I Know It, But I Can’t Hold Back! (3)
“There shouldn’t be any major problems now.”
At Dang Soso’s words, Un Geom quietly nodded.
“It’ll still take more time for the wounds to fully heal, but as long as you don’t overdo it, there’s no risk of them reopening.”
“Thank you.”
“As long as you don’t overdo it.”
When Dang Soso added that in a blade-sharp voice, Un Geom gave an awkward laugh.
He had been reduced to the sort of man his youngest disciple could scold, but given what he had done, it was not easy to offer any excuse.
“A patient is called a patient because they’re supposed to rest. If you hadn’t started straining yourself the moment you got out of bed, you’d have recovered twice as fast. Why did you do it?”
Un Geom only smiled without answering.
Seeing that, Dang Soso let out a deep sigh.
Chung Myung was one problem, and Un Geom was another. From a physician’s point of view, they were all headaches.
“I’ll say it again: don’t push yourself. At the very least, you’re forbidden from picking up a sword for half a month.”
“That will be a little difficult.”
“Martial Uncle! They say the more urgent the matter, the more you should take a step back. I know you’re impatient, but if you keep forcing yourself, you really might never be able to hold a sword again.”
Un Geom only smiled quietly.
At his stubborn silence, Dang Soso shook her head and said, “Martial Uncle. Chung Myung-Sago isn’t stupid, you know. Even if you don’t bother pretending you’re fine, he won’t go and do something reckless.”
“I’m only impatient because my heart is.”
“……Honestly…….”
By then, Un Geom had dressed himself and was getting to his feet.
“Thank you.”
“Where are you going?”
“The Sect Leader said he wanted to hold a meeting. I should go as well. He didn’t ask me to come, but there’s no reason not to simply because I wasn’t invited.”
“…….”
As Un Geom left the Medicine Hall with a smile, Dang Soso let out another sigh.
Everyone in Mount Hua was crazy.
“So then…….”
Hong Dae-gwang’s eyes kept drifting uneasily to one side.
“That is, um…… I mean…… in my case, that is…….”
Even his voice trembled faintly with nerves. No, not faintly—it shook outright.
“You know, my martial skill isn’t really anything special, so…… rather than coming clumsily and only getting in the way, um…….”
Hong Dae-gwang scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
“It would be more helpful if I brought along some of the Beggars’ Sect experts somehow…….”
“You punk!”
The next instant, Chung Myung lunged and kicked him in the side.
“Kyaaah!”
With a bizarre shriek, Hong Dae-gwang flew like a kicked ball and slammed into the wall, then slid down in a heap.
“You’ve got some nerve, you bastard!” Chung Myung bared his teeth and froth nearly flew from his mouth. “You disappeared somewhere the second things got going, then slunk back in here now that everyone else is off fighting! What do you mean, bring experts? Experts? Are the trash out there experts? Huh? What is this, some beggar crawling to a feast? You bring a whole gang of beggar bastards and call them experts? Fuuuuck, I’m gonna lose it!”
“Th-then what were the Beggars’ Sect supposed to bring, if not beggars bringing beggars?”
“This guy is really—?”
As Chung Myung growled and started to pounce again, Baek Cheon and the others sprang in unison to grab hold of him.
“Chung Myung! Calm down!”
“He’s still an elder, damn it, an elder!”
“What elder? A beggar’s still a beggar!”
“Even so, the man’s standing right there—this is not how you do it!”
With his sashes of seniority hanging all over him as his fellow disciples clung to him, Chung Myung ground his teeth and glared at Hong Dae-gwang.
“What kind of Beggars’ Sect asshole runs away before a fight even starts? This is the first time in my life I’ve ever seen something this ridiculous!”
“I said I didn’t run away!”
Hong Dae-gwang shouted as he shot upright, indignation flooding his face.
And in truth, he was aggrieved.
How was I supposed to know they’d wipe them out so one-sidedly?
Objectively speaking, it had been nearly impossible for Mount Hua to handle Maninbang that easily. Even accounting for that monster, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, he had thought they’d be lucky to manage a narrow stalemate.
So rather than adding his own tiny hand to the effort and contributing little more than trouble, he had judged that it would be better to bring back even one more person if possible.
That wasn’t a bad decision. In fact, it had probably been the best one he could make.
But the problem was that Mount Hua had gone and crushed those bastards so thoroughly and with so little damage that Hong Dae-gwang’s judgment had been rendered meaningless.
How much stronger have they gotten in that short a time?
He could understand the Mount Hua Divine Dragon being strong. He could even understand the Mount Hua Five Swords being strong.
But a sect going to war against another sect was a different matter entirely.
Even if the wars of the Jianghu were ruled by a single supreme expert, wasn’t that only true when the basic strength of both sides was more or less equal?
Mount Hua had been judged, only a few years ago, to have vanished from history entirely. Who could have imagined that such a sect would not only put up a fine struggle against Maninbang, but actually crush them?
There are surely countless sects in the whole history of the Jianghu that were stronger than Mount Hua. But were there any that became strong faster than Mount Hua did?
Hong Dae-gwang had no easy answer to that question.
Still, that wasn’t what mattered right now!
