Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 692

What are you impersonating? (2)

The disciples were gathered for training.

Un-geom’s strong voice filled the training area.

“Basically, a sword formation is a way to attack together effectively,” he said.

The disciples listened carefully, their eyes shining with attention. They had always respected Un-geom, the Head of the Hundred Plum Blossom Hall, but after their recent battles, they admired him greatly.

They couldn’t imagine looking away from him.

“A swordsman’s sword usually follows a pattern. The more you practice, the better you become at that pattern. To fight well, you should use your sword in that way.”

Un-geom looked at them all.

“But when many people fight together in a small space, it’s hard to swing your sword in the way you normally do.”

The disciples nodded. They had learned this lesson during their recent fight against the powerful Great Separate Residence.

When they were crowded together, they couldn’t swing their swords properly because they were afraid of hitting each other. Sometimes, their swords even hit their teammates’ swords instead of the enemy’s, which caused problems.

“A sword formation isn’t about being afraid while fighting the enemy. It’s a way to use your skills properly, even in a small space. I hope you all try your best in this training.”

“Yes, Hall Leader!” they shouted.

Un-geom smiled slightly, pleased by their enthusiasm.

‘Good,’ he thought.

If someone asked how Mount Hua had changed, there would be many things to say. But for Un-geom, the Head of the Hundred Plum Blossom Hall, the most important thing was that the disciples were eager to learn. This made him very happy.

“My fellow disciples and I will show you an example first. Then, form groups of seven and copy us.”

“Yes!”

“You don’t need to use a specific martial art for the sword formation. Once you’re skilled, you can use the sword style you know best. But for beginners, it’s hard to use complex sword techniques, so for now, just use the Seven Plum Blossom Sword.”

“We will keep that in mind!”

“Good.”

Un-geom and his fellow disciples formed a shape like the Big Dipper, a famous group of stars in the sky.

“The Seven Star Sword Formation of Mount Hua follows the principle of the Seven Stars. This principle is part of a larger system that includes the Ultimate, the Supreme Ultimate, the Three Powers, the Four Symbols, the Five Elements, the Six Harmonies, the Seven Stars, the Eight Trigrams, and the Nine Palaces.”

Jo-geol raised his hand. Un-geom nodded.

“Yes, speak,” Un-geom said.

“Is there a reason why we follow the principle of the Seven Stars specifically?” Jo-geol asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

“…Well, that’s…” Un-geom hesitated, his face turning slightly red. Yoon-jong elbowed Jo-geol hard in the side.

“Ugh!” Jo-geol cried out, clutching his side and bending over. But no one looked at him with sympathy.

‘That damn mouth of his,’ they thought.

‘If Chung-myung isn’t here, he’s always causing trouble.’

‘Is he trying to get himself killed? How dare he make a Senior Uncle uncomfortable?’

The White Plum disciples glared at Jo-geol, and the Blue Plum disciples also criticized him with their eyes.

“Ahem,” Un-geom cleared his throat awkwardly.

“The person who created the sword formation must have had a reason for choosing the Seven Stars, but I don’t fully understand it,” he said.

“It’s alright, Hall Leader!” someone called out.

“There must be a good reason!”

“Whether it’s the Seven Stars or something else, we just need to learn it! It doesn’t matter why!”

It was a touching display of support.

Jo-geol, unable to join in, blinked his watery eyes and muttered,

“…I was just asking.”

“Shut up,” someone snapped.

“Hey!” Jo-geol protested.

In the end, he started to cry.

‘These are all words I’ve heard before,’ he thought.

Chung-myung, is this how you felt? I’m sorry.

“Ahem,” Un-geom cleared his throat loudly and raised his sword.

“Everyone, watch carefully. I will show you many times, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention.”

“Yes!” the disciples responded loudly.

Un-geom slowly began to move his sword. At the same time, the first-generation disciples, who were in the formation, also moved their swords.

‘There’s precision,’ Baek Cheon thought.

‘They’re moving as one?’

‘But if that’s the case, haven’t they just changed their positions from how they usually swing their swords?’

