If You Mess With Mount Hua, I’ll Show You What Happens! (2)
Hyun Jong’s eyes, fixed on the group leaving through the mountain gate, were clouded with worry he couldn’t hide.
“Will they be all right?”
“We sent Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong with them. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“Shouldn’t we send someone else, even now?”
“...We don’t have anyone to spare, Sect Leader.”
Hyun Jong looked at Unam. Unam, wearing a perfectly composed expression, quietly turned his head away and avoided his gaze.
“You’re not saying that because you don’t want to go yourself, are you?”
“This is no matter for the elders. If we are careless, the situation could spiral beyond control.”
“And if we only send those brats, it won’t spiral?”
...It was difficult for him to answer that.
Honestly, if Chung Myung was involved, it would be stranger if things didn’t get out of hand.
“I’m worried. I really am.”
Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh.
At that, Hyun Sang, who had been watching from the side, suddenly gave a low chuckle.
Hyun Jong turned a sour face toward him.
“So, Junior Brother, you find this amusing?”
“Forgive me, Sect Leader Senior Brother. But how could it not be amusing?”
“What’s so funny about it?”
Hyun Sang smiled faintly.
“Only two years ago, weren’t we the ones worrying about our disciples being humiliated by Southern Edge Sect? And now we’re worrying that those boys might beat the disciples of Wudang too hard.”
“...”
Come to think of it, that was true.
Seen from anywhere other than Mount Hua, they might be mocked for getting lucky with Southern Edge Sect once and then losing their heads over it.
But to anyone who knew exactly what the Baek and Cheong generations had endured over the past two years, this worry was only natural.
“Trust them and wait. They’re not foolish children. I’m sure they’ll return after spreading Mount Hua’s fame throughout the land.”
“They’ll spread fame, all right.”
“Pardon?”
“Notoriety counts as fame too.”
“...”
Hyun Jong sighed deeply again as he watched the disciples recede into the distance.
“At any rate, they’d better return safely.”
Hyun Sang could only keep silent. He couldn’t honestly say that such a thing was impossible.
* * *
At first, he had thought it sounded reasonable.
— Young hero. We should reach Nanying as quickly as possible, shouldn’t we? We’re fine, but your stamina is the real issue. So why don’t we think of a better way than just running ourselves ragged?
For Wi So-haeng, there was no choice but to agree.
First of all, he was not in normal condition. Since leaving Nanying and racing all the way to Huayin with all his strength, his vitality had already been badly depleted.
And even if it hadn’t been, the result would have been the same. In truth, Wi So-haeng’s talent for martial arts was nothing exceptional, so even in perfect condition he would never be able to keep up with the direct disciples of Mount Hua.
Still, there was no way an adult man could be carried on someone’s back, was there?
— Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. You don’t have to stress about it.
Up to that point, Chung Myung had been surprisingly dependable.
When he swiftly procured two horses and a cart as soon as they arrived in Huayin, Wi So-haeng had even felt a twinge of guilt for having underestimated him based only on his personality.
— Hey, hey! I said I’ll handle it!
By the time a cart piled high with travel food had been prepared, he had begun to think Chung Myung was actually trustworthy.
— No, I said I’ll handle it! Are you deaf or something?
Only when strange bottles were stacked beside the food—and he realized they were all liquor bottles—did he understand that he had been wrong. But by then, it was too late to turn back.
Which was why things had come to this.
“Joook!”
Chung Myung was sprawled across the cart, guzzling liquor like a madman.
“...”
After staring at the sight for a while, Wi So-haeng turned his head slightly and spoke to Baek Cheon.
“A Taoist priest... drinking alcohol...”
“Mount Hua does not forbid alcohol.”
Yes, I know that. I’m a collateral branch member of Mount Hua too.
But isn’t it a little much to lie sprawled on a cart drinking like that when your martial uncles are right here?
Huh? And what’s that now?
