Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1659

“Rest!” someone shouted. “Haa! Haa!” The disciples stopped running right away, breathing hard. But even though they could rest, they stayed alert. Their eyes showed they were still watching for danger, not just happy to stop.

Jo Gul’s eyes opened wide. He turned to Yoon Jong and said, “Huh? They look… less tired than I thought. I really thought they’d all fall over as soon as we stopped!”

“Not everyone is from Mount Hua,” Yoon Jong replied.

“……Is that… an insult to Mount Hua?” Jo Gul asked, a little unsure.

Yoon Jong shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it? People are watching. They can’t just show how tired they are.”

“Hmm,” Jo Gul mumbled, scratching his cheek.

He thought about it. Maybe Mount Hua was a bit… different. If the Mount Hua people were here, they’d probably be groaning and lying on the ground, not caring who was watching!

“Also,” Yoon Jong added, “we have to be ready. The Evil Flower Union could attack anytime.”

“But the Beggars’ Union is watching out for us, right?” Jo Gul asked.

“Are you really going to trust that completely?” Yoon Jong raised an eyebrow.

“……Uncle Hong will be upset if he hears you say that,” Jo Gul said, a little worried.

“Well, maybe he should be better at his job then,” Yoon Jong said, a hint of a smile in his voice.

“Yeah, maybe,” Jo Gul agreed.

He imagined Hong Daekwang hearing that and yelling, “What did I do wrong?!” But what could Hong Daekwang do? It wasn’t easy being the leader of the Beggars’ Union.

“But… are we resting already?” Jo Gul asked, surprised.

“……Not everyone is from Mount Hua,” Yoon Jong repeated.

This time, the words meant something different. Jo Gul looked around at the other disciples. They were trying to look calm, but he could see some of them were breathing heavily, chests rising and falling fast. Sweat dripped from their faces.

‘Are they already this tired?’ Jo Gul thought. He lowered his voice. “Maybe it’s just me, but…”

“No, you’re right,” Yoon Jong said quickly, before Jo Gul could even finish. “It’s not just you.”

Jo Gul blinked. ‘Really?’

He knew that Mount Hua disciples wouldn’t even be bothered by this much running. It seemed Mount Hua was stronger, physically, than these other famous groups.

He couldn’t quite believe it. It felt strange.

He knew strength wasn’t everything in martial arts. But still, did Mount Hua really have a clear advantage over these other famous groups?

‘When did this happen?’ he wondered.

Jo Gul wasn’t usually emotional, but he remembered Mount Hua when it was weak and failing. Now, seeing this, he felt a surprising wave of emotion.

He felt a little embarrassed and mumbled, “Maybe… maybe it just looks like that?”

“Amitabha,” Hae Yeon said, shaking his head as he walked up to them. “That’s not true, sir.”

“I’ve been with you the whole time, so I see it clearly. The Mount Hua disciples are incredibly strong, in a way that’s not normal. It’s more than just martial arts training. Maybe it’s because of…”

“Is it because they were trained so hard, almost like they were being punished?” Jo Gul asked.

“……In a way… yes,” Hae Yeon agreed.

Jo Gul felt a bit… hollow.

So, because Chyeong Myeong had pushed them so hard, like a cruel taskmaster, the Mount Hua disciples were now stronger than almost anyone else.

He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry.

“This feels… weird,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Yoon Jong asked.

“Well…” Jo Gul started, then scratched his head, feeling Yoon Jong watching him.

“It’s good that Mount Hua is better than other groups at something, I guess…”

“But?” Yoon Jong prompted.

“……Never mind,” Jo Gul said, shaking his head. He was about to say more, but stopped. Yoon Jong chuckled, understanding.

Yoon Jong knew what Jo Gul was thinking. It would be easier if the people fighting with them were a bit stronger. Leading people who got tired easily would be hard work.

“Strength isn’t everything in martial arts,” Yoon Jong said.

“Yeah, I know,” Jo Gul agreed.

“And…” Yoon Jong looked up slightly, then said quietly, “Not everyone in Mount Hua is that strong.”

“Huh?”

