Chapter 1208: Now The Sect Is Finally Getting Back On Track (3)

“Hyaaaargh!”

Kagagagakang!

Tang Pae’s face contorted. His wrist ached from catching Tang Zhan’s short sword. Glancing at the still-trembling tip of his own short sword, he spoke.

“...You seem unusually strong, huh?”

“Heh heh heh heh, isn’t it obvious, hyung?”

“Obvious?”

“Look. Taoist Baek Cheon’s has finally come to the position of Mount Hua’s Acting Sect Leader, hasn’t it?”

“...No one in the Heavenly Friends Alliance wouldn’t know that, but what does that have to do with your energy?”

“You’re late on this...”

“Huh?”

Tang Zhan said with a meaningful expression.

“Up until now the Heavenly Friends Alliance has had young sect lords like the Namgung Young Lord or Palace Lord Seol, but Taoist Baek Cheon’s case is clearly different.”

“...How is it different?”

“It’s the first case where the predecessor, still in good health, handed over the position.”

Hearing that, Tang Pae tilted his head.

“How is that related to your energy?”

“Oh hyung, you’re the one who will become the next family lord, how can you be so out of touch? This isn’t just Mount Hua replacing its Acting Sect Leader. This marks the start of a generational change across the Heavenly Friends Alliance.”

“Huh?”

Tang Pae narrowed his eyes as if it was nonsense. Tang Zhan chuckled.

“If something similar had happened at another sect it would have stayed that sect’s business, but what happened at Mount Hua won’t stop there. Other sect leaders will inevitably start thinking about the next generation now.”

“So standing out now is important! If you do it right, you could catch the family lord’s eye and snatch an important post in one move!”

Tang Pae, listening dazedly, said with a displeased face.

“Zhan.”

“Yes?”

“...Stop talking rubbish and get back to what you were doing.”

“Hyung.”

“Why?”

“Take a look around. See who’s actually out of touch right now.”

“Huh?”

At Tang Zhan’s nod, Tang Pae glanced around.

“Yaaaargh!”

“Take this!”

The assassin weapons, charged with internal qi somewhat—no, very—excessively, were slashing through the air at ferocious speed.

Of course, throwing oneself into sparring is good, but...

‘They’re off their nut, their eyes are gone.’

Anyone watching those wild eyes could guess the malice within. Tang Zhan’s grin reached Tang Pae’s ear, who was at a loss for words.

“Well... the Young Lord might be right that the family lord won’t mean to do anything by it. But... with all those guys acting like that, can he really just ignore it?”

Cold sweat formed on Tang Pae’s brow.

‘These lunatics...’

It seemed they’d collectively lost their minds.

“Aaaaargh! Did this bastard really stab with his short sword?”

“It’s the one who couldn’t dodge’s fault!”

“Alright! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Tang Pae, stunned, spun and hurried out of the training ground.

“Where are you going?”

“If I stay here any longer, my head’s going to go weird too.”

“Give in and accept it, hyung.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Tang Pae dashed out, pale-faced, and rounded a corner to meet a familiar face. Seeing the other’s expression, he felt both empathy and irritation.

“You too?”

“...Seems your Tang family isn’t playing around either.”

Namgung Do-Wei and Tang Pae sighed deeply facing each other. They held similar positions as Young Lords. Off-duty they were close, like brothers.

“What the hell is up with this Alliance... not a single peaceful day can exist.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Is Namgung Family’s side the same?”

“As you know, after Plum Blossom Island I focused entirely on stabilizing my family, didn’t I?”

“Right.”

“Because of that... we haven’t properly filled positions the elders used to hold...”

Tang Pae closed his eyes. He could roughly guess how things had gone.

“Suddenly these guys start swinging swords in front of me, drawing blades and sparring in the mess hall mid-meal, shouting and training in the dead of night...”

“...They’re even worse there than here.”

“The Tang family’s a bit better, it seems.”

“We don’t have vacancies, so... who knows. What the young lord experiences might be different.”

They both sighed again.

“It’s not a bad thing.”

“Exactly. It’s a good thing.”

Indeed, disciples training passionately and asserting themselves is something any leader would welcome.

“...If only they’d be a bit less extreme.”

“Right.”

The problem was they had no sense of moderation.

Actually, neither the Tang nor the Namgung used to be like this.

Tang Family, dealing with assassins and poisons, was naturally cautious and composed. Namgung Family, as a representative orthodox family, was a symbol of seriousness.

“All of this...”

“It’s because of Mount Hua.”

They sighed together for the third time. No one understood each other better than these two.

“So, are you running away too?”

“What? Running away? I’m on my way to the training ground.”

“...You ran away tho?”

“Ahem. Not exactly. If the Namgung are training, may I observe for a bit?”

“...Be my guest.”

Avoiding Namgung Do-Wei’s slightly odd stare, Tang Pae walked quickly.

“...This way.”

“Yeah! I know!”

On their way to the empty lot opposite the manor, much came into view: Ice Palace warriors sending chills with their blades, Beast Palace warriors showing off muscles shirtless from dawn...

‘They’re the same.’

‘Same kind of lot.’

At this point, couldn’t they all just be merged into one sect?

