"Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader! Please open your eyes."
Hyun Jong jolted awake.
'A dream?'
He quickly sat up and saw the chest still in front of him. Thankfully, it wasn't a dream.
"U-Ungeom!"
"Yes! Sect Leader!"
"Call the children. Move this chest to the sect leader's quarters immediately! And have the Unja disciples guard the area around the quarters tightly!"
"Yes! Sect Leader!"
"No, wait! I'll move it myself! Right now!"
Hyun Jong took a deep breath to calm his excitement.
Nothing was certain yet. To accurately assess the situation, he needed to call the Treasure Hall Master to verify whether these items were genuine.
But.
'How could they not be genuine!'
If these items weren't genuine, why would they have been buried on Lotus Peak? And alongside such a vast amount of wealth?
'No, no! Even so, everything must be confirmed.'
Hope and anxiety clashed within him. Had his heart ever been this tumultuous in the past few decades?
"Ungeom!"
"Yes! Sect Leader."
"Escort me. We're taking these items down the mountain for now!"
"Understood!"
As Hyun Jong sprang to his feet, his eyes fell on Chung Myung.
"Chung Myung!"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"You've worked hard. We'll discuss the details later!"
"Yes."
As Chung Myung stepped back without a word, Hyun Jong hurriedly lifted the entire chest. Then, he gave Chung Myung one last instruction.
"You take the children and return to the Hundred Plum Hall."
"Understood."
"Then!"
With that, Hyun Jong activated his light-foot technique and began descending the mountain. Ungeom hurriedly followed behind him. The children left on Lotus Peak stared blankly at the scene.
"What's going on?"
"...Who knows?"
Amid the confused children, Chung Myung smiled faintly.
'This should be enough for now.'
The treasures and martial arts manuals inside the chest were only a fraction of what was in the secret vault.
Why only a fraction?
Because the rest wasn't Mount Hua's property… No, that's not it!
'If you eat too much at once, you'll get indigestion.'
Feeding a starving person a rich meat stew would overwhelm their body. As proof, even the sect leader was on the verge of collapsing from just this much.
Giving too much isn't always good.
In Chung Myung's judgment, the current Mount Hua wasn't capable of handling everything in the vault. Asking a severely ill patient to run immediately would be unreasonable. They needed to start by relearning how to walk.
Of course, from Chung Myung's perspective, it was just walking, but from their perspective, it was far from that.
Just then, Yoon Jong approached Chung Myung and spoke cautiously.
"Junior Brother."
"Huh?"
"Since the Hall Master told us to go down, shouldn't we return to the Hundred Plum Hall for now?"
Chung Myung nodded.
"We should."
"But, Junior Brother, why do you look like that?"
"Ugh. Something happened."
Chung Myung waved his hand.
'You wouldn't understand even if I told you.'
His body was deteriorating rapidly due to drawing on his innate energy.
'I should have used a bit less.'
It couldn't be helped. In the past, his control over his energy had been near perfect, but he hadn't reached that level yet. And his current body was different from his past one in many ways.
Using innate energy, such a sensitive force, for the first time with a new body and only drawing the right amount? If that were possible, he'd be called a martial god, not a sword saint.
"You look like you're about to die."
"I won't die."
"Really?"
"...Would you like me to die?"
Yoon Jong averted his gaze without answering.
Huh?
Keeping quiet? Did he really want me to die? This guy's got some nerve.
"Don't get your hopes up. I'm not dying."
"What hopes? Ahem."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
'I'll be stuck in recovery for at least a month or two.'
Innate energy wasn't something that recovered easily. Even with careful rest, it would take two months to regain his original condition. Otherwise, he'd need to take some rare medicine.
"But how did you find that earlier? Seeing how shocked the sect leader was, it must be something extraordinary."
"If you live virtuously, the heavens will watch over you. So live virtuously."
"..."
If Chung Myung could receive such blessings, others would have already ascended to immortality. But no one dared to say that out loud.
Chung Myung glanced down at the sect leader, who was rushing down Lotus Peak.
'I've given them this much. They should handle the rest.'
They're not fools.
"Let's go down."
"We should. But… where are you going?"
"Huh?"
"To go down, you need to go this way, right?"
Yoon Jong pointed downward.
"Why ask such an obvious question?"
"Then why are you going up?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue as if disappointed and looked at Yoon Jong.
"Senior Brother."
"...Huh?"
"To become a master, you need to think flexibly. Don't assume there's only one way down. Reaching the peak and then descending is just one of many methods."
'What nonsense is this, you lunatic!'
"Now. The sect leader has his duties, and we have ours. The ten who come in last today won't get any food. Run!"
Without giving Yoon Jong a chance to complain, his feet began racing toward the peak. The other children, startled, also started running toward the peak.
'That devilish brat!'
'Why hasn't a ghost taken him yet!'
Watching the children sprinting toward Lotus Peak, Chung Myung smirked and turned his head.
"I've given the first gift."
What should I prepare next?
There's still plenty left in the vault. The treasures in the chest are less than a tenth of what's in the vault.
Chung Myung glanced up at the sky. It felt like Elder Brother Jangmun was glaring at him with a twisted expression.
"Ah, it's not like I'm going to keep it all for myself."
Moderately. Moderately. Okay? Moderately.
"Hehe."
Chung Myung smirked and followed the children up the peak.
