Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 786

The dusty streets of Namgyeong were filled with evening shadows.

“Damn it, I can’t get a decent hand!”

Go Tae slammed the dominoes onto the table, scratching his head in frustration.

“Hee hee hee. Some days are like that.”

“What? Some days? It’s like this every day!”

He huffed and stood up.

“Today’s a bust.”

“It’s only evening, and you’re already quitting?”

“If I play any longer, I’ll only lose more. What? You want to cheat me?”

“Cheat you? Didn’t you win last time?”

“That was a tiny win!”

He glared at the person across from him, then kicked the chair to vent his anger.

“Anyway, I’m out, so you lot have fun.”

“Where are you going? Did you forget you’re on duty tonight?”

“How many guys do you need in this peanut-sized gambling den? I’ll go collect some dues, so you guys can watch over things.”

“Tsk, tsk. What a temper.”

Ignoring their whispers, Go Tae grabbed his sword and left the gambling den with heavy steps.

The back alley was narrow and dusty, but as Go Tae walked, it opened into a bustling marketplace. The air filled with the smells of ripe fruit and frying food, a noisy mix of shouts and bartering. Merchants were quickly arranging their stalls, colorful fabrics spilling onto rough wooden tables, and baskets overflowing with bright red fruits.

“Deliciously ripe fruits! Try some!”

“Buy jeonbyeong, jeonbyeong!”

“Exotic fabrics from faraway lands! Come and have a look!”

Go Tae frowned and strode towards one side.

“Hey, old man!”

The old merchant looked up, his smile faltering as he recognized Go Tae. “Oh… hello,” he mumbled, quickly trying to smooth his worried face. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Business good today, old man?” Go Tae asked, a fake friendly smile on his face, but his eyes were hard.

The merchant chuckled nervously, wiping his hands on his apron. “Ah, you know how it is. Same as always. Just trying to get by. Thanks to… your generosity, of course, we manage to eat.” He avoided Go Tae’s gaze.

“Is that so?”

Go Tae smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. *Tree bark? The old fool is lucky if he gets dirt.*

“You’re putting food on the table, while I’m starving!”

“Why…”

“Why, you ask!”

Wham!

He ruthlessly kicked the goods the old man had put out for sale.

“Ow!”

“If you’ve made money, you have to pay the stall fee! Are you just going to stuff it all in your mouth? You’re three months behind on your stall fee!”

“Ow, sir… I really don’t have any money.”

“No money? Then you should close up shop! What’s the point of doing business if you can’t earn enough to pay the stall fee! You should go up the mountain and chop wood!”

“I-if you could just wait one more month…”

“Does this old man think someone else is digging up the ground to do business!”

Wham!

He kicked the cart loaded with goods, sending it flying, and shouted.

“I gave you two months of grace! What? You want me to wait another month? Does this old man really want to die?! Do you think our Ghost Scorpion Sect is a joke?”

“Aiyoo, no! How could I ever think that?”

“If you can’t pay with money, you have to give me your goods!”

Go Tae strode forward and grabbed the cart he had kicked. Tears streamed down the old merchant’s face as he grabbed Go Tae’s sleeve, his voice cracking with fear. *Everything I have is in that cart… my family will starve.*

“I-if you take that, my family will starve to death! I-I’ll definitely pay next month, so just this once…!”

“Is this old man crazy!”

Thwack!

Go Tae kicked the merchant’s chest. The merchant screamed weakly and fell backward. Go Tae brushed off his clothes with a displeased expression and raised his voice.

“That’s why you shouldn’t deal with people like him. When this old man first started his business, he said he’d pay the stall fee no matter what, but now he’s making me out to be the bad guy? I waited two months already! My own kids will starve because of your brats!”

Other merchants glanced at the scene from afar and whispered.

“What’s going on again?”

“I don’t know. Looks like that madman lost money at the gambling den again. Is this anything new?”

“How long do we have to keep watching this…”

Complaints and sighs poured out. But no one had the courage to step forward and stop Go Tae. For them, confronting Go Tae, a black-clothed member of the Ghost Scorpion Sect, was no different from suicide. Just looking at the sword dangling from his side made their legs tremble.

At the sight of the elderly merchant being kicked again, the merchants eventually couldn’t bear to watch and shut their eyes.

“It’s so filthy, I should just quit.”

“Don’t say such things. What will we eat if we stop doing business?”

“Wouldn’t we be able to survive if we cleared some land and farmed it?”

“Farming, my foot! Are there no bandits in the mountains? There’s no place where people live that’s free of bandits.”

“Bloody hell.”

At that moment, Go Tae grabbed the cart and looked around menacingly.

“Where’s that rat squeaking!”

At his fierce gaze, the merchants quickly closed their mouths and lowered their eyes. A moment of silence fell.

“From this month on, anyone who can’t pay the stall fee on time will have their stall completely removed, so keep that in mind! Shameless people! They want to keep all the money for themselves and pay us only what’s left?”

“T-that would never happen.”

“And from next month on, the stall fee will be raised by 10%, so keep that in mind.”

“A-aiyoo, sir! If you suddenly say such a thing…”

“It’s not me, it’s our leader who decided it. There’s no use complaining, so prepare the money and don’t be late!”

Go Tae glared, turned, and tried to pull the cart away.

