Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 355

“Welcome, everyone!”

Hwang Mun-yak, the Guild Master of the Eunha Merchant Guild, threw his arms wide open, a big smile on his face. The Mount Hua disciples stepped through the heavy wooden gates of his compound. The air inside felt warmer and smelled faintly of spices.

Hyun-young, the Elder of Mount Hua, bowed slightly. “Thank you for the warm welcome, Guild Master Hwang.”

Hwang Mun-yak chuckled, a booming sound. “Warm welcome? Is that all you think this is? Mount Hua is our best friend, the Eunha Merchant Guild’s most valued partner! How could I *not* welcome you like family?” He winked, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Hyun-young smiled at Hwang Mun-yak, who seemed genuinely happy.

If Hwang Mun-yak was only nice *now* that Mount Hua was famous, he would act differently. But he wasn’t.

Hwang Mun-yak had volunteered to help them when Mount Hua was having a hard time.

So, he had no doubts about helping them now.

“Don’t be so formal. Come inside quickly. I’ve prepared some simple refreshments.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Hwang Mun-yak smiled at Hyun-young, who thanked him. Then, he glanced slyly at Chung Myung.

“It hasn’t even been a few days, and I’m seeing you again, Little Taoist.”

“That’s right. How have you been?”

“I’ve had some trouble refilling the good liquor that the Little Taoist drank all of.”

“Hehe. Then I should empty it out again for you.”

“Would anyone doubt it?”

Hwang Mun-yak laughed loudly.

If anyone else said that, Hwang Mun-yak would think they were rude. But not Chung Myung. Chung Myung could say and do anything here without causing a problem.

To be honest, the Eunha Merchant Guild had earned a lot of money because of Chung Myung.

‘Even if I forget everything else, just being able to join this Yunnan tea trade is enough to make back several times the money we invested.’

But even that was small compared to the money they would make in the future.

Mount Hua’s influence had spread beyond Hwayeom and was reaching Xi’an. Soon, it would spread not only to Xi’an but throughout Shaanxi Province.

If they had Mount Hua supporting them, the Eunha Merchant Guild could take control of all of Shaanxi and become a powerful guild. It wasn’t just a dream.

So, how could he not like Chung Myung?

‘It’s not just Taoist Chung Myung.’

Hwang Mun-yak smiled as he watched the Mount Hua disciples go to the inner rooms.

For a long time, Mount Hua’s young disciples were hidden behind Jongnam’s big name. Now, these young disciples were becoming famous. People everywhere were starting to know them.

‘If things keep going like this…’

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy, but now he could imagine Mount Hua becoming ‘The Greatest Sect in the World.’ Just a few years ago, he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of that.

And their trip to Xi’an would start that journey.

After a short greeting with Hwang Mun-yak, Hyun-young quickly called his disciples into the room.

“Hmm. You arrived earlier than I thought.”

“Because of that, we could start our plan sooner.”

Hyun-young nodded.

“Let’s start right away. Baek Cheon.”

“Yes!”

“You will lead the disciples and find out what people in Xi’an think about us. Even though they’ve been away from the world, Jongnam has a lot of power in Xi’an. They probably don’t like us yet.”

“Yes. I will look into it carefully.”

“Baek Sang, you will go to Guild Master Hwang and make a list of supplies we need for the sect,” Hyun-young said, using his title as a sign of respect.

“Yes, Elder!” Baek Sang replied.

Hyun-young gave tasks to other disciples too.

He was handling things quickly, as expected of the Lord of Jae Kyung.

“Does everyone understand?”

“Yes, Elder!”

“There’s no time to waste. Time is precious, so move out now!”

“Yes!”

“Elder?”

“Yes?”

Chung Myung, who was sitting in the corner, raised his hand and asked. Hyun-young smiled.

“Yes, Chung Myung. You will come with me to find a building.”

“Ah, a building to open the sect?”

“That’s right.”

“Yes. Then I should go.”

“Yes. Let’s go together. Hahaha.”

“Haha!”

As the other disciples watched the two men laugh together, they felt uneasy.

“Oh…”

Yoon Jong looked around in a daze at the bustling streets of Xi’an. Tall buildings lined the roads, much taller than anything in Hwayeom. The crowds of people moved like a river.

“It’s huge.”

“What’s wrong? You’ve seen Nakyang. And didn’t you visit Sungdo before?”

“It feels different from there.”

Baek Cheon chuckled.

“Take a good look. You’ll have many more chances to visit in the future. This place must become as familiar as Hwayeom.”

“Yes, Sasuk (senior disciple).”

Even as he answered, Yoon Jong kept looking around, distracted by something. Baek Cheon chuckled and glanced around.

‘Nothing’s happening yet, right?’

He sighed without realizing it, feeling tense.

Since Jongnam had a strong influence here, many people might still not like Mount Hua.

They had to be careful in everything they did.

