Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 440

“Is everything loaded?”

“Yep.”

“And all the preparations are complete?”

“Of course.”

Chung Myung looked at the sturdy wooden cart, piled high with boxes strapped down tightly, and was surprised.

‘They’re doing well even without me telling them now.’

They used to be clumsy beginners, but now they were preparing things quickly and cleverly by themselves. Chung Myung, seeing that his nagging and scolding were working, decided to nag them even harder in the future.

Then, something new made him stop. He hadn’t noticed it before.

“But what are those bundles on top of the boxes?”

“Food.”

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes flashed. “The Lord of the Tang Clan personally packed food for us to eat on our way back! It almost brought tears to my eyes! He’s so thoughtful and warm-hearted, unlike some people.”

Chung Myung muttered, just loud enough for Baek Cheon to hear, “Why would the old man bother with all this food?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes flashed. “Don’t call him ‘old man’! He’s my father, and he’s being incredibly kind!”

Tang Soso playfully kicked at Chung Myung’s leg, but he dodged it and frowned.

“Tsk. If you keep giving the kids stuff like this, they’ll lose their grit!”

“Did Hye-yeon become the most resilient person in the world because he ate grass on the way here? You little rascal! Far from being resilient, he was all skin and bones! A man who used to shine so brightly, he’s almost faded away because he hasn’t been eating properly!”

“Still, his head is shining.”

“Wow… you’re a bad guy.”

A quiet sniffle came from Hye-yeon, but no one looked at him. They knew he was probably touched by the food.

“Anyway, so the preparations are finished, then.”

Chung Myung turned his head sharply.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

As they stepped out of the main gate, the Tang Clan’s family members bustled out to see them off, excited to say goodbye to their special guests.

Well, that much was fine, but…

Poooow!

“…Why are those guys mixed in?”

Looking at all the animals, one disciple muttered, “I don’t know if this is the Tang Clan or a zoo!”

Maeng So, the Lord of the Beast Palace, with his booming laugh and a hand as big as a dinner plate, approached the disciples of Mount Hua, who were pulling the cart out last. He looked at the cart with interest and asked.

“Hmm. You’re pulling that?”

“…Yes.”

When the disciples nodded, the Lord of the Beast Palace reached out and lightly lifted the cart.

“Oho. That’s a good training method. I should apply it to our palace members as well.”

“…”

The faces of the Mount Hua disciples turned slightly pale.

‘I hope they don’t emulate even that…’

At that moment, Chung Myung shrugged and asked.

“When are you going back?”

“Now that you’re leaving, what’s the point of me staying here any longer? I should start heading back soon too. However, the trade negotiations with the Tang Clan haven’t been fully settled yet, so I think I’ll have to stay for another day or so.”

“Don’t be too greedy, and please compromise with each other. It’s always better to be friendly.”

“Haha! I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Beast Palace seemed to be planning to increase trade with Sichuan a bit more this time. In fact, the current discussions were not about the existing tea trade, but about other goods.

Of course, the merchants actually involved would be the Saha Merchants and other Mount Hua merchants.

“It’s a shame. Many people would welcome you if you visited the Beast Palace.”

“I’d love to go too, but as you know, I’m very busy. Meeting the Palace Lord is enough for me.”

“Alright. Make sure to visit next time. Definitely.”

“Yes, I promise.”

At Chung Myung’s promise, the Lord of the Beast Palace grinned broadly.

“The cubs of the Mookrin Blood Weasel that you saved some time ago have grown quite a bit.”

“Enough to… uh… keep as a pet?”

“…No. Just forget about it.”

The Lord of the Beast Palace stepped back with a horrified look.

Then, Tang Gunak approached and greeted them.

“You have a long journey ahead, so be careful.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. We may look like this, but we’re all in good shape.”

“So it seems.”

Tang Gunak looked at his daughter, his voice softer now. “Soso-ya…”

Tang Soso stood straighter, her voice clear but with a hint of emotion. “Yes, Father!”

He paused, his gaze lingering on her face. “Just… just stay healthy, Soso.”

Tang Soso’s lips trembled slightly. She lowered her head, her voice quiet but firm. “…I will, Father. Definitely.”

“Alright.”

A gentle smile appeared on Tang Gunak’s face.

The members of the clan and the women still couldn’t take their eyes off Tang Soso, who looked quite different from before.

However, Tang Gunak no longer cared about his daughter’s changed appearance. He simply hoped that she would live healthily and happily as she was.

His gaze turned to Chung Myung.

“We will deal with the things we talked about as fast as we can. If there is anything we need to discuss separately, we will send a letter through the merchants, so please respond without delay.”

“There’s no need to go that far. I’m sure you’ll handle it well enough on your own.”

