Although they left the riverside with great momentum, Mount Hua and the Tang family didn't actually move very far. They needed to find a nearby place to stay to care for the seriously injured Namgung family, and the village they had built at the river's mouth was perfect for Mount Hua and the Tang family to live in.
"But isn't it too close to the Nine Sects? Won't that be uncomfortable?"
"If it's uncomfortable, it's the guys standing there with their legs stuck who need to feel it. Why should we?"
"That makes sense."
So Mount Hua settled in a manner that Green Forest had used in the past. After tending to the injured without even having time to unpack, they managed to regain some stability by sunset.
Of course, the injured—not Mount Hua.
"The more I think about it, the angrier I get. That crazy bald head!"
Chung Myung's eyes shone with fury.
"What? Collude? Colludeeee? That insane bastard is really talking about collusion? I'll slam his wooden beads right into his mouth! Where does he think he's going with that slander?"
"Ahem, Chung Myung."
"What!"
Baek Cheon coughed softly. He understood the anger but seemed displeased with how harsh Chung Myung was being toward the abbot of Shaolin.
"You're speaking too harshly about a reputable person in Kangho."
"Are you insane?"
"That's what I meant… It could be an illness. Like dementia."
"…"
Jo Gul looked puzzled and asked Yoon, who was beside him,
"Sahyung, does dementia affect warriors too?"
"I thought it wouldn't."
"But him?"
"After seeing what happened today, I think it can."
"Ah…"
It was a normal conversation any disciple of Mount Hua would be familiar with. The only minor problem was that, this time, there was a bald man with a shiny head right in front of them.
Hae Yeon, who couldn't bring himself to join the conversation, was sweating profusely. As he rolled his eyes anxiously, sparks seemed to fly from them.
"Yah, what do you think, Baldie?"
"A-amitabha… w-what are you talking about?"
"The abbot bastard seems to have gone fully insane. What do you think about it?"
Hae Yeon shut his eyes tightly. Since he had eyes, he couldn't help but witness everything that happened between Mount Hua and Shaolin. When the abbot accused them of colluding with the Evil Sect, didn't he almost curse at the abbot without realizing it?
If that had actually happened, it would have been a moment of great destruction, one that would be remembered in Shaolin's history.
"Ah, what do I think?"
Hae Yeon was overcome with agony. Even though he was no longer a member of Shaolin, the abbot was like a father to him. But he couldn't just gossip about such a person in front of others!
Of course, Chung Myung didn't give Hae Yeon even a little consideration. Instead of thinking about it, he tilted his head crookedly and thrust his face in front of Hae Yeon.
"Are you deaf? Your head is so shiny; are your ears the same?"
Jo Gul whispered to Yoon Jong,
"Sahyung, don't you hear better when your ears are shiny and clean, though?"
"… I'm no physician, so I don't know…"
Hae Yeon furtively looked at the two and bit his lip. He hated those guys even more.
"Why aren't you answering?"
At that moment, Baek Cheon, who had been silently watching Chung Myung talk, frowned.
"Chung Myung."
"Ah, what now!"
"Monk Hae Yeon is having trouble answering. Stop asking him now."
Chung Myung frowned. But before he could swear, Baek Cheon calmly said,
"Some people are like that. Your body is with Mount Hua, but your heart is with Shaolin. How can we stop that? Only by understanding that conflict can we be called true friends."
"Ah, really? So you like Shaolin even now?"
Hae Yeon changed his mind. Baek Cheon, that bastard… no, he hated Taoist Baek Cheon even more.
"Ahhh. I was raising a tiger cub. So, you'll still side with the guy who said we were colluding with the Evil Sect? If we get to know him now, isn't he like a spy who conspired with the abbot and infiltrated Mount Hua?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh?"
The Five Swords all focused their eyes on one place. Hae Yeon, who had been blinking, jumped up.
"S-spy! How can a Buddhist even do such a thing?"
"Why aren't you speaking, you bastard! Your abbot is clearly selling out the nation! Do you still stay silent after seeing that? Isn't it normal for Shaolin people to be born with a guilty conscience?"
"T-that is…"
Cold sweat dripped down Hae Yeon's head.
"So, did you see what your abbot did earlier or not?"
"I-I…."
"Right, you."
"I-I did not see anything."
"…"
At that moment, everyone stared blankly at Hae Yeon. He closed his eyes tightly.
"Really? You didn't?"
Chung Myung got up from his place, made a pleased look, and then hit Hae Yeon on the head right away.
"Kuaaak!"
"Catch him!"
"I knew this would happen!"
The frightened Five Swords grabbed Chung Myung as he rushed at Hae Yeon.
"Let go! Will you not let go? That little bastard, shameless! That's why one cannot take in such black-haired beasts! What? You didn't see? You little brat! Those eyes are useless then; why not pluck them out today?"
"Chung Myung! Calm down!"
"Brat, are you really going to beat people up because of that?"
"Right, Chung Myung! I don't know about other things, but monk Hae Yeon is no black-haired beast! He doesn't even have hair!"
"…"
"…"
A moment of silence fell. Chung Myung, who was rushing in, and the Five Swords, who were holding him back, both looked blankly at Jo Gul.
"… why?"
"… fuck."
"Amazing."
"Taoist, that is a bit…"
"Shut up, you bastard!"
Chung Myung ran toward Hae Yeon once again.
This kind of thing had become a daily routine for Mount Hua, so no one was paying attention to that place—except for one.
