ROTMHS Special Spin-off - Chapter 6

Chapter 6. This really shouldn’t be happening. (1)

“Y-you… you little mudskipper-like bastards….”

[tl note: “망둥이 같은 놈들” compares them to mudskippers—small, jumpy fish—used mockingly to describe restless, insignificant troublemakers.]

The disciples, who had the misfortune of being caught in this situation by Hyeon Yeong, quickly assessed their options.

Sect law? Strict rules? Human morality and proper order?

What a joke. The person currently breathing fire before their eyes was not someone such trivial standards could be applied to.

No, more precisely, there was no way to even know whether such standards could be applied to him.

Before one could even begin discussing rules and morality, a switch would already come whipping down on their mouths, so the proposition could never be proven either way.

But unfortunately, this was not a problem with Hyeon Yeong.

In most groups, rules and morality cannot overcome authority and hierarchy. So the disciples’ choice, in that sense, was only natural.

“S-Sect Leader!”

The disciples hurriedly turned their heads to find Hyeon Jong. They could sense that if he delayed even a little longer, the strange staff (拐杖) in Hyeon Yeong’s hand would come flying straight at their heads.

And, as expected, Hyeon Jong lived up to their hopes.

“This was my order, so do not take your anger out on the children. Cheong Myeong was about to violate the rules, so I was in the middle of admonishing him.”

Hyeon Jong soothed Hyeon Yeong with a gentle smile.

The justification was perfect: the sect leader admonishing a disciple who had broken the rules, combined with Hyeon Jong’s usual benevolent and generous nature—anyone would have accepted it.

If the other party hadn’t been Hyeon Yeong.

“Admonishing?”

“Yes.”

“By tying him up like a traitor?”

Hyeon Yeong’s eyes flared.

That gaze seemed to carry a near-killing intent, as if saying, ‘Sahyung or not, if I snap, I’ll overturn everything.’ Surely, that was just Hyeon Jong’s imagination.

No, it had to be…

“Th-that…”

“Fine. Untie him first, then we’ll talk.”

“.......”

“Untie him.”

Even Hyeon Yeong speaking to Hyeon Jong like this wasn’t particularly an issue in Mount Hua. If there was a problem, it was that Mount Hua originally had very little sense of rigid hierarchy.

In a sect where a sasuk could get beaten up by a sajil and everyone would just accept it, a saje speaking back to a sahyung wasn’t worth mentioning—even if that sahyung was the sect leader.

So rather than the saje radiating killing intent toward his sahyung, what annoyed Hyeon Jong more was the young disciple who had somehow latched onto that saje and was now flopping around like a freshly caught mackerel.

….and that wasn’t necessarily just because Hyeon Jong’s self-discipline was lacking.

“.....Untie him.”

“S-Sect Leader…”

Hyeon Jong shut his eyes tightly.

There was nothing wrong with what Hyeon Yeong said. Trying to descend the mountain without permission didn’t justify binding someone like a criminal and escorting him by force. The other disciples couldn’t help but agree with that logic.

However, one fundamental question remained.

‘But doesn’t that logic only apply when the one being escorted is a normal human being?’

If that bastard ignored common sense, why did the ones dealing with him have to act according to it? This was far too unreasonable.

But the disciples didn’t need to worry about whether to untie Cheong Myeong.

Hyeon Yeong had already undone the ropes with his own hands.

“Tsk tsk, such heartless brats.”

Hyeon Yeong patted Cheong Myeong’s head a couple of times, then cleared his throat.

“So, what exactly is going on here?”

“Well….”

“You. Explain it. What kind of commotion is this?”

“Ugh.”

Under Hyeon Yeong’s gaze, Cheong Myeong put on the expression of a drenched puppy and began explaining the situation. There was no need to say just how disgustingly fake that look was.

“…..What did you just say?”

After hearing everything, Hyeon Yeong’s face hardened.

“A trivial matter? Did you just call this a trivial matter?”

Cheong Myeong flinched and nodded.

“Yes.”

“So you’re saying—it wasn’t anything important, just a trivial matter, and yet you tried to climb over the wall without even getting permission from the sect leader?”

“…..Well, that—”

“Answer properly! Is that right?”

“Yes…”

For a moment, Cheong Myeong couldn’t withstand Hyeon Yeong’s pressure and shrank his shoulders.

Him—the one who feared nothing under heaven.

‘Huh?’

‘Wait… could this be?’

The disciples exchanged looks filled with hope.

Something was different. This time, something was definitely different.

‘Now that I think about it…’

‘This actually makes sense!’

The reason that bastard Cheong Myeong’s insane antics had been tolerated all this time was, in the end, because of a greater cause—that everything he did was for Mount Hua.

Whether it was the sect’s wealth, its honor, or its practical gain, wherever that bastard moved, there was always something Mount Hua would take from it.

But not this time. The moment he himself said it was for a personal matter unrelated to Mount Hua, he could no longer be pardoned under the name of that greater cause.

In other words, no matter how much Hyeon Yeong was a granary-first zealot who shouted, ‘To hell with rules and all that—the storehouse comes first!’, even he would find it hard to shield that bastard Cheong Myeong this time.

No, looking at that expression, didn’t he seem angry rather than protective?

‘Finally.’

‘Is today the day?’

The disciples’ hopes flared up.

This time, they might finally be able to throw that mad dog of a bastard into the Repentance Hall.

“Answer properly! Was it truly a personal matter?”

“Th-that…. yeah. It is.”

“Ha…. haha.”

