Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“…”

If one didn’t know, one would think of this to be a warm sight. However, in the eyes of the Mount Hua disciples, this sight was very depressing.

“…it is a spirit creature.”

“I felt it the other day, but it really is one.”

“You know what to do if you don’t want to be killed, right?”

If the face covered in pure white fur was strangely blue, would it be an illusion?

These were the Mount Hua disciples, saddened by Baek Ah, and who were desperately trying to win over Chung Myung’s favor.

“… should it go that far?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to be living as a scarf than die?”

“True, but…”

However, Chung Myung was giggling as if he couldn’t see Baek Ah struggling.

“So soft.”

Chung Myung reached out and stroked it while Baek Ah clung to his hand and rubbed its face on it desperately, making Chung Myung smile.

“Hmm. It seems to have figured out who the good guy is.”

The faces of the Mount Hua disciples had contorted again.

‘It found out who the most horrible guy of them all is!’

‘Most! The most!’

Then, Baek Ah climbed onto Chung Myung’s shoulder and rubbed itself around. It seemed that even without having to skin it, it could be used as a scarf.

“This guy is quite useful, huh…”

Chung Myung mumbled, seemingly satisfied, and turned his head to look at the tiger behind him.

The tiger, which was the size of a house, had curled up.

“Wow. There are such creatures in the world.”

Hong Dae-Kwang moved around, curious.

“Hehehe. The beggars would pee if they saw this….”

Grunt!

As Hong Dae-Kwang approached, the silent tiger suddenly roared, making him flinch.

“EIKK!”

Scared of it, he threw himself to the side. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt, but the clothing around his ass had torn.

“AH! My clothes!”

As Hong Dae-Kwang ran away in a panic, Chung Myung clicked his tongue.

“That man is so careless, I cannot believe how he is still alive.”

Spitting out such words made the tiger turn to face Chung Myung and bare its’ teeth.

Grrrr!

Even another tiger would freeze at the sight of this, especially at this close range. How shocking was the face of this gigantic tiger?

Chung Myung frowned in disapproval.

“I do not like this…”

But at that moment–

Pat!

Baek Ah, on the shoulder of Chung Myung, was clinging to the face of the tiger.

Puak!

At the same time, the eyes of Mount Hua’s disciples almost popped out.

Hit by Baek Ah, the tiger rolled on the ground.

‘A marten hit a tiger?’

‘Did I just see that properly?’

They knew that spirit beasts were amazing, and despite Baek Ah’s size-to-strength ratio being a little different, they didn’t think it could hit a tiger of that size.

The tiger, having fallen to the ground, got up, looking surprised, and slumped to the ground. It was like a kid who had been scolded, now beginning for forgiveness.

Grrrr!

Baek Ah made a growling sound with her mouth and hair standing up. And the tiger threw its face to the ground and wailed.

Eik!

“…”

Baek Cheon came to learn, for the first time, that tigers could make such a sound. This made him feel so lost that he just stared at the tiger. Baek Ah, none too happy with it, was still growling at it when Chung Myung touched her,

“It is fine, it is fine. You cannot help when he doesn’t know.”

Pat.

As soon as those words were said, Baek Ah threw herself into Chung Myung’s lap, turning over to show her stomach.

Chung Myung looked at the tiger, which was lying flat like a doormat, and clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Thought that it looked like it had good fur. Now I have no reason to touch it.”

He spoke in a very low mumble, but the disciples from Mount Hua heard him. And Baek Ah was breaking out in cold sweat.

‘That Marten understands human language.’

‘Does a Marten sweat? Not a human but a Marten?’

It felt like what they had learned till now was just thrown out the window.

“Hahahaha. As I thought, Baek Ah likes you. I did a good job bringing her.”

Meng So tapped Chung Myung on the shoulder lightly.

Crack!

The chair Chung Myung was sitting on seems to have cracked?

“T-That hurts!”

