Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 314

Glug, glug, glug. The sound of strong liquor filled the small room as Hong Daekwang poured. The drink smelled sharp and burned the nose even from across the table.

“Come on, come on!” Hong Daekwang said, his voice loud and friendly. “Let’s have a drink!” He smiled brightly, a wide, charming smile meant to put everyone at ease. He filled Chung Myung’s glass until it almost overflowed, then set the heavy bottle down with a thump.

Chung Myung looked anything but happy. His face was still and serious. But he took the glass and emptied it in one swift movement, the liquor vanishing down his throat.

“Yes! That’s the way to drink!” Hong Daekwang laughed, a booming sound. But even as he laughed, his eyes watched Chung Myung carefully, trying to read his expression. Then, he quickly glanced towards a dark corner of the room.

‘I should have hung that beggar upside down.’

Hong Daekwang had bet everything on Mount Hua and the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua.

He firmly believed that Mount Hua would one day rule the world, and he had even taken the gamble of abandoning the Luoyang branch to go to Mount Hua.

But that damned beggar had nearly ruined all his plans.

Hong Daekwang glared, and Jongpal, kneeling in the corner, flinched. Regardless, Hong Daekwang cursed him in his mind.

‘That madman.’

There were people you could insult, but the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua?

Chung Myung, the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua, was almost certainly destined to become the greatest martial artist in the world. His very existence was enough to cause terror, and the entire Mount Hua sect, to which Chung Myung belonged, was now showing unbelievable growth.

Yet, because of that one beggar, he had almost created a feud with Mount Hua, which would one day become the greatest sect in the world.

Still, it was Hong Daekwang who had handled it to this extent. If this had reached the ears of the Beggar Union Leader, Jongpal would have been bound hand and foot that very day and offered to Mount Hua as tribute.

“Haha. Divine Dragon of Mount Hua. Wasn’t it just something an ignorant young beggar did? So you…”

“I was even younger, though?”

“Argh, damn it!”

Hong Daekwang threw the glass he was holding at Jongpal. Jongpal flinched and dodged the flying glass.

“I’ve told you time and time again from the leader level that you should think before you act, or you’ll cause trouble for yourself! You, you!”

Jongpal’s shoulders hunched as Hong Daekwang’s anger was so strong, Jongpal felt like he might faint.

‘No, what did I do…?’

Wasn’t it common to scold lazy beggar children who didn’t beg for food? Of course, he had beaten him a bit severely that day…

‘No. Honestly, I don’t even remember it well.’

He remembered the name Chosam and vaguely remembered his face from the past. But he couldn’t quite recall what kind of person he was. There were more than five beggars of similar age in his shack; how could he remember each one individually?

But of all people, that guy had been beaten badly by Jongpal, and of all people, that guy had become the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua.

There was a limit to how unlucky one could be. A limit.

But no matter how wronged he felt, he couldn’t possibly protest.

Because Hong Daekwang, one of the Seven Beggars and a candidate for the Beggar Union Leader, was glaring at him like a hungry wolf.

Hong Daekwang looked at Jongpal, grinding his teeth. He sighed deeply. Then, he forced a smile and turned to Chung Myung.

“Haha. Divine Dragon of Mount Hua. Isn’t it said that a gentleman doesn’t dwell on the past?”

“But I’m a Taoist, not a gentleman.”

“…Right, Taoists too.”

“And I was a beggar when I was beaten.”

“…”

Oh, his position changes quickly, you know.

Hong Daekwang’s eyes twitched.

“Well… if you think about it, weren’t we all one family?”

“Pardon?”

“If you were in the Beggar Union’s shack in the past, that means you belonged to the Beggar Union, so you could say we were one family.”

Chung Myung then looked at Hong Daekwang with a blank expression.

Of course, Hong Daekwang knew that this logic was far-fetched, so he subtly avoided his gaze.

“Ahem, ahem. Anyway, it’s already in the past, and that guy must have reflected a lot today, so let’s forget about it and have a drink.”

“Heeeuuuum.”

Chung Myung glanced at Jongpal as if he didn’t like it at all.

“If I had my way, I’d just…”

Jongpal shuddered and lowered his gaze at the quiet muttering.

“I vowed when I left that shack that I would destroy all the beggar bastards later.”

This time, Hong Daekwang flinched.

Knowing how strong, persistent, and capable of outrageous and cruel acts this guy was, Hong Daekwang took those words as the honest truth.

Chung Myung turned his head slightly and looked at Gu-chil, who was as stiff as a stone.

