Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1207

Baek Cheon looked at the dusty ground of Mount Hua. He was now the leader, the most powerful person here. But looking at a small stone at his feet, he wondered if this power was worth anything at all. Being in charge felt heavy, not exciting.

“Take this, and make sure you take this too,” Baek Sang said.

“…Thank you,” Baek Cheon replied.

“Before you leave, don’t forget to stop by and get some travel money from me,” Baek Sang continued.

“Alright. I won’t forget.”

“The kids might get stomachaches if the water changes. Tell Soso in advance to pack some medicine.”

“What kind of martial artist gets a stomachache from a change in water…?” Baek Cheon mumbled.

“Are you going to take responsibility if the kids get sick?” Baek Sang retorted.

“…I’ll tell her,” Baek Cheon conceded.

“Tsk,” Baek Sang clicked his tongue.

Baek Cheon felt uncomfortable.

Of course, Baek Sang wasn’t always easy to deal with. He was the second of the ‘Baek’ generation, a position that Baek Cheon respected. Besides, he used to be his right-hand man, always helping him.

So, Baek Cheon tried to be considerate of Baek Sang’s feelings. But this discomfort he felt now was different.

Baek Cheon hesitated. “Sang-ah…” he began, then trailed off. “Um, nothing.”

Baek Sang, who had been staring hard at Baek Cheon, snapped his head away. He started digging through a pile of supplies, muttering to himself.

“Honestly,” Baek Sang grumbled, loud enough for Baek Cheon to hear. “Always making problems.” He rummaged harder, throwing things around. “Turn around for a second, and he’s done something else! Who has to fix it all? Aish!” He sighed heavily. “Head of the Treasury… at my age. What a mess.”

“Well… I’m just acting as the Sect Leader’s proxy,” Baek Cheon said. “It’s not like anything will really change for you guys…”

Baek Cheon trailed off. Baek Sang, as if not even wanting to bother speaking, took something out of his pocket and shoved it in Baek Cheon’s face.

Baek Cheon’s expression turned slightly strange as he looked at the bundle of keys strung together with thick wire.

“Do you know what these are?” Baek Sang asked, his voice rising.

“…They look like keys?” Baek Cheon guessed.

“The armory and the warehouse! The keys to the warehouses where food and supplies are stored! Keys!” Baek Sang exclaimed.

Baek Cheon, staring blankly at the bundle of keys, tilted his head.

“What’s that small key in the middle? Why is it gilded…?” he asked.

“Yes. You see it well. That’s the problem, that’s it!” Baek Sang rolled his eyes and raised his voice. Baek Cheon flinched and took a step back at the force of it.

“Do you know what this is?” Baek Sang demanded.

“I, I asked you…” Baek Cheon stammered.

“It’s a vault key, a vault! The vault key that Elder Hyun Young keeps safe at all times! The Mount Hua vault that’s only in Elder Hyun Young’s room! That vault key! The Mount Hua vault key that the Elder brought all the way here from Shaanxi!”

“…”

“He’s been holding on to that vault key every moment of his life! He guards it like it’s the most precious treasure, always keeping it close! And now he’s handing it over to me! Do you know what this means?”

I know. How could I not know…

“The Elders are happy to give up work, but you are the only one who doesn’t understand how much work this is!” Baek Sang said, his voice full of frustration.

“I, I’m sorry,” Baek Cheon mumbled.

“Aish, really!” Baek Sang snorted. Baek Cheon, slightly intimidated, neatly folded his hands in front of him.

“I thought this would be a story from twenty years later,” Baek Sang continued.

“…”

“Me, an Elder. Aish, my stomach…”

Baek Cheon hung his head low.

While others could just act like Elders and continue doing what they were doing, Baek Sang’s case was very different. He was the one who had to become the Head of the Treasury after Hyun Young.

The Treasury of Mount Hua was a place with a lot of work. Naturally, Baek Sang’s stomach, forced to take on the position of Head of the Treasury, couldn’t help but be twisted.

“So!” Baek Sang exclaimed.

“Huh?” Baek Cheon responded.

Hyun Sang narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“Have you decided on the Vice Head of the Martial Hall?”

“Vi, Vice Head?”

“Yes! Vice Head!”

