Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 14

Chung Myung spoke one word, his voice sharp and cold: “Execution.”

“Yes! Junior Brother!” Yoon Jong replied instantly, his voice strained.

“Harder,” Chung Myung ordered, tilting his head back slightly. “Massage harder.”

“Yes! I will do my best!” Yoon Jong promised, putting more strength into his aching hands as he kneaded Chung Myung’s shoulders. He winced with each press, but he didn’t dare complain.

“What’s your name?” Chung Myung asked.

“Yoon Jong!”

“Are you the Senior Disciple?”

“Yes, that is correct!”

Chung Myung’s head tilted back slightly, his eyes examining Yoon Jong’s face, with black eyes that were swollen shut.

“Still, you’re the Senior Disciple, so I’m treating you with respect,” Chung Myung said.

Yoon Jong wasn’t sure if Chung Myung was being sarcastic or not, but he just nodded quickly. “Thank you!”

“Massage.”

“Yes!”

As Senior Disciple Yoon Jong diligently massaged and kneaded his shoulders, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and turned his head forward again.

Chung Myung looked down at the polished wooden floor where his fellow disciples were lined up, their heads bowed low. The air in the hall was thick with dust and the faint smell of old incense.

“If people try to live peacefully, shouldn’t we help them? Don’t you think so, Senior Disciples?” Chung Myung began, and everyone flinched.

“That is correct!”

“We were short-sighted!”

Chung Myung sighed.

Who was Chung Myung, after all?

No less than one of the Three Great Swordsmen of the World. Moreover, he was recognized as the best among the Three Great Swordsmen, and, excluding the Heavenly Demon, he was practically the unofficial number one in the world.

He didn’t even need internal energy to deal with these little brats.

No matter how weak his internal energy might be, these little brats, even if three thousand of them came at him, could not handle Chung Myung.

“I understand the initiation ceremony. But an initiation ceremony should be done decently. There are things you can do and things you shouldn’t do in the Taoist temple. How can those who want to become Taoists act so vilely?”

They all groaned without answering.

‘Why is he so old-fashioned?’

‘It feels like I’m being scolded by a granduncle.’

He didn’t feel like he was talking to his peers.

Chung Myung clicked his tongue as he looked at his fellow disciples.

‘I have to bicker with these guys.’

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

“Rise,” Chung Myung commanded.

They sprang to their feet with a speed that surprised even Chung Myung, like startled birds taking flight.

“Even though Mount Hua is falling apart, the little brats who should be the purest in Mount Hua are in this state,” Chung Myung clicked his tongue.

“We need to fix your mental state first!”

“⋯⋯.”

The children exchanged glances furtively.

‘Seriously, what kind of thing crawled in here?’

‘Who was it that said to beat that bastard up? You’re dead, really.’

‘We’re doomed. We have to live with him now.’

The air was heavy and silent, like a funeral home. Their faces were pale and drawn, their eyes wide with fear.

And for good reason.

If they were living with their master, they would have somewhere to escape to, but the Third Generation Disciples had to live together in the Hundred Flowers Hall. A tiger, and a nasty one at that, was coming to live where rabbits used to live in peace. Where could the rabbits find peace of mind?

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung glared at them once and opened his mouth.

“First.”

“Yes!”

“The Senior Disciple here who is most familiar with the situation in Mount Hua, raise your hand!”

No one opened their mouth.

But their gazes were clearly turning in one direction.

“⋯⋯.”

Seeing the gazes of his fellow disciples focused on him, Jo Gul glared.

“Hand.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Haaand!”

Jo Gul felt a wave of anger towards his friends, but he knew he had no choice but to step forward. Jo Gul’s hand weakly went up.

‘Just you wait! You bastards!’

How could they sell out their fellow disciple after all the years they had spent together! They had no conscience!

Jo Gul gnashed his teeth and reluctantly stepped forward.

He held his head stiffly and looked down at Chung Myung. Chung Myung frowned at Jo Gul’s raised chin and the way he looked down at him.

