Episode 354

“Come on.”

Hwang Mun-Yak opened his arms and welcomed the visitors from Mount Hua who had entered.

“Thank you for the hospitality, Elder.”

“Haha. Do you have to say that? Mount Hua is our best friend, so how can we not welcome you?”

Seeing Hwang Mun-Yak look genuinely happy, Hyun Young smiled happily.

If Hwang Mun-Yak had reacted like this only after Mount Hua had regained their fame, then he wouldn’t have liked this. But Hwang Mun-Yak had been someone who came to support Mount Hua when it was still struggling.

So how could he not like this?

“Come on, let’s go inside. We have prepared some snacks for you.”

“Thank you so much.”

Hwang Mun-Yak smiled at Hyun Young, who continued to thank him, and glanced at Chung Myung.

“It has been just a few days and I meet Young Disciple again.”

“Right. How have you been?”

“I had a bit of trouble refilling my alcohol cabinet, which you have emptied.”

“Hehehe. I must start emptying it again.”

“Hehe.”

Hwang Mun-Yak chuckled.

If any other had said this, Hwang Mun-Yak would have called them rude. But that would never apply to Chung Myung, who was a person he had a preference for.

I mean, how much money was the Eunha merchant guild earning because of Chung Myung?

‘Even if we put everything aside, just being able to bring Yunnan tea into the caravan can bring back several times the amount of money invested.’

However, this was also nothing when you considered the money which would be earned in the future.

Mount Hua’s dominance was now out of Hua-Um and had begun to move to Xi’an. And soon, it would begin to spread not just to Xi’an but to Shaanxi too.

If one could carry Mount Hua on their back, it wasn’t just a dream for Eunha to take over Shaanxi, but maybe it could become the best merchant guild in the world.

So how could they not like Chung Myung?

‘It isn’t just Disciple Chung Myung?’

Hwang Mun-Yak smiled warmly as he saw the disciples of Mount Hua heading inside.

The young ones who had been suppressed by the name of the Southern Edge Sect till now showed promising results to the world.

The growth of Mount Hua was shocking, even for those who were watching from the sidelines.

‘If this happens like this…’

Of course, it would not be easy, but they could still see Mount Hua as the best in their imaginations. Those words couldn’t even be dreamed of even a few years ago.

And it was obvious that their trip to Xi’an was the start of this.

Hyun Young, who briefly conversed with Hwang Mun-Yak, called the disciples into the room without delay.

“Hm. We arrived earlier than expected.”

“Thanks to that, we can push the schedule ahead by a little bit.”

Hyun Young nodded his head.

“Let’s move right away without wasting time. Ah, Baek Cheon.”

“Yes!”

“Lead the disciples and look at the sentiments of the people in Xi’an. No matter how much effort we put into coming here, this is a place under the Southern Edge Sect and they will not look favorably on us.”

“Yes, I will look around.”

“Baek Sang, you go to Elder Hwang and make a list of materials needed for the sect.”

“Yes, Elder!”

Hyun Young also assigned a few more disciples to that task. It was a way to get it done quicker.

“Everyone understands?”

“Yes, Elder!”

“No more delays. Time is precious, so move!”

“Yes!”

“Elder?”

“Uh?”

“Me?”

Chung Myung, who was sitting in the corner, raised his hand and asked, but Hyun Young smiled happily,

“Yes, Chung Myung. You are going to come with me to search the place.”

“Ah, visit the place before opening the sect?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will come.”

“Right. Come with me. Hahaha.”

“Hahahaha!”

Seeing the two smile this brightly, the other disciples trembled with anxiety.

“Oh…”

Yoon Jong looked around without any hesitation.

“This place is huge.”

“This is new coming from the person who saw Luoyang. And didn’t we stop by Chengdu?”

“It feels different from there.”

Baek Cheon smiled.

“Look at this clearly. There will be a lot of places we can stop by in the future. Now you need to get as familiar with this place as Hua-Um.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

Even as Yoon Jong answered, his gaze moved about the whole place like he was possessed, and Baek Cheon smiled while watching him.

‘Nothing would happen, right?’

Since Southern Edge’s influence was strong, there was a high chance that there were people who were currently very hostile to Mount Hua.

Every move had to be made cautiously.

It was then…

“Uh. Excuse…?”

“What? What is it?”

“Isn’t that Mount Hua?”

A few people passing by looked at the plum blossom pattern on their uniforms and began to tremble. Of course, they were speaking in low voices, but the disciples could hear it clearly.

