Everyone Is Here (1)
Early morning.
Before the night had even fully faded, those who had stayed in Hwaeum the previous evening began climbing Mount Hua as soon as the sun rose.
Every face on the road was flushed with excitement.
Today.
At long last, today.
They had come all the way to this remote corner of Shaanxi just to witness the Heavenly Alliance’s founding with their own eyes.
Of course, there were undoubtedly some who had come merely to show their faces on Mount Hua, but far more of them had sensed that the founding of the Heavenly Alliance would send shockwaves through the martial world.
As on the day before, countless people were climbing the mountain, but there was one important difference. Among the crowd, there were clearly people who were not martial artists at all.
“No matter how many times I climb it, it’s still steep.”
Sitting in a sedan chair carried by hired martial artists, Hwang Mun-yak chuckled. He gazed absentmindedly at the cramped mountain path, and Hwang Jong-ui, walking beside the chair, said, “It seems even harder to climb with so many people packed onto the road.”
“And yet so many people climb without caring how difficult it is. Doesn’t that show what Mount Hua’s standing is like right now?”
A look of emotion Hwang Mun-yak couldn’t quite hide filled his face.
The first time he had climbed this road to begin his first business with Mount Hua, there had been no one else going up the mountain.
The next time he had come, he had been with the prominent figures of Shaanxi, but even they had not been people who expected much from Mount Hua.
And yet only a few short years had passed since then.
Catastrophic change would be a better phrase than “turning the sea into mulberry fields.”
“So much has changed.”
“Isn’t that because Father’s eye for people was brilliant? I still don’t understand it, though. What exactly did you see in Mount Hua back then?”
“Heh heh. That’s a misunderstanding.”
“Pardon?”
At Hwang Jong-ui’s puzzled expression, Hwang Mun-yak burst into laughter.
“It’s true that I placed my hopes on Mount Hua, but even I never imagined they would change this much.”
“Ah….”
Still smiling, Hwang Mun-yak shook his head.
“An ordinary merchant invests in money and goods, but to become a great merchant, you must know how to invest not in what you can see, but in the future and in value.”
“Yes, Father. Quite so.”
“In that sense, I suppose I’m not a proper great merchant after all. If I’d known Mount Hua would become such an extraordinary place, I would have poured in my entire fortune. Tsk tsk. A jewel was right before my eyes, and I still couldn’t recognize its worth.”
At his words, Hwang Jong-ui gave a wry smile.
Thanks to their investment in Mount Hua, Hwang Mun-yak and the Eunha Merchant Guild had earned enormous profits. But that profit was almost nothing compared to the business network they had built through Mount Hua.
What mattered was not the money that fell into their hands today, but the future they had secured—one that would continue to generate wealth for decades. Its value was beyond calculation.
It was the most successful challenge and achievement in the entire history of the Eunha Merchant Guild. And yet, Hwang Mun-yak still seemed to carry some regret.
“Still, I’m relieved.”
“Relieved that we made money?”
“No. That Mount Hua is doing well.”
Hwang Mun-yak looked at him with a flicker of surprise.
“That doesn’t sound very merchant-like.”
“Maybe not.”
Hwang Jong-ui smiled faintly.
“I may not be equal to Father, but I’ve still spent a long time living as a merchant.”
His gaze shifted toward the mountain.
“Along the way, I’ve met countless people and done business with countless others. Sometimes I pursued profit, sometimes people, and sometimes simply followed the current.”
“Mm.”
Hwang Mun-yak nodded.
Hwang Jong-ui was certainly no longer young. By age alone, it would not have been strange if Hwang Mun-yak retired right now and passed the guild leadership to him.
“But isn’t it strange?”
“Hm?”
“Even if years have passed, it’s not as though we often get to meet Mount Hua’s people, who spend all their time tucked away in the mountains, barely ever seen.”
“True enough. They’re all Taoists, after all.”
