Chapter 1461
Is that what we saw? (1)
“Ugh.”
“…”
“Uuuugh.”
“…”
“Uuuuuuuugh.”
“At this rate, you’ll pass out.”
Un Am clicked his tongue as he spoke, and Hyun Jong glared at him as if he had caught a good opportunity.
“Hey, you! What the heck…!”
As Hyun Jong’s voice rose, sharp criticisms flew in from both sides.
“Hold it, he is the Sect Leader!”
“Other people are watching!”
The elders glared at him with piercing eyes. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Hyun Jong let out another groan and lowered his voice.
“Ugh… Why did you send the kids to Chengdu? Do you even know what could happen? What if those Sapaeryeon’s bastards target them?”
“Chung Myung will handle it.”
“Of all the reckless things to say! Hey, you! Is that something a head of the sect should be saying?”
Un Am shrugged his shoulders.
“What can I do? That kid is smarter than I am. Shouldn’t a foolish person like me at least not oppose him outright?”
“W-What did you… Ugh!”
Hyun Jong, his face flushed red, grabbed the back of his stiffened neck.
“Oh dear. Please calm your temper, Sahyeong!”
“…Why does he get more irritable with age? He used to be more composed back in the day.”
“Shut up, you fools!”
Hyun Jong pushed away the elders trying to support him and shouted at Un Am.
“Is that what the position of the Sect Leader is for?”
“Yes, you’re right about that.”
“Isn’t it?”
“So please consider it. I also find it quite uncomfortable and unsuitable, so I think I should hand over the position of the Sect Leader to Baek Cheon as soon as we return to Shaanxi. It seems like the better option…”
“What did you say, you rascal? This… ugh!”
“Oh dear, at this rate, he’s really going to pass out.”
“Come on, take deep breaths. Slowly.”
Half-collapsed in Hyung Sang’s arms, Hyun Jong pounded his chest in frustration. Watching this, Un Am smiled and shrugged.
“You’re going to harm yourself like this.”
“You… you rascal! How dare you!”
“You’re calling the Sect Leader ‘you rascal’!”
“This won’t do. Saje, let’s drag him away.”
“Yes, Sahyeong.”
“Let go! Let go of me, you lot! I’ve seated a tiger cub as the Sect Leader. I can’t let go… Nooo!”
As Hyun Jong was dragged away, struggling against Hyun Sang and Hyun Yeong, Un Am chuckled.
“Are you alright?”
Un Geom asked quietly. Un Am replied casually.
“Isn’t it something that Chung Myung decided on his own?”
“Well, yes, but… I understand why the retired Sect Leader is worried. Sect Leader, no matter how you look at it, this seems too risky…”
“In that case, why don’t you become the Sect Leader?”
Un Geom stared blankly at Un Am.
“Do you not want to?”
“Oh, no, Sect Leader. It’s just that…”
“In that case, just let it be.”
Un Geom sighed and nodded reluctantly.
Un Geom closed his mouth with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. He might not like following Un Am’s words, or perhaps he found Un Am’s firmness uncharacteristic.
Seeing his expression, Un Am grinned.
“Un Geom-ah.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“To be honest, I used to think that becoming the Sect Leader was meaningless. Until recently, I considered it an unnecessary process and wanted to quickly step down from the unsuitable position of the Sect Leader.”
“Is that so?”
“But now, it seems I was meant to become the Sect Leader after all.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Isn’t that right? If it were Baek Cheon instead of me sitting as the Sect Leader right now, wouldn’t both the retired Sect Leader and you, Un Geom, try to interfere in every decision made by the children?”
Un Geom remained silent, finding it difficult to deny. Similar events were already unfolding here.
“I didn’t intend to…”
“Good intentions aren’t always good.”
Finally, Un Geom lowered his head.
Un Am was a person who didn’t easily reveal himself. That made him difficult to deal with.
Perhaps, as Un Am suggested, what Hwasan needs most right now is someone like Un Am.
“There’s nothing useless in this world.”
Un Am sighed deeply and then made a request.
“Don’t worry too much. Just keep an eye on the sect and the children. We must arrive at Hwaeum before they return.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Un Am glanced back briefly. On the opposite side, far away, where the children would be.
“…I hope they don’t run wild too much.”
“Yes?”
“Oh, never mind.”
Un Am shook his head. Surely it wouldn’t come to that. Surely.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Um…”
Jo Ung scratched his head nervously. Instead of feeling calmer as the initial confusion subsided, he was overwhelmed by an even greater sense of absurdity. If his initial question was why ‘Jo Geol’ was here, now the question consuming him was ‘why’ Jo Geol was here.
“Brother, please get ready quickly. We need to take our family and leave Chengdu.”
“Just a moment.”
“No, there’s no time!”
“Time or not, why are you here? Do you even know where this is?”
Jo Geol’s expression turned bewildered, as if he were looking at someone who had lost their mind.
“Where are we? It’s Chengdu’s Four Seas merchant guild. Did you hit your head or something?”
Cough.
Jo Ung coughed dryly. He felt overwhelmed by the stare of his brother, as if he were being asked why he couldn’t grasp the situation.
