Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Part 4. Time Changes Many Things (3)
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Eun So-cheong followed the Plum Blossom Sword Troops up Mount Hua.
Behind her back, the warriors and workers of the Ho Merchant Group were following, each carrying loads on their backs.
“Huff! Huff!”
Mount Hua was so steep that rough breaths escaped them involuntarily. The treacherous paths known as Cheoncheok Hall and Baekcheok Gorge were challenging even for those who had trained in martial arts.
Eun Ga-bo had traded with Mount Hua several times before. But back then, they had only dropped off goods at the base and left, never climbing the mountain themselves.
Because of that, he knew nothing of the internal affairs of the Mount Hua Sect, nor had he realized just how steep it was.
The Plum Blossom Sword Troops were also climbing with heavy loads on their backs. Yet their faces remained serene, as if they were strolling across a plain. It was a stark contrast to the pale faces of the Ho Merchant Group members.
Won Myeong turned to look behind him.
“We’re almost there, so hang in there. We’ll send the disciples down for the rest of the luggage, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Won Myeong sasuk.”
“No need. In fact, we should be the ones thanking you, Lady Eun. Thanks to Eun Ga-bo, we’ve been able to procure the supplies we need on time.”
Won Myeong gave a faint smile.
He was barely in his early twenties. Yet his speech and gaze carried the weight of a seasoned warrior.
Won Myeong had once been just an ordinary third-generation disciple. Among them, he hadn’t stood out at all, possessing only average talent for martial arts. Yet now, he had become an entirely different person.
‘Just what happened over these three years?’
Something was happening at Mount Hua. Eun So-cheong couldn’t help but feel curious about it.
After passing the Dragon Ridge, which resembled a dragon’s spine, the full view of the Mount Hua Sect came into sight.
“Is this the Mount Hua Sect?”
Jeok Yeong-cheon’s eyes wavered.
Unlike Eun So-cheong, who was visiting Mount Hua for the first time, Jeok Yeong-cheon had been here before. He remembered the sect’s appearance vividly.
The Mount Hua Sect hadn’t been flashy like the Wudang Sect, with its grand halls clustered together. Instead, its halls and pavilions were scattered evenly across the mountain. At first glance, it might have seemed modest, but the buildings themselves were ornate and imposing.
Yet the halls of the Mount Hua Sect before them now looked utterly shabby. They were small in scale and clearly hastily built, radiating a sense of poverty.
To think the mighty Mount Hua Sect had fallen this far. It was a poignant sense of the times changing.
As if reading Jeok Yeong-cheon’s thoughts, Won Myeong smiled and said,
“It’s modest, isn’t it?”
“Oh, no, it’s not.”
“It’s fine. Even we think it looks shabby. But you know... my heart feels more at ease than before.”
“Pardon?”
“Before, it was so ornate it felt like clothes that didn’t fit me. Now, it’s comfortable, like my own clothes—no burden at all.”
“That’s...”
Won Myeong wore an expression of enlightenment. Jeok Yeong-cheon couldn’t comprehend his reaction.
“You’ll understand what I mean once you reach the Upper Palace.”
As they spoke, they arrived at a small training ground in front of the Upper Palace.
Won Myeong pointed to one side of the training ground.
“Please set the luggage down over here.”
The Ho Merchant Group warriors looked relieved as they placed their loads where Won Myeong indicated.
“You’re back, sasuk?”
Disciples of the Mount Hua Sect came running from inside the Upper Palace. Won Myeong nodded and said,
“Won Gong.”
“Yes!”
“Take the junior brothers and fetch the luggage from below. There’s quite a bit, so you’ll need to make several trips.”
“Understood.”
Won Gong smiled and replied. He soon led the other disciples down the mountain. Watching them, Jeok Yeong-cheon hurriedly said,
“There’s a lot of luggage, so let us send some of our Ho Merchant Group warriors as well.”
“No need. This is part of their training.”
“Training?”
“Daily life is training itself.”
“Hmm!”
Jeok Yeong-cheon let out a low hum.
Won Myeong’s answer—that daily life itself was training—was something all warriors knew, yet few could truly practice.
The Mount Hua Sect disciples following Won Gong were displaying lightness skills. These young-looking warriors moved nimbly down the mountain like mountain goats.
Their movements were anything but ordinary. The Ho Merchant Group warriors were staring at them in awe.
“Everything changed after the Supreme Elder returned.”
“Supreme Elder?”
“You’ll understand when you meet him. Everyone else, stay here and rest. You two, follow me.”
Won Myeong pointed to Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon.
The Ho Merchant Group warriors, who had barely made it up the mountain, sighed in relief and sat down on the spot.
Won Myeong led Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon away. But instead of heading toward the Upper Palace, he went in the opposite direction.
Puzzled expressions appeared on their faces.
As far as they knew, the heart of the Mount Hua Sect was the Upper Palace. It was not only the sect leader’s residence but also where all major and minor decisions were made. They assumed the Supreme Elder would naturally be staying there. Yet Won Myeong was heading toward a secluded area, contrary to their expectations.
Pushing through thick underbrush where one might doubt if a path even existed, they arrived at a small shack. It was so rundown it seemed it might collapse at any moment. In front of it was a small platform, and atop it sat a Taoist with an otherworldly air.
Without his speckled white beard, he could have passed for middle-aged—his features were so clear and refined. He was intently writing something with a brush.
Won Myeong bowed as respectfully as possible and said,
“Supreme Elder. This disciple Won Myeong has brought guests.”
Only then did the elder Taoist notice their presence and look up at Won Myeong and the others.
“Oh! Won Myeong, you’re here?”
“I apologize for disturbing your tranquility.”
“No matter.”
The elder Taoist shook his head and rose from the platform. He approached Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon with a welcoming smile.
