Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 241

Caw! Caw! Caw!

Hyun Jong frowned.

“Crows from the morning…”

Of course, he didn’t particularly dislike crows.

How could he be called a Taoist if he thought that just because the outside was black, the inside must be black too? Crows were just another kind of bird, no different from anything else.

The problem was that the crow’s cry sounded unusually ominous today.

“Heh heh. Am I just worried?”

The crow’s sound is normal, but it feels scary to me. This must mean I am feeling uneasy inside.

Hyun Jong quietly closed his eyes and calmed his mind…

Creak.

Hyun Jong’s gaze drifted slightly downwards. A sharp crack echoed in the stillness, and Hyun Jong saw a jagged line split the side of his old teacup.

“Well…”

This must be a coincidence too, right?

Yes. There are days when crows cry, and there are days when teacups crack. There might be a day when those two things happen to coincide…

Thud!

Hyun Jong’s face twitched slightly.

With a soft thud, the scroll, usually hanging straight and proud, now lay crumpled on the dusty floor.

At this point, anyone would think something bad is going to happen today.

‘Something’s definitely wrong, isn’t it?’

What on earth was about to happen that such ominous signs were occurring one after another from the morning?

Hyun Jong quietly put down the cup he was holding and took a deep breath.

“Stay calm. It’s all in my head…”

Caw! Caaaw! Caaaaw!

“Eiiiish!”

Hyun Jong, who had failed to calm his mind, jumped up from his seat.

“These blighters, from the morning!”

Hyun Jong, who had burst out of the door and was pointing at the crows, suddenly felt a gaze on him. And he quietly lowered his hand.

Hyun Young, standing in the yard, tilted his head.

“What’s going on?” Hyun Young asked, tilting his head.

Hyun Jong hesitated. “And you?” he replied.

“I couldn’t sleep well today, so I came out early to do some cleaning.”

“Is that so.”

Hyun Jong cleared his throat a couple of times and then quietly put his hands behind his back.

“I was just, well…”

“You seem to be in a restless mood?”

Hyun Jong’s face twisted slightly.

People should become calmer as they get older and learn about the Tao, but Hyun Young seemed to become stranger every day.

Hyun Jong was about to sigh and say something when…

“Sect Leader! Sect Leader!”

What is it now?

Hyun Jong turned his head with a disgruntled look. Hyun Sang was rushing towards him from over there.

“What’s all the noise so early in the morning?” Hyun Jong grumbled.

“T-The messenger! The messenger!”

“Huh?”

Hyun Sang, who had arrived in front of him, gasped for breath and then shouted.

“A messenger hawk has arrived from Hwaum County! The children have arrived in Hwaum and are now climbing the mountain!”

“What!”

Hyun Jong shouted in surprise.

“If it’s now…?”

“The messenger hawk may be a little faster, but they will arrive soon!”

“That’s right! Yes, that must be it!”

Hyun Jong nodded quickly, then got worried and turned around.

“This is no time for me to be like this!”

Then he began to run like an arrow towards the gates of Mount Hua. Hyun Young also threw down his broom and followed beside him.

“L-Let’s go together, Sect Leader!”

Hyun Sang also hurriedly followed behind Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong ran to the mountain gate. He quickly pushed open the heavy wooden doors.

And he slowly walked out and stood there, looking at the last hill leading up to Mount Hua.

He was slightly out of breath.

He didn’t know how long it had been since he had run so urgently. His heart was as excited as that.

His heart was not calming down as much as when he first entered Mount Hua and received his sword.

“They will come.”

“They will come.”

Hyun Young and Hyun Sang’s quiet conversation pierced Hyun Jong’s ears.

‘They will come now.’

Hyun Jong looked at the hill with slightly dreamy eyes.

‘You wicked blighters.’

They could have at least given me a call in advance. Then I wouldn’t have waited so anxiously.

“They must have had a hard time.”

“Of course. Yunnan is where? How hard would it have been to go all the way to that far place.”

“In the meantime, they even formed an alliance with the Sichuan Tang Family, didn’t they? These cheeky blighters!”

His strong words showed thanks, sorry, and even worry.

He felt sorry for giving them such hard work, but proud of how well they did. Most of all, he felt happy.

Hyun Jong looked at the soaring mountain peaks with slightly watery eyes.

