Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1149

“Is it finished?”

“J-Just a little bit left….”

“Honestly, how difficult is sweeping the yard that you can’t finish on time every single time? Aren’t you being too lazy?”

“Oh, don’t even mention it. If I did it without care just to finish on time, I’d be scolded severely. The Mount Hua Elder comes and yells at me, calling me useless!”

“…Elder Hyun Young, you mean?”

“I don’t know his exact name, but that fussy one….”

“That’s him.”

“Yes. Anyway, he says… with so many people coming and going in the manor, if it’s not kept clean, people will look down on those gathered here….”

“…Then sweep it.”

“Yes?”

The workers in the manor were most afraid of Hyun Young, the housekeeper of Mount Hua. They weren’t as scared of Hyun Jong, the leader of the Heavenly Union, because he was very kind. And they weren’t as scared of Cheong Myung, who people called ‘the devil’ of the Heavenly Union, because he only bothered certain people.

“Not all people who follow Taoism are nice…”

“Ahem, you! How can you say such things out loud! You’ll be struck by lightning.”

“S-Sorry.”

“Say such things quietly, where others can’t see.”

“….Yes.”

The one who had given the advice suddenly turned his head to check the sky.

“It’s time! Quickly, move aside!”

“Yes!”

The two hurriedly moved to the side. It was time for the daily routine to begin.

‘Ugh, really.’

‘Here we go again.’

As if by agreement, the doors of the buildings opened all at once, and the two men stiffened with tension, swallowing hard.

“Ooh-rah-chah-chah!”

“It’s morning!”

“Let’s go! To the training grounds!”

Before the people could even be seen properly, a thunderous voice erupted. Soon, the disciples of the Heavenly Union, armed with weapons, poured out through the open doors.

“Huh? W-What is it?”

The workers, who were always tired, were now bursting out with energy, causing the surprised workers to widen their eyes.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Am I seeing things?’

But it didn’t seem like they were mistaken. The sight of those who came out stretching and grinning proved it.

“Kuh! I can’t believe how light my body feels!”

“Now I understand why everyone’s eyes light up when they talk about elixirs!”

“I could fight all day long!”

“Let’s go!”

“I’m first!”

The rushing disciples all started running towards the training grounds. The two men, pressed against the wall, blinked as they watched them pass by like the wind.

“Good morning!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Y-You’re welcome….”

Those who had never even made eye contact before greeted them with energetic voices. Of course, they rushed past before the greeting could even register.

“What kind of training are we doing today?”

“Maybe we’re fighting the sect leaders?”

“Really? Is today the day for revenge!”

“Hey. They’re still the sect leaders, so revenge is a bit much.”

“Why are you running so fast while saying that?”

Leaving behind a large cloud of dust, the disciples disappeared towards the training grounds. The two men, pressed against the roadside, stared at each other with blank faces.

“You….”

“Yes?”

“…We’re going to have to sweep this again from the beginning, aren’t we?”

The man who looked at the ruined road sighed and hung his head.

Those who joined the Heavenly Union all went through many changes. Living together with other sects after only living within one’s own sect, change was unavoidable.

But among the countless people belonging to the Heavenly Union, the one who changed the most was surprisingly not a martial artist.

“There!”

A loud shout burst from Madam Chu’s mouth.

“I told you not to lift the pot with just two people! It’s heavier than you think, and accidents happen! You need three!”

“Yes, Madam!”

“Are the chickens ready yet?”

“Oh! They need to be boiled a bit longer. This pot is so big….”

“The fire’s too weak! Quickly bring more firewood. There’s new firewood in the back garden!”

“Yes! Yes! I’ll go now!”

It was when Madam Chu was intensely looking around to see if she had missed anything.

“M-Madam! They want more rice?”

“We just sent out a pot, didn’t we?”

“Oh my! It’s like they’ve set a date for today. As soon as we put the pot down, it disappears! It’s like they all have demons attached to them….”

“Rice cakes! There’s still a bit more time before the rice is ready, so bring out the rice cakes we were going to serve as dessert first. If there’s something to eat, they’ll wait a bit! They’re in the basket in the back!”

“Yes, yes! I’ll bring them out right away!”

“One pot of rice…. No, put up two more pots! No! Just put up three pots! Quickly!”

“Yes, Madam!”

Madam Chu, who had been giving instructions until her voice was hoarse, wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve because of the heat.

‘What a mess.’

Mealtime at the manor was always chaotic, like a battlefield. But today, it seemed particularly chaotic.

“Madam! There’s no rice!”

“Meat! What about the meat? Meat!”

“Ah, I wish we had one more chicken.”

The Mount Hua disciples poked their heads out through the kitchen door, their faces desperate, like hungry baby birds.

Madam Chu shuddered at the sight. But before she could say anything, a hand that popped out from behind them grabbed the back of the necks of those who were shouting.

“I told you not to come into the kitchen!”

“S-Sasuk, it’s not that!”

“Oh, I can’t live like this! Why are you all doing this!”

“No, Soso. I’m just too hungr….”

Baek Cheon and Tang Soso dragged the Mount Hua disciples away. Yoon Jong, who sighed and poked his head out, bowed to Madam Chu.

