Chapter 49: Even If Things Go Wrong, Don’t Blame Me (Part 4)

Ughhh…"

"I really can't handle this anymore."

The three senior disciples groaned as they entered the mountain gate.

Running a business in Hwaeum was not something they were cut out for. As Taoists who sought inner peace through training, dealing with worldly people was a far greater ordeal than cultivating their skills on the mountain.

"Everything else is fine, but…"

Of course, they understood.

They knew how important money was and how hard it was to earn. Hadn't they been living on nothing but porridge not too long ago because they were broke?

Even if they cultivated their Tao and trained in martial arts on the mountain, they couldn't survive by just chewing on tree bark. Whether in the mountains, fields, or cities, people needed money to live.

So, they had no complaints up to that point.

The problem wasn't that…

Disciple 1: "Can't they just rent us a place in Hwaeum? What's the point of this nonsense?"

Disciple 2: "Going up and down Mount Hua every morning and evening is going to kill me. Senior Brother…"

Hyun Jong closed his eyes tightly.

Normally, he would have scolded them for exaggerating, but now, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He, too, was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

Hyun Jong: "…Think of this as training."

Disciple 1: "What kind of training is this…?"

Hyun Jong: "Or you can go argue with the elders yourselves."

Disciple 1: "…"

Everyone shut their mouths.

It wasn't because they were afraid of their seniors. Compared to the hardships the elders were enduring, their struggles were nothing.

For them, surviving today was enough, but the elders couldn't even return to Mount Hua yet because they were preparing for the next day's business.

Disciple 2: "Senior Brother, we haven't had time to train lately."

Disciple 1: "We came here to learn martial arts, not to run a business. If we knew it would be like this, we would've just stayed in our hometowns and opened shops instead of joining Mount Hua."

Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh.

Hyun Jong: "I know what you all want to say. But things in the world don't always go the way we want, do they? It's the same here. It'll be resolved soon, so let's endure until then."

Disciple 1: "…Yes, Senior Brother."

Disciple 2: "Understood."

At least they seemed to listen, as they all nodded.

Hyun Jong secretly sighed again.

'I said that, but when will this situation improve?'

There was no timeline.

No, it wasn't just that there was no timeline. From Hyun Jong's perspective, the situation wasn't improving—it was only getting worse day by day.

If it weren't for the merchants who had sided with Mount Hua and secretly helped, some businesses would have already gone bankrupt.

For things to improve, there needed to be some visible positive factors, but all he could see were negative ones.

'The sect leader must have a plan.'

As Hyun Jong continued his thoughts, he suddenly flinched.

'I'm the one worrying about Mount Hua now.'

Not long ago, he would never have done such a thing. Although he was the senior disciple among the three, he had never worried or thought deeply about Mount Hua's future. He had thought that even if Mount Hua fell, he could just leave.

But now, Hyun Jong was genuinely concerned about Mount Hua.

All of this was a change that had occurred after that guy appeared…

Jo Gul: "Senior Brotheeeeeeer!"

Hyun Jong closed his eyes tightly.

'All these changes seem good, but why does that guy seem to become more immature by the day?'

Hyun Jong looked at Jo Gul, who was running toward him with a pale face.

Jo Gul: "Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Something terrible has happened!"

Hyun Jong: "Calm down. You're a Taoist—how can you be so frivolous…?"

Jo Gul: "Ch-Chung Myung…!"

Chung Myung?

The moment that name came out of Jo Gul's mouth, Hyun Jong's face also turned pale.

It was truly remarkable how just hearing that name could make someone feel dread without even knowing what had happened.

Jo Gul: "N-no! Just come and see! Hurry!"

As Jo Gul started running ahead, Hyun Jong followed without hesitation.

'What kind of trouble has that guy caused now?'

There was no time to think. Hyun Jong sprinted to the mountain gate and followed Jo Gul into the Hundred Plum Hall. When they arrived at Chung Myung's room, Jo Gul roughly opened the door.

Hyun Jong: "He's not here?"

But Chung Myung wasn't in the room.

Hyun Jong: "Where did he go in such a short time?"

Jo Gul: "No, that's not it! Look at this, Senior Brother."

Hyun Jong: "Huh?"

This?

Hyun Jong turned his head to where Jo Gul was pointing, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

'A piece of paper?'

On Chung Myung's bed lay a single sheet of paper. Hyun Jong approached and read the words written on it.

"I have some business to attend to, so I'll be gone for a few days. Handle things well while I'm away. And if you skip training, I'll fold your spine backward, so don't even think about it."

Hyun Jong: "…This lunatic."

Hyun Jong's hand trembled as he held the paper.

What? Gone for a few days?

How does this madman think it's okay for a senior disciple to leave the sect for days just because he has some business?

Jo Gul: "W-what do we do, Senior Brother?"

Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh.

Hyun Jong: "First, keep the others quiet."

Jo Gul: "…If we get caught, it'll be a disaster."

Hyun Jong: "If we report it now, it'll be a disaster either way. He said he'd be back in a few days, so let's try to hide it until then."

On any other day, the elders wouldn't pay attention to a junior disciple like Chung Myung. With some luck, they might not get caught.

Jo Gul: "What if we do get caught…?"

Hyun Jong: "Is that what you're worried about?"

Jo Gul: "Huh? Aren't you worried, Senior Brother?"

