Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 668

Yang Kyung was in a bad mood.

There were a few reasons for this.

First, the long trip to Mount Hua. Second, when he got there, it was packed with people.

He was tired from his long trip. Now, he had to walk up a steep mountain path. Many, many people were on the path.

He could understand some of it. Mount Hua hadn’t invited them, and they came on their own, so they had to deal with it.

But something else made him really angry.

“What? No rooms?”

The Ice Palace disciple, who was checking people in, gave an awkward smile and said, “I am sorry.”

“So many people have come that those who didn’t get a nameplate will have to stay in Hua-eum, down the mountain.”

“Down the mountain?”

Yang Kyung’s face twisted.

“Are you telling me I have to go down this damned mountain and climb back up again?”

The Ice Palace disciple looked embarrassed and apologized again. Even he knew going down and climbing back up the mountain was hard.

“I apologize. There aren’t enough rooms, so please understand.”

Yang Kyung’s face turned red. But he tried to stay calm.

“Then, if I go down to Hua-eum, where am I supposed to stay? Is there a building at least?”

“We put people in the new pavilions if they came early, but… they are all full now, so you’ll have to stay in an inn or a tent. But I don’t even know if there are any rooms left in the inns…”

“A tent?”

Yang Kyung looked at the Ice Palace disciple, confused.

“Does the Cheonwu Alliance put up guests in tents who have come from far away?”

“I’m sorry. More people came than we expected.”

“Many came?”

Yang Kyung gritted his teeth, looking angry.

“Doesn’t that mean everyone is celebrating the Cheonwu Alliance even more! But you treat guests like this!”

He shouted, and people nearby turned to look.

Jo Gul hurried over and asked Yang Kyung, “What’s going on?”

“Listen here.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“I am Yang Kyung, the head of the Cheongbaek Sect of Honam. People call me Iron-Hearted Yang.”

Jo Gul was very polite. He clasped his hands and said, “Sect Leader Yang, it is an honor to meet you.”

Then he asked, “But…?”

He was asking why Yang Kyung was angry.

Iron-Hearted Yang Kyung frowned.

“I traveled a long way to celebrate the Cheonwu Alliance, but you can’t even give me a place to rest? You want me to sleep in a tent? Is that right?”

Jo Gul understood now. He sighed quietly. He looked worried.

‘So many people came!’ he thought.

Even if they knew, they couldn’t do anything. They couldn’t build more buildings right away. They could only house this many people because the Tang family helped them.

“I am truly sorry. Please understand our sect’s situation.”

“Understand…”

Yang Kyung repeated the word softly, looking at Jo Gul strangely.

Jo Gul could tell that Yang Kyung didn’t like Mount Hua from the start.

“Understanding goes both ways, right? Don’t you agree, Head Disciple?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“So, who gets to stay in these magnificent buildings of Mount Hua?”

Jo Gul’s face hardened.

“Answer me.”

“…The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families will be staying there.”

Yang Kyung chuckled, as if he knew it all along.

“So… the important people get to stay in buildings, and nameless folks like us have to sleep in tents like beggars?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean? Tell me the grand meaning behind it.”

Jo Gul bit his lip.

‘This is nonsense,’ he thought.

Any sect would do the same thing. Even when Shaolin had the World Martial Arts Competition, they gave the Shaolin buildings to important families and made the guests stay outside.

But Yang Kyung was complaining about it?

He was trying to start a fight.

Jo Gul couldn’t get angry. He had to make sure this event went smoothly. He had to avoid any problems.

So, Jo Gul tried to stay calm and spoke politely again.

“Please understand that our sect’s situation is not good.”

“Not good…”

Yang Kyung smirked.

Mount Hua might be stronger now, but its disciples were still new. It was easy to push them around.

Yang Kyung looked at the people nearby. They were watching him and Jo Gul. They were curious about what Mount Hua would do. They thought it was funny.

“Let’s say I understand about the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families! I can understand Mount Hua’s situation a little.”

“…”

“But… what about them?”

“Yes?”

Yang Kyung pointed at the Beast Palace disciples and the Ice Palace disciples.

“Why are they staying there? If there aren’t enough rooms for guests, the hosts should give up their own rooms. But they are taking up those spots, so that’s why there aren’t enough places for the guests!”

Jo Gul was shocked.

“Sect Leader, these people are members of the Cheonwu Alliance…”

“If there aren’t enough rooms, shouldn’t *they* give up *their* buildings?”

“…”

Yang Kyung smirked as he saw Jo Gul speechless.

“Why? It’s not hard, is it? The Bukhae Ice Palace is in a cold place, so it’s easy for them to sleep outside. And the Naman Beast Palace are barbarians, so sleeping on the streets is no problem for them, right?”

Jo Gul’s face turned red with anger.

He was even more angry because people were laughing at Yang Kyung’s words.

‘They’re laughing?’ he thought.

They weren’t angry at such rude words, but they were laughing?

Jo Gul’s face turned red with anger.

“That’s too much!”

“I’m just saying what’s true! Why should we give those who lived in empty lands such a great palace? It’s like putting a pearl necklace on a pig!”

“Th-that…”

Jo Gul was about to shout, but then loud, mocking laughter exploded around them, sharp and cruel.

“Well, he’s not completely wrong, is he?”

“For those country bumpkins, a palace like this is probably like their emperor’s home!”

“Tents would be good enough for them. They’re used to living in huts anyway.”

