Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 351

They groaned and whimpered, worse than any defeated soldiers. Soldiers returning from war wouldn’t look this broken.

Hyundang bit his lip. He watched the others, like family, helping each other slowly down the mountain. They were barely able to walk.

“Uh, ergh!”

Hyunbeop, who was walking beside him using a wooden stick, lost his balance and fell to the ground.

“Kkeueu. Eueue⋯⋯.”

He whimpered for a long time, clutching his back.

“How could this happen!”

Hyundang bit his lip until it bled as he watched Hyunbeop shout in resentment.

“No matter how bad the sect’s rules have become, it can’t be like this. It can’t be⋯⋯.”

His words were weak, and his eyes were lost. It was clear he was losing his mind.

It was enough to drive him mad.

If the older members had just beaten them, it wouldn’t be this bad. But the one who thrashed them was a child who wasn’t even born when they were in Mount Hua.

No one could understand this shame. Being beaten by someone young enough to be their grandson! It was too much.

“Say something, Senior Brother! You said everything would be alright once we got to Mount Hua!”

“Shut up!”

Rage poured off Hyundang in waves, hot and suffocating.

Hyunbeop recoiled, stumbling back as if struck.

“Damn it all!”

Hyundang’s face was twisted like a demon.

“Those dog-like bastards… so this is how they come out, is it?”

“Mount Hua is ruined. No respect, no rules left. Just thugs. People joke it’s ‘Bandit Mountain Hua’ now. And they’re right, aren’t they?”

Hyunbeop’s outburst was filled with injustice and resentment. A fierce light flashed in Hyundang’s eyes. He gritted his teeth and said quietly.

“If they treat us like animals, we’ll treat them the same.”

Hyunbeop swallowed hard at the chilling voice.

“Do you have a plan?”

Hyundang, who had been silently staring at the distant mountains, spat out the words.

“We will go to Shaolin.”

“Sh, Shaolin?”

Hyunbeop asked back in surprise. But Hyundang seemed serious.

Shaolin, of all places.

“Shaolin was disgraced by Mount Hua. They will naturally hate Mount Hua. So, we can use our situation.”

“Ah⋯⋯.”

Hyunbeop nodded.

This situation was certainly controversial.

Think about it. We were elders, important members! And a child from Mount Hua beat us and threw us out!

“If this matter becomes known, some will criticize Mount Hua, and some will criticize us. Let’s be honest. No one really cares about fights in other groups. It’s just gossip for people drinking.”

“That’s right.”

“But if Shaolin supports us, everything changes. Shaolin can make this a big deal. They can use us to push Mount Hua.”

Hyunbeop closed his mouth.

Clearly, Shaolin would have that power.

But there was one thing that bothered him.

“But Senior Brother. If we do that, we will truly be enemies of Mount Hua.”

Hyundang glared at Hyunbeop with a sharp gaze.

“So?”

“⋯⋯.”

“They abandoned us. If parents throw out their children, they can’t expect love back. Mount Hua threw us out. Why should we care about them?”

“Senior Brother is right.”

Hyunbeop nodded his head vigorously.

At this moment, he abandoned even the slightest hesitation.

“I cannot stand to see those immoral bastards wearing the mask of Mount Hua and dominating the Jianghu. Even if it destroys Mount Hua, I’ll make them pay!”

Both Hyunbeop and Hyundang knew the truth.

That it was not them, but themselves, who tried to wear the mask of Mount Hua.

But now that things had come this far, such things were meaningless. They had already settled everything to ascend Mount Hua. They couldn’t return like this without any gains.

“But will Shaolin even use us?”

“There’s nothing bad for Shaolin in it. It’s good to ruin Mount Hua, and it’s even better to have us lead Mount Hua. Above all, we have a justification, don’t we?”

“Even if it’s just a justification⋯⋯.”

“A weak excuse is enough.”

Hyundang said firmly.

“That’s what justification is. Justification doesn’t matter if you’re weak. But even a weak excuse works if you’re strong. Shaolin is strong. They can make our excuse real.”

Hyunbeop nodded.

