Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 560

Im So-byeong watched as sacks were dropped onto the floor, one after another. His eyes shone as he saw the strange things inside.

‘These are amazing ingredients,’ he thought.

They weren’t the most powerful magic ingredients, but they were still very rare and hard to find.

*Whirr!*

From the last sack, bright blue gemstones tumbled out, making a soft clinking sound. Im So-byeong looked at them with a strange expression.

“Ice essence, is it?” he asked.

“Yes,” Chung Myung replied.

“So, you really went to the Northern Sea to get this?”

“Yes, I told you!”

“Hmm,” Im So-byeong said, “Maybe you weren’t trying to trick me after all.”

“What? I said I wasn’t from the beginning!” Chung Myung glared.

Im So-byeong coughed and looked away. He knew Chung Myung was strong, so it was better not to argue.

“But…” Im So-byeong said.

“Yes?”

“Some of this ice essence is a different color, isn’t it?”

“Ah, this?” Chung Myung pointed with his foot at some ice essence he had put to one side. It was a pale, light blue, unlike the other pieces which were a deep, bright blue. “This light blue ice essence is different.”

“This is the good stuff,” Chung Myung said with a grin. “I brought it especially for you.” He didn’t mention that this paler ice essence was weaker, used up in a magic ritual.

“…It doesn’t look like the good stuff to me,” Im So-byeong said, frowning at the pale color.

“Hey! Are you always this easy to trick?” Chung Myung teased.

Im So-byeong was usually very clever. Not many people were brave enough to try and trick the King of the Green Forest. He was known for his sharp mind and experience.

But right now, the one person who *would* try to trick him was standing right in front of him, grinning.

“So, you’re going to make the Chaos Origin Pill now?” Im So-byeong asked, watching Chung Myung.

“Yes, that’s right,” Chung Myung said.

“Hmm. Mount Hua is famous for its special way of making medicine, I’ve heard. So, who will make it?”

“Me,” Chung Myung said simply.

“You?” Im So-byeong blinked.

“Me,” Chung Myung repeated.

“…” Im So-byeong’s face twitched. He had been calm until now, but now he looked worried.

“You mean… the little plum blossom?” he asked, using Chung Myung’s nickname.

“Yes,” Chung Myung nodded.

“Not someone else? But *you*, the little plum blossom?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying!” Chung Myung said, starting to get annoyed.

“So… really, *you* are going to make it?” Im So-byeong asked again, still not believing it.

“What is wrong with you?” Chung Myung glared.

Im So-byeong finally spoke his mind. “No, I just mean, Mount Hua has many people, right? Why does *the little plum blossom* have to do this important job?”

If you asked people if Chung Myung was trustworthy, you’d get different answers. If you needed someone to fight, he was the best. But for something delicate and careful like making medicine? He was probably the *last* person you’d choose.

And now, this Chung Myung, who seemed more likely to break things than fix them, was going to make the incredibly important medicine that Im So-byeong’s life depended on. No wonder Im So-byeong was starting to panic.

“Only *I* can make this medicine,” Chung Myung said, sounding very sure of himself.

“…Oh, Primordial Celestial Lord,” Im So-byeong whispered, using a holy name in prayer. His voice trembled slightly.

“Th-there won’t be any problems, right?” he asked, his eyes wide with worry.

“Don’t you trust me?” Chung Myung raised an eyebrow.

“…” Im So-byeong just stared at him, speechless. He felt a cold feeling in his stomach. For the first time, Im So-byeong understood what real despair felt like.

*Suddenly, the scene changed. The loud CRACK of wood hitting wood echoed through the training hall.*

*WHAM!* Guo Ping cried out as Jo Gul’s wooden sword hit him hard. He screamed and fell to the ground. “Aargh! My back!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Jo Gul clicked his tongue, looking down at Guo Ping sprawled on the floor. Sweat dripped from Jo Gul’s forehead, and his face was red from shouting.

Guo Ping wasn’t the only one hurting. Many other Third-Class Disciples were sitting or standing around the training hall, holding their arms, legs, or heads. They were all bruised and tired.

“Full of holes in your defense!” Jo Gul yelled, his voice echoing in the hall. “Have you been sleeping during training? Your skills are worse than before!”

The disciples flinched and lowered their heads, avoiding Jo Gul’s angry gaze. The air in the training hall was thick with the smell of sweat and the sound of heavy breathing.

Watching the disciples wince and lower their heads, Jo Gul felt a strange feeling inside.

‘Yes! This is it!’ he thought.

He suddenly realized something. No one was as unfairly treated as Jo Gul!

Even though he was still a Third-Class Disciple, he was one of the most experienced Third-Class Disciples. Only Yoon Jong, among the Third-Class Disciples, was older and more experienced than him.

In most groups like theirs, he would be important. He wouldn’t be the top leader, but he would definitely be respected by the younger members. He could act like he was in charge, and no one would argue.

But not here.

