Anyway, If You’re Late, You Die. (5)
“Th, this is….”
Oh Jang-song blinked several times.
But the reality before his eyes did not change in the slightest.
We, we lost?
How could this be?
This was a match they could not possibly lose. If it had been a contest of martial skill, perhaps—but when it came to speed, the disciples of the Ghost Sect were second to none in the world.
And yet they had lost to Mount Hua disciples who were running a route they themselves trained on every day?
“How the hell….”
Before he could even gather his wits, the arriving Mount Hua disciples had each grabbed one of the Ghost Sect disciples by the leg and dragged them inside.
“……”
Seeing the disciples foaming at the mouth and passed out cold, his eyes squeezed shut on their own.
Thud.
Thud.
The unconscious Ghost Sect disciples were piled neatly in front of the training ground.
Oh Jang-song swallowed dryly.
“What took you so long?”
When Chung Myung asked with a snort, Baek Cheon bared murderous intent in his eyes.
“Is that mouth the problem? Is that the mouth that just ran off at the mouth, huh?”
“I’m gonna kill him! For real!”
“……Stick out your neck. I’ll cut it off for you.”
Led by Baek Cheon, the Mount Hua disciples charged at Chung Myung with their eyes rolled up.
But once again, the result was much the same.
After kicking Baek Cheon into the air, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and walked toward Oh Jang-song.
“We won, then.”
“……”
Oh Jang-song hesitated, unable to answer, and Chung Myung grinned.
“Why? Got a problem with that?”
Oh Jang-song opened his mouth slightly, then shut it again with a shake of his head.
One look at the state of the Mount Hua disciples made it impossible not to understand what had happened. And trying to use their condition against them now would be nothing but shamelessness.
“No.”
“Then we won, right?”
“……”
“Where did all that conviction from a moment ago go? We won, didn’t we?”
“Urgh. Yes, we did.”
“Hehe. That’s right, isn’t it?”
Chung Myung broke into a smug grin and acted like a complete brat. Irritated, Oh Jang-song glared at him with a face red and blue with suppressed anger.
He had lived a long life, seen all sorts of things, and yet never in his life had he met someone as infuriating as this damned brat grinning before him.
“You won’t say one thing and then another, will you? Then I’ll take it as you actively cooperating from now on.”
“Hngh.”
Oh Jang-song let out a deep sigh.
“……Very well. I can’t say one thing and then another.”
“Good. Then from now on, make sure you listen to the Holy Minor Lord properly.”
“……Isn’t that obvious?”
“Don’t just say it. Actually do it!”
“Ah, I said I would!”
Oh Jang-song bellowed and then sighed as if the weight of heaven had fallen on his shoulders. Chung Myung exchanged a glance with Do Un-chan and grinned.
That little scoundrel….
Do Un-chan let out a quiet groan inside.
He had been wondering why Chung Myung had gone to such lengths to make a mountain out of this, but it seemed it had not been something done without thought.
Strictly speaking, Do Un-chan was still trapped within the limits of his position as the Ghost Sect’s Holy Minor Lord. If he had truly been treated like the sect leader, no elder could have raised objections after he personally signed off on and returned with the decision.
But since he was still too young and lacked sufficient standing, he could not help but be wary of Oh Jang-song’s opinion.
Now, however, the elder had lost to Chung Myung in front of everyone, and it was certain he would no longer be able to raise his voice as before.
Most importantly, every single disciple of the Ghost Sect had witnessed the result of this match.
Thank you.
He silently conveyed his gratitude to Chung Myung.
Receiving that look, Chung Myung in turn nudged him on with his eyes.
Understanding the meaning, Do Un-chan nodded and stepped forward.
“The winner of this match is—”
As he opened his mouth with a firm voice, everyone in the yard focused on him.
“Mount Hua.”
No response came back. There was, after all, no reaction to give to something that was simply a fact.
“But this does not mean the Ghost Sect has been defeated. The Ghost Sect and Mount Hua have already agreed to become friends. There is no need to distinguish victory and defeat between friends.”
Do Un-chan’s voice, full of conviction and strength, rang out clearly across the yard.
“Bring the liquor. We will hold a banquet. And let this be a gathering where the Ghost Sect welcomes Mount Hua as friends!”
“Yes, Holy Minor Lord!”
At last, a thunderous reply burst forth.
Smiling faintly, Do Un-chan looked at Chung Myung.
“It’s a little early, but what do you say to a drink, Holy Minor Lord?”
“Yeah. Why ask? Of course….”
“Before that!”
But before Chung Myung could finish, someone shouted out sharply.
“Huh?”
Turning to the side, Do Un-chan saw Baek Cheon, Jo Gul, and Yoon Jong, all smeared with mud. Yu I-seol and Dang Soso were nowhere to be seen, probably already gone to wash up.