“And yet, for some reason, whenever I see Mount Hua’s people, I feel at ease.”
Hwang Jong-ui smiled quietly.
“It’s not because they’re detached Taoists. I’ve met Taoists from other places many times. But from what I can see, Mount Hua’s people are different.”
“How so?”
“I’m not sure. It’s hard to put into words. Sometimes they seem simple-minded, sometimes absurdly reckless, and sometimes stubbornly upright to the point of being impossible….”
Trailing off, Hwang Jong-ui eventually shook his head, as if he still couldn’t find the right words.
“It may not be something a merchant ought to say, but I just like Mount Hua’s people. Maybe that’s why I’m so happy to see Mount Hua’s standing rise day by day, Father.”
Hwang Mun-yak, who had been listening seriously, let out a hearty laugh.
“A great merchant. Yes, a great merchant indeed.”
“Pardon?”
Hwang Mun-yak looked at Hwang Jong-ui with affectionate eyes.
“Didn’t you say a great merchant is one who knows how to invest in the future?”
“Yes. That’s what you said.”
“But that alone isn’t enough.”
With a gentle smile, Hwang Mun-yak went on, “There’s a saying in the trade world. The one who gains money becomes a merchant, but the one who wins hearts becomes a great merchant.”
“Ah….”
“If you truly want to surpass me, never forget that feeling you have now. If you treat those people with sincerity, then they’ll treat you with sincerity in return. One day, a transaction built not on profit but on genuine feeling will make you a great merchant.”
“I’ll remember that, Father.”
At his son’s earnest reply, Hwang Mun-yak smiled and nodded.
He’ll do well.
He knew it too. He was old now.
He wanted to keep watching Mount Hua spread its branches across the world for a long time yet, but now he could no longer keep pace with it at its side.
Generations always moved on and were replaced.
It was time for him to start entrusting the guild to Hwang Jong-ui.
Even if he still felt uncertain, even if he still had lingering attachment, he needed to know when to step back and when to trust. Hadn’t Mount Hua taught him that?
I’m curious too.
What future would they make together? What would Mount Hua and the Eunha Merchant Guild look like one day?
“Let’s hurry. We need to get there before we’re late. Today is the day Mount Hua rises to become the leader of the Heavenly Alliance. Would it be right for our Eunha Merchant Guild to arrive late?”
“Yes, Father!”
Hwang Jong-ui answered loudly and quickened his steps.
“Hmm.”
When they reached the mountain gate, Hwang Mun-yak kept nodding appreciatively.
“You prepared this well.”
“We didn’t do all that much ourselves. The Sichuan Tang Family renovated and decorated the buildings.”
“Each person should do what they can.”
As soon as they passed through the gate, a broad training ground came into view, with buildings beyond it and to either side. The scenes of collapse and ruin were nowhere to be seen; everything had been transformed into something grand and imposing.
In front of the buildings, a large stage had been newly built, and to its left and right were seats set aside for important guests.
Hwang Mun-yak gestured, then slowly got out of the sedan chair.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you rode the chair up to there….”
“Nonsense. Where do you think this is, that I’d ride around in a sedan chair? The moment a merchant forgets courtesy and his place, he’s finished.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Still, Mount Hua did leave this old man a seat of honor, so how could I not be pleased? Come on.”
“Yes.”
With a satisfied smile, he approached the prepared seat, where a familiar face greeted him.
“Welcome, Guild Leader!”
“Elder. It’s been some time.”
Hwang Mun-yak took Hyun Young’s hand in his own.
Hyun Young, Mount Hua’s Finance Elder, and Hwang Mun-yak, leader of the Eunha Merchant Guild, had spent a great deal of time talking and done more business together than either of them could count.
“Allow me to congratulate you on founding the alliance. Mount Hua’s changes are truly remarkable day by day, and I, Hwang, am genuinely delighted.”
“It’s all thanks to the guild leader helping Mount Hua. I mean that sincerely, not as flattery. Everyone in Mount Hua is always grateful to you.”
