Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 459

Paaat!

The sword tip shot forward, unwavering.

Paaat!

Once more.

And again.

The sword tip moved forward many times, each time stopping at the exact same spot.

“It’s shaking.”

Yoo Iseol’s face showed a hint of frustration.

It looked like the sword stopped at the same place, but she knew it was shaking slightly.

“Hoo.”

Yoo Iseol breathed out and pulled back her plum blossom sword.

*This is harder than it looks,* Yoo Iseol thought.

The new plum blossom sword from the Tang Clan was sharper and better balanced than the old ones. *Good things always come with a price,* she reminded herself.

This sword was lighter, which meant she could move it in more impressive ways. But the lighter weight also made the tip shake more. She stared at the sword in her hand, her brow furrowed in concentration. The cold night air brushed against her cheek, but she didn’t notice.

The swords of Mount Hua didn’t favor men or women.

Unlike other orthodox sects that focused on strength, Mount Hua’s swords were about speed, change, and illusion.

If you could use the sword sharply and with many changes, anyone could reach the top.

But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

The more changes you made with the sword, the more control you needed.

A sword that tricked the enemy with many changes. If you lost control, the sword of Mount Hua would become just a tricky blade.

*I need to put the center of gravity at the tip of the sword.*

Chung Myung had talked about the basics many times.

At first, she just thought the basics were important. But lately, she understood why Chung Myung stressed them so much.

The more you focused on showy changes, the more the sword lost its center and shook. To control it, she needed to go back to the basics.

She had to use her lower body to hold the sword’s weight, calm her mind, and completely control the sword.

*A showy sword and a heavy heart.*

It felt like she had to balance two opposite ideas.

“Hoo.”

Yoo Iseol took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Then, she looked up at the moon.

It had been a while since her sword had created a plum blossom.

But she was still far from her goal. The plum blossom she wanted was better than this. Something more detailed, something clearer… Yes, a plum blossom that seemed alive.

Yoo Iseol’s feet started moving on their own.

After a while, she found herself on Yeonhwa Peak.

As she climbed Yeonhwa Peak, feeling the cold winter air, she heard the familiar sound of a sword cutting through the wind.

The sound was now familiar, and she walked faster.

Soon, she reached Yeonhwa Peak and saw a forest of plum blossoms in full bloom.

She clenched her fist and stared at the scene.

The plum blossoms seemed alive. Even though she had seen it many times, she was still amazed every time. The white and red plum blossoms danced in the wind, then fluttered, decorating the sky.

Yoo Iseol tried to remember every detail of the plum blossoms.

But then, the plum blossoms disappeared like a dream.

“Ah…”

Yoo Iseol sighed softly, feeling disappointed.

Chung Myung was sitting with a dissatisfied look, his sword stuck in the ground.

Yoo Iseol looked at his back, her eyes a little sad.

*Anyway…*

She had seen this many times before.

The plum blossoms looked perfect to Yoo Iseol, but Chung Myung still seemed unhappy.

*I want to hit him,* Yoo Iseol thought, a vein popping out on her forehead.

The Mount Hua disciples all said Yoo Iseol trained hard.

But she knew who was really obsessed with training. The one who was already good was working the hardest, so it was hard to catch up.

Chung Myung didn’t move for a long time, as if he was thinking hard. Yoo Iseol watched his back for a moment before turning away. She shouldn’t bother a martial artist who was lost in thought.

As Yoo Iseol walked back, she stopped. She looked determined and turned back to Chung Myung’s back.

*Someday, I will too…*

She walked down the mountain, holding her plum blossom sword tightly.

Kkeueung.

Chung Myung gripped the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword tightly.

“I’m so frustrated I could die.”

He groaned, drew his sword, and put it on his lap.

He felt this every time he trained. It was frustrating not to be able to do what he knew he could do.

The current Chung Myung was much stronger than the Plum Blossom Sword Saint at that age. In his past life, he was called a genius, but he was nothing compared to the current Chung Myung.

He was sure he could beat his past self at this age, even if he used his foot instead of his hand.

So, he didn’t need to be so impatient…

“Kkeueung. That’s what people who don’t know would say.”

Chung Myung sighed.

*Let’s calm down for now.*

The basics he had built up were finally starting to work.

This meant that the foundation Chung Myung had first created had barely helped him get stronger so far.