Just then…

“Uh. Isn’t that…?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Isn’t that the Mount Hua Sect?”

Several people walking by started whispering, noticing the plum blossom symbol on Baek Cheon’s group’s chests. The voices were quiet, but the Mount Hua disciples heard them.

The disciples’ shoulders dropped slightly.

“They seem young?”

“Then they must be the promising young disciples who did well in the Heavenly Martial Arts Competition.”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

Their shoulders straightened up again, surprised by the positive reaction.

‘The reaction isn’t bad?’

‘People need to see results.’

The Mount Hua disciples looked at each other. Jo Gul and Yoon Jong smiled, unable to hide their pride.

“Heo. Mount Hua is said to be very strong these days. Now we’re seeing Mount Hua’s disciples in Xi’an.”

“Amazing. Aahm, amazing indeed. Until recently, they were so unknown that people called them ‘fallen,’ but now…”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’ve been paying attention since I heard that Mount Hua won at the Jonghwa Assembly.”

“Hey, you! You’re making things up!”

The whispering voices grew louder.

Soon, they were chattering noisily. More people heard them, and more people recognized Mount Hua’s plum blossom symbol. More and more people looked at them.

Baek Cheon walked faster, feeling both proud and embarrassed.

The Mount Hua disciples escaped the crowd and sighed, looking at each other.

“It’s a welcoming atmosphere?”

“There are fewer hostile people than I thought. No one even mentions Jongnam.”

“Right. I thought some people would be unhappy.”

Jo Gul, who had been listening, shook his head.

“That’s how people are.”

“How people are?”

“Isn’t there something that Chung Myung always says?”

“Ah…”

– What? Chivalry? Chivalry? Hmph. You’re a great chivalrous person! Hey, you folks. If chivalry is so great, then people would line up the sects in order of how much chivalrous deeds they’ve done, right? No, even after seeing those Shaolin monks holed up in the mountains chanting Buddhist scriptures being treated as the greatest sect in the world, you’re still saying that? The Jianghu is just about power. The guy who’s good at swordsmanship is the best.

“…He’s not wrong.”

Baek Cheon’s group remembered Chung Myung’s words and shook their heads.

Even if it was true, righteous sects shouldn’t say that.

“The people of Xi’an, and Shaanxi, have long thought of Jongnam as their representative sect. That’s not because Jongnam has a long history or has done great deeds.”

“It’s because they’re the strongest.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jo Gul nodded.

“The people of Xi’an liked Jongnam because of their power, right? But now Jongnam has closed its doors, and Mount Hua is getting results.”

“From now on, Mount Hua will represent Shaanxi instead of Jongnam.”

“Yes. If the news that Jongnam has closed its doors spreads to Xi’an, that will happen even faster.”

Jo Gul paused and smiled slightly.

‘The timing is good.’

Opening a branch sect in Xi’an would speed things up.

“It seems the rumors about the Heavenly Martial Arts Competition have spread in Xi’an. Everyone must be curious about how Mount Hua has become so strong.”

“Then many people will want to learn Mount Hua’s martial arts.”

“Yes. It’s especially good that Mount Hua’s reputation was built on the achievements of the Second and Third Generation disciples. People who want to learn martial arts are usually young.”

“That’s right.”

“When parents choose a sect for their children, the fact that Mount Hua has strong late-bloomers will be a big advantage.”

“A respected name in education?”

“Exactly.”

“Precisely.”

Baek Cheon nodded, a happy smile on his face. It was good news that Mount Hua was becoming well-known.

“We should look at a few more spots,” Baek Cheon said. “But it looks like people in Xi’an don’t dislike us as much as we thought.”

Another person agreed, “Yes, I think so too. But we can’t decide too quickly. Jongnam has been in charge of Xi’an for a long time. Many people depend on Jongnam’s good name to make a living. They might not like Mount Hua opening a place here.”

“We have to understand that,” Baek Cheon replied.

Baek Cheon’s eyes became serious. “Listen everyone,” he said firmly. “This is very important for Mount Hua’s future. You all must help Sect Leader Hwayoung as much as you can.”

“Yes, Uncle Master!” they shouted back strongly.

“Yes, Senior Brother!” others added.

Their eyes shone with excitement as they answered. Baek Cheon smiled, pleased with their energy.

‘This is how it should be! Simple and good!’ Baek Cheon thought. How much better the talk was without that troublemaker Chung Myung!

His disciples, who usually seemed a bit wild, now looked smart and thoughtful because Chung Myung wasn’t here.

‘Being around that guy makes everyone act crazy.’ Even me, Baek Cheon thought. He realized how much Chung Myung affected them all and shook his head, moving on.

“It’s so calm without Chung Myung,” someone said.

“If he was here, we’d be too busy stopping him from causing trouble,” another replied.

“We wouldn’t even get to see anything properly,” a third person added. Everyone started talking about Chung Myung’s bad habits when he wasn’t there.

