Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1238. Is that so? (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"Who did you say came?"
“It’s Mount Hua, Mount Hua! I said Heavenly Comrade Alliance is here!”
“What nonsense! With a typhoon raging like this?"
"This isn't about what makes sense or not! They're in the Guest Hall right now! Have you lived your whole life being scammed?"
"...Good heavens."
The listener stretched out their hand and opened the window.
Whoooooshshhh!
The furious storm wind whipped through, making the trees sway as though they would snap in two. He could even see a few trees that had been completely uprooted and were rolling across the ground.
'Through this?'
Forget the sea, even climbing mountains would be difficult in such a storm. The storms faced in the southern sea are on a completely different level from those encountered on mainland. And yet, these people, unfamiliar with the southern seas, managed to push through this storm...
"Wh- Who of them came?"
“Don’t be shocked! It’s Five Swords themselves, Five Swords!”
“Five Swords? Could it be that Mount Hua Five Swords?”
“Yes! That Mount Hua Five Swords!”
“...Hoho.”
The name 'Mount Hua's Five Swords' stirred many feelings among Hainan's disciples.
‘So, it’s them.’
At the Murim Competition held at Shaolin. There, Hainan's disciples got into an argument with Mount Hua's disciples and started throwing punches at each other.
At the time, the incident was quickly mediated by the Shaolin monks, preventing it from escalating further, but it’s fair to say that Hainan might’ve been responsible for introducing Mount Hua’s Five Swords to the world stage.
Because of this, Hainan's disciples couldn't help but have complicated feelings upon hearing about the Five Swords. Back then, the gap between them hadn’t seemed so vast, but within just a few short years, those same Five Swords had become the representatives of the rising stars, achieving unimaginable feats and sweeping up fame across Kangho.
"Th- Then wait! Did Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword come too?"
“That’s right!”
"...It's true. They really came."
The listener's body shuddered.
Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. That epithet has long since become a symbol of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, beyond Mount Hua. How could anyone not understand what it meant that he himself had come in person?
“Where are they now?”
"In the Guest Hall, of course… S- Sahyung! Where are you going? Senior Brother!"
"I must see with my own eyes!"
"Let's go together! Sahyung! Hey, Sahyung!"
The news that Heavenly Comrade Alliance's special envoy had arrived in Hainan spread throughout Hainan faster than a gale. Some were shocked by the news, others were moved, and some impatient people dashed off without a second thought.
And those Heavenly Comrade Alliance members receiving all this attention...
"Rice! More rice, please!"
“Wow. Hainan’s chicken is also delicious.”
“That’s not chicken, Sahyung.”
"How come the rice grains here are so long?"
"Does it matter? As long as it tastes good!"
They were in the process of depleting Hainan Sect's typhoon-isolated food storage at an alarming rate. So much so that someone who didn't know better might mistake them for agents sent by Evil Tyrant Alliance on a special mission to exhaust Hainan's supplies.
The head cook of Hainan Sect’s kitchen stood there, staring blankly at the dining table that was now the battlefield.
If it were any other day, Hainan would have prepared exquisite delicacies for those who visited from far away, but Hainan, having received guests so suddenly, couldn't possibly have such capacity. As a result, he couldn’t help but worry whether the hastily prepared food would suit their tastes.
But seeing this scene now, well...
'Would exquisite delicacies have even mattered?'
They were practically stuffing down anything they could chew and swallow... Putting fine food in front of those mouths felt like a waste…
"Is there more rice?"
"...You just finished an entire pot."
"There's none?"
"I- I'll get some. Rice! Bring more rice, quickly! And prepare more of the other dishes too!"
The cook, sweating profusely, dashed back to the kitchen.
After quite a while of decimating Hainan’s food storage, Heavenly Comrade Alliance group finally slouched in their chairs, holding their bloated stomachs.
“…I feel alive again.”
“Same here.”
Namgung Dowi closed his eyes tightly while looking at his protruding belly.
To be honest, there was a time when he thought the people of Mount Hua had no manners, as they ate rice as if possessed.
'It wasn’t about manners.'
To stay alive, you had to eat.
When you get swept along in the brutal training that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword forced on you, no matter how much you cultivate your internal strength, you lose weight like it’s melting off.
