Return of the Blossoming Blade — Chapter 188

HUAYIN PREFECTURE

OH?

MR. FOREMAN! YOU'RE A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES!

IT IS OUR HONOR TO WELCOME YOU ONCE MORE, YOUNG MASTER.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT DEPARTED AHEAD TO HELP WITH THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE FEAST, SIR.

FOREMAN BO YI HERE WILL PERSONALLY ESCORT YOU TO XIAN, IF YOU'LL JOIN HIM ABOARD THE COACH.

AHA! NOW THAT IS A MAN WHO KNOWS HOW TO WELCOME HIS GUESTS PROPERLY!

ALL ABOARD THE CHEONGMYEONG EXPRESS TO XIAN--

HALT!!!

NOT SO FAST, BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA!!!

HMM?

Episode 182

HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, I ASK YOU?!

PARDON ME? DO I KNOW YOU?

DO NOT FEIGN IGNORANCE WITH ME!

IT IS I, DAEGWANG HONG, THE FORMER LEADER OF THE GAIBANG SECT'S LUOYANG CELL!

FORMER LEADER OF THE GAIBANG SECT'S LUOYANG CELL

DAEGWANG HONG

HAS YOUR LONG MISSION IN YUNNAN ROBBED YOU OF WHAT LITTLE WITS YOU HAD LEFT?!

GAIBANG-- OH, THAT PLATE-LICKER FROM BEFORE?

THAT'S RIGHT! YOU DO KNOW ME--

AND I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, THAT IS A SLUR AGAINST OUR KIND!

FINE, BUT WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE, CELL LEADER HONG?

SHOULD YOU NOT BE LICKING PLATES BACK IN LUOYANG?

FOR HEAVENS' SAKE... DID YOUR SECT LEADER TELL YOU NOTHING?

BACK THEN...

I COME AS A GUEST! IF YOU'LL BE SO KIND AS TO HUMOR THIS POOR OLD BEGGAR...

AND ALLOW ME A GLASS OF COLD WATER TO QUENCH MY THIRST...

...I HAVE A PROMISE TO KEEP WITH THE BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA!

BAHAHA! THAT'S THE STUFF!

AHEM, WHERE ARE MY MANNERS...?! MY SINCEREST THANKS TO YOU FOR THE COLD BOWL OF WATER, LORD SECT LEADER!

I GO BY THE NAME OF DAEGWANG HONG, AND I SERVED AS THE LEADER OF GAIBANG'S LOCAL CELL IN LUOYANG UNTIL RECENTLY!

Y-YOU NEEDN'T BOW TO ME, MASTER HONG. PLEASE, AS YOU WERE...!

BUT MIGHT I ASK WHAT BRINGS YOU ALL THIS WAY...?

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED, LORD SECT LEADER! YOU SEE, OUR HUMBLE SECT HAS A NEW CELL OPENING DOWN IN HUAYIN!

AS SUCH, I FELT IT ONLY PROPER TO COME AND PAY MY RESPECTS TO THE PREEMINENT MASTERS OF HUAYIN PREFECTURE!

AH, A NEW BRANCH OF THE GAIBANG SECT IN HUAYIN, YOU SAY?

UHH...

DID THE BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA MENTION NOTHING OF IT, MY LORD...?

HAHA... I FEAR THE BOY HAS A DEFICIT OF ATTENTION AT TIMES...

NONETHELESS, THESE ARE GLAD TIDINGS, INDEED.

THE MOUNT HUA SECT HEREBY EXTENDS A CORDIAL WELCOME TO OUR NEW NEIGHBORS FROM THE GAIBANG SECT.

HAHA, THANK YOU, LORD SECT LEADER! MAY THIS BE THE FIRST OF MANY FRIENDLY VISITS!

AND SINCE I AM HERE, I WAS HOPING TO MEET WITH THE BLESSED DRAGON TO CONVEY SOMETHING TO HIM THAT HE REQUESTED SOME TIME AGO.

MIGHT I TAKE UP A MOMENT OF HIS TIME?

