Mount Hua Seems to Have Changed Somehow (4)
Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed.
Who is this brat?
He was bizarre beyond words.
From the moment Baek Cheon had stepped into this inn, he’d felt a faint, inexplicable sense of wrongness. Now that he looked closely, he thought he finally understood why.
A kid who looked barely fifteen was sitting there drinking while a table full of expensive dishes steamed in front of him?
Of course, it was possible.
Children of high officials, heirs to wealthy noble families, and the sons of great merchant houses often learned to enjoy the refinements of life from a young age.
The problem was that this was Hua Um.
As far as he knew, Hua Um had no high officials, no noble heirs, and no rich merchant scions. Even if it had, that child was not the right age.
So who exactly was that kid, to sit there in Hua Um drinking so casually all by himself?
“Cough.”
The child gave a low cough and waved a hand.
“I’m just someone passing by. Don’t mind me and keep eating.”
“Just passing by, hm.”
Baek Cheon’s eyes curved pleasantly.
“That could be so, junior brother. But since we’ve met like this, wouldn’t it be fitting to introduce ourselves? I’m Baek Cheon, second-generation disciple of Great Mount Hua.”
Behind the hand covering his face, Chung Myung ground his teeth.
No, seriously, what the hell is wrong with this bastard? Why won’t he let it go?
He couldn’t exactly just beat him senseless either.
If he were dealing with a third-generation disciple, he could smack him around, knock him flat, or twist him into a pretzel without much worry. But Baek Cheon was not a third-generation disciple.
If word ever spread through Mount Hua that Chung Myung had thrashed Baek Cheon like a stray dog, the sect leader would surely collapse on the spot, and Un Geom, who’d lately become far more naggy than before, would probably howl that he was going to cut Chung Myung down himself.
Then everything Chung Myung had built up so far would come crashing down.
That won’t do.
There was no way he was going to take that kind of loss just because of some brat. Chung Myung cleared his throat twice.
“I don’t really have a name worth mentioning…….”
“In conversation, I don’t believe it’s proper for one to hide his face like this, is it?”
What was this Taoist bastard going on about being proper? Then go join the government, you idiot!
Chung Myung felt a flare of irritation, but right now, getting away came first.
He slowly rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Hold it.”
“Let’s meet again another time and talk then.”
Just as Chung Myung turned to slip away, he suddenly remembered the wine bottle on the table and snatched it up. Then, still covering his mouth, he bowed his head.
“Take care.”
“Junior brother. I’d like to speak with you a little longer.”
“I don’t have a hobby of chatting shit with men. Later.”
Chung Myung dashed for the entrance, and Baek Cheon’s face hardened as he quickly reached out.
Where do you think you’re going!
The moment his hand was about to catch Chung Myung’s sleeve—
Swish.
Chung Myung stepped naturally to the side, and Baek Cheon’s hand sliced through empty air.
“Huh?”
“Have a good one!”
Chung Myung bolted out of the inn like a shot.
Baek Cheon stared blankly at the spot where Chung Myung had vanished.
He dodged that?
He had clearly used a grappling hand at the last instant. It wasn’t a pinnacle technique, but it was more than enough to seize a child.
And yet he’d dodged it?
“Senior brother, why didn’t you catch him?”
“……Huh?”
“Didn’t you let him go at the end?”
Baek Cheon looked flustered. What was he supposed to say to that?
“……I thought it would be unbecoming of a Daoist to bully a child for no reason.”
“That sounds just like you, senior brother. Haha.”
Baek Cheon smiled awkwardly.
It must have been a mistake.
He must have been tired from the long journey, or perhaps he had loosened up because he’d finally arrived at Mount Hua. If he’d properly used the grappling hand, there was no way he should have failed to seize that little kid.
“Seems like Hua Um’s gotten busier, and there are more faces I don’t recognize.”
“Hua Um isn’t that small a place. We can’t know everyone who comes and goes. If fate permits, we’ll probably meet again.”
“Yes, senior brother.”
Baek Cheon rose with a faint smile and returned to his seat.
