Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 301

The Jongnam disciples watched the arena, their eyes wide with a hint of fear.

“Was he always this strong?” they wondered.

They thought they knew Chung Myung’s strength. They had seen him defeat Jin Geum-ryong easily, without Jin landing a single scratch. Jin Geum-ryong, their pride, had been helpless against him.

But the Chung Myung they saw in the arena now was different. He seemed like an impossible mountain to climb, a peak hidden by the clouds.

He was the Chung Myung the disciples of Jongnam were now looking at.

“Saje…” one of them muttered.

“S-Sahyung,” another echoed.

Lee Song-baek was there, the one who kept trying to climb that impossible mountain.

The Jongnam disciples couldn’t take their eyes off Lee Song-baek.

‘We looked down on him so much,’ Jong Seo-han thought, biting his lip.

He had laughed at Lee for clinging to the old ways.

He had criticized him, saying that Jongnam’s former prodigy had fallen, seeking only comfort.

But he was wrong. Lee Song-baek had simply been walking his own path, even as others scorned him.

The announcer’s voice rang out, “The victor is Chung Myung of Hwasan!” The announcer sounded a little embarrassed, but it didn’t change anything.

Jongnam, Hwasan, and the spectators remained silent, staring at the two in the arena.

“Heave-ho!” Chung Myung hoisted the unconscious Lee Song-baek onto his shoulder and walked toward the Jongnam camp.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The Jongnam disciples’ expressions were complicated as they watched him approach.

Chung Myung stopped and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you going to take him?”

Only then did the Jongnam disciples rush forward to take Lee Song-baek.

They saw that his injuries were worse than they thought, and their faces fell.

‘Saje…’ Jong Seo-han thought, clenching his fist.

Normally, he would have been angry at Chung Myung, blaming him for being so cruel.

But Jong Seo-han couldn’t do that now.

That would be an insult to Lee Song-baek.

“Get Saje inside! Hurry!”

“Yes, Sahyung!”

The senior disciples carefully carried Lee Song-baek away. Jong Seo-han looked at Chung Myung.

Jin Geum-ryong was unconscious, and the elders were in no condition to step forward. Jong Seo-han was the only one who could face Chung Myung.

What should he say? Jong Seo-han hesitated, his feelings confused. Then, Chung Myung spoke.

“Raise him well,” Chung Myung said.

“Then.”

Chung Myung turned to leave.

Jong Seo-han called out, “Why?”

“Huh?” Chung Myung turned his head slightly.

“…Even though I’m not that good, I know you were teaching Saje. Why?”

Chung Myung shrugged. “Who knows?”

He sighed. “Let’s just say it was a simple whim.”

Then, he walked toward Hwasan.

The Jongnam disciples watched him, their faces filled with many emotions.

Hatred, anger, hostility, and even admiration.

‘Is that fear?’ Jong Seo-han realized that his fellow disciples felt respect and fear toward Chung Myung.

As long as Chung Myung lived, Jongnam might never surpass Hwasan again.

The long winter Hwasan had endured would now come to Jongnam.

Jong Seo-han stared blankly. The disciples and elders were trying to stop Lee Song-baek’s bleeding.

Jong Seo-han noticed Jin Geum-ryong lying nearby.

Jin Geum-ryong was motionless, but Jong Seo-han saw his fist trembling slightly.

‘Sahyung…’ Jong Seo-han clenched his own fist.

Beop Jeong put his hands together. “Amitabha. Excellent.”

“Lee Song-baek of Jongnam is impressive,” he said.

“I hope the disciples remember this. It has been a long time since we saw a true martial artist.”

Heo Do-jin smiled at Jongli Gok. “Since Jongnam has such talent, the future is bright.”

The atmosphere was warm until Jongli Gok spoke, his voice cold.

“What future is there for the loser?”

“Sect Leader?”

Jongli Gok looked at everyone with an icy face. “You say such nice things because that child is weak. If he were strong, you wouldn’t say any of this.”

Beop Jeong put his hands together. “Amitabha. Please calm down, Sect Leader of Jongnam. I understand how you feel, but…”

“You understand?” Jongli Gok interrupted.

“I don’t know if the Abbot of Shaolin really understands. Aren’t you all secretly judging Chung Myung’s skills?”

“Sect Leader, this isn’t just about skills. Righteousness is…”

“Righteousness?” Jongli Gok sneered.

“It has been a hundred years since righteousness disappeared from the martial world. Everyone knows what happened to those who believed in righteousness and chivalry.”

The sect leaders were silent. A heavy silence fell.

Jongli Gok was bringing up a painful topic.

“Skill is what matters, not righteousness. The loser should shut his mouth,” Jongli Gok said coldly. He looked at Hyun Jong, his eyes full of hostility and anger.

“Congratulations, Hwasan Sect Leader. Hwasan will regain its glory. As a neighbor, I congratulate Hwasan on its progress,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Sect Leader…”

Jongli Gok clasped his hands. “I apologize for disturbing you. As the leader of a sect that lost completely, I can’t sit here without shame. I hope this competition is successful.”

He turned and left.

“Sect Leader!”

The other sect leaders looked embarrassed.

As Jongli Gok walked past Hyun Jong, he said, “Don’t think it’s over.”

“Of course not,” Hyun Jong replied.

Jongli Gok glared at Hyun Jong and left.

“Shouldn’t we stop him?”

“Leave him alone. We all understand how he feels,” Heo Do-jin said.

The sect leaders closed their mouths. They knew it would be hard to endure such a defeat.

Imagine the Sect Leader of Jongnam having to clap for Mount Hua’s success when his own students had all lost. That would be terrible for him.

