Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 344

“Who is it?”

“I heard he used to be a Sage?”

“Then is he the Senior Brother of the Sect Leader?”

“Senior Brother? That’s nonsense! He’s no Senior Brother! Don’t be silly. He’s just an old geezer!”

“That’s right. That’s right!”

The disciples of Mount Hua also couldn’t hide their discomfort.

‘He’s so much older than everyone here.’

The fact that he was a Sage in the past was also a burden. And even if they completely ignored that fact, it was still burdensome.

How on earth were they supposed to treat an old man who was older than the Sect Leader?

If they treated him like a guest, it felt awkward, but accepting him as an elder of the sect was out of the question.

Baek Cheon sighed and said.

“For now, try to avoid running into him as much as possible until the Sect Leader decides on a course of action.”

“What if we do run into him?”

“…We’ll have to treat him with respect, I suppose.”

“Ugh.”

The disciples of Mount Hua frowned and looked annoyed. Baek Cheon tried his best to soothe them.

“Don’t worry. I doubt any real problems will arise.”

But things in the world rarely go as planned.

“What on earth is this?”

“Yes?”

Hyeon Dang’s cheeks trembled. His gaze was fixed on the table.

“Meat in a sacred dojo! And meat with fire energy, no less! Since when has meat been served at the Mount Hua’s table!”

Baek Cheon flinched for a moment, but then calmly replied, looking at Hyeon Dang.

“Well, we don’t really have a rule against meat here…”

“Do you not know the difference between not prohibiting and encouraging? Mount Hua is both a dojo and a martial hall. When going out into the world to perform chivalry, the rules state that we don’t avoid meat to prevent complications. Since when did that become encouraging meat consumption!”

At the thunderous rebuke, Baek Cheon secretly sighed deeply.

Hyeon Dang asked in an angry voice.

“Who permitted this?”

“…Elder Hyeon Young permitted it.”

“Does becoming an Elder mean you don’t even know that! It’s my fault. It’s my fault. I failed to properly teach those children the Way of Mount Hua.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes twitched.

‘Those children?’

‘The Way of Mount Hua?’

‘Seriously, these old geezers?’

As Baek Cheon tried to say something, Yoon Jong subtly tugged at his arm.

“Sasuk.”

“Ugh.”

Baek Cheon’s face remained stiff as he swallowed the words that rose to his throat.

Just then, Un-Am, hearing the commotion, rushed into the dining hall.

“What’s all the noise?”

“Meat on the Mount Hua’s table! This is against all the rules!”

Un-Am looked at the table with a troubled expression.

“But… Mount Hua doesn’t actually forbid meat now.”

“Ha! I can’t even talk to you! Where’s Hyun Jong? I need to speak to the Sect Leader *right now*!”

Un-Am’s face began to subtly distort.

“Then…”

“Haha!”

Just then, Jo Gul rushed to the table like a bolt of lightning and grabbed the meat dishes.

“Come on, guys, it’s just meat. We can skip it, no big deal! Let’s all clear this away!”

“…”

“Quickly!”

The disciples of Mount Hua rose from their seats and began carrying the food back to the kitchen.

It wasn’t that they had no complaints, but they knew why Jo Gul was stepping up, so they moved without a word. The one who would be most uncomfortable with the presence of those guests was naturally the Sect Leader; they had to avoid giving them an excuse to meet Hyun Jong.

‘Why did they have to come back?’

‘If I could have my way, I’d just…’

‘Ugh. Let’s just endure it for a few days. Just a few days….’

Un-Am bit his lip slightly as he watched the table being cleared.

He couldn’t be sure whether their words were right or wrong. He couldn’t confidently say that he knew the past rules of Mount Hua better than they did, could he?

“Sasuk. You must endure it.”

Baek Cheon whispered to Un-Am. Un-Am also nodded slightly.

If a conflict arose here, Hyun Jong would inevitably have to come here. Un-Am also wanted to avoid that situation as much as possible.

“You must be having a hard time.”

“It’s alright.”

