Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1477

The sun was just rising, red in the early morning sky. Several people ran quickly towards it.

“Argh! Get off me, you little pest!”

“Get down! You’re heavy! I’m struggling too!”

Jo Gul’s face twisted in discomfort. Baek Ah was clinging to his arm.

How does Baek Ah show ‘I hate running’ so well with just his face? It’s amazing.

“Sahyung! Don’t just stand there and watch, help me get him off!”

“…Just bear with it, Geol.”

“No…”

“Honestly, if you were him, wouldn’t you hate running too? It’s like running to Hainan and back twice. Even a horse would lie down, let alone a weasel.”

“That’s definitely true.”

“He does look pitiful.”

Hearing those words, Jo Gul glanced at Baek Ah again. Seeing the large tears in his black eyes, Jo Gul felt guilty for even thinking about shaking him off.

“No, I know that… but it’s not like I told him to do that, is it? Why is he clinging to me! He usually sticks to that Chung Myung guy.”

“He’s hot.”

“Baek Ah knows where to stretch his legs. He probably figured he’d become a real scarf if he stuck too close to someone who’s hot.”

Jo Gul shook his head.

“Ugh. I’d rather die than suffer like this.”

Jo Gul sighed deeply and looked towards the rising sun.

“So, how far are we going? We’ve been in Henan for quite a while now.”

“How should I know? That rascal will decide.”

Chung Myung was still running in the lead, with Baek Cheon right beside him.

“Hoo.”

Baek Cheon jumped over a narrow stream, its water sparkling in the morning light, and took a short breath.

“Why? Out of breath?”

Chung Myung’s casual voice came from beside him. Baek Cheon frowned slightly, glancing at Chung Myung.

“What nasty thing are you going to say now?”

“No, I just thought you seemed out of breath even though you didn’t seem to be running that hard. I was wondering if you were sick or something?”

“Mind your own business.”

“Yes, yes. If you insist, I’ll only worry about myself.”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth at the sly reply.

“How far are you planning to go?”

“Huh?”

“We’re already in Henan, aren’t we? I’m asking where our destination is.”

“Well.”

Chung Myung shrugged without giving a clear answer.

“I’ll have to look for it from now on.”

“Huh?”

“I have a rough idea, but it’s not exact yet.”

Chung Myung’s answer made no sense. But Baek Cheon understood anyway, because he was used to Chung Myung’s confusing way of talking.

“Are you saying that the place you’re trying to go to will appear if we keep running like this?”

“Looks like you’re not so dumb after all! You’re actually thinking!”

“…”

He didn’t fully understand, but he knew that this sprint wasn’t entirely meaningless, so that was enough.

“Is Hwaseong okay? We left without saying a proper word.”

Of course, it wasn’t like they didn’t say anything at all. They did.

They rushed to the sect leader to tell him that they were going to Henan, and then ran away as if fleeing, leaving Un Am speechless.

Chung Myung chuckled, seeing the worry on Baek Cheon’s face.

“You kept telling me to let go, but now that you’ve stopped working, you’re worried. What do you want me to do?”

“That’s not what I meant, you imbecile!”

“Don’t worry about it. Everyone there is trained enough.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

That was certainly true. Unless the Mount Hua Sect suddenly launched an all-out attack, there wouldn’t be any problems in Hwaseong.

Minor problems would occur frequently, but Hwaseong had Tang Gunak and Im So-byeong, as well as Hyun Jong and Hwang Jong-i.

Turning Hwaseong into a city wasn’t an easy task, but he didn’t worry that those people wouldn’t be able to handle such a task when they gathered together.

“Training…”

It was a little different from trusting their abilities. It was trust in the experiences they had gone through. Hadn’t they overcome so many challenges?

“Looking back, they’ve endured so stubbornly.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Baek Cheon nodded. He could definitely be convinced by the word ‘training’ rather than a long, detailed explanation.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

“…They’ve trained and become stronger. So, you’re saying we can rest assured and trust them with the work?”

“Something like that.”

“What about those who couldn’t?”

Baek Cheon asked. Chung Myung didn’t answer immediately and glanced back at him. Baek Cheon picked up the pace as if he hadn’t asked with any serious meaning.

