Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 782

“Exactly!” Chung Myung said loudly.

Hyun Jong was silent for a moment. He had just heard Chung Myung’s plan. He looked hard at Chung Myung. It was hard to know what he was thinking.

“So,” Hyun Jong began slowly, “what you are saying is…”

He looked around at everyone in the room. Chung Myung was there, of course, with Baek Cheon, Baek Sang, Yu Yiseol, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, Tang Soso, and even Hae Yeon and Im So-byeong. They were all waiting to hear what he would say.

“We will take control of this island,” Hyun Jong said.

“Yes!” Chung Myung grinned.

“And become… pirates?” Hyun Jong asked, his voice a little shaky. *Pirates?* he thought. *Is this what Mount Hua has come to?*

“Aigo, Sect Leader!” Chung Myung said, sounding frustrated. “I explained it all, and you still don’t understand!”

He thumped his chest.

“It’s not piracy, it’s collecting legitimate tolls!”

“Collecting tolls on the river?” Hyun Jong asked.

“Yes!”

“Isn’t that piracy?”

Chung Myung and Hyun Jong looked at each other.

Hyun Jong’s stare was strong, but Chung Myung couldn’t hold it. He looked away first.

“Well, if you look at it that way, maybe it could be seen that way…”

Clang!

“Eek!”

“Why are you drawing your sword, Sect Leader!”

“Aigo! Please calm down!”

“Let go! Will you let go?!”

Hyun Jong roared and shook his arms, throwing off the disciples who were trying to hold him back. They stumbled away, surprised by his sudden strength. His face was red.

“Now I’m hearing that the disciples of Mount Hua are going to become pirates! I should have cut that rascal down before I had to see this!”

“Do you even have the skill to do that?”

“Hyun Young, whose side are you on, you rascal!”

“Why do you ask? I’m obviously on Chung Myung’s side.”

Foam bubbled from Hyun Jong’s mouth. He’d chosen the wrong person to ask. Of course, Hyun Young would be on Chung Myung’s side.

Then, Hyun Young spoke in a slightly calmer voice.

“If you think about it, it’s not so bad.”

“He’s collecting tolls!”

“It’s silly to call someone a pirate just for collecting tolls. Are all the ferrymen who take people on boats and get paid pirates too?”

“If you go that far, everyone who sails on the Yangtze is a pirate. Is the Yangtze a lawless place?”

“That’s true.”

Hyun Jong sat back down. Now that he heard it, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

“No, I said the same thing…”

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes?”

“The meaning and impact of words change depending on who says them.”

Chung Myung also thought so and knew it wasn’t wrong, but he felt strangely unpleasant.

Hyun Young glanced at his sulky face, chuckled, and spoke to Hyun Jong again.

“When you think about it, it’s not a bad idea. If the word ‘toll’ bothers you, you can just charge a fare for taking people on the boats that travel to and from the island. And let them use the island for free.”

“Hmm…”

“More than anything, isn’t it true that there’s no guarantee this kind of thing won’t happen again? We can’t chase after them to this faraway place every time. And Mount Hua needs to provide a safe passage for the Eunha Trading Company. The losses are important right now.”

“Hmm. That’s true…”

Hyun Jong thought for a moment and nodded. The old him might have been horrified, but now he understood how to do business to some extent. Because of that, he knew how important this was.

“But we can’t just take this place, can we? What about our training? What about the main sect?”

“Ah, that’s okay.”

“Huh?”

“The Green Forest will take care of it here. I’ve already talked to the Green Forest King.”

Hyun Jong blinked blankly and turned to Im So-byeong, who nodded with a smile. The Green Forest was a famous group of bandits in this area.

“That’s right.”

“The Green Forest?”

“Yes.”

“The Yangtze?” The Yangtze River was a very important and busy river, like a highway for boats.

“They didn’t become bandits because they liked the mountains; they became bandits because they needed to make a living. If it makes money, what does it matter if it’s mountains or water?”

Well… that’s true. Besides, whether they’re mountain bandits or river pirates, they’re all bandits anyway.

“I know what you’re worried about, Sect Leader. But right now, the Green Forest is also following the will of the Mount Hua Divine Dragon and the Cheonwoo Alliance, not harming the common people, and increasing real businesses while charging reasonable tolls.”

“Isn’t charging tolls itself a problem?”

“Instead, they provide protection. They provide perfect protection until you cross the mountain. Those who used to suffer from tiger attacks or other petty robbers are welcoming it.”

Welcoming it?

Bandits?

“Do the… Green Forest bandits like that?”

“Some of them are annoyed and frustrated, but what can they do? If a monk doesn’t like the temple, he has to leave.”

“It’s not just because I didn’t like it that I left.”

Everyone turned to look at Hae Yeon, who had suddenly spoken up. Hae Yeon’s face instantly flushed red, feeling inexplicably guilty.

