Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 381

“What are you talking about? Tell me everything!” Chung Myung asked loudly.

Baek Sang’s face was white with fear as he spoke quickly. “G-ghosts! I’m telling you, ghosts!”

“And what does that mean exactly?” Chung Myung asked, raising an eyebrow.

“People going to the toilet outside saw a ghost! A see-through, white figure floating in the air! Not just one person, but two people saw it today!”

“…And?” Chung Myung said, still not impressed.

“And? It’s a ghost! A real ghost!” Baek Sang cried, his voice shaking.

The more Chung Myung heard Baek Sang’s words, the more displeased he looked.

“Sasuk.”

“Huh?”

“What kind of person is Sasuk?”

“Me? I’m… a Taoist.”

“Aargh!”

Chung Myung kicked Baek Sang.

“Kyaaa!”

Baek Sang let out a bizarre scream and rolled away.

“You fool! You’re supposed to be Taoists! What? Ghosts? When ghosts appear, you’re supposed to get rid of them! Instead, you’re making a fuss because you’re scared?”

What kind of place was the Taoist sect?

Individually, they cultivated the Tao; beyond that, they were to aid the people and follow the principles of all creation, eliminating all that was wicked.

In other words.

“People who talk to spirits go around finding possessed people, perform special ceremonies, and make money! And you lot, calling yourselves Taoists, are making a fuss about seeing a ghost! If you’re scared of ghosts, who’s going to catch them? Who!”

Chung Myung spat fire as if he were about to explode with frustration.

“And are there only Taoists here? Where’s the monk?”

“H-Hae Yeon?”

“Yes!”

“Well… after hearing about the ghost, he locked himself in his room and started chanting holy prayers…”

“…He’s really chanting and sleeping.”

Chung Myung covered his forehead with one hand, as if his head ached.

“There are so many Taoists here, and even a monk, but not a single one of them is worth a damn. Aigo, what is my fate?”

It would be better if a cat were afraid of a mouse. How could Taoists run away after seeing a ghost?

“Are these guys not brave enough? Should I give them a proper workout?”

“Then their brave energy will deplete even more…”

“I’ll smack your mouth!”

“Ugh.”

The disciples, who had flocked to him as if he were their savior, all flinched at Chung Myung’s fierce demeanor. Chung Myung clicked his tongue, looking pathetic.

“How can there be ghosts in this world… Uh… No, wait a minute.”

Come to think of it, aren’t I a ghost too?

“Huh?”

Chung Myung used to scoff at the word ‘ghost,’ but considering what he had experienced, he couldn’t dismiss it as complete nonsense.

“A ghost, you say.”

Baek Cheon muttered in disbelief, while Yoon Jong narrowed his eyes.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t the reason we were able to buy this manor so cheaply when we first acquired it because it was haunted?”

“Th-that’s right.”

“It’s not an absurd story. It’s unusual for a manor in such a prime location to have been left abandoned for so long. Besides, two people have seen ghosts, haven’t they?”

“…So, does that mean ghosts really appear?”

Baek Cheon tilted his head repeatedly, looking doubtful.

Ghosts in broad daylight, really.

“Samae, what do you think…”

Baek Cheon turned around and was slightly taken aback. Yoo Iseol, who was always a few steps behind, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she go…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

He saw her standing close to the entrance of the Hwayoung Gate, subtly trying to slip away.

“…What are you doing?”

At Baek Cheon’s question, Yoo Iseol muttered with an utterly indifferent face.

“Ghosts.”

“…”

“Sword doesn’t work. Can’t win. Scary.”

“…”

Baek Cheon looked up at the sky with a mournful face.

‘There’s no one normal here.’

That statement could be interpreted in several ways.

On the surface, it meant that she was afraid of ghosts that couldn’t be pierced by a sword, but in another sense, it meant that she had nothing to fear if the sword could pierce them.

No wonder she usually seemed so fearless.

“Baek Sang.”

“Yes, Sahyung.”

“Who is the one who witnessed the ghost?”

“Yes. One is a disciple from Hwayoung. He is too shocked right now, so we are trying to calm him down in his room.”

“What about the other one?”

“That would be me?”

“…”

“…”

Baek Cheon covered his face with his hands.

‘There really isn’t anyone normal.’

