Chapter 1524
Now that I think about it, we did do wrong. (4)
Chung Myung was truly beaten to a pulp on that rainy day.
Jo Geol realized anew just how long a person could keep their head bowed, and Yoon Jong deeply reflected on his mistakes.
Tang Soso learned that there were places scarier than the Tang clan’s reflection room, and Yu Iseol confirmed that there were exactly one hundred and thirty-two stains on the ceiling of Hyun Jong’s study.
But surprisingly, the one who suffered the most in this incident wasn’t Chung Myung.
“You, the one who calls yourself the Vice Sect Leader!”
Jo Geol, subtly gauging the reactions of the demons standing before him, whispered in Yoon Jong’s ear.
“Looks like Sasuk’s ear is bleeding.”
“…It would be lucky if it’s just the ear.”
Wouldn’t an ordinary person lose their mind?
They say people nag more as they get older. The three elders before Baek Cheon seemed to personally confirm that saying.
Of course, they weren’t wrong in what they said.
“Not only did you fail to stop him, but you even went along with it?”
“We made you Vice Sect Leader to prevent such reckless actions!”
“Pack your things and leave!”
Baek Cheon, who had always been dignified, had suddenly shriveled up completely.
In fact, he had no excuse. If Chung Myung planned something crazy, it was naturally his duty to stop it, but this time, hadn’t he blatantly cooperated?
“And, what? Jin Geum…”
Baek Cheon flinched. At that moment, Hyun Jong shot out his hand like lightning and clamped it over Hyun Sang’s mouth. When Hyun Sang looked back in confusion, Hyun Jong shook his head firmly.
“…There are limits even to scolding. Don’t mention that matter.”
Even Hyun Yeong nodded solemnly.
They probably didn’t know. In fact, their actions only made Baek Cheon feel even more miserable…
“Hmmm.”
Hyun Jong let out a slight groan as he set down the letters.
There were two letters in front of him. One was from the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect, and the other was from the person who would become the next Sect Leader.
“…Hwaeum’s Buntaju becoming the Sect Leader.”
“Does it bother you a bit?”
“Hmm?”
“Actually, Uncle Hong isn’t exactly reliable, is he?”
“You think so?”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung and Hyun Jong looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“He’s good enough.”
“Wow, retired Sect Leader. You truly have a wide tolerance for people, don’t you?”
“At least Buntaju wouldn’t sneak out, get into fights with another sect, and then come back after completely destroying their headquarters, would he?”
“…”
“I wouldn’t ask for anything more if we had even one person like that in Hwasan.”
At those words, Five Swords simultaneously averted their gazes.
“Ugh.”
Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh and looked at Baek Cheon.
“So… the Beggars Sect wants to join Cheonumaeng?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“…Excuse me?”
“What are they thinking?”
Hyun Jong’s eyes clearly conveyed a rational and natural question: “What on earth are people thinking to want to join Cheonumaeng after seeing you all go berserk?”
Baek Cheon silently lowered his gaze.
“And there were… Shaolin and Jongnam. Jongnam, really…”
A laugh of disbelief escaped Hyun Jong’s lips.
Among the Just Sects the two factions they have the worst relations with are Jongnam, their ancient enemies with a long history, and the rapidly rising new adversary, Shaolin. Yet these absurd brats had teamed up with those two rival sects to fight together.
Considering the situation, it was something that would make even the most revered elders and sages applaud.
Gangho is fundamentally a land of grudges. Once enmity is formed, it only deepens – reconciliation is rare. Hyun Jong, who has spent his entire life in Gangho, knows this better than anyone. But now…
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
Another deep sigh escaped Hyun Jong’s mouth.
That guy, of all people, had done it. The one who causes the biggest trouble in Gangho and is the most relentless to those who bear grudges against him!
How on earth should one interpret this?
“For now… I understand.”
“Yes.”
“We will hold a separate meeting to decide on your punishment, so go to your quarters and stay on probation for now.”
