Why Is Mount Hua Watching Their Back (1)

He couldn’t help but feel absurd about this.

What was Mount Hua? This Taoist Sect was one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects.

“Why is it so unfortunate for them that Mount Hua is watching over them?”

Hyun Hee just shrugged with a solemn expression.

“The head of the Heavenly Dragon Merchant Chamber is famous as a clan member of the Mount Hua Sect. The amount that they paid back was enormous.”

“Even so, where does an alliance between a sect and a merchant lead to…?”

Yu Jinsan couldn’t finish his words and placed his hand on his forehead, feeling blood rush to his head.

“Everyone only called it that on the surface, but in reality, they prioritized their interests and losses. Maintaining a large sect requires a lot of money.”

He couldn’t help but feel odd about this.

When had Kangho changed like this?

The justice factions of Yu Jinsan’s time were never like this. At least back then, there was romance in Kangho—romance for martial arts. It was a time when the main foundation was the sects.

Was it because the Demonic Cult had fallen and there was nothing more to fight about? It was a situation he couldn’t even comprehend.

“Was it the same for the sect you belonged to?”

“Of course, anyone who donated a lot to Wudang could be an internal clan of Wudang.”

A sigh of regret escaped his lips.

“Anyway, if we rob them, we will end up touching the funds of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“I am sure of it. There is a rumor that a significant amount of the Mount Hua Sect’s funds come from this merchant chamber.”

In addition to Wudang, there was hatred towards the Mount Hua Sect.

But since they had come this far, what else could they be afraid of? There was no longer anything they needed to fear, not just Yu Jinsan, but also the bandits of the Black Mountain Blade.

“I decided to come here. Even if we rob them of their properties, I wouldn’t feel too bad.”

“But the merchant chamber has over ten thousand warriors. Half of them are always on standby at their mansion.”

“Our goal isn’t to go on an all-out war with them. We don’t have to deal with all of them.”

Hyun Hee hesitated as she spoke.

“The problem is the manager of the chamber. There are rumors that his martial arts skills are at Peak level.”

He knew from his past experience just how difficult it was to reach a peak level.

Hadn’t everyone almost been wiped out because of just one Wudang disciple?

This meant the others wouldn’t be any easier.

“Since this is a place that handles a large amount of finances, there will be at least one Peak warrior. Let’s approach it that way.”

“Yes, Grandpa. But when do we start?”

“We don’t have time to relax, so the sooner the better. But I need to confirm something before that.”

“…?”

Hyun Hee’s eyes lit up as she waited for his next words.

“I have to see it with my own eyes. What kind of people they are.”

He wasn’t sure if he should start the plan based on their information alone.

Moreover, it was obvious that bloodshed would occur. It felt like he would feel at ease only if he saw it with his own eyes.

“Will you head down to the village?”

“It isn’t far, so I will be there soon.”

“Just in case, I will come along with you.”

Yu Jinsan shook his head once.

Although wanted flyers were everywhere, two years had passed. They should have been forgotten in people’s memories. This was a fact he personally confirmed during the Sword Queen’s retirement.

Unless he were a horrid murderer who attacked someone important and had a wanted order issued, no one would be able to recognize him.

“Nothing will happen, so you head back to your place and help those guys with their martial arts training. That is more important.”

“I understand, Grandpa. Then be careful.”

“Right. After two days, I will come find you.”

The small, two-story building was located at the entrance of Jinyang County.

At the entrance, there was a signboard that read, ‘Multiple Glory Guesthouse’.

Just six months ago, the place was crowded with customers in broad daylight, but now it is steeped in silence.

The server, holding a broom, sighed and looked at the kitchen.

“Gather, we should just give up. If things continue like this, not only will my life be ruined, but it will also come to an end now.”

The old chef, who was sweeping the kitchen, frowned and shouted.

“Can’t you shut your mouth? Even if my head is blown off, I will never give up this inn!”

“The debt is increasing, though. How long will you try to repay it? I need to clean the room now and think about what to do with our remaining money. Yesterday, Mr. Yang’s store was taken over.”

At that moment, the chef became enraged.

He was about to yell, but he sat down on a chair and caught his breath. After taking a few deep breaths, he seemed to have calmed down, and his face returned to its original color.

“Sang Du, my family has run this inn for three generations, and we have never been this dishonest about anything. Why do you speak as if we will be kicked out? It’s a debt, and we just need to work hard to pay it off.”

The server asked as he pounded his chest in frustration.

“Ugh, Father. They will start touching our business, so how will you ever repay them? Hasn’t the interest already exceeded ten times over?”

“What is wrong with you?”

The argument between the son and father was slowly escalating.

As if it had never happened, their fight vanished the next instant. This was because the inn’s door had opened.

An old man with a clear look and a small-sized girl.

It seemed like a grandfather had brought his granddaughter for a walk.

They couldn’t remember the last time they had a customer, so the current situation felt awkward.

“H-How did you come here?”

“On foot.”

“…Uh?”

“So, when a guest is asked how they arrived, what should we answer?”

“B-By any chance, did people from the outside prevent you from coming in?”

Yu Jinsan understood what he was talking about.

The two warriors lying unconscious in the inn were clearly his handiwork.

