Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 264

“There are… rather too many people, wouldn’t you say?”

“I think I’m getting motion sickness.”

The disciples of Mount Hua looked around with weary faces.

Indeed, it felt as though the more they walked, the more the crowd around them grew.

“Stop looking so surprised, like you’ve never seen people before! Close your mouths!” Baek Cheon snapped.

The Baek disciples grumbled, but quieted down. One mumbled under his breath, “Well, we *are* from a small town. Hwayeom is practically the middle of nowhere compared to this.”

“Yeah, this is nothing like Luoyang!” Another chimed in.

“…You can’t compare it to Luoyang.” Baek Cheon shook his head.

He couldn’t say he didn’t understand his disciples’ reactions. It must be fascinating for them.

Most of the Mount Hua disciples, both Baek and Cheong, joined the sect when they were very young. They have spent their whole lives in the mountains. How often would they have seen so many people gathered like this?

“I thought Shaolin would be a serene temple. This is… something else.” Baek Sang said with surprise.

Jo Gul replied with a wry smile, “It is the most famous temple in the world. The donations from worshippers alone would allow them to claim to be the wealthiest sect in the world. How could it be quiet?”

“Hmm.”

“Famous sects earn money even if they do nothing. The reason sects try to prove their strength isn’t just about martial arts.”

“Indeed.” Hyun Jong, who had been listening to Jo Gul from the front, nodded slowly.

That was certainly true. Even Mount Hua had completely escaped its financial difficulties after winning the Jonghwa Assembly, hadn’t it?

If that was the case for Mount Hua, how much more would it be for Shaolin?

‘So that’s how they can hold such a grand competition.’

It was true that they had limited the number of participants with gold and silver invitations, but how many sects in the world were called prestigious?

At the very least, the number of those coming to participate in this competition would easily exceed a thousand.

Even if the worshippers and onlookers took care of their own food and lodging, feeding and housing those invited here was no small feat.

Shaolin was doing something that Mount Hua could only dream of.

“I realize anew just how grand this competition is. Just seeing so many people climbing Mount Song to witness this one event…”

“There hasn’t been anything like this in a hundred years, has there?”

“Even so, today isn’t even the day the matches are being held.”

“If they’ve come this early with nothing else to do, it must mean they’re trying to get a good spot in advance.”

“Hmm, indeed.”

Sure enough, they could hear people whispering as they saw them climbing the mountain.

“Where are they from? If they received an invitation, they must be a somewhat famous sect.”

“I wonder… Was there a sect that used plum blossoms as their symbol?”

“Plum blossoms? Ah, that’s right. Mount Hua!”

“Mount Hua?”

“You know, the ones who *used* to be famous.”

Baek Cheon’s face twisted slightly. ‘*Used* to be famous?’

We’re still famous, you lot!

He wanted to say something, but there was no point in getting into a fight with the spectators. And fortunately, some good words were starting to be heard as well.

“I heard they’ve been on a roll lately? There’s even talk that they fought and won against Wudang.”

“Eh, no way.”

“It’s just a rumor, a rumor. But rumors in the *fighting world* don’t come from nowhere.”

“Isn’t it also true that there’s nothing less reliable than rumors in the *fighting world*?”

“That’s also true.”

Baek Cheon curled the corners of his lips slightly.

“But that’s all they are. How could they ever be a match for the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families? This time, they’re probably just participating for the sake of it.”

The disciples of Mount Hua could clearly hear them speaking quietly. Their martial prowess had been heightened by Chung Myung’s training and nagging disguised as cultivation.

The enraged Baek disciples were about to turn their heads, but at that moment…

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you going up?” Chung Myung, who had been standing behind them with his hands behind his back, cut them off indifferently.

He chuckled as he looked at the Baek disciples, who seemed to have something to say.

“Are you going to fight those people to prove it?”

That was enough. After all, evaluations change depending on what you show.

They could prove that Mount Hua was different from the past through the martial arts competition.

“Let’s hurry a bit.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.” Hyun Jong quickened his pace.

It wasn’t that time was pressing. There was still plenty of time left to arrive. However, it wasn’t good for the disciples to keep getting distracted by their surroundings.

Rather than trying to control them here, it seemed better to arrive at Shaolin quickly and unpack their belongings.

But Hyun Jong’s choice led to a rather unwelcome result. As he hurried through the crowd and climbed the mountain, he frowned as he looked up.

“Sect Leader.”

“Hmm.” Hyun Sang also seemed taken aback as he spoke, having seen the crowd ahead.

It was because they saw the people they were most reluctant to meet climbing the mountain.

“…It’s Jongnam.”

“Yes.” Hyun Jong slowed his pace slightly.

He knew that Jongnam was also participating in this competition and that they would be an unavoidable opponent. But he still wanted to avoid meeting them before the competition.

