gungju wouldn’t be much different.
If he continued to hover at this awkward distance, sizing Jang Ilso up, the day would come when Jang Ilso’s fingers would close around his throat.
Then what of Thousand-Faced Gentleman himself?
Was he truly standing in a safe place now?
Now, Qingcheng is a sea of fire wherever one looks. Before dawn breaks, Qingcheng will be completely reduced to ashes.
Qingcheng was strong, and Thousand-Faced Gentleman had prepared for massive casualties while climbing the mountain. It was, after all, an attack on one of Ten Great Sects. He had prepared to pay the price.
But Qingcheng had been trampled too easily beneath Jang Ilso’s feet.
'Under normal circumstances, this would never have happened.'
Having been attacked by an unexpected enemy at an unexpected time, they likely didn't even have the luxury to resist. Trampling those who could not muster a desperate resolve with superior force was easier than twisting a skinny child's wrist.
But hindsight was always simple. What was truly difficult was to make that easily evaluated thing a reality.
Before him stands a being who nonchalantly accomplishes the impossible. Thousand-Faced Gentleman gazed at him intently.
Noticing his gaze, Jang Ilso raised an eyebrow.
"What's with you?"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman flinched.
Jang Ilso’s eyes looked strange. Whether due to the heat of flames rising from all directions or the boiling desire seething within him, his pale eyes flickered with an indescribable light.
Those were the eyes of a tyrant. That gaze weighed heavily on Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
From the very first gathering of Evil Tyrant Alliance to this moment, as Qingcheng burned, Jang Ilso had always viewed the world through those eyes.
What changed was not Jang Ilso. It was Thousand-Faced Gentleman himself who was looking at Jang Ilso.
"Are you suddenly afraid?"
Jang Ilso asked with a mocking tone.
“Even if you are, there’s no going back. Now that Qingcheng is in flames, the only path left is one where either they or us will be annihilated.”
Thousand-Faced Gentleman ended up chuckled.
Though he was so accustomed to concealing his true appearance, his expressions, and his emotions, rarely was this laugh so clearly born from genuine sincerity.
He couldn’t help but laugh.
“I fear Ten Great Sects, of course.”
"Honest."
"I fear annihilation too. And I won’t pretend the collapse of our comfortable rule like a king in Gangnam is pleasant."
Jang Ilso nodded slowly.
He despises those without ambition, but doesn't particularly dislike those who are honest with themselves., because even acknowledging oneself was no small feat.
"But what I fear is not them or my annihilation, but you, Ryeonju."
“...Me?”
Jang Ilso looked at Thousand-Faced Gentleman as if finding him interesting. Jang Ilso's gaze remained calm despite flickering in the firelight, while Thousand-Faced Gentleman's eyes were clearly wavering.
"When a man fears someone, the solution is rather obvious, or so they say."
"Indeed."
A bizarre smile appeared on Jang Ilso's face as he answered.
“You kill them. So they can’t scare you anymore.”
Jang Ilso glanced around and continued.
"What do you think? It’s just the two of us here. Doesn’t seem like you’re completely without a chance.”
A hollow laugh escaped Thousand-Faced Gentleman's mouth.
Certainly, there might be a chance. He too is the leader of Hao Sect. It wasn’t certain that he would lose to Jang Ilso. Jang Ilso’s martial strength was unknown, but an unknown doesn’t necessarily mean something extraordinary.
"Not a bad suggestion. But... I know a better way."
Slowly, Thousand-Faced Gentleman lowered one knee to the ground. The knee that had never before bowed now touched earth.
Jang Ilso watched that highly symbolic moment with an indifferent gaze.
“The leader of Hao Sect, Thousand-Faced Gentleman Tam Yeohae (담여해(譚與海).).”
Thousand-Faced Gentleman bowed his head deeply, very deeply.
“I pledge my loyalty to you, Ryeonju-nim.”
A man kneeling within blazing flames. That might be a greater sight than the burning Qingcheng itself.
Jang Ilso let out a low hum, twisting his lips in amusement.
"Hmm. How unexpected."
“....”
"Wasn’t that always the case?"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman raised his head. The moment his eyes met Jang Ilso's, he had a gut feeling.
Eyes that hadn’t changed in the slightest.
Those eyes, which showed not a hint of change even after receiving Thousand-Faced Gentleman's loyalty, and what they truly meant?
And Thousand-Faced Gentleman naturally understood what he must do.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand slowly moved towards his face. A hand carrying a faint tremor covered his face, and then descended...
Finally, a different smile from before bloomed at the corner of Jang Ilso's mouth.
“So this is the true face of Thousand-Faced Gentleman.”
He gave a small nod, then added playfully,
"You didn't need to show even this."
"It is only natural when pledging loyalty to Ryeonju-nim."
Jang Ilso slowly approached the prostrated Thousand-Faced Gentleman. The red robe fluttered as if waving and then settled down.
Tak.
Jang Ilso lightly rested a hand on Thousand-Faced Gentleman’s shoulder and lowered his head slightly.
"I am."
A whisper rang in Thousand-Faced Gentleman's ear.
“A person who cares not at all about true intentions."
“....”
“No one can ever truly know what’s in someone’s heart. So what matters is simply knowing what you want. What is it that you want?"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman's shoulders trembled slightly.
"...Life."
“How pathetic.”
Jang Ilso lightly patted Thousand-Faced Gentleman's shoulder.
No further words were spoken.
There was no promise that the life he sought would be granted, no praise for kneeling and coming under his banner. He simply touched his shoulder once.
But Thousand-Faced Gentleman expected nothing more.
Because in front of this man, everything was meaningless. Promises, emotions, even displayed sincerity, were all merely cards to be played when needed.
What Thousand-Faced Gentleman wished for was mercy and value.
For that cold flame, which seemed forged from metal, to burn him and Hao Sect as late as possible.
"Settle things."
“Yes, Ryeonju-nim.”
His tone and posture had completely changed.
This meant not only that the relationship between Thousand-Faced Gentleman and Jang Ilso has changed.
Evil Tyrant Alliance was formed from the union of five sects from the beginning. This signified that Evil Tyrant Alliance had now transformed into a different form. In the flames lit by using Qingcheng as sacrifice.
"Shall we head to Emei?"
"Of course."
Jang Ilso's gaze flickered briefly toward Byeok Yeonja’s corpse.
A meaningless death. Its only worth was in buying a few extra moments of time.
"Emei likely hasn’t received word yet. They’ll be easy prey."
"True. But we should still hurry."
A smile spread across Jang Il-so's white face like a red line being drawn.
"It would be too unfair if only Ten Great Sects suffer. Heavenly Comrade Alliance should get a taste of this too. If we want to burn Emei and crush Tang Family, we must move quickly."
"Understood!"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman bowed his head deeply before turning away.
Staring intently at his retreating back, Jang Il-so's face twisted strangely.
'That little rat...'
Being quick-witted is good. But... those who lower themselves preemptively out of fear of death are the ones who bare their fangs once they believe they’re no longer in danger.
It would be Thousand-Faced Gentleman himself, not Jang Ilso, who would determine his fate. In any case, he was a useful fighting force.
“Tsk.”
After clicking his tongue briefly, Jang Ilso cast his gaze into the distance. Not toward the north where Emei was, but toward the east where the Yangtze River flowed.
“Gamyeong’s probably going to scold me again.”
He chuckled and then turned around.
The flames that had consumed Qingcheng were spreading northward. Their momentum was so fierce that it seemed no one could stop them.
|Note
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