Chapter 1086: What Sin Did I Commit in My Past Life (Part 1)

"Already back?"

"That's right!"

"Did you say that the Demonic Sect has already been defeated? It hasn't even been four days since departure?"

Tang Sumyeong (當水明) had a bewildered expression on his face.

The fear associated with the name Demonic Sect was deeply ingrained in everyone's bones. Who could be unaware of the fierce war a hundred years ago? If they were martial artists, they would all feel the same way.

Though rarely mentioned, the fear of the Demonic Sect was so deeply ingrained that it was considered taboo to talk about it. But at the very least, one could say that there was no martial artist who didn't know the terrifying and dreadful existence of the Demonic Sect.

However, to have defeated them in just four days, how could one not be surprised?

"Is that possible?"

"Well, come on. Do you really think the entire Demonic Sect came rushing at once? It was probably just a scouting party."

"No, this guy. Are you saying I don't know that? Even if it was a scouting party, it's still the Demonic Sect. Do you not know what kind of place the Demonic Sect is?"

"...I suppose so."

Upon hearing this, Tang Munhyeok shook his head. Even if it was just a scouting party, it was still the Demonic Sect. Moreover, considering that the scouting party had razed Hanghzhou to the ground, it couldn't be simply dismissed as just a scouting party.

"Could it be that scoundrel from the Evil Tyrant Alliance sought help? There are rumors that even the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold suffered greatly at the hands of the Demonic Sect."

"Surely not to that extent..."

"Really, this guy! Would I make things up? It's news that came directly from the Beggars' Union."

"Is that information reliable?"

"Who knows!"

Tang Sumyeong said decisively and nodded slightly.

"But... no matter how much help they got from the Evil Tyrant Alliance, to subdue them in just ten days... What about Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword..."

"It's not just the power of Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. The other members who went with him, the Five Swords, also contributed their strength."

"Right, right. That makes sense."

The faces of the martial artists discussing the matter showed a subtle sense of pride, whether they realized it or not.

Generally, martial artists couldn't be completely happy witnessing the achievements of other sects. The success of another sect meant a relative weakening of their own sect's prestige.

However, the faces of those discussing Mount Hua's recent exploits didn't show even a hint of resentment.

"Indeed, Lord Gaju's foresight is truly remarkable."

"Indeed, that's the case. Who could have imagined that the Mount Hua Sect would come to this state?"

"Of course, the elders and even most people were against it. Honestly, who would have thought of forming an alliance with Mount Hua at that time? We were the prestigious Sichuan Tang Family, and they were a fallen sect."

Everyone unanimously expressed their admiration.

During a time when Mount Hua's status was significantly lower than it was now, the Tang Family formed an equal alliance with the sect. Because the authority of the Lord was so strong in the Sichuan Family, and because the elder's council, who had actively opposed it, had been disbanded, no one was able to openly oppose his decision. But how dissatisfied were they deep down?

However, who would have expected that his choice would lead to such a result?

"At that time, the only person who truly understood the value of Mount Hua in the world was our Lord Gaju."

"Ah! So it's our Lord Gaju."

Pride naturally appeared on the faces of the Tang Family members.

To the Tang Family, Mount Hua was not just another sect or an outsider. They had maintained a relationship with and provided support for Mount Hua since the time when it was unrecognized by the world. As Mount Hua's status rose, it only highlighted the greatness of the Tang Family.

"With this incident, Mount Hua's prestige will rise once again."

"And not only Mount Hua, but the prestige of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and the Tang Family will also rise again."

Tang Munhyeok chuckled.

"These Ten Great Sects, especially that bald monk from Shaolin, must be feeling turned upside down with their stomachs churning for already ten years, thinking about how they rejected Mount Hua back then."

"That's right, that's right!"

The assembled people burst into laughter.

There had never been good feelings towards the Ten Great Sects, especially including Shaolin, since they naturally opposed the Tang Family due to regional characteristics. With the animosity reaching its peak due to the Plum Blossom Island incident, such reactions were still evident.

"But... where are our heroes who accomplished such great deeds and returned? I heard even Lady Soso went."

"Tsk tsk. You're talking nonsense. Naturally, they must be receiving the respect of the higher-ups by now."

"Is that so?"

"Is this an ordinary occurrence? It's not just any place; it's the Demonic Sect. Moreover, it's not just any enemy, but the enemy of enemies, crossing through the treacherous terrain of Gangnam. They've staked a flag and returned. All day and night, they will receive praise and rewards. Isn't that an achievement to be proud of!"

"Hehe. I'm jealous. I wish I could receive praise from Lord Gaju at least once."

"You'll never have that chance in your lifetime, so be careful not to talk nonsense and avoid picking up curses unnecessarily."

"What?"

The atmosphere became lively. While they hadn't personally accomplished the feat, as members of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, it was enough to ignite pride. As soon as they heard the news, they gathered to praise Mount Hua's Chung Myung, the Mount Hua Sect, and those who supported them, keeping them busy with accolades. They had no doubt that those who had achieved this enormous feat were receiving fitting praises.

* * *

And at that moment.

"Lift them up straight."

"...."

"I said lift them up straight."

The heroes of Mount Hua, who had achieved a tremendous feat by infiltrating Gangnam, the stronghold of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, defeating the Demonic Sect members who were massacring civilians, and safely escaping the ruthless Gangnam without any casualties, were... kneeling in a row, raising their arms.

Baek Cheon, who had silently lowered his head, subtly glanced up at Hyun Jong, who was sitting at the head of the table. Seeing the bluish veins bulging on his forehead, Baek Cheon quietly lowered his eyes again.