Hyun Jong: "…I'm worried about something else."

Jo Gul: "What?"

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and spoke.

Hyun Jong: "I'm worried about what kind of business would make him leave for days. What kind of trouble is he planning to cause now?"

Jo Gul: "…"

Jo Gul wholeheartedly agreed with Hyun Jong's words.

Meanwhile…

Chung Myung: "Huff… Huff… Huff… Ugh, I need to catch my breath!"

Chung Myung collapsed onto a tree stump nearby, gasping for air.

He had run all the way from Mount Hua to Xi'an in one go, and now he was completely drained. His mouth tasted bitter, and his body felt like it was falling apart. It seemed he had pushed himself too hard.

Chung Myung: "Ugh! Back in my prime, I could…"

In his prime, he could leap over mountains in a single step! With a few swings of his sword, he could cross the Yangtze River!

If it were the old him, traveling from Mount Hua to Xi'an wouldn't have taken even a moment. He could have strolled there leisurely.

But the current Chung Myung didn't have that kind of power, so he had no choice but to run like a madman until his legs gave out.

Chung Myung: "Ahhh… I could really go for a cold drink right now."

At times like this, Chung Myung's age showed.

After catching his breath, Chung Myung raised his head and looked at Xi'an.

Chung Myung: "It's been a while since I've been here."

Hwaeum was a developed place, but it couldn't compare to Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi.

Xi'an was the largest city closest to Mount Hua. In the past, whenever they needed to visit a city, Xi'an was always the first choice.

Chung Myung licked his lips and stood up.

Chung Myung: "A lot has happened here."

Originally, Mount Hua's disciples avoided visiting Xi'an.

The reason was simple: the sect closest to Xi'an was Zhongnan.

Zhongnan Mountain, where the Zhongnan Sect was located, was only about fifty li from Xi'an. As a result, Zhongnan disciples often frequented Xi'an.

What would happen if a Mount Hua disciple ran into Zhongnan disciples in Xi'an?

'One of them would end up wrecked that very day.'

Zhongnan and Mount Hua didn't get along.

No, it wasn't just a matter of not getting along. Mount Hua and Zhongnan were practically sworn enemies.

In the world, there were plenty of sects that didn't get along.

But even the famously feuding Nangong Family and Hebei Peng Family would shake their heads and point fingers at the sight of Zhongnan and Mount Hua at each other's throats.

Why were they so hostile?

The better question was: why would they ever get along?

Just as neighboring countries rarely got along, major sects located close to each other were bound to clash. There were territorial disputes, competition for disciples, and, most importantly, the question of who was stronger.

And once that question arose, the only thing left to do was draw swords. It was a matter of pride.

Moreover, both Mount Hua and Zhongnan were Taoist sects. They shared similarities in their strong worldly tendencies and even in their primary martial arts—both focused on swordsmanship.

The founders of Zhongnan and Mount Hua might have thought:

'Haha. Since our sects are so similar, setting them up close to each other will make our descendants get along like brothers.'

But in reality, the descendants treated each other like mortal enemies.

As a result, Mount Hua disciples naturally avoided Xi'an, where they might run into Zhongnan disciples.

That is, until Chung Myung appeared.

As everyone knew, Chung Myung had a habit of doing things others avoided, and the more his seniors tried to stop him, the more he frequented Xi'an.

Trouble?

Of course, it happened.

Unfortunately for the other side.

'I beat them up a lot.'

To be clear, Chung Myung had never gone out of his way to pick fights with Zhongnan disciples. He wasn't that kind of person. He'd rather spend his time eating meat and drinking wine.

With barely enough time to sneak away for a drink under the sect leader's watchful eye, where would he find the time to go looking for trouble?

But it seemed the Zhongnan disciples enjoyed fighting more than drinking. After losing to Chung Myung a couple of times, they would foam at the mouth and charge at him the moment they heard he was in Xi'an.

Of course, he beat them every time.

Thinking about it, it was impressive how Chung Myung kept winning, but it was equally impressive how the Zhongnan disciples kept coming back for more despite getting beaten to a pulp.

Chung Myung had to admit, Zhongnan's tenacity was something else. These guys seemed to enjoy getting beaten up. No matter how badly they were thrashed, they would come back with bloodshot eyes the next time they met.

That tenacity was probably what made Zhongnan what it was today.

Even as Mount Hua was declining, Zhongnan was threatening to take the title of the number one sword sect in the world, wasn't it?

Of course, that wouldn't last long.

Chung Myung: "Hmm…"

Chung Myung glanced at his clothes.

In his rush, he hadn't changed out of his Mount Hua uniform. The plum blossom emblem on his chest was particularly eye-catching today.

Chung Myung: "If I run into them, it'll be trouble…"

Should he buy new clothes and change?

After a moment of thought, Chung Myung shrugged and shook his head.

Chung Myung: "Eh, it'll be fine."

What were the odds of running into Zhongnan disciples in such a big city? It wasn't like the old days when they would come looking for him with bloodshot eyes.

Chung Myung: "What could possibly go wrong?"

If he hurried to the Silver River Merchant Group, he wouldn't have to worry about running into Zhongnan disciples.

Chung Myung: "Then that money is mine."

With a sly smile, Chung Myung passed through Xi'an's city gates.

Completely unaware of the storm he was about to unleash.