Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Everyone, halt!”

“Kwaaak!”

“Oh my. Damn it!”

As soon as Chung Myung’s voice came, Mount Hua’s disciples fell down.

“Tsk tsk.”

Descending from the cart, Chung Myung assessed the situation and shook his head disapprovingly.

“Have you been running so hard that you’re panting like a winded dog?”

His remark caused the disciples’ eyes to blaze with resentment.

“You’ve got a nerve, you sidelined reprobate! Who are you to critique us from your post on the cart?”

“Hoist him to the wheel!”

“What is the color of the blood that flows in him?”

The atmosphere was teetering on the brink of rebellion, yet Chung Myung remained indifferent.

“If you had moved a bit faster, we could’ve already reached our destination and started resting! You’re too slow!”

“…”

Everyone’s faces registered shock at his statement, but none could muster a response. They were at a loss for words and preferred not to engage further.

What was even more absurd was the reaction of Baek Cheon and his group, who had brought a cart instead of Un Am.

“Ugh. Today marks the end.”

“But isn’t this more comfortable than our visit to the North Sea? The cart feels so light.”

“Indeed. If it had been like that back then, we wouldn’t have endured all this.”

Tears welled up in the eyes of the Mount Hua disciples as they watched everyone departing while engaged in pleasant conversation.

‘Sasuk, what exactly have you been through?’

‘Why do you act as if this is insignificant? Why?’

‘Isn’t this training excessively harsh, though?’

Chung Myung frowned at the disciples of Mount Hua, who were panting heavily.

“You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! If you have eyes, use them! Even the ill manage to come running without hindrance, and here you are, perfectly healthy individuals complaining incessantly about this!”

Everyone turned towards Im So-Byeong at his words.

Im So-Byeong received the disciples’ gazes with a smile,

But soon,

Thud.

“Euk! Green Forest King!”

“Don’t pass out on us!”

He collapsed where he stood.

Beon Chung and the Black Night Tiger, filled with worry, rushed to his side.

“We… we are only half of what you are now! Ugh!”

Chung Myung pounded his chest and shook his head as if deeply affected.

“Ughhh.”

Barely able to muster enough strength to raise his upper body halfway, Im So-Byeong mumbled his thoughts half-heartedly, looking as though half his soul had been ripped away.

“…Everyone has lost their minds.”

“…”

Though they said nothing aloud, his two counterparts shared his sentiments.

‘Did a spirit haunt us because we ran too slow?’

‘Who begins running at the break of dawn? If horses were forced to race this way, they would have already perished.’

Let’s set aside the matter of running for now.

What in the world was that extraordinary speed?

What was even more surprising was that despite enduring a forced run intense enough to make even the Green Forest’s finest gasp for breath, not a single disciple lagged behind.

‘Mount Hua is indeed a most extraordinary place.’

Certainly, physical strength wasn’t the only factor separating experienced warriors from novices. Still, when it came to this attribute, it was evident that Mount Hua had advanced into a domain that other sects in the Central Plains hadn’t reached.

Beon Cheong and Black Night Tiger painfully discovered why Im So-Byeong had gone to great lengths to seek assistance from Mount Hua.

“There’s no spirit left these days, no spirit!”

“Ahem.”

“Ahem indeed.”

The elders disembarked from the cart, uncomfortably clearing their throats.

Seeing the disciples at their physical limit, the elders felt embarrassed due to their respite on the cart. However, not all shared the sentiment.

“Ughh. My back aches from the cart’s jarring ride.”

Hyun Young voiced his complaint, his face wrinkled in discomfort.

“Are we near our destination yet?”

“We’re almost there.”

“Ughh. Having spent my entire life without straying too far from Mount Hua, I never realized the Central Plains were so vast. No matter how many times I step out, I see no end.”

Un Am offered a wry smile in response to Hyun Young’s words.

These words might have been spoken casually, but they clearly reflected the many years they had spent rooted to Mount Hua.

“So, are we sleeping on the ground again tonight?”

“No.”

Un Am shook his head.

“Changsha is just beyond the hill.”

