Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1138

The expressions of those in the training grounds turned bewildered.

“Ah, no, that’s not it…”

How should one put it? Out of the blue? Absurd? Or just plain strange?

Those who knew Mount Hua even a little understood. No matter what anyone said, Chung Myung represented Mount Hua. Inside and out, Chung Myung had an incredible influence on the Mount Hua Sect.

However, those who had been close to Mount Hua for a long time saw things a bit differently.

Chung Myung might be the heart of the Mount Hua Sect, but Baek Cheon was the heart of the disciples. Chung Myung led them, but Baek Cheon coordinated their thoughts and controlled them, no matter what anyone said.

Even Sect Leader Hyun Jong spoke to the disciples through Baek Cheon, not Chung Myung.

It wasn’t just because Chung Myung was busy. There was an unspoken agreement that Chung Myung would lead Mount Hua’s overall direction, but Baek Cheon would lead the disciples.

And now, Baek Cheon, the future Sect Leader and representative of the current disciples, was suddenly bowing his head to them.

Dang Pae looked around, his face blank, like a statue carved from stone. Like the others, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Perhaps because Dang Pae was the only one who moved, or because he was seen as the right person, everyone looked at him.

Feeling the pressure, Dang Pae reluctantly opened his mouth.

“Senior Brother… what are you doing?”

Baek Cheon raised his head and looked at everyone, including Dang Pae.

Many gentle words flashed through Baek Cheon’s mind. Words to calm them down, to make them feel sorry for him. But those thoughts disappeared. Now was not the time to hide the problem and pretend everything was okay.

“This won’t do,” Baek Cheon said, his voice firm.

“Right now, we are training against absolute masters we could never face normally. Every moment is incredibly valuable.”

Everyone nodded. Whether the training was hard or not, they all knew this was a rare opportunity.

How many times would the Tang Clan members get to face their Clan Lord? Would the Beast Palace disciples ever seriously fight their Palace Lord?

Where else would they find three such powerful figures to learn from?

“But we are wasting this time, this opportunity that may never come again.”

“…”

“Thinking about the Heavenly Union and the Kangho… I don’t know much about such grand things. But I don’t want to waste this precious time. I don’t want to bring old feelings into a time when we should be focusing on facing those masters.”

Several people, especially Namgung Dowi, nodded.

“Therefore, I ask you, please focus your strength.”

Dang Pae spoke, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

“Is it for the greater good?”

“No.”

“It’s because it benefits Mount Hua.”

Baek Cheon looked directly at Dang Pae.

“Young Clan Leader, don’t you think so too?”

Dang Pae’s lips tightened.

Baek Cheon was asking him: Did he want his family to waste this chance because of old grudges? Or did he want them to use it to grow stronger?

‘He speaks well,’ Dang Pae thought.

A surge of anger rose within him. Mount Hua had started this by beating up the Tang Clan, and the Mount Hua Sword Saint was tormenting everyone. Now, the people from Mount Hua were acting like they were righteous.

Dang Pae felt angry. *They* started this, Mount Hua. Now Baek Cheon is acting like *we’re* the problem?

“It’s absurd for Mount Hua to say such things,” Dang Pae said.

Baek Cheon bowed deeply again, without making excuses. Dang Pae groaned and sighed.

“But… don’t think you’re the only one who cares about the disciples.”

Tang Gunak’s words came to Dang Pae’s mind: He had no reason to be impatient or desperate because everything was given to him.

‘Every word was right,’ Dang Pae thought.

The Tang Clan should be the most desperate. They were in a better position, yet they couldn’t defeat the Mount Hua disciples. They should be more urgent, more anxious. Dang Pae should have done what Baek Cheon was doing first.

But Dang Pae had been doing nothing, while Mount Hua, who had no reason to be urgent, bowed their heads first.

If you are desperate, you must act. To only worry and not move is not true desperation.

“I agree we need to do something, regardless of our feelings. Those masters aren’t just beating us to build our endurance.”

Baek Cheon nodded firmly.

“I agree.”

Namgung Dowi spoke quickly.

“At this rate, nothing will change. We can’t face them if we’re hindering each other. It can’t be overcome with just will or training.”

This statement hurt Namgung Dowi’s pride.

He was the head of the Namgung Clan. It was one thing for the Young Clan Leaders to say they couldn’t face their Clan Lord unless they united, but for the Clan Lord to say he couldn’t face another Clan Lord was different.

The head of the Great Namgung Clan, the greatest clan, shouldn’t say such a thing.

