Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 313

Inside the tavern, now empty and silent. Dust motes danced in the faint light coming through the grimy windows. The air still smelled faintly of stale ale and sweat, even though everyone was gone.

“Kkeueueueu…”

Sweat poured down Jongpal’s face like rain.

But sweat was hardly his biggest problem.

Compared to his face, swollen like a steamed bun, and his body aching in every bone, sweat was trivial.

More than anything, he couldn’t handle the pain in his head. That madman seemed to have some sort of obsession with people’s heads, making sure to strike it along with the rest of the body as he beat him.

‘That lunatic… Why is he doing this to me?’

Of all things, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon held a grudge against him.

What sort of thunderbolt was this?

“Giving up already?” Chung Myung’s voice was sharp, laced with mockery.

Jongpal groaned, but forced his aching muscles to straighten. He pushed up on his knees, lifting his swollen backside higher. Every movement sent jolts of pain through his body.

Normally, for a trained martial artist, holding a hands-behind-the-back pose with their head down was easy. It was a basic exercise.

But *normal* was a distant memory. His body was a bruised and throbbing mess after an hour of relentless beating. And having Chung Myung’s weight pressing down on his back made it feel like his spine would snap at any moment. This was far from easy.

“Kkeueueueueu…”

“Trying to act tough? Are you out of your mind?”

“……”

From atop him, Chung Myung smacked his waist, his body supported only by Jongpal’s head and toes.

“Can’t you straighten your posture?”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Tsk. My temper has died down a lot.”

“……”

“If this was the old me, you wouldn’t even be conscious right now. I would have broken every bone in your body. Tsk, I’m getting soft. Really soft, I am.”

“……”

“It would have ended nicely if you had just stayed still, but why my head…? Ah, thinking about it makes me angry again.”

Chung Myung jumped off Jongpal’s back and then kicked him squarely in the side.

“Kyaoul!”

Jongpal screamed grotesquely as he flew away. Terror filled his eyes as he saw Chung Myung coming closer.

“The more I think about it, the angrier I get! Where do you think you’re going!”

Chung Myung began to stomp on Jongpal with brutal force, each footfall landing with a sickening thud.

“Aaargh! Ack! Great Hero! Ack! Not there! Not there, please… Aargh!”

“That young beggar, what part of him is there to hit that you’re beating him like a dog in the street? Hey, you! I’m someone who has never had a nosebleed in my life!”

Ah. Of course, the Heavenly Demon was an exception.

That bastard wasn’t human.

“I’ll tie you up and throw you off a cliff!”

The feet stomping on Jongpal were exceedingly lively.

Gu-chil, who was watching that funny sight, could only stare wide-eyed at this unbelievable reality.

‘The Boss is getting beaten up?’

Who was Jongpal?

Jongpal was one of the strongest among the young beggars. Hadn’t even the Beggars’ Sect recognized his talent and already given him the title of Fourth Disciple?

If one were to disregard his rotten personality, he was a talent who stood out even within the Beggars’ Sect.

Yet that Jongpal was now being beaten like a dog in the street, without even being able to put up a fight.

Oh, that’s…

‘It’s only natural, though.’

Of course.

If that Cho Sam was truly the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, then even if Jongpal’s grandfather came, the result wouldn’t be any different.

‘Is that guy really the Mount Hua Divine Dragon?’

What on earth had happened in the meantime?

The young beggar who had been beaten by the Boss, spouting nonsense, and then stormed out of the shack in a fit of pique, had become the Mount Hua Divine Dragon in just three years?

Was that even possible?

Gu-chil rubbed his eyes again, just in case. But the scene unfolding before him hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Ack! Aaargh! Ack! Great Hero! Please save me, Great Hero!”

“Great Hero? Greeeaaat Heeeroooo? You little punk, I’m the Malko Hermit, you little punk! Great Hero, my foot! I’m not a Great Hero!”

“Dojang! Please save the Dojang!”

“I said Malko, you little punk!”

“M, Malko! Please save me!”

“Is he crazy? Calling someone Malko!”

“Ah, what do you want me to call you!”

Crack!

