“Uh…”

The Chung disciples in the White Plum Blossom hall sat wide-eyed.

“… I cannot eat.”

“My indigestion is severe.”

“I have been having nightmares for three days now, and I cannot even sleep….”

They looked at each other’s faces and sighed in unison.

“How… why are they doing this?”

“Isn’t that insane?”

“It is, but he has always been insane.”

“But….”

No, the problem wasn’t that he was insane, but because he wasn’t insane now. And he wasn’t insane, so now it felt like he was really insane.

“So that crazy bastard… no, what is that normal guy doing?”

“Sweeping, cleaning the ancestral hall.”

“Ancestral hall?”

“Yes. You know… the foundation of the sect is that, so he said that the sect isn’t taking proper care of it or respecting the ancestor’s right, so he will clean it up and…”

Yang Ho looked like he was tearing down his face.

“No, why is he saying the right things… why!”

After suffering for a moment, his shoulders slumped. More people began to pitch in.

“I am getting goosebumps. I was watching from the side while he was cleaning, and I was wondering what he was doing alone….”

“Sect leader sahyung? Was he talking about Baek Sasuk, maybe? No, the title of Sect leader sahyung is used by the sajaes of the same class. If not the elders, there would be no one using that title right now.”

“How can I know what is inside? He seems to be entirely out of his mind.”

“I am going to turn away from this. Really…”

They felt goosebumps rise on their bodies at the image of Chung Myung frantically sweeping and wiping the hall, speaking incomprehensible words.

At that time, Kwak Ho glanced around and cautiously said,

“But sahyungs and sajaes.”

“Uh?”

“If you calmly think about it, it isn’t that bad. It’s strange to look at and hard to accept, but if we think, hasn’t Chung Myung turned into a good person now?”

“… That is the problem.”

“No. I get the problem is that…”

Kwak Ho spoke firmly.

“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if we just get used to this? Do you like the good Chung Myung? Or the insane Chung Myung?”

“Are you even asking that, you brat!”

Yang Ho suddenly shouted like he didn’t have to think.

“It is better to be insane!”

“Uh?”

Gwak Hoe flinched at the unexpected reaction and asked back. But the others all shook their heads as if they agreed with Yang Ho.

“If it is Chung Myung, he has to be insane.”

“At least, I am used to that.”

“Right.”

Kwak Ho’s eyes shook.

No, that…

When he listened to them, it did seem like the right one, but… uh…

“If everyone leaves and keeps looking at him like that, everyone’s minds will explode.”

“That’s what I mean too!”

“Oh, heavenly Buddha! Why are you subjecting us to such trying times?”

The Chung disciples sighed with despair-filled faces.

“… But we can also do this, right?”

“Do you know how many days it has been? When it comes to acting, I doubt anyone would do it for this long.”

“Then you are saying he is going to be like this?”

“No way…”

Everyone shuddered and looked at one place at the same time. It was in the direction of the Ancestral Hall, where Chung Myung was cleaning.

Duudud!

Druuk!

One side of the Jade Emperor statue was now shining brightly. It was polished so smoothly that it looked like a newly made one and was neatly oiled.

Pop! Pop!

Chung Myung wiped the face of the statue clean with a cotton cloth.

“T-this place is a bit…”

Swish.

He gently put pressure on the protruding part of the table and trimmed it, too, adjusting the table measurement. Chung Myung smiled as he mumbled.

“I did it.”

So clean, it was so clean.

His face was full of pride. He looked around the hall with newfound admiration.

The Ancestral Hall. This was a place usually for the ancestors, where the memorial tablets of Mount Hua’s greatest sect leaders were placed to honor their souls.

“So much has changed here too.”

When he first stepped into Mount Hua, there was nothing left in this place. Not only the ritual antiques and Taoist items but even the treasures collected and gifted were sold off by Mount Hua, leaving just the memorial tablets behind.

But as Mount Hua began to gather wealth back, Hyun Young reorganized all the items he had sold, and now, it has regained some of its past appearance.

“Well, it’s still a bit lonely without the Dark Fragrant White Plum Blossom, but….”

The Dark Fragrant White Plum Blossom, one of the best artifacts in Mount Hua, hadn’t been found yet. Even after searching through Eunha and using them to search as well, its whereabouts remain unknown. It might be stuck in the warehouse of some rich family, or someone who didn’t understand its value might have sold it for a cheap price.

Still, it was definitely a shame that they couldn’t get back such an item. But that wasn’t what was important. What was more important than the artifacts was Mount Hua.

Chung Myung began to clean the memorial tablets one by one.

“Sect leader sahyung, many descendants of Mount Hua have grown up now. Looking at this kind of makes me feel proud. I think it is time for everyone to work on their own. It is what sahyung and I wanted…”

-What fucking load of bullshit is that! You bastard! Why are you doing this!

“Why are you yelling? I need to learn a bit more now.”

-Oh my…

Chung Myung continued to clean the tablets carefully. After a while, he could see with his own eyes that the hall looked a lot cleaner than before.

“Hmm, nice.”

He nodded with satisfaction and folded the dusting cloth.

“Sect leader sahyung.”

Then he suddenly turned to the memorial tablet and mumbled.

“When I thought about it, everything the sect leader said was indeed right. Chung Jin said that, too. I am a person who cannot leave anything behind for Mount Hua or on Mount Hua. It means that I didn’t understand the normal disciples we had, and it can also mean that they couldn’t grow stronger under my guidance.”

