Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 171

“You’re late.”

Hyun Jong frowned. According to the message from Namyeong, they should have arrived long ago.

‘A Sword Tomb, of all places.’

Hyun Jong sighed. ‘It was greed.’

If the Hwayeong Gate Lord was to be believed, the disciples who went to Namyeong must have entered the Sword Tomb, only to come back empty-handed.

Having heard how dangerous the Sword Tomb was, Hyun Jong couldn’t help but want to scold them for going to such a place.

But soon, realizing why they had risked such danger, he only felt regret.

“Sect Leader.”

“Hmm?”

Hyun Jong turned his head at Hyun Sang’s call.

“You must scold the children strongly.”

“Indeed.”

Hyun Sang’s face was a little hard. “I’m not saying this because I dislike them. We are a sect with nothing. The glory of the past is just that—glory. Now, we are just a sect starting again.”

“That’s right.”

“The children are the most important thing to us. They must understand that their safety is much more important than bringing benefits to the sect.”

Hyun Jong nodded firmly. “I will definitely make that clear to them.”

Unam, who had been listening to them, smiled gently. “But we must also praise their achievements. The children have done so much this time.”

“Yes, yes. That’s also true.”

The difference in his voice showed how he felt. Hyun Jong was serious about scolding the children. But when he thought about praising them, he got excited. His voice became louder. Hyun Sang smiled slightly sadly at the sight.

‘Well, those children did something truly amazing.’

They fought and won against the Mudang.

And they went into the dangerous Sword Tomb and came back alive. Mount Hua Sect had not achieved such a great thing since Hyun Sang joined.

There was the Hwajong Branch, but that was something that happened inside Mount Hua. Many people didn’t even believe it.

What mattered was that the disciples of Mount Hua had left and proudly made their name known in the martial world.

And the fact that they had rebuilt the nearly fallen Hwayeong Gate, allowing the Mount Hua family to continue, was also a great achievement.

Even Hyun Sang felt happy just hearing the news, so how much more must the Sect Leader feel?

Hyun Jong kept looking towards the main gate.

His hands, which were always resting heavily on his knees, were fidgeting today, unable to stay still.

Hyun Sang couldn’t help but smile. ‘He must be pleased.’

How could he not be?

It wasn’t just because they had gained something from this. He was very happy to see the disciples of Mount Hua making a name for themselves in the martial world.

Just a few years ago, they were about to lose even the main sect.

Compared to then, they were now very lucky.

‘Chung Myung has changed so much.’

Chung Myung hadn’t done all of this alone. Hyun Sang knew that the other second and third-generation disciples had also worked hard.

But it was Chung Myung who had inspired them to work hard.

Chung Myung was like a stone thrown into a still lake. He made big waves in Mount Hua, which had been quiet and unchanging for too long.

‘To be more precise, it’s more like a boulder falling into a pond than a stone thrown into a lake.’

It had completely changed the shape of the pond.

“Where did Hyun Young go?”

“⋯⋯Didn’t the Sect Leader tell him to prepare a feast for when the children arrived?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Please remember that Hyun Young is also an elder. If you keep giving him such small jobs, the sect’s calmness will suffer.”

Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Sang with a confused look.

“I told him to have Unja-bae do it, but he said he didn’t trust those fellows and insisted on going himself. How could I stop him?”

Ah, was that it?

“He was so excited to feed the children delicious food. Who could stop him?”

“⋯⋯I apologize.”

He didn’t know that.

Hyun Sang shook his head as he thought of Hyun Young. Hyun Young used to be dying from money problems, so his current state was much better, but⋯⋯.

‘Isn’t it a bit too much?’

Looking at Mount Hua these days, it felt like something was missing. Whether it was the elders or the disciples.

“Hmm!”

Suddenly, Hyun Jong’s eyes widened slightly.

“Aren’t they coming over there?”

“Ah⋯⋯.”

Hyun Sang quickly turned his head. He could also feel someone coming quickly.

“It seems they are coming.”

“Hahaha. I don’t know why they’re running so quickly as if they’re in such a hurry.”

Hyun Jong laughed loudly and walked towards the main gate.

Some people might think it’s not proper for the Sect Leader to greet disciples himself. But Hyun Jong didn’t care about those rules.

Wasn’t showing joy as it was, a natural thing to do?

As Hyun Jong stood in front of the main gate, the disciples who were passing by also gathered around the gate. They didn’t know what was happening, but they felt that something was about to happen.

Hyun Jong smiled happily at the sight.

Now, the day had come when the disciples of Mount Hua would gather to celebrate those who had succeeded.

Feeling that those who were approaching quickly had arrived right in front of the main gate, Hyun Jong smiled gently and opened his mouth.

“Welcome back. You’ve worked hard⋯⋯.”

KABOOOOM!

“Wh-what!”

“Is it an attack!”

Hyun Jong’s warm greeting was covered up by the explosion that burst from the main gate, which had been shattered to pieces. Wood flew everywhere, and the sound was deafening. Dust and splinters filled the air.

Looking at the shattered main gate, Hyun Sang felt sad. ‘It hasn’t been long since it was rebuilt⋯⋯.’

And through that shattered gate, a group of strangely dressed figures rushed in.

“Gasp?”

Hyun Sang gasped and grabbed his sword.

But soon, Hyun Sang realized that those who had burst in were the disciples of Mount Hua. They were covered in so much dirt and dust, their clothes torn and faces smudged, that Hyun Sang didn’t recognize them at first.

‘Did they come back from a battlefield or something?’

Seeing the children covered in dirt and dust, their eyes bloodshot, he wondered what on earth was going on.

But unlike the confused Hyun Sang, Hyun Jong kept his calmness like a Sect Leader should.