“……Some are even… well, never mind.” Yoon Jong’s eyes shifted to look at something in the trees nearby.

Just then, a drop of sweat fell from someone’s chin to the ground.

“……Hoo.”

It was Baek Cheon. He took a slow, deep breath and wiped his face with his sleeve. Sweat was running down his face like rain.

‘Damn it,’ Baek Cheon thought.

He was trying to use his inner energy to stop sweating so much, but it wasn’t working well. Actually, it was getting harder and harder.

Baek Cheon kept wiping his sweat, then slowly looked up. He was about to take another deep breath when he heard a soft voice.

“Here.”

He looked and saw Yoo Iseol standing beside him, quiet as a shadow.

“Take this.” She held out a piece of white cloth.

Baek Cheon looked at it. It was soft, white cotton, something he hadn’t thought to bring.

“……It has inner force in it,” Yoo Iseol explained quietly. “It will help dry your clothes too.”

Baek Cheon took the cloth after a moment. He wiped his face, which was pale and wet with sweat.

Yoo Iseol watched him, her face showing nothing. Then, she spoke, her voice calm.

“You look exhausted.”

“……”

“If it was just Mount Hua, we would be there twice as fast.”

Baek Cheon nodded. He agreed. He almost gave the cloth back, but then he quickly tucked it into his sleeve.

He looked at Yoo Iseol, his face calm. “There was another way to do it then.”

“What way?”

“Are you worried I can’t keep up, Junior Sister?” Baek Cheon asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Yoo Iseol just stared at him. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

She knew Baek Cheon wouldn’t give up, even if he was about to collapse. Even if his lungs were burning, he would pretend he was fine and keep going.

That’s just who Baek Cheon was. And that was the problem.

Yoo Iseol asked simply, “Why?”

“…….”

“You could just say you’re too tired and stop. You’re not the leader of Mount Hua right now. You don’t have to push yourself so hard.”

“Stop?” Baek Cheon repeated, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Yoo Iseol saw Baek Cheon’s worried face. “I’ll make you a protective charm if you don’t have one,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “Right now.”

Baek Cheon looked down, a small smile touching his lips. He saw Yoo Iseol’s hand tight on the handle of her plum blossom sword at her waist. He chuckled softly.

“Younger Sister, are you trying to hurt someone for me already?” he teased gently.

Yoo Iseol didn’t answer right away.

“It’s okay,” Baek Cheon said, his voice softer now. “Really. I won’t complain about this.” He knew she was worried, and he appreciated it. “You don’t need to worry so much.”

Yoo Iseol opened her mouth, then closed it again. She seemed to be thinking hard about what to say. Finally, she lifted her head and looked straight into Baek Cheon’s eyes.

“Right now,” she said, her voice low, “I am not at the front of Hwasan.”

Baek Cheon frowned slightly, confused.

“So,” Yoo Iseol continued, “there is no one… no one here to protect you, Older Brother, if you are in danger.”

Baek Cheon fell silent, a bitter expression on his face. Yoo Iseol was usually quiet and not good at talking. So, the fact that she was saying so much showed how worried she was. Actually, you could see her worry even without her words.

Yoo Iseol pressed him, asking, “Even so?”

Baek Cheon’s answer didn’t change. “Yes.”

“Why? Is there something you need to protect?”

“Younger Sister, do you only use your sword for Hwasan’s sake?” Baek Cheon asked.

Yoo Iseol closed her mouth. Baek Cheon stared into her eyes for a long time, then nodded.

“Yes, maybe so. But…”

Baek Cheon looked past her towards the distant sky. The sky was a clear blue with only a few wispy clouds. “I’m a little… well, I think I’m a little different from you, Younger Sister. It’s hard to explain, though.”

Baek Cheon muttered to himself for a moment, then smiled faintly. Unlike before, there was a playfulness in his eyes.

“Still, I don’t think I’ve wasted my life. I even have a Younger Sister who worries about me like this.”

“You’re being silly. Stop it.” Yoo Iseol said.

“Is that so?” Baek Cheon smiled and patted Yoo Iseol on the shoulder. Then he walked past her towards the main building.

