Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 266

Glug, glug, glug.

As the tea was poured, a gentle scent spread around the room.

It was a tea scent that seemed right for Shaolin Temple.

Master Beopjeong, the abbot of Shaolin, smiled and gently pushed the cup forward.

“I don’t know if you’ll like the tea.”

Hyun Jong bowed, looking humble.

“How could I not like it when you, Abbot, are pouring? This is more than I deserve.”

Beopjeong quietly shook his head.

“Tea is just tea. It doesn’t matter who pours it, an emperor or a common person. Please, enjoy it.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Hyun Jong took the cup and looked around.

The abbot’s room was very simple, almost shabby, unlike the beautiful Shaolin scenery outside.

‘Indeed.’

Beopjeong himself didn’t seem special at first.

Even though he was the Shaolin Abbot, he didn’t seem to have a powerful aura.

If you didn’t notice his yellow robe, he looked like any old monk.

But that made Hyun Jong respect him even more.

He knew it was hard to be in charge and give up the power that came with it.

‘He truly deserves to be the Shaolin Abbot.’

Hyun Jong admired Beopjeong as he looked at him.

Then, Beopjeong put down his teacup and spoke.

“You must have had a hard journey to come so far.”

His words were gentle and kind.

“Compared to people who travel from really far away, we from Shanxi can’t say we’ve traveled much. I’m grateful you agreed to see me on short notice.”

Beopjeong looked at Hyun Jong and smiled kindly, his eyes crinkling.

“Actually, I should be grateful. I thought I would meet the sect leaders when they arrived, but no one came to see me first. You’ve saved me face, Sect Leader.”

Hyun Jong smiled wryly.

Who wouldn’t want to meet the Shaolin Abbot? They were probably too nervous to ask first.

Hyun Jong had asked without expecting much and was now surprised and happy to be meeting him.

“So…” Beopjeong began, looking at Hyun Jong.

“I’ve heard that Mount Hua Sect is doing well lately. Hyebang, who visited Mount Hua, was very impressed, I hear.”

“Haha…” ‘Impressed indeed.’

‘Since he saw Chung Myung.’

“That’s good. It made me sad to see Mount Hua, a famous sword sect, losing its strength. But seeing you, Sect Leader, I can see Mount Hua has a bright future. Amitabha (a Buddhist prayer).” Beopjeong lowered his head slightly.

Hyun Jong, also a little surprised, bowed in return.

“I hear Mount Hua did well in the recent competition? You must have worked hard, Sect Leader.”

“I’m ashamed. It’s not my achievement. It’s all thanks to the efforts of the young members of my sect.”

Beopjeong’s clear, calm eyes looked at Hyun Jong.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes, Abbot. Please, speak.”

“If you do well in this competition, Mount Hua will become even stronger.”

“I hope so.”

“But be careful.”

‘Be careful?’

Hyun Jong stared silently at Beopjeong, surprised by his words.

The old monk sighed softly and said.

“People are often like this: they don’t always like seeing others do well. They can be jealous.”

“……”

“Mount Hua might become a target of jealousy, so be mindful.”

Hyun Jong cleared his throat softly and looked at Beopjeong with a gentle smile.

“I’m grateful for your words, Abbot. But Mount Hua isn’t important enough to be envied by other sects.”

“Hmm.”

“So, let’s not worry about that now and focus on doing well in this competition.”

“Amitabha. It seems I was worrying without needing to,” Beopjeong said softly.

Hyun Jong straightened up as he watched Beopjeong chant the Buddhist prayer.

‘So unpretentious.’

But he knew that wasn’t the whole story.

The Abbot of Shaolin, who led the thousand-year-old Shaolin Temple, couldn’t be just an ordinary person.

Maybe Beopjeong was carefully watching and judging Hyun Jong even now.

He didn’t know what Beopjeong thought of him, but…

‘I should at least make a good impression.’

That way, things would be easier when they met again.

Hyun Jong was about to say something when…

“Hmm.”

Hyun Jong and Beopjeong heard the commotion outside and subtly turned their heads. Unlike Hyun Jong, who frowned slightly, Beopjeong remained calm.

“There’s no need to worry.”

“……Yes?”

Beopjeong smiled gently.

“When many people gather, small and big things happen. Most of the time, it’s nothing serious, so you don’t need to worry.”

But Hyun Jong’s face turned white.

