Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1358

“Supplies?”

Yoon Jong swallowed the meat in his mouth and tilted his head, thinking. “Do we really need supplies? We have Chung Myung, who always hunts meat for us. Can’t we just keep hunting like we are now?”

Yoon Jong glanced at Chung Myung, who was tearing into deer meat.

Chung Myung was the best hunter he knew. With him around, there was no need to worry about anyone going hungry.

But Baek Cheon didn’t agree.

“If only things were that easy, we wouldn’t have to worry so much,” Baek Cheon sighed, explaining, “No matter how fast he is, hunting still takes time. It takes time to find the animal, catch it, and bring it back.”

“Well…” Yoon Jong nodded, finding it hard to argue.

No matter how quickly Chung Myung hunted, it still took time.

Besides, there was no guarantee he could hunt so quickly every time.

“We don’t know what will happen. If the enemy gets too close, we’ll have to move without rest. Are you going to hunt then?”

“You’re right.”

The enemy could be anywhere, so they didn’t know how many more chances they’d get to rest.

“The Hainan disciples are already tired. Carrying the injured makes it even harder.”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.”

“And if they don’t get enough food, it will be bad.”

Yoon Jong’s eyes grew serious.

“We need food they can eat while moving. But wouldn’t it be better to make jerky now?”

“That’s impossible. It takes time to dry jerky. Besides, are you going to feed jerky to unconscious people?”

Yoon Jong groaned.

Many of the injured from Hainan were barely awake.

They couldn’t chew tough jerky.

Even Chung Myung’s grilled meat was hard for them to eat.

“So, we need grain after all.”

“I think so too.”

Grain could be chewed on the move, and if they made flour and mixed it with water, it could be used as gruel for the injured.

“But where are we going to find grain in these mountains…?”

The first idea was to look for a nearby house, but Yoon Jong shook his head.

It wouldn’t be easy to find people living in these mountains, and they would probably be hunters.

They wouldn’t have much grain.

Even if they did, they probably wouldn’t sell it. It was too precious to them, unless they planned to steal it.

‘But then how?’ Where could they get grain in these mountains?

“What are you planning to do?”

“We have to choose. We can risk going down the mountain to get grain from a village…”

“If we try to get enough for everyone to eat until we reach the Yangtze River, people will notice us. The Four Seas Alliance might come after us.”

“We have to take the risk.”

A sigh escaped Yoon Jong’s lips.

Solve one problem, and another appears. Fighting the strong felt like trying to fill a leaky bag with water.

“Even if we could get grain that way, I don’t think anyone would sell it to us.”

“Why not?”

“This is Jiangnan, right? The Demonic Sect rules it, so everyone is careful. They won’t want to give grain to strangers. Who knows what might happen later.”

Baek Cheon tilted his head, not understanding. Yoon Jong smiled sadly. Baek Cheon grew up having everything he needed and never feared powerful people. He didn’t understand how scared people in a dangerous place felt.

“Anyway, it’s not easy to buy grain all at once. So, we’d have to split up and buy it little by little… That would take too much time.”

“Hmm…” A shadow fell over Baek Cheon’s face.

Being in enemy territory made even small problems serious.

He could understand why so many sects tried to get more power.

“Then what should we do?”

As Baek Cheon frowned, Chung Myung spoke.

“What are you worrying about?”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung strolled over and tossed a gleaming deer bone in front of them.

“If they won’t sell grain, why not go to people who will?”

Yoon Jong frowned.

“Didn’t you hear me? No one in Jiangnan wants to sell a lot of grain to strangers right now. They’ll be careful before they do anything.”

“No, I mean, why not ask people who aren’t strangers to sell it to us?”

“…Who in Jiangnan isn’t a stranger to us?” Yoon Jong stopped and stared at Chung Myung.

“Don’t tell me you’re talking about the Myriad Man House?”

Everyone looked at Yoon Jong. Startled, Yoon Jong waved his hands.

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“Are you crazy, Sahyung?”

