Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 570

“You want me to spread this throughout the Central Plains?”

“Yes.”

Hong Daekwang stared at the paper Chung Myung handed him.

“This?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t this what the Green Forest thinks? Why would Mount Hua…?”

“Ah, the Green Forest King is here at Mount Hua.”

“Who?”

“The Green Forest King.”

“Who?”

“Seriously, is this old man deaf?”

Hong Daekwang’s eyes widened. His mouth dropped open, like he’d forgotten to close it. He just stared at Chung Myung, completely confused.

“Why on earth is the Green Forest King here?”

“He just came on his own, I guess?”

Hong Daekwang’s eyes were screaming louder than his mouth. ‘What on earth is happening in this remote mountain corner?’

But Chung Myung, despite Hong Daekwang’s reaction, clicked his tongue as if annoyed.

“So, please spread this around through the beggars. Throughout the Central Plains.”

“Mount Hua Divine Dragon, I may be a branch leader of the Beggars’ Sect, but I don’t have the power to mobilize all the beggars in the Central Plains.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung smiled kindly, relieving Hong Daekwang’s worries.

“I never thought you could do it anyway, beggar uncle. I don’t expect it in the first place.”

Hong Daekwang’s cheeks twitched.

“No… that’s a bit much…”

“What can we do when that’s the reality? Don’t worry. I don’t expect it. Just do as much as you can, beggar uncle.”

Chung Myung said this to make Hong Daekwang feel less worried. But instead, Hong Daekwang felt uneasy. Why did his stomach feel like it was in knots?

“Then, the rumors…”

“There are others besides beggar uncle who can spread rumors. The more mouths, the better.”

“Ugh. Alright, I understand.”

Hong Daekwang sighed deeply. ‘This brat is starting to think I’m incompetent.’

He truly felt wronged.

It felt like only yesterday that the baby-faced brat came running to him, calling him uncle, uncle…

Wasn’t there ever such a time?

Ah, there was! He used to be more human than he is now!

Well, I suppose it’s understandable.

Thinking about it, this wasn’t happening because of Chung Myung’s personality. No, it’s not that there isn’t a problem with his personality, but the cause of this isn’t his personality.

Hong Daekwang thought about when he first met Chung Myung. Mount Hua was very different then. Now, it had changed so much. Even the words ‘big change’ didn’t seem strong enough to describe it.

In the past, Mount Hua wasn’t too difficult for a mere branch leader like him to handle. But now, the position of branch leader was limiting his ability to obtain all the information he wanted.

‘I need to talk to the Great Beggar about this separately.’

Building trust with Mount Hua was a truly important matter. Even though the Beggars’ Sect was a member of the Nine Great Sects, their power ultimately came from information.

If they lost Mount Hua, the Beggars’ Sect would likely be hurt.

“So, I just need to spread this?”

“Ah, while you’re at it, please deliver this as well.”

“Huh? To where?”

“This is for the Illusory Spirit Sect, and this is for the Tang Clan.”

Hong Daekwang’s face flushed red and then turned pale. ‘Where does he think those places are! Has he lost all sense of distance after going to the Northern Sea!’

How could delivering letters to the sects in the southern part of the Central Plains be easy?

But Hong Daekwang couldn’t bring himself to say it was difficult. ‘I feel like I’m becoming more and more incompetent around this brat.’

In the end, he took the letters Chung Myung offered and glanced at him.

“But what on earth are you planning to do again?”

“What do you mean, planning?”

“No, the situation is quite unusual, isn’t it?”

“Why? Are you going to run to the Nine Great Sects and report it?”

Chung Myung smirked as he watched Hong Daekwang, who was momentarily speechless.

“Well, it’s up to you, uncle.”

A chill ran down Hong Daekwang’s spine as if he had been covered in ice. ‘This brat?’

It was just a simple sentence, but so much was implied.

“The Beggars’ Sect must be very interested in this matter, right?”

“The Beggars’ Sect? Not the Nine Great Sects?”

“Are you really a candidate for the Sect Leader, uncle?”

“Sorry.”

Hong Daekwang scratched his head, feeling the suspicious gaze upon him.

He had always been considered quite clever, but talking to this brat made him feel like a complete idiot.

“How did the Beggars’ Sect raise its value?”

“Well… with information that others don’t have…”

“Then how should you raise your value, uncle?”

Hong Daekwang pursed his lips tightly.

“The way things work are all the same. Do a good job.”

Chung Myung grinned and turned away, walking away without a second glance.

Hong Daekwang, watching his retreating figure, let out a hollow laugh without realizing it. ‘He’s full of sneaky ideas.’

And then, he quickly turned and leaped down the mountain.

“Hic?”

“Why did that person suddenly become like that?”

“Was the medicine ineffective? He was definitely getting better?”

Baek Cheon and his group had entered the main hall for the meeting. They flinched and stepped back in surprise at the sight of Im Sobyung.

The shadows under his eyes were dark and deep, like bruises painted down to his jaw. His skin was stretched tight and white, like thin paper about to tear. His lips were cracked and pale, almost blue. He looked up slowly, his face twisted in a strange, sad smile, like a king who had lost everything and had nothing left to hope for.

‘How much has he suffered…?’

‘Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine.’

‘Just being tormented by Chung Myung alone would be hell, but with Elder Hyun Young added to the mix…’

They sent sympathetic glances, imagining what Im Sobyung must have gone through.

At that moment, Im Sobyung weakly turned his head and said.

“Please sit.”

“Yes.”

“Are you alright?”

In response to the question of whether he was alright, he looked up at the sky visible through the open door instead of answering. ‘Life…’

What was the point of living so desperately?

