Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1016

Namgung Dan felt very sure of himself.

People say, “Your mind is everything.”

He didn’t believe in just wishing things to be true. But he did think that how you felt inside could change things, even when doing something hard.

He had said yes to Chung Myung’s training. He felt new and strong. Namgung Dan thought things would be different now.

That was until just half an hour ago.

Ratatat!

Namgung Dan trembled and looked down.

The rocks that had broken off from where his foot slipped were falling very far below.

Namgung Dan’s eyes shook like he was in an earthquake.

“Hngh… Euhh…”

He couldn’t breathe right. He trembled and looked up. He saw the mountain peak like a tooth against the blue sky.

Yes. He was climbing a cliff.

“Kkeueup!”

He tried to stick his feet to the cliff, but there was nowhere to put them. He was trying so hard, it looked like he wanted to dig into the cliff.

“Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”

He breathed hard, and his body shook. Every time he looked down at how far it was, he felt like his heart would stop.

Just a little while ago, he was thinking, ‘What’s the worst that could happen? I won’t die!’ But now…

‘No, I will die! I’m going to die! These crazy people!’

These Hwasan Sect guys were even more crazy than he thought.

“Well, well, arms getting weak?”

From far above, he heard a voice that made him shiver.

“Go on. Get weak. What can you do but fall?”

When he heard that, Namgung Dan looked down again.

‘No way!’

He quickly closed his eyes and pressed himself against the cliff. Every time he looked down at how high it was, he felt all his strength leave his legs.

If he didn’t have those weights on his arms and legs, he might be able to do it…

‘Is it even right to ask me to climb this cliff with these things on! You crazy people!’

“Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”

He took some deep breaths and wiped the sweat off his face with his shoulder. Then he carefully turned his head.

“D-Disciple.”

“Yes?”

He was talking to a Hwasan Sect disciple who was calmly climbing the cliff a little below him.

“Um, this, this training is maybe a little too much, right?”

“Ah…”

Namgung Dan felt a little hopeful.

He was starting to think that the Hwasan Sect guys were all strange, but this Hwasan disciple named ‘Yoon Jong’ seemed the most normal.

He thought that this person would say that the training was too hard.

But Yoon Jong’s answer crushed Namgung Dan’s hopes.

“Is it too much?”

“Yes! Yes! Disciple! This is too dangerous!”

“…Dangerous…?”

Yoon Jong tilted his head. He looked like he didn’t understand at all.

“Um, Disciple?”

“Dangerous? Here?”

“…”

Namgung Dan felt like something was wrong.

“D-Don’t you think this, this is really strange?”

“It is strange, for sure.”

Yoon Jong took one hand off the cliff and scratched his head.

“That guy is not usually this easygoing.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of training is just climbing a cliff like this…? A cliff half the height of Danjangae would be training, but even if there aren’t any high mountains near the Yangtze River, this is…”

“…Yes?”

What was this guy talking about?

Yoon Jong sighed, like he was worried.

“The Namgung Family members have decided to do this, so we should try our best. But I’m worried because we’re only doing training that’s as weak as water. I’d like to make the cliff twice as high, and it would be perfect if it was a little steeper.”

…Is he crazy?

Namgung Dan forgot he was on a cliff and stared at Yoon Jong. Then he suddenly remembered and shouted.

“This is a cliff, Disciple! You die if you fall!”

“…Yes?”

Yoon Jong looked down with the same face that said, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Then he smiled.

“Ah, that’s what you were worried about.”

“Yes! That’s…”

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry. You don’t die.”

“…Yes?”

Namgung Dan looked at Yoon Jong like he had been hit in the head. Yoon Jong’s smile was bright.

“I’ve fallen from a place twice as high as this about six or seven times, but I didn’t die.”

“…”

“And falling is only scary at first, but you get used to it later.”

What made him really crazy was that he couldn’t feel any bad intention in those words.

“So, don’t worry…”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

“Huh?”

Yoon Jong quickly turned his head. One of the people climbing the cliff ahead of them screamed and fell.

Thud!

