Chapter 916

Novel Return of Mount Hua Sect Chapter 916

“Ah, I’m asking what’s the situatiooooon?”

“….”

Hong Dae-gwang looked at Chung Myung with a very distraught face.

‘I must be insane.’

How could he miss this crazy man? This demon-like man whose mere presence destroys all his peace? Me?

“Hey… Mount Hua Divine Dragon…No, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”

“What?”

“Information isn’t something that just… Uh? Appears exactly when you ask for it… Uh? It doesn’t work like that…”

“What are you talking about! If Beggar Union doesn’t have the information, what are we supposed to do!”

“That’s not what I’m saying…. Information exists, but it’s not like it’s just there when you want it…”

“Noooooo!”

Hong Dae-gwang shut his eyes tight.

“Anyway, these beggars are no help, no help at all! Worthless yangbans who can’t even beg properly, who can’t even provide information when needed, what are they living on!”

“…Thanks for your concern, but….”

But do you really need to worry about that? Huh?

However, whether or not Chung Myung knew how Hong Dae-gwang felt, he constantly harassed and grinded him.

“Ah, so what happened!”

Hong Dae-gwang looked up at the ceiling with a face of enlightenment.

There’s so much he wanted to say. If the person in front of him throwing a tantrum wasn’t Chung Myung but someone else, Hong Dae-gwang would have said this with a smile on his face.

‘Look, little one. It takes some time for the information requested from the headquarters to arrive here via pigeon. I can’t fly like a bird and retrieve the information myself, and the time won’t be shortened by pushing me, so just relax and wait. It won’t take long.’

Yes, he could say that.

And if he said that, those who know Beggar Union’s dignity would nod in agreement or regret for thoughtlessly pressuring Beggar Union’s Buntaju.

That would be the case for someone with common sense.

But unfortunately, the person in front of him now was Chung Myung. This person is a person who does not treat the dignity of Beggar Union like a dog’s bone rolling down the street and is also a person without common sense or logic.

If Hong Dae-gwang say this, he’ll curse at him saying. ‘You useless beggars! You slack too much, that’s why you can only beg for a living!’.

“Kkeuk….”

Or fall backward like that, overwhelmed by his own anger.

Watching Chung Myung’s increasingly flushed face, Hong Dae-gwang felt his hair stand on end.

It feels like I’m watching a fire spreading towards a powder keg. It is certain that the moment that fire touches the explosives’ powder keg, it will explode.

His face?

No, it’s right here.

‘Please! Please! Hurry up, you bird bastard!’

Since he requested it as a special express, Beggar Union’s Thousand Miles Blue Pigeon (????(千里靑鳩)) must be flying at breakneck speed that its wing almost gave up with a letter in its talons.

Whether or not this branch shatters depends solely on the flap of its wings.

“Keuu!”

At last, Chung Myung’s eyes began to turn upside down, and Hong Dae-gwang was wondering if he should leave without looking back right now.

Ppppiiiikkk!

“Here it coooooomes!”

Finally, the awaited sound rang out, and Hong Dae-gwang jumped to his feet.

Even if he sees his deceased grandfather’s face again, he won’t be this happy. In fact, Hong Dae-gwang doesn’t even know his father’s face, let alone his grandfather’s, but anyway!

“Where!”

“There! It’s coming!”

In that instant, a blue-winged pigeon flew in through the wide-open window at lightning speed.

“Eucha!”

Hong Dae-gwang stretched out his hand and quickly caught the Thousand Miles Blue Pigeon, then quickly opened the small tube tied to its ankle.

As soon as he took out the rolled-up letter, Chung Myung quickly snatched it away.

“Where!”

Chung Myung, who opened the letter, moved his pupil back and forth at the speed of light.

“What’s written there?”

“That….”

“Yes?”

Chung Myung, who read all the letters, looked up at Hong Dae-gwang. His expression was so strange that it was indescribable.

“Old Man Beggar.”

“Why?”

“…It seems like you guys screwed big time?”

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

“No, I thought that… there wouldn’t be…”

Chung Myung chuckled emptily and then scratched the back of his head.

“There’s one, a madman.”

“Huh?”

Hong Dae-gwang looked blankly at Chung Myung with a face completely clueless about what he meant.

