Chapter 921: Seriously, This Guy Has No Shame (Part 1)

The entrance to Mount Hua was crowded with people.

"Why are they pushing us?!"

"No, this guy? You got in our way and now you're blaming us!"

"Got in your way? I've been waiting in line since early this morning!"

"Early morning? Early morn... I've been here since last night, waiting in the cold! You just came in the morning and act like you're in a hurry. Unbelievable!"

"No way! Where are you showing off...!"

As the two people argued and tried to grab each other, others nearby intervened.

"Have these gentlemen gone mad? This is not a place for a brawl!"

"This is Mount Hua, Moun Hua! Don't you worry about getting struck by lightning?"

"If we get chased out because of you, we'll throw you off a cliff!"

Seeing these arguments escalate, Yoon Jong, who was adjusting his martial arts robe, mumbled with a blank expression.

"Gol-ah."

"Yes, Sahyung." 

"Why are all these people crowded here like that? Who are these people?"

"Wow, how could the future sect leader not know such things? These are the folks who have come here to see the reopening of the Mount Hua gate, which was sealed."

"…Is that so?"

"Not too many... well, maybe a lot."

He cleared his throat, looking at the long line of people extending beyond the mountain gate.

"Frankly, it's not all that surprising. Even before the gate's reopening, the Mount Hua Sect always had many visitors."

"True."

"But now, with people who haven't seen it in three years coming to pay their respects all at once, it's only natural. Moreover, the standing of the Mount Hua Sect has gone even higher than before."

Even before entering Bongmun, Moun Hua had almost occupied the position of the representative sect of Shaanxi. In addition, its position was further solidified by preventing the invasion of the Evil Sect.

As the public opinion was that it would not be easy to overturn this situation even if the Southern Edge Sect lifted its seal, the influential figures in Shaanxi were anxious to keep their line at Mount Hua Sect.

What's more, even foreigners who came to pay their respects to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance were flocking in from afar, so the queue would undoubtedly grow longer and longer over time.

"Such is the way of the world..."

Looking at Yoon Jong, who was shaking his head, Jo Gol chuckled and teased.

"While others may not know, Sahyung should get used to it. When you become the Sect Leader, you'll have to deal with those people."

"..."

Yoon Jong gazed at the crowd that had gathered at the mountain gate with a weary expression. Those people? He? 

"No, no. It's not just them, right? Even now, it's only to this extent. I'm sure when Sahyung becomes the Sect Leader, the line will stretch all the way to the entrance of the Mount Hua Sect."

"Surely not to that extent..."

"You're speaking too lightly. That's a minimum estimate."

"Mi-minimum?"

"Of course. When Sahyung takes the Sect Leader's position, it'll be at least thirty years from now, right? The Sect Leader is still around, and so is Sasuk. He hasn't even opened his eyes completely yet."

"The phrasing is a bit strange... Anyway."

"In those thirty years, how do you think Chung Myung will turn out?"

"...?"

Not Mount Hua Sect but Chung Myung?

"How will Chung Myung be in thirty years?"

Yoon Jong fell silent.

"Until recently, he was the Mount Hua's Divine Dragon, and now he's the Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. In thirty years... He'll probably become something like the 'Unrivaled Sword Emperor of the World' or 'Master of the Universe with the Undefeated Plum Blossom Sword.'"

"...I'm supposed to laugh along with jokes, but it doesn't sound like a joke."

"It isn't a joke."

...

"To take care of someone like him and play the role of the Sect Leader, even Sahyung should scratch his head a bit."

Jo Gol chuckled. Yoon Jong seriously considered whether he should pass the Sect Leader role to Jo Gol.

"...The Sect Leader must be going through a lot."

That's when it happened.

"Mount Hua's Divine Dragon! No, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sworrrrrrrd! Oh, this is bad!"

Someone leaped over Mount Hua Sect's mountain gate like a bolt of lightning and screamed their lungs out.

"...We'll have to deal with such guys too."

"That's right."

The two of them, who had just leaped over the mountain gate and identified Hong Daekwang, shook their heads in unison.

"Is it about Plum Blossom Island?"

"Y-yes, that's right!"

Hong Daekwang took a gulp of the water Hyun Young had prepared and swallowed hard before continuing.

"The Namgung Sect has taken over Plum Blossom Island! Our cute heavenly messenger really flew a thousand miles to bring us this news!"

"...At that point, it's almost like animal abuse."

Well, even if it's a dove, it's a pity that it flies a thousand miles just because its wings are a little blue. How pitiful.

Chung Myung stared intensely at the blue dove that was picking its feathers on Hong Daekwang's shoulder.

Didn't that mean it could go a thousand miles back and forth just because it would get something delicious? If it were Baek-Ah, we would've killed and eaten two wild boars along the way, laid down on their stomach, and even had a drink.

Come to think of it... It's quite useful...

"Oh, no!"

Startled, Hong Daekwang grabbed the heavenly messenger perched on his shoulder with both hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you really ogling our heavenly messenger? This is a precious gift from the Beggar's Union! Absolutely not!"

"Hey, no need to be so petty. Nice things are meant to be shared."

"I said no!"

"Tsk. The Beggar's Union has become more stingy. It wasn't like that before."

"When on earth are you talking about the 'before'?"

"That kind of thing existed, you know."

Right, back then it wasn't like this.

Even though he hid a jug of alcohol in his arms, whenever he ran into someone, they would politely offer him a drink with both hands, and even if he said it was okay, they would still give it to him...Tsk, tsk. But nowadays, it's completely...

"..."

"No, that's enough."

