Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 133

“Older brother, do you feel any better?” Jin Hyun’s eyelids felt heavy, like stones. He slowly opened his eyes. At first, everything was just a dark blur. Then, Jinmu’s worried face swam into view, with the deep night sky behind him. Jin Hyun blinked, trying to clear his sight. “Where… where are we?”

Jinmu’s voice was gentle. “We are going back to Wudang. We are still on the mountain path.”

Hearing this, Jin Hyun tried to sit up quickly. “Ugh!” A sharp pain shot through his chest.

“Easy, older brother,” Jin Mu said, his voice full of concern. “You are badly hurt inside. You need to rest.”

“…Hurt inside?” Jin Hyun’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of confusion in them.

Suddenly, he remembered the fight. He saw again, in his mind, the beautiful but deadly plum blossom shapes flying towards him like sharp knives. *I lost,* he thought, the realization hitting him hard. He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t ignore what he had seen and felt.

“…And the others?” he asked, his voice weak.

“After you fell, older brother,” Jin Mu explained, “they were too strong for us. We all lost. So, I knew we had to stop fighting and come back.”

For a moment, Jin Hyun’s eyes flashed with anger at Jinmu. But the anger quickly faded, like a fire dying down. He was too weak to even hold onto his anger. *He was right,* Jin Hyun thought, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him. *There was no other choice.* Part of him wanted to shout at Jin Mu for giving up, for not fighting harder. But he knew that was just his own pride talking. If he, the strongest, had fallen, and the others had lost too, what good would it have done to keep fighting? It was better to protect the others.

“…You did the right thing,” Jin Hyun said, his voice quiet.

“I’m still sorry, older brother,” Jin Mu mumbled, looking down.

“No,” Jin Hyun said, “It’s not your fault. It’s… it’s my fault. I wasn’t strong enough.” He bit his lip hard, frustration building inside him.

Total defeat. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on Jin Hyun’s chest, making it hard to breathe. This wasn’t just losing a fight; it was worse. He hadn’t made a stupid mistake. He hadn’t been unlucky. *I couldn’t even see it properly,* he thought, remembering the flash of the sword. He had lost because he was simply not good enough. Not even against the famous “Mount Hua Divine Dragon,” but against someone called Hwajung Sword, who was supposed to be *weaker* than him. This was the part that burned like fire in his gut. It was unbearable.

*If even our younger students were beaten,* Jin Hyun thought, worry creeping into his mind, *then it’s not just about Hwajung Sword being strong. All of Mount Hua must be stronger than we thought.* It was a shocking idea. Wudang and Mount Hua were both important martial arts schools, but Wudang was always considered much stronger. Could it really be true that the younger generation of Mount Hua, a school that had been weak for so long, was now stronger than Wudang’s? It seemed impossible.

“…What about our place in Nanyang?” Jin Hyun asked, his voice low.

“I told the person in charge of our Nanyang place to leave by tomorrow morning,” Jin Mu replied. “Hwajung Sword said your name and demanded it.”

Jin Hyun closed his eyes, feeling shame wash over him. He remembered now. He had promised, in front of everyone, that if Wudang lost to Mount Hua, they would give up their place in Nanyang. He had made that promise quickly, without thinking much about it. Now, that promise was like chains, holding Wudang back. *I have brought shame to Wudang,* he thought miserably. Many people had seen the fight. Soon, everyone in Nanyang, and even people far away, would hear about Wudang’s defeat. Just like Mount Hua had used their victory over Jongnam to become famous again, now they would use Wudang’s loss to make themselves even more well-known. Wudang’s name would be used to make Mount Hua shine brighter.

*No, wait,* Jin Hyun thought, pushing aside the shame. *Reputation doesn’t matter right now.* The place in Nanyang, some gate called Hwayoung Gate – none of that was important. They weren’t in Nanyang for something small like that. Jin Hyun’s face became serious.

“Jinmu,” he said firmly.

“Yes, older brother!” Jin Mu replied, standing straighter.

“You must go back to the main Wudang school right away. Tell them everything that has happened here.”

“Yes!”

“The others will stay here and heal their injuries. We will wait for orders from the main school. We can’t just go back without knowing what to do.”

“I understand,” Jin Mu said.

Jin Hyun’s jaw tightened. *I promised to leave Nanyang, and I will. I promised not to bother Hwayoung Gate, and I won’t. But I never said I would go back to Wudang,* he thought, a small spark of defiance lighting in his eyes. He knew it was a weak excuse. Breaking a promise was a terrible thing, but sometimes, you had to do something bad to achieve something important.

“Jinmu, go now,” he ordered.

“Yes, older brother!”

Just then, a voice cut through the night air. “That won’t be necessary.”

