Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 613

The Wudang disciples were furious.

Usually, they were very calm, following strict Taoist rules and rarely cursing. But now, harsh words burst from their lips.

Anyone watching would understand why the Wudang disciples were angry.

Who was Mu-jin?

He was one of the Three Swords of Wudang, and everyone thought he would become the Greatest Swordsman of Wudang.

“Jo Gul?”

Jin Hyun had heard the name before.

Jo Gul was one of the Five Swords of Mount Hua, famous since the martial arts tournament.

But even though the Three Swords of Wudang and the Five Swords of Mount Hua sounded similar, the Three Swords were much more important.

Jo Gul was just a young, third-generation disciple. Mu-jin was very important in Wudang, from the first generation. How could Jo Gul be so rude to him?

The Wudang disciples were red-faced, barely able to contain their anger. Jin Hyun’s face was the hardest of all.

Jin Hyun’s voice was cold. “Did you just say Jo Gul?”

Jo Gul tilted his head. “Hmm? Did I?”

“I know him,” Jin Hyun said, his eyes narrowing. He glared at Jo Gul like a blast of winter wind, sharp and biting.

Jin Hyun remembered that face from the battle at Hwayoung Gate. *He’d been quick then, yes.* But Jin Hyun scoffed inwardly. *Jo Gul was nothing compared to me now.* He was sure of it.

But Jo Gul was completely ignoring Jin Hyun. No matter how famous Jo Gul had become, Jin Hyun couldn’t accept it.

“You think I’m boring?” Jin Hyun asked. “Of course, I’m not the best, but I don’t think you should underestimate me so much.”

Jo Gul smirked.

“It’s not like I meant to ignore *you*,” Jo Gul said. “But, you know, I’m one of the Five Swords of Mount Hua, so that bu… bu… Wait, what was your name again? I’m sure I’ve heard it, but I can’t quite remember.”

Baek Cheon squeezed his eyes shut. Yoon Jong nodded, as if to say, ‘That’s Jo Gul for you.’

“I told him to provoke them,” Yoon Jong muttered, “not smash their heads with a wooden sword.”

Tang Soso shook her head. “I’m embarrassed to be from the same Sichuan as him.”

“…Let’s watch a little longer,” Baek Cheon said gravely. Everyone looked back at the sparring arena.

“The Unrestrained Sword.”

“Ah, right. The Unrestrained Sword,” Jo Gul said, grinning. “And you were called Sword Dragon, weren’t you?”

The title of Sword Dragon used to be something he could only dream of.

But now… it meant nothing.

The titles of the rising stars of the Jianghu were nothing compared to Chung Myung and Hae Yeon.

“Beating the ‘Sword Dragon’ used to sound like a big deal,” Jo Gul said with a shrug. “But these days? Honestly, I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

Jin Hyun gritted his teeth.

“May I break that arrogance of yours?” Jin Hyun asked.

“No, that would be a problem for me. If this were a series of matches, I could defeat you and face someone more famous, but I only have one chance this time.”

Jin Hyun gripped the sword at his waist.

He had lost to a Mount Hua disciple before, but he was a rising star of Wudang. He wouldn’t let a third-generation disciple of Mount Hua treat him like this.

“How far are you going to go…” Jin Hyun started.

“Ah, I’ve got it!” Jo Gul clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up. “Your elder would have to allow this, so let’s do this instead. I’ll fight you, but in return…”

“In return?” Jin Hyun asked suspiciously. Jo Gul grinned.

“If I win, let me fight one more person. You don’t have to count the match with you as a victory.”

“This!”

“This bastard dares…!”

The Wudang disciples looked ready to attack Jo Gul. But they couldn’t get past Heosanja, who stood in front of them.

Crack.

Jin Hyun bit his lip so hard it burst, and a thin stream of blood flowed. His fists were white.

Baek Cheon covered his face. “Who told that bastard to go out first?”

“Not me.”

“Me neither.”

Chung Myung raised his hand awkwardly. “…It seems like he’s doing a good job following orders?”

“Doing a good job?”

“Well… anyway, the goal has been achieved, right? The provocation seems to be working?”

Baek Cheon lifted his head. “I told him to pour some cold water, but he poured boiling water on his face. Is that a good thing?”

“…Well, anyway…” Chung Myung hesitated, sweating.

*I didn’t think he would go that far.*

Chung Myung wasn’t sure he could have provoked them as much as Jo Gul did.

Yoon Jong asked anxiously, “Master Uncle, should we pull him down now?”

“…Is that even reasonable?”

