Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 232

Chung Myung shouted, “Where are you!” His voice was angry as he went deeper into the lake.

‘There’s no end to it.’

The lake was not very big from the outside, like a pond. But it was very, very deep.

Now Chung Myung knew why the big Mukrin Blood Serpent lived here.

The deeper he went, the darker the surroundings became.

The water was so clear that it seemed one could see the bottom, but the depth was so great that even light struggled to reach it.

Chung Myung followed the trail of red blood left by the snake as it went down, going further and further.

‘I’m not leaving without getting something!’

Chung Myung bit his lip.

The Violet Cloud Grass was one thing, but after making a person suffer like this, the least it could do was give up its Orb! Was it because it was a beast? It had no manners at all! No manners!

Chung Myung thought, ‘Even if the snake doesn’t give me the Orb, I will take it!’

If they didn’t give it, he would take it! Wasn’t that the basic rule? He was sure it was written in the Taoist books somewhere…

– What nonsense are you spouting, you rascal!

He didn’t know about the Taoist way, but Chung Myung’s way was like this.

‘Snake soup or whatever! First, the Orb!’

Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed as he dove deeper. The surroundings were now completely black, but his eyes pierced through the darkness.

Yes, he saw that movement just now… What?

Something just moved…

Thwoooom!

Chung Myung’s body, struck as if by lightning, flew away like seaweed tossed by a wave.

“Gluglugluglug!”

He screamed, but no sound came out. Naturally, since he was underwater.

Chung Myung, snapping back to his senses, quickly turned his head.

What was that just now?

The question was soon answered.

Thwoooom! Thwoooom! Thwoooom!

A deep boom echoed through the water as the water surged towards Chung Myung like a giant current.

‘Water bullets?’

Water bullets, larger than a person, flew towards Chung Myung quickly. It seemed the Mukrin Blood Serpent was firing at him from far away.

‘Trying to be clever, are we!’

Something like this…

Huh?

“Euryararararara! Glug!”

Unable to dodge the water bullets, he was swept away by the strong currents, spinning like a top.

Ah, he swallowed water.

‘That bastard?’

It was hard to move underwater. Even water bullets that he could have dodged easily outside the water now needed a desperate effort to avoid.

Also, the Mukrin Blood Serpent seemed more interested in pushing Chung Myung out of the water than killing him, making the water bullets weaker but increasing their range.

Even experts who were good at fighting in water could only hold their breath for about thirty minutes. What could Chung Myung do?

Maybe the Mukrin Blood Serpent thought that if it could keep Chung Myung away, he would have to come up for air.

But!

‘You’re still just a snake head!’

Thinking you can trick me with your brain!

Chung Myung pulled his sword far back. Then, he put his inner strength into it and threw it forward.

Before the sword even left his hand, he made his body lighter and grabbed the hilt tightly.

Swoooosh!

The sword sliced through the water, going forward like a shooting star.

Thwoooom! Thwoooom!

The water bullets were fired again and again, but Chung Myung’s sword cut through them.

‘There!’

Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed. He began to see the bottom of the lake. And right there, the Mukrin Blood Serpent was coiled up.

No matter how much it tried to escape, it was trapped!

Chung Myung swam straight towards the snake.

Fighting a giant snake underwater was hard even for Chung Myung now. But the Mukrin Blood Serpent, its insides ruined by the Plum Blossom Pellet, could be easily beheaded.

After that, he would take the Orb and go back to the surface.

As if it knew this, the Mukrin Blood Serpent swung its tail at Chung Myung with all its might.

‘Tsk. It would be easier if it just opened its mouth and tried to swallow me.’

Then he could just go inside, grab the Orb, and cut his way out.

But this snake was smart and didn’t just attack with force. It probably knew that Chung Myung’s sword could cut its belly.

Screeeeeech!

Seeing the dark tail flying through the water, Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed. Blocking it would only push him back. So!

Crack!

Chung Myung plunged his sword, filled with sword energy, into the Mukrin Blood Serpent’s tail.

‘Ooph!’

Now it couldn’t run away!

