Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1590. So who is it? (10)
Editor: Hoamz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The master of the Southern Sea Sun Palace, Venerable Sun (태양존자(太陽尊者)) Jin Pyeong (진평(陳平)), stared ahead with burning eyes.
Ten Great Sects and Evil Tyrant Alliance were entangled as if they were two large serpents fighting. It was a perfect formation for a passing crane to seize the fisherman's profit.
'The leader of Evil Tyrant Alliance, Jang Ilso.'
The Sun Palace Master’s face slowly hardened.
It was a perfect formation for a passing crane to seize the fisherman's profit, he felt a surprising sense of awe. An emotion he never believed he would feel toward another in his lifetime.
He didn't know all the processes that led to the result before his eyes. But he too was one who led a sect and reigned as the hegemon of a region.
He could not be unaware of how difficult it was to create such a scene.
And this meant that the person he must now join hands with was an extremely dangerous existence.
But in any case, the matter at hand was more important right now.
"Continue the advance! Make those Jungwon earthworms clearly understand the greatness of Sun Palace!"
"Yes!"
The Sun Palace warriors charged fiercely. The earth heated up intensely from the Heat Yang Energy Technique (열양기공(熱陽氣功)) they unleashed.
“Ooooh!”
“Slaughter them all!”
They burrowed in with devastating force, unleashing palm energy without distinguishing friend from foe.
As the Sun Palace Master watched this scene with heavy eyes, one person quickly approached and bowed his head. Not a palace warrior, but one that Thousand-Faced Gentleman DamYeohae had placed beside him.
“Gungju-nim. An instruction from the Strategist… No, a request. He asks that you disperse half of the rear forces and surround the enemy.”
"You received instructions?"
The Sun Palace Master's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Yes, with that signal flag.”
The Sun Palace Master's gaze shifted. He saw a large fluttering green flag and a red flag tilted diagonally next to it.
“…They do interesting things. They aren’t even a proper army.”
Though spoken with a sneer, his eyes were heavy.
"Encircle them. Don't let a single rat escape."
"By your command!"
The warriors began to move quickly under his direction.
Confirming this sight, the Sun Palace Master slowly loosened his hands and began walking forward.
“Well now… this is not a situation where I’ll be treated well just for filling a spot.”
They might praise him outwardly, but behind his back, they would treat him as someone who just placed a spoon on a fully set table. He too would need to establish some merit to at least save face.
“Let’s see…”
He quickly scanned the surroundings. One man caught his eye. A man with sharp energy who was struggling to somehow suppress his panicked heart.
“It’s just right.”
The Sun Palace Master's eyes, having found his prey, blazed with hot radiance.
"Gaju-nim!"
The boiling blood of Peng Family ran cold.
The cold mask covering Peng Ye's face cracked. The fingertip that held his blade trembled briefly.
'That I would make such... such a mistake.'
No matter how desperate, there are things one should not do. The desire for fame and glory that he might be able to cut off Jang Ilso's head had blinded his eyes and blocked his ears.
'Retreat....'
The moment that word surfaced in Peng Ye's mind, Kongtong wavered a step faster. Then they soon began to scatter in disarray.
Peng Ye was horrified. Was that not the worst possible move at the worst possible moment?
'That idiot...!'
Peng Ye bit his lip. No, it might be a blessing. Thanks to Kongtong doing something stupid, the gazes focused on them would be dispersed even a little.
"Regroup our force! We escape from this place."
“Gaju-nim, it won’t be easy! The formation is now...!”
"Then are you telling me to abandon the kids!"
Peng Ye shouted as if gritting his teeth.
Countless gazes poured toward him from afar. Gazes thick with guilt and resentment.
Wasn't it none other than you who brought Peng Family here and made this mess in the first place!
Those gazes dragged up a scene from Peng Ye's memory. A different kind of gaze from these. The gaze of someone who never resented him, even when betrayed by someone he trusted.
What would that person, what would his elder brother have answered if he were here?
Peng Ye let out a short, misplaced chuckle. There was no need to think. The answer was already decided.
“Even if it costs me my life, that will not happen. Elders, step forward and gather the family members. We escape this place saving even one more person! You too are of Peng surname. Do not tarnish the name of Hebei Peng Family!"
“....”
No answer came. But Peng Ye remained firm.
“Hurry!”
Seeing that resolute face, they finally bit their lips and nodded.
"Yes!"
Peng Ye clenched his blade with enough force to break it.
What was already done couldn't be helped. But at least he must manage the aftermath. That was his duty as the patriarch.
It was then.
"Patriarch of Hebei Peng Family."
Peng Ye, who was about to kick off the ground, flinched and turned his head.
He saw a large-built man in splendid golden attire. He was so showy he might seem frivolous, yet an odd dignity flowed from his face.
“...Who are you?”
Peng Ye asked sharply with wariness.
"At this level, it should suffice for saving some face."
