Chapter 476: If You Feed One Well, You Are A Good Person! (1)

Chapter 476 : If You Feed One Well, You Are A Good Person! (1)

“If you all leave, we won’t feel at ease.”

Baek Cheon smiled as he looked at the villagers.

“I appreciate your concern, but we have work to do and can’t stay for long. Please understand.”

“But if you leave....”

Emotions overwhelmed everyone, especially the village chief, who looked at the disciples of Mount Hua with teary eyes. They had healed the village’s disease, and the villagers should be repaying the favor. Instead, the disciples even gave away their leftover grain.

Tears welled up in his eyes as they had received such help, especially when their own Ice Palace was trying to dominate them.

“We apologize for not realizing your kindness when we first met and for treating you carelessly.”

“.... Please, don’t do that, elder.”

Baek Cheon stopped the chief and bowed his head. The villagers had been wary at first, but once they opened their hearts, they were more grateful than the people of the Central Plains.

But...

Baek Cheon’s face darkened slightly as he glanced behind the village chief.

“As I expected, their faces don’t look so bright.”

But this was expected.

The disease had been cured but that didn’t improve the village’s situation. This lung disease was a result of the North Sea’s situation.

If things didn’t improve here, it wouldn’t be surprising if something similar happened again.

Even if the disease didn’t occur, it would have been a situation where they could not eat properly.

Baek Cheon looked at them with sad eyes and then bowed.

“We need to leave now.”

“Yes, our benefactors. If you head north from here, the North Sea Ice Palace can be found.”

“Thank you. Then...”

As the disciples of Mount Hua grabbed the cart, the villagers spoke with raised voices.

“Go and be safe!”

“Thank you so much!”

“When you go back, please stop by. At that time, we will treat you properly.”

The disciples of Mount Hua waved their hands and began to pull the cart. For a long time after leaving, Tang Soso looked back at the people, unable to calm her mind.

“Is this fine?”

“... for the time being, there won’t be any major problems. Yesterday, Baek Ah went through so much fishing that their storage room got filled.”

“... I didn’t think that they were that kind of character.”

Baek Ah was so good at catching big fish that it was praised a couple of times, but inspired by the praises, it continued jumping into the water and got more fish that were even larger.

And then it looked with eyes asking, ‘Why aren’t you complimenting me?’.

“I am not sure if it is smart or stupid.”

“It resembles someone.”

Baek Cheon sighed. Well, thanks to Baek Ah, the people had food.

‘It is a pity that the face of Monk Hae Yeon was getting even sadder.’

What could be done? He did this to himself.

Anyway, the villagers will need to fish for fresh raw food soon, but it wouldn’t be a problem since they have enough to eat for now. The weather would be cold, but there wouldn’t be any risk.

“I heard the chief will give fish to other villagers.”

“Hmm. That’s a good thing.”

Baek Cheon nodded silently. Han Yi-Myung’s words about the importance of helping each other in this barren land came to mind.

“But even that has its limits, Amitabha.”

“Right.”

Yoon Jong, who had been listening to the worried conversation, spoke up.

“Is there anything else we can do?”

“Again. He’s losing his sanity again!”

Chung Myung peeked through the hole in the cart, and Baek Ah also stuck her head out from beneath his chin.

“What? You just shit and live!”

Eik!

“... No, not that...”

The animal and human, or rather the two that had become one, gritted their teeth simultaneously.

“Why? Planning to sell the sword again? The price will be high for a cold steel sword, right?”

Eeeik!

“W-why are you bringing this up again!”

Yoon Jong’s face turned red.

“I just... I was wondering if there’s anything else we can do to help.”

“No help.”

“Uh?”

Yoon Jong was surprised by how low Chung Myung’s voice was.

“Well, it’s not difficult to help.”

“...”

“But we’ll be alone for a moment. Sooner or later, it’ll all be the same.”

It was a normal voice, but Chung Myung’s face was very serious.

“Because it’s you who changed a life, not others.”

