Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“There’s no need to take it that seriously.”

“Huh?”

When Chung Myung asked back, Im Sobyong grinned maliciously.

“People are grateful when you give them help once, but if you help 10 times, they take it for granted. And the eleventh time, they’ll look forward to your help.”

“…….”

“And if you don’t give them the eleventh, they criticize and swear.”

“…What do you think people are?”

“This is just a matter of course, a matter of course. Don’t you think so?”

Im Sobyong looked around as if asking for agreement. But all he faced were cold, reprimanding looks.

“Indeed, you can’t hide your origins.”

“Exactly what you’d expect from a bandit.”

“…Evil Sect is Evil Sect after all.”

Im Sobyong’s eyes trembled.

“Am I, am I really the only one? Only me? Am I really the only trash here?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Seems so.”

Im Sobyong’s head dropped dejectedly

A vague murmur was heard, saying, ‘Freaking Taoist bastards. I can’t get along with them after all. They act more like bandits themselves, but always at times like this…’, but the disciples of Mount Hua ignored it as if they were deaf.

“So, what now?”

“Keuhum.”

Im Sobyong cleared his throat and opened his mouth again.

“What matters is the method, the method! It’s not just about stepping back, but about declaring it in the right way and then stepping back.”

“…Declaring?”

“Yes. What did I say happens when you don’t give the eleventh help?”

“That they’ll swear at us.”

“That’s right! If you don’t help, they will swear at us. But if we change the method! Boldly declare that we will not help from now on and step back?”

“…Wouldn’t they still curse just the same?”

“Huhuhu. You’re thinking too narrowly. You’re wrong!”

“Then what?”

Im Sobyong beamed and replied.

“They’ll curse even more fiercely. Like they want to kill us…”

“Hey, this punk!”

Ppong!

Chung Myung flew across the room and kicked Im Sobyong squarely in the chest. When Im Sobyong screamed and fell down, Five Swords and Tang Gun-ak were frightened and hurriedly overpowered Chung Myung and dragged him away.

Chung Myung, whose eyes overturned, growled like a guard dog that had discovered a thief.

“No, I’m losing my temper! Are you provoking me to get me irritated? Are you, now? Do you want me to check how hard the head of a bandit is?”

“Ca- Calm down, Chung Myung!”

“He’s Nokrim King! You can’t kick him!”

“Now, now, Chung Myung. He’s of Evil Sects, but he still has a position. Treat him with respect.”

But Nokrim King is Nokrim King. Im Sobyong, who was kicked, bounced like a spring and stood up again.

“Oh?”

At the sight, Mount Hua’s disciples nodded their heads, shouting ‘As expected of Nokrim King’.

“Let a person finish…. Cough! Cough! Keuuk…Why am I coughing all of a sudden…. Cough!”

Suddenly, red blood gushed out of Im Sobyong’s mouth as he shook and coughed violently.

“Mommy!”

“Eeek?”

After everyone’s shocked screams, silence fell in the room.

Im Sobyong quietly looked down at the blood that had soaked his front collar. And he looked helplessly at Chung Myung. Chung Myung grumbled.

“You’re not even sunfish, but you’re spouting blood just from getting kicked once?”

‘Is he even human?’

‘Demon.’

‘How come such a thing came into the world… Jang Ilso is kindhearted in comparison, Jang Ilso is!’

“…Are you all right, Nokrim King?”

Im Sobyong nodded helplessly at Tang Gun-ak’s inquiry.

“…Yes, don’t worry. No problem… Cough! Cough!”

“…….”

“Rather… Listen to someone speaking…. Until the end….”

Chung Myung nodded indifferently.

“Yeah, well, try saying it.”

“How far… did I say? That… Cough. Anyway, they will be resentful. But, cough! We just need to let them know that it’s not us who they should criticize.”

“…Redirecting the arrow to Ten Great Sects?”

“Oho. You’re saying something strange. Why is it… Coughing! Coughing! Ahem! Redirecting the arrow. It is just setting things straight.”

Im Sobyong smirked.

Rather than looking triumphant, the sight of him smiling brightly with blood streaming down his face gave them goosebumps, but no one could bear to point out that fact.

“It worked out better. In Shaanxi, Mount Hua has come out of Bongmun and protected Xi’an, giving us a cause here.”

“A cause?”

“Yes, what greater cause is there than to return to protect one’s home? As the Evil Sects has left Hubei and Henan and is expanding its reach to Shaanxi and Sichuan, it is only right to say that we are returning to our hometown to protect the place we were originally supposed to protect.”

“…….”

Chung Myung looked at Im Sobyong with an ‘Oh?’ face.

“Then, the direction of resentment changes. It’s not about leaving because it’s troublesome or difficult, but about leaving to protect. Then who would the remaining people look at?”

“Who?”

