Chapter 252: Chapter 252

“…It is more serious than I thought.”

A single long, thin wrinkle formed between the eyebrows of the Chivalric Escort Unit Leader, Chu Gye-gwang, who was looking at the shattered mountain gate.
A gate was the face of a sect.
Even more so, if it was the mountain gate of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, its meaning was unfathomably deep.
But that mountain gate was destroyed.

“It won’t be easy.”

A bitter smile naturally formed.

‘Of all things, to take on such a mission.’

Chu Gye-gwang held back a sigh trying to rise from his deep dantian.
It was then.

Step- Step-

The sound of footsteps was heard.
On the other side of the broken mountain gate, two Taoists were approaching from there.
Among them, the giant Taoist in the back was a very familiar figure.
Mount Hua Divine Sword, Immortal Hyeon-do.
He was a peerless master who represented Mount Hua in the current Martial Alliance and had handled major affairs.
And the old Taoist at the forefront was someone he had never met even once.
However, Chu Gye-gwang instantly grasped who he was.
A soft but heavy spirit.
On top of that, the situation where Immortal Hyeon-do tacitly stepped back one pace.
If one had any wits, they couldn’t help but know.

‘This person is the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, Immortal Hyeon-sang…’

Chu Gye-gwang immediately took a fist-and-palm salute.

“It is an honor to meet the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. This lowly one is called Chu Gye-gwang.”

Instantly, those watching the new visitors near the mountain gate showed surprised eyes.

“Chu Gye-gwang?”
“Could it be that…”

It was a name anyone who dipped even a toe into the Jianghu couldn’t help but know.
Wandering Sword, Chu Gye-gwang.
He was the one who oversaw and took responsibility for the Chivalric Escort Unit, one of the Four Squads of the Martial Alliance.
At that time, Hyeon-sang spoke calmly.

“Nice to meet you.”

Instantly, Chu Gye-gwang’s complexion darkened.
It was the worst reaction.

‘It would have been better if he had just gotten angry.’

He didn’t even dream of a situation where he would be welcomed.
However, not even getting angry meant he was angrier than any other time.
Chu Gye-gwang quickly lowered his head.

“I apologize for arriving late.”

It was a clean apology without adding unnecessary words like ‘I hurried but it took time because the distance was too far’.

“…”

Hyeon-sang fixedly looked down at the crown of Chu Gye-gwang’s lowered head, then soon sighed.

“Haa. It’s fine.”

Hyeon-sang’s expression relaxed slightly.

“What fault do you have? Failing to grasp the information was the fault of the Martial Alliance and the Beggars’ Sect.”

At those words, the Beggars’ Sect disciples who were secretly eavesdropping on the situation hastily turned their gazes away.
Chu Gye-gwang slowly raised his head.

“Thank you.”
“There’s no need for that.”

Hyeon-sang spoke coldly once again.

“The only one I’m letting off is you; I will hold the Alliance accountable for this matter.”

Chu Gye-gwang let out a bitter smile.
It was exactly as he expected.

‘Then…’

Chu Gye-gwang carefully rummaged through his embrace and soon took out a scroll.
A paper that looked antique at a glance.
And the golden silk tying it was like a piece of art.
Hyeon-sang’s eyes narrowed.

“What is this?”
“It is an urgent message I received at dawn today… The Strategist sent it directly to the Sect Leader.”
“An urgent message…?”

Hyeon-sang furrowed his brows.
If it was something sent urgently from the Martial Alliance, the contents wouldn’t be light.

“Do you know the contents?”
“Rather than me conveying it, I think it would be better for you to read it yourself.”

At those words, Hyeon-sang received the scroll and unrolled it.
His eyes reading the contents written inside gradually widened.
Hyeon-sang, who had been reading the text with trembling eyes, rolled the scroll back up after confirming the last letter.

“…Is what’s written here true?”
“It is.”

Hyeon-sang’s eyes became solemn.

“We should talk in detail.”

Along with those words, he immediately turned his body.

“Follow me.”

Chu Gye-gwang nodded and slyly looked back.
He spoke in a low voice toward his subordinates lined up stiff with tension.

“Everyone, wait here.”
“We will receive your command.”

As the man in the center answered, Chu Gye-gwang quickly chased after Hyeon-sang.
A moment later, the two arrived at the Purple Mist Pavilion.
While sitting down, Hyeon-sang unrolled the scroll he was holding in his hand on the table and let out a low voice.

“They mean to go to war with the Evil Black Lotus?”
“It is not confirmed yet.”

Chu Gye-gwang answered seriously.

“They will hold a Grand Martial World Conference this time to listen to the opinions of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and other sects, and it will be gradually decided.”
“To think the Alliance would step forward on a full scale against the Evil Black Lotus… It seems like they are expressing their will not to just let our sect being attacked pass by.”
“That is correct.”
“Hoho, I see.”

After Hyeon-sang let out a small laugh for a moment, he soon completely stiffened his expression and moved his lips.

