Chapter 1896 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1896. That’s Enough. (1) ❀ ❀ ❀

“Here, here.”

From a large cauldron, a porridge of indescribable color was scooped into bowls. No, calling it porridge was questionable. It didn’t look remotely like something humans should eat.

Nevertheless, the doctors unhesitatingly poured the murky liquid into the mouths of the injured.

“Ugrh...rrrghhh!”

“Hey, hey. Don’t spit it out, swallow it down. Gulp it! I’m telling you, this stuff is really good for the body.”

Even half-conscious, the hellish taste was enough to snap the wounded awake, and they began to thrash about. But the doctors mercilessly pinned them down and forced the vile medicine into them.

“Keghhh!”

“S-spare... meee...”

From a distance, Baek Cheon shook his head as he watched the scene.

“...Why in the world does it look like that?”

They had definitely mixed in elixirs? Even the good ones too, carefully gathered from each sect. And yet the result... was beyond comprehension.

“Ughhh...”

One patient, having downed an entire bowl, convulsed pitifully, then suddenly dropped his flailing arms limp.

“He’s dead.”

“Huh?!”

“What nonsense, Sago! He just fainted, that’s all.”

“Pretty sure he’s dead.”

“I said he’s not dead!”

Yoon Jong shouted at Yoo Iseol, as if to chase away her ominous words.

“The Tang Family handled the mixing and preparation! How could they make something that kills people?”

“Precisely because it was the Tang Family, it could kill people.”

“...What?”

Was that how it worked?

“Shut up, all of you.”

Baek Cheon silenced the noisy disciples. Always so disorderly...

“Still, it’s amazing you managed to get hold of such medicines, Sasuk.”

“Mm? Everyone handed them over willingly.”

“...Strange, considering the rumors say Sect Leader Jongli collapsed sick afterward.”

“Well, he’s not young. Fighting in a war takes its toll.”

Baek Cheon answered with an unchanged expression, calm as ever. Yoon Jong could only gape. This man had grown brazen, he thought.

‘Well, whatever.’

Though every sect put up some resistance and haggling, in the end they all brought out their hidden stores of medicine. Of course, the fact that their own disciples were among the wounded here played a big role.

“When Wudang, who suffered the worst losses, offered their treasured Taecheongdan first, who else could hold back? They’d lose face forever.”

[Taecheong-dan, 태청단 (太清丹) = a high-grade medicinal pill, literally “Supreme Purity Pill.”]

“True...”

No matter how shameless one wanted to be, there were limits. With Wudang’s grand plaque reduced to ashes and their coffers emptied, could anyone else hoard their wealth?

For the prestigious orthodox sects, such a thing was impossible. They might endure dung flung on their faces, but a speck of dust on their plaque? Never.

And with that madman glaring daggers at them on top of it all, there was nothing more to consider.

Thanks to that, the medical hall could finally breathe.

“So, what are you all doing here? Go and help.”

“Uh... they told us not to loiter around the precious medicines.”

“Who told you that?”

“Soso did...”

Baek Cheon looked at them with sorrowful eyes. Just how untrustworthy were these guys?

“D-don’t look at us like that! She ordered everyone but the doctors out, that’s all.”

“That’s right. We weren’t the only ones kicked out, you know?”

“...Fine. Let’s go with that.”

Even though, judging by all those other sect uniforms there, it didn’t look that way... but best to pretend not to notice.

“Then what about you, Sasuk? What are you doing here?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Before answering, Baek Cheon glanced at Cheong Myeong.

“There’s one last thing I need to settle.”

“Huh? Settle what?”

Baek Cheon hesitated. He wondered if this was something he should say in front of them all.

“...Eh, what’s there to hide from you lot anyway?”

“You hid your shattered dantian.”

“....”

“And at first, you hid your name too, didn’t you? Said something like, ‘I’ve abandoned my worldly name, just call me Baek Cheon.’ I swear man, I thought some legendary Taoist immortal had descended.”

“...Shut it.”

Jo Geol whistled, dodging Baek Cheon’s sharp glare. Baek Cheon sighed deeply.

Just think of them as nonexistent. They don’t exist.

“Cheong Myeong-ah.”

“Hngh?”

“Shouldn’t we head back to Mount Hua soon?”

“Hmm.”

Hearing Baek Cheon’s serious tone, Cheong Myeong, who had been half-reclined, sat up.

“Why? Sick of this place already?”

“Not like that.”

“Strange. Normally, knowing your temperament, I’d expect you to say we can’t return until relief for the suffering civilians is complete.”

“I would have, in the past.”

“And now?”

“Now... it’s different.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes turned to the many figures clad in the various sect uniforms.

“Because there are others who can do it besides us.”

Cheong Myeong’s expression turned odd.

“Oh? So you mean we don’t have to bother with the annoying work?”

“What kind of twisted brain do you have? How do you manage to twist it like that?”

Baek Cheon clicked his tongue and explained.

“It’s the sects of Henan that should take on that role. And they’ll want to.”

“Oh? In what sense?”

“Both.”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes flashed briefly. Then he smirked and looked mischievously at Baek Cheon.

“Wow. Dongryong, you’ve really grown. Guess people need to die once to grow up, huh?”

“I haven’t died, you lunatic.”

Cheong Myeong chuckled. What amused him was that Baek Cheon had answered, “both.”

One meaning was that the Henan sects wanted to directly take on the role of aiding the civilians.

That was absolutely correct.

If it were Wudang or Shaolin back in their former glory, they wouldn’t have bothered. A strong sect had no need to seek support from others.

But now it was different.

‘They absolutely need it.’

Rebuilding a sect required manpower and resources. Except for unique cases like Mount Hua, the importance of those two things couldn’t be overstated.