He spread his arms slightly and smiled warmly. “You’ve all worked hard. Welcome back⋯⋯.”

“Sect Leader!”

Chung Myung, at the head of the group, shouted as if he was very happy, and then jumped into Hyun Jong’s arms.

“Hahaha.”

Hyun Jong laughed loudly, looking as pleased as could be. What Sect Leader wouldn’t be happy when a disciple who had achieved great things showed their love as if they were seeing their father after a long time⋯⋯.

“Eura-chaaaa!”

Huh?

What are you doing?

But it didn’t take long to realize that his thoughts were wrong.

Chung Myung, who had run to Hyun Jong, picked him up and put him on his shoulders, then started running towards the Sect Leader’s residence.

“Wh-what are you doing⋯⋯!”

Hyun Sang was about to stop him in surprise.

Suddenly!

Huh?

A familiar face came into his view.

“Baek Cheon! What are you doing, huh? Uh-oh!”

But without a word, Baek Cheon hoisted Hyun Sang onto his shoulders and started running after Chung Myung. Un-geom, who had been standing next to him in a daze, soon found himself on Yoon Jong’s shoulders as well.

As the three of them began sprinting madly towards the Sect Leader’s residence, the surprised disciples of Mount Hua tried to follow.

One.

Clang! Clang!

Jo Gul, who had drawn his sword, glared and threatened his fellow disciples. “Don’t come near. I’ll slice up anyone who approaches.”

“⋯⋯.”

With Jo Gul threatening and Yoo Iseol backing him up, no one dared to approach.

Those who tried to say something saw Jo Gul’s half-crazed eyes and shut their mouths.

‘Why are they doing that?’

‘Is this the first time you’ve seen this?’

‘Let’s keep it moderate. Please, let’s keep it moderate!’

As Jo Gul and Yoo Iseol backed away, following the group that had gone ahead, someone sighed deeply.

“⋯⋯Now those madmen are even kidnapping the Sect Leader.”

No one questioned the fact that ‘madman’ had turned into ‘madmen.’

❀ ❀ ❀

“Th-th-th⋯⋯. Th-th-th⋯⋯. Th-this? What is this?”

Hyun Jong’s hand, which was holding the box, shook a lot. Next to him sat Hyun Sang and Unam, who had been kidnapped(?) along with him, and in front of him, Chung Myung and his group, who looked like beggars, were lying down.

“Kheuheueueuk⋯⋯.”

“I’m going to die⋯⋯. I really feel like I’m going to die.”

Usually, they should look neat and act properly in front of the Sect Leader. But these disciples were too tired to do that.

Why?

Simple.

‘Everyone in the world looked like a thief.’

‘Damn it, just thinking that the Honwon Dan was right next to me kept me from sleeping.’

‘I almost got into a sword fight just because someone bumped into my shoulder.’

What kind of treasure was the Honwon Dan?

In the martial world, you couldn’t trade a single Honwon Dan for a thousand gold pieces. It was literally priceless.

Also, what they had gotten wasn’t just the Honwon Dan.

The Honwon Secret Art!

Hadn’t they gotten the secret method to make the Honwon Dan?

No matter how great the Honwon Dan was, it couldn’t compare to the Honwon Secret Art. If word got out that Mount Hua had gotten the Honwon Secret Art, there would be many people who would arm themselves and attack Mount Hua right away.

In the end, the disciples of Mount Hua had to leave, nervously hiding the fact that they had gotten the Honwon Secret Art.

The problem was that carrying such a precious treasure made them jump at the sight of anyone from afar. It was lucky that Chung Myung had the Honwon Secret Art. If Chung Myung hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have been strange if there had been several sword fights.

As this very tense situation continued, the disciples of Mount Hua decided that it would be better to arrive at Mount Hua as quickly as possible. So, they had been running at full speed without rest until they reached this place.

“Wh-what did you say this thing was?”

“Honwon Dan.”

“Ho-Honwon⋯⋯. Honwon Dan? Honwon Daaaan? Th-this is the Honwon Dan? The Honwon Dan made by the famous Medicine Saint from long ago?”

“Yes. And we also have the Honwon Secret Art, the method to make it.”

“Al-alchemy? Alchemy method?”

Hyun Jong’s eyes widened more and more. ‘What are these fellows saying?’

Medicine Saint?

The Medicine Saint from two hundred years ago? They had gotten the Honwon Dan of that Medicine Saint and the method to make the Honwon Dan?

How?

“Wh-what is this⋯⋯. No, what on earth is this⋯⋯.”

Hyun Jong didn’t know that Talgeommuheun was the Medicine Saint’s other name and didn’t know exactly what the Sword Tomb was, so it was a big surprise. It was like being struck by a golden lightning bolt in the clear sky.

Suddenly, the Honwon Dan and the Honwon Secret Art.

“Please check it first.”

Hyun Jong swallowed hard.

Click!

As the box opened, a very strong, sweet smell instantly filled the room.

“Oooooh!”

“Oh, my goodness!”

Hyun Sang and Un Am showed a strong reaction that they usually didn’t show. Hyun Jong also couldn’t hide his excitement as he checked the inside of the box.

“Th-this⋯⋯. Is this really⋯⋯.”

It was at that moment, just as tears were starting to form in the Sect Leader’s eyes.

Bang!

“Eek!”

“Aaaah! You scared me!”

The door burst open, and a person came inside.

“No, if they’ve arrived, we should feed them right away⋯⋯.”

Hyun Young.

He stopped speaking and looked back and forth between the box in Hyun Jong’s hand and Chung Myung. Then, he smiled the warmest smile in the world.

“What treasures have you brought back this time, eh?”

“⋯⋯.”

You adorable things!