Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 255

I Dug My Own Grave (5)

The mountain air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine trees. Baek Cheon stood near the edge of the training grounds, looking sadly at the sky as he watched Chung Myung walk heavily through the mountain gate.

The old wooden gate creaked like an old man groaning as Chung Myung passed through, looking as cheerful as ever, his white robes bright against the dark wood.

*’He’s not dead, is he?’* Baek Cheon thought angrily. *’Why couldn’t he just be in a little trouble for once!’* He clenched his fists, feeling the familiar knot of frustration tighten in his stomach.

Yoo Iseol, Jo Gul, and even Yoon Jong stared at the mountain gate, completely shocked.

“He needs to act like a normal person for once!” Yoon Jong exclaimed, shaking his head.

“Raiding Hwasan? Of all things!” Jo Gul added, his voice full of disbelief. “That guy is unbelievable!”

“Who ever heard of a madman stealing from his own home?” Yoo Iseol muttered, looking completely lost.

“Hopeless,” Baek Cheon sighed. “A complete disaster.”

Baek Cheon felt sick to his stomach.

*’I can’t say anything, but I can’t keep quiet either!’* he thought, his mind racing.

Telling the Sect Leader would only make things worse, but keeping it all inside felt like his stomach was twisting into knots.

He had to act like he saw and heard nothing, and just try to bear it.

And to make it worse, Chung Myung walked in looking like a happy, spoiled puppy. How could he not feel his stomach churn?

“Chung Myung!”

Other disciples, who didn’t know what had happened, saw Chung Myung and ran to him.

“Big trouble! A thief broke into Hwasan yesterday! They stole the Hancheol cauldron!”

“What?” Chung Myung said slowly, his eyes getting wide. “S…to…len?”

*’Don’t act so surprised, you faker!’* Baek Cheon thought, cringing. *’His acting is so bad, it’s embarrassing to watch!’*

Sadly, the other disciples didn’t seem to notice anything strange.

“He was incredibly strong! Yoon Jong was knocked out with just one hit.”

“Tut tut tut,” Chung Myung clicked his tongue. “That’s what happens when you don’t train hard enough.”

*That…!* Baek Cheon thought, his fists clenching.

Yoon Jong’s face turned bright red.

*Doesn’t he have any conscience?* Yoon Jong thought angrily. *Where did that shameless guy sell his conscience?*

“The elders are still searching, but… it looks like it will be hard to catch him,” one disciple said, sounding worried.

“Hmmph,” Chung Myung scoffed. “Nothing can be done? If I had been there, I would have caught him easily.”

*You would have,* Baek Cheon thought sarcastically.

*Yes. You definitely would have, you shameless liar.*

Chung Myung shrugged and pretended to be casual.

“Well, nothing we can do about something that’s already gone.”

“Chung Myung!” someone called out. “The Sect Leader wants to see you as soon as he gets back!”

“Alright,” Chung Myung replied cheerfully.

Chung Myung chuckled and walked towards the Sect Leader’s house. Baek Cheon and his group quickly followed, glaring at him.

“Where is your conscience?” Yoon Jong asked, his voice tight.

“What do you mean?” Chung Myung answered back, his face looking genuinely confused by Yoon Jong’s words.

*Argh, that face!* Baek Cheon thought, clenching his fists. *If only I could punch that face just once, I’d be happy even if I went to hell!*

“Ugh,” Yoon Jong groaned and sighed heavily.

Next to him, Baek Cheon gritted his teeth and threatened, “I’m going to tell the Sect Leader everything!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chung Myung said innocently. “Why are you so eager to pick on someone who is still getting better from internal injuries?”

“Internal injuries? Inteeeeernal injuriiiiiies?” Baek Cheon repeated sarcastically.

*Is that the face of someone with internal injuries, you little…!* Baek Cheon thought, his eyes wide with disbelief. *Your face is so shiny, it looks like I could fry an egg on it!*

“Anyway, it’s nothing to do with me, so stop bothering me,” Chung Myung continued, shrugging. “If you keep bullying me like this, I’ll tell the elders. I’ll say my older brothers and uncles in the sect are picking on me.”

