Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 143

Hong Daeguang watched the young man, Chung Myung, drink his tea. *Cheap tea in a chipped cup,* he thought with a slight frown. The tea looked weak and pale, and the cup had a crack running down the side. Yet, Chung Myung seemed to enjoy it, gulping it down with a satisfied sigh.

*At least he’s not fussy,* Hong Daeguang thought. As Branch Leader, he had met many important people. Some of them would have been furious at such poor service and thrown the cup across the room.

“So…” Hong Daeguang began, looking at Chung Myung with a slightly bewildered expression.

“You’re the Third Disciple of Mount Hua?”

“Chung Myung,” the young man confirmed.

“Then, are you the Mount Hua Divine Dragon? The most famous one in Mount Hua?”

“It’s a title I don’t like, but everyone calls me that,” Chung Myung said with a sigh.

Divine Dragon. How embarrassing, he thought. There were so many better titles, but they had to pick such a childish one.

“Oh, then…” Hong Daeguang glanced at Chung Myung’s clothes and nodded. His eyes flickered to the report in his hand.

*It’s somewhat similar to the wanted poster,* he thought. Not exactly the same, but that was understandable. Young people grew so quickly.

The plum blossom pattern on his chest showed that he was a disciple of Mount Hua.

Hong Daeguang nodded slightly. “I understand that you are Chung Myung, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, the Third Disciple of Mount Hua. So, what brings you to the Beggars’ Sect?”

“I’m here to sell something.”

A vein throbbed on Hong Daeguang’s forehead.

*Does this kid think this is a marketplace?* he wondered.

It was the first time anyone had come to the Luoyang branch of the Beggars’ Sect to sell something.

“So… you threw the beggars outside while saying you were here to sell something?” Hong Daeguang asked.

“I said I wanted to see the Branch Leader, but they wouldn’t let me in. So, I had to use a little force.”

“Ahem.” Hong Daeguang took a deep breath.

He couldn’t really blame Chung Myung. Given the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s reputation, he shouldn’t have been turned away. His men were at fault for trying to stop him just because he was young.

“I apologize for that,” Hong Daeguang said.

“It’s fine. Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect too much from people outside,” Chung Myung replied.

Hong Daeguang narrowed his eyes, thinking, *He’s definitely not ordinary.*

That wasn’t surprising. Anyone who made a name for themselves in the Jianghu was extraordinary in some way. And if this was the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, who was becoming famous among the younger generation, it was understandable if he was a bit unusual.

“So, what did you say you were here to sell?” Hong Daeguang asked.

“Yes.”

“Young hero, you may not know this, but the Beggars’ Sect isn’t a marketplace. If you want to sell something, go to the marketplace.”

“Ah, is that so?” Chung Myung nodded and stood up quickly, surprising Hong Daeguang.

*Should I stop him?* he wondered. He wanted to at least hear what Chung Myung was selling.

Before Hong Daeguang could say anything, Chung Myung asked, “Where’s the nearest Hao Mun branch?”

Hong Daeguang’s eyes widened. “Why are you looking for the Hao Mun branch?”

“To sell something.”

Hong Daeguang’s eyes flickered. The fact that Chung Myung was looking for Hao Mun after being turned away by the Beggars’ Sect meant he knew what he was doing.

“Could it be that what you’re trying to sell is…?”

“Is there any need to tell someone who won’t buy it?” Chung Myung retorted.

“Wait, just a moment! Young hero, it seems I’ve made a mistake!” Hong Daeguang quickly stopped him.

Chung Myung replied bluntly, “I came here thinking we were on the same side, but the beggars blocked me, and the Branch Leader tells me to go to the marketplace. The Beggars’ Sect isn’t what it used to be.”

*How do you know what the old Beggars’ Sect was like?* Hong Daeguang wondered, but that wasn’t important.

“P-Please, sit down again?” he asked.

“Hmm. I don’t really feel like it.”

“Please, don’t say that. Please!”

Chung Myung reluctantly sat back down. Hong Daeguang shouted, “Bring better tea here!”

