Chapter 1821 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect
“Haha, it's
nothing much, but I have a favor to ask.”
“Th- That
won’t work.”
“Huh? How
can you say no before even knowing what I’m going to ask? Sasuk, do you have
something against me? If it’s feelings we’re talking about, I have some too.”
“It’s, it’s
not that. You’re going to ask us to buy alcohol, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
Cheong
Myeong’s eyes widened. His expression clearly said, ‘Since when was this guy so
sharp?’
“How did you
know?”
“It’s not that
I figured it out. Cheong Mun told me not to do it no matter what. He said...
that if all other methods fail, you might try to threaten me…”
Was he a
ghost? Or was he really the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang? He had even predicted
this far?
“So no, I
can’t do it. I’ve also been banned from entering. Honestly, because of you,
almost half of the Baek generation disciples can’t go into Huayin Tavern. If
you don’t believe me, go ask the tavern owner yourself.”
“Ha…”
Cheong
Myeong let out a dumbfounded laugh. This wasn’t just being under Buddha’s
palm—this was worse.
“Ugh.”
Realizing
there was no way around it, Cheong Myeong let out a deep sigh.
“You
understand now, right?”
“Ah, damn
it! You’re really no help at all!”
“S-sorry.”
Cheong
Myeong kicked the ground in frustration and turned away.
“Whew…”
Just as Baek
Wei let out a sigh of relief, feeling like he had barely escaped the tiger’s
jaws…
“But.”
“Hu, uh?”
Cheong
Myeong slightly turned his head and looked at Baek Wei.
“Where are
you coming from right now?”
“Oh, we just
got back from Xi’an on the Elder’s orders.”
“Where?
Xi’an?”
“Yes, but
why? Is something wrong…”
“Did you
just say… Xi’an?”
Cheong
Myeong’s eyes sparkled. At that moment, Baek Wei instinctively knew that
something was about to go very wrong.
“W-wait. Cheong
Myeong, you can’t go to Xi’an. The Sect Leader strictly forbade anyone below
Baek generation from going there.”
“I know, I
know. Of course, I know.”
No, he
definitely doesn’t know…
“I was just
curious. What’s in Xi’an? I heard it’s bigger than Huayin.”
“What’s
there…? Nothing particularly special. It’s just a big city.”
“How does it
compare to Huayin?”
“It’s hard
to compare. Xi’an is a city, while Huayin is just a small village. Xi’an has
more people, more buildings.”
“And more
taverns?”
“Yes, it has
more tav—oh.”
Baek Wei’s
expression stiffened.
“So that’s
how it is?”
Cheong
Myeong grinned. His expression alone made it obvious what he was thinking.
“W-wait, Cheong
Myeong. Don’t do anything reckless.”
“Sasuk.”
“Hm?”
“Which way
is Xi’an?”
“……”
Ah, there
was no stopping him.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Whoa…”
Cheong
Myeong’s eyes widened as he looked around. People, people, people, and more
people. There were so many that it was dizzying just to look at them.
“So many
people…”
On the
massive street, which looked three times the size of Huayin’s, street vendors
had set up their stalls, and an enormous crowd was moving between them. For
someone who had never seen a city before, it was an overwhelming sight.
“Move! Don’t
block the road!”
“Why are you
standing there? You’re in the way!”
“S-sorry.”
Even as he
quickly stepped aside, Cheong Myeong couldn’t stop looking around in amazement.
“Wow… so
this kind of world exists.”
It wasn’t
just the number of people; the entire scene was different. In Huayin, you could
barely find one or two tall buildings, but here, they were packed closely
together in every direction.
From the
open windows, laughter spilled out from people already drinking in broad
daylight. If there was ever a perfect example of the word ‘lively’, this was
it.
“No wonder
they were so determined to keep me away from Xi’an.”
Cheong
Myeong’s smirk grew wider. What he liked even more was that, here, the hands of
Mount Hua wouldn’t be able to reach him. He could do whatever he wanted.
“Nice!”
Grinning, Cheong
Myeong sprinted toward the most lavish building in sight.
“Waiterrrrrr!”
“Yes,
sirrrrrr!”
The moment
he raised his hand, a young waiter, looking even younger than him, rushed over.
“Welcome,
customer! What can I get you?”
“Oh?”
Cheong
Myeong studied the waiter with curiosity. Seeing someone this young working as
a server was rare in Huayin, where older folks usually handled customers.
“Shall I
bring you a bottle of alcohol first?”
Impressed by
the smooth service, Cheong Myeong smirked.
“What’s good
here?”
“Our
establishment is the best tavern in Xi’an…”
“Ah, skip
the preamble. Just the important part.”
“Yes! Our
specialty is Chojakmyeon (vinegar-fried noodles)! It has a wonderfully
tangy flavor. If you need something nourishing, our hot Yangtang (lamb
soup) is a must-try!”
“I’ll have
that and a few more dishes. As for the alcohol… bring a few bottles of your
finest.”
"Yas,
yas. Sure. But when you say good liquor...?"
Tak! Cheong
Myeong took out a silver coin from his pouch and placed it on the table. Then,
he slipped a small coin into the hand of the young server.
"Keep
this for yourself."
"Oh,
there's no need for this..."
"Something
delicious. You know what I mean?"
"Yeees!
I'll bring out the best one."
"Ahh!
You understand me."
"Of
course, of course. That's only natural. Please wait just a moment, dear
guest!"
The young
server eagerly took the silver coin and dashed toward the kitchen. Watching the
boy run off, Cheong Myeong grinned in satisfaction.