“Senior Disciple Jo Gul.”

“⋯⋯Yes.”

“Senior Disciple, I know you’re a senior disciple, but isn’t your head a little too stiff?”

“Th, that’s not it.”

Jo Gul flusteredly raised his hand and massaged the back of his neck.

“My neck is stiff from hitting the ceiling earlier, so I can’t bow properly.”

“⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue softly and stood up from his seat.

“Follow me into the room.”

“⋯⋯Yes.”

“The other Senior Disciples should go to your rooms and rest for today. Whatever we do, we’ll do it from tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“You, follow me.”

Chung Myung beckoned with his finger and went upstairs, and Jo Gul followed behind him like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

As soon as the two disappeared, the remaining Third Generation Disciples swarmed around Yoon Jong.

“Senior Disciple! Are you alright?”

“Do I look alright?”

“⋯⋯No.”

Yoon Jong rubbed his swollen eyes. The sad thing was that even these swollen eyes would be fine by tomorrow.

‘If there was even a mark, the Junior Uncles would take care of it.’

He couldn’t bring himself to go and tattle on him, but even if he tried to make a mark, the internal energy he had learned would automatically heal and restore his body. Everyone would be perfectly fine by tomorrow morning, as if they had never been hit.

In other words.

‘He must have thought about that and only hit us this much.’

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying he was.

“What do we do now?”

“What do you mean, what do we do?”

“Should we ambush him while he’s sleeping?”

“⋯⋯Are you going to do it?”

“⋯⋯.”

Everyone became as silent as clams. The image of Chung Myung, rampaging like a beast just a moment ago, flashed through their minds.

‘No way. This isn’t going to work.’

‘We’ll die if we mess up.’

Yoon Jong shuddered. Thinking about Chung Myung’s eyes rolling back and smashing the chair leg made him swallow hard.

“But.”

At that moment, someone brought up something no one had thought of.

“Why was Jo Gul dragged away?”

“⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Sit comfortably,” Chung Myung said as they entered the small, sparsely furnished room, where dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight coming through the paper windows.

“⋯⋯I’ll stand,” Jo Gul replied.

“Don’t worry and sit down. I’m not going to hit you.”

“That’s not it.”

Jo Gul hesitated slightly before opening his mouth. “My back is stiff from hitting the ceiling earlier, so it’s more comfortable to stand.”

“⋯⋯.”

Chung Myung cleared his throat. “Then do as you please.”

“So, why did you want to see me?” Jo Gul asked.

“Let’s speak casually, Senior Disciple.”

“⋯⋯Yes?”

“It’s a bit strange for a senior disciple to use honorifics with a junior disciple. Speak comfortably.”

“Yes.”

“I said speak comfortably.”

“Yes, Junior Brother.”

“⋯⋯.” Chung Myung smacked his lips. *Well, things will get better as I live. Today isn’t the only day.*

“But why did you call me?”

“Ah. There are a few things I want to ask you. First, I’d appreciate it if you could answer as accurately and in as much detail as you know.”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung slowly opened his mouth. “So.”

“Yes.”

“Most of the children here are from merchant families?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm.” Chung Myung tapped his cheek with his finger.

‘Merchants.’

There were many children from merchant families who wanted to enter Mount Hua in the past as well. But Mount Hua tried not to accept people from merchant families as disciples if possible.

Because merchants are lowly?

That’s not it.

Mount Hua, which accepts even beggars if they have the right attitude, doesn’t consider merchants to be lowly. The problem is that the children of merchants generally come to Mount Hua not to become disciples, but to learn martial arts.

What’s the difference?

In the case of other entrants who are not from merchant families, many of them come to Mount Hua with the intention of burying their bones there. They enter, train, receive a Taoist name, and eventually become key figures in Mount Hua, leading Mount Hua forward.

But those who come from merchant families remain as secular disciples, learn only the martial arts that are permitted, and then grow up and return to their families.