At that, Hyeon Yeong began to laugh as if dumbfounded. Watching him, Hyeon Jong spoke bitterly.

“Hyeon Yeong, don’t be so angry. I understand how you feel, but Cheong Myeong must have his own circ—”

“UHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“......Huh?”

Hyeon Yeong’s laughter only grew louder and more cheerful, until he suddenly spread his hand wide and began smacking Cheong Myeong’s back.

“Right, so that’s how it is! You brat! You should’ve said so earlier!”

“Pardon?”

“Sect Leader! Sect Leader! Did you hear that? He says it’s a personal matter!”

“Yes, I also—”

“A personal matter!”

If you’re going to ask, at least give him time to answer….

But regardless of what Hyeon Jong might think, Hyeon Yeong continued, even wiping the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

“Since the day you suddenly dropped into Mount Hua, you’ve been tossed around here, tossed around there, stabbed over there, slashed over here…….”

Hyeon Jong, who had been about to say something, quietly closed his mouth. This was going somewhere entirely different from what he expected.

“A kid with no prior ties to Mount Hua, throwing himself into saving a sect that was on the verge of collapse, ending up in tatters…… I’ve been worried sick watching you, and now you’re telling me it’s a personal matter.”

Hyeon Yeong trailed off and wiped his eyes again. At the same time, the disciples slowly glanced at one another.

‘Don’t tell me… is he moved right now?’

‘Seems like it…’

‘But why?’

‘How would I know?’

For ordinary people like them, Hyeon Yeong’s mental world was far too vast and incomprehensible. If one had to name the person most similar to Cheong Myeong in Mount Hua, it would be that man.

“Then that means—you’ve finally gained enough leeway to take care of your own affairs, doesn’t it?”

“......”

“Only now, after all this time since you entered Mount Hua. Just how many years has it been?”

“Th-that…. uh….”

Hyeon Yeong patted Cheong Myeong’s back again.

“You fool. You should’ve just said so. What were you so embarrassed about? After struggling like that for years, not even taking care of yourself, just to save Mount Hua—now you’re asking for a bit of time to handle your own matters. Did you think the sect leader would refuse even that?”

“.......”

“If anything, he’d be glad. Who would look at that unfavorably? What, is a person supposed to be a tool? You’ve torn yourself apart! Broken yourself! Suffered through everything for your sect! Who would use a person like that? Isn’t that right, Sect Leader?”

“Uh…. well.”

By that point, Hyeon Jong realized something.

If he shook his head here, he would become human trash. No, not even trash. He would turn into a great demonic figure who took in a homeless orphan only to abuse him and suck him dry of blood and flesh.

“Sect Leader?”

“Th-that’s right. If you had just said so, of course I would’ve allowed it.”

“See?”

Hyeon Jong desperately avoided Cheong Myeong’s gaze, which seemed to say, ‘That’s not what you were saying earlier.’

“My thinking was…. short? Yes. Right.”

“That’s right. This time, your thinking was short.”

Let’s just go with that. It had to be that way.

Hyeon Yeong let out a sigh, as if lamenting.

“But still, I’m so happy. To think the day would come when you’d say something like this. It feels like a weight has finally lifted from my heart.”

Cheong Myeong’s head creaked as it tilted to the side.

Everyone could tell from that motion—things seem to be working out, but… is this really right?—yet none of them dared to say it aloud.

Before the deeply moved Hyeon Yeong, the disciples lowered their voices and whispered.

“Are we… the bad guys right now?”

“Seems like it.”

“......How does it end up like that?”

“I’m not sure why either, but think about it. If the Nokrim King heard this, what would he say?”

“He’d probably click his tongue and say, ‘Even we bandits give leave to those who’ve served a few years…’.”

“....Yeah.”

Why was it that they had only done something normal, yet ended up becoming trash? Why?

“But….”

And it seemed Hyeon Yeong, too, had remembered something he’d forgotten.

“So, who was it?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking, who was it that tied up a disciple who worked that hard, like some traitor, and dragged him here? Which lunatic committed something even the unorthodox sects would recoil at!”

The disciples’ faces instantly turned pale.

At that moment, Yoon Jong bit his lip and stepped forward.

“Sahyung!”

“Yoon Jong-ah!”

Baek Cheon and Jo Geol instinctively reached out toward him. They knew Yoon Jong’s personality, but even truth had its timing. A single wrong word right now could make things far worse.

But Yoon Jong, as if he couldn’t hold it in any longer, respectfully cupped his fist and bowed toward Hyeon Yeong.

“Elder!”

“Oh? So it was you?”

“We only did as sasuk told us!”

“.....”

For a brief moment, everyone fell silent. That silence—Jo Geol couldn’t endure it. Betrayal at a time like this? What kind of person does that? Filled with indignation, he immediately shouted.

“That’s right!”

“Sasuk told us to do it!”

“Sahyung did….”

Hyeon Yeong’s slowly turning gaze finally settled on Baek Cheon.

And the other disciples turned to him as well.

Without a single word, their eyes conveyed: ‘How could a person make others do something so inhuman? I never imagined it.’

Receiving all those looks, Baek Cheon could only smile faintly.

“You barstards.”

Not even the unorthodox sects would take bastards like you.

“Baek Cheon-ah.”

“……Yes, Elder.”

“Come with me for a moment. Let’s talk privately.”

“.....Yes.”

The two quietly left the room.

Those who remained looked at each other, unsure what they were supposed to say.

“…..Is this right?”

That voice, briefly slipped out by someone, spoke for the feelings of everyone present.

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