“I’m being reasonable! Huh? I’m telling you, this was reasonable! What was I supposed to do, join them and get stabbed to death?”
“Exactly! He knows what’s up! If you were going to get stabbed to death anyway, then let’s just kill you now!”
As Chung Myung groped at his waist in search of his sword, Baek Cheon and the others grew even paler and clung to him harder.
“Ah, will you just calm down already!”
“Seriously, this bastard never changes!”
“Tang! Somebody go get some sweets! Bring a lot of them!”
Just as Baek Cheon was shouting at the top of his lungs—
Bang.
The door opened. The person who stepped inside took one look at the scene and tilted his head quietly.
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone fell silent and stared at the newcomer.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yes?”
Chung Myung, who had been throwing a fit only moments earlier, answered meekly as if nothing had happened.
“Let’s try to act with some restraint.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chung Myung spun around and went back to his seat at once.
“…….”
Hong Dae-gwang, who had barely saved his life, was drenched in cold sweat as he stared at him.
That guy’s completely insane.
What kind of person’s emotions shifted that violently? It was exhausting just watching.
Un Geom, who had entered the room, silently took his seat.
After a brief silence, Hyun Jong spoke.
“Un Geom.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Something like pain flickered in Hyun Jong’s eyes as he looked at Un Geom’s empty sleeve.
“Will you truly be all right already?”
“I know my own body best. I won’t strain myself foolishly and worsen the injury, so please don’t worry too much.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Even while he spoke so steadily, beads of sweat stood on Un Geom’s forehead.
Hyun Jong could not hide his pained expression.
Then, remembering that an outsider was present, he quickly composed himself.
“Take a seat.”
“Pardon? Ah…… yes!”
Hong Dae-gwang hurriedly sat back down.
The main seat was occupied by the Sect Leader, and the key figures of Mount Hua were divided to either side of him. To sit there alone was oppressive beyond words.
Especially the authority radiating from Hyun Jong at the head seat made Hong Dae-gwang shiver.
They say the seat makes the man.
No, it wasn’t the seat that made the man. It was achievements that made the seat.
This was not the first time he had met Hyun Jong, but the man he had seen until now and the man he was looking at now were the same person only in name; they could not help but feel different.
Had Hyun Jong changed?
No. What had changed was Hong Dae-gwang’s attitude toward him.
Before, Hyun Jong had merely been the sect leader of a promising faction with some of the finest later-generation talents in the world. But now, after repelling Maninbang’s attack and proving the strength of Mount Hua with his own hands, he was in a different class altogether.
Whether he knew Hong Dae-gwang’s thoughts or not, Hyun Jong smiled with the same gentle expression as ever.
“I am grateful for your efforts.”
“No, Sect Leader! How can you say such a thing? The Huayin branch of the Beggars’ Sect and Mount Hua are practically one family!”
Hong Dae-gwang’s emotional voice rang out with heartfelt intensity.
But there seemed to be someone present who was not pleased with that at all.
“One family, my ass. You didn’t even do anything.”
Hong Dae-gwang desperately ignored Chung Myung’s muttering from the side. That was why his head, fixed straight ahead, did not move even an inch.
“The Beggars’ Sect does not regard the Huayin branch as an outsider either.”
“Thank you, Sect Leader!”
Hong Dae-gwang bowed again, deeply and fervently. And he thought, you have to choose your line well in this world!
He remembered the looks on the faces of those who had pointed at him and sneered when he first said he would kick out the Beggars’ Sect branch in Luoyang and move to Huayin.
That beggar bastard finally lost his mind.
How jealous must those fools be now, seeing Mount Hua and the Huayin branch as they were today?
That was why a man needed to spot a promising sapling early and secure his place before anyone else. Choosing Mount Hua without asking questions or hesitating had clearly been the best decision of Hong Dae-gwang’s life.
But just as his chest swelled with pride, another voice poured cold water over it.
“No, Sect Leader. That’s something we should discuss first…….”
……If only that bastard weren’t in Mount Hua, he’d be absolutely perfect.
Truly…….
Hyun Jong smiled gently and continued, “Since the Huayin branch also does not regard Mount Hua as an outsider, I’d like to make one unreasonable request. As you know, once things have come to this, it is hard to predict how ‘they’ will act. If possible, could the Beggars’ Sect lend us its strength?”
“Of course, Sect Leader! How could that be an unreasonable request? I’ve already spread beggars all across Gansu!”
That was, of course, bravado.
To be precise, it amounted to nothing more than reporting to the Beggars’ Sect headquarters in a panic that Maninbang had to be watched…….
It’s not exactly a lie, either.
With Maninbang having charged into Shaanxi, the Beggars’ Sect headquarters had already been thrown into total upheaval.
By the time Hong Dae-gwang had even finished speaking, an emergency alert would probably already have been issued.
“Hmm. If we can keep an eye on ‘them’ like that, there shouldn’t be any major issue.”
Huh?
But why did he keep calling Maninbang “them” all of a sudden?
Hong Dae-gwang tilted his head and spoke.
“Yes. I also think Maninbang…….”
“……Grrrrrrrr.”
“…….”