The disciples just shrugged it off.

“They look young?”

“Then it seems that they are the ones who are said to have brought the best results in the competition.”

“Right, right!”

Their stiff shoulders had opened up with pride after hearing these comments.

‘This isn’t a bad reaction?’

‘After all, people care about the results.’

Mount Hua exchanged glances with each other. In particular, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul had bright smiles.

“Huh. It has been said that Mount Hua has been getting strong these days, but now there is a day when we see the disciples of Mount Hua in Xi’an.”

“It is amazing. Ah, not that. Until recently, I wasn’t even interested as I thought they were falling, but in the blink of an eye they…”

“Don’t say that. I have been paying attention to Mount Hua ever since their conference with Southern Edge.”

“Ah, this person! Look at him!”

Their voices began to grow louder.

They began to chat loudly, causing more people to recognize them, and the number of gazes began to increase more and more.

Baek Cheon hurried his steps with a half-proud and half-shy face.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who managed to escape from that place, looked at each other and sighed.

“Is this a welcoming atmosphere?”

“There was no one as hostile as I thought. The story of Southern Edge wasn’t even mentioned.”

“Yes. Still, I thought people would be a bit offended.”

Jo Gul, who listened to them, shook his head and said,

“That is how human psychology works.”

“Psychology?”

“You know what that Chung Myung always says?”

“Ah…”

-What? Agreement? Agreement? Yah! Such an amazing one! You bastards. If the concept of agreeing is that great would people line up with sects that are that far from their homes? No, those Shaolin idiots are locked on their mountain, chanting sutras. Yet, they are considered as the first sect in the minds of others. Kangho is about power. A guy who has the sharpest knife is the best.

“… those weren’t wrong words.”

Remembering the words of Chung Myung, Baek Cheon and the others nodded their heads.

No matter how true his words were, seeing them in action gave them a different meaning.

“The people of Xi’an and then Shaanxi have considered Southern Edge as their sect.”

“It is because they were strong.”

“Yes. Right.”

Jo Gul nodded his head.

“Wasn’t the goodwill the people had shown to the Southern Edge Sect due to the power they held? But now, they are below us, so Mount Hua is now better.”

“From now on, it means Mount Hua will represent Shaanxi instead of Southern Edge.”

“Yes. When the news that Southern Edge has gone to seal its doors is spread, the water will flow faster.”

Jo Gul paused for a moment and smiled.

‘The timing isn’t bad.’

If they could open up their sub-sect here, then it would flower faster than at any other time.

“Looking at the rumors about the world’s best sect coming to Xi’an, everyone must be wondering how strong Mount Hua is.”

“Then there will be many who want to learn the martial arts of Mount Hua.”

“Yes. What is even better is that the current fame of Mount Hua has built on the backs of the third and second-class disciples, and it is usually the younger generation who wants to learn martial arts, correct?”

“Yes.”

“The fact that the parents want their children to be the ones gaining fame, this might be a huge advantage for us.”

“Is educating them in a famous place more important?”

“Yes.”

Baek Cheon nodded his face with a happy smile.

In any case, Mount Hua was being received happily.

“We will have to visit a few more places, but anyway, it doesn’t seem as bad as we were worried about, the people from Xi’an aren’t doing anything.”

“I think the same. Of course, we cannot jump to conclusions. As Southern Edge had been here for a long time, there will be people who have ties to it and depend on it.”

“We will have to bear with that.”

Baek Cheon was determined.

“Everyone will have to keep this in mind. This matter will affect the fate of Mount Hua. Everyone should do their best to help the Huayoung Gate Leader.”

“Yes, Sasuk!”

“Yes, Sahyung!”

Everyone responded with bright eyes making Baek Cheon smile happily.

‘This much is basic.’

How constructive were their conversations without Chung Myung?

The sajaes, who usually seemed to have gone off the rails, were now holding their heads high and thinking rationally now that Chung Myung wasn’t here.

‘Everyone blanks out when he is here.’

Even Baek Cheon could feel himself changing.

Realizing the influence of Chung Myung, he shook his head.

“I feel so comfortable without Chung Myung.”

“If he had been by our side, wouldn’t he be contemplating what kind of accident he will cause next?”

“We wouldn’t even have the time to look around.”

Everyone was busy blaming the wrong deeds on Chung Myung, saying that he was the mess maker of the group.

