Return of the Mount Hua Sect Chapter 674

揟hank you for enduring the hardships to reach the top of this rugged mountain. Had I known it would be this challenging, I might have considered opening this in Hwa-Um village. But, I suppose I wasn抰 fully aware.

Laughter echoed from sowhere.

Normally, laughter in such a context would earn sharp looks, but no one said anything.

Because this wasn抰 a eting ant to intimidate.

The person setting this tone was Hyun Jong. If he had intended to create an intimidating atmosphere, those gathered would have been cautious even to cough.

But Hyun Jong looked at them as if he were embracing them all.

慣olerate.

Tang Gunak smiled faintly.

Such an atmosphere could never exist within Sichuan Tang. No matter how hard he tried to foster a gentle environnt, his family would still tremble in fear.

Was it because the title of Mount Hua抯 Sect leader was seen as inferior to that of Sichuan Tang?

No, that couldn抰 be it.

Even if that were the case, the prestige of being the leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance surpassed that of the Tang family. Yet, the reason such a relaxed atmosphere was possible was because Hyun Jong possessed sothing beyond re intimidation from his position.

The alliance抯 inception was thanks to Chung Myung and Tang Gunak. But without Hyun Jong, the alliance would have been far from complete.

Tang Gunak sotis looked at Hyun Jong and realized that strength isn抰 everything.

揑 am deeply moved to see so many people gathered here today. Just a couple of years ago, I would have never imagined a day when so many would visit Mount Hua.

At those words, the people frowned slightly in discomfort.

慔e isn抰 wrong, but厭

慏o we not know what kind of place this was?

Of course, most who ca here today were curious about what Mount Hua had beco, not just the sect but its disciples as well.

Whatever the situation was, this wasn抰 a place to take guests but rather a place to declare the start of the Heavenly Friends Alliance. Then, those words were not right to start this.

Questions about the nature of Hyun Jong began to sprout in their minds, but Hyun Jong continued to speak.

揂s you all know, Mount Hua is not a great sect. To be honest, it did not stand out, and it was a sect that might have crumbled too.

The faces of the people began to harden, and this was because they couldn抰 understand why Hyun Jong was saying this.

An opening ceremony was supposed to be an auspicious occasion and, on the other hand, an occasion to show strength. Then why speak like an old man who had no ti to live and was thinking back on the bad things?

慖s Mount Hua抯 Sect leader only for na?

慔e isn抰 right to lead the alliance.

A leader needs to be one with strength and dignity beyond being just gentle. And this wasn抰 how one should appear.

揗aybe it抯 not sothing the sect leader should be saying, but that is what I thought I endured, the harsh tis.

But Hyun Jong抯 words also stimulated the curiosity of the people. And now, they felt absorbed by that.

搮 I think it would be great if just one person, even just one person here, could have lent their hand to support Mount Hua back then.

Hyun Jong, having said that, quietly smiled.

It wasn抰 just a smile for show. Everyone nodded, realizing it was a smile from the heart.

It had to be that way. Those who lived in the wilderness were hit by the winds; sotis, you could try to find shelter in the rain and lean on sothing when the wind ca.

If he had never thought of such a thing in life, then one didn抰 know how heartless Kangho was.

Hyun Jong was in no rush to hurry this; he slowly made eye contact with them all.

揟he Heavenly Friends Alliance isn抰 that great of an alliance. It wasn抰 created with the intention of shaking up the sects, nor was it ford for the sake of gaining strength.

At those words, the eyes of those sitting near the table rose. They looked at Hyun Jong on the podium with subtle looks, as if the concerns within them were being touched upon.

揓ust I can only say that now I have achieved what the past and past Mount Hua had desperately wanted.

Hyun Jong looked at the other sect leaders standing next to him one by one. Then he looked ahead and spoke.

揟here was a strange disciple in Mount Hua, and he said, 慐ven if you are a close friend, in the end, everything is all a lie. When tis are good, friends pretend to be nice and laugh, but in the face of crisis, they cover their faces and stomp on the drowning person by pushing them further into the water. This is the mindset of soone from Kangho and the reality between the sects.挃

An accurate observation.

But none of those gathered could deny it because they all knew this too well.

揟he Heavenly Friends Alliance厰

Hyun Jong nodded slowly,

揑t exists for the sake of disproving that statent I made,

Chung Myung looked at him blankly.

Actually, this was an obvious statent. This was a story anyone could tell in this situation. But strangely, as he heard it, it felt like his heart hurt.

The mont he saw Tang Gunak, ng So, and Seol So-Baek, whose cheeks were red and lips smiling, he wondered. If it had been like this before, would it have felt different?

If Mount Hua wasn抰 running so stiffly and alone, if there were people by their side, would the situation of Mount Hua have been different?

He couldn抰 know.

Because, in the end, ho was nothing but a aningless obsession.

Just try a bit harder, and don抰 make the sa mistakes again.

揟he four sects of the Heavenly Friend Alliance will reach out to each other, and each will have the backs of the others. If we are in danger, each of us will run to help without another thought, and if sothing good happens, we will all smile and celebrate together.

Hyun Jong抯 previously gentle face turned stern.

揗aybe it is like a dream. However, it isn抰 impossible if one has the will to achieve it. Mount Hua will be a barrier that blocks the winds against the sects in the alliance and it will beco a brother who holds hands.

Thud!

Tang Gunak stomped his foot hard and took a step forward to stand next to Hyun Jong, and then he began to speak.

揟he Sichuan Tang family will also be a barrier to the Heavenly Friends Alliance.

ng So also ca forward without being left behind.

揟he Nanman Beast Palace will be the brother to the Heavenly Friend Alliance. And the enemies of my brothers will be the enemies of Beast Palace! Any friends of theirs will be my friends!

