Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Although the seniors were just the elders, Un Generation, and Five Swords, in any case, these were the most core figures of the current Mount Hua.

“Why have you called us?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

In response to Hyun Young’s question, Hyun Sang shrugged his shoulders.

“Having called people here, where has Sect Leader gone?”

“That’s what I’m saying, why are you asking me?”

In the end, Hyun Young’s face is distorted with frustration.

“No, aren’t I asking this because it’s something Sahyung must know! Don’t you know what you’re doing? Even though you’re tailing Sect Leader around!”

“A- As if I have nothing to do, you idiot! I’m quite busy myself.”

“Yes?”

As Hyun Young rolled his eyes fiercely, Hyun Sang cleared his throat loudly with an embarrassed look on his face.

“…Is Finance Hall really busy?”

“Are we really busy? Really now?”

“…”

“If you occupy a manor and lay down, do you think food will automatically fall from the sky? Who do you think is responsible for feeding, washing, and putting these people to sleep? Will a snail wife do it for you?” (Of korean folktale.)

“Keu- Keuhum.”

Hyun Sang seemed to be speechless and slowly turned his head slightly. Once Hyun Young’s anger exploded, it did not quell easily.

“What did you say when we were coming to the Yangtze? You swore we wouldn’t get into fights!”

“No, that wasn’t me…”

“And then you go and get into fights as much as you can, tearing all your clothes! Suddenly you tell me to gather medicines because we have to treat people here! And then, what? Sell whatever grain we have left and then later tell me to prepare food for the kids because we’ll be staying here for a while?”

Hyun Young’s eyes began to overturn back in fury.

Hyun Sang was shocked and quickly tried to dissuade him.

“I- I’m not unaware of your efforts. It’s just that the situation has been so urgent…”

“Situation or whatever! If that’s the case, go somewhere far from here! Why set up camp right in front of those Ten Great Sects’ faces, making me worry about every single piece of clothing for the kids! If it weren’t for them, it wouldn’t matter if the kids ran around bare-bottomed!”

“Koheuheum!”

Hyun Sang kept clearing his throat.

Of course, he didn’t play a particularly great role in making these decisions. However, he was embarrassed to even give such an explanation to Hyun Young, who was running around without a moment’s rest.

“If you’re going to start something! Think about the people who have to clean up after you! Just starting something and then saying, ‘Oh, I don’t know anymore,’ and washing your hands of it? Who’s going to clean up after that, huh? Who?”

“Ca- Calm down. The kids are watching.”

Hyun Young glances back at Five Swords. Those who made eye contact quickly bowed their heads.

‘Hey! Bow down, bow down!’

‘If you make eye contact, you die.’

In times like this, if you get caught wrongly, your bones won’t even get retrieved.

No matter how well Chung Myung was doing, Baek Cheon was recognized, and Sect Leader was regaining his authority, the person with the highest power within the sect recognized by Mount Hua was undoubtedly Hyun Young.

“Hnggg. It’s good that Mount Hua is doing well…. Really well, but…. In the past, wherever we went, just throwing a straw mat was enough, but now we have to pay attention to everything from clothing to feeding them.”

Everyone lowered their heads in embarrassment at Hyun Young’s complaints and grumblings.

In fact, not much had changed in other areas from here. However, the Finance Hall was literally dying as the number of people remained the same but the work to be done had multiplied.

“That… It might help to slightly increase the manpower…”

“Just because I wanted to, would it? When I ask someone to help me with Finance Hall’s work, they roll their eyes and say they don’t even have enough time to train!”

“…”

Hyun Young took a deep breath and looked around with sharp eyes.

“But why isn’t Sect Leader coming! I’m so busy enough as it is. If I had called someone, they at least be here!”

Of course, Hyun Young didn’t know.

The fact that Hyun Jong, who had come close to the door, turned around upon hearing Hyun Young’s heated voice. Even Hyun Jong of the world cannot handle Hyun Young, whose head is full of heat.

Fortunately, there was one person in this Mount Hua who could handle Hyun Young.

“Ei, why bother with such things?”

“Huh?”

Five Swords’s face turned dark in an instant.

‘Wow, look at the elder’s voice change.’

‘Is it okay to discriminate so openly like this in the world?’

‘You heard the voice soften just now, right? I got goosebumps.’

Hyun Young’s face softened upon hearing Chung Myung’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s no need to worry about such things. We don’t really need to impress those Ten Great Sects bastard, do we?”

“That’s right, that’s right. That makes sense.”

Hyun Young also shook his head with a happy face as if Chung Myung knew better.

“But Chung Myung. We might not need to impress Ten Great Sects, but we do need to be mindful of the eyes of the world. Everyone who comes to see us now will know that we were active in Plum Blossom Island, but what will they think if they see us looking shabby?”

“Keueu. I didn’t think of that! Elder Hyun Young is truly an elder! If it weren’t for Elder Hyun Young, we would have all been walking around like beggars. Isn’t it all thanks to the Elder’s hard work that Mount Hua is now hearing good words from all over the place?”

“Tsk, tsk. What are you talking about? How could it be my merit! It’s all thanks to you!”

“Ei. I did nothing.”

Baek Cheon’s face turned sour as he watched the two old hands exchanging pleasantries.

This is just… there’s nothing wrong with what they’re saying. No, if you think about it, it’s all true….

“Baek Cheon.”

