Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 37

Gong Mun-yeon froze, speechless.

Gong Mun-yeon quickly composed himself. Even if caught in a tiger’s den, one could survive if they kept their wits about them, wasn’t that the saying?

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ha? Look at this guy?”

Cheong-myeong scoffed.

“Does he think I’m blind? Does he think I wouldn’t recognize the Taeul Divine Art?”

Cheong-myeong said mockingly.

“How curious, how very curious. A man who runs a tavern in Hwaeom and hounds Mount Hua for debts just so happens to be proficient in the martial arts of Jongnam? And the very well-learned Taeul Divine Art, at that?”

Cold sweat poured down Gong Mun-yeon’s forehead. He was so startled that he barely felt the pain from where he had been struck.

‘Damn it all.’

He should have held back.

Even if it meant having his head chopped off, using the Taeul Divine Art was unthinkable. Especially in front of someone from Mount Hua!

A fatal mistake.

But could he really call it a mistake?

If that fellow hadn’t pushed Gong Mun-yeon so hard, and if he hadn’t suddenly drawn his sword and struck while Gong Mun-yeon was still reeling from the beating, he would never have used the Taeul Divine Art, even if it meant death.

If it was an accident, it was terribly unlucky. If he planned it, then this man was very clever and cunning.

“Did Jongnam send you?”

Gong Mun-yeon clamped his mouth shut. He knew any answer would be a trap.

At this point, nothing he said could serve as an excuse. If he could turn the situation around with a pathetic excuse, he would gladly do so, but that was no longer possible.

Therefore, it was better to remain silent than to inadvertently reveal more information.

“Hoo? So, you’re choosing to keep quiet.”

Cheong-myeong cracked his neck as he approached Gong Mun-yeon. The sound was sharp in the quiet tavern.

“Well, fine. That’s loyalty, I suppose. A decent choice, in its own way. But…” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “…there’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“…?”

“Do you know what it is?”

“⋯⋯What is it?” Gong Mun-yeon asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Cheong-myeong grinned behind his mask. “Oh, you really want to know? Hmm… Nope!” He chuckled. “I’m not going to tell you.”

Jongnam was not an easy opponent. From long ago, Jongnam and Mount Hua had been bitter rivals, their relationship far from amicable. But one could not deny that Jongnam was a great sect, holding a place among the Nine Great Sects.

Such a sect would not be sloppy in their dealings. That was Cheong-myeong’s thought. The information Gong Mun-yeon possessed would be extremely limited, and even if he knew more, it was unlikely to be accurate.

Knowing that he was connected to Jongnam was enough. Anything beyond that was for Cheong-myeong and Mount Hua to uncover, wasn’t it?

Of course, there was no need to tell Gong Mun-yeon any of this.

“Ha, these bastards. The old martial world was harsh, but at least it wasn’t petty. Now, sects that are supposed to be among the Nine Great Sects are trying to ruin other sects with money instead of martial arts? And by committing fraud? Very well done, indeed.”

Gong Mun-yeon could no longer maintain his composure and shouted.

“Hmph. From Mount Hua’s perspective, wouldn’t that be preferable?”

“Huh?”

“You must know it too! Mount Hua is hopeless now. Wealth? Money? Those are merely secondary to a sect. Mount Hua, having lost its martial arts, can no longer be the Mount Hua of the past. It’s only a matter of whether it collapses sooner or holds out a little longer before collapsing!”

“Hoo?”

Cheong-myeong listened to Gong Mun-yeon’s story with interest.

“I was merely trying to hasten the end of a dying Mount Hua. Mount Hua should be grateful, in fact. Someone like you must know it, right? That Mount Hua can no longer be revived! A sect whose martial lineage has been severed can only wither and die.”

“Who says?”

“Do you not understand?”

“No. I’m asking who said Mount Hua’s martial lineage has been severed.”

Gong Mun-yeon stared at Cheong-myeong with a blank expression.

If someone else had said this, he would have scoffed and dismissed it. But the words coming from Cheong-myeong carried a different weight.

At least, Cheong-myeong, as Gong Mun-yeon saw him, looked every bit like a former master of Mount Hua.

