Sect Leader! That Bastard Is a God of Wealth! (4)
Mount Hua was in an uproar.
No, it had already been in an uproar, but the meaning of that chaos had been flipped completely on its head.
"He saved Lord Hwang?"
"Who’s Lord Hwang?"
"The greatest man of Hwaeum. Even if you added up everyone who came up to the main sect before, they still wouldn’t compare to Lord Hwang alone."
"Whoa? Then he’s some amazing guy."
"I’m telling you."
The third-generation disciple speaking twisted his face hard.
"And Chung Myung went and saved a person like that!"
"Wow! This is really…."
"We’re doomed."
"Why him, of all people."
"Why that bastard…."
For Mount Hua, it was very welcome news. For the third-generation disciples, it was a miserable one.
This would send Chung Myung’s standing soaring straight into the sky, and the adults of Mount Hua would only dote on him even more. Wasn’t he already under the protection of Martial Uncle Un Geom and the Sect Leader?
And now his position was going to rise even higher?
Jo Gul let out a hollow laugh.
"I was wondering where he’d run off to."
He really was like a ghost.
No, maybe he was just the kind of bastard heaven favored.
"Isn’t it too much? Senior Brother?"
"Who knows."
"Aren’t only that bastard’s luck always way too good?"
"Luck?"
Yoon Jong stared at Jo Gul and said,
"Do you really think it was luck?"
"...Do you disagree?"
"That wasn’t luck. It was skill."
Jo Gul tilted his head. Yoon Jong looked at him and continued.
"The fact that he could go down to Hwaeum in the first place was authority he earned through his own ability, and encountering the Hwang Clan’s business there was also because of his ability. What could we have done in that situation? We could only return to Mount Hua and report it."
"...That’s true."
"And that wouldn’t have solved anything. There was no guarantee Lord Hwang wouldn’t die in the meantime, and unless we caught them on the spot, there wouldn’t even be evidence. If things had gone badly, people would have said Mount Hua, having gotten a taste of money, was oppressing the innocent and trying to seize their property. Even the Sect Leader wouldn’t have been able to move recklessly."
Jo Gul found himself nodding without realizing it.
Now that he thought about it, every word was right.
"Anything looks easy after someone else has already done it. But when you actually try it yourself, it’s never as easy as it looked. Don’t talk about luck before you improve your skill. If your skill is sufficient, luck will follow."
"Understood, Senior Brother."
Jo Gul let out a low sigh.
Senior Brother’s been nagging more lately, hasn’t he?
In the past, Yoon Jong had always been the sort of person who stood one step apart from whatever was happening.
Even though he sat in the symbolic seat of the oldest among the third-generation disciples, he never flaunted that fact, and he had never tried to use it for anything.
He had been the sort of person who simply let himself flow with the current, but recently he’d started to feel like a true great senior brother.
Ever since he had resolved to achieve something for Mount Hua, he’d changed.
Though, of course, Jo Gul was no different.
The others seemed to have sensed something in Yoon Jong’s words as well, because they fell silent and sank into thought.
But Yoon Jong wasn’t finished.
"Still, I am worried."
"Pardon?"
"The process and the result were both earned by ability, but it’s also true that his standing has risen…."
Chung Myung had already racked up plenty of achievements in Mount Hua. And now he had added another one—so what was there left to say about his position?
"He’s definitely going to start scheming again."
"...."
Chung Myung’s biggest problem wasn’t that he was vicious.
It was that the vicious bastard was diligent, too.
"Haa."
"Seriously, what sin did I commit in my past life…."
Baekmae Hall was instantly filled with sighs and groans.
* * *
"Lord Hwang has agreed to take charge of the Hwaeum business site."
"That’s a relief."
"If it’s Lord Hwang, he can be trusted."
Hyun Jong forcibly pressed down his excited heart.
I mustn’t make it too obvious that I’m thrilled.
But it wasn’t easy to suppress the way his backside practically wanted to bounce off the floor.
Hwang Mun-yak had offered to manage the business site without charge. He had even promised enormous compensation, saying he wanted to repay even a fraction of the kindness he’d received from this matter.
There were only two conditions.
First, the money they earned was not to be hoarded, but used immediately for Mount Hua’s development.
And second, they were to treat the third-generation disciple Chung Myung specially.
The first condition was no problem.
Hyun Jong had no intention of piling up wealth either. Mount Hua was still far from the stage where it could accumulate assets. They were still at the point where they had to pour money in like water into a bottomless jar just to wet the inside a little.
The problem was the second condition.