He had stubbornly come this far with his knowledge of martial arts from his past life and the inner strength of the spiritual pill.

And now, it was time for the foundation he had carefully crafted to show its power.

Then he would become even stronger in the future, but…

*It’s still too slow.*

Chung Myung frowned.

If he could train steadily for decades, he could easily surpass his past life.

But he didn’t think he would have that much time.

The Demonic Sect had started to move again.

In the past, it had taken less than five years from the time the Central Plains found traces of the Demonic Sect to the start of war.

There was no guarantee it would be slower this time.

“Kkeueung.”

Chung Myung groaned and lay on his back.

Chung Myung stared at the bright full moon and frowned.

“Sect Leader Sasuk.”

There was no answer.

“If you’re watching, say something. Did that jerk go to hell?”

Again, no answer.

“Sigh, yeah. What would Sasuk know.”

“…No, you only answer at times like this. What’s wrong with you?”

Chung Myung sighed and stared at the sky.

*I feel uneasy.*

That damn bastard’s last words kept bothering him: *Remember, disciple of Mount Hua. This is not the end. The Demonic will return. And then, the true Demonic World will open. A Demonic that no one can stop…*

He had been trying to ignore it because he was busy, but now that he might face the Demonic Sect again, those words were annoying.

*Demonic, huh…*

Normally, it would be a prophecy that the Demonic Sect would revive. But given Chung Myung’s situation, he couldn’t just think that.

*Did that guy call something other than himself Demonic?*

He couldn’t know since they couldn’t talk properly.

“There’s no answer even if I worry about it.”

Chung Myung grumbled and jumped up, grabbing the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword.

Whether the Demonic Sect struggled or the Heavenly Demon returned, there was only one way to solve it.

“I need to get stronger.”

Enough to handle it even if the Demonic Sect reappeared.

Enough to chop off his head as soon as the Heavenly Demon returned!

“I, and Mount Hua, still have a long way to go.”

It was pointless to just regain the past, because the past is not something to be regained, but something to be surpassed.

Chung Myung’s sword shone with bright plum blossoms again. These blossoms looked like they would never disappear.

Chung Myung blinked, his eyes wide.

Before him was a familiar cart. But it wasn’t the cart itself that caught his attention, but the mountain of luggage piled on it.

Round sacks bulged from the top of the cart.

Chung Myung’s eyes widened as he looked at the cart. “What on earth is all *this*?” he asked, gesturing at the huge pile.

Hyun Young just said plainly, “Luggage.”

“No, I *see* it’s luggage,” Chung Myung said, a little frustrated. “But… what *kind* of luggage needs a whole cart?”

Are we moving? Chung Myung asked, surprised. “Did you decide to move to Jongnam while I was gone?”

“What about the Jongnam Sect?”

“We’ll just beat them all up and kick them out.”

Hyun Young turned to Chung Myung, his face suggesting it was a great idea.

“No, it was just a joke! Don’t be so serious,” Chung Myung said.

Hyun Young patiently explained to Chung Myung, who seemed lost for words.

“No, we aren’t moving. This is the luggage you’ll be taking to the Northern Sea.”

“So, what kind of luggage requires *this* much?” Chung Myung asked.

“I’ve already explained it to that rascal, Jo Gul. The sacks at the bottom are filled with wool, leather, and changes of clothes.”

“And the ones on top are food. Those boxes are gifts for the people in the Northern Sea.”

“What gifts?”

Hyun Young shrugged. “First impressions are important, right? Even if they know we’re coming, the people of the Northern Sea might not welcome us, since we’re from the Central Plains. So, wouldn’t it be better if we brought gifts? Everyone likes gifts.”

Even as they talked, the disciples continued loading the remaining luggage onto the cart.

“Everything’s loaded, Elder!” one of them announced.

“Hmm. Did you double-check to make sure nothing’s missing?” Hyun Young asked.

“Yes!”

Hyun Young nodded, satisfied. “Soso!”

“Yes, Elder!”

“Did you pack all the medicine and wound ointment?”

“Yes!” Tang Soso patted the bundle she was carrying and grinned. “I’ve prepared everything, so don’t worry!”

“Good.” Hyun Young examined the cart with a sharp look, checking again to see if anything was missing.

“The Sect Leader has emphasized this many times, so we can’t be careless. The journey to the Northern Sea is long, so we need a lot of supplies.”

