Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 35

Sunlight beat down on the dusty main street. Gong Mun-yeon shielded her eyes, then froze. A voice, rough and unexpected, broke the midday quiet.

“When?” she thought, her brow furrowing in confusion. She hadn’t heard anyone come near. Yet, there he was, suddenly beside her, like he’d appeared from thin air.

“Who is it?” she asked, her voice sharper now.

As she recognized the voice, the confusion in Gong Mun-yeon’s eyes turned to alarm. Her heart gave a small, hard thump.

A black night suit clinging to his form, a black mask, and a sword in hand.

An outfit that shouted, ‘I’m a robber!’ to anyone who saw him.

However…

Gong Mun-yeon’s gaze looked upwards. The bright sun met her eyes.

‘Is this man crazy?’

A robber walking on the main street in daylight? Could that be possible?

“Did you say something?”

Someone asked Gong Mun-yeon’s question for her. The masked man turned to the speaker with a blank stare.

“I, I said here… Cough! Cough, cough! Ugh… Who else would be… Cough! Me?”

Gong Mun-yeon stared at the robber, surprised.

‘He looks like he is about to die?’

An old man?

A hunched back. A body so thin it looked like a skeleton. And judging by the skin around his eyes, visible through the mask, he seemed quite old.

Or maybe a young man who is very weak.

No, that’s not right.

“What brings you here? You don’t seem like a traveler passing through.”

The masked man coughed a few times before shaking his head.

“Ugh. I’m going to die like this.”

“Can’t you see what’s happening?”

“Not really?”

“What do you think a man dressed like this in daylight is up to?”

“A madman?”

“Or perhaps very old and confused?”

“I’m a robber! A robber!”

“Ah, a robber. I thought so.”

Gong Mun-yeon laughed softly.

A robber who looked like he couldn’t catch a mouse.

Of course, you shouldn’t judge someone only by how they look. But this man had more problems than just his looks.

He held the sword, but he didn’t have the strong feeling of a fighter.

A smart fighter wouldn’t dress like this in daylight. Only someone crazy would do that.

“Hey, old man,”

Gong Mun-yeon waved her hand.

“You look like you want money, but don’t waste your life. Go away.”

“Want money… Cough! Want… Cough! Cough! Augh! It must be you people!”

“I don’t understand you.”

“Ugh.”

Since talking was hard, the masked man tapped his back a couple of times, then raised the sword he’d been using as a cane and pointed it at Gong Mun-yeon.

“I’m not here to rob you, but to get back what is mine.”

“But you just said you were a robber?”

“You should understand what I mean, even if I don’t say it perfectly.”

Gong Mun-yeon frowned.

When things were already going wrong, a strange man like this had to show up.

“You should leave before you get hurt.”

“Why don’t you try me?”

“This man, really!”

Just as Gong Mun-yeon was about to shout, the masked man’s sword pointed at her.

“I thought you were smart, but you don’t understand simple words.”

Gong Mun-yeon was quiet.

A moment of silence passed.

After staring at the masked man for a while, Gong Mun-yeon asked in a slightly changed tone.

“Did you come from Mount Hua?”

The merchants’ eyes widened at Gong Mun-yeon’s words.

“Mount Hua, you say.”

“What do you mean, Gong Luju?”

Gong Mun-yeon didn’t answer the merchants’ questions. She ignored the merchants.

The masked man nodded.

“You know well.”

“I thought our business with Mount Hua was finished?”

“The business with Mount Hua is over. But not with me.”

“Did the sect leader send you?”

“Do I look like the kind of person he would send?”

“Probably not.”

She knew Hyun Jong was annoying, but he was fair.

He wouldn’t agree to send them away and then secretly send someone else.

“Are you saying someone from Mount Hua is going against the sect leader?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The masked man tilted his head.

“I don’t have to listen to everything that young man says.”

Gong Mun-yeon’s face darkened.

‘A former master?’

Although he was masked, judging by his hunched back, thin body, and old voice, the man was quite old.

And considering his tone towards the Mount Hua sect leader, he might be more important than the sect leader.

In other words, the person before her might be a former master of Mount Hua.

‘But he doesn’t seem like a master at all?’

She didn’t know what to think. Gong Mun-yeon was usually calm. But this man was very strange.

Gong Mun-yeon’s face hardened.

“I didn’t expect Mount Hua to be so dishonest.”

“Dishonest?”

The masked man scoffed.

“That’s why you shouldn’t trust outsiders. What would Yeon-gong say if he saw you now?”

“Who is Yeon-gong?”

The masked man, Cheong-myeong’s eyes narrowed.

‘Oh? What’s this?’

He doesn’t know Yeon-gong?

Yeon-gong owned Taehwa House when Cheong-myeong was in Mount Hua. If Gong Mun-yeon had taken over Taehwa House, she would know him.

