ROTMHS Special Spin-off - Chapter 14

Chapter 14. I Can’t Do This Anymore. Seriously. (4)

“M-Mount Hua Sect of Shaanxi—you don’t know it?”

“I don’t.”

“You’ve never even heard of it at all?”

“I told you, I haven’t.”

“I-it even made it to the finals of the All-Under-Heaven Martial Arts Tournament?”

 “What? What tournament? What’s that supposed to be?”

“Th-this can’t be.”

Baek Cheon’s hand trembled.

This is strange. The merchants who passed through Mount Hua, and the people we met in Huayin, all said that Mount Hua’s prestige has been shaking the four seas lately. Why doesn’t he know? Does this kid just have no interest in the world?

[사해(四海). The four seas, an idiom meaning the whole world.]

“Do you, by any chance, not know what the jianghu is?”

“I’m not an idiot. Why wouldn’t I know that?”

“Th-then you know Shaolin? What about Wudang?”

At that, Seok Hanbin looked at Baek Cheon like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Of course I do. Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect. Who doesn’t know those?”

“Then Mount Hua? What about Mount Hua?”

“Mount Bankruptcy?”

“Not bankruptcy—Mount Hua!”

[tl note: It sounds similar in Korean, lmao]

Baek Cheon shouted at the top of his lungs, but the disciples behind him nodded as if they understood.

“Well, it did go bankrupt.”

“Yeah. Completely ruined.”

“It hasn’t even been that long since it got better.”

“Will you all just shut up.... please.”

Baek Cheon grabbed his hair in disbelief. But Seok Hanbin remained utterly indifferent.

“I told you I’ve never heard of it. What nonsense are you spouting?”

“Wh-why don’t you know it? How do you know Wudang but not Mount Hua! Does that make any sense? Then what about Zhongnan Sect? You know Zhongnan, right—”

“Sasuk, please stop....”

“This is embarrassing.”

“Why are you pressuring the kid like this?”

“I’m starting to feel ashamed.”

Embarrassment, as always, was theirs to bear.

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“....Alright. Let’s just say such a place exists.”

After nearly a gak’s worth of explanation, Seok Hanbin finally nodded.

[각(刻). Gak. A traditional unit of time, roughly 15 minutes.]

It was less that he understood, and more that he was too worn out to argue further, but Baek Cheon decided to be satisfied with that for now.

“Good. Thank you for acknowledging it.”

“I still don’t really believe it.”

“.....”

Baek Cheon wiped the moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes.

“Calm down, sasuk.”

“But why doesn’t he know? Isn’t knowing normal?”

“Actually, not knowing is normal.”

No matter how much Mount Hua had been making a name for itself recently, every sect was rooted in its own region.

How would commoners living in Shandong know about a sect from Shaanxi on the opposite side of the Central Plains—especially one that had only recently begun to rise?

If he were at least a martial artist, he might have paid attention to shifts in the jianghu. But for a commoner like Seok Hanbin, it was less useful information than news of the neighbor’s dog having puppies.

“So? What business do such great taoists from that impressive sect have with someone like me?”

“Ah, well....”

Baek Cheon turned his head to look at Cheong Myeong. From here on, it was Cheong Myeong’s turn to step in.

Cheong Myeong seemed to understand that as well. He nodded and stepped forward.

“You.”

As Cheong Myeong suddenly stepped out, Seok Hanbin flinched slightly. He himself had grown up tough in the back alleys, but while the others looked somewhat manageable, this one.... for some reason, felt troublesome.

“Your name is Seok Hanbin?”

“How do you know that—”

“Is it?”

Seok Hanbin narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know the intent behind the question, but one thing became clear. These people had come looking for him specifically.

“Did the Black Water Gang send you?”

“I told you, Mount Hua Sect!”

Baek Cheon flared up and cut in, but the disciples looked at him with flat expressions.

“Someone drag sasuk away and gag him.”

“No! You guys should feel wronged too! Hey! Mount Hua! Why don’t you know Mount Hua! You know Zhongnan but—mmph!”

As Baek Cheon was dragged away, Cheong Myeong let out a deep sigh.

“Sorry. He’s not usually like that, but every now and then he loses his mind.”

“.....”

Another thing became certain. At this point, it was undeniable that these people were not entirely sane.

“I don’t know anything about this Black Water Gang or whatever. That kind of trash doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you’re Seok Hanbin.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Hm. Right, yeah, that’s not really what matters either.”

“Huh?”

“I should’ve asked it like this. What matters is whether you are....”