“You should know that I’m letting it go because of him.”

“Huh?”

“Still, he helped me. Thanks to him, I was able to come to Mount Hua.”

Hong Daekwang, delighted by the unexpected good news, looked at Gu-chil with a changed expression.

“So, your name is?”

“G-Gu-chil.”

“That’s right! Gu-chil! That’s right! You’ve done a great service!”

And in this unexpected situation, Gu-chil was about to lose his mind.

From the beginning, Hong Daekwang was not someone he could dare to make eye contact with. He was such a distant existence that he would never have the chance to exchange a single word with him in his life.

Even his boss, Jongpal, had to lie flat like a coin on the floor in front of Hong Daekwang, so how much more so would he, one beggar of little importance?

But such Hong Daekwang and Chosam, who was called the greatest figure of the next generation… No, Chung Myung. And even the Mount Hua Five Swords, who were shaking the world these days, were all present. He was even being praised.

‘I feel like my heart is going to stop.’

He was so nervous that Gu-chil didn’t even know if he was speaking with his mouth or his nose.

Hong Daekwang patted Gu-chil on the back.

“I won’t forget your contribution. You saved the Beggar Union! You did!”

It was half sincere.

Hong Daekwang could laugh off making enemies with everyone else in the world, but there was one person he didn’t want to make an enemy of. Absolutely.

Chung Myung smiled at Gu-chil.

“Eat, eat.”

“Huh?”

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Eat.”

Gu-chil glanced around.

The Beggar Union’s experts who had rushed in had already realized that this matter was out of their hands, and they were sitting down in groups of three or five, eating.

And the group that had come with him was sitting in a corner, quickly eating rice. They were so fast that their hands couldn’t even be seen properly.

Beggars never refuse food in any situation.

But… Gu-chil couldn’t do that.

“…I feel like I’m going to get indigestion.”

“Why?”

“No…”

Gu-chil stared blankly at Chung Myung.

‘Is he really the Chosam I knew?’

He thought he was a little crazy even before he ran out of the shack, but he had become even crazier and reappeared.

Then, Chung Myung grabbed a bottle of liquor and personally poured a drink into Gu-chil’s glass.

“But you.”

“Huh?”

Then, he chuckled and said in a cool voice.

“Don’t you want to come to Mount Hua?”

“H-Huh?”

Gu-chil asked back with a dazed expression.

“Are you telling me to come to Mount Hua to hang out?”

“No. I’m asking if you want to leave the Beggar Union and join Mount Hua.”

“…”

At Chung Myung’s answer, Gu-chil’s eyes widened and he froze in place.

‘Is he really crazy?’

How could he say such a thing in front of Hong Daekwang?

Wasn’t changing sects a major event that could lead to a big problem if handled poorly?

Gu-chil stiffly turned his head to see how Hong Daekwang would react, and Chung Myung smiled again.

“There’s no need to be so cautious. The Beggar Union won’t cause trouble over one beggar of little importance leaving. Right?”

“Huh? Of course, of course. On the contrary, our relationship might become even stronger. Haha!”

Hong Daekwang laughed heartily and nodded repeatedly.

Chung Myung nodded and added.

“I’ve been thinking, and there aren’t many ways I can help you if you stay in the Beggar Union. So, if you’re interested, come to Mount Hua. Then I’ll definitely train you into a master.”

The word ‘master’ reached Gu Chil’s ears. It sounded like a great offer. But then, he noticed something.

The disciples from Mount Hua sat on either side of Qing Myeong. They looked at Gu Chil with wide, pleading eyes. One mouthed, “Don’t come!” Another whispered, “This place is hell!” Someone else groaned, “Being a beggar is a hundred times better!” One even shook his head, as if Gu Chil was crazy.

Seeing their desperate faces, Gu Chil remembered Baek Cheon’s angry words from before. ‘You… you caused this! Because of you, Mount Hua is suffering!’ Gu Chil didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he understood one thing: Mount Hua was not a happy place at all.

Gu Chil quickly waved his hand. “Ah, no, thank you. I want to stay in the Beggars’ Sect.”

“Why?” Qing Myeong asked, tilting his head like he truly didn’t understand.

“You *like* being a beggar?”

“Well…” Gu Chil hesitated. “It’s… not so bad. Being a master sounds great, but… I’m proud to be a Beggars’ Sect member. Yes, proud! I want to live in the Beggars’ Sect and do good things.”

Hong Daekwang, who had been listening, smiled, clearly happy. “Haha! Qing Myeong, it seems your friend likes the Beggars’ Sect more than Mount Hua!”