IF THE YOUNG MASTER IS AVAILABLE, THAT IS...

ONLY TO BE INFORMED BY YOUR SECT LEADER THAT I'D JUST MISSED YOU!

I SEEM TO REMEMBER SOME TALK OF SENDING A BEGGAR TO HUAYIN FROM TIME TO TIME,

NOT AN ENTIRE CELL OF YOUR SMELLIEST PANHANDLERS.

FIRST OF ALL, RUDE. AND SECOND, DO YOU NOT RECALL THE PART ABOUT REOPENING OUR ONCE-DEFUNCT HUAYIN CELL?

IT MUST HAVE SLIPPED MY MIND...

WELL, REJOICE!

BECAUSE WHO DID THE GAIBANG SECT SEE FIT TO LEAD THE SAID LOCAL CELL HERE IN YOUR FINE PREFECTURE? WHY... YOURS TRULY!

DAEGWANG HONG

LEADER OF THE HUAYIN CELL

I ASSURE YOU, YOUR ESTEEMED SECT WILL FIND NO BETTER FRIEND IN LOW PLACES THAN ME!

I KNOW, I KNOW! SAVE YOUR TEARS OF JOY!

YOU AND YOUR BEGGARS...?

HAVE YOU NO REGARD FOR PROPERTY PRICES AROUND HERE...?

AGAIN WITH THE DISCRIMINATORY REMARKS! DOES OUR FRIENDSHIP MEAN NAUGHT TO YOU, BLESSED DRAGON?!

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HOW I ARGUED WITH THE ELDER BEGGARS OVER THIS!

OH, SPEAKING OF BEGGARS, THAT REMINDS ME...!

WHATEVER CAME OF THAT MANGY LITTLE STREET URCHIN I ASKED YOU TO HAUL BEFORE ME?!

WHY DO I NOT SEE HIM IN RESTRAINTS?!

HA... TALK ABOUT SELECTIVE MEMORY. HE BARELY EVEN RECALLED WHO I WAS.

THIS SORT OF VINDICTIVENESS IS A DISEASE AT THIS POINT, SURELY.

I HELD HIM CAPTIVE, I DID.

DID? DO I SEEM LIKE A MAN WHO ENJOYS THE PAST TENSE?

WELL? WHERE IS THE BOY NOW?

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU WERE GONE TOO LONG ON YOUR MISSION.

I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SET HIM FREE--

SET HIM FREE?!

AND WHO ARE YOU TO LET HIM COME AND GO AS HE PLEASES?!

ARE YOU BEGGARS DENSE OR SIMPLY LAZY FROM NEVER WORKING A DAY IN YOUR LIFE?!

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT HAVING FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES?! WELL, IS BEING SIX FEET UNDER LOW ENOUGH FOR YOU?!

ALL I ASKED WAS FOR SOME NO-NAME JUNIOR BEGGAR TO BE BROUGHT TO ME FOR A POLITE CONVERSATION, ONLY FOR YOU TO GO AND CUT HIM LOOSE?!

HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO BE ANY SORT OF A FRIEND TO MOUNT HUA WHEN YOU CANNOT EVEN TAKE CARE OF A SIMPLE FAVOR WITHOUT SCREWING IT UP?!

P-PEACE, YOUNG MASTER--

PEACE? PEEEACE?!

DO I LOOK LIKE A PEACEFUL MAN AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME?!

I SWEAR, THAT LITTLE URCHIN HAS BETTER LUCK THAN SENSE!

HOW DARE HE GIVE ME THE SLIP?!

P-PARDON ME, YOUNG MASTER, I SUDDENLY RECALLED SOME URGENT BEGGING TO ATTEND TO...!

THAT'S RIGHT! RUN!!!

SOMEBODY GET THESE BEGGARS OUT OF HEEEERE!!!

I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU, BROTHER, BUT THE ASCENT HAS ME GASPING FOR BREATH EVERY FEW STEPS... PERHAPS IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG.

BACK IN OUR DAY, WE USED TO SPRINT UP AND DOWN THESE PEAKS TIME AND TIME AGAIN EACH DAY FOR TRAINING, REMEMBER?

