Novel Return of Mount Hua Sect Chapter 700

Jin Yanggeon swallowed dry saliva with a burning sensation in his throat.

‘It must be expensive.’

The pattern on the hanging scroll seemed as if it were alive. Even someone as ignorant about paintings as him could quickly realize that the price of that painting must be astronomical.

Is that all?

The chair he was sitting on was also extraordinary. It was a black chair, but with a faint red hue, it was clear that it was made from the legendary red sandalwood timber (자단목(紫檀木)), which he only heard of.

He could guess the wealth of the owner of this room by just looking at the small red sandalwood chairs that only the imperial family or high-ranking people use.

‘This must be expensive too.’

Jin Yanggeon looked at the teacup before him and trembled at the thought.

The elaborate pattern engraved on the white porcelain caught the eye. He didn’t dare to touch the teacup, fearing that he might drop and break it, having to pay a fortune.

‘They say the wealth of Golden Sword Manor trembles the world, and it’s not an exaggeration.’

Everything he saw on his way to the leader’s office in the Golden Sword Manor headquarters was dazzling. He had struggled to keep his mouth shut in awe.

However, the luxury of the leader’s office was incomparable to what he had seen before.

Gulp.

Once again, Jin Yanggeon, who swallowed dry saliva, hurriedly gathered his expression because someone was looking at him.

‘Almost there.’

From now on, even a single mistake couldn’t be allowed. If he were to act awkwardly and ruin the situation, he would never forgive himself.

He took several deep breaths to stabilize his face when he heard footsteps from outside the door. The door opened wide, and three people entered.

Jin Yanggeon slowly lifted his gaze, which had been fixed on the teacup.

He tried to show a relaxed expression without any sign of embarrassment.

Two people followed behind a middle-aged man wearing a blue robe (청의(靑衣)). Anyone with even a little knowledge would know that the person walking in the center was the leader of Golden Sword Manor, Golden Sword Sunset Radiance (금검만조(金劍晩照)) Sang Man Hui (상만희(常萬喜)).

Sang Man Hui, who approached with a confident step, deeply bowed.

“I am Sang Man Hui, the owner of the Golden Sword Manor. Please forgive me for not being able to greet you right away even though we invited you here.”

“Don’t mind it.”

Jin Yanggeon shook his head lightly and bowed back.

“Who isn’t aware of Golden Sword Sunset Radiance’s Sang Daehyeop that is known for his Righteous act for the world? Those who act for Righteousness are always busy and suffering. If I were to blame you for being busy, the world would scold me, Jin Yanggeon, as a fool.”

“…As I’ve heard, you have the demeanor of a Daehyeop.”

“That’s just a rumor.”

Sang Man Hui sat across from Jin Yanggeon with a soft smile.

“I’ve always admired the name of Mount Hua, and I had no choice but to invite you when I heard that the hero of Mount Hua visited Nanchang.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“If you don’t mind, may I ask exactly what your generation is in Mount Hua…?”

“I’m sorry.”

Jin Yanggeon smiled slightly embarrassedly and bowed his head.

“As you may know, Mount Hua is a sect that does not boast about itself.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Mount Hua’s disciples who go out to Kangho are not allowed to disclose their generation. It is inevitable that the generation of those who participate in the official events of Mount Hua is revealed, but…”

“Ah… That’s quite a strange thing.”

Jin Yanggeon, who looked at Sang Man Hui’s expression with a calm face, added.

“I ask for your understanding. As you know, Mount Hua’s reputation has grown too high in recent years.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Doesn’t the whole world praise Mount Hua’s name?”

At Sang Man Hui’s words, Jin Yanggeon smiled quietly.

“When fame rises, people easily become arrogant. It’s an order from Sect Leader to prevent his disciples from being overly arrogant, and I can only hope for your broad understanding, Buju-nim.” (Geum-geom-bu = Golden Sword Manor. Bu-ju. -ju means leader/head. Just in case you forgot.)

Sang Man Hui nodded in admiration.

‘It was said that Mount Hua is a sect of righteousness.’

Did he not lower himself and consider the other party in every word? It seemed natural to know why the name of Mount Hua had risen recently.

“How can we fully understand the intention of Sect Leader, who has deep Taoism teaching? We just need to believe that it’s right.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Jin Yanggeon smiled softly and sighed inwardly.

‘So far, everything went as expected.’

If he kept probing, eventually something strange would be revealed. Therefore, it was better to gloss over it by saying it was the intention of a higher-up.

Since the leader of Golden Sword Manor would also want to look good to Mount Hua, they couldn’t question something done in the name of the Sect Leader.

“However….”