“I don’t get it,” Qing Myeong said, frowning. “What’s so great about being a beggar?” His fellow Mount Hua disciples quickly added their thoughts. “I understand it!” one said. “Me too,” said another. “Being a beggar *is* better,” a third mumbled.

Qing Myeong glared at them. They all quickly looked away, avoiding his eyes.

“Okay, okay!” Hong Daekwang said, seeing the conversation wasn’t going anywhere. He tried to understand. “So, Qing Myeong, you feel you owe Gu Chil something, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you want to help him, but he’s in the Beggars’ Sect far away. So, you want to bring him to Mount Hua?”

“Exactly.”

“Then it’s easy! I’ll take him to our Hua-Um branch.” Hong Daekwang laughed loudly. “Then you can see him whenever you want! Problem solved! He doesn’t even need to be a Mount Hua disciple.”

“Hmm,” Qing Myeong said, thinking.

“If you want,” Hong Daekwang continued, “I could even make him my disciple.”

Qing Myeong stopped and tilted his head, thinking, *’What would it even mean to be *your* disciple?’*

Hong Daekwang saw Qing Myeong’s look and quickly changed the subject. “Th-Then it will be easier for you to see him in Mount Hua, right?”

“Ah, yes, that’s true.”

*’Did this guy really think I wanted him as a disciple?’* Hong Daekwang thought, almost embarrassed in front of the beggars. He quickly laughed it off. “Haha! Yes! Let’s do that then!”

Hong Daekwang patted Gu Chil’s shoulder again, very friendly now. Gu Chil was completely confused. He thought he was just meeting an old friend, but suddenly the Beggars’ Sect leader was getting beaten, and now he was going to the Hua-Um branch! For someone who was just a normal beggar in the Nameless Clan not long ago, this was like his whole world flipping over.

“C-Can I really do that?”

“Of course! You deserve it. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve done.”

“Th-Thank you…”

Just then, Qing Myeong frowned. “Wait a minute! What are you talking about? This can’t be his reward. If you’re talking about what he deserves, you need to give him a *real* reward, too.”

“W-Well, yes, you’re right.”

“Don’t try to get out of it! At least feed him lots of meat!”

“I’ll give him so much meat he’ll never want to see it again, don’t worry!” Hong Daekwang smiled, very pleased.

*’This worked out well, thanks to Gu Chil,’* Hong Daekwang thought. The Beggars’ Sect was watching Mount Hua very closely. People who gather news always pay attention to what’s changing in the world. They need information to understand what’s happening faster than anyone else. From the news they had, Mount Hua’s sudden rise was not just a short burst of energy. If only a few Mount Hua people were stronger, it would be a small thing. But *all* of Mount Hua’s disciples had become strong. This was a big change that couldn’t be ignored. *’Mount Hua will become a powerful sect that changes everything,’* he thought. It was important to stay friendly with them. Since Qing Myeong, who seemed to be the most important person in Mount Hua, liked Gu Chil, it would be good for the Beggars’ Sect to keep them connected. Giving them some meat was a small price to pay for that.

But Qing Myeong wasn’t finished. “And…”

“Hmm?” Hong Daekwang asked.

“Bring him too.”

“…Him?”

“Yes, him.” Qing Myeong pointed his chin towards Jong Pal. Jong Pal, who had started to relax, thinking things were ending, tensed up again.

Hong Daekwang asked, “…Why him?”

“Hey, don’t worry,” Qing Myeong said. “Do you think I’d beat him up again after beating him like *that*?”

*’Uh oh,’* Hong Daekwang thought. *’You definitely look like you would.’* Seeing Hong Daekwang’s doubtful look, Qing Myeong shrugged. “Well, I just want to see him sometimes. He seems important, and I think he’ll get things done quickly and well from now on. And he won’t complain.”

“…”

“So, please? Please bring him too! Please!” Qing Myeong looked at Hong Daekwang with pleading eyes. Hong Daekwang smiled, amused.

*’I must never make this guy angry,’* Hong Daekwang thought. It was amazing how determined he was. “So, after the competition, you’re both coming to Hua-Um, right?”

“…I guess so?” Qing Myeong said, smiling happily and looking at Gu Chil.

“We’ll see each other a lot.”

“Y-Yes,” Gu Chil replied.

“And…” Qing Myeong tilted his head again. “We’ll see the Beggars’ Sect leader a lot too.”

“…”

“A lot.”

“…”

A bright future seemed to open up for Gu Chil. But at the same moment, a path to hell opened up for Jong Pal.