Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1239

“Who arrived?”

“It’s the Mount Hua Sect, I tell you! The Heavenly Union has arrived!”

“That’s crazy! Not with a typhoon this strong?”

“This isn’t the time to argue! They’re in the guest rooms right now! Have you not heard the news?”

“…Oh my goodness!”

The man who spoke opened the window.

Whooooosh!

The trees swayed as if they would break from the strong rain and wind. Some trees were already uprooted and rolling around.

‘Through this?’

Even climbing a mountain would be hard in this typhoon, not to mention the sea. Typhoons in the South Sea were much stronger than those inland. And yet, in this typhoon, people who weren’t used to the South Sea were…

“Wh-who did you say arrived?”

“Hey, hey, calm down! It’s the Five Swords! The Five Swords are here!”

“Wait, really? The Mount Hua Five Swords?”

“Yes! Those Mount Hua Five Swords!”

“…Heh heh.”

Hearing ‘Mount Hua Five Swords’ made the Hainan Sect disciples feel many things at once.

‘They remembered them.’

The All-Under-Heaven Martial Arts Competition was held at the Shaolin Temple. The Hainan disciples had fought with the Mount Hua disciples there.

At the time, the Shaolin monks stopped the fight from getting worse. Looking back, the Hainan Sect had announced the Mount Hua Five Swords to the world.

This made the Hainan disciples feel strange when they heard ‘Mount Hua Five Swords.’ The people who didn’t seem so different back then had become famous representatives of the younger generation in just a few years, achieving amazing things and becoming the most famous.

“Th-then, just a moment! Did the Mount Hua Sword Saint come as well?”

“Yes, he did!”

“Wow… it’s really them. They actually came.”

The man who spoke was trembling.

The Mount Hua Sword Saint. That name had become a symbol of the Heavenly Union, even more than Mount Hua itself. How could they not know what it meant for him to come in person?

“Where are they now?”

“They’re in the guest rooms… S-Senior Brother! Where are you going? Senior Brother!”

“I gotta see this myself!”

“Wait for me! Let’s go together! Hey, Senior Brother, wait up!”

The news that the Heavenly Union’s messengers had arrived in Hainan spread through the sect faster than the wind. Some were nervous, others were moved, and some people were so eager they ran off quickly.

And the group from the Heavenly Union, who were getting all that attention…

Chung Myung slammed his empty bowl on the table. “More rice! Hurry! This rice is amazing!”

Yoon Jong, with his mouth full, mumbled, “And this chicken… Hainan chicken, right? So good!” He chewed loudly, not paying attention to anything else.

“That’s not chicken, Senior Brother.”

“Why are the rice grains here a bit long?”

“What does it matter what they look like? As long as they taste good!”

They were eating the Hainan Sect’s food storage, which had been cut off by the typhoon, very quickly. Someone who didn’t know them might think they were sent by the bad group Sa-Paeryeon to use up all of Hainan’s food.

The head cook of Hainan’s kitchen stared at the dining table, which looked like a battlefield.

Normally, he would have made a feast for visitors from afar, but Hainan had received guests so suddenly and wasn’t ready. He was worried that the food he made so quickly wouldn’t be good enough.

But looking at them now, what could he say…

‘Would a feast even have mattered?’

They’re just eating everything they can as fast as they can… Giving them good food would be a waste…

“More rice? Is there any more rice?”

“…You just ate a whole pot.”

“All gone?”

“Yes, yes! I’ll get more! Rice! More rice, quick! And more food!”

The head cook ran back to the kitchen, sweating a lot.

After using up Hainan’s stores for a while, the Heavenly Union group finally leaned back in their chairs tiredly, holding their full stomachs.

“…I feel like I’m going to live.”

“Me too.”

Namgung Dowi closed his eyes as he looked at his stomach sticking out.

He used to think the Mount Hua people ate rice like crazy and had no class.

‘It wasn’t about class.’

You had to eat to stay alive.

The Mount Hua Sword Saint made them train so hard and do so many things that they lost weight no matter how much internal energy they had.

