Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 225

“Ugh… Did I drink too much?”

Jo Gul lifted his head and looked at the sky.

It was very late at night, almost morning.

The Beast Palace Lord’s feast went on until late. Actually, the Beast Palace Lord and Chung Myung had a drinking contest that lasted until dawn.

Who won? How would I know?

Everyone else was amazed by how much they could drink and went back to their rooms. The Mount Hua disciples were also tired, so they decided to go to their rooms in the Beast Palace and unpack.

“Ugh. I hope they don’t wake me up until lunch.”

They must have drunk a lot too.

Jo Gul splashed cold water on his face at the well. He rubbed his face with his hands to dry it, then walked unsteadily to his room and opened the door.

Inside, Yoon Jong was already changed for bed. He stood by the open window, looking out. Moonlight filled the simple room.

“Aren’t you sleeping, Sasuk?” Jo Gul asked.

“I should sleep,” Yoon Jong replied quietly. He turned to face Jo Gul. “…Is something worrying you?”

“More than worrying, it’s just…”

Yoon Jong chuckled.

It seemed silly to ask if he was worried. They were in Yunnan, at the Beast Palace, which was already a bit scary.

Even though the Beast Palace Lord had welcomed them in a way that was unexpected, they couldn’t relax here.

But Yoon Jong knew that Jo Gul wasn’t asking about that.

“Geol-ah.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

“I’m sorry. It’s because of this useless fool.”

“Why are you saying that, Sasuk!” Jo Gul said firmly.

“Isn’t it all over now?”

“It turned out well, but if things had gone wrong, everyone would have died because of me.”

Yoon Jong’s face became serious.

“Even if things had gone wrong, Chung Myung would have done something about it.”

“That’s the problem.”

“Yes?”

Yoon Jong shook his head.

“Chung Myung will take care of it. I think I was relying on that without realizing it. I need to be helpful, not a burden. But in the end, I was a burden, wasn’t I?”

“Sasuk…”

“It was foolish. I won’t do that again. I’m sorry.”

“No, Sasuk.”

Jo Gul sighed. He knew that nothing he said would make Yoon Jong feel better, which made him sad.

“But… why did you do that? I’ve never seen you so serious before.”

“Well…”

Yoon Jong closed his mouth. After thinking for a moment, he sighed deeply.

“Do you know I was an orphan?”

“Yes, I’ve heard.”

“Then do you know I was a beggar?”

“Yes?”

Jo Gul’s eyes widened slightly.

Yoon Jong looked at him for a moment, then spoke calmly.

“I lived with my mother as long as I can remember. I didn’t have any family or friends. After my mother died, I had to become a beggar.”

“…Sasuk.”

“I still remember it clearly. Dying on the streets on a cold winter day, with no one to help. What’s worse is that I was more hungry than cold. After not eating for over ten days, I wanted to kill someone for their food. If I hadn’t been a child, I would have become a bandit.”

Jo Gul closed his mouth.

This was the first time he had heard so much about Yoon Jong’s past.

It was also the first time he had heard such raw words from Yoon Jong, who always tried to act like a proper Taoist as the Great Disciple.

“If the Elder hadn’t been passing by and saved me, I would have died on that street. Hwasan is my savior. They saved and raised a dying young beggar, even though they were struggling.”

Yoon Jong quietly closed his eyes.

It was hard to know if he was remembering the past or thinking about something. Jo Gul didn’t want to interrupt him.

“Ever since then, whenever I see people starving, I remember those days. Maybe it’s because I know how hard and painful it is… I can’t help it. I feel that pain of being hungry again.”

“I understand, Sasuk.”

“You understand?”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

“Would you understand even if you had died?”

“…”

“Would you have been okay with it, even in the afterlife?”

“Sasuk.”

Yoon Jong spoke firmly.

“It was foolish. Helping people I don’t know is also part of Tao, but keeping my fellow disciples safe is also Tao. How could I think only one was right? Even selling the Plum Blossom Sword of our Hwasan group.”

Yoon Jong’s face showed deep regret. His eyebrows were pulled together, and his mouth was a tight line. If things had gone wrong, he wouldn’t have been able to rest in peace.

Yoon Jong bit his lip.

“As soon as I get back to Hwasan, I’ll ask the Sect Leader to punish me. I don’t know if I’ll get the Plum Blossom Sword back… but even if I don’t, what can I say?”

Jo Gul waved his hand, listening to Yoon Jong’s sad words.

“Sasuk,” Jo Gul said, then paused, “You won’t be criticized… for selling the Plum Blossom Sword, even if… even if other things are a problem.”

“Why?”

“Well, the Plum Blossom Sword is Hwasan’s sword, but it’s not Hwasan’s sacred object.”

