Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 439

If We're Going to Do It, Let's Do It Right! (4)

Loud shouts echoed from inside the Lord’s Manor, making the Mount Hua disciples stop and stare.

“What in the world is going on in there?” one of them muttered, squinting at the large wooden building.

“I have no idea,” another replied, scratching his head.

They had all woken up hours ago, their heads still a little fuzzy from too much wine the night before. But the shouting from the Lord’s Manor had been going on ever since, showing no signs of stopping.

“Can you hear what they’re saying?”

“…It’s not like we’re close enough to hear.”

Jo Gul sighed.

Not only them, but even the Tang Family’s retainers couldn’t dare approach the vicinity of the Lord’s Manor. It was the duty of subordinates to pretend not to hear as much as possible when their superiors were shouting.

Whenever the disciples of Mount Hua, unable to contain their curiosity, tried to get closer, the Tang Family’s retainers glared at them with eyes like daggers, as if they would launch poisoned needles at them if they took even one more step.

“Tsk.”

So, they had no choice but to maintain this distance and merely listen to the muffled sounds.

“What kind of conversation are they having so intensely?”

Judging by the sound, it was almost like a battlefield. But even if Tang Gun-ak or the Beast Palace Lord were like that, there was no way the Lord’s Manor would be intact if Chung Myung were fighting…

It was at that moment, as various worries crossed their minds.

Bang! The heavy wooden door of the Lord’s Manor flew open with a crash, dust and splinters flying outwards.

“Haaaah.”

It was Chung Myung. With a face like a ghost, he exhaled white vapor from his mouth and trudged out.

“…Won.”

“…”

Won what?

Slightly tilting his head to the side, he looked inside the Lord’s Manor, and Tang Gun-ak and Maeng So were slumped in chairs, looking completely drained and lost, like they had no energy left.

“…”

The disciples of Mount Hua tilted their heads, cautiously approaching Chung Myung.

“What on earth did you do in there?”

“Well…”

Chung Myung, glancing back, grinned, a wide, cheeky smile that showed he was very pleased with himself.

“Let’s just say I managed to get something from them… something that’s more trouble than it’s worth, but I just couldn’t let them keep it.”

“…”

They couldn’t understand what he was saying at all, but judging from Chung Myung’s face, they roughly got the gist.

‘He swindled them again.’

“Ugh…”

“Damn it.”

The groans of Tang Gun-ak and Maeng So flowing from inside the Lord’s Manor made Baek Cheon feel a little sorry for them. A small frown appeared on his face as he listened to the groans from inside.

‘Now even the Lord of the Tang Family and the Lord of the Beast Palace are suffering from this damned rascal’s clutches.’

What on earth is going to become of the Jianghu?

Seriously.

But Chung Myung, who had caused this earth-shattering event, merely wore a proud expression like a puppy who had eaten well.

“Is all the luggage loaded?”

“Not yet. They said they’d fix the cart by today.”

“Huh? The cart? The one we brought?”

“Yeah.”

“I told you to sell it. Why are you fixing it? Are you going to drag that heavy thing again?”

“I was going to sell it, but…”

“Huh?”

“…Thinking about it, I don’t think we should be the only ones doing this.”

“…Huh?”

At that moment, Jo Gul, his eyes shining with excitement, nodded quickly.

“It’s really great training, you know! There’s no better way to train your lower body. We can’t be the only ones doing this! We have to take it back to Mount Hua and show everyone!”

“…S-So, we have to drag this all the way back to Mount Hua?”

“We have to endure it.”

“We can endure that much for our fellow disciples!”

Chung Myung’s face paled for a moment.

‘Wait… are they really going to drag that cart all the way back? Is this going too far?’ he thought.

Coming to his senses, Chung Myung realized that Baek Cheon and his group all possessed a personality that didn’t even exist in the past Mount Hua. He was only now realizing this anew.

“Anyway, they say the cart won’t be fixed until this evening, so the earliest we can depart is tomorrow morning.”

“Is that so?”

Chung Myung hummed and stared at them meaningfully. Jo Gul, guessing his intentions, shouted.

“We agreed not to touch it?! You clearly said that yourself! Let me go home, you damned rascal!”