“……” Baek Cheon was speechless.

*Who is picking on who here?*

*Who is picking on who?!*

“Ugh, urgh!” Baek Cheon made choking sounds.

“Martial Uncle!” Jo Gul cried out.

“Martial Uncle, calm down!” Yoon Jong urged.

Completely losing his temper, Baek Cheon grabbed the back of his neck and stumbled. Jo Gul and Yoon Jong quickly rushed to hold him up.

Chung Myung just chuckled and walked towards the Sect Leader’s house, whistling softly.

“……Where is Hwasan going?” Baek Cheon muttered, his voice full of despair as he watched Chung Myung walking away.

“Good! Are you completely better now?” Hyun Jong asked with a smile.

“Yes!” Chung Myung replied brightly.

“Oh, that’s a relief. I was worried because a thief broke in last night. I was worried they might be after you, so I was going to ask where you were. Seeing you safe and sound makes me feel much better.”

“Hehe,” Chung Myung chuckled. “If that small-time thief had gotten in my way, one hit would have been enough.”

“Yes, indeed,” Hyun Jong agreed, looking at Chung Myung with complete trust.

“However… hmm, I feel ashamed,” Hyun Jong continued, his voice heavy. “To have the Hancheol cauldron that you worked so hard for, stolen like this. It’s all our fault for not being good enough.”

“Hey,” Chung Myung said, waving his hand dismissively. “Why are you saying things like that? It’s lucky that no one was hurt. We can always get another Hancheol cauldron. How can just an object be more important than a person?”

“Oh,” Hyun Jong said, touched by Chung Myung’s words.

“That’s Chung Myung for you,” Hyun Young said, nodding in admiration.

“How noble! Truly noble!” Hyun Sang exclaimed.

“Hehehe,” Chung Myung chuckled modestly. “It’s nothing. It’s just what any Hwasan disciple would do.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Good, our Chung Myung,” Hyun Young said, looking at Chung Myung with a proud smile.

However, some people felt sick watching this scene.

Tremble, tremble.

Baek Cheon trembled with anger, and Yoon Jong quickly grabbed his leg tightly.

*’I know how you feel, but not here!’* Yoon Jong thought urgently.

“Ugh,” Baek Cheon sighed deeply, trying to control himself.

*I should have stayed away!* he thought miserably. *Why did I come all the way here just to see this awful scene?*

“However, Sect Leader,” Hyun Sang said, his voice serious. “This is not something we can ignore.”

“Hmm?” Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Sang.

Hyun Sang spoke with a stern face.

“First of all,” Hyun Sang said, “someone might have come here because they knew Hwasan had a Hancheol cauldron.”

“Hmmmm,” Hyun Young frowned, stroking his beard.

“Are you saying that someone is leaking information about Hwasan?” Hyun Young asked.

“Not necessarily,” Hyun Sang replied. “Maybe they came to spy on Hwasan and just happened to find the Hancheol cauldron. But even so, the fact is that someone climbed this dangerous mountain and spied on our territory.”

“Hmm,” Hyun Young nodded in agreement.

“That means people outside are starting to watch Hwasan carefully,” Hyun Sang concluded.

“Indeed, that’s right,” Hyun Young agreed.

“To be honest, our disciples have been doing very well,” Hyun Sang continued. “Hwasan has made an alliance with the Sichuan Tang Family and started trading with the Beast Palace. People who get news quickly will have noticed that Hwasan is changing.”

“The incident with Jongnam is still being talked about…” Hyun Young added, remembering the recent conflict.

“That’s right,” Hyun Jong nodded heavily.

Hwasan’s progress was good, but as its position in the martial world became stronger, it would definitely be watched more closely by others.

“First,” Hyun Jong said, making a decision, “even if the disciples are a little annoyed, we should start the patrols again from now on.”

“That’s a good idea, Sect Leader,” Hyun Young agreed.

Listening to the elders’ conversation, Chung Myung smiled happily.

*’What are they even talking about?’* Chung Myung thought to himself.

*You guys aren’t that important yet, you know.*

*Why are they already so proud of themselves?*

*Oh my, these cute elders,* Chung Myung thought fondly.