‘Still, I have something to say to the ancestors when I see them.’

I may not have led Mount Hua.

But I have found the children who will lead Mount Hua.

Isn’t that enough?

“Sect Leader. The children are coming over there.”

“Hmm. Hmm, yes.”

Hyun Jong wiped his eyes slightly. They say that as you get older, you become sentimental, and that’s exactly what it is.

They are coming home after a long time away. I should smile when I see them.

Step. Step. Step.

Soon, small footsteps began to be heard. The footsteps, which continued not quickly, seemed to be getting louder and louder, and soon became vivid enough to reach his ears.

Hyun Jong clenched his fist tightly.

They will be visible now.

These children of Mount Hua are as admirable as can be.

The people who will lead Mount Hua and make it strong…

The pil…

Hyun Jong’s eyes trembled.

The children who came up the hill revealed themselves.

Confident gait!

Hair matted and tangled like birds’ nests!

Moo Bok’s face was smeared with dirt, his skin almost yellow-brown from dust and sun!

Terrible, messy faces…

‘What is it?’

Didn’t they go to Yunnan?

Did they stop by hell on the way?

Looking at the children trudging up the mountain with faces that seemed to say they would beat to death anything that got in their way, he felt a chill down his spine.

“Hwasan…”

“It’s Hwasan…”

“Hwasan… It’s Hwasan. Hwasan.”

The elders, seeing their disciples rolling their eyes as a group, flinched and took a step back.

“Bloody hell. They say suffering is leaving home.”

“I’m not going to take a single step out of Hwasan now.”

“At least not with that bastard!”

“Bath. Bath! Baaaath!”

Yoo Iseol shouts for a bath as if she had lost her mind.

The older men’s faces turned white as they watched the scary sight.

What happened to them on this trip? When they left, they looked so healthy and bright…

Baek Cheon, who was coming up at the very front, looked at Hwasan with glistening eyes, then lowered his gaze slightly and discovered the Sect Leaders.

The shout echoed through the training grounds. “Sect Leader!”

“…”

“Hey, why so scary…”

Baek Cheon walked quickly towards the Sect Leader, who seemed to flinch back. Baek Cheon put his hands together and bowed deeply.

“Sect Leader,” Baek Cheon said, bowing low. “Disciple Baek Cheon and my group of four have returned from our mission. We finished the task you gave us!”

“Oh… Oh, um… Yes, well… well done,” the Sect Leader finally managed to say. He looked a little confused.

Oh…

This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

Originally, there should have been tears of joy and a warm welcome.

Why has the atmosphere suddenly turned like this?

Seeing the Sect Leader’s confused face, Baek Cheon suddenly said, “Ah!”

“Sect Leader!”

“Y-yes?”

“Ja-mok grass! We have obtained the Ja-mok grass! Ja-mok grass! Chung Myung…”

Chung Myung slapped away Baek Cheon’s outstretched hand with a loud smack and glared at him.

“Don’t touch me! Or your wrist will be gone!”

“That crazy bastard.”

“The medicine hall! We need to go to the medicine hall!”

Chung Myung didn’t even glance at the Sect Leader as he dashed inside.

“Ah, a bath. I need to wash. I absolutely must wash.”

“Food. Is there any food left in the dining hall? I feel like I’m going to die after starving for three days.”

…

The Sect Leader thought, watching them. It was like the young disciples who left had become tougher, like young tigers returning with battle scars.

“W-well, um…”

Just then, Hyun Young stepped forward with a resolute expression.

“Yes! First, let’s wash up and eat! What does it matter what happened in Yunnan! You must be exhausted from the long journey.”

“Still, we should report…”

Baek Cheon, who was still being sensible, tried to be polite. But Hyun Young scoffed.

“Report, my foot! What does it matter if you succeeded or failed! The important thing is that you went all the way there and suffered!”

“No. We succeeded.”

“Enough! Enough! Let’s go inside!”

Hyun Young pushed Baek Cheon’s back.

“Ah, no. That’s…”

“Enough, you rascal! Let’s eat and talk later! Is that alright, Sect Leader?”

“Huh? Oh. Yes. That’s right. Food is important.”

“Go wash up! I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare the food right away!”

At those words, Jo Gul and Yoon Jong’s eyes widened.

“Food!”