Jongpal convulsively tried to raise his body, but was gently laid back down by the foot embedded in his face.

“Keureureureuk.”

He foamed at the mouth and rolled his eyes back.

“Ha. This bastard is faking it again? You’re now…”

It was at that moment.

Tap.

Someone placed a hand on Chung Myung’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned to see Baek Cheon shaking his head with a serious expression.

“Stop it.”

“Why? Stop what?”

“I don’t know what happened, but you shouldn’t beat people like that. I could understand if that person was a Mount Hua disciple, but isn’t that person a Beggars’ Sect disciple?”

“……”

“If you beat him any more, there will be problems between the Beggars’ Sect and Mount Hua. No, there might already be problems. So, just stop at this point.”

At those words, Chung Myung took his foot off Jongpal’s face and stepped back slightly. His face was full of sullenness, but it seemed he was willing to stop for now.

“Th, thank you, Great Hero.”

Thinking that he wouldn’t be beaten anymore, Jongpal shed tears and repeatedly bowed his head towards Baek Cheon.

Watching that, Baek Cheon frowned. His face was so swollen that it was almost comical.

“What on earth happened that you’re beating someone this badly? You may be thoughtless, impulsive, have a bad personality, be someone who is too proud…”

“How far are you going to go?”

“…but even so, you wouldn’t beat someone without a reason. Tell me. What on earth happened?”

Chung Myung answered listlessly.

“It’s nothing that great.”

“Hmm.”

“When I was still a little beggar, that is, before I came to Mount Hua.”

“Yes.”

“I got properly beaten by that bastard.”

“…Beaten?”

“I was weak back then.”

“…Weak?”

What nonsense was this?

You were always brave, even as a child.

“…Anyway, that’s how it was, and that bastard smashed my head properly with a club back then.”

“…Head?”

Chung Myung nodded.

“It must have been such an intense experience that I can’t forget it. That’s probably why I’m obsessed with heads.”

Baek Cheon smiled faintly as he looked at Chung Myung.

“Ah. Is that so?”

“Yeah. Ha, I was really beaten to the point of dying back then. This much isn’t enough to relieve my anger…”

But Chung Myung’s words couldn’t continue.

Baek Cheon abruptly turned his body towards Jongpal while listening to the story.

Jongpal flinched at the sight of the blue fire in Baek Cheon’s eyes.

“G, Great Hero?”

“Was it you?”

“Yes?”

Baek Cheon’s heel once again struck the crown of Jongpal’s head.

Boom!

With a loud noise, Jongpal collapsed. Then, Baek Cheon climbed on top of him and began to swing his fists without hesitation.

“You dog-like bastard! Because of you! Huh? Because of you, there are victims in Mount Hua now…! You bastard!”

Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and even Baek Sang rolled their eyes back and rushed towards Jongpal.

The angry shouts filled the air. “Because of this bastard!”

“Aargh! My nemesis! My sworn enemy!”

“I’ll kill you!”

The Mount Hua disciples all started kicking Jongpal.

Yoo Iseol was near Jongpal’s head. She sat down and tapped his head with her sword holder.

“Head. Head. Head. Head.”

“Aaaaargh!”

Jongpal screamed and twisted, but the beating continued.

“This is for the white porcelain! This is for the celadon! This is for Namgung Dowi!”

Baek Cheon punched Jongpal’s jaw hard. He looked happy to do it.

Even as he saw stars from the beating, Jongpal wondered: Why is Baek Cheon of Mount Hua taking care of Namgung Dowi’s share?

But now wasn’t the time to ask.

Chung Myung watched and reached out his hand without thinking.

“Uh, over there…”

“What!”

“He’s going to die like that…”

“You stay out of this!”

Everyone ignored him and kept hitting Jongpal.

“You almost blew our heads off because of you, didn’t you?”

“Sasuk! Let’s drag this bastard back to Mount Hua!”

The Mount Hua disciples were too angry to think straight.

Had their heads been okay for the last three years? They were beaten for not training hard enough, for getting stances wrong, for no reason, and for being slow. They felt like they could breathe fire, knowing this one guy caused all their suffering.

