Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 424

Chung Myung gulped down his alcohol.

“Kraaah!”

He lowered the bottle, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and smirked, looking towards where the Mount Hua disciples had run.

“Hee hee hee hee.”

Hae Yeon, with a sulky face, stared at him. He couldn’t join the race because he wasn’t a Mount Hua disciple, so he had to stay behind.

“Venerable Sir.”

“Hm?”

“Won’t this be a little dangerous?” Hae Yeon asked, worried, looking in the direction the Mount Hua disciples had disappeared.

“Seeing the Ghostly Shadows Sect disciples rushing out, their lightness skill seemed very high…”

“Of course. They’re the Ghostly Shadows Sect, after all.”

Chung Myung wouldn’t have teamed up with them if they weren’t skilled.

‘They should be at least that good.’

“But is there really a need for this competition?” Hae Yeon asked.

“What would you know?” Chung Myung glanced at Oh Jang-song and Do Woon-chan, the Ghostly Shadows Sect’s elder and young leader, standing nearby.

“…First of all, I need to sort things out.”

“Sort things out?”

“No, nothing.” Chung Myung shrugged and took another swig of alcohol. Hae Yeon still looked uneasy.

“I can’t help but feel anxious…”

Chung Myung chuckled, looking at him.

“This bald monk is always worrying.”

“…”

“Is your training for nothing?” Chung Myung’s face was relaxed, almost indifferent.

The older Mount Hua disciples hadn’t had proper lightness skill training, but these disciples had mastered Mount Hua’s lightness skill.

“Lightness skill is straightforward. You get what you work for. And no one has worked harder than our martial brothers.”

“…The one who knows that is…”

“Hm?”

“It’s nothing…” Hae Yeon shook his head.

‘Actually, I’m worrying too much.’

Hae Yeon knew the Mount Hua disciples’ skills well. In fact, no one outside of Mount Hua knew them better.

He believed Baek Cheon and his group were far beyond the level of regular disciples. If they went to Shaolin, only Hae Yeon could beat them.

No matter how good the Ghostly Shadows Sect was at lightness skill, they couldn’t easily defeat the Mount Hua disciples.

“Thinking about it, this will be an easy match.”

“An easy match?” Chung Myung smirked.

“Well, I hope it will be.”

“Yes?”

“Anyway, if you’re late, you’re dead.” Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed with mischief, like a cat who had just caught a mouse.

Hae Yeon felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach as he watched Chung Myung.

“Oof!” Jo Gul pushed off the ground hard.

Each push sent him forward. He quickly took the lead.

“Ehehehehehe!”

‘It feels like I can fly now that I’ve taken off that heavy iron!’

He felt great joy! He had worn heavy iron weights on his legs all the way from Shaanxi to Guizhou. That’s a very long way!

Even walking without weights would be hard. But he had weights much heavier than normal iron.

His body felt so light he could barely control it. His confidence soared.

He could beat anyone, Ghostly Shadows Sect or anyone else.

Wham!

His feet hit the ground with power.

‘Yes!’

His training had been very effective. He could feel the power in his legs as he ran.

‘That bastard’s training is really effective.’

He didn’t want to admit it, though!

He needed to win this match first…

“Oh? Quite fast?” a voice said next to him.

‘No…?’

He was running incredibly fast. He was surprised himself. But the person next to him looked relaxed, as if the speed was nothing.

‘He’s keeping up at this speed?’

The Ghostly Shadows Sect disciple sneered.

“So you’re a disciple of a famous sect? You haven’t been lazy in your training.”

Jo Gul’s eyebrows twitched.

‘What’s with this guy?’

The Ghostly Shadows Sect disciple was acting like he was better than Jo Gul. It was the same attitude the Jongnam Sect and other great sects showed during competitions.

They thought they were better than the Mount Hua disciples at lightness skill.

Jo Gul retorted, feeling annoyed.

“If you’re so confident, you’re in for a surprise.”

“Oh?” The Ghostly Shadows Sect disciple smiled as if he had heard a joke.

“You’re confident, but you need to know something.”

“Hm?”

“Do you know what kind of road this is?”

Jo Gul tilted his head. What did he mean?

“It’s a road we use for training.”

“So what? Are you saying you’ll win because you run here often?”

“No, no. Not that.” The Ghostly Shadows Sect disciple shot forward.

“Whoa!”

“You’ll find out soon enough!”

Jo Gul’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of speed.

“Gul!” Yoon Jong was running fast behind him.

“What are you doing!”

“Ah, no, that guy is…!”

“Forget it! Catch up! It’ll be bad if we lose the lead!”

“Yes!”

The two men ran side by side, pushing their inner strength into their legs.

“Eura-chaaa!”

“Stop there…!”

Thwack!

‘Huh?’

Jo Gul felt something strange under his foot.

He looked down and saw the floor collapsing beneath him.

“Wh-what!”

“A trap?”

The ground where Jo Gul and Yoon Jong stepped on collapsed. They began to fall.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

“No, you crazy…!”

They were running too fast to react.

Thud!

Boom!

They hit the walls of the pit and slid down.

Splash!

“Glug glug glug…”

They fell into the water at the bottom, barely surfaced, and stuck their heads out.

“Ptooey!”

“Cough! Ehehey! Cough!” Yoon Jong coughed up water, his face red. He looked around in disbelief.

“What is this? Why is there a trap on the road?!”

“Y-yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”

A nasty voice came from above.

“Ah, just one more word.”

The Ghostly Shadows Sect disciple was looking down at them, grinning.

