Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 428
Jjoreuruk.
Chonhon (천홍(川紅)), a Sichuan specialty, was slowly poured into the cup.
A soft scent that made people feel at ease spread gently throughout the room.
“Eum.”
The person holding the cup was polite, but he savored the tea in a way that did not violate the tea ceremony.
“Would you like a cup?”
A soft voice.
On the other hand, the subtle weight behind the tone reminded him of the speaker’s identity.
It’s just…
“Excuse me.”
Chung Myung, who was watching the scene, said glumly.
“Don’t you know that it doesn’t make any difference even if you pretend to be so calm now?”
“…….”
Tang Gun-ak set the teacup down and looked around.
The disciples of Mount Hua in the room were grimly looking at him. Even his daughter was grumpy.
“Keuhum.”
Tang Gun-ak coughed low and humbly.
‘I was excited.’
It was far too thrilling. It makes him wonder if he’s ever lost his mind like this before in the last ten years.
He opened his mouth solemnly, thinking he had to make amends somehow.
“You may think I was being silly, but…….”
“Yes.”
“…….”
Tang Gun-ak remembered again what Chung Myung was like.
“… … Of course, I was indeed a little excited, but that’s because Everlasting Metal is such a precious thing.”
“Ah…… yes.”
“…….”
The reaction was not good, apparently.
Tang Gun-ak, who glanced at everyone, had a soft smile again.
“So let’s have a cup of tea for now…….”
But Chung Myung neatly cut off his word.
“Let’s get to the point quickly. Then, you can make me Hancheol Sword, right?”
“…….”
‘How can this Taoist guy be more impatient than a Sichuan person?’
But it was good that the topic changed.
“It is true that Hancheol smelting skills that were practiced were dried up in Jungwon as the metal itself is now a very rare existence. But fortunately, there’s still a way to deal with it within the Tang Family.”
“Yes, then please make it for me.”
Tang Gun-ak frowned at the nonchalant response.
“But are you really going to make a sword? Once again, Hancheol is priceless and can’t be compared to gold. But to make a sword out of that precious iron…….”
Chung Myung replied with a sour voice.
“It’s just Everlasting Metal.”
“It’s not ‘just’ Everlasting Metal!”
Tang Gun-ak couldn’t give up and continued to dissuade him, but Chung Myung only shrugged his shoulders.
“I know what you mean, but I have a lot of money. There are many ways to earn money. But I heard you can’t get this anywhere else.”
“That’s right.”
“Then, of course, we have to make a sword. If I waste it somewhere else and can’t make it when I want to make it later, I’ll have a stomachache.”
“…….”
The nonchalant explanation led Tang Gun-ak to shake his head.
‘He’s definitely out of his mind.’
But that’s so Chung Myung-like.
“Alright, I’ll make it for you if you say that. Instead, you’ll have to pay properly.”
“It’s a price between friends!”
“The more you deal with friends, the more certain you have to be.”
Tang Gun-ak held out as if he couldn’t back down. Chung Myung pouted his lips.
“How much does it cost?”
“That’s enough money, but Hancheol you brought…….”
“Oh, I can’t do that!”
“Give me some, give me some! That’s a lot! Could you even tell if I took it a bit?”
As Tang Gun-ak’s voice slowly rose, Chung Myung looked sullenly at him with a look of disapproval.
“What are you going to use Hancheol for? You said it’s better to sell it.”
“… … That’s the story if you say things like making swords.”
Tang Gun-ak sighed deeply.
“You know, dagger (Secret Weapon) is a consumable thing.”
“That’s right.”
“The more sophisticated the dagger is, the thinner and finer you have to make it, so no matter how carefully you use it, it’s bound to wear out. Once it is released, it is not easy to retrieve it.”
“Yes.”
“But on the contrary, that’s why it should be made of better iron. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes, so there’s a dagger that you want to make with my Hancheol.”
“Exactly.”
Tang Gun-ak’s eyes were rarely blazing.
He was not interested in wealth. But this was a slightly different matter.
For the Sichuan Tang Family, a stronger and more sophisticated dagger is an irreplaceable treasure. It’s possible to achieve the same effect as the rise in martial arts just by using a more sophisticated dagger.
“There is some dagger in the family that cannot be made except by an iron comparable to that of Everlasting Metal. Since it became extremely difficult to obtain Hancheol, I tried to preserve it by refraining from using it as much as possible, but that also had its limitations.”
“While you’ve saved a season, do you want to make it again?”
“That’s correct.”
“Heueum.”
Chung Myung shook his head from side to side as if in deep agony.
“Is there something bothering you?”
“No. Well…… It’s not like that.”