Chung Myung frowned and wriggled his body before asking the Lord of the Nanman Beast Palace,

“But why did you bring so many animals? It wouldn’t have been easy getting them all here.”

To which Meng So chuckled,

“Isn’t this my first visit to the Sichuan Tang Family? If I am visiting a family for the first time, then I need to bring a special gift.”

“…they are gifts?”

Chung Myung glanced around.

A large elephant, a tiger, a serpent with a body much thicker than a person, a white leopard, and even a black one…

‘Anyone would think they were dragged here for an attack.’

It looked like the era of humans had ended.

“The beasts are overflowing, but the people… didn’t you bring only a few elders? They must have been disappointed.”

“They only nag me around.”

Meng So waved his hand like the very thought of it was annoying.

“I just stopped by here for a while, so why should I hear their nagging? How am I even dangerous? Look at my body! Who would these muscles even harm?”

This guy’s massive muscles, wriggling even beneath his clothes, were very clear.

Seeing how those muscles were ready to explode, Chung Myung mumbled involuntarily,

“… wouldn’t that mean putting others at risk?”

Surely those muscles were dangerous. A normal human might die from touching them…

“Kuahahaha!”

The Beast Lord laughed loudly as his head snapped back, and he patted Chung Myung on the shoulder.

“This is why I like you! You make so much sense when you speak!”

“AHHH! It hurts!”

Baek Cheon and the other disciples, who were listening in, nodded.

Right, it must hurt.

They could only trust these words from Chung Myung now. Chung Myung should grow three times his size to be considered as only a little younger than them.

Jo Gul tilted his head and asked,

“But, Sasuk…”

“Uh?”

“Did you know that the Beast Lord would be visiting the Tang Family?”

“… I didn’t know.”

“Isn’t this a pretty big deal?”

At Jo Gul’s words, Baek Cheon frowned.

‘True, but…’

Actually, this was a pretty big thing.

Meng So, the Lord of the Nanman Beast Palace, was one of the five famous places outside the borders of the Central Plains.

And right now, those places were real enemies to the central plains.

And one of these places had come right here and visited the Sichuan Tang Family, one of the Five Great Families.

It was clear that many places would turn into a mess if this news came out.

‘It’s strange when I think about it.’

Baek Cheon stared at the three people sitting across from him.

One was a person belonging to a palace. The other was the head of the Sichuan Tang Family, which was in the running to be the best of the martial families.

On top of them was Chung Myung, Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, who was from the Mount Hua Sect and was now probably the most famous person.

The Five Palaces Beyond the Great Wall, the Five Great Families, and the historical Nine Great Sects. People from this generation, who should not be getting along.

‘That guy’s method for getting contacts is a bit strange.’

At this point, it was no longer a matter of being good at socializing.

“Hahahah! I have brought this for you, Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon!”

The Beast Palace Lord opened up a chest and took out white vials from within.

“Oh? This is the alcohol we drank in Yunnan?”

“Right. You seemed to like it, so I brought it for you!”

“AHHH! As I thought, Lord!”

“Let us drink until our stomachs overflow!”

“HEHEHEH!”

As if promised, the two clinked their bottles before draining them.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp!

The throats of the two didn’t stop moving.

“Kuaaak!”

“KAKKKK!”

“One bottle more?”

“Sure!”

And naturally, they began to fight.

It was natural for two drunks to fight by drinking. The problem was that these two drunks had Tang Gunak in between them.

‘Must be so difficult.’

Baek Cheon felt pity for the guy. He watched Tang Gunak sit blankly and look at the ceiling, which made an unknown sadness creep into Baek Cheon. Having an idiot to your left and right just spoiled one’s day.

“Ahem.”

Baek Cheon coughed softly.

It was natural that Chung Myung led this gathering, but he held seniority within Mount Hua’s group. If his sajil wanted to rage, then as his sahyung, he had to control him.