“Yes!”
One person didn’t respond.
“…Should I send you to the Plum Blossom Dormitory instead of your quarters?”
At those words, Chung Myung’s mouth, which had been sticking out like a duck’s bill, quickly retracted as if nothing had happened.
“Ugh.”
The reason for his behavior was obvious without needing to ask. Considering the outcome, he had made a significant contribution, so he was upset about being punished.
Hyun Jong no longer had the energy for verbal sparring.
“…Get out.”
“But…”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung grinned.
“It’s fine to leave, but since the punishment hasn’t been finalized yet, can I stop by the inn on the way to the lodgings?”
“…”
“I didn’t get a proper meal in the rush to get here. Just one drink… no, just one meal…”
“Get ouuuuut!”
Everyone who had hurriedly escaped stretched their stiff bodies and sighed in relief. Chung Myung grumbled.
“Those old men have really gotten mean. They weren’t this bad before.”
Chung Myung, that’s all because of you… People should have some conscience.
“Ugh, Sahyeong, what kind of punishment do you think we’ll get?”
“…In my opinion, this is at least a fifteen-day confinement in the Plum Blossom Dormitory.”
“Really? What crime did we commit to deserve that?”
Listening to Jo Geol and Yoon Jong’s conversation, Baek Cheon smiled bitterly.
“It’s not much, really.”
“How?”
“We ran away while others were working hard, we left Shaanxi without permission, we impersonated another Just Sect, we fought with elders from one of Gupailbang’s sects, we completely destroyed another sect’s headquarters…”
“Now that I think about it, we did do wrong.”
“To not beat us to death for this shows that retired Sect Leader has indeed attained Taoist enlightenment.”
“If it were me, I would have cut our tendons and crippled us.”
“We should be grateful they’re letting us live. I’ll bow toward Hwasan for the rest of my life in thanks.”
“We live at Hwasan, you idiot!”
Even so, a mere fifteen-day probation in the Plum Blossom Dormitory is such a merciful punishment.
At that moment, Jo Geol suddenly ground his teeth and glared at someone.
“Isn’t there one person who managed to slip out of this whole process?”
At those words, everyone’s gaze turned toward the one who had managed to get out unscathed.
“Amitabha… well, that’s…”
“Traitor.”
“Coward.”
“Fraud.”
“Bald head!”
Sweat beads formed on Hye Yeon’s bald head.
“T-this isn’t my fault. I’m not a disciple of Hwasan…!”
“Look at that, just look.”
“He used to have a kind of innocence, but now he’s just a fraud, switching between Hwasan and Shaolin.”
“Picking and choosing sects like food. He deserves a double beating from both Buddha and the retired Sect Leader.”
“So, in the end, he’s an outsider. But I thought he was one of us.”
“Soso, don’t cry.”
Hye Yeon took a step back, feeling wronged. Alliance Leader had told him not to come in, so what was he supposed to do?
However, Hye Yeon didn’t bother to argue or resist. To starving wolves, the backstory of their prey doesn’t matter.
After they had chewed him up just enough to not kill him, Five Swords finally felt satisfied and turned away.
And now, they finally looked around with oddly confused expressions.
“But… is this really Hwaeum?”
“It seems so?”
There’s a saying, “When a scholar confines himself for three days, you should look at him with new eyes.” And even mountains and rivers change in ten years…
“How long has it been since we left?”
“About ten days?”
The disciples of Hwasan looked around, stunned.
“How did everything change so much?”
Hwaeum now had the appearance of a half-developed city.
The head of the Tang clan, the Master of Eunha Merchant Guild, and… Nokrim King. What on earth did they do in just ten days?
Good heavens…
❀ ❀ ❀
“Chung Myung Dojang and Five Swords have returned?”
The rumor of their return spread across Hwaeum in an instant.
Hwaeum was originally Hwasan’s territory, so news about Hwasan’s disciples naturally spread quickly. Especially news about Five Swords, who were the most eagerly followed, making it strange if it didn’t spread rapidly.