He thought about telling them the truth for a moment, but their actions were so cute that he decided to just let them be.

*Being careful is not a bad thing,* Chung Myung thought. *Even if it’s not right now, Hwasan will definitely become the target of other sects paying close attention soon.*

“That’s why this is even more important,” Hyun Sang said, turning to Chung Myung.

“Chung Myung. You said you are completely better now?”

“Yes!” Chung Myung replied confidently.

“Then can you really cut Hancheol?” Hyun Sang asked, his eyes full of anticipation.

“Yes, of course,” Chung Myung said, nodding firmly.

“Hmm.” Hyun Sang nodded, a small smile of pride showing on his face.

*’I knew Chung Myung was strong, but still…’* Hyun Sang thought, impressed.

From the beginning, the Hwasan elders had stopped trying to understand just how talented Chung Myung was.

Everyone knew it, whether they liked it or not: Chung Myung was now the strongest fighter in Mount Hua.

“You are truly a strong fighter.”

“It is thanks to the teachings of Mount Hua.”

“Haha. You are too humble.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

He wasn’t lying, not really!

Chung Myung was strong because of what he learned at Mount Hua. But not the Mount Hua of *today*.

Chung Myung’s answers pleased the elders perfectly. Their faces beamed with smiles.

“Sect Leader, should we check the vault now?”

“Indeed, we should.”

Hyun Jong hesitated slightly.

This was the vault he could never open. It had troubled him for so long.

He remembered the days he cried in front of this vault, when Mount Hua was falling apart.

He never even dreamed of asking someone strong enough to open it. He worried that if such a person wanted what was inside, Mount Hua couldn’t stop them.

It seemed impossible.

The vault held treasures he only dreamed of.

But now that he could finally open the vault, he felt more dread than joy. What if it didn’t contain what they hoped for?

But Hyun Sang was not one to consider Hyun Jong’s feelings.

“Good. Can we do it right now, then?”

“Of course.”

“Yes, let’s do it, Sect Leader!”

“Hmm! I understand!”

It was decided.

Hyun Jong stood up quickly. He went to one side of the room, pulled aside a scroll hanging on the wall, and gently pushed the wall behind it.

Creak!

The wall section Hyun Jong pushed slid open with a rough, scraping sound.

“Sect Leader, are you sure it’s alright to show us all this?”

“Whatever is in the vault will be brought out for all to see. Otherwise, what would be the point of having a vault? And I no longer wish to keep secrets from you.”

“Sect Leader…”

Without hesitation, Hyun Jong pulled the lever inside the mechanism.

With a loud rumble, the floor slid open, showing an entrance just big enough for one person.

“Now, let us go.”

“Yes.”

Everyone in the room stood up together.

But Baek Cheon and his companions hesitated, unable to bring themselves to follow.

“Come here.”

“Sect Leader, we…”

“Did I not say? I no longer wish to keep secrets from anyone in Mount Hua. Let us go.”

Baek Cheon guessed what the Sect Leader meant and nodded quietly after thinking for a moment.

“Understood, Sect Leader.”

Going down into the entrance, they found a wide corridor. It was much bigger than the small opening.

‘So, it’s the same place I saw last time.’

Chung Myung glanced upwards. His heart ached as he looked at the fist-sized hole.

“It is very dark.” The corridor was swallowed by darkness, thick and heavy like a blanket. The air felt cool and damp.

“…Long ago, this corridor had night-shining pearls set into the walls.”

“What happened to them?”

“Weren’t there times when we suddenly had a little extra money?”

“……”

Hyun Young was speechless.

Ah… So that was the money from selling the night-shining pearls that used to be here. If I had known, I would have been more careful with it.

“There it is.”

After walking for a short while, a large iron door came into view.

“This is it?”

“Yes. The vault of the Mount Hua Sect Leader, passed down from previous generations.”

“Oh…”

Hyun Young stared at the door, looking impressed. The iron door was covered in strange, swirling lines, making it look mysterious and a little scary.

“How is this door normally opened?”

