Chapter 1929 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1929. So a Day Like This Really Does Come. (4)

“...Kill me.”

“You must not die yet, Merchant Guild Master.”

“Just kill me.....”

“I’m telling you, now is not the time for you to pass away.”

Transparent tears streamed down Hwang Jong-ui’s eyes.

“Why.... Why on earth are you doing this to me?”

“There’s no point asking us that.”

“Cough.”

With dark shadows hanging all the way to his chin, Hwang Jong-ui gazed weakly outside. He could see the members of the Eunha Merchant Guild running about in utter panic, scattering in every direction.

“Bedding! Has all the bedding been prepared?”

“The quantities are all correct. But some different items got mixed in.”

“What? What nonsense are you talking about! I clearly told you to make everything the same! If we prepare different goods and people start saying we’re discriminating between sects, the whole alliance gathering will collapse!”

“But there simply aren’t enough goods available.”

“Then replace them with something of lower quality if you have to, as long as you can secure the numbers! Hearing that our preparations were inadequate is a hundred times better than hearing we treated sects differently!”

“U-Understood!”

“If you understand, then run! What are you standing around for!”

Listening blankly to the voices coming through the window, Hwang Jong-ui wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

“Steward-General”

[Chonggwan. 총관(總管). Steward-General; the highest-ranking administrative manager overseeing the operations of the merchant guild.]

“Yes?”

“As you know, haven’t I worked incredibly hard all this time?”

“That much can’t be denied. You’ve run yourself ragged to the point your face has become half of what it used to be.”

[tl note: 얼굴이 반쪽이 되다. “One’s face becomes half of what it was.” Korean idiomatic expression meaning someone has become visibly gaunt and worn down from exhaustion, hardship, or overwork.]

It was the Eunha Merchant Guild that had borne responsibility for supplying those countless people during the war and for securing means of livelihood for innumerable refugees. By the time the war ended, Hwang Jong-ui had lost three-tenths of his body weight, and the finances of the Eunha Merchant Guild—which had once been piled high—had been reduced to barely a quarter of their former amount.

Of course, he had no regrets. They had simply done what ought to have been done. But.....

“Then... Then you could at least let me rest now! Why is it that the moment we return, there’s suddenly this alliance gathering and all this work?”

“That’s just how life in this world is....”

“Fine, fine, an alliance gathering is great! But why does our merchant guild have to prepare everything for an alliance gathering being held by Mount Hua? Does this make sense? Does it? Does it?”

The Steward-General looked at Hwang Jong-ui with a sullen gaze.

“No, I mean, why exactly are you taking that up with me?”

“......”

“If you have that many complaints, why not climb the mountain yourself? If the climb is too difficult, shall I prepare a palanquin for you?”

“Keuheum.”

After letting out an exaggerated cough, Hwang Jong-ui glared at the Steward-General with a sour expression.

“Steward-General, you.... Haven’t you become somewhat more aggressive lately? Or should I say... uh... more cynical? Anyway, it feels like you’ve changed a little.”

“You’ve changed too, Merchant Guild Master. Why should I be the only one who isn’t allowed to?”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…”

“You work hard and at least your wealth increases. Or your reputation rises. Me? I work myself to death, and my wages stay exactly the same. Tsk. Rather than listening to this kind of whining while I work, perhaps I ought to quit altogether.....”

“I-I’ll raise your salary, so please don’t do that.”

If even the Steward-General quit now, Hwang Jong-ui really would become nothing but skin and bones.

[Skin and bones. 피골상접(皮骨相接). Literally “skin and bones touch each other.” A traditional idiom describing someone becoming emaciated from extreme hardship, illness, or exhaustion.]

“So stop grumbling and get back to work. It’s only something that’ll be over in a few days anyway.”

“Kkeueung.”

“Merchant Guild Master.”

At that moment, the Steward-General’s expression grew slightly serious.

“Please do not forget the words of the former Merchant Guild Master. People easily forget gratitude and come to regard what they possess as something natural. Especially things that are provided by someone else—they tend to value them even less.”

Swallowing dryly, Hwang Jong-ui murmured.

“Do not take the place upon which you stand for granted. Always remain grateful for it. Is that what he meant?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Hwang Jong-ui slowly nodded.

“That’s right. That is the proper way.”

Everything that existed now was, in the end, something Mount Hua had achieved.

Though the Eunha Merchant Guild had certainly played one part in it—if Mount Hua had not gone first, shedding blood and fighting, the Eunha Merchant Guild of today would never have existed.

[One part. Ilig. 일익(一翼). Literally “one wing.” An idiomatic expression meaning a share of responsibility or contribution toward a larger undertaking.]

Hwang Jong-ui’s father, Hwang Mun-yak, had once worried that the Eunha Merchant Guild might someday begin taking all of this for granted. At this moment, the Steward-General had subtly prodded Hwang Jong-ui’s attitude by invoking Hwang Mun-yak’s old words.

“I’m ashamed. I’ve shown an unbecoming side of myself.”