If Namgung Dowi had maintained his usual diet, he would have been nothing but skin and bones by now. It was only by eating like crazy like this that he could at least maintain this body.
"Really thought I was going to die."
“Or maybe we already did. Maybe we’ve already drowned at the bottom of the sea, and this is just some kind of dream…”
"...Stop saying such ominous things."
Tang Pae scowled with a frown on his face.
He wonders why that Namgung Dowi brat is getting weirder by the day. Sure, he had always been a bit annoying, but at least he used to be prudent.
“...I’m saying this because we came that close to death.”
“That, I can agree.”
Tang Pae shook his head with a grim expression.
Just remembering those house-sized waves still made his legs tremble.
'We survived somehow, somehow.'
They had been caught right in the middle of the open sea when the storm struck. Even for trained martial artists, surviving should have been impossible under normal circumstances.
If Im Sobyeong hadn't told them to dive deep, they might have met some terrible fate halfway through when their strength was exhausted.
"...Good thing the outcome was favorable."
"Good?"
"...Good thing the outcome wasn't the worst."
Namgung Dowi shook his head.
'How did he know about that?'
The moment they dove under, they realized it. The currents that had been raging so fiercely at the surface turned eerily calm once they were deeper.
Of course, it wasn’t easy to dive deep and swim like that, and they had to come up to the surface every now and then to take a breath, but it was incomparable to swimming on the surface.
"But this bastard, what are you doing to such a precious medicine!"
At that moment, Chung Myung kicked Im Sobyeong, who was holding a medicine bowl. I Though Im Sobyeong sprawled flat on his stomach, he somehow protected the medicine bowl and pressed his face against it, slurping desperately.
“You’re not handing that over? Since when does some Evil Sects punk get to waste precious medicine?”
“Aigoo, Sahyung! He'll really die without this?"
“That’s what I’m saying! And you, from Tang Family no less, can’t even use poison on a Evil Sects punk, so instead, you’re wasting good medicine? Expensive medicine?”
“...People need to be saved. I am a physician after all."
Namgung Dowi heaved a deep sigh. Both Chung Myung and Im Sobyeong were... consistent in their own ways. Tang Pae, though silent, nodded in agreement.
Namgung Dowi’s gaze drifted to the side. In the chaos, he hadn’t noticed that quite a few people were now gathered near the window. Despite the raging wind and rain outside.
He could see the strange mixture of expectation and anxiety in their eyes. Namgung Dowi then spoke in a small voice.
“The Hainan disciples don’t look too pleased.”
"Of course not. They've endured for years under the pressure of not knowing when Evil Tyrant Alliance might attack."
"Then shouldn’t they be welcoming us a bit more?"
“You’re forgetting one thing.”
"What?"
"We're just as guilty of completely excluding and abandoning Hainan until now."
At those words, Namgung Dowi's expression slightly hardened.
“Sure, we can shift the blame to Ten Great Sects and say it was their responsibility. But those disciples over there won’t see it that way.”
Namgung Dowi in particular could not avoid this truth.
Until Namgung Hwang's death and his redirecting Nam-gung family's allegiance to Heavenly Comrade Alliance, Namgung Family had also acted alongside Ten Great Sects under the name of Five Great Family.
For those three years, they had turned their backs on Hainan. That was a fact that could never be changed.
'It's something we must not forget.'
So they hadn't come here as saviors. They came to apologize for ignoring what they should have done, and to show them that Heavenly Comrade Alliance had now taken the right path.
“It is nothing but the arrogance of those extending their hand to think that since they came with good intentions, the other party should naturally accept them with good intentions. First, we must look back on what we did."
Namgung Dowi nodded at those words.
'I guess we should approach this with a more humble attitude.'
He thought that might be the key to bridging the gap with Hainan.
And then.
Whooooshhh!
The door to the Guest Hall swung open, and fierce wind rushed in. Under everyone’s gaze, Gwak Hwanso stepped inside.
Thud. Thud.
He walked straight toward their table, eyeing the empty plates before giving a nod of approval.
“Sect Leader has ordered that you be treated as honored guests and that nothing should inconvenience you. If there’s anything you need…”
“Huh? I remember now!"
Just then, Chung Myung pointed at Gwak Hwanso.
