Chapter 793: Only He Holds the Value (3)

"……"

Baek Cheon’s face darkened as he observed the group gathering by the riverbank.

"…Everyone."

"Yes, Senior Brother?"

"…Is the sect leader really coming?"

"It seems like it," Jo Gul answered, and Yoon Jong added, "Well, skipping out on something like this would be… questionable."

"And it seems like Elder Hyun Young almost lost it when he heard that only Wudang was getting all the attention."

"…Why?"

"As soon as he heard people saying that Wudang was getting all the fame, he nearly flipped out. It looked like he was about to grab the sect leader by the collar at any moment."

"……."

"I mean, I can’t say I don’t understand how he feels."

Baek Cheon stood there blankly for a moment before nodding in agreement.

He understood, at least to some extent. In recent times, their feelings toward Wudang had taken a sharp turn. In the past, if someone asked him which sect he disliked the most, he would have immediately answered "Zongnam" without hesitation. But now, he would at least pause for a breath before answering "Zongnam."

What’s the difference? You might think it’s the same.

But no, it’s not. At least now, comparing Zongnam to Wudang was something they had to consider. Before, there was no comparison to be made. How could Wudang even begin to match Zongnam? To compare with Zongnam, you'd need something like the Demonic Sect.

"Yeah, I get that. But…."

"Yes, Senior Brother?"

"Then why are they all lined up over there? Are they coming with us?"

Baek Cheon’s gaze shifted to the long line of bandits and pirates standing behind Mount Hua’s disciples.

Each of them had the same bewildered look on their faces, as if asking themselves, ‘Why are we standing here?’

Well, it was understandable. If Baek Cheon was confused, imagine how they felt.

Yoon Jong sighed and replied, "I tried to stop them, but… they wouldn’t listen. They said they’re bringing everyone."

"…Why?"

"Well, it makes sense for the Green Forest bandits. But the pirates? They said if they leave the pirates behind, they’ll just run off, and they can’t stand the thought of that."

"……."

Oh… well, that’s true.

They couldn’t exactly let the pirates go. Right now, those pirates were paying for their crimes through forced labor.

When someone causes trouble, they need to face the consequences. If they weren’t planning to execute the pirates, it was Mount Hua’s responsibility to monitor them and ensure they didn’t harm civilians again.

But the problem was…

"Are they really going to bring bandits and pirates to a gathering of the major martial sects?"

"Seems like it."

Baek Cheon couldn’t respond to that and just slowly turned his gaze.

There, he saw Chung Myung enthusiastically kicking the pirates into line.

"Why can’t these damn pirates stand properly? Are you really limping in front of the sect leader? Does your leg hurt? Want me to show you what real pain feels like?"

"No, no! I’m fine! I’m sorry!"

"Sorry? Then you deserve a beating, idiot!"

Chung Myung sent a pirate’s jaw flying with a swift kick, his eyes blazing with fury.

The pirates, and even the bandits, flinched at his terrifying demeanor, trying to avoid drawing his attention.

"……."

Baek Cheon couldn’t bear to watch anymore and shut his eyes tightly. In front of Chung Myung, there was no difference between orthodox and unorthodox factions—everyone was treated equally.

"Good. This looks better now. We’re ready, Sect Leader!"

Instead of responding, Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just shook his head.

‘We understand, Sect Leader.’

‘We all know what you want to say.’

It felt as if everyone could hear what Hyun Jong was thinking. They even understood why he couldn’t bring himself to say the words aloud.

There was no point in preaching to those who wouldn’t listen.

"That…."

Hyun Jong’s shoulders slumped as he stared at the strange combination of Taoists, bandits, and pirates standing in front of him.

"…Let’s go."

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

Turning abruptly, Hyun Jong began walking without looking back.

Mount Hua’s disciples, the Green Forest bandits, and even the pirates from the Great River Stronghold followed. It was quite a large group to say the least.

Mount Hua’s disciples were naturally fast runners, and the bandits, trained in navigating rugged mountain terrain, kept up easily as well.

The ones suffering were the pirates.

"Ughhh…."

"I-I’m dying…."

Yet, miraculously, not a single pirate had fallen behind. The reason for this was simple.

‘If I fall behind, I’m dead.’

‘That guy will really kill me!’

Chung Myung, walking leisurely with his hands behind his back, kept pace with their running. Despite his casual demeanor, the pirates knew all too well that anyone who slowed down would face his wrath.

‘How is he walking so fast?’

‘Is he human or a demon?’

It didn’t matter. Whether human or demon, one thing was certain: falling behind would mean a certain beating.

"Keep running, you scum! Do you think your sins are forgiven just because you dug a few trenches? Try falling behind. I’ll use that chance to reduce the number of bowls at dinner!"

"Eeeeek!"

The pirates sprinted frantically as Chung Myung’s threats echoed behind them. Baek Cheon eventually caught up and spoke.

"Chung Myung."

"Huh?"

"Is there really a need to rush like this?"

"Wow, you’re worried about the pirates now, Senior Brother Dongryong?"

"That’s not it, you idiot! You said we’re just going to show our faces. If we get there too quickly, we might get caught up in a fight."

"Oh?"

Chung Myung widened his eyes, staring at Baek Cheon intently. The sudden scrutiny made Baek Cheon feel uncomfortable.

"What?"

