In the bone-chilling silence, Baek Cheon stared at the abbot with a blank expression.
'Now…'
What on earth was that man talking about just now? Did he mention collusion? Between the Heavenly Friends Alliance and the Evil Sect?
Baek Cheon's eyes reddened. His blood surged, and his heart boiled with anger.
"This…"
Just as he was about to stride toward the abbot with blazing eyes, someone grabbed his shoulder and pressed him down.
He clenched his teeth and turned to see Un Geom standing there. Un Geom's jaw was tight, but he shook his head to stop Baek Cheon.
"…Stop."
"Sasuk."
"It's up to the sect leader to handle this."
Yet Un Geom seemed barely able to contain his own anger; his one remaining hand trembled on Baek Cheon's shoulder.
Mount Hua wasn't the only one surprised by the abbot's words. Jong Ri-Hyung, the sect leader of Kongtong, also looked at the abbot with a face that was not just shocked but bewildered.
'Collusion.'
What on earth did that mean? Surely, he had been watching what happened on Plum Blossom Island.
At that moment, Hyun Jong broke the silence.
"I…"
His face showed neither anger nor resentment. He simply faced the abbot with an emotionless expression. But anyone who knew even a little about Hyun Jong would understand how much anger he was suppressing.
"It's hard for me to understand what the abbot is asking right now."
There was no emotion in his words. It was difficult to hear Hyun Jong speak like that.
The abbot smiled broadly.
"That's exactly what I asked."
"…"
"Common sense tells us there's no reason for the pirates not to attack the Heavenly Friends Alliance as they leave the island.
"The reason is simple: we have the Black Dragon King hostage."
"Is that so?"
The abbot glanced at the ship, surprised.
'No wonder.'
He nodded, realizing that Mount Hua's Sword Saint hadn't disembarked yet.
"I understand what you mean."
"Did that answer your question?"
The abbot slowly shook his head.
"No."
At that answer, Hyun Jong's face hardened.
"That isn't enough, sect leader."
The smile vanished from the abbot's face.
"Surely, you're not trying to claim that the sect leader has that much faith in those people, right?"
"Abbot."
For the first time, anger appeared on Hyun Jong's face.
Depending on one's perspective, the abbot's question might be justified. The process of their departure from the island must have seemed unnatural from the land. Hyun Jong could understand their doubts.
But there was one reason he couldn't hold back his anger.
Malice.
Because the abbot's words were filled with malice. They weren't merely expressing doubts and expecting a convincing explanation. No matter the answer, they were intent on throwing them into a dirty situation and trampling them.
"We risked our lives to save Namgung."
"I would like to thank the Heavenly Friends Alliance for their cooperation in rescuing the Namgung family. But…"
The abbot turned to Mount Hua, lined up behind Hyun Jong, to the young swordsmen glaring at him with murderous eyes.
"Who lost their life?"
"Abbot!"
Hyun Jong shouted, but the abbot didn't even blink.
"Isn't this a situation where they stormed a place occupied by the world's most powerful forces and pirates and escaped without a single casualty? Isn't that unnatural?"
Unbearable anger appeared on Hyun Jong's face.
What on earth was this insane man talking about?
"Common sense tells us there must have been some kind of agreement between the Heavenly Friends Alliance and the Four Precepts Alliance. Otherwise, are you saying the Heavenly Friends Alliance's strength was such that it didn't suffer a single loss against the Four Precepts Alliance?"
The abbot's face was stern. Listening to his serious words and stern reprimand, which seemed free of selfish intentions, one might wonder if Mount Hua had done something wrong.
As expected, the disciples of Kongtong and the Beggars Union, who had been silently listening, began to exchange glances. They started to think that what the abbot said wasn't entirely baseless.
"There's just one thing I can say."
Hyun Jong spoke with a stern face.
"Mount Hua did not compromise with them. It's just that we took the Black Dragon King hostage, so they couldn't do anything to us."
"Hmm?"
The abbot's eyes widened.
"That means…"
Hyun Jong's face paled for a moment upon seeing those eyes. He realized what was coming next.
"Does this mean the Heavenly Friends Alliance agreed to spare the Black Dragon King, a villain hated by heaven and earth, in exchange for leaving Plum Blossom Island?"
Hyun Jong shut his eyes tightly.
The reason Mount Hua decided to spare the Black Dragon King was because the revenge belonged to the Namgung family. But who would believe that story?
To those who heard the abbot's absurd claims, it would sound like they begged for their lives in exchange for releasing the most horrible man.
The current Kangho was too harsh to believe Hyun Jong's words.
"That's too much!"
At that moment, someone suddenly raised their voice. It was the Gentle Crow Beggar.
The abbot's eyes turned to him.
"If you can't believe what the Heavenly Friends Alliance says, then believe what I say, not them. I watched everything that happened on the island. From what I saw, the Heavenly Friends Alliance did not collude with the Evil Sects!"
Gentle Crow Beggar glared at the abbot and declared,
"I swear on my name."
But the abbot just shook his head.
"Your name is worth nothing.
"What did you just say…"
"Isn't it you who gave up the position of Elder of the Beggars Union, which would prove your words?"
Gentle Crow Beggar trembled with anger that showed on his face.
'This insane man!'
But he couldn't refute it. How could he argue against something so illogical?
"And!"
The abbot frowned.
"Such a nameless person's ears and eyes mean nothing. If what I fear is true, the world will be thrown into great turmoil. Can you really take responsibility for those words?"
"Listen here, abbot!"
"It's not your place to step forward!"
The abbot pressured the Gentle Crow Beggar.
No matter how much he had lost his name, the abbot was the head of Shaolin. When he pressed with such determination, Gentle Crow Beggar couldn't move.
