Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 246

“Will it be alright?”

“What are you talking about?”

“…Is it really okay for him to be doing that?”

Hyun Jong followed Hyun Sang’s gaze and looked at Chung Myung. Chung Myung was stirring the cauldron, and a rainbow light was shining from it.

“…I wish I knew.”

No one dared to go near him.

They were too worried to relax and focus, but they couldn’t leave. They also couldn’t bring themselves to get closer.

Even people who didn’t know martial arts could see something amazing was happening.

So, the three exhausted men stayed where they were, guarding Chung Myung from sunset to the next sunrise.

“Almost a full day has passed.”

“…Yes, it has.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes shook slightly as he watched Chung Myung. *This was supposed to take three people,* he thought, his mind racing. *How is he doing this all alone?*

Making the Honwon Pill was very hard. It needed two elders to give their inner strength. And a Yunja disciple had to carefully control the stirring.

But Chung Myung was using different amounts of inner strength with both hands to heat and stir the cauldron at the same time! And he had been doing it for a whole day!

Chung Myung doing that for a whole day was amazing. But what about the light coming from him?

“Un-gak… Head of the Medical Hall.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Did the Medicine Saint’s alchemy say anything about the alchemist giving off light during the process?”

“…That’s never happened before.”

“I thought so.”

Then what was happening?

Hyun Jong was speechless as he stared at Chung Myung. He opened his mouth as if in a dream.

“Uh, how much longer?”

“What do you mean?”

“How much longer does he need to stir!”

“Ah! Well, it shouldn’t be much longer. He started at the hour of Misi, so there’s about an hour left.”

“Is there a way to know when it’s finished?”

“I don’t know…”

Hyun Jong clenched his fist, his eyes full of hope as he watched Chung Myung.

*He has to succeed.*

One thing was sure.

Chung Myung was doing something they couldn’t understand. His eyes were half-closed, like he was seeing something amazing, and the rainbow light coming from his body showed that.

*Chung Myung! Just a little more!*

Just then, Un-gak’s eyes opened wide.

“Huh?”

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Look at that! There!”

“Huh?”

The Hyunja disciples gasped at the same time, their eyes wide with shock.

They were all staring at the cauldron that Chung Myung was stirring.

Hwaaaaaah!

A soft, rainbow light began to glow from the cauldron. It grew brighter and brighter, until it became a dazzling light that filled the whole Medical Hall, so bright it almost hurt to look at.

“Ugh!”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again…

*What’s that smell?*

A rich, sweet scent filled the air, like a thousand blooming flowers mixed with warm spices. It was so strong it made Hyun Jong’s mouth water.

He knew instantly – it was the scent of the Honwon Pill, but even stronger!

“Could it be!”

“Is it done already?”

The three men jumped to their feet at the same time.

They kept their eyes on the light-filled cauldron and Chung Myung.

Chung Myung didn’t notice the noise behind him.

He was only thinking about the cauldron.

*Harmony.*

The Medicine Saint was a great man.

He didn’t just make the Honwon Pill from normal things.

The things he used worked perfectly together. The Medicine Saint found the best mix of herbs in the world.

The inner strength that went into the cauldron and the ladle just made the herbs work even better.

The person making the Honwon Pill had to create this perfect harmony.

*That’s why…*

[Stir with inner strength for ten days.]

That’s all he could write.

Even if he had written about making the energies work together perfectly, how many people would understand?

It’s very hard to explain things fully in writing, especially if you don’t know how much the reader understands.

So, this was probably the easiest way for the Medicine Saint to do it. That way, anyone who got his Honwon Secret could make the Honwon Pill.

Even if the pill wasn’t as good as the original Honwon Pill he made, he would think it was worth it.

But luckily, or maybe unluckily, Chung Myung was the one who got the Honwon Secret.

Chung Myung could sense things better than he ever could in his past life.

So, he could do even better than the original Honwon Pill made by the Medicine Saint.

He put his energy into the cauldron.

