Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 478

Where is There a Free Lunch? (3)

Darkness filled the space, thick and heavy.

A few small candles tried to push back the dark, but their flames were weak, almost swallowed by it. The air was icy, a bitter chill that stung his lungs with every breath.

If there was a Frozen Hell, it would feel like this.

In this gloomy, empty space, a man was lying flat on the floor.

What is the deepest respect a person can show?

This man seemed to know the answer.

Head, elbows, and knees pressed to the cold floor, he stayed still even as a chilling wind seemed to scream around him. He showed total respect, as if the freezing pain was a gift.

A huge cloth hung down from the ceiling, like a god in front of him. Sewn onto it was a figure that was frighteningly ugly.

Three heads and six arms.

The massive figure of Asura, with three heads and six arms, swayed slightly in the wind.

Even a very brave person would feel fear looking at this figure.

But the man kneeling showed no fear. He was completely devoted.

“…May the Heavenly Demon come down, and make all demons obey.”

A rough voice, like rocks grinding together, came from his lips.

“…May the Heavenly Demon come down, and make all demons obey.”

How many times had he said these words?

Thousands? Millions?

He said them again and again, but for all that time, it was like talking to the wind.

But after all this waiting, now, soon…

*Thud!*

Suddenly, the man slammed his head hard on the floor. He pushed his elbows and knees down even harder.

Doing this over and over had left its mark. The floor where he knelt was worn away, like it had been dug out by hand.

“I offer myself.”

Just as this holy act continued…

*Thud. Thud. Thud.*

Quiet, careful footsteps came from behind him.

The steps stopped a short distance away. Then, a small, nervous voice whispered.

“…Bishop?”

“……”

Even when he heard the voice, the man did not move.

“…Bishop? I have news.”

Still focused on his worship, he slowly lifted his head and looked ahead.

The huge Asura figure swayed strangely.

The man’s eyes stared straight ahead, but it seemed he was looking past the figure, at something far behind it.

“…May the Heavenly Demon come down, and make all demons obey.”

The man said the words clearly and seriously, and slammed his head on the floor again.

Then.

*Scrape scrape scrape scrape.*

Still with his arms, knees, and head on the floor, he crawled backwards, away from the spot.

This was respect beyond what anyone would show even to the Emperor.

No one was watching, no one was forcing him, but he did not forget his respect for even a second. He took all the pain in his body, without using any power to help.

Only when he reached the edge of the space did the man slowly stand up.

*Drip.*

His forehead was bleeding where it had scraped on the floor. Blood ran down his face, but he didn’t even notice, turning to look at the kneeling person.

His eyes, which had been full of worship, now burned with a deadly anger, colder than the coldest wind.

“How *dare* you…”

Power seemed to explode from his body, crushing the kneeling figure.

*Crack!*

The kneeling figure’s body twisted horribly.

“Krrrk…”

The sound of bones snapping came from everywhere in his body. But he didn’t even try to scream, knowing that if he made a sound and made this holy place dirty, he would die in a way too terrible to imagine.

“You dare to interrupt my meeting with the Heavenly Demon? Your body should be ripped apart, and your soul should burn forever as punishment, so you understand your sin.”

Blood ran from his mouth and nose. But the kneeling figure stayed perfectly still, waiting for the Bishop’s decision.

The man watched him with cold eyes and spoke in a flat voice.

“Speak. If you risk your life to tell me something, I will listen before I kill you anyway.”

“Bi-Bishop.”

“Speak.”

The kneeling figure forced the words out through the pain.

“Black Twenty-seven… has not come back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crushing power vanished, like it was never there.

*Thud!*

He fell to the floor, hitting his head again, and quickly knelt back up.

“Has not come back?”

“That’s right.”

The Bishop was quiet for a moment, thinking.

This was the White Land.

It was dangerous, but no one else should be able to bother them here.

“What job did we give Black Twenty-seven?”

“He was told to scout the villages near the Northern Sea.”

The Bishop looked down at the kneeling figure.

It wasn’t a hard job. The fact that he hadn’t returned could only mean one thing.

While the Bishop thought, the kneeling figure carefully spoke.

“Should we go look?”

The Bishop spoke slowly, after thinking for a long time.

“Maybe just some stupid people found us… or maybe they got lucky.”

His eyes gleamed, like cold stones.

“Even the best plans can go wrong. Find them. Find them and watch them. If they mess up the grand plan, even burning in hell forever won’t be enough punishment.”

“I will do as you command.”

After giving the order, the Bishop glared at the kneeling figure.

“I’ll forgive you this time for interrupting. Remember, you’re alive because you were loyal to the Heavenly Demon, even when you were rude. If not, I would have killed you without a second thought.”

“I am very grateful.”

*Thud!*

The kneeling figure slammed his head on the floor again. Blood flowed quickly, but he didn’t seem to care.

The Bishop looked down at him quietly and spoke slowly.

