Chapter 1466: Let's Make History (Part 1)

The carriages entering Hwaeum all came to a halt simultaneously.

"Hey! We were supposed to arrive by morning! It's disgustingly slow!"

"Well, Dojang, the boss told us to adjust the speed so that the luggage wouldn't be damaged!"

Even Namgung Dowi, who would always listen to Chung Myung, couldn't help but retort. However, the response Namgung Dowi received in return was enough to send him cowering.

"Tsk tsk. It's a problem when you can only do one thing when asked to do one. You should have arrived on time without damaging the luggage!"

"...."

"Incompetent fools!"

"Ugh...."

Jo Gol gently comforted Namgung Dowi, whose spirit had been crushed.

"You have to accept it now."

"....This?"

"You'll get used to it soon."

While Jo Gol comforted Namgung Dowi, Chung Myung jumped off the luggage cart and carefully observed the situation in Hwaeum.

"Hmm. Ye..."

Hwang Jongui, who flinched under his disappointed and piercing gaze, cautiously spoke up.

"W-We welcome your safe return, Dojang."

"Yes, yes. Has Guild Master been well?"

"Yes! Thanks to your concern...."

"Well, you occasionally sent some luggage back and forth from the rear, so it's not like you haven't been doing well. Ah, I'm envious."

Hwang Jongui's face, which had been overflowing with joy, momentarily twisted. Was that something to say to someone who had spent his time dealing with tasks assigned from the rear?

"We were also quite busy..."

"For someone busy, your complexion looks surprisingly good. Did you enjoy something good?"

...He remembered. This guy was originally like this. Having not seen him for a while, there seemed to have been a self-created idealization in his mind.

"Ah, enough about that. You must be busy right now. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, right. I was just about to tell you. We were discussing the issue of accommodating these people in Xi'an with Great Sect Leader."

"What?"

"It seems that Hwaeum lacks basic facilities to accommodate these people. If it were only martial artists, I wouldn't know, but as you know, there are also people from the Tang Family here..."

"Xi'an?"

"Yes, Xi'an..."

"Xi'aaaaaaaaaaaaaan?"

Hwang Jongui quietly closed his eyes. Seeing the shiny whites of that damned Taoist, it seemed like he had made another mistake. It was a sight he had often seen, but seeing it again after a long time made it feel fresh.

"What nonsense are you talking about! If I had thought of accommodating those gentlemen comfortably, I would have gone to the Xi'an long ago and not sent them here, right?"

"W-Well, that's true..."

"If that's the case, it's only good for the people in Xi'an. Why should I spend my money to do something good for others?"

"Well, first of all, people from the Xi'an are not strangers…"

No, and the money going into that is not your money, Taoist-nim. It seems there is a bit of a misunderstanding, so it'd be helpful if you grasped the concept a bit better...

"There's a lack of basic facilities?"

"Y-Yes, realistically..."

"Then just build them!"

Instantly, the color drained from Hwang Jongui's face.

"Th-That's not something that can be done just like that..."

"Oh, it's all good, all good. I know from experience that if you try to build, you can build quickly!"

Hwang Jongui covered his face with both hands. Hyun Jong, who had been watching uncomfortably from the side, gently placed his warm hand on Hwang Jongui's shoulder.

"Do you understand?"

...Somehow, this guy seemed even more annoying. Taking a deep breath, Hwang Jongui opened his mouth again.

"I understand what you're saying. Indeed, if we can build facilities to accommodate these people, secure logistics to feed them, Hwaeum will become an entirely different place from now."

Certainly, it might not reach the level of the largest city, Xi'an, in Shaanxi, but it could develop into one of the prominent cities in Shaanxi.

"But, Dojang, realistically, the manpower to do all that is absolutely lacking. Laborers are something you can't just get by throwing money at..."

"Ah, is that why you've been sounding frustrated since a while ago?"

"…Huh?"

"What shortage of laborers? There are laborers right there."

"...Huh?"

"Tang Gaju-nim!"

"I understand."

Tang Gunak, who had been silently listening to the conversation in the back, stepped forward.

"Map."

"Yes? Ah! M-Map! Yes! Bring a map right away! Hurry!"

Hwang Jongui shouted, and several guild members rushed over and returned with a neatly rolled map.

The map was spread out. It detailed the topography of Hwaeum with Mount Hua at the center.

"Hmm."

Tang Gunak, who carefully examined Hwaeum's topography, nodded slowly.

"How much expansion are you looking for, Chief?"

"Well, first..."

Chung Myung scratched his nose slightly.

"We need to accommodate the existing people."

"Hmm."

"Plus, we need a place to accommodate the additional members from the small sects who want to join. And, we'll need training grounds for them, an armory to store weapons, warehouses for grains and necessities...."

"...."

"Oh! We also need houses for the Tang Family members, and among them, we need to build a place for the people from the mountain to come down and stay. Also, lodgings for newcomers and those who come and go for logistics...."

The more Chung Myung spoke, the paler Hwang Jongui's face became. At this point, he was practically creating a whole new city.

"Is that all?"

"Hey, what are you talking about? We're just getting started."

"...Huh?"

