Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1477. The Plan Was Sound (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"....Where did you say they're going?"
A splendid tent, so much so that it was hard to believe it was erected in a field. The deep-set eyes of Jang Ilso, who sat in the large chair placed at the deepest point of the tent, naturally squinted.
"According to what we've confirmed."
Ho Gamyeong, standing before him, continued his words with a rarely seen troubled expression.
"The commoners of Hubei are moving to Shaanxi in lines."
“...Shaanxi?”
"Yes. And some commoners from northern Sichuan are also to Shaanxi..."
Ho Gamyeong hesitated for a moment.
Neither the word 'refuge' nor the word 'escape' was appropriate. At least from their perspective.
"...It seems they are attempting to migrate."
A question appeared in Jang Ilso’s eyes. Setting the wine cup he was holding onto the side table, Jang Ilso raised a hand and lightly rubbed his chin.
“They’re going to Shaanxi?”
"Yes."
“Why?”
“....”
Such a simple question. But Ho Gamyeong couldn't easily come up with an answer to that simple question. This was something even his mind couldn’t comprehend.
“Gamyeong-ah. Where are we now?”
“We're in Zhangjiajie.”
“Right. Exactly. We're in Zhangjiajie. A position where we can attack either Hubei or Shaanxi if we just set our minds to it. Isn't that right?"
“Yes, Ryeonju-nim.”
"However... the place the Hubei bastards bother to pack their bags and evacuate to is not Henan nor Hebei, but Shaanxi?"
“....”
“Hngg.”
A groaning-like sound came out of Jang Ilso's mouth.
"I can't understand what those peasants who only live by digging dirt are thinking. re they just stupid, or is their way of thinking fundamentally different from ours?"
Jang Ilso let out a short sigh.
In fact, how the commoners moved wasn’t something particularly important in the current situation. Because what's important is the movements of Ten Great Sects and Heavenly Comrade Alliance. It's just that something happening beyond his expectations put him in a slightly bad mood.
"So. What are those Heavenly Comrade Alliance bastards doing? They must have been flustered when commoners suddenly flocked to them. With all the things they've been spouting until now, they can't push them away either, can they?"
"That’s...."
"Gmm?"
As Ho Gamyeong couldn't readily answer, Jang Ilso narrowed his brow.
“...It is said that Heavenly Comrade Alliance bastards are building a large number of pavilions in Huayin and accepting refugees.”
“....”
Jang Ilso stared at Ho Gamyeong with a bewildered face.
“Accommodating?”
"Yes. Perhaps it seems they prepared in advance..."
Ho Gamyeong trailed off, cautiously gauging Jang Ilso's reaction. He had no idea how Ryeonju would take this news.
'Why in the world are they doing such a thing?'
Ignorant fools who can't even wield a sword. What exactly do they intend to do by accommodating such people?
Receiving refugees is absolutely not an easy task. Just making them live and breathe consumes an enormous amount of grain and wealth. It is a path that those facing a war absolutely cannot choose, and should not choose.
But now, Heavenly Comrade Alliance was actively doing something that would only cause them harm. It was as if they had all gone mad.
'Is this possible?'
Even if someone blinded by the word 'Chivalrousness' strongly advocated for this, the leaders of the Heavenly Alliance couldn’t all be fools, so what on earth are they thinking in going along with this absurd thing?
No matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn't understand the situation itself.
But because of this, he could clearly understand how this situation had come about.
“Hmm.”
Jang Ilso leaned back slightly in his chair. Though his posture was utterly relaxed, his eyes gleamed with a profoundly sinister light.
"Judging by the situation..."
“....”
Jang Ilso's bright red lips twisted seductively.
“It seems like he has completely taken over Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
Ho Gamyeong's head bows slightly.
He too has the same thought. There was no way to interpret this situation without that conclusion.
“Anyway, I said it’s difficult.”
Jang Ilso chuckled.
"I trampled him so he couldn't use his hands or feet, but now he stabbed me in the back? I mocked him saying that no matter how much he struggled, at the level of a mere third-class disciple he couldn't do anything, but now he boldly seized power in his hands?"
It was a voice with a hint of laughter.