“Ah, who said anything?”

Chung Myung replied nonchalantly, but smacked his lips as if he was disappointed.

‘I should roll them at times like this.’

But anyway, a promise is a promise.

“Alright. Then let’s rest today and depart tomorrow morning.”

Only then did Jo Gul sigh with a relieved face.

“I’m finally going home… Seriously, I came all the way to Sichuan, this amazing place, and I’m only barely stopping by home…”

He had no excuse even if he was called an unfilial son.

Jo Gul turned his head sharply and said to Yoon Jong.

“Senior Brother. You don’t have anything to do, do you? Let’s go to my house together.”

“Hmm, shall we?”

“My house will be more comfortable than the Tang Family, anyway.”

Yoon Jong nodded obediently. Jo Gul’s gaze shifted to Baek Cheon.

“Senior Uncle?”

Baek Cheon looked at him for a moment and then said to Chung Myung.

“I think I should also stop by the Saha Merchant Guild with Baek Sang. Baek Sang says he has something to discuss with the Guild Leader.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung nodded.

Among the disciples of Mount Hua who came to the Tang Family, the busiest person was Baek Sang. He had to coordinate matters regarding the tea trade with Yunnan on behalf of Hyun Young, who couldn’t come in person.

“It seems like he’s quite suited for the work of the Treasury Department.”

“The Elder is also pleased. Baek Sang has actually been quick in that area since before.”

“Unlike the ignorant Senior Brother Jo Gul, even though he’s a son of a merchant family?”

“Hey! Why are you dragging me into this again?!”

Jo Gul, flustered, pointed his finger while getting angry with a reddened face. But Chung Myung snorted and clicked his tongue instead.

“Originally, Senior Brother Jo Gul should be doing this kind of work.”

“If I liked that kind of boring stuff, I’d be running the family business, wouldn’t I? Numbers and ledgers… makes my head spin!”

“Well, yeah.”

Jo Gul was quite aware of his limitations.

In fact, it’s not that he has no business acumen. It was more of a matter of interest rather than talent. Baek Sang is greatly interested in the work of the Treasury Department, but Jo Gul shudders at the thought of calculating.

“Anyway, I understand. Then tell everyone to gather by tomorrow morning.”

Thus, a sweet rest was finally given to the disciples of Mount Hua.

With that conversation, the disciples of Mount Hua scattered.

Baek Cheon, Jo Gul, Baek Sang, and Yoon Jong headed to the Saha Merchant Guild, and Yoo Iseol was dragged by Tang Soso to look around the marketplace.

Yoo Iseol, who had no interest in that kind of thing, contorted her expressionless face to the fullest, albeit rarely. But it seemed impossible to handle Tang Soso, who was filled with enthusiasm to the brim after a long time.

Hae Yeon said she needed to find a temple to calm her mind, which felt troubled and restless after recent events.

Thanks to this, Chung Myung, who was left alone in the Tang Family, was enjoying a comfortable and pleasant rest after a long time.

“Haaah.”

A tiger as big as a house lay sprawled on its back, sweating profusely. Chung Myung lay on top of it, holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand and stroking Baek Ah, who was acting cute, with the other.

“Good.”

How long has it been since he had a rest like this?

Come to think of it, he couldn’t even remember when he last had a proper rest. If a person only runs without rest, their legs will eventually break. Sometimes, it’s necessary to put everything down and rest like this.

“Everything’s good. Everything’s good, but…”

The tiger’s fur was surprisingly soft beneath him, and its warmth seeped through his clothes. The air was still filled with the faint scent of gunpowder from whatever had happened earlier, but here, on Baek Ah’s back, it felt peaceful. He was falling asleep without even realizing it.

There was only one problem…

“…Uncle.”

“Huh?”

“Hey, Uncle, just relaxing? Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Relaxing *is* my work today, isn’t it obvious?”

“…”

Hong Daekwang, the obstacle to his rest, smiled at Chung Myung.

“And even though I look like this, I’m doing my job properly.”

“…Sure, you are.”

Chung Myung shook his head.

“If you’ve come all the way to Sichuan, shouldn’t you be running around and finding out information? You’re still the Beggars’ Union, so you should get some information.”

