Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 859

Days passed the same for everyone, whether they were slow and boring for tired merchants on the road, or fast and exciting for children playing games. For Ma Cheol and his group, each day on the road to the Yangtze River felt long, but they were finally nearing their destination.

Ma Cheol stopped walking so suddenly that the merchants behind him almost bumped into him. He pointed a shaking finger ahead, his eyes wide like saucers.

“Good heavens….” he whispered, his voice full of disbelief. “What in the world is that?”

One of the merchants stepped forward, confused. “What is it, sir? Is something wrong with the road?”

Ma Cheol turned to him, his face pale. “Wrong with the road? No! Look! Why is there a city *there*?”

“Excuse me, sir? Are you sure?” one merchant asked, his voice hesitant.

“Of course, I’m sure!” Ma Cheol said, a little annoyed. “Do you think I’m joking about something like this? I’m telling you, there was nothing here five years ago!”

The merchant looked at Ma Cheol, then back at the city in the distance. *He must be mistaken,* the merchant thought to himself. *It’s clearly a big city. Cities don’t just appear overnight.* He had heard stories that this route had become popular for merchants only in the last few years. A city this size in such a short time? It was hard to believe.

“Let’s go and see for ourselves,” Ma Cheol decided, still shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yes, sir,” the merchants replied, though they exchanged doubtful glances. *A merchant must trust his leader, even if he says the moon is made of cheese,* one muttered under his breath.

Ma Cheol chuckled humorlessly and led the caravan forward. As they walked, the city grew larger and larger in front of them, its walls and buildings becoming clearer. When they reached the edge of the city, Ma Cheol stopped again, his mouth falling open in shock.

Stepping into the city was like entering a completely different world. The wide main street was lined with tall buildings, their wooden frames brightly painted in reds and greens, the roofs gleaming like new coins. Ma Cheol’s eyes darted around, taking it all in. *Is this even busier than Gugiang?* he wondered. Everything looked brand new, as if the city had been built just yesterday. He was amazed by the size of the buildings and the sheer number of people rushing past – merchants, workers, and people from all walks of life, their voices creating a loud hum that filled the air. And then there was the smell of food, spices, and something sweet that made his stomach rumble.

The air was filled with shouts and calls. “More wine! My throat is drier than the desert!” roared a voice from inside one building.

“Noodles coming right up! Just a moment!” a cheerful voice replied.

Ma Cheol barely had time to take another breath before two men in brightly colored jackets seemed to appear from nowhere, each grabbing him by an arm.

“Welcome, honored merchants! Welcome to Mae Hwa Island!” one shouted, pulling him to the right. “Come with me to the finest inn on the island, the Golden Dragon!”

“Don’t listen to him, friends!” yelled the other, tugging Ma Cheol to the left. “That rascal’s inn is full of bedbugs! Come to the Silk Road Inn – cleanest rooms and the friendliest service!”

“Bedbugs?!” the first man scoffed. “At least our cook hasn’t run off crying because he can’t handle the heat in the kitchen, like yours did! Merchants, ignore this liar! The Golden Dragon has food fit for emperors!”

“Emperors eat better dog food!” retorted the second man. “Our inn just hired a chef who used to cook for the famous Hwapyeong Tavern in Wuhan! Come to the Silk Road Inn – we have… uh… just one room left! No, wait, two rooms! Yes, two rooms just for you!”

Ma Cheol’s head spun. He was completely overwhelmed by the sudden chaos.

Ma Cheol almost told them off for being so rude, but then he saw the caravan in front of him surrounded by even more inn servants, all shouting and waving. The same was happening to the caravan behind him. *Is this just how things are done here?* he wondered. He’d never seen inns advertise like this before. The two servants in front of him were now glaring at each other, their fists clenched.

“Hey! Are you trying to start a fight in the street?” one growled.

Ma Cheol quickly stepped back, raising his hands. “No, no fighting! We… we need to check the docks first,” he stammered.