“Then we should go to Mount Song right away.”

“That’s right.”

Hyundang turned his head and looked up at the mountain.

“Hyun Jong. And Chung Myung!”

Grinding his teeth, Hyundang clutched his face. The spot where Chung Myung had struck him throbbed, making it unbearable.

“I will definitely… definitely see you bastards fall into hell! Definitely!”

A strange fire flared in his eyes.

Hyunbeop swallowed hard at the chilling force.

‘Those foolish Taoist bastards.’

They think they’re strong, but they’re fools. If they were going to make enemies like us, they should have finished us off.

The reason why Hyundang and Hyunbeop could ascend Mount Hua, which had begun to command the world and spread its name, without much worry was precisely because of this. They thought that even if they went to Mount Hua, they wouldn’t lose their lives, unlike other places.

If they were going to send them away, they should have sent them away with a smile, and if they were going to take action, they should not have left any loose ends.

‘Now they will feel that fact to the bone.’

It was at that moment when Hyunbeop was about to wear a triumphant smile.

“Aigo. This mountain is really steep.”

‘Hmm?’

Hyunbeop quickly turned his head at the sudden voice.

A group of people were seen climbing up the mountain path.

‘Beggars?’

Hyunbeop tilted his head, looking at their attire.

Why would beggars be climbing a mountain? There was no place to beg for alms in this rugged mountain.

Beggars and mountains.

Could there be a more mismatched combination?

‘Are they going to Mount Hua?’

Ordinary beggars would have no reason to go to Mount Hua, so are they Beggar Clan members?

Before Hyunbeop could resolve the questions that came to mind, the Beggar Clan members climbing the mountain path began to approach.

Feeling a sudden chill from their appearance, he tensed his entire body and guarded against the beggars.

‘The direction⋯⋯.’

They are not passing by them.

The beggars subtly split to the left and right, centering on Hyundang and Hyunbeop’s group, and began to move to their sides.

As if to surround them.

“Why⋯⋯.”

The flustered Hyunbeop repeatedly turned his head left and right, looking at the beggars.

‘They are not ordinary beggars.’

Even in their torn clothes, you could see strong bodies. Their eyes were cold and sharp, not like normal beggars in the market.

Hyun-beop knew something was wrong and was about to speak.

“That’s a long walk to Mount Song,” a voice said.

Hyun-beop froze.

Then, a man walked slowly up the path from the front, the same path the beggars had taken. He was dressed like a beggar, but there was something different about him.

“Tsk, tsk,” the man clicked his tongue. “Will you even make it to Shaolin looking like that?”

Hyun-beop’s eyes widened. ‘Did you hear that?’ he thought, his eyes twitching.

The beggar who had spoken was unremarkable. Unlike the others, this beggar could easily disappear into a marketplace.

But his eyes were different.

His gaze was chillingly calm, making the eyes of the other beggars seem like children. It was utterly terrifying.

Hyun-dang, flustered, raised his voice. “Wh-why are you doing this?”

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. We are just going down the mountain…”

“Hyun-dang.”

“…”

The man said, “My name is Ha Woo-ryang. Thirty years ago, I left Mount Hua and settled in Hunan. I ran a security bureau there, pretending to be a chief guard, but I was really a salt merchant involved in illegal salt trade.”

Hyun-dang’s eyes widened.

“Is that correct?”

“Y-you are…”

“Looks like it’s correct.”

The man shrugged.

“I’ve looked into more, but I don’t need to talk too much about it here.”

He was smiling, but his eyes were chilling.

“It’s not about who you are. You’re trying to take over Mount Hua, which is already mine. And now you’re messing it up. Right?”

Cold sweat ran down Hyun-dang’s back.

Those who lived in the Jianghu had to know one thing: Never make an enemy of a beggar.

Who were the most terrifying people in the world? Those who had nothing to lose.

And the place where those people gathered was the Beggars’ Sect.

People think the Beggars’ Sect is just about being good and fair. But with so many beggars, it’s also a place for tough people who have nothing to lose. They can be very dangerous.

