Kwang!
"WOAHHH! We arrived!"
"It is Mount Hua!"
"Oh my, mother!"
The disciples of Mount Hua, who had kicked open the gate of the mountain, looked at the pavilions with eyes filled with emotion.
They had climbed up the rugged Mount Hua in one breath, but instead of feeling exhausted, they felt full of energy and vigor.
"Ahh."
"Mount Hua…."
Everyone looked as if they would burst into tears at any moment.
Hyun Jong smiled broadly.
'Do they like it so much?'
Well, if you thought about it, it wasn't so strange.
Most of Mount Hua's disciples had never been away from Mount Hua for a long time. It was only natural that they would be moved after being away from such a place for two years.
Hyun Jong's heart warmed.
Didn't this mean that Mount Hua's disciples treated this place like their home? The sect leader couldn't help but be happy….
"Oh my! The roof! Roof!"
"I want to cry!"
"I won't have to sleep in the grass anymore and get bitten by the bugs!"
"When I wake up in the grass, my back ends up soaking wet, and now that is a goodbye!!"
"Food! I can eat food that tastes like human food now! Food!"
"…."
Hyun Jong covered his mouth with his fist and coughed lightly.
'This is embarrassing.'
Now that Mount Hua was considered a wealthy sect, he was moved to tears by the fact that his disciples could sleep in a pavilion again. Even the Beggars Union wouldn't have…
Of course, if one knew their circumstances, it would be natural.
In order to avoid the eyes of outsiders, they went deep into the mountains to train. To put it nicely, they trained like hermits in a deep valley, and to put it badly, they were begging like beggars in the mountains.
After swinging the sword like mad people from morning to night, scraping up whatever they could eat, and sleeping on the dirt for so long, it wasn't surprising that they were moved to see where they could finally live like humans.
Although he stayed at the Eunha with the kids, it couldn't have been so comfortable for the disciples.
"Bed! I need to collapse on my bed!"
"Get out of my way! I need to do it first!"
"Don't we have a diner?"
"We do have one. I've been away from it for years."
"Maybe…"
Just as the disciples were losing their composure, the general of Mount Hua stamped his foot.
Thump!
The disciples all turned to the side.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Hyun Young clicked his tongue and looked around at the disciples.
"No matter how anxious you are, you have to do what needs to be done."
Then he gestured at the pavilions with his chin.
"Do you not see it?"
"Uh?"
When the disciples seemed unsure, Hyun Young kindly explained.
"Do you see the white dust that has accumulated on the pavilion there?"
"…."
"I am not asking for anything hard. I wish the renovation work had been finished today, but I am just human, so I don't hope for it. But!"
Everyone's faces began to turn pale as Hyun Young started to smile.
"First, we should clean up the dust that has accumulated while we were away."
'That devil!'
'Don't be so uptight!'
'Be flexible!'
Hyun Young just shrugged, pretending he heard the protests from the disciples.
"You have something to say?"
"N-No!"
"Not at all!"
"Of course, we agree!"
No matter how strong their martial arts were, no one had yet grown bold enough to defy Hyun Young.
Hyun Young nodded happily and shouted.
"Okay then. Move! Let us finish this quickly!"
"Yes!"
Mount Hua's disciples ran out.
"Woah…."
Hong Dae-Kwang, who had arrived a little late, stared blankly at Mount Hua.
What would they say if they showed the people below what was happening here? They would probably say that the actions of the sect, which were not common sense in the murim world, needed to be reconsidered.
"Move quickly!"
"I am going! Move!"
"There! Sweep there, I will do it!"
The disciples of Mount Hua were cleaning at an incredible speed. They weren't just sweeping and wiping; they were carrying buckets as big as people, running to the stream below to draw water, and literally 'washing' the pavilion.
Dozens of water buckets flew in succession, spraying water as if rain were pouring down from the sky.
"… Amazing."
He felt this way when he saw the Tang family before, but wasn't it a waste of strength for warriors to act as guards and cleaners? If they were used for construction, they could easily do the work of ten skilled workers…
The halls, which had been covered in dust and white smoke, quickly regained their original color.
'Come to think of it, Mount Hua's Sword Saint is?'
Other people were cleaning, but it didn't seem like that person would even clean…
"The dust isn't cleaned well!"
"Ugh!"
At that moment, he saw Chung Myung mercilessly kicking the butt of his sahyung.
"Ancestral tablet! How can there be dust on the ancestral tablet! Are you going to just wipe the dust off?"
"N-No, we were told to just clean it…"
"Here! Do you not see the dust here? See!"
"… Chung Myung. I cannot see anything."
"If even a speck of dust remains today, all the sahyungs will die! Hurry up and clean it!"
"Ah, fine."
Chung Myung, who had taken over the Jade Heavenly Hall, rolled his eyes and shouted like a lion.
He also held a cloth and began to wipe the tablet with zeal.
"Hooo. Hooo!"
Plop. Plop.
"Hoo. Pheww!"
Squeak.
Baek Cheon shook his head as he watched Chung Myung wipe the tablets with the others of Great Mount Hua Sect's Thirteenth Generation Sect Leader, Chung Mun, engraved on it.
Even madness could be felt in the hand movements as this guy wiped the tablet.
'Is that kid ill-mannered? Or is he too ill-mannered?'
