Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 277

It became very quiet in the Shaolin Temple. The usual sounds of the temple – the gentle chanting of monks and the rustle of leaves in the courtyard – seemed to vanish.

“Did you see that… ?” someone whispered.

“The Peng Clan…” another voice replied, hushed with awe.

The crowd had been ready to shout and cheer for Mount Hua. But now, their cheers died in their throats. They were silent, shocked by what they had just witnessed in the arena. Their eyes were wide, fixed on the scene before them.

It wasn’t just that Baek Cheon of Mount Hua had defeated Peng Dowan of the Peng Clan that was so astonishing.

Hadn’t the disciples of Mount Hua already shown their skills clearly the day before? Most of the people there had expected Mount Hua to win easily.

Yet, everyone was speechless because what was happening in the arena was so shocking.

If Baek Cheon had smashed Peng Dowan away with one hit, it wouldn’t have been as surprising. But Baek Cheon hadn’t just smashed Peng Dowan away; he had beaten him badly.

Those who watched couldn’t help but think:

‘Is Mount Hua really that strong?’

‘Is that Peng Dowan of the Peng Clan being beaten badly without even landing a single hit?’

When the disciples of Mount Hua sent their opponents flying with one blow, it was fun to watch and made them laugh. But the martial arts display now felt different.

Baek Cheon had completely overpowered his opponent with skill.

There was no room for excuses.

Seeing Peng Dowan foaming at the mouth, collapsed on the floor, and trembling, the crowd suddenly understood the reality of the situation.

“Is Mount Hua really going to become one of the strongest groups?”

“Well, there are still the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, right?”

“But isn’t that Peng Clan guy from one of the Five Great Families?”

“Yes, but…”

The crowd was starting to realize something.

Maybe the rise of Mount Hua wouldn’t be just a short-lived event.

“The reaction isn’t what I expected, though.”

Baek Cheon shrugged and walked over to Chung Myung.

“I think I’ve shown them enough for now.”

“Keeuh!”

Chung Myung chuckled at his casual words.

“Our Dong-ryong has grown up so much. He even knows how to act cocky now?”

Baek Cheon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I’ve always been good at being cocky.”

“Is that something to be proud of?”

“…It’s not something to be proud of.”

Baek Cheon cleared his throat, trying to hide his slightly red face.

“Anyway, it’s quieter than I thought. Did I do something wrong?”

“What mistake?”

Chung Myung looked around. The astonished onlookers were staring at the disciples of Mount Hua.

Seeing their reaction, Chung Myung smiled.

‘That’s right. It can’t just end with laughter and enjoyment.’

They had to see clearly with their own eyes how strong Mount Hua was and how amazing the disciples of Mount Hua were.

Because everything they saw would be spread throughout the world.

‘Keeuh. To think a day like this would come.’

Chung Myung wiped his eyes with his sleeve. The past years flashed before his eyes.

‘Me, ah… Taking those snot-nosed kids and me!’

Remembering when he first returned to Mount Hua, he almost cried.

He had to coax, soothe, encourage, and even threaten those who were worse than local gangs to get them this far.

Now, the disciples of Mount Hua could confidently call themselves martial artists anywhere.

Chung Myung looked up at the sky.

‘Sect Leader! Senior Brother Sect Leader! Are you watching? I’ve done this much!’

So give me some praise!

– You still have a long way to go, you rascal!

What, this geezer?

Chung Myung glared.

You should praise people when they do well!

And are you looking down on our kids? Our kids are stronger than the old Mount Hua kids now….

“Huh?”

Chung Myung tilted his head.

Stronger?

‘Are they really?’

Had the current Mount Hua caught up to the Mount Hua of the past?

Absolutely not.

No matter how much the current Mount Hua was improving, it was still far behind the Mount Hua of its prime, known as the Plum Blossom Sword Sect.

But if you only compared the second-generation disciples of that time with the second-generation disciples of today?

‘Would they win?’

Chung Myung tilted his head.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t see them losing.

Back then, Mount Hua was a sect that fought to be the best in the world. Except for Chung Myung, they would have been in the top five. So, the second-generation disciples were also at the top of the martial world.

Comparing it to now….

Yes, Wudang!

The Wudang Sect’s position now was like Mount Hua’s position back then.

Of course, the second-generation disciples of Mount Hua back then seemed stronger than the second-generation disciples of Wudang now, but still!

