Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 253

“He hasn’t come out of his room again today?” Hwang Jong-yi asked.

“No, Sir, that’s right,” the merchant replied.

Hwang Jong-yi frowned, his eyes showing worry. “How is he eating?”

“He asks us to leave the food outside his door. He takes the trays back out when he’s done, so…”

“Hmm,” Hwang Jong-yi murmured. He glanced at the closed door of Chung Myung’s room. “I wonder what he’s doing in there?”

“We can’t go in, so we have no idea,” said the merchant.

Hwang Jong-yi sighed. “Goodness, what is going on?”

The door stayed tightly closed. It didn’t look like it would open anytime soon. Chung Myung hadn’t come out for three whole days.

Chung Myung is a famous master in the martial world, Hwang Jong-yi thought. He can easily take care of himself. But still, he’s human. Shouldn’t he feel trapped in there after so long?

It seemed like Chung Myung was doing something very important. Hwang Jong-yi felt he couldn’t just go and bother him. He respected Chung Myung’s privacy, especially since he was a master.

“So,” Hwang Jong-yi started to say.

Just then, a loud, frustrated shout burst from the room. “Aaaaargh! I’m going crazy, really!”

Hwang Jong-yi stopped talking and closed his mouth.

Even with the huge shout coming from the room, Hwang Jong-yi wasn’t surprised at all. The merchant standing next to him also looked tired and used to it.

That’s because…

“That’s been happening for three days now,” the merchant said calmly.

“Yes, Sir. He’s been like that for three days straight,” he confirmed.

“Heo…” Hwang Jong-yi shook his head again. “Goodness.”

People said geniuses were often strange, so it made sense that Chung Myung would be unusual. But seeing his weird behavior himself, Hwang Jong-yi couldn’t hide his confusion.

“Anyway,” Hwang Jong-yi said, “make sure he has plenty of food.”

“Yes, Sir!” the merchant replied.

“…And give him his drinks too,” Hwang Jong-yi added.

“Yes, Sir.”

In the end, Hwang Jong-yi walked away without understanding what was happening.

Chung Myung is just someone I can’t understand, Hwang Jong-yi thought. He’s too amazing for someone like me.

But Hwang Jong-yi knew one thing for sure.

Every time Chung Myung did something, Mount Hua got much better. Maybe this time would be the same.

He’s like a dragon, bringing good fortune with every move. He really is amazing.

“Aaaaargh! Why can’t I remember this!”

Chung Myung threw himself onto the floor of the small room, rolling around among the scattered papers. He hit his head hard with his fist again and again.

If Hwang Jong-yi had seen this messy scene, he would have laughed at himself for calling Chung Myung a dragon. He might even spit on the floor in disbelief.

But Chung Myung didn’t care how bad he looked right now.

“Is there a hole in my head?” he yelled.

Why couldn’t he remember the secret words?

“Kkeueueung. I should have listened when my senior master kept telling me to study more,” Chung Myung groaned.

Chung Myung was feeling a regret that almost everyone in the world knows.

But it wasn’t completely Chung Myung’s fault.

Remembering the secret words for martial arts is very hard. For advanced martial arts, the words alone can be as long as a thick book. No one can remember all of them perfectly.

If people could remember all the words perfectly, why would they need books of instructions?

So, it was really frustrating.

Normally, his bad memory would be helped by the books. But now, he was in a situation where he had to use his memory to fix the missing books. It was backwards now.

“No! It goes like this! Wait, no! Like this!” Chung Myung mumbled to himself.

It was strange, wasn’t it?

He could do the martial arts moves perfectly, but he couldn’t remember the secret words to go with them.

It was like building a perfect house, but then losing the plans. So, he had to take the house apart piece by piece in his mind to draw the plans again.

“No, why can’t I remember! Why is my brain so stupid now? I wasn’t like this before!”

He was so frustrated that he slapped his head again and again. Then, suddenly, he stopped. His eyes widened.

“Oh? I remember!”

That was weird.

Hitting his head should make him dumber, so why did it help him remember the words?

If I keep this up, my head will be broken before I finish these books!

“Augh!”

He jumped up and rushed to his desk. He grabbed his brush and ink and quickly wrote down the words he had just remembered.

“Yes! That’s it!”

Once he remembered one part, the rest came easily, like magic. Then, when he got stuck again, he would roll around, hit himself, and struggle.

He had been doing this for three days already.

Because of all this, a tall pile of finished books was already stacked in the corner of the room. They looked impressive.