Several swords moved perfectly in the same way.

So far, it wasn’t very impressive. It was easy for the senior and junior disciples, who had trained together for years, to match the speed and direction of their swords.

Whether they were Blue Plum or White Plum disciples, they already did similar training every morning.

But then, the power of the sword formation began to show.

Whoosh!

Un-geom’s sword, at the front, moved faster and faster. The other swords, which had been moving in perfect order, gradually began to move differently.

‘Already?’ Baek Cheon wondered.

No, that’s not it.

They weren’t moving randomly, but each in its own way. Even though they were using different sword techniques, their movements didn’t overlap.

‘Is that possible?’

‘Amazing.’

The disciples watched with surprise.

They knew how difficult group battles were.

‘This is a sword formation,’ one of them thought.

They finally understood that a sword formation was necessary to use their skills effectively.

But the sword formation continued to change.

The disciples began to step forward and back.

“Uh oh?”

“Th, that…”

Un-geom retreated, Un-am jumped forward, and they mixed together, changing the distance between them.

The sword formation, which had been in the shape of the Big Dipper, formed a circle, then a straight line, then the shape of the Seven Stars again. The changes were dizzyingly fast.

But the swords never stopped moving, and their patterns never overlapped.

The disciples became more serious.

They realized that learning the sword formation would be harder than they thought.

They could also see how much the Un-ja generation had suffered, training in the sword formation while also teaching it to them.

Un-geom, now at the back, swung his sword strongly and stepped forward.

His fellow disciples moved around him in a dizzying pattern, drawing the patterns of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique with their bodies.

Baek Cheon’s mouth opened slightly in amazement.

‘Amazing!’

Before he could say anything, Un-geom spoke.

“This is the Seven Star Sword Formation. Everyone, watch carefully…”

At that moment, a loud clang echoed.

Everyone closed their eyes.

After a moment, they cautiously opened their eyes and saw a wooden sword touching Un-geom’s left knee.

It looked like a gentle touch, but everyone knew the force behind it was anything but.

Un-gum’s eyebrows twitched quickly.

The owner of the wooden sword scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

“I-I’m sorry, Sajae,” he said. “It’s just that it was working fine during practice…”

“⋯⋯”

Un-am looked embarrassed and apologized. Un-gum spoke, his lips still trembling.

“I-It’s alright… Sahyung…. It happens.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“⋯⋯I’m fine.”

The watching disciples felt a chill, imagining Un-gum’s pain.

‘That must really hurt,’ one thought.

‘Wow, that sound… he’s going to die,’ another thought.

‘He doesn’t even change his expression! If it were me, I would be rolling around on the ground.’

It was just a wooden sword, but it was a hard hit. Anyone would be in pain. But Un-gum showed nothing. The others were amazed by his strong will.

But then…

“⋯⋯Pfft!”

Jo-geol tried to hide a laugh, but it burst out anyway, muffled by his hand.

“What’s this bastard doing?” someone asked.

Before the laughter could even finish, Yoon-jong punched Jo-geol hard in the jaw.

“Aaaack!”

The Baek disciples swarmed towards Jo-geol, who had collapsed.

“Stomp him!” one yelled.

“Is this guy crazy? Laughing?” another shouted.

“The kid’s getting worse every day!”

“Stomp him good! Stomp him more!”

Yoon-jong watched the scene, a flicker of unease in his eyes, and quietly stepped back. *Are they going too far?* he wondered, but he didn’t intervene.

It seemed like there were a few Cheong disciples among the Baek disciples who were stomping so diligently. Uh….

Soon, he turned away, averting his eyes from the scene.

“Ugh… what am I supposed to do if laughter comes out….” Jo-geol, covered in dirt, protested with a wronged expression. But as the feet of those surrounding him were raised again, he had no choice but to lie flat.

“I have committed a crime worthy of death!”

“Knowing is enough.”

The senior disciples made sounds of disapproval and walked away. Tears welled up in Jo-geol’s eyes again. He trudged towards Yoon-jong with a forlorn expression, like a rain-soaked puppy, and asked.

