Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 55

Lee Song-baek frowned, a knot of frustration tightening within him.

Regret? Did that little punk really use that word?

‘This young rascal has no fear,’ Lee Song-baek thought.

Normally, Lee Song-baek didn’t judge people based on age or status. However, this young disciple from the Mount Hua Sect was acting way too arrogant.

‘Maybe Chung Myung is too young to understand…’ Lee Song-baek knew Chung Myung was young and might not understand the difference in power between their sects, or how to behave properly. He understood that much.

But how could he act so cocky when a swordsman from another sect, much taller than him, had asked for a duel?

‘Let’s just say he’s bold,’ Lee Song-baek sighed softly to himself before speaking aloud.

“Do you accept the duel?”

“Yes.”

His answer was too calm, too confident.

Lee Song-baek opened his mouth one last time, intending to show some leniency to the kid.

“What is your name, young man? Your *real* name?”

“Chung Myung. My name is Chung Myung.”

“Chung Myung, Chung Myung…” Lee Song-baek tried to speak calmly, like talking to a child. The reason he asked for a name he already knew was simple.

“Listen here, Chung Myung. Let me give you some advice. You may think you’ve done nothing wrong, but the world doesn’t work that way. It’s not always about right and wrong. Go back to Mount Hua before you find yourself in serious trouble…”

“Are we not fighting?”

Lee Song-baek flinched, surprised by the interruption.

Chung Myung yawned as if he was bored and stretched lazily.

“So, you talk more than fight? Is that how Jongnam Sect teaches swords? Why did you start a fight only to try and talk it out? Why don’t you use that nice sword of yours?”

Lee Song-baek smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

‘My training is still far from complete,’ he thought.

The urge to beat this tiny thing to a pulp was rising within him.

“There’s no need to rush,” Lee Song-baek said, trying to keep his voice even. “I was planning to start now anyway.”

As Lee Song-baek gripped his sword, Go Hwi subtly tugged at his sleeve.

“Senior Brother, are you planning to do this yourself?”

Lee Song-baek turned to Go Hwi.

“There’s no need for you to step in. I’ll handle it.”

“No.”

“Senior Brother.”

Lee Song-baek said with a firm look, “There’s something called basic courtesy. I’m the eldest here, so it’s better for the child if he loses to me, wouldn’t it?”

Eventually, Go Hwi sighed and stepped back.

‘Honestly, Senior Brother is too rigid,’ he thought.

His strong character alone was enough to make him a great disciple.

“Lee Song-baek of the Jongnam Sect seeks to test the sword of Chung Myung, a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“Oh, just a moment.”

Lee Song-baek’s patience wore thin. “…What is it now?”

Chung Myung peeked at Go Hwi.

“Can you lend me a sword?”

Go Hwi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘He’s asking to borrow a sword? Is he crazy? No swordsman *ever* asks to borrow a sword!’ he thought.

The first thing you learn when joining a sword sect is to never lend your cherished sword to another. Yet, he was brazenly asking for one!

“Does this mean that a disciple of the Sword Sect doesn’t even carry a sword?”

“Well, did I know there would be a brawl?”

“What on earth is Mount Hua…”

“If you don’t like it, then too bad.”

Chung Myung looked around, as if searching for something to use as a weapon.

“Let’s see. What can I use as a sword…”

Lee Song-baek frowned, his frustration growing.

“Give him a sword.”

“Senior Brother!”

“Do you want to be known as the Jongnam Sect disciple who bullied a Mount Hua disciple who didn’t even have a sword?”

Go Hwi sighed at Lee Song-baek’s words. He then untied the sword from his waist and threw it to Chung Myung.

“Thanks.”

Chung Myung, having received the sword, held it in one hand and looked at Lee Song-baek with indifferent eyes.

“Shall we begin?”

“…You’re not planning to draw it?”

“It’s not like I’m going to kill anyone. No need to draw it. You can draw yours.”

Lee Song-baek squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain his anger.

‘This is a devil. This boy is impossible!’ he thought.

Talking to this guy made him feel like all his training had vanished in an instant.

Lee Song-baek closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and drew his sword.

Originally, he was just going to startle him a little and chase him away, but it seemed that wouldn’t be enough. Leaving aside personal feelings…

‘Judging by the way he talks and acts, he won’t listen unless something breaks,’ Lee Song-baek accurately judged Chung Myung’s personality after their short conversation.

“Draw your sword.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Chung Myung listlessly raised his sword.

Seeing this, Lee Song-baek narrowed his brow slightly.

“You’d better do it properly. It’ll be too late when you start complaining that my skills are too harsh.”

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

Chung Myung sighed deeply.

“Let’s get this over with quickly. Are we going to stay up all night? Just attack already.”

“…You!”

Finally, anger flared on Lee Song-baek’s face.

“I’ll correct your manners!”

In the end, Lee Song-baek, having thrown away all pretense of courtesy, flew straight towards Chung Myung.

Whoosh!

The Jongnam Sect’s sword style is simple and direct.

Among the Nine Sects, those known as Taoist and Sword Sects all have their distinct characteristics. The Wudang sword flowed like water, Mount Hua’s sword danced like a flower in the wind, Mount Cang’s sword flashed like lightning, and Jongnam’s sword was heavy and strong like a mountain.

A heavy sword, devoid of any change or trickery, came down towards Chung Myung’s neck.

Chung Myung lightly raised his sword and blocked Lee Song-baek’s incoming sword.

CLANG! The sound of metal on wood rang out sharply.

“Tsk!”

At that moment, Lee Song-baek swung his sword again, aiming for Chung Myung’s side.

