Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1123

Those wearing pure white fur approached with a gait as if measured by a ruler.

If Beast Palace warriors were as hot as a dense jungle growing under the blazing sun, North Sea Ice Palace warriors seemed to bring with them the biting chill of the northern winds.

It may be true that a person’s temperament differs depending on where they grow up, but for these people, it didn’t seem strange to say they carried the cold winds of the North Sea with them.

‘They’re so different.’

Namgung Dowi felt a newfound sense of curiosity.

Namgung also uses swords, but the spirit of the sword warriors of North Sea Ice Palace is different. He could not help but feel that this was what people meant by a blade-like momentum.

It was interesting because Beast Palace and Ice Palace were completely different in terms of their aura. While Beast Palace was a place of infinite freedom and unrestrainedness, Ice Palace seemed to have been created by coining the very word of “discipline.”

Maybe that’s why, unlike Beast Palace, they felt difficult to approa-…

“Dojang-niiiiiiiiim!”

…or so it was.

Among those who were radiating a blade-like momentum, a man suddenly jumped out and rushed fiercely towards Chung Myung.

“Huh?”

“Dojang-nim!”

The man did not hide his delight at all and grabbed Chung Myung’s hands with both of his own. It was almost like snatching them.

“How long has it been! Have you been well?”

“…..Huh?”

“Dojang-nim, you really haven’t changed much! I’m relieved! I was worried it might be awkward since it’s been a while!”

“…..Huuh?”

“Still, it’s worth the long journey to see you again! Goodness, why is Jungwon so hot? It’s hotter here than in the middle of summer in North Sea!”

“N- No, just a moment.”

“Yes?”

“That….”

Chung Myung tilted his head with a look of complete bewilderment.

“Who are you?”

“….”

The expression on the man, no, the expression on the person who should be called a young man’s face turned blank for a moment. But only for a moment, as he quickly burst into laughter.

“Ahahahaha! That’s just like you, Dojang-nim. You often joke around like this.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“I also need to learn this kind of composure from Dojang-nim as soon as possible. But why is it so hard to do?”

“No….”

“Still, if I keep trying every day, someday…”

“Hey! Let me speak too! Who the heck are you, you punk?”

At those words, the young man froze. Then he looked at Chung Myung with a truly shocked expression.

“Do- Dojang-nim. Do you really not remember me?”

“No, I think it’s my first time seeing you since I was born, why do you keep acting like you know me?”

“I am So-baek!”

“Huh?”

“Seol So-baek!”

“Who? Seol So-baek? Ice Palace Lord?”

“Yes! Me!”

Now, Chung Myung looked at the young man in front of him with a dazed expression. With his clean, white skin and a height well over five feet…..

“The So-baek I know was this small, though?”

“Yes! That was me.”

“…..You?”

“Yes!”

It wasn’t just Chung Myung who reacted to those words.

“Eek!”

“Seol Sogungju?”

“Really?”

Five Swords, who were behind Chung Myung, reacted violently as if they couldn’t believe it at all.

Chung Myung looked the young man up and down several times. It was hard to believe that this neat young man was Seol So-baek, but…

“Now that I think about it, he does look similar…”

“That’s right.”

“If you look closely, his eyes and mouth are the same.”

“Which part are?”

“You shouldn’t expect Jo-Gol Sahyung to have such a keen eye for detail, so even if he doesn’t know, just assume that’s how it is.”

“…No….”

Baek Cheon blinked. Upon hearing it, it seemed really plausible that this was Seol So-baek…

“Ho…. hohoho.”

Chung Myung couldn’t hide his astonishment as he looked at the grown-up young man in front of him.

“You really are So-baek?”

“Yes, Dojang-nim.”

“Even your voice is completely different.”

“It sounds the same to me. Is it that strange?”

“It’s not like that…. That… Uh, right. You’ve grown up a lot.”

No. This was more than just growing up; it was like a whole new person?

He seemed to have grown almost twice as tall, and his chubby face, full of baby fat, was already transformed into a fairly slim and slender young man’s face. Instead of the rugged look typical of the North Sea, he had a rather delicate and handsome appearance.

“Come to think of it, the last time I saw you was… let me see… almost four years ago?”

“That’s right. It’s already been four years.”

“…Then it makes sense you’d look different.”

He was at the age for growing spurts, after all… Of course, the problem was that there was a big gap between what he understood by head and what he saw with his eyes.

Chung Myung’s gaze turned to the young man… no, to the sword hanging from Seol So-baek’s waist. With his pure white robes and sword attached, he now felt like a proper warrior.

“It’s been a long time, Ice Palace Gungju-nim.”

“It’s truly been a while, Beast Palace Gungju-nim!”

Surprised, Chung Myung turned his head and looked at Maeng So and asked.

“Can you recognize him?”

“He looks exactly the same, why are you reacting like that?”

“He, he looks the same?”

“Isn’t it just that he grew a little bit taller?”

After all, Maeng So is a person who can distinguish between ten tiger cubs that look exactly the same to anyone. There is no reason why a person who can recognize even beasts would not be able to identify people.

Seeing Maeng So’s confirmation, it seemed clear that this was indeed Seol So-baek.

Chung Myung tried to push away the awkwardness that was rising subtly and greeted him with a smile.

“Anyway, thank you for your hard work coming here. It must have been a really long journey.”

“Don’t mention it. I had to come, of course.”

Seol So-baek smiled brightly and spoke a little shyly.

“In fact, I’ve been a little worried about that.”

“Huh? Worried?”