Everyone froze, turning their heads as one. The bushes beside the path rustled, and a figure stepped out slowly.

“Shisuk!” someone gasped.

“How can Shisuk be here…?” Surprise and shock rippled through the group. It was someone they all knew very well. The man looked at Jin Hyun, his face stern, and his eyebrows drew together in a frown.

“You were defeated?” he asked, his voice sharp.

Jin Hyun’s teeth gritted against his lip.

“…I am ashamed,” he mumbled.

“Were you attacked by surprise? Did Mount Hua bring more people than we knew? Or did another group help them?” Mujin demanded, his eyes piercing.

Jin Hyun couldn’t speak. It was too hard to admit the truth to this man. Because the man standing before them was not just anyone. It was his Shisuk, Mujin.

Mujin. Just the name made people think of one thing: “Wudang’s Three Swords.” These were the first students of the current leader of Wudang, the most skilled and powerful fighters in the entire school. And among these three, Mujin was known to be the strongest, a legend within Wudang. This legendary figure had appeared here, in the middle of the night, on a mountain path.

“The Head Abbot was worried,” Mujin said, his voice still sharp, “and told me to come and see what was happening. It seems he was right to be concerned, Jin Hyun.”

“…Yes, Shisuk,” Jin Hyun replied, his head bowed.

“Tell me everything. What happened in Nanyang?”

Jinmu, who had been watching them both, stepped forward quickly.

“Shisuk, let me explain—”

“Jinmu, stay back,” Mujin said, without even looking at him. “Let Jin Hyun speak.”

“…Hyung,” Jin Mu said quietly, stepping back.

Jin Hyun took a deep breath and looked up at Mujin, his face serious.

“I will tell you, Shisuk.”

“Hmm,” Mujin murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully. *If Jin Hyun is telling the truth,* Mujin thought, *it means our younger students are weaker than Mount Hua’s. That’s much bigger than just Jin Hyun losing.*

“Has Mount Hua really become this strong?” Mujin wondered aloud. It didn’t make sense. Martial arts skills were usually passed down from teachers to students. Strong teachers made strong students, and weak teachers made weak students. Mount Hua had been weak for a long time. Their older fighters shouldn’t be very good. So how could their younger students be stronger than Wudang’s? It was almost impossible.

“Hmm,” Mujin said again, tilting his head as he thought. He looked at Jin Hyun, then nodded slowly. *I trust Jin Hyun. He wouldn’t lie about this.*

“Jin Hyun,” Mujin said, his voice softening slightly.

“Yes, Shisuk?”

“You made a promise in your name?”

“…Yes,” Jin Hyun admitted, his voice barely a whisper. “But… my honor, and things like that…”

“Fool!” Mujin said, but his voice was low, not shouting. “It might not matter much if *your* name is ruined. But your name is not just yours. If you do something shameful, people will blame Wudang, not just you. Don’t you understand? You are bringing shame to Wudang!”

“…I am sorry,” Jin Hyun repeated, his face burning with shame.

Mujin frowned, still looking displeased. “A promise from a Wudang swordsman is important. Your honor is important too.”

“…Yes,” Jin Hyun said again.

“We will give up Nanyang,” Mujin declared.

“Shisuk?” Jin Hyun asked, surprised.

“Nanyang was just a place we wanted to use to hide our real goal. Now that this has happened, we will forget about Nanyang and go straight to the Sword Tomb.”

“But… haven’t we not found the Sword Tomb yet? Isn’t that why we needed Nanyang?” Jin Hyun asked, confused.

“Don’t worry,” Mujin said, a hint of confidence in his voice. “The main school has figured out where the Sword Tomb is.”

Jin Hyun gasped, “Ah!” His eyes blinked, unfocused.

If Hwasan was defeated, they didn’t need to stay in Namyeong. They could go directly to the Sword Tomb and dig it up.

Losing to Hwasan is shameful. But it’s not important compared to what we have to do now. We will have many chances to get revenge later, so be strong.

“Yes, Sasuk!” Jin Hyun replied. He lifted his head, and his eyes were now firm and focused.

“If we open the Sword Tomb, we can get back at them for this shame, many times over.”

“If you think your injuries are very bad, go back to the main group. Help will come from there soon, so don’t try too hard if you are hurt. Only those who are strong enough should come with me.”

The Second-Class disciples wanted to go, of course, but they hesitated. Mujin frowned.

“I have said many times, a swordsman must know his own limits! Do you want to be a problem for your friends?”

Only then did three people step forward and bow their heads.

“We are sorry, Sasuk.”

“You don’t need to feel bad. Being hurt is not something to be ashamed of. Go back to the main group and get healed. I will handle everything else. You trust me, right?”

“Of course, we trust you, Sasuk.”

