Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 273

In the world of Kangho, people greatly admire strength.

They admire the strongest under the heavens and try to become strong themselves. The people of Kangho have a great affection for the strong.

Of course, the crowd cheered. What else could they do after seeing such an unbelievable thing?

“Woooaaahhhh!”

“Hwasan Shinryong! Hwasan Shinryong!”

“Long live Hwasan!”

The cheers were like a storm, shaking the arena. The sound bounced off the walls and filled the air, making it hard to hear anything else. The cheers showed no signs of stopping, even long after the match had ended.

Matches in other arenas finished one by one, but no one paid attention to the results.

Chung Myung’s strike had been too amazing.

“To think he took down the Hainan Sect’s chief disciple!”

“Without even using a sword!”

“I’d heard about the Hwasan Shinryong, but I didn’t know he was this amazing! This is even better than the rumors said!”

“Was that… a surprise attack?” someone whispered.

Another voice scoffed, “A surprise attack? Nonsense! Anyone who’s careless on the stage is a fool. And Head Disciple Gongcho gave the signal to start the match. What carelessness are you talking about? It’s skill, pure skill!”

“That’s right. If you feel wronged, you should have won!”

“Hwasan has really gotten strong! To defeat Hainan in one blow.”

Small disagreements didn’t matter to anyone.

Most of those gathered there wanted to see the future leaders of Kangho with their own eyes.

They would have cheered for any win. But they had just seen something amazing. How could they not be thrilled?

However, even with the tremendous cheers, Chung Myung simply showed no emotion.

“What’s so great about it.”

“Hwasan Shinryong! Hwasan Shinryong! Hwasan! Hwasan Shinryong!”

“It’s nothing much…”

“Hwasan! Hwasan! Hwasan Shinryong!”

…

Chung Myung’s lips began to twitch.

Baek Cheon watched him, looking unsure.

‘He’s overjoyed, absolutely overjoyed.’

“Ah, no. Well… it’s nothing much… Hee hee…”

“Just smile, Chung Myung. You’ll burst a blood vessel at this rate.”

“Pleased? Please! It was just a little fish.”

Baek Cheon grinned. “Your face says otherwise, Chung Myung.”

Chung Myung then tried to smooth out the corners of his mouth with his hands.

Baek Cheon sighed deeply.

A single strike.

It really was a single strike.

With that one strike, Chung Myung instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.

No one knew if Chung Myung planned to win in one strike to get attention, or if he was just annoyed and wanted to finish quickly.

However, whatever the reason, the result was the same.

Now, it was clear that everyone would be paying attention to Chung Myung and Hwasan throughout the competition.

“Be careful, Chung Myung.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung tilted his head slightly and looked at Baek Cheon.

“Being overly noticed isn’t a good thing either. Look. Everyone is already wary of you.”

Baek Cheon pointed around, and Chung Myung looked.

Certainly, more eyes were on him than before.

The attention of the wildly cheering audience was natural, but gazes that were different from that were also focused on him.

They were the disciples of each sect participating in the competition.

Some looked at him with shaken eyes, while others studied him with caution.

They had eyes, so they couldn’t possibly not know how amazing Chung Myung’s actions were. It would be stranger if they weren’t wary in this situation.

However, Chung Myung, receiving those gazes, glared back instead.

“Why are they staring? Do they want to lose an eye?”

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

Fortunately, Baek Cheon, who was waiting next to him, quickly stopped Chung Myung and calmed him down.

“You showed them that kind of performance, so they have no choice but to be wary!”

“What can those punks do even if they’re wary? They’re not even worth a fistful!”

Uh…

That was true.

Certainly, Chung Myung was not someone who could be handled by being wary or anything else. Whether they knew that was another matter.

Then, Chung Myung licked his lips slightly and said quietly.

“Remember this, Sa 숙.”

“Huh?”

“Show no mercy.”

…

“If you go easy on them, they’ll think they can win next time if they do well. And they’ll underestimate us. When you win, you have to trample them without blood or tears. That way, when they meet us next time, they’ll be intimidated and won’t be able to look us in the eye.”

“Are we the Black Faction?”

“Even the Black Faction, a group known for being ruthless and efficient, can teach us something. Those guys prioritize survival and profit over face and everything else, so they move most efficiently.”

…

“Keep that in mind. Never go easy on them. If you want to win, you have to win overwhelmingly! That way…”

Chung Myung’s gaze shifted slightly upwards.

Towards the leaders of each sect on the platform.

