Chapter 1917 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1917. I Wish This Could Last. (7) ❀ ❀ ❀

“Phew. You can hardly recognize this place anymore.”

A merchant entering Huayin’s main avenue with a large cart shook his head in disbelief.

Even the phrase “sangjeonbyeokhae” feels insufficient before this sight. Who could have imagined that Huayin, which used to be just a small town, would ever look like this?

[Tl note: 상전벽해 (桑田碧海), this is a Korean idiom of Chinese origin, meaning literally “mulberry fields have turned into blue seas.”, it means, the change in Huayin is so dramatic that even a proverb describing massive transformation seems too weak.]

‘Though it’s small in scale, its scenery alone could rival Suzhou.’

No, actually, it felt different. Like Suzhou, it glittered brilliantly, but since it was a city built under the guidance of merchant guilds, it was far more practical.

Yes, perhaps comparing it to Hefei would be more accurate. The avenue wasn’t long, but it was broad and impressive, comparable to those in great cities like Suzhou or Hefei.

‘Maybe that’s why the streets feel so full of life.’

The faces of the passersby were all bright and animated. The newly arrived merchants who had come seeking opportunity were naturally filled with joy and hope, and the native residents of Huayin, delighted by the transformation, seemed to share that same energy.

“Just looking at it puts you in a good mood…”

“This is Huayin? What a mess!”

A sudden voice broke into his pleasant reverie. Startled, the merchant turned his head.

Between the newly built, dazzlingly tall pavilions stood an old, small inn—one of the few remnants of old Huayin yet to be torn down. The grumbling voice had come from that very inn.

 “Back in the old days, Huanyin had warmth — a serene, nostalgic atmosphere! And now? What even is this place? Sheesh!”

The merchant shook his head again.

‘There’s always one like that wherever you go.’

Those who couldn’t keep up with the times, refusing to accept change and stubbornly insisting the old days were better—usually older folks, unable or unwilling to enjoy the new world.

Crash!

“Aigoo! No, please! You must not do that!”

“Let go of me! Who built that giant pavilion there, blocking the whole view! You have any idea how beautiful the scenery used to be from here? Maybe I should just burn it down!”

The merchant frowned deeply at that.

He could understand feeling a sense of loss for what was gone, but this was clearly overstepping the line.

As he stood there, staring blankly toward the shabby inn, some of the passersby pricked up their ears curiously before smirking at him.

“Looks like this is your first time seeing that sight?”

The merchant forced a wry smile.

 “Rather than that, it seems that old man’s had a bit too much to drink — wouldn’t it be better to take him home before he causes any more trouble? There must be many first-time visitors to Huayin today, and we wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression.”

For the merchant who had come to Huayin hoping to expand his business, such a thought was only natural.

But the reaction of those who heard him was strangely off.

“What do you mean, old man? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The man shouting his head off over there, of course.”

“So you’re calling him an old man? Who do you think that man is?”

“Eh?”

And just then—

Bang!

The inn’s window burst open as if it were about to shatter, and the upper body of a young man dressed in black suddenly popped out.

‘Huh?’

The youth dangled half out the window, clearly drunk, his face flushed red. He even started pointing wildly at the people in the street.

“You like this, huh? Where’s the well that used to be over there, huh?! Before climbing the mountain, I’d always stop for a bowl of that cold water—it was perfect after a drink! Why’d they have to get rid of it?!”

“Do, dojang. You must not do this. Please, calm down and come inside first!”

“Let go of me! Huayin ended up like this, and you expect me to calm down?”

“Ah, I know, I know. Of course I know! But please, just—please…”

Like a wriggling fish yanked onto a boat, the drunken youth was soon dragged back inside by the inn keeper.

The dumbfounded merchant raised his voice in disbelief.

“What’s this? A young man barely out of his youth, acting so rudely…”

“Huh? You don’t know who that was?”

“What do you mean?”

“That man you just saw, that was the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”

“…What did you just say?”

“The Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. The man from just now is the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. You must have heard of him, he’s the most famous person in the martial world right now.”

The merchant’s eyes went wide.

“T-That drunkard just now?”

“That’s right.”

Utterly unable to believe it, the merchant blinked and looked back toward the inn. Just then, the drunkard popped his head back out of the still-open window and started waving and shouting again, jabbing his finger at everything in sight.

“Look at this! Even the ghosts who died in Huayin wouldn’t recognize it anymore! How are they supposed to find their own houses to get their ritual food, huh? You call this Huayin? THIS is Huayin?!”

“Oh, Dojang, please! Mount Hua is standing tall right there in front of us—what kind of fool ghost wouldn’t recognize Huayin?”

“What! Are you calling my sahyungs idiots?!”

“Wha—no, that’s not what I meant—”

“Ah, damn it, how’d you know? That was supposed to be a secret…”

“U-uh! The drink! Come on, let’s go drink the rest of that wine you poured out, Dojang?”

