Multiverse , Leveling Up in the World I Created

Chapter 422: 422 Return to the Volcano 8

The next morning, the meal prepared at Mount Hua was entirely vegetarian.

In some martial arts world settings, Mount Hua follows Taoist principles and avoids meat, but in the Return of the Mount Hua Sect universe, they do eat meat.

Nevertheless, the reason it was all vegetables was simple: they had no money.

"Brother, do you have any boiled eggs..."

"Here."

Yui-seol also seemed to struggle with suddenly having only vegetables for a meal.

So she took out a few boiled eggs she had planned to eat on the journey and ate them with the meal.

After finishing the meal and washing up briefly, we were resting when Unam came to tell us that Hyeonjong and the elders were looking for us.

We went to the Sect Leader’s office where they were waiting.

"We discussed this issue late into the night last night. The young master of the Jin Manor has learned Mount Hua’s martial arts, so he can be considered a disciple of Mount Hua. However, he learned it without knowing it was Mount Hua’s martial arts, and without that incident, Mount Hua’s martial arts would never have returned to Mount Hua. Moreover, the young master will one day have to lead the Jin Manor, so we cannot selfishly bind him to Mount Hua alone. That is the conclusion we reached."

"I see."

"Therefore, as long as you promise not to teach Mount Hua’s martial arts to anyone else, we have decided to let this matter rest."

From what I heard, they seemed to have acknowledged that I had learned Mount Hua’s martial arts without any malicious intent.

It was also fortunate that I wouldn’t be considered solely a Mount Hua disciple.

"However, we have one request. Since the young master has such a deep understanding of Mount Hua’s martial arts, we would like you to stay at Mount Hua for about two months each year, until you take over the manor, to teach the 1st-generation disciples who wish to learn and the new 2nd-generation disciples we will be accepting. We humbly ask for this."

Hyeonjong and the elders cupped their fists and made the request politely.

"Hmm... It wasn’t intentional, but since I did learn someone else’s martial arts, I think it’s only right that I do so."

When I gave my permission, Hyeonjong and the elders’ faces brightened.

"I’m glad it worked out well. I was worried you might refuse... Anyway, we will prepare separate lodging so you won’t be inconvenienced while teaching, and we will also grant you a special master position so there won’t be any friction with the disciples."

This was quite considerate of Mount Hua.

At that moment, Yui-seol spoke with sparkling eyes.

"I also want to learn from my brother and bloom plum blossoms."

Hyeonjong looked at Yui-seol and smiled warmly.

"Hehehe, you must have been captivated by seeing your brother bloom plum blossoms. But have you discussed this thoroughly with the manor lord?"

"W, well..."

"It seems you haven’t yet. Think it over carefully, and once you have the manor lord’s permission, we will accept you as a disciple."

"Understood."

I thought Yui-seol didn’t necessarily have to learn Mount Hua’s martial arts.

It was obvious that Mount Hua would become dangerous in the future as it got caught up in various events.

So I thought it wouldn’t be bad for her to live quietly at the manor.

But seeing her as deeply fascinated by the plum blossoms as in the original, it seemed unlikely.

’Her reticence and her love for plum blossoms are just part of her nature.’

The manor lord talked with Yui-seol, but her resolve was firm.

So in the end, after consulting with Hyeonjong, he decided to accept her as a disciple of Mount Hua.

However, because she had grown up at the manor and might find it difficult to fully adapt to Taoist life, she was accepted as a lay disciple and would not receive a Taoist name.

And since she was the only female disciple, they arranged for her to stay in the room next to mine, where she would be most comfortable.

Perhaps because the manor lord had put in a request, Mount Hua also made many accommodations for Yui-seol.

"Hmm... I can accept my son, but seeing Yiseol become a disciple is a bit painful."

When the manor lord said that, Hyeonjong spoke reassuringly.

"We will take good care of her. And her brother will also visit, and it’s a path she has chosen for herself, so I believe she will do well without any problems."

"I see. Then, I will return to Sichuan and prepare to send her off."

"Understood."

The manor lord took out five gold bars from his pocket and handed them to Hyeonjong.

