Return of the Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1361: You Really Are Generous, After All. (1)

“This way.”

Yu Gong said in a slightly hoarse voice and turned to look back. Then he unconsciously bit his lip.

He only said, ‘This way,’ without even gesturing, yet Ho Ga-Myung naturally turned his body toward the correct direction.

As if he had perfectly interpreted the sign even before the words were spoken.

Yu Gong felt unbearably awkward about the situation.

It wasn’t fear that Ho Ga-Myung understood the signs known only to Southern Island.

No matter that Southern Island’s swordsmanship was the medium; the rest was a matter of interpretation. By seeing them repeatedly, understanding which sword marks correspond to which directions wouldn’t be difficult.

The reason Yu Gong felt uneasy was that his value was steadily diminishing. If Ho Ga-Myung came to fully interpret Southern Island’s signs, he would be useless.

Then what would Ho Ga-Myung be like at that point?

“You look deep in thought.”

At Ho Ga-Myung’s words, Yu Gong flinched and turned back. His face remained expressionless, making it hard to read his thoughts.

“Worried you’ll be discarded when you outlive your usefulness?”

The remark struck a nerve in Yu Gong.

“No need to think that. If someone uses people and then discards them when they’re useless, that’s more the Justice faction than the Evil Sect.”

Yu Gong flinched and watched Ho Ga-Myung again. Even though he had never said those thoughts aloud, Ho Ga-Myung seemed to see right through him.

“The Evil Sect doesn’t throw people away.”

“...You mean you people?”

“It’s obvious. You may divide people into useful and useless, but in the Evil Sect there is no such distinction. More than half are trash anyway.”

Yu Gong fell silent. He didn’t know how to respond.

“So even if someone is trash, if they show effort there’s no reason to discard them. Even if they’re traitors to the Justice faction.”

“...Am I supposed to be grateful?”

When Yu Gong asked, a faint smile flickered at Ho Ga-Myung’s mouth.

“A strange reaction.”

“...”

“It was you who chose betrayal. No one forced you.”

Yu Gong bit his lip hard.

“If you want something, shouldn’t you only think about how to get that one thing? If you bother considering every other nuisance, you’ll lose everything.”

Ho Ga-Myung nodded toward the front.

“So stop wasting thoughts and focus on your task. Your usefulness is decided by me, not you.”

“...Understood.”

Yu Gong sighed and was about to quicken his pace again.

“And.”

“...Yes?”

Swoosh!

Ho Ga-Myung’s flying strike brushed past Yu Gong’s cheek. The blade-like force left a long torn wound on his face.

Drip.

Red blood ran down his cheek and fell from his chin.

“If you’re going to do it, do it properly. If you find something out, don’t hide it—report it. For example, you might note their headings are slightly skewed, suggesting a new destination, or that the spacing of their marks has tightened, implying their movement has slowed.”

“...”

“You just report what you’ve learned. Interpretation is my job.”

Yu Gong squeezed his eyes shut.

“...Understood.”

“Increase the pace.”

Yu Gong gritted his teeth and moved forward. A strange look of contempt and sneer flashed across Ho Ga-Myung’s face.

‘Pathetic.’

Yu Gong was an inexcusable traitor.

Maybe at first he acted to save others, but now he was reliably trading his comrades to survive. Yet he still pretended some shred of conscience remained.

From the moment he betrayed his sect and sold out his comrades, discussing conscience was meaningless.

Ho Ga-Myung, who had been staring at Yu Gong’s back, soon lost interest. He was nothing but a hunting dog; there was no need to probe his psyche.

‘The important thing is them.’

The enemies’ movements had shifted subtly, but still within expectations. That meant they hadn’t yet noticed they were following Southern Island’s marks and interpreting them.

‘No, even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.’

With Jang Ilso already in motion, their fate was set. Ho Ga-Myung’s task was merely to buy Jang Ilso a little more time.

Having ordered everyone to increase speed, Ho Ga-Myung pushed off the ground and moved forward.

❀ ❀ ❀

Elder Hyung, the village head of Xingjian Village, watched the sinking sun. Beside him, Hyung Euk, who had been watching too, spoke softly.

“Looks like not today.”

At that, Elder Hyung looked at Hyung Euk blankly. Sensing the meaning in his father’s gaze, Hyung Euk bowed his head deeply.

“It’s time to start unpacking slowly.”

“Father. Not yet...”

“Are you still clinging to hope?”

Hyung Euk lowered his head even further. Though his gesture suggested obedience, his voice still held lingering hope.

“Only a few days have passed. You know it wouldn’t be strange if it took not ten days but a month to come from the Northern lands to here, don’t you?”

“That’s talk for simple folk like us. Would those riverland men who can cross a river in a single bound or leap a mountain when they will take more than ten days to get here?”

“I hear that the Four Sects Alliance has control over that river. So crossing it...”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Elder Hyung clicked his tongue before Hyung Euk finished. At that, Hyung Euk let out a deep sigh.

“Why are you being so foolishly sentimental?”