But she doesn’t know Yeon-gong?

Cheong-myeong tilted his head.

‘Something is suspicious?’

And it’s very bad. Maybe this wasn’t just the work of greedy people.

“Well, no matter.”

Cheong-myeong flicked his sword.

“The sect leader might be kind and let you have the money. But I am not kind, and I won’t allow it. I’d like to break your legs, but I have to respect the sect leader’s orders. Leave the cart and get out of here. Then I will let you go.”

Gong Mun-yeon laughed quietly.

“Listen here. Do you think I left because I was weak?”

“Yes.”

Gong Mun-yeon was surprised and couldn’t continue.

The way he speaks is odd. Every time they talk, she doesn’t know what to say.

“Ahem! You are wrong. I left to avoid making a big problem. It’s not because I couldn’t beat a masked robber like you.”

“Haha. You talk big words… Cough! Cough! Aaaaaa-choo! Hack! Spit! Oh dear… Oh dear, I’m going to die.”

Seeing the masked man hunched over and coughing, she felt sorry for him. If she could, she might have helped him.

Seeing his shaking arms and the back that wouldn’t straighten, she felt tears coming.

“Old man. If you go back now, I won’t bother you. You look tired, so don’t stand there. Just go.”

“Old man? No way!”

Even like this, I’m still young.

I’m just resting.

‘Ah, this inner power is hurting me.’

His body wasn’t right. He had to use inner power, but he didn’t think the side effects would be so bad.

He should be resting for three months. But he’s been running around. So, his body is not well. Because of that, people thought he was old. That was lucky, but…

“No need to talk more.”

Cheong-myeong twirled his sword.

“Stay if you want to be beaten. Leave if you want to go. Before, I would have beaten you without asking. But I learned something new, so I am holding back. Don’t make me angry.”

“You talk big words.”

Gong Mun-yeon made a line, as if there was no need to talk more.

“This is my last warning. I won’t be kind anymore.”

“Alright. Tell your men to come out.”

Gong Mun-yeon jumped.

‘He noticed?’

There were hidden guards following him. They were very good at hiding. Most people wouldn’t notice them.

“Come out.”

As soon as Gong Mun-yeon gave the order, a dozen warriors jumped out of the bushes.

“Huh?”

“When did these people get here?”

The merchants, who didn’t expect this, held onto their carts with scared faces. Of course, they wouldn’t have noticed.

“One last chance!”

Wham!

Gong Mun-yeon was about to give him one more chance to leave out of respect for the old, but a sound stopped him. It was a sound he hated to hear.

The sound was so clear that his shoulders moved without him wanting them to.

And…

Plop.

The warrior who had jumped out first fell to the side. His leg moved a little, then stopped. He was not getting up.

Cheong-myeong clicked his tongue and raised his sword.

“Honestly!”

Wham!

“These youngsters these days!”

Wham!

“Talk too much!”

Wham!

Plop!

Before they knew it, five warriors were on the ground. They watched, confused, not understanding what was happening.

“Tsk.”

Cheong-myeong put his sword on his shoulder and leaned to one side. Then, he glared at Gong Mun-yeon.

If a strong man did that, it might look cool. But Cheong-myeong was thin and hunched over. It looked sad.

“Hey, kid.”

Cheong-myeong smirked and said.

“You are wrong about me. No one who ignored me before kept all their arms and legs. If you don’t understand words, you are like animals. And animals understand pain. Let’s see if pain works on you too?”

Cheong-myeong put his sword on his shoulder and walked slowly towards them.

The warriors, seeing this, moved back in fear. They were completely overwhelmed by him.

“Go back! You are useless.”

Gong Mun-yeon pushed the warriors back and stepped forward, gritting his teeth.

‘I can’t believe someone like you is still in Mount Hua?’

He thought Mount Hua was weak, like a tiger with no teeth or claws. But he was wrong. Even a tiger without teeth can still kill with one hit.

“I don’t know why you were hidden. If you had come out, Mount Hua wouldn’t be like this.”

What do you know?

Just as Cheong-myeong was about to speak, Gong Mun-yeon stopped him with a sharp voice.

“But you came at the wrong time. I wanted to hurt Mount Hua anyway. So, this is perfect. If someone like you dies by my hand, the sect leader will be sad. Prepare yourself.”

Gong Mun-yeon used his power.

The grass around him moved, pushed by his energy. This was not the power of a simple inn owner.

“Yes, I knew you were hiding something.”

Cheong-myeong’s eyes gleamed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hit your face.”

So you can still talk later, right?

Cheong-myeong walked slowly towards Gong Mun-yeon. At that moment, Gong Mun-yeon raised both hands and charged at Cheong-myeong.