“Tsk, tsk. Wouldn’t they look at the people who’re living leisurely with their gates locked instead of the people who’re going a long way to protect other commoners? Those people who don’t even bother to show their noses while everyone else is having a hard time, those good-for-nothing Taoist bastards… No, put your fist down. That fist. Cough! Cough! I’m coughing blood, blood!”

Im Sobyong quickly thrust forward his blood-stained cuff, causing Chung Myung, who was about to punch, to reluctantly lower his fist. But his eyes were still full of grudges.

Chwaak!

Im Sobyong opened his blood-soaked fan.

“We just need to remind the commoners that in Kangho, each area was traditionally guarded by its own sect. Sichuan was guarded by the Tang Family, Shaanxi by Mount Hua, and Hubei by Wudang. This will naturally remind everyone that the Tang Family had come to a region they didn’t need to be in and were doing things they didn’t have to do.”

Hyun Young nodded, seeming to approve of Im Sobyong’s words.

“Indeed, there is such a method. It’s much better than just falling out.”

But Baek Cheon seemed to have a slightly different view.

“But if the Evil Sects aren’t actually targeting Sichuan, isn’t it just pretending not to see the obvious?”

“Haha. What are you saying, Baek Cheon Dojang? Sichuan has already been infested by Evil Sects.”

“Yes?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened in surprise. And Tang Gun-ak was even more surprised than he was, and quickly asked Im Sobtong.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Although I don’t know their exact identities, there are definitely members of Evil Sects lurking in the mountains of Sichuan, threatening the lives of people passing by.”

If it’s Evil Sects that hide in various parts of the mountain and threaten those who come and go…

Uh… Then such people are commonly referred to as…

“…bandits?”

“Hey hey!”

Im Sobyong waved his fan.

“It’s unidentified Evil Sect. Unidentified Evil Sect! Anyway, those Evil Sects members will soon cause problems at a convenient time. Coincidentally, they caused no casualties. Quite coincidentally!”

A thousand mouths opened wide.

So, to provide a reason for the Tang Family to leave, Nokrim would disguise themselves as Evil Sects members from Gangnam and cause trouble in Sichuan?

“No, would they be fooled by that? Obviously, the distinction will…”

“-not be visible.”

“Yeah, it won’t.”

“…Yes. They won’t be distinguishable. That’s right.”

If Evil Sects is in the mountains, they are mountain bandits; if it is at the rivers, they are water bandits (Pirates); if it is in the plain, it is Demon Cult.

It’s not like they have ‘bandit’ written on their faces. As long as they change their clothes moderately, how would people know which Evil Sect the bastards are from?

“Indeed…”

Tang Gun-ak nodded as if he had a point.

Regardless of whether the scale is large or small, if the rumor that the Evil Sects caused unrest in Sichuan is properly circulated, no one will be able to blame the Tang Family for returning to Sichuan.

After all, aren’t they Sichuan Tang Family? The Sichuan Tang Family is leaving to protect Sichuan, yet who can tell them to leave Sichuan alone and continue to protect them?

Everyone understood and was dumbfounded, and Im Sobyong opened his mouth triumphantly.

“Huhuhu. You seem to understand. Do you know what they call this?”

“Conspiracy.”

“Underhanded.”

“Dirty.”

“It- It is a strategy! Strategy! A novel strategy! It’s not filthy, you Taoist bastards!”

As always, the lonely bandit’s bloody cries fell on deaf ears to the Taoists.

Only Chung Myung is looking at Im Sobyong with an impressed face.

“I saved the dying man, and cursed him a lot, saying he was useless. Turns out he’s useful after all.”

“Useless, you say?! I almost broke my back from making money at Plum Blossom Island!”

“More like breaking your hand and foot embezzling.”

“…If I knew this would happen, I should have embezzled for real.”

“If you did, it wouldn’t be your hand and foot breaking, but your neck.”

“…….”

Chung Myung also thought about mitigating responsibility by moderately spreading rumors through Beggar Union and Nokrim, but it did not come up with the idea of disguising themselves as Evil Sects and causing trouble in Sichuan.

“As expected, Evil Sect is Evil Sect. The level of scheming is different. Is it because they’re used to it?”

“…It’s a strategy, I tell you.”

“Tsk, tsk. The same water turns to milk in the stomach of a cow and poison in a snake. The same plan becomes a brilliant strategy when it comes from Righteous Sects and a scheme when it comes from Evil Sects.”

“N-No, that’s…….”

“If it’s unfair, you can just join Righteous Sects. Who told you to be a bandit?”

“…….”

Im Sobyong felt his vision blurring as he closed his mouth.

Baek Cheon whispered quietly to Chung Myung.

“But… Isn’t that a bit too harsh?”

