Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 651

“Keeeugh…” A painful groan escaped. It was a sound from a throat so dry and hurting that it made your skin crawl just to hear it. Anyone kind would have to help someone making that noise.

But the people standing right there just looked at him with cold eyes.

“Ugh… Ugh ugh…”

One of those who hadn’t even glanced at him finally turned, his eyes filled with annoyance as he looked at the dying man. He frowned and lashed out.

“Just get over it, you idiot! Use your inner power to get rid of the alcohol!”

“Keeeugh… It’s… it’s not just alcohol…”

“That crazy guy ignores all rules, and now he cares about being polite?”

Even with Jo Gul’s harsh words, Chung Myung didn’t back down.

“If I don’t have any rules, I have to at least keep this much…” (Perhaps add internal thought: *Keep my stubbornness? My pride?*)

“…”

Well, blast. Hearing it like that, it almost makes sense…

Jo Gul, who had wavered for a moment, quickly shook his head.

‘That guy beat up the Mount Hua Sect’s elder and he’s supposed to be the best of the younger generation in the Central Plains?’

He watched Chung Myung and felt a heavy weight in his chest. ‘Is this really the best of the young fighters?’ he thought, shaking his head. ‘It feels like watching everything good disappear.’

But…

“No, I can understand Chung Myung, but what about Baektian?”

Jo Gul, who had been staring at Chung Myung sprawled on the right bed, turned his head sharply to the left. On the bed to the left, another figure was lying like a broken doll.

“Why is Uncle-Master Baek Cheon like that?”

“Keeeugh… I, I think I’m going to die…”

Jo Gul finally sighed and covered his face.

‘Mount Hua is doomed.’

Chung Myung could be like that.

But wasn’t it a real problem when the person who constantly demanded common sense from Chung Myung became even stranger than Chung Myung?

So, Chung Myung could be like that, but why is that man like that! Why!

Jo Gul’s worries deepened as he looked at Baek Cheon, half-dead and sprawled out.

It was then.

Bang!

The door opened and Yoon Jong entered.

“Uncle-Master. Chung Myung. The Elder is looking for… No, I’ll just take care of it myself.”

“…”

Yoon Jong just gave a small, sad smile, like this was exactly what he expected. Jo Gul felt a pang of envy. How could Yoon Jong always be so calm?

Suddenly, Baek Cheon, who had been completely limp, moved.

“Ah, no… No, I should go.”

“Why not sleep a bit longer?” Yoon Jong asked gently.

“Keeeugh, no… I must go.”

With a groan, Baek Cheon pushed himself up. He wobbled for a moment, then started to straighten his clothes, as if a switch had been flipped.

Responsibility was good, but if he was going to be like this, he should have drunk less in the first place…

“Let’s go!”

“Eek!”

Jo Gul, who had been grumbling while looking elsewhere, was startled as if he had seen a ghost when he saw Baek Cheon.

The man who had been half-dead just a moment ago was now standing perfectly upright in his usual appearance.

‘No, what kind of person is…’

There has to be some humanity, some humanity!

“Are you alright?”

“Jo Gul.”

“Yes, Uncle-Master.”

“A person cannot always be well.”

“…”

“But those who should be role models must always maintain their usual appearance, no matter what they feel inside. Now that you are in a position where many disciples are watching and following you, always keep this in mind.”

It was truly a good saying.

But at this point, Jo Gul couldn’t help but wonder.

“Then what about *that*?”

“…”

Jo Gul pointed. Baek Cheon followed his finger. There, under a pile of blankets, was a lump that looked like a giant, unhappy caterpillar. Baek Cheon quickly looked away, pretending he saw nothing at all.

“Anyway, be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Of course.”

Looking at his neatly arranged hair and the spotless white uniform, he couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

‘I can’t live like that.’

Baek Cheon is just as strange as Chung Myung. It’s just that the field is a little different.

“Then I’ll be back… Try to do something about that in the meantime.”

“I’d rather fight the Mount Hua Sect’s elder.”

“I’ll be back.”

