Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 74

“This way, Young Master! Welcome back,” Waiter 1 said.

“Please, a good seat by the window for you,” Waiter 1 added.

Chung Myung asked, “Anything new today?”

Waiter 1 replied, “Nothing much, Young Master. Business is great thanks to you! Haha!”

Waiter 1 said, “Cool towel, Young Master. Your usual Shaoxing wine is coming. Any side dishes today?”

Chung Myung responded, “Just bring some good ones.”

Waiter 1 said, “Yes, sir! Best dishes today!”

Chung Myung thought, *’Best and tastiest, you sneaky waiter! Trying to cheat me?’*

The waiter returned quickly with two bottles of chilled Shaoxing wine.

Waiter 1 said, “Here you are.”

Chung Myung replied, “Ah, thanks.”

Chung Myung took the Shaoxing wine, opened a bottle quickly, and poured it. The wine gurgled into the glass, a happy sound.

Chung Myung thought, *’Ah… this is the life.’*

Chung Myung had ignored many Taoist rules. Drinking was not allowed for Mount Hua disciples, especially inside the sect.

It wasn’t completely forbidden, but *definitely* not allowed at Mount Hua.

But Chung Myung was different.

He always did what he was told *not* to do, especially if it was forbidden.

Chung Myung thought, *’Funny how wanting something gets stronger when you can’t have it.’*

His own wine from the cave was finished. Now, because the sect leader allowed it, he often changed clothes and came to this tavern in Hwaeum.

He came so often the waiter knew him right away. *A little embarrassing!*

Chung Myung: “Kheu.”

He drank a glass of wine quickly and leaned back, looking very happy.

Chung Myung said, “Tao is about being natural, right? So why so many rules? Make up your minds!”

Chung Myung thought, *’Honestly, these Taoist geezers!’*

Chung Myung thought, *’What?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Am I a Taoist too?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Nah. I’m a bit different.’*

Chung Myung poured more wine, but just looked at it. The wine *shone* in the glass, and he smiled a little.

Chung Myung said, “It’s not the same, Sasuk.”

The best wine was when he had to hide it, always watching out for his Sasuk (teachers), who were always looking for him, very serious about catching him.

Chung Myung said, “I’m here now, though.”

Chung Myung thought, *’But no one else is.’*

Chung Myung chuckled, looking at the wine.

It was strange.

He never used to want someone to drink with him. But now, he looked past the glass, thinking.

Chung Myung said, “Tsk.”

He didn’t think about it for too long.

The past was the past. His Sasuk would laugh if they saw him being so emotional.

Those old men were like that.

People called them wise Taoists or even like gods, but really, they were just playful old men.

And Chung Myung was the same.

Waiter 1 said, “Here’s the Sanpi-sa (cold dish with chicken and pork). And here’s the Daeryeo-daepajusa (braised pig’s feet).”

Sanpi-sa is seasoned chicken, pork, and jellyfish. Daeryeo-daepajusa is braised pig’s feet. Both are from Shaanxi.

Chung Myung asked, “What about the Dongpo pork?”

Waiter 1 replied, “Coming right up!”

Chung Myung smacked his lips and grabbed his chopsticks.

Who cared about old memories when there was delicious food in front of him? He drank more wine and enjoyed the cold dish. This was paradise.

Chung Myung thought, *’This is the real immortal life.’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Forget going to heaven. Sasuk, you guys can be happy up there, I’m staying here.’*

Suddenly, the door opened and a group walked in.

Waiter 1 said, “Welcome!”

The waiter hurried to greet them.

There were six newcomers: four men and two women. They looked young.

Chung Myung thought, *’Well, maybe not *that* young.’*

The men looked about thirty, the women younger. But to Chung Myung, they were all just kids.

The group came in, looked around, and sat at the table next to Chung Myung. He ignored them and kept eating quickly.

Man 1 said, “It’s been so long since I had *real* food.”

Woman 1 said, “I’m sick of that training food, Sasuk. I can’t eat any more.”

Man 2 said, “That’s why we’re here, right? We should go up the mountain and see the Sasuks (teachers) soon, but I think they’ll understand this.”

Chung Myung thought, *’Sasuk? Sajo? Who are they talking about?’*

Chung Myung looked up as the group put down their bags. They wore black robes. On their chests was a plum blossom, the symbol of Mount Hua sect.

Chung Myung thought, *’Mount Hua disciples? Baek Ja generation, maybe?’*

They had plum blossoms on their robes, so they were from Mount Hua. Chung Myung hadn’t seen them before, so they must be Baek Ja disciples, the younger generation. Their ages seemed right.

Chung Myung looked down again.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he didn’t want to be seen. He didn’t want to get mixed up with them. Luckily, he was wearing normal clothes. If he just stayed quiet, it would be fine.

Chung Myung thought, *’Can’t even eat in peace! Ugh. Eat fast and leave.’*

Man 3 asked, “Where’s Sago Yoo?”

Woman 2 replied, “She probably went to Mount Hua already.”

Man 4 asked, “Weren’t we meeting in Hwaeum?”

Man 3 said, “Sago Yoo never listens to anyone.”

Man 2 said, “Hmm. Then Sabu (Master) must know we’re coming.”

Man 4 said, “It’s okay. Everyone knows Sago Yoo is… different.”

Man 2 replied, “Good.”

The young man in the middle called the waiter and ordered food. Then he ordered wine and poured it for the others.

Chung Myung thought, *’Tsk, tsk.’*

Chung Myung frowned.

Chung Myung thought, *’Drinking party in Hwaeum? These young disciples are ruining the sect!’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Honestly, these youngsters!’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Huh?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Me?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Nah. My case is different. I’m almost a hundred years old…’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Never mind, never mind.’*

Man in center (Baek Cheon) said, “You’ve all worked so hard. The training was tough, but you did great.”