Yoon Jong said weakly, “......At least let us wash up first.”
“……”
For some reason, Do Un-chan nodded with a solemn air.
“……”
“……”
Freshly washed and clean, Baek Cheon sent a blade-like stare across the table. Across from him, Ak So returned the glare with equal ferocity, as though he wanted to devour him whole.
Even after the banquet had begun, the Mount Hua disciples who had taken part in the race and the disciples of the Ghost Sect continued to stare each other down without exchanging a single word.
Because of that, even the other Ghost Sect disciples, who had been looking forward to a lively and cheerful banquet, were too busy watching their manners to speak up properly.
At last, after glaring at Baek Cheon for quite some time, Ak So twisted the corner of his mouth and spoke.
“……You’re not actually under the delusion that you won, are you?”
Baek Cheon answered with a gentle expression.
“I think we won, though?”
“……”
Ak So’s cheek twitched.
“If we’d been fighting with real skill, then we….”
“Yeah. We won.”
“……”
Veins began popping on Ak So’s forehead, which had turned scarlet in an instant.
No, why did that bastard, of all people, look like that and still speak like this?
“……You smarmy little—”
“Loser.”
“Hwah!”
“Loser.”
“You pretty boy bastard!”
“Loser.”
“That horse-nosed Taoist prick!”
“Loser.”
“……Hngh.”
Ak So clutched the back of his neck and rolled his eyes.
“Hey! Fight me again! This time I’ll snap those damn legs clean off!”
“We already won. Why bother with that?”
Seeing Ak So almost foaming at the mouth, the people beside him hurried to calm him down.
“Please calm down, senior brother!”
“This is the banquet our Holy Minor Lord is hosting! If this keeps up, something bad will happen!”
“……Grrr.”
Only after hearing that did Ak So barely regain control of himself. He looked at the Mount Hua disciples with a baffled expression, as if he truly could not understand them.
“And you still call yourselves Taoists?”
“Why? Is there a law saying Taoists have to sit there and get hit? If someone comes looking for trouble, Taoist or not, you beat them down.”
“……”
Seeing Baek Cheon say such things so proudly and elegantly, Ak So gave a hollow laugh in disbelief.
Are these guys really Taoists?
None of them looked remotely like one.
Ak So’s brow furrowed.
“I’ll admit you won. But don’t even think about looking down on the Ghost Sect! I get hives whenever I see so-called prestigious orthodox sects.”
“Same here.”
“……Huh?”
Ak So tilted his head at Baek Cheon’s unexpected reply.
“You’re part of a prestigious orthodox sect, aren’t you?”
“A prestigious orthodox sect?”
Baek Cheon snorted.
“Had you even heard the name Mount Hua a few years ago?”
“……”
Huh?
Er… come to think of it, no?
Baek Cheon looked around at the others.
“This much means we’re living pretty well, don’t we? The old Mount Hua couldn’t even dream of this kind of life.”
At that, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul nodded in agreement.
“There’s even a bathhouse.”
“And the meals are good too.”
Hearing that, Ak So was utterly baffled.
What the… are these guys just a bunch of beggars?
“Anyway.”
Baek Cheon waved a hand.
“You can curse us if you want; that’s your business. But don’t go thinking we’ve just lived in comfort and ease in a good environment. That pisses me off.”
The Mount Hua disciples nodded. Only Dang Soso quietly turned her head away and pretended not to hear.
“And besides.”
Baek Cheon picked up the wine bottle in front of him.
“Ghost Sect will have to sail in the same boat as Mount Hua for quite a while, one way or another. Let’s settle old grudges with this.”
When Baek Cheon extended the bottle slightly forward, Ak So let out a long sigh. He wasn’t such an idiot that he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
So at last, he held out the cup in front of him.
Glug, glug, glug.
The wine Baek Cheon poured nearly overflowed the cup.
After setting the cup down, Ak So took the bottle and poured for Baek Cheon as well.
“I don’t particularly like it.”
“Same here.”
Ak So and Baek Cheon’s gazes met in midair and sparked like flint.
“Let’s get along, then!”
“Fine! Let’s see how it goes!”
Clink!
The two cups struck each other hard.
Dang Soso, watching the whole thing, let out a quiet sigh under her breath.
They’re not children, for heaven’s sake.
“The detailed explanation will be given by Eunha Merchant Guild.”
“Understood.”
Seated at a separate table, Chung Myung, Do Un-chan, Oh Jang-song, and Gye Hyeong faced one another.
“It shouldn’t be all that difficult. And let me say it again: this is definitely beneficial to the Ghost Sect as well.”
