Return of Mount Hua Sect

Thud!

As the Black Dragon King climbed the last of the stairs, he glared at Jang Ilso with the intensity of an angry tiger.

“You little brat… look at this. I cannot believe I came all the way to Hangzhou to have fun.”

If it were an ordinary person, just looking into those eyes would make their heart stop. But the opponent here was Jang Ilso.

Drip.

Even after seeing the harsh gaze, he calmly filled the glass and smiled.

“Please sit down.”

“…”

“Wasn’t the reason you came this far to have a conversation?”

“Hahaha!”

Jang Ilso smiled broadly as he faced the Black Dragon King and slowly rubbed his neck. The jewelry hanging on his wrist jingled lightly.

“I never thought my neck would be worth this much. The Black Dragon King of the world personally coming for it. Seems like I, Jang Ilso, didn’t live in vain.”

The Black Dragon King’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Jang Ilso speaking softly.

‘Fucking snake.’

Living as part of the Evil Faction meant dealing with all the situations of the world. That was because, unlike the Justice Faction, which tried to maintain at least a justifiable cause on the outside, the Evil Faction didn’t choose or care about the method to defeat an opponent.

Those who were the leaders of the Shenzhou Five Clans were people who had risen to their positions by breaking using their arms and legs through a world no ordinary person could imagine.

But…

The Black Dragon King’s eyes were cold as he looked at Jang Ilso.

This man was of a different class from those people.

The 18 River Families along the Yangtze River, the 72 Bandits of the Green Forest, and the Lower District Sect.

All of these sects had their own history. The leaders of the Shenzhou Five Clans of the time were those who inherited or usurped power passed down from their predecessors. Of course, they would never say that the process was easy, but it was definitely different from climbing up from the bottom.

But that wasn’t Jang Ilso.

This man literally climbed up from the bottom, recruited 100,000 followers, and even raised the level of the Shenzhou Five Clans.

That was why, even though Jang Ilso was the youngest of the five leaders and lacked experience, no one could laugh at him or say anything.

He felt his stomach twist as he thought about what was being hidden behind the bright and smooth smiles.

“Now that I know your head is valuable, I wouldn’t feel particularly unfair if it were cut.”

“It isn’t that difficult to give my neck.”

“…”

Jang Ilso smiled and continued speaking.

“But how do you plan to stop those Justice Faction bastards who are destroying the Yangtze River by cutting off my head?”

“… you!”

Killing intent rose in the Black Dragon King’s eyes.

“True.”

He quickly turned his gaze to the voice that came from right next to him.

‘Just when…?’

A middle-aged man with an ordinary look had shown himself suddenly.

Although his goatee looked quite unique, it wasn’t particularly noticeable. A middle-aged man with the utmost ordinary appearance, someone you would pass by 10 times a day but never care about.

“Anyone can raise their voice. But solving the problem is a different matter.”

“… Thousand Faced Scholar.”

The Black Dragon King bit his lip.

No one knew this man’s real name.

No one even knew what the real face of this person was.

The face they were seeing now was one created by the man. If he put his mind to it, he could disguise himself as anything and even change his voice and body shape to whatever he wanted.

The reason was simple.

It was because this man, the Thousand Faced Scholar, was the leader of the Lower District sect.

“Can I get you a drink?”

Jang Ilso silently grabbed the empty glass next to him and placed it in front of him.

Swish.

He picked up the bottle and filled the glass, then lightly pushed it toward the Thousand-Faced Scholar.

Even though it moved through the air, not a single drop of alcohol spilled because of how he pushed it.

The Thousand-Faced Scholar, who received the cup, drank it down without delay and placed it back on the table with a loud sound.

“Good. Is it an alcohol of your choice?”

The Black Dragon King sneered softly,

“Normally, you hold your breath and pretend to be cautious, like a rat in a cat’s den, but you gulp down alcohol offered by others?”

“If it was a cup handed by the Black Dragon King, I might have thrown it.”

“… What?”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar smiled to make himself seem approachable.

“But you can trust the alcohol given by the Hegemony Lord. At least he isn’t someone who covets something small and loses big in return.”

“Thank you for the high regard.”

“It was nothing.”

“You people…”

The Black Dragon King, filled with anger, trembled from his beard to his gritted teeth.

The Thousand-Faced Scholar looked at him, still smiling.

“The Black Dragon King needs to tone down his anger a bit. Isn’t the person in the most urgent need of help the Black Dragon King?”

“Are you looking down at me now?”

“As if I would.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar shook his head.

At the same time, his expression changed. A face that looked so soft and generous a moment ago now had eyes sharpened like blades, focused on the Black Dragon King.

“It means that the situation isn’t that good. If one is going to act recklessly, don’t get in my way and just move out.”

“You fucking rat!”

At the moment when the Black Dragon King was about to burst into anger, the Thousand Faced Scholar spoke to Jang Ilso.

“The Green Forest King didn’t come… right?”

“He is useless.”

“Right.”

Thousand-Faced Scholar nodded as if he understood.

He was the leader of the Lower District Clan, and it was a place that divided the world’s information with the Beggars Union. There was no way someone like him didn’t know that the Green Forest had sided with the Heavenly Friends Alliance.

“Still, I thought it would be as such, but I didn’t think he would move like a dog on a leash. Isn’t it because the Hegemony Lord harassed him too much?”