“Sob! I’ve only been eating dried rations from Yunnan until now…”

“It’s better than dried grass, isn’t it?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Dried grass?

What is this about now?

Hyun Jong wore a dumbfounded expression as he watched his disciples trudge inside.

Geez…

“The kids seem a little strange, don’t they?”

“A little?”

…

Hyun Jong stared at the refreshed disciples of Mount Hua with a somewhat awkward expression. Seeing them return so clean and fluffy, they certainly looked like the disciples of Mount Hua he knew.

‘But there’s something about the atmosphere…’ Was it a newfound ruthlessness? Or perhaps a greater sense of ease? It was difficult to say for certain, but if he had to put it in a single word… ‘They’ve grown.’ Travel really changes people.

However, there was a problem…

“Aaaargh. My back is killing me.”

Chung Myung was sprawled against the wall like a well-fed puppy in a warm spot.

‘He seems closer to being old than grown, doesn’t he?’ He looked as if he might start reciting a poem any minute now. Of course, Chung Myung had always had an old soul, but now he looked like someone the elders could call ‘hyung-nim’ without feeling awkward.

“S-so, you all had a safe trip?”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

As expected of Baek Cheon. He became calm again quickly and answered Hyun Jong with a neat posture.

“Thank you for your concern, we were able to safely get the Ja-mok grass from Yunnan. There were a few other things that happened…” Suddenly, he knelt down completely on the floor.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I beg forgiveness for using the authority you gave me without asking you first.”

“Rise.”

“However, Sect Leader.”

“What was the reason I gave you that authority? When you are outside, you are like the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. Your choice is my choice, so you don’t need to ask for punishment.”

“Sect Leader.”

“Rise and sit.”

At those firm words, Baek Cheon unconsciously straightened his back.

Hyun Jong, who had spoken to Baek Cheon firmly with a serious face, now had a gentle expression, as if nothing had happened.

“Alright. Now, can you tell me what happened?”

“Yes. But before that, I have one question. Has the Tang Clan Lord visited?”

“Yes, he has. I heard a little about it, but I want to hear the whole story from you.”

“Yes, then I will start by explaining what happened in Sichuan.” Baek Cheon began to calmly tell their story to the Sect Leader and the elders. Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and Yoo Iseol added details he forgot.

Of course, Chung Myung started to doze off in the back, but no one paid attention, even though the story was exciting.

As the story went on, Hyun Jong’s mouth slowly widened. And when Baek Cheon finished, even the other elders and senior disciples were staring at them with their mouths open in shock.

“You went to Sichuan and formed an alliance with the Tang Clan.”

“Yes.”

“A-and, in the process, you knocked down an elder of the Tang Clan?”

“That was Chung Myung.”

Hyun Jong stared at the dozing Chung Myung with trembling eyes.

“A-and you defeated bandits and went to Yunnan to make an alliance with the Beast Palace?”

“Their idea of an alliance is a little different from ours, but the main point is the same. Now, Mount Hua disciples have the same rights as people from Yunnan when they are in Yunnan.”

“And on top of that…” Oh. On top of that… Uh…

“Y-you even got the only rights to sell Yunnan tea?”

Baek Cheon looked at Jo Gul, as he was better suited to answer. Then, Baek Cheon knelt down again and answered. “The situation in Yunnan is not good. I didn’t ask for your permission, but I made my family’s trading company the main people to move grain for Mount Hua. I beg for forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness?”

Forgiveness?

What forgiveness, you fool?

“Y-you accomplished all of this…” Hyun Jong muttered, stuttering as if he couldn’t believe it. “In just over a month, you, you accomplished all of this? This?” What are these things? At this point, it was more absurd than enjoyable.

“Uh… Th-that…” He needed to react somehow, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Hyun Young quietly grabbed Hyun Jong’s shoulder, who was unable to speak due to bewilderment, awe, and overwhelming emotion.

“Sect Leader.”

“Huh?”

Hyun Young opened his mouth with a very serious face. “Is there nothing going on in the North Sea or Tibet?”

“Huh? What do you mean…” Then, he glanced at the dozing Chung Myung and whispered softly. “Let’s send them one more time, Sect Leader. Who knows? Maybe they’ll bring back a phoenix this time.”

“…” For a moment, Hyun Jong felt a stirring in his heart.