And that news reached even the deepest, darkest, and most desolate parts of Hwaeum.
“…They’ve returned?”
“Yes. The news came just a short while ago.”
Tang Gunak slowly nodded. Dark shadows loomed under his eyes.
Tang Gunak always carried an air of authority, but now he exuded an aura akin to a monarch.
His eyes gradually began to emit a radiance like that of the sun.
“They’ve returned… They’ve truly returned.”
“Yes!”
“At last…”
The sound of him grinding his teeth escaped through his tightly clenched lips.
“How dare they…”
“What?”
At that moment, someone who had been lying slumped over a desk in the corner suddenly rose and then collapsed onto the floor.
“Ugh.”
His legs had given out.
A silence fell. No one could laugh. Tang Gunak and Hwang Jong-ui simply looked on with bitter expressions.
“Ugh…”
Im Sobyeong, who had collapsed, shakily reached out with his gaunt hand to grab the desk. When he finally lifted his head, his face was twisted, resembling a tormented demon.
“Finally, they’ve returned. Finally…”
More precisely, he looked like a criminal who had suffered prolonged torture from that demon. Or perhaps an old man nearing death, waiting for the end…
Whatever it was, Im Sobyeong’s face, with its bulging eyes filled with poisonous hatred, looked as if he had only a few days left to live.
“Those bastards left us in this hell and ran away!”
“They must be killed.”
“This time, I completely agree.”
Tang Gunak, Hwang Jong-ui, and Im Sobyeong.
These three, the core figures in the development of Hwaeum, had eyes brimming with resentment.
The Tang clan, the merchants, and Nokrim were like water, oil, and fire – usually impossible to mix. But the depth of their hatred was enough to unite them.
This might even be a more remarkable achievement than turning the Beggars Sect upside down.
“I can forgive them for leaving Hwaeum without a word.”
“I can forgive them for being absent for ten days.”
“But…”
Im Sobyong ground his teeth as he continued.
“They started all this trouble, leaving us to scramble and handle everything while they slipped away. I can’t forgive them for dumping everything on us!”
This was practically sabotage. If they didn’t mean to cause trouble, that would be even worse.
“For ten days… we haven’t had a single good night’s sleep.”
“…We ate while working.”
“…And we couldn’t even wash.”
The three of them gritted their teeth in unison.
“I’ll inform Alliance Leader and ensure they’re severely punished!”
“As expected of the Vice Alliance Leader!”
“Yes, we had faith in you!”
“We should lock them in the Repentance Cave for at least two months! They can survive on moss alone!”
“Let’s also release snakes and centipedes. You have some, right?”
“Of course.”
While the two warriors were hatching their aggressive plan, Hwang Jong-ui suddenly raised a practical concern.
“But, uh… if we lock them in the Repentance Cave for two months… doesn’t that mean we have to keep doing this for another two months?”
“…”
“…”
“If that’s the case, it feels like we’re the ones being punished…”
Their overworked brains finally processed the implications, and after a moment, both sighed heavily.
“Ugh.”
“Ah!”
“We need to survive first, don’t we? Let’s set aside our grudges for now and find a more amicable solution…”
At that moment, a hesitant voice echoed from outside the door.
“Uhm, Vice Leader!”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s… about the disciples from Hwasan. The Five Swords. They’re currently ascending Mount Hwa.”
“Hwasan? Why?”
“They said they’ve returned safely and are going to pay respects to the ancestors.”
“Paying respects?”
“Because it’s too much trouble to come down, I’ve been told they’ll just wait in Plum Blossom Dormitory. Once it’s decided how many days they’ll stay, they’ll let you know…”
“What!”
“Absolutely not!”
“Stop them!”
Despite days of sleepless nights, Tang Gunak and Im Sobyeong dashed out like lightning. Hwang Jong-ui, unable to match their speed, fervently prayed for their success.
“We must stop them at all costs! It’s absolutely crucial!”
Comments