Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1210

“Hold your hand straight up, Chung Myung.” Hyun Jong’s voice was tight with barely suppressed exasperation.

Chung Myung just grunted, his arm drooping inch by agonizing inch.

“Hand!” Hyun Jong snapped, his patience fraying.

With a dramatic groan that sounded entirely put-on, Chung Myung jerked his arm back up, his face contorted in a comical grimace. Hyun Jong watched him, a sigh escaping his lips.

*How did I end up with him?* he thought, rubbing his temples. It was absurd. This was the same Chung Myung who could fight off a Demonic Sect bishop without breaking a sweat. The same Chung Myung who, Hyun Jong was sure, could hold his arm aloft for days if he truly wanted to. This exaggerated performance, this blatant act, was just designed to irritate him, and it was working perfectly.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Chung Myung-ah!”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung pouted. Hyun Jong saw this and felt his anger rise. He thumped his chest.

“What are you so dissatisfied with?”

“What exactly are you so unhappy about that you’re beating up innocent martial uncles! Not even martial brothers, but martial uncles!”

“No, well⋯⋯.”

“Aren’t they about to become elders of the sect! You’re not someone who doesn’t know etiquette, and yet you’re thrashing your martial uncles like mice in front of everyone⋯⋯!”

“That’s what I’m saying! That’s what I’m saying!”

At that moment, Chung Myung rolled his eyes. But Hyun Jong was not easily swayed.

“Don’t subtly lower your arm and put it back up.”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung raised his arm again, which he had slyly lowered. Even so, his mouth didn’t stop.

“No, Sect Leader! Honestly, does it make any sense that those guys are elders of Mount Hua? Those kids who haven’t even dried the blood behind their ears!”

“You’re the youngest, you are⋯⋯.”

If the blood hasn’t dried behind their ears, you’re practically bleeding all over the place. Chung Myung-ah, please realize how old you are⋯⋯.

“The sect has strict laws and norms to uphold! No matter the situation, how can those greenhorns! Tsk! It wasn’t like that in my day!”

Hyun Jong silently clutched his upper abdomen.

‘Where did I put the stomach medicine?’

Talking to this guy sometimes made him feel like his deceased master would kick open his grave and jump out.

“Isn’t the situation what it is, huh?”

But Hyun Jong soothed and coaxed Chung Myung, using all his patience. It was truly the behavior of an adult, a proper adult, but Chung Myung argued back angrily.

“Sect Leader! If the situation is like this! If we keep breaking the rules for this reason, the sect’s laws will eventually become as light as a piece of paper! Then the norms will collapse! Morality will collapse! Families will collapse! And the country will fall into chaos!”

“Is it really a problem that will lead to national chaos?”

“Of course, it is! Why wouldn’t it be!”

Chung Myung glared and continued.

“Sect Leader!”

“Why⋯⋯.”

“It’s not that I dislike or distrust my martial uncles that I’m doing this!”

“Really?”

“Well⋯⋯. Um⋯⋯. To be honest, there is a bit of that⋯⋯.”

⋯⋯Good for being honest. Yes, a Taoist must be honest first. Our Chung Myung is truly Taoist-like. Come to think of it, there was a time when I looked at you and thought that the aura to illuminate Mount Hua had arrived⋯⋯.

“Anyway, what kind of sect is Mount Hua!”

“What kind of sect is it?”

“Isn’t it the Great Tao Sect, Mount Hua Sect! Mount Hua Sect! The prestigious family of Shaanxi! A Taoist sect boasting history and tradition!”

Hyun Jong’s hand, clutching his upper abdomen, tightened. Hyun Jong felt like he was being lectured by someone much younger, like an old man being told how things should be by a child.

“Huh? That Mount Hua! Huh? How did that bandit make it a Taoist? This isn’t some messed-up family tree! How can those who are barely thirty become sect leaders? And skipping ranks, too!”

“It’s a sect leader representative⋯⋯. Sect leader representative. Not a sect leader⋯⋯.”