“These bastards are trying to sever the lineage of a Mount Hua that’s perfectly alive and well. And! Whether Mount Hua lives or dies is Mount Hua’s business, so what right do you have to bury a Mount Hua that’s doing just fine? What authority do you have?”

Anyway, those who like to talk always come up with the most ridiculous logic. You might as well say you wanted to beat Mount Hua to death because it was awful. If the Jongnam bastards said that, I’d at least acknowledge it.

He had beaten them a lot.

The closer the neighbors, the higher the chance of conflict. Like the saying goes, it’s easier to be friendly with people far away, but harder with those nearby. Sects close to each other often have problems. Mount Hua and Jongnam had many similarities as Taoist sects with strong secular influences, and even their primary use of the sword was similar.

If two great sects of similar lineage are located right next to each other, one of them is bound to die.

As a result, Cheong-myeong had beaten up Jongnam whenever he felt like it in the past. More accurately, Jongnam would pick a fight, only to be utterly crushed by Cheong-myeong.

“I am not a member of Jongnam!”

“Of course, you are.”

“You seem to be mistaken; that technique I used just now was something I happened to learn.”

“Aha, yes, that’s it. Shall I tell you something amazing?”

“⋯⋯What is it?”

“I’m not from Mount Hua either.”

“That’s absurd…”

“You, you little…”

Cheong-myeong was about to spit on the ground but stopped himself.

Ah, the mask. That was close.

“Anyway, in exchange for showing me the Taeul Divine Art, I’ll show you something interesting. It’ll be very amusing if you recognize it. If you don’t, it’ll be a shame.”

Cheong-myeong slowly extended his sword.

“Tell the one who sent you this clearly.”

Cheong-myeong’s energy shifted dramatically.

The playful demeanor he had shown until now vanished. His hunched back straightened, and his drooping shoulders regained their form.

It was like watching a different person. His hunched posture straightened, his shoulders pulled back, and suddenly he stood tall and imposing, like a statue carved from granite.

Seeing this, Gong Mun-yeon unconsciously opened his mouth slightly.

It felt as if a breeze was blowing from somewhere.

Along with the clear breeze, the subtle scent of plum blossoms bloomed like a phantom.

“Plum blossoms exude their deepest fragrance when they bloom in the snow. Though it is winter now, the spirit of Mount Hua is not extinguished. And when spring arrives, the plum blossoms will bloom profusely across the mountains.”

Gong Mun-yeon watched.

The tip of Cheong-myeong’s sword moved slowly.

Trembling.

The sword moved, slow at first, then faster and faster. It was like watching someone paint the sky with light. Suddenly, from the tip of the sword, tiny sparks of pink appeared, like the first blossoms of spring.

The sword tip, full enough to cover the sky.

From that sword tip, vivid plum blossom petals bloomed.

As if the bleak winter had passed and the plum blossoms announcing the warm spring had bloomed all over the mountain, the plum blossoms drawn by Cheong-myeong’s sword tip covered the world.

‘This is an illusion.’

The wind blew.

The plum blossoms covering the sky, as if fluttering in the spring breeze, began to bloom all at once. Soon, the petals floated in the sky as if swimming, and gently landed on Gong Mun-yeon’s forehead. The scent of plum blossoms, sweet and delicate, filled the air, a surprising contrast to the rough tavern. When the petals touched his skin, they felt cool and strangely weightless.

The petals lightly brushed past Gong Mun-yeon, blowing away his consciousness like the wind. Until the very last moment, he did not know what he was seeing.

Plop!

Only the sound of Gong Mun-yeon, who had lost consciousness, falling to the floor echoed emptily. The plum blossoms that had covered the sky had disappeared like a mirage.

Cheong-myeong leaned slightly against his sword, hiding the pain that shot through his chest. He was strong, but his body was still weak. Cheong-myeong, who had retrieved his sword, turned around with a grin.

“Ptooey!”

Due to the excessive use of qi, blood flowed back into his mouth. Cheong-myeong, who took off his mask and spat out the surging blood, distorted his face.

‘I’m going to die, really.’

Even if his ruined body was like that, his inner strength was still insufficient. If it had been him in the past, he would have drawn it like a joke, but even with just one sword, he felt like all the inner strength in his body was being sucked out.

