Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 117

The next day, at dawn.

“…Senior Brother.”

“…”

“Why are they acting like that?”

“How should I know?”

What answer do you expect asking me?

The younger disciples of Mount Hua watched, their breath catching in the cold air, as the older disciples stumbled out into the pale dawn light. They looked tired and messy, like they hadn’t slept well.

Mount Hua was on a high mountain, so even after winter, the morning air was freezing. The older disciples breathed out white clouds of air, looking like soldiers going to war.

“Are we going to die today?”

“…Doesn’t seem like it.”

Soon, all the older disciples came out and stood in a line facing the younger disciples. Finally, Baek Cheon walked slowly to the front.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Good.”

Baek Cheon nodded and looked at the older disciples. He sighed quietly and looked up at the sky.

‘Could it be?’

‘Surely not.’

Just then, the doors of the Baek Mae Hall burst open, and Chung Myung walked out, yawning widely.

“Ugh. Why can’t I ever get enough sleep?”

Then just sleep a bit more.

How can he come out every day and say that? Every single day!

Chung Myung walked over to Yoon Jong, who quickly stood next to Chung Myung as if he had been waiting.

“Chung Myung, why are they out here?”

“Ah, the Senior Uncles.”

“Yes, the Senior Uncles!”

“Senior Brother.”

“Hm?”

Chung Myung put his arm around Yoon Jong’s shoulders.

“You’ve suffered a lot until now.”

What’s with him all of a sudden?

“I know how much you Senior Brothers have been tormented by the Senior Uncles.”

We haven’t, though?

If we were tormented, it was by you. Why are you suddenly blaming the Senior Uncles!

“But you can relax now. From today on, at least during training, everyone will be treated equally.”

“A place where everyone is equal?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you talking about hell?”

“…Huh?”

That sounds right?

Yoon Jong’s face twisted.

‘Even the Baekja group, now.’

There seemed to be no end to this demon’s reach. How long had it been since he dragged the Third-Generation disciples into hell? Now he was grabbing even the Second-Generation disciples?

‘What will happen to Mount Hua?’

While Yoon Jong tried to hide his sadness, Chung Myung walked to the center.

“You’ve all worked hard to come out here so early, my friends.”

“…”

“I’m really touched that you all ‘voluntarily’ want to train like this.”

‘The nerve of that jerk!’

‘When did he ever stop yelling at people who wanted to rest and force them to train! May the heavens punish him!’

The younger disciples bit their lips, but surprisingly, the older disciples didn’t react much.

“Real training has to be hard. If you feel good afterwards, it wasn’t really training. It’s only real training when you hate it and you’re so tired you can barely lift your spoon to eat!”

His reasoning sounded strong.

“There’s no easy way to get strong. The only way is to keep pushing yourself. If you trust me, you’ll get stronger. Understand?”

Yoon Jong’s face twisted even more.

‘No, even to the Senior Uncles… Senior Uncles, don’t take it and yell at him…!’

Just then…

“Yessir!”

A loud, very loud response came from the older disciples. The younger disciples jumped back, surprised.

“W-What was that?”

“Why are they like that?”

It might be awkward to be taught by a junior disciple who was younger than them. But for the older disciples right now, that wasn’t even a problem.

‘If we fall behind the younger disciples, we’ll be completely embarrassed!’

Being taught by Chung Myung was shameful, but they would rather die than become weaker than the younger disciples.

And that was actually happening.

They might be okay now, but in a few years, the older disciples might really be in a position where they were being protected by the younger disciples. If they became weaker than all of the younger generation, not just one or two, how would they save face?

‘I absolutely can’t let that happen.’

‘I’d rather die.’

The older disciples’ eyes were bloodshot.

Sometimes, wanting to prove yourself can be a powerful motivator. In fact, it can make you even more determined than just wanting to be strong.

Wanting to be strong wasn’t enough to push them this far. What was driving the older disciples now was pride and worry.

And lastly…

‘I don’t know how, but if we learn from that guy, we can beat the Second-Generation disciples of Jongnam, right?’

‘No, maybe we can become even better than that.’

‘It’s better to be ignored here and then show off in the Jianghu than to be ignored in the Jianghu!’

‘Let’s do it!’

Seeing the older disciples’ excited faces, Chung Myung smiled.

“That’s it, that’s it!”

Those eyes wanting knowledge!

Chung Myung felt proud as he looked at the older disciples, who were eager to learn, after dealing with the younger disciples, who didn’t want to learn even when he tried to teach them.

Of course, the younger disciples hadn’t always been so unwilling, but Chung Myung didn’t care about that.

“Now, then.”

Chung Myung smiled.

“The basics are important in everything. Let’s start with strength training, Senior Brothers. What are you doing? You need to teach the Senior Uncles how to do strength training.”

Hearing that, the younger disciples also smiled.

“That’s right. That’s what we should do.”

“Of course. I have to teach them with all my strength.”

The younger disciples’ eyes lit up at the thought of ‘Let’s see how you like it.’

‘You thought this was a good thing, didn’t you?’

‘Once you try it, you’ll be crying for a long time. I’ll make sure you cry properly!’