“Hmm?”

Jo Gul cleared his throat.

“If Chung Myung heard that, he’d say: ‘What? Sacred object? Sacreeeeed object? If a sword is a sacred object just because it has plum blossoms on it, then are clothes with plum blossoms on them also sacred objects? If you put plum blossoms on a liquor bottle, is the liquor also a sacred object?’”

“…”

Jo Gul smiled at Yoon Jong.

“It’s not about those things. It’s about how much Sasuk cares about Hwasan, right?”

Yoon Jong smiled bitterly.

It wasn’t because he agreed with Jo Gul’s words, but because he understood that Jo Gul was trying to comfort him.

“Chung Myung said that what’s important isn’t avoiding mistakes, but learning from them. Have you learned something, Sasuk?”

“…Yes. I’ve learned.”

“Then isn’t that enough?”

Yoon Jong sighed and quietly closed his eyes.

‘Elder.’

Hyun Sang holding him in his arms flashed in his mind.

‘I’m sorry.’

“Get some sleep. We have a lot to do. Let’s just focus on finding the Jamok Grass and going back to Hwasan.”

“Yes. I should.”

Yoon Jong nodded slightly and went to bed.

He lay down, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep, but then he heard a quiet voice.

“Sasuk.”

“Hmm?”

“What you did might have been wrong.”

“…Yes.”

“But still.”

“Yes?”

“I like that you’re that kind of person.”

“…”

“Sleep well.”

The room was silent.

Yoon Jong raised his hand and wiped his eyes, then closed them tightly.

It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to sleep until morning.

“…Is he alive?”

“…Does he look dead?”

“…No, I think he’s still breathing.”

The disciples of Hwasan gathered with serious faces, looking at Chung Myung, who was lying face down in front of the quarters.

Jo Gul poked Chung Myung with a stick he found.

“…Is he dead?”

“…He must be dead. No one could drink that much and live.”

“…Normally, there’s a limit to how much someone can drink, but he drank all of that. I heard that was the liquor they saved for the wedding feast yesterday?”

Jo Gul poked him. “You drunkard.” Poke, poke.

As Jo Gul persistently poked him, Chung Myung, who had been lying face down, suddenly twitched.

“He’s alive!”

“I told him to become a great fighter, but he became a great drinker instead. And in a very wrong direction, too.”

“So, who won?”

It was then.

“Ggrrrrooooaaan⋯⋯.”

A groan like a monster came from Chung Myung as he lay prone.

“I⋯⋯ I won⋯⋯.”

“Just go to sleep. You were magnificent.”

“Yes, yes. You won, so you can die now.”

“Kaaack! I’m not dead!”

Chung Myung groaned, slowly pulling himself up and sitting on the wooden veranda.

“Just, just a glass of cold water⋯⋯.”

Baek Cheon handed over the cold water he had prepared in advance. Chung Myung accepted it without a word, gulping it down in one go, then set down the bowl and clutched his head.

“Ughhh⋯⋯. My, my head⋯⋯.”

“Why not just use your energy to get rid of the hangover? You’ve done it before.”

“If I was going to do that, I would just drink water! What’s the point of drinking alcohol then?”

“Yes, yes. You said the exact same thing before.”

A sigh escaped Baek Cheon’s lips.

Looking at the state of the man, half-dead, he couldn’t help but sigh.

‘Either way, this guy did well.’

The best way to solidify friendship with the Beast Palace was to become close to the Beast Palace Lord. His position here seemed absolute.

Whether he knew it or just happily drank until it happened⋯⋯. Either way, it was certain that Chung Myung had properly fostered a friendship with the Beast Palace Lord.

“Ugh, I’m going to die.”

As Chung Myung shook his head a couple of times and looked up, a Beast Palace disciple came running towards them.

“Are you awake?”

His attitude was completely different from yesterday. The way he bent his back showed a respectful formality.

Well, it was only natural that his attitude would change since the Beast Palace Lord had acknowledged them as guests.

“Yes.”

“The Palace Lord is looking for you.”

“What?”

Chung Myung glared, surprised. “He’s already awake? After drinking that much?”

Baek Cheon’s lips twitched at his serious expression.

“It seems like you lost, Chung Myung?”

“⋯⋯No, there’s no way?”

“Loser.”

Baek Cheon smiled and followed the Beast Palace disciple.

He was seeing Chung Myung lose in his lifetime. That fact was incredibly delightful.

‘⋯⋯There’s no way.’

Sorrow gradually filled Baek Cheon’s eyes, which had been briefly filled with joy. In front of them, the Beast Palace Lord sat on a huge chair covered with tiger skin, looking more spirited than ever⋯⋯.