“The time for the Rebirth is almost here.”

His eyes, looking back at the Asura figure, now shone with joy and madness. They were wide and bright, like a wild animal’s.

“The time has come! A hundred years we’ve waited, and now it’s here. Just a few days left! After waiting so long, it’s like a blink of an eye.”

The kneeling figure shook with excitement, unable to stop himself.

The Bishop’s voice echoed in the dark, cold cave.

“On the day the Perfect One is reborn on this earth, fire will cover the world to burn away the bad.”

“May the Heavenly Demon come down! May all demons obey!”

“On that day, the evil people who don’t believe will burn in the fire that destroys the world. And the traitors who didn’t believe the Heavenly Demon would be reborn will pay for their pride that pretended to be faith.”

Joy filled the Bishop’s eyes, like he could already see the world burning.

But then, just for a moment, his eyes became cold again.

“I will not allow any mistakes. Be ready.”

“I will remember it, always.”

When he finished speaking, the Bishop looked at the Asura figure and closed his mouth. The kneeling figure stood up quietly and left the cave.

Alone, the Bishop whispered.

“Heavenly Demon.”

His voice, spreading through the cave, was full of deep longing.

“Take this body as a gift, come down to the world, and punish those sinful people.”

The man slowly knelt down again. He started to move back to the center of the cave.

In a position of total surrender, giving up everything.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Wow…”

“Amazing.”

They walked through the pure white walls and stepped into a place they had never imagined. It was like entering a hidden city, bright and strange.

The young warriors from Mount Hua stared, eyes wide, looking all around them.

Buildings in a style they had never seen before stood in neat rows. They looked more like a city than a sect’s buildings.

“No wonder the walls were so big,” one of them said.

“It’s like a big city back home,” said another.

It wasn’t a completely new style, but it felt strange to see a city this size in the empty, cold Northern Sea.

People walked between the buildings, which looked like houses. They kept looking at the warriors from Mount Hua, staring at them.

“Looks like they haven’t seen people from the Central Plains in a while,” said one of the warriors. “They’re really curious.”

Jo Gul, looking annoyed, answered Yoon Jong. “Maybe they’re just surprised to see people pulling carts. We must look funny to them.”

Ah, that’s right.

It feels so normal here now that I didn’t even think about it.

Just then, Tang Soso looked quickly around at everyone. After looking at their faces, she asked the Ice Palace warrior who was guiding them.

“Are all these people members of the Ice Palace too?”

The man with the cold expression, who had been leading them, turned to look at her, his face hardening.

He seemed to be thinking about something before speaking quietly. He probably knew he had to answer a guest recognized by the Palace Lord.

“That is not the case.”

“Then who are they?”

“They are people who live in the Northern Sea. Ice Palace disciples are martial artists who learn the martial arts of the Ice Palace. These are just ordinary residents who have received the Ice Palace’s help.”

Tang Soso nodded slowly. It seemed similar to the Dang Family Village, where people related to the Dang family lived together.

The man watched her face and then added, even though she hadn’t asked.

“The Ice Palace is always ready to help those who believe in it and follow its rules. Everyone here trusts the Ice Palace completely.”

Tang Soso’s eyes narrowed slightly, displeased.

Just as she was about to say something, Yu Yiseol quickly tugged lightly on her sleeve, stopping her.

“⋯⋯.”

In the end, Tang Soso reluctantly shut her mouth.

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn a little strange, Chung Myung, who was walking behind, spoke up.

“So, where are we going now?”

“To the Ice Palace, of course,” the man replied.

He looked up at the towering castle as he answered.

“Since you are guests of the Ice Palace.”

“Hmph.”

Chung Myung smiled slightly, as if amused. Baek Ah, clinging to his neck, rubbed his head against Chung Myung’s chin.

Only after walking quite a distance along the road in the center of the village were they finally able to reach the Ice Palace.

“The guests have arrived!”

As the man who was guiding them shouted, the firmly closed doors swung wide open to the left and right.

“We shall enter.”

“Yes,” Baek Cheon answered for the group and then turned to look at his companions.

“Don’t act rashly.”

As he gave a quiet warning, Chung Myung shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. As if they’re children.”

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about you, you.”

“What about me? Do you think there’s anyone in the world more cautious than I am?”

“⋯⋯Indeed, it would be best if there wasn’t another like you.”

That would be ruin. Ruin.

Baek Cheon sighed, put down the cart, and stepped forward. The Mount Hua disciples followed him, moving into the Ice Palace.

A moment later, their mouths were all hanging half-open in a daze.

“⋯⋯It’s extravagant.”

“Indeed.”

The corridor leading inside was decorated more lavishly than could be imagined. The walls were covered with fabrics that looked luxurious at a glance, and the decorations placed here and there seemed valuable and precious even to their untrained eyes.

What was even more amazing was that every single part of the corridor was decorated in this way.

