If You Get Hit, You’re Supposed to Move Aside! (3)
Spring had come to Mount Hua.
Huh? You’re asking if spring had already arrived ages ago?
No, no.
The spring that had come now was not that kind of “spring.” If one had to explain what sort of spring this was…….
"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh."
"……."
"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh."
Hyun Young wandered around the mountain compound with a smile so gentle it was almost blinding, his eyes warm as he looked here and there.
If he had always been a kind man, it would have been fine. But for someone who usually prowled about with his eyes red and sharp, looking for anything he could pin on someone, this kind of change was enough to inspire terror in the disciples of Mount Hua.
"Heh-heh-heh. So there’s money left over, is there? Then we should replace this hall with a new one too. Heh-heh-heh-heh."
"……."
Warm, tender energy seemed to pour from Hyun Young’s body.
It was almost as if plum blossoms were blooming wherever he walked. At this rate, people were genuinely worried he might suddenly attain enlightenment and ascend to the heavens.
And it wasn’t just him.
"Heh-heh-heh."
"Hahaha, hahahaha!"
"Sect Leader! The weather is extraordinarily pleasant, isn’t it?"
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
"Heh. Yes. Dark clouds are rolling in as if a squall might break at any moment. What a beautiful sight. It would be wonderful if the weather stayed like this every day."
Facing the fierce wind, Hyun Jong and Hyun Sang burst into hearty laughter.
And just like Hyun Young, they too wandered around Mount Hua, radiating nothing but gentleness.
What was even more frightening was that whenever they met disciples along the way, they all gave them expressions so warm they practically dripped affection. It was almost enough to make that obvious.
"……."
It seemed the upper echelons of Mount Hua had collectively lost their minds.
Even Unam was walking around with a faint smile, so the disciples had no choice but to wonder what on earth was going on here.
Why are they all acting like this?
I know something good must have happened, but how good does it have to be for them to act like that?
The disciples of Mount Hua, who knew nothing about the full story, had to keep suffering through this inexplicable unease.
And the one who made the whole thing truly reach its peak was Chung Myung.
Chung Myung strolled leisurely around the mountain with the expression of a well-fed puppy.
That much, fine…….
"Hmm? You skipped training? It’s fine, it’s fine. That happens. How could someone work hard every single day? Rest, rest. Everyone needs days off."
"……."
"Hmm? While I was gone, the ropes set up on Danjangae were torn and nobody repaired them? Heh-heh-heh. Then just fix them. Take your time and do it leisurely when you’ve got a spare moment. Anyone get hurt?"
"Hiiiiiiiiiik!"
Chung Myung scattered kindness everywhere as if he were some benevolent immortal.
But the second-generation and third-generation disciples watching him could never be as carefree as Chung Myung looked.
"……What the hell is wrong with that bastard?"
"Dunno. I can’t make heads or tails of it……."
If anything, it made them even more uneasy.
"They say people start doing weird things when they’re about to die. Did he catch some disease somewhere or something?"
"Him catch a disease? Him? Even diseases know who to avoid. Chung Myung’s probably more poisonous than a disease."
"That does seem oddly convincing."
If it had been the usual Chung Myung, the instant he heard they’d skipped training he would’ve gone berserk and threatened to split their skulls open. And the moment he heard the training facilities at Danjangae hadn’t been repaired, he would have tied a rope around the speaker’s neck and thrown him off the cliff.
That Chung Myung was now worried about whether anyone had gotten hurt?
Did he hit his head or something?
That’s definitely a trap. We need to repair it today, no matter what. Otherwise my own head might get split open tomorrow!
Just hit me already, you bastard!
Unable to bear this terrifying change any longer, the disciples of Mount Hua decided to squeeze the truth out of someone who probably knew what had happened.
"Sasuk! Baek Cheon Sasuk! What exactly did you do out there before coming back?"
At the visit from the second-generation disciples led by Baek Sang, Baek Cheon wore a wry smile.
"What do you mean, what did I do?"
"Doesn’t this look weird to you? No, it goes beyond weird. It’s downright suspicious!"
