Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 248

The first light of dawn touched the mountains as the disciples of Mount Hua gathered.

They stood in straight lines in the Great Training Hall, their faces tight with worry. A nervous energy filled the air as they glanced around and whispered to each other.

“What’s going on?”

“No idea? Has anyone heard anything?”

“I haven’t heard a word. Just told to gather…”

Eventually, one of the Baek disciples cautiously asked Baek Cheon, who was standing at the front.

“Senior Brother, have you heard anything?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. Just be quiet.”

“…Yes.”

Baek Cheon looked towards the entrance of the hall, a small smile playing on his lips. *Chung Myung should be back by now,* he thought. *And knowing him…*

Looks like he succeeded.

Well, how could that troublemaker fail? If he failed, he’d have to go all the way back to Yunnan. He’s the type who would succeed no matter what, just because he hates that.

He saw Yoon Jong, who was wearing a similar expression.

Yoon Jong, who had been smiling faintly and looking ahead, twitched his eyebrows, and his head slowly turned back. He glared at the Cheong disciples who were whispering.

“Your mouths are moving too much. Does your training need to be harder?”

“…”

Jo Gul, standing next to Yoon Jong, chimed in.

“It seems we’ve underestimated our junior brothers, Senior Brother.”

“Hmm. It seems so. We’ll have to increase their training from today onwards.”

The Cheong disciples’ faces fell.

‘Weren’t you guys in the same boat until recently!’

‘What on earth did you experience in Yunnan! What!’

‘They’re acting just like Chung Myung now!’ one Cheong disciple thought miserably. ‘There are three of them! Just kill me, kill me!’

Seeing their expressions, the Baek disciples snickered.

Seeing their expressions, the Baek disciples snickered. Baek Cheon’s smile faded. *I can’t let them think we’ve gone soft,* he thought, and then his head tilted sharply.

“Laughing, are we?”

“…”

The Baek disciples, who had never seen Baek Cheon’s eyes bulge like that, trembled.

“Do well.”

“…Yes.”

The Baek and Cheong disciples, now in the same boat, looked at each other with tears in their eyes.

The senior brothers used to be so kind and gentle, but how did they end up like this?

It’s all because of that devilish bastard.

Like ink near vermilion, they’ve all been tainted by being around that devilish bastard.

But Baek Cheon clicked his tongue, looking at his disciples standing with mournful faces.

Only the Sect Leader, the elders, and a few of the Un disciples knew why Chung Myung and Baek Cheon had gone to Yunnan. The others didn’t even know about the existence of the Honwon Pill.

Secrets are hard to keep, but the fewer people who know, the better. That’s why they kept it quiet even from the disciples of the same Mount Hua Sect.

Of course, they’ll probably find out today. They’ll all be shocked.

It was then.

“Is everyone here?”

The Head of the Medical Hall, Woon Gak, entered the Great Training Hall.

“Yes!”

A resounding answer erupted.

Woon Am, standing at the very front of the Woon disciples, looked at Woon Gak and asked.

“Head of the Medical Hall, where is the Sect Leader?”

“He’s coming now.”

Woon Am nodded. He was one of those who guessed what was happening.

“First…”

Woon Gak cleared his throat and continued.

“The reason I’ve gathered everyone here is to distribute the spirit pills refined in Mount Hua!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of excited whispers swept through the hall. Eyes widened, and disciples nudged each other, their voices buzzing with questions.

“Spirit pills?”

“Mount Hua had spirit pills?”

“No, he said they just refined them. That means they made them recently.”

“They refined them recently?”

Baek Sang widened his eyes and looked at Baek Cheon.

“Senior Brother, does that mean the reason you went to Yunnan…?”

“That’s right.”

Now that there was no need to hide it, Baek Cheon readily admitted.

“We went to get the ingredients for the spirit pills.”

“So, you got the ingredients, and you’ve even succeeded in refining them?”

“Didn’t Martial Uncle say so?”

“Good heavens…”

Baek Sang’s eyes widened.

How could refining pills be so easy?

Then, someone raised their hand high.

Woon Gak nodded, and the person who raised their hand quickly asked.

“May I ask what kind of spirit pill you’re distributing this time?”

The answer came without delay.

“It’s the Jasodan.”

“Jaso… What? Jasodan?”

The person who asked the question widened their eyes.

Jasodan, you say.

Wasn’t that the best spirit pill of Mount Hua that had been lost?

“Are, are you saying you can make the Jasodan?”

“That’s right.”

Woon Gak said firmly.

