Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Ah, I told you not to push!”

“No, this guy? You’re the one who barged in and now you blame others!”

“Barged in? I’ve been waiting in line since dawn!”

“Dawn? Daaaaaawn? I’ve been waiting here since last night, getting drenched in dew! You suddenly show up in the early morning and act like you came early! Unacceptable!”

“How, how can that be! Where are you bluffing..…!”

When the two tried to pick on each other, those standing nearby intervened.

“Are these yangban insane? Do they know what place this is!”

“This is Mount Hua, Mount Hua! Do they want to get struck by lightning?”

“If we get kicked out because of you, we might as well push you off a cliff!”

Yoon Jong, who saw the scene while sweeping the training field, mumbled with a blank face.

“Gol.”

“Yes, Sahyung.”

“Why did those people gather so much? What’s all that stuff?”

“No, what should we do if the man who will become Sect Leader in the future doesn’t even know that? Aren’t they the people who came to show their faces after hearing that Mount Hua Sect had come out of Bongmun?”

“…Like that?”

“It’s not much… No, there’s a lot.”

Jo-Gol cleared his throat as he looked at the endless line of people beyond the gate.

“It’s not that strange when you think about it. Even before Bongmun, Mount Hua had many visitors.”

“That’s true.”

“But people who weren’t able to meet us for three years are coming all at once to pay their respects, so it’s a matter of course. Moreover, the influence of Mount Hua has risen compared to before.”

Even before Bongmun, they had almost occupied the position of the representative sect of Shaanxi. In addition, this position was almost solidified by preventing the invasion of Evil Sects.

As it was public opinion that it would not be easy to reverse the situation even if Southern Edge Sect came out of Bongmun, all the influential people in Shaanxi were anxious to line up to enter Mount Hua.

Even outsiders who came to stand in line for Heavenly Comrade Alliance were gathering from afar, so it was clear that the line would not only not decrease but also increase as the days passed.

“What’s going on in this world…”

Looking at Yoon Jong shaking his head, Jo-Gol chuckled and laughed.

“I don’t know anyone else, but Sahyung needs to get used to this. When Sahyung becomes a Sect Leader later, Sahyung will have to deal with those people as Sect Leader.”

“….”

Yoon Jong looked at the people crowded at the gate with a tired face.

All of them? Him?

“No, no. It’s not that bad. Even now, it’s only to this extent. If it’s this much now, by the time Sahyung becomes a sect leader, the line might reach the entrance of Mt. Hua.”

“It, it can’t be to that extent…”

“Well, you’re saying something comfortable. That’s the minimum estimate.”

“Mi- Minimum?”

“Of course. When Sahyung becomes a Sect Leader, it’ll be at least another twenty or thirty years, right? Southern Edge Sect still needs to settle down, and Sasuk is still alive with his eyes open.”

“…The expression is a bit strange. Anyway.”

“What do you think Chung Myung will be like in thirty years?”

“….”

Chung Myung, not Mount Hua?

“Ch – Chung Myung? What would happen to him in thirty years…”

Yoon Jong fell silent.

“Until recently, he was Mount Hua Divine Dragon, and now he’s Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, and after about 30 years, well… He might become something like World Best Plum Blossom Invincible Sword Emperor (??????????(寰宇第一梅花無敵劍皇)).”

“…We should laugh together at jokes, but it doesn’t sound like a joke.”

“I’m not kidding?”

“….”

“If Sahyung is going to be the sect leader with that guy around, Sahyung will have to go through a lot of trouble.”

Jo-Gol chuckled. For the first time, Yoon Jong seriously considered handing over the position of sect leader to Jo Geol.

“…Sect leader must be having it tough, too.”

It was then.

“Mount Hua Divine Dragoooooon! No, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword! We, we’re in trouublleee!”

Someone leaped over Mount Hua’s gate like a lightning bolt, and shouted at the top of their lungs.

“…We have to deal with those yangban too.”

“I know.”

The two who confirmed Hong Dae-gwang, who had jumped over the gate, shook their heads together.

“Plum Blossom Island?”

“Tha- That’s right!”

Hong Dae-gwang drank the water prepared by Hyun Young to quench his burning throat and continued speaking.

“Namgung Family has occupied Plum Blossom Island! This is news delivered by our cute Thousand Miles Blue Pigeon who literally flew a thousand Li away!”

“…If it’s to that extent, I think that’s animal abuse.”

Even if it’s a pigeon, it’s still a pigeon. Just because its wings are a bit blue, it flies a thousand Li for fun. Poor thing.

Chung Myung looked through the blue pigeon perched on Hong Dae-gwang’s shoulder, pecking at it.

Is it getting some delicious food? Can’t it fly a thousand Li back and forth for a bit of delicious food? If it were Baek-ah, it would have eaten two wild boars and lay down on its stomach, even had a drink.

That’s right… That’s true. Come to think of it, it’s quite useful…

“N- No!”

Hong Dae-gwang was surprised and grabbed the blue pigeon on his shoulder with both hands.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you eyeing our Thousand Miles Blue Pigeon? This is a mascot of Beggar Union! Absolutely not!”

“No, you’re being so petty. We can share good things together.”

“No, you can’t!”

“Tsk. Beggar Union has become strict. It wasn’t like this in the old days.”

“When exactly are the old days you’re talking about?”

“There was such a thing.”

Right. It wasn’t like this back then.

Back then, even if they hid a bottle of liquor in their arms and ran into him, if they happened to meet eyes, they would politely offer it with both hands and even if it was okay, they would give it to him. These days….

“No. Leave that aside.”

Then Hyun Young interrupted the situation and asked again.