“Then that is settled.”

Mujin smiled gently.

“Go and wait. Tell the main group what happened in Namyeong. Tell them I have taken the others straight to the Sword Tomb.”

“Yes!”

As the Second-Class disciples quickly ran along the forest path, Mujin turned to Jin Hyun.

“Can you go?”

“I will definitely not be a burden.”

“Hmm.”

Mujin nodded.

“Then good. You will follow m⋯⋯”

At that moment, Mujin’s head turned to one side.

“Sasuk?”

Mujin frowned, looking at one side of the bushes.

“Who is it?”

“Yes?”

Jin Hyun’s gaze, and the gazes of the other disciples, followed Mujin.

Scritch scritch.

The dry leaves crunched underfoot. A man in black robes slowly stepped out from the shadows of the bushes.

‘Black robes?’ Jin Hyun thought. Black clothes for night. And a black mask covering his face. The man walked out calmly, his clothes dark and strange in the forest. He reached up and adjusted his mask, as if it was nothing unusual, and then he spoke.

“Just a robber passing by, asking a question. What is this Sword Tomb you speak of?”

“⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯.”

A robber passing by?

Did he just say he was a robber passing by?

Mujin’s eyes widened slightly. *In all my life…* He thought he had seen everything strange. But this was new. What robber says ‘I am a robber’? And to Wudang disciples!

“A robber, here on this lonely mountain road?”

“⋯⋯Uh.”

The masked man flinched slightly.

“Then a bandit?”

*Is he crazy?*

Mujin thought, just like his Sa-jil had thought yesterday.

And like his Sa-jil yesterday, he felt something was wrong about the stranger’s voice and how he looked.

‘Could it be?’

Before he could even organize his thoughts, the words came out first.

“Hwasan Divine Dragon?”

“⋯⋯.”

The masked man’s head tilted.

“⋯⋯No, what did I do to be found out so quickly⋯⋯. No, I am not that person.”

Jin Hyun’s face went red with anger. *This disguise is ridiculous! What an idiot!* He shouted, “I thought even someone from Hwasan would have some pride! Hiding your face and saying you are a robber! Aren’t you ashamed?”

At Jin Hyun’s rebuke, the masked⋯⋯. No, Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m telling you, it’s not me. Really.”

“How pathetic!”

“Well, it seems you don’t understand.”

“Hmm?”

“Soon, you’ll agree that I am not him. It always happens like that.”

Because so many people have seen it for themselves.

“There’s a limit to how much you can make fun of someone…” Jin Hyun was so angry he could barely speak. But then he saw Mujin raise his hand slightly. Jin Hyun stopped talking at once.

“Then.”

Mujin smiled gently.

“You are saying that you are not a disciple of Hwasan, but a robber.”

“Phew, finally found someone who understands.”

“Yes. You are definitely not a disciple of Hwasan.”

“Huh?”

Mujin quietly moved his hand closer to his sword.

“I am just going to defeat a robber here. There was no Hwasan disciple here at all. Right?”

“Hooh?”

Chung Myung made a surprised sound.

*This man is clever?*

“If you take off your mask and say sorry now, I might be easy on you. But if you keep acting foolish, you will see how cruel my sword can be.”

“Oh, really?”

Chung Myung laughed and said.

“Then let me tell you something first. If you tell me now what this Sword Tomb is and give me the information nicely, I will let you go without a scratch.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Otherwise, you won’t be able to return on foot. I guarantee it.”

The smile on Mujin’s lips deepened.

“I heard Hwasan is getting stronger.”

“Don’t say such silly things.”

*…You shouldn’t be happy about that, you fool! At least try to keep it a secret!*

“And they say the Hwasan Divine Dragon is the best of them all?”

“Haha. You are too kind.”

Jin Hyun just shook his head. *This man makes no sense at all.*

“Then,” Mujin said, slowly pulling out his sword. “Let’s see if the Hwasan Divine Dragon’s sword is as good as they say.”

“You really don’t understand what I’m saying. I’m not a Hwasan person.”

Chung Myung drew the sword at his waist.

“There’s a plum blossom pattern engraved on the sword?”

“⋯⋯Ah, I meant to change it before coming.”

Chung Myung winked.

“Please pretend you didn’t see it. Politely.”

Mujin’s smile became even wider.

“I will pretend.”

Suddenly, his eyes glowed with a bright blue light.

“This way, if you get badly hurt, I can explain it easily. Get ready.”

“Wudang is always the same.”

Chung Myung raised his sword, pointing it at Mujin.

“Can I just say one more thing?”

“…What?”

Chung Myung grinned in a sneaky way and said, “You should really watch out for your head. I have a bit of a habit.”

Mujin’s smile vanished.