Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 558

“Maninbang?” Hyun Jong asked, his voice calm but with a hint of concern.

Chung Myung’s playful grin vanished. “Maninbang?” he repeated, grinding his teeth. “Why those villains again?” His whole mood changed instantly, becoming serious and cold.

Hyun Jong sighed, watching Chung Myung. “Chung Myung.”

“Yes?” Chung Myung answered, his voice now flat.

“Don’t try to sneak over here,” Hyun Jong said gently. “Go back to your corner and hold your hands up.”

“Guess that didn’t work,” Chung Myung mumbled, his shoulders slumping.

“Tsk,” Hyun Jong clicked his tongue lightly, but his eyes held a hint of amusement.

Chung Myung pouted, his earlier energy completely gone. He trudged back to the corner of the simple room and knelt down, raising his hands in the air again. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the paper window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air around him.

Lim Sobyeong stared at him, bewildered. Chung Myung glared fiercely.

“What are you looking at, you!”

“This rascal, really!” Hyun Jong roared, causing Lim Sobyeong to flinch.

“Pay him no mind,” Hyun Jong said.

“…Yes, Sect Leader.” Lim Sobyeong nodded awkwardly, forcing a smile.

The Mount Hua Sect he had imagined was very different from the real one.

“Ahem. So…” He cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood.

Usually, people respected the name Green Forest King. But Chung Myung didn’t care at all, so the atmosphere remained awkward.

Hyun Jong, understanding his discomfort, asked, “So, what mischief is Maninbang up to now?”

“I don’t know exactly what they’re planning. But they are definitely plotting something.”

“May I ask why you think so? Is Maninbang acting suspiciously?”

“No. It’s quite the opposite.”

“Hmm?” Hyun Jong was puzzled. “What do you mean by that? The opposite?”

“Right now, Maninbang is doing nothing. They’ve even withdrawn from the Green Forest and are selling off their businesses one by one.”

Hyun Jong frowned. Hyun Young, who was beside him, asked, “But what’s the problem with that? Wouldn’t selling businesses and avoiding war be a good thing?”

“Normally, yes. If another sect did this, I would agree. But… not Maninbang.”

Lim Sobyeong’s eyes flashed coldly. “Maninbang Lord Jang Ilso has never given up on anything and never backed down from a fight. He may forget favors, but he never forgets grudges.”

Hyun Jong groaned softly.

Mount Hua also had a feud with Maninbang. The Green Forest had a long-standing grudge with Maninbang, which was well-known.

Therefore, the Green Forest knew more about Maninbang and Jang Ilso than Mount Hua did.

“There can only be one reason why Jang Ilso is lying low.”

Hyun Young groaned slightly and said, “You mean he’s found something bigger than the businesses or the war with the Green Forest?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Hmm.” Hyun Young began to think deeply.

Hyun Jong, holding his teacup, smelled the tea and said, “Jang Ilso…”

He then looked at Lim Sobyeong. “Do you think this is also related to Mount Hua?”

“Sect Leader,” Lim Sobyeong said, clearing his throat. He looked straight at Hyun Jong and replied, “Mount Hua has already fought with Maninbang.”

“…”

“Jang Ilso cares more about new grudges than old ones. He thinks old grudges are from when he was younger. But new grudges, he believes, are because people don’t respect Maninbang now.”

Lim Sobyeong’s face was resolute. “If Jang Ilso hasn’t changed, then Maninbang’s actions must be related to Mount Hua.”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes briefly.

Jang Ilso and Maninbang were something he had been avoiding.

But he couldn’t ignore the weight of those names forever.

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes!” Chung Myung lowered his arms and hurried over to sit down.

“…I didn’t tell you to come.”

“Hehe. You were going to tell me soon anyway. Isn’t it right for a Mount Hua disciple to anticipate the Sect Leader’s wishes?”

“If only you couldn’t talk…”

It hadn’t even been a day since he went to the Northern Sea to prevent a crisis and enhance Mount Hua’s prestige, before it all vanished.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Maninbang, I mean.”

“Ah, Maninbang?” Hyun Jong sighed, his face darkening slightly.

“Listening to the Green Forest King, it seems serious. What are your thoughts?”

