Nice to See You Again, You Bastard! (2)
"Hmm."
Chung Myung's gaze drifted beyond the cliff.
He swept his eyes once over the people holding the ridge at bay under Jang Il-so's lead, then lowered his gaze to the bottom of the cliff.
Wudang, Namgung, Qingcheng, and even Shaolin.
He could see the stunned faces of the four sect leaders clearly.
"Ohooo?"
Chung Myung grinned, looking almost delighted.
"Well, well. This is turning into a very entertaining situation."
Heo Do-jin-in stared up at him with wide eyes.
Mount Hua?
Why were they here?
Wasn't Mount Hua supposed to be waiting across the river?
He's gone and done whatever he wanted again...!
And yet, this time, instead of anger, he felt so relieved he could have cried. He was certain there would never be another moment—neither in the past nor in the future—when Mount Hua would look this welcome to him again.
"Sect Leader! Mount Hua is...!"
Beop Gye seemed to be thinking the same thing. His face was visibly brightening.
If this had been any other sect, this never would have happened.
No sect in the world would dare unilaterally break an agreement made with Wudang, Shaolin, and Namgung. Even if it had been Zhongnan waiting across the river, if they had promised to stay put, they would not have moved a single step until something major happened.
Those reckless fools...
But this time, thanks to them, they were saved.
Of course, Mount Hua alone could never face the four sects entrenched above. In terms of overall strength, Mount Hua still did not even measure up to the weakest of the Nine Sects.
And yet—
They might be able to act as a stopgap, just long enough to keep the fuse from being lit.
That was enough.
They only needed to buy a moment. Just long enough for the four sects to climb the cliff.
Because those people had ignored the four sects' instructions and moved ahead on their own, an impossible opening had appeared. It was as if a crack had opened in the heavens and offered them a way out.
Never thought we'd be saved by Mount Hua.
Heo Do let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all, then shouted with all the strength in his lungs.
"Mount Hua Divine Dragon!"
"Huh?"
Chung Myung lowered his gaze.
In another situation, Heo Do-jin-in would have called for Chung Myung's withdrawal and summoned Hyun Jong instead, but now there was no time for propriety.
When Chung Myung's eyes met his, Heo Do-jin-in clenched his lips hard. Then he got straight to the point.
"Hold them off! Just for a moment! Only a moment!"
"Huh?"
Chung Myung tilted his head.
"You want me to hold them off?"
"Yes! Just delay them so they can't set off the explosives and blow the cliff apart! Then we'll climb up and deal with them ourselves!"
"Ah, the explosives."
Chung Myung nodded as if he understood. Beop Gye hurriedly picked up where Heo Do-jin-in left off and shouted as well.
"That's right, Mount Hua Divine Dragon! It won't be easy, but if you can just keep them occupied for a little while—"
There was no question that holding all those people at once would not be easy. But for the current Mount Hua, it was not impossible either.
The growth they had tried so hard to keep in check was now, ironically, opening the path that would save them.
"Ah, you want us to fight them and stall for time?"
"Exactly!"
At Heo Do-jin-in's firm answer, Chung Myung suddenly cocked his head to one side.
Huh? Why was he acting like that...?
"Us?"
Beop Gye was taken aback by the bizarre response and spoke up.
"Th-there's no one else from Mount Hua here, is there?"
"So you mean us?"
"......"
"Why?"
Beop Gye was rendered speechless.
Even Heo Do-jin-in, apparently not having expected that either, stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring at Chung Myung with a dazed expression.
"Well, I mean..."
Chung Myung casually scratched at his ear and blew on his fingertip.
"We came here because you told us to just stand back and watch. Then suddenly you want us to fight? That's a little much, don't you think?"
"......Y-you there, Mount Hua Divine Dragon?"
"Don't worry. We'll stay out of your way and watch nicely. We're not some shameless sect that tries to steal other people's credit without reading the room. Now... let's see. Ah, there."
Chung Myung turned around, then received something from behind and snapped it open with a flourish.
Beop Gye's eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck right in front of him.
"A... mat?"
No, what in the world...?
Chung Myung plopped down on the neatly spread mat and patted the side of it.
"Sasuk, Sahyung, sit down too. We found a good spot, so let's watch in comfort!"
"......"
"Why aren't you sitting?"
The faces of Baek Cheon and the others had gone pitch black.
How the hell are we supposed to sit down in this situation, you crazy bastard!
Please just act like a normal human being! Please!
Under normal circumstances they would already have been shouting at him, but with the situation as it was, even the Five Swords could not open their mouths.
No matter how much they had been trained by Chung Myung, how could they possibly act normally with the sect leaders of Wudang and Shaolin and Namgung below them, and the heads of the Five Hegemons of the Jianghu across the way?
Of course, it was easier to find the moments when Chung Myung was in his right mind than the moments when he was off his rocker, but surely not even he would act this casually in a situation like this.
Seeing even Mount Hua's own disciples flustered, Chung Myung merely shrugged. Then he looked down with a perfectly calm expression and asked, "Aren't you going to fight?"
"......"
"The stage is set, so I figure you can go ahead now. Carry on!"
At that moment, Namgung Hwang could no longer contain his fury and roared at the top of his lungs.
"What in heaven's name do you think you're doing, you reckless little brat!"
At that booming shout, Chung Myung frowned sharply and yelled back even louder.
"Why are you shouting like that? I'm just doing what you asked!"
"Was this not a battle against the Sapa? No matter how much ill feeling there is between us, this is a matter where we should naturally cooperate! Is this how Mount Hua and the Heavenly Alliance conduct themselves?"
"Ha."
Chung Myung let out a disbelieving snort and looked down at Namgung Hwang.