However, he acted as if he had no idea what this was about.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to. If you don’t plan on hosting guests, let me know.”

“….”

At that moment, the owner spoke with a soft voice.

“Sangdu. What are you doing when we have a guest?”

“B-But…”

“Hurry up!”

The server, who was scratching his head, led them to the table closest to the kitchen. It was a special VIP seat for regulars, but there was no need to reserve it when the entire place was empty.

“Please sit here. What kind of food would you like to order?”

Yu Jinsan seated his granddaughter on the other side and looked at her.

“Seol, what would you like to eat?”

“Meat.”

As expected, the answer was instantaneous.

What kind of food would this little child know about? It was all about meat porridge.

“Server. Do you have dishes that include noodles and meat?”

The idea was to feed the meat to his granddaughter along with some noodles. Above all, it was because he had no appetite.

But sadly, the server shook his head.

“I am sorry, but we don’t have the ingredients to make the dough for noodles, so preparing it will be difficult.”

“Hm. Then just bring us meat porridge.”

The server hesitated for a moment and spoke cautiously.

“Elder. The quantity of chicken porridge will be a bit less. Normally, this isn’t even an official dish in…”

“I have no appetite, so a bowl of chicken porridge is enough for my granddaughter. Is it a problem if I only need one?”

“I-It isn’t like that…”

As the server continued to stutter, his father, who was watching from the kitchen, called him.

“Sangdu, come over here for a moment.”

“…?”

The server, who had run away, had a face that said he didn’t understand what was happening. Suddenly, a gourd flew out and hit him on the head.

Kwak!

With a cheerful sound, the broken gourd flew around.

“Ack! Why did you hit me, Father?”

“Yah, brat! Since when did we ever take orders selectively? Did you think the old man ordered it that way because he didn’t know?”

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Go ahead and apologize!”

Sangdu approached him with his hands together and bowed his head.

“Elder, I am sorry if I upset you, but I didn’t mean to do that. I was afraid that it wouldn’t be enough…”

Yu Jinsan, who looked at the server, smiled.

“Hehe. This young friend is too polite. I am sorry for the trouble I caused.”

“It’s fine. Let me go and bring you some water.”

A moment passed.

When the chicken porridge he had asked for came out, Yu Jinsan scooped a spoonful and put it little by little into his granddaughter’s mouth.

“Yam~ tasty!”

“Hehe, right, so eat it slowly.”

Yu Seol was in a good mood, and she shook her legs under the table.

Yu Jinsan simply enjoyed seeing her like that. He had lost his appetite because of what he had been through that day.

After looking around, he realized the inn was his last resort.

Everywhere he went was a sight to remember. All the commercial areas in the area were controlled by someone else. It wasn’t a pleasant sight at all.

“Why isn’t Grandpa eating?”

“Grandpa is feeling full now, so you eat a lot. I will buy you something more delicious next time.”

“Hihi~ Nice.”

Yu Jinsan eagerly fed the porridge to his granddaughter with a proud smile.

Then, feeling the back of his head hurt for some reason, he looked back and was shocked.

Wasn’t the server looking at him and his granddaughter with sad eyes? It seemed like he thought Yu Jinsan wasn’t eating because he lacked money.

‘No, that guy?’

Yu Jinsan wanted to say something but decided against it. There was no need to say anything since the server had no ill intentions.

Moreover, a sound bothered him more than the server’s gaze.

The sobbing from the kitchen. Did he expect it? When he peered into the kitchen, he saw the chef crying.

‘No!’

His suspicions were not wrong.

After a while, the owner emerged with wide eyes and two plates.

“Elder, please try this.”

They were beef stew made with pork simmered in soy sauce and duck soup. It was so much food that he couldn’t take it all in at once.

“I didn’t order anything other than the chicken porridge.”

“…I am just giving it to you. You don’t have to pay too much, so just eat as much as you want.”

The chef looked embarrassed, turned his back, and retreated into the kitchen without responding.

Yu Jinsan, who had a blank expression for a moment, felt his heart warm up and smiled.

‘The world is still worth fighting for.’

He couldn’t help but see the sincerity of the chef in the food.

When he took a bite of the duck soup, his tastebuds exploded with flavor.

Before he knew it, Yu Seol was opening her mouth like a baby bird.

“Ah~~.”

As soon as he put it in her mouth, she smiled as if she loved it. It was during this hearty meal that something happened.

There was a sound of movement from outside the inn.

“What’s this? Why are these bastards sleeping out here?”

Next came the numerous sounds of slapping.

Even without checking, he could guess that the warriors of the merchant chamber had arrived.

“Something seems odd? It seems like I fainted.”

“Who did this? You people wait here.”

The door to the guesthouse burst open with a warrior holding a sword at his waist.

The man who looked like a bandit had a grim-looking face.

“You came in?”

The server’s face had turned pale.

“…uh? Wh-why?”

The warriors appeared irritated and noticed Yu Jinsan’s back, giving them a shocked look.

“Are you hosting guests now?”

Yu Jinsan was quietly feeding his granddaughter until a warrior approached the server and kicked him in the shin.

Hit.

“Ack!”

At that moment, Yu Seol’s eyes and mouth moved towards the warrior.