“However, do you think this Taoist will welcome them doing so?”

The voice Hyeon-sang spat out coldly swept over Chu Gye-gwang’s body like a fierce winter storm.

“Stepping up to fight only now after everything has ended. If our sect had failed to block the Green Forest’s attack and suffered annihilation, it seems they would have just smoothed it over.”

Hyeon-sang’s eyes sank heavily.

“What do you think?”
“…”

Chu Gye-gwang remained silent.
It was because the words Hyeon-sang just spoke were exactly what he felt when he received the urgent message and heard its contents.

‘There’s no way to help it.’

The mission given to him was to persuade the Sect Leader and have the Mount Hua Sect attend the Grand Martial World Conference.
But seeing such a sharp reaction, how could it be possible?
Chu Gye-gwang shook his head slightly.
No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t think of a way to persuade him.
Eventually, he stood up from his seat. Talking any further here could backfire.

“I apologize once again on behalf of the Martial Alliance for this incident.”

Having lowered his head once again and slowly raising it, he met eyes with Hyeon-sang and moved his lips.

“However, please know just one thing. The Martial Alliance made the utmost effort possible. It is true that we were lacking, and we feel apologetic about that.”

With those words as his last, he politely took a fist-and-palm salute and was about to turn his body while worrying about how to report it.

“…May I ask one thing?”

Chu Gye-gwang stopped and answered.

“Please ask.”
“What position do you think our sect currently holds in the Martial Alliance?”
“Why do you think the Sect Leader is holding this Grand Martial World Conference?”

It was a wise answer to a silly question.
If they hadn’t cared about the Mount Hua Sect, there would have been no need to fight a war with the Evil Black Lotus.
Just like before.
But now, they say they will even hold a Grand Martial World Conference to seriously discuss the war with the Evil Black Lotus.
In other words, it meant they considered the Mount Hua Sect as an important power of the Martial Alliance to the extent of risking a Righteous-Unorthodox war.
Hyeon-sang gently closed and opened his eyes.

“Good. I’ll let it slide this one time.”

The expression of Chu Gye-gwang, who had given up, brightened.

“Thank yo…”
“Instead, promise me one thing.”

Hyeon-sang cut off his words of gratitude.

“I hope the Martial Alliance will gather information properly so that something like this never happens again.”

Chu Gye-gwang nodded his head.

“…I will convey it to the Alliance.”

When those words ended, the tightly strained atmosphere in the room loosened a bit.

“Then when will you depart?”

Chu Gye-gwang looked out the window.
The sun had already tilted and seemed like it would soon hide its appearance behind the mountain.

“Since it’s late today, I think it would be better to depart tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning… that’s a bit fast.”

Hyeon-sang, who spoke as if muttering, turned his gaze out the window and added words.

“For this time, is it okay to send only one person to attend the Grand Martial World Conference to the Martial Alliance? As you can see, our sect’s condition is not good, so it’s hard to send multiple disciples.”
“It doesn’t matter. However, since the position is what it is, sending just anyone is…”
“Don’t worry about that. The one to attend the Grand Martial World Conference will be Hyeon-do.”

Chu Gye-gwang nodded his head.
The Mount Hua Divine Sword was more than enough.

“Then I’ll leave it in your care. Ah!”

Chu Gye-gwang, who was about to leave with a greeting, suddenly remembered something and opened his mouth.

“There is something I forgot for a moment.”

Chu Gye-gwang hastily added words.

“The Strategist requested a meeting with the Plum Blossom Sword Hero, Little Taoist Cheon-hwi.”

Instantly, Hyeon-sang’s eyes sharpened.

“For what reason?”

Chu Gye-gwang was inwardly surprised by the unexpected sharp reaction, but quickly hid his emotions.

“He said he wants to repay the chivalrous deeds built up so far.”
“Repay…?”

Hyeon-sang stroked his beard.
If it was a reward from the Martial Alliance Strategist, it would certainly not be ordinary.

“I’ll pass it on to Cheon-hwi.”
“I’ll leave it in your care.”

A moment later, when Chu Gye-gwang left, Hyeon-sang called Hyeon-do and Cheon-hwi to the Purple Mist Pavilion.

“Did you call for us?”
“You called?”
“I’ll tell you the reason I called first. This time, from the Martial Alliance…”

Hyeon-sang, who was pressed for time, began to speak and quickly explained what had just happened.
Soon, when the explanation ended, Hyeon-do thumped his chest and said.

“I will lead the Grand Martial World Conference well, so you don’t have to worry.”
“I’ll trust you.”

Hyeon-sang looked at Hyeon-do, who was brimming with confidence, and shifted his gaze to Cheon-hwi.

“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t mind, but…”

Cheon-hwi, who paused for a moment, fixedly looked at Hyeon-sang.

“Will it be okay?”

It was a question holding many things.
Hyeon-sang showed a smile.

“Hohoho, don’t worry.”