They only differed in martial arts style; all of them were unhinged.

As they shook their heads, something odd caught their eyes.

“Huh?”

They both tilted their heads at the same time.

The Namgung Family sword disciples, who should have been training by now, were huddled to one side peeking toward the training ground.

“...What are you all doing right now?”

“Ah? Yo-Young Lord!”

The standing sword disciples startled and turned to Namgung Do-Wei.

“I thought you said you were going to train?”

Namgung Do-Wei asked puzzled. He didn’t get angry at those wasting time because their momentum when they left for the training ground had been fierce—like they’d slay a dragon and make stew in an instant...

“W-we can’t go in there.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. You need to see it yourself...”

Namgung Do-Wei pushed through the crowd, tilting his head toward the training ground. At that moment—

“Kuuueeeeeeeek!”

Kwoong! Kwoong! Kwoong! Thud!

Something flew from ahead and crashed to the ground, sprawled out pitifully. Seeing what—or who—it was, Namgung Do-Wei gasped.

“T-taoist Jo Gul!”

Jo Gul lay with his eyes rolled back, foaming white foam at his mouth.

“Is he... dead?”

“Seems like it?”

“Ah, no, what the...”

Flustered, Namgung Do-Wei snapped his head up. And he saw.

Mount Hua’s disciples—the strongest in the Heavenly Friends Alliance and recognized by the world—lay in miserable heaps. And standing among the few survivors was a towering presence of evil.

‘Heav-heavenly Demon...?’

No, that can’t be.

The Mount Hua disciples surrounding the man would rather face a Heavenly Demon than that madman whose eyes had rolled back.

“...What?”

The madman’s mouth opened. From the parting lips, it seemed pale steam seeped out.

“...Martial Hall leader?”

“......”

“Who said someone became ‘Martial Hall leader’?”

Mount Hua’s disciples glared at each other, almost having a fit.

‘Which bastard said that?’

‘Who said the word Martial Hall leader in front of that guy?’

‘I’ll kill them! I’ll definitely kill them!’

Blaming the storm or the downpour is pointless; so is blaming the man’s rampage.

It would be better to find out why that man is freaking out.

But sadly, the cause of that disaster—the reason his eyes rolled back—was already unconscious with a smashed jaw.

“Martial Hall Leader? An Elderrrrr?”

“......”

“If the Acting Sect Leader looks like that, you lot need to snap out of it! You Taoists are blinded by petty gains!”

He wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from Chung Myung made everyone feel sad.

“So you lot decided to ruin Mount Hua completely. What? Who said someone became the Martial Hall Leader? Who? You?”

Of course there was much they’d like to say, but who would openly argue with Chung Myung in the midst of his foaming, eyes-rolled-back fit?

Just as everyone was about to give up,

“Um, er... Chung Myung...?”

Yoon Jong raised both hands to show no hostility and forced an awkward smile. He approached Chung Myung cautiously, like someone reaching toward an angry cat.

“Th-the sasuk didn’t mean anything bad. They were just seriously thinking about the sect’s future and naturally came to... well... yeah. It’s like that! Depending on how you think about it, it’s a good thing, right? Right?”

“So, um... put the sword down and let’s talk, okay?”

‘Good job! Well done, Yoon Jong! You’re shining!’

‘Truly the next Sect Leader!’

Just as everyone lit up with hope and cheered for Yoon Jong—

“...A good thing?”

“Yeah, right. Good...”

Kuuuuuuung!

Thud.

“Oh no, Yoon Jong!”

“How can he be taken down in one blow?”

Even a great Taoist capable of reforming a criminal couldn’t possibly reform a demon resurrected from hell.

Yoon Jong collapsed, twitching in spasms. Gray steam billowed from his head.

“Now Dong-Ryong has become the Acting Sect Leader—how is that a gooood thing?”

Chung Myung glared so hard his eyes showed white and snapped.

“Alright! I’ll make sure you know what a ‘good thing’ is today!”

“Eeeek!”

“Get out! Quickly!”

“Where the hell are you going, you bastards!”

Chung Myung lunged like lightning. But then—

“Hey, you son of a—!”

A loud roar sounded, and suddenly Hyun Jong appeared, beard flying as he ran!

“Sect leeeader!”

“Oh! Sect leader! Why have you come now?”

“That bastard did it! That bastard!”

Pushing past the disciples all shouting complaints, Hyun Jong lunged at Chung Myung and grabbed his ear with a flashy golden hand technique.

“Ouch! Ouch ouch! Sect leader! My ear! My ear!”

This brat! Come here with me!

“Aaaah! Sect leader! My ear is coming off! My ear! Ouch ouch ouch!”

“I said follow me!”

Hyun Jong clutched the ear tightly and dragged Chung Myung away.

Tang Pae, watching as if viewing a play, spoke in a half-dazed voice.

“...Young Lord.”

“Yes?”

“...When were we supposed to leave?”

“Today... tonight.”

“Right. I see.”

They stared into «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the distant sky in silence and quietly murmured.

“Hang in there.”

“...Yes.”

On the road to the Southern Island, the greatest enemy might not be the four Sects Alliance after all. The two men realized that anew.