Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 422

“Late? You’re dead!” Chung Myung’s words echoed in Elder Oh Jang-song’s mind.

*Swiiiiish!* The rain crashed down. It wasn’t just rain; it felt like the sky itself was breaking open and falling. Water streamed down Elder Oh Jang-song’s face as he stared at the heavy wooden gates of the Ghostly Spirit Sect (also known as the Yuryeongmun). His heart thumped with worry.

“They should be back,” he muttered to himself, then louder to the disciple beside him, “Shouldn’t they be back by now?”

The disciple nodded, his face also showing concern. “Yes, Elder. They should.”

‘It shouldn’t take this long.’

Do Woon-chan was the young leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect. He was incredibly fast, maybe even one of the ten fastest people in the world. Gye Hyeong was with him on this trip to Seoseo. Gye Hyeong was also very fast.

For them to take this long just to travel to Seoseo and back was hard to understand.

“Maybe something bad happened…”

“Don’t say such things! Words have power in these mountains!”

“My apologies.”

Oh Jang-song clicked his tongue, looking annoyed.

‘This won’t do.’

Such a thing must never happen.

The Ghostly Spirit Sect had only just barely regained stability after a long internal conflict. If the young sect leader were to meet with disaster in this situation, the sect would surely fall into deep trouble.

“No one can hurt him. Who could keep up with his speed?”

“Yes! Sorry, Elder, I spoke without thinking.”

Oh Jang-song, slightly annoyed, frowned and sighed.

Just then, a disciple guarding the gate ran up and shouted.

“Elder!”

“Hm?”

“T-They’re coming! It seems the young sect leader is returning!”

“Oh!”

Oh Jang-song jumped up and ran towards the gate.

“Finally!”

It was truly an important moment.

The return of the young sect leader meant that they had recovered the Sect Leader’s Seal. That meant the young sect leader could officially become the sect leader and properly lead the Ghostly Spirit Sect.

‘Spirits of our ancestors!’

Oh Jang-song, filled with emotion, flung open the gates of the sect.

“Young Sect Leader! Welcome…”

But his brightly smiling mouth snapped shut.

‘Huh?’

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and then blinked several times, still unsure.

‘What is that?’

He couldn’t take his eyes off the cart that was coming up the narrow mountain path, practically destroying it. What on earth was that?

“Why is a person pulling the cart?”

The disciple who had followed him out echoed blankly. “Indeed.”

At the front, a monk with a shiny bald head was pulling the cart, his face flushed red. Still, perhaps because he was a monk, he kept chanting the Buddha’s name even as he looked exhausted.

“Bloody hell! Bloody hell! Bloody heeeeell…”

Ah, never mind.

He thought it was a Buddhist chant, but…

Behind the monk at the front, people in robes were straining with all their might, spewing curses.

‘A monk and a Taoist priest… No, is that even a beggar?’

What kind of ridiculous combination was this?

Even more absurd was…

“It’ll be dawn soon! Did you all only eat gruel? If I feed you expensive meat, you have to earn your keep! Can’t you pull faster?”

The youngest-looking of them all was sitting on the cart, yelling at the others.

It was beyond his understanding.

“Y-Young Sect Leader?”

Only after being astonished by all of that did his gaze finally reach Do Woon-chan. Oh Jang-song was surprised to see him trudging along beside the cart and rushed over.

“Th-That… Young Sect Leader…”

“Krrrgh!”

“Aaaargh!”

“Bloody hell!”

Oh Jang-song flinched at the desperate cries erupting from the side and looked over.

Soaked in the rain, they advanced, emitting steam from their entire bodies. Watching the breath escaping their mouths and the steam rising from their bodies, they looked as if they were on fire.

‘Did they come from hell…?’

No, wait. These people are monks and Taoist priests…

“Young Sect Leader, what on earth is going on?”

“Let’s go inside and talk, Elder Oh.”

“Yes… Yes!”

Creak! Creeeeak!

The rain-soaked cart entered the Ghostly Spirit Sect, making an eerie, ghostly noise.

And.

Thud!

As soon as they entered the Ghostly Spirit Sect, those pulling the cart simultaneously dropped the iron bars and collapsed to the ground.

“Bloody hell…”

“That devilish bastard! That…”

“What kind of sect is located in such a remote mountain valley!”

Baek Cheon glared and shouted. Do Woon-chan flinched at the terrifying force and shrank back.

“I apologize. The Ghostly Spirit Sect doesn’t particularly want to be known to the outside world.”

“Krrrgh.”

Baek Cheon collapsed onto the ground, panting as if he had no answer.

Seeing them soaked in the rain and groaning, they looked no different from defeated soldiers.

“Tsk tsk tsk. You’re all so weak.”

“That bastard…?”

“I’ll kill him. I’ll really kill that one!”

