Return of the Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1366: Do You Know What Shame Is? (1)

The first thing that came from those who faced each other again after the disciples of Heavenly Friends Alliance and Southern Island Sect left was an excuse.

“...It was right to help them, though.”

“Who doesn’t know that? Of course it’s right. We’re not animals; if someone showed us kindness, we should repay it.”

“That’s right. It is right... but how easy is that? What if those beastly Evil Sect fellows find out? Nothing in this village would survive, not even an ant.”

“That’s exactly my point. Those people don’t know what the Evil Sect are like. They could at least fight if things went wrong, right? How would they know the feelings of people like us who must lie flat and pray to be spared?”

“Still... they must have felt hurt, I suppose.”

“Of course. I’d be deeply hurt too. They helped us with good intentions.”

“That’s enough. What’s the use of saying it? Being powerless is a sin, living here scraping the soil is a sin. If it weren’t for those Evil Sect bastards, who would begrudge a bit of grain?”

But that wasn’t enough to soothe the uneasy hearts; as time passed, words of complaint began to emerge.

“To be blunt, if those gentlemen hadn’t been caught by the Evil Sect in the first place, none of this would have happened, would it?”

“Oh ho, what are you saying like that?”

“Am I wrong? They bragged they’d deal with the Evil Sect, showing off, and yet they got their asses handed to them and were driven out of the Southern lands, weren’t they?”

“Well now, even so, you shouldn’t say that so carelessly.”

“If those Justice faction folks and these people hadn’t been meddling in the first place, we wouldn’t be living in such misery. After all, this happened because of them — why should we feel guilty? If anyone should feel guilty, it should be them!”

“There’s nothing entirely wrong with that... but in any case, weren’t they the ones who helped us with good intentions?”

“Even the helping is questionable! Aren’t they people who plainly know our situation? Are they the sort of people who can’t guess what would happen if we recklessly helped them? They’re educated and knowledgeable — what are they doing?”

“...”

“And helping is just words. They said they’d send us to Northern lands or whatever, so who actually came? They just left us again this time!”

At those words, the villagers’ faces hardened strangely.

“From the start, those gentlemen couldn’t care less whether fools like us live or die. When times were good they’d leave grain like alms, but when things go sour they demand even that be handed over, don’t they?”

“Didn’t they say they’d buy it? They said they’d buy it...”

“Did we even get money? How would we know whether they’d actually give it! And even if we got the money, could we use it properly? In a world like this, grain you can put in your mouth right away is worth more than a lump of metal!”

The truth is a little different.

It’s not wrong that in troubled times grain matters more than money, but Southern land isn’t so chaotic that money is useless. Even if you go to a big city right now, as long as you have enough money you can still get grain.

Most of those here knew that fact, but they didn’t bother to say it aloud. Bringing it up would only make them look worse.

“What would we have done without the village chief? If not for him, they’d have surely taken all the grain here.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“What do we know? If someone who’s lived longer and is thoughtful says so, we have no choice but to follow.”

“That’s true.”

They made the choice themselves. The old man merely conveyed what he thought.

But avoidance was easier than confrontation. Even if it might bring greater trouble later, for now it would be easier.

So they could simply tell themselves they followed the old man’s coercion. He was the village chief of Hyung Village and had the strongest say.

“That’s enough. At least we fed them a proper meal before they left, didn’t we? That should count as repaying the favor.”

“...Stop it.”

“It’s not wrong, you know? That one meal may mean nothing to them, but because we gave that grain we might have to go hungry for over two weeks. That much we did — we’ve shown all the goodwill we can...”

“I said, stop it.”

A man grabbed the speaking person by the shoulder to pull him back. But the one raising his voice shrugged off the restraint and snapped.

“Ah, why? Can’t I even speak my mind?”

“No, it’s not that! Behind—huh? Behind!”

“Huh?”

The man turned to look behind him.

Hyung Euk stood there looking at him with disdain. The man’s face flushed and he awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Ahem. You’re back?”

“Do you consider the debt fully repaid?”

“...No, I mean...”

“Hyung, you once told me something.”

“Hmm?”

Hyung Euk spat the words out as if chewing them.

“Being uneducated and poor doesn’t mean one lacks shame. Shame isn’t learned; if you’re human, you simply know it.”

The man closed his mouth like a clam.

“Then what do you call someone who doesn’t know shame?”

No answer came. Hyung Euk didn’t wait and left the place.

Those who watched his rough stride each let out a long sigh. With the mood like that, people quickly sized each other up and then dispersed.

The village was soon wrapped in deep silence.

Those who felt deep guilt, those who thought Mount Hua’s party had been excessive in their sudden demands, even those who believed the choice was already made — none could speak up readily.

The sun set, night came, and after a rare still dawn the eastern sky beyond the mountains began to lighten.

“Tsk.”

The old man opened the door, went outside, and clicked his tongue.

Hyung Euk hadn’t returned home the previous night. Having lived his whole life on the mountain, it was unlikely he’d met with an accident; he had most likely spent the night outside simply to avoid facing his father’s face.

“He’s not that young, yet he’s so full of foolish pride.”

The world isn’t that kind. He should already know that by now...

The old man shook his head in frustration.

‘In a few days he’ll be fine.’

He knew. Wounds that sting as if they’ll kill you heal and scab over with time. Repeat that a few times and the same wound hurts less.

The human heart is the same. No matter how sore and painful, after enduring the same thing several times it becomes dull. Guilt is no different.

The old man only hoped this would make his son face reality a bit more.

Step. Step.

At that moment the old man heard footsteps. Turning his gaze to the village entrance, his face went pale and his eyes widened.