Hong Dae-gwang’s head, which had been held half forcibly in place, slowly turned to the side.
Chung Myung, whose shoulders were being held down by Baek Cheon and Yu I-seol, was bouncing his rear end impatiently.
“……So, Maninbang…….”
“Grrrrrrrr.”
“…….”
Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
Act like a human being. Like a human being.
Please.
“Khuh-huh-hm.”
After an awkward cough, Hong Dae-gwang hurried on. “Since the evil sects are bringing their forces into Shaanxi, it’s a matter that would put other sects on high alert as well. Because this incident happened like a surprise attack, our response was late, but if anything like that happens again, we should be able to receive support from other sects before they even reach Shaanxi.”
“Hmm.”
“So please don’t worry too much. Even if it’s Maninbang…….”
“Urk.”
“…….”
Once again the words “Maninbang” were spoken, and Chung Myung even clutched the back of his neck and started to pitch over.
“We, we have to kill them! Those bastards! Maninbang bastards!”
With his eyes blazing white, Chung Myung tried to spring to his feet, but the group beside him slammed him back down again.
“Whoa there, Chung Myung!”
“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to have a fit! This isn’t the time!”
“Please, just—please!”
But even pinned down, Chung Myung’s eyes still rolled fiercely.
“No! I get it, but I still can’t take it! Let go of me! I’m just going to go kill one of them and come back! I only need to smack that Maninbang leader bastard once, right?!”
“Ah, would you just sit still, you bastard!”
Watching the chaos erupt yet again, Hyun Jong smiled with satisfaction.
Nothing changes, does it?
People were supposed to go through many things and grow a little, change a little. But somehow that brat had endured everything he had and still changed not one bit.
At that moment, Hyun Young let out a hearty laugh as though watching his grandchildren perform tricks.
“Hohoho. A perennial pine tree of a fellow.”
That is not what that expression is for, Hyun Young…….
To describe a person as a perennial pine tree is, in principle, meant as praise. But if you attached that phrase to Chung Myung, it would come to mean a shameless bastard who never changes and never gets tired.
Wasn’t that a little sad for the phrase itself……?
Chung Myung glared the whole time, teeth grinding.
“The more I think about it, the madder I get. Those bastards are probably home with their legs stretched out right now! I should chop off their ankles so they can’t even stretch them out!”
“……Chung Myung, we won.”
“We got hit first. What’s there to be happy about winning? If they hit you, you beat them until they die!”
“…….”
Primal Heavenly God above. This bastard really is a demon.
What exactly are you planning to do with him? What exactly.
But then a calm voice rang out.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yes?”
“You’re making a commotion. Calm down.”
“Yes, sir!”
Like magic, Chung Myung went quiet again.
Everyone in the room, who had been sweating trying to restrain him, stared at Un Geom in astonishment.
My God, that mad dog, with just one sentence.
Is that what true authority looks like?
Insane.
Since Chung Myung had entered Mount Hua, this was an achievement no one had been able to accomplish. Un Geom had done it in one stroke.
Once the room quieted down, he spoke in a low voice.
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes. Speak, Un Geom.”
“Mount Hua has achieved a great victory.”
A calm voice.
Which made it all the more powerful.
“To defeat Maninbang with so little sacrifice is a triumph that will remain in Mount Hua’s history.”
Until now, no one had dared to say such words aloud.
Only Un Geom could say them.
“The things we should be glad about, we must be glad about properly. Yet right now, the atmosphere is too heavy. The Sect Leader should rejoice more, and the elders should show their happiness more clearly, so that even the children can feel at ease and rejoice.”
“……Hmm, you’re right.”
“Achievement must be followed by a sense of reward if it is to leave anything behind. This victory will become a great experience and an even greater stimulus for the children. So I would like everyone to stop looking so grave.”
“Hm? Do I really look that stern?”
Hyun Jong made a show of touching his face, playing dumb.
Un Geom looked at him and smiled faintly.
“Much better, Sect Leader.”
Even sitting still seemed to take effort; the back of Un Geom’s head was damp with sweat. Seeing that, Hyun Jong quietly closed his eyes.
Thank you.
Because they knew of Un Geom’s injury, no one had been able to celebrate wholeheartedly even after such a great victory. Who would dare speak of triumph before a swordsman who had lost an arm?
But thanks to Un Geom stepping forward like this, everyone could breathe a little easier.
Hyun Jong was struck once more by the truth that none of them could be left out, that each and every one of them was supporting Mount Hua.
He cleared his throat, his voice slightly tight, and opened his mouth.
“Disciples, listen well.”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
“We have driven the enemy back in fine fashion. Of course, it is not yet over. But we may be proud of what we have accomplished.”
The disciples’ faces brightened slightly.
“A victory achieved should be honestly celebrated, and mistakes made should be painfully reflected upon. Lift your heads. You were all splendid.”
Hyun Jong looked at the disciples and smiled warmly.
“Hyun Young.”
“Yes.”
“It should be all right to let loose for a day. Bring wine for the children. Tonight, we eat and drink to our heart’s content!”
“Yes!”
Joy spread across everyone’s faces.
That was the moment Mount Hua declared complete victory.