“After much effort, we succeeded in restoring the Jasodan’s refining method. Fortunately, we were able to obtain all the ingredients without fail.”

“So, the reason the Sect Leader was away for ten days…?”

“He was busy refining the pills.”

“Ah…”

Baek Cheon smirked. *Jasodan?* Baek Cheon thought, hiding a smile. *Close enough.*

Of course, Mount Hua has never restored the Jasodan’s refining method. What they found was the Honwon Pill’s refining method.

Baek Cheon smirked. *A little lie never hurt anyone,* he thought. *Especially if it’s for their own good.*

‘The Medicine God will be pounding the ground.’

But what can he do?

He should blame himself for being caught by Chung Myung.

“So, are you saying you’re going to distribute the Jasodan to all of us?”

“That’s right. To distribute it to everyone, the spirit pills have become a little smaller, but everyone from the elders to the youngest of the Cheong disciples will have it equally.”

The atmosphere of the training hall heated up in an instant.

What martial artist wouldn’t dream of divine weapons and spirit medicines?

Spirit pills are a step further than those spirit medicines, and among those spirit pills, Mount Hua’s Jasodan was considered the best.

Of course, it’s not as good as Shaolin’s Daehwan Pill or Wudang’s Taecheong Pill, but still, where else would you find something like this?

Woon Gak listened to the murmurs, a smile playing on his lips. He coughed slightly to hide his grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

‘This will be better than the Daehwan Pill, you fools!’

Of course, the spirit pill is small, so it might not have the same effect as the Daehwan Pill, but if you assume the same amount is taken, the story is different.

The Jasodan newly created by Mount Hua will never be inferior to the Daehwan Pill. Rather, it would be superior.

Woon Gak was already looking forward to how strong they would become when they took the Jasodan.

But not all of the disciples’ reactions were good.

“Is it okay?”

“What is?”

“They say it’s a newly made spirit pill. Aren’t there any side effects? I heard that if you take a poorly made spirit pill, you’ll suffer from inner demons.”

“Eh, surely not.”

“No, when you think about it, Mount Hua hasn’t made a spirit pill in almost a hundred years. What are we trusting?”

It wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear, but it wasn’t wrong either.

Creating a new spirit pill is a good thing, but how many people would want to experiment with its effects and safety on their own bodies?

Some disciples cheered, punching the air. Others frowned, whispering worriedly to their neighbors, their eyes darting nervously towards the pill bottles Woon Gak held. Excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and doubt swept through the training hall at the same time.

And Woon Gak, seeing that reaction, smiled as if he wasn’t upset at all. Woon Am watched him quietly and then opened his mouth.

“Woon Gak.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Is the stability of the spirit pill certain?”

“Yes, Senior Brother. We have already completed the experiment.”

“Who is it?” Un-am asked, his voice full of confusion.

Un-gak, Head of the Medical Hall, turned his head slightly, a strange smile playing on his lips. “Ah, that is… You can see for yourself. They are coming over there.”

“Huh?” Un-am frowned.

Un-am wondered why Un-gak was explaining everything. As Head of the Medical Hall, Un-gak could explain, but usually, the Sect Leader, Hyun-jong, would announce important news like this, especially about something as significant as the Violet Origin Pill. Why was Un-gak speaking instead of Hyun-jong?

Thud. Thud. The sound of footsteps grew louder.

Un-am watched as four figures slowly walked towards the Great Training Hall. His eyes widened. Disbelief washed over him. *What is happening?*

Four people walked calmly onto the platform. Un-gak naturally stepped aside, leaving the center spot open.

“Hmm.” The one who stepped forward looked at everyone and began to speak in a weighty manner. “Un-gak may have explained the situation, but…”

“Me!” At that moment, Baek-cheon raised his hand abruptly. The man, interrupted, narrowed his brows slightly and looked at him.

“What is it?”

Baek-cheon swallowed hard and spoke with difficulty. He knew it was a strange question, but he had to ask.

“Wh-who are you?”

“Haha!” Hyun-jong burst into a hearty laugh.

“Does this fellow not even recognize his own Sect Leader anymore?”

“R-really the S-Sect Leader?” Baek-cheon’s mouth dropped open.

He was clearly wearing the Mount Hua uniform and a Taoist hat. Un-am knew it was Hyun-jong. But it looked like a different person.

Hyun-jong’s face, which had been covered in wrinkles, now boasted skin as white and firm as a child’s, and his hair, which had been as white as if frosted, had turned glossy black as if painted with ink.

“R-Rejuvenation?” Baek-cheon blinked in confusion, and Hyun-jong smiled gently.

