Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 635

“Um…” Baek Cheon stopped talking suddenly. He turned his head sharply to the side.

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong blinked at him, confused. ‘Huh?’ Jo Gul thought. They wanted to ask what was wrong, but Baek Cheon’s face was so serious they hesitated.

‘What is it?’ Yoon Jong wondered, his eyes following Baek Cheon’s gaze.

“Is something wrong?” Tang Soso asked from behind them.

They turned to see Tang Soso. Yoo Iseol was also looking in the same direction as Baek Cheon, her expression just as focused. Tang Soso tilted her head, her eyes full of curiosity. “What are they all looking at?” she whispered.

Baek Cheon and Yoo Iseol were looking at the same place: the Mount Dang Faction camp beyond the sparring arena.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Hmm.”

At Baek Cheon’s quiet call, Chung Myung scratched his cheek. After staring at the Mount Dang Faction side with strange eyes for a moment, the corners of Chung Myung’s lips twisted upwards.

“This… it seems like quite a big shot has arrived,” Chung Myung murmured, his eyes narrowing. A heavy pressure seemed to fill the air, like the stillness before a storm.

The energy felt different from anything before. Even without showing it off, a presence that pressed down on the surroundings was clearly felt.

“Are they going to show it once?”

It wasn’t bad. At least, not for the Mount Hua Sect.

Heo Gong spoke in a very cold voice. It was not how you would expect an older member to talk to his brothers and nephews in training.

The Mu-ja disciples couldn’t possibly show anger towards Heo Gong, an elder, for such words. But Heo Sanja was different. A furious rage, barely held back, appeared on his face.

“You wretch! What outrageous nonsense is that?”

A stern warning was shouted at him, but Heo Gong’s expression didn’t change. Instead, he calmly replied.

“Isn’t that what I’ve been saying this whole time, Brother?”

“…”

“That martial skill may not be everything to a martial artist, but it should never be lacking.”

Heo Sanja bit his lip tightly.

He knew very well that those words were aimed at him.

“Ignoring your usual training and wasting your energy on small things is why you feel such shame. What are the disciples supposed to learn from that?”

“Have you finished speaking?”

Heo Sanja’s gaze, filled with icy killing intent, and Heo Gong’s relaxed gaze met. It was Heo Gong’s quiet laughter that broke the tense feeling.

“There’s no need to be so angry. Shouldn’t you be grateful that I’ve given myself only to martial arts, Brother?”

Heo Sanja clenched his fist tightly, biting down on his lower lip.

‘That reckless fool,’ he thought.

The elders of Mount Dang Faction were eccentric.

The idea of Taoist cultivators being eccentric might sound strange at first. Taoist cultivators are people who practice a special way of life focused on nature and inner strength. But it was an undeniable and obvious truth.

Anything in excess was as bad as being deficient. Those who spent their lives seeking strength to the point of obsession, now continuing their training to find something of their own, were unlikely to have gentle natures.

That was why, even within the Mount Dang Faction, people avoided making the elders angry whenever possible.

But Heo Gong was particularly eccentric, even among those elders.

He was so exceptionally talented with the sword that no one could deny it, yet he was avoided by his fellow martial brothers. There was no need to further explain how extreme his unsociable nature was.

“The Sect Leader must have given you orders! Why are you so late?”

“I’m not particularly late. I arrived a long time ago.”

“Then why have you only come now?”

“I was merely watching.”

“What?”

Heo Gong turned his head slightly and looked at the Mu-ja disciples. These were the main students of the Mount Dang Faction. The Mu-ja disciples, meeting Heo Gong’s gaze, all lowered their heads as if ashamed.

“To see how pathetic the sect has become in the time I took my eyes off it.”

“That…!”

Heo Sanja gritted his teeth.

He knew that while the words lumped everything together as the sect, they were actually criticizing Heo Sanja, who was more interested in outside activities than in giving himself to martial arts, and, furthermore, criticizing the Sect Leader who encouraged such trends.

“What right does a man who stays hidden in the mountains and valleys, doing only what he wants, have to say such things?”

Heo Gong raised his hand slightly.

It was a gesture to show that he didn’t want to argue about this topic.

“Please, don’t get so upset. Isn’t that why I’ve come here?”

“…”

“However.”

Heo Gong turned his head and looked towards the Mount Hua Sect.

“To think that you called me all the way here because something interesting was happening, only to find that you’re just scaring children from another sect…”

A sneer appeared on his lips.

“It’s too bad. Truly too bad. You constantly talk about how it’s necessary for the sect and do this and that. It seems things haven’t been working out as well as you thought, Brother.”

Heo Sanja’s tightly closed jaw twitched.

He and Heo Dojin-jin believed that they should improve the reputation of the Mount Dang Faction and spread its influence throughout the world.

But not all the elders of the Mount Dang Faction agreed with that idea.

In fact, more elders believed that they should focus on the inner training of Taoism and give themselves more to martial arts. This was a deep division and a long-standing disagreement within the Mount Dang Faction.

If they started talking about that matter again, the conversation would go on forever.

“Heo Gong.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“I know what you want to say. But now is not the time to be talking about such things. Surely you, too, cannot accept the Mount Dang Faction’s sword being placed below Mount Hua.”

At Heo Sanja’s words, Heo Gong tilted his head with a cold expression.

“At least…”

“…”

“As long as I am alive, such a thing will not happen.”

Heo Sanja nodded without thinking.

It was because of this nature that Heo Dojin-jin had sent Heo Gong here.

