Ever since he had come back to life in this new body, he had never been beaten down by others. Of course, there was that beating right after he had re-opened his eyes.

But at this moment, Chung Myung was being beaten down with money and not fists.

“Chung Myung are you fine?”

While shouting urgently, Baek Cheon grabbed Chung Myung by the base of his neck and supported him from falling. Seeing this, Chung Myung rolled his eyes and got up.

“I won’t sell it! I will not sell it even for a thousand gold! Can you not get lost now?!”

“Kekeke. Seriously, a Taoist having such a strong temper. And…”

Nam Ja-Myung spoke as if he felt sorry,

“You don’t even know how to do business. Even after seven weeks, the value of the manor will only drop by half. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to value even a single penny and get out now?”

“Do you know who you are speaking business to?”

“Think I don’t?”

Right!

Ugh. To do business here.

Know where it is wrong to do business? If you make money, you will be buried here!

“You need to be able to read the current environment. You might not know it, but there is no need to inflict more damage to your pride.”

Wow.

He speaks really well.

Now let us see if those words come out so smoothly with a fist stuck in his mouth.

Just one…

Noticing Chung Myung bristling for a fight, Hyun Young approached and grabbed the fist as he whispered with a smile,

“No fists.”

“Then swords?”

“That is an even stronger no.”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung couldn’t hold in his anger and groaned.

They couldn’t know that Mount Hua wasn’t going to leave just for the money. Yet, these people knowing that Mount Hua had recently gained some money, were trying to ridicule them.

When was the last time Chung Myung saw something like this?

“Ugh. He looks like he has a bard head. Can you dare and get close to me?”

“Hahaha. How dare I speak about the guts of my sword against Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon? Even our disciples will end up taking punches.”

Ah, this was silly.

I hate him so much that I want to smash them all.

“So, what do you want to say?”

“Hehe. What is the point? I am literally here just to offer to buy this manor.”

Nam Ja-Myung pointed to the back with his chin.

“Of course, this amount wouldn’t be much for Mount Hua. But wouldn’t Huayoung Gate have a different stance on this?”

Unknowingly, Chung Myung turned to Wei Lishan. There didn’t seem to be much change in his face but Chung Myung knew that Nam Ja-Myung wasn’t wrong.

“It is a heartbreaking thing to be in this sub-sect. And I haven’t been caught up in a loss once or twice.”

Chung Myung looked at the man,

“No, who do you think…”

“Leader Nam.”

But at that time, Hyun Young spoke.

As he was the elder of Mount Hua, Nam Ja-Myung bowed his head,

“Is there no room for compromise?”

“Haha. Elder, he is very interesting.”

Nam Ja-Myung’s eyes shone.

“Have you ever heard of the word compromise between Southern Edge and Mount Hua?”

“… I haven’t.”

“Yes. I know that too. Although I do not understand the meaning of all this, if I observed the situation happening till now, I wouldn’t have dared to speak about compromise.”

Right…

Because this was Southern Edge.

Nam Ja-Myung looked at Hyun Young.

“So, we will not give up a single foot of Xi’an to Mount Hua, until there is not one of us left. So, why don’t you head back to Hua-Um and live in peace? The small town there looks perfect for Mount Hua, right?”

“No, this bastard really!!”

When Chung Myung tried to speak out, Baek Cheon and the others who were next to him, grabbed him.

“The elder is talking.”

“Stay still! Just wait!!”

Nam Ja-Myung smiled upon seeing this.

“Anyway, the elder should have an understanding. We will do everything to prevent Huayoung Gate from taking root here.”

“We will take root here at all costs.”

“Elder.”

At Hyun Young’s words, Nam Ja-Myung smiled.

“You might think of us as being radical, but this is just the start. We have countless ways to harass Huayoung Gate. Did you think no other sect tried to reach into Xi’an? Why do you think nothing has existed here for the last hundred years?”

“…”

“Let’s not waste each other’s time and hearts. If you step back, I will compensate you for the damage done. Or if you want to open the sect elsewhere, we will help. But!”

He continued coldly,

“Xi’an is a no.”

It was a completely different flow of conversation from before.

“Especially Mount Hua. If Southern Edge opened a sub-sect in Hua-Um, would you accept it?”

“… hmm.”

Hyun Young couldn’t speak. Nam Ja-Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“So go back. This is not Mount Hua’s land and if you wait any longer you will only lose more.”

With that, he turned around, and those around him smirked.