“I think I’ll be late, so I’ll go ahead.”

“Older Brother,” Yoo Iseol called.

“If you’re so worried, Younger Sister can help me,” Baek Cheon said without turning around.

“You know, I always thought I had to be outstanding to lead and help others. I thought I could be better and greater than anyone else in the world.”

Yoo Iseol gazed intently at Baek Cheon’s back.

Baek Cheon of the past had been like that. Or perhaps, until recently, Baek Cheon hadn’t changed much. He had simply realized that the world was vast, and that there were things more important than himself.

“Do you remember what I used to say to my juniors, to my fellow disciples, back then?” Baek Cheon asked.

“No,” Yoo Iseol replied.

Baek Cheon turned to look at Yoo Iseol, a small smile on his lips.

“Don’t be afraid and fight, because I’m behind you.”

“…”

“One person alone may not be enough, but Hwasan is not weak. We can make up for each other’s shortcomings, and any disciple of Hwasan can stand at the front of Hwasan.”

Yoo Iseol bit her lower lip tightly. Baek Cheon smiled even more brightly.

“I can’t just back out now that I’m a little weak, after saying those things. Then I’d really just become a loudmouth. So… so, um…”

Baek Cheon scratched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m not very good at finishing stories, but anyway, that’s how it is. Younger Sister, I don’t think you have to be strong to fight. It’s not that you fight because you’re strong, but that the one who fights is strong.”

“……”

“It might be hard to understand if I say it like this, but anyway, don’t worry too much.”

Baek Cheon turned to walk away again, but Yoo Iseol’s voice stopped him.

“…you are.”

“Huh?”

“You’re still just a loudmouth, even now.”

Baek Cheon didn’t turn around.

Yoo Iseol, who had been staring at him as he walked to join the main group, gripped her sword.

“Are you really going to do this!” Heo Sanja shouted, his voice piercing. But the disciples in front of him didn’t move, even with his anger.

“You stubborn and foolish fools…!” Heo Sanja wiped his red face with trembling hands, as if he was about to explode.

If it were a small number, he would have used force to make them obey, but there were too many disciples stubbornly resisting him. Besides, even if he forced them, it would only work for a short time. How could he possibly drag them all the way to Shaolin, which was so far away?

“Wudang! Are you going to destroy the history of Wudang with your own hands!”

Heo Dojin had said it would be useless, but Heo Sanja couldn’t give up so easily. He couldn’t just let them die for nothing.

“Heo Gong! You scoundrel!” Heo Sanja’s anger turned to Heo Gong, who seemed to be leading the disciples.

“How can a sect elder be so foolish! A gentleman’s revenge…”

“Is never too late, even after ten years.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?” Heo Gong continued with a determined face before Heo Sanja could answer.

“But we are not gentlemen, Sect Leader. We are martial artists, people who live in the martial world. Revenge is never too late, even after ten years, but a martial artist’s broken spirit can never be fixed, not even after a hundred years.”

“You, you…”

“We will be brave fighters rather than wise men. That is what we learned in Wudang.”

“Is that bravery…!” Heo Sanja was about to roar in anger when…

“Sect Leader! Sect Leader!” Several Wudang disciples came running, their faces pale. Seeing their desperate faces, Heo Sanja knew what they would say.

“It’s the Four Evil Sect Alliance! They’ve appeared!”

Despair filled Heo Sanja’s eyes.

“And… it seems it’s too late to run now.”

Heo Gong turned and looked at the disciples. They all had the same look in their eyes as Heo Gong.

“Those who are afraid to die, step back. No one will blame you.”

Silence filled the air.

No one moved. No one stepped back.

Bravery can be passed on, but sometimes it is born in someone’s heart.

Wudang is the center of Taoism and has been important in the martial world for a long time. The disciples understood the importance of the swords they held, even with the old Taoist writings and outdated rules.

“Those who are not afraid to die, follow me.” Heo Gong slowly drew his sword.

“Today, we will make sure they remember the name ‘Wudang’ forever.”

The swords that everyone silently drew shone in the sun. They showed the same bravery as when the name ‘Wudang’ was first created.