Hyeonjong seemed greatly surprised at the sight of the gold bars.

"This is..."

"It’s a contribution, as a token of my request to take care of Yiseol, whom I raised like a daughter."

"Th... I see. Thank you."

Hyeonjong hesitated for a moment but did not refuse.

He knew better than anyone just how dire Mount Hua’s situation was.

We decided to rest for one more day before returning to Sichuan.

On the morning of our departure, not only we, the guests, but also all the Mount Hua disciples were served a roasted chicken each for their meal.

It seemed the manor lord’s gold bars from yesterday had been put to use.

"Phew... It’s been a while since I had meat, so I ate really well."

"I know. It’s been so long."

"I wish they’d serve this kind of food all the time."

"Surely not. It’s probably because of the guests."

"Well, it’s worth the splurge. He not only recovered Mount Hua’s lost martial arts but even showed us plum blossoms."

"True... Our sect will get stronger from now on, right?"

"I think so."

Seeing the Mount Hua disciples talking with bright expressions, it seemed that, as Hyeonjong had intended, the embers of Mount Hua were being reignited.

"I will take my leave now. I wish Mount Hua prosperity."

"Mount Hua has received a great debt of gratitude from the Jin Manor. I hope our good relationship continues in the future."

"If you ever encounter difficulties, let me know. I will help you anytime."

"Thank you."

We exchanged our farewells and returned to Sichuan.

First, I began teaching Yui-seol to read and write.

It seemed she would need to know at least the basics if she was going to learn anything.

I wanted her to at least finish learning the Thousand Character Classic before sending her off.

That said, I didn’t start from scratch.

She had already learned some at the manor and was smart, so I thought a few months would be enough.

In the meantime, I was reviewing Mount Hua’s martial arts.

Since I knew so many martial arts, I needed to check them over.

I also forged a sword suitable for Yui-seol and myself.

It was an alloy sword far superior to one made of cold iron.

Two months passed like that, and after Yui-seol finished the Thousand Character Classic, we set off for Mount Hua again.

This time, it was just Yui-seol and I traveling by carriage.

"Take care of yourself. And Yiseol, remember that you have always been our family. So always remember that you have a home to return to."

At those words, she cried and hugged the manor lord.

I never expected the usually quiet Yui-seol to show her emotions like this.

It must have been exactly what she had wanted to hear.

The manor lord patted her back and comforted her.

"Father, stay healthy."

"Yes, yes."

And so, Yui-seol and I departed for Mount Hua with the manor lord’s send-off.

This time, we used the state-of-the-art carriage driven by a robot android.

"Brother, when we get to Mount Hua, will we only eat vegetables?"

Yui-seol asked with a worried look, recalling what she had eaten at Mount Hua before.

"That’s possible. Judging by Mount Hua’s situation, it doesn’t seem to be doing very well. Still, there will be meat sometimes. If you ever want something tasty, just tell me. I’m a master, so I can go out freely and buy you anything."

"That’s a relief."

Her words sounded like a complaint, but I could understand.

There was no way she, who had always eaten the delicious food I and the manor lord made, would enjoy ordinary martial arts world cuisine.

And on top of that, Mount Hua had no meat, so it was even worse.

In short, her palate had become very refined.

To be honest, I also disliked martial arts world food.

As I had experienced in other martial arts world settings, the food of this era was not only unappetizing but also quite greasy.

Moreover, the hygiene was not very good.

’Would it be different in the Cooking Master Boy world...’

Anyway, we traveled in a lighthearted manner, snacking on butter-roasted potatoes and addictive corn that I had prepared in advance.

This time, unlike before, we didn’t stop here and there, so we were able to arrive at Mount Hua in just a week.

The scenery at Mount Hua was still beautiful, but it was steep and difficult to climb.

"Hah... hah..."

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"No, brother. I’ll try to go all the way myself."

She said that, but she was only ten years old, so before long, I had no choice but to carry her up.

"I wanted to climb by myself..."

"I understand your determination, but wouldn’t it be a bigger loss if you hurt yourself and ended up bedridden for days, unable to receive training? Training isn’t good if it’s too excessive either."

"I suppose you’re right."