But Yu Yiseol, who was listening quietly, seemed to have a different opinion as she frowned.

“You people are wrong.”

“… Uh?”

“What do you mean, Sago?”

Everyone looked puzzled at her words, so she continued.

“There is a reason why we must keep our eyes on him.”

“What is that?”

“In our absence, the scale of accidents is always bigger.”

“…”

Right.

This was right.

Everyone shivered.

Chung Myung was dangerous wherever he was, whether with people or without.

And the scariest of all was when no one was with him.

“… E-Elder is there, though, right?”

“Oil on fire.”

“…”

Eh.

No…

They felt a rush of anxiety which they had forgotten till now.

And right at that moment…

Yoon Jong pointed ahead.

“Isn’t that Chung Myung?”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon frowned and looked in the direction Yoon Jong pointed.

“Right. I think so? There is the Elder beside him too.”

“What are they doing?”

“That… they said they were going to look around for places to establish the sect, so maybe they are…?”

“Oh? In here?”

Baek Cheon glanced around.

‘Not bad.’

They were on a road that led to Xi’an. There was some distance from the center, but since the road was wide and many people passed through here, it wasn’t a bad place.

“It would be quite an expensive place.”

“Right. Besides, there has to be a large yard to practice, so it will be even more expensive.”

“Isn’t it fine since we made a lot of money?”

“… Elder Hyun Young?”

At those last words, everyone went silent. It had gotten better, but wasn’t it still Hyun Young who was here with them?

It was difficult to imagine that such a person would buy a place in an expensive part of the city.

“… because it is important. I don’t know what Sect Leader said.”

“Well, it would be good if he said something.”

Not being able to deal with this anxiety, everyone slowly approached where Chung Myung and Hyun Young were.

But…

“… Sasuk.”

“Uh?”

“Didn’t you say that Elder and Chung Myung went there?”

“Yes.”

“… that place?”

“…”

Baek Cheon’s eyes began to tremble as it slowly dawned on him.

The angle.

Right the full angle.

If there were pillars, a roof, and a large piece of land, it had to be called a pavilion, and this was that.

The problem was…

‘I don’t think there is anything else but pillars and a roof?’

Is this really the full angle?

A large pavilion which looked more like a haunted house with hundred years of history, was in front of them.

The overgrown grass, crumbling walls, and the half-destroyed buildings were bad to look at.

“No.”

“Eh… they cannot do this.”

“I’d rather them take an empty plot of land. I wouldn’t mind a fully destroyed place. This one might collapse if we touch it.”

“… Mount Hua is fine being like this, but a new sub-sect, a new clan, cannot be like that.”

Everyone looked at Hyun Young with confused faces.

It was a place that needed inviting open doors to grow, so they couldn’t understand why a haunted place was being chosen!

However, in their minds, the words of Yu Yiseol seemed to float in.

-Oil on fire.

At that moment, the voice of the mature man standing in front of Hyun Young and Chung Myung was heard,

“Yes! Yes! The prices here are really, really low. You cannot find another place cheaper than this! But… is this really fine? There is a reason why this place had turned into such a haunted house.”

“Why?”

The old man looked around before whispering.

“There are rumors that ghosts are in this place. There have been many who bought the place, but after seeing the ghosts they always ran away.”

…ghosts??

Baek Cheon looked at the others.

‘Oh no, ghosts.’

‘Please! Please!’

‘Chung Myung! Elder! Don’t!’

Chung Myung asked as if he understood their prayers,

“There are ghosts? In here?”

“… yes. I am just telling you in advance in case you might get angry later after buying it. There are such rumors.”

“Oh my, a ghost!”

Chung Myung clenched his fist.

“Then it has to be really cheap!”

“…”

“Right?”

“… it is cheap…but the rumors say…”

Chung Myung and Hyun Young looked the happiest,

“Right.”

“Good.”

“Uh… think again. There are rumors that ghosts come out in there. Even the workers who need to clean it don’t want to work.”

“It is fine.”

“… Uh?”

Chung Myung smiled and said proudly,

“Because we have our own laborers. They are pretty sturdy too.”

“…”

Inevitably, at the time, the face of Baek Cheon and others began to glare at Chung Myung.

“Let’s make the contract!”

Hyun Young’s voice echoed over, telling them their future.

‘This is hell.’

‘I wish we were just dead.’

Mount Hua or not Mount Hua, where there was Chung Myung, no happiness existed for others.