As long as Chung Myung was present, Mount Hua would not suffer under the bullying of other sects, just like Mount Hua did in the past.

But what happened after Chung Myung disappeared?

In the end, the remaining disciples would have to lead Mount Hua. If Chung Myung continued as he was now, the other Mount Hua disciples would end up suffering in his absence.

And that wasn’t what Chung Myung wanted.

Hadn’t he already experienced the tragic collapse of Mount Hua after he vanished once? What Chung Myung wanted wasn’t a Mount Hua strong for him but a Mount Hua strong even without him.

“It might be a bit difficult for the kids now, but eventually, they will be able to manage things on their own. Even if they get hurt and things get difficult enough for them to die… no, no, that is how people grow.”

-I think your real feelings came out.

“Eh. What are you thinking? It was a slip of the tongue.”

Chung Myung waved his hand.

With an unusually serious expression, he looked out at Mount Hua.

“At some point, I thought I would have to take a little step back. This was just faster than I thought. Maybe my guess is right. Sect leader Hyun Jong said so, and Baek Cheon sasuk said so too.”

Of course, this didn’t mean that Chung Myung had really stepped into the state of a former elder who lives in the corner rooms. Considering his abilities, he was too involved in the matters of Mount Hua. Recently, it had gotten to the point where he was giving up his personal time for others.

Now, everything was gradually falling into place. In the end, just like Mount Hua of the past, he had to establish a system where Mount Hua drew strength from the presence of Chung Myung, even if Chung Myung himself didn’t take the lead.

“I need to trust my disciples. That is the role of an adult.”

Chung Myung’s expression became a bit more relaxed.

Although it felt disappointing to let a child go, a child who once toddled around was now jumping away from his arms. Change was a natural process.

“So, what do we do next?”

Chung Myung walked out of the hall with a basket carrying a cotton cloth.

He decided that the next destination would be the sect leader’s residence. No, he tried to move there.

“Sect leader!”

“Uh?”

A person came rushing to him at great speed.

“Uh? Ghost clan leader?”

Chung Myung, who confirmed it was Do Un-chan, tilted his head. Was he still in Hwa-Um village? Why is he coming back?

“Sect leader! Sect leader, are you here?”

At that loud shout, the door of the sect leader’s residence burst open. Hyun Jong ran out to greet him with a surprised look.

“Clan leader, what is happening?”

“W-we found him!”

“Uh?”

Do Un-Chan shouted with a pale look.

“D-disciple! I found the disciple who went missing during the package delivery.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes widened.

“H-he is alive?”

“Yes! Fortunately, it seems like the child has been saved. The child somehow managed to send a letter…”

“Yes.”

“It is the pirates. It is said that he was attacked and fell into the Yangtze River but survived.”

Before they knew it, the faces of everyone who heard this went stiff.

“Um. But that is bad news, right? We already expected it.”

“But what comes next is important.”

“Uh?”

Do Un-Chan took a deep breath and gulped.

“It is said that the pirates who attacked him kidnapped everyone on the ship to prevent the news from reaching Mount Hua.”

“…Kidnap? Did you just say kidnap?”

“Yes, Sect Leader! There is no doubt about it.”

“…What is this…!”

Hyun Jong’s face turned cold.

“What are they planning to do by kidnapping innocent civilians?”

“I heard that the pirates are taking them and selling them as slaves to foreign nations…”

“What insane people!”

Curses came from the mouth of Hyun Jong, who rarely uttered such harsh words.

Committing evil deeds against someone strong and messing with common innocent people were two different things.

And…

‘If a rumor spreads that all this happened because of Mount Hua, how would the world look at us?’

Of course, Mount Hua had no part in this. Starting a business wasn’t a sin.

But public sentiment could not be predicted, and it didn’t follow common sense. If word spread that civilians suffered due to Mount Hua’s business, the name of Mount Hua would crumble.

“Sect Leader, shouldn’t we take action quickly?”

Hyun Young spoke in a serious voice, quite unlike him. There was no way he didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.

“Hmm. We need to rescue them as quickly as possible.”

Hyun Jong nodded resolutely.

“If we miss the timing and the civilians get sold off as slaves, rescuing them will become difficult…”

But no matter how quickly they send people, it will take time to reach them.

‘Even if I send a letter to Baek Cheon… dealing with the pirates alone would be difficult…’

After all, there was nothing else to do….

After much thought, Hyun Jong made up his mind and shouted.

“Chung Myung!”

“Uh?”

Hyun Jong watched as Chung Myung suddenly approached and answered.

Right.

This look was better, rather than seeing him as normal.

“I think you need to head to the Yangtze River first. I will send other disciples through Un Geom, so you go first and stop the pirates from selling civilians into slavery.”

Even though it would be impossible to destroy the pirates, it would be possible if Chung Myung were there.

And then, the reinforcements from Mount Hua would arrive, and the pirates could be swept away. It was a time when Hyun Jong was praising himself for what he thought was a fairly perfect calculation.

“Me?”

“Yes!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you…”

Wait.

Did this guy just ask him?

Hyun Jong, who had been reflecting on the words Chung Myung would never say, looked at Chung Myung, who had a blank expression.

And at that moment, Hyun Jong saw.

Chung Myung’s face, which had always had a gentle and calm look for the past few days, now held grumpiness. Even the sight of his head tilting to the side.

“Why me?”

“…”

Ah…

This damned situation…