Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 367

Chung Myung stared at the training ground, his eyes empty. A heavy silence filled the air.

Behind him, the Mount Hua disciples muttered in dismay, their voices low and worried.

“They really did it,” one said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah… they finished it,” another agreed, his shoulders slumped.

Their words were flat, without energy.

“The real problem,” a third disciple sighed, “is that *we’re* the ones who are finished now.”

Silence fell again, thick with unease.

A gust of wind blew through the training ground.

A lonely sandstorm swept across the bluestone, which was usually packed with trainees.

The training ground, which had been full of people just three days ago, was now so clean you couldn’t even find an ant.

Chung Myung blinked, looking at the bleak scene.

Uh… This is going to be a disaster?

“Now, not even flies buzz around here,” Hyun Young said, his voice filled with despair. Chung Myung flinched at his words.

“Hahaha. Even so, who would have thought it would turn out like this in just three days?” Even Wi Lip-san’s voice, which tried to sound calm, had a hint of unease.

“Indeed, is this what it means to be in someone else’s territory?”

“Good grief.”

Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung and teased, “If you can’t even crack that guy’s head, you’re nothing special.”

Chung Myung, startled, turned his head. Baek Cheon quickly whistled and looked away.

Chung Myung didn’t even have the energy to get angry. He trembled, groaning in frustration.

The Jongnam clans had responded swiftly and decisively.

If they had simply presented a reasonable cause or focused on keeping Mount Hua in check, the situation wouldn’t have become this bad. But instead, they went after practical gains rather than justifications.

“People are so scary when they throw away their pride.”

“Even so, doing things that even the Black Moon Demon Faction wouldn’t do…”

“It was definitely a bit much.”

“Amitabha,” Hye-yeon chanted Buddhist prayers repeatedly, seeking peace in this troubled situation.

‘The secular world is truly a frightening place.’

Over the past few days, he had seen firsthand what the Jongnam clans were doing in Xi’an.

‘I guess this is what they mean when they say they’ll use any means necessary.’

Even though the Jongnam clans were spread throughout Xi’an, how could only those related to them be living in this vast city?

Among those who had joined the Hwayoung Sect, there were definitely those who had no connection to Jongnam or its clans.

But when men with swords glared and created an atmosphere of fear, what courage did ordinary people have to ignore those sharp blades?

They threatened those with connections through those connections, and they intimidated those with vested interests through those interests. And they made those with no connections feel uneasy by simply loitering around.

As things stood, even if people had complaints, they had no choice but to avoid the immediate trouble.

Chung Myung gnashed his teeth.

“No, even so, are these so-called righteous sects really going to be this petty?”

He understood threatening people by holding their acquaintances hostage.

But wasn’t drawing swords in broad daylight and wandering around the marketplace going too far?

At the very least, if they were aware that they were the clans of a prestigious sect, they would never do such a thing, nor should they.

Just then, Wi Lip-san sighed deeply and said, “Elder, perhaps we should speak to the government…”

“That won’t do,” Hyun Young said firmly. Wi Lip-san, who had brought it up, nodded with a slightly disappointed look.

“Indeed, matters of the Murim should be resolved within the Murim…”

“It’s not that. Unless that Namjaemyeong is a complete fool, he wouldn’t have started this without consulting the government in advance. He must have bribed them enough already.”

“Ah…”

Hyun Young frowned.

“Besides, I heard that the current lord of Xi’an has deep ties with Jongnam. There’s no way such a person would take our side.”

Wi Lip-san sighed deeply, frustrated.

“Then what should we do…”

“That is…” Hyun Young trailed off, as if he couldn’t think of a solution this time either.

Eventually, he sighed heavily.

‘Things have gotten terribly twisted.’

Originally, Jongnam would have been the first to step forward and punish the clans, including Seowolmun. But wasn’t the current state of Jongnam practically a self-imposed seclusion?

“They’re running around with swords. Shouldn’t we just fight back with swords as well?”

“It’s not that simple,” Hyun Young said with a frown.

“If Mount Hua were to strike the Jongnam clans in this situation, we wouldn’t be able to avoid accusations of oppressing the clans and taking advantage while the neighboring sect is in seclusion.”

“But isn’t that how the Jianghu is? It’s all about covering your eyes and making noises.”

“That noise is important.”

Even if the outcome is the same, the evaluation will vary greatly depending on what justification is used and what process is followed.

