Return of the Mount Hua Sect

One bursts into laughter like crazy, and another bows his head in despair. There could be no clearer sight than this to separate the winners from the losers.

No matter what the situation, the world’s attention eventually gravitates towards the victor. However, at this moment, what caught the eyes of those present was not Jang Ilso, who was laughing madly, but Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, whose shoulders were drooping in defeat before him.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold Gong Yawol. Leader (Boju) of Black Ghost Fortress that completely dominates the west side of Gangnam. One of the leaders of Five Great Evil Sects and a swordsman representing Evil Sects.

The name once adorned Kangho with brilliance is now falling apart. The glory and fear that came with that name will remain only as a faded memory. Kangho is such a place in the first place.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold slowly raised his head. He looked up at Jang Ilso looking down at him. There was no longer any injustice or anger in his eyes. What was in his eyes, which refused even resentment, was just a question.

“…From the beginning.”

His mouth opened and a hoarse voice came out.

“Did you know from the beginning?”

“Of course.”

“…How?”

Jang Ilso burst out laughing. As if it was a ridiculous question.

“That’s such an obvious question.”

The voice was too cold to be the generosity of a victor, and too sharp to be sympathy for the loser.

“Because you are Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.”

“….”

“Do you need any more reason than that?”

A word that’s hardly an answer. But the moment he heard those words, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was simply convinced.

“…I see.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold laughed resignedly.

“I wouldn’t have needed a reason beyond that….”

If the opponent shows weakness, stab him. This was all too natural for Evil Sects, and all the more so for Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold. In hindsight, it was such a simple matter…

“…Was it a trap set from the beginning?”

“Hardly.”

Jang Ilso puts a sneer on his lips.

“No matter how great I am, I can’t expect those Magyo bastards to run amok.”

“Since then…”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold looked at Jang Ilso with empty eyes.

“How did you call Thousand-Faced Gentleman?”

That was the last lingering question for Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.

Even if Jang Ilso had predicted all of this, if Thousand-Faced Gentleman had not come here in person, such a humiliating defeat would not have occurred.

He had been extremely cautious. He repeatedly checked whether Jang Ilso had hidden forces of Myriad Man Manor, and approached with the feeling of pounding on a stone bridge wondering if Jang Ilso had left any of his strength to spare. (Equivalent to ‘Look before you leap’)

However, he could not have imagined that Hao Sect’s Thousand-Faced Gentleman would arrive here. That’s right, wasn’t it Thousand-Faced Gentleman that was most uncooperative with Jang Ilso?

Jang Ilso slowly turned his head and looked at Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who had the appearance of Wei Chung.

“He’s asking so desperately, you should at least answer him.”

“It’s not a difficult matter, Ryeonju.”

Thousand-Faced Gentleman answered. His voice was not excessive but clearly contained a definite affirmation. He looked down at Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold with a cold gaze, entirely different from when he looked at Jang Ilso.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold bit his lip. Even though he knows that the man is not Wei Chung, he still can’t tell them apart based on appearance alone. If it weren’t for those icy eyes, he might have believed that Wei Chung had betrayed him.

“Me, who was uncooperative with Ryeonju… Why am I here?”

Thousand-Faced Gentleman slowly shook his head.

“Such a foolish question, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold. Someone of your caliber should know better. In this Kangho, nothing is eternal. Whether it is an enemy or a friend.”

He chuckled heartily.

“And was it not you, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who forced me into this situation, even though I had no intention of cooperating with Ryeonju?”

“…Me?”

“Didn’t Black Dragon King and you both lose an arm?”

“….”

“Until then, all I had to do was to endure. But the moment you two can no longer hold the same influence as before, my position becomes difficult.”

The more he thought about it, the more amazing Thousand-Faced Gentleman was.

“Evil Tyrant Alliance revolves around the four sects that dominate Gangnam. If the other two lose their power, who will Ryeonju’s eyes turn to? So I had no choice but to make a decision. Either oppose Ryeonju, who will now guard against me the most… or pledge my loyalty.”

Thousand-Faced Gentleman slowly shrugged his shoulders.

“And in the midst of all this, Ryeonju personally called me and offered me a seat by his side, what could I do? I have no choice but to recognize my own shortcomings and be loyal.”

“Inside you…”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who had been biting his lip the whole time, asked as if he was spitting blood.

“Was there really nothing inside you? If only Jang Ilso could be killed, you would have been able to rise to the top of Evil Tyrant Alliance, right?”

What he didn’t understand the most was this part.

Even if Thousand-Faced Gentleman came here with that intention, Jang Ilso’s life was clearly in danger. If he had been Thousand-Faced Gentleman, he would have waited until Jang Ilso was dead before ambushing Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s fate might have been sealed from the moment he entered this place, but at least then, he might have been able to take Jang Ilso as a companion to the afterlife.

“Of course, it was inside me too. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.”

Even though Jang Ilso was right in front of him, Thousand-Faced Gentleman had no hesitation in saying about the conflict over Jang Ilso’s life. And Jang Ilso did not show the slightest sign of displeasure towards Thousand-Faced Gentleman.

“But why…?”