Cheong Myeong slightly twisted the corner of his lips.

“Yoo Hanbin.”

In that instant, Seok Hanbin’s face stiffened.

Realizing it himself, he quickly relaxed his expression again, but no one here failed to notice that change.

“What are you talking about? Yoo Hanbin? I’m a Seok.”

“No. Yoo, most likely. From the Yoo family of Shandong.”

“Shandong Yoo family? Where’s that supposed to be?”

Seok Hanbin tried to brush it off quickly, but the people in front of him weren’t even listening anymore.

“This kid is a descendant of the Shandong Yoo family?”

“What, did we come all the way here because of that thing we heard about before?”

“How does that even make sense? What connection would the Shandong Yoo family have with Cheong Myeong?”

“Then.... could it really be?”

Everyone looked at Cheong Myeong in surprise, but he didn’t take his eyes off Seok Hanbin.

“There’s no need to worry. We didn’t come with ill intent.”

“....What?”

“Yoo Jagyeong.”

“.....”

“That’s the name of ancestor from your great-grandfather’s generation. He was the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“Ah.”

At Cheong Myeong’s words, Hye Yeon nodded as if it made sense.

In that case, it couldn’t be said that there was no connection at all.

“So that’s how it is.”

Hye Yeon turned to the Mount Hua disciples to confirm.

But not a single one of them looked like they knew anything. Every one of them wore an expression that said, ‘Huh? That happened? I’ve never heard of it in my life.’ They exchanged glances and quickly huddled together, whispering among themselves.

“Sasuk, have you ever heard of this? Was there really a past sect leader with the surname Yoo and the name Jagyeong?”

“O-of course. I’ve heard of it.”

“How many generations back was he?”

“....The weather’s a bit chilly today.”

Hye Yeon shut his eyes tightly. By now, he should have learned that expecting anything from these people would always result in even greater disappointment.

No matter what nonsense the other disciples were muttering, Cheong Myeong didn’t take his eyes off Seok Hanbin.

“So, Mount Hua and the Shandong Yoo family aren’t exactly strangers. When we heard there might still be a descendant of that family, we came all the way here.”

Cheong Myeong looked at Seok Hanbin, as if prompting him to say something.

But instead of answering, Seok Hanbin let out a low scoff.

“So what?”

“....Huh?”

“Of course, I don’t know anything about this Shandong Yoo family or whatever. But even if I were a descendant of that family—”

Seok Hanbin looked at Cheong Myeong with a cold, mocking gaze.

“What does it have to do with me if some ancestor I’ve never even seen happened to be your sect leader or not?”

“Huh?”

“Why? Did you think I’d be so grateful I’d start crying just because you came here talking about the Shandong Yoo family?”

Seok Hanbin let out a short, dry laugh.

“I don’t know what you were planning to do after finding that so-called descendant, but I’m not that person. So stop chasing false hopes and go back.”

“.....”

“And even if I were that descendant, it’s not something I’d welcome anyway.”

Seok Hanbin abruptly got to his feet. Without another word, he walked straight out.

“Hey!”

Tang Soso started to stop him, then shook her head. She realized she had neither the reason nor the authority to hold him back.

She looked at the door he had exited through, her face full of concern.

“Are you worried because it’s late at night and he went out alone?”

“No. Not that.... I’m worried he’ll go scam someone again.”

“.....”

Sometimes, she could be frighteningly cold.

“More importantly.”

Yoon Jong, who had been shaking his head, stroked his chin and asked Cheong Myeong,

“Let’s confirm something first. Is that true? That one of our past sect leaders had ties to the Shandong Yoo family?”

“Yeah.”

Cheong Myeong nodded casually, as if there was no need to hide it. In any case, if one dug through the records at Mount Hua, it would probably be written there. There was no point in concealing it.

“That kid being from the Shandong Yoo family.... no, there’s no need to even ask that.”

They had all seen his reaction with their own eyes. Seok Hanbin had tried to maintain composure, but he hadn’t been able to completely hide his surprise.

“The Shandong Yoo family....”

Yoon Jong made a slightly complicated expression, then asked,

“Cheong Myeong, just in case.... no, it can’t be, right?”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, lie down and go to sleep.”

“Yeah. I thought so.”

No matter what, the idea that Cheong Myeong himself was from the Shandong Yoo family was too far-fetched. If that were true, there was no way he would have just watched his own family fall into ruin until now.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking what exactly you came all the way here to do.”

Cheong Myeong clicked his tongue.

