Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 299

Lee Song-baek took a slow, deep breath as he looked at the stone steps leading up to the sparring arena. They were worn smooth and dusty.

They were just ordinary steps.

But with Chung Myung waiting at the top, they felt much more important.

‘Stairs are simple,’ Lee Song-baek thought. ‘You climb them, you go up. You put in effort, you get somewhere.’

But martial arts was not like that. Working hard didn’t always mean you got better.

Swinging a sword again and again didn’t always make you feel like you were on the right path. Sometimes, it made him feel lost.

Thinking about it, Lee Song-baek knew he was lucky.

He had someone who could show him if he was going the right way.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

With firm steps, Lee Song-baek went up the stairs and stood in the sparring arena, looking at Chung Myung.

Chung Myung looked relaxed, like he was out for a walk.

His long hair was tied back messily, with some falling onto his face. He looked completely uninterested.

He didn’t look like a master at all.

But Lee Song-baek knew that Chung Myung was very strong, much stronger than Jin Geum-ryong or Baek Cheon.

“Good to see you again, Hwasan Divine Dragon.”

“Just call me Chung Myung.”

“Then I will. Chung Myung.”

Lee Song-baek looked at Chung Myung with more surprise.

‘He’s a truly strange person.’

When Lee Song-baek first met Chung Myung, he wasn’t famous. Hwasan was almost gone, and Chung Myung was just the youngest student of that sect.

Now, everything was completely different.

Chung Myung was the best of Hwasan’s younger students, who had changed everything, and was known as the best of the younger generation in the world.

And yet…

“Are you smiling?”

“Ah, no.”

Lee Song-baek quickly rubbed his cheeks.

“I smiled because Chung Myung hasn’t changed at all, which I find funny.”

Chung Myung tilted his head.

“Why is that funny?”

“I don’t know. But it is.”

“Well… think what you like.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

‘Of course, I haven’t changed, you fools.’

If Chung Myung was just a young, inexperienced person, he might be very proud now, thinking he was the best. He would not see anything else.

But he was an old soul who had been through a lot.

How could he be proud just because people thought he was good? He would probably hate himself more.

Chung Myung looked at Lee Song-baek.

Seeing that Lee Song-baek looked calm, he smiled slightly.

“Oh, I heard Jongnam is finished?”

“……”

“Completely?”

“……”

Lee Song-baek’s shoulders shook at the many insults.

‘That mouth really hasn’t changed.’

It was like making the pain worse.

“There is… still hope.”

“Ehh. Doesn’t seem like it? If you can find hope there, you might as well find gold in a poor place. Well, who knows? Maybe if you look hard enough, you’ll find a gold mine?”

How could he be so sarcastic?

A vein showed on Lee Song-baek’s forehead.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’

He shouldn’t talk to this person. He seemed to have learned that before, but he didn’t know why he kept doing it.

Then, Chung Myung smiled brightly and said.

“How about coming over to Hwasan? Have you thought about it?”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Song-baek was surprised and opened his eyes wide. It wasn’t because he wanted to, but because he was so surprised.

“I am a student of Jongnam.”

“I know.”

Chung Myung picked at his ear and blew on it.

“So what? It would only take a year to get rid of all the bad things you learned at Jongnam and fill you with Hwasan’s good things. Hmm… No. It would only take you half a year.”

“……”

“Isn’t it better to move to a successful sect than to stay with one that is failing?”

Lee Song-baek smiled bitterly.

If it had been just three years ago, Jongnam might have said that to Chung Myung. If they had known what kind of person Chung Myung was back then.

But now, Chung Myung was saying that to Lee Song-baek.

“To be honest, I am happy about that offer.”

“Happy, but?”

“I will say no.”

“Hoo?”

At that firm answer, Chung Myung looked at Lee Song-baek with an amused look.

“Why?”

“The reason is simple. It is because I am a student of Jongnam.”

“……”

Lee Song-baek slowly took out his sword.