But Ho Gamyeong, and only Ho Gamyeong, could know. He could tell that the laughter in Jang Ilso’s voice was slowly fading as he continued speaking.
“Then that bastard predicted this situation in advance....”
Jang Ilso stops speaking. His eyes sink deeper and deeper.
"No... No. It wouldn't be a prediction. He didn't predict and prepare for this. He must have guided things to turn out this way."
“....”
As if lost in thought, Jang Ilso then reaches out and picks up the wine cup from the side table. With a more relaxed expression, he took a slow sip.
Ho Gamyeong, who had been watching that sight, carefully opened his mouth.
"Ryeonju-nim."
“Speak.”
“Ryeonju-nim, do you have an inkling what they are thinking? What exactly are they planning...”
Ho Gamyeong forcibly suppressed the sighs that kept flowing out.
The reason that Plum Blossom Sword Demon is terrifying wasn’t because he is a madman. The real reason he was terrifying was because he was a 'crazy guy who can't be left alone.'
“Hmm.”
At Ho Gamyeong's question, Jang Ilso looks straight at Ho Gamyeong. And at that moment, his two eyes that had been calm curved gently like a crescent moon.
“Gamyeong-ah.”
“Yes, Ryeonju-nim.”
"Is there really a need for us to worry about that?"
"...Yes?"
Ho Gamyeong reflexively asks back at the absurd question and lowers his head slightly in surprise. Seeing this, Jang Ilso chuckled and continued.
"For us, all of this is merely amusing, but aren't there those whose own feet have caught fire?"
"Ah..."
Ten Great Sects.
Certainly, the ones who would be most flustered by the current situation were they.
To Evil Tyrant Alliance, it was nothing more than the movement of commoners from Hubei to Shaanxi, but to Ten Great Sects, it was the people they had been protecting leaving their protection and going to seek the protection of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
What greater humiliation could there be for Shaolin than this?
“They must be trying everything they can right now, so let’s send some people. Let’s have them figure it out and confirm what’s going on.”
“I understand, Ryeonju-nim.”
Ho Gamyeong nodded as if he understood.
"Good. Go on then."
"Yes. Then."
Ho Gamyeong bowed his head deeply and left the tent.
Jang Ilso, left alone in the tent he exited, quietly lowers his gaze and looks at the image floating on his liquor cup. A white-faced man made up like a clown was looking back at him mockingly.
"How pitiful. It seems you still don't know. No, are you knowing and turning a blind eye?"
Jang Ilso tilted his head upward. His slightly dazed eyes stared blankly at the patternless ceiling of the tent.
"The world isn’t so kind. No matter how much you give, nothing returns."
This was good for him. Undoubtedly.
The mistakes the opponent made were nothing but aan dvantage for him. If he were to follow what his head says, he ought to shout with joy.
But Jang Ilso couldn't do that.
It feels like an unidentifiable frustration is slowly tightening his chest.
"...My head aches. Bring more liquor."
"Yes!"
The servants quickly bring liquor.
Jang Ilso's hands, which were holding the bottle of alcohol offered, were a little rougher than usual.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Sho- Shouldn’t we somehow do something about it?”
“....”
“Bangjang, it's not just those ignor... those poor people anymore. Even those who held decent positions in Hubei are heading to Shaanxi one by one."
“....”
"Bangjang. Instead of staying silent like this, some method..."
“Then what should we do?”
"What?"
"Should we brandish swords and threaten those who leave of their own will? Force them to stay?"
Jongni Hyeong shut his mouth like a clam.
Peng Ye was right. They were neither officials nor the imperial palace. They had neither the justification nor the authority to block the commoner's feet. But Jongni Hyeong wasn't saying this because he didn't know that, was he?
"I don't particularly see it as a bad situation."
“Peng Gaju-nim. What does that…?”
“They are people who will be of no help in the war anyway. There is no reason to refuse if Heavenly Comrade Alliance takes care of them.”
"Th- That may be so, but."
"They're people we have to protect, even if only formally. Without them, the breadth of our freedom of action will clearly widen. What's important now is not the commoners who can't even wield a sword, but firmly rallying the small and medium-sized sects."
Jongni Hyeong closed his mouth.