“Well, um… If Elder Hyun Sang is stepping down, then it would have to be Uncle Un Geom…”

“Uncle Un Geooooooom?” Baek Sang rolled his eyes again, and Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut.

“The Sect Leader is Baek Cheon, and the Head of the Treasury is Baek Sang! And the Vice Head is Uncle Un Geom? No matter how upside down the Sect is, there’s a limit to how outrageous things can get! Are you saying you’re going to take reports from Uncle? Huh?”

“N, no, that won’t do! That’s right! That doesn’t make any sense!” Baek Cheon agreed quickly.

“Then who are you going to promote?” Baek Sang asked, his voice sharp.

“That’s…”

Baek Cheon clamped his mouth shut like a clam. Baek Sang, unable to bear his frustration, clutched at his chest.

“I shouldn’t have said anything! I shouldn’t have…” he muttered.

“…”

“Sect Leader.”

“Uh… Huh?”

Baek Sang glared at Baek Cheon with blazing eyes.

“Listen to me carefully,” Baek Sang said.

At the serious tone, Baek Cheon’s shoulders stiffened. It seemed the words that would follow weren’t something to be taken lightly.

“Your mind is probably filled with the state of the Jianghu, the future of the Heavenly Union, and the relationships between the various sects.”

Baek Cheon silently nodded.

He tried to hide it, but in truth, he was feeling a great deal of pressure. As a result, his mind couldn’t help but be filled with the things Baek Sang mentioned.

“Those who rise to the top are generally like that. They can’t afford to worry about small matters when they have big things to consider. I understand. But…”

Baek Sang sighed deeply and continued.

“If things are good here in Mount Hua, then we can be strong outside too.”

“…”

The old teachers said, “Take care of what’s close first. You can’t jump far if you don’t stand strong.” If you want to lead Mount Hua well, focus on what’s here, not things far away.

Baek Cheon was about to nod when Baek Sang’s face changed.

“If I could do that, I wouldn’t be saying this. Aish!”

“Read this on your way to Hainan.”

Baek Sang pulled a booklet from his robes and held it out.

“What is this?”

“The ledger. Mount Hua’s financial records!”

Baek Cheon’s face turned slightly awkward.

“Do I really need to see this? It’s your job, and I trust you to handle it.”

“What silly things are you saying!” Baek Sang yelled, causing Baek Cheon to flinch, stepping back.

“Trusting someone is one thing, but you must know how to do the work properly! Funds are like the lifeblood of a sect! If the arteries are blocked, the person dies!”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Then at least you should know how the sect’s income and expenses are managed! And whether there’s money disappearing! You should at least be able to read a ledger! What if I get greedy and steal money?”

Baek Cheon was speechless, so Baek Sang clicked his tongue, a sound of impatience. He reached into his robes again, pulling out *another* booklet as if he had an endless supply. He placed it in Baek Cheon’s hands.

“And look at this too.”

“What’s this one?”

“It’s a categorized summary of the White and Azure Dragon disciples’ personal information, tendencies, and martial arts levels. The disciples are the foundation of the sect. The Sect Leader must properly understand each and every one of them.”

“Ah, no, Baek Sang. You’re not wrong. But right now, I’m…”

“Ah, it’s not urgent because you’re just the Acting Sect Leader?”

“Don’t even *think* like that! Did I ever think I’d be doing this? I thought it would take me another ten years just to carry the storage key. But it took less than a year to get here!”

“Q-quite fast.”

“When has anything in Mount Hua ever progressed at a normal pace? It won’t even take a year for you to drop the title of Acting Sect Leader and become the real Sect Leader. Do you understand? In other words, you have to completely master the duties of the Sect Leader within the next year!”

“That’s true, but…”

“Don’t even think about saying that the Sect Leader will help you.”

Baek Cheon, who was just about to say that, shut his mouth again and respectfully folded his hands in front of him.

“That’s no different from enjoying the rights but avoiding your duties. How do you think the children will see you? I won’t tolerate it!”

“Y-yes. I’ll try my best…”

“So, memorize the ledger and the roster I just gave you perfectly!”

Baek Sang pulled out yet another booklet.

“More, there’s more…. Just a moment.”

