Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 390

“Curse it!” Yang-pyo muttered, his face tightening with worry.

This was bad. Very bad.

“If only we knew sooner! Just a little sooner!” he thought.

If the news had come even a few hours earlier, they could have done something. But it was too late. They only learned about the danger now, after the enemy was already inside Shanxi province. There was no time left to get ready.

However, he couldn’t really blame the Beggars’ Union, a group known for gathering information.

The Beggars’ Union has many spies. But they can’t watch everyone.

Who would have thought that the Myriad Man Faction, a group currently fighting with the Green Forest, would send three warrior groups to Mount Hua in the first place?

“The Myriad Man Faction is busy fighting the Green Forest. How can they spare so many warriors?”

“No! That’s not it!”

Yang-pyo shook his head.

This wasn’t the time to think about that. What mattered was the present situation.

The situation was terrible.

Three warrior groups from the Myriad Man Faction could easily destroy most small to medium-sized schools in less than half a day.

And right now, Mount Hua’s strength was weaker than even a small school.

Mount Hua didn’t have many strong fighters right now. The best fighters were still away in Xi’an.

To be blunt, the people remaining on Mount Hua weren’t a strong group.

“It’s impossible after all.”

No matter how he looked at it, it was impossible to face the Myriad Man Faction with only the people here. This was like a tiny bug trying to stop a wagon! It was impossible.

But something didn’t make sense.

Yang-pyo looked at the training ground.

All the disciples remaining in Mount Hua were lined up. Yang-pyo simply couldn’t understand them, standing there like solid rocks.

“Don’t they know?”

How strong their enemy was.

How terrible their situation was.

“No. They must know.”

And yet, strangely, the Mount Hua disciples didn’t hesitate.

Everyone was determined, steeling their resolve.

Of course, he could sense it.

A faint sense of fear.

The corners of their tightly closed lips trembled slightly, and they nervously clenched and unclenched the hands holding their swords, as if uneasy.

But Yang-pyo knew very well.

Being courageous didn’t mean not feeling fear.

True courage wasn’t about not feeling fear, but about not backing down when facing it.

In that sense, the disciples of Mount Hua were showing true courage.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

The answer echoed loudly across the training ground of Mount Hua, their sacred mountain home. Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader, stood before the lined-up disciples, his eyes sunken. Beside him, Hyun Sang stood guarding him, gripping his plum blossom sword tightly.

“You’ve heard the news, I presume.”

Unlike his hardened face, Hyun Jong’s voice was quite calm.

“The evil members of the Myriad Man Faction are climbing Mount Hua. Their goal is clear, and today we will likely fight a battle that will decide the fate of Mount Hua.”

The disciples’ eyes sharpened.

They already knew this, but hearing it from the Sect Leader’s mouth felt different.

A great tension filled the training ground, making their fingertips tingle.

Hyun Jong looked at everyone’s faces.

They were all trying to look calm, but he could clearly feel their hidden unease.

“Are you afraid?”

“No, we are not!”

At the immediate answer, Hyun Jong shook his head.

“I am afraid.”

Everyone looked at him, slightly confused.

“I am afraid. Afraid that I might lose my life today. Afraid that I might see you get hurt. Afraid that Mount Hua might meet its end today. But what I fear most of all is…”

Hyun Jong paused, closing his lips tightly for a moment.

He looked at everyone’s faces, as if trying to remember each one, and then slowly spoke.

“…is that you will die, and I will survive, and I will see the empty spaces with my own eyes.”

A quiet silence fell.

“I… I am so afraid that such a thing might happen.”

The disciples could tell.

This wasn’t just a speech to raise their spirits. These were Hyun Jong’s true feelings.

“Disciples of Mount Hua.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“If we must die, I will die first.”

Hyun Jong gripped the sword at his waist.

“As the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, I will not allow anyone to die before me. If blood must be shed, I will shed it first, and if lives must be given, I will give mine first!”

His voice grew louder.

His calm voice gradually rose, echoing throughout Mount Hua.

“But before that!”

Clang!

Hyun Jong’s sword was drawn with a sharp, ringing sound.

Sunlight flashed on the sword, a sharp white line against the brown earth.

