Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1122

“W-What’s that noise?”

“Sounds like… a roar?”

“A roar? Like a tiger?”

“Or… maybe a really loud cow?”

“Cows? Tigers? What are you talking about?”

The Green Forest bandits and the Namgung Clan swordsmen blinked in confusion, utterly bewildered.

But the Sichuan Tang Clan and Mount Hua sensed what was happening. “Ah!” they exclaimed, turning quickly.

“Could it be?”

Without a word, the Tang Clan and Mount Hua disciples rushed towards the gate. The excited mood made the Namgung Clan and Green Forest bandits run too.

Baek Cheon threw open the doors and gasped. He had expected something amazing, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined.

A procession stretched along the riverbank, a long, moving line. But this was no ordinary group of people.

“Wow…” someone breathed.

“Unbelievable!”

“Is that really a tiger?”

“Look at that snake! It’s huge!”

“…What in the world is *that*?”

It was a scene of wild variety. Tigers as big as small houses, leopards with sharp teeth bared, snakes as thick as tree trunks that could easily swallow a person whole…

Pwooaooooo! A deep, rumbling trumpet sound vibrated in their chests.

…and then they saw it – a giant animal with a long, snake-like trunk raised high, trumpeting loudly.

“W-What is that thing?”

“Is it a monster?”

“You idiots. That’s an elephant.”

“An elephant?”

“Yes! An elephant!”

“Huh? It’s my first time seeing one in real life. So that’s what an elephant looks like?”

The sight of these enormous beasts, the likes of which they had never seen, was astonishing enough. But the shock was doubled by the sight of strong-looking men walking alongside them, seemingly unafraid.

Everyone’s eyes widened at the extraordinary spectacle. Where else would they ever see such a sight?

Namgung Dowi, who was seeing this for the first time, couldn’t help but be astonished. He had read about the Savage Beast Palace, but he never imagined anything like this. His heart beat faster with excitement and a little fear.

“W-What on earth is this…?”

Dang Pae smiled wryly at Namgung Dowi.

“Ah, that must be them. Those are the warriors from the Southern Savage Beast Palace. They are famous for taming wild beasts.”

“Ah…”

Namgung Dowi nodded as if he finally understood. He knew that the warriors of the Southern Savage Beast Palace tamed wild beasts, but seeing it was different than just knowing about it.

“So, they are allies.”

“Indeed. They are also members of the Heavenly Union.”

Dang Pae smiled slightly.

“The Beast Palace was one of the founding factions of the Heavenly Union, even before Namgung or the Green Forest.”

The Tang Clan and Beast Palace were good friends, more so than other groups except Mount Hua. They had frequent exchanges because of the Yunnan tea trade. Therefore, their assessment of them was bound to be favorable.

“But…”

Pwooaooooo!

Ker-huh-huh-heong!

“…Do they always travel with these beasts?”

“…They must have met many others on their way here… Isn’t it a bit much to be wandering around like this in broad daylight…?”

“W-Well… Uh…”

Dang Pae scratched the back of his head, troubled. It was strange to see at first.

“Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t… They haven’t been bringing them around much lately. But they’ve brought quite a few this time.”

Namgung Dowi blinked, watching the beasts approaching alongside the people. Each one was extraordinary. Namgung Dowi wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about beasts, but he could sense a different kind of energy from these creatures compared to ordinary animals.

‘Are they all spiritual creatures?’

Even if Yunnan was different from the Central Plains, surely these house-sized tigers weren’t just lying around everywhere. If that were the case, how could people even live there?

Even in Yunnan, these beasts were definitely special spiritual creatures.

Sure enough, the tiger walking proudly at the head of the group looked at Namgung Dowi and his clan members, who were waiting as if expecting them, and bared its fearsome teeth.

Grrrr.

The tiger’s low growl sent icy shivers down their spines, and a primal fear, deep and ancient, stirred within them.

Namgung Dowi swallowed hard. Those beside him flinched and took a step back.

Grrrr!

Seeing this, the tiger, even more emboldened, crouched slightly. Then, it unleashed a fierce roar that seemed capable of swallowing and shattering the entire Yangtze River.

Ker-huh-huh-huh-heong! The roar was so loud it felt like the air itself was shaking, and the ground trembled under their feet.

Grrrr.

The tiger glared at everyone with its bright yellow eyes, about to roar once more, when—

Tap tap tap tap tap.

—something darted out quickly from among the Mount Hua disciples, accompanied by a flurry of dainty footsteps.

“Huh?”

Namgung Dowi’s eyes widened.

The thing that had darted out was an animal he knew well: the snow-white weasel wearing the Mount Hua uniform, which he had seen countless times.

The weasel scurried forward, stopping right in front of the massive tiger, then stood on its hind legs, straightening its back.

“Th-That…!”

Momentarily flustered, Namgung Dowi reached out his hand without realizing it.

Of course, he knew that the weasel was a spiritual creature, but the size difference between it and the tiger was simply too extreme. The weasel was barely big enough to wrap around a person’s neck, but the tiger in front of it was clearly much larger than an average cow.

How could he not be flustered when that tiny weasel stood in front of such a tiger?

Grrrr.

The tiger bared its terrifying fangs at the weasel in front of it. It looked as if it would tear the little weasel in half at any moment.

With clear hostility in its eyes, the tiger lowered its body as if starting a hunt. The tiger’s stiff fur stood on end haphazardly. It looked so ferocious that it resembled a monster dwelling somewhere in the demon realm rather than a tiger.

Ker-huh-huh-huh-heong!

Just as the tiger unleashed a roar so immense that it seemed to shake even its internal organs, Baek Ah, who had been tapping its tail on the ground with an uncomfortable air, soared into the air. Then, with its short hind legs, it lashed out at the tiger’s jaw in one swift motion.