“…Shall we?”

Cheong Myeong was dragged back inside by the innkeeper once more.

The merchant, his expression stiff, muttered under his breath.

“What in the world is this…”

“Ah, you must be visiting Huayin for the first time. Haha, you’ll be seeing this fairly often from now on.”

“Often? Are you saying that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword always behaves like that?”

“Well, not always, but whenever he has time, he usually comes to Huayin for a drink or two.”

The merchant frowned deeply.

“How can that make any sense? You’re telling me a disciple of a prestigious sect gets drunk and causes a ruckus like that regularly?”

“...Huh?”

As he went on, the merchant grew more and more agitated, finally pointing at the inn and raising his voice.

“How could a young martial artist, just because he’s gained some fame, act so rudely and arrogantly? Everyone here is older than that brat, and yet he’s out there pointing and shouting like that—!”

“.....”

“Ha! If this young taoist behaves like this now, how much worse will he get once he’s actually older?”

“Um….”

“There’s no reason to be scared just because he’s a martial artist! If you back down just because of a sword, you'll be doomed to live that way for the rest of your life. We ought to file an official complaint with Mount Hua and teach that insolent brat some manners!”

“.....”

“Yes, I can’t just stand around like this. If no one else will step up, I’ll climb Mount Hua myself! Only then will the people of Huayin be able to live in peace, without that wild brat rampaging around like some evil sect thug—”

 “But this bastard just keeps yapping and yapping!”

Thud!

“Gaaah!”

A sudden kick slammed into the merchant’s side, sending him sprawling to the ground with a scream.

The man who kicked him rolled up his sleeves, glaring furiously.

“This bastard out of his mind, huh? What? Sapa, you said?”

“W-what the hell! Why are you acting like this?!”

“Hey now, brother. You can’t just start beating people in the street like that. Calm down and let’s talk it out first. What’s going on?”

“This bastard insulted Dojang Cheong Myeong! Called him an evil sect bastard!”

“What?”

At that, the faces of the onlookers turned dark and fierce. Their eyes narrowed to slits, their expressions murderous.

The merchant froze, panic rising.

“N-no! What makes you think I said anything wrong! It’s true he was making a scene just now!”

“Making a scene? Don’t you even know what ‘making a scene’ means?”

“Fine then. Try getting a dose of a scene today — see how you like it.”

“Stomp him!”

The residents of Huayin swarmed in and began kicking the merchant mercilessly.

“Argh! Aah! Stop! What are you doing—argh!”

“Shut that mouth, you bastard! Just take it! You deserve this beating!”

Just then, Cheong Myeong’s head suddenly popped back out the inn window.

“What’s going on out there?”

Immediately, everyone froze. Then, as if on cue, they turned toward him with awkward, nervous smiles.

“Ah, Dojang! It’s nothing, really…”

“Why are you beating someone up?”

“Haha, it’s nothing, nothing at all.”

The residents laughed awkwardly as they helped the fallen merchant to his feet, even brushing the dust off his clothes and smiling brightly.

“When tempers run high, fists tend to talk for us, you know how it is.”

“Yes, yes, exactly. We’d never really fight, of course!”

“Hmm.”

Cheong Myeong narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them, then gave a slow nod.

“All right. Just keep it at that.”

“Of course, Dojang. Naturally.”

Once Cheong Myeong pulled his head back inside, the group turned on the merchant again, faces hard as stone.

“Run that mouth again, and no one’ll pity you when your neck gets snapped.”

“If you want to keep living, don’t ever badmouth anyone from Mount Hua again. Not here. Not anywhere near here.”

“You’re lucky, you know that? If our brother-in-charge had been around, he’d have already broken a few of your bones. He still bows toward Mount Hua every morning because Cheong Myeong Dojang once saved his little brother’s life.”

“S-sorry… I’m sorry…”

“Here in Huayin, even if Cheong Myeong Dojang kills someone, it’s not a crime. Got it?”

“Damn right. If he killed a man, that man must’ve deserved it.”

“Exactly.”

The merchant, beaten and humiliated for a few careless words born of misplaced righteousness, began to realize that life in Huayin might not be as easy as he’d thought.

❀ ❀ ❀

Meanwhile, Cheong Myeong, his eyes glazed over, was staring blankly at the twice-cooked pork in front of him.

[tl note: This is Cheong Myeong’s favorite dish, the one that Cheong Mun once made for him on his birthday.]

“Why aren’t you eating, Dojang?”

“Sansho…”

“Pardon?”

“There’s no sansho powder! Hiccup!”

“Oh dear, Dojang. We already put sansho in when we first boiled the broth.”

 “I said there’s no sansho powder! The twice-cooked pork they used to serve at the Dohwoe Inn was sprinkled with coarse sansho powder on top.”

Thunk.

Cheong Myeong dropped his forehead onto the table with a thud.