“The docks?” one servant said, his anger fading slightly. “Well, good luck with that. If you go to the docks today, you won’t get a ship for at least four days.”

“Four days?!” Ma Cheol exclaimed, shocked. “Is that normal?”

The servant nodded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course! This is Mae Hwa Island! Everyone wants to come here. That’s why all the inns are full of merchants waiting for ships. If you’re lucky, it’s only four days. If you’re unlucky, it could be ten!”

“Ten days?!” Ma Cheol repeated, his jaw dropping. “Even if there’s a storm?”

“Storm or sunshine, the ships here sail every day,” the servant said proudly. “But there are just so many merchants! Best to find an inn now before they’re all taken.”

“I… I still want to see the docks,” Ma Cheol said, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Suit yourself,” the servant shrugged. “But don’t come crying to us when all the good rooms are gone!”

“Right, right, docks first,” Ma Cheol mumbled, still a bit lost. The servant from the Silk Road Inn leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “But when you come back, merchant, don’t let those Golden Dragon rascals trick you! Silk Road Inn is the only place to stay!”

Ma Cheol just nodded, his mind still trying to catch up. “Actually,” he said hesitantly, “can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure, ask away!”

“This is… the riverside, right?”

“That’s right, the heart of the Yangtze River!”

“And… and with all these people and goods… don’t pirates ever attack? Like… the Surochae pirates?”

The two servants stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Surochae pirates?” one chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. “Surochae? You’re talking about Surochae pirates? Wow, haven’t heard that name in years!”

Ma Cheol frowned, confused. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, no,” the other servant said, still chuckling. “It’s just… Surochae pirates are like old stories now. They wouldn’t dare come near Mae Hwa Island. Not anymore.”

“They might sail past sometimes, way out in the river,” the first servant added, “but attack *here*? Are you joking? This place is protected by the Cheonwu Alliance! Even pirates aren’t stupid enough to mess with them!”

“This is the safest port on the whole Yangtze,” the second servant declared proudly. “That’s why everyone comes here!”

Ma Cheol nodded slowly, finally understanding. He had heard rumors of Mae Hwa Island’s safety, but seeing it and hearing it were very different things.

“Right… I understand,” he said. “Docks it is.”

“Go on then, have a look!” the servant waved. “But remember, Silk Road Inn when you get back!”

“Yonghwa Inn! Best prices!” shouted the other servant, not giving up.

Ma Cheol managed to escape their clutches and hurried down the street, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. “What *kind* of place is this?” he muttered, but a smile was slowly spreading across his face. As he walked, the city around him seemed to come into even sharper focus, the sounds and smells even more vibrant. It was truly… something else.

Inns, taverns, tea houses, restaurants…

“Is that a gambling den over there?”

“…They really have everything.”

It felt like a busy market city in stories, full of shops and places to eat, but even more lively. It was more for work than just fun.

They walked past inns and shops, then reached the docks. Tall brick warehouses stood side-by-side, like giant walls. Beyond them, the docks were a chaos of people. Men shouted, carts rattled, and everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

“I believe it’s over there.”

“Let’s go and see.”

Ma Cheol approached the docks and spoke to a merchant standing nearby.

“Excuse me…”

“What is it?”

“I just arrived. Where do I go to get in line for cargo loading?”

The merchant, already in line, glanced at Ma Cheol and gestured behind him.

“You can stand here.”

“Ah, thank you. Boys, bring the cart over here.”

“Yes!”

Standing in line, Ma Cheol looked around. The docks were packed with people, and five ships like floating mountains towered over the docks. Dockworkers were busily loading cargo onto the ships.

‘This is what they mean by full of energy,’ he thought.

“It’s amazing.”

“…Five ships. Such large ships.”

“Even with five such ships, we have to wait more than four days. How much cargo comes to this dock?”

“This dock handles goods from all along the great river, so what can you do? It’s much better than being robbed by river pirates, the Surochae. We’re still lucky. How many people have to cross the river, weeping and gnashing their teeth, because the distance is too far?”