“You! Do you even know where this is? Do you realize how dangerous it is? Did I not teach you anything? Regardless of your worries, it’s unacceptable for you to bring trouble to the sect with your personal choices!”
“Dangerous?”
“Yes!”
“…Dangerous?…”
At that moment, the members of the Evil Sects surged over the high walls of Four Seas merchant guild like fireworks.
“Heheheh! Make way, Sect Leader! These are mine to deal with!”
“Hmph!”
Tang Gunak was running along the top of the wall like a dark bird. Jo Ung watched in astonishment, his mouth hanging open.
“…For Sapas?”
While there was certainly common sense in the world, there were times when that common sense seemed to lose its power.
“N-No, I mean…”
“Enough of that.”
At that moment, Chung Myung interjected abruptly.
“You can settle the brotherly dispute later. Right now, we’re busy, so let’s get moving.”
“Chung Myung Dojang?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, just know that I’m not here as Chung Myung, the disciple of Hwasan, but as Cheonumaeng’s General.”
“G-General?”
“So, it is not Jo Geol or Hwasan who is taking the people from Four Seas merchant guild, but Cheonumaeng. Let’s make that clear for now,”
Chung Myung gestured towards the people behind Jo Ung.
“Hurry up and get ready. We need to leave right now.”
Jo Ung nodded hastily, unsure of exactly what was happening, but understanding they needed to leave the guild as instructed.
“We don’t need much preparation. There aren’t people left inside, so we’ll just take those we can see here. But whether we can actually leave Chengdu…”
“Geez, can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
“Huh?”
“I said get ready. Are you ready?”
“Um… What does that mean…”
At that moment.
“Here!”
“Hurry, move quickly! The carts!”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
Five Swords, who had rushed into Four Seas merchant guild after climbing over the wall, glanced around frantically and then dashed towards a particular spot.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Um…?”
Five Swords stared at Jo Ung with determination. In their hands was a cart parked on one side of the garden.
“Ah…!”
Jo Ung understood the meaning of their actions in an instant and nodded quickly.
“Everyone, get on the cart! They’re…”
“What did you say?”
“Yes?”
At the somber tone of Chung Myung’s voice, Jo Ung jolted and turned to look.
“Why are you getting on a cart when you have perfectly good legs? Who do you think you are, nobles traveling long distances?”
“Th-then why the carts…?”
“Ugh, seriously… Sahyeong!”
As Chung Myung shouted, Jo Geol approached and whispered in Jo Ung’s ear.
“…Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“Tell someone to load anything valuable from the warehouse.”
“…”
“Quickly.”
…Jo Ung nodded weakly.
Boom!
The walls of Four Seas merchant guild exploded outward, revealing numerous carts lined up, as the dust subsided.
Chung Myung, standing atop the towering heap of riches, brandished his sword and pointed ahead.
“Let’s go! Sago, Sasuk, Sahyeong!”
“Hey, you crazy bastard! Why destroy a perfectly good wall! There’s a gate, you know, a gate!”
“Oh, so everyone can come out and see! Do I have to explain everything?”
“What are you saying, you lunatic!”
Ignoring the rational objections, Chung Myung, with an air of annoyance, glared at Jo Geol. In Hwasan’s setting, such scenes were an everyday occurrence.
But for Jo Ung, hanging awkwardly at the top of the towering pile of riches, it was a series of bewildering absurdities.
Outside Four Seas merchant guild was chaos itself. The once swarming Sapa thugs, like ants on a hill, were now scattered and decimated as if attacked by a swarm of hornets.
“Is this…?”
Jo Ung realized. His judgment that Cheonumaeng would not return to the land dominated by Sapaeryeon was wrong.
“So, are we joining the main force now?”
“Huh? Aren’t we the main force?”
“What? There are only six of you here…”
“That’s right. You’ve noticed.”
Jo Ung trembled as if shaken by an earthquake.
“Then, um, everyone we see here is all there is?”
“Well, there are a few more. Come to think of it, where did these people go? I told them to stay nearby.”
“Hehehe…”
No, this wasn’t a scene showing his judgment was wrong. It was a scene showing how insane these people were.
“Well, we’ve got what we need…”
Chung Myung scanned the still bustling sect leaders and the wide-open gates of the nearby buildings. Everyone’s gaze, who had been holding their breath indoors and couldn’t resist checking the outside situation, was now fixed on Chung Myung.
“Shall we finish up?”
Clang!
The Dark Plum Sword was drawn from its sheath.
“What’s going on?”
“Just gonna make a quick stop!”
Chung Myung left his Sahyeongs behind and kicking the carriage, soared into the sky.
Wooooooong!
The Dark Plum Sword burst with a resounding sword cry. Piercing through the chaos covering the entirety of Chengdu, it spread out with unparalleled clarity.
“Huh?”
Jo Geol’s gaze turned towards Chung Myung soaring into the sky. Chung Myung had his back to the sun rising in the sky of Chengdu. The Dark Plum Sword emitted a vivid red aura.
“That…!”
“Wow…”
At that moment, the people of Chengdu clearly saw it. The sky, now blue and not as beautiful as before, was adorned with the vivid image of a gigantic plum blossom blooming above it.
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