He knew. He knew that Peng Ye’s words weren’t wrong. This was an opportunity that only brought benefits to them.
“Is this really the kind of situation we should just accept?”
'Can this situation really be viewed that way?'
The commoners were leaving them. No, the common people were abandoning them. Don't they really understand how strange this situation is?
Righteous Sects are those who learn martial arts to protect the powerless. But those very powerless people they should protect are now refusing their protection instead, aren't they?
Should they really just accept that this role reversal was nothing to be concerned about?
“Amitabha.”
At that moment, a calm chanting was heard from Bop Jeong.
"It is not such a pleasant thing. How could it be a good thing that the common people trust Heavenly Comrade Alliance more than Ten Great Sects?"
“My word exactly."
"However."
Bop Jeong looked at Jongni Hyeong with calm eyes.
"Now is a time of war. It is a time when we must consider practical benefits, not feelings."
“....”
“If we think only of practicality as Peng Gaju said, it might not be entirely bad."
At those words, Jongni Hyeong let out a deep sigh.
Was he really unable to understand this situation because he was stupid?
"First, we can't just stand by and watch like this, so you two should tell your disciples to persuade those who leaving. You will have to emphasize that this place is safer than Shaanxi."
“...I will do so.”
“And... If there are any in difficult situations, let’s release some of the stored military rations to help them. We should at least show that much sincerity."
“That...”
“Excellent idea, Bangjang!”
“Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong nodded at Jongni Hyeong while facing him. Paeng Yeop had a slightly dissatisfied expression, but didn't particularly oppose Bop Jeong's words.
“Anyway, depending on how you think about it, this isn’t necessarily bad news. In fact, if we look at it coolly, it might actually be a pretty good situation.”
"Huh? Bangjang, why do you think so?"
"Because they are Heavenly Comrade Alliance."
Jongni Hyeong frowns at that incomprehensible remark. Bop Jeong burst into laughter upon seeing that expression.
"As you know, aren't the people of Heavenly Comrade Alliance those who can't stay still even for a moment?"
“Yes.”
To be exact, it wasn’t Heavenly Comrade Alliance. It was Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung.
"I too was surprised and flustered when I first saw this situation, but now I consider it rather fortunate. If it weren’t for the refugees, Heavenly Comrade Alliance would definitely have done something strange. Just like when they attacked Sichuan or went to Hainan before.”
"Ah...."
"But now they won't have the capacity for that. They’ll be too busy managing the refugees. Seen that way, isn’t it better to deal with them while they’re tied down in Shaanxi?"
"Hmm. Certainly..."
Jongni Hyeong and Peng Ye nodded at the same time.
Although the situation that was unfolding was quite strange, at least the uncertainty of Heavenly Comrade Alliance has been clearly resolved.
Bop Jeong, who thought the two people understood his intention, put his palms together and showed a gentle smile.
"Any shortcomings can be addressed after victory. If something is missing, we’ll think about how to fill it then. For now, let’s focus on what needs to be done.”
“Yes, Bangjang. We’ll do so.”
“We’ll do so.”
Bop Jeong nodded quietly at their responses. His gaze unconsciously turned toward the northwest where Shaanxi was.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.'
Bop Jeong's two eyes sank deeply.
‘What exactly is that person trying to do with those commoners?’
But Bop Jeong did not know.
Chung Myung was no longer with the commoners in Shaanxi.
❀ ❀ ❀
"Uwaaaaaaah!"
“Hey! Cheongmyeong! That bird is too fast!"
"How do we chase that thing? Does this even make sense?"
"Where is this? Is this still Hanam? I feel like throwing up already.”
Chung Myung's face distorts as he looks at his screeching sahyungs.
“Did you guys only eat blood porridge? Stop talking nonsense and keep up! I’ll personally break the ankles of any bastards who fall behind!”
"At least give us blood porridge before saying that!"
"No, you crazy bastard! How is a person supposed to follow a bird!"
"Ruuuuuuuuun!"
The place where the sun rises.
Five Swords, with Chung Myung in tow, rushed forward like a flash toward the far eastern sky.
With everyone's eyes on the distant island of Shaanxi.
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