Wham!

The tiger, struck by Baek Ah’s hind leg, was sent flying like a cannonball, skipping across the bare ground like a stone across water.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Namgung Dowi’s eyes popped out.

“Huh…”

Baek Ah, who had sent the tiger flying with a single blow, spat on the ground and tapped the ground with its hind legs.

‘That…’

That’s a familiar sight. That’s…

No, wait. Before that… Does a weasel even spit? Is it right to call that a weasel? Can I even call it that?

The tiger, which had been slammed into the ground, trembled as it got up.

Keeeeeeee!

The moment Baek Ah let out a piercing cry, the tiger was visibly terrified. The tiger, which had rushed over like a bolt of lightning, quickly prostrated itself before Baek Ah.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Baek Ah, clicking its tongue with a very insignificant sound, raised its front paw, which was so dainty compared to the tiger that its existence was almost imperceptible. And then, it tapped the tiger’s cheek. It seemed like Baek Ah was telling the tiger to behave.

Whether Namgung Dowi was the only one who heard that hidden voice or not, the house-sized tiger hung its head with a blatantly dejected expression. It was a sight that even a three-year-old could understand who was stronger.

Baek Ah, who had subdued the tiger in an instant, rolled its eyes and looked back at the other beasts. The beasts, who had been so dignified just a moment ago, quickly tucked their tails and averted their gazes.

“Hahaha!”

At that moment, a thunderous laughter erupted. A moment later, a man who looked twice as big as an average strong man stepped forward. Maeng So burst into laughter, a deep, booming sound that shook his large frame, but his eyes were kind.

“Baekjeon, that rascal, has become even more ferocious. I thought his personality would improve if I sent him to the Taoist sect.”

Namgung Dowi flinched for a moment at the sight of the man. It was the first time in his life that he had felt such a sense of intimidation from mere appearance.

“Palace Lord!”

On the other hand, the disciples of Mount Hua and the Tang Clan were delighted to see Maeng So, the Palace Lord of the Savage Beast Palace.

‘Palace Lord? That person is?’

Tension flickered in Namgung Dowi’s eyes. Indeed, the Palace Lord of the Savage Beast Palace. That pressure was no joke.

Just then, a nonchalant voice came from behind.

“Seriously, why did you bring all these things?”

Seeing Chung Myung walking over with a scowl, Maeng So laughed.

“Understand, I told you to bring all the useful ones, didn’t I?”

“Are you saying these guys are useful?”

“No. The useful ones are the others. Even if they are spiritual creatures, aren’t they still just wild beasts in the end? If I brought all the ones who can fight, there would be no one to control these guys. I had no choice but to bring them to prevent problems, didn’t I?”

“Ugh.”

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t bring them all. I only picked out the most ferocious and ill-tempered ones.”

“…Ferocious and ill-tempered?”

“Huh?”

“Those guys?”

Chung Myung chuckled and gestured with his chin, prompting Maeng So to turn his gaze towards where he was pointing.

Whack!

Baek Ah raised its tiny front paw and pointed to one side, and the beasts of the Savage Beast Palace, crestfallen, trudged over there. They looked utterly defeated at a glance.

“…There’s always a natural enemy.”

Even Maeng So was surprised and smiled in confusion.

“It didn’t seem to be this bad before, what did you do to that thing? It looks several times stronger than when I saw it before.”

He didn’t bother to say that its personality seemed several times more vicious.

Chung Myung said with an indifferent face.

“I didn’t really do anything. I just made it understand that if it lazes around just because it’s a beast, it’ll become an expensive scarf.”

“…You’ve suffered.”

“Me?”

“No, that thing.”

“…”

Maeng So shook his head. Who would have imagined that there would be someone who could handle spiritual creatures better than the Savage Beast Palace disciples?

Baek Ah, who had herded all the house-sized beasts into the warehouse with a single gesture, tapped the ground with its hind legs and scurried right up to Chung Myung. Then, it put its arms on its hips and stuck out its belly.

“What?”

Tap! Tap!

Baek Ah thumped the ground with its tail, and Chung Myung chuckled as if it were ridiculous.

“Yeah, yeah. Good job.”

Kee!

Baek Ah nodded and quickly climbed onto Chung Myung, standing on one of his shoulders. Chung Myung glanced at Baek Ah and tapped its black nose with his finger.

“Instead.”

Kee?

“If those bastards cause any trouble in the future, you’re the one who’s dead.”

…

“Be good.”

Baek Ah, dejected, slumped powerlessly on Chung Myung’s shoulder.

Everyone who had been watching the absurd situation shook their heads.

‘Is the person amazing, or is the beast amazing?’

‘Anyway, nothing that happens here is ever normal.’

‘Let’s not think about it. It’s easier to just accept it.’

Chung Myung chuckled at Maeng So.

“Bringing all these animals must have been hard work. But you got here sooner than I expected. You must be tired.”

“You say the strangest things.”

Maeng So smiled gently. It was a soft and warm smile that was hard to imagine from his imposing appearance.

“Of course, a friend must come when called.”

Chung Myung grinned at those words.

“Since I’ve met a friend, I should have a drink for the first time in a while.”

“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that, so I brought all the Peach Blossom Wine.”

“Oh? That amazing liquor! Ah! I’m going to live in luxury for the first time in a while!”

The large Maeng So and Chung Myung, who was slightly smaller than an average person, somehow put their arms around each other’s shoulders and walked inside, chuckling.

Namgung Dowi, who had been standing there blankly, asked with a bewildered expression.

“Are those two originally that close?”

“…Strangely enough, they are.”

“…”

Namgung Dowi thought anew. It was truly amazing how someone could have such a bad personality and yet be so sociable.