Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1451. I look forward to your kind cooperation (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Chung Myung's mouth opened slightly as he stared at Tang Gun-ak for a long time in silence. But perhaps he hadn’t yet sorted out what to say, as his mouth soon closed again.
Chung Myung looked closely into Tang Gun-ak’s eyes as if trying to discern his true intent, but Tang Gun-ak met that gaze with unwavering eyes.
“No, that’s...”
Chung Myung scratched the back of his head furiously.
"If we abolish the deputy leader position and create an Alliance General role instead..."
“Then all the authority currently held by the deputy leader would fall to the general. Nominally, you'd become the second-in-command of Heavenly Comrade Alliance. That would put me in a position to follow your orders as well."
Chung Myung blinked.
"You know this and yet."
“But that’s only in name.”
"Huh?"
Chung Myung had a cheerful face.
That made sense. No way it would go that far...
"Though maengju would be above the general, it would be the general who makes the decisions. So effectively, the general would be the one with real power in Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
“....”
"That would be you, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword."
A large bead of sweat formed on Chung Myung's forehead.
“That’s...”
Scratching his head vigorously once more, Chung Myung spoke as if to appease Tang Gun-ak.
“I understand how you feel, but isn’t this a little too sudden? Shouldn’t we calm down first and...”
"Do I look excited to you?"
“...No.”
Far from being excited, he seems overly calm. Like not a drop of blood would come out even if pricked with a needle.
“This is a conclusion I reached after much thought. So no matter who opposes it, this will happen. I’ll make sure of it.”
Chung Myung turned his head vehemently.
But Five Swords who normally support him at times like this, or Hyun Jong who would step forward and say that Chung Myung couldn't yet take on such a role, were not present.
‘So that’s why he dragged me out here.’
Chung Myung, whose escape route was completely blocked, let out an awkward laugh.
“Haha... I understand your point, Gaju-nim… but still, we should talk to the other sects first and...”
“Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”
Tang Gun-ak stared straight at him as if he would never let Chung Myung go like this.
"Take the position of general."
While Chung Myung desperately searches for words to reply, Tang Gun-ak turns his head and toward Tang Family members.
"Yesterday, I pondered and pondered again. But not about the future of Tang Family as you might think. That conclusion came rather easily. What tormented me was why we’d been driven to this point."
“....”
“At least the mind I’ve seen in you is no lesser than Jang Ilso’s. No, I believe you can see beyond that. What created this difference was just one thing. Jang Ilso uses others as his limbs, and cuts off anything that fails to serve as such. But you’re different. You limit yourself to being a limb.”
Chung Myung's expression hardened slightly.
"Within those limits, you cannot fight properly. The events in Hainan proved it. If you hadn't individually considered the circumstances of other sects and could have mobilized all the power of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, such a result wouldn't have occurred."
"You're overthinking this."
“To put it another way, all the hardships of Tang Family right now are the result of my own actions, not being able to actively put you in that position even though I knew that the path was the right one.”
Tang Gun-ak’s gaze sank.
"If something is wrong, it must be changed. Before more mistakes are made."
“No. I....”
"Didn't you just agree a moment ago? That Heavenly Comrade Alliance needs a proper head."
That’s because I thought you were going to do it...
Chung Myung finally lets out a deep sigh.
“I understand what you’re saying, but... there’s too much to consider. For one, there’s the problem of Mount Hua monopolizing the leadership of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, then there's the problem of sects that were equal until now becoming hierarchical, and the identity of Heavenly Comrade Alliance becoming diluted...”
As Chung Myung rambled on, Tang Gun-ak's eyes narrowed.
“You misunderstand what I’m saying. Do you think I’m trying to persuade you?”
"Huh?"
"There’s only one way to establish a position like general in an alliance. Election. It's the member sects of the alliance nominating someone."
“...What?”
“So your opinion hardly matters. What matters is whether the alliance’s members accept that person in that role."
“...Huh?”
"And here they come right on time. Those who must make that decision."
Chung Myung stared blankly at the place where Tang Gun-ak’s gaze had landed. A group was rushing toward them. They were other sects of Heavenly Comrade Alliance that they parted from in Nanjing.
“...Huh?”
Chung Myung’s wide eyes blinked rapidly.
“And so.”
Tang Gun-ak opened his mouth resolutely.
"I, Tang Gun-ak, as the patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Family and a member of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, hereby nominate Mount Hua 's disciple, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung, as the general of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
In the plain beyond Sichuan, entering Shaanxi.
The sect leaders, who had rushed from distant Nanjing only to be immediately dragged into a sudden discussion on drastic changes within the alliance, stared cautiously at Chung Myung, who stood there blankly like a borrowed sack of barley.
“…Hmm.”
“Hmm.”
Beast Palace Gungju Maeng So furrowed his large brows, as though displeased with how abruptly this matter was brought up.
"...Establish Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s headquarters in Shaanxi, gather all sects in one place, and... delegate command over them to the newly created general, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?”
Each decision was not easy to accept from the perspective of individual sects. Maeng So's eyes twisted a bit more. Just as Chung Myung inwardly cheered at the sight of it, Maeng So opened his mouth and spoke in his thunderous voice.
"Can’t see why not?”