Seeing Chung Myung stuck to its tail, the Mukrin Blood Serpent twisted its body to shake him off.

But no matter how much it shook its tail, Chung Myung held on. Even when it slammed itself against the bottom, he dodged.

Now, the only thing the Mukrin Blood Serpent could do was bite him. But that was what Chung Myung wanted. The moment it opened its mouth, he would shout ‘Bingo!’ and dive into its belly.

Unable to do either, the Mukrin Blood Serpent shut its mouth and began to ram Chung Myung.

‘I’m telling you, it’s just a snake head.’

Chung Myung quickly pulled the sword from its tail. Then, he spun his body and plunged it into the head that was charging at him.

Fighting underwater was harder. The water slowed everything down. Chung Myung’s power was weaker, but the snake’s power was weaker too. No matter how hard it rammed, the hit was different from being hit outside the water.

Crack!

Chung Myung’s sword stuck in the Mukrin Blood Serpent’s snout. The pain made its mouth open, then snap shut again.

Chung Myung gripped the sword hilt even tighter.

‘Orb! Give me my Orb, you snake bastard!’

The Mukrin Blood Serpent thrashed its head back and forth, trying to shake Chung Myung off.

Thud! Thud!

It tried to hit its head with its tail, but it failed to hit Chung Myung and only struck itself.

‘That’s why it’s a beast.’

If it had swum around the lake, Chung Myung would have had a hard time.

But the Mukrin Blood Serpent didn’t think to stick to the walls to avoid him.

Because of that, he had less trouble. However…

‘Hmm. My breath…’

Chung Myung kicked off the Mukrin Blood Serpent’s face and moved back. Then, he raised his sword.

It was clear that if he waited any longer, he would run out of breath, so he had to finish it here and find the Orb to go up.

Chung Myung gathered his energy. The tip of his sword glowed purple, lighting up the dark water.

The water became clear.

The Mukrin Blood Serpent, with wounds on its face, tail, and body, faced Chung Myung. It seemed to have no intention of running away.

The Mukrin Blood Serpent raised its scales and lifted its head.

Chung Myung also gripped his sword, ready for the final blow.

‘You were strong.’

In your next life, snake, don’t bother people. Just stay quiet. If you had done that, I might have just taken the grass and left?

The Mukrin Blood Serpent shuddered, feeling Chung Myung’s anger. It was clearly scared, but it only shook its head more.

‘Now, then, let’s get that Orb…’

Huh?

Chung Myung’s face changed.

Meanwhile, back near the lake…

“Pull it out! Pull it out! We need to get it before that Mukrin or whatever comes back.”

“Is this it?”

“Pull out everything around it first!”

“Yes!”

The Mount Hua disciples squatted down, pulling out the Violet Cloud Grass.

“Hey! You can’t pull it out like that! You have to pull out the roots with the soil so it lasts longer! If you’re not going to dry it, you have to treat it like you’re keeping it alive… Ah, Senior Brother! Not like that, dig out the whole area around it!”

Jo Gul, who knew about herbs, took charge. The Mount Hua disciples nodded and collected the Violet Cloud Grass as he told them.

The Mount Hua disciples packed the Violet Cloud Grass into sacks they had brought and stood up.

“Did you pull everything out?”

“Yes.”

“Check again! See if there’s anything left.”

“We’ve pulled everything out!”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“Alright! Let’s go!”

The Mount Hua disciples quickly left Shindam’s territory. They were nervous that the Mukrin Blood Serpent could come out of the water, and they felt uneasy about being in someone else’s sacred ground.

The Beast Palace Lord had said it didn’t matter, but they couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.

“That’s it!”

“Done!”

They had done it! The sack of Amethyst Grass felt heavy and precious in their hands. The disciples of Mount Hua grinned at each other, their faces bright with excitement. After a long and difficult journey, they finally had what they came for.

From the edge of the clearing, the Lord of the Beast Palace had been watching them, silent as a shadow. Now, he stepped forward, his large figure moving slowly but with purpose. He held out a hand, palm open.

“Give it to me.”