No. He didn’t look spirited.

“Ggrrrrooooaaan⋯⋯.”

‘How much did these two drink?’

The Beast Palace Lord looked terrible. His face was thin and gray, and his eyes were like dark holes.

He asked Chung Myung in a cracking voice.

“⋯⋯Are, are you alright?”

“Haha. I’m perfectly fine. Let’s drink again today⋯⋯. Blurgh! Let’s drink⋯⋯. Uuurgh!”

The disciples of Mount Hua turned pale and rushed towards Chung Myung. They immediately covered his mouth and shouted.

“Don’t throw up, you crazy bastard!”

“Where do you think you are? Swallow it!”

“A bucket! Quick, a bucket!”

The Beast Palace Lord laughed heartily at the sight.

“That’s right. There’s no way you can be fine after drinking that much⋯⋯. Bleurgh!”

“Aaaargh! Palace Lord! You mustn’t throw up again!”

“Here! Over here!”

It was chaos. One of the Beast Palace disciples, unable to bear it any longer, shouted.

“If you feel that bad, why don’t you use your inner energy to control the alcohol poisoning!”

“What? You stupid bastard! If I was going to do that, why would I drink alcohol? I’d just drink water!”

Then, Baek Cheon, who was watching the scene, smiled contentedly and asked.

“⋯⋯Did I hear that somewhere before? I must be mistaken, right?”

“You are mistaken, Martial Uncle. There’s no way.”

At that moment, Chung Myung and the Beast Palace Lord, who had been struggling for a while, wiped their mouths and looked up at each other.

“In this case⋯⋯.”

“Is it a draw?”

The battle between the two, who had been drinking until dawn last night, ended with the alcohol running out. So, they had to decide the outcome based on their condition the next day, but there was no difference in their ruined states.

“⋯⋯You’re amazing.”

“You too.”

The disciples of Mount Hua smiled proudly as they watched the two haggard men give each other a thumbs up.

‘They’re getting along well.’

‘They seem to have something in common.’

‘How awful.’

And they thought. The lives of the Beast Palace disciples probably weren’t very happy either. Seeing that the Palace Lord was similar to that guy, they must be going through hell. For some reason, they felt a sudden sense of kinship and sympathy.

“But why did you call us from the morning?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

The Beast Palace Lord pushed the bucket aside and opened his mouth.

“About that Jamokcho or whatever you mentioned yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“It seems someone overheard and already made inquiries to merchants. A merchant who knows about it is coming, so I called you.”

“Wow. That’s fast.”

“Huhu. Yunnan people are originally fast workers.”

The disciples of Mount Hua sighed as they watched the two men chuckle.

Anyone would think they had known each other for twenty years.

Fortunately, a man in simple clothes, carrying a bag, bowed deeply as he opened the door and came in shortly after, preventing the two from becoming even more united.

“Greetings to the Palace Lord, the sun of Yunnan.”

“Forget the formalities! So, do you know about Jamokcho?”

It was a straightforward way of speaking that didn’t even give him time to introduce himself. The merchant, accustomed to this kind of situation, got straight to the point without delay.

“Jamokcho? Ah, you mean Shinryungcho. We call it that here.”

“What?”

The Beast Palace Lord’s voice boomed.

“Did you just say Shinryungcho?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You came to find Shinryungcho?”

The Beast Palace Lord’s eyes widened. The spirit that had disappeared from his voice returned.

No, what is that⋯⋯.

“⋯⋯Is it a big deal? That thing?”

Chung Myung asked with a slightly uneasy feeling. The reaction was so extreme that the atmosphere didn’t seem good at all.

“⋯⋯No. It’s not that big of a deal.”

That’s what I thought.

Didn’t he say it was an item that used to come into the Central Plains? If it was that big of a deal, it couldn’t have become a trade item in the Central Plains.

However, the Beast Palace Lord still had a troubled look on his face. Then, he scratched his head with his large hand.

“Ggrrrrooooaaan. That’s really⋯⋯.”

“Is there a problem?”

At Chung Myung’s question, a sigh escaped from the Beast Palace Lord’s large mouth.

“Things are getting twisted. The Jamokcho you mentioned, that is, the Shinryungcho, definitely exists in Yunnan. But⋯⋯.”

He hesitated to say something and shook his head.

“No. There’s no use in talking about it. Follow me. I’ll guide you directly to where the Shinryungcho is.”

The Beast Palace Lord jumped up.

Looking at his large body, a sense of trust naturally⋯⋯.

“Follow me⋯⋯. Blurgh! Bucket! Quick, a bucket! Bleurgh!”

⋯⋯Naturally disappears.

Naturally disappears.