HAHA... WAS THERE EVER SUCH A DAY?

YES... I SUPPOSE SO...

SUCH WAS THE SECT IN OUR TIME.

OH MY... EVEN THE VERY MOUNTAIN GATES HAVE BEEN REBUILT SINCE THEN.

IT SEEMS SO, BROTHER, AND QUITE THE MARVEL IT IS, TOO. THAT CERTAINLY PROVES THE RUMORS REGARDING OUR SECT'S NEWFOUND RICHES.

HAHAHA! INDEED, OUR HOME SECT RISES ONCE MORE!

BY THE BLOSSOMS...

GONE ARE THE OLD, DILAPIDATED PAVILIONS, WHOSE EAVES WOULD DROOP LIKE OUR WISPY BEARDS...

THE TRAINING GROUNDS ARE NOW PAVED IN BLUESTONE, AND AS FOR THESE NEW BUILDINGS...

...MORE THAN HALF APPEAR TO BE NEWLY ERECTED, DO THEY NOT, BROTHERS?

ARE YOU CERTAIN WE HAVE NOT ACCIDENTALLY COME TO SOME MONEY-GRUBBING CULT INSTEAD...?

FASTER! YOU CAN PACE YOURSELVES IN HELL, MAGGOTS!

GAAAAH!

HMM?

FASTER, OR I'LL PUT YOU THERE MYSELF!!!

URK!

TAKING A BREATHER, ARE WE?

ARGH!

WHY ARE THERE MORE AND MORE CHEONGMYEONGS AS TIME GOES ON?!

LESS BLABBERING, MORE SCRAMBLING! QUESTIONS ARE FOR STRAGGLERS, AND STRAGGLERS GET TO FLY!

MY WORD...

OUTSTANDING...

WITH SUCH FINE DISCIPLES TO CARRY ON THE FLAME, IT'S NO WONDER MOUNT HUA'S HALLOWED NAME RINGS OUT ONCE MORE...!

HMM?

A BAND OF STRANGERS WHO DARE MARCH THROUGH OUR GATES UNANNOUNCED...?

WHAT BUSINESS BRINGS YOU TO OUR SECT, GENTLEMEN?

HAIL, YOUNG DISCIPLE. I PRESUME YOU MUST BE THE ONE WHOSE RENOWN RESOUNDS ACROSS THE REALM OF LATE.

OWN

PARDON?

COME, YOU NEED NOT BE MODEST WITH ME.

I HEARD THE NAME CHEONGMYEONG MENTIONED BY YOUR TRAINEES... THAT IS YOU, IS IT NOT?

CHEONGMYEONG...?

NO OFFENSE TAKEN, GOOD SIR...

BUT I AM BAEKCHEON, A SECOND-GRADE DISCIPLE AT MOUNT HUA.

OH...?

GOODNESS, MY APOLOGIES.

YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUS BLOSSOM BLADE, THEN?

INDEED I AM...

...THOUGH THE QUESTION STILL STANDS, GOOD SIR. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE AT MOUNT HUA?

AH... FORGIVE ME, YOUNG DISCIPLE.

I NEGLECTED TO STATE OUR BUSINESS FIRST.

MIGHT WE FIND HYEONJONG WITHIN?

NOT ONLY AN UNINVITED STRANGER, BUT ONE WHO ASKS FOR OUR SECT LEADER BY NAME AS IF HE IS A SUBORDINATE...?

BEFORE I ANSWER, SIR, I'M AFRAID I MUST ASK YOU TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

AND I AM AFRAID I CANNOT DIVULGE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU, YOUNG MAN.

PRAY SUMMON HYEONJONG TO US, AND YOU SHALL LEARN EVERYTHING YOU WISH TO KNOW.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SECRECY, BUT I ASSURE YOU OF THAT.

I UNDERSTAND YOU PURPORT TO HAVE BUSINESS WITH LORD SECT LEADER HIMSELF...

...BUT TO SHOW UP UNANNOUNCED AND DEMAND AN AUDIENCE WITH HIM IS SIMPLY AGAINST OUR SECT'S PROTOCOL.