"I... survived..."

"...."

"What? Did they give you a pirate ship, so you just hopped on it here?"

"...."

"And you tore apart the pirate ship to make a fire for cooking?"

Hyun Jong's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

Of course, the Hyun Jong present here was not the Hyun Jong who couldn't sleep due to his disciples' worries and was constantly on edge.

Upon hearing the news that a burnt pirate ship had been found, he rushed all the way from Namgyeong to the mouth of the river, where the disciples were worried about him, only to hear that they had arrived by a pirate ship and were having a feast. Hyun Jong had just arrived at Gugang after traveling another thousand li. [310 miles...lmao]

"Hehe... Huh. Hahaha...."

As if finding it absurd, Hyun Jong suddenly flipped his eyes.

"Are you bastards even human!"

"Seize him!"

"Stop him!"

As Hyun Jong leaped, Tang Gunak and Hyun Sang, who were tensely watching, also agilely leaped. Grasped by them, Hyun Jong, who was swinging wildly, swept through the air. [nooo...even Sect Leader got Chung Myung-ified...nooooooo]

"I thought the remaining brat would rot and the insides would get all messed up! What? You came riding a pirate ship? Did you tear it apart because you were hungry? You guys are worse than the Evil Sect!"

"Please, calm down, Sect Leader!"

"Oh, Sect Leader! Please be patient! Anyway, they are the ones who made a huge achievement and came back, right?"

"Achievement? Goooonng? What the hell! What? Making achievements? What do you do when you make achievements? There are less people! People!"

Hyun Jong's foot, stretched out with all his might, narrowly passed right in front of Baek Cheon's face. The wind pressure hit Baek Cheon's pale face.

But he couldn't bring himself to move his head back and could only avert his gaze.

'I didn't know...'

Who would have known that Hyun Jong wouldn't wait in Gangnam but wander around the Yangtze River? He thought it would be fine to put a firewood pouch around Gangnam and light it in advance.

He didn't know that while they were warmly making a fire and returning, Hyun Jong would go all the way along Namgyeong.

"No, you... If you're hungry, you can have some food...".

"Shut up, you bastard!"

"Be quiet!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"You don't talk! Don't you dare open your mouth! I'll really kill you!"

The frightened Five Swords fired a barrage of fire at Chung Myung.

"No, did I say something wrong?"

"Shut up!"

Chung Myung, who had been pounded with retorts, pouted.

Unlike Chung Myung, the other Five Swords had nothing to say.

Consider this. You hear the news that your kid, who insisted on playing near the river despite being told he wasn't allowed to, fell into the water. You rush to find the child and search for him all day long, only to later hear that the child is safely playing peacefully at home. How would the parents feel? Surely, their hearts would not remain unaffected?

'Even if it were me, I'd give them a good beating first.'

'Sect Leader is indeed a true Taoist. He let us live.'

Hyun Jong, with livid eyes, turned his gaze towards Un Geom.

"And you! You, this bastard! You!"

Un Geom's head drooped even lower.

"I sent you to be together in case something like this happened! What? Are you eating porridge there, sharing the same fate? Does that go down your throat? Does it?"

Un Geom's forehead was now almost touching the ground. Watching his back, which resembled a snail digging into its shell, the Five Swords couldn't hold back their tears.

'Sasuk.'

'I apologize, Sasuk.'

'Oh dear...'

Un Geom had a mouth too. However, it had completely lost its purpose for speaking now. If only he had stopped by the water's edge and put in one firewood pouch during the leisurely journey up the river, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Missing that simple thing led to the Sect Leader and other disciples, including him, making frequent trips to Namgyeong.

Thinking about how his heart would have burned during the frantic run to Namgyeong...

"I'm sorry."

"God! How can three generations… "

To prevent accidents, he had sent a mixture of Un disciples, Baek disciples, and Chung disciples. However, a situation arose where the three of them did the same thing side by side. At this point, they needed to seriously consider whether the sect was cursed.

Of course, Un Geom also had a reason to feel unjust. Still, the reason he couldn't say a word was because there were others here who were even more unjustly treated.

"Even Sogaju wouldn't do such a thing!"

"What?"

Suddenly hit by a flying ember, Namgung Dowi widened his eyes. He had been sitting in the corner, carefully kneeling.

"If the members of the group are doing crazy things, shouldn't you stop them first! Still, how can the Sogaju of the Namgung family do the same thing as these bastards!"

Namgung Doyi's eyes grew even wider.

"Me?"

"Of course!"

"These people?"

"That…"

"Me?"

"...."

"Me?"

The soul seemed to drain from Hyun Jong's face. Just by observing his reaction, he felt like he could understand what Namgung Dowi had seen and experienced.

Chung Myung then opened his mouth as if he could not understand this situation at all.

"No, I just told you to take care of yourself and to wait without worrying. Has Sec Leader gotten older now? You're worrying too much for no reason."

"...."

"Anyways, everyone came back safely, so it's ok. Isn't that right?"

At that moment, everyone present saw it.

Hyun Jong's face, which had been staring blankly at Chung Myung, gradually changed and eventually contorted into an expression akin to a sinister assassin.

It was undoubtedly a sight that the disciples of Mount Hua had never seen before. It was also a moment when the word 'flee' forcefully flashed in their minds.

"Aaargh! You rascals!"

Hyun Jong, who finally exploded, shook off Tang Gunak and Hyun Sang who had grabbed his arms, and rushed towards the Five Swords.

In the distant future... Hyun Sang recalled seeing the devil there.