“E-excuse me?”

“That sack containing the divine herb. Give it to me.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the Lord of the Beast Palace. *Why now?* he thought. *He’s been so quiet this whole time. Does he want to take the Amethyst Grass for himself?* A cold feeling went through Baek Cheon, and without thinking, he took a step back, clutching the sack tighter.

The Lord of the Beast Palace’s eyebrows drew together as he saw Baek Cheon’s stance.

“Don’t you want to give it to me?” he asked, his voice a little sharper.

“Ah, no, it’s not that…” Baek Cheon stammered, feeling nervous.

The Lord of the Beast Palace nodded slowly.

“Hmm,” he said, his eyes looking at each of them. “So, you think I want to steal from you?” The smiles vanished from the faces of the Mount Hua disciples. They stood straighter, their hands moving closer to their swords.

“Tsk, tsk,” the Lord of the Beast Palace clicked his tongue. “You’re all so jumpy! Relax.” He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. “If I wanted to take this little bit of grass, do you really think you could stop me?”

Baek Cheon thought about it. He knew they couldn’t. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“You’re right, Lord Palace Master. We are sorry. This Amethyst Grass is just very important to Mount Hua.”

“I understand,” the Lord of the Beast Palace said, his voice softening a little. “I don’t want to take it from you. Just give it here for a moment.”

Baek Cheon quickly gave the sack to the Lord of the Beast Palace. He knew he had to show trust now. The Lord of the Beast Palace smiled, a wide, surprising grin, and opened the sack. Then, suddenly, he reached in and took out a handful of the Amethyst Grass. Before anyone could ask, he started pushing it back into the soil.

Baek Cheon frowned, confused.

“Lord Palace Master,” he asked carefully, “what are you doing?”

The Lord of the Beast Palace looked up from the ground.

“You came all this way for this Amethyst Grass, right?”

“Yes,” Baek Cheon replied. “That’s right.”

“And you only want this little bit?” the Lord asked, gesturing to the half-empty sack.

Baek Cheon paused. He hadn’t really thought about it. Actually, more would be much better. And if they could get it again in the future… that would be even better.

“Well,” Baek Cheon started, “we would always like more…”

“If you take all the grass from here,” the Lord of the Beast Palace explained, “it might never grow back. But if we plant some, like this, in a place like this, it should keep growing year after year.”

“That makes sense,” Baek Cheon agreed, nodding.

“Before, I couldn’t touch it because it was in Shindam,” the Lord continued, “a holy place. But this place is normal land. If you want more Amethyst Grass later, just tell me. I can get it for you and send it to Mount Hua. Wouldn’t that be easier?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes opened wide in surprise. *He would do that for us?* he thought. *Maybe the Lord of the Beast Palace really likes Mount Hua.*

“There, done.”

The Lord of the Beast Palace handed the sack of Amethyst Grass, now half-full, back to Baek Cheon. Beneath his feet, a new Amethyst Grass field had already been created.

“Remember this,” the Lord of the Beast Palace said, looking at them seriously. “Too much greed is bad. It’s better to live with nature, taking only what you need and leaving the rest.”

“I will remember that, Lord Palace Master,” Baek Cheon said, feeling respect.

The Lord of the Beast Palace chuckled deeply, a sound like rocks tumbling. He turned and started to walk away, his back like a huge mountain.

As the Lord of the Beast Palace walked away, Baek Cheon turned to his friends.

“Is everything finished here?” he asked.

“Yes,” the Lord called back over his shoulder. “Now we just need Chung Myung to come out of that lake…” The disciples of Mount Hua looked at the still, silent water. They were starting to worry.

“Why isn’t he back yet?” one of them whispered.

“Maybe he drowned!” Jo Gul said, his eyes wide.

Yoon Jong glared at him.

“Don’t say things like that!” he snapped. “Chung Myung is too stubborn to drown!”

“Well, isn’t saying he’s going to drown bad luck?” Jo Gul mumbled. “I didn’t mean it.”

Just as they were arguing, *blub*. A single bubble broke the surface of the still lake.