“Then what?”
After hesitating for a moment, he spoke in a voice still full of worries.
“In my opinion, a stronger Tang Family will be able to help Mount Hua more, so this should definitely be something I need to do for you, but…”
“…… but?”
Chung Myung grinned.
“But when I heard that Hancheol was precious, I had a stomachache to think I had to take a bit off it. If I hadn’t heard that it was precious, I think I would have gladly given it to you.”
Tang Gun-ak grinned at the frank comment.
‘I went all the way to Myriad Man House to help you with this.’
‘Why did I do that?’
‘Just why?’
“Tch, can’t be helped. A person shouldn’t be this nice, but I’ll take the offer since you’re the head of the Tang Family. Take a little away.”
“Thank you…….”
“Just a little bit!”
“… … I’m really thankful that it put me in tears.”
It’s something to be really grateful for, but it’s his talent to make it less grateful.
Tang Gun-ak shook his head.
“Then there’s no time to lose. Let’s go.”
“What? To where?”
A slight subtle smile hung around his mouth.
“We’ll go to someone who can handle Everlasting Metal.”
~~
“Hello!”
“Mount Hua’s folk, it’s been a while!”
“Aigoo! You’ve become healthier!”
Throughout Tang Gun-ak’s journey to the depths of the Tang Family, each person they faced greeted them with a bright face.
At the hospitality, the disciples of Mount Hua smiled unconsciously.
“It’s a lot different from last time.”
“I know right.”
At Yoon Jong’s words, Baek Chun looked around with a fresh look. In fact, the eyes of the Tang Family members who came to look at them were full of goodwill.
They had visited the Tang Family as a guest before but never felt that kind of gaze. Rather, they received vigilance-filled eyes.
A lot has changed in a short time.
“Because the Tang Family no longer thinks of Mount Hua as a foreigner anymore.”
Listening to their conversation, Tang Pae smiled and explained.
“Mount Hua won’t know, but Tang Family does not make friends recklessly. We are uniting with other families under the name of the Five Great Family, but that is out of necessity.”
“…Yes.”
“But Mount Hua is different. Tang Family wants to be in a relationship that truly supports each other with Mount Hua. The family member also knows how Gaju-nim feels.”
“Oh…….”
Baek Chun nodded at the words that sounded like a legitimate argument.
At that moment, Tang Zhan, who was on the other side, whispered softly enough that only they could hear it.
“And thanks to the crushing of the Senate by Chung Myung Dojang the other day, the position of Gaju-nim has risen a lot. Thanks to this, the family has developed rapidly and the lives of the family member have become more comfortable. That’s why everyone welcomes Mount Hua.”
“…….”
Baek Chun thought for a moment. Chung Myung seems to solve most of the problems scattered here and there by beating people.
“But where are we going now?”
“We’re going to the workshop.”
“I saw earlier that the workshop seemed to be over there…….”
Tang Zhan grinned.
“There can’t be a single workshop in Sichun. There are dozens of workshops in the Tang Family alone.”
“…… it’s huge.”
“The place we’re going to now is the most important if it’s important, and the most useless if it’s useless of those workshops.”
“Huh? What do you mean….?”
“You’ll find out when we arrive.”
After passing the countless Pavilion, a well-decorated garden appeared. As they passed through the garden and headed inward, an old workshop appeared, unlike the magnificent Pavilion that had been seen so far.
“You can put it down here.”
“Yes.”
Mount Hua’s disciples, who dropped the Hancheol in the yard, followed Tang Gun-ak to the house next to the workshop.
It was an old thatched house that looked like it was going to collapse at any moment. Standing in front, Tang Gun-ak opened his mouth unbecomingly politely.
“Great Grandfather-nim, it’s Gun-ak.”
When Tang Gun-ak lowered his posture, others put their hands together reflexively and bent their heads.
“Great Grandfather-nim.”
“…….”
However, when there was no answer after several calls, Tang Gun-ak carefully opened the door to the thatched house with a slight look of dismay.
Then a gray-haired old man was seen lying in a small room with such a peaceful face.
Chung Myung tilted his head.
“Don’t you think he’s dead?”
“Word, you punk. Care for your word!”
“Your mouth, for real!”
Tang Gun-ak shook the old man lightly with a slightly nervous face.
“Great Grandfather-nim. Great Grandfather-nim?”
But no matter how much he shook, the old man did not wake up easily.
Chung Myung said with a sullen look.
“Look, he’s dead.”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
“Someone sew this bastard’s mouth! Please!”
The old man, who had not even moved, flinched and slowly opened his eyes, perhaps due to the heightened voice of Mount Hua’s disciples.