"If there are so many people, water is obviously needed, right? So, naturally, we'll have to build at least ten to fifteen new wells. Oh, and we should make one with proper packaging. Well, there's a lot of other small things to do."

Tang Gunak nodded slowly.

"I roughly understand. However, there seems to be a little problem if we do that."

"What do you mean?"

"As you can see, Hwaeum has Mount Hua behind it, so the city can only expand forward."

"That's right."

"However, the front side is full of small hills overall due to the topography of Mount Hua. If we expand like that, the city itself will become winding. It may have advantages for defense, but there will be limits to how the city can spread."

Hwang Jongui vigorously nodded. This was the decisive reason why Hwaeum hadn't become a large city until now.

A city doesn't grow just because it's in a good location. Above all, the people living there should be able to comfortably build homes and live.

Due to the rugged terrain beneath the harsh Mount Hua, Hwaeum could never become a large city.

"If this problem isn't solved, it can only become a half-hearted city. If you're willing to bear with that, there's no problem."

Upon hearing this, Chung Myung smiled contentedly.

"Ah, even though I explained it easily, you still don't understand."

"Huh?"

"First of all, do you know what a plain is? It refers to land without hills."

"That's right. There is no such plain here."

"Then let's create one."

Tang Gunak, who had been calm and composed all along, twitched his eyebrows for the first time.

"This...?"

"Yes."

"All of this...?"

"Yes!"

As Tang Gunak lost his words, Chung Myung smiled even more contentedly.

"Gaju-nim. If one works perfectly according to the circumstances, it's an achievement, right?"

"...That's right."

"But one rises above the circumstances and works beyond perfection, it becomes history."

"...."

"Where..."

Chung Myung turned his head and looked into the distance. Numerous small hills protruded in Hwaeum.

"Let's take this chance to make history."

"...."

"Yes, yes! We're busy. Let's get moving! Quickly!"

A soul escaped Tang Gunak's mouth.

"From here to here!"

"...."

"Bam."

The Namgung Family's warriors, holding farming tools in their hands, looked at the map that Chung Myung pointed to with astonished faces.

'From where to where?'

'Are maps read differently in Shaanxi than Anhui'

'It shouldn't be.'

Certainly, there was no reason for it to be different. Although their ways of life may have differed in each region due to the vast land of the Central Plains, the way of reading a map should've been the same anywhere, right?

However, the reason they had doubts was one.

"Uh, excuse me, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword?"

"Why?"

"If... according to what you said, do you mean to level these mountains in front?"

"Yes. You understood it well."

"But, I understand from here, but I don't know where this 'here' is..."

Chung Myung wrinkled his face and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"No, it's clearly drawn here. What's this? What's this?"

"Uh... a river?"

"No. If it's that thick, it's a stream."

"Anyway, it's flowing water."

"That's right! A small stream. There! There!"

While they were muttering among themselves, the Namgung Family members all turned their heads at once.

"Where...?"

"Ah! Are you all blind? It's there. Between those mountains!"

In the distance, countless small mounds overlapped awkwardly, too large to be called hills and too small be called mountains. And through them, a faint stream appeared.

Everyone smiled quietly at the barely visible white line.

'It can't be.'

'No.'

'It shouldn't be. It absolutely shouldn't be!'

Nevertheless, they dared not to make a decision about the water. It felt like their fate would be decided the moment they opened their mouths for no reason.

However, as always, when people gather in large numbers and form a group, there is always at least one person who is oblivious to others.

"Uhm, excuse me. Chung Myung. The stream you mentioned... is it over there?"

"That bitch...!"

The Namgung Family tried to cover the mouth of the one who spoke, terrified. But it was too late. Chung Myung, as if impressed by those words, nodded continuously.

"Haha, as expected, when it's someone like the Namgung Family, they pretend to be nonchalant. [not sure] You guys are much better than your stuffy Sogaju."

"...."

"That's right. You just get from here to here. Easy, right? Take a break after it's all done."

"...Take a break?"

We have to peel away all that and then take a break?

"Um, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword..."

"Oh, by the way, I've appropriately distributed land to each sect."

"Huh?"

What was with this sudden, out-of-place remark?

"But now that I think about it, there's still a piece this size left? Ugh, when I'm getting old, I'll have to die."

"...."

"So, I mean."

For a moment, Chung Myung's face brightened. It was a laugh that could've been crafted by Satan.

"The sect that finishes work the latest will also have to handle that. So take it easy."

At that moment, the Namgung Family's gaze violently turned in a different direction.

Crash!

And they saw it. The Mount Hua guys and the Northern Sea guys were fiercely breaking the mountains. Everyone's eyes flipped in unison.

A fire ignited under the Namgung swordsmen's feet.

"Alright, let's begin!"

"Move, you guys!"

"But, the number of people in each sect is different! This is unfair...."

"Whether it's unfair or not, grab a shovel first, you bastard!"

"Ahhh! We can't be last!"

Anyways, there was no way words would reach that person.

The Namgung Familly's swordsmen, with a fierce determination, rushed towards the small mountain in front of them.

Chung Myung smiled contentedly.

"Everyone is so enthusiastic and obedient."

Be good. Hehehehe!