As long as Mount Hua aspires to be a righteous sect and discusses justice, it cannot afford to ignore external reputation.

Chung Myung, who was listening to the words, sighed deeply.

‘This is more troublesome than I thought.’

If it were something that could be easily resolved with a show of force, Chung Myung wouldn’t have hesitated. There was no need to use his brain to solve something that could be solved with his fists.

But this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with just a little bit of strength.

The real problem wasn’t the Jongnam clans, who were brazenly oppressing the people. The bigger problem was the perception that Jongnam and its clans had built up in Xi’an over the years.

‘I thought too easily.’

If Jongnam invaded Mount Hua and showed superior skills, would the people of Mount Hua readily switch over to Jongnam?

No. Such a thing wouldn’t happen easily.

“In any case, Xi’an and Jongnam are one family.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” Yoon Jong asked, tilting his head.

Chung Myung said irritably, “Usually, when something like this happens, some of the people of Xi’an would come here to ask for help, right?”

“Come to think of it…”

“The fact that not a single person is coming here means that Mount Hua and the Hwayoung Sect are still outsiders in Xi’an.”

“Even though they’re causing that much trouble?”

“What can we do? That’s what they think.”

Chung Myung’s face darkened even more.

‘This perception won’t be easily broken.’

Even though Mount Hua had declined and hadn’t fulfilled its role for the past hundred years, the people of Mount Hua hadn’t abandoned it.

This was a subtle aspect that was difficult to break with just power or fame.

‘I need to completely overturn this.’

This was something that even Chung Myung’s power couldn’t do…

“Hey! Are these guys crazy? Where are they emitting murderous intent? Do you want to be beaten like a dog?”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung’s thoughts were abruptly cut off by the loud noise coming from somewhere.

He turned his head sharply and looked towards the entrance.

Hong Daekwang, who had suddenly appeared, was shouting and pointing his finger at the martial artists blocking his path.

“What’s that now?” Chung Myung asked, bewildered.

As the martial artists scurried away, Hong Daekwang huffed and puffed as he walked into the Hwayoung Sect.

“What’s wrong, you old beggar?”

Hong Daeguang hit his own chest hard, looking completely shocked, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“No,” he exclaimed, “suddenly those bad guys just walked past and started giving me angry looks! Honestly, the world is a tough place. A world where they show anger to a passing beggar.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue, completely surprised.

“It never ends.”

It seemed some people were trying to warn others near Hwayeong Gate, pretending to be just walking by. But they didn’t know Hong Daeguang, and they showed their anger at him instead.

‘I thought there weren’t enough people coming,’ he thought, ‘and they were doing things like this.’

“What are those people?”

“They’re the Sogga families of Jongnam.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I heard the situation was taking a strange turn, but they’re using all sorts of weird tricks. I heard that Namja-myeong wasn’t such a bad fellow.”

Hong Daeguang glanced outside, looking very unhappy.

“But what brings you here?”

“Ah!” Hong Daeguang quickly turned to look at Chung Myung.

“Jongnam has closed its gates.”

“…Wow,” Chung Myung said, surprised. “That’s really surprising news.”

“No, I’m not saying it’s almost closed; I’m saying they’ve officially announced a complete closure.”

“Huh?” Chung Myung tilted his head in surprise.

“Really?”

“That’s right. They say that yesterday, they sent a message to all the famous groups, declaring the closure. Now, Jongnam is completely stopping any outside activities for the next year. This was announced by the Sect Leader, so Jongnam can’t break it for a year. Heh heh. Now, even if something big happens in Seoan, Jongnam can’t leave its gates.”

“Hoo?” Chung Myung tilted his head, looking a bit surprised.

Hong Daeguang’s eyes gleamed as he watched Chung Myung’s reaction.

“You!” he exclaimed. “You know why Jongnam is closing its gates, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

Hong Daeguang narrowed his eyes. “Of all the people who have heard this from me, you’re the only one who has stayed so calm! You rascal! Why don’t you tell me the reason right now!”

“…Who else has heard that besides me?”

“You’re the first!”

“Oh, really.”

Chung Myung playfully raised his hand, and Hong Daeguang quickly covered his face with both hands and backed away.

“I’m against violence!”

“…Alright, alright. So, is that why you came all the way here?”

