Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 429

The sound of tea pouring, glug, glug, glug, filled the quiet room.

Someone poured Heavenly Red Tea, a special tea from Sichuan, slowly into a cup.

A soft, calming smell of tea filled the room. It made everyone feel relaxed.

The person holding the cup drank the tea slowly and carefully, like he was following a tea ceremony.

“Would you like some tea?” Tang Gunak asked, his gentle voice still carrying the authority of the Dang Family Head.

Suddenly, Chung Myung spoke. He had been watching quietly, but now he looked sulky.

“Hey,” he said.

“Even if you act all calm now, it doesn’t change anything, you know?”

Tang Gunak put down his teacup. He looked around the room. The Mount Hua disciples were all staring at him, looking unhappy. Even his daughter looked sulky.

“Ahem,” Tang Gunak cleared his throat. He looked a little embarrassed. *‘Oops, I got too excited,’* he thought. *‘It’s been years since I lost my cool like that.’*

He wanted to fix things. So, he spoke again, this time in a serious voice.

“You might think I was acting silly just now, but…” Tang Gunak started to say.

“Yes,” Chung Myung interrupted quickly.

Tang Gunak sighed. *‘Right, this is Chung Myung,’* he thought, remembering who he was dealing with.

“Okay, okay, I was a little excited,” Tang Gunak admitted. “But it’s because Myriad Year Cold Iron is so incredibly precious.”

“Ah… yes,” someone mumbled. The Mount Hua disciples still didn’t look happy. Tang Gunak could tell they weren’t convinced.

Tang Gunak saw their faces and smiled gently again. “Let’s just relax and have some tea first…” But Chung Myung interrupted him quickly.

“I don’t care about any of that, so let’s get to the point quickly. So, can you make a sword out of the Cold Iron or not?”

Tang Gunak was surprised. *‘Is this Taoist even more impatient than us Sichuan people?’* he wondered. But he was also glad Chung Myung changed the subject.

“Cold Iron is almost gone from the Central Plains,” Tang Gunak explained. “So, most people have forgotten how to work with it. But luckily, the Dang Family still knows the old ways.”

“Yes. Then please make a sword for me,” Chung Myung said simply.

Tang Gunak frowned. Chung Myung’s casual way of asking surprised him.

“But are you sure you want to make a sword?” Tang Gunak asked again, worried. “I’m telling you, Cold Iron is worth more than gold now! Are you really going to use such precious Cold Iron just to make a sword?”

Chung Myung shrugged. “It’s just iron, right?” he said, like it was no big deal.

“I’m telling you, it’s not just iron!”

Tang Gunak didn’t give up and continued to dissuade him, but Chung Myung just shrugged.

“I know it’s valuable,” Chung Myung said. “But I have plenty of money. And I can always get more. But you said I can’t get Cold Iron anywhere else now, right?”

“That’s right,” Tang Gunak confirmed.

“Then I have to make a sword,” Chung Myung decided. “I don’t want to use it for something else and then regret not making a sword later.”

Tang Gunak listened to this casual explanation and shook his head. *‘This guy is crazy,’* he thought. *‘But that’s Chung Myung for you.’*

“Alright. If you say so, I’ll make it for you. But you’ll have to pay the price properly.”

“A price between friends!”

“The more friends, the more certain you have to be.”

Tang Gunak stood firm as if he couldn’t back down on this. Chung Myung pouted.

“How much will it cost?” Chung Myung asked.

“I don’t want money,” Tang Gunak said. “Instead, the Cold Iron you brought…”

“Ah, no! I said no!” Chung Myung interrupted.

“Just a little bit?” Tang Gunak pleaded. “Just a tiny piece! You have so much of it! You wouldn’t even notice if a little bit was missing!”

Tang Gunak’s voice got louder and louder. Chung Myung watched him, his face getting sulkier. He clearly didn’t like this.

“What do you even want Cold Iron for?” Chung Myung asked. “You said yourself it’s better to sell it!”

