Are You a Southern Edge Sect Bastard? (1)
"What in the world?"
"Don’t look at me like that. I know I’m doing something stupid."
Yu Jong-san waved a hand dismissively, as if he were already sick of the whole thing.
"Then why are you helping?"
"Listen, Pavilion Master Gong."
"…."
"You’re not from Hwameum, are you?"
Gong Mun-yeon’s expression went blank.
What was that supposed to mean?
"You married into Hwameum, so maybe you don’t know. But do you know what Mount Hua means to the people of Hwameum?"
"No—"
Gong Mun-yeon’s mouth worked soundlessly.
What kind of nonsense was this? Why did it matter whether he was from Hwameum or not?
"Please, Shop Owner Yu."
"Ah, enough. I already know what you’re going to say."
Yu Jong-san let out a long sigh.
"I know very well that, in this world, people would even sell out the king for money, so you think all this talk about Hwameum and Mount Hua sounds ridiculous."
Gong Mun-yeon stared at him, dumbfounded. He wanted to know what on earth would come out of this man’s mouth next.
"But I’m from Hwameum."
"…And what of it?"
"Everyone born and raised in Hwameum grows up hearing stories about Mount Hua. Once you’re old enough to crawl, they tell you that you’ll have to go up Mount Hua and become the greatest master under heaven. And even after you learn you’re not talented enough to enter Mount Hua, you keep hearing, until your ears are callused raw, how Mount Hua protected all under heaven and the land of Shaanxi."
Gong Mun-yeon tilted his head. What sort of random nonsense was this?
"Not just me. My father heard it, and my grandfather heard it too. Mount Hua is the pride of Shaanxi, and the pride of Hwameum. And…"
Yu Jong-san scratched the back of his head hard enough to look painful.
"Even if it isn’t my pride, it was my father’s. My grandfather’s too."
"…So what are you trying to say?"
"So what happens if I help bring Mount Hua down just to make a bit of money? When I get to the underworld, do you think my father will let me off easy? I’d get beaten to a pulp over and over for days."
A low burst of laughter slipped out.
When Gong Mun-yeon turned with a stiff face, the others quickly clamped their mouths shut and lowered their heads a little.
"So? You’re giving up a fortune for nothing more than that?"
"What do you mean, giving up? Didn’t you hear the Sect Leader say they’d compensate us?"
"And you believe that?"
"There’s nothing to believe or not believe. Frankly, what would I even do with that money?"
Yu Jong-san spat on the ground.
"A man like you, who’d take the money and run, would have plenty of ways to spend it. In a place like Hangzhou, there’s no shortage of ways to waste money. But where would I go after taking it? I’ve spent my whole life digging in Hwameum, and now I’m supposed to run off to Hangzhou? Suzhou? Don’t make me laugh."
Without meaning to, Yu Jong-san gave a bitter snort.
It was ridiculous. When he had first climbed Mount Hua, he had been dreaming only of collecting his money and living high on the hog. And now look at him—saying all this?
I’ve gone mad.
No sane man would do this. Yu Jong-san understood very well how foolish he was being.
But…
"You’ll regret it."
"Of course I’ll regret it. Damn it! Do I look like I’m doing this because I don’t know I’ll regret it? I know that better than you do! Of course I’ll regret it!"
Yu Jong-san shouted at the top of his lungs.
"But it’ll feel a damn sight less disgusting than watching Mount Hua collapse with my own hands!"
Gong Mun-yeon stared at him, speechless.
Yu Jong-san, too, still looked too worked up to calm down. He took several deep breaths, then let out another long, heavy sigh.
"Listen, Pavilion Master Gong. I’m still doing fine enough to get by. If I stand here and protect Mount Hua, I’ll lose that money, sure. Then I’ll just have to live miserably, thinking I should’ve taken the cash while I had the chance. But if I dig out Mount Hua’s very foundation with my own hands, then I’ll spend the rest of my life clutching useless money and regretting it until the day I die. I don’t want to live like that."
Gong Mun-yeon glared at Yu Jong-san, grinding his teeth.
Has he lost his mind?
He couldn’t make any sense of what Yu Jong-san was saying. But…
There’s no need to understand it.
If the man wanted to walk into the fire of his own free will, what business was it of his to stop him? One man dropping out wouldn’t change anything anyway.
"Do as you please. One man won’t make any difference."
"Who said it was just one?"
Gong Mun-yeon’s movement froze. Slowly, his head turned. The deliberate motion only made his temper seem hotter than before.
"Pavilion Master Seo."
Seo Mun-jong walked over and stood beside Yu Jong-san.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"Can’t you see?"
Gong Mun-yeon’s brows twitched.
But Seo Mun-jong was not the only one who moved. Yu Jong-san’s words seemed to have struck a nerve, because among the twenty-odd people who had come up together, five more stepped over to stand on Yu Jong-san’s side.
"Well, now."
Gong Mun-yeon shook his head in disbelief.
What a pathetic lot.
How could merchants, of all people, make such idiotic choices? Then again, that was probably why they were stuck in some backwater village making a miserable living.
No, wait.
The contempt on Gong Mun-yeon’s face stiffened into caution almost at once.
If their opponent hadn’t been Mount Hua, they never would’ve made that choice. That only proves Mount Hua’s influence over Hwameum is still overwhelming.
Once emotion got involved, proper judgment went out the window. Underestimating an opponent was something a merchant could never afford to do. It would be more accurate to say that the very foundation he had feared Mount Hua possessed had just revealed itself here, at this moment.
Gong Mun-yeon looked silently at the people who had crossed over. Every one of them wore a face that was part reluctant, part relieved.
