Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 830

Chung Myung slowly opened his eyes.

He saw an unfamiliar ceiling with a lamp flickering.

He lay still, looking at the ceiling. Then, he frowned a little.

‘I had that old dream again.’

He chuckled and groaned as he sat up.

Pain pounded in his head, like a drum beating too fast. *Throb. Throb. Throb.* “Ouch…”

A familiar pain went through his body. Bandages were wrapped tightly around him, covering almost everything.

“What on earth…?”

Feeling his face, he found more bandages. He thought, ‘Unless someone wants me to be a Jiangshi, I must be badly hurt.’

Chung Myung laughed weakly as he started to unwrap the bandages.

“Mmm….”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned toward the sound.

The room was small and plain. A single lamp gave off weak light, making shadows dance on the walls. Several figures were sleeping close together.

Jo Gul was on the floor. Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong were leaning against the wall. Tang Soso and Yu Yiseol were slumped in front of his bed.

‘This feels like something I’ve seen before.’

Chung Myung scratched his head.

They must have been taking care of him and fell asleep from being tired.

It made sense. Tang Soso must be tired from healing Chung Myung and others. The others fought with Chung Myung against Jang Ilso. Bandages were wrapped around the Five Swords too.

‘How foolish.’

He had taken Jang Ilso’s power directly. He probably had no part of his body that wasn’t hurt. That was what facing a master was like.

Yet, they were sleeping on the cold floor.

Chung Myung looked at them. He carefully got up, trying not to wake them.

“Kee.”

“Shhh.”

Baek Ah looked up at him, but Chung Myung put a finger to his lips. Baek Ah nodded and jumped onto his head.

With Baek Ah on his head, Chung Myung quietly went out. He gently closed the door and looked around.

‘This doesn’t seem to be Guga. They must have found a place nearby.’

He looked around the building and walked toward the woods. He went deep in until he found a good spot. Chung Myung sat down and looked up at the night sky.

The moon was very bright.

“Ha….”

He took a deep breath and stared. He remembered Cheong Mun’s face from his dream. Cheong Mun seemed to be in the moon, smiling gently at him.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Chung Myung grumbled.

“Ah, I said don’t look at me like that.”

But Cheong Mun was still smiling. Chung Myung fell backward.

“Ouch! Augh…. It hurts like hell.”

Chung Myung frowned and tore off the bandages on his face.

“I’m so embarrassed, really….”

He had been badly beaten.

Of course, there were reasons. But Chung Myung knew they weren’t good enough.

There was only one reason.

He was weak.

Doing his best in the situation?

That was just a thought. In the Jianghu, it wasn’t about adapting, but about winning from the start.

‘Jang Ilso.’

Grrr.

Chung Myung ground his teeth.

He had landed a blow, but it wasn’t enough. To be honest, everything in the canyon happened exactly as Jang Ilso planned.

“If that Cheongjin saw this, he would have laughed.”

He could almost hear him.

– Senior Brother. Haven’t I told you that war isn’t just fought with swords? Huh?

‘You’re right.’

Chung Myung covered his face.

‘I’m lacking.’

Everything was lacking.

If it were the old Mount Hua, they could have defeated the Maninbang easily.

But now, Mount Hua lacked everything. No, not Mount Hua, but Chung Myung was lacking. In every way.

He didn’t lead people like Cheong Mun.

He wasn’t as smart as Cheongjin.

Even his skills were small compared to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

If he had half his old power, the war would be different. If he had all his power, the war might not have started.

He needed to lead the sect.

He needed to see chances.

And he needed the strength to use those chances.

He was missing the most important things for war. Being tricked or betrayed were just excuses for his own faults.

No matter how Heo Do acted, the old Mount Hua would have won. Heo Do wouldn’t have dared to do such a thing in front of them.

In the end, it was his fault they lost.

Chung Myung looked at the moon. His eyes were dark.

This wasn’t his first loss.

He had lost many times. The war with the Demonic Sect was full of losses.

But this loss was different.

Now….

“Don’t laugh at me.”

Chung Myung looked at Cheong Mun, who was smiling, and pouted.

Cheong Mun’s smile made him feel annoyed.

But what could he do?

He remembered Cheong Mun’s smiling face the most.