Resources could be covered, one way or another, with savings. But manpower? No. Henan’s sects could no longer recruit by reputation alone. They had to rebuild their prestige.

In that sense, providing relief was the best course of action.

And the other reason was...

“So what you mean is... they don’t want us meddling here any further?”

“...You could put it that way.”

Cheong Myeong chuckled.

“Why? Doesn’t it tempt you, Sasuk? If you wanted, this could be the perfect chance to expand Mount Hua’s influence from Shaanxi all the way into Henan.”

What began as a joking tone ended with surprising seriousness. He wasn’t just saying it in jest.

“What are you talking about? Expand into Henan?”

“Quiet, Geol-ah.”

“What? Sahyung, aren’t you curious?”

As Yoon Jong sighed and tried to shut Jo Geol up again, Yoo Iseol, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“Fame and influence. And the goodwill of the common people.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Mount Hua will be above them all now. Shaolin has closed its gates, Wudang has lost its foundation.”

“Ah...”

Jo Geol’s eyes sharpened suddenly.

“Oh, I see... it’s like when a powerful merchant guild that controlled a whole region collapses, isn’t it?”

“...That’s how you understand it?”

“That’s exactly it. If I think of it as a merchant guild, it makes perfect sense. But when I try to think of it as sects, my brain just goes blank, like I can’t quite grasp it.”

Watching Jo Geol tilt his head, Yoon Jong seriously wondered. Wasn't it a mistake for this guy to pick up a sword?

“So in short, you’re saying it’s possible to expand into Henan?”

“Most likely.”

“Then shouldn’t we?”

Jo Geol’s voice carried a faint tremor of excitement.

Of course, he had no intention of leaving Shaanxi and Huayin. But Henan was the very heart of the martial world, home to Shaolin, Wudang, and Namgung. Extending Mount Hua’s influence there carried enormous weight.

It could even symbolize Mount Hua rising as the undisputed Number One Sect Under Heaven (greatest sect in the world).

“Sasuk!”

Jo Geol’s eyes darted eagerly to Baek Cheon. But Baek Cheon only shook his head firmly.

“No. I have no such intention.”

“Why not?”

Cheong Myeong, too, stared at him with interest.

“Why? It’s a good opportunity.”

“Don’t play dumb. A ‘good opportunity,’ you say.”

Baek Cheon frowned, clearly irritated.

“It would be meaningless.”

“How could it be meaningless? We could become the leading sect of Henan! Outshining even Shaolin and Wudang!”

“And for how long?”

“...What?”

Baek Cheon looked straight at Jo Geol and asked gravely.

“For how long would we hold that position?”

“Uh, well...”

Jo Geol tilted his head, unable to grasp the point. Baek Cheon let out a sigh.

“Yes, things might play out just as you said. Maybe even more easily than we expect.”

“Exactly! With the way things stand right now...”

“But it won’t last forever. Shaolin will eventually recover its strength. Wudang too.”

“Well...”

Jo Geol trailed off, at a loss for words.

“Then we’ll find ourselves with Shaolin, Wudang, and Zhongnan as our neighbors. And when that happens, we certainly won’t be living as friendly neighbors.”

“Hmm...”

Jo Geol nodded faintly, as if he was beginning to understand.

“If you want to bear all that and chase after the hollow title of ‘the greatest sect under heaven,’ then sure. But...”

Baek Cheon slowly swept his gaze across everyone.

“Would it really mean anything?”

“Well...”

“Not particularly...”

“Sounds like a hassle.”

Those were Yoon Jong, Jo Geol, and Yoo Iseol’s answers, in turn. Baek Cheon shrugged, as if he had expected them.

“Exactly. That’s what I mean.”

“Mhm.”

“There’s no need to chase after empty fame. Even if there was.”

Baek Cheon glanced behind him.

“Everyone gave their best here. I have no desire to take advantage of their hardships.”

“Well, look at you. A proper gentleman.”

“Hmm. Who knows.”

Cheong Myeong spoke mockingly, but Baek Cheon only smiled in satisfaction.

“Keep this up and maybe someday they’ll call me the Gentleman Sword.” [Gunjageom, 군자검]

“What, did all the gentlemen in the world freeze to death...?”

“Even if they did, it still wouldn’t suit you.”

“Even if the whole Central Plains fell to ruin, it still wouldn’t.”

“You little...”

Baek Cheon ground his teeth, but Cheong Myeong cut off the exchange.

“So, in short, you’re saying we should quietly step back here. That it’ll be best for everyone. Right?”

“Yes.”

Baek Cheon’s reply carried a bitter edge.

“Now that the Evil Tyrant Alliance has collapsed, Mount Hua has become the one to be checked. I don’t think anyone here would deliberately try it... but still.”

One had to distinguish between personal feelings and a sect’s interests. Baek Cheon understood that now, in his bones.

“Hmm.”

Cheong Myeong regarded him quietly, then nodded.

“I’ll give you a passing grade. But...”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t think you’d pass this way.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind.”

Cheong Myeong murmured something cryptic, then chuckled softly.

It seemed those destined to lead Mount Hua eventually grew alike.

If Cheong Mun were here, he would have said the same thing: let’s go back, so as not to make things more uncomfortable for the others. Only Cheong Myeong would have raged against it.

Now, Baek Cheon was the one saying it instead of Cheong Mun, and Cheong Myeong no longer raged.

Cheong Myeong flicked his finger lightly.

“Alright, I get it. But you weren’t just saying we should head back. You meant there’s something we need to decide first, right?”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“What is it?”

“This is really more of a personal request... but it’s about Qingcheng and Emei.”

“Hm?”

Cheong Myeong’s brow creased faintly.

“I want to bring the surviving children back to Mount Hua.”

At that, Cheong Myeong’s expression grew complicated.

Next Chapter

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