“Tsk tsk. You’re saying things you don’t know.”

Hong Daekwang retorted, clicking his tongue.

“Where in the world are there no beggars? Sichuan is full of beggars. The information I could get by going out is already known by the beggars here.”

“…”

“But! No matter how many beggars there are in Sichuan, they can’t enter the Tang Family. It’s more beneficial to look around inside the Tang Family a little more than wandering outside.”

Hearing that, Chung Myung chuckled at the plausible excuse.

“So, have you gained anything?”

Hong Daeguang leaned back, a sly smile playing on his lips. “Of course, I do,” he said, his voice a low murmur. “In fact,” he paused, his eyes twinkling, “I have some information that might just pique your interest.”

Chung Myung blinked, surprised. “Huh? Me?” he asked, pointing a finger at his own chest.

“Yes, you,” Hong Daeguang confirmed, nodding slowly.

Chung Myung leaned forward, his curiosity now fully engaged. “Well? What is it then?”

Hong Daeguang didn’t answer right away. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, studying Chung Myung for a moment. Then, he asked, a playful challenge in his tone, “For free?”

“…”

“Listen, young one,” Hong Daeguang said, his eyes narrowed. “Nothing is free. If you want information, you have to pay for it.”

“You think all the food and drinks you had to get here were free? Remember what you said – everything has a cost. Or do you want to eat dirt on the way back?”

“…My mistake.”

I saw Hye-yeon do that, and it’s not something a person should do. I’m not a goat…

“Ahem.”

Hong Daeguang cleared his throat loudly and opened his mouth with feigned seriousness.

“I’ve picked up quite a few things, but most of them are unrelated to you. There’s only one story that concerns you.”

He looked around to make sure no one was there before speaking in a whisper.

“You remember what I told you before, right?”

“Huh? What did you say before?”

“That the Lord of the Tang family went alone to the Myriad Man House.”

“Ah… Why is that?”

Hong Daeguang wore a serious expression.

“It seems like many people were strongly against it.”

“…”

“It’s true that the head of the family’s position within the clan has risen significantly, but that doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wants. And this is something that could put them at odds with the Myriad Man House, no less, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“So, there was a lot of opposition within the family. Why should the Tang family act as a shield for Mount Hua? But the Lord of the Tang ignored the other arguments and proceeded with the matter, so he must have heard some unpleasant things.”

“Hmph.”

Chung Myung nodded quietly, then lifted the bottle he was holding and took a swig of alcohol. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said,

“Doing things nobody asked him to do.”

His gaze turned to the distant sky.

Chung Myung nodded, thinking about what he had heard. Later that night, under the soft glow of the moon…

Scritch.

The fine brush filled the blank paper densely.

Tang Gun-ak, who was writing documents by the light of a lamp, carefully put down his brush and slowly rubbed his eyes.

‘I’m tired.’

He felt very tired. He had been working hard since Mount Hua’s visit. He was busy making special swords and also setting up a new trade agreement. It was a lot of work.

He couldn’t rest because work was pouring in. Moreover, he knew that now was one of the most important times to determine whether the Tang family could soar into the world once again.

“Hoo.”

He picked up his teacup and frowned slightly. Seeing that the tea had gone cold, it seemed that quite some time had passed while he was concentrating.

‘I should get more tea…’

It was then.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

‘Hmm?’

Knocking on the door meant that someone had approached the door.

Even if he was concentrating, there were only a few people within the Tang family who could approach this place without being noticed by his senses.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“What is it?”

Tang Gun-ak asked, his voice a little surprised. A voice answered from the other side of the door,

“Shouldn’t you ask who it is first?”

“There’s no need to bother when it’s obvious who it is.”

Creak.

As the door opened, a person stood under the pouring moonlight.

Chung Myung.

He smiled broadly, holding bottles of alcohol in both hands.

“How about a drink?”

Tang Gun-ak glanced down at the documents he was working on. Then, he smiled quietly.

“Good,” Tang Gun-ak agreed, a hint of relief in his voice. “I could really use a break.”

Pour, pour, pour.

The empty glass was filled with alcohol.