“Sahyung.”

“What.”

“Don’t you think everyone’s being too harsh on me these days?”

“Geol-ah.”

“Yes, Sahyung.”

“If people are all saying the same thing and doing the same thing, shouldn’t you at least consider whether you might be the one who’s wrong?”

“What does that mean?”

“⋯⋯Never mind.”

This bastard is crazy in a different way than Cheong-myeong, Yoon-jong thought.

Un-gum, who was slightly turned away, tending to the area he had been struck, cleared his throat loudly and looked at everyone.

“As you have seen, the sword formation training is several times more dangerous and difficult than training alone. If you don’t concentrate, you can get injured in the blink of an eye. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Gwanju-nim!” they responded.

“Good. Now, form groups of seven and stand in the direction of the Seven Stars.”

As soon as the order was given, the disciples spread out and formed pairs.

“The tips of the swords must be pointed in the direction that each point indicates.”

The Un disciples ran around, correcting the shape of the sword formation. After going through that process, a fairly impressive sword formation was completed. As more than a hundred disciples stood, each drawing their sword formation, it was a powerful and intimidating sight.

“Hmm.” Un-gum nodded in satisfaction.

“Let’s start by showing the Seven Plum Sword first. Although each of you is standing in a different direction, it will be difficult to properly wield your swords at that distance. Always be aware of the distance, considering the senior and junior disciples to your left and right, and wield your swords as narrowly as possible.”

“Yes!”

“Begin!”

Swish!

With Baek-cheon’s lead, the disciples of Hwasan simultaneously began to wield their swords. The disciples moved their swords, each in a different direction, creating a swirling pattern like a field of flowers caught in a sudden breeze.

‘Good,’ Un-gum thought.

A proud smile bloomed on the faces of Un-gum and Un-am.

Perhaps this sight was common in the past Hwasan. Seeing this again reminded them of Hwasan’s glorious past and filled them with hope.

‘They’re doing well,’ Un-am thought.

Even though it was the first time they were performing the sword formation, everyone was drawing their swords excellently. Of course, it was the most simplified, basic form, but even so, a sword formation was a sword formation. The swords not hitting each other showed they were becoming skilled disciples, working together almost without speaking.

Clang!

“⋯⋯”

“Hey, you! You’re not supposed to come over here!”

“No! Isn’t it because Sahyung suddenly twisted his sword?”

“It only looks like I twisted it because you’re slow!”

“What?”

The corners of Un-gum’s eyes, which had been softly smiling, twitched.

“Aack! Hey! Can’t you wield your sword straight? Are you blind?”

“I swung first, but wasn’t it Sahyung who stuck his arm out?”

“What? Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Once it started, the sword formations that filled the training hall began to collapse one by one.

In fact, it was quite possible. It would be stranger if they did well on their first time performing the sword formation.

The problem was….

“Is that your sword hitting Sasuk in the head?”

“I-It wasn’t intentional, Sasuk!”

“Not intentional? It seems you haven’t heard Cheong-myeong’s words. What’s important is that you got hit, not why you got hit!”

“⋯⋯”

“Ah, please wield your sword properly, Sahyung!”

“Oh, really? You want me to show you what it’s like to wield it properly?”

“Come at me, you bastards!”

Un-gum eventually closed his eyes tightly.

‘This isn’t sparring time,’ he thought.

When people get hit, they should first think about why they got hit, but these guys seemed to be the type who wouldn’t be satisfied until they returned the favor as soon as they got hit, regardless of the reason.

Chaos erupted. Swords clashed, and fists flew as the training turned into a brawl. A sigh that had been building up from his core escaped from Un-gum’s mouth.

‘This is a Taoist temple,’ he thought.

It was truly absurd.

“Sword-ah.” Un-am called out, using the term for a respected older student.

“Yes, Sahyung.”

At that moment, Un-am looked at Un-gum and smiled brightly.

“⋯⋯Hang in there.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Then we’ll be going now.”

“⋯⋯.”

Watching the Un disciples quickly leave the training hall, Un-gum’s sigh deepened even further.

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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