“Hahaha. I think we may need to leave one person out of that.”
“W-well, that is true….”
Chung Myung would have definitely screamed himself hoarse the instant he heard that: “They’re the ones who should be grateful, why the hell should we be grateful? Who do you think made you money!”
He wouldn’t really be wrong, either.
Just imagining that voice in his ears made Hwang Mun-yak laugh softly.
To him, Chung Myung was a benefactor beyond compare, a blessing that had rolled right into his hands. To put it bluntly, if Chung Myung suddenly grabbed his beard and yanked out a few hairs, Hwang Mun-yak was pretty sure he would still just laugh it off.
“Where is the sect leader?”
“He’s preparing for the ceremony, so it’s hard to meet him right now. Come this way, Guild Leader. We’ve arranged a fine seat for you.”
“That’s far too much. I know my place. A seat at the end would be more than enough.”
“Absolutely not! How could the guild leader sit at the end? This way! Come this way!”
Hyun Young dragged Hwang Mun-yak along without the slightest hesitation.
Even if Hyun Young was not someone who had seriously trained in martial arts, he was still a martial artist in the end. An old man like Hwang Mun-yak, who had not trained in the slightest, had no hope of resisting that strength.
What Hyun Young dragged him toward was the very front of the honored seats set beside the stage. Hwang Mun-yak nearly lost his mind.
“E-Elder! Here….”
To his side and behind him were the seats of the senior figures from the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families. Sitting in the same row as them was shocking enough, but to be in the very front of all that?
It was truly far too honored a place.
Feeling as though his breath was being squeezed from him, Hwang Mun-yak grabbed Hyun Young and pleaded, “E-Elder. Please let me sit in the back.”
“Absolutely not! How could we place an honored guest there?”
“I-I’m uncomfortable here. I’m old now, so if I sit in a place like this, my heart starts racing and I can’t endure it.”
“...Oh dear.”
“The back! The back is more than enough! If you’re doing this for me, please, just let me sit there.”
“Hngh. Very well. But the sect leader will be furious.”
“I-I’ll explain it separately, so please.”
“Yes. Do as you wish.”
After sweating bullets, Hwang Mun-yak was finally guided to the back, where he collapsed into the chair with an exhausted sigh.
Only after clutching his chest and taking several deep breaths did he finally feel calm enough to let out a long exhale. Then, before he knew it, he was laughing softly.
Mount Hua, huh….
People inevitably changed. In the end, a sect was also something made by people.
When he had first climbed Mount Hua in the past, he had surely been a great guest. But was he still such an important guest to Mount Hua now?
He was a merchant too, and he understood the ways of the world well enough.
Even if the current Mount Hua had guided him not to an honored seat but to one far below it, he would not have complained in the slightest.
And yet here he was, in an honored seat—more than that, the very front.
Are they naive, or is it that they’re…
Once again, he remembered what Hwang Jong-ui had said on the way up.
“Simple-minded, yet reckless… and stubbornly upright…”
A smile slowly formed on Hwang Mun-yak’s face.
So they’re simply good people.
He could feel anew just how fortunate he had been to form ties with Mount Hua.
The senior figures of the martial world were filling the seats before him.
They had all gathered to celebrate the founding of the Heavenly Alliance. Whatever their private motives, they were people who could not afford not to be here.
The fact that they could be summoned and seated here showed just how much power the Heavenly Alliance now possessed.
And then—
So many people.
Below the stage, to the left and right of the training ground, the area was packed so tightly that not a single gap remained.
As Hwang Mun-yak looked over the entire scene, a strange emotion swelled in his chest.
Even after he had sat down, a great deal of time passed, but simply watching the surroundings was enough to make the wait feel far from dull.
And then, a little later—
“It’s starting!”
“They’re coming out!”
Along the paths that had been cleared on both sides, the disciples of the Heavenly Alliance finally appeared with dignity and confidence.