Chapter 1471
What we’ve done is finally bearing fruit. (1)
“……Honestly, this is amazing.”
“I agree.”
“It seemed impossible, but here we are.”
Jo Geol, Yoon Jong, and Tang Soso nodded at each other.
Chung Myung had a knack for pulling off reckless stunts. So when they heard he was planning to level hills and build their main base there, they thought he’d somehow manage it.
However, what was happening here surpassed even their heightened expectations.
“…If you keep pushing, anything is possible.”
“Normally, this wouldn’t work. Normally, it wouldn’t. I mean, where…”
“Even if Hwasan had a thousand people, they couldn’t have done this. The key seems to be having a surplus of people to use in various ways.”
“That’s… true.”
No one dared to say it out loud. Of course, having many people was crucial, but the biggest reason for this extraordinarily fast construction was that the leaders of each sect were being worked like slaves.
Everyone tends to slack off. It’s no exaggeration to say there’s no one under the sky who eagerly wants to do more work. Not even a martial artist in peak condition.
But…
‘How could you slack off when the sect leader is carrying rocks and hammering nails right in front of you?’
Even Seol Sobaek, who lacked physical strength, was part of the blasting team, freezing and shattering large rocks, covered in dust. Anyone with a hint of awareness wouldn’t dare to slack off.
“Was this intentional?”
At Jo Geol’s question, Yoon Jong laughed awkwardly.
“No way. Even so, it couldn’t be…”
“He did. Definitely.”
Yu Iseol’s firm and definitive tone made Yoon Jong fall silent. He too was secretly thinking the same.
‘That’s why they shouldn’t have given him the position of the General in the first place.’
Even the sect leaders couldn’t have predicted this outcome from a single choice.
“Well… as long as the result is good, it doesn’t matter.”
Everyone nodded at Yoon Jong’s attempt to brush it off.
But Jo Geol, the only one who seemed bothered, spoke with a troubled expression.
“You’re right, Sahyeong.”
“Hmm?”
“But this is a bit…”
Jo Geol pointed to a distant place.
The city stretched almost to the horizon.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
“…”
“Is he really planning to build an actual city? That madman?”
❀ ❀ ❀
“Ah, you really don’t understand! I told you, it doesn’t matter if the roof is a bit crooked! Don’t you get it?”
“Ugh… General, if it’s this crooked, eventually it’ll leak when it rains. Then the pavilion will rot, and the people living there will be uncomfortable…”
“Uncomfoooortaaaaable?”
Chung Myung’s eyes flashed wildly.
“These spoiled brats! Huh? Back in my day, we slept out in the fields and just got soaked when it rained! What? You’re uncomfortable because of a little leak?”
“…When exactly was that?”
“Shut up! If there’s a hole, just patch it with a board or slap some mud on it and fix it as you go! Do you know how many houses we need to build right now? We have to put up a hundred more by the end of today.”
“A h-hundred more? That’s impossible. The sun is already setting…”
“So what if the sun sets? Are martial artists useless just because it’s a bit dark?”
“But… we also need to sleep.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. You won’t die from not sleeping for five days. I’ve done it all before.”
Dust-covered cheeks of those clinging to the pavilion streaked with murky tears.
When Chung Myung first said the construction of the main base would be centered around the craftsmen of the Tang clan, they were filled with joy…
“General, we need a yard here! Without it, we can’t do anything…”
“No need. Just build the houses.”
“But then we should make the houses a bit bigger, right? Without a yard, if we build them this close together… or at least a wall…”
“A wall? A waaaaaall? Those things just separate people! It’s so much more friendly without them!”
“But… no…”
The person carrying the lumber looked at the house being built. It was barely half the size of the Tang clan’s pavilion, and these small houses were being stacked one after another in a row.
‘Do other sects live like this?’
That can’t be right. Wasn’t it the Tang clan who repaired Hwasan’s pavilions? It wasn’t like this back then…
Well, maybe that’s understandable given the urgency. They can’t consider everyone’s convenience in such a rushed situation.
But they’ve already built enough houses to accommodate the members of Cheonumaeng. So why are they continuing to build more?
“Can you hear your brain working?”
“Heek!”
“When you’re working, you should have no distractions! It’s the same as when you’re training! Clear your mind and just do the work!”
If there were ghosts, why haven’t they taken this man away already? Instead, countless innocent ghosts have had their hair pulled out by him.
Chung Myung, with bloodshot eyes, glanced around.
“Craftsmen, sect leaders, none of you are up to the standard! You’re all so slow! How can you work like this…”
“Chung Myung.”
“What?”
Chung Myung reacted sharply and turned around, only to flinch. Then he quickly brought his hands together respectfully.
“Hehe. Did you call for me, Sect Leader?”
Everyone watching had their mouths open.
‘That insidious man.’
‘Did you see how his expression changed just now?’
‘If he were sent to the imperial court, he would have gone down in history as a notorious traitor.’
Receiving Chung Myung’s polite greeting, Un Am gave an awkward smile.
“Uh, can we talk for a moment?”
“Yes, of course! Absolutely!”
“…Then let’s take a short walk.”
“Yes!”
As Un Am took Chung Myung away, everyone let out a collective sigh.
“Do we have to keep dealing with this in the future?”
“Isn’t that likely?”
“Maybe we should just wash our hands of this and live as commoners.”
“That sounds good, but you’d have to build that house too.”
“…Damn it.”
