Chapter 1129: This is Hell, This Place (Part 4)

"No, noooo!"

A voice screamed loudly from the Sect Leader's temporary residence. Those passing by the residence turned their heads in surprise.

"It's starting again."

"Well, there's never a day where Chung Myung is quiet."

"That's also a skill. A skill, indeed."

Laughter and concern mixed in the glances cast towards the residence, but that was all. No one was shocked. This was the daily routine in Mount Hua, wherever Mount Hua stayed.

"Does this even make sense? Huh?"

In response to the erupting scream, one of those who were trying to quicken their pace suddenly stopped, hesitated for a moment, and tilted his head.

"Wait. Was that Chung Myung?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Who else if it's not Chung Myung."

"The voice sounds different, though?"

"The voice?"

Upon hearing those words, everyone looked back at Hyun Jong's residence. Without needing to strain their ears, an enormous shout erupted.

"I'm losing my temper! Me!"

"...."

For a moment, everyone's faces became perplexed.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is. This, isn't this voice not Chung Myung's?"

"Then whose is it?"

"Well, isn't it Sect Leader's voice?"

"Huh?"

Everyone was startled and stared blankly at the residence.

"Speak up, say something!"

"Ahem."

"Umm."

"Mm-hmm."

The people gathered in front of Hyun Jong avoided eye contact.

Tang Gunak, Meng So, Im Sobyeong, Namgung Dowi, and for some reason, even Han Yi Myung, who took the place of Seol So Baek, dared not meet eyes with Hyun Jong.

"While the kids are fighting and causing a ruckus!"

"...."

"The leaders of the sects should intervene! Are you just going to watch!"

"...Well, um... Maengju-nim."

Meng So let out a shy smile.

"That's something Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword instructed us to do...."

"Well said!"

"Huh?"

"Don't you see over there? There?"

Hyun Jong, with his eyes half-turned, pointed his finger violently to the side. In the direction he indicated, Chung Myung, who had become limp like a corpse, was leaning against the wall.

'What... Has he been starving for ten days?'

'How did the shadow under his eyes come down to his chin?'

'Is he going to die like that?'

'Is that a human corpse? That?'

"He's the one who came in laughing and walking on two feet after beating up the bishop! But look at the state of him now!"

"...."

"You've turned someone else's precious son into that? When these people see this, what are they going to say?"

"Pl-please calm down, Sect Leader."

Hyun Young intervened, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"What do you mean, calm down! Do I look calm right now?"

Baek Cheon opened his mouth wide, witnessing this unprecedented situation.

'I never thought I'd live to see this day. Hyun Jong taking the side of that Chung Myung guy, getting angry, and Hyun Young trying to calm him down. Unless the world turns upside down, is this even possible?'

Hyun Jong pushed away Hyun Young, who was clinging to him, and looked at Tang Gunak with determination.

"Speak up, Tang Gaju-nim!"

"C-cough."

"I understand using poison in a duel! But! It's not a duel, and using poison just because they got into an argument? Do you want to try facing Mount Hua right now?"

"Well... I don't have any comments on that part. However, it's not a lethal poison, and we've already apologized...."

"Ah. So you just beat people up and treat them and that's it?"

"Not exactly, but...."

Tang Gunak had nothing to say and subtly avoided eye contact. No, did he really expect them to release the poison during a fight in a dining hall rather than a sparring match?

If this had happened with another sect, it wouldn't be surprising for there to be casualties. Since the victims were from Mount Hua, it was acceptable to let it slide.

"And, Beast Palace Lord!"

"Yes, Maengju-nim."

"How are you managing these animals so that they barge into the village and cause a riot? How on earth!"

"Ahahaha!"

Meng So chuckled as if it were no big deal.

"That's because they are beasts, aren't they? If you know how to take care of them, they're as good as people."

However, Hyun Jong seemed to have no intention of overlooking such a nonchalant response. With bloodshot eyes, he openly glared at Meng So.

"Are you laughing now?"

Meng So slowly lowered his gaze.

"You spoke well! If they're such creatures, shouldn't they be managed? What were the palace guards doing, just watching the beasts rampage?"

"I have something to say about that..."

"Those animals went into the village, ate all the grains people had stored, and slaughtered all the livestock the peasants raised. Chung Myung lost his hearing listening to the protests! His hearing!"

"But he seems perfectly fine..."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

Meng So, despite his massive build, hunched his shoulders incongruously. It was said that gentle people were even scarier when angry, and this moment seemed to fit that description perfectly.

"And!"

Hyun Jong's fiery gaze, filled with rage, now turned toward Im Sobyeong. But at that moment, Im Sobyeong took the initiative.

"Just a moment!"

"...Hm?"

He opened the fan with a confident face.

"It seems like you're trying to criticize us, but if you think about it, isn't this unjust for us?"

"Are you saying it's unfair now?"

"Yes! This time, those guys from your sect started the trouble first. No matter how lowly we may be as members of an Evil Sect, aren't the ones who start trouble and spit first the ones at fault? Then, should we just get hit without retaliating?"

"Well, that..."

When Hyun Jong momentarily faltered, Im Sobyeong seized the opportunity to press on.

"Maengju-nim also thinks the same way. We're the ones who've decided to wash our hands and live cleanly! So, if you keep discriminating against us like this and treating us differently from the sect, it's not right..."

"It's not that!"

"...Yes?"

"People from the government came and went!"

"...The government?"

Im So Byeong tilted his head as if to say, 'What's this nonsense?' His fan, which had spread out so confidently, drooped slightly.

Hyun Jong openly expressed his displeasure, continuing with his words.

