Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 648

People drink alcohol to relax.

Everyone tried to look calm, but the duel with the Mount Wudang disciples must have been a burden. Song Tae-ak’s preparation of a grand feast showed he was planning ahead.

At first, everyone was tense, holding small cups and sipping carefully. But after a few rounds, they started talking more.

And then…

“So, I went there and swung my sword like this! Thwack!”

“Senior Brother, please calm down.”

“Calm down? We won against Mount Wudang!”

“But didn’t you lose, Senior Brother?”

“Ahem! Didn’t you hear what our martial uncle (a senior teacher in the sect, like an uncle) said? Sometimes, victories are more valuable than defeat!”

“Defeats more valuable than victory. And your defeat, where you got utterly thrashed, doesn’t count, so just shut your mouth and drink.”

“Come on out, you little punk!”

Chaos started to erupt.

“Liquor! We need more liquor here!”

“Here too!”

“I asked for liquor ages ago!”

Song Tae-ak trembled and squeezed his eyes shut.

‘I’d rather be feeding the cows.’

It was a mistake to start with expensive liquor. He should have known that these guys were all heavy drinkers when he treated the Mount Hua Sect before.

‘No, but they ate like humans back then.’

Now they were eating and drinking like beasts.

A Taoist sect (a religious group that practices martial arts) that avoids cooked food, is careful about overeating, and doesn’t drink too much alcohol? None of that was happening here.

There were only students from Mount Hua (students from a famous fighting school) in black robes (or half-stripped off black robes), showing off their strong muscles as they grabbed bottles of liquor and meat, creating a scene of chaos. The strong smell of alcohol and meat filled the air, with food spilling and robes thrown on the floor. Loud shouts and clanging cups added to the noise.

Every face was red with alcohol.

“Quickly, bring more liquor.”

“Yes, Guild Leader!”

The only good thing was that those carrying the liquor and food didn’t seem to be complaining.

‘Well, they wouldn’t.’

Mount Hua Sect was a valued guest from the start. They were heroes who had stopped bandits. But now, Mount Hua Sect was even more important. They were a famous sect that had defeated Mount Wudang.

The first might be more valuable to ordinary people, but the second was more valuable to merchants.

However, one thing bothered him.

‘Mount Hua beat Mount Wudang. I just can’t get used to it.’ Song Tae-ak was surprised by Mount Hua’s behavior. It was different from what he expected from Taoists. He was judging them.

To be nice, they were unpretentious. To be mean, they had no dignity. Song Tae-ak had watched Mount Wudang, another Taoist sect, for a long time. It was strange to see Taoists taking off their shirts and drinking liquor like this.

‘But maybe this is why Mount Hua is becoming famous.’

Song Tae-ak looked at Chung Myung, who was leading the party.

“Ooh! Chung Myung, welcome!”

“Here, have a drink!”

“Drink! Drink! You deserve to drink!”

“Eheheh! It’s not like some great person has arrived.”

As Chung Myung moved, everyone gathered around him.

“What are you talking about? You are a great person! You beat a Mount Wudang elder!”

“Seriously, this monster!”

“The greatest swordsman of Mount Hua! The greatest swordsman of Mount Hua!”

Chung Myung’s face was red from the alcohol, and he started to twitch his lips. He was trying to look calm, but he loved the praise.

“No, well… this much is…”

He tried to sound casual while trembling, but the praise kept coming.

“This much? He’s an elder! A Mount Wudang elder!”

“I’ve never heard of a third-generation disciple defeating an elder of a famous sect! A comedian wouldn’t even tell that story! People would hit him with a liquor bottle for making up something so ridiculous!”

“Kuh! Light is shining from our Chung Myung, light! It’s too dazzling!”

“Of course! He’s just light! Our light!”

Chung Myung finally smiled.

“Kya… Kkya-hyuk…”

“That’s right! You’re smiling! Oh my, you smile so well, our Chung Myung!”

“Well done! Well done! Well done!”

Chung Myung became excited and started to drink and laugh. His fellow disciples filled his glass.

“Today, we all drink until we die!”

“It’s okay to die! It’s okay to die now!”

“No, you can’t die, you bastards!”

Song Tae-ak shook his head as he watched the disciples of Mount Hua, who were acting like they were already in the afterlife.

‘I can’t understand this sect at all.’

But everyone was having a great time.

‘Huh?’

Song Tae-ak tilted his head.

He saw someone quietly getting up from the corner of the busy banquet hall and carefully going outside.

It wouldn’t be strange at an ordinary party. They might be going to the bathroom. But that doesn’t usually happen when martial artists eat and drink. They can control their bodies.

‘Well, maybe something else is going on.’

Song Tae-ak didn’t think it was important and turned his head.

Tap.

Kwak Hwe carefully closed the door and sighed softly.

The party was so loud that no one noticed him leaving. Even if they had, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but he didn’t want to ruin the fun.

‘Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.’

And they should.