“That’s only if you’re making something like a sword,” Tang Gunak said, sighing deeply. He sounded tired and a little annoyed.

“You know that throwing stars are used up quickly,” Tang Gunak explained.

“Yes,” Chung Myung agreed.

“The better the throwing star, the thinner and more delicate it has to be. So, even if you’re careful, they break after a while. And once you throw them, you can’t always get them back.”

“Yes, so you want to make special throwing stars with Myriad Year Cold Iron,” Chung Myung understood.

“Exactly!” Tang Gunak said, his eyes suddenly shining. It was rare to see him so excited.

Tang Gunak didn’t care much about money. But this was different. For the Dang Family, making better throwing stars was the most important thing. Stronger, more accurate throwing stars were like a treasure. They could make their martial arts even stronger.

“There are some special throwing stars in our family,” Tang Gunak continued. “We can only make them with something as strong as Myriad Year Cold Iron. Because Cold Iron is so hard to find now, we’ve been trying to use these special throwing stars less. But we can’t stop using them completely.”

“You want to remake them now that you’ve obtained Cold Iron?”

“Exactly!”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung tilted his head from side to side as if deep in thought.

“Is something wrong?” Tang Gunak asked.

“No,” Chung Myung said slowly. “Well… not really.”

“Then what is it?” Tang Gunak pressed. Chung Myung hesitated for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice still a little worried. “I know that if the Dang Family gets stronger, it will also help Mount Hua. So, logically, I should let you have the Cold Iron.”

“…Should?”

Chung Myung grinned.

“But now that I’ve heard that Cold Iron is so precious, I feel bad about giving it away. I think I would have gladly given it if I hadn’t heard it was so rare.”

Tang Gunak smiled. Chung Myung was so honest, it was funny. *‘I went all the way to Maninbang to help this guy get this Cold Iron,’* Tang Gunak thought. *‘Why did I even bother? Why am I so nice?’*

“Tsk. Well, there’s no helping it. A person shouldn’t be this kind, but since it’s for the Dang Family Head, I’ll make an exception just this once. Use only a little.”

“Thank…”

“Just a little!”

“⋯⋯I’m so grateful it brings tears to my eyes.”

It was something to be truly grateful for, but making it so ungrateful was a talent in itself.

Tang Gunak shook his head.

“Then there’s no need to delay. Let’s go.”

“Yes? Where to?”

A subtle smile appeared on his lips.

“We need to go to someone who can handle Cold Iron.”

“Greetings!”

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Mount Hua disciples!”

“Oh my, Miss! You look even healthier!”

As they followed Tang Gunak deeper into the Dang Family estate, the people they encountered greeted them with bright faces.

The Mount Hua disciples couldn’t help but smile back. The warm welcome felt good.

“It’s very different from last time.”

“Indeed.”

At Yoon Jong’s words, Baek Cheon looked around with a fresh gaze. Indeed, the eyes of the Dang Family members looking at them were full of goodwill.

They had visited the Dang Family as guests before, but they had never felt such gazes. Rather, they had received wary looks. So much had changed in such a short time.

“That’s because the Dang Family doesn’t see Mount Hua as outsiders anymore,” Dang Pae said, smiling. He had heard them talking. “You might not know this, but the Dang Family doesn’t make friends easily. We work with other powerful families, the Five Great Families, but that’s just because we have to.”

“That’s true,” Baek Cheon agreed.

“But Mount Hua is different,” Dang Pae continued. “The Dang Family really wants to be friends with Mount Hua, to help each other. Everyone in the family knows how much the Family Head feels this way.”

“Ah…” Baek Cheon said, understanding now.

Baek Cheon nodded, agreeing with Dang Zhan.

Dang Zhan, standing nearby, leaned in and whispered.

“Because Head Disciple Chung Myung stood up to the Council of Elders, the Family Lord is much stronger now. The Tang family is growing quickly, and everyone is living better. So, they are happy to see Mount Hua.”