At those words, everyone looked back at Chung Myung in surprise.

“What?”

“... nothing.”

“I can’t believe you said the right words.”

“Amitabha. The sun has risen in the west.”

“... Isn’t it possible that fewer people dress like this in the North Sea?”

“...”

Whether it was because of their conversation or not, the warrior’s face contorted, unsure of how to appear normal.

“How dare an outsider knock on the door of the Ice Palace when even entering the North Sea is already too much. You must want to die!”

As he shouted, the soldiers in white uniforms hastily emerged.

Chung Myung asked once more,

“Could it be that they’ve been waiting in the cold? Geez, they really have nothing better to do.”

“... Chung Myung, please...”

Yoon Jong restrained his urge to punch Chung Myung in the mouth. What on earth was this guy doing, asking such a question in this situation?

No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t understand Chung Myung. The warriors who jumped out surrounded the cart before they knew it.

Chang!

And they drew their swords all at once and pointed at the disciples.

“W-wait one second!”

Baek Cheon raised both hands to show that he didn’t want to fight and said,

“We are indeed from the Central Plains, but we didn’t come here on our own accord. We came after the Nanman Beast Palace informed the palace about us!”

“... Beast Palace?”

“Yes.”

The warrior in the lead frowned.

“People of the Central Plains are being introduced by the Nanman Beast Palace?! You sure are one to tell tall tales!”

“We mean it! Check, and the truth should come out.”

With that kind of insisting, the warriors began to doubt as he looked at Baek Cheon.

“You aren’t lying?”

“We aren’t.”

“If this turns out to be untrue...”

It was then.

“Ah, hurry in and check already! We will die of the cold; how long are you going to leave us here?”

He turned his head.

Seeing Chung Myung squatting down in the back, the warrior was dumbfounded. But Chung Myung didn’t stop.

“Looking at it, I don’t think you are in the position where you can make decisions on your own accord, so don’t waste time for no reason and get the words out.”

The man’s face turned red, and Baek Cheon closed his eyes.

‘I should have knocked him down before knocking on the gate.’

Why didn’t he cover the guy’s mouth beforehand? Why!

It was too late to regret. However, the warrior nodded and resheathed the sword.

“Wait.”

“....”

He remained remarkably calm despite the provocation. Before Baek Cheon could question this any further, the warrior turned and went inside.

“... is he actually listening?”

“Of course.”

Chung Myung calmly explained,

“If the North Sea Ice Palace is the imperial palace of the North Sea, then the lord is like their king.”

“Right.”

“A single soldier can’t deal with a situation where a lord from another palace has contacted his lord to bring guests in. If he decides wrong, he could die.”

“Ah... that’s what it means to know your place.”

“Then what did you hear?”

“I thought you were just insulting him.”

“....”

Chung Myung’s eyes twitched, but Baek Cheon looked proud. He was honest. It wasn’t his fault. Even if it was the same thing, didn’t it change depending on who said it? And even if Chung Myung was speaking the best words, they naturally couldn’t understand it.

And Chung Myung said,

“Sasuk.”

“Uh?”

“Be nervous. We will be attacked if you don’t hear good news from inside.”

Hearing those words, Baek Cheon nodded, and the other disciples tensed.

And time passed.

Tak.

The man who had entered rushed out.

“Everyone, sheathe your swords!”

At his command, the soldiers lowered their weapons away from Mount Hua.

“Open the gates! The Lord has accepted them as guests of the North Sea!”

The warriors hurriedly sprinted to the gate, eagerly preparing to swing it open.

“Pardon me, kind sirs. Please step inside.”

“Ah, thank you.”

At that moment, Baek Cheon let out a sigh of relief, believing that things had finally gone smoothly.

“They’re asking us to enter the tiger’s den.”

“....”

Chung Myung wore a mischievous grin.

“Very well. Whether we become the hunted or the hunters is yet to be determined.”

Chung Myung’s smile grew wicked as he gracefully advanced toward the front entrance of the Ice Palace.