Kwak Hwe felt like he was feeling better after drinking a few glasses of liquor. He pretended to be fine, but competing against the Mount Wudang disciples had been stressful for everyone.

So, it was natural to be happy after winning.

Kwak Hwe looked at the liquor bottle in his hand and took a few steps forward. Then, he jumped up and climbed onto the roof of the building.

“Oof!”

He landed on the roof tiles, sat down, and looked up at the moon.

“Bright.”

The full moon was shining brightly.

Looking at the moon, he said something he didn’t want to say.

“…Can I do it?”

“Do what?”

“Aaaaargh!”

Startled by the voice from behind, Kwak Hwe almost fell. He grabbed the edge of the roof and climbed back up.

“D-Don’t scare me like that!”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“You should have made a sound when you came!”

“You’re wrong. I didn’t come. You came to where I was resting. I was here first.”

…”

Kwak Hwe looked at Baek Sang with a sad face.

‘Of all people…’

Even though they had a good relationship, a martial uncle was still a martial uncle. So, most of the Blue Cloud disciples were still a bit uncomfortable with the White Plum disciples.

And Baek Sang was one of the martial uncles that the Blue Cloud disciples found most difficult to deal with.

Among the White Plum disciples, he was second only to Baek Cheon. His personality was mysterious, and it was hard to say he was liked. Also, he was becoming a key figure in the Treasury Pavilion, which was important to Mount Hua.

If you didn’t count the Five Swords of Mount Hua, who represented Mount Hua, he was the most influential person among the younger disciples.

Kwak Hwe didn’t want to see Baek Sang alone in a place he had gone to escape the party.

“I asked you. Do what?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Kwak Hwe hesitated, and Baek Sang got up and walked over. Then, he sat down next to Kwak Hwe.

“Ugh. My back.”

“…Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing. It just hurts where I got hit.”

His injuries from the duel wouldn’t heal in half a day. But Baek Sang didn’t care.

“Did you bring liquor?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s have a drink.”

Baek Sang held out his bottle, and Kwak Hwe touched his bottle to Baek Sang’s bottle.

Clink.

The sound of the bottles sounded like swords meeting.

They drank the liquor without talking.

“Kuh!”

“Hmm.”

Kwak Hwe wiped his mouth, looked at the liquor bottle, and spoke.

“It’s a luxury. Drinking such expensive liquor from the bottle like this.”

“Expensive liquor, huh.”

Baek Sang shrugged and looked at the liquor bottle.

“Being expensive is good, isn’t it?”

“Yes?”

“But I like the cheap Mount Hua liquor we used to drink in Mount Hua better than this.”

…”

Baek Sang smiled at Kwak Hwe, who was staring at him.

“Is it strange?”

“No.”

Kwak Hwe shook his head and spoke with a red face.

“Actually, I feel the same way.”

“Haha.”

Baek Sang took another sip of liquor. He looked up at the moon and laughed.

“There are guys like you.”

…”

“Guys who can’t relax when everyone else is.”

Kwak Hwe felt like he had been stabbed in the heart and couldn’t speak.

“What’s the problem?”

Kwak Hwe looked into Baek Sang’s eyes. His eyes were tired, so Kwak Hwe decided to be honest.

“It’s just a bit…”

“A bit?”

“I’m just a bit scared.”

…”

Baek Sang waited for Kwak Hwe to continue. Kwak Hwe spoke again after a while.

“At first, I was just happy. I could feel my skills improving, and I could hope for things that I couldn’t even dream of before.”

“I guess so.”

“If I just did my best… I thought I could become something too.”

“Not anymore?”

“…It’s not that I don’t, but…”

Kwak Hwe paused, as if trying to find the right words.

“As I said, I’m just a bit scared.”

“Why?”

“…Because I’m not there.”

Anyone else would have asked what he meant, but Baek Sang nodded as if he understood.

“Yeah. That’s the scariest thing.”

“…Yes.”

Kwak Hwe wanted to be like Jo Gul or Yoon Jong.

He didn’t even want to be like Chung Myung or Baek Cheon. He just believed that if he worked hard, he could become as strong as them.

But…

“Are you afraid you’ll never catch up?”

“No… That’s alright. But…”

Kwak Hwe bit his lip.

“I’m scared of falling behind.”

…”

“Even though I’ve worked my best, the senior brothers just keep getting further away. After fighting the first-generation disciples of Mount Wudang, I understood how strong they were. So, I realized how strong the senior brothers who fought and won against them were.”

Kwak Hwe looked down. He could hear the sounds of the party from the banquet hall.

“So, I don’t know how to say it, but what I mean is…”

“It’s okay.”

Baek Sang smiled softly and looked at Kwak Hwe.

“You don’t have to explain it. I understand that feeling.”

“I’m…”

Before Kwak Hwe could finish, Baek Sang pointed to the banquet hall.

“Look.”

“Yes?”

“Do you really think those guys laughing and chatting over there have no worries?”

…”

Kwak Hwe pressed his lips together.