Are You a Southern Edge Sect Bastard? (2)
No one could say a word.
Hyeon Jong’s declaration had been far too shocking.
Those who understood exactly what he meant could not close their mouths, and even those who still hadn’t fully grasped the situation were crushed by the atmosphere around them and dared not speak.
"S-Sect Leader!"
"What do you mean by that, Sect Leader?"
The uproar erupted all at once.
The merchants, their faces flushed bright red, shouted as though they were spitting blood, but Hyeon Jong’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. A coldness they had never seen from him before bore down on them, pressing them flat.
"Exactly what I said."
"B-but...!"
"We don’t even know what in the world is going on here..."
That was when—
"Silence."
Gong Mun-yeon’s icy voice cut the merchants off.
Hyeon Jong and Gong Mun-yeon’s gazes locked in midair.
"Sect Leader."
"Speak, Pavilion Master Gong."
Their attitudes had not changed, and yet everything had changed. Hyeon Jong no longer kept to his usual easygoing manner, and the gentle politeness that had always softened Gong Mun-yeon’s face was gone as well.
"I think this joke has gone too far."
"A joke, you say?"
"Yes."
Their eyes remained locked. If this had been any other day, Hyeon Jong would have smoothed things over with a warm smile, but not now. Not here. He did not yield an inch.
"If the Sect Leader of Great Mount Hua seems so idle that he can trade banter with you, then I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me."
Gong Mun-yeon shut his mouth.
The corners of his lips twisted, no longer wearing their usual mask of courtesy.
"According to this ledger, most of the businesses under the Hwameum Merchant Alliance belong to Mount Hua. If you cannot produce proof that you purchased them from Mount Hua with fair compensation, then I suppose you’d have no grounds to complain even if they were confiscated."
"You know full well."
"But..."
Gong Mun-yeon smiled.
Yet that smile felt utterly different from the ones he had shown until now. It was stiff, forced, like something slapped together on the spot.
"That would only be true if this ledger were genuine, wouldn’t it?"
Hyeon Jong glared at him in silence. But Gong Mun-yeon did not buckle under that gaze and continued speaking.
"How exactly do you intend to prove that this ledger, which suddenly appeared out of nowhere, is authentic?"
"So what you are saying is..."
Hyeon Jong narrowed his eyes.
"That Mount Hua has produced false evidence?"
"Mount Hua would never do such a thing."
Gong Mun-yeon took a small step back. But his attitude did not soften in the least.
"And yet is it not possible that Mount Hua itself has been deceived by this fake ledger? If its authenticity has not been verified, then we cannot possibly trust it."
"That’s right!"
"That’s just common sense!"
The merchants eagerly backed Gong Mun-yeon up.
Hyeon Jong watched them quietly for a moment, then slowly nodded. After that, he turned and looked at Hyeon Young.
"Finance Elder."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"What do you think?"
"There is some truth to what they say."
Finance Elder Hyeon Young answered without changing his expression. That only made the merchants rejoice.
"Then what should we do?"
"Sect Leader, the premise is wrong."
"Hmm?"
Hyeon Young smiled faintly.
"Whether the ledger is genuine or not is not a matter between us and them. When disputes of this kind arise, is that not exactly what the magistrate’s office is for?"
"Indeed."
Hyeon Young clasped his hands and continued.
"That is why half of the ledger has already been entrusted to the Hwameum magistrate’s office for verification. If it is proven authentic, the government will personally confiscate their businesses."
Gong Mun-yeon’s eyes flew wide open.
"Y-you already entrusted it?"
"Yes. Why? Is there some problem?"
Hyeon Young’s placid counterquestion made the blood drain from Gong Mun-yeon’s face. Cold sweat began to bead down his spine.
We’ve been had.
If they had been in Hwameum, they could still have done something. But they were on Mount Hua now. If the government troops moved in and began seizing the businesses while they were still here, there would be nothing left in the hands of those behind them to resist with.
That bastard!
Fire flared in Gong Mun-yeon’s eyes as he glared at Hyeon Jong.
From the very beginning, Hyeon Jong had summoned them to Mount Hua with exactly this plan in mind. Showing the ledger to the merchants and debating the matter face-to-face had only been a smokescreen. What they had truly been after was separating them from Hwameum.
"When did you send it to the magistrate?"
"Two days ago."
"...Damn it."
Gong Mun-yeon ground his teeth.
Two days was more than enough time to verify the entire ledger. They had said half of it had been entrusted, but how was something like that even compared by halves? The ledgers in the chest had clearly already been reviewed.
Which meant the constables at the foot of the mountain had already been waiting, ready to confirm the ledger’s authenticity and seize the businesses the moment the order came down.
The Hwameum magistrate’s office had always been sympathetic to Mount Hua. If the Sect Leader had used his connections and pressured them from above, there was no need to wonder how the Hwameum magistrate would respond.
By now, chaos was probably already breaking out down there.
"Sect Leader!"
Anger burst from Gong Mun-yeon’s throat.
But Hyeon Jong was no longer the generous leader he had known.
"Lower your voice."
From Hyeon Jong’s entire body, a stern and commanding aura surged outward. Gong Mun-yeon was not someone easily shaken or startled, yet even he had to flinch at the force pouring from Hyeon Jong.
The name Mount Hua.
It was impossible to imagine such imposing pressure coming from the man burdened with a name that had been reduced to little more than a shell.
"You are not in a position to speak."
Hyeon Jong’s cold eyes swept across the merchants. Several of them, unable to withstand the weight of that gaze, dropped their heads and looked away.