“Shouldn’t a martial artist just bring their weapon?” Chung Myung grumbled.

A burst of angry voices answered him.

“You don’t lift a finger!”

“Do you cook? Huh? Do *you* cook?”

“Isn’t it because we leave like this that we end up eating grass, you awful bastard!”

Chung Myung flinched at the fierce reaction from Baek Cheon and the other disciples.

“Well, even if we have to bring all this luggage, why *that* cart again? If we load it up like that, even a horse couldn’t pull it.”

“We don’t need a horse,” Baek Cheon said calmly.

“Huh?” Chung Myung blinked, confused. He turned to Baek Cheon, who was shaking his head slowly, his face completely serious.

“Hwang So-danju told us the Northern Sea is so cold, horses would freeze to death. We can’t take them that far.”

“Then…” Chung Myung trailed off, his mind blank.

Baek Cheon finished the sentence for him. “Then *we* have to pull it.”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened, then narrowed. *Pull it ourselves?* He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“The senior disciples will pull it?” Chung Myung asked.

“Didn’t we pull it last time too? It wasn’t bad as training, right?” Baek Cheon asked, looking for agreement. Yoon Jong and Jo Gul nodded.

“Yes, it was good.”

“I’ve been feeling a bit sluggish lately since I haven’t been pulling it,” Yoon Jong added.

Chung Myung’s mouth hung open at their calm and natural replies.

*Is this okay? Is this really okay?* he wondered.

If they were worried about the horses freezing to death, shouldn’t they at least use horses to pull the cart until they got closer to the Northern Sea, and then have people pull it after that?

Many questions flashed through his mind, but they seemed pointless now. What could he do when they were so determined?

“Why is he acting like that?” Chung Myung asked, pointing with his chin towards Hae Yeon.

Baek Cheon glanced in that direction. Hae Yeon was standing next to the cart, muttering something blankly.

“Maha-prajnaparamita-hrdaya-sutra, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva…”

*Could the Heart Sutra sound any more sorrowful?* Chung Myung wondered.

The disciples of Mount Hua all looked at Hae Yeon for a moment and then shook their heads.

“Poor thing,” one of them said.

“It’s enough to drive anyone crazy,” another added.

“But looking back, he went through all that trouble to get to Sichuan and came back with nothing, didn’t he? At least we got swords.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Plus, even the Abbot he trusted abandoned him.”

“Amitabha. May he attain enlightenment,” one of them murmured.

Chung Myung listened to their conversation and glanced up at the sky.

‘Sect Leader,’ he thought. ‘It seems like Mount Hua is getting a bit strange… This isn’t really what I intended, you know?’

“Is everyone ready?” Hyun Jong asked, approaching from behind.

“Yes, Sect Leader!” The disciples of Mount Hua straightened up and greeted Hyun Jong.

“It seems you have prepared thoroughly,” Hyun Jong said, nodding as he seriously examined the heavily loaded luggage. He seemed satisfied.

“Baek Cheon.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“The Northern Sea is far away. Be especially careful.”

“Yes!”

“Keep a close watch on that Chung Myung so he doesn’t cause any trouble.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Good. That’s enough.” Hyun Jong then looked at Chung Myung.

“Can you behave yourself?”

“I thought so until just a moment ago,” Chung Myung said, glancing at the group he was traveling with and sighing softly.

Hyun Jong looked at everyone with worried eyes. “Remember just one thing,” he said.

A serious look settled on the faces of the Mount Hua disciples.

“You don’t have any missions to complete. If anything seems even slightly dangerous, retreat immediately and return here to Mount Hua. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Hyun Jong nodded heavily. “Then, please take care and come back safely.”

“Then, we’ll be departing!” With Baek Cheon in the lead, the disciples grabbed the front of the cart.

“What should we do with Monk Hae Yeon?” one of them asked.

“Load him up for now,” Baek Cheon replied.

“Yes!” Jo Gul rummaged around and tossed Hae Yeon onto the luggage.

“Chung Myung! Get on quickly too!”

“Sect Leader! We’ll be off!” The disciples of Mount Hua confidently pulled the cart and left the gates.

Chung Myung, who had silently climbed onto the cart, looked at Hae Yeon, who was slumped over with a lifeless expression, and the senior disciples, who were energetically pulling the cart. He smiled contentedly.

‘I don’t know anymore,’ he thought. ‘Whatever will be, will be.’