“He hated it.”

“He must have hated it a lot.”

“No wonder he wouldn’t go back to Shaolin even if he died.”

“Amitabha! Amitabha!”

“Just say Immeasurable Life Buddha.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and spoke again.

“Anyway, there’s nothing bad about it. We’re not stationed here, and the Green Forest is managing it. Instead, we can safely ferry the Eunha Trading Company across the river and take half of the tolls from the merchants passing by.”

Ah. Half?

That’s a fair distribution of profits. Half.

When you think about it, Mount Hua isn’t doing anything… Well, half…

At that moment, Hyun Sang, who had been quietly watching, spoke.

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes.”

“I understand what you’re trying to do. But I’m worried. This is the Yangtze. You’ve already ruined two of the river bandit camps. If you take this place and settle down, do you think the main river bandit camp will stay still?”

“Ah, that?”

“On the way here, I saw you installing cannons around the island and on the new bridge. But the Yangtze River Bandit Camp is not easy to beat. You’re not thinking they are weaker than they are just because you destroyed one or two camps, are you?”

“Eii. Would I do that?”

Chung Myung waved his hand.

If that Black Dragon King got angry and brought all the river bandit camps, this island would be captured in less than half a day. To prevent that, the Green Forest or Mount Hua would have to station all their main forces here.

But that was impossible.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Huh?”

“The Black Dragon King won’t be able to attack here.”

“Why?”

“Soon, this place won’t be a problem at all.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“He would have attacked right away in the past, but the Black Dragon King can’t move now.”

“Why? Did something happen to the Black Dragon King?”

“No. It’s not that something happened, but something is about to happen.”

“I don’t understand what you mean at all.”

“You’ll find out soon.”

Chung Myung curled up the corners of his lips.

“If I’m right, things will start happening right now. So, just wait a little longer.”

Hyun Jong looked at Chung Myung. His eyebrows were raised high, and his mouth was slightly open. His eyes were wide with confusion as he stared at Chung Myung.

Hyun Jong sighed, “Is this because of you, Chung Myung?”

Chung Myung shrugged. “Maybe. But even if I did nothing, it would have happened anyway. Others would have gotten involved.”

“Who are these ‘others’?” Hyun Jong asked, frowning.

Chung Myung thought for a moment, then grinned, a flash of white teeth in the dim light. “They’re making it too easy for us, like rolling out a welcome mat! How can I say no? Let’s have some fun until we can’t anymore!”

But even as he smiled, his eyes stayed dark and serious.

Nothing seemed obviously wrong at first glance. But Chung Myung felt it in his gut – something was off. It was a feeling he knew well from battlefields. It meant a hidden trap was waiting.

He knew three ways to deal with traps like this.

First, don’t go near it.

Second, use your skill to break through it.

And third…

Make the situation bigger than they planned, so their trap becomes useless.

If they made a path, he would use it to his advantage.

He wasn’t interested in just money. He wanted something more valuable. Real power.

Chung Myung looked past Hyun Jong, staring into the distance. It was as if he could see something far away that no one else could.

Hyun Jong sighed softly.

I don’t understand him.

He knew Chung Myung’s thoughts were deeper than his own, so he had to trust him. But Hyun Jong worried that this would put even more pressure on the young man.

“Okay,” Hyun Jong said. “I understand… mostly. So, are we leaving the Green Forest area and going back to Mount Hua?”

“Yes, that’s right, but…” Chung Myung paused.

“But what?” Hyun Jong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I was waiting for you to arrive. You brought many disciples with you, didn’t you?”

“Yes… we did,” Hyun Jong replied, a little confused.

Chung Myung clapped his hands sharply, a wide, innocent smile spreading across his face. “Great! Let’s start right now. There’s just one easy thing to do.”

“Easy thing?” Hyun Jong repeated, a knot of worry tightening in his stomach. Something about Chung Myung’s cheerful tone made him feel uneasy.

A weathered trading ship, its sails patched and faded, slowly entered the dock.

A thick rope, rough and worn, was thrown from the deck, thudding onto the wooden planks of the dock. Men quickly secured it, connecting the ship to the land. Then, a sturdy wooden plank was laid down, making a bridge from ship to shore. People began to get off the ship, one by one.

But their faces… they looked like they had seen ghosts. Pale and wide-eyed, they stumbled onto the dock.

“You bloody thieves!”

One merchant, his face red with rage, threw a heavy sack onto the ground. Normally, this sack would be treated like gold, filled with valuable goods. But he kicked it aside in fury.

“Again! Again! You bloody thieves!” he yelled.

Other merchants, waiting to board, approached him, their faces full of pity and fear.

“…Robbed again?” one asked quietly.

“Bloody hell!” the angry merchant cried. “They took everything! Everything except the clothes on my back! Damn it, how are we supposed to live now?”