“Really? Have we traveled that far?”

“Today, we intend to recuperate at a merchant’s guesthouse. After several days of camping, we should at least warm ourselves before ascending Mount Hyeong.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples of Mount all blinked in surprise.

‘A bed!’

‘Warm water!’

‘Food that isn’t cold!’

Yet, Chung Myung, who was present, didn’t seem pleased at all.

“Why waste money on a guesthouse when you can sleep anywhere?”

“Enough.”

Hyun Young dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand.

“No matter what the kids might endure, my old back can’t. Let’s find a comfortable place to rest.”

“If the elder says so, let’s find a decent guest house then.”

The other disciples couldn’t hide their surprise, gritting their teeth at how quickly he shifted his stance.

‘That scoundrel really is the worst.’

“But…”

Meanwhile, Un Geom, who maintained his calm throughout, voiced a logical question.

“Why didn’t you go straight into the city, sahyung? Why did you stop here?”

With a wry smile, Un Am looked at Chung Myung and echoed.

“I was wondering the same thing.”

He stepped forward and surveyed everyone.

“Everyone, listen up.”

“Understood!”

“Changsha is a large city. If we enter all at once, we’re bound to draw unnecessary attention.”

The group nodded, showing they understood the point.

“Presently, it’s not an issue if you lounge around, engrossed in your games. However, such behavior should not be exhibited while conducting business. Always bear in mind the words of our sect leader: your actions will reflect upon the reputation of Mount Hua.”

Everyone shifted silently, and no one offered a reply.

“…what?”

Chung Myung, the center of everyone’s attention, tilted his head in feigned innocence, appearing clueless.

Their excitement at entering the guesthouse was replaced with a gathering storm of concern.

‘Is this acceptable?’

‘Perhaps it would be better to simply sleep outdoors?’

Baek Cheon appeared to be of similar sentiment. He voiced his thoughts.

“Perhaps…we should just camp out instead…”

Un Am, hearing this, released a resigned sigh.

“It’s not that I haven’t considered that, but there’s work to be done. First and foremost, we need to visit the Beggars Union and check if there have been any issues.”

“Hmm. Agreed.”

Baek Cheon periodically glanced at Chung Myung. Additionally, all those pulling the cart cast anxious looks in Chung Myung’s direction.

‘I feel unsettled.’

‘My stomach is in knots.’

‘Despite all my thoughts, I can’t see this ending well.’

But was obtaining the assistance of a spectral entity like Chung Myung even feasible?

At that moment, the previously silent Hyun Sang spoke.

“Nothing to worry about.”

“Uh?”

A thin smile spread across his lips.

“Chung Myung, do not leave my side once we set foot in that place.”

“Uh? No, why me…”

“Hehe. Let’s proceed with this plan.”

Mount Hua’s disciples quietly expressed gratitude for the wise decision. Their previously clouded expressions had cleared.

‘We survived! The elder came through as expected!’

‘This is your moment now, you cheeky devil!’

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“Baek Cheon, proceed first and secure an appropriate guesthouse. With the numerous children present, splitting them between two locations would be suitable.”

“Yes, sasuk!”

“Now, let’s resume.”

Disciples from Mount Hua confidently proceeded towards Changsha.

A massive chair adorned with luxurious animal skins was set on the podium.

A man sat cross-legged, leisurely patting the armrest.

“So long.”

Decades had passed before they finally claimed the seemingly unimportant chair.

Closing the gap from standing beneath to sitting atop the chair had taken long, arduous years despite it being a mere couple of steps.

Yet, they knew they couldn’t claim it as their own just yet - this wasn’t their rightful place.

‘Nevertheless, it will soon be mine.’

The man was Go Hong, leader of the Great Bandits, one of the formidable ten Green Forest bandit families.

At that pivotal moment, with a grin stretching across his face, he readied himself to throw back his head.

Suddenly, the door flew open as three men draped in animal skins entered.

“Bandit leader!”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Those strangers are blatantly disregarding our words.”

“Tsk.”

With barely concealed disdain, Go Hong clicked his tongue and fixed a glare on the man before him.