“That’s right, Manager.”

Ma Cheol chuckled, still feeling a bit lost.

‘The world turned upside down,’ he thought.

To think the world would change so much in just five years. No, not even five years. It hasn’t even been three years yet…

It was then.

“What do you think you’re doing? Why are you cutting in line?”

“Excuse me?”

A group of men suddenly swarmed around Ma Cheol, glaring and shouting.

“Cutting in line? We’re just standing in line.”

“Hey! We were here! We just stepped away for a second!” one of the men yelled, pushing closer. “Don’t try to cut in line! Move it, or you’ll regret it!”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“What? Ridiculous? You punks?”

The merchant lunged forward and grabbed Ma Cheol by the collar.

“If I lose my spot in line because of you, I’ll waste another day! Do you know how much that costs me? Are you trying to freeload?”

“Well, you should have kept your place! Either way, I’m not moving!”

A merchant must never lose a fight.

Knowing this, Ma Cheol raised his voice as well, causing the merchant grabbing his collar to glare fiercely.

“Oh, you want to play it that way. You’re going to die today.”

As their quarrel grew louder, onlookers clicked their tongues.

“Hey! You there! Hey!”

“…Yes?”

“What do you think you’re doing, shouting like that?”

“What do I think I’m doing…?”

The merchant grabbing Ma Cheol’s collar tilted his head, a look of incomprehension on his face.

Then, a merchant with a goatee, who had been watching, looked back and forth between the two groups with knowing eyes.

“You both don’t know Meihua Island very well, do you? Is this your first time here?”

“…”

“…”

Both groups blinked, and the merchant with the goatee clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“If you get on their bad side, you’ll be kicked out immediately, and you won’t be able to load cargo for a month. Haven’t you forgotten that this is Meihua Island? Unless you want to be kicked out and risk your lives crossing the river, be quiet. If you two fighting causes trouble for us, we won’t stand for it. Understand?”

Ma Cheol asked, dumbfounded.

“We can’t load cargo if we cause a disturbance?”

“That’s right.”

“No, that doesn’t make sense! Isn’t this just a place that gets paid to move cargo?”

“…What?”

“Heh heh, look at this.”

“That’s what happens with youngsters.”

The surrounding merchants widened their eyes and clicked their tongues, causing Ma Cheol to panic and blush.

“Is this… your very first time here?”

“…Yes. We’re a small trading company, and our previous manager suddenly quit due to illness… so I had to rush out on a business trip.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. That’s why you’re acting without knowing the rules. Listen here. This is Meihua Island. If you apply the common sense of other places here, you’ll be in big trouble. The rules of Meihua Island are very simple: Don’t cause trouble. Don’t make noise. And settle your accounts properly.”

“…”

“The most important thing is not to cause trouble! Do you know how many trading companies have been ruined after being kicked out for breaking that rule?”

“…”

“Don’t do anything foolish and stay quiet… Oh, damn it! Too late!”

“Yes?”

It was then.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

The front suddenly became noisy, and the merchants scattered to the sides. A path opened among them, and a group of men walked forward, glaring menacingly.

They were giants, easily seven feet tall.

Their beards were like spiky thorns.

Their eyes were fierce.

They had thrown off their shirts, revealing torsos with bulging muscles. Thick sweat streamed down the contours of their muscles, as if they had just finished moving cargo.

“Oh…”

Ma Cheol, shrinking back in fear at their overwhelming presence, lowered his head just as the men turned their faces, filled with all the world’s annoyance, towards them.

Ma Cheol’s heart sank.

‘We’re dead now.’

‘Oh, why did we come here…’

Unable to contain his anger, the man trembled. Then, he opened his mouth and roared like a tiger.

“What’s the matter? Customer?”

“…”

“Is there anything bothering you?”

“…Yes?”

The most amiable voice in the world flowed from a face that looked as if it could devour a person at any moment.

“W-well, that’s…”

No.

What is this place?

What…