“Complaining isn’t necessarily a bad thing. People even criticize the emperor behind his back, after all. But it becomes a problem when complaints cease being mere complaints and turn into dissatisfaction.”

“That’s true.”

Hwang Jong-ui straightened his posture.

He was the superior of the Eunha Merchant Guild. The attitude he showed toward Mount Hua was naturally observed and learned by those beneath him as well. The moment he imagined merchant guild members who would be carrying supplies up Mount Hua and speaking with its disciples witnessing the way he had just behaved, his mind snapped awake and a chill ran down his spine.

“I need to get a hold of myself first.”

This was precisely why his late father had been remarkable. Had he not already foreseen the path Hwang Jong-ui might walk and the mistakes he might make, warning him against them in advance?

‘If I’m to follow even in the footsteps of my late father, I must work even harder!’

As Hwang Jong-ui steadied himself and gathered his thoughts, a groan suddenly escaped him.

“Look here, Steward-General.”

“Yes, Merchant Guild Master.”

“I certainly understand what you’re saying, but.... a thought occurs to me.”

“What thought would that be?”

Hwang Jong-ui replied with a slightly hardened expression.

“I have my late father’s teachings, so I can refrain from taking all of this for granted. But will the sect leaders coming here truly think the same way I do?”

The Steward-General immediately shook his head.

“There is no way.”

“I suppose so?”

Hwang Jong-ui turned his gaze toward Mount Hua’s soaring peaks. For a while he silently stared at the summit hidden behind the high clouds, then let out a heavy sigh.

“Please do your utmost with the preparations.”

“I will.”

Watching the Steward-General withdraw with a respectful bow, Hwang Jong-ui released a deep breath.

‘It seems.... this won’t be an event that ends quietly.’

✿ ✿ ✿

“Uh.....”

Jo Geol tilted his head as he watched the long procession of porters climbing the mountain carrying loads of supplies.

“Sahyung.”

“Hngh?”

“Didn’t they say only the sect leader of each sect were invited?”

“Since the number of accompanying attendants was restricted, I suppose you could say that is pretty much the case?”

Jo Geol frowned at Yoon Jong’s answer

“Then why is there so much to prepare? Even if they each come with two attendants, there can’t be more than five or six hundred people.”

“….Is five hundred somebody’s name?”

[“Is five hundred somebody’s name?” 오백이 무슨 애 이름이냐? A common Korean expression used to point out that a number being casually mentioned is actually quite large.]

“No, I know five hundred is a lot. But...... it’s not enough people to require this many supplies, is it?”

“Is that so?”

Yoon Jong tilted his head slightly. Now that he thought about it, Jo Geol’s words did seem reasonable.

“What exactly are you two talking about?”

But Tang Soso looked at them as though they were being ridiculous.

“These aren’t ordinary people coming. They’re the representatives of each sect!”

“What difference does that make?”

“Good grief, you dense people!”

Tang Soso grabbed her head. Even while exasperated, however, she was considerate enough to provide an example.

“Look. Suppose we went to Shaolin, and in the morning they fed us weeds, then barley rice for lunch, and in the evening they stuck us in some modest little room and made us graze on weeds again. What would you think?”

“Should we go hunting?”

“The weeds Shaolin serves are actually pretty edible. Is it because their cooking is good?”

Tang Soso snorted.

“Oh, really? Then what if that treatment were given to our sect leader?”

“Aigooo. Sect Leadeeerrrr! Have those bald bastards lost their minds? He’s already gotten noticeably older lately, and now they want to feed him weeds three times a day?”

“I’m setting the Scripture Pavilion on fire today. Don’t stop me.”

[Janggyeonggak. 장경각(藏經閣). Scripture Repository or Sutra Library. A building traditionally used to store Buddhist scriptures and important texts.]

“See?”

Watching her sahyungs become absurdly invested in the scenario, Tang Soso nodded.

“No matter how much the Taoist path considers frugality a virtue, you can’t treat sect leaders carelessly. You have to pay attention to every single thing—the bedding, the furniture, the food.”

“....I suppose so.”

Once he imagined himself in their position, it suddenly made perfect sense.

“And it’s not something that ends just because you treated them reasonably well.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Tang Soso answered with a serious expression.

“Think about it. Where do you think these sect leaders would have gathered in the past?”

“Well.....”

There was no need to think very hard.

“It must be Shaolin, right?”

“Exactly. They’ve never formally proposed an alliance gathering like this before, but Shaolin still occasionally summoned the sect leaders together. My father was called there several times.”

“But why does that matter?”

“Ah, honestly, you’re hopeless. That’s exactly why I’m saying that the sect leaders who experienced Shaolin back then will compare everything. Every cup of tea we serve, every meal, every bed. ‘Shaolin did it this way.’ ‘Shaolin did it that way.’ And what do you think happens if our preparations are inferior to Shaolin’s?”

“.....‘Mount Hua still has a long way to go?’”

“Yeah, exactly! That’s exactly it!”

“Eugh. I can’t stand the thought of that.”

