Chapter 240
Chapter 240
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: Green Forest Enters Shaanxi
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cheonhwi gazed up at the clear blue sky.
It had already been twenty days since his arrival at Mount Hua.
The sweltering summer had passed, and autumn was slowly settling over the mountain.
As he savored the sunlight, which now felt pleasantly warm rather than scorching.
Whoosh―
A refreshing cool breeze blew in from somewhere, lightly brushing his cheek.
"Hmm, what nice weather."
Feeling invigorated, Cheonhwi whistled a tune as he lowered his head and smacked his lips.
"Right?"
But there was no reply to his question.
And rightly so, for the disciples on the ground were too busy groaning like frogs sprawled out.
"Ugh......"
"S-Stop......"
Cheonhwi continued humming cheerfully at the sight of them and picked up his sword.
"Rest time's over, so let's get up."
No sooner had he spoken than the disciples on the ground began wriggling like earthworms, struggling to rise.
It was an instinctive reaction.
"Ugh......"
"All right, then......"
As Cheonhwi opened his mouth toward the disciples who had risen with short groans.
"H-Hall Leader! Martial Uncle!"
A loud shout came from afar.
Looking toward the source, he saw Jeokun sprinting over, almost on all fours.
What is it?
Sensing something urgent from his frantic appearance, Cheonhwi smacked his lips.
"Why are you calling?"
"R-Right now, the Sect Leader is summoning you and the Martial Training Pavilion Lord!"
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
That alone didn't warrant such urgency.
But with Jeokun's next words, Cheonhwi understood why he had come running so desperately.
"R-Right now, Green Forest has entered Shaanxi!"
"Green Forest?!"
"Why Shaanxi...... No way......"
The disciples' faces subtly hardened.
No one had expected Green Forest to come so openly.
As their brows furrowed.
'Oh? Coming in person?'
Cheonhwi twisted one corner of his mouth.
Green Forest and the Great Silver Merchant Guild would later become major obstacles for Mount Hua Sect.
He had planned to deal with them eventually.
'Didn't expect them to come deliver themselves.'
At that moment, Hyeonyang, who had been meditating, shot to his feet and asked Jeokun.
"Where do we go?"
"Everyone's gathered at the Cloud Amidst Pavilion right now."
Jeokun answered swiftly, as if waiting for the question.
"Got it."
Hyeonyang nodded and moved out immediately.
Cheonhwi watched Hyeonyang dash off into the distance, then addressed the disciples.
"Everyone, meditate and make full preparations. We might have to fight Green Forest."
With that, Cheonhwi unleashed his movement technique to follow Hyeonyang.
Upon arriving at the Cloud Amidst Pavilion, he could already hear the buzz inside.
"......Their target is likely Mount Hua Sect."
A familiar voice rang out.
'Jingae? Did the Beggars' Sect inform us?'
Cheonhwi quickened his pace.
Thud― Thud―
The pavilion fell silent at the sound of footsteps, all eyes turning toward them.
The Mount Hua Sect elders spotted Cheonhwi and Hyeonyang and stared blankly.
"You've arrived?"
Hyeonyang and Cheonhwi nodded once at the Sect Leader's slightly subdued voice and strode forward.
In the past, they would have made a fuss about Cheonhwi meddling in such matters.
But things were different now.
Cheonhwi was now in overall command of Mount Hua's military forces.
Moreover, everyone had some inkling of his prowess, so they quietly watched him.
Hyeonyang sat first, and Cheonhwi followed, taking an empty seat.
"So, what's the exact situation?"
"We were just about to hear the details."
The Sect Leader glanced at Jingae beside him.
"Speak."
"Understood."
Jingae swallowed and began.
"This morning, we confirmed that the Green Forest Lord entered Shaanxi with his subordinates."
"The Green Forest Lord......"
Groans rippled through the room.
In the past, Green Forest was merely a gathering of bandits, nothing noteworthy.
But now, it was different.
It had grown into a force rivaling the Five Emperor Gates or the Nine Great Sects.
And at its core was the Green Forest Lord.
As most of the gathered elders wavered at the name, the Sect Leader calmly spoke.
"Have you grasped the number of subordinates?"
His sunken eyes continued.
"I heard the Green Forest Lord is staying at Mount Heng Stronghold. The fact that we only learned of it upon entering Shaanxi suggests he's moving with a minimal elite force. Or am I wrong?"
Jingae looked at Hyeonsang in surprise.
'He figured it all out in that short time?'
Normally, one would be intimidated by the elders and lose clarity in judgment.
But Sect Leader Hyeonsang remained cool-headed.
Jingae nodded vigorously.
"You're correct, Sect Leader. The Green Forest Lord is moving secretly with a small group of elites."
"How many?"
"We haven't fully confirmed yet, but...... we estimate at least over a hundred."
"At least over a hundred......?"
The Sect Leader's brow furrowed.
It was more than expected.
Then Jingae added gravely.
"And...... all the Green Forest Four Kings are included among them."
"......!"
"All Four Kings?!"
Everyone erupted in shock.
The Green Forest Four Kings were said to possess enough skill to lead the main stronghold in the Lord's absence.
The Sect Leader's expression crumpled.
