The place was narrower than expected.
It was natural. It would have left a large hole in Mount Hua's finances if they had created a massive warehouse out of Thousand-Year-Old Cold Iron; they would have never lasted this long.
"… he kept whining every day that he had no money. Yet he kept spending it to make things like this."
Chung Myung felt a surge of anger, but what could he do? He could do nothing to a dead person.
Chung Myung went inside and looked around.
There were a lot of things stored here. What should he check for first?
"Money!"
Chung Myung blinked his eyes and scanned the room.
It had to be here! The slush funds which Sahyung was saving! Some shining piece of gold! Riches shining brilliantly…!
"It must be here."
Chung Myung continued to survey the room.
Why? Why couldn't he see them?
Chung Myung once again scoured the inside of the storeroom. No matter how many times he rubbed his eyes, however, he couldn't find anything shiny, let alone treasures.
It shouldn't be this way.
"N-No."
With how frugal his Sahyung was, he must have accumulated a lot more money than any other sect leader!
It would be common sense for him to plan and keep aside a certain amount of wealth to prepare Mount Hua for any unexpected scenarios.
"But there is no money!"
A great sense of defeat came over him.
Haaa, fucking bastard. Didn't he keep any slush funds?
Chung Myung rubbed his face.
If there had been an emergency stash of money, he could have used them for any number of schemes.
For the revival of Mount Hua, for buying drinks, and for buying more drinks…
"Ah no! I am purely focused on the revival of Mount Hua!"
"Ehh!"
Chung Myung abandoned his lingering desires and turned his head. There were things more important than wealth.
"This is it!"
Books lined up one after another on a bookshelf on one wall.
Chung Myung gulped and walked over to it.
"This has to be it."
He pulled out a book from the middle and scanned the contents. As he read each line, a bright smile slowly appeared.
"Right!"
There can be no other way!
As expected, the books displayed on the first shelf were books of Mount Hua, which Sahyung kept. These documents were generally supposed to be stored in the sect leader's house, but it seemed like copies were made and stored here in case of emergencies.
And there weren't just ledgers from Chung Myung's time, but even from the previous generations too. With just this information, he would be able to slap those rotten jerks in the back of the head.
"Those bastards are so dead!"
These ledgers were worth the painstaking effort he went through to open the door.
And on the second shelf…
"Oh!"
No way!
Chung Myung nearly screamed without realizing it.
The authentic secret arts of Mount Hu are here…
"Huh?"
Chung Myung tilted his head.
"Are these the real deal?"
Chung Myung frowned. These things were a bit different from the martial arts he studied. In Mount Hua, the secret arts, which were almost as good as dead, were gathered there!
"Hmm."
Chung Myung scratched his cheek.
"Those foolish old bastards."
It had been decided not to pass these down to the future disciples, but it was clear that they didn't abandon them. It seemed that Sahyung was reluctant to completely throw them away.
Maybe he thought that it would negatively impact Mount Hua's future if they were abandoned, so he kept them here.
If the first shelf full of ledgers showed the old sect leader's obligations and responsibilities to the sect, this second shelf represented his compassion and dedication.
"… Sahyung."
Chung Myung felt a rising surge of tears sting his eyes.
"Don't worry. I will definitely revive Mount Hua to its original state."
No, he would make it more prosperous than in the past.
Chung Myung regained his ambition and turned.
There was no rush, and it will be fine. After all, the important thing was that Chung Myung knew how to use all the techniques. It was annoying to write it down for others, but he didn't plan on keeping the information a secret either.
And finally…
There was virtually nothing on the third shelf.
There was only a single rolled scroll.
"What is this?"
Without hesitation, Chung Myung reached out, opened it, and immediately began to read it.
[From the sect leader (Sahyung)]
If anyone is reading this, it means that the next generation's sect leader has been decided. Sometimes, a single line of writing conveys more than a hundred words, so I leave my meaning in this humble form.
The position of sect leader within Mount Hua isn't a position to lead.
As anyone who becomes the next sect leader would naturally come to know, the ones who lead Mount Hua are the precious disciples, and they are the ones who bring growth to Mount Hua. A sect leader's role is to protect and support them to carry out their own will without restrictions.
Now that you are the sect leader, I hope you will put aside your own impatience and work for the sake of the sect. Mount Hua is simply Mount Hua. No one person can lead or wield it.
Remember this when you are tired from life's difficulties and the heavy burden on your shoulders; Mount Hua will not fall.
Mount Hua is Mount Hua. Whether it declines or flourishes, it will stay as Mount Hua. As sect leaders, we merely protect the spirit of the sect in our generation.