The purest energy in the world, filled with the Tao, mixed with the Honwon’s harmonious energy.

*So, that’s why it’s called Honwon Pill.*

Honwon.

Heaven and Earth. And the Universe.

Different things come together to make the world, and then the universe.

Inside this cauldron, there was a world that the Medicine Saint had dreamed of.

A world where everyone lived in peace.

A world where everyone was connected and lived without fighting.

Chung Myung didn’t agree with the Medicine Saint’s beliefs, but he admired his dedication and his desire to put his ideas into the pill.

*The Medicine Saint and Honwon.*

Sweat ran down Chung Myung’s face.

The hot energy inside the cauldron slowly died down.

The cold energy became water energy.

The earth energy from the things grown in the earth made the foundation strong, and the wood energy held it all together.

Even the metal energy from Han Cheol.

Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth.

The Five Elements.

This was the start of creating the world.

The perfect world that the Medicine Saint wanted.

Chung Myung was just adding one more thing to that world.

The Tao.

He was making a path in the world that the Medicine Saint had created. The world was something that existed, and the path was something people had to walk.

The path was, really, will.

It was the human heart.

He added the Tao energy to the Five Elements and added his heart.

The Tao energy started to mix with the world of the Five Elements. The energies that had been pushing away and fighting each other now accepted the new energy and started to work together.

That’s what the world was like.

Accepting, understanding, and working together.

Inside this, there was a world.

The world that the Medicine Saint had dreamed of became the world that Chung Myung dreamed of.

Will it be alright?

Yes. It will be alright.

That’s what the world was like. Even if it changed, it was still the world, and even if it didn’t change, it was still the world.

No matter what it looked like, the world was just the world.

Chung Myung slowly opened his eyes.

He had used all his energy. He took his hands off the cauldron and held the iron ladle.

The energies disappeared.

The Five Elements and Chung Myung’s energy mixed together as if they were nothing, blending into one.

And finally!

Hwaaaaah!

The rainbow light came together, turning into a soft purple color. It wasn’t a bright light, but a purple glow that seemed to hold everything gently.

Chung Myung stared at the cauldron as if he was fascinated. He took a step back, holding the iron ladle.

Silence.

Clang!

The ladle fell from Chung Myung’s hand. He didn’t even notice. His eyes were fixed on what he had made in the cauldron. A soft, purple glow pulsed from within it.

“Chung Myung-ah?” Hyun Jong called out, his voice a little shaky.

…

“Chung Myung-ah?” he tried again, louder.

Finally, Chung Myung turned. His face showed nothing, like a blank page.

Behind him, Hyeonja, the elders, and Un-gak watched, holding their breath. The air was thick with the smell of herbs and a new, sweet scent.

Hyun Jong swallowed hard. He stepped forward, his voice shaking a little. “H-How did it go?”

“Uh…” Chung Myung looked back and forth between them and the cauldron.

‘I should be honest, right?’

“Well, I failed to make the Honwon Pill.”

Despair crossed Hyun Jong’s eyes for a moment.

Hyun Jong was silent. Then, Hyun Sang asked with wide eyes, “F-Failed?”

“…”

“T-This light comes from a failure?”

Hyun Young also spoke urgently, as if he couldn’t understand. “What is going on! Explain…”

“Quiet,” Hyun Jong said in a low, strong voice, stopping them. The elders were going to argue, but they all became quiet.

Hyun Jong, who had been silently watching Chung Myung, smiled gently. “It’s a shame. But it can be done again. It may take some time, but let’s not rush. You have suffered so much. Don’t worry.”

Chung Myung grinned at Hyun Jong.

‘He’s a great man, no matter what.’

Failure. No one in the world could not be disappointed by this word. But Hyun Jong regained his calm quickly.

He was more worried that Chung Myung would be disappointed than that their efforts had been in waste.

‘That’s what a sect leader should be.’

‘And that’s what a Taoist should be.’

‘I’m so glad this person is the sect leader, really.’