Baek Cheon sighed softly as he looked at the table, now filled only with vegetables.

The disciples thought the trouble was over, but they were wrong. The next morning, more problems came.

“What in the world are you doing?”

“…Yes?”

It was still early dawn. The training grounds were dusty and wide, surrounded by trees. Usually, it was filled with the sounds of swords clashing and shouts, but this morning, it was strangely silent except for Hyeon Dang’s loud voice.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who had gathered at the training grounds for their morning practice, stared blankly at Hyeon Dang, holding the lead weights they used for strength training.

‘Seriously, why is he here from the morning training….’

‘What’s wrong with him, really?’

But Hyeon Dang, whether he knew the disciples’ feelings or not, shouted loudly.

“I asked what you are doing.”

“…We are training.”

“That’s what you call training?”

“Yes. To strengthen our muscles….”

“Foolish!”

Hyeon Dang raised his voice.

“The sword of Mount Hua is a Taoist sword. What is Taoism? It is a sword that seeks naturalness by becoming one with nature. But if you artificially increase your strength, you don’t realize that it will only hinder the pursuit of the Mount Hua sword?”

A vein popped out on Baek Cheon’s forehead.

“…We have become stronger through this method. And we proved that strength at the World Martial Arts Competition. Regarding training….”

“That is also a short-sighted thought. If you have become stronger through that method, you can become even stronger by following the traditional training methods of Mount Hua! How can you only know one thing and not know two?”

Then, Hyeon Dang frowned as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have and clicked his tongue.

“Who made you do this training? Is it Hyun Jong?”

“Ah, no.”

“Then who is making you do this kind of training?”

Chung Myung.

But this was not something they could say to them. As the answer was delayed, Hyeon Dang rebuked.

“There’s no need for long words. Stop this ridiculous training immediately.”

Baek Cheon frowned and said firmly.

“This is Mount Hua’s training. It’s not something an outsider should interfere with.”

“Outsider? Did you just call me an outsider?”

“Yes.”

When he didn’t back down easily, Hyeon Dang revealed his blatant anger.

“Outsider. Fine, good. Outsider it is. Then let me ask you, is there anyone among you who knows more about Mount Hua’s training than I do?”

“…That’s….”

“I am conveying the training methods that Mount Hua has lost, and you are saying that you will not listen to those words because I am an outsider? Is that the way of Mount Hua?”

Baek Cheon stopped talking, feeling like he couldn’t say anything more.

‘Seriously, what is this ridiculous situation?’

Being a Sage was too powerful a position. Moreover, that old man was originally superior to the Sect Leader and older than the Sect Leader.

‘Then that means he knows the Mount Hua of the past better than the Sect Leader.’

It was not easy to ignore the words of such a person.

“There’s no need for unnecessary words. Stop this ridiculous training immediately and start meditating.”

“…Meditating?”

“That’s right. A disciple of Taoism must begin by purifying their mind. Do not be obsessed with the sword. If you attain enlightenment of the Tao, the sword will naturally follow.”

“…”

“Begin.”

“But….”

“Quickly!”

Baek Cheon, who was about to say something more, eventually closed his eyes tightly. All the other disciples were at a loss, looking only at him. Baek Cheon said in a reluctant voice.

“…Put down the equipment and prepare for meditation, everyone.”

“Sahyung!”

“For now… yes, for now.”

Everyone closed their mouths, but they were desperately conveying their intentions with their eyes.

‘Why are we listening to those old geezers?’

‘I told you not to cause trouble, just endure it for a few days! It’ll only be a few days. A few days!’

In the end, everyone sat cross-legged on the spot with faces full of dissatisfaction. They looked like they were being punished, not meditating.

A triumphant smile spread across Hyeon Dang’s face.

‘I just need to slowly dye them with my color.’

Then they will soon follow.

“Aaaargh!”

Jo Gul shouted loudly and kicked the tea table in the Hundred Plum Blossom Hall. The table flew into the air. Yoon Jong looked calm. He caught the table and put it back gently.