“Huh? Yes!”

Baek Cheon was startled and looked at Hyun Young.

“Wha- What problem, Elder-nim. There’s absolutely no problem! Really!”

“What a problem, Elder. No problem! It’s true!”

“Hmm.”

Hyun Young gave him a skeptical look but eventually nodded. Baek Cheon felt cold sweat dripping down the back of his head.

“Anyway, you should conduct yourself neatly as I just said. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, Elder-nim!”

Five Swords answered with a cheerful expression.

Five Swords is beginning to be praised as martial masters representing Mount Hua from outside… But unfortunately, their standing inside Mount Hua has not changed at all.

No, even if it had changed, it would be the same.

Who would dare to stand up to the person with the greatest power in Mount Hua, whom even Sect Leader has to be wary of?

“Keuhum!”

At that moment, the door opened with a loud cough.

“I am late.”

Hyun Young narrowed his eyes as he watched Hyun Jong speak politely.

“I have a feeling you’ve been right outside the door for a while now…”

“H- How could that be? I just arrived.”

“…Let’s just leave it at that.”

“… … .”

Hyun Jong slightly shrugged his shoulders and sat at the head seat. A fleeting look of sadness crossed his eyes, but fortunately or unfortunately, the disciples did not send him pitiable glances.

They just gave him a look that said they understood everything.

‘Don’t look at me like that. It makes me want to cry.’

What could be done?

The cause was simple. Since Mount Hua had been penniless, Hyun Jong had entrusted all financial authority to Hyun Young, and even after Mount Hua started to rake in money, he hadn’t been able to reclaim that authority.

To put it bluntly, no matter how shameless Hyun Jong is, it wouldn’t be right to ask for the job back now that there was money, when he had left it to someone else during the debt-ridden times, right?

Thanks to this, Hyun Jong was now Maengju of Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Sect Leader of Mount Hua who had the power to criticize the former Kangho, but he couldn’t escape from receiving an allowance from Hyun Young.

Hyun Jong composed his expression by gently wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve. He couldn’t keep this up forever.

“I have called you to discuss future matters.”

As he brought up a serious topic, the disciples’ eyes changed. Hyun Jong once again realized that his authority had increased incomparably compared to the past.

Of course, these good folks respected his authority even when he and Mount Hua were at their lowest point, but there was definitely something different back then.

“As you know, we’ve made enemies with Ten Great Sects over this matter.”

“Hum.”

Although they anticipated this, it couldn’t help but be a burden.

Isn’t this the world-renowned Ten Great Sects?

No sect in the world would want to make an enemy of such a place. Even those in Evil Sects might not wish for it.

“Therefore, we need to solidify our stance moving forward.”

Un Am was puzzled by Hyun Jong’s words and asked.

“Sect Leader. It might be presumptuous to say…”

“Speak.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to discuss such matters with Gaju of Tang Family? I think this is more a matter of Heavenly Comrade Alliance than of Mount Hua.”

Hyun Jong quietly shook his head at those words.

“If we go by the logic, you might be right. But I find that uncomfortable.”

“…Why?”

“Because before I was Maengju of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, I am Sect Leader of Mount Hua.”

Hyun Jong smiled warmly and looked at everyone.

“This is especially true when I can’t clearly see the path we should take. If there’s going to be a discussion, I’d like to have it with you first.”

Everyone smiled at those words.

It seemed to be saying that no matter how much his status changed, Hyun Jong was still just Hyun Jong. This is the Sect Leader who stroked them with warm hands even in the old days when they were hungry together.

“That’s why, Chung Myung.”

“Yes?”

Hyun Jong said while looking at Chung Myung.

“What do you think we should do now?”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek.

Mount Hua’s disciples all thought that some special answer would come from Chung Myung.

Whenever presented with a question like this, Chung Myung would always suggest a new path with ideas that others could not think of. They expected a repeat of such instances this time too.

But that thought was shattered the moment Chung Myung’s mouth opened.

“The question seems a bit wrong, Sect Leader.”

“Hm? The question is wrong?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung quietly shook his head.

“I can only answer that question this way.”

He paused for a moment and looked deeply into Hyun Jong’s eyes.

The moment Hyun Jong looked into those deep eyes, strength naturally entered his body.

“What do you wish to do, Sect Leader?”

“…Did you mean me?”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

When Hyun Jong slightly hesitated in answering, Chung Myung turned his head to look around at the others gathered.

“And I think we should also ask what everyone here wants to do. The path Mount Hua takes should be decided together by Mount Hua. I think what we want to do must be decided before what we can do.”

“…..”

Such a statement isn’t extraordinary. Because it is so obvious.

Yet, that obvious statement carried a significant meaning in this place.

‘That maverick….’

‘…Oh my gosh.’

Most looked at Chung Myung in surprise. But Jo-Gol didn’t stop there, he stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Chung Myung’s face.

Chung Myung frowned slightly.

“…What?”

“No, I was wondering if you ate something wrong. You don’t have a fever, do you?”

“…”

Fortunately, before Chung Myung could react, Yoon Jong kicked Jo-Gol in the side. Chung Myung spoke again to Jo-Gol, who couldn’t even make a sound and was just grimacing.

“Let’s talk about it together.”

Everyone waited for what Chung Myung would say next.

“About the path Mount Hua should take from here on.”

With eyes full of resolute determination.