The Mount Hua disciples valued simplicity and had grown up in a Taoist environment, so they couldn’t help but feel a sense of rejection towards the dazzling splendor.

It seemed that Hae Yeon, who had grown up in Shaolin, felt the same way.

“Amitabha. It is indeed excessively extravagant.”

“Isn’t it?”

“With the money used to decorate this place, more people could be helped.”

Everyone nodded as if agreeing with Hae Yeon’s words.

But then.

“Heheng!”

“⋯⋯.”

A blatant snort was heard from behind. Hae Yeon turned around with an awkward expression.

Sure enough, Chung Myung was looking at him with a ridiculous expression.

“Esteemed one… Why again?”

“No, well. I’d let it go if it were someone else, but it’s just funny because it’s you saying that.”

“⋯⋯What do you mean?”

“Do you even know how much one of the golden Buddha statues in Shaolin costs? What? This place is extravagant? Hey, selling just one of your main halls could feed an entire village! An entire village!”

“Th, that’s⋯⋯.”

“How dare you criticize others with something like this? Do you think there’s any sect in the Central Plains richer than Shaolin? This place is better! You’ve got dozens of golden Buddha statues piled up that you can’t even use, and you’re saying what? Extravagant? Get out of here!”

As Chung Myung’s scathing words poured out, Hae Yeon, utterly dejected, drooped his shoulders. Chung Myung shook his head and drove the point home.

“In any case, humans can’t see the beams in their own eyes!”

Baek Cheon, unable to listen any longer, sighed and subtly tried to stop him.

“It’s not like Hae Yeon made those Buddha statues. Why are you picking on poor Hae Yeon?”

“So, I’m picking on the Shaolin Abbot too!”

⋯⋯Huh?

Come to think of it?

Baek Cheon, who had almost been convinced, quickly shook his head and came to his senses.

“Ahem, in any case, be quiet. This is the Ice Palace.”

“What’s so special about the Ice Palace.”

“⋯⋯Please, just shut that mouth of yours, please!”

Baek Cheon’s face twisted in frustration, as if a thousand fires were burning inside him.

‘Is it really okay to meet the Ice Palace Lord with this guy?’

Maybe it would be better to turn back even now⋯⋯.

But unfortunately, Baek Cheon’s thought was far too late. No sooner had he thought it than the corridor ended, and a huge main hall came into view.

“Wow⋯⋯.”

“Wow⋯⋯.”

The eyes of the Mount Hua disciples widened.

And that was because⋯⋯ the large jade throne in the center was shining white and brilliantly.

“I, is that white gold?”

“A white gold throne, of all things.”

“⋯⋯Rich.”

The last words were, of course, from Chung Myung’s mouth.

Chung Myung looked around, his eyes shining. Like a hawk eyeing its prey.

But unlike him, the other disciples seemed a little daunted, overwhelmed by the splendor.

Right then.

“The Palace Lord enters!”

With a great voice, the door opposite the one they had entered through swung open.

And a man with a sturdy build, draped in polar bear fur, walked in with a dignified air.

‘That’s the Ice Palace Lord.’

‘Indeed.’

He was a man with a solid build, snow-white skin, and a long scar across his face that left a strong impression. He walked straight towards Chung Myung and the others.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

His presence was by no means inferior to the absolute masters the Mount Hua disciples had met so far. It was as if the position of Palace Lord of the Northern Ice Palace was not something to be taken lightly.

But⋯⋯.

‘Why is he still coming?’

‘How far is he going to come?’

They had expected him to head to the throne from a reasonable distance, but the man continued to approach them in a straight line.

Thud.

Finally, the man stopped a step in front of Baek Cheon and Chung Myung, glaring at them with a cold face.

“⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯.”

A cold tension flowed. It was suffocating.

But then.

A grin.

The man’s face softened in an instant, and he smiled in the most affable way.

“Which one is the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua?”

“That would be me?”

As Chung Myung answered, the Ice Palace Lord suddenly reached out and firmly grasped his hand.

“I heard about you from my Beast Palace Lord! Welcome! The Ice Palace sincerely welcomes the Mount Hua Sect!”

The Ice Palace Lord smiled more brightly than ever, shaking Chung Myung’s hand vigorously.

Huh?

This isn’t the reaction I was expecting?

⋯⋯Could this guy be a good person?

Nah, no way?

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]

Status: Ongoing Author: Released: 2019 Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Chung Myung, the legendary Plum Blossom Swordmaster of Mount Hua, awakens after a hundred years of slumber only to find his once-mighty sect reduced to ruins. With unwavering determination, he disguises himself as a young disciple and embarks on a mission to restore Mount Hua to its former glory. From training new disciples to facing lifelong enemies, Chung Myung must revive the sect while uncovering dark conspiracies that threaten the martial world. "Return of Mount Hua Sect" is an epic tale of resurgence, sacrifice, and fierce battles that will shake the world!

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