Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 77

“S-Senior Brother?” one disciple stammered, pointing at the table.

Baek Cheon was speechless. He just stared.

“What… what is all this?” the disciple continued, his voice shaky with disbelief. “Is it… for us? For working hard?”

Baek Cheon couldn’t answer. He was as shocked as everyone else.

Spread before them was a meal unlike anything Mount Hua had ever seen. For most people, it might not look like a feast. But for Mount Hua, this meal was like something only an emperor would eat.

First, there was…

There! And there!

“Wait…” Baek Cheon blinked, then rubbed his eyes hard. “Isn’t that… meat?”

“Heo,” another disciple breathed out, equally stunned.

Plates piled high with roasted meat filled the tables. The smell of spices and cooking meat hung in the air, making Baek Cheon’s stomach rumble. There were dishes of glistening ribs, chunks of roasted chicken, and even what looked like grilled fish, arranged beautifully.

In front of him was meat, clearly from animals that had been killed. This felt wrong in a place of training, a place meant for purity and peace. How could such a thing be happening here?

“Where did they get the money?”

That’s what I’m saying!

It wasn’t as if they had stolen it from somewhere, so where on Mount Hua did the money come from to afford meat?

“W-Wait a moment, Senior Brother. Now that I think about it, the inside of the dining hall seems different too. I thought it was just because it’s been so long since I’ve been here, but doesn’t it seem cleaner and shinier?”

“Now that you mention it.”

Baek Cheon looked around. The entire building hadn’t been rebuilt, but it certainly looked like it had been renovated. The holes that had been everywhere and the places that looked like they were about to fall apart had all been fixed.

“New buildings are popping up, the dining hall is being renovated, and now there’s meat on the table!”

“I don’t know what happened on Mount Hua while we were gone. It’s as if the God of Wealth himself descended upon us.”

Baek Cheon chuckled dryly.

The God of Wealth? Mount Hua was a land abandoned by the god of wealth.

If there was one sect in the world that could rival the Beggars’ Sect for the title of the poorest sect under heaven, it was Mount Hua.

No, even the Beggars’ Sect probably wasn’t as poor as Mount Hua. The Beggars’ Sect was just a group of beggars, but the sect itself wasn’t necessarily poor.

Wealth on Mount Hua?

Could there be a more mismatched phrase?

Baek Cheon glanced at Un-geom.

“Uncle. These dishes…?”

“The Head of the Treasury prepared these dishes to commend you all. Eat heartily.”

Why did he say it so nonchalantly?

Where was the Uncle who used to joke about eating grass for thirty years? He said it made him feel more like a rabbit than a swordsman!

What was even stranger in all of this was the reaction of the third-generation disciples.

The third-generation disciples, who were at this gathering to celebrate the second-generation disciples, didn’t seem particularly surprised even though there was meat in front of them.

They were just staring at the table with a nonchalant expression.

Baek Cheon listened carefully to the third-generation disciples.

“Ugh, more meat?” one of the younger disciples groaned. “Isn’t there anything else? Maybe… fish?”

Another scoffed, “Fish? On Mount Hua? You’ll be lucky if you don’t get hit with a rock, let alone a fish!”

What on earth were these crazy bastards saying?

What? Tired of meat?

Unable to understand the situation, Baek Cheon opened his mouth, feeling frustrated.

“No…”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

“Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!”

No, he had been about to open his mouth.

Baek Cheon turned his head slightly to the side and shut his mouth at the sharp gazes of his fellow disciples.

‘Let’s eat first.’

‘You have plenty of money, so you can eat meat all the time. We’ve been eating nothing but wall-weeds for a year now.’

Baek Cheon felt the strong stares of his fellow disciples. He cleared his throat and spoke.

“If the Sect Leader and the elders aren’t coming, would it be alright if we started eating first?”

“Hmm? Ah, I wasn’t being observant enough. Go ahead and eat.”

“Yes, then.”

Un-geom, with his good sense, picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of meat in his mouth. As if that was the signal, his fellow disciples began to move their chopsticks like mad.

Tap tap tap!

Food flew into the air.

But there was no need to worry. Before the meat that flew into the air could fall to the floor, chopsticks would fly in and snatch it up.

Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut as he watched the chaotic scene.

It might seem excessive, but it was actually quite natural. Mount Hua was the poorest sect under heaven, and the disciples of Mount Hua were the poorest people under heaven.

All they had eaten here so far was a bit of grain powder, pine needles, and a few nuts. To put it nicely, it was health food; to put it badly, it was the cheapest diet in the world.

Besides, thanks to this training, hadn’t they been living off nothing but wall-weeds for a year?

Those like Baek Cheon, who had some financial leeway in their families, could buy food with the money sent from home, but those who didn’t had not even smelled meat for several years.

Of course, their eyes would pop out.

Amidst all this, Baek Cheon noticed the third-generation disciples eating leisurely.

Looking at their nonchalant expressions, he realized that these dishes were no longer special in Mount Hua.

“Uncle.”

Un-geom, who was barely eating, turned his head to look at Baek Cheon.

“Why? Doesn’t the food suit your taste?”

“It’s not that… I just can’t understand the current situation. What on earth happened to Mount Hua while we were gone?”

“I see. I didn’t consider your position.”

Un-geom chuckled.

“It’s too long of a story to tell now. You’ll find out eventually. Just know that a lucky charm rolled into Mount Hua.”

“A lucky charm?”

Just then,

Boom!