“It’s gone…”

The innkeeper clicked his tongue. The Dohwoe Inn he mentioned was the oldest inn in Huayin, one that had been running for generations. But they’d recently sold their building and closed up shop.

“It’s not just Dohwoe Inn’s twice-cooked pork that’s gone… Even Cheongnim Restaurant closed. Their house-made hua liquor was to die for.”

“Ah, come on, our liquor isn’t any worse than theirs.”

“Just because chicken tastes good doesn’t mean beef should disappear.”

“Pardon? Ah… well, that’s true, but still…”

Cheong Myeong began to sniffle.

“My poor Huayin…”

Listening to him, you’d think he’d lived in Huayin for a hundred years. The innkeeper just shook his head.

“All right, Dojang, try this then. It’s my special fish-fragrant shredded pork. You’ve always liked this dish too, haven’t you?”

[tl note: yuxiang rousi (어향육사/ 魚香肉絲): literally fish-fragrant shredded pork, a classic Sichuan dish made with shredded pork stir-fried in a spicy, garlicky sauce. Despite the name, it doesn’t actually contain fish. Fish-fragrant refers to the seasoning style traditionally used in fish dishes (garlic, ginger, scallions, chili bean paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar).]

Cheong Myeong blew his nose noisily into his sleeve and looked up, just as the inn door burst open.

Bang!

“Oh, Dojang!”

A grey-haired old man rushed in, scanning the room before his face brightened as he spotted Cheong Myeong.

“I heard the news! You should’ve told me first if you were coming to Huayin!”

“Huh? Isn’t that the old owner of Dohwoe Inn?”

“Yes! I brought some of our twice-cooked pork from home!”

“Oh!”

Cheong Myeong’s face lit up, and he began to rise from his seat, but before he could, the door flew open again.

“They said Dojang Cheong Myeong’s here? Then you should be drinking our liquor!”

“Gwak-hyung, is that you?”

“Ah, Dojang, there you are! Here’s our hua liquor, the kind you used to love. I quit the business, so I brought what’s left. Please, drink as much as you like.”

Another middle-aged man entered, arms full of liquor bottles, and set them down with a clatter.

“Ohhh!”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the drinks and side dishes.

And it didn’t stop there.

“Dojang’s here?”

“Hey, why haven’t you visited in so long!”

 “What are you saying? He’s the one who went all the way to the Yangtze to fight those evil bastards! You think he’s like you, wasting your days lazing around?”

As people started pouring into the inn one after another, Cheong Myeong was left utterly dumbfounded.

In a Huayin that now felt so unfamiliar, seeing these faces he knew so well stirred a strange feeling in his chest. The familiar townsfolk gathered in small groups of twos and threes, quickly filling what had moments ago been a quiet inn.

“Dojang, you’ve really gone through a lot again this time. We all heard how you fought so far away just to keep harm from reaching Huayin.”

“Eh? It’s not really like that, I just kind of…”

“Of course we know your heart, Dojang — how deeply you care for Huayin!”

“Well… it just sort of happened…”

“Come now, have a drink first. What are you waiting for, you fools! Dojang’s cup is empty!”

“Yes! I’ll pour right away!”

“And what’s with these meager side dishes? Is this how you serve Mount Hua’s Dojang? The innkeeper’s gotten lazy!”

“B-but I served exactly what the Dojang ordered…”

“You only brought what he ordered? Are you out of your mind?”

“Aigoo, fine, fine! I’ll make more! Right now, right away!”

“Nah, forget it! Go to my house and tell my wife to bring out the dried sea cucumber I’ve been saving. The Dojang’s worked hard, he needs something nourishing!”

“Ha! Dried sea cucumber? That’s nothing. I’ve got a perfect carp I caught myself. Everyone knows carp soup is the best for recovery!”

“Now, now! Move aside! Our Dojang’s the kind who recharges with liquor! One big bowl of bear bile wine, and he’ll—”

“Out of the way! My ginseng comes first!”

Cheong Myeong barely managed to poke his head out through the mob closing in around him.

“Um… can I just have my meal, please…?”

“Please wait a moment, Dojang. We’re deciding what’s best for you.”

“No, really. Anything’s fine for the food, just bring me some liquor…..”

“I told you, liquor goes first!”

Amid the chaos of people crowding in with their arms full of gifts, Cheong Myeong finally screamed.

“I just want to drink, damn it!”

“Well, we have to decide what kind of drink first, don’t we?”

“Why are you all making such a big deal out of this?! Get out! Just go away already!”

Cheong Myeong’s shout pierced through the old tavern and echoed down the streets of Huayin, and everyone passing by, upon hearing that familiar yell, couldn’t help but break into broad smiles.

Next Chapter

❀ ❀ ❀

If anyone wants to donate to motivate me (I'll use the money to buy the RAWs from Naver Series too). Thank you so much!

- Buy Me a Coffee

- Patreon

- Trakteer (this one for Indonesian)