Bamboo Leaf Hand.

Great Void Palm.

Plum Blossom Scattering Hand.

Supreme Unity Finger.

Falling Blossom Step.

And many more.

He even took the time to rewrite the martial arts that Mount Hua already had. He was worried that if he only included new martial arts, people would become suspicious.

“Done!”

Chung Myung held up the finished book.

Hidden Fragrance Drift.

So many books.

“Tsk,” Chung Myung clicked his tongue, feeling proud.

He threw the book onto the pile. Then, he looked at the stack of books with fresh eyes.

Yes.

Mount Hua had so many different kinds of martial arts.

It makes me feel cold inside just thinking about it, he thought.

The idea that all these martial arts could have been lost if he hadn’t come back to life gave him the shivers.

“Thinking about it makes me furious,” Chung Myung muttered, “those bastards.”

He was angry at the evil Demonic Sect who had attacked Mount Hua. And he was angry at the other powerful martial arts groups, the Nine Great Sects, who hadn’t helped them.

“Do you think I’ll forget this anger?” he growled.

I’m Chung Myung, you fools.

I’ve been busy until now, so I left you alone. But don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten. I’m going to smash every single one of your heads.

Chung Myung was shaking with anger. He took a deep, angry breath.

Okay, everything else is mostly finished now, Chung Myung thought.

His eyes looked at the neat stack of twenty-four books.

“Ha…” Chung Myung sighed. “This is the real problem.”

When he first came into this room, he had planned to start with the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style. But somehow, he had saved it for last.

Now, he couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to face it now.

“What should I do?” Chung Myung groaned. He sat down heavily, crossing his arms, looking worried.

Was he really stuck?

Of course not.

He could forget every other martial art, but never the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style. This sword style was the heart of Mount Hua and of who Chung Myung was. He could remember all the secret words perfectly, and he could draw all twenty-four diagrams in his mind.

The only reason he hadn’t started it yet was one question.

“What should I give them?” he wondered aloud.

Of course, he had to give them the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style.

The problem was, Chung Myung knew two versions of it.

One was the basic Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style that had been taught in Mount Hua for generations.

And the other was his own version, the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style that Chung Myung himself had created and changed.

This wasn’t really strange.

Swordsmen who became the best would always change the old sword styles to fit them better. Chung Myung had already changed the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style before he was even forty years old. He had almost made his own style perfect during the war against the Demonic Sect.

His version was more useful and more attacking. It was the best style for the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Chung Myung.

“Kkeueueung,” Chung Myung scratched his head hard.

“No matter how I think about it, my Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style is better for Mount Hua right now.”

First, it was easier to teach. And people could learn it much faster than the old style.

Most importantly, it was more useful in a fight. It would work much better when they fought against other groups.

Fast and effective. Just like Chung Myung’s personality. There was no better sword style for Mount Hua to get strong quickly.

Even though he tried not to worry, he couldn’t help it.

Changing the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Formation was a big deal for Mount Hua. It could change everything important about their group.

If it was any other sword move, he would not think twice. He would share what he thought was right without question. But this sword formation was special.

It was hard to explain. Changing this felt like Mount Hua would lose its true identity.

In their Taoist group, sword moves were not just for fighting. He didn’t want to talk about some complicated idea like ‘finding Tao in the sword’… ‘It’s about the spirit inside.’

Mount Hua swords aimed for ‘flowering’ – like a flower blooming. The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Formation showed this spirit perfectly. If they changed it without care, the very spirit of Mount Hua’s sword could be damaged.

*Sound of frustration* Chung Myung scratched his head hard, almost making it bleed. He stopped and sighed deeply.

What should I do?

Should he stick to the old ways?

Or try something new?

He thought for a long time, then lay down on the floor.

“Sect Leader, Head Disciple,” he said to himself. “What do you think is the best way?” It was like he could hear Cheong Mun’s voice in his head. – “Why are you worrying about silly things? This isn’t like you.”

“If I had you, I wouldn’t be worrying. I’m worrying because I’m doing it alone! I’m afraid of being nagged at later!”

Bad people.

You should have come together to help. Sending one person to do everything. Ugh.

– What’s the worry?

“I’m wondering if it’s right to modify the sword techniques passed down by our ancestors.”

– Why not give them both?

“Why are you saying such things when you know perfectly well? If you give them both, they’ll be confused and not know which one to learn. In about a hundred years, groups will argue over which one to learn.”