However, Namgung Dowi admitted his limits. He knew that stubbornly refusing to admit his limits was more humiliating.

“There must be a way for us to fight together, to help each other, not hinder each other. Shouldn’t we start by finding that way?”

Dang Pae nodded firmly at Namgung Dowi’s words.

But then…

“How impressive,” one of the Beast Palace disciples sneered.

“The three great clans of the Central Plains have made a grand decision.”

The three men looked at the speaker, their faces hardening. Before anyone could speak, Baek Cheon stepped forward.

“I apologize if you were offended.”

“No, no. Why be offended? If the great three clans have decided, we’ll follow along. How could we, lowly barbarians, oppose those words?”

It wasn’t just one person being sarcastic. The others behind him had similar looks. Even the Ice Palace disciples nodded as if there was some truth to it.

“We have no intention of…”

“Your intentions may be good,” an Ice Palace disciple said.

“But isn’t it Mount Hua, the Tang Clan, and the Namgung Clan that decide everything in the Heavenly Union? We just get a notification.”

“…”

“So, you’re saying we’ll accept it this time too, so what’s the problem?”

Baek Cheon didn’t know how to respond.

It was unfair to Namgung, who was suddenly included, but it was hard to deny that Mount Hua and the Tang Clan had been deciding everything, and the others were just notified.

That was not the original idea of the Heavenly Union.

Even if it wasn’t Baek Cheon’s fault, the fact that the Tang Clan and Namgung Clan naturally stepped forward first was enough to touch the dissatisfaction they had been building up.

“We apologize for that. However, we have no intention of…”

“No, Senior Brother Baek Cheon. Why are you apologizing when they say they don’t have complaints? We just have to follow what you say.”

Baek Cheon sighed. He could deal with honest attacks, but it was hard to deal with sarcasm. As the Great Disciple of Mount Hua, anything he said could be seen as pretending to be nice.

While Baek Cheon was thinking, an annoyed voice rang out.

“How disgustingly sarcastic, you damned barbarian bastards.”

The Ice Palace and Beast Palace disciples turned, furious. But when they saw who it was, they closed their mouths.

Im So-byeong, in a tattered scholar’s robe, barely raised himself and glared at everyone with annoyance. Everyone became quiet.

“Have you guys ever been discriminated against as much as us, you heretic bastards? We’ve been treated like slaves by Mount Hua even before the Namgung Clan joined, and we’re still here doing this!”

When Im So-byeong got angry, the Ice Palace and Beast Palace disciples looked away.

“I’m the Green Forest King, you bastards! The Green Forest King! If your Palace Lord was doing this here, would you have put up with it, you bastards! Do you see my state?”

With one eye bruised, Im So-byeong expressed his anger, and no one dared to speak. If the head of another clan had suffered like that, there would have been a war, alliance or not.

But Im So-byeong was enduring it without complaint. Compared to what Im So-byeong and the Green Forest had suffered, the others had been treated like honored guests.

“That’s why people from the Central Plains and beyond are all shameless. What have you done for the Heavenly Union that you’re complaining about being taken care of! We’ve been working as slaves for years, and we still can’t say such things!”

“…No, well…”

“Ahem.”

Those about to say, ‘Because you’re heretics,’ quickly covered their mouths. That was like saying people from beyond the border could be discriminated against.

“If you’re just going to complain, go suffer for three years and then talk.”

“…”

“Damn it.”

Exhausted, Im So-byeong looked at the sky and sighed.

“Senior Brother Baek Cheon.”

“Yes, Green Forest King.”

Im So-byeong’s eyes burned with fire.

“We’ve been beaten enough, haven’t we?”

“…That’s right.”

Im So-byeong said, his voice full of anger.

“I’m annoyed and don’t want to be beaten anymore, so let’s find a way. It’s not even fun to watch you guys get beaten anymore.”

Baek Cheon smiled slightly.

“I agree.”

“So.”

Im So-byeong glared at where Chung Myung and the others had disappeared.

“Let’s show those pretentious bastards how scary a rebellion is! Emperor, Clan Lord, just one bamboo spear is enough…”

“Hey, that’s enough!”

That’s crossing the line, you heretic bastard!

“Everyone, gather around!”

At Im So-byeong’s command, those who had been sprawled out began to gather slowly.

Baek Cheon chuckled.

‘I’ve done enough, you damned bastard,’ Baek Cheon thought to Chung Myung, who was probably watching.

Baek Cheon approached Im So-byeong, pretending he knew nothing.