His eyes, scanning the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, held clear mockery.

Meanwhile.

“Heo?”

The leaders of each sect, who were watching the match from the platform, also couldn’t hide their surprise.

“Truly amazing. That child from Hwasan’s skills are truly outstanding, aren’t they?”

“The opponent wasn’t particularly careless either, but I momentarily missed the movement myself.”

“I’ve heard the name Hwasan Shinryong a few times, and he really is a child who will become an excellent pillar of the future, isn’t he?”

Sincere admiration was clearly evident in his voice.

The skill that Chung Myung showed was enough to surprise even the heads of the Nine Sects and Five Great Families.

Of course, their gazes also revealed an undeniable light of wariness.

‘Even so, a single strike.’

‘That Gwak Hwan-so’s skills were by no means lacking either. But he couldn’t even react?’

This went beyond the question of whose skills were superior.

It was a result that could only be aimed for with a difference of at least one level of skill or more.

No, even with a difference of more than one level of skill, most would not dare to take down Gwak Hwan-so in one blow.

That Hwasan Shinryong did that difficult thing so casually.

“Hwasan Shinryong. Hwasan Shinryong…”

“He’s more than I’ve heard.”

Most of the leaders there did not agree with the statement that Hwasan Shinryong was the best of the younger generation under the heavens.

To be precise, it wasn’t that they didn’t acknowledge Hwasan Shinryong. It was closer to not acknowledging the false name of being the best of the younger generation under the heavens.

In fact, that position could only be judged by the evaluations that came out and the actions of those who stepped out into Kangho. It was nearly impossible to compare all the younger generation under the heavens one by one.

Moreover, if it was a great sect like the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families, each sect had at least one pillar of the future that they were raising with their future at stake.

‘If my disciple steps out into Kangho, they can easily overturn such evaluations’.

This was the thought that each leader secretly held.

But at this moment, the thought that perhaps the fame that Hwasan Shinryong had gained might not be a false name after all took over their minds.

Could their disciples really show such a performance? Even a sense of doubt.

No one would easily nod their heads in agreement to that question.

The usual polite talk slowly stopped. As people understood how surprising the result was, they became more wary than admiring.

“Ahem.”

In that strange atmosphere, Hyun Jong had to try hard to calm his shoulders, which kept stretching out as if they were being pulled by a rubber band.

It wasn’t difficult to guess the inner thoughts of the leaders who kept losing their words.

‘They must be shocked.’

But it could get even more ridiculous.

Hyun Jong had been putting up with this foolish situation for years. And finally, after all those difficult years, this moment had arrived.

This was the perfect moment to show everyone Mount Hua’s Chung Myung!

Just then, Tang Gunak smiled and quietly said to Hyun Jong.

“Congratulations, Sect Leader of Mount Hua!”

“Ha… Haha. I guess we were lucky,” Hyun Jong replied.

“Lucky? Being too humble is not good either. Who else could have done something like this?” Tang Gunak said.

Someone else joined the conversation, “That’s right.”

Hyun Jong was a little surprised and turned his head, looking puzzled.

It was Jongli Gok, the Sect Leader of Jongnam, the Sword of the World, who spoke.

“Yes, it is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, Chung Myung. I saw him at the last Jonghwa Assembly (the previous big meeting). He is truly talented and could become the best in the world one day.”

‘What’s with this guy?’ Hyun Jong thought.

‘Did he eat something wrong?’

Hyun Jong stared at Jongli Gok, confused, then finally nodded. ‘So, that’s what he’s doing.’

Jongnam suffered the most humiliation from Chung Myung.

If they couldn’t change what happened, it was better for Chung Myung to prove his skills.

That way, Jongnam wouldn’t look like a foolish sect humiliated by someone unimportant.

Of course, they probably hated Chung Myung so much they wanted to kill him a thousand times over.

“Indeed, that is so,” Hyun Jong said.

“As expected of the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua,” Jongli Gok added.

Maybe thinking the same thing, Heo Do-jin also started praising Chung Myung.

Tang Gunak and Heo Do-jin’s words were very important.

With Heo Do-jin joining in, the other sect leaders also began to offer compliments and praise, hiding their wariness.

“Congratulations, Sect Leader,” one said.

“Haha. It seems Mount Hua reclaiming its former glory isn’t too far off,” another added.

The corners of Hyun Jong’s lips twitched, fighting back a wide grin.

It was the child who brought honor to his parents, and the disciple who brought honor to the Sect Leader. His honor couldn’t be shown more clearly than here.