* * *

Kugang.

In the vicinity of Plum Blossom Island, completely dominated by water fortresses, a gloomy tension hung in the air.

The always bustling streets were now desolate. It was difficult to find people coming and going, and even the lodging, who were eager to open the doors and solicit customers, even had their windows shut.

Those who quietly gathered in a small establishment on the outskirts of the city that arose along with Plum Blossom Island could not help but hold their breath as they watched the pirates walking up and down the streets.

“…Are we really supposed to stay like this?”

A person sighed heavily, lamenting while peeking at the pirate’s backs through a gap in the window.

“Actually, there is no big problem, right? It’s not like the pirates harm people.”

“It’s not that there isn’t a big problem, it’s just that it hasn’t happened yet, this yangban.”

One of the merchants hit his chest in frustration upon hearing such naive words.

“They say a tiger doesn’t bother with people passing by when it’s full, right? These pirates might be quiet for now, but how do we know when and what they will do?”

“You’re right about that…..”

The merchants’ faces were filled with deep worry.

Apparently, it has been a few days since the water fortresses took control of Plum Blossom Island, but no one has yet come forward to claim that they were harmed by the pirates.

But even so, it was impossible to look at the enemies they had feared their whole life with peace of mind. In particular, merchants who make a living traveling the Yangtze River.

“We have to try to get along somehow. Remember, when we used to sail and encountered Sujok, didn’t we just pay a toll? If we think of it in the same way…”

“How can that be the same? Encountering them once in a few weeks or months was unavoidable. But how are we supposed to live, facing those guys like this every day?”

“….”

“And back then, we just paid a fee based on the goods we transported. But now, they’re even taxing the goods in our warehouses. Damn it, business is bad already, but if we pay the money they ask for, what are we going to eat for a living?”

A sigh escaped the merchants’ mouths all at once.

Mount Hua Sect, which occupied Plum Blossom Island once, only rented warehouses to those who needed them for money, and did not put tax on any items stored within. So in reality, the only money merchants paid while using Plum Blossom Island was the toll tax for loading and moving goods on ships.

Of course, it costs money to use various facilities, but isn’t that the same wherever you go in the world?

However, those water fortresses took control of Plum Blossom Island and decided to double the toll and announced that they would also levy taxes on goods waiting in Plum Blossom Island.

With this change, the actual cost was now three to four times higher.

“Do we really have to put up with this?”

“Earlier. Remember the Donghae Merchant Guild that left Plum Blossom Island yesterday to cross the river?”

“Donghae Merchant Guild? Ah, right. There was that group. What about them?”

“….They’re all dead.”

“What?! What do you mean?”

“Looks like those damn bastards are using their brains. It looks like they are sinking all the merchant ships trying to cross the river outside of Plum Blossom Island. If you don’t want to die, use Plum Blossom Island.”

“…Oh my gosh.”

Everyone was speechless, frozen in shock.

In the past, it was rare for anyone to be harmed even if they encountered water fortresses while crossing the river. This is because it was usually resolved through toll taxes.

But if those damn bastards come out like this, they won’t even dare to cross the river.

Of course, the Yangtze River is vast, so it’s not guaranteed to always encounter water fortresses. The chance of a bad encounter was about one in ten.

But what kind of person would risk his fortune and life at the same time on a one-tenth chance?

“…Now it really looks like everything is being torn apart.”

“The days when Mount Hua was here were better.”

This situation precisely depicts ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone’, and the merchants painfully realized once again how much Mount Hua had protected them after occupying Plum Blossom Island.

“What can we do by seeking those who don’t present? So? Is there any news from Ten Great Sects yet? How long has it been since these guys took over this place, and they still haven’t even shown their noses?”

Now the only way left for the merchants was for Ten Great Sects to reclaim this place. If not, it would be a good idea to eliminate the water fortresses traveling up and down the Yangtze River again.

“…When I heard about it, they said there was no movement yet.”

“Still?”

One of the merchants couldn’t hold back his anger and raised his voice.

“Surely those Ten Great Sects guys aren’t thinking of just handing this place over to the water fortresses, are they?”

“Th- That can’t be possible, right? This is Gangbuk.”

“Then why haven’t they shown up until now?”

“That’s….”