“It appears that you’ve been living a comfortable life in the mountains for too long. You can’t even subdue these outlanders.”

“Ugh… it’s not that, but these aren’t the ordinary ones. Even with their fingernails pulled out and needles stuck into their fingers, they won’t even blink.”

“… They’re stubborn.”

“If we want to get more out of them, we’d have to amputate at least one limb. Is that acceptable?”

Go Hong’s eyes blazed at that.

“Idiot!”

The bandits who had walked in immediately retreated under the pressure.

“If you render them useless, do you honestly believe we alone can operate the Green Forest? Why? I would prefer to simply fail and perish!”

“But they… they opted for silence…”

“Damn it all!”

Distortion twisted Go Hong’s face.

“That’s why I regret letting that rat escape.”

If Im So-Byeong had perished, coaxing the people into talking wouldn’t have been this challenging. Regardless of their loyalty, in the end, that loyalty only existed when there was someone to serve.

With the right treatment or compensation, people would willingly follow him without needing to perform. But he could not capture Im So-Byeong. The man had deciphered the situation and vanished.

“Green Forest King… have you still not discovered his location?”

“…Yes.”

“Useless buffoons!”

Go Hong sprang up from his chair, retrieved the spear lodged behind him, and hurled it.

“Ehhh!”

The bandits immediately hunkered down, a spear charged with qi spinning swiftly overhead. His whole body felt numb from fear.

“Find him now! Spare no expense!”

“Yes!”

Go Hong’s face twisted in a terrifying manner.

‘If we continue to wait like this, we’ll give others an equal opportunity.’

Had other bandit leaders discovered Im So-Byeong first, it would be akin to a dog pursuing a chicken perched on a rooftop. They could assault him with the assistance of the Green Forest King or slay him and seize power as their rightful claim.

Regardless, it was not a cause for rejoicing.

“Let’s kill him before the other bandits…”

“Leader!”

Just then, another person stormed into the room, shouting.

“What is it now?”

“He’s shown up!”

“Um?”

The individual who burst in, gasping for breath, began to articulate rapidly.

“The G…Green Forest King, no, Im So-Byeong, has revealed himself in Changsha.”

“What?”

Go Hong’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Where?”

“Changsha.”

“So, just next door?”

“Yes!”

“He dared to appear right under my nose?”

“Yes!”

“Ha… hahahah.”

Go Hong found the situation so absurd that he fell out of his chair, laughing.

Kwang!

His foot pulverized the ground as if it were tofu.

“It appears this man has a death wish! Daring to provoke me so blatantly.”

“B-bandit leader! You must regain your composure!”

“Composure?”

“Please, regain your composure. We’re discussing Changsha. It’s a city, and the issue will escalate if we head there now.”

“Damn the issue! This man has brazenly confronted me, and you expect me to just observe?”

“He wasn’t alone. He brought reinforcements from some unknown justice faction.”

“Justice faction?”

“Indeed. We are currently verifying their identity…”

“That guy must be out of his mind! To even bring in a Justice faction now?”

Go Hong exclaimed, gritting his teeth.

“How many are there?”

“It appears to be over 200.”

“…What was that?”

“Approximately 200…”

“Excuse me?”

Go Hong chuckled roughly.

“He brought 200 people? Right under my very nose?”

“It appears so. Despite the youthful appearance, they don’t seem extraordinary at first glance…”

“Dong Woong!”

“Yes, leader!”

“Round up the men and capture him immediately!”

“B-But what about the officials…!”

“Don’t concern yourself with the officials right now. They wouldn’t dare confront me once I become the Green Forest King!”

“Understood!”

“There’s no certainty that an opportunity like this will come again, so act now! Immediately!”

“Yes, leader!”

Three individuals stepped forward.

Go Hong resumed his seat. He softly caressed the armrest of his chair with his fingers.

“That fool appears to have become anxious.”

It was clear this kind of move was a tactic of someone who had lost their resolve.

With the thought of this place soon to be under his control, Go Hong’s lips curved into a smile.