“Damn old men! Ugh! I’m so frustrated I could explode!”

“Be calm.”

Jo Gul turned his head quickly and looked angrily at Yoon Jong. “Aren’t you angry, Senior Brother?”

“Angry?” Yoon Jong said, sounding unsure. Jo Gul waited for him to speak. Yoon Jong picked up his sword from the tea table. He cleaned it with a cloth and then chuckled quietly.

“What good is anger? We can just stab them instead…”

“S-Senior Brother, please calm down!” Jo Gul said, worried.

Jo Gul stopped Yoon Jong from saying more scary things. Then, Jo Gul looked quickly to the side. Baek Cheon was sitting curled up in a corner.

It had only been a few days since the guests arrived, but Baek Cheon’s face looked thin and tired.

“Uncle… Are you okay?” Jo Gul asked.

“Huh?” Baek Cheon mumbled, not really listening.

“I asked if you are okay,” Jo Gul repeated.

“What did you say?” Baek Cheon asked, still confused.

“Never mind,” Jo Gul said quietly.

“Oh,” Baek Cheon replied, blankly.

Jo Gul thought: *He’s finished. Baek Cheon is completely worn out.* This was very different from the Baek Cheon he knew. Jo Gul understood Baek Cheon’s problem completely.

Baek Cheon was the oldest student of the Hundred character group. He was taking all the nagging from those old men, and it was hurting him a lot.

Was it like being cooked on a very hot plate while someone talked at you? No wonder he had become very thin in just a few days…

Jo Gul felt his anger grow again. He said suddenly, “When are they finally leaving?”

“Who knows? They should leave soon,” Yoon Jong replied.

“Seriously, what are they…?” Jo Gul started to say. Yoon Jong stopped him quickly and said in a serious voice, “Be careful what you say. They used to be part of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“What does that mean?” Jo Gul asked.

Yoon Jong cleared his throat loudly. Yoon Jong looked at Jo Gul sternly again, and Jo Gul jumped and stopped talking.

“Haa… Yoo Iseol,” Jo Gul said, using her name. “Please say something.” Yoo Iseol nodded slowly.

“Apologize,” she said quietly.

“Apologize? For what?” Jo Gul asked, confused.

“For calling them old men,” Yoo Iseol said. “Real old men are different. These are not *really* old men.”

“…” Jo Gul was still confused, but he understood a little.

“Ugh,” Jo Gul groaned and shook his head.

Jo Gul thought that if they just stayed away from the old men, there wouldn’t be big problems. But it was the opposite. Every time they did anything, the Hyeondang group appeared like ghosts. It seemed like they knew everything. And they nagged about every small thing.

“Every time they speak, it’s about how Mount Hua was in the past!” Jo Gul complained.

“Tradition! Nonsense! We almost became homeless because of tradition!” Yoon Jong added angrily.

“How can they be so old-fashioned about everything!”

What was worse was that the younger and older students could not argue with them. Was it because they had to obey them?

No, not really.

The problem was that every time the old men spoke, they talked about the people who came before them.

‘In the past, my teacher, the old leader of the sect, used to…’

As soon as they said that, no one could argue back. Unless you were there and saw it yourself, you couldn’t say they were wrong. Saying they were wrong would mean you were going against the words of the old leader. That was like betraying your teacher and ancestors, which was a terrible thing.

Because of this strange idea, the younger students had to do what they said. And the newest students, who were watching, could do nothing.

“Why isn’t the sect leader doing anything!” Jo Gul said loudly.

“Geol,” Baek Cheon said, his voice weak. As soon as Jo Gul started to complain about the sect leader, Baek Cheon, who was sitting still like a dead body, opened his eyes wide. Yoo Iseol also looked at Jo Gul with a cold look. Jo Gul jumped back, scared.

“The sect leader is having the hardest time right now,” Baek Cheon said. “You can complain about anything else, but don’t talk badly about the sect leader. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Uncle,” Jo Gul said quietly. Baek Cheon said nothing more. He leaned back against the wall again, covered his face with his hand, and bit his lip.

