Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 23

“I… I don’t know how it happened… like this…” Yujongsan stammered, avoiding Chung Myung’s gaze.

“Speak clearly,” Chung Myung said, his voice sharp. “What burst?”

“Th-the… seal… it broke,” Yujongsan finally managed to say.

“Hmm.” Chung Myung leaned back, crossing his legs. *Yaheng-in*, he thought, a sigh escaping him. He was starting to understand. “So,” he began, his eyes fixed on Yujongsan.

“Yes?” Yujongsan squeaked.

“Let me get this straight. You’re saying you lent Mount Hua… more than one hundred thousand nyang?” Chung Myung’s voice was dangerously quiet.

“…That is correct.”

“A hundred thousand nyang?”

“Yes.”

“A hundred thousand?”

⋯⋯.

Yujongsan wanted to weep.

‘What do you want from me, you crazy bloke!’

Problems should be solved by talking. Being beaten like a dog was bad enough. But why was he being tormented like this?

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“Even if I stripped you down to your smallclothes and sold them off, I doubt I’d get even ten thousand nyang. Yet you’re telling me you lent Mount Hua a hundred thousand nyang?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Yujongsan, finally understanding Chung Myung’s issue, answered with a bright smile.

“That’s just how high-interest loans work. If you lend money at a high rate, the interest keeps piling up unless the principal is repaid. Hee hee. As it piles up and piles up, eventually the interest becomes so enormous that the principal is nothing in comparison. Then, you swallow it whole…”

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

Yujongsan clutched his head and rolled on the floor.

“You’re proud of that, you crazy bloke.”

“Ugh…”

Chung Myung sighed deeply.

‘Well, there’s no point in blaming this guy, is there?’

It seemed the debt of Mount Hua wasn’t something accumulated in just one generation.

‘Well, of course.’

Borrowing a large sum now wouldn’t really mean much. The time when they truly needed money was when Mount Hua was collapsing. They needed money to find a basket to block the flowing sand.

“By the way.”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say you were the owner of Hwaeum Fabric Store?”

“That is correct.”

“When did you buy the Hwaeum Fabric Store?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about? Our family has owned that fabric store for generations.”

“…Owned it?”

“Yes. As far as I know, my great-grandfather founded the Hwaeum Fabric Store.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

‘There’s no way.’

It was the same story. The Hwaeum Fabric Store was also one of Mount Hua’s businesses.

Huh?

You mean all the successful businesses in Hwaeum were Mount Hua’s?

‘Of course.’

It wasn’t strange at all. In the first place, Hwaeum was just a village with a few fields before Mount Hua settled there.

As Mount Hua grew and more visitors came, a village was formed, and Mount Hua invested money to create various businesses, developing it into a large district.

Any business in Hwaeum that made a bit of money was basically Mount Hua’s.

But what? The Hwaeum Fabric Store had been theirs since their great-grandfather’s time?

Considering this bloke’s age, his great-grandfather would probably be around Chung Myung’s age or younger. He vividly remembered going to the Hwaeum Fabric Store to get uniforms for the children, but the owner? Don’t make me laugh.

‘This is very suspicious.’

Let’s see.

“I need answers to a few questions.”

“…Ask me anything.”

“Then, who runs the Hwaseon Tea House?”

“Yoo Luju.”

“Of course, it’s been in their family for generations, right?”

“That’s what I know.”

“And the O-ak Merchant Guild and the Hwaeum Inn, they’re the same, right?”

“Yes. They’re all old families in Hwaeum.”

Chung Myung chuckled. He didn’t need to ask any more to get the gist of it.

So, these blokes who were running the businesses took the opportunity when Mount Hua’s lineage was cut off and it was collapsing, and they swallowed everything whole?

“Good grief.”

He kept chuckling despite trying to stop himself.

There were two reasons why Mount Hua didn’t directly manage the businesses and entrusted them to agents.

First, no matter how strong Mount Hua’s familial tendencies were, it was still a Daoist sect. It wouldn’t look good to others if Daoists were running pubs and selling silk in fabric stores, would it?

And the other reason was…

– Chung Myung-ah. What Mount Hua desires is not to monopolize wealth, but to prosper together. Even if the people of Hwaeum don’t belong to Mount Hua, aren’t they our neighbors? What could be better than living well together and being full together?

Living well, my foot.

‘This is what people are like, Sect Leader.’

The reason why scriptures and sages emphasize countless times that people should know how to repay kindness is simple.

It’s because people are beings that don’t repay kindness.

No, it would be fortunate if they just didn’t repay it. People are capable of stabbing their benefactor in the back at any moment if it benefits them.

He had gone out of his way to bestow kindness and help them make a living, but instead of repaying the kindness, they took the opportunity when their benefactor was in crisis and ran off with the businesses.

Then, they should have lived with humility, knowing their sins. Instead, they used those businesses as a basis to lend money to Mount Hua at high interest?

“Damn it!”

Wham!

Chung Myung kicked Yujongsan with all his might, sending the massive Yujongsan’s body rolling like a ball.

“Aaaargh!”

Chung Myung watched the scene and sighed deeply.

‘What’s the point of beating this bloke?’

Yujongsan probably didn’t even know what he was doing wrong. He thought the Hwaeum Fabric Store was truly a business built by his family.

‘What should I do about this?’

Chung Myung couldn’t help but fall into thought.

If he followed his temper, he would beat these blokes to a pulp right away, kick them out of Hwaeum, and swallow the businesses again, but it wasn’t that simple.

Mount Hua was a respected and traditional sect.

The name ‘respected’ had faded away now, but the image of Mount Hua that Chung Myung wanted to revive was one that didn’t deviate too far from a respected and traditional sect.

