Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 442

Baek Cheon’s eyes twitched. He thought, *’What is he going to say now?’*

“Are you out of your mind, you little brat! Is that really what you have to say in this situation?”

Chung Myung rolled his eyes. “I’m saying it *because* of the situation!” he answered back, sounding annoyed but with a hint of a smile.

“You’re a Mount Hua disciple!” Baek Cheon snapped. “And you call bandits *intellectuals*? That’s crazy! Beggars are more cultured!”

Hong Daeguang, listening from behind, coughed softly.

“Ahem, actually… bandits *can* be quite clever… sometimes.”

“Whatever.”

“Please don’t butt in, Great Hero.”

Hong Daeguang, cut off, stared at the distant sky. For some reason, it seemed blurry.

‘I feel like I’m being ignored too much these days….’

He used to be important in the Beggars’ Union. Now, no one listened to him.

Hong Daeguang was sad, but the two others kept arguing.

Baek Cheon glared fiercely.

“Stop with the nonsense and draw your sword!”

“What’s with this guy? Does he think everything will be solved just by drawing a sword now?! Hey, Jin Dongryong!”

“Yeah, what is it, Cho Sam?”

A cold voice cut through the air.

“Both of you, be quiet. Unless you want a knife in your back.”

“Yes.”

“Sorry.”

At Yoo Iseol’s voice, which was like a blizzard, the two flinched and shut their mouths.

“Heh heh heh. These guys think they’re funny in front of us?”

Then, a giant man like an iron tower stomped forward and lightly drew a huge blade from the front of the cart.

“You think you’re so funny? Let’s see how funny you are when you’re begging for mercy!”

At the gruesome words, Chung Myung and Baek Cheon exchanged glances.

“Is this part of their act too?”

“Looks like it. Similar.”

The man flinched slightly.

“…Do you know who I am to be talking like that!”

He shouted with an even louder voice.

“I am Lee Gwang, the owner of the Great Tiger Stronghold, the master of the Unrivaled Great Blade!”

Chung Myung and Baek Cheon sighed at the same time.

“Another tiger.”

“I know. Another tiger….”

Do all these bandits have some kind of obsession with tigers? Why are they all so desperate to include ‘tiger’ in their stronghold names?

And why are their titles always so grandiose?

Chung Myung sighed deeply and asked with a weary look.

“So, why did you stop us?”

“Heh heh heh. You’re quite simple. Asking such a thing even after seeing all of us.”

‘This old man is really frustrating, so frustrating. Does he think I’m actually scared and acting like this? I was trying to talk nicely.’

Chung Myung cracked his neck once to the left and once to the right, then grabbed the hilt of the Plum Blossom Sword. Then, Lee Gwang, the master of the Unrivaled Great Blade, sneered.

“You want to fight? You’re brave, I’ll give you that. But bravery won’t save you! You’ll learn today that you’re just foolish!”

He glared with real anger.

“Seize those guys right now….”

That’s when it happened.

“Move.”

“Move.”

Just as a low, cold voice was heard, the bandits around them started to move slightly.

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon tilted his head and looked. The bandits, looking eager to fight, moved aside like scared deer.

Following the path that opened up, a group wearing green uniforms walked in.

At the instantly felt energy, Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed.

‘Strong.’

These newcomers were different. They weren’t just bandits; they were trained fighters.

Among them, the man at the front was the most eye-catching.

He looked about forty. After seeing only big bandits, his smaller size was surprising.

The man looked around with a face as if covered with a layer of ice, then a small frown appeared on his icy face.

Soon, he turned his gaze sharply towards Lee Gwang.

Lee Gwang visibly flinched when he met the man’s eyes.

“Chieftain.”

“Yes?”

“I clearly told you to be very polite to them, didn’t I?”

“Yes? Well, that’s what I did, as you said?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you tell me to treat them with respect? Isn’t that another way of saying to do business?”

“……”

The man stared at Lee Gwang for a moment, then lowered his head and let out a deep sigh.

Baek Cheon suddenly felt sorry for him when he saw his drooping shoulders.

“…I meant to treat them with *real* respect. Not just… being polite to customers.”

“Then you should have said so….”

Lee Gwang mumbled, and the man shook his head as if he didn’t want to hear it.

“Everyone, step back.”

“Yes? But the business….”

The man glared with cold eyes, and Lee Gwang flinched and waved his hand.

“Step back! Step back immediately!”

The bandits, seeing what was happening, all retreated without complaint.