“Ah...”

A group whose villainy could be felt by sight was pouring into the village. A chill ran down his spine.

Snap.

At the head of the group, a man who looked clear-eyed, unlike the rough-looking men behind him, clicked his fingers and spoke.

“Bring them all — not a single one left behind.”

“Yes!”

The old man’s face was covered with black despair.

“P-please spare us!”

“I did nothing, my lord!”

The dragged-up villagers were forced to kneel in the center of the village. The gaunt old man with legs thin as if they’d snap at any moment was no different.

They had been suddenly dragged out and forced to kneel since morning, but none dared properly protest or question it.

It was natural. After all, warriors were no less than death’s messengers to ordinary commoners.

If even one appeared the village could be overturned; with hundreds surrounding them, what could they possibly say?

Beyond fear, it felt as if their minds might shatter at any moment.

“Aah!”

“Hyung Euk!”

At the cry from beside him, the old man who had his head bowed startled and snapped his gaze up.

His son, who hadn’t come home the previous night, was being dragged in by the hair. He had hoped the boy might have escaped by being far away, but the weak-hearted lad apparently had been lurking near the village even in anger.

‘No, that’s not it.’

The old man clenched his thin fist tight, widened his eyes and collected himself. If he could have acted without worrying about looks, he would have slapped himself hard.

‘Even if a tiger takes you, if you keep your wits you survive,’ he thought.

Wasn’t their refusal to help the benefactors originally because they feared such a situation? The villagers had done nothing wrong. So...

“These are all of them!”

At someone’s shout, the cold-featured scholar at the front nodded.

“If you answer plainly without hiding anything, you won’t be harmed.”

Everyone swallowed dryly at that blunt remark. A question followed.

“Did any Justice faction people come to this village?”

The villagers glanced at each other. Not out of conscience — they feared that simply admitting the Justice faction had set foot here might bring them harm.

But the scholar, Ho Ga-Myung, was not the kind to show leniency for such circumstances.

“You don’t understand? Kill two or so as an example.”

“W-we understand! We understand, my lord!”

At that moment the old man shouted at the top of his lungs.

Thud! Thud!

He struck his head to the ground and kowtowed.

“They definitely came here!”

“Oh?”

“Yes! They said they needed grain. They promised to pay, so they asked us to hand over grain...”

“Grain?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Ho Ga-Myung nodded as if he understood.

“So? Did you give it to them?”

“N-no way! Though we’re ignorant, we’re not foolish enough to not know who is looking after us now! We refused firmly!”

The old man prepared to answer whatever came next — whether reproach or praise, whatever it might be.

But what followed was far from his expectations. Ho Ga-Myung had no interest in whatever grain they might have handed over.

“I see. Fine. Then where did they go?”

“...Sorry?”

The villagers looked at one another.

Where did they go? How on earth would the villagers know that?

“You don’t know?”

“Th-that is...”

The old man reflexively glanced up to gauge the mood. He saw Ho Ga-Myung’s face — specifically, his eyes.

The light in those eyes was calm. That made it all the more chilling. A deadpan gaze as if looking at stone or wood. From that alone the old man knew how this man regarded the villagers.

“How can I believe such words?”

“...What?”

“I do not trust people. The only thing I trust is the simple truth that life matters more than conscience.”

At Ho Ga-Myung’s light nod, those flanking him stepped toward the villagers.

“Spare the one who speaks. Kill the rest.”

“Yes!”

The old man’s face turned ashen.

It was at that exact moment.

“He, he went!”

One of the villagers shouted desperately.

“He followed them at the end! He knows where they went!”

“So, So Gil! What are you saying right now!”

The old man glared and shouted like in a fit. The man had pointed at none other than Hyung Euk.

“Why, why! Isn’t it true!”

“What is this among villagers...!”

“What kind of thing is that for someone who said conscience be damned and that we must survive at all costs! Yesterday you said people like us should do whatever it takes to live, didn’t you!”

The old man’s eyes trembled.

He hadn’t meant it in that way. It was only meant to get those Justice faction people to leave...

“He went! Hyung Euk!”

“He followed them!”

“We all don’t know anything! That lad knows!”

The villagers, having found their way to survive, cried out frantically one after another.

“Enough.”

The warriors advancing menacingly at Ho Ga-Myung’s command stepped back.

Ho Ga-Myung glanced at Hyung Euk, whom all the villagers were desperately staring at. Hyung Euk’s face was pale, but his expression was surprisingly calm.

“Do you know?”

“...Yes.”

Hyung Euk quietly admitted it.

“There’s no use pressing these folks. It’s just me, isn’t it?”

“Then answer. Where did they go?”

“Before that, I want to ask something — are you a high member of the Four Sects Alliance?”

Ho Ga-Myung slightly knit his brows.

“You may say that.”

“Then you must be well-educated, so let me ask one thing. If I may.”

Hyung Euk paused briefly and snorted with a laugh.

“Do you know what ‘shame’ is?”

For a moment everyone’s eyes flickered — the villagers and even the Ten Thousand People Clan guarding behind Ho Ga-Myung. They couldn’t help trembling at the outrageous question dared at Ho Ga-Myung.

But Ho Ga-Myung and Hyung Euk, who had spoken the words, looked at each other without a flicker of agitation.

Ho Ga-Myung opened his mouth.

“Baek Bi.”

“Yes, commander.”

“Find out.”

“Yes!”

The one called Baek Bi approached Hyung Euk and drew something from his sleeve: a razor-sharp dagger gleaming blue.

Hyung Euk snorted at the dagger and muttered.

“Now I’ll find out too. Whether I’m a man with shame.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.