‘Incidents?’ ‘Small and big incidents?’

Seeing his strange expression, Beopjeong tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ha… Haha. Well…” Hyun Jong knew himself and Mount Hua very well.

‘Even though there are many people here…’

When it came to trouble, who else could it be but Mount Hua?

Could any other sect cause trouble in Shaolin?

‘No way.’

Hyun Jong jumped up.

“Sect Leader?” Beopjeong looked questioningly, and Hyun Jong said awkwardly, “I, I apologize. I’m just curious about what’s happening outside…”

“Ah… If that’s the case,” Beopjeong turned to the door and said softly, “Gongsim.”

A careful voice answered from outside.

“Yes, Abbot.”

“What’s happening outside?”

“……It seems some disciples from other sects are fighting.”

“Hmm.”

Beopjeong smiled wryly. He had expected some trouble when he gathered so many energetic people.

But he didn’t think anyone would cause trouble on the first day.

“Which sects are fighting?”

“Hainan and Mount Hua, they say.”

“I see. Hainan and…”

“Huh?”

“……Where?”

“Hainan and Mount Hua.”

“Mount Hua. Yes, Mount Hua… If it’s Mount Hua…” Beopjeong tilted his head slightly.

“……” Hyun Jong met his gaze and flinched.

“……” A very uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Even Abbot Beopjeong of Shaolin, a man known for his wisdom, was speechless.

“I, I think I must be going.”

“Ah…”

“Th, then!”

Hyun Jong hurried out of the room.

Beopjeong, who had instinctively reached out, chuckled wryly and lowered his hand. Then, he slowly stood up.

‘Hwasan, is it?’

Weren’t they a spirited bunch?

“How audacious.”

It seemed he had to visit them himself.

With a wry smile, Beopjeong slowly left the room.

“…What in the world is that rascal babbling about?”

Make him crawl all the way to Hainan?

“Huh?”

Gwak Hwan-so, the senior disciple from the Hainan Sect, couldn’t hide his confusion as he stared at Baek Cheon.

Watching Baek Cheon, who had placed his sword on the ground and crossed his arms, made him feel a surge of anger.

His words and actions were infuriating.

What made Gwak Hwan-so even angrier was that Baek Cheon’s arrogant pose seemed subtly… dashing.

‘That pale-faced fellow!’

As a proud son of the Hainan seas, he couldn’t accept that such a sight could be considered handsome.

Yes, he’d rather look at that bronze-skinned…

“…Do you lot even ride boats?”

“What was that?”

“Ah, never mind.”

Gwak Hwan-so tilted his head, puzzled.

Why did these Central Plains weasels smell like rough sea dogs?

Just then, a voice from behind urged him on.

“Senior Brother.”

“Ahem.”

Only then did Gwak Hwan-so come to his senses, scowling irritably and raising his voice.

“So, you lot from a ruined sect still have mouths. I wouldn’t have let you off so easily usually, but this time I’ll specially…”

At that moment, Baek Cheon raised his hand slightly, stopping Gwak Hwan-so’s words.

“…What is it?”

Gwak Hwan-so, his face contorted at being interrupted, asked. Baek Cheon, with a nonchalant expression, replied.

“Looks like you Hainan fellows fight with your mouths, but Hwasan fights with swords. If you’re going to charge, then charge. If not, just leave. I don’t have a habit of beating up those who run away.”

“…What did this little…!”

Just as Gwak Hwan-so was about to leap forward, hands reached out from either side, urgently grabbing him.

“Senior Brother!”

“Don’t forget where we are.”

“Eeeek!”

Gwak Hwan-so glared at Baek Cheon, his eyes bloodshot.

‘Damn bastards. If this weren’t Shaolin…’

No matter that they were disciples of Hainan, they didn’t have the nerve to draw swords against another sect within Shaolin.

“Consider yourselves lucky. If this weren’t Shaolin, you’d be pulp by now.”

“Ah. So, you’re going to run away? Fine, then. Do as you please.”

Gwak Hwan-so, his anger reaching boiling point at Baek Cheon’s sarcasm, trembled violently.

Then, grinding his teeth so hard he thought they might break, he growled.

“You beggars don’t even know your place!”

Watching him roar like an enraged boar, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul sighed.

‘Our martial uncle has reached a new level in provoking people.’

‘Well, he learned from the best. What more can you say?’