While kicking his sahyung and sajaes, he still respected his ancestors, whom he had never even met. Where did something go wrong to make such a horrible person act out?
Crack!
"Ack! There is a crack on the tablet! Oh my! Chung Mun sahyungggg! Give me glue! Rice!!!!"
"…insane bastard!"
Baek Cheon, who had stopped thinking, shook his head. Of course, Hong Dae-Kwang was the same.
Blink. Blink.
In just an hour, Mount Hua regained its original look. The tiles, which were stained and dirty, had regained their original color and were shining, and the pillars with walls that were dull and faded had become clear as if they were oiled.
The curtains hung on the long clothesline and swayed gently in the wind.
It was a truly peaceful scene.
"Okay, now…"
Hyun Young looked around with a sharp glance.
The disciples couldn't take their eyes off Hyun Young, who was tense. Their fates were determined by what he said.
"Well, this much is…"
Hyun Young nodded, not pleased with it, but still accepting it. Everyone let out a silent cheer.
"Sect leader."
"Yes."
"The kids have been working hard, so I think it would be good to let them eat and rest comfortably for today."
"That is a nice thought, but is there anything to eat in Mount Hua now? Since all the servants were sent out, there is no one to cook."
"I stopped by Hwa-Um village on the way and ordered some food. They should just go down and get it."
"You did all that has to be done. Heheh."
As Hyun Jong was about to nod happily, he saw Chung Myung sneaking up behind Hyun Young and whispering.
"Elder. Alcohol, alcohol…"
"This…! Yah, brat! You got so drunk and got in trouble, and now you are speaking about alcohol?"
Hyun Jong shouted, making Hyun Young frown.
"That is that, and this is this! The kids could be a little thirsty!"
"Ughh!"
Just as Hyun Jong was about to say one more thing.
"Alcohol is here."
A voice was heard from behind, making everyone turn their heads instinctively.
The closed gate of Mount Hua slowly opened, and a person appeared—a middle-aged man holding a white bottle of alcohol in one hand, dressed in green clothing.
"Oh!"
Hyun Jong's eyes were filled with joy.
"Lord!"
"Father!"
Likewise, those who noticed Tang Gunak couldn't suppress their joy and shouted loudly. Tang Gunak smiled brightly at the warm reception.
He walked slowly through the gate and bowed to Hyun Jong.
"Greetings to the Alliance Lord."
"Do not do this now, family lord."
Hyun Jong quickly grabbed his arms and lifted him up.
"I am a sinner who failed to fulfill my role as the Alliance Lord and passed the burden to you. I cannot accept this greeting."
Tang Gunak smiled.
"It doesn't seem like you failed to fulfill your role."
"But… how did you get here so quickly?"
Hyun Jong asked with a surprised face, and Tang Gunak answered, looking embarrassed.
"I came running right after receiving the letter. When I heard that Mount Hua opened their gates, my body felt so hot that I couldn't stay there anymore."
"You did well coming. Welcome."
Hyun Jong's eyes were filled with joy and regret at the same time.
He already knew how much Tang Gunak suffered while Mount Hua was under the Closed Gate. In the midst of all that, how could he not be thankful that he came all the way from the distant Yangtze River?
"Ugh. Some people are welcomed, and some get to carry the luggage."
At that moment, Im So-Byeong came in through the door.
"Green Forest King?"
"You are here?"
Hyun Young greeted Im So-Byeong with a bright smile.
"It has been a while, elder."
"Have you been well?"
"It is nothing… I think I can answer that after the elder looks at all the ledgers I brought along. If that passes, then nothing bad will happen."
"Hahaha. Then, of course, there is nothing wrong."
Hyun Young grabbed the hand of Im So-Byeong, who was joking around. There was clear trust in that gesture.
"That."
At that moment, Chung Myung slowly approached Tang Gunak, his eyes fixed on the bottle in his hand.
"Seems like a very good alcohol…"
The color of the alcohol and the landscape painting on it felt so luxurious. There was no way that the alcohol in the bottle could be ordinary.
"Of course, it is a good one."
Tang Gunak nodded with a faint smile.
"I brought this because I carefully selected it to have a drink with a friend I haven't met in a long time."
"Kuak. That is nice to hear."
Just as Chung Myung was about to joke, Tang Gunak's eyes darkened slightly.
"But…"
"Uh?"
"There is something I need to confirm before that."
Tang Gunak, who stepped back slightly from Hyun Jong, stood up as he looked at Chung Myung. A serious force flowed from his body.
"Hmph."
"…"
The faces of the Mount Hua disciples hardened in an instant.
An incredible sense of pressure, befitting the position of the family Lord of the Sichuan Tang family, weighed on him.
"A friend who has been in hiding for years without contacting me…"
"…."
"I should first confirm what he has gained during that time so that the taste of the alcohol comes alive. What do you think?"
Tang Gunak's sharp eyes fell on Chung Myung. Tang Gunak's qi, which hadn't been fully suppressed, was worthy of its reputation.
However, Chung Myung, who received that gaze, just smiled even though he was directly hit by it.
"Confirmation, huh…."
Chung Myung, who slightly raised his lips, answered while looking straight at his long-awaited close friend.
"If you want to confirm that, one bottle of alcohol wouldn't be enough."
At that moment, a smile like Chung Myung's appeared on Tang Gunak's lips