Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 693

Chung Myung stared at the building, looking thoroughly displeased.

The building was not big or fancy. Tiles were missing, and there were holes in the walls. It looked old and broken, not scary.

To ordinary folk, it might seem like nothing more than a ruin, but to beggars, it was like a palace.

“Honestly, these youngsters are spoiled rotten!”

Since when did beggars sleep under a roof?

Long ago, when Chung Myung was travelling the land (called Jianghu), even a simple mat was something other beggars wanted!

“Tsk.”

With a displeased expression, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and moved forward, muttering to himself.

Chung Myung thought, ‘Anyone else would complain, but I am kind.’ He thought he was not like those grumpy old men!

“Is there a beggar mister around?”

Pushing aside the cloth that served as a door for the broken entrance, he poked his head inside the building.

“Huh?”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened. What sort of spectacle was this?

There was a common image that came to mind when one thought of a beggars’ den: beggars sprawled about, covered in rough mats, and empty begging bowls scattered around. Begging was the busiest and yet most idle profession in the world, so that was only natural.

But…

“Did you take care of that?”

“Ack! It’s not like I can do anything about it right now! Just handle it yourself!”

“I would if I could! It’s not like I can do anything about this either!”

“The messenger pigeon! What happened to the messenger pigeon! Did someone roast it and eat it! Why isn’t the messenger pigeon here?”

“I think I sent it a little while ago?”

“What, you imbecile? Why would you send that! I said this was more urgent! Do you want to run all the way to Luoyang yourself?”

“…I, I’m sorry.”

What? What’s with all the hustle?

The room buzzed with shouts and hurried footsteps. The building was literally swarming with beggars.

There were so many beggars! More than Mount Hua usually had. They must have brought beggars from all over Shanxi. The problem was that all these beggars, un-beggarly as it was, were running around as if their feet were on fire.

Piles of papers were stacked high on the desks, almost falling over. The beggars wrote quickly, their brushes moving like fast swords.

“The Wandering Strategist came by? I didn’t see him!”

“I saw him! Just write it down!”

“Which way did the Fallen Moon Saber go?”

“I’ve told you twice already! That man went over to Henan!”

“Are you sure?”

“How can I be any more sure! It’s not like I can check again!”

“Kkeueueung.”

Surprisingly, no one paid Chung Myung any attention. Judging by the way things were going, they didn’t even have the mind to turn their heads.

“…Still, give me some attention….”

Chung Myung’s face fell. After all, he had rarely, if ever, been ignored like this before.

In the end, Chung Myung spoke up loudly once more.

“Hey!”

“Ah, who is it!”

“Um… Beggar mister! Mister Hong Daegwang….”

“I’m busy, ask someone else!”

“……”

Good heavens. To be ignored by a beggar, of all people.

‘This humiliation is a first.’

Clearly, he and beggars were not a good match.

Chung Myung was about to lose his temper and shout when—

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned his head at the sudden welcoming voice. One of the beggars who had been running around with sweat on his brow spotted him, put down the bundle of papers he was holding, and quickly ran over.

“Cho Sam!”

Chung Myung watched the beggar running towards him, calling out the name Cho Sam, and then, a little belatedly, he recognized him and said, “Ah.”

“Gu Chil?”

“You’ve already forgotten my face?”

“No, it’s not that….”

Chung Myung scratched his head and said,

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“Ah, yeah. A bit, right? Hehe. I’ve been eating well here, so I suddenly shot up in height.”

“I see. You do look it.”

When he first saw him, he looked like a pathetic little child, but now he had the air of a strapping young man. Though, at the end of the day, he was still just a grown-up beggar.

“The mister must be feeding you well.”

“The people of Mount Hua are so kind that there’s no chance of going hungry. And I heard rumors that I’m friends with you, so they even give me meat.”

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Gu Chil, who was smiling good-naturedly.

“You’re still just a beggar. Why don’t you stop doing this and come to Mount Hua? Life here is hard. He deserves better.”

“…I-It’s alright.”

“Why do you keep saying it’s alright? As if being a beggar is alright.”

Gu Chil smiled awkwardly, sweat beading on his forehead.

“I’m more comfortable like this. I don’t know if I’d be able to adapt to a place like a dojo in the first place.”

“Anything’s better than being a beggar.”

“Hehe. I’m more suited to being a beggar.”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes as if he still couldn’t believe it. But Gu Chil’s mind was firm. He had absolutely no desire to follow Chung Myung to Mount Hua.

‘I heard you die if you go to Mount Hua.’