The disciples of Hwasan were all impressed as they watched Baek Cheon crush half of Gwak Hwan-so’s reason with his casually tossed words.

‘That’s right, the senior disciple of Hwasan can’t lose even with words.’

On the other hand, Gwak Hwan-so, who was losing with words, was so enraged that he was on the verge of going mad.

Hwasan.

A sect that was once one of the Nine Great Sects. Now, it was a declining sect, its place taken by Hainan.

And yet, those insignificant fellows dared to provoke Hainan?

As he struggled to contain his anger, he heard his junior brother’s voice.

“You must restrain yourself, Senior Brother. Those fellows will only be humiliated and return. There’s no need for us to intervene. Wouldn’t the Sect Leader be furious if word got out that Hainan disciples beat up Hwasan disciples at Shaolin?”

“Ummm.”

At his junior brother’s words, Gwak Hwan-so, who had been breathing heavily, nodded after a moment.

It was true that he was seething with anger, but he couldn’t cause an incident here. He had that much sense.

“Hmph. Very well. I’ll let it go this time. But you’d better be careful. If anyone meets us in this tournament, they should be prepared to have a bone or two broken. In the arena, you’ll experience the swordsmanship of Hainan like never before.”

He shot one last glare at Baek Cheon, about to turn around dramatically, when—

“Who said we’d let you?”

“…Huh?”

He tilted his head slightly.

From behind, a fellow with a mischievous face trudged forward. Then, standing askew, he spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Why are kids these days so lacking in grit? It wasn’t like this in my day. Once you start a fight, you go until only one guy is left standing. What’s with just scratching and running with your mouths? Is that how they teach you in Hainan?”

“Huh?”

Gwak Hwan-so stared at Chung Myung with utter disbelief.

‘Judging by the looks of it, he’s a third-generation disciple?’

How dare a third-generation disciple step forward in this situation?

“Who are you?”

“None of your business, you little brat.”

Gwak Hwan-so’s eyes widened at the unexpected outburst.

Seeing his reaction, Chung Myung smirked and tossed his sword to the ground.

“What? Can’t draw swords because we’re in Shaolin? Then we’ll just use our fists. Come on out. I’ll twist that ugly jaw of yours around to the other side, nice and pretty.”

“Yo, you…”

“Ah, did you already get scared and run away after taking off your underwear? Why are you so quiet?”

Gwak Hwan-so’s cheeks twitched.

“S, Senior Brother.”

“Enough!”

His eyes, devoid of reason, seemed half-crazed.

“I am well aware that this is Shaolin. But if we retreat after being insulted to this extent, what will the world think of us?”

At his words, Gwak Hwan-so’s junior brothers glanced around.

Spectators were already gathering. It was a bit awkward, but it was too late to back down. They couldn’t allow Hainan to appear as if they were fleeing from Hwasan in front of these people.

“Very well! Fists, you say?”

Gwak Hwan-so glared.

“So, you thought you could handle us with your bare hands even if you can’t with swords. I’ll show you that Hwasan can’t beat us no matter what they do. You’ll know exactly why you were kicked out of the Nine Great Sects when you go back.”

The disciples of the Hainan Sect simultaneously drew their swords and planted them in the ground.

Seeing this, Jo Gul turned his head sharply to look at Yoon Jong.

“What do we do?”

“What do you mean, what do we do?”

Yoon Jong grinned and drew his sword, planting it in the ground.

“We need to smash that mouth of his first. Hwasan this, Nine Great Sects that? I’ll take care of that bastard.”

“…”

Watching Yoon Jong, who had already lost his mind, Jo Gul smiled faintly.

‘This is a lost cause.’

There wasn’t a rational person left.

Well, what could he do?

Jo Gul had no choice but to throw himself into the fray.

The disciples of Hainan and Hwasan, having all drawn their swords, glared at each other, facing off.

Chung Myung cracked his neck a couple of times.

“Not causing trouble is important, but!”

Chung Myung rolled his eyes.

“Beating up those bastards who insulted Hwasan is even more important! Unless you’re an animal, you can’t stand by when the sect that fed you and raised you is being insulted!”

It was a simple but effective incitement. A madness began to creep into the eyes of the Hwasan disciples.

“Bury them!”

“Oooooh! Let’s smash their heads!”

Chung Myung’s gang… no, the disciples of Hwasan all shouted and charged towards the Hainan Sect.