But his smile was no longer as bright as before.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Damn it all!”
Chung Myung kicked a stone in the path.
“Why the hell did you have to crawl into that place? There are plenty of other inns, and more taverns than you can shake a stick at. Honestly, if you’re unlucky, even falling on your back will break your nose!”
Ah, what a waste.
Just thinking about the side dishes he hadn’t finished made his stomach turn. And they’d cost money too.
“At least I managed to bring the wine.”
As he climbed Mount Hua, Chung Myung kept tipping the bottle back.
“Ahh, now that’s the stuff.”
It would’ve been even better if he had some snacks to go with it.
Chung Myung clicked his tongue and tossed the empty bottle into a corner.
“Ugh. This mountain’s a pain in the ass to climb.”
This damn mountain never got any more familiar no matter how many times he climbed it.
Still, second-generation disciples, huh.
People he hadn’t expected had suddenly shown up. It wasn’t as though their presence would be a direct problem, but…….
It could get a little annoying.
The reason Chung Myung had been able to live so comfortably at Mount Hua up until now was partly because he’d built up enormous merit and thus received tacit preferential treatment. But that wasn’t the only reason.
In Chung Myung’s opinion, the biggest reason was the vast age gap between the Un generation and the third generation.
Compared to the Un generation, all of whom were over fifty, the third generation were nothing but brats who hadn’t even reached twenty yet. It would be beneath the Un generation’s dignity to run around barking orders at them.
This kind of thing was supposed to be handled by the higher rank.
To a raw recruit just arriving in the army, the scariest person wasn’t the general or even the emperor. It was the senior in the same unit. Wasn’t it human nature to fear the foul-tempered veteran standing right in front of you more than the world’s greatest commander far away?
But now, the senior he’d thought didn’t exist had suddenly appeared.
“Ugh. Second-generation disciples.”
Anyway, his first encounter with them had been a little strange.
“Hah. I shouldn’t have laughed there.”
But he couldn’t help it.
Baek Cheon’s speech had been so absurd.
“Take down Zhongnan?”
You?
Chung Myung clicked his tongue over and over.
Those guys looked worse than the third-generation disciples from Zhongnan back in the day, and yet their mouths were alive and kicking.
“Aigoo, senior brother. These days, even people like that strut around claiming they’re disciples of Mount Hua. Huh? Kids these days! Tsk tsk!”
Seeing the third-generation disciples had been less shocking.
How much martial arts could kids have learned, really? Even if they had learned proper martial arts, they probably wouldn’t have been all that different at that level.
But the second-generation disciples were a different matter.
Third-generation disciples built the foundation. Second-generation disciples were supposed to grow through training. First-generation disciples were supposed to have already reached maturity. And once one became an elder, one was expected to begin perfecting one’s own path of martial arts.
Yes…… that was how it was supposed to be.
“My head hurts.”
Chung Myung let out a long sigh.
Just looking at the state of the second-generation disciples made his stomach churn. Those bastards were part of Mount Hua too, so Chung Myung had to embrace and take care of them…….
“I don’t have time to waste like this.”
Seeing the condition of those second-generation disciples made his already urgent mood even worse.
“Ugh. How long is it going to take before I can make those fools useful?”
The road ahead was still terribly, terribly long.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Jo Gul senior brother! They’re calling all the third-generation disciples to the training grounds!”
“Why?”
“They say our martial uncles have returned.”
“Mm, got it. Did you inform the great senior brother?”
“Yes! He’ll be out soon.”
“All right.”
Jo Gul hurriedly threw on his clothes.
Come to think of it, it was almost time for the sun to set.
Has that bastard come back?
Jo Gul opened the door and then opened Chung Myung’s room door as well.
“Kuha…… snore, ku!”
“…….”
Seeing Chung Myung sprawled across the bed, Jo Gul was left speechless. The way he was lying there was exactly like someone who’d drunk heavily…….
“No way, did he actually drink?”
Was that the smell of liquor?
Alarmed, Jo Gul rushed over, grabbed Chung Myung by the shoulders, and shook him hard.