"Special treatment" is a terribly vague phrase.
For Hwang Mun-yak, it was only natural to ask that. Chung Myung was his savior. Though he’d said he was investing in Mount Hua because Chung Myung was a disciple of the sect, the feelings he held toward Chung Myung personally had to be more special.
The problem lay in that "special treatment."
What on earth can we do to especially favor a third-generation disciple?
That was what was giving Hyun Jong a headache.
If he coolly evaluated Chung Myung’s accomplishments, absurdly enough, the result was that he had not received a proper reward.
Wasn’t Chung Myung already enjoying everything a third-generation disciple could possibly get, plus privileges even a first-generation disciple could scarcely dare hope for?
At times like this….
Hyun Jong cast a sidelong glance at Unam.
Unam, noticing his gaze, cleared his throat and spoke cautiously.
"Cough, this is good news."
Gathering everyone’s attention, Unam looked around the room before continuing.
"But the reason Lord Hwang stepped forward like this is because Chung Myung saved them from danger."
"Mm."
"That’s right."
"He really is something else. How on earth does he always manage to pick out only good deeds like that?"
"He truly is a vessel of the Dao."
"So what I’m saying is…."
"Hm?"
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Unam coughed once.
"Shouldn’t we give that child another reward this time as well?"
"Mm, yes. We should."
"He deserves one."
Everyone nodded.
"Hmm. Then what sort of reward would be appropriate? Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts."
As things began to go the way he wanted, Hyun Jong smiled with satisfaction.
Good things were happening to Mount Hua, and even his disciples were moving in step with his intentions—how could he not be pleased? And of course, there was no need to mention the treasure that kept bringing blessings back with it.
"If we consider that he’s a third-generation disciple, how about letting him learn martial arts that third-generation disciples ordinarily can’t yet study?"
"Oh?"
Hyun Jong turned to Hyun Sang.
That was certainly the sort of "special treatment" Hwang Mun-yak had mentioned.
"Once research into the Falling Flower Sword and the Seven Plum Blossoms Sword is complete, I think it would be good to grant him that authority. He would surely be more than pleased."
"A good idea, Sect Leader!"
"I agree as well."
The atmosphere was warm and heartening. Hyun Jong smiled broadly and nodded.
"Very well, then I shall…."
"That will not do."
At that moment, a voice sharp with absolute firmness cut off Hyun Jong’s words.
Hyun Jong slowly turned to look toward the source of the voice and shut his eyes tightly.
Finance Elder Hyun Young.
His face was full of wrath.
"Sect Leader! Granting that child such a reward makes no sense!"
No, again?
This was becoming troublesome.
No matter how much Hyun Jong was the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, Hyun Young was his martial brother, an elder of Mount Hua, and the Finance Elder. Ignoring a fellow like that and pushing ahead with the matter was a burden even for Hyun Jong.
"Ahem, Finance Elder. What exactly is the problem?"
"A reward is not something like that! What kind of reward is that!"
"Hm?"
"If you give those kids martial arts, do you really think they’ll be happy? That brat’s already swamped learning martial arts in Baekmae Hall, and you call it a reward to tell him to learn even more? That’s punishment! This is why sword-men are all the same!"
Huh?
What was this?
The conversation was taking a strange turn.
While everyone looked confused, Hyun Young’s eyes practically spat fire.
"A reward isn’t something like that! It’s not about tossing away something from your own hand that you won’t lose anything by giving up! What kind of reward is that! A proper reward is something that even the giver is reluctant to part with! Do you understand what I’m saying?"
What on earth was wrong with him?
Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Young with a baffled expression. Wasn’t this the same Hyun Young who, only at the last meeting, had openly argued that Chung Myung should be punished?
And now he had suddenly changed his stance entirely?
Then Hyun Young’s excited voice burst out.
"Is this an ordinary contribution? Because that child saved Lord Hwang, money has… no, an enormous amount of support has come into Mount Hua, and Lord Hwang has also agreed to manage the business site for free, hasn’t he! Free of charge!"
Only then did Hyun Jong understand why Hyun Young was acting like this.
Hyun Young was the Finance Elder.
And the Finance Hall was the place that handled Mount Hua’s livelihood. To put it kindly, it was where the sect’s household affairs were managed; to put it bluntly, it was the place in charge of Mount Hua’s money.
And until now, the Finance Hall had been a place that could be summed up in a single word.
Hell.
How horrific must it be to manage the money of a sect that was collapsing in on itself? The reason Mount Hua had managed to keep even a signboard over its head until now was ninety percent thanks to the Finance Elder’s efforts.