“Exactly, right... Huh?”
Chung Myung blinked his wide eyes, but Maeng So simply nodded.
“Sounds like a good idea.”
Why? Why is this a good idea?
Did staying in Junwon for too long make someone who should be in the Southern lose their mind?
Soon after, Namgung Dowi nodded his head in agreement with those words.
“If it’s about establishing general position and placing Chung Myung Dojang in it, our Namgung Family has no objections. We also agree to relocate to Shaanxi. To be honest, we’ve been feeling Anhui was too dangerous."
"...Your late father wouldn't think that way, would he?"
"I am the patriarch now."
“Wow....”
What an unfilial bastard...
The moment Chung Myung was about to object violently, Seol So-baek raised his hand high.
“Ice Palace agrees as well.”
“....”
I never expected her to be reasonable anyway.
So now there was only one hope left.
"Hmm. General... I think something similar came up before."
Receiving Chung Myung’s hopeful gaze, Im Sobyeong opened the fan that he got from god-knows-where with a swoosh and covered half of his face with it.
"Tang Gaju-nim, do you know why we’ve never reached a decision despite similar discussions in the past?"
“Of course.”
Tang Gun-ak calmly nodded. And as if that alone was not enough, he elaborated.
“Depending on the situation, I, the patriarch of Tang Family, may have to follow the orders of a mere disciple of Mount Hua. Not a request, but an order. And I have to carry out the order even if it’s not to my liking.”
“So you do know.”
“I was prepared for that much.”
"Have you truly prepared yourself?"
Tang Gun-ak met Im Sobyeong's gaze with stern eyes.
"I have."
Im Sobyeong let out a sigh at those eyes.
Tang Gun-ak was the patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Family. His status in Kangho, his position within his family, even his seniority, all make it difficult to unconditionally follow Chung Myung's orders.
But now, Tang Gun-ak was saying that he had made up his mind.
“Even if the general ordered me to lead my people into fire, I would do so. Because I believe it would be right.”
"Hmph..."
Im Sobyeong closed his fan and used its edge to scratch hard under his hat.
"Tsk. With the atmosphere like this, we Evil Sect can't be the only ones saying something different. We already get treated like outcasts.”
"We've never ostracized you."
"Anyway, Nokrim also agrees. Well, it's not like that yangban couldn't cut off our bandit heads even without a position if he set his mind to it. Do as you please. Steam us or roast us."
Im Sobyeong raised both arms as if in surrender, and thus Chung Myung's last hope was thoroughly shattered.
Everyone agreed except for Yuryong Sect who were not present. So now there was only one person who had not made up his mind. Tang Gun-ak turned his gaze at the last remaining person.
"Hmm. Gaju-nim, I understand what you're saying, but..."
Hyun Jong’s entire face twisted in reluctance. As if he alone found this opinion not very welcome. But Tang Gun-ak glances at him and opens his mouth indifferently.
“Maengju-nim, please wait a moment.”
“...Yes?”
"We're currently gathering opinions from each sect's leaders. But you're no longer Mount Hua's sect leader, are you?"
Hyun Jong expression instantly turned blank. Come to think of it, he had been subtly excluded from where Tang Gun-ak's gaze fell.
Following his gaze, Hyun Jong turned his head and saw someone with a peculiar expression.
"What does Sect Leader think?"
"Hmm."
Now under everyone’s gaze, Mount Hua’s current sect leader Un Am gave an awkward smile. But soon he opened his mouth in a firm tone.
“If he were Grand Sect Leader, he would certainly not have been pleased with a mere disciple of Mount Hua being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility. Am I not also one of those who received the teachings of Grand Sect Leader?”
Hearing those words, Hyun Jong brightened, and Tang Gun-ak's face hardened slightly.
“That’a....”
"However."
Just as Tang Gun-ak was about to refute, Un Am quickly added.
“I am slightly different from the former sect leader. If someone insists on handing out a high position, there’s no need to stubbornly refuse it, is there?”
“W- What?”
Hyun Jong looked at Un Am in surprise, but Un Am avoided Hyun Jong's gaze and continued.
"Anyway, um... speaking as the current Mount Hua."
A bright smile appears on Un Am's lips.
"I am in favor."
...Hyun Jong stared at Un Am with his mouth agape. But he couldn’t object. Although grand sect leader was higher than sect leader in terms of seniority, he was by no means above sect leader in terms of rank.
Once that position has been passed down, sect leader's authority lies entirely with Un Am.
"...I've raised a tiger cub..."
"Be quiet, you yangban who has retired to the back room!"
“Have some respect for the sect leader’s dignity! You’re not even the sect leader anymore!”
“....”
Silenced by Mount Hua’s two elders, Hyun Young and Hyun San, Hyun Jong shut his mouth like a mute who swallowed honey.
“Then all the sects are in agreement.”
Tang Gun-ak nodded leisurely as if it were only natural, then turned to look at one person. The one person who was still standing awkwardly like a borrowed sack of barley.
“Do you understand now? From this moment on, you are the general of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
A proud smile appeared on Tang Gun-ak's lips.
"I look forward to working with you. General."
...The area under Chung Myung's eyes began to twitch uncontrollably.
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