"They’re saying Chung Myung has been running around asking if anyone got hurt! That reincarnation of a demon!"
"……That is certainly shocking."
Baek Cheon let out a snort, then replied as if it were nothing.
"Isn’t it enough that everyone’s in a good mood?"
"It is. It really is. But the people watching are still uneasy."
"Then don’t be uneasy."
Baek Cheon cut it off sharply.
"This is good for everyone, and it’s good for you too. It’s just that it’s still confidential, so I can’t tell you yet."
"Sasuk! That hurts. You don’t trust us?"
At the chorus of complaints from all around him, Baek Cheon’s brow twitched. The second-generation disciples flinched.
"You got a problem with that?"
"……."
Baek Sang’s face trembled.
No, how did it come to this?
Where did the gentle Baek Cheon Sasuk from before go?
At least resemble the right person when you copy someone! At least resemble the right person!
Baek Cheon cocked his head at them.
"Anyone else got a problem?"
"……No, sir."
"Tsk."
Baek Cheon clicked his tongue, clearly dissatisfied. Then he looked at his junior brothers and said,
"I’ll tell you when the time comes. I know you’re curious, but for now just mind your own duties and wait. Understood?"
"Yes, Sasuk. But……."
"Hmm? What now?"
"What were those Wudang bastards like?"
At Baek Sang’s words, Baek Cheon’s lips curled slightly.
"You said Sasuk defeated Wudang’s Jin Hyeon!"
"Jin Hyeon of Wudang is the famed Geomryong, isn’t he? And Sasuk beat someone like that!"
Baek Cheon let out a low sigh.
"The Geomryong was strong. But he wasn’t really worthy of that name. There are plenty among you who could give him trouble."
"Come on, that’s just because it was you, Sasuk. We wouldn’t even dare."
"It’s not false modesty."
Baek Cheon looked at his brothers with a strangely unfamiliar expression.
Even saying it myself feels bizarre.
Mount Hua had become this strong without him noticing. The Mount Hua that had once trembled before even the slightest thing from Zhongnan could now easily handle Wudang’s promising younger genius.
Though it’s all thanks to that damn bastard.
"Then shouldn’t Sasuk be the one to take that Geomryong title for himself?"
Baek Cheon’s face twisted slightly.
"……That title is the one thing I do not want."
"Why not? A dragon title is such an honor."
"……There’s already the Mount Hua Divine Dragon above it."
"Ah……."
Come to think of it, that was true.
It wasn’t a pretty sight for a senior and junior tied together under the same banner. No matter how much that junior happened to be a nonhuman bastard.
"In any case, don’t get hung up on empty reputations like that and focus on your training. You need to become stronger than you are now."
To fully make the pill his own once they obtained the Honwon Dan, that is.
Baek Cheon didn’t bother adding the last part. The matter hadn’t ripened yet, and there was no need to get everyone excited for no reason. Besides, if the disciples all got too worked up at once, the news might slip.
Of course, among disciples who were only allowed to stay inside this harsh mountain, where was the news supposed to leak to? Still, now was the kind of time when one had to tap a stone bridge not twice but hammer it thoroughly before crossing.
"But, Sasuk."
"Hmm?"
"That…… rumor that Chung Myung fought the elder of Wudang and ended in a draw— is that true?"
"……."
For an instant, Baek Cheon’s eyebrow twitched violently.
"……I didn’t see it."
"Ah, then so it really……."
Baek Cheon’s face twisted a little. Honestly, it wasn’t something he wanted to say with his own mouth. But if he tried to brush it off too casually, it would sting his pride even more.
"I don’t know whether it was a draw or whatever, but when I got there, the two of them seemed to have exchanged blows, and it is true that Chung Myung was completely uninjured."
"……."
Everyone’s eyes shook.
"Then it’s really……?"
"……Come on, no matter how you look at it."
"Right. That doesn’t make sense."
They said it didn’t make sense out loud, but in their hearts everyone was thinking something else.
That maybe, with that monster, it truly was possible. Of course, by common sense it made no sense at all, but…….
Baek Sang tilted his head and said,
"It doesn’t make sense, but…… no, wait. Come to think of it, Sasuk did beat the Geomryong pretty easily……."