Chung Myung closed his eyes.

“…It’s not like I’m lonely. Those fools don’t let me be lonely. So it’s not like that….”

Chung Myung’s words blended into the night.

“It’s just… you know? What if I hadn’t come back alone? If Senior Brother… and Cheongjin, if the disciples had come back with me, it wouldn’t be like this now. No… even if it wasn’t that….”

Chung Myung stopped talking.

After a long time, he spoke with difficulty.

“If it was Senior Brother instead of me, Mount Hua would be better. At first, I didn’t know… but now I think I know. I was a fool, Senior Brother.”

When he opened his eyes, Cheong Mun was still smiling.

“….Seriously.”

Chung Myung’s face changed.

“So heartless.”

How could he show his weakness while looking at that face?

Of course, Chung Myung knew.

This was just a complaint. If they were watching him, they would be sad that he couldn’t lead Mount Hua.

“I was just… saying a little. If Senior Brother was here, I would have whined, and if Cheongjin was here, he would have nagged me. By myself… yes. Because I’m alone. Because there’s nowhere else to say it.”

Insects chirped nearby.

“Kee.”

Baek Ah looked up at him with worried eyes. Chung Myung chuckled and tapped Baek Ah’s head.

“It’s not like I’m in such a state that you need to worry about me.”

Chung Myung sighed.

It was hard.

Becoming stronger wasn’t hard. He just had to do what he did before. But he couldn’t do that.

Because he couldn’t stop the Heavenly Demon that way.

He had to become stronger than before. He had to go further. To do that, he had to take each step carefully, even if it was slow.

That’s why he was worried.

He was afraid that Mount Hua would fall before he was ready. He was afraid that the Heavenly Demon would appear before he was perfect.

His shoulders felt heavier each day. The children were helping him, but the pressure was getting worse.

“That’s strange.”

Chung Myung scratched his head.

“I haven’t been like this lately, but I keep thinking about Sect Leader today. Is it because I got beaten up… I’m not a child.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“I know, so don’t look at me like that. I’ll just whine today and be fine tomorrow. It’s just… people need that kind of time, right?”

The night sky was clear, and the moon looked even brighter.

Cheong Mun was a strong person.

But he was also frustrating. Chung Myung didn’t always understand Cheong Mun’s stubbornness and found it annoying.

But… now I think I know a little.

‘Senior Brother was lonely too.’

Being a leader was like that.

No one tells you if you are right. Since there is no one ahead, you have to keep asking, doubting, and worrying.

To Cheong Mun, ‘righteousness’ and ‘justice’ were like lights that kept him and Mount Hua from going the wrong way.

He must have wanted to do wrong things, but he stopped himself. Not for himself, but to lead those who believed in him on the right path.

Only after being in the same position as Cheong Mun could he understand how hard and lonely it was.

That meant that Chung Myung hadn’t fully understood Cheong Mun.

How lonely must Senior Brother have been?

Chung Myung closed his eyes.

‘I’m thirsty for alcohol.’

Is there any alcohol nearby….

It was then.

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“Where did that bastard go again!”

“Find him, now! He might be out drinking!”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“….”

A loud noise broke the silence. Chung Myung sighed and looked toward the sound.

‘Those ghostly things.’

They must have seen he was gone and came looking. Chung Myung frowned at the curses and looked up at the sky.

“See? I told you? They don’t let me be lonely. They’re much better than I used to be.”

Chung Myung got up.

“Euchha.”

He dusted off his bottom, grabbed Baek Ah, and put it on his shoulder. He muttered quietly.

“Don’t worry. I’m strong. So just watch. I’ll beat all those bastards.”

He smiled and took a step.

– Strength is….

Chung Myung looked back at the sky.

– …not the power to not fall, but the power to get up again even after falling, Chung Myung-ah.

It was something Cheong Mun had told him.

Cheong Mun’s face slowly disappeared. Chung Myung smiled as he watched.

“Always nagging.”

He stretched and looked ahead. His eyes were clearer than before.

It’s okay to be lacking.

It’s okay to be lacking yet.

You can’t fill a full bowl. Being lacking means you can still move forward.

So….

Chung Myung walked toward his senior and junior brothers, who were calling his name loudly.

He walked forward without hesitation.