“…”

The swordsman of the Namgung Family crashed into the ground, foaming at the mouth and shaking.

Even after seeing that, Yoon Jong shrugged like he was showing off.

“See? He didn’t die.”

“…He looks like he’s dead?”

“Haha. You’re so funny with your jokes.”

Does this sound like a joke to you? Does it?

“W-Why are we even doing this training…?”

Namgung Dan stopped and quickly shut his mouth. He had promised not to complain about the training. He couldn’t break that promise.

“Ah, there’s a good reason for that.”

“Yes?”

Yoon Jong smiled and said.

“A swordsman needs many things, but the most important thing is strong wrists and fingers. A swordsman who drops his sword in a fight is worse than a pebble on the street, don’t you think?”

“…”

“So, you need training that makes you hold on tight no matter what. There’s no better place than this cliff to feel like you’ll die if you let go.”

Yoon Jong looked down and muttered, ‘I don’t know if you can really feel that way on such a low cliff.’

“Ah. And climbing a cliff makes your knees, ankles, and waist stronger. Besides…”

Yoon Jong stopped and pushed the rock that Namgung Dan was standing on.

The rock broke, and Namgung Dan slid down.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

Namgung Dan grabbed the cliff in fear. He barely stopped himself and turned to Yoon Jong, his face covered in sweat.

“W-What is this…?”

“As you can see, all sorts of things happen on a cliff.”

“That’s…”

Namgung Dan barely stopped himself from saying, ‘What does that have to do with this, you crazy person!’ Yoon Jong said calmly.

“Rocks break, and the wind blows hard. Sometimes even an eagle will try to peck at you.”

“…Yes?”

“The battlefield is the same. You might trip over a tree root, a broken sword might fly at you, or a friend’s sword might stab you.”

“…”

“A swordsman must be able to react quickly. So, climbing a cliff is good training.”

Yoon Jong pointed up.

“…That’s what that guy says. Well, I agree. I’ve seen it myself.”

“…”

“So, hurry up and climb. You’ll be late for dinner if you take too long.”

Namgung Dan swallowed hard and looked at the cliff again.

He hadn’t climbed much higher than where he started. It was safer to climb up than to climb down.

“Kkeueueueung!”

Namgung Dan reached out and grabbed the cliff.

‘These people are all crazy!’

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung was lying on the cliff top, shaking a bottle of alcohol.

Clink. Clink.

He frowned at the sound.

“…Not much left.”

He felt annoyed.

“Why are they taking so long to climb one cliff! They’re all useless.”

“It’s their first time. It happens.”

“It happens? Of course, it happens. I know.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung put his foot on a pile of rocks the size of a person’s head. He smiled with his foot on the rocks.

“But I don’t know if they’ll think so too?”

“…”

Baek Cheon felt sweat on his back.

“…Isn’t that… a bit much?”

“Huh? Too much?”

“Yes, Chung Myung. Think about it. Training is good, but people should get better slowly. First, calm down…”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung nodded like Baek Cheon was right.

“That’s what Uncle-Master said.”

“T-That’s right? So, take your foot off there. Okay?”

“I should… Oops!”

Chung Myung pushed the rocks off the cliff.

Rumble!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

“Rocks are falling!”

“Which person is it! Aargh! Which person is it!”

People screamed from below. Baek Cheon closed his eyes. When he opened them, Chung Myung was grinning.

“Oops. My foot slipped.”

‘Devil.’

“Hee hee hee hee!”

Chung Myung laughed at the screams and curses from below. He crossed his arms and looked at the sky.

‘Peaceful.’

The Yangtze River flowed, ignoring the fight between the Nine Great Sects and the Six Evil Sects.

Neither side could move first. That meant this peace would last.

The head of the Beopjeong or Jang Ilso might be worried, but Chung Myung didn’t care.

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung looked at the sky again.

He closed his eyes, and the wind touched his face.

‘I wish it would last longer.’

It was a small wish.

But something was happening. A strong wind was blowing, carrying the smell of blood. No one knew it was coming.

It was the start of a storm that would bring darkness to the world again.