Soon, the Sect Leaders started looking at Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong gave an awkward smile.

‘Ugh. He really knows how to stir things up before leaving.’

The Sect Leaders were already watching Mount Hua closely. But now that Jongri Gok had left after saying angry words, everyone would watch Hyun Jong even more.

“Ahem.”

“Ummm.”

Everyone looked a little uncomfortable.

But Hyun Jong stayed calm.

‘This means they’re wary.’

It meant that even the most respected sects could no longer ignore Mount Hua. All because of what Chung Myung had shown.

Hyun Jong watched Chung Myung walk back to his seat.

‘That unpredictable rascal.’

Normally, just looking at him made his stomach churn. He was that much of a troublemaker.

And yet… sometimes, he showed a different side.

Hyun Jong thought about what Chung Myung had showed, thinking about it again as he gently closed his eyes.

‘Go forth and do as you see fit.’

It was Hyun Jong’s job to support that path. Hyun Jong had to help and push, not only for Chung Myung but for all the Mount Hua disciples.

“Amitabha.”

Hyun Jong, after saying the Buddha’s name, looked at Chung Myung with warm eyes.

Baek Cheon watched Chung Myung sit down with a strange look.

Chung Myung asked, “What?”

“No, well…” Baek Cheon hesitated, staring at Chung Myung before speaking, “I just can’t figure you out.”

“What about me?”

Seeing Baek Cheon hesitate, Jo Gul spoke up, “Aren’t you supposed to hate Jongnam?”

“Yeah, I hate them. If I could, I’d go to Jongnam right now, pour oil all over their main building, and set it on fire. And I’d hunt down all the historians and demand they erase Jongnam’s name from the history books.”

“Seriously? That’s crazy!”

“What? Why?”

“…No, nothing.”

Jo Gul, after speaking, looked embarrassed.

“Then why help Lee Song-baek so much?”

“Hoo?” Chung Myung chuckled and looked around. They seemed to understand that he had taught Lee Song-baek something.

They were also beaten up a lot in Yunnan. So, they must understand.

“If you want to ruin Jongnam, you shouldn’t be teaching Lee Song-baek.”

“Well… that’s true.”

Baek Cheon said with a serious look, “If you had taught my brother, I wouldn’t say this. But Lee Song-baek…” He stopped talking.

It was only a small chance.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He felt that Jongnam might be rebuilt because of Lee Song-baek.

Of course, it was a bit of a joke to say that Jongnam had fallen at this point.

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung, who had been listening, scratched his cheek. “It wasn’t like me, was it.”

“No, it wasn’t like you at all.”

“I thought you were going to break all the limbs of the Jongnam kids and turn them into cripples.”

“I thought you killed him when you smashed his head in at first.”

“…” Chung Myung looked awkward. But the others seemed serious.

“Do I really go that far?”

“That’s tame for you, actually.”

“I expected you to only do that much because there are other people watching. If no one was watching, who knows what would have happened… Ugh, how terrifying.”

“…” Chung Myung looked up at the sky, a little sad.

‘People say raising children is hard.’

This is what these guys are like, Sect Leader!

– I know it well.

“Argh! Screw it!” Chung Myung jumped up and shouted. Then, looking annoyed, he sat back down.

Jo Gul, not bothered by his reaction, asked again, “So why did you do it?”

“To smash the heads of the senior brothers and uncles.”

“Stop joking.”

“I’m serious.”

“…Huh?” Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung’s face.

‘Huh?’ That was the face he made when he was telling the truth while pretending to joke.

“…What does that mean?”

“Jongnam is going to fall,” Chung Myung said.

“Defeat doesn’t go away easily, and the world seems very cold. When you’re rising, you fear nothing, but when you fall, there’s no end. Jongnam is going to fall hard.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon nodded. It was hard to imagine that Jongnam would fall, but everything Chung Myung had said so far had come true.

‘They weren’t the same Jongnam disciples as before.’

They were acting as anxiously as if they were being chased. It would be hard to regain that lost confidence.

“And Mount Hua will become even stronger. It’ll get stronger as much as it’s pushed. Maybe it’ll become incredibly strong in the future?”

“…I think I just heard something strange?”

“Is that to say that it’s hell there and hell here too?”

Is he saying he’s going to push us incredibly hard…?

The Mount Hua disciples realized that there was no happiness to be found when Chung Myung was involved.

Chung Myung smiled, then his face turned serious. “But how long will that last?”

“…Huh?”

“I told you, the strong weaken, and the weak become strong again. Mount Hua’s strength isn’t forever.”

“Can’t we just work hard?”

“What about after we all die? Who will lead Mount Hua then?”

“…” Chung Myung shook his head.

“You have to work hard when someone is threatening you. But those who are comfortable become lazy. In a way, Wudang is mostly responsible for creating Shaolin.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon understood. “So you’re saying that Jongnam needs to be the threat to Mount Hua?”

“That’s right.”

“…What if Mount Hua is ruined by Jongnam?”

“That can’t be helped.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.

Then Chung Myung said coldly, “If Mount Hua becomes lazy, it’s better for it to turn to ashes. A martial artist without a rival will be trapped. It doesn’t mean it’s good for Mount Hua if Jongnam falls completely.”

“Hmm.”

“And…”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung grinned. “It’s harder to slowly decline while hoping than to just go down in flames.”

“…”

“Those bastards have to go through what Mount Hua went through! Acting tough after only suffering for two years, trying to die! They have to suffer for another hundred years! They can’t fall until then! I won’t let them!”

Baek Cheon smiled as he watched Chung Myung roll his eyes and laugh.

‘That’s more like it.’

Baek Cheon felt relieved to see the Chung Myung he knew.