‘The foundation is good, but at this rate, I’m going to die. Aish.’

Cheong-myeong, thinking that he needed to come up with some countermeasures, put his mask back on.

“Now, then.”

His gaze turned past Gong Mun-yeon, who had fallen to the floor, towards the merchants.

The merchants stared at Cheong-myeong with eyes as if they were seeing a ghost.

Why wouldn’t they?

The marvel of creating plum blossoms in the sky with a sword was something they had never seen or heard of in their lives. No, they had heard rumors in the past that there were such masters in Mount Hua, but they thought it was just an exaggerated legend.

But now, a human who had torn through that legend was standing before their eyes.

From the perspective of those who had tried to swindle money from Mount Hua, Cheong-myeong was no different from the Grim Reaper.

“Anyone want to get hit and then go?”

“Anyone just want to go?”

“Me!”

“I’ll just go!”

“Please, just spare me!”

Cheong-myeong nodded his head greatly, as if he was pleased.

“Good. Very cooperative.”

The merchants rushed to the side. But of course, Cheong-myeong had no intention of letting them go so easily.

“Freeze.”

The merchants stopped all at once.

“If you all just leave like that, how am I supposed to haul all these carts? Think a little, think!”

The merchants looked at Cheong-myeong with eyes full of injustice.

Was he saying they had to accommodate the convenience of a robber? No matter how upside down the world was, there was no such law.

But no one could bring themselves to argue.

“You.”

“Yes!”

“From now on, each of you will check how much wealth is loaded on your cart. The last one to finish will be laid down next to this guy.”

No further words were needed. As soon as he finished speaking, the merchants rushed to their carts and began calculating their wealth.

“Eighteen hundred nyang!”

“Two thousand three hundred nyang!”

“I have eight thousand…”

“What? You had that much wealth?”

“Is that what’s important right now, you idiot?”

They were even bickering among themselves, scrambling to report first.

Cheong-myeong frowned as he watched the scene.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Did you include the price of the cart and the horses?”

“Calculate again.”

“Yes.”

After the calculations were somehow finished, Cheong-myeong nodded.

“Then, I’ll lend you a horse, so one of you go to the nearest exchange and bring back the money. I’ll sell it for cash.”

The merchants stared at Cheong-myeong with blank eyes.

They were people who rolled around in money, but they had never seen such a person in their lives.

“Bring the money in paper money that anyone can use, not checks. And don’t mark the money in any way! If you mark the bonds and get caught, someone will be murdered today. Got it?”

“Yes.”

He was even meticulous.

“One of you, go.”

“Um, but.”

“What?”

One of the merchants asked.

“What happens if the person going to the exchange runs away?”

Cheong-myeong smirked.

“What’s he going to do by running away?”

“Do you guys have any money?”

“No, we don’t.”

“Your assets have been seized, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then this is all you have, so what are you going to do by running away? If you want to get even a small handout, you’ll have to come back, won’t you?”

“Then, what if we report it to the authorities…”

“Go ahead.”

Cheong-myeong slightly raised his leg and slammed it down on the floor.

Thud!

The floor cracked and split.

“But don’t report it and ever come back. Run to the end of the continent. Because even if I die, I’ll catch that bastard. Never come back. Never.”

The merchants gave up on reporting it at that moment.

When they thought about it, their families were still in Hwaeom. They couldn’t think of a way to escape from this madman. It didn’t seem like the government soldiers would be able to catch him either.

“Start moving.”

“Yes.”

The merchants, now pale and quiet, began to unload their carts, fear driving them faster than any whip. Cheong-myeong watched them, his masked face unreadable, but his eyes glinting with satisfaction.

Mount Hua was benevolent, as befitting a prestigious orthodox sect.

Nevertheless, there was only one reason why they were unhappy. Mount Hua was benevolent, but not everyone who lived in Mount Hua was benevolent.

That day, before the sun had even set, a masked man holding a stack of bonds as thick as a book climbed Mount Hua, grinning from ear to ear. The wealth created by the sweat and tears of so many was thus safely stored in the greedy Taoist’s warehouse.