Not only Jo Gul, but also the other Hwasan disciples nearby, had faces burning red like hot coals. Their lips tightened and shook with anger.

‘How interesting,’ Jo Gul thought.

Jo Gul realized something new.

The Ice Palace and the Beast Palace had avoided the Central Plains. They clearly had their reasons.

But feelings are different from thinking clearly.

No matter the reason, it was hard to like those who rejected them, especially if they had been looked down upon in the past.

For a long time, the Central Plains had ignored the sects of the outer lands and their people. The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace praised the Plum Blossom Sword Saint because he was the only one who helped Yunnan when the Demonic Sect invaded, unlike the other people of the Central Plains who ignored the Beast Palace and Yunnan’s crisis.

What mattered was not that the Plum Blossom Sword Saint helped the Beast Palace, but that the Central Plains did not help the outer lands even when the Demonic Sect invaded.

Before now, people were hiding their bad feelings about the Four Outer Palaces. Hwasan and the Tang Family were strong, so people stayed quiet. But Yang Kyung’s words made those feelings come out.

“Hwasan and the Tang Family are enough. I don’t know why they called the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace.”

“Will the sects of the Central Plains join with the sects of the outer lands? They are just barbarians anyway.”

“I wonder if they are just making things worse.”

Once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back.

Many people who had been watching, not wanting to cause trouble, began to add their own comments, and soon their voices grew louder.

The whispers turned into a loud buzz, like angry bees. Jo Gul felt he could not watch any longer and raised his voice.

“Please don’t say too much. The Ice Palace and the Beast Palace are friends of Hwasan. Insulting them is the same as insulting Hwasan!”

“Heh heh. I thought Hwasan was better than this, but…”

Even though Jo Gul was angry, Yang Kyung was not afraid. He just smirked slyly.

“So, what will you do? Will you kick me out if I insult them more?”

“……”

“Go ahead and try. Hwasan is a place that pushes away the sects of the Central Plains to protect the barbarians of the outer lands! Ptooey! If I knew it was like this, I wouldn’t have come all this way to suffer!”

Jo Gul looked around, flustered. The people were not looking at him kindly. Yang Kyung’s words, that they were pushing away the sects of the Central Plains for the sake of the barbarians, seemed to be the final straw.

If it were the usual Jo Gul, he would not have been bothered by such words. He might have even proudly said it was true.

But this was a big event that he was experiencing for the first time, and since Hwasan was hosting it, he hesitated, thinking he should not cause trouble.

“That’s…”

Just then, a disciple of the Ice Palace, who had been behind him, stepped forward, unable to watch any longer.

“Don’t pick a fight with innocent people. If you have a problem, tell me directly.”

“What?”

“Are you the kind of coward who can’t talk to the person involved and only shouts at a young Taoist you think you can beat?” A cold voice from behind Jo Gul said…

“Y-you barbarian bastard, where did you…”

“What?”

“Don’t you dare talk back!”

“You son of a bitch!”

At the word ‘barbarian,’ the disciples of the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace, who had been watching, became angry and stepped forward.

The atmosphere quickly turned hostile.

“N-no, you mustn’t do this!”

Jo Gul quickly stopped the disciples of the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace.

“You mustn’t cause trouble. Isn’t this a place for the founding of the Cheonwoo Alliance?”

“……”

The disciples of the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace closed their mouths, looking stiff. They didn’t want to back down, but they had to since Jo Gul said so.

But Jo Gul’s words worked for them, but not for Yang Kyung.

“Ha! Those loudmouths are tucking their tails!”

Feeling humiliated, the Ice Palace disciple who was backing down gritted his teeth and said.

“……If this wasn’t Hwasan, your head would already be on the ground. You’re lucky.”

“What?”

Yang Kyung’s eyes lit up with anger at that murderous aura, and he rushed in.

“What are you babbling about, you barbarian bastard!”

And he shouted as loud as he could.

“You filthy barbarians, why are you acting so proud! You don’t even know your place!”

“Filthy barbarians?”

The disciples of the Ice Palace and the Beast Palace bit their lips hard.

They wanted to grab him and fight, but they knew that Hwasan and the Tang Family would be in trouble if they did, so they couldn’t do anything.

“Don’t ruin the Central Plains with your dirty feet. Go back to where you came from, you barbarian bastards!”

“Sect Leader Yang!”

Jo Gul could not take it anymore. He shouted and stepped forward. Just then…

“What, you little punk?”

Jo Gul turned pale and quickly turned his head.

‘Ah, no!’ he thought.

Chung Myung was walking out from the crowd, cracking his neck from side to side.

Chung Myung looked around and then stared at Yang Kyung.

“Who are you messing with! Are you crazy? Hey! Come here! I said come here!”

‘Ah, no……’ thought Jo Gul.

Jo Gul’s hand moved quickly to grab Chung Myung’s sleeve.

No, he was about to grab it.

But if his hand was lightning, Chung Myung was even faster. Chung Myung slipped away like a ghost and flew forward like a light. Jo Gul grabbed only empty air.

And then…

Crack!

Chung Myung’s foot shot out like a whip, smashing into Yang Kyung’s face with a sickening crack.

The world seemed to stop, and everything was silent.

Everyone stared with wide eyes and open mouths.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Yang Kyung screamed as he was kicked in the face and fell.

Only then did the Hwasan disciples come to their senses and cover their heads with their hands.

‘We’re doomed……’

It was the moment when Hwasan’s most important rule, ‘Prevent Chung Myung from causing an accident,’ was broken.