Chapter 1933 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1933. Anyone Else Have Something to Say? (3)

“Quite a spectacle.”

“It really is.”

The Five Swords let out admiring exclamations as they looked at the seats arranged around the central training ground.

In truth, it was difficult to call the sight itself particularly grand. It was merely a large training ground with several hundred chairs arranged around it. Of course, the number of chairs prepared had far exceeded the original estimate, reaching no less than seven hundred. Even so, that alone was not enough to call it remarkable.

But once one considered the identities of those who would be sitting there, the matter became very different.

“To think the sect leaders of the world’s sects would gather together in one place like this.”

“Right? It’s a shame that the great major sects couldn’t participate, but that’s not really what makes this gathering important, is it?”

“They weren’t exactly in a position to come, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“That’s true.”

Tang Soso nodded at Yoon Jong’s words.

“Shaolin has already gone into bongmun, and Wudang is currently rebuilding the foundations of its sect.... and I don't mean that metaphorically—they literally have to lay the foundation stones again from the ground up. The other sects aren’t in great shape either. Even the Tang Family—its Family Head passed away so suddenly. Do you really think they’d be in any state to come?”

“....At times like this, I truly have no idea how I’m supposed to respond, Soso-ya. Please spare a thought for the person who has to answer you.”

“I was only stating the facts.”

Yoon Jong squeezed his eyes shut.

In any case, for these reasons, almost none of the sects known as the Nine Great Sects and One Union or the Five Great Families had participated. Even the Sichuan Tang Family had sent a lengthy letter from Tang Pae politely declining attendance.

But that did nothing to diminish the significance of the event. If anything, the circumstances made it shine even brighter.

That was why the Mount Hua Cheong-generation disciples were bustling about from early morning, before the guests had even begun to appear. In everyone’s eyes shimmered a fierce determination to ensure that this gathering concluded without a single problem.

“The first guest is the important one.”

“Haven’t about seventy percent of them already arrived? They’re all staying in the guest quarters. Does the first guest even matter?”

“Ahem. What kind of thing is that to say? They came all the way to Mount Hua to participate in this gathering. Who sits in these chairs first today is more important than anything else.”

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Beginnings were always important. That was why Mount Hua’s disciples eagerly awaited which sect would become the first to grace the event.

And yet...

“Why?”

“.....”

“What?”

“....No, well. Welcome.”

Yoon Jong openly sighed as he looked at the beggar tilting his head in front of him. For some reason, those rags were especially conspicuous today. Even the faint odor wafting from them seemed stronger than usual.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Me?”

The Beggar Union Leader, Hong Daegwang, who had kicked open Mount Hua’s main gate at the crack of dawn, flopped into a chair and grinned.

“I’m absurdly busy. You know, right? Beggars may be idle, but the king of beggars doesn’t have a moment to spare.”

As Hong Daegwang flashed a smile, yellowed teeth were revealed.

“Still, I couldn’t ignore an invitation from Mount Hua. No matter how busy you are, you still have to eat.”

“If you’re a beggar, it seems like skipping a few meals should be fine.”

“You’re neglecting your proper duty.”

“Exactly.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

The Mount Hua disciples looked at Hong Daegwang with uncomfortable expressions. The first guest being the Beggar Union Leader... That was a little...

The disciples who had stepped back began whispering among themselves.

“Do you think it’ll be okay if the first one through the door is a beggar?”

“...Well, he’s not an ordinary beggar.”

“A beggar’s still a beggar, though.”

“No, actually. Come to think of it, it might actually be better this way. The Beggar Union’s influence is no joke right now.”

The greatest beneficiary of Shaolin’s and Wudang’s decline was Mount Hua. That much was undeniable. Then who was the second greatest beneficiary?

‘The Beggar Union, obviously.’

Of course, the Beggar Union had also suffered enormous losses during the war. But what it suffered was merely ‘damage’. The other members of the Nine Great Sects and One Union and the Five Great Families had suffered blows akin to having their spines ripped out.

And so, simply because it had been beaten a little less severely by the Evil Tyrant Alliance, the Beggar Union now found itself firmly occupying one of the upper positions among the Nine Great Sects and One Union.

Right. No matter that he was a beggar, in terms of status alone this man was one of the five most influential figures in the current jianghu. It was only because that pathetic face was so familiar that it was impossible to think of him that way....

“But if you’re someone of that stature, why are you sitting here?”

“Huh?”

“Considering your status, shouldn’t you be sitting up front? Do you really need to sit all the way back here?”

Tang Soso pointed toward the foremost seats in the distance. At that, Hong Daegwang slowly closed his eyes. The corners of those eyes began to glisten with moisture.

“Before I came here... I happened to meet someone.”

“Oh, really? And?”

“That brat told me this. He said if a beggar loiters around in the front, it’ll lower the gathering’s dignity, so I shouldn’t even think about sitting up there and should have the sense to sit in the back instead.”

“.....”

Yoon Jong and Tang Soso did not bother asking who had said that. In all of Mount Hua—no, in all the world—there was only one person who could say something like that to the Beggar Union Leader.

“....We’ll apologize on his behalf.”

“No need. You lot have it harder than I do.”

For a moment, the beggar and the Taoists gazed silently at one another, united by a sense of shared suffering.

“That said.”

“Yes?”

Hong Daegwang spoke with a meaningful smile.

“It seems the Mount Hua Divine Dragon has spread the board rather wide. Was there really any need to rush things like this?”

“Who knows? How would we know what’s going on inside that bastard’s head?”

“Hm hm hm. Is that so?”

Judging by the look on his face, Hong Daegwang had probably already guessed what Cheong Myeong was trying to do simply from watching how events were unfolding. No matter how much Cheong Myeong looked down on him, and no matter how much pity he received from Mount Hua’s disciples, he was still the Beggar Union Leader. There was no way he was an easy man.