Any other elder of the Mount Dang Faction would not want to fight with the ridiculously young disciples of Mount Hua, no matter how much the sect’s reputation was at stake.

But Heo Gong was different.

He wouldn’t particularly care if the name of the Mount Dang Faction was placed below that of Mount Hua. But he was someone who absolutely couldn’t accept the idea that the Mount Dang Faction’s sword was worse than Mount Hua’s sword.

‘Whatever his personality, his skill is undeniable,’ Heo Sanja thought.

Heo Gong was among the youngest of the elders. His age was only about ten years apart from that of Mu-jin. But his skill was better than all his martial brothers.

– If he could only leave behind that arrogant and eccentric nature and become a little more accepting, he would one day be able to become the best swordsman of the Mount Dang Faction. He is a man trapped within himself.

This was Heo Dojin-jin’s opinion of Heo Gong. In any case, now that such a person had arrived, showing the strength of the Mount Dang Faction to that Mount Hua would not be too difficult.

Heo Gong, as if well aware of his mission, got straight to the point without delay.

“I don’t want to waste time. I’ll go out immediately.”

“Wait.”

At Heo Sanja’s words, Heo Gong narrowed his eyes and gave him an unhappy look. But Heo Sanja stopped him with a calm voice.

“The sparring match is not over yet. No matter what, it would be shameful for an elder to go out for a match against second-generation disciples.”

“Shameful?”

Heo Gong laughed mockingly, ignoring all politeness, as if he found it ridiculous.

“Clinging to such rules is why you feel such shame, Brother!”

“…”

“You’ve already felt all the shame there is to feel, yet you’re still worried with rules? Is it shameful for an elder to face second-generation disciples, but it’s okay for first-generation disciples to do so?”

“…”

Heo Gong shook his head as Heo Sanja, at a loss for words, closed his mouth.

“How wonderful. Truly wonderful.”

Heo Gong muttered mockingly, then turned to the Mu-ja disciples and asked.

“What do you think?”

“…”

“What do you think, you who are first-generation disciples of the Mount Dang Faction, yet can’t even hold your own against the second-generation disciples of Mount Hua?”

At those words, mixed with held-back anger, the Mu-ja disciples lowered their heads, their faces filled with shame.

“Pathetic wretches.”

A clear sneer appeared on Heo Gong’s lips.

“So, who will step forward now? Who will step forward to perform this clownish act and achieve victory? Tell me.”

“…”

“Speak!”

Heo Gong shouted, and the Mu-ja disciples lowered their heads even further.

“Mu-jin.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Will you step forward?”

Mu-jin waited to answer.

He, too, knew that even if two more first-generation disciples stepped forward and defeated two more second-generation disciples of Mount Hua, the Mount Dang Faction’s honor would not be restored.

That might be an even greater shame than defeat.

“I’ve been so focused on achieving my own sword that I haven’t paid enough attention to the sect. I never imagined that the disciples of the Mount Dang Faction would show such a pathetic sight.”

“We are sorry, Elder.”

“As soon as we return to the Mount Dang Faction, I will correct your bad mental state.”

Heo Gong cast a chilling glance at his disciples and turned away.

“If you wish to continue this clownish act, do as you please. But I hope you won’t keep me waiting too long.”

At those words, Heo Sanja let out a groan.

He had to leave behind clear results. That was why he had come here.

But even if they won twice more here, the result wouldn’t change much. Thinking about the morale that was barely rising, it might not be a bad idea to push them harder at this point.

“Heo Gong.”

“Yes.”

“Instead… you must crush them completely.”

At Heo Sanja’s request, Heo Gong curled up the corners of his lips.

“It seems you’ve forgotten who I am, Brother.”

It was a truly arrogant statement, but at this moment, it sounded more reliable than any other words in the world.

Heo Gong tapped his sword and stepped forward.

“I will teach the young ones of Mount Hua that they are still a hundred years away from challenging the Mount Dang Faction.”

Heo Sanja nodded and took a step back.

Mu-jin, watching Heo Gong’s back as he slowly headed towards the sparring arena, opened his mouth with a stiff expression.

“Elder.”

Heo Sanja, glancing at Mu-jin, said with a look of pity.

“I am sorry for you. I should have given you the chance to show your martial skill.”

“I am fine. However, I am wondering if it is really okay for Elder Heo Gong to step forward…”

“Are you worried?”

“To be honest, yes.”

Even within the Mount Dang Faction, no one asked for instruction from Heo Gong.

It wasn’t because he was weak. It was because he was unusually cruel and unforgiving, not like a Taoist at all.

If that happened within the Mount Dang Faction, it could be handled somehow. But if the opponent was from another sect, problems were sure to happen.

“There’s no need to worry.”

“But…”

“Do you think the Sect Leader would have sent Heo Gong without thinking about that?”

Mu-jin closed his mouth.

Certainly, the Sect Leader would have thought the same thing. If he still sent Heo Gong, the reason was one of two things.

Either he thought he could definitely control Heo Gong so that he wouldn’t go too far… or…

“Sometimes, a beating is needed for a child who doesn’t know his place.”

“…”

“As an elder of the same Taoist tradition, it wouldn’t be bad to humble them once. It will be good medicine for Mount Hua.”

Heo Sanja quietly said a Taoist prayer.

But Mu-jin had to swallow a sigh inside.

‘Is that really a beating for proper guidance?’ he wondered.

Or is it an automatic act of violence, striking down the rising generation out of fear?

But he couldn’t ask such a question. He could only watch Heo Gong, who had stepped onto the sparring arena, and strongly hope.

‘Please…’

May nothing more happen to disappoint the sect.