The afterlife was just a turn of the head away…

“If you’re here, sit down quickly.”

But there was someone here who made it impossible for people to turn their heads.

Chung Myung, looking as healthy as could be in contrast to Im Sobyung, tore off pieces of jerky and chewed on them. Then, he offered a small piece of jerky to Im Sobyung.

“Want some?”

Im Sobyung reached out with a hand that had no strength left and took the tiny piece of jerky that Chung Myung offered.

One.

Whack!

Just as something pale and blurry seemed to fly by like an arrow, it snatched the jerky from his hand with the precision of a knife.

Baek Ah firmly gripped the jerky she had taken from Im Sobyung’s hand, munched on it, and devoured it in one bite. ‘Everyone here is strange… even the animals.’ He glanced at Baek Ah, who was happily chewing the jerky. ‘Nothing is normal in this place.’

“Ahem.”

At that moment, Hyun Jong, who had entered, cleared his throat loudly and looked at Hyun Young.

“Was the agreement concluded well?”

“We have reached an agreement that made both sides happy.”

Hyun Jong glanced back and forth between Im Sobyung and Hyun Young.

Seeing Hyun Young’s face, which was so smooth it was practically glowing, and Im Sobyung’s face, which looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept in a week, he could roughly guess what that ‘agreement that made both sides happy’ was.

‘Now they’re really ripping off even bandits.’

How did a guy who once seemed like a stubborn Taoist end up like this…

Hyun Jong sat down silently and closed his eyes tightly. In fact, from the moment he threw Im Sobyung to those two, he was an accomplice.

All an accomplice could say was this.

“Well, I’m glad the agreement went well.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Im Sobyung looked at him with hollow eyes and gnashed his teeth.

“Very well done. Thank you. How should I repay this favor…”

Hyun Jong smiled benevolently. ‘People are all the same.’

Im Sobyung, who had impressed him with his calm and serious manner when they first met, had now become full of bitterness and anger after spending a few days at Mount Hua.

“Alright. Now that we’re all busy, let’s get to the main point. What exactly does Mount Hua need to help with?”

Im Sobyung sighed deeply.

He had given everything he had, and now it was time to take what he could get.

“After discussing it with my men, the number of mountain fortresses that attacked the Green Camp is at least three.”

“Three…”

“I’m not sure. I think it could be more than five.”

“Five?”

At that moment, Baek Cheon raised his hand slightly.

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand… Isn’t the Green Forest made up of seventy-two camps?”

“That’s right. Officially, the Green Forest’s mountain fortresses are seventy-two, but in reality, there are also small fortresses that are not included but are still under the Green Forest’s management.”

Baek Cheon nodded as Im Sobyung answered calmly.

“If the Green Forest has seventy-two camps, isn’t five a relatively small number? But is the rebellion of those five mountain fortresses such a big problem?”

As if he had expected this question, Im Sobyung smiled.

“The reason is simple. Even if there are seventy-two mountain fortresses, their individual strengths are not all the same. Most of the Green Forest’s power is concentrated in the top ten fortresses. Five of them would be, to put it mildly, half of the Green Forest’s power.”

“Ah…”

A sigh escaped from Im Sobyung’s lips.

“To deal with them, we need the strength of all the remaining five fortresses, but only about two of them firmly support me.”

Then Chung Myung, who was listening, grinned.

“You’re just the Green Forest King in name only, aren’t you…”

“Ugh. It’s because of my illness.”

“Why the illness?”

“Isn’t it well known that people with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians die young?”

“That’s right.”

“I have something similar, so they say I won’t live long. Who would support me? I’ll be dog food after I die.”

“So, I should have eaten the Elixir and announced that my illness was cured as soon as possible…”

As he spoke, Im Sobyung glared at Chung Myung with resentment, as if his anger was rising again.

Then Chung Myung whistled and turned his head.

“It happens.”

“Ugh…”

Im Sobyung, clutching his chest, took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Anyway, so we just need to deal with those three mountain fortresses?”

“Yes, to put it simply, that’s it.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung nodded and looked at Hyun Jong.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve had beggar uncle spread the rumors. By the time we arrive at those mountain fortresses, the rumors will probably be widespread.”

“Then is there anything else we need to do?”

“No.”

Hyun Jong nodded silently and then spoke with an extremely serious expression.

“Hyun Sang. Hyun Young.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Complete the preparations for departure by tomorrow morning. Tell the disciples what’s happening and get everything ready so there are no problems when leaving!”

“Yes! Sect Leader.”

Then Hyun Young asked carefully.

“But, Sect Leader. How many disciples should we take with us?”

“Prepare everyone.”

“Yes?”

“Only leave the smallest number of people needed to protect the main sect. Everyone else should leave.”

Hyun Young’s eyes widened. Because he knew exactly what these words meant.

Until now, Mount Hua had participated in martial arts competitions and traveled to the new world, but it was always just a part of it. But with this, things were different.

Hyun Jong looked at everyone with unwavering eyes and said.

“Disciples, listen.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“It has been a hundred years since Mount Hua became weak because of a big disaster. During that time, Mount Hua has stayed away from outside events and focused on what was happening inside. But now, we don’t need to do that anymore.”

Not just Hyun Young. There was no one here who didn’t know what those words meant. A strange excitement began to fill the eyes of the Mount Hua disciples.

Hyun Jong smiled gently as he saw their determined eyes.

“Let’s show the world now. Let’s show them that Mount Hua has become stronger than anyone thinks.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

The heat swept through the main hall.

For the first time in decades, Mount Hua threw open its doors and began to take a big step towards the world.