“No need for tea. Just bring me some grain liquor,” Chung Myung said.

Hong Daeguang tilted his head. Grain liquor was just another word for alcohol. *Wasn’t tea brewed from grain also alcohol?* he wondered.

“A Taoist?” he asked.

“That’s why I want grain liquor.”

“Oh… U-Understood. Bring alcohol here! Alcohol!” Hong Daeguang ordered loudly and turned to Chung Myung.

*He doesn’t seem clueless,* Hong Daeguang thought. *He must have something worthwhile.*

Hong Daeguang put on a friendly smile. “Alright. What is it that you’re trying to sell?”

“This.” Without hesitation, Chung Myung took out the Jangbodo from his chest and placed it on the table.

*A cipher?* Hong Daeguang thought, his brow furrowing.

It was clearly not an ordinary object. As the Branch Leader, he had seen similar items before, but this cipher was different.

*Just how complex is it?* he wondered. If it was a real cipher, he couldn’t imagine who could have created it.

“T-This…” Hong Daeguang reached for the Jangbodo, but Chung Myung slapped his hand.

“Hey! You can’t touch it. Just look!”

Hong Daeguang stared at Chung Myung, dumbfounded.

*My heart almost jumped out of my throat,* he thought. He hadn’t even seen Chung Myung move. If Chung Myung had been holding a sword, he wouldn’t have known if his wrist had been cut off.

*Was the Mount Hua Divine Dragon this skilled?* he wondered.

Of course, he knew the Mount Hua Divine Dragon was skilled. He knew that Jongnam was secretive about the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s abilities, which meant that even if some of the stories were exaggerated, they weren’t completely false.

Even if the rumour about Chung Myung’s incredible speed was true, Hong Daegwang not even being able to follow his movements was shocking.

‘I need to drastically revise my assessment of the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua,’ he thought.

Hong Daegwang swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He looked at the Jang Bodo again. This was the most important thing, after all.

“What on earth is this?” he asked.

“Er… well, where should I start explaining?” Chung Myung shrugged.

Hong Daegwang listened to the explanation, then glanced between Jang Bodo and Chung Myung, confused.

“Uh…” he mumbled.

“Ah, just a moment,” Chung Myung said, raising his hand slightly to stop him.

“Please don’t say things like ‘Can I trust that?’ or ‘This is crazy’. I’ve heard enough of that already. Isn’t investigating and judging whether it’s real or not your job?”

“…That’s true,” Hong Daegwang admitted.

Chung Myung grinned.

“Forget all that. So, how much will you buy it for?”

How much? Hong Daegwang’s face flushed.

If everything Chung Myung said was true, and this fellow had really taken down the famous swordsman, Chungryu Sword Mujin, and rescued Jang Bodo from him… and if this Jang Bodo was really the Talgeommueun from the Sword Tomb, the legendary resting place of the Medicine God’s swordsmen…

‘I can’t even estimate it,’ he thought.

It was a priceless treasure.

To be precise, a price could be put on it, but it was beyond Hong Daegwang’s ability to judge.

Hong Daegwang’s eyes darted around rapidly.

“So… uh… this, um…”

Then, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Chung Myung.

“You’re selling it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“…Is that really something you should ask someone who’s come to sell something?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

Hong Daegwang couldn’t understand it at all.

‘Why is he selling this?’

The Jang Bodo of the Medicine God. In other words, it was highly likely to contain the divine weapons of each sect, the Mixed Origin Pill, and the method for refining it.

If even one of these treasures was released into the martial world, it would cause chaos. Anyone who got one could change their life, their group, or even the entire martial world.

And yet, he was selling off the Jang Bodo that held all those secrets?

Hong Daegwang looked at Chung Myung, confused.

“Wouldn’t it be better to unlock the secrets of this Jang Bodo yourself?”

“Are you going to buy it or not?” Chung Myung asked, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

“Ah, no, it’s not that!” Hong Daegwang waved his hands quickly. “It’s just… um…” He hesitated, glancing at the bundle on the desk.

Chung Myung smirked, a sharp, knowing smile.