Yu I-seol, sitting by Chung Myung’s head, tossed a strip of jerky into his mouth. He chewed on it with complete naturalness, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
“...”
It was an absurd sight.
If one only looked at the act of feeding him jerky, it might seem like a beautiful display of brotherly affection—no, martial-uncle-and-nephew affection—but wasn’t it strange to throw jerky into the mouth of a junior disciple while he was drinking?
It wasn’t like tossing dog treats to a puppy.
And the one throwing it, and the one happily eating it...
Seeing Wi So-haeng’s speechless expression, Baek Cheon said calmly, “Young hero Wi.”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
“Don’t mind it. It won’t make sense just because you watch it.”
Wi So-haeng flicked his gaze toward Yu I-seol.
The meaning was: setting aside the one sprawled out there, what in the world is up with that woman?
“The same goes for that.”
“...”
They had already departed for Nanying, but Wi So-haeng still kept wondering whether it was really right to head there with these people.
“It’ll take us about two days to reach Nanying.”
Wi So-haeng’s gaze shifted slightly forward.
He saw the two fine horses pulling the cart, as well as Yoon Jong and Jo Gul seated on the driver’s bench.
Those horses look insanely expensive.
They were far too fine for a cart like this. Thanks to them, the cart was already racing along at a tremendous speed. It was definitely faster than the speed at which he could run with all his strength.
And since they wouldn’t need to stop for rest in between, the choice itself was undoubtedly wise.
But...
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
“Khhhhh. Now this is living!”
For some reason, his stomach twisted.
For some reason.
Wi So-haeng had never once considered himself the kind of petty person who would resent another’s happiness, yet Chung Myung had a strange talent for making everyone around him feel irritable.
“Young hero Wi.”
“Yes, Daoist Baek Cheon.”
“What sort of place is Hwayeong Gate?”
At the sudden question, Wi So-haeng hesitated a little before answering, so Baek Cheon added, “I’m not probing for details. We left in such a hurry that I haven’t heard much. I know Hwayeong Gate is one of Mount Hua’s collateral branches, but since we’re going there to deal with the matter directly, it seemed best to learn a little more on the way.”
“Ah, no, it isn’t that. I was only trying to figure out how to explain it...”
Wi So-haeng trailed off awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“It’s not really a special place.”
“It’s special enough.”
Baek Cheon’s voice grew a touch more serious.
“Until recently, being a collateral branch of Mount Hua meant nothing at all. And yet Hwayeong Gate proudly proclaimed itself to be a branch of Mount Hua. Search the entire world and you wouldn’t find another place like it.”
At Baek Cheon’s words, even Chung Myung, who had been lying there, turned his eyes slightly to look at Wi So-haeng.
“It wasn’t something done with some grand sense of mission. My father was simply proud to call himself a disciple of Mount Hua.”
As he said that, Wi So-haeng’s face did not look bright.
He must have had it rough.
Lying there and listening only with his ears, Chung Myung clicked his tongue softly.
Wi So-haeng had probably said countless times that they should just give up on Mount Hua. That was the way of the world to begin with. People would learn weak martial arts all the same, but they wouldn’t go out of their way to study the arts of a sect that was on the verge of ruin.
Those who knew Mount Hua would not learn because they knew it, and those who didn’t know Mount Hua would not learn because they didn’t.
It might even have been easier to manage if they had simply taken down the signboard proclaiming Hwayeong Gate as a branch of Mount Hua.
“I can’t tell you how happy my father was when he heard about the last Hwajong Jihoe. He said Mount Hua was finally spreading its wings again, and he drank two whole casks of liquor—liquor he’d never normally touch.”
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon nodded slowly.
“You said your father was proud to be a disciple of Mount Hua?”
“Yes. More precisely, it was my great-grandfather who was a collateral disciple of Mount Hua, but... in any case, that’s what he believed. He often said the greatest regret of his life was never being able to enter as a direct disciple of Mount Hua.”