“Haha. It seems this appearance is unfamiliar.”

It wasn’t just Hyun-jong.

“S-surely, then, those next to him are Elder Hyun-young? Elder Hyun-sang?”

“Are you asking the obvious? Who else would it be?”

“…Good heavens.”

Looking closely, it seemed like he could see familiar faces.

At that moment, Yoo-iseol, who was standing next to Baek-cheon, muttered, “Their old faces.”

“Huh?”

“The faces they had when I first came to Mount Hua. No… Even more so?” Yoo-iseol tilted her head.

‘At least twenty years younger, it seems.’

Un-am smiled gently, then clasped his hands in front of the Sect Leader and the elders. “Seeing the three of you rejuvenated fills this disciple’s heart with joy. May I ask what happened to bring about such a wonderful event?”

“Is there a special reason?” Hyun-jong smiled gently and glanced at Hyun-sang. Hyun-sang then unfurled the silk he was holding and laid out the Violet Origin Pills.

“I was worried there might be a problem, so I tried taking one first, and this is what happened. Haha. The effect is so powerful, it’s quite surprising!”

Then Hyun-young, who was beside him, smiled and said, “Planning to find a young bride now, Sect Leader?”

Hyun-jong chuckled, but with a hint of mock anger. “Mind your tongue, you impudent brat! It’s my *first* marriage I’m hoping for!”

Hyun-sang laughed. “Ah, yes, we almost forgot your… youthful dreams, Sect Leader.”

Even as the three men joked jovially in front, the others could not laugh. This situation was no joke.

The eyes of the Mount Hua disciples began to burn.

‘The effect is amazing!’ ‘This is insane! How can something like that exist?’ ‘I have to eat that no matter what! No, I have to eat it even if it means dying afterwards!’

Where else could they find such a certain effect?

‘If I eat it, I’ll live twenty years longer!’ ‘Twenty years? I’ll live thirty years longer!’ ‘Wow, look at the shine in their hair. Good heavens…’

The disciples fidgeted, watching the Hyun-ja generation go from wrinkled old men to middle-aged men who would attract attention in the marketplace.

Even Un-am, who was second to none in Mount Hua when it came to composure, was twitching and staring at the Violet Origin Pill.

And…

‘Just what the hell did that crazy bastard make?’ ‘Is that really a Unified Origin Pill? It definitely doesn’t seem like it?’ ‘Please, let’s just go the normal route, Chung-myung!’

Baek-cheon and his group, who already knew the effects and form of the Unified Origin Pill well, looked at the spirit pill, Chung-myung, and the Hyun-ja generation in turn with bewildered faces.

First of all, the Unified Origin Pill definitely didn’t have those kinds of effects. Hadn’t they already eaten the Unified Origin Pill?

And that spirit pill with a subtle purple hue was definitely not a Unified Origin Pill.

More than anything!

‘Look at that awkward expression on that bastard’s face.’

Looking at Chung-myung’s subtly strange expression, they could sense it intuitively.

That guy had definitely done something again.

Chung-myung simply smiled awkwardly at their blatant gazes.

To be honest, Chung-myung hadn’t expected this situation at all.

He had heard that there were people who had become younger after eating spirit pills in the past, but who would have imagined that three people would become younger at the same time?

Perhaps the purest energy in the world that he had gathered had permeated the spirit pill, creating such an effect.

‘No, well, yes. I definitely said I would help them regain their lives, but…’ It wasn’t supposed to be in this way.

Heh. Hehehe. No. Well, good things are good. It turned out well, so that’s that.

Chung-myung smiled, subtly avoiding the gazes of Baek-cheon and his group.

At that moment, Hyun-jong said in a loud voice, “From now on, every disciple of Mount Hua will take the Violet Origin Pill without exception. Disciples, come out according to your distribution and receive the spirit pill!”

“Yes! Sect Leader!”

Listening to the thunderous voices, Chung-myung looked at the distant sky.

‘Either way, I’ve overcome a big mountain with this.’ Now, Mount Hua would become stronger than it had ever been before.

‘Aigo. When will I ever raise these guys?’

Nevertheless, the road ahead was still long, and there was no end to the work Chung-myung had to do.

However…

Chung-myung glanced at the Sect Leader, the elders, and Baek-cheon’s group.

‘Still, there’s a joy in raising them.’ Is this how my senior brother felt when raising me? The joy of watching them eat everything you give them and grow? Right?

– Don’t talk nonsense! You were the one who stole other people’s rice bowls! What do you mean, eat everything!

“…”

Geez, the slander is severe. Tsk.