Chung Myung chuckled. “Well… everything else is fine, but we can’t just believe what a thief says. He’s like a snake, so we need to know what tricks he’s playing.”

“Cough!” Lim Sobyeong coughed as if spitting out blood.

“Erm… still, in front of a guest…”

“Even Sect Leader is being fooled. If it wasn’t this gentleman, but a mountain bandit with a huge sword, you wouldn’t believe him, even if he said the same things, would you?”

“…” Hyun Jong’s eyes flickered slightly.

It wasn’t something a Taoist should say, but it wasn’t wrong.

Lim Sobyeong looked proper, but he was still a bandit leader. They couldn’t blindly believe him.

“He should have become a con artist instead of a bandit.”

“I-I wasn’t conning anyone! Why are you saying that to me, Divine Dragon of Mount Hua!”

“Ah, I’ll give it to you! I said I’ll give it to you, didn’t I? You’re making such a fuss over a single elixir!”

“Ugh… M-my heart…” Lim Sobyeong clutched at his heart, but Chung Myung didn’t even look at him and spoke to Hyun Jong.

“First of all, we should be suspicious of anything those villains say, even if they say they can make tofu from beans.”

Hyun Jong smiled as he listened to Chung Myung’s clear words.

“How can his character be such a disaster?” Cheong-myeong thought, shaking his head.

Of course, he wasn’t entirely wrong. But still, Cheong-myeong was probably the only person who would say such things to someone’s face.

“I am so proud. Really proud,” Cheong-myeong said sarcastically.

Hyun-jong leaned forward slightly. “So,” he asked, “are you saying we shouldn’t even make a plan?”

Cheong-myeong sat back, his expression serious. “The most important thing,” he said, his voice firm, “is that we don’t know if this man is telling us the truth or lies.”

Hyun-jong’s eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed slightly as Cheong-myeong’s tone turned serious. *He’s right,* Hyun-jong thought. *We are relying on strangers.* “Do you mean,” Hyun-jong asked slowly, “that the 화산 Sect is not getting enough information from the outside world?”

“Exactly.” Cheong-myeong nodded once, sharply. He saw that Hyun-jong understood. It was always easy to talk to the Sect Leader.

“Of course, we get some information from Uncle Hong, the beggar, but it’s still a bit worrying, to be honest,” Cheong-myeong admitted.

“I can’t say I’m perfect at judging people, but I don’t think Branch Leader Hong would deceive us,” Hyun-jong countered.

“Yes. Of course, I don’t think Hong Daekwang would do that either. Nor does he have the ability,” Cheong-myeong added bluntly.

Well… I don’t think you need to add that last part.

“But the problem is, Uncle Hong is still a member of the Nine Great Sects and the Beggars’ Sect,” Cheong-myeong pointed out.

A faint bitter smile appeared on Cheong-myeong’s lips.

“Do you think the Beggars’ Sect will willingly give us correct information?”

Hyun-jong’s face hardened slightly.

“Of course, Uncle Hong might think of us. But the information Uncle Hong brings is not information he gathered himself. If the Beggars’ Sect deliberately feeds Uncle Hong false information, we’ll be caught off guard,” Cheong-myeong explained.

“Ummm…” Hyun-jong hummed thoughtfully.

“You can’t trust anyone in this world! How can you trust the Nine Sects!” Imso-byeong chimed in, delighted by Cheong-myeong’s words.

“Kuh! Those are wise words indeed, 화산 Divine Dragon! Aam! There are no bigger swindlers in the world than the Nine Great Sects!”

“Right?” Cheong-myeong agreed.

“Of course! Haha!” Imso-byeong laughed.

Imso-byeong and Cheong-myeong, arm in arm, began to list the faults of the Nine Sects in a friendly manner.

Hyun-jong smiled gently.

*Now he’s even getting along with a bandit leader,* Hyun-jong thought.

And yet, a disciple of the 正派 was joining forces with a Green Forest bandit (녹림) to criticize the Nine Great Sects.

화산 was doomed.

No matter how you looked at it, it was now doomed.

Cheong-myeong’s face suddenly turned serious. “No joke,” he said, pushing Imso-byeong away.

“Until now, they might have simply withheld proper information out of ill will towards 화산, but now the story is different,” Cheong-myeong stated.