If it were a demonic sect, it wouldn’t matter, but could those called respected and traditional sects forcibly seize other people’s businesses without just cause?

Mount Hua’s name would fall to the ground that very day.

“It’s twisted in a filthy way.”

He knew exactly how things had unfolded, but the solution was difficult. He had to find a way to reclaim the businesses without using force or losing his justification.

Easier said than done! Easier said than done!

“Ugh…”

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head and turned sharply to look at Yujongsan.

“Hey. So…”

It was then.

“Stop!”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned his head at the voice from behind.

“Oh? You’re up?”

One of Yujongsan’s guards, whom he had knocked out a little while ago, had regained consciousness and was pointing his sword at him.

He thought he had hit him quite hard, but to regain consciousness already meant he was stronger than Chung Myung had thought.

“You bastard!”

The guard gritted his teeth.

“You attacked me with a cheap shot!”

Cheap shot?

Me?

Chung Myung stared at the guard with a dumbfounded expression.

“Hey. You attacked me first.”

“You cowardly bastard!”

“Oh, alright. Let’s just say that’s how it is.”

He didn’t want to argue with such a bloke. Let’s just say that’s how it is.

“Who are you?”

“Huh?”

“Judging by your skills, you don’t seem like some nameless nobody. Reveal your identity.”

His bewilderment grew even larger.

If I were going to reveal my identity, would I have come wearing a mask?

“Why do you want to know my identity?”

“I need to know who died by my sword.”

“…Didn’t you just get knocked out by me a little while ago?”

Then, even if you regained consciousness, you should have pretended to be dead. Why did you get up and ask for a beating? Have all the kids become stupid while I was reincarnating?

“If I hadn’t been careless, someone like you wouldn’t have been able to defeat me. I only took on this guard duty as a temporary job, and now I’m suffering such humiliation. Do you know who I am?”

⋯⋯.

“This old man is Chamhodo (Tiger-Slaying Sword) Jeongbin. Even if you’re ignorant, you should have heard of my name.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m more ignorant than I thought.”

⋯⋯.

Chamhodo Jeongbin’s eyes widened.

Although he was currently taking on guard duty to earn some money, his name was widely known in the Shanxi region. Yet, this bloke hadn’t heard of his name?

“Insolent bastard.”

Jeongbin gripped his sword and pointed it at Chung Myung.

“I’ll give you a chance to say your name before you die.”

“Ha…”

Chung Myung sighed deeply.

Why are there so many crazy blokes in the world?

“Hey, but doesn’t that sound like something a guard shouldn’t say? No matter how I look at it, I’m closer to the person you’re supposed to be guarding, though?”

“I don’t care about guard duty anymore.”

Ah, okay. My apologies.

What a hot-blooded bloke.

“Prepare yourself!”

Chamhodo Jeongbin swung his sword and charged towards Chung Myung. Chung Myung clicked his tongue as he watched.

His inner strength was clearly stronger than Chung Myung’s. And his power and speed were at a level that Chung Myung couldn’t even compare to. By general standards, Jeongbin was so strong that even comparing him to Chung Myung would be rude.

So, was Chung Myung weaker than Jeongbin?

Absolutely not!

Inner strength, power, speed.

Those were not the measures of strength. They might be measures for ordinary people, but they didn’t apply to Chung Myung.

Didn’t he still have the experience of wielding a sword his whole life and the memories of being the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?

“Heave-ho.”

Chung Myung’s sword was swung leisurely. Compared to the power carried in Jeongbin’s fiercely flying sword, it was a weak swing that seemed barely capable of catching a fly.

Clack!

But that weak sword stuck tightly to Jeongbin’s fiercely flying sword.

“What?”

At that moment, Jeongbin’s eyes widened.

The moment Chung Myung’s slow sword stuck to the surface of his sword, an enormous force was suddenly transmitted through his arm.

“Aaaargh!”

His grip burst open, and Jeongbin’s sword soared into the sky.

“Go learn some more.”

Chung Myung’s sword embroidered the sky brilliantly. It wasn’t a clear plum blossom, but faint flower buds bloomed in the air.

Thud.

Jeongbin’s body fell to the floor like rotten wood.

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and retrieved his sword.

If I don’t have strength, I can use the enemy’s strength.

Even if a hundred brats who can’t handle their own strength come at him, they wouldn’t be a match for Chung Myung.

“Know your place…”

It was at that moment.

“Y-yes, indeed!”

“Huh?”

He turned his head to see Yujongsan staring at him with a very surprised look.

‘Ah, blast it!’

In any case, Yujongsan was also a bloke who made a living in Hwaeum. Just the clumsy flower buds that Chung Myung had drawn might be enough for him to guess his origins. Of course, if he had any sense, he would have already guessed to some extent, but giving him clear evidence was another matter.

“As expected, you’re from a prestigious clan. I suspected as much.”

Chung Myung’s face contorted behind the mask.

‘Should I just get rid of him?’

Or make sure he can never open his mouth again…

“That clean and flamboyant swordsmanship! That high level of martial arts! And above all, that subtle feeling of divine energy!”

What? You can feel divine energy?

That’s not good?

As Chung Myung hesitated, unable to find a way to respond for a moment, Yujongsan shouted with conviction.

“There’s only one place nearby that could nurture someone with such abilities at such a young age! That is!”

“Ah, no…”

“The Great Jongnam Sect!”

⋯⋯.

Chung Myung stared at Yujongsan with a blank look.

Jongnam? Why Jongnam here…

Huh?

“Are you from Jongnam?”

⋯⋯Huh?

His thoughts were short, and his words were fast.

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

“As I thought!”

Yujongsan prostrated himself on the spot.

“Ask me anything. I will answer everything.”

“…Thank you.”

Thank you very much.

Heh.

Hehehe.

Hehehehe.