"Did we say we didn't want to cooperate? Who was it who came running all the way here to help, only to be told to sit in the back and suck our thumbs?"
"Th-that is...!"
"If we do what we're told, you complain. If we don't, you get angry. Which way are we supposed to dance?"
Namgung Hwang's mouth fell open.
"And you're asking if this is the way of the Heavenly Alliance?"
Chung Myung snorted openly.
"No. This is the way of the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families. Watching the fire burn from across the river. Isn't that right? You people love that, don't you?"
When he finished speaking, Chung Myung glared at Beop Gye. Beop Gye, without realizing it, lowered his eyes.
Of course they should cooperate. If they could help, then of course they should help.
Beop Gye knew better than anyone how worthless and hollow those words were. When Mount Hua had once asked the world for help, they had ignored that request cleanly and without hesitation.
Knowing that history full well, and still demanding cooperation as if it were only natural—how shameless could they be?
"And now what? Cooperation? Coopeeeeration?"
"......"
"Just handle your own mess. We'll be over here watching."
Chung Myung drove the nail in and twisted the corner of his mouth.
Then Hyun Young and Hyun Sang, who had been listening in silence from behind, turned to Hyun Jong with worried faces.
"...Sect Leader."
"I-is this really all right?"
Of course, there was nothing wrong with Chung Myung's words. It was exactly the sort of thing Mount Hua could say.
But no matter how justified the words were, place and timing mattered. Offering salvation in this situation was almost certain to look bad.
And yet Hyun Jong, despite clearly understanding all the circumstances, remained utterly composed.
"Why? Is there anything wrong with what Chung Myung said?"
"It-it's not wrong, but..."
"Then that settles it."
"S-Sect Leader!"
Cold sweat streamed down Hyun Sang's face. The other disciples of Mount Hua looked just as bad, if not worse.
"Do not intervene."
"Pardon?"
"Do not step in. Leave this to Chung Myung."
The one who usually trusted Chung Myung the least and scolded him the most was Hyun Jong. But when the moment came that would decide the fate of the sect, Hyun Jong's attitude changed completely.
Just like now.
No one in the world could possibly think calmly in a situation like this.
As far as Hyun Jong knew, there was only one person in Mount Hua who could.
But Baek Cheon seemed to have a different opinion.
"Ch-Chung Myung."
"Yeah?"
Baek Cheon's face, which had remained composed even while facing Jang Il-so, was now pale as paper.
"W-we have to help."
"Help?"
"Yes! No matter what, we should help."
Chung Myung looked at him with an expression that said, Ah.
"Still, don't you think that's a bit much? We should help, at least..."
"Hm?"
But Chung Myung stared back, eyes wide as though he'd been the one shocked. Taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Baek Cheon trailed off, and Chung Myung muttered, "I knew Dong-ryong was hotheaded, but trying to help the Sapa crush the righteous sects? That's a little... isn't it? I know there's deep grudges here, but there are some things a person should do and some things they shouldn't."
"What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bastard? Of course we should help the righteous sects and smash the Sapa!"
"Huh? Oh, that kind of help?"
Chung Myung grinned.
"Well, that's a problem too... If a mouse and a cockroach are fighting inside your house, which side are you supposed to help?"
"......"
"Personally, I'd prefer it if both of them just died. Hm. Should I let them fight it out?"
This bastard was insane.
Not the casual, admiring insane they had used so often before, but truly, actually insane.
"You crazy bastard! Of course we should help the Sapa!"
"Help the Sapa?"
"The r-righteous sects! The righteous sects, damn it! What the hell am I even saying!"
Baek Cheon's face turned bright red. He was not the sort to make such a blunder under normal circumstances, but right now he could not think straight.
"What are you saying? Does Sasuk like decent people with grudges, or criminals without grudges?"
"Huh? That's..."
"See? It's not such an easy question, is it? Haaa... now I'm having a hard time deciding. Hm..."
"......"
The saddest part was that everyone here could hear every word Chung Myung was saying, loud and clear.
"Hmm."
Then Jang Il-so, who had been silently observing the scene, let out a low hum and spoke.
"Indeed. Mount Hua has no reason to help them."
Chung Myung raised his head and looked at Jang Il-so.
"Mount Hua may or may not have a reason, but the Heavenly Alliance has none. Isn't that right, Mount Hua Divine Dragon?"
A smile was plainly fixed on those red lips. Chung Myung smiled back at him.
"Hey, Jang Il-so."
"Speak, Mount Hua Divine Dragon."
"Shut your mouth."
"......"
Jang Il-so's smooth brow twitched faintly.
"The moment I look at that smirking face, I want to stick a knife right between your brows. So stop babbling and shut that trap before you ruin the whole mood."
Chung Myung growled.
The killing intent rolling off him crossed the broad valley and struck Jang Il-so squarely.
"......"
Not only the Four Hegemons Alliance, but even the four sects below them stared at Chung Myung in stunned silence.
Who in the world would dare speak to Jang Il-so like that? And in a situation like this, no less.
Only Chung Myung. Only the Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
No one else.
Beop Gye realized it then.
The people who had appeared now were neither saviors nor enemies.
They were the sort who could extend a hand of salvation or thrust a blade full of malice.
In other words... the fate of not only the eight sects gathered here, but perhaps the entire martial world, rested on Mount Hua's choice.
And...
Why him of all people! Why him!
The one deciding Mount Hua's stance was none other than that Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
At this moment, the fate of the world was rolling around in the palm of that impossibly unreadable, wildly peculiar man.
Why.
In the end, Beop Gye squeezed his eyes shut.
Chung Myung's snickering laughter drifted faintly into his ears.
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