“I came by for a few reasons. But you don’t seem too happy to hear that Jongnam has closed its gates? I thought you’d be very happy.”

“Kkeueung. The situation is a bit complicated right now…” Chung Myung clicked his tongue.

If only Jongnam had lifted the closure and come down to Seoan, things might have been a bit easier.

But now that Jongnam had officially announced its closure, the matter in Seoan had to be solved only between Hwayeong Gate and the Jongnam Sogga families.

‘Should I laugh or cry?’ Chung Myung couldn’t stop sighing. He sighed so deeply that Hong Daeguang tilted his head.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well…” Chung Myung started to speak, then sighed again. Hong Daeguang hit his chest.

“Haha. You’re worried in front of this old man! Don’t worry, tell me. I, who am called the Divine Strategist of the Beggars’ Sect, will offer my wisdom for a friend.”

“…I heard you’re rumored to be called the freeloader of the Beggars’ Sect.”

“All beggars are freeloaders, what’s new about that?”

“Ah. That’s true.” Chung Myung closed his mouth, watching Hong Daeguang nod proudly with a shiny face.

‘Still, you never know.’ Hong Daeguang was one of those mentioned as a future leader of the Beggars’ Sect and knew a lot about the world. He might offer a different idea from Chung Myung.

“So, what happened was…” Chung Myung began to explain the situation. But after hearing everything, Hong Daeguang suddenly laughed.

“Heh heh. You’re worried about something so small!”

“Oh?” Chung Myung’s eyes sparkled.

“Do you have a solution?”

“Who do you think this old man is! Of course, I do!”

“What is it? If you solve this well, I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about food for a while.”

“Heh heh heh. What’s so hard about it? The solution is very simple. Hey, Hwasan Divine Dragon.”

“Yes?”

Hong Daeguang grinned. “Stop doing useless things and pack your bags and go to Luoyang. Give up Seoan and just open a branch in a bigger place!”

“…That’s your solution?”

“How about it! It’s the most certain…”

“Erai!” Chung Myung kicked Hong Daeguang in the backside. At the same time, he screamed and fell to the floor.

Chung Myung glared at him as he rolled around, groaning, “Aigo!”

“I’m already very frustrated!”

“If you’re very frustrated, you should have handled things properly! From the start, if you had just greeted the Jongnam Sogga families nicely and humbly introduced yourself, they wouldn’t have been able to do anything to Hwayeong Gate, would they? What kind of guts do you have to shout ‘one of us has to die’ in a place controlled by Jongnam!”

“Kkeueung.” Hong Daeguang, who had gotten up while rubbing his backside, clicked his tongue.

“Now that Jongnam has closed its gates, they will be desperate and fight Hwasan. Unless you beat them with force, they will never give up. But if you beat them with force, Hwasan will hurt its good name. So, you won’t gain anything.”

“Who cares about reputation?”

“Even if it’s useless when you have it, you’ll miss it when you don’t. That’s even more true for those who claim to be famous traditional groups.”

“Kkeueung.” Hong Daeguang shook his head.

“Give it up. Now that things have gone this far, there’s no way out. Unless those Jongnam Sogga families all go broke and fall apart on the same day.”

“You know that very well.”

“Huh?” Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance at the sudden voice.

“Haa…” Chung Myung sighed again.

Namja-myeong, leading the heads of the Jongnam Sogga families, was walking into Hwayeong Gate in a confident way.

“Seriously. Do these people think this is their own home? I’m going to…” Chung Myung, who was about to shout, suddenly stopped.

It was because Namja-myeong, who had entered, threw the sack he was holding right in front of them.

Clang!

Chung Myung’s eyes widened at the heavy sound.

‘Money?’

Wasn’t Chung Myung the one who could hear a coin falling from far away? There was no way he could have misheard the sound of a money bag falling.

But why money all of a sudden?

Chung Myung stared with a shocked look, and Namja-myeong smiled and opened his mouth.

“If you’ve had enough, take that money and leave Seoan. We’ll buy this place. How about it? It’s not such a bad offer for Hwasan, is it?”

“Kkeueuk.” Chung Myung grabbed the back of his neck and began to fall backward.

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“Wake up, Chung Myung-ah!”

“The, the back of my neck… Kkeueuk.”

Hye-yeon, watching the scene, realized that the saying ‘what goes around comes around’ still existed in the world.

Amitabha.