“We will teach those who dare to trample on Mount Hua what Mount Hua is. We will make it clear that no one can ever destroy Mount Hua again! That the plum blossoms of Mount Hua will never fall again! We will make it known!”

Everyone gritted their teeth and tightened their jaws.

His rough but sincere voice gave the disciples of Mount Hua courage.

“Draw your swords!”

With a sharp metallic sound, all the disciples drew their swords at once.

“Believe in yourselves. Believe in what you have done. We will make those who dared to look down on Mount Hua pay the price!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

A thunderous shout erupted.

Everyone here had been thinking that such a day would come someday. Gaining fame was the same as making enemies.

It was just that the timing was a little earlier than expected.

“Un-am!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“Lead the Un rank!”

“Yes!”

“Un-geom!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“The Baek rank and Cheong rank!”

“Leave it to me!”

Hyun Jong nodded silently.

The enemy was now climbing Mount Hua through three paths.

Some suggested using the terrain to their advantage and ambushing them. However, dividing their already small force into three groups was like suicide.

Besides…

“I believe.”

That when everyone was together, Mount Hua could be even stronger.

“Prepare to face the enemy!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Hyun Jong sheathed his sword and looked at the mountain gate with heavy eyes. Soon, the evil members of the Myriad Man Faction would come rushing in.

“So Cheolgeol, was it?”

Turning his head, Hyun Jong asked Yang-pyo, who was watching from the side.

“Yes, Sect Leader. It is So Cheolgeol, Yang-pyo.”

“When do you think the message sent to Xi’an will arrive?”

“It should have already arrived.”

“I see. Then what about support from other schools?”

“…I have asked for it, but…”

So Cheolgeol’s face hardened slightly.

“With Jongnam Sect closed, it is hard to find a school nearby that can help. I also asked the Loyang branch for support, but perhaps…”

Hyun Jong nodded silently.

To face the Myriad Man Faction, at least one of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families would have to help.

But with Jongnam Sect closed, the only ones who could offer support were the Wudang Sect in Hubei or the Shaolin Temple in Henan, which were far away.

Even if they left now, it was clear that the battle would be over by the time they arrived.

The air in the room felt heavy with unspoken worry.

“So, you’re saying there’s no help coming?” Hyun Jong’s voice was quiet, strained.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his anxious heart. Turning his head slowly, he looked towards the desk, though his gaze seemed to be fixed on something far beyond it.

“Chung Myung,” he murmured, barely louder than a whisper.

Lines of worry etched themselves around his eyes as he bit his lip. His shoulders were slumped with the weight of his fear.

He wasn’t just afraid that Hyun Young and Chung Myung would be late and everyone would die in the attack. His real fear was worse. He imagined everyone defeated, Mount Hua in flames, and then those two arriving to find only ashes.

*That must not happen.*

Especially not to Chung Myung. That child, with his fiery spirit, loved Mount Hua more than anyone in the world. If he saw Mount Hua destroyed with his own eyes… Hyun Jong couldn’t even imagine what Chung Myung might do.

“Don’t worry, Chung Myung,” he said to the empty air, a silent promise.

*I will protect them. I will protect these children, even if it costs me my life.*

“Slowing down, are we?”

“……”

Baek Cheon, drenched in sweat, glanced sideways at Chung Myung.

“What?”

“……”

Seeing Chung Myung lying stretched out on the cart, as if it were a comfortable bed, one leg crossed over the other, completely relaxed despite the urgency, made Baek Cheon angry.

But what could he do? His wooden sword was still dangling uselessly from his waist.

“A swordsman who breaks his sword?”

“Ugh……”

“Tch, if that sword had broken just a little earlier, it would have taken your head off too, eh?”

Baek Cheon eventually stared blankly ahead again.

‘That nasty bastard.’

No matter how he thought about it, the good outweighed the bad, yet he was clinging to that tiny mistake so thoroughly!

‘Why can’t something bad *really* happen to him for once!’

Baek Cheon sighed deeply and was about to spur the cart on again when—

‘Huh?’

Sensing something strange, Baek Cheon abruptly raised his head.

“Huh?”

“Why?”

