Chapter 1448: I Cannot Do It Alone. (3)

Tang Gunak bowed deeply to Hyun Jong, who stood before him.

“On behalf of the Sichuan Tang Family, I thank you for enduring and waiting despite the difficult circumstances.”

Hyun Jong waved off the courtesy.

“Of course. Naturally.”

It would be a lie to say there was no anxiety. Sichuan was no longer a place they could rest easy.

Still, Hyun Jong waited in silence.

Others might not understand, but Hyun Jong did. He knew how crucial what was happening at the Tang Family was—he was the Sect leader of Mount Hua and had experienced similar events many times.

“Family Lord. Have you made any progress in putting things in order?”

At that question, Tang Gunak met Hyun Jong’s gaze with lake-deep eyes. Hyun Jong unconsciously clenched his hand for a moment.

It’s not hard to confirm a warrior’s improvement in skill. But changes within a person’s heart are usually hard to notice.

But Hyun Jong could see it now. He was witnessing a rare sight with his own eyes. In just half a day, the Family Lord—Poison King Tang Gunak of the Sichuan Tang Family—had clearly accomplished something.

Tang Gunak glanced back.

“I wanted to, but…”

He saw his followers looking at him with resolute eyes.

“It’s only the first step. Unburdening everything that’s been piled up won’t be easy to do.”

“I understand. It will be so.”

Hyun Jong nodded in understanding.

Mount Hua had nothing to lose; thus nothing to protect. That was sad, but conversely it helped Mount Hua shed its old self and move forward.

But the Tang Family was different. Even after losing the Poison Vault and their workshops, they were still the Sichuan Tang Family. Toppling and rebuilding the household order that surrounded them like a fortress would not be easy.

Still, Tang Gunak nodded to Hyun Jong with a face full of conviction.

“But we’ve just begun; that alone is enough.”

A small exclamation escaped Hyun Jong. At that moment, an intruding voice cut in.

“Can we leave now?”

Tang Gunak and Hyun Jong turned their gazes. Chung Myung pouted and gestured toward the sky.

“It looks like it’s getting dark again… Another camp?”

“We can’t do that.”

Tang Gunak gave a small smile and shook his head.

“Causing trouble isn’t the Tang Family’s way.”

“I think you’ve already caused enough trouble.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Anyway, this damn empty head!”

“What the—! Did I say something wrong?”

Chung Myung was dragged away by the Five Swords’ hands from behind but kept shouting. Hyun Jong, sighing, apologized to Tang Gunak.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s not entirely wrong.”

Tang Gunak chuckled and cast his gaze south. A momentary haze crossed his eyes, but he left that attachment on southern soil and turned his head north.

“Let’s set out.”

“Yes.”

Tang Gunak led his followers and took a step forward.

Leaving the past behind, toward the place they must now live.

“…You intend to settle completely in Shaanxi?”

Baek Cheon’s face was full of dismay. Seeing his shock, Tang Gunak asked.

What filled his eyes was pure astonishment.

“Wasn’t this already agreed upon?”

“W-well, yes, but…”

“I know. The meaning is a bit different, though.”

“…Yes. That’s what I mean.”

Baek Cheon flinched as if he had misspoken. Tang Gunak snorted softly at him.

“I merely made a decision that had to be made.”

Tang Gunak looked back over those following him.

Over five hundred people were following. Considering those from the Tang Family who might join, the number could reach around a thousand.

“Of course I want to return to Sichuan. Thinking of my birthplace trampled under that Hegemony Lord’s feet still makes my blood boil.”

“…I understand.”

If Shaanxi and Hwa-Um village fell to the Four Sects Alliance? Without even bringing in that nasty sajil, starting with Baek Cheon, they’d all be furious.

Losing one’s home isn’t just losing land; it’s losing all the memories lived there.

“But perhaps this is for the best now. You can’t cling to a patch of land while trying to rebuild a family’s foundation. We must be ready to cultivate new ground elsewhere—for the family, and… for them.”