At the
taverns in Huayin, the staff always had reluctant expressions, which was always
a source of dissatisfaction for him. But this young server was so eager to
please—how delightful!
Perhaps the
food had been prepared in advance, or maybe the extra coin had worked its magic
and diverted a dish meant for another table. Either way, before long, his table
was filled with an array of delicious dishes.
"I made
sure to set aside these dumplings just for you."
"Oh, you
didn't have to do that."
"Please
enjoy your meal, sir!"
Watching the
boy bow deeply one last time before leaving, Cheong Myeong chuckled
contentedly. A future great talent of the upper world, indeed.
"Alright
then."
Rubbing his
hands together, Cheong Myeong's eyes gleamed as he looked over the food spread
before him.
There were
good taverns in Huayin too, but the food in Xian was different, even in
appearance. And well-presented food always enhanced one's appetite.
"Let's
see."
Cheong
Myeong swiftly picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of well-fried pork,
and popped it into his mouth.
"Oh?"
It was
greasy. Incredibly greasy, to the point that the richness immediately surged
up. But rather than being disappointed, Cheong Myeong's eyes sparkled as he eagerly
uncorked a bottle and poured the liquor straight into his mouth.
"Keuuuuuh!"
This was it!
This wasn't food meant just to taste good—this was a side dish meant to knock
you out! The overwhelming greasiness of the food perfectly heightened the taste
of the liquor.
Cheong
Myeong's eyes shone even brighter.
"To
think such a paradise existed! This is it—today is complete!"
His
chopsticks began to dart across the table at an astonishing speed.
❀ ❀ ❀
"That’s
what I mean. Sahyung!"
Jin Seokrim
[진석림(秦夕林)] was
in a great mood. Two months from now, the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, held once
every ten years, was set to take place. In the internal sparring matches
leading up to it, he had achieved an overwhelming victory.
That was
expected. However, what truly pleased him was the elders of the sect watching
the match had said, ‘This year's Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will be worth
anticipating’.
That meant
that even among the many talents in the world, he was regarded as one of the
best.
"Shaolin
is strong, but this time, Sahyung will surely win."
"What
kind of talk is that, Saje? Winning is already guaranteed. The real question is
how I will win."
"Haha,
of course! I misspoke."
The
lighthearted banter only lifted his spirits further. But Jin Seokrim soon shook
his head.
"Shaolin...
I don't really care about them."
"Why is
that, Sahyung?"
"I've
heard that due to the nature of their martial arts, Shaolin disciples aren't
particularly impressive in their youth. But later on, as their cultivation
deepens, they become true to the name of Shaolin. In other words, winning or
losing against them now doesn't hold much meaning."
"Ah, I
see."
"But
Wudang is different."
Jin Seokrim's
eyes sharpened.
"I hear
the young talents of Wudang and Namgung are particularly outstanding. My goal
in this tournament is to defeat them."
"I have
no doubt you will succeed."
"If not
Sahyung, who else could defeat Wudang and Namgung and make Zhongnan the
greatest sword sect under the heavens?"
"Don't
flatter me too much. I might get arrogant."
Jin Seokrim
waved his hand dismissively. But his saje had no intention of stopping.
Because it
wasn’t just empty words. They truly believed Jin Seokrim could become the
greatest swordsman in the world.
Even though
they all trained in the same swordsmanship and underwent the same rigorous
practice, the gap between them and Jin Seokrim was like the difference between
heaven and earth. Even their master, a highly respected figure, couldn't help
but admire Jin Seokrim's talent.
Of course,
being the direct heir of the prestigious Jin family in Zhongnan meant he had
grown up consuming countless rare medicinal herbs, but his talent alone could
not be explained merely by his environment.
"If not
Sahyung, then who?"
"Indeed,
there's no doubt about it."
Jin Seokrim
smiled and raised his cup.
"This
is also a chance to put those Mount Hua bastards in their place—"
"Saje!"
Jin Seokrim's
eyes narrowed. Those who heard his tone instinctively swallowed hard. Bringing
up 'Mount Hua' in front of him was practically a taboo.
"Ah,
no. That's not what I meant—"
The one who
had misspoken began sweating nervously, scrambling to salvage the situation,
but the atmosphere had already turned heavy.
Tak. Jin
Seokrim set his cup down with an expression that made no effort to hide his
displeasure.
"I
apologize, Sahyung."
A short sigh
escaped Jin Seokrim's lips.
‘Damn it.’
Even when he
didn’t want to, just hearing the name Mount Hua put him in a foul mood.
Zhongnan was
by no means an inferior sect compared to Mount Hua. In fact, in terms of
influence and wealth, they even had an edge.
The problem
was skill. His master's reputation as Zhongnan’s Greatest Sword paled in
comparison to the famed Supreme Sword of Plum Fragrance, Baek Oh. [Tl
note: Ilgeom Maehyang, Baek Oh’s title]
And the
title of 'Shaanxi’s Greatest Sword'—a title they took as a matter of pride—had
also naturally fallen to Baek Oh. Jin Seokrim couldn't stand it.
But that
alone wouldn’t have made the mere mention of Mount Hua ruin his mood so
thoroughly.
Sensing the
awkward tension, Yang Gwanjeong [양관정(梁寬正)] chuckled and spoke up.
"Isn't
it actually a good thing that Mount Hua's reputation is so high?"
Jin Seokrim
frowned and looked at Yang Gwanjeong.
"What
do you mean?"
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