But Yoo Iseol, who had been quiet until now, frowned a little and spoke. “You are all too relaxed.”

“…Huh?” someone asked, confused.

“What do you mean, Disciple Yoo?”

Everyone looked at her, puzzled. Yoo Iseol kept her frown. “There’s a reason we always have to watch Chung Myung.”

“…What is it?”

“He makes even worse trouble when we are not watching him.”

“…”

They all suddenly understood. It was completely true. A shiver went through everyone. Chung Myung was trouble no matter where he was. But the most dangerous Chung Myung was the one who was not here right now.

“…Well, the Elder is with him, so it should be okay, right?” someone asked, sounding unsure.

“That will make it worse,” Yoo Iseol said dryly.

“…”

Oh no. Surely not. Everyone felt the worry they had tried to ignore coming back.

Just then, Yoon Jong suddenly said, “Huh?” He pointed ahead. “Isn’t that Chung Myung over there?”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon frowned and looked where Yoon Jong was pointing. “Yes, it is him. You’re right. The Elder is with him too.”

“What are they doing?” someone asked.

“Well… he said he was going to look at buildings. So, they must be looking at buildings?” another replied, sounding unsure.

“Oh? Here?” Baek Cheon looked around. ‘Not bad at all.’ This was a main street in Xi’an. It was a little away from the very center, but the street was wide, with many people walking around. It seemed like a good place to be.

“A place like this must cost a lot.”

“That’s right,” someone agreed. “And we need a big yard for training, so it will be even more expensive.”

“But we make good money now, right? So it should be okay?” someone else said.

“…Elder Hyun Young?” Everyone went quiet at that. Even though Elder Hyun Young was better with money now, wasn’t he still known as the most stingy person in Mount Hua?

It was hard to imagine him buying a costly building on a busy street to start a sect.

“…This is a very important thing. Maybe the Sect Leader gave him special orders,” someone suggested hopefully.

“That would be a relief,” another whispered. Still feeling worried, everyone slowly walked towards Chung Myung and Hyun Young.

But then… “…Uncle Master,” someone said weakly.

“Yes?” Baek Cheon replied.

“Didn’t you say Elder and Chung Myung went to see a building?”

“Yes, I did.”

“…Is *that* it?” the person asked, pointing.

“…” Baek Cheon’s eyes, which had been looking around, started to shake slightly. A building. Yes, a building is a building. If something with pillars and a roof could be called a building, then this was definitely a building.

The problem was… ‘It looks like it’s just pillars and a roof?’ Can you even call *that* a building? Before them was a large area of land, like where a house used to be, abandoned for maybe a hundred years. Tall weeds grew everywhere, walls were broken, and the buildings were half-destroyed. It looked completely empty and sad.

“No, it can’t be, right?” someone whispered.

“Oh no… It can’t be. Please no.”

“An empty space would be better! At least an empty space wouldn’t fall down. That thing looks like it will break if you just touch a window!”

“…Mount Hua is not poor anymore, but we are still a sect. Surely not.” Everyone stared at Hyun Young with worried faces. They needed to open a sect branch soon. They wouldn’t really choose a haunted house like this, would they?

But Yoo Iseol’s words from before kept repeating in their minds: “That will make it worse.”

Just then, they heard a voice. It was a middle-aged man standing with Hyun Young and Chung Myung. “Yes, yes! The price here is *very*, *very* cheap! You won’t find a cheaper place! But… but are you really sure? There’s a reason why this good place is so cheap. People say it’s a haunted house.”

“What reason?” Chung Myung asked.

The middle-aged man looked around and whispered, “Rumor has it, it’s full of ghosts. People who bought it before tried to stay here, but they all saw ghosts and ran away!”

…Ghosts? Baek Cheon and the others all turned to each other at the same time. ‘A haunted house, with ghosts!’ ‘Please! Please, no!’ ‘Please, Chung Myung! Elder! No!’

As if Chung Myung heard their silent pleas, he looked at the middle-aged man with wide eyes and asked again, “Ghosts come out? Here?”

“…Yes. I’m telling you now, so you don’t get angry later. That’s the rumor.”

“Wow, ghosts!” Chung Myung pumped his fist in the air. “Then it must be *really* cheap!”

“…”

“Right?” Chung Myung asked again, looking excited.

“…It’s cheap… but… but there really is that rumor…”

Chung Myung and Hyun Young looked at each other and grinned.

“We’ll take it!” Chung Myung said.

“It’s decided!” Hyun Young added.

“Um… please think again. People say it’s haunted, so even workers don’t want to come here,” the middle-aged man pleaded.

“That’s okay!” Chung Myung said, smiling brightly and proudly. “We have plenty of workers. And they are very strong!”

“…” Sadly, the faces of Baek Cheon and his group, who happened to look at Chung Myung just then, turned pale and lifeless.