Baek Cheon nodded heavily.
“In any case, your father must have been very proud to run Hwayeong Gate.”
“He was. And luckily, we never starved. If those scoundrels at Jong Do Gwan hadn’t been causing trouble...”
“You said the gate master lost to the master of Jong Do Gwan in a duel?”
“That’s right. But... honestly, that’s strange too.”
“Strange?”
Wi So-haeng nodded.
“My father never neglected his training for a single day. It sounds strange to say it myself, but he wasn’t the sort to lose to ordinary young men.”
Which, naturally, made sense.
Those who trained in martial arts grew stronger with time. Ordinary people grew old, their bodies weakened, and their strength declined, but martial artists aged more slowly in body and accumulated inner power, which meant they inevitably became stronger over time.
That was why the jianghu was a place where not weak old men, but strong old masters, swarmed everywhere.
“But the master of Jong Do Gwan was far too young. I just can’t understand how my father could have lost to such a young man.”
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon’s brow furrowed slightly.
There are more than a few strange points here.
At first he had thought it was merely a dispute between collateral branches, but the more he heard, the more suspicious things became.
And there was also the warning the sect leader had given him separately.
Wi So-haeng watched Baek Cheon’s expression for a moment, then quietly spoke.
“Actually, I should be the one apologizing.”
“For what?”
“My father told me to seek Mount Hua’s help, but honestly, I never expected Mount Hua to agree so readily.”
“Ah.”
Baek Cheon nodded.
“After all, standing up to Wudang isn’t exactly simple. We were already in despair ourselves. But for you to help so readily...”
Wi So-haeng paused as if his throat had tightened. Baek Cheon waited silently until he could continue. After covering his mouth and coughing once or twice, Wi So-haeng spoke in a slightly wet voice.
“I think I understand now why my father always had Mount Hua on his lips. No matter how this turns out, I’ll spend the rest of my life grateful to the main sect.”
It was a heartwarming thing to say.
Unfortunately, this cart happened to be carrying someone who got goosebumps at warm words.
“No matter how this turns out?”
Chung Myung’s eyes flashed wildly as he sat up. Yu I-seol pressed a finger to his head, and his body slowly sank back down again.
But his mouth didn’t stop.
“What do you mean, ‘no matter how this turns out’! There’s only one result! We just need to smash those bastards’ heads in!”
“Did the Sect Leader not tell you not to do that?”
“He’s probably secretly hoping I will, though? The Sect Leader doesn’t have much time left anyway, so I need to show him me cracking open some Wudang skulls before he goes. Then he can ascend smiling, right?”
How could a few words contain both reverence for the Sect Leader and filial impiety at the same time?
It was beyond comprehension.
“And honestly, isn’t the whole point of Daoists to beat up Wudang bastards?”
Huh?
Well... that was not entirely wrong.
“This is the perfect chance to show them!”
Chung Myung’s eyes burned.
“I was trying to keep things quiet and civilized, you know!”
No, that’s not true. I know you too well.
“Those bastards started it first. So they need to be punished. Great Senior Brother! What are you doing? Pick up the pace!”
“We’re already going as fast as we can. If we rush too much, the horses will wear themselves out.”
“Do you know how much those horses cost? It’s fine, it’s fine! They can run at least twice as far as ordinary horses, so don’t worry and make them go faster!”
“Ugh.”
Yoon Jong shook his head and patted the horse’s rump.
As the cart picked up speed, Chung Myung’s body bounced with it.
“I don’t know why, but I’ll show you what happens when you mess with Mount Hua!”
Listening to that triumphant voice, Baek Cheon let out a long sigh.
They probably can’t imagine it at all.
He was talking about the fact that a troublemaker unprecedented in history, one even Mount Hua could barely handle, was heading to Nanying.
With sincere sympathy, Baek Cheon offered a silent prayer for the Wudang disciples who would arrive in Nanying full of hope and innocence.