The Beggars’ Union was where the most information circulated. As a result, the Beggars’ Union knew to some extent how much training each sect did.

Among the many sects spread throughout the world, Mount Hua was uniquely notorious for driving people to the brink of death.

‘No way I’m going, even if I die!’

Even the harsh life of a beggar was better than being a Mount Hua Taoist, or so the rumors went among the beggars of Mount Hua. Was Gu Chil crazy enough to go to Mount Hua?

Gu Chil said a saying, ‘A pine caterpillar has to eat pine needles.’ It meant he was happy doing what he was used to, being a beggar.

“Kkeueung.”

Chung Myung stared at Gu Chil with a displeased look, then nodded.

“Alright. But if anything happens, you have to tell me. You really have to.”

“Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we? I don’t know if I can still dare to call myself your friend, but….”

“You rascal, so cute.”

Chung Myung grinned as he looked at Gu Chil, who was hesitating a little.

And then.

“Hey! I’m about to die from being busy, why are you loitering around there! Hurry up and help with the work!”

A sharp voice flew over. Gu Chil was flustered and even stuttered.

“Ah. N-No, that’s not it….”

“Gu Chil, you little punk, you’ve been slacking off lately! Do you want to get punished like in the old days?”

“No! That’s….”

“Are you not going to come over here right now?”

Chung Myung’s eyes blazed with fury as he looked at the beggar shouting gruffly.

“Who is that bastard?”

“Who are you… Hiiiiiiiiiiiiik!”

The beggar was so startled that the bamboo slips fell from his hands with a clatter.

“Ch-Cho Sam… N-No, Mount Hua Divine Dragon! Divine Dragon! I didn’t mean any disrespect! Please forgive me! I remember what you did last time…”

Jongpal’s face turned as white as a ghost in an instant. No. In fact, from his perspective, Chung Myung was much scarier than a ghost.

“What? Punished? Did this bastard not get enough beatings back then?”

“Aigooooooo!”

Jongpal prostrated himself as if trying to burrow into the ground.

“P-Please spare me! That wasn’t my intention!”

“I spared you because I felt sorry for you after hanging you upside down and peeling off your skin. What? Punished like in the old days? You son of a bitch!”

Whack!

The shoe Chung Myung threw struck Jongpal in the back of the head.

“Aaaaargh!”

Jongpal, who had been clutching the back of his head and writhing in pain, quickly got up and prostrated himself on the floor again.

“I will correct myself!”

“I’ll fix you!”

The gazes of the beggars, who had been busily moving, converged on the sudden commotion. After a moment of silence, everyone’s mouths fell open.

“M-Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”

“Eeeeek! Why is that nobleman here…!”

“Boss! Find the boss quickly!”

The beggars’ faces went pale. They quickly scrambled back, pressing themselves against the walls. Their eyes were wide with fear, like they had just seen a tiger.

Cheong-myeong frowned, “Why are they acting like this again?”

Cho-sam forced a laugh, “Ha… haha…” It sounded nervous and unsure.

(Cho-sam thought to himself, ‘Friend? If you ask me directly like that, what can I even say?’)

I can’t exactly say, ‘Your news is so frequent among the Beggars’ Union that they know your personality well and fear you more than a tiger,’ can I?

“No…”

“We are sorry!”

“We apologize for not recognizing you immediately!”

“Please, spare us!”

As voices begging for their lives rather than food erupted, Cheong-myeong’s face twitched.

“No, who’s angry? Why is everyone…!”

“Eeeeeek!”

“Let’s get out of here!”

“W-we have the Beggars’ Union behind us!”

Cheong-myeong watched the scared beggars for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“Gu-chil.”

“Huh?”

“…Step outside for a moment.”

“…”

“Get out, unless you want to die.”

“T-thank you.”

After Gu-chil went outside, loud sounds of shouting and hitting came from outside for a few minutes.

“Tsk.”

A short while later, Cheong-myeong clicked his tongue, looking at the beggars who now stood quietly together. They were all kneeling, but considering Cheong-myeong’s usual antics, they were relatively unharmed.

“You’d be annoyed if a Taoist showed up and everyone acted like you were a ghost, right?”

“Y-yes, of course. We were wrong!”

“Right? You’d be upset, wouldn’t you?”

“Indeed! Indeed! How could we say otherwise?”

“Yes, I’m ang—…”

“Indeed! Indeed!”

“Argh, damn it!”

Cheong-myeong threw his shoe. The beggars yelped and jumped back, then quickly knelt down again.

“Tsk.”

One of the beggars carefully brought the shoe back. Cheong-myeong took it, put it on, and took a deep breath to control his anger.