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Well. What should we do? I’ve never really thought about that?”

“…That’s just like you.”

“Sasuk, is that an insult?”

Baek Cheon smiled bitterly.

“So, what’s going to happen if we keep running?”

“Wow, you insult me and then suddenly change the subject? Dongryong is getting clever. He’s becoming very sly.”

“Stop talking nonsense and answer me. What are you aiming for?”

“It’s simple. Let’s think in reverse.”

“In reverse?”

“Yeah, in reverse. As Sasuk knows, we’ve become quite famous now, haven’t we?”

“…”

“Even that scatterbrained Sahyung Jo Gul has gotten a nickname, so it’s only a matter of time before everyone else gets one too, right? Sasuk’s… what was it again? Hwasan Byeonggeom?”

“It’s Jeonggeom, you little rascal!”

“Yeah, that. Anyway, that weird nickname will change soon. It usually does.”

Baek Cheon asked with a distorted face as he struggled to breathe.

“…What does that have to do with this?”

“I told you, let’s think in reverse.”

Chung Myung grinned.

“Becoming famous means attracting attention, and it means more people recognize you. And it means more people are paying attention to every single move you make.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I said, in reverse!”

Chung Myung gestured towards the front with his chin. The massive stone walls of Luoyang, tall and imposing, greeted them.

“Luoyang?”

Luoyang, a huge city in Henan. The fortress walls of Luoyang were greeting Baek Cheon along with the morning sunlight.

“We’re not the ones starting anything.”

Chung Myung grinned, a flash of mischief in his eyes.

“We make them do it.”

With a glint in his eyes, he spurred his horse towards the open gates of Luoyang.

“Hmmph.” Won-pyeong slumped on his rickety stool, his brow furrowed in annoyance. Sunlight stabbed through the gaps in the shack’s wall, making him squint. He was the new branch leader of the Beggars’ Sect in Luoyang, a position that should have been a step up.

“Tsk,” he clicked his tongue.

Days drifted by with little to do. A lazy peace, the kind most beggars dreamed of. But for Won-pyeong, it was like stale bread – tasteless and unfulfilling.

“Damn it, why am I stuck here?” he muttered under his breath.

His mission was simple, too simple: watch for any sign of trouble from Hwayeom, a town not far from Luoyang. Specifically, keep an eye on the Cheonwoo Alliance who were based there.

It was a pointless task. Real beggars, beggars of his standing, were gearing up for the clash with the Four Seas Alliance. They were preparing for glory! But him? He was stuck babysitting the Cheonwoo Alliance, a group that barely registered as a threat.

“Damn it. The beggars in the main sect are all senile.” He sighed deeply.

He had begun to feel that the Beggars’ Sect was not living up to its name. If it were the Beggars’ Sect he knew, they wouldn’t be half-heartedly backing away in this situation where the Four Seas Alliance was rampant.

“…What on earth is the Chief thinking?” He grumbled as he roused his heavy body. He couldn’t drink from morning, so he thought of visiting a nearby tavern kitchen to get some leftover rice. But then,

“B, Branch Leader! Branch Leader!” The door of his shack burst open. The barely attached hinges snapped, and the dilapidated door fell with a thud.

“Hey, you…! How did I even fix that!”

“This is no time for that, Branch Leader! It’s a disaster!”

Won-pyeong, about to explode with anger, paused as he saw the face of the beggar who had burst through the door. His complexion was ashen.

“What is it? Did the Cheonwoo Alliance make a move?”

“Y, yes, the Cheonwoo Alliance! No, not the Cheonwoo Alliance! That Cheonwoo Alliance…!”

“What are you saying? Can’t you speak properly?”

“The Five Swords of the Cheonwoo Alliance!”

“Huh? What are you talking about? The Five Swords are here?”

“The Five Swords of the Cheonwoo Alliance are now in Luoyang!”

Won-pyeong’s eyes widened.

“F, Five Swords? Are you talking about the Hwasan Five Swords?”

“Yes! Hye-yeon of Shaolin is with them too!”

“Why on earth are those guys here? Until yesterday, they were definitely in Shanxi!”

“Well, I don’t know! They reportedly entered Luoyang’s gates a little while ago!”

Won-pyeong’s face turned as white as the one reporting.