Why did “pretty easily” have to be added there?
"And Chung Myung toys with Great Sasuk, so maybe it’s possible……."
Click.
Baek Sang realized his mistake only after hearing the unmistakable sound of teeth grinding.
Too late, he turned his head, his face slightly pale, toward the source of the sound.
And there…… of course, was Baek Cheon.
Grinding his teeth, Baek Cheon slowly rose from his seat.
"Toys with me?"
"……."
"Hmm, I see. That’s what you thought?"
"S-Sasuk? Please, calm down a bit……."
"Calm down, huh. That is a very nice thing to say. But right now I’d rather try something else. I think you should all get a taste of what it means to be toyed with!"
The next instant.
Baek Cheon drew his sword like lightning and lunged at the junior disciples. The disciples screamed and scattered in all directions.
"No! Why is everything you do starting to look exactly like that bastard’s?!"
"You should copy the right things!"
"Aaaah! Sasuk! The sword! The sword! You’re actually cutting us!"
From a distance, Yu I-seol watched the scene, shook her head, and let out a long sigh.
And while that warm mood was spreading across Mount Hua…….
an unexpected visitor arrived at the sect.
"Chung Myung!"
"Hm?"
"The Sect Leader wants you to come at once!"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You and Jo Gul too."
At Yoon Jong’s words, Chung Myung tilted his head. Was there some reason the Sect Leader wanted them so urgently?
"Let’s go."
He’d find out when he got there. Chung Myung followed Yoon Jong without another word.
The three of them quickly reached the Sect Leader’s quarters. Yoon Jong spoke up.
"Sect Leader. It’s Yoon Jong. I’ve brought Chung Myung and Jo Gul."
"Come in."
"Yes!"
Yoon Jong carefully opened the door and entered. Chung Myung followed him into the Sect Leader’s quarters and quickly checked who was inside.
As usual, there was nothing special about them. The same old people.
Hyun Jong, Hyun Sang, Hyun Young, Unam, and Baek Cheon and Yu I-seol as well.
And if there was one other person besides them…….
"Oh?"
Hwang Mun-yak, the guild leader of the Eunha Merchant Guild, smiled broadly when he met Chung Myung’s eyes.
"Young Daoist. Have you been well all this time?"
"Wow! It’s been a while! Have you been okay?"
"Haha. What could possibly be the matter? Thanks to Young Daoist’s help, I’ve been living quite comfortably."
"You really do look well. You seem younger too?"
Hwang Mun-yak gave an embarrassed smile.
It was true; he looked far younger than before. After rising from his bed and regaining his health, color had returned to his face, and even the hair at his temples had begun to darken again.
“Rejuvenated” was not an exaggeration at all.
"Sit first."
"Yes."
Instead of asking questions, all three of them sat down first. Only then did Hyun Jong speak.
"As you requested, we have summoned Chung Myung. What is it you wish to say, Guild Leader of Eunha Merchant Guild?"
At Hyun Jong’s words, Hwang Mun-yak let out a low, thoughtful hum.
"The reason I came to visit the Sect Leader in person is because of the matter Mount Hua entrusted to our Eunha Merchant Guild."
"……Is there some problem?"
"Not a problem exactly, but……."
Hwang Mun-yak looked a little hesitant, then let out a long sigh.
"Sect Leader."
He lowered his head, as though ashamed.
"I’m sorry, but with the Eunha Merchant Guild’s current capabilities, I don’t think we can carry out Mount Hua’s request."
"Huh?"
Chung Myung’s eyes went wide.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"……What, no. You can’t do it with the Eunha Merchant Guild’s capabilities?"
Hwang Mun-yak lifted his head and gave a wry smile.
"If I may make an excuse, this isn’t something only the Eunha Merchant Guild can’t do. In fact, no merchant guild in the entire world could accomplish what Mount Hua has requested now. No matter which guild you ask, the answer would be the same."
Huh? It can’t be done?
……Then what about my Honwon Dan?
Wait.
That won’t do.
"Grrr……."
A blazing flame ignited in Chung Myung’s eyes!