*Baek Cheon thought: They don’t give up easily. They must have a big plan to come here and act like this. The sect leader must be worried too. If Mount Hua had even one very powerful elder, this wouldn’t be happening. As soon as they came in, that elder would stop them immediately.* But the problem was that the strongest elder in Mount Hua right now was Hyun Jong. And unlike other famous groups, Mount Hua didn’t have anyone who was called a Supreme Elder, a really top elder. So, they couldn’t do anything to stop them. *But if the sect leader really wanted to stop this, he wouldn’t be just putting up with it.* Baek Cheon shook his head. *He shouldn’t think like that.* The Hyun Jong he knew was not stupid and was very determined. *So, he had to trust the sect leader and just wait for now.*

“We have to help the sect leader,” Baek Cheon said. “So, don’t cause any trouble. Don’t do anything that they can use against us. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” they said quietly. Their voices were weak and showed they were tired. But Baek Cheon didn’t tell them off for that. He understood how they felt very well.

Just then, Yoon Jong, who had been quiet, asked, “By the way… when is Chung Myung coming back?”

“Huh?” Baek Cheon asked. Yoon Jong put his clean sword back in its case and said, “We can handle this somehow when it’s just us. But when Chung Myung comes back, there will be big trouble. Do you think he might pull their beards and throw them off a cliff?”

“…” Baek Cheon felt a cold shiver go down his back. *He really could do that,* Baek Cheon thought. *It will be good if they are still alive when he’s done. They will be talking about tradition and end up in big trouble.* Baek Cheon shivered again and said, “So, we need to fix this before he comes back…”

“But,” Yoo Iseol said, stopping Baek Cheon. “Won’t it be solved soon?”

“…” Baek Cheon was confused.

“Because they will be kicked out,” Yoo Iseol said simply.

“…” Oh… Solved. Yes, it will be solved. *If you can call that solving the problem,* Baek Cheon thought with a sigh. Baek Cheon sighed deeply.

“Anyway, the sect leader will have a plan by tomorrow,” Baek Cheon said. “Then those people won’t be able to keep bossing us around.”

“What if they say they will stay longer?” Yoon Jong asked. “What if the sect leader can’t do anything?”

“…” Baek Cheon thought for a moment. “Then we have no choice,” Baek Cheon said strongly. “We have to fight bad with bad! I will just send Chung Myung to deal with those old men!” Baek Cheon hoped things would not get that bad.

“Ah, it’s itchy,” Chung Myung said and scratched his ear hard.

“What’s wrong?” Hwang Dae-in asked.

“No, my ear suddenly got itchy,” Chung Myung said. “Is someone talking about me?”

“Haha,” Hwang Dae-in laughed. “Who would dare say bad things about you, young master?”

“Well… there are too many people who might. I think it’s Dongryong.”

“Dongryong?” Hwang Dae-in repeated, confused.

“Never mind,” Chung Myung said, grinning. He picked up his bottle of drink.

“But Mr. Hwang, you can drink a lot!” Chung Myung said, surprised.

“Hahaha,” Hwang Dae-in laughed loudly. “If a merchant can’t drink, he can’t earn money! Drink as much as you want! I can drink a lot too!”

“Hehe. Thank you,” Chung Myung said, smiling. Hwang Dae-in laughed happily.

“It’s an honor to drink with the famous Chung Myung of Mount Hua! You became famous at the big fighting competition!”

“Hehehehe,” Chung Myung giggled.

“Kroooooh!” Hwang Dae-in made a loud sound of excitement. “Your fame is everywhere! People talk about you every day in Chengdu!”

“Aahm! The best swordsman in the world! The best swordsman of Mount Hua now!”

“Giggle! Giggle!” Chung Myung laughed. While the students of Mount Hua were suffering because of the old men’s annoying behavior, Chung Myung was very happy with the kind merchant, spending wonderful days. …He did not know what was happening at Mount Hua.