Amidst the many complaints, Chung Myung jumped off the cart and brought the gourd in his hand to his lips. He tilted his head back, gulping down the liquor for a long time before wiping his mouth with his sleeve, “Kuh.”

“What, how far did we come? It wasn’t that far, stop exaggerating.”

Baek Cheon looked up at the sky, sprawled out as if he didn’t even have the strength to argue.

‘He’s crazy. He’s gone mad.’

They had traveled a very long distance from Seoseo to this place. It was a distance that would leave an ordinary person on the verge of death even if they walked it empty-handed.

To carry even the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron on an iron cart over such a distance, no matter how skilled a martial artist one was, their body couldn’t possibly remain intact.

Moreover…

‘I see why people don’t make carts out of iron.’

Carts were things that basically needed to be maintained with oil. But everyone who accompanied him on this journey only knew how to throw punches and were useless in everyday life.

So, as they went on, they had no choice but to forcibly drag the cart, which became increasingly stiff and dull, with their strength.

“Senior Brother. I think I’m going to die.”

“I’m already dead.”

“I want to kill him.”

Even Yoo I-seol, the training fanatic, gritted her teeth and glared at Chung Myung.

But Chung Myung, even as he received such gazes with his whole body, calmly continued to gulp down his liquor.

“Tsk tsk tsk. How can you be of any use with such weak bones!”

“Bones? Bones? Your bones must be pretty strong. Let’s see how long you last…!”

Wham!

“Aaaaargh!”

Baek Cheon, who had jumped up and rushed at Chung Myung, was kicked in the backside and sent flying into a corner.

‘That person’s persistence is truly amazing.’

‘Or perhaps he’s just foolish.’

It was a mystery how he could be so consistent, rushing in and getting beaten and knocked down every single day.

“Young Sect Leader.”

“Yes, Dojang.”

“Since they seem to have suffered quite a bit, please let our Senior Brothers take a bath.”

“I will prepare hot water immediately.”

“Hehe. Thank you.”

Do Woon-chan spoke quickly to Oh Jang-song.

“Prepare warm water and a meal. Right now!”

“Alright! Young Sect Leader.”

Oh Jang-song couldn’t help but think that the young sect leader had brought back some strange things.

“Haaaah…”

“Huuuuh…”

Heavenly groans escaped from the mouths of Yoon Jong and Jo Gul as they soaked in the hot bath.

“This is paradise.”

“I feel like I’m finally alive.”

Jo Gul, who had taken his feet out of the bath, frowned. His feet were so swollen that the skin was about to peel off completely.

“Seriously… I really thought I was going to die this time.”

“Krrrgh. To think I’d see deep trouble just from pulling a cart.”

In the end, they were reminded once again that what mattered was not the type of training, but its intensity.

The iron cart was unbelievably heavy, groaning under some unseen weight. “So, that’s why Chung Myung is such a madman,” Jo Gul grumbled, wiping sweat from his brow.

To think he’d make martial artists suffer so much just by pulling a cart.

“Ptooey!”

Just then, Baek Cheon, who had been bubbling in the water for quite some time, shot up.

Splash!

Tilting his head back, his soaking wet hair swept back.

At that sight, Jo Gul hesitated, as if at a loss for words.

“Well… how should I put it?”

Floating like mismatched buoys, Baek Cheon’s dark hair fanned out around him while Hae Yeon’s bald head gleamed in the sun, creating a strange mix.

Baek Cheon smiled and looked at Hae Yeon.

“Haha. Hae Yeon… M-Monk! You mustn’t fall asleep here! You’ll die!”

Baek Cheon hurriedly reached out and pulled Hae Yeon’s head back up from the water.

“Not the monk’s head!”

“Show some respect!”

Hae Yeon, dragged out of the water like an octopus, shook his head a few times as if dizzy, then opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Have… have the disciples of Mount Hua always trained like this?”

“Well…”

“This is pretty normal, though.”

“To be honest, this time we came in a bit of a hurry. Wasn’t the trip to Yunnan, when we fought those bandits, harder?”

“Come on, Senior Uncle, we have to consider that we’re stronger than we were back then.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Hae Yeon shook his head as he listened to them.

‘So that’s how Mount Hua has become so strong.’

He had seen them training a few times in Xi’an, but that was nothing compared to this. If you push people this hard, it’s stranger if they don’t get stronger. Because if they don’t get stronger, they’ll die.

Hae Yeon glanced at Yoon Jong.

His chest muscles, revealed above the water, looked as hard as iron plates.

‘How embarrassing.’

They are swordsmen. And he is a martial artist who uses fists.

Isn’t it obvious who needs to train their body harder?

But even Yoon Jong, who seemed the leanest among the Mount Hua disciples, had a more solid body than Hae Yeon.

He felt ashamed of the time he had lived, thinking that he was second to none in physical training.

“By the way, where did Chung Myung go?”

“He went out to wash up a while ago.”