Chung Myung, who was pushed back by Baek Cheon, sprinted forward and grabbed the money bag, which he then threw back at Nam Ja-Myung.

“Grab your stuff before leaving.”

Tak!

Nam Ja-Myung smiled as he picked it up.

“Still stuck in your pride. Well, do whatever you want to.”

He smiled at Chung Myung and went out while the disciples of Mount Hua all sighed watching them leave.

“Elder…”

Hyun Young nodded at Wei Lishan’s voice.

“Do not worry so much. We did expect this kind of backlash.”

But…

‘The situation is more intense with Southern Edge closing its doors. I am worried about where to even start solving this problem.’

Hyun Young turned his head, looking at Chung Myung growling like a rabid dog.

‘Should I just let him go?’

No. That isn’t something to be considered.

Really…

Late at night…

Kiik!

A new door opened up with a small noise, and a man in dark clothes came out cautiously.

Step.

He tightened the mask around his face and jumped up to the roof in a single soundless motion.

But…

“Stop.”

“…”

A voice stopped him…

The masked man turned around.

“I knew this was going to happen.”

“He is like an evergreen tree. He will never change.”

“You cannot be taking the plum blossom sword!”

The masked man narrowed his eyes at the crowd and said,

“How dare you little kids try to stop…”

“Chung Myung. Your mask isn’t tied properly.”

“Ah, really?”

“…”

“…”

The masked person…

No, Chung Myung, raised his hand and fiddled with his mask.

Seeing this, Baek Cheon sighed,

“Didn’t the elders say that you cannot break their heads!”

“I won’t break them!”

Chung Myung groaned,

“But can’t we break a leg and twist an arm!”

“… it is tempting to be honest.”

Considering the attitude of Nam Ja-Myung, who came to visit during the day and smirked at them, even they wanted to break his head.

But if that really happened, then Mount Hua would lose the trust of the people in Xi’an.

“If those means could bring about the desired ends, I wouldn’t mind. But if we break them down and occupy Xi’an by force, we will not win the hearts of the people! And the Southern Edge sub-sects will continue to strike back.”

“Then we can take them down too!”

“… the gates of Southern Edge will break down someday.”

“Then we break those down too!”

“… I don’t understand why you even joined a sect.”

If he had joined the Forces of Evil, he would have been considered a talented person who was only born once every thousand years.

Unfortunate.

“Well, that isn’t possible, so take the mask off and go back inside.”

“No, Sasuk. Actually, there is an urgent task that I need to do, so I am going to come back really fast after getting it done. Just one!”

“Do not act silly and come down here you brat!”

Baek Cheon didn’t like this and Chung Myung spat on the ground.

Ah, he was wearing a mask…

“I really tried to do this with words, but if you are blocking me like this, there is nothing I can do.”

Chung Myung threatened them with the plum blossom sword around his waist,

“Instead of spilling blood how about you pretend to not see this?”

“Wait, you want to say that after placing your sword in hand? Did you leave your mind back on Mount Hua!”

With Baek Cheon’s scream, Jo Gul whispered,

“Sasuk, he doesn’t have such a thing at all.”

“Ah. Right.”

He was mistaken for a while.

“Well, if you go like this, we will go and tell everyone. If you don’t want to drink alcohol for a few months, then go ahead.”

“Ughh.”

Chung Myung couldn’t do this or that.

‘Why is he considered my sahyung if he cannot help in such situations!’

How can he stop these people?

‘If it were my sajaes, I would have pushed them away!’

Sahyung! Sect leader!

These kids are weird ones. These things never happened in the past!

-It was always like this, you idiot!

Eh…

Liar!

“I don’t know. I am going!”

“You cannot!”

“Then I will become angry for sure! Just turn your eyes elsewhere and pretend like nothing happened. Okay?”

“Nothing is going to happen here! The problem is it will be a mess elsewhere!”

“No. You really do not understand my words… fuck, what is with this noise?”

Chung Myung, who was annoyed by the noise coming from somewhere, turned his head…

“Uh?”

Wait…

Noise?

“What?”

“What is noisy?”

All those who surrounded Chung Myung, held their ears and then looked out.

“Uh? That?”

“Oh?”

“Is something coming?”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes…

‘Warriors?’

Within his vision he could see a group of warriors approaching.

“Isn’t this cheating?”

It looked so different.

Southern Edge’s sub-sects should have understood that they were a prestigious sect, and that they needed to be exuding a certain level of dignity.