‘But our kids are beating the Wudang second-generation disciples, aren’t they?’

Weren’t they completely overpowering them?

Chung Myung, thinking about the second-generation disciples from when he was famous as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint compared to the current second-generation disciples, opened his mouth slightly.

‘Wow, they’re winning?’

Actually, it made sense when he thought about it.

They had suffered to make and eat the Violet Elixir, and they had trained with Chung Myung while their skills were growing quickly.

It would be strange if they weren’t strong.

Chung Myung glanced at Baek Cheon.

‘This guy is much stronger than the Sect Leader was at this age, isn’t he?’

Whether it was worth the hardship or not, the strongest Mount Hua Sect in history, even stronger than the Mount Hua of the past, was being created.

Admiring his own work, Chung Myung smiled happily.

But as Chung Myung smiled, Baek Cheon frowned, looking worried.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? It makes me nervous.”

“No. No. You’re doing very well.”

“…If I’m doing something wrong, just tell me.”

“I’m telling you, you’re doing well.”

“It’s weird when you say I’m doing well!”

Chung Myung, pulled out of his thoughts, glared.

“Seriously, these guys complain even when I praise them?”

“It’s because you’re doing something you never do!”

“Erah!”

Finally, Chung Myung and Baek Cheon started arguing, and the disciples rushed to separate them.

Meanwhile, on a platform a little further away, the sect leaders of the Nine Sects, who were watching, secretly sighed.

‘How is this happening?’

‘The Peng Clan’s fighting style was supposed to be perfect, a strong and heavy style. But Baek Cheon is beating it with pure strength and skill?’

While the crowd focused on the result, the sect leaders focused on how it happened.

The Peng Clan of Hebei.

A famous family known worldwide for their powerful and strong sword style.

Their extremely powerful swordsmanship was something people watched carefully. But for a disciple of Mount Hua, known for using fast swords, to overpower the Peng Clan’s sword style with strength….

That thick, heavy sword. To block a sword that was raised high and struck down with internal energy needed someone much more skilled to even try it.

‘What kind of training have they been doing to make that possible?’

‘Baek Cheon. Baek Cheon.’

What the disciples of Mount Hua had shown so far was amazing, but Baek Cheon’s one move was on a different level. It was the moment when the names Baek Cheon and Chung Myung were clearly remembered by the sect leaders.

‘Mount Hua Divine Dragon Chung Myung and Flowery Mount Baek Cheon.’

To have two talented people like that in one sect was rare.

Having confirmed the strength of the Mount Hua Sect again, their faces became serious. No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn’t think of anyone in their own sects who could perform as well as Baek Cheon.

That meant that, only looking at the second and third-generation disciples, Mount Hua was now as strong as the famous families in the world.

They subtly looked at Hyun Jong, who was sitting in the back.

Something was wrong. Hyun Jong could feel it in the air, a prickle of unease on the back of his neck.

Just a few minutes ago, having the respected Hyun Jong of Mount Hua behind them was normal. But now, everything felt different. Something had changed, making the air thick with unspoken tension.

‘I feel like someone is watching me,’ he thought, glancing nervously to the side without turning fully. Not seeing Hyun Jong’s face, hidden behind him, made him even more nervous. What was he thinking?

“Hee hee hee hee. Congratulations, Sect Leader,” Neng Sam, the acting leader of the Beggars’ Sect, chuckled, showing his yellowed teeth. “If that child becomes the Sect Leader one day, Mount Hua’s future will be very bright!”

“You praise us too much,” Hyun Jong replied, forcing a gentle smile.

“No, no,” Neng Sam insisted. “Seeing so many talented people gathered here, it looks like Mount Hua’s bad luck is finally changing.”

“You are too kind. But…” Hyun Jong’s smile tightened, becoming a thin, strained line. “I do believe these children are the best, anywhere in the world.”

“Oho!” Neng Sam exclaimed, his eyes widening slightly.

Hyun Jong felt his stomach twist. Saying such a clear lie while trying to look calm was harder than fighting a sword battle.

*What? Not ashamed?*

‘To be honest, I am a bit ashamed.’

Not of their skills, but of their behavior.

Hyun Jong’s face twitched.

‘Now that they are amazing fighters, they just need to become good people, like true Taoists should be…’

He glanced at Baek Cheon and Chung Myung, who were arguing loudly, completely ignoring everyone watching them. Hyun Jong sighed inwardly.

