Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 476

Sunlight came through the window, making the purple sword glow softly.

Old hands, with lines like maps on them, slowly wiped the sword with a clean white cloth. The sword was already shining brightly, but the hands kept polishing, never seeming to get tired.

They moved like they were doing something holy, wiping parts that were already clean, making the shiny spots even shinier.

“Well… it’s going to wear out at that rate.”

“Ahem.”

A rough voice spoke, and Hyun Jong cleared his throat softly, but his hands still wouldn’t stop.

Hyun Young clicked his tongue quietly.

“Do you like it that much?”

“It’s not really ‘liking’ it…” Hyun Jong paused, then said, “’Nostalgic’ is closer to how I feel.”

Hyun Young looked a little unhappy but didn’t scold Hyun Jong. He knew what the Jaha Sword, the sacred artifact of Mount Hua, meant to Hyun Jong, the sect leader.

Hyun Jong quietly set down the white cloth and looked at the Jaha Sword.

“However, on the other hand…”

“Yes?”

His eyes were very deep as he looked at the sword.

“I worry that the return of the sacred artifact to Mount Hua might hold another meaning.”

“……”

“Everything in the world has a reason. The sword disappeared during a war, and now it’s returning…”

“Hey, don’t always think the worst! Maybe the sword came back because Mount Hua is getting strong again. We were almost finished, but now we’re doing great!”

Hyun Jong nodded quietly at Hyun Young’s words.

The purple light from the Jaha Sword flickered in his mind even when he closed his eyes.

This sword had been with Mount Hua throughout its history. It had seen everything Mount Hua had gone through. Whenever Mount Hua faced big problems, the sword was always there, bearing all the fiery troubles.

“They say a sacred artifact finds the place where it belongs.”

“……”

“I hope this is just an old man’s worries.”

Hyun Jong finally set down the sword. Hyun Young sighed as he looked at Hyun Jong’s closed eyes.

He found it hard to understand Hyun Jong’s words. It was never easy to understand the sect leader’s thoughts, even for someone who had been with him his whole life.

Hyun Jong, who had been meditating with his eyes closed for a long time, slowly opened them again.

“Is there still no word from the children?”

“Are they ever quick to answer? I tell them and tell them, but they never change!”

“Hahaha. Don’t blame them too much. Someone is probably pushing them so hard they don’t even have time to write!”

He could clearly imagine Chung Myung making the children work like crazy.

‘A sacred artifact finds the place where it belongs….’

It felt strange, even though he had said it himself.

If that was true for sacred artifacts, then it must be the same for people.

Wasn’t Chung Myung’s arrival at Mount Hua, which had been losing its energy and dying, also for a reason?

“The Northern Sea…”

Hyun Jong looked towards the window.

The sunlight was very warm, but the air coming through the window was now very chilly, almost cold. The air in the Northern Sea must be even colder.

“The children will be okay, right?”

“You worry too much. Has Chung Myung ever disappointed us?”

“That’s why I’m worried.”

“……Yes?”

Hyun Jong shook his head slightly. He looked more sad than usual.

“They are still just children.”

“…….”

“They are old enough that it’s embarrassing to call them children, but they are still young and have a lot to learn. But those children are already carrying the heavy burden of Mount Hua.”

Moreover, they were even trying to get involved in the world’s problems.

It was like they were meant to do it, acting naturally without even trying.

“The Demonic Sect…”

It was a strong and terrible evil.

“The Demonic Sect will be different from what the children have faced so far.”

“That’s right. It’s the Demonic Sect, after all.”

“The children…”

But before Hyun Jong could say anything, Hyun Young spoke first.

“Sect Leader.”

“…….”

“The person who trusts a child the least is that child’s parent.”

Hyun Jong looked up at Hyun Young.

Hyun Young said firmly.

“They will overcome it.”

“……Yes. They must.”

Hyun Jong slowly stood up. In his hand was the Jaha Sword, which he had finished polishing.

“Are you going to train again?”

“Now that I have some free time, shouldn’t I?”

Hyun Young looked at Hyun Jong with a new expression. Recently, the sect leader had been training much more. He was using the time he saved from the Treasure Storage working well and the Eunha Merchant Guild handling things outside to train.

“You’re not young anymore, and your bones aren’t what they used to be…”

“……They are still strong.”

Hyun Jong smiled slightly.

“You might think I’m being silly in my old age, but I still want to get stronger, even if it’s just a little.”

“I have never thought of you as being silly.”

Hyun Young knew why he was suddenly training so much.

The incident with the Ten Thousand People Clan must have meant a lot to Hyun Jong.

The sect leader, who should be protecting the disciples, was protected by them. He could have been proud to see his disciples become stronger than him, but Hyun Jong wasn’t.