“I was going to deal with this sooner or later, even without being asked…”

The man raised his hand and stroked his head.

“…I even got yelled at for not knowing who was climbing Mount Hua. I’m Hong Dae-kwang, by the way.”

The beggars around them began to giggle and laugh.

“These days, we use our fists to answer back!” one beggar said.

“Yeah, or our feet!” another added.

“Boss, you look terrible.”

“Shut up, you beggar bastards!” Hong Dae-kwang shouted, then looked at Hyun-dang’s group with a playful face.

“Anyway, if you make a mistake, you should fix it. I don’t want to disappoint that troublemaker anymore.”

Hong Dae-kwang grinned.

“If you go to Shaolin like this, you’ll only help the people who have connections there. But I’m connected to Mount Hua.”

His voice was full of laughter.

But to Hyun-dang and Hyun-beop, it sounded utterly terrifying.

“Do you know what beggars hate the most?”

“…”

“It’s having their livelihood cut off. And you guys are trying to cut off my livelihood right now.”

Hyun-dang’s trembling eyes darted around.

From the sleeves of the beggars, sharpened blades peeked out.

Short daggers.

Sharply honed iron skewers.

And even a long sickle.

Soon, they chuckled and slowly began to close in. Dust rose from the path as the beggars moved closer. The air was still and hot, even in the shade of the trees.

Hyun-dang’s retainers trembled and huddled together. Fear glistened in their eyes. Hyun-dang’s hands shook as he spoke, and Hyun-beop’s face went pale.

“You should have been more careful about who you messed with,” Hong Dae-kwang said. “You touched that troublemaker without having the guts to back it up. Now you have to pay the price.”

Hong Dae-kwang slightly gestured with his chin. The beggars charged at Hyun-dang’s group with menacing eyes.

❀ ❀ ❀

“They won’t kill them.”

Crunch. Crunch.

Cheong-myeong said nonchalantly, chewing on a mooncake.

“Still…”

“Those beggar bastards sometimes go too far, but they still have some sense. They won’t kill them. But they’ll definitely give them a good scare.”

“Hmm.”

Hyun-young listened to Cheong-myeong’s words with a serious face.

“And they’ll probably tie them up roughly and dump them in the outskirts, making sure they can’t even go near Shaolin for the rest of their lives. If they’re really skilled, they might avoid all the beggars’ eyes and make it to Shaolin, but those old geezers probably aren’t that skilled.”

‘That’s certainly likely,’ Hyun-young nodded.

“Well, they must be a bit angry, so they’ll have to put up with getting slashed by a sickle or beaten with a flail.”

“…”

Hyun-young sighed and nodded, looking at the grinning Cheong-myeong.

“Anyway, you’ve been through a lot.”

“It’s nothing. Just some pesky gnats. Tsk.”

“What happened with the Beggars’ Sect is a secret from the Sect Leader.”

“Hey. I’m not a child.”

Cheong-myeong chuckled. Hyun-young nodded and fell into thought.

The one who leads a sect cannot only be fair and just. If someone shows fairness and justice, someone else must be able to work behind the scenes.

In the past, that role was Hyun-young’s.

But now…

“Are you alright?”

“With what?”

“You are giving too much to Mount Hua. But the glory…”

Cheong-myeong waved his hand largely, cutting off Hyun-young’s words.

“Elder, you worry too much. If I wanted that kind of thing, I would have taken it all already. Don’t you know me?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

Hyun-young smiled gently.

“Then, instead of what you couldn’t take, shall I feed you some meat? I’ll make Dongpo pork for you for the first time in a while.”

“What about alcohol? What about alcohol?”

“Take out one of the ones you’ve hidden away.”

“Hehe. You knew? I thought I hid it well.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Hyun-young smiled with a strange feeling, looking at Cheong-myeong’s back as he walked ahead.

Then, he quickened his pace slightly, stood next to Cheong-myeong, and firmly grabbed his shoulder.

“It hurts.”

“Yes, yes.”

The smile on Hyun-young’s face grew a little bigger.

Bright sunlight shone down on the backs of the two old and young men as they trudged towards the restaurant.