Even though he heard the answer, Cheon-hwi looked at Hyeon-sang as if he was unreliable.
Even during the Green Forest’s attack, wasn’t it a crisis where they would have suffered annihilation if he hadn’t been there?
But he says not to worry.
It was an utterly untrustworthy statement.
Hyeon-sang, perhaps having read that thought from Cheon-hwi’s expression, smiled softly and opened his mouth.

“Would such an attack happen again?”
“The first time is hard, the second time is easy.”
“Ahem. That is true, but.”

Hyeon-sang, who coughed dryly, laughed without realizing it at Cheon-hwi’s words.

‘He has changed a lot.’

If it was the Cheon-hwi of the past, let alone worrying about the Mount Hua Sect, he would have immediately flown away the moment he heard the words.
The smiling Hyeon-sang opened his mouth.

“The Alliance decided to help.”
“Hmm… is that so?”

Cheon-hwi looked at Hyeon-sang with a face that said he still wasn’t trustworthy, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, if you say it’s fine.”

Cheon-hwi stood up from his seat.

“You said you’re going tomorrow morning?”
“That’s what they said.”
“Got it. Then I’ll get going first.”

Cheon-hwi, who left the Purple Mist Pavilion just like that, raised his head at the long shadow cast before his eyes while climbing the mountain path going to Falling Goose Peak.
There was someone standing with their back to the sunset on the path.

“What are you doing there?”
“I want to have a chat with my Junior Martial Brother.”

Cheon Yu, who had his back to the sunset, rummaged through his Taoist uniform and soon took out two liquor bottles.

“How about a drink for the first time in a while?”

A moment later, the two plumped down on a cliff where Mount Hua could be seen at a glance.

“This is yours, Junior Martial Brother.”

Cheon Yu placed a liquor cup in front of Cheon-hwi, wondering where else he had kept it, and poured the liquor.

Trickle-

The sunset was reflected in the stream of water flowing from the liquor bottle to the liquor cup.
Soon, Cheon Yu withdrew the liquor bottle.

“Here, drink.”

Cheon-hwi grabbed the liquor cup and said.

“You boldly brought that all the way here. If you get caught, you’ll be scolded terribly.”
“I suffered quite a bit. I did all sorts of things to fool Sasook-nim’s eyes.”

Cheon Yu, who shrugged his shoulders once, poured liquor into his own cup this time and opened his mouth.

“You’re going to the Martial Alliance?”
“He says he’s giving a present, so I have to go get it. It’s a waste not to receive it too.”

Cheon-hwi, who spoke insignificantly, tilted the liquor cup.
Mmm, it’s been a while.
The liquor he couldn’t drink recently because of the Green Forest or whatever tasted good.
It’s hot and nice.
Around the time he was savoring the heat of the unrefined rice wine.

“Keu.”

Cheon Yu, who threw the liquor of the full cup into his mouth at once, looked at Cheon-hwi.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“Don’t worry about Mount Hua, and have a safe trip.”

Even as a Senior and Junior Brother, he says the exact same thing.
At the time Cheon-hwi was thinking that, Cheon Yu added words with a serious expression.

“If something seems like it will happen, I’ll make everyone hurriedly run away.”

If others heard it, they would scoff.
To think someone calling himself the grand disciple of the Mount Hua Sect declared he would run away if in danger.
However, Cheon-hwi was satisfied.
Rather than making a fuss about fighting for nothing and dying, that was much better.
Living is the most important thing, after all.

“Right? It’s a good method, right? Hahaha!”

Cheon Yu laughed heartily.

“As expected, I connect well with our Hwi Junior Martial Brother. When I say things like this, Master or Sasook-nim make a fuss asking where such words come from.”
“You have to survive first to have a future.”
“I think so too.”

Cheon Yu nodded with a smiling face.
After quietly putting down his liquor cup for a moment, he brought his mouth close to Cheon-hwi’s ear and whispered very quietly.

“Since we’re on the subject, couldn’t you tell me how to take off this iron ring? Don’t I have to take it off if something happens?”

At the question that came in quickly taking advantage of the gap as if he had been waiting, Cheon-hwi grinned.

“Do you think there’s a separate method?”

Cheon Yu stuck out his lips.

“Sheesh, whatever. I didn’t even expect it. In the end, this means only Junior Martial Brother can take it off?”
“Anyone who reaches the realm can do it.”
“When is that an easy thing?”

Cheon Yu replied, finding it absurd.

“Then I’ll consider that Junior Martial Brother will take it off for me later.”

Soon, Cheon Yu, who drank the liquor once again, opened his mouth with a slightly tipsy face.

“So, if only to take this off for me, you must return safely.”

At the calm but deeply sincere words, Cheon-hwi, who felt strangely bashful for a moment, withdrew his gaze from Cheon Yu and sipped the liquor submerged in the sunset glow.

‘I guess the feeling isn’t entirely bad.’

With that, the conversation between the two was cut off…
Instead, only the sound of sipping liquor continued.
Until darkness fell upon Mount Hua.
Leaving a very deep fragrance of liquor in the darkness.