No, this guy used to seem somewhat normal. How did he become so drastically broken?

Well.

How many people in Hwasan are not broken right now?

Baek Cheon sighed and asked.

“Tell me exactly what you saw.”

“Yes, Sahyung! I was on my way to the toilet outside when I felt a slight chill, so I looked up.”

“Yes.”

“Something pale whizzed past! As soon as I saw it, I knew instinctively! This is a ghost. At the same time, goosebumps spread all over my body!”

“And?”

“That’s it?”

“…”

“…”

Baek Cheon stared at Baek Sang with a look of utter disbelief, and unconsciously clenched his fist slightly.

“…Calm down, Sahyung.”

“I wish I could.”

I wish I could, you little rascal!

Baek Cheon took a deep breath to calm himself and glanced around. Chung Myung’s outburst had calmed them down a bit, but the disciples’ faces were still filled with anxiety.

“Isn’t there a possibility that it’s not a ghost? Like a master using a high-level martial art that’s hard to follow with the eyes.”

“It can’t be a person. That… it wasn’t just fast, but that pale thing… Besides, it seemed half-transparent. More than anything, I really felt an eerie aura, like a cold wind blowing even though the air was still.”

“…Hmm.”

Baek Cheon hummed with a subtle expression.

He was now part of the Jae Kyung group, but Baek Sang had once been someone who boasted considerable skill in the Baek Ja group. Moreover, wasn’t he a very rational person?

‘Are ghosts really appearing?’

Baek Cheon stared blankly at the building.

Was it just his imagination?

The Hwayoung Gate’s building seemed strangely eerie. The shadows were deeper here, and the wood looked old and rotten even though it was new. A strange silence hung around it, even when people were talking nearby.

“What should we do, Chung Myung?”

“About what?”

“They say ghosts are appearing.”

“…Well, it’s a ghost.”

Chung Myung scoffed at Baek Cheon’s words.

“What’s the problem with ghosts? If a sword can pierce them, then there’s nothing to fear, and if a sword can’t pierce them, then they can’t hit me either, so there’s nothing to fear, right?”

“…”

His logic was impeccable.

Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively, as if he were annoyed.

“If you have time to worry about such useless things, swing your sword one more time. Ghosts, my foot.”

With those curt words, he strode inside, leaving the remaining disciples to look anxiously back and forth between his retreating figure and the building.

“Wh-what should we do, Sasuk?”

“Huh?”

Jo Gul spoke, his face slightly pale.

“We don’t need to worry about that rascal Chung Myung. Even ghosts wouldn’t bother him.”

After all, a ghost is nothing compared to a demon crawling up from hell, right?

Ghosts know better than to bother Chung Myung if they want to stay around.

“But we aren’t him. What do we do if we encounter a ghost?”

“…Is there anyone here who knows how to perform an exorcism?”

“Does something like that even exist in Mount Hua?”

“⋯⋯.”

Well, maybe it existed in the old days.

“Shouldn’t we call a Taoist priest or something?”

“We *are* Taoist priests, you idiot! Who are we going to call?”

“No… I mean, not Taoist priests like us who only know how to use swords, but proper Taoist priests.”

“…Jo Gul.”

“Yes, Martial Uncle!”

“Get a grip. Unless you want to get hit.”

“Yes, sir.”

Baek Cheon sighed.

Chung Myung had tormented them so much, they were not scared of people anymore. But ghosts were different. Ghosts scared the Mount Hua disciples.

Baek Cheon cleared his throat loudly, drawing attention.

“In any case, there’s no way things like ghosts exist in this world.”

“⋯⋯.”

The words sounded calm enough, but the Mount Hua disciples were all lamenting inwardly.

‘Saying it with such a pale face doesn’t make it very convincing…’

But Baek Cheon continued steadfastly.

“Still, just in case there’s a one in a thousand, one in ten thousand chance that problems might arise, from now on, don’t travel alone. Pair up in at least twos when moving around. If things are quiet for a few days, I’ll reassess the situation.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Understood, Martial Uncle.”

Having finished speaking, Baek Cheon glanced back at the main building and shook his head.

“Nah, no way.”

A subtle worry settled on his face.

But contrary to his thoughts, this commotion did not end as easily as he had hoped.