As the younger disciples walked closer with evil smiles, carrying the equipment, the older disciples stepped back, looking worried.

But surprisingly, someone stepped forward.

“Huh?”

Chung Myung looked at the person in front of him.

“What is it now?”

“I want to learn.”

“Learn from the others over there.”

“No one is coming to me.”

“…Huh?”

Chung Myung looked at Yu Yiseol.

“No, why isn’t anyone… Senior Brothers, what are you doing?”

Even after hearing Chung Myung’s words, the Chungja group just stared at the sky.

“If it’s awkward, just female disciples… Wait a minute. Why are there no women in the Chungja group? Why are they all men? The Baekja group has so many Senior Sisters.”

“…”

Chung Myung turned to Yoon Jong and said.

“No, Senior Brother. Did you only pick men for the Chungja group? That’s why it’s so gloomy and depressing when you go into the Baek Mae Hall. Why aren’t there any female disciples…”

“Chung Myung.”

“Hm?”

Yoon Jong looked like he was about to cry.

“There are things in this world that you shouldn’t touch.”

“…”

Chung Myung stared at Yoon Jong for a long time before looking down.

“I was wrong. I apologize. Please forgive me.”

“…Be careful.”

“I will.”

Chung Myung, after apologizing, looked at Yu Yiseol, looking reluctant.

“I don’t give special treatment just because you’re a woman.”

“That’s what I want.”

“I won’t show any mercy even if you cry and beg.”

“That won’t happen.”

She was like a leech.

“Promise me one thing in return.”

“What?”

“If I endure this, can I also bloom plum blossoms with my sword?”

‘Why is she asking *me* about plum blossoms? Does she think I’m some kind of plum blossom expert?’

“Everyone is saying strange things.”

Chung Myung said seriously.

“If the Senior Uncles and Senior Brothers are disciples of Mount Hua, they shouldn’t try to bloom plum blossoms. That’s just a step. You should aim for ‘completion.’”

“Completion…”

“Well, yeah. Then…”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Let’s start by building the foundation for blooming. Begin!”

Chung Myung smiled wickedly as he watched the older disciples put on the equipment.

‘In the past, I only cared about my own skills and didn’t care about the Senior Brothers’ martial arts.’

He thought it was normal back then, but not anymore. Didn’t he feel it in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains? In the end, Mount Hua had to face other sects, not just one strong person.

There was a limit to what one person could do.

What if these people became strong enough to help Chung Myung in the future?

“Heh heh heh. Everyone’s going to die. Unifying the Jianghu. I’ll draw plum blossoms on the heads of those bald monks from Shaolin.”

The disciples of Mount Hua, thinking they had heard something they shouldn’t have, closed their eyes and looked away.

“Hmm.”

Un Geom smiled as he watched the disciples of Mount Hua training from a distance.

‘Now it’s even the Baekja group, huh.’

Well, it couldn’t be helped. They must have seen and felt something.

Un Geom remembered the conversation he had with the sect leader yesterday.

– Leave him be.

The sect leader had said.

– He is a child we cannot control anyway. Trying to guide him might just get in his way. We are old and fading. We need to help those children shine. Leave him be. He has his own path, so he won’t go down the wrong one.

It meant not to bother him and make him uncomfortable by asking questions.

Un Geom agreed.

Chung Myung’s plum blossoms, his amazing skills, and his mysterious past. There were many things he was curious about, but he didn’t want to ask.

‘Dao.’

Dao was something that flowed.

And something to accept.

No matter what kind of child Chung Myung was, there was no reason not to accept him as long as he was a disciple of Mount Hua.

Dao was always generous.

More than that…

‘Should I try learning too?’

Un Geom, who had been watching the children for a long time, smiled and turned away.

‘It’s greed. It’s greed.’

If it was just to get stronger, it wouldn’t matter if he followed the instructions of a junior disciple. But Un Geom knew he was too old to get much stronger.

He should be happy that the Baekja group was still young enough to grow.

‘But I can’t just stand by and do nothing.’

How could he be lazy when the children were working so hard? Even if he left the teaching to Chung Myung, he had to teach them as much as he could.

“Mount Hua will become stronger.”

Jongnam was not the end.

Mount Hua had completely changed since Chung Myung came.

Un Geom had also realized that he had been drifting along.

Now, not only the First-Generation disciples but also the elders had changed.

He shouldn’t be a burden to those children. He had to do everything he could to help them.

And…

If the day ever came when those children completed their martial arts, the world would see the return of Mount Hua, which had once been the greatest sword sect in the world.

It was still far away, though.

Un Geom turned his head slightly.

“Don’t slouch while training! Your back! If you can still breathe, you can still train! What? It’s okay! It’s okay! You won’t die, you won’t die! I’ve heard of people dying in battle, but I’ve never seen anyone die from training!”

Un Geom shuddered.

“Qi Deviation? Qiii Deviation? Oh my. What kind of amazing martial arts have you learned that you’re worried about Qi Deviation? I need to see that. Come out! Let’s see which is faster, dying from Qi Deviation or having your head smashed!”

Watching the younger disciples rush to stop Chung Myung, Un Geom looked at the sky, embarrassed.

‘Perhaps it’s not that far away.’