“Ahem, Chung Myung,”

“Uh?”

At his call, Chung Myung turned his head.

“It seems like you are…”

“Ah! Look at my actions!”

“Uh…?”

Chung Myung swiftly stood up and grabbed the bottle of alcohol before leaping forward.

“Didn’t Sasuk also want this special alcohol?”

“…”

“Drink! Drink! I have to share! Hehe. I forgot for a second.”

“…”

Chung Myung smiled brightly and waved his hand as he headed back to where he started.

“No, I…”

Baek Cheon was dumbfounded at the actions of Chung Myung.

No, No, brat… I didn’t want this…

“Guys, say something…”

Turning his head towards his other sajils, Baek Cheon could only be shocked.

Gulp gulp.

Gulp gulp.

Every one of them was holding the bottles that Chung Myung had brought for them and were all beginning to drink.

“Kuaaak, this is amazing!”

“Just like what we drank in Yunnan!”

“Sasuk! Sasuk! You need to try this! It has the scent of peaches!”

“…”

They hadn’t even touched the snacks on the table and just continued to drink from their bottles.

Gulp gulp.

“Uhehehehe.”

“Kuahahaha!”

Baek Cheon just looked to where Chung Myung was drinking and back to where the other Mount Hua disciples were.

‘I don’t care anymore…’

Right, just drink.

Drink and die, you brats!

And the banquet continued late into the night…

In the middle of the night, the Tang Family held an event where they welcomed the Beast Palace Lord. There were other formal events where the Tang Family Elders also greeted them, but it was mostly a drinking party till the very end.

Was there anything better than alcohol for familiarizing people with one another?

Those who were wary of the Tang Family compound that the Beast Palace Lord had entered were the first to relax.

“Uhahahaha! The day has come when I am drinking with family members of Sichuan Tang! We never fully know the world! Come on, get yourself a drink!”

“Yes! It is an honor to get alcohol from the Lord!”

“Me too!”

“I need it all! Ahh!”

Beast Palace Lord completely gave up his title and just mingled around with the people of the Tang Family.

“Ehh. Are you going to end with this? Have another glass!”

“Yes!”

Meng So didn’t leave a single person and made sure to drink with everyone at the banquet.

And finally…

“Ugh… I cannot drink anymore.”

Thud!

He had defeated all the Tang Family members. Seeing them fall down, Meng So clicked his tongue.

“Tch tch, so weak you all are.”

“…Lord, you are just too strong.”

Chung Myung shook his head at this.

Could warriors like the Sichuan Tang Family be this weak when it came to alcohol? Meng So was the monster here.

“Um. I am sorry.”

Meng So looked like an eagle circling after its prey as he turned to Chung Myung.

“How was it? Which one of us will die today?”

“I am fin…”

Just as Chung Myung was about to accept this challenge, Tang Gunak said,

“Rather…”

His gaze was clear and fierce.

“You both seemed to have enjoyed yourselves quite a bit, so how about getting down to business?”

“Business?” asked Chung Myung, making Tang Gunak nod.

“Would the Lord be kind enough to just come here for a drink?”

“Right.”

Tang Gunak flinched at Chung Myung’s calm answer. Meng So also turned his head.

Tang Gunak coughed,

“… he could come. Right, okay. It could happen. But this time, it hasn’t.”

“Ugh, right.”

Meng So also agreed with this.

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.”

“Yes.”

“Follow me, the three of us have something to talk about.”

Chung Myung said like the thoughts were floating above,

“You seem to want to talk about something important,” said Chung Myung, as if Tang Gunak’s thoughts were floating above his head.

“It is important.”

Tang Gunak’s eyes were shining,

“It is very important. It involves the futures of the Tang Family, the Beast Palace, and even Mount Hua’s too. Isn’t this why you have come all this way?”

Chung Myung smiled,

“This is why I like people who speak upfront.”

“Let’s go.”

The real banquet had just begun.