Baek Cheon left, and Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who had been eyeing each other for a moment, slowly approached Chung Myung.

“Chung Myung… You have to get up now.”

“Keeeugh.”

“We were supposed to leave for Mount Hua today.”

“Ugh…”

“Get up, you damn bastard!”

“Ugh! Leave me alone!”

“If you just lie there, you’ll get boils on your back! You damn bastard!”

But then, the closed door opened roughly again.

Bang!

“Huh?”

“Wh-what is it?”

Two people strode in through the burst-open door. Yoon Jong and Jo Gul swallowed hard and quickly cleared the way to the left and right.

It was Yiseol and Tang Soso.

“Soso,” Yiseol said calmly. “Wake him up.”

“Yes, Sahyung!” Tang Soso grinned.

With a quick, smooth move, she pulled out several long, silver needles from her sleeves. They flashed in the light as she held them, ready.

And then…

“Aaaaaaaaaaack!”

Chung Myung’s desperate scream, which one couldn’t bear to hear with their eyes open, echoed through the hall.

“Keeeugh.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“How could it not hurt when a needle is stuck in my head? Huh?”

Avoiding Chung Myung’s gaze, which looked like he was about to pounce at any moment, Yoon Jong subtly turned his head.

‘It wasn’t me who stuck it in, so why is he yelling at me.’

He can’t even say a word to Soso.

Even while grumbling, Yoon Jong could fully understand Chung Myung.

Everyone is equal before those needles.

“What’s so urgent that you’re tormenting people from morning!”

“Why? Are you still not sober?”

Then, Soso, who had already approached, said with a bright smile.

“Then tell me. The effects of the Tang family’s secret hangover needles are certain.”

Yoon Jong asked with a sullen face.

“Soso.”

“Yes?”

“Does the Tang family *really* have acupuncture like that?”

Tang Soso just smiled sweetly. “If you doubt me, why don’t you go and ask them yourself?”

“…”

“Then why are you dawdling on the morning we’re supposed to leave!”

“Does waking up a little earlier really make us reach Mount Hua faster? Seriously?”

“What? You’re still not sober?”

As Tang Soso pulled out a large needle from her sleeve again, Chung Myung quickly shut his mouth.

‘Good heavens. She controlled that troublemaker.’

‘Should I change my weapon to needles too?’

To think that a guy who isn’t afraid of swords is afraid of needles, it was truly a bizarre thing.

“Eish.”

Chung Myung stirred the rice porridge in front of him a couple of times, then slumped in his chair, grumbling.

“If we had left earlier, we would have already arrived at Mount Hua and be resting comfortably! So many things keep happening⋯⋯.”

You single-handedly caused most of those things, you little rascal!

He was acting like someone who loves to start projects but hates finishing them.

“So, are we leaving today?”

“That’s what we decided.”

“If I had my way, I’d stay here for another week.”

“Why? You said you wanted to return to Mount Hua quickly? You just said that.”

“That’s true, but⋯⋯.”

“Hm?”

Chung Myung curled up the corners of his lips.

“If we keep messing around here, wouldn’t the Wudang guys get a couple more holes in their stomachs?”

He’s a devil. This rascal is a devil.

“That won’t do.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung turned his head at the voice. Baek Cheon, who had finished his conversation with the Elder, was entering the dining hall.

“What about the Elders?”

“They said we should eat breakfast and leave without wasting any time.”

“What’s the rush?”

“⋯⋯If you’ve disgraced someone in their own home, the least you can do is leave quickly.”

“What courtesy.”

Chung Myung snorted as if it were ridiculous.

They have made a big mess. Leaving quickly won’t fix the problems. Wudang will suffer for a while because of the wounds they’ve suffered this time.

‘Well, it’s their own fault.’

Of course, he had provoked them a little, but he didn’t expect them to react so strongly. Thanks to that, he gained even greater benefits, though⋯⋯.

‘Venerable Hudo.’

He’s definitely not someone to be taken lightly.

“Well, anyway, I won this time.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively.

