Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1146

“Did you finish sweeping?”

“Almost… Just a little more…”

“Come on out! It’s time!”

“Already?”

The person sweeping looked up as the sun rose. They stepped back quickly. The strange scene was about to happen again.

Bang! Bang!

The doors of the pavilions, which had been as silent as a dead mouse all night, opened all at once, almost simultaneously. The sweepers swallowed hard, watching the scene.

Soon, people emerged from the open doors, staggering.

They looked like they had no life left in them. They were like dead bodies or ghosts, not real people. They walked out slowly and without energy.

“Oh no…”

The sweepers shivered as they watched.

They saw this every day now, but it was still scary. How can anyone get used to seeing dead people walking?

The people moved like they were very, very tired. They looked like seaweed that had been cooked for hours. They slowly gathered in the training ground.

‘It’s even more faded than before, it’s giving me the creeps.’

It was different at the start.

At first, they had too much energy! They would argue and point fingers. Sometimes, they would even fight.

But now, they walked to the training ground like cows being taken to be killed. They looked like they had lost half their souls. It was amazing they still went, because they hated it so much.

‘How much longer will this go on?’

‘I can’t take it anymore. My legs are about to break.’

It was hard to watch them. But it was much harder for the people who were like that.

The slaughterhouse… No, the only thought filling the minds of those heading to the training ground was:

‘I feel like I’m going to die…’

‘I wish I could sleep for just one more hour…’

‘Can people really not die from this? Really?’

They had heard it countless times. That if a real war broke out, they would have to fight for ten days, or even a whole month, without getting proper sleep.

But few had seriously thought about what that meant. Not until they experienced it firsthand.

‘At least we get to sleep…’

‘How can we keep doing this?’

Now, there were no emotions towards each other, no anger towards the sect leaders who were pushing them. All they wanted was to close their eyes and sleep. Except…

“I think I’m going to die, Young Sect Leader.”

“…Is this worse than the Plum Blossom Sword training?”

“Don’t say that! It’s not respectful to those who died then.”

“…Sorry.”

Namgung, who had experienced something similar, albeit briefly, was definitely a tiny bit more relaxed than the others.

That’s why he was more annoyed.

If there was no one to compare himself to, he would have cursed freely. He would have said he didn’t understand why they were doing this kind of training. But those damned Namgung fellows were faintly showing signs of being energetic, so he could see with his own eyes what the effects of this training were.

So, he couldn’t openly curse and had to suffer the pain, making it an unfair situation. Moreover…

“Ugh, damn it. Just kill me cleanly.”

“…Don’t say that. If Chung Myung heard that, he really might do it.”

“It’s better to just die, what is this?”

“Aren’t you getting what you want?”

“Huh?”

“If you keep going like this, you’ll eventually die.”

Those around him looked weakly at Hwasan, who had spent a long time with Chung Myung. Only one question came to mind.

‘But why aren’t those bastards tired?’

‘They say that’s what they look like when they’re tired?’

‘Do the Hwasan guys chew on ten-thousand-year-old ginseng as snacks? Hwasan is supposed to be a famous mountain, but maybe the mountain herbs that grow there are all elixirs?’

‘But those guys only eat meat?’

‘Is a Taoist allowed to do that?’

Of course, the Dang family and the Green Forest were also taking a significant hit, but the most dumbfounded people in this situation were none other than the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace.

‘How could this happen…’

It’s not like the Beast Palace or the Ice Palace were out of touch with reality. Outwardly, they would always say that they could take on the prestigious sects of the Central Plains out of pride, but in reality, they were aware that their martial prowess was not up to par with the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families of the Central Plains.

But that was only in terms of ‘martial prowess’.

What firmly supported them was their pride in their physical and mental strength, which they had cultivated by fighting against the harsh and rugged nature.

But after experiencing it firsthand, they realized how futile that pride was.

‘I thought that at least my mental strength… at least my mental strength wouldn’t be inferior…

Of course, if Chung Myung heard that, he would retort, ‘Mental strength is something you use when you’re training, and in real combat, you spit out as much as you’ve eaten! Do you think guys who usually play around will suddenly have strength they didn’t have before when a knife is at their throat? Huh?’ But something that is so obvious to some is not obvious to others.

Some harbored hardship, some harbored hardship and wounds, and some harbored subtle resentment, but whatever their inner thoughts, everyone arrived at the training ground with lifeless faces.

‘He’s already here.’

‘Let’s rest for a bit, you damn bastards.’

‘How does that bastard get more energetic as the days go by? How?’

The moment they found Chung Myung already in place at the training ground, everyone’s faces twisted horribly.

It was beyond comprehension. Logically, shouldn’t those who were fighting them be more tired than they were… No, even more tired than that?