He chuckled, smiling from ear to ear.

A voice echoed, sharp and urgent, “More traps ahead! Watch your step!”

Jo Gul was already angry. His eyes narrowed, and his face turned red. He clenched his fists.

“Is he serious?”

“Consider this a gift!”

Thud! The Ghostly Gate disciple stomped his foot. The ground shook. Jo Gul and Yoon Jong felt the tremor even stronger in the pit.

“…Huh?” Why stomp so hard?

“Ah, no…” Rumble! The weak walls of the pit started to fall apart.

Earth and sand rushed down like a waterfall, burying Jo Gul and Yoon Jong.

Their eyes went wide with terror. Jo Gul yelled, “You monster!” Yoon Jong just let out a panicked cry.

Rumble! The ground around the pit caved in, burying them completely.

The Ghostly Gate disciple looked at the pit now filled with earth. He grinned. “Nothing personal,” he said, “but messy holes are bad for appearances.”

Whoosh! He jumped away. A moment later, dust still hanging in the air, a hand burst from the soil.

The hand clawed at the dirt, pushing it aside.

“Keeeugh!”

“Eeek!” Covered head to toe in mud, like creatures from the earth, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul crawled out.

“Ptooey! Ptooey! Aaaargh!”

“…Gul, don’t eat the dirt.”

Jo Gul’s face was covered in mud, and his eyes were red and angry.

“Senior Brother.”

“…”

“Let’s get them back.”

Yoon Jong felt the same.

“I agree,” he said, “for once.”

They looked at each other. No words needed. They charged forward, full of rage.

“I’ll make them pay!”

“They’ll regret this!” They ran towards the mountain, shouting curses that would have made their master, Hyun Jong, bury his face in his hands.

“Haa… haa!” Tang Soso ran too, her face wet with sweat. She gasped for air, and her eyes kept flicking nervously to the side.

“S-Senior!”

“No.”

“Please, leave me behind and go first….”

“No.” Yoo Iseol ran beside her, her eyes fixed straight ahead, determined.

“I can’t, haa, run anymore.”

“You can do it.” Tang Soso was from a strong family, but even she was struggling to keep up with Yoo Iseol.

She wasn’t as fast as the best Mount Hua fighters. But Yoo Iseol didn’t seem to care about what was reasonable.

Tang Soso had hoped to just run slowly and let the others handle things. But Yoo Iseol stayed right next to her, pushing her to go faster. Now, running as fast as Yoo Iseol, Tang Soso felt dizzy and faint.

“I’m, I’m going to die!”

“It’s okay. You can do it.”

I’m not okay, I’m not! Why is Senior okay! Tang Soso glared at Yoo Iseol, feeling angry and unfair.

Then, Yoo Iseol glanced slightly ahead and frowned. The backs of the two Ghostly Gate members who had been running ahead of them began to come into view.

‘We caught up?’ No, not yet? Then that means they’re slowing down. Why? But the one in front suddenly looked back. Yoo Iseol frowned at the faint smile on his lips.

“Careful!”

“Yes?” Yoo Iseol sensed danger. The men ahead kicked the trees as hard as they could. Thud! Boom! The trees shook, and Yoo Iseol looked up quickly.

“Soso!”

“Yes?” Yoo Iseol pulled Tang Soso close. And at the same time, she drew the sword from her waist.

Whoosh! The trees were so thick, it was dark above. Something was pouring down.

‘Bamboo spears?’ Actually, they were just thick bamboo poles – not sharp, but still dangerous falling from above.

“Taat!” A short, strong shout burst from Yoo Iseol’s mouth. Her sword slashed fiercely through the air, cutting down all the bamboo poles that were pouring down from above.

‘What a petty trick!’

Wham! Suddenly, a loud BANG! After the bamboo, big round balls came flying down.

“Worthless!” Yoo Iseol’s sword flashed again. Tang Soso screamed, “Aaaargh! No, Senior!” Huh? What’s wrong? Slice! Slice! Her sword cut through the balls easily.

But then. Bang! Bang! Bang! The balls she cut open burst, and black nets shot out to both sides.

‘What?’ Yoo Iseol’s eyes went wide.

“Nets…?” Too late to dodge.

Steel nets from the exploding balls wrapped around Yoo Iseol and Tang Soso. Whack! Whack! Net after net fell on them, trapping them even more.

“Kyaaaa!” Tangled in the nets, they tumbled down the slope like a single rolling ball.

“Aack! Ack! My back! Ack!”

“……” Thud! Boom! Thud! Thud! They bounced and rolled until they reached flat ground and finally slowed down.

“Keeugh…. Euh…. S-Senior… I’m going to die….”

“……” A weak hand tugged at the nets. Plop. Tang Soso finally got free and fell to the ground with a groan.

“Those… those awful men…” Tang Soso gritted her teeth and sighed. Yoo Iseol, already free from the nets, spoke.

“Soso.”

“Yes?” Tang Soso looked up quickly, then shrank back, scared. Yoo Iseol’s hair tie was half broken. She ripped it off completely and threw it down. Her long black hair fell around her face like shadows, and a cold blue light seemed to glow from her eyes.

“……” Anyone brave would have felt their heart sink at the sight. Yoo Iseol gave off a scary feeling, and she spoke slowly, her voice low and dangerous.

“I’m going first.”

“…Don’t kill them.”

“Maybe not.” She stared at Tang Soso, her eyes cold and hard. Then, she ran forward, fast as lightning.

“……” Left alone, Tang Soso couldn’t help but worry about the Ghostly Gate disciples.