“Y-you can’t go!”

The merchant, whose cart was being stolen, clung to Go Tae’s trouser leg even as blood streamed from his mouth.

“Does this old man really want to die?”

“I-if I lose this, I’ll really die. It’s the same whether I die this way or that way! So please… Please…”

“Oh ho? The same, is it?”

Go Tae let go of the cart and drew his sword.

The merchants, hearing the blade, stepped back in terror. Their faces were filled with anxiety.

“S-someone, stop him!”

“Old man! Old man! You mustn’t do this!”

“Grandpa!”

Bystanders screamed, but the merchant showed no sign of backing down. Instead, he shouted in resentment.

“Yes! Just kill me, you bandit! How much do I even earn here that you have to take it all away! I don’t want to live like this either! Just kill me!”

“Heh heh, look at this guy?”

Thwack!

Go Tae kicked the merchant’s chest and gripped his sword tightly.

“Alright. Since you want me to kill you, I’ll kill you! Today is your memorial day!”

He roared and was about to swing his sword when a voice rang out.

“Stop!”

Go Tae slowly turned his head.

If the merchants had shouted, he wouldn’t have listened, but this voice was filled with inner strength.

Sure enough, people in blue martial uniforms were rushing over.

“Ptooey!”

Go Tae spat and glared at them.

“Aiyoo, what brings the esteemed people of the Pursuit of Righteousness Sect all the way out here?”

“Step aside.”

“Step aside?”

Go Tae sneered.

“You’re the ones who should step aside. Have you forgotten that this is our territory? I don’t know when the Pursuit of Righteousness Sect started setting foot here.”

The middle-aged man at the front glared at Go Tae.

“Territory?”

“Yes, territory. This is our territory. Have you forgotten our agreement not to interfere with each other? Or are you trying to start a war?”

The middle-aged man stared intently at Go Tae with a strange expression. Go Tae became even more self-righteous.

“Why? Does the Nanjing Quick Sword tremble at the word war?”

“War…”

A twisted smile appeared on the lips of Cho Sang-gil, the Nanjing Quick Sword.

“It’s not like we can’t do it.”

“What?”

Go Tae was taken aback.

*Is this guy crazy?*

The Pursuit of Righteousness Sect, to which Cho Sang-gil belonged, and the Ghost Scorpion Sect, to which he belonged, had a treaty not to invade each other’s territory. That’s why they had been living like cats and dogs, keeping each other in check across the border of Namgyeong.

But now, this bastard had suddenly led his disciples and invaded the Ghost Scorpion Sect’s territory.

“What’s going on?”

“Those bastards! What do they think this place is!”

Having heard the news, Ghost Scorpion Sect disciples rushed out of the gambling den. Behind the Pursuit of Righteousness Sect’s disciples, people were being replenished one by one.

The marketplace was quickly filled with tension. Dozens of disciples from each sect glared at each other.

“It seems the Nanjing Quick Sword has become too arrogant.”

“Your livers are the ones that have become too big.”

“What?”

Cho Sang-gil twisted his lips and sneered.

“The reason we’ve been letting your cruel actions go on is because the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze River are behind you. You didn’t actually think we were afraid of you, did you?”

“This bastard…”

“But that’s only until today.”

“What does that mean?”

“The Wudang and Shaolin are attacking the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze River. The fate of the River Group is over.”

Go Tae was silent.

“Then there’s no reason for us to sit idly by and watch you worthless thugs. You disgusting rats. From today on, you can’t set foot in Namgyeong! I’ll give you one last chance. Pack your bags and get out. If you don’t, you’ll all die today.”

Go Tae’s face contorted. It was unexpected.

*Are these bastards crazy?*

Were they really trying to start a war?

This was not something he could answer. This was something his superiors had to…

“Three.”

“W-wait a moment! Wait, Cho Sang-gil!”

“Two.”

“T-this!”

“One. Charge! Drive the Ghost Scorpion Sect out of Namgyeong today!”

“Yes!”

Cho Sang-gil gave the order. The disciples drew their swords and rushed towards the Ghost Scorpion Sect.

“Kill them all!”

“You sons of bitches! Did you think we were weak!”

As the Pursuit of Righteousness Sect disciples charged, the Ghost Scorpion Sect also drew their weapons.

“What are you doing! Kill those cowards!”

“These bastards looked down on us, did they?”

“Kill them all!”

As swords and knives clashed, the marketplace became chaotic and blood spurted everywhere.

“A-aiyoo! What on earth is going on!”

The marketplace merchants screamed and scattered.

The two sects continued their brutal fight.

*Good heavens, a war.*

*There hasn’t been anything like this in ten years.*

*The Pursuit of Righteousness Sect has finally drawn its sword!*

A beggar crouching in a corner rose with a serious face.

“War…”

This was not just a simple clash. They were fighting for their existence. No matter who won, it would change Namgyeong.

*I have to inform the higher-ups quickly.*

He ran towards his shack.

Namgyeong, which had looked peaceful, was stained with war.

This was happening in other cities where the Demonic and Orthodox factions coexisted.

The once calm Martial World began to stir.

The stone thrown into the Yangtze shook not only the river but the world.

Carrier pigeons flew towards the Beggars’ Union headquarters, announcing the upheaval.