“I would have unlocked it already if I could, don’t you think?” He tapped the Jang Bodo lightly. “But what’s the point of keeping something locked up if you can’t open it? Might as well get some good money for it.”

“Hmm,” Hong Daegwang nodded.

That was certainly true. There were countless people who carried treasures their whole lives, groaning under the weight, only to die without ever benefiting from them. Perhaps Chung Myung was the wiser one.

‘He’s quick-witted and makes fast decisions. He doesn’t seem like a Taoist. He’s closer to a merchant or a layman. Even considering that he’s a disciple of Mount Hua…’

That meant this fellow was more dangerous than he thought.

Those who followed the sect’s policies entirely would conform to the ways of the world, no matter how strong they were. But these fellows would try to shake the world as they pleased if they got their hands on power.

‘Mount Hua might make a name for itself in the world within thirty years.’

Chung Myung frowned as Hong Daegwang seemed lost in thought.

“Hey,” Chung Myung said.

“Ah. Please speak,” Hong Daegwang replied.

“We’re both busy people. Let’s get this over with quickly. How much will you give me?”

“…Hmm.” Hong Daegwang stared intently at Jang Bodo, then subtly glanced at Chung Myung.

‘His mind seems to work quickly, but he still lacks experience.’

He put on a face as if he was very troubled.

“If this Jang Bodo is really from the Sword Tomb, then its value can be said to be priceless,” Hong Daegwang said.

“That’s right,” Chung Myung agreed.

“But there are so many things to consider.”

“Huh?”

“First, this item came from Wudang. So, it can be said to originally belong to Wudang. No matter how much it is from the Sword Tomb, if people know it’s a Wudang item, the number of people willing to buy it will be cut in half.”

“Hmph,” Chung Myung grunted.

“And another thing is that it’s not certain whether this Jang Bodo can be unlocked or not.”

“Hmph.”

“Besides that, we have to hide the fact that the Beggars’ Sect got this, and we have to find someone to buy it secretly so that rumours don’t spread. And above all, there’s no proof that this is really from the Sword Tomb.”

“So?” Chung Myung stared at Hong Daegwang.

Hong Daegwang cleared his throat slightly and opened his mouth.

“Considering all that, the appropriate price for this Jang Bodo is one hundred thousand nyang. I’ll give you an extra twenty thousand nyang as a special favour for my friendship with the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua. How about one hundred and twenty thousand nyang?”

“One hundred and twenty thousand nyang?”

“That’s right.”

“That much?”

“Hahaha. I’m giving you a particularly good price,” Hong Daegwang said.

Chung Myung smiled gently, and Hong Daegwang smiled back at him.

‘Yeah, what would you know?’

No matter how quick-witted he was and how much his sword talent shook the martial world, Taoists who lived in the mountains eating grass couldn’t possibly be knowledgeable about wealth. These were exactly the kind of guys you called suckers.

So, the current situation was that a whole vine of suckers had rolled into the Luoyang branch…

Thump.

Chung Myung stuffed the Jang Bodo back into his arms from the desk.

“Where did you say the nearest Haomun branch was?”

“…Young hero?”

Chung Myung smiled gently.

“It seems like the price isn’t right, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Yo, young hero. What are you saying? The price isn’t right!”

Why was he suddenly acting like this when things were going so well?

At that moment, Chung Myung glared at Hong Daegwang with slightly gleaming eyes.

“One hundred and twenty thousand nyang?”

“…We, well, if you really don’t like it, I can go up to one hundred and fifty thousand nyang…”

“One hundred and fifty thousand nyaaaang?”

“…”

Hong Daegwang sensed it at that moment.

‘I’ve messed up.’

This bastard roughly knows how much the price is. I, I have to somehow fix this situation…

“These bastards think they can take me for a ride?”

Eventually, Chung Myung’s eyes completely flipped.

Wham!

And the desk flipped over too.

Hong Daegwang was stunned as he watched the reports and tea leaves scatter in all directions.

“How dare you try to rip someone off! You filthy beggars!”

Uh…

This doesn’t look good.