“Namgung Family drove out the water fortress and occupied Plum Blossom Island?”

“Yes. That’s correct, Elder-nim. Disciples of Beggar Union who confirmed the fact on the Yangtze River recently flew Thousand Miles Blue Pigeon to us. This is hot news that was first sent to us from our headquarters.”

“Hmm. The Namgung Family….”

Hyun Young looked back at Hyun Jong with a worried face.

“It seems that things are not going well, Sect Leader.”

“…I see. Can it be that Namgung Sega….”

While Hyun Jong and Hyun Young were talking, Hong Dae-gwang glanced at Chung Myung with a new look in his eyes.

‘What on earth is this guy doing?’

He was truly dumbfounded when things turned out like this.

Even before this happened, Chung Myung approached him and inquired about Namgung Family’s movements. At a time when no one, not even Beggar Union, could anticipate Namgung Family as a variable, this guy was sitting on this distant Shaanxi, alone, foreseeing what would happen on the Yangtze River.

‘Is this possible just because he’s smart?’

He was confident that he knew enough about Chung Myung now, but the more he learned about this eccentric Taoist, the more unpredictable Chung Myung became.

“Look, Hong Buntaju.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Hong Dae-gwang snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Hyun Jong. It’s not polite to think about something else in front of the sect leader of a sect, especially the sect leader of Mount Hua Sect.

“What does Beggar Union think about this situation? It seems like the Evil Tyrant Alliance won’t stay quiet.”

“Indeed, Beggar Union is also paying attention to the movements at the Yangtze River.”

Hong Dae-gwang swallowed dry saliva.

“But it is difficult to predict what will happen in the future. As you know, there are so many variables….”

If a typical war were to break out, predicting its course is not as difficult as one might think. Even if the number of people participating in the war increases, the ones directing the army are ultimately only a few.

However, the wars of Kangho follow a different path.

Because each sect has strong individuality and forms independent forces, orders are not easily followed. Therefore, a completely different flow from the thoughts of the one who conceived the war could happen.

Just this time, no one would have thought that the Namgung Family, who had been living like a dead man for three years, would run to the Yangtze River and defeat the water fortress as soon as they heard this news… No, almost everyone didn’t even think of it?

“And so, the Beggar Union also inquired about the opinion of Mount Hua Sect.”

“Our opinion?”

“Yes.”

Hong Dae-gwang’s eyes subtly shifted to the side.

Hyun Jong, who didn’t miss the look, smiled bitterly. If Beggar Union, who is unmatched in information, specifically asked for the opinion of Mount Hua Sect, there must be a reason.

‘It must be that punk Chung Myung.’

Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Chung Myung had said something to Hong Dae-gwang to find out the situation in Yangtze. It must have been that way.

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes?”

“How do you think that Evil Tyrant Alliance will come out?”

“Well, that’s…..”

Chung Myung casually shrugged his shoulders.

“It is up to Jang Ilso.”

“Tha- That’s true.”

That’s so right, but it’s useless.

“But actually, that doesn’t really matter.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Chung Myung chuckled and said.

“In fact, Evil Tyrant Alliance is a constant one. It’s too obvious how those bastards are going to come out now.”

“And?”

“The variables are actually those bastards. The bald and malko bastards.”

“Ma- Malko….”

Of course, bald refers to Shaolin, and malko refers to Wudang.

“First, we must see how the malko will come out.”

Chung Myung giggled.

“No matter how tight they shut their gates, they won’t cover all of their ears, when they hear that the Namgung Family is defeating the Evil Tyrant Alliance, they will definitely seething and react.”

“…Certainly, that makes sense.”

Those who now desire honor restoration more than anyone else are none other than Wudang. No matter how much the Namgung Family fell in disgrace due to the tragedy of the Yangtze River, can that disgrace and anger be compared to that of Wudang?

“If it were me, I would have come out of Bongmun and rushed to the Yangtze River right away… But, unfortunately, there’s Sect Leader Heo Dojin there.”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek.

Heo Dojin’s thoughts are so predictable that it is rather difficult to predict.

“And more importantly than that, there’s that bald head…”

“Ugh.”

Hye Yeon, who was sitting in the corner, made a groaning sound.

However, Chung Myung ignored Hye Yeon’s response and continued speaking.

“Depending on how that yangban comes out, the situation will change a lot.”

“How do you think he’ll come out?”

“…What I think?”

“Yes, your thoughts.”

“If I may say so….”

Chung Myung had a strange look on his face.

“I think I know.”

“Yeah.”

“I hope it’s not true if possible. If a person has the least sense of shame, he won’t. But since he’s shameless, I guess that’s why.”

“What, what does that mean?”

“It’s really hard to explain, so if my guess is correct, by…”

It was then.

“Sect Leader!”

Creak!

Un Am rushed through the door. His face looked slightly pale.

“What’s the matter?”

Hyun Jong, who felt something unusual had happened, asked. Un Am opened his mouth with a bewildered expression.

However,

“Now!”

“…Huh?”

Before Un Am could finish his sentence, someone else spoke first. Everyone’s eyes went to Chung Myung, who had opened his mouth.

“At the gate.”

“….”

“Shaolin’s bangjang has arrived.”

“….”

“Right?”

Un Am looked at him blankly, as if he had just encountered a ghost, and nodded in confusion.

“How, how did you know? I rushed over as soon as I saw him.”

“Ha.”

Chung Myung chuckled and looked up at the ceiling.

“Geez, he really has no shame. Even a beggar would have more sense of shame. That rotten bald-headed bastard. A rich monk bastard is no better than a beggar.”

“….”

Hye Yeon’s head, sitting in the corner, blushed as red as a plum blossom.