Chapter 799: If You're Handsome and Unlucky, You Must Be from Jin Family (4)

 

“Where’d all the warriors go?”

Jo Gul looked ahead, his face slightly sour.

Even though Mount Hua had set up a full feast, the other sect leaders who had begun discussing amongst themselves showed no signs of moving anytime soon.

“Senior Brother, do you think they have no intention of fighting today? Maybe they’re planning to just enjoy the view and then head home?”

“Gul.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Shut your mouth.”

“….”

With a downcast expression, Jo Gul hung his head, and Yoon Jong sighed. Recently, he couldn’t help but feel that Jo Gul had started to resemble Chung Myung even more. How could he make such comments while standing before such esteemed sects?

But this time, it seemed that Baek Cheon shared Jo Gul’s sentiments.

“…They really are staying still.”

Frowning, Baek Cheon muttered. It didn’t seem like they were preparing for anything, but too much time was passing.

Yoon Jong, observing for a moment, spoke.

“Maybe they’re hesitating because attacking the valley is proving to be a more complicated problem than expected?”

“Hmm, that could be.”

As Baek Cheon nodded, Chung Myung, who had been quietly listening, smirked.

“That’s not it…”

“Huh?”

“They’re in the middle of a brutal fight.”

“…A fight?”

Baek Cheon looked ahead in bewilderment. The leaders of the four sects were still standing calmly by the river, hands clasped behind their backs.

“Are you saying they’re not fighting with swords but rather in some sort of strategic battle?”

“You could put it that way.”

“You’re saying there’s a strategist in the Black Dragon Stronghold who could hold his own against them?”

“No. It’s not the enemy; it’s the people standing right next to them.”

“Eh?”

Chung Myung looked at the four sect leaders with a twisted grin.

“They’re so caught up in fighting each other that they can’t even see the enemy in front of them.”

“…It doesn’t look that way.”

“The higher-ups always act all dignified on the outside while scheming behind everyone’s backs.”

A hint of disdain crossed Chung Myung’s face as he remembered the past.

‘It was like this back then too. Those damned bastards.’

When the Demonic Cult first surged into the central plains… no, when they began to ravage the borderlands and engulfed the central plains in flames, things might have turned out very differently if the martial world had united against the Demonic Cult.

But the central plains never came together.

On the surface, they appeared united under a common cause to defend against the Demonic Cult, but beneath it all, they were solely focused on minimizing their own losses and securing personal gain.

“Haha. Those guys never change, no matter how much time passes. Ha… ha… ha…”

Chung Myung’s laughter faded gradually from his face.

“Thinking about it pisses me off!”

His eyes flared with fury.

‘Back then, they fought day and night over which sect to send for even the simplest operations. Those damn bastards!’

The more he recalled, the harder his jaw clenched.

If he hadn’t held back back then—if he had just smashed in their skulls without looking back! Instead, he had let it slide, hoping to gain some temporary, pointless glory, and now he was here to see this mess.

If only his senior brother had held him back a little less, he could have crushed them all.

“…What are you mumbling about over there?”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung let out a deep sigh.

“They’ll come to a conclusion soon.”

“Huh? What kind of conclusion?”

“They’re arguing over who gets to lead the charge.”

“…Is that such a big deal?”

“It is.”

Chung Myung nodded emphatically.

“Being the vanguard means you can claim the most merit but also have to bear the greatest risk. It’s a position you’re reluctant to take, but also too valuable to pass up. A subtle, complex, and ambiguous spot, you see?”

“What nonsense. You’re crazy.”

“…As if you’d understand.”

“…”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue at the bewildered Baek Cheon and jerked his chin toward the front.

“Don’t worry. Like I said, this is a preordained decision. No matter how much they argue, there’s only one place to be at the vanguard.”

“Shaolin?”

“No, the Namgung Family.”

“Huh?”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected statement. Jo Gul, speaking for everyone, asked,

“Well… I mean, sure, the Namgung Family isn’t exactly weak, but…”

“With Shaolin and Wudang here, why would the Namgung Family lead the charge?”

“Right.”

It was a reasonable question, and Chung Myung chuckled as he explained.

“If only Shaolin or Wudang were here, then the Namgung Family wouldn’t lead. But with both here, they can. And with Cheongseong present as well, no one but the Namgung Family can take that role.”

“What kind of reasoning is that?”

Jo Gul looked baffled, unable to make sense of Chung Myung’s logic.

But Baek Cheon, frowning slightly, seemed to grasp the underlying meaning of his words.

“…Rather than letting another orthodox sect take the lead, they’d rather give the Namgung Family the chance to earn the merit?”

“Oh, Dongryong, you’re finally thinking!”