“We also need to think about what’s best for our group.”

“Yes. Then I’ll tell the Sect Leader about it.”

“That would be good too.”

“Alright, then.”

Having exchanged enough greetings, Chung Myung glanced around and opened his mouth.

“Let’s depart…”

But then.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, a white blur shot from the crowd – Baek-A! Like a flash of white lightning, he leaped and wrapped himself around Chung Myung’s leg, then scrambled up to his shoulder, clinging tightly.

“…What is it?”

“It’s Baek-A?”

Jo Gul blinked.

“Is he saying he wants to go with us?”

“…He was so scared of him. He’s got a really weird personality.”

Everyone looked at the ferret perched on Chung Myung’s shoulder with curious faces.

However, Chung Myung strangely didn’t look pleased at all. He even tried to shake it off his shoulder.

“What? Aren’t you getting off?”

Baek-A grabbed onto his shoulder and desperately held on.

“Why? He likes you so much, why don’t you take him with you?”

At Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung frowned.

“His name is Baekjeon (白電).”

“Huh?”

Ah, that ferret’s name was originally Baekjeon. Everyone called him Baek-A, so I forgot.

“…So what about it?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung, still with a grumpy face, tapped Baek-A’s head. “Baekjeon,” he said, pretending to be serious, “you’re just a pretty face, aren’t you? No use at all. Just a fluffy, troublesome idiot.”

“…This little punk?”

A vein popped out on Baek Cheon’s forehead. But Chung Myung shrugged.

“Why are you getting angry, Uncle?”

“Grrrr.”

He scratched Baek-A’s chin and said.

“Tsk. I’m the only one who would feed something like this. If it were Jongnam, they would have sold him off somewhere already. No, he probably would have run away before that?”

“Ah, stop it!”

“Shtop it!”

Kraaak!

Even the ferret was teasing Baek Cheon. Unable to lash out in front of the Tang Clan members, Baek Cheon simply clutched his thigh.

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and lifted Baek-A by the scruff of his neck. Then, the Lord of the Beast Palace, who had approached, laughed heartily.

“It seems he likes you. Take him with you.”

“Pardon? I think he’s quite the special animal?”

“The Beast Palace is a place where we live with beasts, not a place where we enslave them. If he wants to go, there’s nothing we can do to stop him.”

Then, he scratched his head with his pot lid-like hand.

“Besides, um… actually, it’s more helpful if he’s not in the palace. He’s so fierce and bullies the other weaker beasts. He’s a real headache for me.”

“Weaker beasts?”

“Hoa over there is a good example.”

Chung Myung turned his head sharply.

The huge tiger Qing Ming slept on looked at Baek Ah. It tucked its tail in, as if scared.

Qing Ming mumbled, “…What kind of tiger is that? It’s not very big…”

“It’s not about size,” the Beast Palace Lord said, shaking his head. “Mystical creatures are just different. Please, take Baek Ah. He causes trouble every night!”

Baek Cheon and the other Mount Hua disciples nodded quickly, agreeing with the Lord.

“He’s like a troublemaker, even in the animal world.”

“He’s just like his master, always causing trouble.”

Only Qing Ming tilted his head, scratching Baek Ah’s chin.

“Huh, that’s strange. He seems really calm.”

“Oh, he is gentle.”

“He even slapped a tiger! And you say he’s gentle?”

It’s all about perspective.

Qing Ming clicked his tongue softly, lifting Baek Ah to eye level and meeting his gaze.

“You find your own food from now on. Got it?”

The weasel nodded so strongly his neck seemed in danger of snapping.

Then, he quickly pressed against Qing Ming’s cheek, rubbing his soft face against it.

“Ah, that tickles. Get off!”

Qing Ming pushed Baek Ah away and looked at Tang Gunak, saying,

“Then we’ll really be going now.”

“Alright. Travel safely.”

“Let’s go!”

The Mount Hua disciples began pulling the cart. Everyone was curious about the unusual sight, but they weren’t as surprised as before. The Sichuan Tang Family had now reached a point where they could accept anything Mount Hua did with a shrug.

“Safe travels!”

“We’ll see you again!”

“Long live Mount Hua!”

An enthusiastic goodbye followed.

Qing Ming smiled slightly.

It was mostly a formality now, but one day, that shout would be filled with sincerity.

Completely outside the main gate, he subtly stopped walking.

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

“Hold on.”

Turning back, he met the gaze of Tang Gunak, who was watching him from inside the gate.

“Tang Family Head!”

Qing Ming shouted loudly as if he were about to leave, and Tang Gunak tilted his head.

“What is it?”

As everyone’s attention turned to him, Qing Ming grinned.