Chung Myung, with a slight smile, continued. “I failed to make the Honwon Pill.”

“Yes. It’s alright. Don’t worry about…”

“But it seems I…”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned his head and looked at the cauldron emitting a purple glow.

‘What should I call that?’

‘Well.’

‘There’s no other choice.’

“…I think I accidentally made the Jasodan (紫霄丹)?”

“Huh?”

“Jasodan?” Hyun Jong tilted his head. “What do you mean? Jasodan?”

The Jasodan was the most outstanding spirit pill in the history of Mount Hua. However, the method of making that spirit pill was lost when the Demonic Sect invaded. But suddenly, Jasodan?

Chung Myung grinned and continued. “It’s not like I made the Jasodan that was originally passed down in Mount Hua. But this isn’t the Honwon Pill either.”

It was not exactly what the old master had planned. This is a spirit pill that only Chung Myung can make.

“This spirit pill is better than the Honwon Pill, and it was made in Mount Hua. So, I think we should call it Jasodan.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes shook.

‘What did that guy just say?’

“M-More advanced?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying it’s more advanced than the Honwon Pill you were originally trying to make?”

Chung Myung shrugged. “That’s what I’m saying.”

“T-Then.”

“Yes.” Chung Myung grinned. “I succeeded!”

The elders looked at each other. And the head of the medical hall also looked back and forth between the elders and the cauldron as if he couldn’t believe it.

And after a while.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Ho, Honwon! No, Jasodan!”

“I have to see it with my own eyes! With my own eyes!”

It was surprising how much energy they suddenly had. The elders, who were very tired, rushed to the cauldron quickly. Then, they stretched their necks into it.

“Oh!”

“Oooooh!”

Hyun Young, who had seen something white with a subtle purple glow, turned his head and said to the head of the medical hall. “It’s not a spirit pill?”

“Y-Yes! This is a spirit pill.”

“Isn’t it just a lump!”

“I-If we make it round and let it dry, it will be a spirit pill! E-Elder! It’s a success!”

“It’s a success?”

“Yes! If it weren’t a success, this scent would never come out! A spirit pill that emits light, I’ve never seen anything like it! If this isn’t a spirit pill, then what in the world is!”

Hyun Young looked back and forth between the cauldron, the head of the medical hall, and Chung Myung as if he couldn’t believe it.

And.

“Hahahahaha! You amazing rascal!” He rushed over and hugged Chung Myung tightly, as if there was nothing to think about.

“Ack! It hurts!”

“Bear with it, bear with it! Hahahaha! This lucky guy is now making spirit pills! What do you want to eat, you rascal!” And he picked up Chung Myung and spun him around.

“Aaaah! I’m getting dizzy!”

“You wonderful kid!”

Hyun Sang even shouted with tears in his eyes. “Sect Leader! Success, it’s a success!”

“Yes…. Yes. I see.” Hyun Jong, the sect leader, could not speak clearly. He was filled with too much feeling. He stared silently at the cauldron, then raised his head to look at the ceiling.

‘Ancestors.’

‘We finally reached this point.’

‘Are you watching us?’

An indescribable emotion shook Hyun Jong.

‘It’s all thanks to that guy showing up.’

If the ancestors hadn’t sent Chung Myung, he couldn’t imagine what Mount Hua would look like now.

No. Perhaps even the name Mount Hua would not be left by now.

Thinking about that, his nose kept getting stuffy.

It was the moment when Hyun Jong was about to say something, filled with emotion.

“No, wait, not yet!” Chung Myung hurriedly pushed Hyun Young away and lit a fire in his eyes.

“We don’t know what will happen! Don’t celebrate yet, let’s finish the spirit pill first! I won’t relax until I have that spirit pill!”

That’s right!

“Move, move!”

“O-Okay!”

“I’ll start right now!” The elders rushed to the cauldron, then tilted their heads.

Huh?

Whose words are we listening to right now?

“Quickly!”

“O-Okay! Yes!”

Who cares.

Who cares….