“Please come in. This old Daoist has been too preoccupied to greet you personally.”
“No, no.”
“Speak freely.”
Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon were flustered by the elder’s unpretentious and approachable demeanor.
The elder clasped his hands in a Daoist greeting.
“This old Daoist is Hyeon So. I sincerely welcome you to Mount Hua.”
“Ah!”
“True Man Hyeon So.”
Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon exclaimed involuntarily.
Few knew the name Hyeon So True Man. But those who did, knew. He was the master of Dam Ho.
That fact alone—that he was the master of the Volcanic Fist Demon—made True Man Hyeon So worthy of attention.
‘True Man Hyeon So is the Mount Hua Sect’s Supreme Elder?’
It was a fact unknown until now because the sect had been in seclusion.
Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon hurriedly paid their respects.
“I am Eun So-cheong of Eun Ga-bo.”
“Ho Merchant Group Leader Jeok Yeong-cheon pays respects to the Supreme Elder of the great Mount Hua Sect.”
“Namo Amitabha! I took this position out of necessity due to the sect’s urgent circumstances. No need to be so formal.”
True Man Hyeon So gave a gentle smile.
The moment they heard his voice, Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon felt their hearts mysteriously ease. It was hard to believe he was the Supreme Elder of the Mount Hua Sect—his manner was so down-to-earth.
Won Myeong’s eyes gazing at True Man Hyeon So were filled with respect. It went beyond a mere disciple’s reverence for an elder; it held infinite awe.
Eun So-cheong wondered just how one earned such respect. But she didn’t dare ask.
Three years had deepened the profound mystery in True Man Hyeon So’s eyes. They seemed to contain all the wisdom of the world.
“It’s humble, but please sit here.”
True Man Hyeon So offered them seats. Led by his hand, Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon sat on the platform.
“You sit too.”
“How could I possibly sit alongside Great Grandmaster?”
Won Myeong was startled and waved his hands in refusal.
“Why so stiff? That rascal Ho ruined you all. It’s fine—sit.”
“Yes!”
Won Myeong reluctantly sat on the platform, though with extreme caution. True Man Hyeon So gave an exasperated look as he began preparing tea.
He set water on the brazier and selected tea leaves, saying,
“Thank you. Thanks to Eun Ga-bo, the Mount Hua Sect has endured these trying times well.”
“Oh, no. It’s only natural. The Mount Hua Sect with Brother Ho and Jin-bo is like family to us.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Jin-bo already.”
“Really?”
Eun So-cheong unwittingly replied, then blushed. It felt like her feelings had been exposed.
True Man Hyeon So smiled kindly. Eun So-cheong’s face flushed even deeper. Her wavering eyes searched for Bang Jin-bo. But his shadow was nowhere in the shack.
“Jin-bo went into the mountains to gather something. He’ll be back soon—just have some tea while you wait.”
“Pardon? Oh... yes!”
Eun So-cheong stammered without realizing it. True Man Hyeon So gave a warm smile as he poured the tea.
Drip, drip!
Clear tea water filled the cups.
True Man Hyeon So offered cups to the three.
“Ah!”
“Mmm!”
Exclamations burst out simultaneously. The tea’s aroma was exquisite. Just inhaling it seemed to clear the mind.
“It’s plum blossom tea. I hope it suits you.”
“It’s... delicious.”
“Very good.”
Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon answered at once.
Eun So-cheong was a merchant to the bone, and Jeok Yeong-cheon was thick-skinned by nature. They were not ones to be easily swayed. Yet here they were, revealing their feelings so readily at True Man Hyeon So’s words.
Watching them, Won Myeong smiled bashfully. Now he understood their reactions.
A person’s true worth reveals itself in the hardest times.
When the Mount Hua Sect was at the height of its fame in the Central Plains, few disciples even knew of True Man Hyeon So’s existence. Back then, Mount Hua teemed with talents, each worthy of being called a once-in-a-generation genius.
But they failed to overcome the massive wave of the Demonic Cult and were swept away. In their place remained only desolate ruins and young disciples.
Everyone despaired. They thought Mount Hua could never rise again. Even the sect’s own disciples believed so.
But True Man Hyeon So shattered all those preconceptions.
The world would be shocked to learn how he alone transformed the Mount Hua Sect.
Won Myeong respected him not just because he was an elder of the sect, but because he had proven worthy of it.
It was then.
A rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes. As Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon tensed, someone emerged from the forest.
“I’m back.”
He was a boy with sun-tanned dark brown skin, a lithe and springy body like a deer’s, and a fresh smile.
On his back was a large sack, and at his waist hung a kitchen knife.
True Man Hyeon So looked at the boy and said,
“You’re back.”
“Haha! Did I keep you waiting long? It took longer than I thought to find these.”
The boy shook the sack. It was filled to the brim with unidentified herbs.
“You went all the way to Three Gongsan again? That place has treacherous terrain—it’s dangerous.”
“I’m used to it now, so it’s fine. Hehe!”
The boy grinned cheekily. True Man Hyeon So gave an exasperated look and said,
“Good timing. We have guests.”
“Guests?”
The boy looked puzzled as he glanced at Eun So-cheong and Jeok Yeong-cheon. His gaze lingered on Eun So-cheong, and his eyes widened.
“So-cheong?”
“No way... Jin-bo?”
Eun So-cheong wore an incredulous expression.
The Bang Jin-bo she remembered was a very chubby boy. The springy youth before her was worlds apart.
The boy strode forward.
“Haha! Long time no see.”
“It’s really you, Jin-bo?”
“Yeah! It’s me, Bang Jin-bo.”
The boy—Bang Jin-bo—grinned broadly.
Eun So-cheong’s eyes shook as if struck by an earthquake.
“N-No... this can’t be!”