“Why so hastily…?”

Jo Gul shrugged.

“We can rest now, but that Chung Myung has only just begun.”

“Ah…”

Yoon Jong pouted.

“That damn guy really leaves you speechless.”

“…Agreed.”

The disciples of Mount Hua sighed in unison.

Pulling a cart made of iron was hard work. Even more so if the person on top was using Thousand Weights Art, a technique that magically increased the cart’s weight.

But no matter how hard it was, it couldn’t be harder than using Thousand Weights Art all the way from Shanxi to here.

Baek Cheon shook his head and opened his mouth.

“And he went straight to work after that.”

“…Isn’t he really a madman?”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the bathroom door.

“…We still have a long way to go.”

Baek Cheon’s muttering represented the feelings of them all.

Oh Jang-song stared at the Vice Sect Leader with a bewildered expression. “What do you mean? Transportation?”

“Are you saying you’re going to use the disciples as bodyguards?”

“That is correct.”

“Vice Sect Leader!”

As Oh Jang-song’s voice grew agitated, Chung Myung, who was sitting across from him, lightly shook his gourd.

“Now, now. Don’t get so worked up.”

At the jest, Oh Jang-song turned a sharp gaze towards Chung Myung.

Oh Jang-song glared at Chung Myung. “And who is *this* boy? He looks barely old enough to hold a sword, yet he sits here like a Sect Leader!”

Chung Myung grinned, unfazed. “Ah, Elder, you wound me! I am indeed a disciple of Mount Hua, but also…”

Before Chung Myung could finish, Do Woon-chan’s hand clamped firmly on Oh Jang-song’s shoulder. His voice was low, a quiet warning. “Elder Oh. Perhaps… consider your words carefully.”

Oh Jang-song’s gaze turned back to Chung Myung.

‘Does this mean this young disciple is that dangerous?’

An incomprehensible series of events was unfolding.

At that moment, Chung Myung smiled brightly.

“Although I am young, I have been entrusted with full authority over this matter by the Sect Leader, so don’t worry. Every word I say will be the will of Mount Hua.”

“How can I believe that…”

“Oh, come on. I came with the Vice Sect Leader. Surely you don’t distrust the Vice Sect Leader, do you?”

Oh Jang-song looked back and forth between Do Woon-chan and Chung Myung, then sighed quietly.

“…It’s not that.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Chung Myung shrugged, and Oh Jang-song closed his mouth as if he had nothing to say.

“Vice Sect Leader.”

“Hmm. I understand, Dojang.”

Do Woon-chan nodded and began to explain to Oh Jang-song what had happened in the meantime.

After the explanation was over, Oh Jang-song, who had been silent for a while, looked at Do Woon-chan with heavy eyes.

“I understand what you’re saying. It seems to make sense at first glance. I also understand why the Vice Sect Leader brought them here.”

‘Oh?’

Chung Myung looked at Oh Jang-song with fresh eyes.

He was stubborn, and I thought he would lie down and refuse, but he’s not unreasonable, is he?

“But Vice Sect Leader, I still have one concern. It is only natural that the finances of the sect are important, but a sect that is only focused on finances will eventually fail to reach far.”

“…Hmm. That’s also true.”

“If the disciples waste their time carrying goods, they will have less time to train. The time wasted will not come back. After enough money has been collected, it will be too late, after the most important time to train has been missed.”

“Hmm.”

Do Woon-chan, who was listening to him, nodded repeatedly as if he agreed.

Chung Myung clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘How can his ears be so thin?’

‘Yes, you’re right, and you’re right too.’

‘A Sect Leader should have decisiveness!’

If that man had ascended to the position of Sect Leader and led the Illusory Spirit Sect, it was obvious how it would have ended.

Well, to be fair.

If he had been a talented individual with both skill and decisiveness, he wouldn’t have been unable to resolve the internal strife within the sect for so long.

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and looked at the two men. It seemed like he needed to wrap things up at this point.

“So, what the Elder is saying is…”

“Hmm?”

“You’re worried that we won’t be able to train properly, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If that’s resolved, there are no other problems?”

“Who doesn’t like money? If we can train properly, there’s no reason to object. But aren’t the two mutually exclusive?”

“Come on. Why can’t they coexist?”

“…Huh?”

Chung Myung grinned.

“All I have to do is prove that they can coexist, right?”

“…Huh?”

Oh Jang-song tilted his head. Chung Myung shrugged and smiled.

“Hehe. Don’t worry. I’ll show you for sure.”

At that somehow sinister smile, Do Woon-chan’s heart sank. He seemed to have made a mistake.

He closed his eyes tightly and muttered the words he couldn’t say out loud.

‘Elder Oh. You’ve made a mistake.’

Now that he knew Chung Myung’s character to some extent, it was as if the Illusory Spirit Sect’s sad future was unfolding before his eyes.