‘He must still want to protect his disciples.’

Hyun Young understood that feeling.

What if there came a time when he couldn’t do anything as the disciples of Mount Hua were dying? What if he had to watch them die because he was too weak?

It would be better to die than to live through that pain.

“By the way, Sect Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“Since you’re going to train, how about doing it with Un Geom? He’s also working hard to improve his martial arts these days…”

“……It’s alright.”

“No, why? It would be easier to train together…”

“……I said it’s alright.”

Hyun Jong looked like he had tasted something bitter.

“My bones aren’t strong enough to handle that guy’s training.”

“You said they were strong a moment ago.”

“Ugh.”

Hyun Jong shook his head and went outside.

As he opened the door, snowflakes began to fall gently from the sky.

“……The Northern Sea must be cold.”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes slightly.

‘I hope the hardships don’t overwhelm you.’

The children would return stronger.

And Mount Hua, where they would return, must be even stronger and more welcoming than when they left.

So that it could warmly welcome the tired children.

“……How is it?”

“How is what?”

“The atmosphere, I mean.”

“Look for yourself.”

Baek Cheon sighed, his eyes slightly trembling.

Chung Myung’s behavior yesterday made Baek Cheon uneasy.

‘He seemed very serious.’

He knew that when Chung Myung was serious and held his sword properly, he wasn’t his usual spaced-out self. But yesterday, Chung Myung seemed like a different person.

So, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy….

“Another fishing trip?!”

Baek Cheon exclaimed in surprise, trying to ignore his worry and checking on Chung Myung.

“Ah, no! That… that guy, how dare he treat Hae Yeon like that?”

Scolding himself for worrying about Chung Myung, Baek Cheon was about to rush over. But then, someone grabbed him from behind.

“Baek Cheon, I am here.”

“Huh?”

He turned and saw Hye-yeon standing there, looking very calm and tidy.

“Huh? Monk?”

“Amitabha,” Hye-yeon said. “Well, good news… it’s not me in the water.”

“Then…”

Baek Cheon looked back at Chung Myung, his eyes filled with worry.

Even after learning it wasn’t Hye-yeon in the water, he didn’t feel relieved. He felt even more uneasy.

‘The monk is here, so why does that fishing rod look so similar to the last one…?’ he wondered.

“…Then what is he trying to catch?”

“I wonder,” Chung Myung replied.

“It can’t be an empty fishing rod…” Baek Cheon muttered.

The Mount Hua disciples were confused and looked at each other, tilting their heads. Then, their eyes went wide with shock.

“Baek Ah!” someone cried out.

“Oh no, Baek Ah!” another voice wailed.

“That crazy idiot! He actually did it! Aargh!”

The Mount Hua disciples, who had all fallen in love with the fluffy sable, surged forward as one, a wave of worried faces rushing towards Chung Myung. Some looked like they might actually cry.

“Even a madman knows what’s right and wrong!” one shouted. “How could he do that to something so sweet and innocent!”

“Chung Myung, you crazy fool!” Baek Cheon yelled, pushing through the others. “Baek Ah! What have you done to Baek Ah?”

“Huh?” Chung Myung asked.

Chung Myung flinched and turned around, seeing the Mount Hua disciples rushing towards him.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Baek Ah! What happened to Baek Ah?”

Everyone’s eyes were filled with desperation. They held onto a small hope that even a crazy person wouldn’t do something like that.

But…

“Ah, Baek Ah? He’s in there.” Chung Myung nonchalantly pointed to the hole in the ice with his chin.

“Heeeee!”

Baek Cheon, his face pale, hurried to the fishing rod Chung Myung was holding.

“Hey, what’s wrong!” Chung Myung exclaimed.

“You crazy fool! There are things people should and shouldn’t do! How could you put that tiny thing in the water…”

That’s when it happened.

Bubble bubble bubble!

Bubbles rose quickly to the surface of the still water, and then something huge shot up from below.

“Huh?” Chung Myung questioned.

And then…

Whoosh!

The water splashed as a carp burst from the hole. It was enormous, scales gleaming silver in the pale sunlight, bigger than any fish they had ever seen. Its size made their jaws drop.

“Ack!”

“Huh?”

“W-what is that?”

Saying it was as big as a house would be an exaggeration, but it was at least the size of a cow. It wouldn’t be strange to call it a spirit beast.

The carp, shooting into the sky like a dragon, twisted its body and crashed headfirst onto the ice.

Thud!

The carp thrashed wildly on the ice.

But Baek Cheon and the others weren’t focused on the carp.