“It’s not like there was some grand reason. I just wanted to confirm whether any descendants of the Yoo family were really still around.”

“I see.”

Yoon Jong quietly studied Cheong Myeong’s expression.

That sounded like he hadn’t decided what to do next.

“Then I’ll ask again. What now?”

“....Not sure.”

Cheong Myeong’s thoughts were just as complicated.

At first, he had only intended to confirm whether the bloodline still continued. But now that he had seen it with his own eyes—a kid practically living like an orphan, surviving like this—it left a bitter twist in his chest.

More than anything, the biggest problem was....

“Ha.... why does he look like that?”

“Hm? Why are you suddenly nitpicking the kid’s face? He looks perfectly fine.”

“Exactly.”

“....Tch. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Cheong Myeong let out a deep sigh. After seeing undeniable proof that his sahyung’s bloodline was still continuing right in front of him, it didn’t sit well with him to just turn around and leave like nothing.

Well, if that’s the case—

“First, we need to do something about that brat.”

“Hm. You’re planning to take him to Mount Hua Sect?”

“Huh? Take him?”

At Cheong Myeong’s words, Baek Cheon looked puzzled instead.

“Isn’t it because you’re worried about that child living alone? If you take him to Mount Hua and accept him as a disciple, that solves everything.”

“Oh.... that’s true?”

“He seems to have talent, doesn’t he?”

“His bones and frame aren’t bad. He’s a bit small for his age, which is a slight concern, but not a real problem.”

“And judging by how he talks back without hesitation, he’s got some stubbornness too.”

“And if he’s been going around swindling adults, he must be smart.”

The Mount Hua disciples spoke casually, one after another. The only one who looked genuinely flustered by this was Hye Yeon.

“A-Amitabha, siju, taking him in as a disciple? How could you accept a child like that? Did you not see his behavior earlier today?”

“Oh, that? It’s fine.”

“....Excuse me?”

The Mount Hua disciples all nodded in unison.

“No one can stand up to a beating.”

“You hit him first, and if he still doesn’t listen, you hit him again. If he still doesn’t listen, you keep hitting him until he does.”

“Even Geol here—if you think about how Jo Geol used to be, this kid’s nothing.”

“Why am I suddenly being brought up here?”

“.....”

Hye Yeon was left speechless.

But somehow.... it made sense. After all, compared to Mount Hua, even bandits might seem more reasonable....

“So what do we do? Capture him and drag him back to Mount Hua?”

When Baek Cheon asked, Cheong Myeong groaned in thought, then shook his head.

“That won’t work.”

“Why?”

“Looks like he’s the only descendant left. You can’t turn the last one into a taoist.”

“Ah.”

Baek Cheon nodded in realization, then tilted his head again.

“Wait. No, that’s not right. Mount Hua doesn’t forbid its disciples from marrying.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? The lineage would continue.”

“Sasuk. If Mount Hua were wiped out, and its disciples were just living somewhere quietly as farmers, would you say Mount Hua’s legacy is continuing?”

“....No, I wouldn’t.”

Cheong Myeong nodded, looking troubled.

“In any case, he’s the descendant of a distinguished family. Even if he becomes a taoist and has children, that doesn’t mean the family continues. More importantly, that’s not something we get to decide.”

“....Hmm. That’s true.”

If he wanted it himself, that would be one thing. But you couldn’t just drag someone off and turn them into a taoist against their will. Especially not in a case like this.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Hmmm.”

Cheong Myeong rubbed at the corner of his mouth, then suddenly twisted his lips.

Seeing that crooked smile, the Mount Hua disciples instinctively tensed their shoulders.

“Well, the conclusion is obvious anyway.”

“....Yeah?”

“Whether he becomes a taoist, or a descendant of a noble family, or rises through officialdom—that’s a problem for later.”

“.....”

“For now....”

Cheong Myeong ground his teeth.

“Let’s make him into a proper human being first.”

His sahyung would probably want that more than anything.

What, you say he wouldn’t? Ah, right—hard to hear someone who died a hundred years ago, isn’t it? Kikikikikiii.

Unfortunately, the objection didn’t come from the heavens—it came from right beside him.

“A proper human being. A fine sentiment. However.”

“Hm?”

“That too would require at least enough money to buy breakfast tomorrow, wouldn’t it?”

“.....”

At Hye Yeon’s words, Baek Cheon pulled out his completely empty money pouch again and shook it with a miserable expression.

Cheong Myeong covered his face.

“I can’t do this anymore. Seriously.”

There was more than one person here who needed fixing.

Next Chapter

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