“Aaaaaaaaargh!”

Late at night.

The doors of the buildings burst open simultaneously at the sudden scream.

“What, what is it!”

“An intruder?”

Everyone, without even having time to put on their shoes properly, used their full power to rush towards the source of the scream.

“Senior Brother!”

“Huh?”

What they found was Cheongbong, collapsed and foaming at the mouth.

“Bong! Get a grip!”

“Ugh… Ack! Gh-ghost…”

He half-rolled his eyes back and pointed at the air with a trembling hand.

“Gh-ghost! Gh-gh…”

“I said, get a grip!”

“…Grrrr.”

Thwack!

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a sharp flick landed on his forehead. The sound was like a walnut cracking.

“Ack!”

“What kind of Taoist priest faints at the sight of a ghost? Are you crazy?”

Cheongbong, who had been half out of his mind, clutched his forehead and rolled on the ground.

Chung Myung looked down at him with a pathetic gaze.

“Honestly, you’re all so useless.”

“Ch-, Chung Myung-ah.”

“Not getting up?”

Chung Myung shouted, and Cheongbong stood up straight as if he had never fallen backward in the first place.

‘Good heavens. He wakes up a fainting person by hitting them.’

‘Creative. Definitely creative.’

While everyone was marveling, Chung Myung asked Cheongbong.

“What did you see?”

“I’m telling you, it was a ghost!”

“So, what did this ghost look like?”

“Well, it was something hazy… No, I think it was reddish… Huh? Was it transparent?”

“…Why do you even have those eyes? Are they just knot-holes?”

“W-, it all happened so fast…”

“Go to sleep. Just go to sleep.”

Chung Myung kicked Cheongbong’s backside and sighed.

“And I believed these guys.”

But this time, even he had doubts in his mind. He narrowed his brow slightly and fell into thought.

‘It’s not just one or two people who saw it, is it?’

Moreover, the testimonies of those who witnessed it are quite similar.

The details are all different, but in conclusion, wasn’t it that something hazy passed before their eyes?

At that moment, Yoon Jong cautiously asked from the side.

“Could it be that… another group is playing a prank?”

“No.”

But Chung Myung flatly denied it.

“They don’t have the ability to do that. You need ability to even play pranks.”

“Hmm.”

Just in case, he had spread his senses in all directions, but there was nothing to catch. If another group had really started something, they would have been caught by Chung Myung before even crossing the gate.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Even the great Chung Myung could not easily come to a conclusion.

“I-Is it really a ghost?”

“No, if this many people have witnessed it, it’s definitely a real ghost!”

“Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabha. Amitabha.”

“Which one of you is chanting Buddhist scriptures! We are Taoist priests, for crying out loud!”

“Chant the Taoist name, the Taoist name!”

The disciples, unable to hide their anxiety, began to say whatever came to their minds.

“That’s right! Buddhist scriptures are for monks to chant. Speaking of which, where is Monk Hyein?”

“…He locked the door and won’t come out.”

“That… that guy is really timid.”

“If he just smacked them with his Great Power of Non-Attachment, even ghosts would run away.”

As the surroundings became noisy and chaotic, Chung Myung’s face twisted.

“Everyone, be quiet!”

Chung Myung said firmly.

“Ghosts, what ghosts? There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world! And if it were a ghost, there’s no way it would suddenly appear like this after not showing its face all this time. This is clearly someone’s trickery.”

“You said it’s not another group either? Then who’s playing tricks?”

“That’s what I need to find out from now on.”

Chung Myung gritted his teeth.

“I don’t know who’s pulling these shallow tricks, but I’ll make them realize they messed with the wrong person!”

“What if it really is a ghost?”

“There’s no surviving a beating. Whether it’s a ghost or whatever, I’ll just beat them all up.”

The disciples of Mount Hua were newly impressed by Chung Myung’s resolute voice.

As expected of Chung Myung.

Ghosts or whatever, they’re meaningless in front of that guy!

Then we just need to trust that guy…

“But.”

“Huh?”

“…Is there anyone here who knows how to use talismans?”

“⋯⋯.”

“No, just in case.”

Baek Cheon and the other disciples stared at Chung Myung with blank eyes.

…Hey.

Are you, honestly, scared too?

This bastard?