“Ahem. Ahem! Thank you all,” Hyun Jong said, covering his mouth with his fist and coughing a few times.

Looking down, he saw Chung Myung arguing with Baek Cheon.

Sometimes, Chung Myung made him want to throw away all his dignity, jump on him, and tear him apart. But at times like this, he couldn’t be more adorable.

Hyun Jong now understood how Hyun Young felt. He always wanted to protect Chung Myung, no matter what.

While everyone was congratulating Mount Hua, regardless of their true feelings, one person couldn’t join in.

“Isn’t this just because of a surprise attack!” Geum Yang-baek shouted.

“Hmm.”

“Ahem.”

Those who turned to look at the ridiculous comment recognized him and gave awkward smiles.

It was Geum Yang-baek, the Sect Leader of the Hainan Sect.

His face turned a furious red, almost black with rage, as he shouted.

“I accept the result of the match. But if that child hadn’t been careless, it wouldn’t have ended so easily!”

Tang Gunak, listening to the excuse, smiled sadly.

‘He’s hurting his own image,’ he thought.

For a martial artist, being careless was more shameful than lacking skill, especially in a formal martial arts competition. How could that happen?

But at the same time, he understood Geum Yang-baek’s feelings.

‘He must be finding it hard to think clearly right now.’

His prized disciple had been crushed in one blow, and Hainan’s reputation had plummeted.

As the leader of a sect, there could be nothing worse.

“Just wait and see. The other children will soon prove that Hainan’s skills are not to be underestimated!” Geum Yang-baek said angrily.

No one responded to his angry words.

However, one phrase stuck in everyone’s minds.

‘Other children.’

They had seen the skills of Mount Hua’s famous Divine Dragon, Chung Myung.

Then, what about the skills of the other disciples of Mount Hua?

The sect leaders looked towards the disciples of Mount Hua.

Depending on the result…

‘Maybe this martial arts competition will become Mount Hua’s stage,’ they thought.

The faces of the sect leaders began to turn serious.

“Listen carefully,” Baek Cheon said sternly.

“Absolutely do not copy that bastard.” He looked at Chung Myung, who was sitting on a chair next to him, tearing jerky with a *schlak schlak* sound, and frowned.

“Don’t try to copy someone much stronger than you, you’ll get hurt. If we try to copy that Chung Myung, our heads will be smashed. Never try to end the match in one go, and just focus on showing all your skills! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Yes, Senior Uncle!”

“Yes!”

Everyone agreed with Baek Cheon.

But Chung Myung tilted his head as if he disagreed.

“That’s not it, Senior Uncle,” Chung Myung said.

“Shut up!” Baek Cheon shouted.

“Don’t tell us to do *your* crazy stuff! Tell us what *we* should do, you fiend!”

“What’s so special about catching those guys?” Chung Myung asked.

“Ugh!” Baek Cheon turned away, not wanting to deal with him anymore. He urged again, “Anyway, absolutely do not copy what that Chung Myung does. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

No matter how scary Chung Myung was, when Baek Cheon and Chung Myung’s opinions clashed so openly, it was better to follow Baek Cheon for now.

Just then…

“S, Senior Brother! Jo Gul’s match is starting!” someone shouted.

“Oh!” Baek Cheon was startled and quickly shouted, “Jo Gul, you too, stay calm for now…!”

Wham!

“…”

“…”

Baek Cheon’s shout faded away.

Everyone stared blankly at the martial arts stage.

Jo Gul’s sword flashed, and with a *thud*, his opponent flew out of the ring, landing in a heap outside. Dust puffed up from the arena floor. Jo Gul, who had blown his opponent out of the arena with one blow, also looked utterly dumbfounded as he stared at his convulsing opponent outside the ring.

“C, calmly…” Jo Gul looked back and forth between his sword and the fallen opponent. He slowly turned his head, made eye contact with Baek Cheon, and said in a voice that sounded wronged, “S, Senior Uncle.”

“…Huh?” Baek Cheon asked.

“…These guys are too weak,” Jo Gul said.

“…”

Weak?

The disciples of the Nine Great Sects?

At that moment, Chung Myung, who was looking this way with round, curved eyes, began to giggle.

“Baaaaaaa-lamb?” Chung Myung teased.

“…”

“Then are they earthworms or something? Heh, so that’s what you meant. Look at our Dong-ryong being so arrogant,” Chung Myung continued.

“…”

Something was seriously going wrong… No, Baek Cheon was realizing that things were starting to go excessively well.