‘I only asked for them to grow up healthy.’

Maybe they grew up *too* well? Being healthy didn’t mean they could destroy everything else!

“Congratulations, Sect Leader.”

Tang Gunak congratulated him quietly. But his eyes seemed to say, ‘I know how you feel, Sect Leader.’

Hyun Jong felt a strange stinging in his eyes.

Jao Gae chuckled.

“If they keep going like this, Mount Hua will be great again soon, I think.”

“That is still far away.”

“Far away? Looking at these kids, I don’t think so! Haha! I’m even worried that one day, people will call the ‘Nine Great Sects’ the ‘Ten Great Sects’ because of Mount Hua!”

The faces of the sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects, who had been listening intently, stiffened slightly.

It was a sensitive topic that caused even those skilled at hiding their emotions to show clear agitation.

“Eek, eek. This old man is spouting nonsense again. The Sect Leader told me to keep my mouth shut and just sit still. Hee hee hee.”

Jao Gae smiled slyly and subtly backed away.

‘That sly old man…’

Jao Gae never spoke without meaning. He was clearly making fun of the other sect leaders.

“Ahem.”

“Ahem!”

Some people coughed uncomfortably.

They were really uneasy because they knew Jao Gae’s words might be true, not just silly talk.

Of course, it was impossible now. That was obvious. What could children who were only second-generation disciples do?

But…

What if those children grew up to lead Mount Hua in the future?

‘That is something that cannot be ignored.’

Heo Do-jin’s eyes lowered.

He really wanted to make his sect as good as Shaolin while he was leader.

But what did he fear most?

‘Mount Hua becoming stronger than Wudang, maybe.’

Long ago, Mount Hua and Wudang fought to be the best sword sect and the best Taoist sect.

Everyone thought Wudang was better than Mount Hua. But Mount Hua was stubborn. They never gave up, even when pushed down.

‘Maybe we need to do something about Mount Hua…’ The sect leaders’ faces became serious and dark.

Chomp chomp chomp chomp.

“……”

Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp!

“……”

A vein popped out on Baek Cheon’s forehead.

“Chung Myung.”

“Huh?”

“……It seems like you’ve been eating non-stop since you got here.”

“Want some?”

Chung Myung offered Baek Cheon the snacks he was holding.

“That’s not what I mean!”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“You have to eat something when you watch something like this. And you have to eat well to fight. Gotta be full.”

Why do you have to be full?

You kicked a perfectly fine kid in the face during the second competition and made him unable to eat gruel.

“Anyway, there are a lot of people watching, so you should at least look serious.”

“Now?”

“……Actually, it feels a bit late, but there’s a saying that the best time to start is when you think it’s too late, isn’t there?”

“Tsk tsk. You’re so relaxed, our martial uncle.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and smirked, then gestured towards the arena with his chin.

“But martial uncle, you shouldn’t be so relaxed. The real deal will probably come out starting today.”

“Huh?”

It was at that moment.

KABOOOOM!

A huge explosion erupted from the arena.

The Mount Hua disciples’ heads snapped to one side.

A man in white, wielding a massive greatsword, was looking down at his opponent with an arrogant posture.

On the other side, a martial artist with a disheveled appearance was staring blankly at his sword, which had been cut in half.

“Oh! It’s Namgoong’s Danak Sword!”

“That’s right! Namgoong Dowi was there! As expected of the Namgoong Clan!”

The man in white glanced subtly towards where Baek Cheon and Chung Myung were.

“Danak Sword……”

Baek Cheon let out a low groan.

Cutting an opponent’s sword was an extremely difficult and cruel act. It was a way of showing the difference in skill so clearly.

Moreover, Namgoong Dowi was now turning his gaze towards the disciples of Mount Hua, as if he had already lost interest in the opponent he had defeated.

“Interesting, that one.”

Chung Myung grinned.

“See? I told you the real ones would come out starting today, didn’t I?”

“……From now on, you mean.”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“Shaolin must have a plan, so they probably pushed the ones who could be the main characters to the back. It’s more dramatic that way.”

Baek Cheon frowned.

Thinking about it the other way around, it meant that in Shaolin’s eyes, Mount Hua was just there to come out early and stir up some excitement.

“Now, look over there too.”

“Huh?”

“A familiar face, isn’t it?”

Baek Cheon’s face hardened in an instant.