“Why are you cracking his head open! You bastard!”

“If you hadn’t beaten him, that guy wouldn’t have come to Mount Hua!”

“Die! Die! Dieeee!”

Chung Myung watched, confused.

“No, I’m supposed to be the one beating him…”

Why do they seem angrier? Why?

Just then…

Bang!

The door burst open, and a group of ragged beggars rushed in.

“What are you doing!”

“Oh, dear!”

“How dare you lay a hand on a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect! Have you lost your minds!”

The Mount Hua disciples turned, surprised. Many beggars from the Beggars’ Sect rushed into the tavern. Each one held a bamboo stick.

These beggars looked older. They seemed to know why they were there.

“Oh, dear!”

“To beat a person like that!”

The beggar at the front saw Jongpal on the floor and frowned.

“…What on earth is going on here?”

Baek Cheon quietly stood up and stepped aside. The other Mount Hua disciples sensed the mood and cautiously backed away.

“You seem to be disciples of Mount Hua? Is that correct?”

Baek Cheon sighed and stepped forward.

“I am Baek Cheon of Mount Hua.”

He bowed respectfully, but the other man didn’t bow back, showing he wouldn’t stand on ceremony.

“Tell me now! Why are Mount Hua disciples beating a Beggars’ Sect member? If you don’t explain well, the Beggars’ Sect will be very angry with Mount Hua.”

Baek Cheon’s face became serious.

“That is…”

Just as he was about to speak…

“Ah, move aside! Why are you blocking the way like this!”

A loud voice came from the back.

The beggars at the entrance quickly moved aside.

‘Is a big shot coming?’

Baek Cheon looked towards the entrance, tense. Even the man in front of him was a Six-Bag Elder, not a low-ranking member of the Beggars’ Sect. If an even bigger shot was coming, it would have to be at least a Seven-Bag Elder…

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

The Mount Hua disciples looked at each other, confused as the big shot beggar swaggered in.

‘Where have I seen him before?’

“Which big-bellied bastards dared to touch our beggar? I’ll show you how scary a beggar can be… Hwasan Divine Dragon?”

The new Seven-Bag Elder, Hong Daekwang, a leader in the Beggars’ Sect, tilted his head and looked at Chung Myung.

“Why are you here?”

“Have you arrived?”

Hong Daekwang looked at Jongpal on the floor and then at Chung Myung. He asked again, puzzled.

“What’s going on here? That guy is Jongpal.”

“Yes.”

“I told you to bring him, and you brought him. What is this… First, explain what happened.”

Baek Cheon and Gu Cheol quickly explained.

After a while, Hong Daekwang stared at Chung Myung with a serious look.

“So.”

“Yes.”

“That beggar used to smack you around?”

“Yes.”

“So now you’re smacking him around?”

“Yes.”

Hong Daekwang’s eyes widened.

“This…”

Hong Daekwang suddenly became very angry.

“Is that beggar trying to destroy the Beggars’ Sect?!”

Hong Daekwang moved very fast. He jumped and kicked Jongpal in the jaw.

“Aaaargh!”

Jongpal fell to the floor again, not knowing why he was hit.

Hong Daekwang grumbled and shouted.

“Hey, you idiot! Are you trying to destroy the Beggars’ Sect? What? Who did you hit? You bastard, tell me honestly! Are you a spy from the Demonic Sect trying to ruin the Beggars’ Sect!”

“Ack! Branch Leader! No… No, I’m not!”

“What do you mean, no! If I say so, then it is, you bastard!”

Hong Daekwang started kicking Jongpal.

The Mount Hua disciples, who had been watching carefully, joined Hong Daekwang and started kicking Jongpal again.

Suddenly, Mount Hua and the Beggars’ Sect were working together.

The other beggars had come in loudly, but now they just watched in silence. It was a very strange scene.

‘What on earth is happening?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Something… something is happening.’

The one being beaten, the ones beating him, and the ones watching all created a strange scene. Chung Myung awkwardly spoke.

“Ah, no.”

Stop beating him, guys. He’s really going to die like that. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years.