“That’s him, Sahyung! That guy!”
As Yoon Jong swayed side to side under Chung Myung’s hefty grip, he calmly asked.
"Who?"
"Ah, from then! The guy who got beaten by Sasuk. At Shaolin!"
“Ah! That guy?”
"Yeah! The one who cried after getting punched by Sasuk..."
“Who cried, who!”
Gwak Hwanso screamed. Sure, he got hit, but he didn’t cry! Sure, he had blacked out after just one punch, but still!
"Hey, it's nice seeing you here like this."
“....”
“But isn’t the hospitality here really bad?”
"What?"
Chung Myung said indifferently.
“Is this how they treat guests in the southern sea? How could they not bring out even one bottle of alcohol?"
Gwak Hwanso sneered.
"Ah, you’re talking about alcohol. Of course, we have some fine liquors here in the south. But since southern liquor tends to be very strong, I thought it might be a bit too much for you all, given how tired you must be…”
“Too strong for you, maybe.”
“....”
"After all, it's the kind of drink that leaves weaklings like you passed out after one hit from Sasuk."
Gwak Hwanso's cheeks twitched.
"...As I said, southern seas's alcohol is quite strong. And the men of southern seas are..."
“Weaklings?”
“....”
At that moment, the sound of Gwak Hwan-so gritting his teeth suddenly leaked out.
“...Jayang.”
“Yes, Sahyung.”
“Go get some alcohol.”
“...Huh?”
"Bring everything we have. Now!"
At his thunderous order, several of Hainan's disciples hurriedly ran outside. Then they returned carrying large jars of alcohol.
The Guest Hall quickly filled with enormous liquor jars, each big enough to fit a person. Even a quick glance showed there were easily more than ten.
Thud.
Gwak Hwanso pulled off the cloth sealing the jars. A strong scent of alcohol filled the Guest Hall.
"I’ve brought the liquor, just as you wanted. However... as you can tell just from the scent, this is quite strong. So you don’t need to push..."
"Sasuk, is the scent that strong?"
“Smells fine to me.”
"Huh, maybe it's because they're country bumpkin. They're showing off too much."
Gwak Hwanso's eyes were now bloodshot.
“Fine then, we’ll drink it all. If you lightweights yangban can’t handle it, feel free to leave. We’ll enjoy ourselves."
Eventually, Gwak Hwanso, unable to control his anger any longer, grabbed the jars and lifted them up sharply as if he were ready to throw them.
"Sahyung!"
“Sa- Sahyung! No!”
Bam!
But he just walked forward and slammed it down in front of Baek Cheon. Then sat down across with a thud.
"...As guests who've come from afar, it would only be proper to drink together."
"Oh?"
Baek Cheon looked at Gwak Hwanso with a meaningful smirk. Gwak Hwanso twisted his lips and said.
“But… I’m a little concerned. Even though you’ve got that fair, delicate face, if you wet yourself from the alcohol, it'll be a memory that follows you for life."
Baek Cheon just smiled amiably.
"Could that be any more embarrassing than foaming at the mouth and collapsing from one hit?"
"What did you say?"
"Why?"
Sparks flew from both their eyes simultaneously.
“So? Up for a rematch?”
"You still don't seem to understand even after that experience, but while Mount Hua never picks fights first, we certainly don’t walk away from one."
At those words, a few people in the back whispered among themselves.
“Mount Hua doesn’t pick fights?”
"Don't they pick fights everywhere they can?"
"Sasuk lies as easily as breathing. He could work at the imperial palace."
"Does he have no conscience?"
Baek Cheon shot a deadly glare at those whispering behind him, then returned his gaze to Gwak Hwanso.
Gwak Hwanso’s face twitched as he forced a smile.
"You'll regret this."
“Regret?”
Crack. Crack.
Baek Cheon cracked his neck to each side, raising his chin slightly.
"Make me then."
“Excuse me, Acting Sect Leader?”
"Please maintain some dignity..."
"...Well, let's leave them be. Look at his eyes; he’s already gone. No stopping him now. It’s over.”
Ignoring the voices around them, the two grabbed their bowls at the same time.
"Whoever passes out first!"
"Loses!"
The two large bowls of alcohol met midair with a powerful clash.
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