“Of course, it’s embarrassing, but it’s better than leaving him there…”

Yoon Jong was right. But this was a martial arts contest with Wudang. They couldn’t take back someone they had sent out before the fight even started.

Fortunately, Wudang reacted first.

“Hahaha!” Heosanja laughed loudly. “It’s always a pleasure to see the spirit of young swordsmen.”

Heosanja stared at Jo Gul. His eyes were not friendly.

“But Little Taoist, too much courage is recklessness, and too much confidence invites disaster. Can you bear the consequences of your words? It could cause great harm to your sect.”

Jo Gul took his sword and tapped his neck with it. “The disciples of Mount Hua do not say what they cannot take responsibility for, Elder.”

“Huh.” Heosanja stared at him before nodding. “Good. Let’s do that.”

“Oh?”

“However, as you said, this match will not be included in the results of the martial arts contest, whether you win or lose. Instead, the winner will compete with the next person to determine the outcome.”

Jo Gul smiled and bowed. “That’s a wise decision.”

Heosanja ignored Jo Gul and turned to Jin Hyun. “Jin Hyun.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“You know what you have to do, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Go.”

“Yes!”

Jin Hyun walked into the arena. His face was grim, like a storm cloud. Each step was heavy with anger. The cheers of the crowd seemed to fuel his rage even more.

The Sword Dragon looked around. The crowd roared, happy to see the martial arts contest begin.

“It’s the Sword Dragon!”

“He’s the most talented of the second-generation disciples of Wudang!”

The cheers shifted from Mount Hua to Wudang. Jin Hyun opened his mouth.

“I came to avenge my humiliation, but I didn’t expect to be so ignored.”

“Avenge? Ah, you mean Master Uncle?” Jo Gul chuckled.

Jin Hyun had lost to Baek Cheon in the past.

“Avenge… That’s something only those who have spent their time wisely can say.”

“Are you saying I wasted that time?”

“Of course not, but…” Jo Gul trailed off and smiled crookedly. “Words are meaningless. Come on. I’ll show you with my sword.”

Jo Gul slowly drew his sword.

Jin Hyun started to speak formally, ‘You are unworthy of being my oppo—’

But then he stopped.

*What is it?*

*It’s different.*

Before drawing his sword, Jo Gul was just talking. He didn’t seem serious at all. But now, Jo Gul was sharp and dangerous. Jin Hyun was surprised and almost stepped back, but he regained his composure.

Many thoughts raced through his head.

*Perhaps his attitude is not just arrogance, but confidence based on something…*

How much time has passed since then?

Even a great genius could not become this strong so fast.

“Hoo!”

With a short exhale, Jin Hyun slowly drew his sword. Holding the Songmun Ancient Sword, which symbolizes Wudang, he felt calm and focused, pushing away his worries.

‘Don’t waver.’

Competing against someone he had never fought before, on such a public stage, was hard. He knew he must not be distracted by his opponent’s words and actions.

He had to believe in himself and his sword.

Jin Hyun’s energy felt heavy. Unlike the freedom of Mount Hua, it was a heavy and sincere energy. It spread and flowed strongly, making the word ‘stately’ the best way to describe it.

‘I have been striving.’

He wanted to avenge his terrible defeat and overcome the humiliation that never disappeared from his heart.

‘Hwajeong Sword. And the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua!’

Those two were his only rivals. If he couldn’t even defeat this small fry, how could he call himself the Sword Dragon and the greatest talent of Wudang!

As soon as he made up his mind, his sword moved.

“Taaah!”

Blue sword energy poured out like flowing water.

This continuous sword energy was unique to Wudang. Jin Hyun had shown it in the past. But if his sword energy back then was a stream, now it was like a great river.

The heavy and stately flowing sword energy carried great power.

You could see how hard he trained.

‘When did that child?’

Heo Sanja, who was watching, clenched his fist tightly. He had seemed dedicated to training without saying a word, so Heo Sanja hadn’t realized how strong he had become.

Mujin wasn’t the only one who had become stronger through defeat. Jin Hyun, too, had trained very hard, using his crushing defeat to make himself stronger.

‘It is done!’

There was no need to worry about winning or losing.

His stable and heavy energy was as strong as the first-generation disciples. The third-generation disciples of Mount Hua couldn’t withstand this sword.

Heo Sanja was sure of it.

“Hot!”

Seeing the sword energy stretching out like a river, Jo Gul let out a short exclamation and flew forward like a swallow.

‘Forward?’

Not back or to the side, but forward. It seemed reckless, like throwing himself into a torrent of heavy rain.

“That idiot⋯⋯.”

Heo Sanja was startled, fearing he would see a great loss of blood right away. But then, something unbelievable happened.

Whish!

