Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 688

Her skin was smooth and glossy.

“…”

Seeing a happy face is usually nice.

Sometimes, people laugh when they shouldn’t and ruin the mood because they don’t understand.

‘How can a person look so serene? I thought she was the Goddess of Mercy…’

‘She looks even rounder.’

It was truly a peculiar thing.

Hye-yeon, who could become one of the scariest people in the world when using martial arts, could look so cute and round in everyday life.

She used to look thin, but her face was rounder now. Her happy face made everyone feel better.

However, there was one thing that bothered me a little…

Jo Gul looked uneasy and said…

“Still, she’s a monk, so shouldn’t she not become so serene just from eating some meat…?”

“Ahem!”

“Shhh!”

“Zip it!”

Everyone scolded Jo Gul at once, and he pouted.

“No… If she had just eaten meat, I wouldn’t say anything. But yesterday at the drinking party, she was just gulping down the alcohol like she was going to drink all the alcohol in Mount Hua by herself.”

“…”

“Is a monk allowed to do that? She’s still a monk, isn’t she?”

“Are you allowed to do that as a Taoist, you rascal?”

“…If you put it that way, I don’t really have anything to say.”

Jo Gul stroked his stomach and frowned.

“It’s strange, that’s why. I’m still dizzy and nauseous from the alcohol I drank yesterday.”

“…Actually, me too.”

“I feel like I’ll throw up if someone pokes me.”

“Ugh…”

The disciples of Mount Hua sat slumped, their faces the color of old parchment, watching with heavy eyes as the other sect members stumbled into the training hall.

“How did we end up gathering only with sects like these…?”

Not only Hye-yeon but they were also peculiar.

The disciples of Mount Hua were quite confident in their drinking abilities. Mount Hua, because of Chung Myung, even thought drinking a lot was a good thing.

But the problem was that the other sects who drank against Mount Hua yesterday were not easy opponents either.

First, the Tang Family.

The Tang Family basically dealt with poison and hidden weapons. Therefore, they were necessarily skilled in detoxification. The Tang Family is known for poison. They even ate small amounts of poison as kids to become immune. So, a little alcohol won’t make them drunk.

And then, the Southern Savage Beast Palace.

You didn’t need to think too much about why those people were strong drinkers.

If anyone saw the members of the Southern Savage Beast Palace, they couldn’t help but think, ‘Ah, these people would drink three mal of alcohol and eat ten geun of meat as a snack.’

But what shocked the people of Mount Hua the most was not those two sects.

Even though the Tang Family and Savage Beast Palace were already some of the best drinkers, the Northern Sea Ice Palace was even better.

– Is this alcohol?

– In the Northern Sea, even a three-year-old child wouldn’t drink such weak alcohol, saying it’s bland!

– Bring alcohol, not water!

“…It was amazing.”

“Are their livers made of iron…?”

“I’ve heard that people in cold regions drink strong liquor, but I never thought it would be to that extent…”

In front of the disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, even the Tang Family and the Savage Beast Palace raised their hands in surrender.

The Northern Sea Ice Palace people already seemed cold and distant. Even after drinking a lot of strong alcohol, their faces didn’t change at all. It was almost scary to watch.

“Come to think of it, isn’t Palace Lord Seol also a very strong drinker?”

“…I think so? I saw him drinking face-to-face with the Savage Beast Palace Lord yesterday.”

“That, that guy looks so innocent, but…”

“Ahem! He’s the Palace Lord. Watch your words.”

“…Tsk. He was my junior until recently.”

Jo Gul clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed. And then he frowned again and muttered.

“Anyway, ugh… My stomach hurts like it’s going to die.”

The disciples of Mount Hua had to drink twice as much alcohol compared to the people from other sects.

As the drinking party deepened, the Tang Family, the Savage Beast Palace, and the Northern Sea Ice Palace became friendly with each other and drank heartily together, but in the end, they had no choice but to seek out the most familiar people from Mount Hua in the beginning.

People kept filling Baek Cheon’s glass, and he kept drinking. By the end of the party, he was almost passed out.

“So, what are the other guys doing?”