At the remark that clearly showed a hint of disregard, Peng Ye gritted his teeth.
But he couldn't act rashly as he pleased, because he had more than enough to guess this person's identity.
"...Are you Sun Palace Gungju?"
"Gungju (군주(君主)) would be more appropriate. Though expecting such courtesy from Kangho's ruffians would be excessive."
“....”
“Come here, you savage (야인(野人)). I have need of your head.”
At those words, Peng Family members guarding Peng Ye's back flared up and shouted.
“How dare you!”
"Where does a foreign barbarian dare!"
But Peng Ye, the one who was actually insulted, raised a hand silently to stop them.
“Gaju-nim!”
"Go."
“However....”
"Go and gather the children! We must escape this place!"
“....”
"Go!"
"Yes!"
Those guarding his back solidified their resolve and ran off, leaving Peng Ye behind.
Sun Palace Master Jin Pyeong, watching this scene, smiled as if impressed.
“Not bad. You have the bearing fit to lead a sect. There was a reason Peng Family's fame reached even our Palace."
"...Ha."
Peng Ye couldn't help but let out a scoff.
Words he had longed to hear his entire life. But words that no one had ever spoken to him. He was now hearing them from the mouth of the enemy who was aiming for his neck.
“Thanks for the compliment. But the blade of Peng Family is far fiercer.”
“I hope so. That way I'll have something to boast about too."
Gooooooo.
The Sun Palace Master's hands were imbued with a unique aura. The hand that had glowed yellow soon changed to red, and finally took on an almost pure white radiance.
The scorching heat that rose from it leapt across three zhang (H: ~10 meters), causing even Peng Ye's face to flush red.
The terrifying Heat Yang Energy Technique. (열양기공(熱陽氣功))
Unlike the Ice Technique of the North Sea that could not fully manifest its essence, the Heat Yang Energy Technique of the South Sea Sun Palace was perfectly executed in this moment.
"Sun God Palm (태양신장(太陽神掌))..."
"You know it well."
The Sun Palace Master’s two eyes blazed as hotly as his hand.
"Take it as an honor. You will be the first person of Jungwon to die by this Gungju's Sun God Palm."
At once a tremendous blast of heat poured toward Peng Ye. An intense heat that seemed ready to scorch even his hair. Amidst the heat, Peng Ye mustered all his strength to maintain his grip on the sword.
It felt as if his heart would break at any moment. But it must not.
Peng Ye grit his teeth so hard they could break. He had to hold on. Only by enduring could he buy time to rescue his family and open a path of escape.
'I am... the patriarch of Peng Family!'
His blade was swung fiercely, cutting through the surging storm.
---
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“Let go, let go! Let go, you damn bastards!”
The desperate screams reached even the place where Bop Jeong was.
Starving jackal packs were toying with the disciples of Ten Great Sects. Surrounded and bitten from every side, Righteous Sects disciples didn't know what to do and were just struggling.
It seems like the whole story of Evil Sects being defeated without even being able to put up a proper fight was a lie.
Was this the aim from the start?
No. The cause was… one. Those massive flags clearly displayed their presence even in the darkness.
That flag made the enemies different from what they were before.
Not a vague order to just block and endure, but an order with a clear purpose. That alone changes a person.
Especially thoroughly trained individuals would carry out orders until the very moment of death.
"Aaaaaaaak!"
Once again, someone's desperate scream pierced Bop Jeong's ears.
'Ho Gamyeong....'
He should not have thought of them as ordinary Evil Sects in the first place. Even though he knew that clearly...
It wasn’t that they hadn’t prepared. They had certainly prepared. But those preparations had already become useless.
'Peng Gaju, Sect Leade Jongni....'
Furthermore, those who should have been following his commands to manage this situation were all tied down.
Jongni Hyeong's side, captured by Hao Sect sect leader, was already showing clear signs of defeat, and Peng Ye, who was facing someone who appeared to be the Southern Sea Sun Palace Master, didn't seem to be in a good situation either.
Even Bop Gye, who was no different from his own limbs, was struggling against the dao energy that Jang Ilso’s subordinate was pouring out.
Compared to those flags that delivered clear commands to everyone, how insignificant was the human voice that reached only those nearby?
And right now, Bop Jeong was in a position where he couldn't even utilize that insignificant voice.
The bodies were being torn while the heads remained bound.
Despite the disciples' valiant efforts to reduce the enemy's numbers amidst these difficult circumstances, their limitations were clear. The entire situation had already escaped beyond control.
At this rate, all that would remain for them was only defeat.
"Does it please you?"
Jang Ilso's soft voice brushed past his ears.
He could no longer even tell if it was mixed with ridicule. Because every word from that man contained poison.
“...Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong, who had been staring at the battlefield, turned his head and faced Jang Ilso.
A situation on the edge of precipice. Yet Bop Jeong’s gaze was calmer than one might expect, as if proving his deep cultivation.