Warm concern showed in Tang Gunak’s gaze as he looked over his followers.

They moved slowly by his standards—many hadn’t mastered the family’s martial teachings—but they all stepped forward without complaint.

From now on, Tang Gunak’s task was to turn the despair still visible in their eyes into hope.

“…I’m sorry.”

“W-what do you mean, Family Lord!”

At Tang Gunak’s fraught apology, Baek Cheon waved his hand vehemently.

“My opinion may not mean much in this, but if the Tang Family comes to Shaanxi, we are truly grateful. What could be more reassuring than that?”

“Hearing you say that…”

“Heh!”

The warm mood was abruptly broken. Tang Gunak and Baek Cheon turned their gazes to the same place. Chung Myung stood there with a face that seemed to say, ‘I’m opposed.’

“Where?”

“Shaanxi…”

“Where?”

“Hwa-…Um.”

“Hwaaa-uum?”

Chung Myung’s eyes glittered. Baek Cheon was used to sudden outbursts like this, but Tang Gunak, unaccustomed, flinched and stepped back.

“You know enough to understand—what, settle in Hwa-Um?”

“…That is…”

“I didn’t expect this from you—no sense of propriety! What could the Tang Family possibly get from that tiny patch of land? We’re short on food ourselves.”

“Ahem. It’s not about staying forever…”

“Hey, you! What do you mean? At a time like this we’d be grateful if the Tang Family came.”

Yoon Jong couldn’t stand it and interjected, earning Chung Myung’s fierce glare.

“Grateful? Did you just say grateful? Damn Shaanxi, full of those Southern Edge bastards—I’m so furious I want to set the Southern Edge Mountain ablaze!”

“Let it be known this statement does not represent Mount Hua’s official stance.”

“…It’s scary who might hear that. This guy’s a sage, everyone.”

The Five Swords covered their faces and muttered, but Chung Myung paid no mind and continued.

“And if the Tang Family crawls in too, huh? How are we supposed to eat?”

“Well, um…”

“And it’s not just one or two people. We have over five hundred to feed and house! Does money sprout if you dig the ground?”

That remark made Jo Gul flare up.

“Hey, you bastard! How dare you talk money in front of the Tang Family! Do you know how rich they are?”

“What?”

“Compared to the Tang Family’s wealth, our place is a makeshift hovel under a bridge! The rare metals they’ve piled up, the poisons—sell even one and you’d know how much money that is!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Expensive rare poisons, jewels and metals that could buy a castle, and warehouses piled full of goods.”

“Yeah, you!”

“Where is all that now?”

“Huh?”

Well… in Sichuan… uh…

“All burned down.”

“Fire is fair.”

“Yes, it’s fair. It was fair to Mount Hua as well.”

“Why bring that up!”

The wealth the Tang Family had accumulated for centuries couldn’t be taken on the evacuation. Most of it burned, or was probably devoured by Jang Ilso with his chuckles.

“So what that means is…”

“Yes. So that is…”

The Five Swords pondered and then all turned to look in one direction.

Under the sudden barrage of looks, cold sweat rolled down Tang Gunak’s face. Their eyes plainly said, ‘What is this? They’re beggars?’…

Huh? Soso? Why are you like that too…?

“They aren’t rich—they were rich!”

“Ahem.”

It wasn’t just anyone—Tang Gunak himself was getting dejected. Baek Cheon cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Though times are hard now… the Tang Family is still the Tang Family. If we help them a bit, they’ll soon prosper again…”

“Yeah, they’ll prosper and steal the recruits who’d join Mount Hua, divide up business spots—just like those Southern Edge brats.”

“…How about going to Henan?”

“S-sasuk!”

“A mistake… I misspoke.”

Baek Cheon quickly waved his hand, but words cannot be taken back, and the Five Swords shot him cold looks.

“Whether he’s gotten worse or was always bad.”

“I think the latter. Bad blood. What else would you expect from the Southern Edge-born blood?”