“Take away the weapons too!”

“Get rid of those! Those things!”

The retreating bandits rushed back and grabbed the weapons stuck around the cart.

Yoon Jong looked back at Baek Cheon with a puzzled expression.

“Martial Uncle. What’s going on?”

“I have no idea….”

Baek Cheon had seen a lot with Chung Myung, even more than experienced fighters. But things just kept getting stranger.

As the bandits finally retreated, the man in the green uniform approached them.

“I’m sorry for their rudeness.”

The man bowed deeply towards them and put his hands together respectfully.

“There seems to have been a big misunderstanding. I told them to treat you well, but… they didn’t quite understand….”

The man gnashed his teeth as he spoke.

Each time he gnashed his teeth, Lee Gwang in the back twitched and jumped.

“Hoo.”

After taking a deep breath to calm down, the man looked back at Baek Cheon with a calm face.

“My name is Gwak Min.”

“Gwak Min?”

At that moment, Hong Daeguang, who had been hiding behind the cart, stepped forward quickly and said loudly.

“Gwak Min? *The* Black Night Tiger Gwak Min? Are you one of the Green Forest Ten Shadows?”

Then, the man called Gwak Min glanced at Hong Daeguang and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Ah….”

Chung Myung looked at Hong Daeguang and tilted his head.

“Is he a big deal?”

“The Green Forest Ten Shadows! They’re the best of the best in the Green Forest. They protect the Green Forest King!”

“Oh?”

Does that mean…?

Chung Myung looked at Gwak Min again with renewed interest. Then, he asked in a polite voice.

“Are you the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Chung Myung?”

“Yes. Why?”

“We were rude to you. The great master of the mountain wants to meet you, so please follow me.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung smirked.

“I was told to come to the Tang family, so why are you waiting here?”

“…Please ask that to him directly.”

“Yeah, well. I guess so.”

Chung Myung shrugged, and Gwak Min gestured towards the inside of the forest.

“This way.”

Without another word, he confidently walked into the forest. The warriors in green silently followed behind.

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung lightly jumped off the cart.

“These bandits are acting like they’re important.”

“Hey, Chung Myung-ah. Are you really going to go?”

“They’re calling me, so I have to go.”

Even though his words were serious, Chung Myung chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Who knows?” he said, a playful tone in his voice. “Maybe this mountain fortress will be overflowing with treasure too.”

Gwak Min stared at him, speechless. *Was this Chung Myung the bandit, not them?* he wondered, a knot of confusion tightening in his stomach. He couldn’t tell if the younger man was joking or completely mad.

Even as Gwak Min walked, he kept glancing back.

Rumble.

Rumble.

Thud! Thud!

A cart made of iron, its weight seemingly immense, was making its way up the steep, winding mountain path. Loose stones crunched under the wheels, and the air was thin and cool.

He had exercised patience and endured it a couple of times, but he couldn’t bear it any longer.

Gwak Min hesitated. “Is… is that cart really necessary?”

“Ah, yes. Well, we could leave it by the roadside and come back for it.”

Chung Myung replied with a bright smile.

“But this isn’t just anywhere; it’s a place swarming with bandit bastards. I’d be too anxious leaving our belongings behind.”

Gwak Min’s eyes twitched.

‘What on earth is this fellow?’

Just moments ago, Hong Daeguang had clearly mentioned the name ‘Ten Great Green Forest Bandits.’ And he had even kindly included the name ‘Green Forest King.’

And yet, after hearing those two names, he was casually spouting such nonsense?

‘Is his liver made of iron?’

He had been warned to be cautious, as the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua was quite a peculiar sort, but this was beyond imagination.

“Do you usually speak so carelessly?”

“Pardon? Speak carelessly?”

“I’m referring to your earlier remarks about bandits.”

“Ah, I don’t usually offer compliments so freely. I’m rather stingy with them, actually.”

“Compliments?”

Gwak Min blinked, completely lost. He asked again:

“What are you talking about? Compliments?”

“Well, aren’t bandits the sort who steal other people’s money and possessions to live? Saying you’re worried about them stealing our things is a compliment to their skills, isn’t it?”

Chung Myung grinned sheepishly.

“But since you seem to be someone of high standing, I thought I’d say something nice for a change.”

Gwak Min gave up trying to converse with Chung Myung.

Gwak Min’s jaw tightened. *This man is impossible!* He clenched his fists, fighting to stay polite. Instead, he turned to Chung Myung with a slightly cold look.