"Yes. Recently, there was a brawl in a gambling den in the back alleys, and those who were gambling there not only beat up everyone in the den but also looted the vault and ran away."

"...Oh, no!"

Im Sobyeong exclaimed with a profoundly unjust expression.

"What does that have to do with us?"

"...They said they were wearing green clothes with a tree-shaped mark on the right chest."

"Wow, they wore that and came. Crazy bastards..."

Thump!

Hyun Jong slammed the table with force.

"They came saying they'd help the civilians and ended up gambling? Gambling? And! What's wrong with running a perfectly fine gambling den? Why!"

Im So Byeong smirked with a sly smile.

"Well... No, it's not like we robbed innocent civilians. If they're the ones running a gambling den, they're like leeches sucking the blood of the civilians. Shouldn't we fleece those guys..."

"Then you should have shared the money! That money came from the civilians! What happened to that money?"

"...We'll look into it."

"Ugh!"

When Hyun Jong raised his hand, Im Sobyeong thought something was flying toward him and hastily lowered his body. Then, he soon raised his head with a composed expression.

What Hyun Jong had struck was his own chest. There was resentment in his eyes, as if he were burning from the inside.

"Ice Palace!"

"Apologies, apologies."

Han Yi Myung, who had already half cowered, took a step back as soon as the words 'Ice Palace' were mentioned.

"No, why isn't the Palace Lord coming?"

"...There were some circumstances."

"Hmph."

Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh and glared at Han Yi Myung again.

"Everywhere else is the same. If you're not in the middle of training, I've asked you not to fight. How can even the Ice Palace get involved in a fight? You acted as if you would listen to me earlier, but I heard that Ice Palace attacked the Beast Palace first! What's going on?"

"Well, there's a reason for that."

"What reason?"

Han Yi Myung replied, sweating profusely.

"In fact, our Palace Lord tried his best to prevent private fights, as requested by Chung Myung Dojang. Even yesterday, upon hearing that there was a dispute between Beast Palace and Ice Palace, he rushed to mediate the situation."

"Did the Palace Lord stop it?"

"Yes! You know, our Palace Lord would never violate the request of Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. Naturally, he stopped it!"

"...But what happened? I heard clearly that Ice Palace attacked Beast Palace first."

"W-Well... Our Palace Lord, while saying, 'Chung Myung Dojang told us not to fight,' tried to stop both sides. However, the thoughtless Beast Palace, in front of our Palace Lord, blurted out, 'What does it matter what that Taoist bastard said? What do I care?'... And then..."

"...And then?"

Han Yi Myung closed his eyes tightly.

"Well... Isn't it obvious? Our Palace Lord, who couldn't stand the words 'Taoist bastard,' without asking or investigating the Beast Palace person who said that, just went ahead and beat them up."

Upon hearing this, the Five Swords clapped their hands.

"Haha, our So Baek has grown up."

"Even beat up someone from Beast Palace. Well, it seems like his skills have greatly improved..."

"Shut up, you guys!"

As Hyun Jong' roared, the Five Swords shrugged their shoulders slightly. Taking a long breath and suppressing his anger a bit, Hyun Jong asked.

"So why didn't he come here?"

"Oh, no. Well, because he went on a rampage and got beaten quite a bit, so he's resting."

"Be-beaten? The Palace Lord?"

As Hyun Jong blinked and looked at Meng So, Meng So awkwardly scratched his nose.

"We didn't recognize him because he was so young..."

"Didn't you see him before?"

"Well... we only saw him for a moment..."

They probably didn't recognize him well. Those crazy Beast Palace guys.

"So what? Anyway, did everyone from every sect get involved in the fight?"

"...I'm sorry."

"Shameless."

"And in the meantime, animals are plundering private residences, and the back alleys where animals don't enter are being robbed by bandits?"

"Ugh."

"Erhm..."

"Even if the main base of the Evil Tyrant Alliance was here, there wouldn't be such an uproar! You, you..."

"Ehehe! Sect Leader! Sect Leader!"

"Body! You must protect your body"

Hyun Sang and Hyun Young urgently tried to block Hyun Jong's mouth from both sides. It was an incredibly rude act, but they couldn't let such words come out of the mouth of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's leader.

While stopping Hyun Jong, Hyun Young opened his mouth instead.

"You must have made such a mess that even Chung Myung lost his mind! This is the first time in my life that I've seen that guy lie down like that! Are you thinking at all?!"

Everyone turned their heads to look at Chung Myung, who seemed to have let go of everything. Seeing him in such a state, a subtle sense of guilt arose, and everyone's appetites were spoiled.

"Can't you apologize quickly?"

"Uh, well. I'm sorry, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"I apologize, Dojang."

"... We apologize."

Upon hearing those apologies, Chung Myung chuckled heartily. His bright laughter, coming from a face that seemed on the brink of death, gave off an eerie feeling, but still, laughter was laughter...

"Just die, you bastards!"

"Oh my! Chung Myung!"

"Hold on, Chung Myung!"

"Those are the sect lords! This crazy bastard!"

As Chung Myung suddenly flipped his eyes and started to rampage, the Five Swords, who had been waiting, immediately rushed in and forcefully restrained him.

"Let go! Lords? The lords can go to hell! What the hell are these lords!"

"I-I told you to calm down!"

Chung Myung suddenly foamed at the mouth and went into a frenzy.

"I won't do it! I won't do it, you bastards! Whether it's Heavenly Comrade Alliance or whatever, I'll do everything! I won't do it!"

The desperate scream of the one who had brought the calamity upon himself echoed tragically across the manor... It spread so pitifully.