“No, over there.”

Baek Cheon stopped. Jo Gul, not knowing what was happening, matched his pace and slowed down.

“Something’s coming over there?”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes slightly. Sure enough, something small was approaching from the distance. What started as a small dot rapidly approached and grew larger.

“Isn’t that the beggar ahjussi?”

“Hong Daekwang, Branch Leader?”

“Looks like it?”

Chung Myung chuckled as he watched Hong Daekwang rushing towards them at an incredible speed.

“Forgot something again, did he? Always the busiest man.”

Dust billowed around Hong Daekwang as he sped along.

Chung Myung, about to make a sarcastic remark, closed his mouth, his expression hardening as he saw Hong Daekwang’s serious face.

“……Something wrong?”

“Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”

Hong Daekwang, having finally arrived, leaped down in front of Chung Myung.

“It’s a disaster, Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”

“What is it this time? What happened?”

“The Ten Thousand People Clan! The Ten Thousand People Clan is heading to Mount Hua!”

A loud noise seemed to echo, and Chung Myung, who had been lying on the cart, suddenly appeared right in front of Hong Daekwang, grabbing both his shoulders.

“……What did you say?”

“The, the Ten Thousand People Clan! Three martial force groups from the Ten Thousand People Clan are heading towards Mount Hua. They’ve probably arrived at Mount Hua by now and are climbing the mountain!”

Chung Myung’s waist twisted sharply. And without a moment’s hesitation, he kicked off the ground, ready to leap away.

“No! Chung Myung!”

But Baek Cheon, having sensed the urgency, rushed over and grabbed his arm tightly.

“Let go!”

“You can’t do anything by going alone! Let’s go together!”

“These……”

Fire blazed in Chung Myung’s eyes.

“This isn’t a situation where I can take slowpokes with me!”

“I’ll follow you even if I die! I’ll follow you even if I have to crawl! Take us with you!”

“……”

Chung Myung bit his lip at Baek Cheon’s resolute cry.

And it was Hyun Young who resolved the situation.

“Chung Myung! Take the children with you.”

“……”

“No matter how strong you are, one hand cannot cover ten. If you try to handle everything yourself, you’ll only end up getting flustered.”

Chung Myung, his face hardened, pondered for a moment before finally nodding. This was not the time to waste time on such things.

“Sasuk!”

“Yes!”

“Sago!”

“I’m ready.”

“Sahyung!”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go!”

Baek Cheon, Yoo Iseol, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul stepped forward and stood before Chung Myung as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And.

“This humble monk will accompany you.”

Hae Yeon, who had already gotten off the cart, looked at Chung Myung and put his hands together in prayer, a picture of calm amidst the rising panic.

“I cannot simply stand by knowing what is happening. Please, allow me to join you.”

“You could die.”

“Life and death are one, are they not?”

Chung Myung nodded.

“Elder!”

“Yes. I will lead the disciples and arrive as quickly as possible.”

“Yes!”

Chung Myung, having confirmed everything, was about to rush out without another word, gritting his teeth, when—

“Ch, Chung Myung!”

“……”

Someone’s voice stopped Chung Myung. He would have ignored it if it were anyone else, but the desperation in the voice made him halt.

Baek Sang.

He was looking at Chung Myung and his group with an expression of helplessness.

“Ch, Chung Myung. Please, take care of our martial siblings… and the senior and junior brothers. Please……”

“Don’t worry.”

Chung Myung grinned.

“Who do you think I am? I’ll be busy sweeping them away first, so hurry up and get here.”

“……Alright.”

“Let’s go!”

Chung Myung dashed forward. At the same time, Baek Cheon and his group, along with Hae Yeon, began to move quickly to follow him.

“Let’s go together, Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”

Hong Daekwang, too, followed Chung Myung, unable to rest properly due to the urgency of the situation.

Hyun Young, watching his disciples disappear into the distance, bit his lip.

‘Sect Leader, please!’

With a desperate heart, he glanced at Mount Hua in the distance and urgently shouted.

“Let’s hurry! Quickly!”

“Yes!”

Hyun Young, abandoning the cart and starting to run with all his might, began to feel an overwhelming sense of worry.