Of course, a carp bigger than a person was rare. But even if it were twice as big, it wouldn’t be more precious than the small sable that proudly stood on the giant carp’s head with one paw.

Chung Myung, with a small smile, said, “Uh-oh. Don’t kill it.” There was a small smile on his face.

“Kee-ik?” Baek Ah squeaked.

“I told you to catch it alive.”

Kee-ik!

Baek Ah, who had been pressing down on the carp with its front paws, sparkled its black eyes and quickly nodded. Then, it vigorously shook off its wet fur, sending droplets of water flying like tiny diamonds in the air.

Leaving the carp behind, it quickly ran to Chung Myung’s feet and snuggled up, its face full of affection.

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue softly, placed his hand on Baek Ah’s head, and lightly infused it with energy. Then, its wet fur instantly dried, becoming even fluffier than usual.

Everyone stared, unable to speak. It was an unbelievable sight.

Ah…

They remembered. Baek Ah wasn’t just a cute animal. It was a spirit beast, a creature of magic.

*(Thinking to themselves)* ‘Wait a minute… this is the same animal that used to fight tigers as big as houses!’

‘He’s like the king of animals… or maybe the king of spirit beasts?’

It was a moment when their worries and anxieties became meaningless.

“One more?” Chung Myung asked.

Kee-ik!

When Chung Myung asked, Baek Ah stomped its hind legs on the ground as if it didn’t like something.

“I’ll give you two lumps of meat.”

As soon as those words were spoken, Baek Ah, who had been sparkling its eyes, turned around without delay and jumped into the water.

Wow… look how brave that thing is.

Jo Gul, who had been blankly watching, muttered, “Do sables originally catch and eat fish?”

“Well, Taoists aren’t *supposed* to get hit on the head, but it happens, right? Anyway, who cares about rules now…” Jo Gul replied.

“…That’s a wise answer to a foolish question.”

Baek Cheon, speechless, stared at the ice hole where Baek Ah had disappeared and asked Chung Myung, “Chung Myung-ah.”

“Huh?” Chung Myung responded.

Baek Cheon rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “…Is Baek Ah originally good at catching fish?”

“It’s a spirit beast, what wouldn’t it be able to catch?” Chung Myung replied.

He understood that.

Baek Ah was the one who had harassed and beat up the formidable spirit beasts of the Southern Savage Beast Palace so much that the palace lord, Maeng So, had begged them to take him away.

What wouldn’t such a guy be able to catch?

But at this point, a new question arose.

“…Then why did you put Hye-yeon Monk in the water?”

At Baek Cheon’s question, Chung Myung frowned.

“No. That bald monk was saying that I was going to catch a big one with that thing, but that it wasn’t something a person should do, that I shouldn’t deviate too much from the path of humanity, and he was spouting nonsense, saying he’d rather go into the water himself,” Chung Myung explained.

“So I told him to do it. People say you should respect the wishes of the dead. So why not respect the wish of a monk who’s still alive?”

Baek Cheon turned around silently.

Hye-yeon was looking up at the sky with a desolate face, as if he had lived his whole life. For some reason, his eyes seemed moist.

“…Amitabha.”

Baek Cheon, who offered a Buddhist prayer of consolation to Hye-yeon, shook his head.

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it wrong for a sable to go into the water and catch fish that were almost spirit beasts? Or was it wrong for a monk to willingly throw himself into the ice water to protect such a sable?

‘Let’s just say Chung Myung is the one who’s wrong,’ Baek Cheon thought.

That’s the most comfortable thing to do.

At that moment, the surface of the water shook again, and Baek Ah jumped out with an even bigger carp in its mouth than before.

Baek Ah, who threw the giant fish it was carrying next to the fish it had caught earlier, quickly ran to Chung Myung. Then, it turned its belly up and acted cute.

“Yeah. You’re better than that monk.” Chung Myung said.

Baek Cheon smiled contentedly at the sight.

‘It’s not even surprising anymore,’ Baek Cheon thought.

Whatever will be, will be. Bloody hell.

“…But why the sudden fishing trip?” Baek Cheon asked.

“There are other villages, right?” Chung Myung asked.

“Huh?”

“You’re bound to be feeble again and not even have the strength to lift a spoon, so I have to catch enough for you to eat before we go,” Chung Myung explained.

Chung Myung gestured towards the carp with his chin.

“If they’re as big as those, they won’t freeze easily, so if you pack them properly, they’ll stay fresh until you arrive at the other villages. If we do this much, we can’t do anything more.”

Baek Cheon blinked and swallowed hard.

“Does that mean?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Chung Myung smirked.

“Let’s go now. To the Northern Sea Ice Palace or whatever it is. I need to see with my own eyes what kind of mess they’re in.”