“I don’t know. I think you need to learn a special fighting skill passed down only to the Mount Hua Sect Leader.”

“…It must have been lost.”

“Perhaps not. It might be inside.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s gaze turned to Chung Myung.

They couldn’t open the door anyway. Now, everything depended on Chung Myung.

“It’s embarrassing when you look at me like that.”

Chung Myung said something unexpected and slowly pulled out his sword.

“Hoo.”

Chung Myung took a deep breath and aimed his sword at the door.

‘Should I pretend it’s a little difficult?’

He could cut through the thin, age-old iron in an instant if he wanted to, but if he did, they would expect too much again, wouldn’t they? He should pretend it’s somewhat difficult and cut it in several attempts.

Hee hee!

“Step back.”

“Alright!”

“We’re counting on you!”

As the elders hurried back, Chung Myung aimed at the door with a focused gaze.

‘First, I should leave those lines alone, they might be useful later. I need to cut around them.’

Chung Myung grinned and unleashed his sword energy.

“Ooh!”

“Sword energy!”

“Amazing!” one elder gasped. “Incredible!” another exclaimed.

Chung Myung swung his sword, filled with powerful energy, at the door.

First, a long vertical cut!

Clang!

“Huh?”

Clang?

Clang, not slicing?

Chung Myung’s eyes widened as he looked ahead. His sword was stuck on the iron door.

“Huh?”

Why isn’t it cutting?

He struggled to pull his sword out and stepped closer to the cut. His eyes went wide with shock.

“…Seriously! Why did this bloke make the door so thick!”

“What did you say?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing… Nothing.”

Chung Myung frowned deeply.

The walls and the bottom are so thin, but why is the door so thick? These sly humans!

In truth, the front of the vault had to be thick to accommodate the mechanism, but Chung Myung didn’t have time to consider such things.

‘I could get in quickly if I dug through the side.’

I should have come alone if I had known it would be like this!

Too many eyes watching behind him.

“Is it hard?” Hyun Jong asked, his face pale with worry. Chung Myung just groaned, unable to answer yes or no.

“Ugh… No. I can do it!”

“You can do it, Chung Myung! We believe in you!”

Finally, he sighed deeply and held his sword tighter. Determination burned in his eyes.

“Damn it! Seriously!”

Nothing goes smoothly! Nothing!

“Euraaaah!”

Kaaang!

“Aaaaargh!”

Kaaaang!

“Ugh, I’m so frustrated!”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Kaaang! Kaaang!

Chung Myung began to swing his sword wildly. Muscles strained in Chung Myung’s arms as he wrestled with the sword. Sweat dripped from his forehead, stinging his eyes. If he couldn’t cut it in one go, he would cut it dozens, hundreds of times. Of course, swinging a sword hundreds of times while emitting sword energy was no easy feat.

“Can’t anyone help! Damn guys!” *To whoever made this door, just you wait! I’ll get you!* *What? I can’t go to the Immortal Realm? I’ll escape from hell just to find you!* He swung his sword wildly, his eyes blazing with anger.

For about fifteen minutes.

“Keuheueu…”

Plop.

Zzzzzing!

As Chung Myung collapsed to the side, the door was neatly cut into a square and fell to the other side.

Thud!

“Oooooooooh!”

“It’s open!”

“Chung Myung! You did it! You worked so hard!”

Chung Myung, soaked in sweat, simply stared at the dark cave ceiling and muttered. The sound of his panting echoed in the corridor.

“He’s… getting revenge on me like this.” Sect Leader, you sly guy. – Hee hee hee hee. Ah, don’t laugh! I swear!

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Status: Ongoing Author: Released: 2019 Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Chung Myung, the legendary Plum Blossom Swordmaster of Mount Hua, awakens after a hundred years of slumber only to find his once-mighty sect reduced to ruins. With unwavering determination, he disguises himself as a young disciple and embarks on a mission to restore Mount Hua to its former glory. From training new disciples to facing lifelong enemies, Chung Myung must revive the sect while uncovering dark conspiracies that threaten the martial world. "Return of Mount Hua Sect" is an epic tale of resurgence, sacrifice, and fierce battles that will shake the world!

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