However, as always, things didn’t go as he expected.

A disciple of Jongnam, who was at the rear of the group, glanced back and spotted the Mount Hua party. Startled, he quickly relayed the message to the front.

“It seems they’ve recognized us.”

“Ahem.” Hyun Jong furrowed his brow.

Eventually, the disciples of Jongnam all stopped in their tracks.

‘Troublesome.’

It was absurd and ridiculous that the first sect they encountered upon arriving at Shaolin was ‘that’ Jongnam. Of course, they must be just as uncomfortable, but now that the situation had come to this, they couldn’t avoid exchanging greetings.

It seemed they thought the same way. A man pushed through the disciples and walked towards them.

“Sect Leader Hyun Jong, it’s good to see you here. How have you been?” An old man with a sturdy build and striking white hair bowed first.

Hyun Jong struggled to compose his expression.

He knew the man before him all too well. A man who had lived a life so different from Hyun Jong’s. A man who had raised Jongnam, which had been suppressed by Mount Hua and was merely the last of the Nine Sects, into a dignified mainstay of the Nine Great Sects.

He was none other than the current Sect Leader of Jongnam, the Sword Under Heaven, Jongli Gok.

“Sect Leader.” Hyun Young nudged him slightly in the side, and Hyun Jong, realizing his mistake, quickly returned the bow.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Sect Leader.” And he put on a friendly smile.

Whatever their true feelings, wasn’t it their position to smile when they met?

“It must be nearly ten years.”

“Indeed. We are both so busy that we have too little time to visit each other.” Jongli Gok smiled gently.

“Even with each other so close, we have not been able to draw nearer. If we could use this opportunity to foster a little more friendship, wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?”

“You speak truly.” Hyun Jong looked at Jongli Gok with renewed interest.

‘This is strange.’

They were both sect leaders, but because their positions were so different, they hadn’t been able to see each other often.

Since both represented sects located in Shanxi, they occasionally had to meet. During those times, Hyun Jong always felt uneasy.

He felt his position as the head of the declining Mount Hua was nothing compared to Jongri Gok, the head of Jongnam, which was getting better every day.

Whenever Hyun Jong returned from meeting him, he would secretly drink to soothe his aching heart.

But now, he felt surprisingly calm.

Jongri Gok, who was usually so composed, seemed to be looking at him with a slightly disturbed expression. Was it just his imagination?

“But you seem to have changed a lot?” Jongri Gok asked.

Hyun Jong replied, “My heart has become peaceful, so good things are happening. Hehe.”

Jongri Gok quietly studied Hyun Jong before smiling.

Jongri Gok chuckled, a sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “’Good things,’ you say? ‘Good things’ indeed. We owe Mount Hua for your help at the last martial arts gathering. Honestly, who would have thought Mount Hua would grow so strong? Congratulations again, Sect Leader.”

Hyun Jong smiled.

Saying congratulations like that is how a boss speaks to someone below them. It meant Jongnam still thought they were better than Mount Hua, even after losing.

“It was just luck,” Hyun Jong said.

“Luck… you say luck,” Jongri Gok repeated with a subtle smile.

“If luck repeats itself, that luck can also be called skill. What do you think? Will you be able to achieve good results in this competition as well?”

Hyun Jong quietly stared at him before answering, “Well. I’m not sure, but…” He glanced at his disciples standing behind him.

Jongnam. For the disciples of Mount Hua, it was a name that felt heavy and uncomfortable, like a stone in their stomachs. In the past, the disciples of Mount Hua would either be intimidated or angered whenever they saw the disciples of Jongnam. But what about now?

They were now looking at Jongnam with indifferent eyes, devoid of any particular emotion.

‘It means they are no longer people we cannot deal with,’ Hyun Jong thought.

The Sect Leader could not afford to be intimidated when his disciples thought that way.

“We will simply do our best,” Hyun Jong said calmly.

Seeing Hyun Jong answer so confidently, Jongri Gok’s lips twitched slightly.

“Haha. Indeed, it is said that the position makes the person. The Sect Leader has changed a lot. Your confidence, which is much greater than before, it’s amazing to see.”

Yoon Jong, who was listening to the conversation between the two Sect Leaders from a short distance away, whispered, “Chung Myung.”

“Huh?” Chung Myung responded.

“Interpret,” Yoon Jong requested.

Chung Myung said, “The guy who couldn’t even lift his head in front of me in the past has grown up a lot.”

“…Hey, show some respect to the Sect Leader,” Yoon Jong scolded.

“You told me to interpret,” Chung Myung retorted.

“Keueung,” Yoon Jong groaned.

At Chung Myung’s interpretation, the disciples glared at Jongri Gok all at once. But Hyun Jong, who received the insult right in front of his eyes, remained calm.