‘It’s because of *them*,’ he thought, feeling a little annoyed.

Every time something important happened, he was always with the Second-Class Disciples, Baek Cheon and Yoo Iseol, and with Yoon Jong, his senior brother. He was always the youngest, always the least important. He never got any real respect.

Wait… Chung Myung and Tang Soso were actually *younger* than him in the group, weren’t they?

But it didn’t matter! They were special. Everyone treated them differently.

But now, looking at the faces of his junior brothers, seeing them afraid of him for once, Jo Gul felt a warm feeling spread through him. It was like something missing inside him was finally being filled. He felt important, for the first time in a long time.

“I told you clearly! Don’t stop training hard!” Jo Gul shouted again.

“But we *did* train hard!” one disciple whined.

“Yes! We trained until we were exhausted!” another one said. “Even Uncle Un-geom said we were doing well!”

“We knew you would be angry when you came back, Senior Brother,” a third one added, “so we didn’t relax for a single day!”

“You’re lying!” Jo Gul yelled, pointing his wooden sword at them. “You lazy guys!”

“No, it’s true!” The Blue Cloud disciples all shouted together, trying to make him believe them.

Jo Gul looked at their pleading faces and tilted his head, confused. “Really?” he asked.

“Yes! Really!” they all said.

“But… then why are you all so weak?” Jo Gul asked, genuinely puzzled.

“…”

The faces of the Blue Cloud disciples changed. They looked like they were about to cry.

‘I wish he would just disappear,’ one thought angrily.

‘This is why I hate geniuses!’ another one thought.

‘Look at his face! He really doesn’t understand!’ a third one thought, feeling hopeless.

The Blue Cloud disciples slumped, feeling miserable. Jo Gul frowned, still confused.

“No, seriously,” he said. “You are definitely weaker than before we went to the Northern Sea.”

“That’s not true!” one disciple protested weakly.

“Even the Head of the Martial Hall said our training was good enough!” another one added.

“…What’s going on?” Jo Gul muttered to himself, scratching his head. He really didn’t understand what was wrong.

Just then, Yoon Jong walked over to them. He moved calmly and quietly, as always.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.

“Ah, Senior Brother Yoon Jong! You’re here just in time,” Jo Gul said, relieved.

“Why? What is it?” Yoon Jong asked, looking at the tired and bruised disciples.

“Well, these guys clearly haven’t been training properly, but they keep saying they have!” Jo Gul explained, sounding frustrated.

“If they haven’t trained, you should punish them,” Yoon Jong said simply.

“But the Heads of the Martial Hall and Plum Blossom Hall said they were working hard! So, I don’t know what to do…” Jo Gul trailed off, confused.

“Hmm?” Yoon Jong’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He held out his hand to Jo Gul. “Give me your sword.”

“Yes, Senior Brother,” Jo Gul said quickly, handing over the wooden sword.

Yoon Jong took the sword and held it easily. He nodded towards Jong-hui with his chin. “You. Come here.”

“…Senior Brother,” Jong-hui said nervously. “I just got hit a lot…”

“Come on,” Yoon Jong said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Jong-hui sighed and stood up slowly. But as soon as he took a wooden sword from a nearby rack and held it, something changed. A strong feeling seemed to come from him, a sense of power and focus. He raised the sword, his eyes narrowed, and let out a sharp cry.

“Chaaah!”

*What would happen next? Would Yoon Jong show them all what real training looked like?*

Jong-Hui ran forward fast, swinging his wooden sword at Yoon Jong’s head.

The tip of Jong-Hui’s sword broke into many pieces very quickly. The pieces flew towards Yoon Jong.

One.

Wham!

Yoon Jong’s sword had not moved at all. But then, suddenly, it disappeared in a flash. It moved so fast, it left blurry lines behind. Like lightning, Yoon Jong’s sword flew towards Jong-Hui.

Clang!

Jong-Hui’s wooden sword flew out of his hand right away, spinning up into the sky.

Thud.

Yoon Jong put his wooden sword on Jong-Hui’s shoulder and frowned. “Hmm.”

“⋯⋯.”

Those who watched were very surprised.

“In a single move⋯⋯.”

“They weren’t usually this far apart.”

“Good heavens, he deflected the sword.”

To knock a sword away like that in one move takes great skill.

Everyone knew Jo Gul was the best Blue Dragon disciple. So, it made sense for him. But Yoon Jong? He was usually not this much better than the others.

“See, Senior Brother? I told you these guys were slacking off!”

“Just be quiet.”

“⋯⋯.”

Yoon Jong looked at the children with a serious face for a moment, then nodded heavily.

“I need to see Baek Cheon, Martial Uncle.”

Swish.

Baek Cheon’s smooth hair fluttered softly in the wind. His dazzling white clothes also billowed gracefully.

‘He’s glowing.’

‘He’s so fluffy.’

Of course, he had never lost his cleanliness during the long journey. But it seemed it was still far from his standards.