"A true friend is one who extends a hand when things are hard. There is no need to treat as friends those who thrust a blade at you when you are struggling. Go on. By the time you reach Hwameum, everything will already be over. Under normal circumstances, I should recover every last thing from you... but."
Hyeon Jong let out a sigh.
"I cannot completely disregard your labor over the years. So I will allow each of you to take away one cart’s worth of goods."
"S-Sect Leader..."
Even the least perceptive among them could now tell exactly how the situation had turned.
"I have shown you the greatest leniency."
At that moment, Finance Elder Hyeon Young spoke again.
"Sect Leader, these people have looked down on Mount Hua and even siphoned off its property. They did not stop there; they even intended to repay Mount Hua’s kindness with betrayal. Such leniency toward them is..."
"If a beast tries to tear at you, and you bare your teeth in return, then I become a beast as well."
Hyeon Jong waved a hand.
"I have made my decision, so Finance Elder, do not bring this up again."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Hyeon Young bowed his head.
"Go down and see for yourselves. Should you not witness with your own eyes how matters have ended?"
Gong Mun-yeon’s face twisted completely. He bared his teeth and glared at Hyeon Jong as though he wanted to kill him where he stood.
"Sect Leader. You’ve hidden a poisonous heart behind that gentle face of yours."
"A poisonous heart..."
Hyeon Jong smiled faintly.
"If it is poisonous, then I suppose it is. Though how could I ever compare with the likes of you?"
"...I won’t forget this debt."
"By all means. Unam. Escort these gentlemen out."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
Gong Mun-yeon spun on his heel. Without even waiting for Unam to guide him, he started toward the mountain gate.
The merchants, suddenly at a loss and glancing anxiously between the two sides, hurried after him. They needed to get down the mountain as quickly as possible and confirm what had happened in Hwameum.
Watching them head toward the gate, Hyeon Jong let out a quiet sigh.
"Sect Leader! You’ve worked hard."
"Mm."
Hyeon Jong gave Hyeon Young a soft smile.
"Now Mount Hua is done for. Done for indeed!"
"Don’t get too carried away. We’ve only just crossed one mountain."
"Where in the world would there be a bigger mountain than this? Everything will be fine now."
Looking at Hyeon Young, who was nearly beside himself with joy, Hyeon Jong could only smile back.
It had been decades since he had seen the Finance Elder looking this happy. Each and every one of them had been carrying heavy burdens on their shoulders.
It’s all thanks to that child.
It truly could be called Mount Hua’s great blessing.
He would need to reward him handsomely, but what on earth could he give to properly honor this achievement? His lips kept threatening to curl upward.
After a moment of thought, Hyeon Jong’s gaze drifted to Yu Jong-san and the rest of the merchants.
"And..."
The instant they saw the Sect Leader’s eyes, the merchants bowed their heads.
"You did not lose your sense of duty or righteousness to the very end."
Hyeon Jong’s attitude toward them was noticeably different from how he had treated the other merchants a moment ago. He had not lost his gravity, but there was certainly more warmth in it.
"Sect Leader, we still don’t really know how any of this is supposed to work..."
"The fact that your businesses belong to Mount Hua does not change. Naturally, what belongs to Mount Hua should return to Mount Hua. But I will see to it that you can continue running those businesses and receive compensation for your labor."
"..."
Yu Jong-san’s expression turned complicated.
His circumstances were better than those of the men now scrambling down the mountain, but he was still losing his business all the same. At this point, Yu Jong-san himself would go from shop owner to mere representative of the cloth shop.
"Then..."
Just as Yu Jong-san was about to object, Hyeon Young spoke up lightly.
"Too much greed invites disaster."
"..."
"If you used property that was never truly yours to pressure others, then that too is a sin. Mount Hua is simply giving you the chance to lighten that burden of guilt."
A sigh escaped him.
If all this had indeed been born from falsehood, then Hyeon Young was right.
Grandfather. What in the world did you do?
He suddenly felt ashamed.
"Finance Elder."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"Still, it is true that these people did not abandon their loyalty to Mount Hua and helped us at the final moment."
"That is true."
"Discuss it with them. See if there is a better way. Mount Hua should remain a warm place for its friends, should it not?"
"Yes, Sect Leader. I will do as you say."
Hyeon Young stepped forward slightly and gestured to the merchants.
"Come this way. Let us go to the Finance Hall and discuss what happens from here."
"...Yes."
The merchants followed Hyeon Young. Their faces were filled with conflicting emotions that showed through plainly.
As everyone moved away, Hyeon Jong remained alone, quietly surveying Mount Hua.
He had not gone a single day without taking in this sight. And yet today, Mount Hua felt utterly different from yesterday.
The desolate, faded halls seemed almost alive with vigor today.
Is everything really just a matter of the heart?
No. It was not that simple.
Mount Hua, which had only ever received bad news, was finally welcoming a piece of good fortune after decades. Currents in the world were strange things; once their direction changed, it was not so easy to force them back with brute strength.
Now that the flow had turned in a favorable direction, Mount Hua would change as well. Hyeon Jong believed that.
Perhaps, beginning today, the forgotten glory of Mount Hua might return.
It must.
A serene smile, free of all sorrow, spread across Hyeon Jong’s deeply wrinkled face.
"...T-this..."
Then that spotless face twisted violently.
"That good-for-nothing bastard!"
Fire flashed in Chung Myung’s eyes.
What? One cart’s worth?
And what was all that nonsense about beasts?
"Fine. I’ll show you exactly what a beast is!"
Hyeon Jong had sent them away like that.
But Chung Myung had not let them go.