Hyun Young cut off the conversation and asked again.

"So, the Namgung Sect has driven out the bandits and occupied Plum Blossom Island, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes, that's right, Sir. The followers of the Beggar's Union who confirmed the fact at the Yangtze River sent us this fresh news first."

"Hmm... Namgung Family..."

Hyun Young turned to Hyun Jong with a worried look.

"Things seem to be getting serious, Sect Leader."

"...I see. I hope the Namgung Family..."

While Hyun Jong and Hyun Young were talking, Hong Daekwang cast a quick glance at Chyung Myung.

'What's on earth is this guy up to?'

The situation was so chaotic now that it made his head spin. Before this happened, Chyung Myung came to him and inquired about the Namgung Family's movements. Even when no one, not even the Beggar's Union, considered the Namgung Family as a variable, this guy was sitting here on this distant mountain, observing the situation that was about to unfold on the Yangtze River all by himself.

'Is he just plain smart, or is this even possible?' 

He was confident that by now he knew enough about Chung Myung, but the more he learned about this strange Taoist, the more unpredictable he became.

"Hong Buntaju."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Hong Daekwang suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Hyun Jong. It was considered impolite for a person to be lost in thought while in the presence of a sect leader, especially the sect leader of Mount Hua.

"What does Beggar's Union think about this matter? It seems like Evil Tyrant Alliance won't stay quiet."

"Well, the Beggar's Union is already keeping a close eye on the situation involving the Yangtze River."

Hong Daekwang cleared his throat.

"However, it's not easy to predict what will happen next. As you know, there are many variables at play..."

Predicting the course of a conventional war is not as difficult as it seems, even if there are many participants. Those who give orders and move the troops are ultimately just a few. But Kangho's wars operate differently.

With each sect having strong individual characteristics and forming independent forces, orders don't always work as smoothly. The ideas of those who created the war may not necessarily match the actual course it takes.

Even this time, no one would have anticipated that the Namgung Family, who had been silent as the dead for three years, would run to the Yangtze River and defeat the enemy as soon as they heard the news... No, almost no one had anticipated it, right?

"Moreover, the Beggar's Union has inquired about the opinions of Mount Hua."

"Our opinion?"

"Yes."

Hong Daekwang's eyes briefly glanced to the side.

Hyun Jong, who didn't miss that glance, smiled bitterly. When it came to information, the Beggar's Union was second to none, so why bother asking Mount Hua's opinion?

'Chung Myung, that rascal.'

Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Chung Myung had said something to Hong Daegwang to find out the situation in the Yangtze River. That must have been right.

"Chung Myung."

"Yes?"

"How do you think that the Evil Sect Alliance will react?"

"Well, it's just... it depends on Jang Ilso."

"That's true."

It was an obvious and irrelevant statement.

"But, in fact, it's not that important."

"What do you mean?"

Chyung Myung nonchalantly shrugged.

"Actually, the Evil Tyrant Alliance is pretty consistent. It's so obvious what those bastards will do now."

"What?"

"The real variables are those guys. The baldies and the donkeys." [The second insult is "말코", aka "Horse nose", an insult for people who are "stubborn and often do the wrong things".]

"Don't..."

Of course, "baldies" referred to the Shaolin, and "donkeys" meant Wudang.

"We'll have to see how the donkeys play it out. Even if they've sealed their ears to any outside news, once they hear that Namgung Sect has been slaughtering the Evil Sect, they'll surely be upset."

"...That's true."

The ones who desperately wanted their honor restored more than anyone else were none other than the Wudang Sect. No matter how much the Namgung Sect suffered from the shameful Yangtze River Disaster, how could that shame and anger be compared to that of the Wudant Sect?

"If I were them, I would've opened the seal and rushed to the Yangtze River right away... The problem is that Heo Dojin is there."

Chyung Myung scratched his cheek.

Heo Dojin's thoughts were so predictable that they were actually difficult to predict.

"And more important is the damned baldie..."

"Mm-hmm."

Hye Yeon, who had been sitting in the corner, sighed, but Chung Myung ignored him and continued to speak.

"The situation can change a lot depending on whether that guy comes out."

"Do you think he'll come out?"

"...In my opinion?"

"Yeah. Your opinion."

"If it's my opinion..."

Cheong Myung made a mysterious expression.

"I have an idea but..."

"Go on.

"I hope that doesn't happen as much as possible. It wouldn't happen if he had the slightest sense of shame. But he's the kind of person who lacks decency, so he might do it, you know?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's hard to explain, but if my thoughts are correct, it's probably around right now..."

That's when it happened.

"Sect Leader!"

Bang!

Un Am burst into the room in a hurry, his face slightly pale.

"What's going on?"

Sensing that something unusual had occurred, Hyun Jong asked. Un Am looked perplexed as he spoke.

But...

"Right now!"

"...Huh?"

Before Un Am's words could fully register, someone else spoke up. All eyes turned to the person who opened his mouth, Chung Myung.

"To the Mount Hua Gate."

"..."

"The Sect Leader of Shaolin has arrived."

"..."

"Isn't that right?"

Un Am, looking dazed and bewildered as if he had just run into a ghost, nodded his head absentmindedly.

"H-How did you know? I rushed over as soon as I saw him."

"Heh."

Chung Myung chuckled and looked up at the ceiling.

"Seriously, this guy has no shame. I'd rather deal with beggars; they have more dignity. Wretched bald bastard. He might be rich, but he's not even worthy of being called a beggar."

"..."

Hye Yeon, sitting in the corner, blushed red like a plum blossom.