“I received a good sword and ate well before leaving. I can’t just go after receiving such hospitality, so I’ll leave you with a gift.”

“…A gift?”

Everyone stared intently at him at the word ‘gift’. What kind of gift could he possibly mean in this situation?

It was then.

Screeeech.

The Plum Blossom Sword, which was tied around Qing Ming’s waist, was slowly drawn.

“Oh!”

“…Good heavens.”

This was none other than the Sichuan Tang Family.

Even if they couldn’t see it up close, there were plenty who could recognize the value of this sword.

Qing Ming, having drawn the sword, slowly lowered the Plum Blossom Sword. The plum blossom pattern on the sword shone brightly in the sun. It was a deep red, like dried blood, and looked incredibly sharp.

“…Such a precious sword…”

“Beautiful.”

All the Tang Family members couldn’t take their eyes off the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword.

Qing Ming quietly waited for everyone’s attention to gather.

‘There was a lot of opposition, huh.’

That meant there were still those who doubted Tang Gunak’s choice. And there were still those who couldn’t trust Mount Hua.

But there was no point in blaming them. Mount Hua was just a newly awakened sect. It would still take time for its abilities to be recognized everywhere.

However, to do more in the future, it was also true that Tang Gunak needed a little more support.

‘Words won’t do it.’

Because nothing could compare to seeing it with one’s own eyes.

Sssst.

Qing Ming’s sword slowly began to move. The sword, which had been hanging down, slowly drew a semicircle before aiming at the sky.

The sight was imprinted on the eyes of those watching like a brand.

And then…

The thin blade began to tremble softly.

It was as soft as a flexible sword, but it contained a power that couldn’t be compared to a flexible sword. Dang Jo-pyeong put his heart into making this sword. It felt perfect for Qing Ming, like it was made just for him.

“As a symbol that Mount Hua and the Sichuan Tang Family have become friends, I leave behind a plum blossom. The relationship between the two sects will not be broken before this plum blossom withers.”

Bloom.

From the tip of the sword, which was bathed in the early morning sunlight, a plum blossom began to bloom vividly.

One plum blossom, so red that it involuntarily evoked admiration.

And another.

The Tang Family members all stared at the sight with their mouths wide open.

The road outside the gate was dusty and bare. Suddenly, bright red plum blossoms burst open on the dry ground.

“Good heavens…”

Those with low levels of martial arts trembled at the wondrous sight.

And those who were confident in their martial prowess gritted their teeth at the precision of the blooming plum blossoms.

‘How can he create such precise sword moves…?’

‘Hasn’t he become several times stronger than he was at the martial arts competition?’

Just then, a long gust of wind blew.

Then, the plum blossoms that Qing Ming had created soared up all at once, covering the sky. And finally, it was like a rain of flowers falling from the sky.

The fallen petals surged like waves, then swirled around the massive pillars supporting the Tang Family’s gate.

Scritch scritch.

Scritch.

A small sound, as if tickling something, rang out. And the petals that had been swirling around the pillars soared up again and finally disappeared.

“Oh…”

Those who had been watching the sight as if possessed couldn’t hide their disappointment as they watched the disappearing petals.

But at that moment.

“That, that!”

One of those who saw the pillars shouted in surprise.

Dozens of plum blossom patterns had been engraved on the Tang Family’s pillars. The plum blossom patterns were incredibly vivid and precise, as if a master craftsman had put his heart and soul into them.

Screeeech.

Qing Ming, who had lightly sheathed his sword, smiled brightly and waved his hand at the Tang Family members.

“See you again!”

“Woooaaah!”

“Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”

A slightly different cheer than before, a cheer filled with genuine sincerity, poured out like thunder.

Qing Ming, smiling and waving his hand, exchanged glances with Tang Gunak and then turned around without regret.

Baek Cheon asked quietly.

“You said one blossom?”

“I thought it would be too heartless.”

“How insipid.”

Baek Cheon chuckled and shouted.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

The Mount Hua disciples began to move forward, pulling the heavy cart.

“They’re leaving.”

“Indeed.”

Dang Jo-pyeong, who was standing next to Tang Gunak, watched the departing Mount Hua disciples with a wistful look.

“Before long, the plum blossoms of Mount Hua will shake the world again.”

“It already has.”

“Yes, it must.”

Dang Jo-pyeong quietly stared at Qing Ming’s back before turning around.

“Let’s go. We can’t fall behind either.”

“Yes, Great Grandfather.”

But even after answering, Tang Gunak didn’t turn around for a while.

‘The relationship will not be broken until the plum blossoms wither.’

He chuckled as he quietly pondered the words.

“Will the day ever come when the plum blossoms engraved on the pillars wither?”

In any case.

He’s a truly interesting fellow.

Indeed.