“Then stop loafing around here wasting time and go help with something. They’ll need every hand they can get.”

“Got it. Let’s go, Geol-ah.”

“Yes, sahyung.”

Jo Geol and Yoon Jong hurried off and began taking loads from the porters.

Watching them, Tang Soso sighed and turned her head away.

“.....Though the biggest problem is actually something else.”

Her gaze landed on Cheong Myeong, who was currently surrounded by the Grand Elders.

✿ ✿ ✿

“You must not cause any trouble.”

“I told you I understand.”

“I’ve said it over and over, but absolutely do not cause trouble. Be courteous in both word and deed, and don’t go around deciding to grab someone and beat them up just because they rub you the wrong way.”

“Ah, seriously, at this rate my ears are going to grow calluses!”

[“My ears are going to grow calluses.” 귀에 딱지가 앉다. Korean idiom meaning one has heard the same thing so many times that they’re sick of hearing it.]

“We’re saying this because we can’t feel reassured! Because we can’t feel reassured!”

“Then you shouldn’t have invited me in the first place!”

“And who was it that said they’d grab someone and beat them up if they weren’t invited?”

“Aahh. I said I got it, okay!”

“Baek Cheon-ah. You say something too.”

“Please don’t worry, Grand Sect Leader. I’ll stay glued to his side throughout the entire alliance gathering.”

“....I don't know why I feel even more anxious now.”

Hyeon Jong squeezed his eyes shut.

This was something that had to be done. It absolutely had to be done.

The war was over, and now a new order needed to be discussed. The longer they delayed, the more innocent people would suffer from the unrest that refused to settle.

So holding this gathering was undoubtedly the correct choice, but...

“The eyes of an ox being led to the slaughterhouse really do look sorrowful.”

[“An ox being led to the slaughterhouse.” 도살장에 끌려가는 소. A common Korean image used to describe someone heading toward an unpleasant fate while being fully aware of it.]

“At least they’re being dragged there. We’re walking in on our own two feet.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s enough from both of you. You’ve gotten old and now all you do is worry and grumble.”

Hyeon Yeong sharply rebuked the two of them.

“Cheong Myeong will handle it just fine. Have you ever seen anything he’s done go wrong?”

Hyeon Jong’s eyes became misty with tears.

“.....Why are you the only one who can’t see it? Why only you?”

“Why are you crying? Have you no dignity?”

Hyeon Jong wiped at the corners of his eyes. They said the sister-in-law who tries to stop you is the one you hate most, and now he was reaching the point where he genuinely disliked that man even more.

[“They say the sister-in-law who tries to stop you is the one you hate most.” 말리는 시누이가 더 밉다. Korean proverb meaning the person who interferes or lectures often becomes more irritating than the actual cause of the problem.]

“Hey, you fool! We already told all those busy sect leaders to drop everything they were doing and rush all the way to Shaanxi immediately. How could they possibly have nice things to say about that?”

“Ah, come on. You’re worrying over nothing.”

“Anyway, this time make absolutely certain that no trouble occu—”

“They’ve arrived.”

“W-Where? Where?”

Hyeon Jong craned his neck toward the mountain gate. His eyes widened, and before he knew it, he swallowed dryly.

“Hmm.”

Beyond Mount Hua’s square main gate, a group of figures came into view. Hyeon Jong’s shoulders unconsciously drew in slightly.

Perhaps because they were all leaders of sects, they weren’t deliberately releasing any aura, yet the pressure they exuded was considerable.

A bead of sweat trickled down Hyeon Jong’s forehead.

Without hesitation, the arrivals passed through the gate and immediately stopped.

Then, with solemn expressions, they slowly surveyed the scenery of Mount Hua.

The person at the front finally spoke in a deep voice.

“So then, where is the person who invited us?”

Just as Hyeon Jong unconsciously started stepping forward, Hyeon Yeong firmly grabbed his shoulder.

“W-Why?”

“Stay still. Don’t make a spectacle of yourself.”

“Eh?”

In the meantime, Un Am slowly walked forward to stand before them.

“Welcome. I am Un Am, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. First, allow me to express my sincere gratitude for the trouble you took in traveling such a long distance.”

As he looked at Un Am standing before him, the sect leader’s eyes sharpened. As though he were assessing whether Un Am was truly qualified to receive them.

Unable to endure his anxiety, Hyeon Jong was just about to step forward again when—

“Aigoo, Sect Leader!”

“Hngh?”

The dozen or so sect leaders whose eyes had been gleaming suddenly rushed over, surrounding Un Am and competing to greet him.

“It is an honor beyond compare to meet the renowned Sect Leader of Mount Hua!”

“I never imagined you would personally come out to receive us... This Bae is truly moved!”

“A long journey? Not at all! Of course we had to come! We can only feel grateful that you invited us!”

At that incomprehensible sight, Hyeon Jong’s eyes widened involuntarily.

Huh? Why... are they reacting so positively?

A completely different kind of bewilderment swept over Hyeon Jong.

❀ ❀ ❀

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