Meanwhile, Un Am, walking with his hands behind his back, let out an awkward cough.
“So… I feel like I should be doing something.”
“Oh, come on. What are you talking about? Managing people and ensuring everything is going smoothly is a very important job.”
That’s true. It’s not wrong. If only Chung Myung hadn’t been running around like a madman doing all the things Un Am should have been doing.
“As the Sect Leader, I should also…”
“Oh, come on. The Sect Leader of Hwasan has to maintain his dignity. Why should you do something like…”
“Bring more nails! How long has it been since I asked, and they’re still not here!”
Hearing Tang Gunak’s voice from the side, Un Am looked grumpily at Chung Myung.
“…menial tasks.”
Chung Myung awkwardly averted his gaze, mumbling the end of his sentence. Un Am sighed.
“I appreciate your consideration, but I still want to work alongside them.”
Chung Myung scratched his head.
“I understand what you’re saying, but you’re already doing enough, Sect Leader.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The most worried ones right now aren’t the workers but the original residents of Hwaeum.”
Un Am nodded at this. From the perspective of Hwaeum’s residents, their once peaceful village was undergoing a drastic transformation in real-time, so it was natural for them to be unsettled.
“Right now, the people of Hwaeum think that a bunch of armed martial artists are going to move in.”
“That’s true.”
“Of course, it’s scary for them.”
Un Am stared at Chung Myung for a moment. This was an aspect he hadn’t considered. Until now, Hwasan’s people and Hwasum’s residents had been getting along so well that he hadn’t thought about it.
“So it’s important for you, Sect Leader, to show a sense of composure. Regardless of the reality, the people of Hwaeum need to feel that Hwasan can control the martial artists who will be coming in from now on. That will put their minds at ease.”
“Hmm.”
“Martial artists are just martial artists. We can’t even farm on our own. Without the cooperation of the people of Hwaeum, even a beautifully built main base would be useless, wouldn’t it?”
Un Am looked at Chung Myung with a curious smile.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Who knows? Why do you think?”
Un Am was different from Hyun Jong. He knew that Chung Myung was superior to him in every way. He himself was not particularly remarkable.
But even knowing that, it was still surprising. Chung Myung who simply observed from the side was vastly different from Chung Myung who held authority in his hands.
“I understand. So you’re saying that it’s better for me to walk around with my hands behind my back, appearing to supervise them. Not because I’m incompetent.”
“Of course! Naturally. Oh, incompetence? I have never even thought of that.”
“Right. I see.”
Un Am smiled broadly.
“Of course, our former Sect Leader, who could do that role even better, isn’t currently being overworked, is he?”
“Uh… is he?”
Chung Myung feigned ignorance. Un Am shook his head.
A kid as perceptive as Chung Myung likely had more in mind than just that. This entire process was probably intended to reassure the people of Hwaeum and other sect members that the true Sect Leader of Hwasan was now Un Am, not Hyun Jong.
Un Am considered saying a few more words about it but then shook his head.
Just let him be. Even trying to help by understanding his intentions can sometimes be a hindrance.
“May I ask you one more thing?”
“Oh, come on, you can ask a hundred more questions if you want.”
“For someone saying that, you seem very busy, shifting around like that.”
“Oh, not at all. I just got a bit hurt while training.”
At Chung Myung’s nonchalant reply, Un Am chuckled.
“From what I’ve seen, the already built pavilions seem sufficient.”
“We still need more.”
“I figured you would say that… but it looks like the areas for each sect have already been completed?”
Chung Myung couldn’t deny it and gave an awkward smile.
“You noticed?”
“I may not be as exceptional as you, but I’m not foolish. People spent most of their lives observing the outside world, while I have spent my life observing what’s within.”
“What are you trying to achieve? No matter how I look at it, this place doesn’t feel like an ordinary main base. Even though it’s been built hastily, it doesn’t have the basic layout of a base. It looks like a real city, one that seems to be expanding even further.”
Chung Myung slowly nodded.
“That’s right, Sect Leader.”
At his calm acknowledgment, Un Am’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What are you thinking? What’s the point of building a city here? As you know, this isn’t the kind of terrain where a city can develop. Trying to make it like Xian is…”
“Oh, that’s not it.”
Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.
“I know you can’t just build a city on a whim.”
“…Hmm? Then what?”
What he meant was, why go through all this effort?
“Well…”
Chung Myung scratched his head.
“You can’t force people to come if they aren’t there. Building a city and then forcibly bringing people in would be strange, wouldn’t it?”
“True.”
“But we have to accept those who come.”
“…Huh?”
Un Am looked at Chung Myung, confused by what he meant. Meanwhile, their steps had brought them to the edge of Hwaeum, where a road connected it to other regions. It was a place very familiar to the people of Hwasan. Chung Myung tilted his head slightly.
“It’s about time they arrived.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Ah, there they are, coming now.”
“Huh?”
Un Am quickly turned his gaze to where Chung Myung was pointing.
‘What’s coming…’
His eyes widened in astonishment.
“That, that is…”
In the distance, on the horizon, a group of people could be seen approaching. Un Am sensed immediately that there was no hostility in them. More than that, they weren’t even martial artists.
Chung Myunf smirked.
“It looks like they’ve done some thinking on their end too. But if a bit of scheming could get them what they wanted, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble. Now they’re coming. What we’ve done is finally bearing fruit.”
Hearing those words, Un Am instinctively clenched his fist tightly.
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