“Is it an attack?”

“Are you even listening to yourself? Why would the Five Swords attack us?”

“T, that’s right?”

The relationship between the Nine Sects and the Cheonwoo Alliance had turned icy, but even so, the Cheonwoo Alliance would not attack the Nine Great Sects.

Then why did they suddenly appear in Luoyang?

“W, wait a minute! Is the Hwa… Hwasan Sword Demon among those Five Swords?”

“He is! The Hwasan Sword Demon has come too!”

“Hiiii!” Won-pyeong’s eyes trembled as if there was an earthquake.

They cared so much about his actions that even if the Hwasan Sword Demon sneezed twice, it might become top news.

“Report to the main sect immediately! Immediately!”

“Wh, what should I report!”

“Damn it, write down everything you know! Send a message right now!”

“Yes, yes!”

“Not only to the main sect but also to all nearby branches! Tell them to deploy all the beggar bastards and monitor them in case they pass through here!”

“Yes!” The beggar who received the order rushed out. Won-pyeong watched his retreating figure for a moment before turning his body.

‘I never thought I’d use this so soon.’

He hastily scribbled on a piece of paper carelessly placed on the dirty desk. Then, he flung open the curtain hanging on the side. A birdcage was revealed.

Chirp.

A small bird, like a sparrow, chirped and tilted its head. Its size and appearance were no different from a sparrow, but its feathers shone with a golden light. Just by looking at it, one could tell it was no ordinary bird.

The beggar took out the bird and rolled the paper into a tube tied to its leg. It was a gold-class messenger pigeon given in preparation for when Hwasan Sword Demon Chung Myung did something incomprehensible. Even Won-pyeong didn’t know the exact destination of this message. It was meant for someone higher up in the Beggars’ Sect.

“That’s it.”

Won-pyeong, having sealed the tube well, threw open the window. The golden sparrow, after looking at the blue sky once, kicked off from Won-pyeong’s hand and soared into the sky.

“…Wow.”

“Why are so many flying around? Did a hawk take off or something?”

“…That’s a messenger pigeon, you idiot. Not just any pigeon.”

“I know that, Senior Brother. What I mean is, why are so many messenger pigeons suddenly flying around like crazy?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The Five Swords chuckled, watching the pigeons flying in all directions as soon as they entered Luoyang.

They expected some attention, but this felt like *too much*. It was almost unsettling.

“But why did we stop?”

“How would I know? That bastard suddenly stopped, so we stopped.”

Yoon-jong and Jo-geol’s gazes turned to Chung Myung. He was standing in the middle of the road, propping his chin with one hand, carefully observing the flying birds.

“Hmm. Not that one, not that one either…”

“…What are you looking for?”

“Not that one either.”

“Hey! What are you looking for!”

“No, I’m not exactly looking for something specific because I know what it is.”

“Huh?” Chung Myung grinned, watching the messenger pigeons filling the sky above Luoyang.

“Don’t you think there might be one? A messenger pigeon that looks impressive at first glance, similar but different? A great messenger pigeon that gives off that kind of feeling?”

“…Chung Myung-ah. Let’s get you checked out as soon as we get back.”

“Hmm. It’ll definitely be there.”

“All messenger pigeons are the same, you idiot! Don’t waste your energy on nonsense… Th, there! Chung Myung-ah! That one!” Baek Cheon, his eyes wide, hurriedly pointed to one side of the sky.

“Isn’t that what you’re talking about? That yellow one!”

“Oh?” Chung Myung exclaimed as he looked at where Baek Cheon was pointing.

“Wow! Even something unexpected can be useful!”

“You can’t even find dog poop when you need it for medicine! No, that’s not the point! If we follow that, will it work?”

“What’s there to say? You know it when you know it!” Chung Myung grinned and watched the golden bird flying away.

“It’s not just a fast bird, maybe even faster! Like a super-fast pigeon!”

“Doesn’t it look more like a sparrow than a pigeon?”

“…Let’s just go with it, let’s just go with it.” Chung Myung made a mischievous face at Baek Cheon and pointed at the sparrow that had taken flight.

“Now, let’s go. Let’s go see who the owner of that precious-looking bird is!” Chung Myung kicked off the ground powerfully.