NO VISITOR TO THESE SACRED MOUNTAINS MAY PASS THROUGH THE MAIN GATES WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES FIRST.

OTHERWISE, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT AN AUDIENCE WITH THE SECT LEADER IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.

HAHA, WELL SAID, YOUNG DISCIPLE. WELL SAID, INDEED.

EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS BY THE BOOK.

HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE PROTOCOL YOU SPEAK OF ONLY APPLIES TO OUTSIDERS.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW ME, BUT I AM NO OUTSIDER TO THESE HALLS, WHICH MEANS I AM UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW THESE RULES.

....?

AGAIN, YOU MAY SUMMON HYEONJONG AND EVERYTHING WILL BE MADE CLEAR.

SHOULD HE BE INDISPOSED, THEN ANY OF YOUR ELDERS WILL DO.

WHAT AM I TO DO...?

YOU!!!

?!

AH...! LORD ELDER!

NO NEED TO BE WROTH, THESE GENTLEMEN ARE NOT HERE TO SELL ANYTHING--

WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE?

SHAMELESSNESS, IS IT...?

THEY SAY THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

TO RETURN HERE AS AN OLD MAN AFTER SO MANY YEARS AWAY... WELL, I SUPPOSE MY ONLY SHAME IS THAT WE NEGLECTED TO VISIT ALL THIS TIME--

NO PLACE LIKE HOME?

PRAY TELL... HOW DARE YOU CALL THESE PEAKS YOU ABANDONED YOUR HOME?

COME, HYEONYEONG--

YOU HAVE SEVERED ALL TIES WITH MOUNT HUA AND THAT IS THE END OF IT.

WERE YOU SO DELUDED TO BELIEVE WE'D WELCOME YOU BACK WITH OPEN ARMS AND LET YOU PECK AT US LIKE VULTURES?

BEGONE, I SAY! YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL NOT TO BE MARCHED OUT OF HERE AT THE POINT OF THE BLOSSOM BLADES THAT YOU CAST ASIDE!

BUT WE MUST SPEAK WITH HYEONJONG--

THE LEADER OF OUR GREAT SECT IS NOT SOME ERRAND BOY THAT YOU CAN BOTHER ON A WHIM!

DISCIPLES, TO ME!

ESCORT THESE OUTSIDERS BACK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN GATES AND MAKE SURE TO SPRINKLE SALT TO CLEANSE THE GROUNDS!

I HAVEN'T THE FAINTEST IDEA WHY YOU CHOSE TO WASTE OUR TIME,

BUT AS LONG AS I REMAIN STANDING, I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR WAY!

HYEONYEONG...

I UNDERSTAND YOUR IRE, BROTHER. I TRULY DO--

BROTHER? YOU ARE NO BROTHER OF MINE...!

ALLOW ME TO FINISH. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU MUSTN'T NEGLECT TO CONSIDER.

MY BUSINESS HERE...

IT IS NOT SOME TRIVIAL MATTER FOR YOU TO WAVE ASIDE.

YOU MUST SURELY SEE IT, TOO.

DO NOT BE OBSTINATE AND LET US SPEAK WITH HYEONJONG.

IT IS UP TO HIM TO TURN US AWAY IF HE WISHES, IN WHICH CASE I SHALL GLADLY RELENT.

I WOULD SOONER CO-SIGN A LOAN WITH THE DEMON CULT THAN LET THESE SNAKES MEET WITH BROTHER SECT LEADER...!

MY CONSCIENCE SIMPLY WILL NOT ALLOW IT!

ALL I SEE IS A BAND OF TRAITORS AT OUR GATES!

UNLESS YOU TURN BACK IMMEDIATELY, WHY, I HAVE HALF A MIND TO--

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMOTION?

HYEONJONG, OUR ERSTWHILE BROTHER...!

S-SECT LEADER, I WAS ABOUT TO SHOW THESE MEN THE--

...

MANY SEASONS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE LAST MET...

...SENIOR BROTHER HYEONDANG.