“It’s the same thing! In my life, I’ve never seen anything like this⋯⋯! If the ancestors of Mount Hua heard this news in the Immortal Realm, they would think that Mount Hua is being destroyed not by the Heavenly Demon, but by those guys, and they would immediately kick open their coffins and run here!”

“It was fine when you joined, so why are you going so far.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, never mind. Ahem.”

Hyun Jong coughed awkwardly and sighed before asking.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“We must stop this nonsense immediately! This is⋯⋯.”

Hyun Jong stared at Chung Myung with a bewildered look and asked.

“So, even if I ask you, you’ll stubbornly oppose and lie down?”

“That⋯⋯!”

Chung Myung hesitated for a moment, then rolled his eyes. It wasn’t that he was avoiding eye contact because he was in a difficult situation, but that countless things in his head had begun to fight fiercely with each other.

“That would⋯⋯. No, but still that⋯⋯. No, the Sect Leader is saying⋯⋯. No, but still? Huh?”

“⋯⋯.”

“If⋯⋯you do, um⋯⋯ I’ll follow. Um⋯⋯. Yes. I have to follow. I’ll follow, but⋯⋯.”

As reason and instinct strongly collided, white steam began to leak from both of Chung Myung’s ears. Hyun Jong said in a sighing voice.

“You’re going to explode. Chung Myung-ah.”

“Kkeueung⋯⋯. If you order me, I have to follow.”

“Thank you.”

Hyun Jong laughed it off.

Every time he saw him, he felt that there was something strange about this guy’s way of thinking. How could a mad dog who would try to bite anyone, whether it was Beop Jeong or Jang Il-so, follow the orders of the Mount Hua Sect Leader so faithfully? So much so that he even suspected it was a kind of obsession.

At that moment, Chung Myung pouted discontentedly.

“I’ll follow, but keep in mind that I’m not following because I like it!”

“How could you?”

Even after that, he wasn’t completely relieved and began to grumble in a small voice.

“If you’re the Sect Leader, you should still uphold the sect’s laws. If you personally step up and overturn the family tree, how can this make sense⋯⋯.”

“I can hear everything.”

“Ahem!”

Chung Myung avoided his gaze. Hyun Jong sighed deeply.

Of course, he knew. Even if he said this, Chung Myung would support Baek Cheon better than anyone else. The reason he could make the decision to appoint young Baek Cheon as the Sect Leader Representative and hand over the position of Sect Leader in the near future was all thanks to trusting Chung Myung.

If Chung Myung was there, Baek Cheon would not easily act rashly, and even if he made a mistake, he would be able to turn back.

But the fact that Chung Myung’s dissatisfaction was so clearly visible was a problem. It might be a concern, but since they were about to leave for Hainan, he wanted to resolve this issue as much as possible before that.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

Chung Myung pretended not to hear and didn’t answer. Hyun Jong called him again, gently.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes.”

Seeing that, Hyun Jong laughed without realizing it.

This child will probably be like this even after a hundred years. That fact subtly reassured him. If this child doesn’t change, Mount Hua won’t change either.

“I understand your feelings.”

“And I know that what you’re saying isn’t wrong. But Chung Myung-ah. I have no choice but to repeat that the situation is what it is.”

“There is a natural order to everything. And shouldn’t we also know how to just let things flow? We are those who follow the Tao. So, we must follow what is natural⋯⋯.”

“No, I know.”

At that moment, Chung Myung spat out bluntly.

“Every time I hear that, I can’t understand it at all.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You say that Taoists must follow nature as it is and shouldn’t be swayed by artificiality (人爲).”

“That’s right. That’s what nature is.”

“But aren’t people nature?”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t people nature?”

At that, Hyun Jong blinked. After being caught off guard and silent for a while, he opened his mouth again.

“People are also part of nature⋯⋯ Yes. People are also part of nature.”