Jo Gul’s simple sword cut strongly as he rushed straight ahead, meeting the water-like sword energy. Then, Jin Hyun’s sword energy, which had been rushing in with great force, split to the left and right and passed by Jo Gul’s side.

The eyes of those watching widened.

“S, splitting it?”

That?

“Ah, no! It’s just the beginning!”

The sword of Wudang is continuous.

It might seem cut off, but it is not. You can split the sword energy once. You can blow away the sword energy twice. But you can never block the endless river-like sword energy until the end.

Jin Hyun knew this, so he silently wielded his sword without panicking.

The sword energy split, then came back together, hitting Jo Gul with even more power.

“Hmm.”

Jo Gul smiled slightly.

Of course, that guy’s sword is strong and heavy.

But…

‘I’ve seen this so many times!’

His experience was different, and he had overcome different challenges. Someone who only trains easily is never truly strong.

To him, who had overcome the cold winds of the North Sea and the harsh winds of Yunnan, this sword energy was no threat.

Wham!

Jo Gul’s foot kicked the ground hard.

“That!”

“That crazy!”

He lightly stepped on the flying sword energy, lifting himself up.

It was a dangerous move; a slight mistake would have blown his ankle away. But his incredibly light body and near-divine balance allowed him to use the flying sword energy as a stepping stone.

Wham! Wham!

Jo Gul continued to step on the sword energy and rush forward. It was like a salmon swimming upstream against a pouring waterfall.

Jin Hyun widened his eyes in shock, seeing Jo Gul stepping over the sword energy.

‘What?’

He was so surprised he couldn’t think straight.

But he, too, was a disciple of Wudang who had trained hard. Before he could even think, his body reacted and swung his sword at Jo Gul.

Clang!

But before his sword could fully extend, Jo Gul’s plum blossom sword had already reached the spot he was aiming for.

“Slow.”

“⋯⋯.”

As the swords scraped against each other, Jo Gul and Jin Hyun’s eyes met.

“Take a good look, young master.”

Wham!

Jo Gul’s sword quickly moved backward, then flew like a ray of light towards Jin Hyun’s neck.

It was incredibly fast.

Before he knew it, the blade was almost touching his neck. Jin Hyun turned his head in terror.

Scratch.

His skin split slightly, and he felt a burning pain. But he couldn’t focus on that now.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

Terrifying thrusts flew in succession. The swords created wounds all over Jin Hyun’s body, dyeing his martial robes red.

‘H, how⋯⋯.’

He retreated in a daze.

He couldn’t see the sword.

His eyesight couldn’t recognize the sword moving at such an unbelievable speed. How was he supposed to deal with this?

He realized something.

‘Am I going to lose?’

That couldn’t be.

He had trained non-stop, vowing to defeat Hwajeong Sword and the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua and restore his sect’s honor. For years, he had forgotten sleep, remembering only that goal.

But⋯⋯.

How could he lose to this small fry who was neither Baek Cheon nor Chung Myung?

“Aaargh!”

Jin Hyun, not avoiding the flying sword, thrust his Songmun Ancient Sword to meet it.

“That!”

“Jin Hyun-ah!”

It was a suicidal move to stab each other and die together. It was not a move for a martial arts competition.

“Dieeee!”

Seeing the Songmun Ancient Sword stabbing into his solar plexus, Jo Gul twisted his lips strangely.

Wham!

Jo Gul’s sword, moving even faster, strongly struck the side of the flying Songmun Ancient Sword, sending it flying.

Clang!

Jin Hyun’s sword, which had put all its strength into stabbing, couldn’t respond to the impact. The sword, like the life of a swordsman, tore through his grip and flew away.

The Songmun Ancient Sword spun in the air.

The ending was obvious.

“Ugh⋯⋯.”

Jin Hyun’s eyes lost focus.

Thud!

Jo Gul’s foot kicked his chest hard. His body, without its sword, flew out of the martial arts arena.

“Jin Hyun-ah!”

“Sajil!”

Jin Hyun’s uncles quickly caught him as he flew like a broken kite.

“Are you alright?”

“⋯⋯.”

Jin Hyun looked at his empty hand and the footprints on his chest with disbelief.

If Jo Gul had wanted to, he could have broken his chest bones, but his body was intact.

It was a perfect defeat.

He had to admit it.

He lifted his head and saw Jo Gul smiling playfully on the stage.

“Well, this place is not very exciting, is it?”

Jo Gul turned his gaze from Jin Hyun, as if he was done with him. He pointed his sword at Mujin.

“Come on up. Let’s have a match.”

The faces of the Wudang disciples were twisted in anger.