If Namgung Dowi had eaten normally, he would be too skinny, like Mok Naiyi. He had to eat like a madman to stay this way.

“I thought I was really going to die.”

“Maybe we’re already dead? Maybe we died and sank into the sea, and this is just a dream…”

“…Don’t say that. It’s bad luck.”

Dang Pae frowned and told him not to say that.

He didn’t know why Namgung Dowi was becoming stranger every day. He used to be serious, even if he was annoying.

“…It’s because I almost died.”

“I can understand that.”

Dang Pae shook his head, looking disgusted.

Just thinking about the very big waves, like houses, made his legs shake.

‘I can’t believe we survived, I really can’t.’

They had faced the typhoon in the middle of the ocean. No matter how well-trained they were, they shouldn’t have survived.

If Lim Sobyeong hadn’t told them to dive deep, they would have run out of energy and had an accident.

“…It’s good the result was good.”

“Good?”

“…It’s good the result wasn’t the worst.”

Namgung Dowi also shook his head.

Namgung Dowi wondered, “How did Lim Sobyeong know that diving deep would work?”

He knew it as soon as he entered the water. The currents that were so strong on the surface were calm inside.

It wasn’t easy to dive deep and swim, and they had to come up to breathe sometimes, but it was nothing compared to swimming outside the water.

“But that bad guy is wasting good medicine!”

Chung Myung kicked Lim Sobyeong, who was holding a medicine bowl. Lim Sobyeong fell, but he protected the bowl and drank it all, putting his face into it.

“Hey! Give that back! Why are you wasting good medicine on that person from Sa-Paeryeon!”

“Come on, Senior Brother! I’m telling you, he’ll really die if you do that!”

“That’s what I’m saying! You’re from the Tang family, so why are you using medicine instead of poison on a Sa-Paeryeon guy? That expensive stuff?”

“But… I have to help people. I’m a doctor, remember?”

Namgung Dowi sighed. Chung Myung and Lim Sobyeong were consistent in many ways. He didn’t say anything, but Dang Pae nodded as if he agreed.

Suddenly, Namgung Dowi looked to the side. He hadn’t noticed, but many people were crowding around the window, looking in, even with the rain and wind outside.

He could see they were both excited and worried. Namgung Dowi said quietly.

“The Hainan Sect disciples don’t look too happy.”

“I guess not. They’ve been worried about the Sa-Paeryeon attacking for years.”

“Then shouldn’t we welcome them even more?”

“You forget one thing.”

“Yes?”

“We’re the same, though. We also ignored Hainan until now, left them on their own.”

Namgung Dowi’s face became serious.

“Of course, we can blame others, claiming it was the role of the Nine Great Sects, but they won’t see it that way.”

Namgung Dowi couldn’t ignore this point.

Until Namgung Hwang died and he shifted the Namgung Clan’s anger towards the Heavenly Union, the Namgung Clan, under the banner of the Five Great Families, had worked with the Nine Great Sects, powerful groups who were supposed to protect everyone.

For those three years, they ignored Hainan, the island region of Hainan. That was an undeniable fact.

‘Something we mustn’t forget.’

So, they weren’t here as saviors. They were here to apologize for neglecting what they should have done and to tell them that the Heavenly Union was now standing strong.

“Thinking we will be welcomed just because we came is arrogant. We must first think about our past actions.”

Namgung Dowi nodded.

‘I must be more humble.’

He felt that would solve the problems in Hainan.

Just then…

BANG!

The heavy wooden door of the guest hall crashed open with a loud BANG! A gust of wind, smelling of salt and sea, whipped through the room, making the silk banners hanging on the walls flutter. Everyone turned as Gwak Hwan-so strode in, his face set in a grim line.

Thump. Thump. His footsteps echoed on the stone floor as he walked towards their table. He glanced at the empty dishes, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, before nodding stiffly.

“The Sect Leader wants to make sure our guests are comfortable,” Gwak Hwan-so said, his voice tight. “If you need anything…”

“Oh? I remember now!”

Chung Myung pointed at Gwak Hwan-so.

“That’s him, Senior Brother! That’s him!”