“…They’re all passed out, what else.”

“…”

“Soso went to wake them up a little while ago, so they’ll be here soon. They’ll get up if they don’t want needles stuck in their heads.”

Baek Cheon nodded and looked at the people from other sects gathering in the training hall.

They were walking unsteadily, and they looked completely weak. It was hard to believe these were the same strong people who had arrived at Mount Hua and stood so proudly before.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Hey! You can’t throw up here!”

“Kkeueu…. Water. Someone, some cool water…”

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Hey, you son of a b*tch!”

Baek Cheon’s cheeks twitched as he watched.

The stench of alcohol was so strong as those with yellow faces staggered into the training hall that it made his nose hurt.

‘Why….’

In Sichuan, people respect those in green robes like gods. In the South, people fear those in animal fur vests more than wild animals.

Those white…. Whi…. Ugh, seriously. Wash your clothes, what is that?

Anyway, those wearing clothes that were originally white were from the Northern Sea…. Ugh, never mind.

Seeing everyone hungover and throwing up everywhere made him feel sick and angry.

‘Why does everyone become like this when they just enter Mount Hua? Is the land here bad?’

At that moment, the one who regained consciousness first shouted.

“Stand straight, you bastards! Stand straigh…. Ugh! Stand… straight…”

“D, don’t shout. My head is ringing.”

“Which bastard peed here! This crazy bastard should drink in moderation…. Huh? A dog brought from the Savage Beast Palace? Ah…. Then that makes sense.”

It doesn’t make sense, you crazy bastards! Dog pee in the Taoist temple! What nonsense is this!

Baek Cheon also fully realized the meaning of friendship sprouting in the midst of passing drinks back and forth just last night. But now, he only had one thought.

‘I hope they all disappear quickly.’

This is true friendship! Seeing them makes my stomach turn! Just like when I see Chung Myung!

“…Where are our kids?”

“They’re coming over there.”

Baek Cheon turned his head slightly.

Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut, groaning.

The Mount Hua disciples stumbled towards the training grounds. Their clothes were messy, and they looked like they hadn’t slept at all.

Baek Cheon wondered, ‘Was creating the Cheonwoo Alliance really the right thing to do?’

Wasn’t it just a collection of hopeless cases lumped together?

“Ughhh… S-Senior Uncle…” a disciple groaned, clutching his stomach. “I think I’m going to die…”

“What, how much booze did *you* bring out to drink?” Baek Cheon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Baek Cheon smiled gently at his disciples, but with a firm tone.

“You lot,” Baek Cheon said.

“Yes?” his disciples mumbled.

“If you don’t want to collapse,” Baek Cheon continued, “stand up straight now. If you are weak today, your future will be weak too.”

“…Yes.”

Everyone struggled to straighten themselves, staggering towards the training grounds. Baek Cheon gazed at the distant mountain peaks.

Baek Cheon sighed, looking at the distant mountain peaks. ‘Why is it always like this?’ he thought. Every time something important happened, it turned into chaos. *Why* did things never go smoothly?

The leaders of the Cheonwoo Alliance stood facing each other. They were lined up, but barely. Each one looked like they were desperately trying to hold onto the last shreds of their pride, despite feeling terribly ill.

The Beast Palace disciples looked worried seeing Maeng So’s pale face. They remembered him collapsing after drinking with Chung Myung, and seeing him like this again was still shocking.

But Tang family members felt even worse looking at Tang Gun-ak. His face was grey, and his eyes were bloodshot. Tang Gun-ak, who was known for his strength, was actually shaking slightly.

“What *did* he drink?” one Tang family member thought.

“He looks terrible,” another whispered.

“Oh no… the Family Head…” someone else murmured in shock.

Hyun Jong looked like he might faint at any moment. His face was green. But the Mount Hua disciples could at least be relieved that Chung Myung looked *almost* normal. He was pale, but he was standing straight, unlike everyone else.

Seol So-baek was clearly the ‘winner’ of this intense drinking match. His Bukhae Ice Palace disciples were cheering loudly. ‘Stand tall! Stand up straight! That’s our Palace Lord!’ They looked ready to run to Seol So-baek and lift him onto their shoulders.