It had only been two days since Baek Cheon came back to Mount Hua. But he was already perfectly clean and tidy again.

‘Good heavens, there isn’t a single wrinkle or speck of dust on his clothes.’

‘No matter how I look at it, the material of our clothes seems different. Do they make them separately?’

“What is it?”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who had been staring blankly at Baek Cheon as if he had a halo behind him, flinched.

‘I thought it was Buddhist Monk Hye-yeon.’

‘What’s so sparkly?’

Yoon Jong shook his head and opened his mouth.

“There’s a bit of a problem… I think I need to report it to Martial Uncle.”

“Sit down.”

Baek Cheon pointed ahead, and the two sat down in silence.

“A report? It hasn’t been long since we returned, so nothing should have happened… Don’t tell me it’s Cheong Myeong?”

“⋯⋯No.”

The moment he said Cheong Myeong’s name, the halo behind Baek Cheon weakened a little.

“Rest assured, it’s not Cheong Myeong.”

“⋯⋯That’s a relief. My stomach has only just recovered.”

A dark shadow fell under Baek Cheon’s eyes for a moment.

The two sighed deeply. Of course, they had also suffered because of Cheong Myeong. But Baek Cheon’s worry was much worse.

Baek Cheon’s face, which had looked tired for a moment, became serious again.

“So, what is it?”

“Hmm⋯⋯.”

Baek Cheon’s face was subtly hardened after hearing the report.

“A gap⋯⋯.”

“Yes.”

Yoon Jong nodded slowly.

“As a result of sparring, it’s not that the junior brothers haven’t grown. They have more strength in their bodies, and their swordsmanship has definitely become more refined.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But… it feels like something is missing.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon glanced at Jo Gul, who was also nodding earnestly.

“That’s exactly how it felt. Something definitely seems a little better… but it feels like they’re not alive.”

Jo Gul paused for a moment, thinking hard about something, then spoke again.

“I can’t say these words directly to the junior brothers, but I even feel like So-So is stronger than the other junior brothers.”

When did Dang So-So enter Mount Hua?

Of course, she doesn’t waste a single day and is handling high-intensity training to the point where the other second and third-generation disciples are embarrassed.

But, coldly speaking, she wasn’t yet at the level to surpass the other third-generation disciples. No, she shouldn’t be.

But Jo Gul clearly felt that way.

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon nodded quietly after hearing those words.

“I know what you mean. I’ve been feeling the same way.”

“Martial Uncle has also sparred with them?”

“Since that Cheong Myeong is gone, I have to do it. Leading the junior brothers is something a senior disciple should naturally do.”

Baek Cheon looked at Yoon Jong and Jo Gul with a slightly somber face and said.

“First, let’s make one thing clear. To be fair, their skills have gotten much better.”

“⋯⋯Then?”

“It must be a matter of perspective.”

“Yes?”

A bitter smile appeared on his neat lips.

They had faced death in the Northern Sea.

They had risked their lives fighting strong warriors from the Northern Ice Palace. This Ice Palace was known as one of the ‘Four Evils of the New World’. They even fought the leaders of the Ice Palace.

Was that all?

They fought hard against the Demonic Cult, who could easily defeat the Ice Palace. Together, they fought a final battle against the fearsome leader of the Demonic Cult.

To them, the swords of the other senior and junior brothers who had been training normally could hardly be impressive.

“Even if they started in the same place, if someone who has gone a hundred steps looks back at someone who has taken ten steps, wouldn’t it seem like they’ve barely moved from the starting point?”

“Ah⋯⋯.”

Jo Gul nodded as if he understood. But Yoon Jong seemed unsatisfied with just understanding the situation.

“It’s not like we trained any harder than the others while we were in the Northern Sea. Pulling the carts can be considered training, but those who remained in Mount Hua also had their own rigorous training. Doesn’t the fact that the gap is widening still pose a problem?”

“It is a problem.”

Baek Cheon nodded firmly.

“It’s a problem that must be solved.”

“But there’s no suitable method⋯⋯.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon, who had been pondering with his eyes slightly lowered, soon straightened his shoulders.

Then, Baek Cheon showed the strong presence of a Mount Hua senior disciple.

It was so powerful that Yoon Jong and Jo Gul stepped back without thinking.

‘Martial Uncle⋯⋯.’

‘Since when?’

He spoke in a dignified voice.

“The method can be found. This is Mount Hua. What could be a problem?”

“Yes!”

“That’s right, Martial Uncle!”

Feeling encouraged by his strong spirit, they became excited and answered loudly.

Baek Cheon said in a booming voice.

“You two go straight away.”

“Yes!”

“And bring Cheong Myeong here!”

“⋯⋯.”

The light instantly faded from the faces of Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, which had been shining brightly.

“Quickly.”

“⋯⋯.”

Why… Why did you have to show off your spirit if that’s what you were going to say?

I’m going crazy, really⋯⋯.