In fact, the faces of Tang Gunak and Maeng So, who were standing next to Chung Myung, were clearly showing signs of fatigue. They were standing straight because they were in front of people, but they couldn’t hide their rough skin and the shadows cast on their faces.

But…

‘Why is that bastard so shiny?’

Chung Myung’s face was glowing. It even felt like he was more energetic now than when they first started training.

‘Is he really a monster?’

‘Is he sucking our energy?’

‘I’m scared he’ll appear in my dreams, really…

Life is a comedy when seen from afar, and a tragedy when seen up close.

The Cheonwu Alliance members, who had chuckled while watching Hwasan suffer miserably from Chung Myung’s tyranny, were now paying the price.

‘But why is he standing there like that today?’

‘What is he going to make us do this time…? Please, let’s just do what we were doing… Please…

Everyone was looking at Chung Myung and the sect leaders on either side of him with anxious eyes when it happened.

“Ahem.”

Chung Myung covered his mouth with his fist and cleared his throat politely, which was unlike him.

The Hwasan disciples recognized this as a typical gesture Chung Myung made when he was about to start something grand. Anxiety gathered on their faces like dark clouds.

“Everyone…

Chung Myung scanned the gathered people and opened his mouth.

“You guys have no energy.”

Those who heard those words glared at Chung Myung, feeling resentful. It was all because of him, yet he was saying such things so nonchalantly…

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.”

But Chung Myung openly clicked his tongue as if he didn’t care.

“You’re already out of breath after doing so little! When I was your age, uh?”

“You’re the youngest, you bastard!”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Chung Myung nodded, realizing his mistake at Jo Gul’s outburst.

“Anyway!”

Chung Myung looked at everyone with a pathetic expression and continued.

“Okay… so, I don’t feel sorry for you being tired. But… if you try a little harder, your training will work better. And we need your training to work better, right? So… that’s why…

‘What is he saying?’

‘Is a dog barking somewhere?’

‘What is he trying to make us do this time?’

As the awkward and repetitive words continued, Tang Gunak finally couldn’t stand it and sighed deeply before interjecting.

“Hwasan Sword Saint.”

“Yes?”

“…Hurry up. It’s hard just standing here.”

Chung Myung pouted silently. And then, he grabbed the bundle he had put down behind him and began to untie it.

“Elder, please distribute these to the kids.”

“Alright.”

“One pill each! If you get caught hoarding them, your hands will be chopped off!”

The elders shook their heads and approached, taking the pills from the bundle. Then, they approached the disciples and distributed one pill each.

“…What is it?”

“What are they giving out?”

Those who were standing in the back with puzzled faces hesitated and crowded forward.

It seemed like something was happening, but it was difficult to figure out exactly what was going on because there were so many people.

‘What is it?’

A member of the Beast Palace tilted his head as he looked at the Beast Palace elder approaching him.

‘It doesn’t seem like anything great?’

If they were giving out something great, they wouldn’t include the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace, would they?

Before even discussing the discrimination between the Central Plains and the foreign lands, the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace were not qualified to participate in the Cheonwu Alliance’s distribution of rewards. So, it was better not to expect too much from the start…

“Take it.”

“What…

The elder, who had come up to him, placed one of the pills he was holding on his outstretched hand without saying a word.

“What is this…

The Beast Palace member, who saw the slightly purplish pill, was about to tilt his head when he flinched as if struck by lightning.

The smell was amazing and clear. It told him what it was better than words could.

“A-An Elixir?”

He looked again at the shiny purple pill. His hands started to shake. He was afraid he would drop it, so he held it carefully with both hands. He looked around in shock.

“Oh, my. What is this?”

“A spirit pill?”

“W-Why are they suddenly giving us this? No, before that, can there really be this many spirit pills? Is this a scam?”

The reactions of the others were similar.

What exactly was a spirit pill in the first place? It was an item that was only produced in very small quantities within a sect, and only those who were recognized by everyone as core talents who would lead the sect, or those who had made great contributions, could see it.

Of course, those who had saved the country in their previous lives might discover and eat elixirs such as human-shaped Polygonum multiflorum or hundred-year-old wild ginseng while climbing mountains, but that was a rare occurrence that happened once every ten years, if they were lucky.

Wasn’t it the accepted theory that even in the Shaolin Temple, which was said to be the wealthiest sect in the world, more than 90% of the people had never seen a Great Revitalizing Pill, let alone a Lesser Revitalizing Pill, in their entire lives?

But was it really possible to give out such spirit pills as if they were giving snacks to a dog they kept at home?

Fortunately, there was someone here who could answer their questions.

Everyone’s eyes reflexively turned to Dang Pae, the young sect leader of the Sichuan Dang family. He was staring blankly at the spirit pill. After being lost in thought for a moment, he brought the spirit pill close to his nose and sniffed. Then, he muttered.

“…It’s a real spirit pill. And it’s top-grade.”

The surroundings became as quiet as a graveyard.