Now that he’s set the stage, that bald monk Beop Jeong will move too⋯⋯.

Chung Myung’s face, which had been deep in thought, suddenly contorted.

“Ah, the more I think about it, the more pissed off I get, those Shaolin bastards.”

As soon as the word Shaolin came out of Chung Myung’s mouth, Hae Yeon, who had been eating porridge at one side of the table, flinched and subtly lowered his head as if he were about to bury his nose in the bowl.

“The young ones are useless, just cheering from behind.”

“⋯⋯.”

“The old ones just eat the meal that others have prepared!”

“⋯⋯Who are you calling old?”

“There is. Something like an old fox.”

In fact, everyone could roughly guess who he was talking about, but no one dared to say the name out loud.

There are many eccentric people in the world, but Chung Myung is probably the only one in the world who can call the Abbot of Shaolin that way.

“Anyway, I’m really annoyed. I know I got something good, but it still makes me angry to see those Shaolin guys got something too. It’s just how people are, right?”

“⋯⋯Chung Myung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“Usually, that’s not the case.”

“Huh? Really? Isn’t everyone like that?”

“⋯⋯.”

Silence fell.

Oh, Primordial Celestial Lord. What should we do with this rascal?

As everyone looked at him with desperate eyes, Chung Myung, the greatest under heaven, realized that something was wrong and gave an awkward laugh.

“Haha. Just kidding, just kidding!”

‘He’s serious.’

‘This rascal was really, wholeheartedly serious.’

‘He’s always surprising.’

People are supposed to become more familiar the more you see them, but that obvious truth didn’t apply to Chung Myung.

“Ahem. Anyway!”

Chung Myung looked around at the people gathered at the table.

“We shouldn’t be too complacent.”

At the slightly lowered voice, the faces of the Mount Hua disciples quickly changed.

“To put it coldly, Wudang accurately targeted our weaknesses this time.”

“Hmm⋯⋯.”

Baek Cheon made a noise and unconsciously looked around.

He knew that Chung Myung would have taken care of it, but he was still worried that the Unja generation might hear this.

“Ordinary people will focus on the fact that we won, but those who have some sense will understand the weaknesses of Mount Hua that Wudang thought of.”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“Wudang’s thinking isn’t wrong. Mount Hua has too few mid-level disciples.”

“That’s true.”

Baek Cheon also chimed in with a heavy face.

“We achieved a formal victory in the sparring match, but to put it coldly, with the current strength of Mount Hua, it’s difficult to handle even the first-generation disciples who were there. It was a one-on-one sparring match, so we could match them. If we had to fight against the entire first-generation disciples, the chances of winning would have been slim.”

At those words, the Five Swords all nodded as if they agreed.

“If we consider the Elders in Wudang, the distance between us and Wudang is still vast.”

“That’s accurate.”

Chung Myung cast his gaze towards Baek Cheon as if telling him to continue.

“It’s good to have gained a lot. But more importantly, we clearly know what we need to do.”

“Hoo?”

“If there are not enough mid-level disciples, we just need to fill it.”

There was no wavering in Baek Cheon’s eyes. His unwavering voice rang out powerfully.

“If we become stronger here, then we will become the mid-level disciples, and we will become the main force of Mount Hua. We must make it so that no one dares to say that Mount Hua lacks mid-level disciples. Do you all understand?”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Of course, Senior Uncle!”

Among the Five Swords, who seemed to have renewed their determination, someone smiled with a very unpleasant face.

Baek Cheon sighed and glared at him.

“⋯⋯What, you rascal.”

“Hehe. Our little Baek Cheon is really taking charge now.”

“⋯⋯.”

Clap!

Chung Myung clapped lightly.

“Well, we’ve gained a lot, we have a lot to think about, and we have a lot to do in the future, but.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Let’s put all that aside!”

“Huh?”

Looking at everyone’s bewildered faces, he grinned.

“Anyway, we have to enjoy it when we can! It’s a triumphant return! Let’s go back to Mount Hua!”

Everyone nodded with excited faces.

It was time to wrap up the long journey.