The air was cool and still in the late night. The moon was full and bright, casting a silver light over the pond. The only sound was the gentle splash of water from the small fountain nearby and the quiet chirping of crickets. Two people sat facing each other on top of a quaint pavilion built in the middle of the pond.

As the white glass filled with alcohol, the full moon shone upon it, like the moon floating on the pond.

“You’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Yes. I have a lot to do.”

Tang Gun-ak chuckled softly at Chung Myung’s calm words.

“I pride myself on living a busy life, but seeing you, I wonder if I’m taking it too easy.”

“Come on. Don’t say that.”

“I’m not just saying it.”

Tang Gun-ak quietly shook his head at Chung Myung’s jest.

“The people of Mount Hua might not realize it. Because they’re always moving with you. But watching from the outside, Mount Hua has really achieved so much in such a short time.”

“…”

“I’m almost envious. I don’t have the same passion and ability as you.”

“You’re exaggerating too much, aren’t you?”

“Exaggerating…”

Tang Gun-ak smiled.

“I wish that were the case.”

He quietly tilted his glass, then slightly bowed his head towards Chung Myung. Chung Myung, flustered, widened his eyes.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Thank you for taking Soso to Mount Hua.”

“…”

Chung Myung closed his mouth at the unexpected words.

“Of course, I know it’s not something I should say as the head of the family. But as a father, it’s something I have to say. It’s a bit awkward for me, but Soso seems happier than ever since going to Mount Hua. She used to be like a flower without fragrance. But seeing her now, I realize that Soso wasn’t very happy in the Tang family.”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung shook his head firmly.

“Of course, it’s natural to see her that way because she’s living much more vibrantly. And it’s also natural to feel that way because you’re seeing a side of her that you haven’t seen before. But Soso wouldn’t have been unhappy here either. She’s always been cheerful and positive. She’s just found a different life that suits her better now.”

“…”

“And it’s you, the Lord of the Tang, who allowed Soso to grow up that way.”

Tang Gun-ak quietly looked at Chung Myung before slowly nodding his head.

“I see. Thank you for saying that.”

“Come on. I’m the one who’s grateful. I heard you blocked the Myriad Man House. I heard it caused you some trouble.”

“There’s no trouble.”

Tang Gun-ak said firmly.

“And it’s natural to face opposition in anything. That’s their role.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I didn’t do it to receive praise. It was just something I had to do.”

Chung Myung tried to say something more, but Tang Gun-ak deliberately raised his glass.

“Shall we have a drink?”

“…”

Chung Myung eventually put those words aside and smiled as he raised his glass.

“Good.”

Their glasses lightly clinked together.

The moon reflected in the glass shook lightly before slowly regaining its shape.

The two people who emptied their glasses looked at each other in silence.

Drinking alcohol in the pavilion above the pond brought a different kind of excitement.

“Many things will change once the Alliance is formed, right?”

“That’s right. There has to be a system, after all.”

“Perhaps the relationship between Mount Hua and the Tang family will change a bit as well.”

“We have to accept it.”

Chung Myung smiled and filled Tang Gun-ak’s empty glass. Tang Gun-ak quietly said, looking at the small ripples in the alcohol,

“Many things may change. Yes, they may change. But one thing will not change.”

“Yes?”

A quiet smile spread across his lips.

“The fact that you and I are friends.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Chung Myung looked up at the moonlit sky. The full moon brightly illuminated the dark night sky.

“It’s a good night.”

“Yes.”

The two people looked at each other and smiled.

“It’s a good night.”

The two people’s drinking continued endlessly until the moon waned and the end of the sky faintly brightened.

Like the time when Chung Myung and Tangbo shared a drink in the past.

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Status: Ongoing Author: Released: 2019 Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Chung Myung, the legendary Plum Blossom Swordmaster of Mount Hua, awakens after a hundred years of slumber only to find his once-mighty sect reduced to ruins. With unwavering determination, he disguises himself as a young disciple and embarks on a mission to restore Mount Hua to its former glory. From training new disciples to facing lifelong enemies, Chung Myung must revive the sect while uncovering dark conspiracies that threaten the martial world. "Return of Mount Hua Sect" is an epic tale of resurgence, sacrifice, and fierce battles that will shake the world!

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