"It’s just… I’m surprised you’re thinking ahead for once. Up until now, I thought that head of yours was just for decoration."

"You bastard!"

Baek Cheon was about to lunge at Chung Myung when the latter quickly interrupted.

"You’re right, but…."

"Hm?"

"…Something feels off."

"Off? How?"

Chung Myung’s lips curled into a faint smile.

‘This was supposed to be simple.’

Mount Hua and the Heavenly Alliance were still weak.

While the Heavenly Alliance had positioned itself as the only power capable of confronting the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, "capable of confronting" didn’t mean they were on equal footing.

The Heavenly Alliance was still fragile enough that a single cough from the Nine Great Sects could send it into a tailspin.

‘We need the unorthodox factions.’

The Heavenly Alliance was expanding its influence in all directions. And yet, the Nine Great Sects had only refrained from interfering for one reason:

Pride.

The noble sects couldn’t openly oppose another orthodox faction like the Heavenly Alliance without damaging their own image.

The only reason Chung Myung had been able to strike against the Nine Great Sects so freely was because he knew how important their pride and reputation were to them.

"Senior Brother."

"Hm?"

"Do you know when people set aside their pride?"

"…I’m not sure."

"When their livelihoods are threatened."

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

Chung Myung didn’t answer directly but instead smirked.

‘We’re nearing the limit.’

Concepts like honor and reputation only matter when someone’s livelihood is secure. Once the Heavenly Alliance grows too large, the Nine Great Sects will eventually abandon their pride and focus solely on survival.

In the past, Mount Hua had learned firsthand that the Nine Great Sects were driven by greed rather than righteousness.

When they believed their resources were being taken away, they would resort to any means necessary to undermine the Heavenly Alliance and profit from its downfall—just as they had done to Mount Hua in the past.

‘I won’t let it happen again, you bastards!’

Chung Myung knew they needed to prevent the Nine Great Sects from making any moves for the time being. If the conflict turned into a direct confrontation between the Heavenly Alliance and the Nine Great Sects, there was no question about the outcome.

‘We’d lose.’

They needed more time—time to strengthen the sects within the Heavenly Alliance and solidify their unity.

But right now, it was crucial to divert the Nine Great Sects' attention, while they still cared about honor and reputation.

"Everything’s going according to plan so far."

"…You’re being really cryptic. Just explain it clearly."

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed.

"But something about the situation feels strange."

"What?"

"If the pirates are gathering at Black Dragon Stronghold, it means the stronghold hasn’t abandoned the Yangtze River, right?"

"…I guess so. They wouldn’t gather in an empty place."

"That doesn’t make sense."

"Huh?"

Chung Myung’s expression darkened.

"Are the pirates really tough enough to hold their ground against Shaolin, Wudang, and Namgung attacking all at once?"

"Cheongseong is here too."

"Forget the small fry."

Baek Cheon was dumbfounded. If the head of Cheongseong Sect had heard that, he’d probably keel over from shock. Who else in the world could call a sect of the Nine Great Sects "small fry" other than this lunatic?

"Based on how pirates typically behave, they should’ve run by now. Pirates aren’t like the Nine Great Sects; they don’t care about pride or reputation. They’ll only worry about saving face among themselves, but that’s it."

"…Even so, would the leader of a faction really abandon his subordinates while they’re still fighting?"

"Not in unorthodox factions. In the unorthodox world, the leader's survival takes priority. The sect and subordinates only matter if the leader stays alive. That’s what makes them unorthodox."

"……."

"So the fact that Black Dragon Stronghold is still holding on doesn’t add up."

Chung Myung scratched his chin in thought.

‘They must have something to rely on.’

He needed to see it for himself. If things were happening differently from what he expected, he might have to change his plans.

According to his original strategy, the pirates should’ve retreated by now. The fact that they hadn’t meant one of two things:

Either they were preparing to lose, or…

Someone had seen something that Chung Myung hadn’t anticipated.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

‘Interesting.’

Who could it be?

He wasn’t sure. No, he wasn’t supposed to be sure.

But somehow, Chung Myung had a strong hunch about who was behind this. A shadow lingered in his thoughts—an unsettling presence.

He couldn’t shake the image of those deep, black eyes above crimson lips.

‘Jang Ilso.’

In both of his lives, he had encountered countless people and fought innumerable battles. In terms of experience, no one in the martial world could even come close to Chung Myung.

But even with all his experience, facing those peculiar eyes had been a first for him.

‘He’s different.’

It wasn’t the madness he’d seen in the eyes of the Demonic Cult members.

Nor was it the boundless emptiness in the eyes of the Heavenly Demon.

It was something else entirely…

"Chung Myung! Ahead!"

"Huh?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Chung Myung looked up.

In the distance, a group of martial artists was approaching them.

‘Enemies?’

No, not enemies.

Narrowing his eyes, Chung Myung studied them carefully, his gaze sharp.

The group wore neat martial robes and carried swords at their sides. The bold Taegeuk symbol emblazoned on their chests was unmistakable.

"Ha…"

A small laugh escaped Chung Myung’s lips as he shrugged.

"Well, well… quite the grand welcoming committee. How considerate."

Wudang Sect.

Of all the people he least wanted to run into right now, the very head of Wudang Sect, Heo Do-jin, was leading the group toward them. His cold eyes gleamed with hostility as they locked onto the Mount Hua Sect's party.