"Is this the move that Siju has prepared?"
Jang Ilso's eyes widened as if intrigued.
"Hmm, you looks better than I thought. Have you given up entirely? I expected you to struggle a bit more.”
Bop Jeong spoke in a calm, subdued voice.
“Siju. I will acknowledge that Evil Tyrant Alliance is formidable than I thought.”
The next words flowed out after a slight pause.
“However, I too did not regard this war lightly.”
"...Mm?"
“I know you are peerless in warfare. It is only too natural that you would have a hidden move.”
“....”
The corners of Jang Ilso's mouth slowly went down. His face, which had not lost its smile even in his disheveled state, gradually hardened.
“Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong quietly brought his palms together.
"This monk is not so foolish as to leap into a death trap without knowing even that much. I did not know that your hidden move would be the Sun Palace, but I already suspected you would have a card hidden.”
“...So?”
When Jang Ilso asked quietly, Beop Jeong glared resolutely and answered.
“If that is the entirety of your arrangement, then today here you will die, and Evil Tyrant Alliance will lose its name.”
Bop Jeong's words were neither confident nor intimidating. They were calm, as if conveying a previously established fact.
Jang Ilso couldn't help but ask.
“...You knew?”
“Amitabha.”
"Already... you already knew."
The corners of Jang Ilso's lips trembled faintly. A face he had never shown to anyone until now.
“So you made preparations?”
When Jang Ilso asked sharply, Bop Jeong gazed at Jang Ilso with calmly settled eyes.
“Would there be any reason for this monk not to?”
It was an answer that contained everything Bop Jeong was trying to convey.
Bluff? No, it was not. There’s nothing to gain from bluffing in this situation.
Jang Ilso stared intently at Bop Jeong as if lost for words.
Bop Jeong quietly chanted as if he had somehow regained all the composure he had lost.
Kwadeudeuk.
The few remaining rings on Jang Ilso’s fingers clicked together as if uneasy.
Jang Ilso's blood-crusted lips slowly opened.
“That… ‘preparation’ of yours.”
The dried blood falls away as powder. In its place, the color of his red lips was revealed once more.
"You can't possibly be talking about Jaegal Family, who are rushing here right now?"
Bop Jeong's mouth fell open, and his eyes also bulged as if confronting terror.
“What...?”
Jang Ilso spoke slowly, as if savoring Bop Jeong’s reaction.
“Or… are you talking about Moyong Family, who’ve been hiding and waiting and now joined with Jaegal Family?”
Jang Ilso's lip trembling grew a bit more pronounced. It wasn't due to bewilderment or despair. Because he could no longer contain his mocking laughter.
“H- How....”
Bop Jeong, who had seemed to regain his composure, was now pale without a trace of blood.
"How?"
Jang Ilso asked back and chuckled. He was like a demon with a person’s neck in his grasp.
“Surely you didn’t think I would have believed those words? That they could not arrive in time?”
Jang Ilso's eyes curved greatly.
"They say to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies. Yes, well done. Believing that the words you leaked would reach me, and using that to feed false information. For a stuffy Righteous Sects bastard, that was a rather clever move. But, you see..."
Jang Ilso's thumb brushed his lips. The blood smeared there spread in a grotesque smear.
"What use is it if I'm not deceived? Hmm?"
Kwadeudeuk!
Jang Ilso's rings grated violently against each other. It was a completely different sound from before.
“Guess, then. What do you think is happening to them right now?”
Bop Jeong became silent as if his heart had been torn out by the words.
❀ ❀ ❀
'What in the world...!'
The face of Jaegal Family’s patriarch, the Divine Tactician (신산자(神算子)) Jaegal Zian (제갈자안(諸葛滋案)), had turned deathly white.
This was impossible.
Evil Tyant Alliance's forces were all at that battlefield right now. They even moved only after confirming the traces of the armies Jang Ilso had hidden so meticulously leaving Hubei and heading elsewhere.
Paegun Jang Ilso was one who always secures victory once the board was set.
Then this side need only formulate strategy assuming defeat. Because if another piece were placed on the board after the pieces to be used are decided, the strategy devised by the other side would become useless.
It should have been that way.
Because Jang Ilso has no more pieces to utilize. Much less a guaranteed winning hand (필승패(必勝牌)) composed of proper masters rather than mere miscellaneous cards (잡패(雜牌)).
Unless a bunch of martial master suddenly fell from the sky, that was common sense and the natural outcome.
But....
Right now, masked figures of unknown identity were blocking the path before Jaegal and Murong Family. These unidentified figures thoroughly block the two families who must head to the battlefield immediately.
The swords they wielded were enveloped with blue enhanced energy.
Jaegal Zian cried out in a burning voice.
“Then who the hell are those damned bastards!”
It was like the cry of a human who had seen the end of their fate.
|Note
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