Fools.
Some warped sense of pride that they had not abandoned Mount Hua until the very end?
That sort of thing only meant something if Mount Hua survived. Even if they delayed the repayment date, Mount Hua still had no way to pay the rest. In the end, they were simply throwing away a fortune because they’d made the wrong choice in a moment of sentiment.
Having finished his judgment, Gong Mun-yeon asked in a calm voice, "Is there no one else with different thoughts?"
The remaining merchants looked between Hyun Jong and Gong Mun-yeon, then slowly turned their heads away.
"Sect Leader."
"…."
Gong Mun-yeon smiled softly as he spoke.
"I had no idea Mount Hua’s name still carried so much weight. But it seems this is as far as it goes. The rest of us have no intention of delaying the repayment date, so now I hope you’ll return the money we lent you."
Hyun Jong gave a hollow laugh. His gaze was not on Gong Mun-yeon, but on the merchants behind him.
"Truly, there is no one left willing to help Mount Hua?"
"…."
When no answer came, Hyun Jong gave a slight nod.
"Then there is nothing to be done."
"Sect Leader."
"Do not press me, Pavilion Master Gong."
Gong Mun-yeon flinched.
The voice was quiet, but there was a force in Hyun Jong’s tone that brooked no resistance.
Turning to Yu Jong-san and the few merchants standing apart, Hyun Jong smiled faintly.
"Still, it is enough simply to confirm that there are those who still hold Mount Hua in their hearts. Does that not mean the world has not yet abandoned Mount Hua?"
While Gong Mun-yeon stood there at a loss, Hyun Jong raised his voice.
"Unam!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Bring it here!"
"Yes."
Unam bowed and quickly walked off somewhere. Watching him go, Gong Mun-yeon frowned slightly.
Was this really prepared in advance?
Impossible.
Gong Mun-yeon had not been sitting idle either. If there had been anyone lending Mount Hua that much money, word would have reached his ears long ago.
Then was this bluffing?
No, that made no sense either. Bluffing was something one did only when there was something behind it. But Mount Hua had nothing behind it now, did it? This was not a situation that could be solved by acting tough.
Before Gong Mun-yeon could even sort out his thoughts, Unam returned. He had gone alone, but he came back with two others.
Are those the Hyun generation?
Judging by the advanced age of the men accompanying Unam, they seemed to be Mount Hua’s elders. One of them was carrying a large chest in both hands.
"Sect Leader, I have brought it."
Hyun Jong gestured ahead with his chin.
"Set it down."
"Yes."
Thud.
The chest was placed on the ground.
Gong Mun-yeon stared at it for a long moment before looking up.
"And this is…?"
"Inside are the assets we owe you. Check for yourselves."
"…Did you just say assets?"
"I did."
Gong Mun-yeon looked at the chest with suspicion.
Surely he’s not making a joke out of this.
The Hyun Jong he knew was not the sort of man who made jokes in a situation like this. Then did that mean there really were assets inside?
One thought after another jostled in his head, but this was no time for speculation. The chest was right there in front of him—what good would thinking do?
As if drawn in, Gong Mun-yeon walked to the chest. Then, slowly, he lifted the lid.
The instant he saw what was inside, his eyes narrowed sharply.
"This is…."
Assets?
There was no way this book could be assets.
"Sect Leader. Are you trying to mock me?"
"Why would I? I gave you exactly what you wanted."
"And what is this?"
"Read it, and you’ll know."
Seeing Hyun Jong’s calm face, Gong Mun-yeon bit down hard on his lip, then pulled one volume from the books inside the chest and opened it on the spot to examine the contents.
Swish.
Swish.
The sound of pages turning spread through the quiet of Mount Hua. With every page he turned, Gong Mun-yeon’s face drained a little more color.
"T-This…."
Gong Mun-yeon’s face had gone completely pale. His hand trembled violently around the book as he looked at Hyun Jong.
"W-What is this…?"
Before Gong Mun-yeon could finish, the merchants who had been watching his reaction cautiously edged closer.
"What is it, Pavilion Master Gong?"
"Let us have a look too."
"…."
When Gong Mun-yeon gave no answer, the merchants glanced into the chest themselves. Seeing that several more volumes were still inside, they reached in and pulled them out one by one.
"What on earth is this…?"
As they checked the contents with growing unease, their expressions soon turned to confusion.
"Isn’t this a ledger?"
"Yes."
Hyun Jong nodded without a hint of hesitation.
"It looks like an old ledger, though. Why bring this out all of a sudden…?"
Hyun Jong smiled faintly.
"The ledger you are looking at was compiled by Mount Hua’s former generation to manage these businesses."
"…Pardon? What exactly does that mean?"
Hyun Jong’s gaze cooled slightly.
"Pavilion Master Gong. Have you confirmed it?"
"…."
Hyun Jong’s voice rang clearly through the air.
"Those ledgers contain proof that the original owner of the businesses you are currently operating in Hwameum was Mount Hua."
"What?"
"No, wait, just what are you saying, Sect Leader?"
"Be quiet."
Hyun Jong cut them off firmly. Then, looking at the still-stunned faces before him, he spoke in a low voice.
"Mount Hua has shown you kindness. And yet you repaid that kindness with treachery. No matter that Mount Hua is a sect that esteems goodness, it is not such a foolish place that it would continue treating as friends those rats that do not know gratitude and bite the hand that fed them."
Hyun Jong’s stern rebuke came down like a blade.
"Therefore, Mount Hua will use these ledgers as the basis for seizing not only the businesses you are now operating, but every last bit of the property you accumulated through them."
It was as if a bolt of lightning had fallen from a clear sky.