Pray that the will of Mount Hua, which our ancestors protected, be passed onto future generations. And nurture our descendants to continue our will so that we remain eternal.
I leave you a heavy burden as the sect leader of the previous generation.
The 21st sect leader of the Great Mount Hua, Jang Mun.
[End]
"…"
Chung Myung looked at the scroll silently.
He knew.
He knew that this wasn't a letter written by his Sahyung to him, but, weirdly, he was the person who needed to read this more than the others.
"Right… that man really nagged a lot."
Chung Myung sighed and put away the scroll in his hands.
The other things will be returned to Mount Hua, but not this scroll.
"Okay then…"
Chung Myung turned around with a smile.
"There wasn't much, but this should be enough."
First, he had the ledgers, which were the most essential items. If he had them, the businesses could be retrieved. Then Mount Hua would be able to get out of the debt.
So then…
Chung Myung, who was about to walk outside, stopped walking.
'Wait a minute.'
It was strange.
'Why does it feel like something's off?'
He couldn't pinpoint what was so strange, but he felt something was wrong.
Why was he feeling that way?
"Wait!"
Third shelf?
Chung Myung turned his head.
Sect leader, his Sahyung.
Jang Mun was the 21st sect leader of Mount Hua; that man had been obsessed with neatly organizing things.
It wasn't just the cleanliness. Even if the furniture in his room were off by a slight angle, he couldn't stand it.
But…
Two full shelves and one empty shelf?
"No. No. That man would have lost his mind."
He knew it because he had been with that man for a long time.
Chung Myung rushed to the empty shelf.
'Something has to be here!'
Surely!
That empty shelf kept bothering him. Isn't it awkward to use an entire bookshelf for just one scroll? The Sahyung that he knew wasn't that kind of a person.
If the one who came here wasn't Chung Myung but someone else, they wouldn't have thought much of it. But now Chung Myung was there.
He grabbed the shelf without hesitation and moved it to the side.
'There's nothing else around.'
There was nothing behind the shelf except for the cold iron wall. But what about below?
It could be. The floor seemed to be covered with iron. But?
Chung Myung, who moved the shelf, put his hand on the floor and soon infused it with energy.
'If it was the old man that I knew, then it must be here!'
If there is a suspicious place, then something must be there.
Wooong!
Nothing happened. He wondered if his internal energy wasn't strong enough, he couldn't feel anything.
"Maybe I am wrong?"
It was the moment when he was flustered and thought about giving up.
Tuk!
"…!"
Right!
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
As Chung Myung felt himself being sucked below where the floor once was, something gave way.
Rumble!
Eventually, with the sudden feeling of something falling, Chung Myung lost his balance and collapsed backwards, rolling away from where he stood before.
"Ouch!"
After hitting his head several times, it felt like the night stars were flashing in front of him.
'Wasn't it too loud?'
He instinctively turned towards the entrance. However, it didn't seem like anyone noticed it. Although it was connected, it didn't seem like it could be heard because of the long corridor.
More than that!
Chung Myung jumped up and ran forward.
Something opened for sure.
Chung Myung ran to observe the hole which had formed.
"Then?"
Sahyung!
"You really are a nasty bastard!"
A hidden double floor was made in case someone other than the sect leader had come in.
After all of the hard work it takes to find and open this place, nobody would have imagined that there was another secret hidden here. Even Chung Myung wouldn't have known if he didn't understand his Sahyung so profoundly.
Light shone from the entrance.
Light!
It seemed like the light was made to show the path to Chung Myung.
Without hesitation, he threw himself into the opening. The entrance was small, even for a child's body. As he went down through the entrance, he found a space so small that straightening his back was difficult.
In that place…
Chung Myung stretched out his hand and decided to close the door which opened.
"Slowly. Slowly."
He made sure that no sound came of it.
And…
Chung Myung's eyes opened wide. His breathing became rapid, and his heart began pounding. Blood rushed to his face as excitement colored his vision.
"Hahahahaha!"
He was dying of joy~
There was happiness right in front of him.
Gold bars were neatly stacked on one side.
And various other treasures arranged at another side.
And…
"Is this my tomb?"
Even unknown gems were in there!
"Hehehehehe!"
Laughter kept coming out. Even when he tried to not laugh, he couldn't control it.
"Uhahahahaha!"
Right, smile! Laugh!
"I'm finally rich!"
The situation which the 21st sect leader, Jang Mun, desperately sought to avoid by taking extreme measures to guard this wealth.
This was the moment when the fate and fortune of Mount Hua firmly passed into the hands of the one person who should absolutely not have it.