Bringing all Four Kings meant they were staking everything on this move.
At that moment, Cheonhwi spoke up.
"So, where are they?"
His eyes had turned icy.
"If we just learned they've entered Shaanxi, they've probably come quite far already."
Jingae bit his lip.
"Likely...... they'll reach Huayin County by tonight."
"Tonight......?"
As everyone voiced their dismay.
Bam!
Hyeonheo slammed the table and shouted.
"Did the Beggars' Sect not know until now?!"
At Hyeonheo's scolding, Jingae shrank back, sweat pouring.
Seeing muscles rippling powerfully beneath his robes, he bowed his head immediately.
"S-Sorry!"
"Even so......"
As Hyeonheo was about to explode.
"Sit down."
The Sect Leader's low voice cut in.
"But Sect Leader, with Green Forest coming so suddenly, how are we supposed to......"
"I said sit."
Hyeonheo trembled with clenched fists at the icy tone, then sat.
His face, full of lingering discontent, was red as a ripe apple.
As the commotion subsided, the Sect Leader quietly asked Jingae.
"Then, is there support from the Alliance?"
"W-We did request it, but given the suddenness, I'm not sure if it'll arrive in time......"
Jingae trailed off apologetically.
"I see."
The Sect Leader closed his eyes.
No middling sect could support against Green Forest.
It would take at least one of the Nine Great Sects.
Even the nearest Jongnam Sect would need four or five days.
By the time aid arrived, it would all be over.
A bitter smile formed.
He understood the Murim Alliance's limitations, but it still grated.
The other elders felt the same, their faces grim.
"So, no support, then?"
Unlike the others who hesitated, Cheonhwi asked bluntly.
Jingae answered with difficulty.
"Y-Yes......"
"What? They said they'd help unconditionally in danger, but that's all empty talk."
"The situation was urgent......"
"So?"
Cheonhwi's tone grew colder.
"In the end, they failed to keep their promise. Not detecting Green Forest sooner is where it all started."
Cheonhwi gazed indifferently at Jingae.
"If this keeps up, I wonder if Mount Hua even needs to stay in the Murim Alliance...... What do you think?"
Color drained from Jingae's face.
It sounded like they might withdraw from the Alliance any moment.
Then the Sect Leader intervened.
"Enough. That's not the priority now."
As Cheonhwi's sharp gaze shifted to the Sect Leader, Jingae sighed in relief.
"We'll address that later."
The Sect Leader's cold words stabbed like thorns into Jingae's chest.
Jingae's face twisted.
'I'm not even here representing the Alliance.'
He had come to relay info from the Beggars' Sect, not the Alliance.
Yet here he was, getting chewed out over it, nearly in tears.
Regardless of Jingae's feelings, Mount Hua was in peril.
The Sect Leader rose.
With resolute eyes, he declared firmly.
"Assemble all the disciples."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Green Forest Lord looked up at the sky-high Mount Hua and smacked his lips.
"Quite high."
"And steep too. Kahaha."
A ragged-looking old man beside him burst into mad laughter.
"Now we can rampage, Chief?"
"Qilian Elder!"
At that moment, Jang Ho-un, the white-clothed ghost-masked aide to the Green Forest Lord, shouted at him.
"Aigoo, my ears are ringing, old man."
Qilian Elder dug at his ear nonchalantly despite the rebuke.
"What a filthy loud voice."
Jang Ho-un's face twisted at Qilian Elder's unchanged attitude.
But he soon composed himself and spoke calmly.
"How can a subordinate address the Chief so lightly?"
Qilian Elder smirked.
"Heh heh, such formalities don't matter between the Chief and me. Right?"
The Green Forest Lord laughed back.
"Haha, exactly."
"See? It's fi―!"
Laughing Qilian Elder widened his eyes.
An intense presence emanated from the Green Forest Lord's gaze upon him.
"You know what happens if you cross the line."
"......Would I be crazy enough to?"
Qilian Elder stepped back.
"My life's too precious."
"Good that you know."
The Green Forest Lord scanned the surroundings after the exchange.
"Have Impartial Blade and Jing Gate Slaughter Ghost not arrived yet?"
"We received word from Jing Gate Slaughter Ghost that they're almost here. As for Impartial Blade......"
Jang Ho-un's eyes darkened.
"He seized the rear."
"Huhu. Good, very good."
A smile crept across the Green Forest Lord's lips.
"Then preparations elsewhere are complete."
"Yes."
Jang Ho-un replied with a cold smile.
"The day has finally come."
The Green Forest Lord spread his arms wide.
As if grasping the world, his sunken eyes gleamed.
"For hundreds of years, we've been scorned as mere bandits...... The days of not being treated as true members of the martial world end now."
Over a hundred Green Forest bandits behind him burned with fierce resolve.
The Green Forest Lord looked up.
His gaze fixed on Mount Hua.
Towering peaks.
Many swordsmen within.
And today, those swordsmen would dye Mount Hua red with blood.
"Hahaha!"
The Green Forest Lord let out a roar of laughter.
The onlookers gazed at him with reverence.
After laughing long, he stopped abruptly and spoke slowly.
"Time to show the world Green Forest's power. Leave not a single blade of grass on Mount Hua. Sweep it all away."