Jin Yanggeon continued the conversation with a more relaxed tone. It was better to keep such idle conversations to a minimum. So, he had to change the subject but speak as leisurely as possible so that they wouldn’t notice his hurry.

“I don’t think Golden Sword Manor’s Owner would invite a nobody like me without a reason. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Hahaha, how can you call yourself a nobody! The story of you defeating the Taehang Three Sword yesterday has spread all over Nanchang. Moreover, we know that you have been participating in several Righteous acts even before coming here, raising the reputation of Mount Hua.”

“I merely followed the teachings of my sect.”

The leader of Golden Sword Manor nodded his head.

“Yes, Mount Hua’s Righteous acts are famous. I’ve heard that the famous Mount Hua Divine Dragon and Hua Righteous Sword perform Righteous acts as naturally as breathing.”

Jin Yanggeon smiled, nodding to his head pleasedly.

“They are still young children that have a lot to learn.”

“Ah… does that mean?”

As Sang Man Hui sparkled his eyes momentarily, Jin Yanggeon hesitated and waved his hand.

“Ah, I apologize. Please forget what I just said.”

“N- No! This Sang Man Hui didn’t hear anything.”

Sang Man Hui’s eyes shone even more, although he pretended not to hear anything.

‘If he regards Hua Righteous Sword as a child, at least his generation is higher.’

The embroidery of plum blossom patterns on his clothes and the skill that defeated Taehang Three Sword in one strike. With the remark calling Hua Righteous Sword a child, it could be concluded that the verification was over.

Why would an expert who could cut down Taehang Three Sword in a single strike impersonate a disciple of Mount Hua? With that level of skill, even without an affiliation, one could make a name for themselves.

‘If his rank is that high, negotiations are possible!’

Sang Man Hui, who had a bright face, opened his mouth quietly.

“Jin Daehyeop.”

“Yes, Buju-nim.”

“There’s a favor that I, the owner of Golden Sword Manor, want to ask Daehyeop.”

“A favor, you say…”

“First of all… is Mount Hua truly a sect that pursues Righteousness?”

At the end of the sentence, Jin Yanggeon held back a smile.

“How dare I, a mere disciple, define Mount Hua.”

“Ah…. I made a slip of the tongue…..”

“One thing, though, I hope Buju-nim knows that we are trying to be a sect that follow a righteous path more than any other sect in the world.”

Sang Man Hui nodded in admiration.

“Then I will trust you and tell you. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we are currently at war with Iron Spear Manor (철모방(鐵矛幇)), which is located nearby.”

“Um, I’ve heard a little about it.”

“Iron Spear Manor and our Golden Sword Manor have never been on good terms. However, until now, there have only been minor skirmishes, and no full-scale conflict has erupted… Recently, the problem has escalated as Iron Spear Manor has invited martial artists from Myriad Man Manor.”

“Myriad Man Manor, you say?”

Jin Yanggeon’s eyes grew sharp. Sang Man Hui secretly rejoiced.

‘The rumor that Mount Hua and Myriad Man Manor are mortal enemies is true. Seeing such a strong reaction like that.’

“Yes, martial artist experts from Myriad Man Manor began to help them. Moreover, I think they are not only sending a few experts but also directly supporting them.”

“Hmm.”

Sang Man Hui sighed deeply as Jin Yanggeon’s expression hardened.

“Jin Daehyeop. I’m not trying to preserve this Golden Sword Manor for my own gain. As you know, there are no proper sects here in Nanchang. If the Golden Sword Manor collapses, those Iron Spear Manor ruffians will seize Nanchang, and even Gangseo might fall into Myriad Man Manor’s hands.”

“That would be a real disaster. But… have the other sects just stood by and watched?”
“Who would step up?”

Sang Man Hui shook his head.

“The big sects with fertile and prosperous cities don’t pay attention to small places like Nanchang. Even if they were interested, they would immediately turn their heads away when they heard the opponent is Myriad Man Manor.”

“Such a thing….”

“Jin Daehyeop!”

Sang Man Hui grabbed Jin Yanggeon’s hand.

“Please help us!”

“….”

“Now the only hope for Nanchang is Mount Hua. I’ve heard that Mount Hua doesn’t tolerate injustice. Please protect Nanchang from the wicked Myriad Man Manor.”

“Uhm…”

As Jin Yanggeon showed signs of hesitation, Sang Man Hui slipped his hand into his sleeve.

“We are not asking you to help us for free.”

Then he slipped out a promissory note from his sleeve and secretly handed it over.

“If you help us, we will not be stingy with our expression of gratitude.”

Jin Yanggeon’s gaze went to the stack of promissory notes held out to him. However, as if he wasn’t particularly interested in money, he soon looked out the window.

“…Jin Daehyeop?”

“It seems that Buju-nim has a big misunderstanding.”