"…"
Namgung Do-Wei stared blankly as Chung Myung bit Hae Yeon's head with his teeth.
'What is that?'
Was that the person he saw?
He stared intently at the scene and grabbed Tang Pae, who was passing by.
"E-excuse me, young lord."
"Uh?"
"… is that how they normally are?"
Tang Pae raised his head slightly at the question and looked at Chung Myung and the Five Swords. Then he answered calmly,
"Well… you'll get used to it soon enough."
Then he patted Namgung Do-Wei's shoulder a couple of times as if feeling sorry for him and went his own way.
Now Chung Myung was completely beating Hae Yeon up. Namgung Do-Wei's eyes fluttered at the unbelievable sight.
'Come to think of it…'
It seemed like he was originally like that. Right, the Worldly Murim Tournament. The tournament… right, at the tournament.
'But even so, this is!'
Wasn't that the warrior who showed heroic deeds by defeating the Black Dragon King at Plum Blossom Island yesterday? The sword he wielded still lingered in Namgung Do-Wei's mind, causing him to shiver.
But this guy was…
"Die, die! You bat-like bastard!"
"N-not a bat!"
"Not a bat? Where is this bald guy trying to decide? Grow some hair now! Take off the clothes! Do one of the two!"
"T-that…"
He was doing it. Ah, he was doing it.
In his head, he knew they were the same person, but his heart couldn't accept it.
"Ah, calm down, brat! Why are you venting your anger on Shaolin at the monk… uh?"
At that moment, Yoon Jong noticed Namgung Do-Wei standing blankly.
"Ah, hello?"
"… Ah, hello… Taoist."
Yoon Jong greeted him politely, but Namgung Do-Wei's expression upon receiving the greeting was completely cold.
"What? Isn't that an injured person? Why is he crawling out now?"
When Chung Myung's attention was drawn to him, Namgung Do-Wei quickly cleared his throat. Humans are odd, but he had to do what he had to do.
"Taoist, I came to formally thank you again."
Namgung Do-Wei bowed deeply.
Chung Myung, who had seen that, blankly turned his gaze toward Baek Cheon and asked.
"Sasuk."
"Uh?"
"Are sect people normally like that? Do they have to say stuff like that?"
"… why are you asking me that?"
"That's because Sasuk's core is with the Southern Edge sect, right?"
"I said it isn't that, you bastard! I am a man of Mount Hua to the core!"
"S-see such a total rotten brat. Tsk tsk, betraying the parents who gave you the good name of Dong-Ryong."
"I don't want to hear that from you!"
Ah, right. Come to think of it, that guy was Mount Hua's Sword Saint, who fought against the pirates of the Yangtze River. Back then… he was so cool and dependable.
'But his name is Dong-Ryong?'
A person's name didn't necessarily have to match their face, but at this point, wasn't it so dissonant that they were fighting each other by the collar?
"Right. Well, being polite isn't a bad thing."
Chung Myung nodded dryly. Contrary to his words, his eyes clearly showed a look that said, 'Where can I use that useless brat?' It was obvious to Namgung Do-Wei.
"So, done with your deed?"
"Ah, no."
Namgung Do-Wei kept wiping the sweat dripping down his face.
"Ah, since we're going to be one unit, I came to tell you that I'm requesting help from you."
Namgung Do-Wei bowed deeply again.
"Please give me lots of guidance."
He was deeply convinced.
'Mount Hua has become even stronger.'
He knew all too well how strong Mount Hua was originally. Just a few years ago, Mount Hua was a sect with no name in the murim world.
'And even during the tournament, it was just a sect with a good status.'
However, what they showed in the river this time completely shattered Namgung Do-Wei's thoughts. In just a few years, they had become a sect with power on par with the Namgung family, no, maybe even greater.
Common sense would say it was nonsense, but there was no denying what he had seen with his own eyes.
'In other words, the people who know the best way to rebuild the sect in the world right now are Mount Hua.'
So, no matter what happened, he had to stick close to them.
To perfectly rebuild the half-collapsed Namgung family, he had to learn from Mount Hua and Mount Hua's Sword Saint.
'Chung Myung Taoist will definitely help. Surely he will.'
Chung Myung risked his life to save people he had never met. If he thought about that deep sense of loyalty, he would never turn his back on the Namgung family.
Namgung Do-Wei thought so.
The problem was…
"Sasuk."
"Uh?"
"What is he saying?"
"Now that they've joined the Heavenly Friends Alliance, they're asking you to take good care of them."
"So what is he asking?"
"He said in front of the Shaolin abbot that he was leaving the Five Great Families and joining the Heavenly Friends Alliance. Didn't you hear?"
"Ah, that?"
Chung Myung nodded as if he finally understood.
"Yes! That's it!"
Namgung Do-Wei stared at Chung Myung with a bright face.
"So from now…"
"Yah."
"… Uh?"
Namgung Do-Wei, who was about to lower his head again, hesitated for a moment and then lifted it.
And then he saw Chung Myung, who was looking at him with his head tilted to the side as if poking all the world's ugliness into him.
"Joined?"
"… Yes, joined…"
"Who is accepting, though?"
"Uh?"
Chung Myung poked his ear and blew his finger.
"You won't join."
"Uh?"
"I said you won't join."
"…."
Yes, the problem was that Chung Myung was a stranger than Namgung Do-Wei thought.
And it was sad.