Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 789

“Kyaa! This is the life!”

A tavern in Gugang.

Before the sun had even dipped behind the western mountains, people were already gathered in the tavern, happily drinking liquor.

“It’s good to see those hateful pirates getting what they deserve!”

“Yes! Those wild enemies are nowhere to be seen! They’re powerless before Shaolin and Wudang (famous fighting groups), that’s for sure!”

“That’s the Demonic Faction for you! What else would they be!”

The tipsy patrons shared cups of joy, each offering their own thoughts.

The pirates leaving didn’t change everything right away. But people were happy. They could keep their money. They didn’t have to fear robbers on the river. This was something to celebrate!

“Tsk. So, they could have done this all along, but chose not to?”

“Hey, now! It’s like the saying goes: save a drowning man, and he’ll demand your belongings. That’s you to a T. Are those people ordinary? They must be very busy, so we should be grateful they came to help, even if it’s late!”

“That’s right! He’s right!”

At first, some people were wary of the Nine Great Sects and the Namgung Clan, who arrived on the Yangtze River (a very big river in China) after the Mount Hua Sect, but those worries had mostly disappeared now.

Whatever the reason, whether they came late or early, wasn’t it a good thing that they were eliminating the pirates?

“Anyway, I hope they wipe out all the pirates for good.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high. How can you possibly wipe out all the pirates on this vast Yangtze? Even the government can’t do it.”

“Can’t do it, or won’t do it? They travel by boat and never get attacked, so they just stand by and watch! If some high-ranking official were to be robbed by pirates, the Yangtze pirates would be wiped out, root and stem!”

“Whatever the case, that’s too much to expect. Unless those people stay on the Yangtze permanently.”

“That remains to be seen. I heard that some members of the Mount Hua Sect are staying on the Yangtze?”

“Oh? What’s that about?”

“I heard that the Mount Hua Sect is operating ships around the areas where they’ve eliminated pirates. Regular ships that travel across the river.”

“Isn’t that common?”

“You don’t know anything. Those regular ships were routinely robbed by pirates. Even irregular ships were easily plundered, so a ship that sets out at a fixed time and route is like a free meal.”

“That’s true.”

“But what guts would those pirates have to mess with the Mount Hua Sect? It might be different far from Gugang, but we don’t have to worry about pirates when we travel upstream to Gangnam!”

“Th-that’s right.”

“And to do that, the Mount Hua Sect will have to hold their ground to some extent. Then we might not see any pirates around Gugang.”

“If only that were true!”

People began to fill with hope.

If the fear of being attacked by pirates disappeared, it wouldn’t just mean earning a little more money. More money would lead to more disposable income, and more disposable income would revitalize the economy.

People shared their drinks with renewed vigor, dreaming of the day when the Yangtze would be bustling with people and goods.

But there’s always someone who ruins the mood.

“I don’t know if it’ll go that well.”

“…What’s this guy going to say now?”

“If pirates could be eliminated that easily, would the Yangtze be infested with them in the first place?”

“Here he goes again…”

“The Yangtze River Eighteen Strongholds. The Five Overlords of the Divine Land. They won’t just accept this. And maybe this is bad news for us.”

“Why? How can the pirates being eliminated be bad news?”

“The reason we could navigate the river by paying those guys a reasonable toll was because they wanted to keep milking us for money, right?”

“That’s obvious.”

“But after this happens, they won’t think they can be pirates on the Yangtze forever. So won’t they try to grab all the money they can right now? Before they are defeated?”

“…”

The speaker shook his head.

“If you poke a snake the wrong way, you’ll only get bitten. If they get carried away and then back out, the pirates’ anger will be directed at us. But will those gentlemen really protect the Yangtze to the end? Will they fight the river strongholds to the death?”

“…”

Everyone fell silent.

They wanted to deny it, but there was definitely some truth in those words.

“I hope we’re not stirring up trouble. I really hope not.”

“Don’t jinx it.”

“Alright, alright! Let’s stop and drink! Drink!”

As the atmosphere dampened, people deliberately raised their voices and lifted their glasses again, trying to revive the mood. But the creeping unease remained huddled in a corner of their hearts until the end of the gathering.

❀ ❀ ❀

Meanwhile, not far away…

“You said the stronghold was empty?”

“Yes!”

A groan escaped from Beopgye’s lips.

“The pursuit? Is pursuit possible?”

“It’s not easy. They don’t flee to land like bandits; they take their boats and head into the middle of the Yangtze…”

“…”

“To attack those floating in the middle of the Yangtze, we need boats. But engaging them in naval warfare…”

“Would be difficult.”

“It seems so.”

“I see. Then there’s nothing we can do. First, re-examine and inspect the empty stronghold.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Beopgye’s eyes sank heavily.

He couldn’t show it, so he pretended to be calm, but he was quite anxious inside.

‘This is troublesome.’

If the pirates keep escaping by boat like this, Shaolin has no way to pursue them. As he told his disciple earlier, engaging the pirates in naval warfare in the middle of the vast Yangtze would only invite losses.

Of course, if the goal was to destroy the pirates even if it meant losses, it wouldn’t be impossible. But this battle isn’t a final fight between the river strongholds and Shaolin. The goal is to achieve more results with fewer losses than the other groups that have come to the Yangtze, isn’t it?