“Huh?” one of the disciples said, pointing. *Blub, blub*. More bubbles appeared, faster and faster. Suddenly, the water exploded upwards!

“BWAAAAAH!” With a yell, Chung Myung shot out of the lake like a cork, flying high into the air before crashing back down with a *splash!* He thrashed in the water for a moment, then swam to the shore, coughing and sputtering.

“Ugh,” he groaned, collapsing onto the grass. “I thought I was going to drown!” Water streamed off him, soaking the ground. The disciples rushed forward, their faces eager.

“The Inner Core?” Baek Cheon asked quickly.

Chung Myung just shook his head, dripping wet and grumpy.

“Nothing,” he said shortly. “It wasn’t there.”

“What?”

“I said, nothing! Waste of time!” Chung Myung waved a hand dismissively, as if he was swatting away flies.

“But… that huge beast didn’t have an Inner Core?” one of the disciples exclaimed, surprised. “Impossible!”

“How should I know?” Chung Myung snapped, still dripping. “Maybe it swallowed it, or lost it, or something! I don’t know! But it wasn’t there! Blast it! All that effort for nothing!”

“Hey, why are you yelling at us?” Yoon Jong muttered, feeling unfairly blamed.

Chung Myung finally noticed the sack in Baek Cheon’s hand. He frowned.

“Did you take all of it?” he asked, pointing at the Amethyst Grass.

“No,” Baek Cheon said. “Only half. The Lord of the Beast Palace planted the rest.”

Chung Myung glanced at the new patch of grass and nodded slowly, a strange look on his face.

“Right, then,” he said suddenly, clapping his hands together. “We’re done here! Let’s go!”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon blinked.

“But…”

“Come on, come on!” Chung Myung waved his arms impatiently, almost shoving the Mount Hua disciples ahead of him. “Let’s get out of this smelly place! I can’t stand it here anymore! Back to Mount Hua! Sasook can stay here if he likes it so much!”

Baek Cheon sighed. There was no arguing with Chung Myung when he was like this. He found himself being hurried away from Shindam, almost pushed along by Chung Myung’s eagerness to leave.

The other Mount Hua disciples followed Baek Cheon, turning away from the lake without looking back. They weren’t really sad about the Inner Core. Even if Chung Myung had found it, it wouldn’t have belonged to them anyway. They had the Amethyst Grass, which was their real goal. *Mission accomplished!* Baek Cheon thought happily. He could already imagine the smiles on the faces of the Sect Leader and the older teachers when they saw the grass. He couldn’t wait to get back to Mount Hua and tell them the good news.

“Let’s go!” he called out, his voice cheerful.

“Yes!” the others replied, their steps light and quick as they headed towards the Beast Palace.

“Huh?” Yoo Iseol, who always walked at the back, paused and glanced back at the lake. Something made her curious. Tilting her head slightly, she turned and walked back towards Shindam, pushing aside the leaves and branches. *Ripples*. The water in the center of Shindam moved again. Slowly, the huge head of the Muklin Blood Serpent rose from the depths. *It’s alive,* Yoo Iseol realized. Its eyes looked at her, but there was no anger in them now. She was confused. It had been so wild and dangerous before. *Why did Chung Myung let it live?* she wondered. Chung Myung, who seemed to have no mercy for anyone… As she watched, something small moved behind the large serpent. Yoo Iseol gasped softly. There, behind the massive body, were three tiny snakes. Well, not really tiny. Each one was still as big as a person, but next to their mother, they looked small and… almost cute. They were pure white, with bright red eyes that blinked in the sunlight. *Hatchlings,* Yoo Iseol thought, a warm feeling spreading through her. As she looked at the three baby snakes peeking out from behind their mother, a small smile touched her lips.

“Yoo Iseol! Are you coming?” Yoon Jong’s voice called from the path.

“Yes,” she called back. “Coming!” She gave the hatchlings one last smile. *Grow up strong. And be kind.* Then, carefully, she pulled the branches back into place, hiding the secret of Shindam once more, and ran to catch up with her friends, as if nothing had happened.