“You’ve got a point.”

“…Bastards.”

Watching the Five Swords bicker, Tang Gunak heaved a deep sigh.

“At least we won’t lose disciples. If anything, we’re the ones who’ll be taken from.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that?”

“The Tang Family’s daughters wish to join Mount Hua.”

“…Honestly I’d prefer to pretend I didn’t hear, but your voice carries, Family Lord. Didn’t you say you’d teach the Tang Family’s martial teachings instead?”

“Of course I’ll teach those who want it. But as you know, the Tang Family’s martial art isn’t universally applicable.”

“…That’s true.”

Their poison arts and memory techniques are lifelong disciplines, hard to master even over a lifetime. The Tang Family is famed because they built their house on those arts.

“It’s a martial path that starts late; there’s no need to force them down a thorny road. If they wish to join Mount Hua, I’m willing to permit it.”

“No, that’s ridiculous. We’re the ones taking disciples—why are you granting permission? Don’t you understand the situation…! Ugh!”

Baek Cheon instantly clamped his hand over Chung Myung’s mouth, freed the hero polearm with his other hand, and shoved it into Chung Myung’s mouth like a gag.

“…That thing has more uses than I thought.”

“Indeed.”

“Get that brat out of here!”

“Yes.”

With Chung Myung dragged away, Tang Gunak sighed and spoke again.

“Not only the daughters. We also intend to open make Mount Hua’s gates to children who haven’t properly learned the Tang Family’s martial art.”

“From our perspective, we’d be most grateful, but…”

Baek Cheon turned his head awkwardly and looked in a direction.

“…Will that be alright?”

There, bound hand and foot, was Chung Myung, his eyes saying, ‘Let the Tang Family kids try crawling in; I’ll personally show them hell.’

“…They’ll manage.”

Tang Gunak said with a wry expression. Of course it wasn’t ideal, but…

“So please take good care of them…”

Pfoooosh!

At that moment, Chung Myung snapped the ropes binding him, sprang up, and spat Baek Cheon’s polearm from his mouth like a projectile.

“Disciples be damned! What about the money? If you come settle on someone else’s land, you pay rent!”

“…You just become the Evil Sect member.”

“Come to think of it, if this guy had been born in the Southern lands and become an Evil Sect brat, Jang Ilso wouldn’t have been able to run rampant like that.”

Though a different hell would have unfolded instead.

“Feed five hundred penniless people? Are we running a charity?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung looked at Yoon Jong. Yoon Jong calmly replied.

“Right. We’re a Taoist sect. We do charity.”

“Oh? Really? Is that what a Taoist sect normally does?”

…Dew formed at Yoon Jong’s eyes. Oh Primordial Immortal—where did things go wrong? Where exactly…?

“Ahem! I absolutely won’t accept it! The Beggars’ Union leeching off Hwa-Um is bad enough, adding more beggars…”

“There is money.”

“…Yes?”

Chung Myung snapped his head toward Tang Gunak.

“Did you bring any?”

“As you can see, we couldn’t bring it.”

“Then do you usually carry some spare?”

“Who carries money to the battlefield?”

Chung Myung’s eyes, which had softened for a moment, turned fierce again.

“Then where does the money come from!”

“Didn’t the Tang Family once leave Sichuan temporarily because of the Demonic Cult?”

“Huh? They did… right?”

“Since then, we’ve distributed about thirty percent of their assets across other regions and battlefronts for contingencies.”

“How much?”

“Thirty percent.”

“Uh… so that means…”

Thirty percent of the Tang Family’s wealth—which bled Sichuan dry for centuries—means… uh…

Chung Myung glanced up at the sky and then looked back, a warm smile spreading across his face as he looked at Tang Gunak.

“Welcome to Shaanxi. Hehe. What’s friendship for? Rest as long as you like! From now on, we’ll protect you!”

Tang Gunak seriously considered whether he should just go to Henan and rely on Shaolin.