‘The chances of this dragging on have increased.’

The Yangtze is vast.

Even if they don’t flee to the middle of the river, searching every nook and cranny of this wide and long Yangtze to eliminate the pirates is a daunting task. Even with Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng, and Namgung gathered on the Yangtze.

Beopgye stared at the Yangtze, lost in thought.

‘Right now, they’re attacking with one mind, but if even one of the four groups feels stuck and backs out…’

Then the other groups might also feel tired.

‘No, it’s too early to think about that.’

Right now, it’s best to focus on the task at hand.

However, there is one thing.

‘The resistance is strangely weak.’

Even so, the opponent is the Yangtze River Eighteen Strongholds. By now, the Black Dragon Stronghold, the heart of the river strongholds, should have moved…

“It’s just worry. Amitabha.”

Beopgye shook his head.

It was as if he was trying to shake off the doubts that filled his head.

❀ ❀ ❀

Hangzhou.

People say: In heaven, there is paradise; on Earth, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Hangzhou, with its West Lake, is one of the most beautiful cities in the Central Plains. Its amazing scenery has inspired many poets since ancient times.

However, Hangzhou isn’t just famous for its beautiful scenery.

It’s a place where you can enjoy all the pleasures, luxuries, and parties of the world. The city that deserves to be called a ‘sleepless city’ is Hangzhou.

It was late at night. Not a single star could be seen in the cloudy sky, but the night in Hangzhou exploded with light, brighter than any day. The lanterns and lights lit up the streets.

“Come on! We have the best liquor and even better side dishes!”

“The best seats on the top floor are available! The perfect spot for heroes!”

“We have rare delicacies brought in from the Western Regions!”

The voices of drunken people and touting staff filled the dazzling night streets.

And among the sleepless city of Hangzhou, the most eye-catching place was:

The highest ten-story building in Hangzhou, the Chuixiang Pavilion.

A solitary figure raised his glass slowly by the window on the top floor. It was a rather strange sight.

The seat fee alone for the top floor of the Chuixiang Pavilion would cover the living expenses of an average family for several months, and the same liquor would cost ten times more than drinking it on the lower floors.

Nevertheless, there are never any empty seats on the top floor of the Chuixiang Pavilion.

With a view of the streets of Hangzhou and West Lake at a glance through the open window, this place is itself a symbol of Hangzhou. Not only the pleasure-seekers of Hangzhou, but also the children of wealthy families who have heard the rumors and come to Hangzhou, try to leave a memory of having visited the top floor of the Chuixiang Pavilion.

But today, the top floor of the Chuixiang Pavilion was strangely empty.

No, there was only one person sitting on this vast top floor. If someone who didn’t know the situation saw this sight, they would doubt their eyes.

But if someone who knew the situation saw this sight, they would nod their head as if it were natural, and if someone who knew the situation even better saw this sight, they would immediately turn around and run away.

The man enjoying himself alone in the best seat of the Chuixiang Pavilion was none other than Paegun, Jang Il-So.

“Hmm.”

Paegun murmured, gazing at the yellow liquor in his glass.

“Shaoxing wine.”

There are countless liquors sold under the name of Shaoxing wine.

But the true Shaoxing wine must be made with water from Jianhu Lake in Zhejiang. In other words, you can only taste real Shaoxing wine by coming to Zhejiang.

Moreover, the liquor that Paegun was tasting was Xuexiang wine, which is considered to be among the best Shaoxing wines. Among them, it was the Chuixiang wine, the highest quality product handled only by this Chuixiang Pavilion.

“Intoxicated by the fragrance…”

Paegun smiled faintly and gently held the liquor in his mouth.

Indeed.

The fragrance was indescribably deep and elegant. The moment he took a sip, he felt his whole body filled with fragrance.

“Good.”

Of course, the liquor from Guangxi, where he was, and the liquor from Guizhou were not inferior to the liquor from Zhejiang.

But even if liquors are of similar quality, their fragrance and feel are all different. It’s impossible to rank which one is the best.

The world is vast and wide. And countless liquors are made in various parts of that vast world. Excellent liquors, each with its own characteristics.

An ordinary person dies without tasting even one-tenth of the liquors made in various parts of the world.

“I’m the same, too.”

It’s not difficult for him to obtain Shaoxing wine.

But to truly understand the meaning of a region’s famous liquor, you must go directly to that region and drink it while enjoying the scenery.

How could the Chuixiang wine eaten in Guangxi be the same as the Chuixiang wine eaten in the Chuixiang Pavilion in Hangzhou?

Thinking about it, he felt a sense of being trapped, as if he were confined somewhere. How much land in this vast world could he set foot on without worry?

Paegun took another sip of Chuixiang wine and lightly rubbed his lips with the tip of his index finger.

‘But that won’t last long either.’

He will have this world under his feet.

He will have more land under his feet than anyone else, and he will drink more liquor than anyone else.

“That’s right, Jang Il-So will.”

At that time, the sound of thumping footsteps began to be heard from the lower floor.

“Hmm.”

Paegun slightly turned his gaze and looked towards the stairs. Soon, a huge man completely wrapped in black clothing appeared.

“That brat… dares to summon me?”

“Welcome, Black Dragon King.”

Jang Il-So wore a triumphant and radiant smile.