“You mean the Heavenly Union?” Hyun-jong asked.

“Yes.” Cheong-myeong nodded emphatically.

“If the Heavenly Union is launched, it will inevitably be at odds with the forces centered around the Nine Great Sects. No matter how much the Shaolin Abbot approves, giving approval and fostering friendship are two different things. Those who wouldn’t give up a single grain of rice in their hands will hinder us, not help us,” he explained.

“Ummm.” Hyun-jong considered this.

Only then did Hyun-jong fully understand the seriousness of the situation.

Until now, 화산 had relied on the Beggars’ Sect for most of its external information. But as Cheong-myeong said, if the Heavenly Union were to be launched, they would have to doubt the truth of any information coming from the Beggars’ Sect.

The Demonic Sect was emerging from the Northern Sea, and in the south, the Myriad Man Clan was also becoming a problem for 화산. They were showing their true, unfriendly intentions.

화산 had to pay attention to more and more places, and if its information gathering abilities were to diminish, it was clear that they would eventually suffer a great misfortune.

“We urgently need to expand our information network,” Hyun-jong declared.

“Yes,” Cheong-myeong agreed.

Hyun-jong closed his eyes quietly. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, he opened his eyes again and spoke.

“I think I need to meet with the Tang Clan Head.”

“The Tang Clan?” Cheong-myeong questioned.

“The problem you mentioned is not limited to 화산. The Sichuan Tang Clan must also rely on the Beggars’ Sect for information. This matter should be discussed at the Heavenly Union level, not just 화산,” Hyun-jong explained.

“Hmm. Not a bad idea. We can also discuss the opening ceremony,” Cheong-myeong conceded.

“Well, then I’ll go to the Tang Clan once…” Hyun-jong began.

“No, Sect Leader,” Hyun-sang and Hyun-young shouted almost simultaneously.

“Why again?” Hyun-jong asked, a little exasperated.

Hyun-young’s face twisted in confusion as he looked at Hyun-jong, who didn’t know what was going on.

“Sect Leader, you are going to be the leader of the alliance. Even if you haven’t taken the position yet, a leader shouldn’t go to meet a lower-ranked person. The subordinate should come to the leader,” Hyun-young insisted.

“For the sake of the alliance leader’s authority, it is right to summon him to 화산,” Hyun-sang added.

“Hmm. I see,” Hyun-jong sighed.

But then…

“Sect Leader,” Imso-byeong said, having silently watched the situation from the middle.

“Speak,” Hyun-jong responded.

“About that information part…” A gentle smile spread across Imso-byeong’s lips.

He unfolded the fan in his hand and covered his mouth with it.

“I think our Green Forest bandits (녹림) can solve it for you.”

“녹림?” Hyun-jong repeated, surprised.

“Yes.”

“When it comes to information, 녹림 is second to none in the world. If you wish, we will provide that information to 화산 and the Heavenly Union instead of the Beggars’ Sect,” Imso-byeong offered.

“I haven’t heard that 녹림’s information gathering is that great?” Hyun-jong said skeptically.

“That’s because 녹림 doesn’t communicate much with the outside world. Think about it. The Beggars’ Sect’s information gathering is excellent not because they have great abilities. It’s simply because there are beggars everywhere. Isn’t the same true for the 하오문?” Imso-byeong explained.

“Hmm… That’s right,” Hyun-jong admitted.

“Think about it. Is there any place in the world without 산적?”

“…” Hyun-jong was silent.

“We can prove our information gathering ability in any way. We will never disappoint the Sect Leader,” Imso-byeong assured him.

Hyun-jong narrowed his eyes.

“I understand what the 녹림 King is saying. But… there is a price for everything in this world. What do you want in return for providing that information to 화산?”

“It’s simple.”

The 녹림 King, Imso-byeong, straightened his posture and declared.

“In the name of the 녹림 King, who rules over the seventy-two mountain fortresses of the world, I request 녹림’s membership in the Heavenly Union.”

For a moment, everyone in the room’s mouth dropped open.

A heavy silence flowed for a long time.

Finally, one person’s voice broke the silence.

“What nonsense is that bandit saying?”

“…”

It was Cheong-myeong’s voice, representing everyone’s feelings.