Baek Cheon paused, thinking. *Chung Myung seems to solve problems by fighting,* he thought.

“Where are we going now?” Baek Cheon asked.

“To the workshop,” Dang Zhan replied.

Baek Cheon pointed. “But I saw a workshop back that way…”

Dang Zhan smiled mysteriously. “The Sichuan Tang Family has many workshops, not just one. More than ten, in fact.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s huge.”

“And the one we are going to now,” Dang Zhan continued, lowering his voice a little, “is the most important, and yet… the most useless.”

Baek Cheon frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see,” Dang Zhan said, his smile widening.

They walked past elegant buildings with curved roofs, then entered a beautiful garden. Flowers of bright colors bloomed everywhere, and the air smelled sweet. But as they walked deeper into the garden, the path led to a very different place. Instead of another grand building, they saw an old workshop. It looked worn and broken-down, nothing like the fancy buildings they had seen before.

Tang Gunak pointed to a spot in front of the workshop. “Put it down here.”

“Yes, sir,” one of the Mount Hua disciples replied. They carefully lowered the heavy Hancheol to the ground. Then, they followed Tang Gunak towards a small house beside the workshop.

The house was small and old, with a roof made of straw. It looked so fragile, it seemed like a strong wind could blow it over.

Tang Gunak stood before the small house and spoke very respectfully, “Great-Grandfather? It’s Gun-ak.”

He bowed deeply. The Mount Hua disciples quickly copied him, bowing their heads too, feeling a little unsure.

“Great-Grandfather?” Tang Gunak called again.

When there was still no answer, he looked a little embarrassed. He gently pushed open the door of the house.

Inside the small room, they saw an old man lying on a simple bed. His hair was white as snow, and his face was calm, like he was sleeping soundly.

Chung Myung leaned forward, peering at the old man. “Is he… dead?” he asked loudly.

“Chung Myung!” Baek Cheon hissed, his eyes wide with shock.

Another Mount Hua disciple glared at Chung Myung. “Show some respect! How can you say such a thing?”

Tang Gunak gently shook the old man’s shoulder, his face worried. “Great-Grandfather? Great-Grandfather?” But the old man didn’t move.

Chung Myung rolled his eyes. “Told you. He’s gone to the other side.”

“Chung Myung!” Baek Cheon grabbed his arm. “Be quiet!”

“Someone gag him!” another disciple muttered, looking around nervously.

The noise from the Mount Hua disciples finally seemed to reach the old man. His eyelids fluttered, then twitched. Slowly, very slowly, his eyes opened.

“Huh?”

“Great-Grandfather, it’s me, Gun-ak.”

“Who is Gun-ak?”

“I’m the Family Lord, Great-Grandfather.”

“Family Lord? You?”

“Yes. Don’t you remember? I greeted you even ten days ago.”

“You’re the Family Lord? Where did Myeong go?”

“My father passed away more than ten years ago.”

“Really? You’re the Family Lord?”

Chung Myung listened to this exchange, his face getting more and more strange. He turned to Dang Pae, a worried look in his eyes.

Chung Myung pointed at the old man. “Hey,” he said to Dang Pae.

“Yes, Head Disciple?”

Chung Myung lowered his voice. “Who *is* that old man?”

Dang Pae puffed out his chest. “That is Dang Jo-pyeong, the most respected Elder of the Tang Family. We call him ‘Divine Hands Elder.’”

“Divine Hands?” Chung Myung repeated.

Dang Pae nodded, beaming with pride. “Yes! He is the greatest craftsman in the Tang Family! He can make any hidden weapon you can imagine, with incredible skill. The Family Lord leads the fighters, but the Divine Hands Elder leads the workshops.”

“Ah…” Chung Myung said slowly.

“There is no better craftsman in all of Gangho,” Dang Pae continued, “and Gangho is the world of martial artists, you see. Even in the long history of the Tang Family, there have been very few as skilled as him.”

“Ah…” Chung Myung said again. *Great,* he thought, *but…*

Chung Myung’s eyes darted nervously to the old man.