"Be careful. If they were plotting with the Evil Sects, then perhaps their entry to Plum Blossom Island was part of their plan. One shouldn't judge solely based on what happened there."
"You…"
The Gentle Crow Beggar shivered.
But he couldn't speak further. He sensed the abbot had no intention of listening.
'How could this be?'
It wasn't that he didn't understand. He knew why the abbot was acting this way. That made holding back his anger even harder. His stomach felt like it was boiling.
"I will ask again."
The abbot looked at Hyun Jong.
"Is it true that the Heavenly Friends Alliance colluded with the Evil Sects on the condition of releasing the Black Dragon King?"
Hyun Jong tried to remain as calm as possible. He had a gut feeling that showing anger would only give the abbot more ammunition.
"…It might look that way. But that isn't collusion."
"So, the sect leader considered the Black Dragon King's life so important to Jang Ilso that he would release Mount Hua, the Tang family, and Namgung?"
"What is that…"
"And."
The abbot's eyes scanned Hyun Jong.
"It could also mean he begged for his life himself in exchange for saving the Black Dragon King, who is so important."
"Abbot."
Tang Gunak, who had been silently watching, stepped forward as if he could no longer tolerate the behavior.
"How can you call that collusion? By that logic, didn't Shaolin also beg for their lives by making an agreement with them at the Yangtze River?"
The abbot smiled.
"Right, lord. That is correct."
Tang Gunak's expression hardened at that reaction.
"And in return…"
The moment he saw the abbot smile, Tang Gunak realized his mistake.
"The Wudang took responsibility by entering the Closed Gate. So I ask if this whole situation is no different from the previous Yangtze River massacre…"
His eyes were subtle, but his voice was clear.
"Which sect in the Heavenly Friends Alliance will pay the price for making an agreement with that Evil Sect?"
"This fucking dog…!"
Tang Gunak's eyes reddened as he cursed. He understood the abbot's intent.
It was no longer possible to restore Shaolin's former honor. If the events at the Yangtze River spread, no one would think highly of Shaolin.
Meanwhile, the name of the Heavenly Friends Alliance would shine even brighter, to the point where Shaolin could no longer keep up.
If they were normal people, they would find a way to restore their honor and rise again. But the abbot's plan was the opposite.
He wanted to drag Mount Hua down into the mud.
Words and actions were different.
Mount Hua invaded Plum Blossom Island, surrounded by the Evil Sect, rescued the Namgung family, and escaped without damage—a great achievement.
But what if rumors spread that Mount Hua colluded with the Evil Sect to spare the Black Dragon King in order to escape safely?
Dirt on a dirty person is hard to see, but dirt on someone as pure as white snow is vivid.
Tang Gunak, realizing the abbot's intentions, glared at him as if ready to kill. Unlike Mount Hua, the Tang family bore no ill will toward Shaolin. But at this moment, Tang Gunak's eyes were no different from those of a mortal enemy.
He was fed up with the vicious malice.
The abbot smiled broadly.
"Don't get so excited. I don't want to believe the Heavenly Friends Alliance is foolish enough to collude with the Evil Sects over something like that."
Tang Gunak frowned. After pushing people to the limit, what nonsense was he spouting?
"No matter how much I think about it, it doesn't make sense. Aren't the names of Mount Hua, the Tang family, and Namgung too prestigious to be exchanged for the life of just one—the Black Dragon King? The value of those three sects cannot be traded for the life of a mere leader."
"Do it moderately…"
"Perhaps not only the life of the Black Dragon King…"
At that moment, the abbot's voice spread clearly across the entire Yangtze River.
"If they had made a secret pact in advance to give more, what would it be?"
"You crazy bastard!"
In the end, Tang Gunak couldn't hold back and let out a loud roar.
They risked their lives to enter Plum Blossom Island. Why did they have to be treated like this?
But this forced statement was surprisingly effective. The eyes of the Nine Great Sect disciples guarding the abbot began to shift oddly.
Perhaps it was natural.
They lived with the pride of being disciples of the Nine Great Sects, but this time, they had to watch Mount Hua operate on the Yangtze River.
Because they were weak?
That couldn't be. No matter how strong Mount Hua became, weren't they the Nine Great Sects? They couldn't be much weaker than Mount Hua.
But how should they interpret the situation where Mount Hua defeated the Evil Sects and rescued the Namgung family without others even lifting a finger?
No matter how much they thought about it, it was too unnatural.
They only suspected because of what had happened around Mount Hua so far, but if another sect did something similar, they would have already concluded there was a conspiracy on the Yangtze River.
There was no blood on Tang Gunak's face.
'Damn it.'
They probably didn't understand. The obvious timing was difficult in their eyes.
The abbot was now cleverly provoking the pride of those watching the Yangtze River.
Was it a Three-Way Battle?
A minority's argument doesn't gain strength. But if this many people present had doubts, their voices would surely spread with power.
'What should we do?'
How can we wisely overcome a situation where the most authoritative person in the world is determined to drive us out, and the most trusted people look at us with suspicion?
Even Tang Gunak, the greatest in the world, couldn't speak rashly.
"Sect leader."
At that moment, the abbot looked at Hyun Jong with a strange smile as if to drive in the last wedge.
"I will ask one last time. Did Mount Hua really make no agreement with the Evil Sects?"
Hyun Jong looked up at the sky, feeling lost.
'It's scary.'
It was so intense and terrifying. He thought he already knew Kangho, but this horrible malice made him shiver again.
"I will say it again!"
Just as Hyun Jong was about to raise his voice with force,
"…So what if we colluded?"
A cold voice pierced the air.
Everyone on the riverbanks turned toward the source.
Mount Hua's Sword Saint, Chung Myung, was slowly walking toward them, his expression colder than the winds of the North Sea.