“Then it’s strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“Following the Tao means following nature as it is, so if people are also part of nature, then following people’s hearts can also be said to be the Tao, right?”

“⋯⋯.”

“They say that artificiality must be excluded to achieve the Tao, but that means following nature without people. We are people, so I don’t know what meaning there is in resembling nature without people.”

Hyun Jong pondered and said.

“So, what you’re saying is⋯⋯ people are part of nature.”

“Yes.”

“Following nature is the Tao.”

“Yes!”

“So⋯⋯ following the heart of people is also the Tao.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“So⋯⋯ you’re going to do whatever you want. Is that it?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Where did you get such sophistry, you rascal! Then isn’t everything people do the Tao!”

“⋯⋯Oops, caught me.”

“Hey, you⋯⋯!”

“Aigoo! I completely forgot about my training!”

As Hyun Jong got angry, Chung Myung dashed out the door like an arrow.

“Don’t stand there! I’m not done talking. You rascal!”

“I haven’t finished preparing for departure yet! This disciple! I will prepare in detail to perfectly handle the mission you have entrusted to me!”

“You rascal!”

Chung Myung, who had slipped out through the wide-open door and disappeared, peeked out only half his body and laughed, making a hee hee sound.

“Hey, don’t worry. He’s still the Sect Leader Representative, so I’ll treat him well!”

“⋯⋯.”

“Then!”

Chung Myung disappeared as if he had sunk. Hyun Jong clicked his tongue without realizing it.

It’s a worry. It’s a worry.

He sighed deeply and then burst into a hearty laugh alone after a while.

“What nonsense⋯⋯.”

Following the heart of people is the Tao⋯⋯ People are⋯⋯.

Hyun Jong’s gaze turned to the ceiling. And for a long time, he silently stared at the ceiling.

The sun that had been floating in the sky set, twilight fell, the surroundings were dyed dark, and finally, it was around the time when the people going to Hainan were about to depart.

“Is everything ready?”

“What’s there to prepare? It’s what we always do.”

Yoon Jong shrugged and said to Baek Cheon’s question.

“We go far so often that I can pack my bags with my eyes closed now.”

“That’s right.”

“⋯⋯Sago, I packed Sago’s luggage.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Sago? Where are you looking? Sago?”

Baek Cheon smiled faintly and said.

“Well, that’s true. I asked a pointless question. But⋯⋯ where did Geolly come from?”

“Preparation is over.”

“It’s over?”

“He hasn’t recovered enough from being beaten by Chung Myung during the day, so I laid him down for now.”

“On the bed?”

“No. On the floor.”

⋯⋯Yoon Jong-ah⋯⋯. That’s not called laying him down, that’s called abandoning him. There are times when I don’t understand you. I think I know you well, but I don’t know you well⋯⋯.

At that time, Yoon Jong asked back nonchalantly.

“Instead of worrying about us, isn’t Martial Uncle ready?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t the Sect Leader say that he would hold a simple ceremony to officially appoint you as the Sect Leader Representative before departure?”

“Um, he did.”

The tension that he had briefly forgotten swept across Baek Cheon’s face.

Baek Cheon wouldn’t be intimidated even if there was a formidable enemy in front of him, but even he was nervous about officially taking the position of Sect Leader Representative in front of everyone.

“It’s not something that requires any special preparation. If there’s anything needed, it’s only resolve.”

“That’s why I’m asking. Are you resolved?”

At that, Baek Cheon smiled faintly.

“Of course.”

At the resolute answer, Yoon Jong also smiled and nodded.

“Then let’s go. Everyone is waiting.”

Baek Cheon nodded heavily and took a step. Opening the door, he saw the Mount Hua disciples filling the training hall. Everyone was looking at Baek Cheon.

“Hoo.”

Receiving that gaze with his whole body, Baek Cheon took a short breath.

He felt a little excited and endlessly heavy. Feeling all of that, he took a step. Towards Hyun Jong and the elders who were waiting for him in the front.