‘Right, what good would it do to get angry at beggars? Nothing would change.’

Cheong-myeong sighed and asked.

“But what’s got you all so busy?”

At that, the beggars quickly glanced at Gu-chil.

They didn’t want to talk to that human if possible, so they were making Gu-chil, who was at least somewhat friendly… no, who was less likely to get beaten even if he spoke, answer.

“There were so many people who came because of the Mount Heaven Alliance’s inauguration ceremony this time.”

“That’s right.”

“We have to write down all their names.”

“Huh? Why?”

Gu-chil scratched the back of his head.

“Well… where those famous fighters went and how they moved, all that becomes information.”

“That becomes information?”

“Of course. How many people do you think want to buy that kind of information for money?”

“…They sell everything.”

It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

As Gu-chil said, the fact itself would be information, but how the factions moved would help to confirm the state of the martial arts world.

The Beggars’ Union, which handles information, couldn’t miss these movements one by one.

“So, we’re busy writing down information about the people moving around this area and sending it to headquarters.”

“…We started the work, and you guys are making money?”

“Hehe. We’re helping each other out…”

“Then you have to pay a commission.”

“…”

“Well, this isn’t something to talk about with you. So, where is the beggar ahjussi?”

“Branch Leader is out on business for a while…”

Just then…

Shwoooosh!

The cloth at the entrance was pulled back, and Hong Dae-kwang strode in, his face twisted in anger.

“Are these beggar bastards all crazy! Not doing the work they’re supposed to and just lazing around? Are you all dying to… Oh? Divine Dragon of Mount Hua? When did you get here?”

The roar that had been erupting like a volcano stopped instantly. It even became friendly.

‘That, arse… Such a treacherous human.’

‘Just treat us half as well! Just half!’

The beggars knew well how tenacious and terrible Hong Dae-kwang was. But seeing him suddenly smile like a fool and treat people kindly, they couldn’t help but feel sick inside.

“I came to ask something… No, that’s secondary. Ahjussi!”

“Huh?”

“I told you to manage that bastard well, but that bastard is walking around with his nose in the air! How are you managing the kids?”

“That bastard? Who…”

Flames flared in Hong Dae-kwang’s eyes as he looked where Cheong-myeong was pointing.

“Hey, this bastard! I beat you so much, but you still haven’t lost your spirit! Do you have a hobby of getting beaten, you bastard!”

The gourd crashed against Jong-pal’s head with a loud *thwack!*

Plop.

Hong Dae-kwang, having stomped on the fallen Jong-pal a few times, shouted.

“Lock this bastard up and don’t give him food for three days!”

“W-we’re short on manpower…”

“Then wake him up, make him work, and don’t give him food for three days!”

“…Yes.”

“Tsk.”

Hong Dae-kwang quickly loosened his face and turned to Cheong-myeong.

“Ah. Sorry, Divine Dragon of Mount Hua.” He gave a too-bright smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I managed them well, but it seems the brat went crazy while I was away. I’ll continue to manage him well in the future.”

“Do a good job, do a good job. Or I’ll come here and take up residence.”

“…Should I just beat him to death now?”

“Then it’ll be easier for you. Can’t do that.”

“…”

Hong Dae-kwang, realizing anew that devils aren’t only in hell, quickly cleared his throat and opened his mouth. He had to answer anything and get this devil out of this building.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Let’s go inside and talk. But my throat is a bit scratchy.”

“What are you doing, you beggar bastards! Go get some booze! Booze and roast duck! And Dongpo pork and fish soup!”

“Kung Pao chicken too.”

“Yes, Kung Pao chicken too! Quickly!”

Cheong-myeong chuckled and swaggered inside.

“Huh?”

But at the same time, as his sleeve was pulled, Gu-chil looked up at Cheong-myeong. Seeing him blank, Cheong-myeong gestured with his chin.

“What are you doing? Come in. You should eat too.”

Gu-chil hesitated, “Ah, no. I’m okay. Everyone else is working. Will they be okay? Will they get food later?”

“Ah, is that so?”

Cheong-myeong looked around at the beggars and said.

“Then we’ll just eat here. It’s been a while since I’ve seen your faces.”

“No! Nothing will happen if one person is missing!”

“Gu-chil, please! Please go and eat in peace! I’m begging you!”

“…”

Cheong-myeong grinned.

“Did you hear that?”

“…”

“Let’s go.”

“Okay…”

It’s said that everything is easy if you have good friends…

‘Is this really having good friends?’

Gu-chil followed Cheong-myeong with hesitant steps, thinking that something was subtly different.