Swift and powerful. Even if there was a chance to counterattack, no one would dare to do so against the force of the sword that seemed capable of splitting the waist in half.

CLANG!

And this time as well, Chung Myung lowered his sword and blocked Lee Song-baek’s attack.

Chung Myung stumbled back a step, but he had blocked the blow.

Lee Song-baek, having seized the initiative, began to relentlessly swing his sword, driving Chung Myung back.

“Hoo.”

Go Hwi, who was watching the duel between the two, smiled casually.

“It seems Senior Brother is quite angry. He doesn’t seem to be planning to end it easily.”

“Yes?”

“That child has really gotten under Senior Brother’s skin. Tsk tsk. You should know better than to joke around without knowing the person.”

“So, Senior Brother is teaching him a lesson, right?”

“That’s right. He could end it whenever he wants, but isn’t he just humoring him appropriately? The child blocking Senior Brother’s attacks right now must be having a terrible time.”

Sure enough, Chung Myung kept staggering backward, struggling to keep up.

Watching the scene, Wei Han-soo tilted his head.

“Considering that, isn’t he blocking a little too well?”

“That’s what’s so amazing about Senior Brother. What would people say if Senior Brother defeated that child in an instant?”

“Ah…”

“He instantly grasped the child’s limits and is only pushing him with just enough strength and speed to barely block. He hasn’t landed a single blow, but he’s giving him a thorough lesson.”

Go Hwi shrugged.

“It’s too great a lesson to give to an arrogant child. I hope he realizes it. You all should not miss Senior Brother’s movements.”

“Yes!”

Go Hwi clicked his tongue slightly.

‘For such a gentle person to be so angry… Well, I would be angry too. I hope Senior Brother doesn’t get too excited,’ he thought.

However, unlike the impressions of those watching from behind, Lee Song-baek, who was attacking, was having a terrible time.

CLANG!

‘He blocked it again?’

Something was definitely wrong.

It shouldn’t be blocked like this!

Contrary to Go Hwi’s words that he was playing around with appropriate strength and speed, Lee Song-baek was currently using the fastest speed he could muster.

‘Why is it being blocked?’

It was a baffling situation.

Chung Myung’s sword was not fast at all. It was so slow that it was frustrating.

But with such movements, he miraculously blocked Lee Song-baek’s sword.

The slow sword somehow anticipated where Lee Song-baek’s sword was going and waited leisurely.

‘Is this even possible unless he’s inside my head?’

Having his sword path read?

No, it wasn’t just that level.

It was impossible for a young disciple of the Mount Hua Sect to read his sword path, and even if he did, this was logically impossible.

To block his sword with that slow sword, Lee Song-baek would have to read Lee Song-baek’s thoughts and move his sword as soon as he brandished it… no, even before he brandished it.

How could that be possible unless Chung Myung was a ghost?

“Taaah!”

Lee Song-baek shouted and swung his sword powerfully.

The child in front of him, even at his best, would only be about fifteen years old. In terms of age, he was only about the same age as his youngest sibling. Yet, such a child was blocking Lee Song-baek’s sword without any sign of difficulty.

His sword, which was called one of the best talents in Jongnam!

‘This can’t be happening!’

Lee Song-baek began to infuse his sword with internal energy.

It was clearly a light duel at the beginning, but without him knowing, the internal energy infused in his sword gradually grew stronger.

Screeeeeech!

Suddenly, a blast of power exploded from Lee Song-baek’s sword, like a hidden storm unleashed! *KRA-KOOOM!* The sound echoed, but even with this force, Chung Myung still stood firm.

A wall.

This was a wall.

No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break through. It was no different from a wall made of steel.

“Eek!”

Lee Song-baek, filled with stubbornness, swung his sword with all his might.

“Senior!”

Go Hwi, seeing the gust of wind erupting from Lee Song-baek’s sword, shouted without realizing it.

“Senior Brother! Don’t get excited!”

Go Hwi’s sharp voice was clearly heard in Lee Song-baek’s ears.

‘Ah, what am I doing!’ he thought.

Lee Song-baek hastily withdrew the internal energy from his sword. The heavy force disappeared, and only a fast sword struck Chung Myung’s sword.

But then, something went terribly wrong. With a deafening *CRACK*, a wave of force burst out from the point of impact!

Chung Myung’s body was sent flying backward like an arrow.

“Huh?”

And he crashed straight into the wall.

Thud!

Crack! Crack!

The wall that Chung Myung crashed into was covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Soon, Chung Myung’s body slid down to the floor.

Lee Song-baek’s eyes widened in horror.

“Senior Brother!”

Go Hwi ran over in horror.

“What have you done to the child!”

“Ah, no, I…”

He clearly withdrew the internal energy.

He couldn’t even make a scratch even when he swung with all his might. But how could he be knocked away like that after blocking a sword without internal energy!

It was at that moment.

“Gurgle.”

Chung Myung, who had fallen to the floor, convulsed and suddenly began to spew dark red blood from his mouth, spraying onto the floor like a broken fountain. It looked thick and heavy.

“Eeeek!”

“Aaargh!”

Everyone was horrified and ran to Chung Myung. Only one person, Lee Song-baek, stood blankly with a haunted look on his face.

“Ptooey!”

Wow… so much blood can come out of a person’s mouth.

Anyone could see that I was at fault. Anyone.

“Senior Brother!”

This is driving me crazy.

Lee Song-baek had no idea what was happening right now.

“Gurgle. Gurgle.”

Everyone watching knew instantly – he was badly hurt, maybe dying.

Lee Song-baek suddenly came to his senses and was about to run to Chung Myung when…