“If my greed had been greater than yours, would you understand?”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold looked at Thousand-Faced Gentleman with incomprehensible eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I have no desire to return to the days when we were squabbling over the land of Gangnam. I have already seen that this barren land, as well as that fertile land, are not merely pie in the sky.”

“That can never be yours!”

“Does that matter?”

Thousand-Faced Gentleman calmly responded.

“I’d rather aim for the position of the highest under one than remain a ruler of a remote and isolated place. It’s not particularly special or strange a choice.”

His eyes turned to Jang Ilso again.

“Moreover, Hao Sect was never destined to be at the top. Information only has value when there is someone to use it.”

“…Kekek.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who had been listening quietly, laughed as if to mock himself. It may be that Thousand-Faced Gentleman was just stating his position, but to Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s ears, all of his words could only be heard as a reprimand for his unbecoming greed and bringing about the misfortune upon himself.

As if he understood that feeling, Thousand-Faced Gentleman smiled and added words that didn’t need to be said.

“And there was another, most crucial reason.”

“…Reason?”

“If someone absolutely had to be above me… it couldn’t be you. My pride wouldn’t allow it.”

“….”

“That might be the biggest reason of all.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold bit his lip. He didn’t know the true reason why Thousand-Faced Gentleman sided with Jang Ilso. It will probably remain so in the future. The human mind is fickle beyond measure. It is impossible to completely understand someone’s intentions in the first place.

But in any case, Jang Ilso did what Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold could not. That was the most decisive difference that decided the victor.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s gaze, which was looking at Thousand-Faced Gentleman, shifted to Jang Ilso.

“Did even Mount Hua know about this?”

“Of course not.”

“Then….”

Doubt arose again in Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s eyes. There was so much he wanted to ask.

Then, what was that coordination that made it seem as though they had planned it together? How could they do that without a single conversation?

However, the words that followed immediately dispelled all of Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s doubts.

“You still don’t understand, Gong Yawol.”

Jang Ilso laughed and opened his mouth.

“For having such questions … It proves that you were not qualified to be in this stage. Humans can guess what dogs think, but dogs can never understand what humans think. Do you understand?”

Those words pierced Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s heart more than any words he had ever heard. Because it denies everything about Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.

All that remained for him was a proud defeat. But now, with just a few words, Jang Ilso took away the last shred of pride he had left.

“Is that so… From the start… I was never qualified.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who had given up on everything, turned his gaze towards Black Ghost Fortress who was standing looking at them for the last time.

Though these were the ones he had raised like his own limbs, none of them rushed to save him now. They just stood there, blankly observing what was happening.

This was a sight he had seen countless times before.

The only difference is that Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who up until now had naturally stood in Jang Ilso’s place, was now the one sitting where those he had killed once sat.

What difference did it make? Yes… that was all.

“…Kill me.”

“….”

“It is the victor’s right to take the life of the defeated. I acknowledge my defeat. Kill me, Jang Ilso.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold closed his eyes. Jang Ilso slowly bent down and looked at him. His long eyes narrowed slightly.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold drove Jang Ilso to the brink of death. Had he taken one more step, his blade might have reached Jang Ilso’s heart. He lost in the end, but he deserved the recognition.

Nevertheless, at this moment, he threw away all his lingering regrets. Even though what was in his grasp was flowing out, he was just calmly accepting it without any rage.

“Impressive.”

Jang Ilso nodded as if impressed.

“As expected of Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.”

And then he lightly patted Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s shoulder. Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold flinched slightly at the touch.

“I have no choice but to admit. Gong Yawol, you are different from the idiots I have seen so far.”

At those words, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold slowly opened his eyes and made eye contact with Jang Ilso before him. The moment he saw the eyes drawing a strange arc, a glimmer of hope arose in a corner of his heart. Perhaps….

“And yet…”

In an instant, Jang Ilso’s face is cruelly distorted.

“I don’t like it.”

Jang Ilso’s hand grabbed Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s face. A cold wind blew like the North Sea wind emanated from his fingers that penetrated his skull.

“Gah… euaaaaargh!”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold let out a desperate scream as the energy suddenly surged through him. Madness shined in Jang Ilso’s eyes as he looked down at him.

“Yes… this is how it should be. This is what death is, Gong Yawol. If you lose a life-threatening gamble, you should die dirty and miserably. You can’t pretend to be noble and blabber your mouth. Huh?”

“Keu…. Keuureuk…. Kkeuruk….”

Dark red blood flowed from Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s mouth. His limp limbs convulsed. It was clear from his appearance how much pain he was in.

“Why? Did you have hope for a moment?”

“Keugh….”

“You should know better, Gong Yawol. There is no such thing as a good death for people like us. Either live and become a demon, or die dirty and miserable. It’s one or the other. You knew that too, yes?”

A ferocious momentum swirled in Jang Ilso’s eyes.

“So… don’t be too resentful.”

Posok!

Finally, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s head exploded.

A body with its head missing fell helplessly. Looking at that pitiful corpse, who would think of Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who roamed the world as the lord of Black Ghost Fortress and one of the leader of Five Great Evl Sects?

Jang Ilso quietly looked at the red blood soaking his hands and muttered.

“In the end… all human blood is the same. Yours and mine alike.”

He shook off his hands and slowly turned around.

The cold wind of Gangnam passed by forlornly over Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s cooling corpse.