Chung Myung turned back to Tang Gunak, his voice tight. “So, remind me again, who are you?”

“I am Tang Gunak, Great-Grandfather. Tang Gunak,” Tang Gunak repeated patiently.

Chung Myung’s jaw clenched. “You don’t look well,” he said to Dang Jo-pyeong, his voice sharper now. “Are you ill?”

“Ah… no, it’s not that…” Dang Pae stammered, scratching his head, looking more and more uncomfortable. “It’s just… because of his age, his memory isn’t always perfect. He’s usually better than this, but today he’s… a little worse than usual.”

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed. “His memory isn’t perfect?”

“Just… a little,” Dang Pae mumbled.

Chung Myung’s whole body seemed to vibrate with anger. “Are you saying he’s… forgetful?”

“No, not forgetful exactly…” Dang Pae said weakly.

Chung Myung stared at Dang Jo-pyeong again, his face turning red.

“Yes, Family Lord,” Dang Jo-pyeong said, his voice clearer now, as if he was finally understanding what was happening. “Why have you brought me here?”

Tang Gunak bowed again. “Great-Grandfather, we need your help with the Hancheol. It’s time for you to work your magic.”

“Hancheol…” Dang Jo-pyeong repeated slowly. He stroked his long white beard, thinking. “Yes, Hancheol…” He nodded firmly. “If it’s Hancheol, then I must help. Hancheol… Hmm… Myriad Year Hancheol.” He frowned, looking serious. It seemed like he was worried.

Tang Gunak leaned forward. “Is there a problem, Great-Grandfather?”

“That’s the question…” Dang Jo-pyeong said slowly.

“Yes?” Tang Gunak waited.

“It’s just…” Dang Jo-pyeong tilted his head, his eyes cloudy again. “Who are you?”

“…” Tang Gunak was speechless.

“And where is Myeong?” Dang Jo-pyeong asked, looking around the room as if searching for someone.

Chung Myung’s face went bright red, and his body trembled with rage. “NO!” he roared. “Why did you bring me to a… a confused old man when we have Myriad Year Hancheol to work with?! Why is *nothing* going right, either in Mount Hua or in the Tang Family?!”

Baek Cheon gasped and clapped a hand over Chung Myung’s mouth. He bowed quickly to Tang Gunak, sweating. “Forgive him! He’s… he’s just joking! Ha ha!”

“Please, be quiet!” Tang Gunak pleaded, his face pale. The Mount Hua disciples were desperately trying to pull Chung Myung back, their faces showing panic. They knew this old man was a very important person in the Tang Family – a person of high status – and Chung Myung was calling him confused and old!

But Chung Myung shook off their hands and yelled, “What? Did I say something wrong? Craftsman? You need to be in your right mind to be a craftsman! If you’re not, then you’re just… old and confused!”

Then, Dang Jo-pyeong, who had been looking around with unfocused, cloudy eyes, turned his gaze to Chung Myung. Suddenly, the old man’s thin body stiffened. A spark of something sharp and clear appeared in his eyes, eyes that had been dull just moments before. “Uh…” he mumbled, his voice raspy.

Dang Jo-pyeong stared at Chung Myung, his mouth slowly opening in shock, like he had seen a ghost appear before him. “Uh… uh… Plum…”

“Great-Grandfather?” Tang Gunak asked, confused and still embarrassed. But Dang Jo-pyeong ignored him. He pointed a shaking finger at Chung Myung.

“Plum Blossom Sword Saint?” he whispered, his voice trembling.

Chung Myung froze. *Is this old man really losing his mind? Plum Blossom Sword Saint? Who is he talking about?*

Then, a cold thought struck him. *Wait…*

*Oh.*

*Right. That’s me.*

A nervous laugh bubbled up in Chung Myung’s throat. He laughed weakly, a dry, humorless sound. *What is going on?*

Chung Myung’s mouth went completely dry, and a cold sweat trickled down his back.