“Which bandits were they?”

“I don’t know! These cowards don’t even say who they are anymore! They just come in small boats and steal everything worth anything!”

“Ugh,” groaned another merchant.

“I’m going crazy,” a woman whispered, clutching her head.

A heavy cloud of worry hung over the merchants, their shoulders slumped with despair.

It wasn’t new for river pirates to be out of control on the Yangtze River, but recently they were acting differently.

Before, if you paid them a payment to pass safely, they wouldn’t take everything. But now, these cowards who hide where they live are stealing everything, leaving merchants with nothing.

Because this kept happening, merchants were scared to travel on ships up and down the Yangtze River.

“How many times is this! How many times!”

“What is the government even doing? Why are they letting these thieves get away with this?”

“Has the government ever done anything right? They’re probably getting money from the pirates!”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!”

“Am I wrong?”

The angry merchants started saying things they shouldn’t.

“Damn it, I’m just trying to earn a living! If I get robbed like this, how can I feed my family? I’d rather die! The whole river is full of pirates! The government and the Nine Great Sects don’t care!”

“Hey, it’s not true that everyone doesn’t care.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you heard? Mount Hua!”

“Mount Hua?”

“That Mount Hua Sect from the Heavenly Union destroyed the Great Forest. And they also stopped a new group of bandits there.”

“M-Mount Hua? Why Mount Hua?”

“Does Mount Hua need a reason to be brave and help people? Wasn’t it Mount Hua who attacked the bandits in the mountains when they were attacking everyone, destroyed their hideout, and used the stolen goods to help people?”

“…That’s right.”

“I heard they were furious when they heard the river pirates captured innocent people and rushed here!”

“Heo… Goodness… Really?”

“Hey! How can a merchant be so slow with news! You know Uncle Cheon, right?”

“Of course.”

“That uncle was captured by the river pirates but Mount Hua people saved him. He tells the story all day long. I’ve heard it so many times!”

“Uncle Cheon doesn’t lie.”

“Exactly! The Nine Great Sects are doing nothing, but the Heavenly Union is acting!”

“Goodness, there are still brave people like that…”

“Also, I heard the Mount Hua Sect Leader has made a decision.”

“A decision?”

“Yes, they are going to take control of an area on the Yangtze River and put their own ships there. So merchants and anyone wanting to cross the river can do it safely.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. And it’s not far from here. So even if you can’t travel far by river, crossing this part will be safe, right?”

“That alone would be amazing! But will the river bandits just do nothing?”

“What can they do? The Heavenly Union is Mount Hua, the Sichuan Tang Family, and two of the Four Outer Palaces working together! River bandits can’t fight against that.”

“…I guess that’s true.”

The merchants started to understand how powerful the Heavenly Union was.

For them, the most terrifying thing, like death itself, was the river bandits. Even the famous Nine Great Sects couldn’t easily deal with them, so they were even more afraid.

But these river bandits couldn’t do anything against Mount Hua, who had gone into their area and made a base.

“Is the Heavenly Union really that strong?”

“I’m thinking of changing who I do business with.”

“Change partners?”

“Think about it. If the Yangtze River is blocked like this, the groups of traders will suffer, right? But if Mount Hua takes action and makes a safe route, the trader groups connected to the Heavenly Union will be able to use that route without problems.”

“…That’s right.”

“So who will be more successful in the future? It’s obvious.”

“Well… But the Nine Great Sects are still…”

“Tsk tsk tsk. You’re a merchant! If you wait, you won’t get anything when the Heavenly Union becomes more powerful than the Nine Great Sects! You need to think ahead and act now to make money.”

“Anyway, that’s what I’m doing. You should find out more quickly. I heard Mount Hua will finish the road and open it for travel in ten days.”

The merchants blinked, turning to each other, questions in their eyes.

Is it really true?

If it’s true…

Some were just surprised. Some were impressed.

But the smart ones realized the world was changing.

Mount Hua, from the far west, or rather, the Heavenly Union that Mount Hua belonged to, was starting to become powerful on the Yangtze River. It seemed like a small change now, but no one knew how big it would become.

“I hope Mount Hua succeeds,” one merchant said.

“Why?”

“Whether they want money or are just brave, Mount Hua is the only group that helped us when we were in trouble, right? Those Nine Great Sects just talk about being brave, but they do nothing!”

“That’s right!”

“Damn those useless groups!”

“May they fail!”

Among the merchants who risked their lives on the Yangtze River, respect for the Heavenly Union and Mount Hua, and anger at the Nine Great Sects, grew stronger and stronger.

And news of this spread quickly, reaching even Shaolin and Wudang.

The small fight that started it all grew bigger and bigger, very fast.

Like a tiny spark landing on dry grass in summer, and suddenly, everything is on fire.