“Say what you want to me, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yes?”

“But it would be wise to watch your tongue when you meet the Green Forest King.”

Chung Myung shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “Oh, how scary. Maybe I *should* just turn back,” he said, but he didn’t move an inch.

Forget it.

Just forget it.

Gwak Min shook his head and quickened his pace.

“Let’s go together!”

Chung Myung followed him, smiling brightly.

Not long after quickening their pace, a large mountain fortress came into view.

It was a mountain fortress, just as expected, with high walls built from thick, roughly hewn wooden logs. Watchtowers stood at intervals, and from the main gate, a tattered banner flapped in the wind. Its size and grandeur were incomparable to Jang Hochae’s fortress they had visited before.

Yoon Jong’s eyes widened as he took in the massive walls. “Incredible,” he breathed. The other disciples of Mount Hua were all impressed.

“Wow.”

“It’s really big! Building something like this in the mountains.”

“What are you talking about? Mount Hua even builds pavilions on the mountaintops.”

“Oh? Now that I think about it, you’re right?”

Jo Gul realized anew just how absurd Mount Hua was.

“Is this the mountain fortress where the Green Forest King resides?” Baek Cheon asked.

Hong Daeguang shook his head.

“It is and it isn’t.”

“Pardon?”

“As you heard earlier, this is Daeho Fortress. The place where the Green Forest King resides is called Nokchae separately. However, the Green Forest King rarely stays in Nokchae. He usually travels around the world managing the mountain fortresses.”

“Ah, I see.”

“So, there is a saying in the Jianghu: ‘Where the Green Forest King stays is Nokchae.’ Therefore, this place is both Daeho Fortress and Nokchae.”

Baek Cheon nodded and looked at the magnificent mountain fortress.

At that moment, Gwak Min reached the front of the mountain fortress and shouted.

“Open the gates! Guests have arrived!”

As if they had been waiting, the large gate made of interwoven logs swung open to the sides.

“This way.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung’s eyes sparkled as he strode into the mountain fortress.

“Are you really going in?”

“I have to go. What else can I do?”

The disciples of Mount Hua, with uneasy expressions, followed him into the mountain fortress.

“Hmm.”

In the spacious courtyard inside the mountain fortress, Chung Myung looked around. The bandits of Daeho Fortress were sending fierce glares from around the large wooden buildings and huts built here and there.

“Hey, beggar ahjussi.”

“Huh?”

“Keep a close watch so those bandit bastards don’t touch this.”

“What? Aren’t you taking me with you?”

The answer came not from Chung Myung, but from Gwak Min.

“The Green Forest King has requested to see only the disciples of Mount Hua.”

“Ugh.”

Hong Daeguang groaned and looked around with anxious eyes.

“T-Then, is Hae Yeon also here?”

“No way. That monk is a guest of Mount Hua.”

“Then what about me?”

“Ahjussi is a beggar in front of Mount Hua.”

Hong Daeguang’s face twisted terribly.

“What am I supposed to do here alone, you rascal!”

“Are they really going to kill you?”

Chung Myung chuckled and urged Gwak Min.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and go.”

Gwak Min shook his head and headed inside. He stopped in front of the largest building directly in front of them.

“I’ll say it one more time.”

His cold gaze swept over Chung Myung.

“If you show disrespect to the Green Forest King, don’t even dream of leaving this mountain with your head still attached.”

“Why are you talking so much? Move aside.”

Gwak Min swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say and stepped aside with a face boiling with frustration.

“Ahem!”

Chung Myung put his hands behind his back and flung the door open.

Baek Cheon glanced at Gwak Min with a subtly apologetic look and led his fellow disciples inside.

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

“Ehhhh?”

“Good heavens.”

Exclamations of astonishment burst from the mouths of the Mount Hua disciples simultaneously.

“Th-That.”

Baek Cheon blinked repeatedly, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Hehehehe!”

Inside the inner chamber, there was a massive chair decorated with tiger skin, and upon it sat a giant of a man, so large that he made the chair look small, in an utterly arrogant posture. A rough beard that looked like twisted wire framed a face as broad as a dinner plate.

“Welcome! I am the King of the Green Forest, who rules over all the mountains!”

The disciples of Mount Hua couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity with his all-too-familiar appearance.

“Are they brothers?”

“I guess there really are two people in the world who look alike.”

“We should have brought the Beast Palace Lord.”

“A tearful reunion.”