“This is a summary of the Mount Hua business information that the Sect Leader manages externally, and a rough outline of the businesses that Mount Hua is currently running.”

“Seriously, how many books are you pulling out of your robes?”

Was he keeping all that inside?

“This contains general information and internal organization charts of the Silver Sea Merchant Guild and the Ghostly Gate, among others, that are allied with Mount Hua!”

Each *thud* was another book landing in Baek Cheon’s hands. *Thud!* Another one. *Thud!* And another! Soon, books were piled so high in his arms, it felt like a leaning tower. Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed.

“If you look at roughly this much, you’ll get a sense of how Mount Hua works. These are just the bare minimum of information, so cram it all into your head without leaving anything out!”

‘This… this is *everything* Baek Sang does,’ Baek Cheon thought, his breath catching in his throat. ‘All this work, all this responsibility… and he never complains. Never asks for praise.’ A wave of shame washed over Baek Cheon. He *should* have known. He *should* have seen.

Baek Sang cautiously changed the subject.

“Well… it’s a lot, but there’s no need to worry too much. You just need to know it, and I’ll be the one actually managing and operating it.”

Baek Cheon was feeling a new sense of gratitude for Baek Sang, but Baek Sang thought that Baek Cheon was simply overwhelmed by the amount of work.

“No, don’t make that face. I know you’re busy with external affairs. I’ll take care of the internal matters, but you still need to know about them. You need to do at least that much to be a great Sect Leader…”

“Sang-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Baek Sang blinked, looking surprised by the sudden thanks. A faint blush crept up his neck and onto his cheeks. He mumbled, “What strange things are you saying…” He quickly turned away, saying louder, “Anyway, memorize all that. I have to go manage the ingredients now!” He hurried out of the storage room, not looking back.

Baek Cheon, still feeling the weight of Baek Sang’s words, gently lowered the tower of books to the floor. He picked up the top one, his fingers brushing against the cover. He opened it. The pages were crisp and white, the ink still dark and fresh. It wasn’t an old record. It was *new*. He flipped through a few pages. Baek Sang had written this himself. And the next book… and the next… all new. A wave of emotion hit Baek Cheon. He remembered Baek Sang’s tired eyes, the dark circles under them. ‘He’s been staying up all night,’ Baek Cheon realized, a lump forming in his throat. ‘He did all this… for me?’ The strong smell of fresh ink filled the air, a testament to Baek Sang’s effort. Baek Cheon closed the book slowly, another sigh escaping, this one heavy with emotion. ‘You damned fool…’ he whispered, his voice thick.

The responsibility wasn’t just Baek Cheon’s.

As he moved forward, others shouldered that much responsibility and moved forward as well. When everyone became accustomed to that weight, they would be able to achieve the Mount Hua they so desired.

His heart felt heavy.

‘I won’t let you down.’

Baek Cheon renewed his firm resolve and picked up all the books. And at that moment, as he was about to open the storage door, there was a loud nagging that echoed through the storage area.

“Aish, do you think wooden swords grow out of the ground? Why are you using them so carelessly! And I told you to be careful not to tear the clothes when you spar! Do you think clothes fall from the sky when they’re needed!”

“Ah, no, Martial Uncle…. How can we not when we’re sparring….”

“What? Are you rebelling now? You freeloaders who can’t earn a penny, where do you think the money that your martial uncles and senior brothers earn with their bodies comes from? You don’t know how precious it is and use it so carelessly!”

“I, I’m sorry….”

“Do you think money will pour out of Mount Hua forever? Is it because the Azure Dragon disciples haven’t suffered enough? Why don’t you know how precious money is! In my day, we mended one set of clothes dozens of times! And we went up the mountain ourselves to cut down trees and carve wooden swords! These days, you people have lost your minds!”

“I was wrong, Martial Uncle! I was wrong. Please….”

“It’s not that I’m stingy with money! Huh? In the first place, that money is all earned by your Acting Sect Leader and Chung Myung getting stabbed and beaten by internal energy! And you guys are….”

“Hiiiik!”

Baek Cheon, who had been silently listening to the loud nagging that filled the air, carefully put the doorknob back down.

“For the sake of their sincerity, I should read here now, right?”

And let’s go out when it gets a little quieter….

When it gets quieter….