“Chung Myung! Junior brother! Chung Myung junior brother, you crazy bastard…….”
“Hm?”
“……Ah, no. Forget the last part.”
He woke up at exactly the right moment.
“Our martial uncles are back, and they’re calling everyone. Hurry up and wash your face. You look like shit.”
“Haaah.”
Chung Myung stretched lazily.
“I guess I nodded off when I said I’d rest for a bit.”
That’s not nodding off.
There was no such creature in the world as one that “nodded off” like that, Chung Myung. You should say you flopped down and fell asleep.
“You should wash up fir—”
“Hup!”
With a slight burst of energy from Chung Myung, the scent of alcohol suddenly poured out in a wave. Jo Gul was just about to complain, frowning, when—
Huh?
The strong smell of liquor disappeared all at once. He sniffed again, but it was the same.
“Huh? I definitely smelled booze just now.”
“Alcohol? What a disgraceful thing to say within this sacred, pure place, senior brother. You’ll bring down heavenly punishment saying things like that.”
“……No, wait. I swear I—”
“Come on. If we’re late, we’ll get our asses kicked.”
Jo Gul felt deeply wronged, but Chung Myung was right, so he hurried after him without another word.
“But if the second-generation disciples are returning, why do we have to go out there?”
“We should still welcome them. They’re coming back after a grueling closed-door retreat.”
Grueling closed-door retreat, my ass.
That wasn’t what closed-door training was.
You had to shove them in a sealed cave with no light, make them peel moss and swing swords for two or three months straight, and then they’d finally think, Ah, so this is what training was like.
And who the hell are you to pair off young men and women in groups and swing your swords around a little, then arrogantly call that training?
That wasn’t how it was in my day! Not in my day!
It was something unimaginable in Mount Hua a hundred years ago.
“This time they really sharpened their blades. That’s why the sect leader also made up his mind and supported the training. He said they’d do whatever it took to shove Zhongnan’s nose in the dirt once.”
“Did he?”
“Yeah. Senior brother Baek Cheon strongly requested it too.”
Chung Myung snorted.
“Sure, sure.”
“You should mind your manners too. Senior brother Baek Cheon can be strict, and if you act like you usually do, he’ll definitely chew you out!”
“Sure, sure.”
“I’m serious.”
“Sure, sure.”
Leaving Jo Gul to glare in frustration, Chung Myung swaggered toward the mountain gate. By the time he arrived, quite a crowd had already gathered.
The sect leader, the elders, and the Un generation had all come outside the hall. Everyone stood in a long line at the mountain gate, waiting for the second-generation disciples who would soon return.
“They’re here.”
“Open the gate.”
The newly rebuilt gate swung open to the left and right with a grand flourish. Soon after, Mount Hua’s second-generation disciples, dressed in black training robes, strode in with dignified steps.
“Oh!”
“Their bearing is different now.”
“Indeed, splendid.”
The Un generation admired them, while the third-generation disciples clapped continuously. And the Hyun generation welcomed the returning disciples with satisfied expressions.
Only one person looked utterly indifferent.
When is this going to end?
I need to go eat.
Baek Cheon, who was leading the second-generation disciples at the front, smiled and returned the welcome.
Wow, that looks good.
He really was handsome, even now.
Then again, the old Chung Myung used to be called good-looking a lot too. If he ever dressed up and went down to the village…… pretty young maidens would—
Mind your conscience.
“Damn it, seriously.”
Now he was getting scolded by a hallucination?
Chung Myung shook his head and was just about to clap when—
“Huh?”
Baek Cheon, who had been receiving greetings from the younger disciples, fixed his eyes on Chung Myung. He paused for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.
He watched Chung Myung for a long while with a strange look in his eyes, then soon stepped right up in front of him and smiled faintly.
“Could it be…….”
Baek Cheon, his face wrapped in a leisurely smile, looked straight at Chung Myung and said,
“Aren’t we acquainted, junior brother?”
“…….”
Should I really just beat this bastard up?