This was a reference to the war between the Ten Thousand People Clan and Green Forest in the past.

“If that’s all he can do, it cannot be helped.”

Jang Ilso smiled.

“And it isn’t necessarily my fault. If the Thousand-Faced Scholar hadn’t pointed the dagger at my back, I wouldn’t have done that either.”

“If that is the case, we would have been the next ones. Or maybe the bandits would have moved to the South.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar chuckled.

The Evil Faction was that kind of place.

A free-for-all fight.

Yesterday’s enemy became today’s friend, and yesterday’s friend turned into today’s enemy.

To begin with, there were no friends in the Evil Faction. Even when they joined forces and fought, there was only one enemy and another enemy. If there was someone going to war, of course, one should target them. It wasn’t cowardice to aim for weakness; it was complacency not to do so.

Therefore, the five clans only fought at times while protecting their land. If you waged a war properly, someone would definitely come after you.

“Then where else?”

“I sent the letter.”

“Hmm.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar shook his head.

“I guess there is no point in waiting any longer. So, why did the Hegemony Lord call us?”

The Black Dragon King changed his look.

“I have never said I would listen.”

“Then go, Black Dragon King. We won’t stop you.”

The Thousand-Faced Scholar clicked his tongue.

“There is no point in fighting for dominance here. Everyone’s feet are on fire right now. No, maybe it’s as if a dagger is already at their throats. And…”

The eyes of the Thousand Face Scholar looked at the Black Dragon King like daggers.

“The pirates know that better than anyone else.”

“…”

The Black Dragon King bit his lip.

“So? Are you saying those smart guys are going to get together and play?”

“Then it would be an invaluable position for us.”

The Black Dragon King turned as he heard this unfamiliar voice.

A person came walking up slowly.

There was no expression on the face that was soon revealed.

He couldn’t feel any emotion at all, and the skin was pale, not just bloodless. But rather, that placed pressure on them.

The man in the blue robe spoke in a cold voice as he reached the top floor.

“What’s important is what benefit you get from the position. If you aren’t going to play, it is meaningless.”

“… damn bastard.”

The Black Dragon King criticized, but the Thousand Face Scholar just nodded.

Of course, the benefits he thought of and the benefits the other thought of would be different. Because the one who divided everything in the world into benefits and losses had come.

Not everyone in the Evil Faction was faithful to their desires.

Sometimes they endured for something bigger, and sometimes they hid and disguised themselves to set a perfect trap.

But this man was different. In his mind, there was only gain.

Of course, countless people in the world were insane for money. Naturally, merchants were obsessed with money. Those people were willing to sell their souls for dazzling gold and were willing to go a thousand miles to get it done. Therefore, merchants were often called Money Ghosts.

But those who truly knew the inner thoughts of the world did not use the word ‘Ghost’ to refer to such people. Because there were people who were really insane for money.

Those who would do anything for money.

Those who followed the principles of the world risked their lives for gold, but those who mocked these principles risked their lives for real gold.

Gold was a luxury item.

The gold that truly controlled people wasn’t gold, but salt.

Therefore, in any country, it was common for merchants not to trade in salt. Because touching salt was considered treason.

Black ghosts risked all danger to touch that salt.

The Black Ghost Fort.

And this person was none other than the Desolate Gold Elder, Gong Ya-Wol.

Ten Thousand People Clan, Lower District Clan, Yangtze River 18 Families, and Black Ghost Fort.

The leaders of four of the five clans had gathered on the top floor of the tower in Hangzhou.

If anyone who knew of Kangho even slightly had seen this scene, they wouldn’t have been able to breathe.

“Money ghost…”

When the Black Dragon King was about to say something, the man briefly waved his hand.

“Stop talking nonsense, Black Dragon King. I am a busy person. Let’s hear the business first.”

“…”

“Hegemony Lord. Tell us why you called us here. If you speak nonsense, you will have to pay a heavy price. The sin of wasting my time is the greatest.”

The Hegemony Lord responded with an odd smile.

“If there is one thing that the elder lack, it is style and leisure.”

“Anything that doesn’t make money is of no use to me.”

“Please sit down.”

The elder glanced at Jang Ilso but didn’t object. He just sat across silently.

Thousand Face Scholar also hurried over and sat down in the place provided. The Black Dragon King, who was standing till the end, stomped over with an unhappy look and roughly pulled out the chair. He then growled before sitting down.

“I won’t leave you alone if you speak nonsense, Jang Ilso.”

“Nonsense…”

Jang Ilso smiled, lightly stroking the glass in front of him with a gentle hand.

“Face is important.”

His gaze landed on the Black Dragon King.

“Surely money is precious.”

This time, he looked at the elder.

“It is no exaggeration to say that there is nothing more important than information.”

Finally, Jang Ilso, who gave the Thousand Face Scholar a look, filled the glass.

Pour.

The sound of pouring alcohol spread around the quiet floor.

“But all of that….”

Jang Ilso, holding the glass, twisted his lips into a smile. It was a clear look of ridicule, just like before. Jang Ilso’s eyes, which drew a line, shone in the pale moonlight.

“Isn’t it a story about when the throat is being targeted?”

The atmosphere on the top floor suddenly turned cold as ice.