“Tell him to take it easy. Take it easy. Ah, just thinking about it makes me nervous.”

“Haha...”

Just as Hong Daegwang continued joking around, the second guest entered through the main gate.

The expressions of the Mount Hua Cheong-generation disciples visibly soured the moment they recognized his face.

“Fufufufufufu! It has been quite some time since I last visited Mount Hua.”

Dressed in green silk robes and, unlike usual, wearing a proper official cap (gwan) upon his head, Im Sobyeong strode in while fanning himself with a folding fan embroidered with a green dragon.

 “....The second guest is a bandit.”

“Shouldn’t we consider this event a failure already?”

“No, seriously, that man wasn’t even invited. Why is he here?”

The Mount Hua disciples swallowed their tears of frustration.

Earlier, it had been said that the Beggar Union was the second greatest beneficiary of the war. But that assessment depended on one’s perspective.

Because Nokrim had emerged from a massive war started by the unorthodox factions while suffering comparatively little damage despite being an unorthodox faction itself. That single fact alone explained all the benefits Nokrim had gained from the war.

“Fufufu. Why am I here? Because of course I should be. Mount Hua is Nokrim, and Nokrim is Mount Hua. How could I possibly miss a Mount Hua event?”

“....I’m going insane. Seriously.”

Im Sobyeong sauntered over and plopped himself down right in front of the Mount Hua Cheong-generation disciples.

“No, why is Nokrim King sitting here too? Someone of your standing should really be seated in the very front row.”

“Because I’m a bandit?”

“Ah...”

That single sentence was enough to convince everyone, and they all nodded in agreement. At that moment, Hong Daegwang and Im Sobyeong looked at one another. For an instant, it seemed as though sparks crackled in the air between them.

“It’s been a while since we last met?”

“Mm, I suppose it has. Well, we aren’t exactly on friendly terms, are we?”

The Beggar Union Leader, guardian of the orthodox path, and Nokrim King, currently in the middle of escaping the unorthodox path, glared at each other.

“Still, do unorthodox bastards attend events like this? Seems like a perfect way to ruin a fine gathering.”

“Haha. Even so, can they possibly be worse than beggars? If you’re looking for leftover scraps, I think the kitchen would be a better place.”

“You’ve certainly got nerve. I’ll admid that. With this many orthodox sect leaders around, what are you going to do if someone decides to make an issue out of something, beats the hell out of you, and throws you out?

“I’ll treasure that advice. Coming from the sect leader who has probably been thrown out of places more than anyone else in the world. By the way, have people stopped smashing begging bowls over your head these days?”

Sparks flew between them again.

“This unorthodox bastard has the nerve to run his mouth—”

“Do I hear a beggar barking?”

Watching the two growl at one another, the Mount Hua disciples sighed.

“Know your place! How dare you bare your teeth at the Beggar Union Leader, Mount Hua’s closest friend!”

“What’s the point of being close friends? It’s not useful.”

“What? Are you belittling the Beggar Union’s contributions during the war? Do you know how much help we were?”

“All you did was fly messenger pigeons around from the rear.”

“Huh?”

Im Sobyeong smirked and unfolded his fan.

“Think about it, Mr. Beggar. We mobilized manpower equal to the Beggar Union, and I personally served as a strategist.”

Yoon Jong nodded as though that was a fair point.

“Not that it was particularly helpful.”

“Looking back, wasn’t every one of your plans wrong? I think you were just being played by Ho Gamyeong the entire—”

“Khaak! Quiet, please. And in the end, I personally took the field and even captured an enemy commander. While I was making such glorious contributions, where exactly was our esteemed Sect Leader?”

“B-backline support is important too!”

“Of course it is. Of course it is. But think about it. If you were in Mount Hua’s position, who would you consider your true right-hand man? A beggar who does nothing but talk from the rear, or someone like me, who can contribute in every area?”

“Y-you...!”

“Hahahaha. What refreshing weather.”

The argument ended in what was, by all appearances, a complete victory for Nokrim King. Yet the Mount Hua disciples who witnessed it were thinking something entirely different.

“I don’t think Mount Hua considers either of them a right-hand man.”

“Even the Tang Family is staying quiet. Why are those two...?”

“Let’s just leave them be. People are free to dream.”

Everyone shook their heads.

Meanwhile, people continued arriving one after another and filling the seats. Familiar faces appeared in succession, while complete strangers awkwardly introduced themselves first.

The more people arrived, the more the expressions of the Mount Hua disciples gradually stiffened with tension. Before long, all those countless seats were filled.

Those who shared deep ties with Mount Hua. Those who wished to forge ties with Mount Hua. And those who harbored grudges against Mount Hua. All of them took their seats carrying their own thoughts.

At first, it was noisy. Naturally so, with this many people gathered together.

Yet strangely, the more of the expected guests arrived, and the fewer empty seats remained, the more a peculiar silence descended upon the venue.

By the time everyone had finally taken their seats, complete silence had settled over Mount Hua.

Its meaning was surely not singular. Respect for the Mount Hua that had gathered all these people in one place. The tension inspired by those assembled here. And perhaps even fear toward the Mount Hua that would soon stand before them.

Just as those intertwined emotions tightened the atmosphere further and further, Un Am, Mount Hua’s Sect Leader, slowly ascended the platform erected at the center.

With a gentle expression, he quietly swept his gaze across the crowd. Then, without haste, he calmly opened his mouth.

“From this moment, I declare the opening of the Mount Hua Alliance Gathering.”

[Hwasan hoemaeng. 화산회맹(華山會盟).]

It was a declaration delivered in a calm voice, and because of that, it felt all the more weighty.

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