“I’m sorry. They’re good kids at heart, but they’re just a little, no, very stupid….”

“A-Ah, it’s okay. I’ll bring it to you quickly.”

“You can take your time.”

“Ah, Senior Brother! If we take our time, we won’t be able to eat it all within the mealtime….”

“Shut your mouth!”

Yoon Jong, who elbowed Jo Gul in the back of the head as he belatedly poked his head out, nodded again with an awkward face.

“Then.”

When the two had disappeared, Madam Chu wiped the sweat from her forehead again.

‘What happened?’

They usually ate a lot, but they all had lifeless faces. Now, they were suddenly urging for food with such excited faces, and even though her body was tired, she somehow felt excited too.

“Those gluttonous bastards are eating well.”

At the voice that came from the side, Madam Chu was startled and quickly turned her head. Hyun Young, looking fussy as usual, was walking over with an indifferent expression.

“You’ve arrived?”

“They’ll be eating especially a lot today. You’ll have to work hard.”

“Do I look like I’m the one working hard? The cooks are.”

Hyun Young made a displeased expression and suddenly handed Madam Chu something he was holding under his arm.

“Oh my! Hagi!”

Madam Chu was surprised when she saw the child Hyun Young handed her and took him in her arms.

“Why the child….”

“The child keeps crying, it’s so noisy! Soothe him for a bit!”

“I’m sorry….”

Madam Chu, who was looking at the child’s condition with a sorry expression, soon sighed deeply.

“…Elder. I told you, you don’t have to change the baby’s diaper….”

“I only did it because he kept crying so loudly, not because I thought the child was cute. Don’t worry about it.”

“Still….”

“Don’t talk back…. You! There’s a child here, why are you coming with a knife!”

“S-Sorry, Elder.”

One of the cooks, who was about to pass by without thinking, was horrified by Hyun Young’s shout and stepped back. Of course, it was Hyun Young’s fault for bringing the child into the dangerous kitchen rather than the cook’s fault, but no one was brave enough to argue with that fact.

Moreover, everyone knew why Hyun Young was bringing the child here, so they couldn’t say anything.

When Madam Chu soothed the child to sleep, Hyun Young took Hagi back from Madam Chu with an indifferent face.

“Is it hard?”

“No. It’s not hard….”

“Work is always hard. If you’re getting paid and it’s not hard, then you’re a thief.”

Hyun Young muttered with an indifferent face.

“Instead, the wages for hard work belong to the person who worked. No one helps anyone else. Understand?”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Tsk.”

Hyun Young subtly pulled the child closer and turned around. And like a thunderbolt, he started yelling at another cook.

“There! You have to wipe the spilled stuff on the floor properly!”

“Yes, yes! Sorry, Elder.”

“Starting tomorrow, twice as many ingredients will be coming in, so take some people off in the morning and have them help with organizing.”

“Oh my, Elder…. We’re too short on people. If we do that….”

“When did I say not to hire people? If you’re short, you have to hire more. Talk to them and hire people. Immediately!”

“Yes, yes! If you do that….”

Hyun Young moved away, pointing out things here and there with every step he took. A small smile bloomed on Madam Chu’s face as she looked at his retreating figure.

‘Really….’

It was a difficult experience, but being able to come here in the midst of it was truly a fortunate thing.

“Is the rice ready yet?”

“We don’t have any chicken here right now?”

“Ack! The Green Forest bandits and the Namgung bastards are fighting over the meat! Meat! Give us some meat here first! Quickly!”

Madam Chu covered her face with her hands.

‘No. It doesn’t seem like that’s entirely true.’

Those gluttonous humans….

But soon, Madam Chu raised her head sharply and shouted.

“I’ll give it to you, so get out of the kitchen! Quickly! I told you it’ll take longer if you block it!”

“A-Ah, no. We’re just….”

“Quickly!”

“Yes!”

She shook her head as she watched the heads receding back.

“Is the chicken all boiled?”

“I’m going now, Madam!”

“Please carry it quickly!”

Her shoulders, with her sleeves rolled up, heaved powerfully.

Cheong Myung, who was watching the chaotic restaurant, tore off a chicken leg. The disciples were eating one elixir each, and they were so energetic that they were going wild.

‘The effect is better than I thought?’

As expected, people had to be driven to the brink to get the full effect. People only know the happiness of having something when they don’t have it. Now that they’ve felt the importance of physical strength, which they didn’t think was particularly important, they’ll train on their own.

“Then, let’s see. Now, I’ve done everything I needed to do.”

The system has been set up.

So now, they will start pushing themselves like Mount Hua used to. To open a new waterway, you have to dig the ground, but once you open the way, water flows endlessly.

In other words, the long, difficult process has now come to an end.

“Then, we need to move on to the next stage.”

He nodded and shoved the chicken leg into his mouth. And he snapped his oily fingers with a loud sound.

“Tell all the sect leaders to gather after the meal!”

Reactions poured out from everywhere.

“Eat what you’ve shoved in your mouth before you talk!”

“You’re spitting, you bastard! It’s so dirty.”

“….”

It seems like the kids are too energetic. Sigh.