Well, that makes sense.
There had been nowhere for money to come from, and debt collectors always found some way to harass people. It was only natural that Hyun Young had become a man who would flinch even if he heard the word “money” while sleeping.
And then Chung Myung had made an achievement.
True, the chest Chung Myung had discovered contained a huge sum of money, but that was the sort of money that would vanish quickly once spent.
What the Finance Hall wanted was not to slowly chew through a stockpile of cash, but a situation where the business sites ran smoothly and more than enough money came in every month to spend and still have plenty left over.
And Chung Myung had rescued Hwang Mun-yak, the very person most necessary for making that happen—so how could Hyun Young not be thrilled? From the Finance Elder’s point of view, even if he carried Chung Myung on his back for a full month, the cuteness wouldn’t wear off.
Hyun Young’s face turned bright red as he shouted,
"You have to give him a proper reward! Only then will that brat keep going out and bringing back more achievements!"
"Achievements aren’t brought back, they’re made…."
"Anyway!"
Hyun Young bounced as if he might devour Hyun Jong whole.
"Sect Leader! That brat is the God of Wealth! Give him a proper reward and keep sending him out, and he’ll keep bringing back more achievements! Do you understand what I’m saying? Huh?"
"...."
"Do you even know how much money that brat brought in this time? In the middle of all these rice-bug bastards who can’t earn a single coin to save their lives! That kind of kid! That precious little bastard! Huh? Do you understand what I’m saying? Huh?"
Martial Hall Leader Hyun Sang smiled faintly and stood up from his seat. Then he hugged Hyun Young from behind and began dragging him out of the room.
"Sect Leader! We must give him a great reward! Sect Leadeeeer!"
Once Hyun Young had been dragged bodily from the room, Hyun Jong let out a long sigh.
"Please understand him, everyone. He’s someone who’s been bottling things up for a very long time."
"...We understand."
"Honestly, he could probably say more. Considering everything he’s suffered."
"Just how much resentment must he have carried…."
Everyone dabbed at the corners of their eyes.
"Sect Leader."
Unam smoothed out the atmosphere before speaking.
"The Finance Elder is right. Chung Myung should be given a proper reward. In particular, I’m troubled by the remark about giving him something that’s left over."
"Mm, yes."
"If we think about it calmly, Chung Myung’s accomplishment this time is not as great as his previous one."
Hyun Jong nodded.
"But the last accomplishment happened by chance. So the disciples will judge Mount Hua’s system of rewards and punishments based on what kind of reward Chung Myung receives this time."
"That’s true."
"I think Chung Myung should be given a proper reward. So that all the disciples can understand the obvious principle that those who achieve merit receive rewards."
Everyone nodded.
Hyun Jong looked at the gathered elders’ reactions and spoke.
"Then what reward would be best?"
But everyone only exchanged glances and couldn’t speak easily.
"First of all…."
The first to speak was, unsurprisingly, Unam.
"That child likes going down the mountain, so it would be good to make him the liaison with the Eunha Merchant Guild."
"But wouldn’t that just be using him as a messenger? Can that really be called a reward?"
"Lord Hwang is fond of Chung Myung, so he’ll be treated well every time he goes."
"Ah, that would certainly be true."
Hyun Jong nodded vigorously.
Good idea.
Once one suggestion had been made, the others began offering their own.
"How about bestowing a Plum Blossom Sword in advance? Wouldn’t the children like that?"
"What use is a Plum Blossom Sword to a child who’s still training with a wooden sword? Better to give him new martial robes, embroidered with gold thread across the chest!"
"What’s the point of martial robes you can’t even eat! Better to give him food! Or else let him come and go through the library however he pleases!"
"Do you think Chung Myung is the same as you? Reward him with food?"
"Then a spirit pill or something!"
"Where are we supposed to get spirit pills!"
"We can buy them! We’ve got money now!"
That was when it happened.
Bang!
Hyun Young burst back through the door, thumped his chest, and shouted,
"Just give him money! Money! If you have money, you can do anything, so what are you all hemming and hawing for? You suffocating idiots! At the very least, for a reward, just give him—mmph! Mmph-mmph!"
Hyun Sang wordlessly clamped a hand over Hyun Young’s mouth and dragged him back outside. Then he closed the door with an awkward smile.
Thud.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Hyun Jong quietly closed his eyes.
It’s true that good things keep happening….
The Mount Hua he knew seemed to grow a little stranger with every passing day.
It was just his imagination, wasn’t it?