“Just as you did not leave Hwasan when it was failing, I will not leave my sect.”

“Even if it’s completely destroyed?”

“Then…”

His calm answer continued.

“I will become the spark again and start a fire.”

There was no doubt in Lee Song-baek’s eyes.

This was not about being strong or weak.

Only a swordsman who strongly believes in his path could have such eyes.

Chung Myung smiled.

“Can you be the spark?”

“I am here to prove that.”

“Hoo.”

Chung Myung nodded as if he liked it more and more, then took out the sword he had around his waist.

“Is that so?”

And he raised it, still in its case.

“Then let’s see if you can.”

Lee Song-baek frowned slightly as Chung Myung pointed his sword at him.

“Will you not take out your sword?”

“I’ll take it out if I need to.”

Lee Song-baek nodded quietly. He knew that Chung Myung was much better than him. He was not strong enough to ask Chung Myung to take out his sword.

‘Don’t doubt yourself.’

He had to prove himself, not have useless pride.

Lee Song-baek took a deep breath and lowered his head.

‘I will give it my all!’

He looked up with determination.

“Come! Please show m…”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Then, Chung Myung rushed at Lee Song-baek like lightning and hit him on the head with his sword!

Lee Song-baek’s eyes opened wide.

Boom!

“……”

It was silent for a moment.

Plop.

Lee Song-baek fell forward.

“Don’t just say empty words.”

Chung Myung squatted down in front of him, smiling.

Baek Cheon, who was watching from below, clapped his hands without thinking.

“He’s dead.”

“He’s probably dead, right?”

“Ehh. He should be dead after that.”

The Mount Hua disciples watching the sparring match shared their thoughts.

“But didn’t that bastard say something about being someone important from the Jongnam Sect?”

“Looks like he’s planning to gather all the important people and set them on fire?”

“That’s very Chung Myung-like. He gives them hope just to crush it completely. As expected, he does things that no human would do without batting an eye. Amazing. I’ve come to respect him.”

People below the sparring arena were talking, but Chung Myung didn’t seem to hear them.

Chung Myung poked Lee Song-baek, who was trembling face down, with the scabbard of his sword.

“Are you dead?”

“⋯⋯”

“Doesn’t seem like it, does it?”

“⋯⋯”

“Eyy. You need to get up. You can’t fall down with just this. You’re going to revive Jongnam, aren’t you? How can a guy who collapses in one hit revive anything? Get up quickly.”

“⋯⋯”

Baek Cheon and the others watched the scene and smiled again.

“He’s like a fierce warrior from legends. He’s deliberately getting his fallen opponent back on his feet just to beat him again.”

“Excellent, excellent. At that rate, he can play his part even if he falls into hell. The King of the Underworld will treat him like a brother.”

“Sasuk, you should be thankful. You could have been in that state in the next sparring match.”

“⋯⋯From today, before I go to bed, I’ll bow twice towards the direction where my brother is.”

“Isn’t that something you do for dead people?”

“Exactly.”

“⋯⋯”

Jo Gul’s mouth hung open. Ah, this guy is definitely not normal either.

The judge, who had been watching the match, raised his hand.

“This match is won by Mount Hua’s Chung Myung⋯⋯”

“Wa, wait a moment!”

“Hmm?”

Chung Myung’s shout silenced the surroundings again. Then, a groan was heard from the fallen Lee Song-baek’s mouth.

“Keeuh⋯⋯. Euhh⋯⋯.”

Lee Song-baek, with trembling hands, supported himself on the ground and barely managed to stand. He grabbed his sword and assumed his stance again.

“I, I’m alright. Continue⋯⋯”

The person watching the match approached and asked with a worried face.

“Are you really alright?”

“I, I can continue. I was careless⋯⋯so it happened.”

“⋯⋯That seemed like a very strong surprise attack.”

“No. I was careless⋯⋯”

Lee Song-baek kept denying it, so the judge reluctantly nodded with an awkward face.