Baek Cheon gave a chuckle of disbelief, but Yoon Jong, clearly still puzzled, asked,

“But Shaolin, Wudang, and Cheongseong all belong to the Nine Great Sects, don’t they? They’re friendly with the Five Great Families too, but wouldn’t they prefer their own sect leading? Why reach that conclusion?”

Chung Myung looked at Yoon Jong with mock admiration.

“Ohhh, our senior brother is so innocent and pure-hearted! It’s touching.”

“…Just say it’s naïve, Chung Myung.”

“Senior Brother may not know this, but people can’t stand seeing others succeed. If a complete stranger buys land, you might not care, but if it’s your cousin, it eats you up inside.”

“That’s an awfully cynical view of the world, isn’t it?”

“Then watch.”

Chung Myung pointed ahead again with his chin.

“See if I’m wrong.”

“…”

With doubtful eyes, Yoon Jong looked in the direction Chung Myung indicated.

Just then, the assembled sect members started to move.

“Who is it?”

As everyone focused their attention, the warriors clad in sky-blue uniforms sprinted toward the riverbank.

“It’s the Namgung Family!”

Baek Cheon turned to Chung Myung with a slightly awestruck look.

‘How does this guy predict these things so well?’

“Surprised?”

“…”

“No need to be. Once you understand these guys, anyone can predict their moves.”

With a smirk, Chung Myung took another swig of his drink.

“And look at the head of the Namgung Family. He must have quite the ambition. Look at how eagerly he took the bait. Then again, with the Tang Clan out of the Five Great Families, he probably wants to show that the Five Great Families are still a force to be reckoned with. Haha!”

Listening to him, Baek Cheon let out a quiet sigh.

‘This guy… he’s truly unpredictable.’

By now, everyone in Mount Hua knew that Chung Myung was far smarter than he looked. But no one expected the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families to be so easily read by him.

As they spoke, the battle had already begun to shift.

The Namgung Family’s warriors, now on their ships, raised the anchor in the blink of an eye and sped toward the enemy vessels lined along the opposite shore.

‘They’re quick.’

Baek Cheon was quietly impressed.

They could perhaps match that speed, but such precise coordination was something Mount Hua couldn’t even dream of. It was a testament to the strict training and discipline of the Namgung Family.

‘So that’s the Namgung Family…!’

They truly earned their place among the Five Great Families. The ships with Namgung warriors surged swiftly toward the pirate fleet.

“Are they going for a frontal assault?”

“Even though they’re up against pirates?”

The disciples of Mount Hua watched the Namgung ships charging with astonished eyes.

While there were far more pirate ships ahead, they paled in comparison to the prowess of the Namgung Family’s warriors.

“Won’t they be fine? Their troops are far superior.”

“But if the pirates attack from underwater, won’t they be defenseless?”

Just as Baek Cheon voiced his concerns, some of the pirates leapt into the river, clearly planning to breach the Namgung ships from below.

However, the Namgung Family wasn’t about to be taken so easily.

At the prow of the lead ship, a man climbed onto a lion-headed figurehead.

Shiiiing.

Namgung Hwang, the patriarch of the Namgung Family, drew his sword, his face alight with a terrifying determination.

“Dare to challenge the Namgung Family, you filthy scum!”

He raised his sword high above his head.

Boooom!

An overwhelming aura erupted from his blade, swirling around it like a storm. A milky-white light began to radiate, coating his sword.

“Taaaahp!”

With a powerful slash, his sword swept down.

The single strike unleashed a colossal, house-sized energy wave that soared forward like a cannonball.

Craaaash!

As the terrifying energy wave hit the river, water erupted into the air, creating a chasm that spanned more than a full length across the river.

“What… what the hell was that?!”

“That’s insane!”

The Mount Hua disciples cried out in awe and terror.

“He really split the river with a sword?!”

It was a sight beyond belief.

The milky-white energy wave continued forward, obliterating the ship it struck. Simple wooden vessels were powerless against such a fearsome force.

Boom! Boom!

The first ship exploded into splinters, and the shockwave tore apart two more vessels before finally dissipating.

In a single stroke, he destroyed three ships and left another sinking.

“Aaaaagh!”

“What is this?!”

The terrified cries echoed from the pirates, and even those who had leapt into the water were caught up in the devastation.

Namgung Hwang’s sword strike had stirred the waters into a chaotic vortex. Those who leapt in for an underwater attack were swept away, some of them thrown against the riverbed itself as the water pressure crushed them mercilessly.

Namgung Hwang roared like a wild beast.

“Charge! Show these worthless scum the might of the Namgung name!”

“Yes, Patriarch!”

Without hesitation, the Namgung warriors leapt from their ships and charged into the churning river.

Everyone watching felt chills as they witnessed the sheer might of the Namgung Family.

“…So this is the Namgung Family.”

“The Imperial Sword… Namgung Hwang.”

In that moment, Mount Hua’s disciples saw, with their own eyes, the overwhelming presence of a true master who ruled the martial world.