Shaken left and right by Chung Myung’s rough hand, Yoon Jong asked calmly, “Who?”

“Ah, that time! The guy who got beaten up by Uncle-Master. At Shaolin!”

“Ah! That time?”

“Yeah! The one who cried after getting punched in the face by Uncle-Master…”

“Who cried, who!”

Gwak Hwan-so shouted. He did get hit, but he didn’t cry! Although he did lose consciousness in one blow!

“Wow. It’s nice to see you like this here.”

“But the welcome here isn’t very good?”

“Is this how you treat guests in Namhae? How can you not bring out a single bottle of alcohol?”

Gwak Hwan-so chuckled.

“Ah, you’re talking about alcohol. Of course, Namhae has good alcohol. But Namhae’s alcohol is so strong that it might be too much for you who are tired…”

“It might be strong for you.”

“It’s the kind of alcohol that weak guys who faint after one hit from Uncle-Master drink, so what.”

Gwak Hwan-so’s cheek twitched.

“As I said, Namhae’s alcohol is strong. And the men of Namhae are…”

“Weaklings?”

The sound of Gwak Hwan-so grinding his teeth leaked out.

“Jayang.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Go and bring the alcohol.”

“Yes?”

“Bring everything you have. Now!”

At the stern command, several Hainan disciples hurried outside. Soon, they returned carrying large alcohol barrels.

Barrels big enough for a person to enter filled the guest hall in an instant. Just a quick look showed there were more than ten.

Thud.

Gwak Hwan-so pulled off the cloth sealing the alcohol barrel. Immediately, the strong scent of alcohol spread throughout the guest hall.

“We brought the alcohol as you wished. But… as you can tell just from the scent, this is quite strong alcohol. So, don’t needlessly…”

“Uncle-Master, is the scent strong?”

“It smells fragrant.”

“Those country bumpkins, they’re putting on quite the show.”

Gwak Hwan-so’s eyes narrowed, the whites turning red like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Then, we who can drink well will drink, so those who can’t drink should go. We’ll enjoy it.”

Unable to contain his anger, Gwak Hwan-so grabbed an alcohol barrel and lifted it up, as if he was about to throw it at any moment.

“Senior Brother!”

“S-Senior Brother! No!”

Boom!

He walked forward and slammed it down in front of Baek Cheon. Then, he sat down facing him.

“As guests who have come from afar, it is only right to have a grand feast.”

“Oh?”

Baek Cheon looked at Gwak Hwan-so with a meaningful smirk. Baek Cheon’s lips curved into a slow smirk, a hint of challenge flickering in his eyes. Gwak Hwan-so twisted his lips and said.

“But… I’m worried. Even if you have a pretty and pale face, if you get drunk and wet yourself, it will be a lifelong memory.”

Baek Cheon simply smiled kindly.

“Can it be more embarrassing than foaming at the mouth after getting hit once?”

“What?”

“Why?”

Sparks flew in both of their eyes.

“So? Are you willing to go at it again?”

“Even after experiencing it once, you still don’t seem to understand. Hwasan never starts fights, but we never avoid the ones that come to us.”

Those who heard it whispered from behind.

“Doesn’t start fights?”

“Doesn’t he pick fights wherever he can?”

“Uncle-Master’s lies come as naturally as breathing. He could advance to the Imperial Palace.”

“Does he have no conscience?”

Baek Cheon glared at the whispering guys from behind as if to kill them, then met Gwak Hwan-so’s eyes again.

Gwak Hwan-so smirked and forced a smile.

“You’ll regret it?”

“Regret?”

Crack. Crack.

Baek Cheon tilted his head slightly, cracking his neck from side to side.

“Try to make me regret it.”

“Hey, Acting Sect Leader?”

“Show some restraint…”

“Well, let’s leave him alone. He already looks like he’s lost it. You can’t stop him when he’s like that. It’s already over.”

Regardless of what anyone around them said, the two who were only glaring at each other grabbed the bowls at the same time.

“The first one to pass out!”

“Made the wrong choice!”

The two large cups collided fiercely in the air. The atmosphere in the room was thick with anticipation, the silence before the storm.