The merchants exchanged uneasy glances.

“They’ve already pulled back once in fear of Evil Tyrant Alliance. Is there any guarantee that the same won’t happen this time?”

“Ei, no way! No matter what, these so-called Righteous Sects…”

“Righteous Sects? If they’re going to call themselves Righteous Sects, they should have done so three years ago! Isn’t it true that the Ten Great Sects bastards bowed down to their enemies out of fear for their lives?”

“….”

“Perhaps this time too…”

“Stop saying such nonsense! Wasn’t the situation bad back then? If the Ten Great Sects were to step forward in earnest, not only the enemy but also the Black Dragon King would be killed in no time…”

Kwaaang!

Suddenly, the door of the lodging was violently flung open, and a man dressed in blue stepped in slowly.

“….”

His face was stern and fierce, clad in the characteristic tight-fitting blue uniform of a pirate.

The lodging fell deathly silent.

“Hmm.”

The man scanned the room with a cold gaze. The merchants caught in his sight froze, unable to even breathe properly.

The pirate opened his mouth.

“Just now here….”

His cruel eyes flashed menacingly.

“I think I heard something about Ten Great Sects.”

“That, that was…”

“About the Black Dragon King’s head being severed?”

Blood drained from the merchants’ faces in an instant. Who knows better than them how cruel these pirates can be if they decide?

“This is why you shouldn’t show unnecessary compassion. Even after Black Dragon King showed them so much consideration, they dare to speak so carelessly with their loose tongues.”

The twisted face of the pirate flashed with anger.

“I guess I need to catch and kill a few of them as an example to bring some sense into them.”

“No, that’s not it…”

“No! You’re mistaken!”

The merchants hurriedly waved their hands to explain themselves, but the pirate signaled with his chin, ignoring them.

“Drag them out.”

“Yes!”

As the pirates swarmed in, the merchants screamed in horror.

“I- It’s a misunderstanding! My lord! My lord!”

“Please spare us!”

“Hi- Hiiiik! I- I’m…!”

The merchants who were captured by the pirates shed tears and begged for forgiveness, but the hands dragging them were merciless.

“Drag them all out and kill them. They dare to insult the Black Dragon King; their lives aren’t enough to pay for their crime!”

The shouting man clicked his tongue.

As he walked out of the lodging, he muttered to himself.

“I don’t understand why the Black Dragon King shows mercy to such people. It would have been enough to just kill and steal them all. Whether they’re merchant scum or Righteous Sects.”

“Kill and steal?”

Then a booming voice came from behind the man’s back.

Annoyance flashed across the man’s face. He turned while clicking his tongue. Another fearless guy….

Kwadeuk!

At that moment, however, a rugged hand gripped his throat.

“Kek!”

Caught off guard, the pirate bit his tongue as it pulled out due to the sudden choking. It was a tremendous pressure that seemed to squeeze and burst his throat at any moment.

His face quickly turned a dark red. In panic, he looked at the person holding him.

The moment he saw with his own eyes who it was, an indescribable shock filled the pirate’s eyes.

The pure white robe, contrasted with the strong, black hair.

The eyes were large, like those of a tiger (??(虎目)), and the thick face was reminiscent of a lion.

What is more eye-catching, however, is the letter “Azure Sky (??(蒼天))” inscribed on his right chest with a majestic style.

“Na- Namgung… Keuk! Namgung…”

Kwaaaaaang!

He strangled the pirate’s neck and slammed him to the ground at once. A sound that one could not believe came from a person hitting the ground erupted. The pirate who had been terrorizing the merchants moments ago was now a crumpled mess on the ground.

“Water fortresses.”

The one who had effortlessly taken down the pirate.

A mixture of despair and astonishment came out of the mouths of the pirates who recognized that face.

How could they forget that face?

Three years ago, he had stood toe-to-toe with their leader, the Black Dragon King. The name that was almost absolute.

“E- Em… Emperor Sword (???(帝王劍))!”

“This….”

A huge roar erupted from the mouth of Emperor Sword Namgung Hwang.

“These filthy water fortresses! How dare they step on the land of Gangbuk in front of me? I will kill them all!”

It was the moment when the Lion of Anhui, dormant for three years, finally roared towards the heavens.