Seol So-Baek also stepped forward with light steps and stood next to the other leaders.

揟he Ice Palace will be the sword that protects the Heavenly Friends Alliance. Those who want to touch the alliance will have to overco the Ice Palace first!

Those who saw it with their own eyes, Tang Gunak, ng So, and the young Seol So-Baek, felt confident.

There were nurous sects in the world, but who would want to turn all four sects into enemies at the sa ti?

If what Hyun Jong and the other leaders said did co true, then it was clear that the Heavenly Friends Alliance was a place that no other force could touch.

揌yun Sang.

揧es!

Hyun Young and Hyun Sang, who had been waiting below, carefully climbed onto the podium. Hyun Sang抯 hand held a silver plate that held an alcohol bottle and a glass on it, and Hyun Young抯 hand was wrapped around a small sword that was in a white cloth.

The two n stood before the leaders, extending their hands with the items in them.

The leaders observed in silence.

Though not imdiately apparent to the onlookers below, the items held significant aning.

The alcohol from the Beast Palace and the glass from the Tang family, along with the sword from the North Sea Ice Palace and the representatives from Mount Hua.

Tang Gunak was the first to reach out and select the alcohol bottle. Following him, Seol So-baek grasped the sword and drew it.

揕eader.

揧es.

Hyun Jong sliced his own palm with the sword Seol So-Baek was holding, then let his blood drip into the bottle.

Drop.

After Hyun Jong withdrew his hand, Tang Gunak cut his palm, allowing his blood to flow into the bottle, with ng So and Seol So-Baek doing the sa.

Once the ceremony was complete, Tang Gunak looked around at everyone and poured the alcohol mixed with their blood into the glasses.

Tak.

The bottles were returned to the silver table, and the elders descended as if they had fulfilled their duty.

Those remaining on the podium gazed at the glasses in their hands. The people of the central plains watched with fascination, and a mont of silence ensued.

When the silence beca overwhelming, Hyun Jong lifted his glass.

揜ight here! Now! Mount Hua, the Sichuan Tang family, the Nanman Beast Palace, and the North Sea Ice Palace! I declare that these four sects have united as brothers under the Heavenly Friends Alliance! May the heavenly beings watch over us!

Tang Gunak, ng So, and Seol So-Baek, followed by Hyun Jong, raised their glasses. Eventually, all four simultaneously emptied their drinks.

揥oahh?

揔uaak!

A slight hesitation was quickly overtaken by trendous cheers. Deafening cheers engulfed Mount Hua as if everyone抯 pent-up emotions had burst forth all at once.

揌eavenly Friends Alliance!

揗ount Hua!

揝ichuan Tang family!

And the cheers intensified as the four raised their emptied glasses.

Even the leaders of Kangho, who were sitting at the table, stood up and clapped. Whatever this was, it was sothing to celebrate. In so ways, it was the declaration of a faction.

It wasn抰 too bad, nor was it too grand, and there was nothing flashy on display.

But because of that, it ca across as more sincere. An alliance to show off one抯 power will, and to prove the strength to be brothers, all one had to do was share a drink.

Not just the Central Plains people who gathered, but the disciples of the four sects there, were shouting at the top of their lungs. And in those raucous cheers, Chung Myung was the only one who smiled.

慖 guess it wasn抰 all in vain.

A lot of things happened after he ca to Mount Hua.

Confidence in oneself?

Could such a thing happen?

He had failed to do it once. He was a person who was unable to protect anything. So, he had to grit his teeth and tell himself that this was the only way, and he had no confidence that the path he was walking on was right.

But

Looking at this scene, he felt, very faintly, that he wasn抰 on the wrong path.

慐veryone here.

The path he walked and the people who walked that path.

Right. They were all here.

揔ikik.

Baek Ah popped her head out from Chung Myung抯 clothes and rubbed her nose.

揜ight. You too.

Chung Myung lightly tapped Baek Ah on the forehead and then looked around, full of cheers and joy.

Chung Myung smiled a bit more. He looked up at the sky and spoke to himself.

慦hat do you think of this, Sect Leader Sahyung? I ca this far.

Well, it wasn抰 that he was hoping for a complint, and he knew this was expected but, still

-You went through a lot of trouble, Chung Myung.

Hearing the voice he yearned for, Chung Myung looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.

揊rom now on.

They would spread. The plum blossoms that blood on Mount Hua the scent from them will spread all over the world.

And like it did in the past.

揥hat is with your expression?

揢h?

Chung Myung opened his eyes at the sudden voice and turned to see Baek Cheon, Yu Yiseol, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and even Tang Soso, who were all looking back at him.

揇oes your body hurt?

搮

Chung Myung looked at them, lost, and then his lips twitched.

揘o. I am at my best right now.

揃oring.

The Five Swords and Soso shook their heads and looked ahead again. Chung Myung glanced at the sky. His expression was different from before.

慚ount Hua of the past?

Please, don抰 bother.

慗ust wait and see, Sect Leader Sahyung.

Because they would create the best Mount Hua, one that surpassed its forr glory.

Right with these people.

Chung Myung gently patted Baek Ah on the head a couple of tis and took a deep breath. Then, with both hands cupped around his mouth, he shouted.

揥OAHHHHHHHHH! SECT LEADER IS SO GOOD LOOOKKKKKIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!

揇o not do that, you bastard!

揝hut him up!

揕ook at the place you are! You brat! Seriously!

Chung Myung laughed as he looked at the Five Swords, who were all shocked and shouting at the sa ti. The sound of laughter ca mixed with the cheers that spread.

A warm breeze blew towards the summit of Mount Hua, which was full of joy. It was a day when the clear sky looked down on Mount Hua.