“…Yes?”

Jin Yanggeon shook his head.

“Mount Hua is not a money-driven sect. Discussing Righteousness and offering money is a disrespectful act toward Mount Hua’s Righteousness.”

Sang Man Hui’s face, which had momentarily seemed relieved, paled slightly.

“I… I just wanted to express my sincerity…”

“Do you really want to express your sincerity?”

Jin Yanggeon said, looking straight at him like that.

“I can’t just stand by and watch the cunning tricks of Myriad Man Manor. Sect Leader would certainly draw his sword as well. However, in order to do that, we need a justification.”

“Ju- Justification?”

“Bring five times the amount of this promissory note.”

“Five times?”

“Yes, five times more.”

Sang Man Hui looked blankly at Jin Yanggeon.

Saying that giving money is an insult to Mount Hua, but asking for more money? What does that mean?

“Have you heard of what happened in Wuhan?”

“Ah….”

Sang Man Hui nodded.

“We will use all the money you gave us from Golden Sword Manor to help the poor in Gangseo and Nanchang. Then, the reputation of Golden Sword Manor will rise as well. We, Mount Hua, will not take a single penny from the money you gave us.”

“The- Then?”

“Yes. Golden Sword Manor will become an excellent martial arts sect that helps the poor, and then we will also have the pretext to wield our swords for Golden Sword Manor.”

Jin Yanggeon continued in a heavy voice.

“So if you give the money to help the poor, I will also contact Mount Hua and bring in the disciples from the main sect. Can you do it?”

A moment of conflict appeared on Sang Man Hui’s face, and Jin Yanggeon smiled broadly.

“After all, the money will be taken away by Iron Spear Manor if we lose. Isn’t it better to give it to the poor and hungry instead of giving it to them?”

The word seemed to be the final blow. Sang Man Hui soon nodded his head with a determined face.

“I’ll do it!”

“You made the right decision.”

“But…it will take some time to get that many promissory notes. After the job is done…can you take it by then…?”

“That’s not acceptable.”

Jin Yanggeon shook his head.

“As I said, this is not a reward but money to be distributed to them. It’s meaningful that we give relief to the poor in the name of Golden Sword Manor and Mount Hua before Mount Hua participates in this war.”

“Ah…That’s right.”

“When will you be able to prepare?”

“…That’s…”

Jin Yanggeon’s eyes are slightly distorted.

“It seems that the threat of Myriad Man Manor is not as fierce and urgent as you thought. Then, take your time to prepare. But if you drag on for too long, I might have another task to do….”

“N- No! What do you mean it’s not urgent! Please wait a little longer! Four hours! I’ll be ready within four hours!”

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry….”

“No! We have to fasten up even by a bit. Please wait just a little longer!”

“If you insist, then I’ll wait here.”

Sang Man Hui got up from his seat without any hesitation.

Still, his gaze instinctively went to the stack of promissory notes on the table. But Jin Yanggeon didn’t even look at the slip from the beginning until now as if he didn’t care about the money at all.

“Thank you for your help, Daehyeop! And thank you to Mount Hua for the help as well.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just doing what I should do.”

“Then, give me a moment!”

Sang Man Hui quickly rushed outside. And he ordered the chief officers on both sides.

“Go to the Finance Hall and find the promissory notes! Now!”

“Bu- Buju-nim. I understand you’re in a hurry, but it hasn’t been confirmed that the man is Mount Hua’s disciple yet, and there is no guarantee that Mount Hua will move according to his words. But giving the promissory notes first is…”

“Foolish!”

Sang Man Hui shouted.

“Finding a master who can beat Taehang Three Swords is easy! However, it is not easy to find a master who can knock down Taehang Three Swords in one strike. And why would such a person claim to be Mount Hua’s disciple, not Shaolin or Wudang?”

“…That is…”

“It’s not a small amount of money, but it’s a bargain to move Mount Hua. If we can control those stupid Taoists who only know Righteousness for just that much money, then it’s a profitable business! So stop talking nonsense and go find it!”

“Yes, I understand.”

As the chief officers bowed their heads and hurriedly disappeared, Sang Man Hui laughed triumphantly to himself.

‘Stupid Taoist. Really, there’s no match for his naivety. We should take this opportunity to sweep away all Iron Spear bastards.’

However, he didn’t know.

Jin Yanggeon, left alone in his office, was wearing the same expression as him.

And….

“Huuuu….”

White steam spewed out from the parted lips.

With his eyes full of murderous energy, Chung Myung murmured in a voice like a demon from hell, glancing left and right.

“Is this Nanchang?”

Approaching the two snakes twisted around each other, waiting for the opportunity to devour each other, a starving beast was approaching.