Man 5 said, “No one worked harder than you, Sasuk! We just followed you.”

Woman 1 said, “That’s right! Sasuk worked the hardest.”

The young man, who was very handsome, smiled kindly.

Chung Myung thought, *’He *is* good-looking.’*

Even Chung Myung could see how charming he was. In those black robes, he looked impressive.

Chung Myung thought, *’Like a hero from a story.’*

Baek Cheon said, “I know you all worked harder than anyone else in training. This wine is on me. Relax and drink as much as you want.”

The disciples replied, “Thank you, Sasuk.”

Baek Cheon added, “But don’t get too drunk. We have to go up to Mount Hua in the evening.”

The disciples replied, “Of course.”

Laughter rang out.

So, they were back from training and celebrating in Hwaeum. The one called Sasuk must be the leader of the Baek Ja disciples, and the others were important members of their group.

They were drinking openly, so they must be important enough not to worry about being seen by other disciples.

Chung Myung thought (sarcastically), *’Oh, the sect is doing *great*.’*

Chung Myung snorted.

When Chung Myung was a young disciple, drinking with friends was unthinkable. He would have been locked in the Repentance Cave (a punishment place), forced to stare at a wall and practice sword swings for a week.

*That’s* why Chung Myung drank secretly!

Chung Myung thought, *’Wait… did I drink?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Oh yeah, I did. Well, of course I did!’*

Chung Myung thought, *’But I drank secretly, with a reason! Not like them, out in the open!’*

The group, not noticing Chung Myung, started drinking and toasting each other. Food arrived, filling the table, and they got louder and more cheerful.

Chung Myung thought, *’Just eat and go.’*

Chung Myung ate quickly, ignoring the noise. Just as he finished a glass of wine, he heard someone speak clearly.

Disciple 1 asked, “Sasuk Baek Cheon.”

Baek Cheon replied, “Yes, Saje.”

Disciple 1 asked, “We trained so hard. We’ll do well in the Hwajong Competition, right?”

Baek Cheon nodded slowly, arms crossed.

Baek Cheon said, “Hmm.”

Disciple 1 asked, “Right, Sasuk?”

Baek Cheon said, “Saje, I don’t know for sure. But I know one thing.”

Disciple 1 asked, “What is it?”

Baek Cheon said, “Hard work always pays off.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes were bright.

Baek Cheon said, “We worked hard. We finished the tough training. We pushed ourselves. Even if we don’t win, we’ve become stronger, right?”

Disciple 1 replied, “Yes, Sasuk.”

Baek Cheon said, “Don’t just think about winning or losing. We have a long way to go. If we only focus on winning now, we might lose in the future.”

Disciple 1 said, “Ah… I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.”

Baek Cheon added, “But I still want to win.”

Baek Cheon smiled kindly. His smile made his handsome face even brighter. The other disciples looked at him, their eyes full of trust.

But behind them, one person had a disgusted look.

Chung Myung thought, *’Is he trying to sweet-talk them?’*

Chung Myung drank his wine, looking disgusted. He hated those kinds of empty, nice-sounding words.

Chung Myung thought, *’This is not like Sasuk.’*

His Sasuk also said silly, old-fashioned things, but this was different. Baek Cheon wasn’t doing anything wrong, but…

Disciple 2 asked, “So, how strong are we now? Can we beat the Jongnam disciples?”

Baek Cheon replied, “Well…”

Baek Cheon looked serious.

Baek Cheon said, “Jongnam is strong. They are one of the famous Nine Great Sects, right?”

Disciple 2 replied, “Yes.”

Baek Cheon said, “We used to be one of the Nine Great Sects too. But now, Jongnam is much stronger than us. It’s not even close.”

Everyone looked sad at Baek Cheon’s words.

Baek Cheon said, “But that’s just what people say.”

Baek Cheon spoke louder, trying to sound more positive.

Baek Cheon said, “Being famous doesn’t always mean you’re the best. We lost to Jongnam in the last Hwajong Competition, but it was close. And since then, we’ve trained so hard, staying up late every night. Now we *can* fight Jongnam.”

Disciple 3 asked, “*That* Jongnam?”

Baek Cheon said, “Was Jongnam always strong? Was Mount Hua always weak? Things change. If we keep getting better and never stop, we can beat Jongnam. We can become the best in our time.”

His voice was strong, and his eyes showed he really believed it. It was inspiring to see.

Everyone was about to look at Baek Cheon with admiration.

“Pfft!”

A snort came from behind them.

All six heads turned at once.

Chung Myung said, “Uh…”

Chung Myung realized everyone was staring at him. He covered his mouth, looking embarrassed.

Chung Myung thought, *’Crap! Didn’t mean to do that.’*

He laughed because Baek Cheon’s words sounded so silly to him.

Everyone was staring. Chung Myung quickly thought of an excuse, like always.

Chung Myung thought, *’Act natural. Act natural.’*

He started coughing loudly.

Chung Myung said, “Cough! Cough! Oh no! Cough! Something stuck! *[Sound of spitting]*”

…

Chung Myung frowned, seeing everyone still staring.

Chung Myung thought, *’Why aren’t they buying it? My acting is amazing!’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Should I cough even louder?’*

Baek Cheon said, “Young friend.”

Chung Myung replied, “Yes?”

Baek Cheon stood up slowly. He looked directly at Chung Myung.

Baek Cheon asked, “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you in Hwaeum before. Can you tell me your name?”

…

Chung Myung thought, *’This seems to have gone wrong?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Right?’*

Chung Myung thought, *’Right?’*