“……Huh?”
“Great Grandfather-nim, it’s Gun-ak.”
“Who’s Gun-ak?”
“……head of the Tang Family, Great Grandfather-nim.”
“Head of the Tang Family? You?”
“Yes, don’t you remember? I greeted you ten days ago.”
“Where the Gaju I know go? Where is Myung?”
“…… It’s been more than a decade since my father died.”
“Really? Now you are the Gaju?”
“…….”
Chung Myung’s face, who was listening to their conversation, slowly began to get distorted. He ended up looking nervously at Tang Pae.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Dojang.”
“…Who is that old man?”
“He is the oldest man in the Tang Family, Tang Jo-pyong (당조평(當造平)). The family usually uses the title ‘God’s Hand’ (신수(神手)) rather than his name.”
“God’s Hand?”
Tang Pae nodded with a proud face.
“Yes, he is the chief craftsman of the current Tang Family. He’s a person who doesn’t have any memory that can’t be made with ghostly dexterity. If the leader of the Tang Family is Gaju-nim, he is the one who leads the Tang Family’s workshop.”
“Ah…”
“There is no master craftsman better than him in the current Kangho. Even throughout the history of the Tang Family, it is rare to find a craftsman like him.”
“Ah…”
‘That’s nice.’
‘It’s all good…’
Chung Myung glanced nervously at the craftsman in question.
“So who are you?”
“……Tang Gun-ak, Great Grandfather-nim. Tang Gun-ak.”
Chung Myung’s cheek twitched slightly.
“……But you don’t look well. Are you sick?”
“Ah… … It’s not like that… … .”
Tang Pae scratched the back of his head with an uncomfortable face.
“Because he is so old, he has not been able to see clearly lately. Normally it’s not like this, but today, it’s a little … … .”
“Not clear?”
“…a little bit.”
Now Chung Myung’s cheeks, eyes, and entire face began twitching.
“Isn’t that what it means to be senile after all?”
“……No, not to the point of senile…….”
Chung Myung’s eyes turned to Tang Jo-pyong again.
“So, what did Gaju-nim find this old man for?”
‘Oh?’
Tang Gun-ak bowed his head to Tang Jo-pyong, who seemed to have come to his senses.
“Great Grandfather, I have something to deal with Hancheol. I think Great Grandfather should step up to this work.”
“Hancheol. Um, yes. It’s Hancheol, huh.”
Tang Jo-pyong brushed his white beard and shook his head.
“If it’s Hancheol, I have to step forward…. Hancheol… … . Heum, Everlasting Metal.”
Tang Jo-pyong muttered with a serious face as if he was worried about something. Then Tang Gun-ak asked him.
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, about that.”
“Yes, Great Grandfather.”
“That’s…….”
Tang Jo-pyong tilted his head.
“Who are you?”
“…….”
“Where’s Myung?”
Twitch. Twitch.
Chung Myung’s face was red and convulsed as if it would burst.
“No! You said you’d go to a man who could deal with Hancheol, but you’re looking for an old man!? Why isn’t anything working properly with Mount Hua and the Tang Family!”
Eventually, Baek Chun hurriedly shut up his screaming mouth. Then he broke into a cold sweat and apologized hurriedly.
“Hahaha. I’m sorry! This bastard is going crazy, hahaha!”
“Shut up! Please!”
Mount Hua’s disciples, who were pulling Chung Myung away, were now almost in tears. From the looks of it, he seems to be the eldest person in the Tang Family, but he’s senile for such a person!
But Chung Myung shouted, shaking off everyone’s hands.
“What, did I say something I couldn’t say? You must have a mind to be a craftsman! If you don’t have a mind, you’re senile!”
Then Tang Jo-pyong, who was looking around with dim eyes, looked at Chung Myung. But for a moment, the old man’s skinny body flinched.
A strange light flashed in his always unfocused eyes.
“Uh….huh?”
Tang Jo-pyong, who looked at Chung Myung as if he was shocked by something, soon opened his mouth wide. It was as if he had seen a ghost.
“Huh? Uh……… Plum…….”
“Great Grandfather?”
A little perplexed, Tang Gun-ak asked in a curious voice, but instead, Tang Jo-pyong pointed at Chung Myung with trembling hands.
“Plum Blossom Sword Saint?”
“…….”
‘Yes?’
‘Is this old man really senile? Who did he call me ju….?’
‘Oh, that’s right.’
‘Ah, I am Plum Blossom Swordsman, right?’
‘Haha…….’
‘Hahaha…’
‘What the hell is going on here?’
Chung Myung was momentarily speechless. Cold sweat started running down his back as the inside of his mouth dried up.