❀ ❀ ❀
"They're genuine."
His heart sank. It was the answer he expected, but the shock didn't diminish in the slightest.
Hyun Jong, unable to hide his trembling, asked again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Absolutely. The financial records are genuine, and the certificates buried beneath the treasures have also been secured. Sect Leader!"
"Huuu! Hoooo!"
He knew he should say something, but no words came out. All he could do was let out a breathless, hoarse sound.
"H-how could this…?"
"It's done! It's done! Sect Leader!"
"Huu… Hahahaha."
No matter how hard he tried to hold it back, laughter kept spilling out.
The world is full of uncertainties, but for such precious things to be discovered at this exact moment?
What if they had been found just a week later?
He didn't even want to think about it.
'The heavens have blessed us.'
No, it wasn't the heavens. It must have been the ancestors of Mount Hua, watching over them from the immortal realm.
Though the two weren't so different.
Hyun Jong tightly closed his eyes. He couldn't hide this overwhelming emotion.
"So, can we prove the contents of the financial records?"
"These are certificates issued by the state. Of course, we can prove them! We can reclaim the businesses in Hwaeum, including Taihe Tower, right now."
"Well done. Truly well done."
It was nothing short of a miracle.
Just a week ago, Mount Hua was on the verge of being forced onto the streets. But with these certificates and financial records, not only could they protect Mount Hua's buildings, but they could also reclaim all the businesses in Hwaeum.
It was an absolute jackpot.
Hyeon Yeong, the Treasure Hall Master, chuckled.
"It's unlikely, but even if all these items were fakes, we've already overcome the immediate crisis. The treasures in the chest are worth at least a hundred thousand nyang. We can pay off all the debts they're demanding and still have plenty left."
"What a relief. Truly a relief."
"With this money, we can solve Mount Hua's financial problems in one fell swoop. And if we can seize their businesses, we won't have to worry about money in the future."
Nothing but good news kept pouring in. To Hyun Jong, the voices sounded like the melodious tones of a celestial beauty.
"And that's not all."
Hyeon Sang, the Martial Hall Master, smiled gently and spoke.
"The Seven Plum Sword Art also appears to be genuine. We'll need to study it further, but from what we've confirmed so far, there are no significant errors. It contains the unique speed, adaptability, and vast energy characteristic of Mount Hua's martial arts."
"Ohh."
"The discovery of the Falling Flower Sword manual is also encouraging. While the Falling Flower Sword isn't as profound as the Seven Plum Sword, it perfectly complements the transition from the Six Harmonies Sword to the Seven Plum Sword. It will serve as an excellent intermediate step."
"I-I see."
"Additionally, the Bamboo Leaf Hand, Hidden Fragrance Drift, and Seven Star Step manuals also seem to be genuine."
His mind was in a whirl.
Hyun Jong consciously restrained his words. If he spoke too much here, he might appear foolish.
"The recovery of the Seven Star Step alone is an immeasurable gain. The Seven Star Step is the foundational footwork for all of Mount Hua's martial arts. Teaching it to the children will allow them to advance to higher levels without disrupting what they've already learned."
"The same goes for us, right?"
"Of course, Sect Leader."
"This is Mount Hua's fortune. Truly, our fortune."
At that moment, Hyeon Sang, who had been observing the sect leader's expression, opened his mouth as if to say something but then hesitated.
Hyun Jong didn't miss the hint.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, no. It's probably just my paranoia."
"With the martial arts manuals?"
"Absolutely not. These manuals are genuine. I can stake my life on it."
"That's a relief."
As the sect leader nodded, Hyeon Sang also smiled, brushing off the situation.
"You said a third-generation disciple found this?"
"Yes. A child named Chung Myung, who joined recently."
"We should reward him."
"Of course. We must reward him. Thanks to that child, Mount Hua…"
"That's not what I meant, Sect Leader."
Hyeon Yeong, the Treasure Hall Master, cut in.
"He's only been here for a short time. How much loyalty could he possibly have to Mount Hua?"
"...True."
"Even if he didn't understand the value of the financial records and martial arts manuals, he must have known the worth of the treasures. If it were me, I would have grabbed the treasures and run the moment I opened the chest. Or at least buried them again and kept them hidden."
A slightly crude remark slipped out, showing just how excited Hyeon Yeong was. But his words weren't wrong.
"I see. I hadn't thought that far."
"He's remarkable. Truly remarkable. Even someone determined to dedicate their life to Mount Hua might have wavered at such wealth. If I had seen these treasures, I'm not sure I would have reported them to the sect leader immediately…"
"I'll remember that."
"...Sect Leader?"
Hyeon Yeong's face showed a hint of panic. Seeing this, Hyun Jong burst into laughter.
"I see. He's remarkable. Indeed. Mount Hua has struck gold."
Hyun Jong smiled contentedly.
Though it was a series of coincidences, it was thanks to bringing in Chung Myung that they had discovered this chest. Who would have thought that taking in one child would save Mount Hua?
"Hyeon Yeong."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"You're certain about the financial records?"
"I'd stake my life on it."
"I see. Then there are people we need to call."
A heavy aura emanated from Hyun Jong's eyes.
It was time to punish those who had repaid Mount Hua's kindness with betrayal.
"Summon all those involved to Mount Hua."
The sect leader of Mount Hua, Hyun Jong, straightened his shoulders.