“There were some opinions like that within Ice Palace. They kept talking about Heavenly Comrade Allinace and such, that in the end, you are just pretending to be friendly and trying to make money by buying good Ice Crystals and other items from the North Sea cheaply.”

Puuk.

Seol So-baek’s words became like a knife and stabbed Chung Myung’s heart without mercy.

“…I- Is that so?”

“Hahahaha. I’m sorry, Dojang-nim. I, knowing you personally, never doubted you for a second. But for those who don’t know you well, it seems you weren’t very trustworthy. Those thoughtless people even called you a fraud who pretends to be a Taoist. Hahahaha.”

Puuk!

“Ah, don’t worry. I gave those people a good scolding. But you know how fickle people can be, and while I thought that there was absolutely no way that would happen, I also wondered if maybe you had completely forgotten about Ice Palace since you never visited. Hahahahaha!”

Puuk!

“Surely that can’t be true. How could I not know how much Dojang-nim cares for the North Sea? Why would a Taoist living in the deep mountains come all the way to the North Sea for money? Haha, it’s really a ridiculous idea.”

“….”

“Still, one in a thousand chances, I wondered what we’d do if you had forgotten us. But seeing how you called for us now, I’m ashamed of even doubting it. Dojang-nim thinks of us this much, and yet we shamelessly think like that even after we receive such favors. I feel terribly guilty.”

“I- I’m sorry.”

“Yes? Dojang-nim, what did you just say…?”

“N- No. It’s nothing.”

The back of Chung Myung’s head was drenched with sweat.

Of course, he couldn’t say he had completely forgotten, but isn’t it an undeniable fact that he had put the thought aside to some extent?

Rather, if So-baek resented that fact, Chung Myung could have shamelessly brushed it off, but because he showed such unwavering faith, people couldn’t help but feel smaller and smaller.

“Oh, also!”

“Yes?”

“Here! Bring it here!”

As Seol So-baek shouted, the warriors of Ice Palace responded loudly and dragged something out from behind. Something very familiar to the disciples of Mount Hua.

“A cart?”

“It’s huge?”

“Hahaha. If that were made of iron, it would look just like the ones we use at Mount Hua….. Is that iron?”

The Ice Palace warriors pulled a massive cart without showing any sign of difficulty. The problem was that there wasn’t just one cart.

Krrrrr! Krrrrrrrrr!

At least five carts were moved, creating a cloud of dust.

“Wha- What’s all this?”

“We couldn’t come to see Dojang-nim after such a long time empty-handed, could we? This is a gift we brought from North Sea.”

“G- Gift? But we already receive North Sea goods through Eunha Merchant Guild…”

“Those are for sale. These gifts are far more precious and cannot be compared. These are for you, Dojang-nim.”

“…Hm?”

“Here, these….”

Seol So-baek took off the cloth covering the first cart.

“Eek? Wha- What is this?”

“These are precious animal hides from North Sea. We have prepared the hides of seals and gray wolves that live in North Sea, as well as the rare bear hides.”

“….”

“These are items that are difficult to put a price on. When I stopped by last time, I saw that the winter at Mount Hua must be frigid, so I prepared them for the Taoists.”

“…Did you find it cold at Mount Hua too?”

“I didn’t feel it much myself, but the Taoists must find it cold, right? With these hides, you’ll be able to stay warm through the winter.”

Chung Myung’s eyes filled with tears.

‘I deserve to be killed, I do.’

Has he ever been treated like this by someone in his life? Goodness, a guy living in the cold North Sea is worried about the cold in the mountains and brought hides… and he had neglected such friends…

– Chung Myung-ah. Honestly, even I think you went a bit too far.

Ah, I know. I’m feeling extremely guilty right now!

“And the things in this cart are rare ingredients, even in North Sea, and here, we have some special herbs I’ve gathered. And this…”

“…Why did you bring all these things? Making people burdened…”

“Ei, what burden? Considering what Dojang-nim has done for North Sea, this is nothing.”

“….”

“Ah, of course these aren’t meant to return your favor. Just think of it as a small token of my gratitude.”

Seol So-baek smacked his lips as if he was sorry.

“If the distance wasn’t so great, I would have brought even more.”

“This, this is enough….”

If it was free, Chung Myung would drink even lye water, but if he took all of this, his stomach would burst and die. These days, Chung Myung has been realizing anew that he too has a conscience.

At that moment, Seol So-baek’s complexion darkened slightly.

“But…”

“Yes?”

“We couldn’t gather as many Ice Crystals as Dojang-nim wished. The yield has decreased significantly… I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry about!”

Chung Myung quickly shook his head and waved his hands passionately.

I’ve scraped decades’ worth of tha, I’ll be a robber if I ask for more.

“We managed to meet the quantity, but the quality is not as good. In the past, I would have been embarrassed to even call them Ice Crystals…”

“Ah, it’s okay. It’s really okay.”

I’m not the one who’s going to eat them anyway.

It was at that very moment when, looking at the Seol So-baek who had grown so much, Chung Myung realized to his bones that he wouldn’t envy others for having ten Dongryongs if he had just one well-raised Ice Palace Gungju.

A sharp voice was heard from somewhere.

“No, so you’re saying that you caught an animal unnecessarily and skinned them? You’re completely out of this world!”

“Huh?”

The warriors of Southern Beast Palace were glaring at Seol So-baek and the animal hides placed in front of him with hostile eyes.

“Is there a problem?”

At the same time, Seol So-baek’s face turned as cold as ice. As if to prove that he was the direct descendant of the North Sea Ice Palace, a cold and oppressive feeling began to flow out from his body.