That’s how people are.

Chung Myung trusted the disciples of Mount Hua now, of course. But he couldn’t control the disciples who would join after he died.

Dividing the sword into two was not a good way to lead even them.

– Then what’s the worry?

“Ah, really! The ancestors…”

– Aren’t you like an ancestor now?

“……Huh?” Chung Myung tilted his head, confused. ‘What does he mean?’ – “Are there different kinds of ancestors? The first person to hear something, the first to learn it, they become like an ancestor for those who come after. Aren’t you like that to them now?”

“…….”

Huh?

Wait a minute. Does it work like that?

– There’s nothing to worry about. Your will is the will of the ancestors, and your intention is the intention of the ancestors. No, your will is the will of Mount Hua, and your intention is the intention of Mount Hua. Just do as you wish.

“No, but still…”

– Isn’t that the Tao?

Chung Myung frowned.

“Is it really okay?”

– The world flows and flows. The world changes, transforms, and flows again. And…

Cheong Mun seemed to smile gently.

– Aren’t you flowing in Mount Hua now? Just as Mount Hua flows within you, you flow within Mount Hua. Do as you wish. That is the most natural Mount Hua.

Soon, the voice faded away.

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung jumped up from his seat and grabbed a brush.

Chung Myung also knew that the voice wasn’t really Cheong Mun’s. It was his true feelings speaking in Cheong Mun’s name.

“Yeah, the words are right. I’m the ancestor! Is there any other ancestor!”

Of course, he didn’t know if he would be dragged away and spanked by the founder when he ascended to the Immortal Realm later…

“I just won’t go to the Immortal Realm!”

Finally, Chung Myung opened a new book, his eyes full of determination.

He would put his heart into this book.

The Mount Hua sword and Chung Myung’s own sword.

This was a chance to make his martial arts even stronger.

He looked seriously at the books in front of him.

Chung Myung stared silently at the books piled up in front of him.

‘How much time has passed?’

Well. He didn’t know.

He had almost forgotten time since he started writing the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Formation.

He smacked his lips as he looked at the piled-up manuals.

‘It’s not perfect, but…’ It was good enough. Future students could fix the parts that were missing.

Wasn’t martial arts about improving things that seemed perfect, finding small mistakes, and growing stronger?

Making everything perfect right away wasn’t always the best thing.

So, no regrets.

More importantly…

“How am I going to carry all this?”

If he went around carrying something this big, he would definitely look strange, wouldn’t he?

“Hmm.”

Was there no other way?

Chung Myung got up from his seat.

“Hmm.”

Hwang Jongi walked slowly.

The moon was almost gone, so it was very dark. He always walked around the Hwayeom branch before bed.

‘The Hwayeom branch has really grown a lot.’

Originally, he thought it was a bit unreasonable, but now he admired his father’s foresight in creating the Hwayeom branch.

Moreover, if he could participate in the tea trade that Mount Hua was conducting this time, the Hwayeom branch might become even larger than the Eunha Merchant Guild’s main branch.

‘So, the relationship with Mount Hua… Huh?’

Hwang Jongi, who had been lost in thought, widened his eyes.

He saw Chung Myung’s door, which had been tightly closed for seven days and nights, finally slowly opening.

“Ah, finally… Huh?”

His face, which had been slightly brightened by joy, froze terribly.

Someone came out of the door, walking heavily.

Black clothes for night.

A black hood hiding his face.

And a big bundle on his back…

‘A thief?’

No, why would a thief come out of there? It was a place where even a grandfather thief couldn’t survive, let alone a thief.

Just as he was wondering whether to shout in bewilderment, the thief who found him waved his hand.

“It’s been a while.”

“Se, surely… Ch, Chung Myung disciple?”

“Yes.”

“Wh, what’s with that outfit?”

“Ah?”

Chung Myung glanced down at his clothes and waved his hand as if it were nothing.

“Don’t worry about it. More than that, I’ll be back for a bit.”

Where to?

Hey, you crazy bastard! Where are you going dressed like that?

“Wh, where are you going? On this dark night?”

“I’m just going to stop by Mount Hua, so don’t worry about it. Ah. Please put in my breakfast. I’ll be back before then. Then!”

Chung Myung waved his hand brightly and darted away.

After his body shot straight towards Mount Hua, Hwang Jongi smiled faintly.

‘Let’s forget it.’

Let’s just think of it as a dream.

That seemed to be good for his mental health.

…That crazy bastard.