When we announced our arrival at the main gate of Mount Hua, Unam came out to welcome us, just as before.

"Oh~ Young master... Ah, no. Master Jin, you’re here. We were waiting for you. Please, come in."

Thanks to the prior arrangements, even Unam, a 1st-generation disciple, treated us with particular care.

Unam first guided us to the Sect Leader.

"You’ve come. You must have had a long journey."

"It’s been a while, Sect Leader. I hope you’ve been well."

"Hehehe, I’m the same as always. Is the manor lord well?"

"Aside from being very worried about Yiseol coming to Mount Hua, he is well."

"I see."

This time too, I took out five gold bars from my pocket and handed them to the Sect Leader.

"Father said he felt bad for only donating a small amount last time, aside from travel expenses, and asked me to give you this."

"Oh! Ahem... I see. When you return to the manor, please tell him I said thank you."

"Understood."

Hyeonjong was greatly surprised but pretended to be calm and accepted it without refusing this time too.

In truth, all this money was from what I had stolen before, so it didn’t burden the manor.

"Unam, guide them to their lodging."

"Understood."

As promised, Mount Hua provided us with quite decent rooms, and they had prepared a room for Yui-seol next to mine.

"You can stay here from now on. And we’ve prepared martial arts uniforms in advance, so please try them on and let us know if there are any issues."

"Understood."

"Also, we’ll be accepting 2nd-generation disciples in a few days, so in the meantime, it might be good to rest and recover from your journey. Mount Hua has some excellent scenery, after all."

"I see. We’ll do that."

Unam kindly showed us the restroom and bathing facilities before leaving.

We changed into the martial arts uniforms provided by Mount Hua.

They were made of plain cloth, so they were a bit rough.

And, as befitting Mount Hua’s uniform, there was a plum blossom embroidered on the left chest.

"Brother, the shoes are a bit uncomfortable..."

"Really? Hmm... They are a bit big. For now, wear the shoes you brought, and we’ll use these later when you’ve grown into them."

"Okay."

In this era, the concept of sizes was weak, so people roughly tried things on and bought what fit.

Clothes were a bit better; if the size was roughly right, you could tie them to adjust.

If one had money, they could have a craftsman make custom shoes and clothes.

Underwear was also an issue.

Both Yui-seol and I were wearing modern underwear, and we had no desire to wear the rough, chafing underwear of this era.

Yui-seol would feel the same, so I would have to provide for her separately.

We spent a few days exploring the area around Mount Hua, learning the geography and enjoying the scenery.

Thanks to the donations, meat was served at meals, and overall it wasn’t bad.

But it was only edible—it wasn’t what I would call delicious.

And to help Yui-seol adapt quickly to training, I had her wake up early in the morning and run around Mount Hua to build stamina.

Since she would be doing physical training from now on, stamina was essential.

Interestingly, the 1st-generation disciples, seeing this, seemed stimulated and began training even harder.

The 1st-generation disciples were training in the ’Nakwha Sword,’ and they occasionally came to ask me about stances, so I guided them as well.

While spending time like that, Mount Hua began accepting 2nd-generation disciples.

But it wasn’t like a university entrance exam with a huge influx; it was more like hearing rumors and coming one by one.

So the recruitment period seemed to be quite flexible.

The first to arrive was Baekcheon, just as in the original.

He was quite handsome, and according to the original setting, he was 15 years old, the same age as me, and a model student from a good family.

However, after Cheongmyeong joined as a 3rd-generation disciple, his character would become somewhat corrupted in various ways.

Baekcheon met Hyeonjong, had a conversation, unpacked in his room, and while exploring Mount Hua, he found us.

He ran over, cupped his fists, and greeted us warmly.

"Nice to meet you, senior disciple. I’m Jin Dong-ryong (Baekcheon’s real name), a new disciple. Let’s get along well as fellow disciples of Mount Hua."

"Yeah, work hard. I’m Jin, serving as a master at Mount Hua."

At that, Baekcheon seemed utterly shocked.

"Huh??? A master, not a disciple... Did I mishear? You look about the same age as me... Is this some kind of initiation ceremony?"