“Then be careful.”

“Yes!”

As the judge stepped back, Lee Song-baek looked at Chung Myung and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I was too excited. I’m fine, really, so let’s continue⋯⋯”

Trickle.

A stream of blood flowing from Lee Song-baek’s head began to run down his face.

“⋯⋯You don’t look alright?”

“I’m really alright.”

“You look like you’re about to die?”

“I’m, I’m alright! Just, just a moment.”

He tore his clothes and wrapped them around his head. Only after completely stopping the bleeding did he look at Chung Myung with an awkward face and bowed.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“Hmph.”

After wiping the blood off his face, his appearance improved somewhat, but he still looked pathetic.

The audience, having become engrossed in Lee Song-baek, began to shout words of encouragement.

“Cheer up, Lee Song-baek!”

“Defeat that devilish bastard!”

“A surprise attack is so cowardly!”

“Don’t you have any conscience! Any conscience!”

Chung Myung, hearing those words, picked at his ear.

“What are they saying?”

It’s the fault of the guy who took his eyes off the fight in the sparring arena. Since this is a sparring arena, only his head was broken. If it were a battlefield, he would have nothing to say even if his head was cut off.

Unlike the audience, Lee Song-baek seemed well aware of that fact and spoke with a very apologetic face.

“I know it’s shameless, but may I ask you again?”

“Hmph.”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek slightly.

“You are already finished.”

“⋯⋯As expected.”

Lee Song-baek sighed, looking disappointed.

“But well⋯⋯ even if you are defeated once, there are still chances.”

“⋯⋯Pardon?”

“Ah, well. It’s not a story you’d be able to understand.”

Chung Myung smirked and raised his sword again, aiming it at Lee Song-baek.

“Let’s try again.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Song-baek glared at Chung Myung with determined eyes, as if he would never be careless again, and raised his sword.

‘I was defeated once.’

His sword is a sword of defense. But he couldn’t block the opponent’s attack. It was a mistake that would leave him speechless even if his neck were cut off. The excuse that it was a mistake that wouldn’t have happened if the opponent wasn’t Chung Myung is useless. Anyway, his opponent right now is Chung Myung.

‘So there’s nothing to be afraid of.’

His tense body gradually relaxed. The bleeding actually felt a bit helpful. His mind, which had been a tangled mess, suddenly became clear.

Lee Song-baek’s world began to become clearer. Everything except himself and Chung Myung standing on the sparring arena faded away.

“Hoo?”

Chung Myung, seeing that strong focus, curled up the corners of his lips. As expected, he’s an interesting guy every time I see him.

Then, shall we really find out whether you are qualified to walk this path?

Chung Myung quietly took a high stance. A stance where both feet are shoulder-width apart and the sword is quietly extended forward. The basic stance for all swordsmen, and the foundation of Mount Hua. It is the starting stance of the Six Harmony Sword.

“Are you trying to be perfect now?”

“⋯⋯I know it’s difficult, but yes.”

Chung Myung’s voice lowered slightly.

“Is that so?”

At that moment, Chung Myung took a step forward and brought down his sword. Lee Song-baek saw it. He only took one step forward, but Chung Myung suddenly closed the distance at once.

‘What is this⋯⋯?’

Soon, Chung Myung’s sword fell towards Lee Song-baek.

Wham!

Dust exploded from the arena floor the moment Chung Myung’s sword hit. A wave of gritty air rushed outwards, pushing through the watching crowd.

Lee Song-baek’s eyes were bloodshot.

‘Wh, what is th⋯⋯.’

A simple downward strike. But just blocking it twisted Lee Song-baek’s hands as if they would break at any moment, and his legs and waist were screaming. Chung Myung’s eyes, visible between the touching swords, shone endlessly coldly.

“It’s good to feel it thoroughly. What the path you’re trying to take is like.”

A chilling voice and overwhelming pressure. Cold sweat began to flow down Lee Song-baek’s spine.