Seol So-baek smiled weakly, looking very proud despite his deathly pale face. Chung Myung watched him, his face twisting in annoyance.

“Ugh,” Chung Myung muttered, clenching his fist. “If I could just pour one more bottle down him, I could beat him.”

There were several people present who would normally tell him off immediately, but none of them had the energy to scold him. If they raised their voices even slightly, they might throw up.

Tang Gun-ak spoke in a weak voice, his face pale and sunken. He looked completely drained.

“Alliance Leader… say a few words.”

Then, Hyun Jong, who had been looking down at the disciples from the platform, opened his mouth weakly. But he couldn’t say anything, and soon covered his mouth with his hand, turning around and hunching over like a shrimp.

Tang Gun-ak muttered quietly.

“…I’m sorry. I brought up something unnecessary…”

At that moment, Maeng So shook his head.

“Forget the speeches… let’s go home.”

“…The disciples don’t look well; shouldn’t we rest for another day…?”

“If we keep smelling this strong smell of alcohol, even a healthy person would get drunk.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Maeng So’s words.

Maeng So continued, his complexion pale.

“It’s not like we won’t see each other again after leaving this time, we’ll meet again soon, so let’s not waste time.”

Tang Gun-ak nodded in agreement. And, not forgetting his duty, he added.

“Don’t forget the conversations we had yesterday. I will discuss the points I mentioned with the Mount Hua Sect and do what we talked about.”

“I trust you. Ugh… Ah, I trust you.”

Plop!

“Oh no! So-baek-ah!”

“Palace Lord Seol! Hold on!”

“So-so! Where is So-so!”

At that moment, Seol So-baek finally collapsed, having exhausted all his strength. Amidst the commotion, Hyun Jong took advantage of the opportunity to peek behind the platform and his shoulders shaking.

Watching this ridiculous sight, Baek Cheon smiled wryly.

“What a mess.”

Woof! Woof woof!

No. Not real dogs, you idiots! Why the hell did you bring dogs to Mount Hua, dogs!

It was total chaos. A complete mess. It was awful to look at. Taking advantage of the chaos, some disciples started to collapse where they stood. The future of the Cheonwoo Alliance was darkening in Baek Cheon’s mind.

So, after all the noise and mess, the three sects started to leave Mount Hua. When they arrived, they had looked confident and strong. Now, they just looked tired and defeated as they faced the steep path down the mountain.

“Then, everyone, take care! We’ll meet again!”

“Travel safely!”

“Wishing you success!”

“May your journey be without incident!”

They didn’t forget to exchange kind words. But the warm words, the polite smiles, and their true feelings were vastly different.

‘I never want to see Mount Hua again.’

‘I’m never coming again. I’ll send other guys next time.’

‘Don’t come again if you can help it.’

‘I’m going to die from exhaustion.’

Everyone wore business smiles and made very unnatural promises for the future. Tang Gun-ak and Maeng So, at the head of the group, waved their hands, and Seol So-baek, carried in a cart provided by Mount Hua, struggled to raise his hand without even lifting his head.

Watching them finally begin to descend the mountain, Baek Cheon muttered.

“But… will they all be able to descend Mount Hua in that state?”

“…”

“They have to climb down the cliffs, you know.”

Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and Yoo Iseol watched them go, exchanging worried glances.

“…They won’t actually die, will they?”

“Right?”

Baek Cheon nodded faintly and turned his head.

“Let’s go inside.”

“…”

“First, take the Sect Leader to his residence. Geol, you go and make some honey water.”

“…Yes.”

Following Baek Cheon’s orders, Jo Gul ran off, and several others moved busily to support Hyun Jong. Baek Cheon sighed.

Baek Cheon sighed. ‘What a day,’ he thought wearily. ‘What a complete and utter mess.’

Woof woof!

“Ah, they left the dog behind! Oh! damn it all! I’m going to lose my temper, really! Aaaargh!”

Baek Cheon’s scream echoed loudly throughout Mount Hua.

Whether the Cheonwoo Alliance was formed or the world changed, Mount Hua was just Mount Hua.