“Too harsh? Which part of it? Does being in Righteous Sects bring even a single penny? We have to at least take advantage of situations like this.”

“…….”

It sounded right, but still…

At that time, Tang Gun-ak, who thought Chung Myung would verbally beat Im Sobyong to the ground if left as it is, quickly settled the situation.

“If that’s the case, then Tang Family will have a justification to withdraw from the Yangtze River. However, I’m still concerned about the commoners who will suffer there.”

The statement was responded to by Chung Myung.

“Don’t worry. There’s a way for that too.”

“Hng? A way, you say?”

“Even if it’s limited, there will be people who live in the Yangtze River who will move to Sichuan if they receive adequate support.”

Tang Gun-ak looked at Chung Myung with surprise.

“To Sichuan?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung nodded lightly.

“You should give them a chance. If they are willing to move to Sichuan, we will be able to provide support not only from the Tang Family but also from Mount Hua. The money we’ve accumulated over the past three years is overflowing.”

This time, Im Sobyong slapped his palm with a fan as if he was impressed.

“There is certainly a lot of money. And even if given the opportunity, not many people would actually want to move, so it wouldn’t cost a lot of money. Huhuhu. To come up with this idea of taking all the credit while expecting such an outcome. As expected of the devil-frightener……”

“But this punk, the more he talks!”

“Be patient, Chung Myung-ah!”

“If you hit him again, he’ll die!”

After another brief scuffle, Chung Myung finally calmed down and spoke again.

“That way, you’ll be at ease.”

“Hmm.”

Tang Gun-ak looked at Hyun Jong as if he were asking for permission. Then Hyun Jong smiled gently and nodded.

“Gaju-nim is thinking for the people, so how can a man who walks on the path of Tao dwell on wealth?”

“…You were dwelled enough, though.”

“You have to dwell on that, though.”

“We were beggars, Sect Leader.”

“Be, be quiet, you punk! We have guests here!”

Hyun Jong, flushing red, coughed loudly and spoke formally again.

“Therefore, please proceed as you wished.”

“…Thank you, Maengju-nim.”

Tang Gun-ak nodded and Im Sobyong grinned.

“Then, in line with the Tang Family, we’ll also withdraw from Plum Blossom Island.”

“Huh? Why Plum Blossom Island?”

“…Plum Blossom Island is ahead of the Tang Family. If there’s a war, we’ll die first.”

“No, well, that’s true, but….”

Chung Myung picked his ears annoyed.

“It’s a bit of a waste for all the money we would’ve earned if we quit now… Why don’t you stay a little longer?”

“…You said human life is the most important.”

“Yes, but….”

Chung Myung blew on his finger that was picking his ears.

“Do bandits get treated like humans these days? It wasn’t like that back in my day.”

Im Sobyong was momentarily speechless and looked at Chung Myung with a face that asked, ‘Are you really a human?’ but Chung Myung remained nonchalant.

“You won’t be of much help to the world if you live anyway, so why not make a little more money instead?”

“We’ll withdraw!”

“Don’t decide so hastily.”

“Money is money, but staying alive comes first!”

“Anyway, people these days don’t know how precious money is? Tsk, tsk. It wasn’t like that back in my time.”

In your time, were only devils living in the world?

“Keuhum. That seems to be the right decision, Nokrim King.”

“Thank you, Maengju-nim.”

Until now, Im Sobyong had thought that the actual leader of Heavenly Comrade Alliance was Chung Myung. However, at this moment, he was grateful to heaven that Hyun Jong, not Chung Myung, was sitting in Maengju’s seat.

If that demon was sitting in the Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s Maengju seat, the world…. No, he doesn’t know about the world, but Nokrim would have definitely been engulfed in flames.

When things were roughly organized, Chung Myung began to chuckle.

“Now that I’ve laid out the stage, that bastard will start slowly moving too.”

“…Laid out the stage?”

“No, well. It’s nothing. Kikikikik.”

Everyone trembled with anxiety as they saw Chung Myung laughing with the most excited face in the world without explaining in detail.

‘So you guys dared to screw us over? You Bop Jeong bastard!’

The corners of Chung Myung’s mouth began to twitch.

“After being away for three years, it seems like you’ve forgotten who I am.”

“…….”

“Go ahead and get f*cked up. Kikikikikik! Euhehehe! Euhehehehehet!”

“…….”

As Chung Myung began to laugh hysterically by himself, Jo-Gol asked Baek Cheon in a whisper.

“…What’s wrong with him again?”

“Why bother asking? He must be plotting something in his mind.”

What was that saying about the same water? If a cow drank it, it’s milk, but if a snake drank it, it’s poison?

‘Then this guy is a snake. A very vicious one.’

The giant evil dragon’s evil eyes turned south.

Far away, towards the tumultuous Yangtze River, where chaos will soon erupt.