“…No, that’s not it, you idiot! You always say crazy things!”

“There’s a limit to crazy talk. Buying grain from the Myriad Man House? Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

Yoon Jong could handle Chung Myung’s look.

But he couldn’t handle the others’ eyes, which seemed to say, ‘He’s gone mad too.’

Jo Gul patted Yoon Jong’s shoulder.

“I understand, Sahyung.”

“…Leave me alone.”

Baek Cheon looked away from Yoon Jong and asked Chung Myung, “Who are you talking about? Who do we know in Jiangnan who has extra grain and would sell it to us?”

“We might not be close, but I know people who have extra grain and would sell it.”

“So, who is it?”

“Martial Uncle saw them on the way here.”

“Huh? On the way?” Baek Cheon thought, then his eyes widened. “Ah! Those people!”

“Yeah.”

Chung Myung chuckled. “The village we stopped at on the way to Hainan had grain. The grain those Four Seas Alliance gave them.”

“That’s right…” They had even cooked rice for them with that grain. It hadn’t been that long, so they couldn’t have used it all up yet.

“Other people might see us as strangers, but those people wouldn’t. We’re kind of friends.”

“And it’s not that far from here?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon nodded.

Chung Myung said they were ‘kind of friends,’ but the village had saved their lives. They weren’t asking for free grain; they would buy it with money.

“Ah, wait a minute.”

“Huh?” Jo Gul looked worried. “But that village didn’t have much grain. What will they do if we buy it all?”

“Are you an idiot, Sahyung?”

“Huh?”

“The villagers can go to the city and buy grain. They might not sell to us, but they’ll sell to them.”

“Huh?” Does it work that way?

“If they buy a lot of grain, people will notice…”

“Seriously, did you forget your brain back in Sichuan! They don’t have to buy it all at once. We have to buy a lot because we’re in a hurry, but they can buy it little by little.”

“Oh, right?”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue. “You said there wasn’t enough grain, but Jang Il-So spread grain everywhere, so the grain they were hiding must have come out. It’ll be a bit expensive, but we can pay more.”

“We get the grain we need, and they make enough money to buy the grain back and have some left over! It’s a win-win!”

Baek Cheon stared at Chung Myung, impressed.

He was good at planning.

He was using their only friendship in Jiangnan in that way. It was a plan that could help both sides, as long as they didn’t leave any sign of their visit.

“Hey, Chung Myung.”

“Huh? What is it now?”

“It’s embarrassing, but there’s a problem with that plan.”

“What problem?” Baek Cheon looked awkward. “Well… We need a lot of money, but I don’t have that much right now.”

Chung Myung stared at Baek Cheon. ‘What is he talking about?’

“You didn’t bring money?”

“I brought it when we left… But I gave it to the villagers back then…” It was better not to say that he gave the rest to the Hainan people. That money-lover would get angry.

“You don’t have money?”

“Ah, it’s not that I don’t have any…” Baek Cheon was trying to explain when Chung Myung spoke.

“What are you talking about? Don’t worry. It’s okay.”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon was surprised. There was no way Chung Myung could be so calm after hearing they didn’t have money.

“We’re not going to pay anyway.”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon looked at Namgung Dowi.

Namgung Dowi shook his head, and Dang Pae shrugged.

Even Im So-Byung turned his sleeves inside out. “Are you going to rob people now?”

“…This isn’t new.”

“Isn’t that a problem?”

No one had any money.

“Is that what they say?”

“You guys are useless.”

“That sounds wrong…”

“Who said you had to pay?”

“Then…?”

“Other people are going to pay. Why should we? They brought expensive things with them.”

“Huh?”

“There.”

Everyone looked where Chung Myung pointed.

They saw Geum Yang-Baek, the leader of Hainan, who had brought valuables with him.

“There is one.”

“There must be.”

“Fortunately.”

Geum Yang-Baek shuddered.

“Wh-what?”

The Mount Hua disciples smiled like Chung Myung.