“...”

“Of course I’m grateful. If not for them I wouldn’t be alive now, and the villagers would have suffered. How could words express that gratitude?”

Hyung Euk nodded at that. A life saved can’t be repaid by anything.

“But, my son, you mustn’t expect more than that.”

“...”

“Not because they’re bad—they are unparalleled saints. But people are naturally such.”

“Those people were different.”

The old man shook his head at Hyung Euk’s words.

“Even an ordinary person would help a rabbit fallen into a snake’s hole at first sight.”

“...”

“But they won’t go out of their way to follow the rabbit to check for injuries and secure a living for it. Isn’t that only natural?”

“But...”

“To such people, folk like us are exactly that rabbit. They may be charitable if we appear before them, but they have no reason to spend time protecting or supporting us.”

“Father, those people...”

“Why can’t you understand? It’s not that they’re bad; that’s just how the world is.”

“...”

“So stop it now. The villagers are failing to do their work because of pointless hopes. To settle your heart in a place that may soon be left is not easy. Your expectations could poison the village.”

Hyung Euk looked at his father with a complex, indescribable feeling.

His father had been the head of Xingjian Village for decades—before he was born, when he was young and ignorant of the world, and up till now.

So his view of the world was far deeper than his son’s.

But Hyung Euk, who would normally bow and accept his father’s judgment, couldn’t easily give in on this matter.

“I understand what you’re saying, Father, and I know it makes sense.”

“...”

“But... Father. Those people were truly different. I...”

A deep sigh escaped Hyung Euk. He still wanted to believe the people’s promise to help the villagers move to the Northern Lands.

“Please wait a little longer. Something will surely happen.”

“Hmm.”

Elder Hyung cast a pitying look at his son.

Everyone harbors such hopes at times—yearning upon hearing tales of heroes who save the helpless.

He too had told Hyung Euk stories of legendary wandering heroes when he was young, saying he should grow up to be like them.

But the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

‘In the end it’s poison...’

Stories are just stories. If such people were common—or even a few existed—the world wouldn’t be so harsh.

But Elder Hyung could say no more.

Once hope is abandoned, all that remains for the villagers are days of silent survival under the brutal rule of the Four Sects Alliance.

How easy is it to tell those who cling to dreams in hard times that their dreams are worthless?

So he could only wait for the villagers to give up and accept reality.

The old man said with a sigh.

“Yes. Do that. But... you can’t just sit idle forever, so it’s time to...”

It was at that moment.

“Vi-village head! Hey, Hyung Euk!”

Suddenly the door flew open and a burly man rushed in, panting.

“Wha—what’s the matter?”

“Has something happened?”

“Th-they’re here! They’re here!”

“They?”

“No, um...”

The man who entered was so surprised he stammered, then, frustrated, pounded his chest.

“Ah, you know—the ones you’ve been waiting for!”

“Waiting? I mean the people coming from the Northern Lands...”

“Yes! The ones who called them!”

Though his words came out jumbled, Hyung Euk immediately understood.

“Are you saying those wandering heroes who visited before have returned?”

“Right! Right!”

“Why would they?”

“They’re right out front now!”

“Huh?”

Hyung Euk blinked in confusion, and the man, impatient, raised his voice again.

“I’m telling you they’re back! They’re out front looking for you! What are you standing around for? Go see!”

Unable to contain his impatience, the man grabbed Hyung Euk’s arm and pulled him.

“Th-they’re here?”

“I said they are!”

“Get out of the way!”

Snapping awake, Hyung Euk shoved the man aside and dashed out. At the village entrance he indeed saw a few figures.

“Ah...”

For a moment he almost didn’t recognize them—their appearance had changed so much since the first meeting.

At first they had seemed neat and heroic, but now they looked haggard, as if they’d endured unimaginable hardship.

But their eyes were unchanged from the first time.

“Hey there.”

The slightly smaller man standing beside the tall fellow smirked and waved.

“Mister, have you been well?”

“H-heroes!”

Color returned to Hyung Euk’s face.

His father’s words were wrong. They hadn’t forgotten the villagers—that’s why they had come back.

“Excuse me, could we possibly have a meal?”

Taken aback by the sudden request, Hyung Euk nodded eagerly.

“Of course! Naturally we’ll have you! Come inside. I’ll have them prepare it right away!”

“Really?”

“Of course. Who would skimp on grain for lives they saved?”

“Well... they have fairly large appetites; is that alright?”

“Absolutely!”

“They really eat a lot.”

“No problem at all.”

As Hyung Euk answered, the slightly smaller man, Chung Myung, turned and said.

“It’s fine! Everyone, come out.”

As soon as he finished, a group of warriors emerged from the woods behind them.

The men who approached hesitated but counted at least over a hundred by rough estimate. Hyung Euk’s mouth fell open.

“...Is that okay?”

“...”

“Ha. You really are generous. We’ll eat well.”

Hyung Euk was speechless for a while. Chung Myung’s face felt... maddeningly infuriating.