The door burst open. The second-generation disciples, who were eating, flinched and tried to get up from their seats. Anyone who could open the door so boldly must be an elder…

‘Huh?’

‘Were there any elders who were that young?’

‘There’s no way!’

Surprisingly, the one who opened the door was a very young child. Chung Myung, who had followed the Sect Leader, trembled as he entered.

“There’s a seat here.”

Jo Gul raised his hand slightly, and Chung Myung nodded slightly towards Un-geom before stomping towards the seat. And those sitting nearby subtly pulled their seats in to make it easier for Chung Myung to pass.

Baek Cheon narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene.

‘The children are being considerate of that child?’

Of course, that could be the case. If everyone was polite and kind.

But the third-generation disciples that Baek Cheon knew were diligent and quick-witted, but they weren’t exactly what one would call kind.

The fact that they were doing such a thing naturally meant only one thing.

‘That little brat has won over the third-generation disciples?’

It was unbelievable.

But there was too much evidence to make it impossible to believe. The seat that the children had left empty happened to be the central seat, and Yoon Jong and Jo Gul were sitting on either side of it.

Yoon Jong was respected as the eldest of the younger disciples, and Jo Gul was known for his strength.

‘He has justification and power on either side of him?’

But how on earth did that little child win them over? Besides…

‘Why doesn’t Uncle Un-geom say anything?’

The way that brat had kicked open the door just now was quite rude. He could have been excused if he didn’t think there were any second-generation disciples or Un-geom inside, but if he had committed a discourtesy, it was proper etiquette to apologize properly.

Un-geom, who usually valued etiquette, should have said something. But he was nonchalantly eating with his chopsticks as if he didn’t care at all.

‘The more I look, the less I understand.’

Baek Cheon shook his head. His eyes fell on Chung Myung, who was talking to the children around him.

“Why are you so angry again?”

“They want me to go to the Eunha Merchant Guild.”

“There again.”

“Exactly. It’s not like I’m a carrier pigeon!”

Yoon Jong chuckled at Chung Myung’s complaint.

“You liked it at first.”

“That was only once or twice. Ugh.”

Chung Myung scratched his head roughly.

“Still, it’s a relief that you only have to deliver it to the branch in Hwaeum. If they had told me to go all the way to Xi’an, I would have collapsed.”

Watching Yoon Jong comfort Chung Myung and Jo Gul poking him while chuckling, Baek Cheon became certain.

‘That bastard has completely devoured the third-generation disciples.’

He didn’t know how, but Chung Myung clearly had a lot of influence over the younger disciples.

‘In many ways.’

Baek Cheon smiled subtly.

Yoon Jong, the senior disciple of the third generation, had a tendency to treat his superiors with utmost respect. He knew how to bow his head on his own without Baek Cheon having to press him.

But no matter how he looked at it, that Chung Myung didn’t seem to have that kind of tendency.

‘I need to set a date.’

To solve his many questions as well.

“Senior Brother.”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Ah, I should eat.”

Baek Cheon picked up his chopsticks. But he soon put them down again and looked around.

“Where is Junior Sister Yu?”

“Well? She was here until a little while ago.”

At the mention of Junior Sister Yu, the second-generation disciples looked around.

“She was here until we got to the dining hall.”

“It looks like she slipped away somewhere again.”

Everyone answered nonchalantly, as if this happened quite often. But Baek Cheon frowned as if he didn’t like it very much.

“Shouldn’t we look for her? It’s a rare occasion for the disciples to get together and catch up. If someone is missing, the joy is lessened.”

“There’s no one who can find Junior Sister Yu, is there? It was said she could hide so well, no one could find her unless she wanted to be found.”

“You’ll just be wasting your time, Senior Brother.”

Baek Cheon narrowed his brow slightly.

“Hmm.”

Those who were watching his uncomfortable expression eventually sighed quietly and got up from their seats.

Yu Yiseol was very private. It was said she could hide so well, no one could find her unless she wanted to be found. But with Baek Cheon’s expression hardened like that, they had to at least pretend to look.

‘Senior Brother is too biased towards Junior Sister Yu.’

He seemed to lose his composure often in matters involving Yu Yiseol, even though he was fair in other matters.

‘Well.’

It wasn’t hard to understand. It was just a bit annoying, thanks to her.

It was the moment when some of the second-generation disciples were about to get up from their seats. The closed door slowly opened.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards it.

A woman walked in through the sunlight pouring in through the open door. Her footsteps were so small that they couldn’t even be heard.

“Junior Sister.”

Baek Cheon raised his voice.

Yu Yiseol, who had entered, looked around. As if she was trying to find someone.

Baek Cheon smiled brightly and raised his hand.

“Junior Sister, this way…”

Yu Yiseol began to take steps again. But her direction wasn’t towards where Baek Cheon was.

Tap. Tap.

Yu Yiseol walked in small steps to one side and soon reached her destination, stopping in her tracks. And she stared intently at the person sitting in front of her.

Baek Cheon’s eyes twitched slightly.

Yu Yiseol asked the man she was staring at.

“Can I sit here?”

The second-generation disciples gasped. The men especially were stunned, their jaws dropping in surprise.

‘Junior Sister Yu spoke to a man?’

‘No. When was the last time I heard Junior Sister Yu speak?’

But the shock didn’t end there.

Chung Myung said, not even looking at her. “No.”

“Then can I talk to you for a moment?”

Chung Myung said firmly.

“No. I don’t want to talk to you. Go away.”

Was he crazy?