But the ones who were approaching here had chaotic energy.

‘Forces of Evil?’

Right. It was closer to chaos…

“Forces of evil in Xi’an?”

“What is this?”

“They are coming this way?”

All the disciples of Mount Hua were on edge.

“To the entrance!”

“Fine!”

Chung Myung moved first, with the others following closely behind him.

Moving to the entrance in an instant, they opened the gate wide and looked around, a bit nervous.

“Here they come!”

And soon, in the end, more than a hundred people could be seen.

Soldiers with hard faces in red robes walking in a straight line…

‘All experts?’

Chung Myung found this odd. Everyone seemed to have different skills, and in particular, the energy they gave out was enough to stimulate Chung Myung.

‘What is this all of a sudden?’

Chung Myung looked at them for a moment and said,

“Jo Gul Sahyung”

“Uh?”

“When I give the signal, wake everyone up.”

“… I understand.”

They didn’t know exactly how the situation would turn out, but they knew that this was a serious situation.

Everyone raised their qi, and readied to move. Those who came in red robes stood eerily at the entrance.

“Are you all here?”

The red-robed people split to the left and right, as a man walked in from behind.

Red Snake Blade, Yeop Pyung.

He stroked his chin as he blocked the entrance of Huayoung Gate and looked at Chung Myung.

“Hmm?”

Yeop Pyung, feeling the unusual qi from him, smiled,

“It is called a sub-sect so I looked down on it, but this is huge. Little kid, your name?”

Chung Myung smiled when he heard this,

“Yah, the world must be kind, seeing as that some bastard from the side of evil is talking to me.”

“Um? Hahahaha!”

Yeop Pyung laughed out loud.

“You are such an arrogant bastard. But I have one question for you.”

“Go on.”

“Why are you wearing a mask? That too, at night?”

“…”

“…”

Everyone who stood next to Chung Myung avoided his gaze.

‘Ah, I want to run.’

‘I am too ashamed to be here.’

But Chung Myung spoke like he was proud of it,

“I am just using it. Why?”

“Hehe. Truly you have guts, acting like this in front of me. A bird speaking in front of an experienced old man. Come! I will trample Righteous Gate…”

Chung Myung, who had been listening, raised his hand,

“Wait.”

“Uh?”

“… you don’t know how to read?”

“…”

Everyone ahead raised their heads slightly and checked the letters on the board.

Yeop Pyung closed his mouth and looked as someone shouted from behind.

“Captain! Captain! This is Huayoung Gate! The place where we need to go is not here! Why are we stopping here?”

“Ah, it isn’t here?”

“We need to move further! Further!”

“Ah…”

Yeop Pyung looked at Chung Myung feeling a bit shy,

“… E-Excuse me.”

“Ah… well. It was nothing.”

“Then…”

Yeop Pyung bowed and turned away.

“Where is this Righteous Gate?”

“We need to go further to this side.”

“Then you should have spoken sooner!”

All the disciples of Mount Hua had gone dumb at the sight of this.

“What is with those people?” mumbled Baek Cheon to Chung Myung.

“Chung Myung.”

“What?”

“Wasn’t he strong?”

“Yes. He was pretty strong.”

“… then no. We need to inform Elder right now.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t that gate from Southern Edge? If anyone sees the Forces of Evil approaching a sect at night, then it means they have bad intentions! So, we need stop…”

Tak.

Chung Myung grabbed Baek Cheon, who was trying to run away.

“Why are you catchi….”

Baek Cheon, who looked back, flinched.

Chung Myung.

He was smiling like the world was fully at peace.

“Sasuk.”

“… yes?”

“We saw nothing.”

“…”

“And in the future too, we will see nothing. Got it?”

“Y-You…no…?”

“Why? They said it today, this Xi’an is their land.”

“Right. But…?”

“Then.”

Chung Myung looked like Buddha had taken over his body,

“It happened on their land, so they will take care of it.”

What if they couldn’t?

That was even better!

“Oh my. I mean, this kind of thing happened when the Southern Edge closed its gate? So unfortunate, but what can we do? Hehehe.”

No, you devil!

Seeing the devil smile holding his stomach, the disciples of Mount Hua closed their eyes.

‘This one is more evil.’

‘He made a mistake entering a Taoist sect. He would have fit in perfectly with that bunch there.’

But what could be done…

He was already a disciple of Mount Hua!