They don’t forget their status as disciples of Mount Hua even in the secular world and cooperate with the sect, but they can’t compare to the disciples who remain in the main sect. The disciples who go down to the world as secular disciples are of great financial help, but it is the disciples of the main sect who ultimately lead and protect Mount Hua.

‘The fact that most of them are merchants…’

Means that even the Third Generation Disciples, who seemed to be numerous, will all leave Mount Hua when they grow up.

‘Like a beautiful fruit that has no flavor,’ Chung Myung thought. ‘They looked good on the outside, but had no real substance.’

He felt a surge of frustration, but he understood the Head Disciple’s thoughts. Even though they were going to leave and were secular disciples, it was better to fill the ranks with secular disciples than to have no disciples at all. If the number of disciples dwindled, the lineage of Mount Hua would truly be cut off.

“But why did you Senior Disciples come here?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re from merchant families, you would have had some information, so you would have known that Mount Hua’s situation isn’t good. Why did you come all the way here?”

“Ah, that’s…” Jo Gul scratched his head.

“Actually, my family didn’t originally want to send me to Mount Hua. But there weren’t many sects that we could enter with our family’s financial resources. Although Mount Hua has declined, it still has many secular families in the world. Even if it’s not in the martial world, that network is a great strength in the merchant world.”

“Hmm.”

If Jo Gul was right, then the children of the merchants here weren’t that special either. Not in a bad way. The value of a merchant is ultimately determined by the money they have.

If they had a lot of money, they wouldn’t have entered the declining Mount Hua. They would have given more money and gone to a prestigious sect.

‘So that means there’s no money to squeeze out of the Third Generation Disciples’ families. They must have already taken the money appropriately when they entered, and even with that money, the finances are a mess.’

His head throbbed.

He remembered the image of the former Head Disciple holding the ledger and racking his brains at the end of the year. At that time, he had told the Head Disciple that he was too obsessed with money as a Taoist, but now he realized that he deserved to be hit in the face with the ledger for saying that.

People need money to live. Being a Taoist doesn’t mean you don’t need money.

“Hmm. Then…”

“Yes.”

“Everyone is planning to learn martial arts moderately and then go down the mountain and return to their families?”

“Usually, that’s the case.”

“So that’s why the discipline is such a mess.”

There’s no way they would have any affection for a place they came to just to hang up a sign. That’s why they’re doing such ridiculous initiation ceremonies and sticking together to act like hooligans.

“Okay, I understand. You can go now, Senior Disciple.”

“Then…”

“Ah, and.”

“Yes?”

“When does the daily routine start here?”

“We wake up at Jinshi Cho (7 AM).”

“Tell the kids to gather in front of the hall tomorrow by Myosi Cho (5 AM), fully prepared.”

“Yes?”

“Myosi Cho.”

“⋯⋯Yes.”

“And have the Senior Disciples prepare what I’m about to say from now on.”

“We have to be here early tomorrow, but what do you want us to prepare now?”

“You don’t want to?”

“Of course I want to. Just leave it to me.”

“Kuh. I like that proactive attitude.”

“⋯⋯.”

Shortly after, Jo Gul left the room with a subtle expression after hearing Chung Myung’s instructions. Jo Gul’s stomach twisted with nerves as he followed Chung Myung upstairs. He had a bad feeling about this. And sadly, his room was right next to Chung Myung’s room, so he couldn’t run away far.

Hearing Jo Gul’s footsteps fading away, Chung Myung flopped down on the bed.

‘Even a thousand-mile journey starts with a single step.’

He didn’t know who said this first, but they were a very carefree person.

How could he take one step at a time when he had to go a thousand miles? Moreover, the path Chung Myung had to take was not just a thousand miles. It was a long and arduous path that he had to go far beyond even ninety thousand miles.

He closed his eyes, the long road ahead feeling daunting, but for now, he would focus on that first step, starting with these unruly disciples tomorrow.