Do Un-chan silently nodded.
Oh Jang-song still looked somewhat put out, but he was no longer opposing the plan as actively as before.
“And….”
“Holy Minor Lord.”
Just as Chung Myung was about to continue explaining, Do Un-chan politely cut him off.
“You needn’t worry. The Ghost Sect has already decided to join hands with Mount Hua, has it not?”
“……”
“Even if this doesn’t make us a great deal of money, it doesn’t matter. This has made one thing clear to me as well: merely following the old methods will not allow the Ghost Sect to grow any further. We want to look farther ahead by walking with Mount Hua.”
Chung Myung blinked, then smiled with obvious satisfaction.
“Good.”
Do Un-chan’s eyes had grown quite serious by now.
“We will do our part properly. So Mount Hua must not forget the promise to guide the Ghost Sect.”
“Don’t worry. I’m always good for that kind of thing.”
Satisfaction flickered across Chung Myung’s face.
This is how you start, one step at a time.
A sect was never made only of its main mountain and branch families. In the past, Mount Hua had expanded its influence not only through its affiliated households, but through ties with numerous smaller and mid-sized sects as well.
Of course, this was only a small beginning. But if such steps were repeated over and over, then before long there would come a day when Mount Hua regained its former stature.
Do Un-chan smiled faintly.
“And also.”
“Yes?”
“Tomorrow I will be officially inaugurated as the Ghost Sect’s sect leader. Normally, the inauguration of a sect leader includes not only the disciples but invited observers as well.”
“Yes.”
“So I would be very grateful if the Mount Hua people could attend as observers.”
“Why say thanks for something like that? Of course we’ll come.”
“Thank you again.”
Do Un-chan smiled warmly.
It was still impossible to say whether joining hands with Mount Hua would be more of a gain or a loss. But one thing was certain: this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Ghost Sect.
Chung Myung turned his head slightly and looked at Oh Jang-song.
“Elder, you….”
“Hngh.”
Oh Jang-song let out a sigh and then spoke calmly.
“I have no intention of becoming a spineless old fool who says one thing with his mouth and another with his actions. I will cooperate with this fully. Once we’ve agreed to do it, then this too is a matter of the Ghost Sect’s honor.”
“Good thinking.”
“However, one thing.”
“Hm?”
Oh Jang-song sent him a gaze burning with zeal.
“I’ve heard from our Holy Minor Lord that the training of Mount Hua disciples is handled entirely by you, Holy Minor Lord. Is that true?”
“Well, roughly.”
“Heh….”
Oh Jang-song still shook his head as though he could not believe it.
To think the Cheong-generation, the youngest generation, was teaching those above them in rank.
Even if he was called the Mount Hua Divine Dragon and was the greatest rising star in the world, this was far too unorthodox.
Is this the reason Mount Hua has recently made such a name for itself?
They did not cling to the old rules.
It was a phrase worth repeating, not nearly enough so—but for a sect with such a long history as Mount Hua, actually putting that into practice could not have been easy….
“If that’s true, then there’s only one thing I want from you, Holy Minor Lord.”
“Go on.”
“Tell me how to make our Ghost Sect disciples stronger.”
Oh Jang-song bowed deeply to Chung Myung. At that response, Chung Myung grew slightly flustered and quickly waved both hands.
“Why are you doing this!”
“This old man was greedy and acted foolishly. But understand that everything I did was only for the sake of the Ghost Sect’s disciples. If you help the Ghost Sect, then we too will not hesitate to repay that kindness to Mount Hua.”
Chung Myung looked at him with a strangely new expression.
In truth, for someone his age to lower his head before someone as young as Chung Myung was no easy thing. His methods might have been a little flawed, but it had to be acknowledged that Oh Jang-song truly had the Ghost Sect’s interests at heart.
“I said I get it, so raise your head. It’s not that big a deal.”
“……Eh?”
Not a big deal?
When Oh Jang-song raised his head, he frowned a little at Chung Myung.
That was because Chung Myung was smiling with a wildly bizarre expression.
“Well, basically you can train them the same way as Mount Hua….”
Flinch.
At that calm mutter, Do Un-chan and Gye Hyeong both shuddered briefly.
A multitude of scenes from Mount Hua flashed through their minds.
“Since the Ghost Sect has to combine work and training, the method will need to be a little different. So what you do is….”
That day, while the Mount Hua disciples and Ghost Sect disciples were building friendship through liquor and insults, on one side Chung Myung gave a lecture with all his heart on how best to thoroughly beat up the Ghost Sect disciples.
The fact that the most enthusiastic student in that lecture was Elder Oh Jang-song marked the beginning of the misfortune the Ghost Sect disciples would suffer from then on.
Regrettably so.