“Hehe. What is there for me to be dignified about? I am simply following the guidance of Mount Hua’s ancestors,” Hyun Jong said.

“Interpret,” Yoon Jong asked again.

Chung Myung said, “In terms of history, you’re just a punk who used to sweep the yards of Mount Hua, but you sure know how to run your mouth.”

“…The Sect Leader’s eloquence is extraordinary as well,” Yoon Jong commented.

The disciples looked at Hyun Jong with new eyes. ‘Good heavens, our Sect Leader was someone who could deliver such high-class insults!’

Jongri Gok also seemed to have understood Hyun Jong’s true meaning, as he slightly narrowed his eyes.

“Mount Hua’s confidence is well-founded. The defeat at the previous martial arts gathering was a painful experience for our children as well. But because of that, our arrogant children were able to be reborn through hard training. Haha. It won’t be easy for Mount Hua this time either,” Jongri Gok said.

“That’s a very good thing,” Hyun Jong replied.

Jongri Gok wore a deep smile.

“So, it wouldn’t be so bad for Mount Hua to have the same experience once,” Jongri Gok suggested.

“Should we take such a good thing for ourselves? We will yield to Jongnam,” Hyun Jong responded.

Jongri Gok thought, without removing the smile from his lips, ‘This bastard.’

He doesn’t give in an inch.

It was something that would have been unimaginable in the past.

No longer able to hide his displeasure, Jongri Gok quickly wrapped up the conversation.

“Indeed, indeed. The Sect Leader’s words are correct. After all, the martial arts world is a place where results speak for themselves, isn’t it? I wish Mount Hua good luck in this martial arts competition,” Jongri Gok said.

“I wish Jongnam good results as well,” Hyun Jong replied.

The two men exchanged formal greetings.

Yoon Jong asked again, “Who won?”

“Our Sect Leader beat him to a pulp,” Chung Myung answered.

“As expected?” Yoon Jong asked with a proud smile.

He clearly etched the image of Jongri Gok striding back to his position into his eyes.

“Let’s go!” Jongri Gok commanded.

“Yes!” With a loud voice, all the disciples of Jongnam, who had been glaring at this side, turned their bodies.

But only three people were still giving their attention to this side.

One was Jin Geum-ryong. Jin Geum-ryong’s gaze had not strayed from Chung Myung from the beginning.

Receiving that gaze mixed with animosity and heat, Chung Myung chuckled. ‘Don’t even try. You’ll get beaten to death. A person needs to know their place!’

And the other was Lee Song-baek. Lee Song-baek was also giving his attention to Chung Myung, but the meaning seemed clearly different.

If Jin Geum-ryong was looking at Chung Myung with eyes that seemed to want to devour him, Lee Song-baek was sending a gaze of admiration.

Seeing that gaze full of admiration… ‘Ah, it’s ticklish,’ Chung Myung thought. He preferred Jin Geum-ryong’s gaze.

Anyway, these two were familiar faces.

The problem was the third gaze. A middle-aged man with a clean-cut impression was quietly looking at this side. However, his gaze landed on Baek Cheon, who was in front of Chung Myung.

Chung Myung, who had subtly gone to Baek Cheon’s side, asked while fixing his gaze on the middle-aged man, “Is that your father?”

“…Yes,” Baek Cheon answered.

“It must be nice to see him, Dong-ryong,” Chung Myung teased.

“…Don’t call me that,” Baek Cheon said.

“Hehe.” Chung Myung tapped Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“You can’t explain it with words or positions. The only thing you can show is your sword. Isn’t that right?”

“Of course,” Baek Cheon replied calmly. Chung Myung subtly turned to look at Baek Cheon.

Not a trace of agitation could be seen on his face.

‘He’s grown a lot,’ Chung Myung thought. He was not the Baek Cheon who couldn’t control his emotions in front of Jin Geum-ryong in the past. As much as his sword had grown, so had he.

Feeling a sense of pride, Chung Myung nodded.

As Jongnam moved away with quick steps, Baek Cheon turned to look at the disciples of Mount Hua and quietly asked, “Did you see that well?”

“Yes, Senior Brother,” the disciples replied.

“Those bastards still seem to think we’re easy. What should we do to those who can’t come to their senses even after getting beaten?”

“We have to beat them until they come to their senses,” one disciple said.

“Yes, that’s it,” Baek Cheon said with a smile.

‘I’m sorry, but you are no longer our match,’ Baek Cheon thought.

The same goes even if that opponent is his older brother, Jin Geum-ryong.

“Let’s go,” Baek Cheon said.

“Yes,” the disciples responded.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who had started climbing the mountain again, soon reached the gates of Shaolin. In front of the huge plaque that read Daesollimsa (大小林寺), they stepped into the gates of Shaolin with determined faces.

Now was the time for them to prove themselves.