Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 653

Rumble!

Rumble!

“W-What’s that noise?”

“Did a landslide happen somewhere?”

The farmers, who had been bending over to till the fields, were startled and raised their heads. A sound like boulders rolling down a high mountain echoed loudly.

“I-I think it’s coming from over there?”

“Huh?”

When they looked where someone was pointing, a thick cloud of dust rose from the road ahead.

“W-What is that?!”

“Did some invaders come?”

“No! You old fool! Invaders wouldn’t come here. Even the Wokou can’t get this far.”

“T-That’s not what I meant! What on earth is that…?”

Faced with this strange sight, the farmers stared blankly, clutching their tools.

“It… it seems to be getting closer?”

“Huh? Oh, oh….”

The dust cloud was coming towards them very fast.

“S-Shouldn’t we run?”

“Run from what? We don’t even know what it is!”

Before they could decide what to do, the dust cloud rushed towards them.

Soon, the farmers saw what was causing the commotion and stared in surprise.

“People?”

“A c-cart, maybe?”

A group of people in black were pulling several carts at an incredible speed.

On the lead cart, which was rattling like it would fall apart, stood a man shouting and pointing.

“Oh? Slowing down? Now that we’ve caught the Shaolin bastards, you think training is easy, eh? Alright! Let’s run until the sky turns yellow!”

“Aaaargh! You son of a bitch!”

“Kill me! Just kill me, you bastard!”

“Why kill you? What’s easier than dying in this world? Stop talking nonsense and run! Anyone who falls behind today will be hung upside down on a tree all night, so try falling behind!”

“Aaaaargh!”

They ran as fast as they could, like animals driven to their limit. Some had foam at their mouths, and their eyes were red with strain.

Rumble!

The sound of cartwheels like thunder swept past. A large cloud of dust engulfed the farmers who were staring.

“……”

“……”

As they watched the cart disappear, one of them spoke quietly.

“What in the world was that….”

“Not invaders, but….”

Then, someone tilted their head.

“But didn’t those folks just now have flower embroidery on their chests?”

“I think they did?”

“Eesh. What’s with those men having flower embroidery? How strange.”

“N-No, it’s not strange, but… if it’s clothes with flower embroidery on the chest, isn’t that the Hwasan Sect these days? The sect that won against Shaolin in Wudang and defeated the Shaolin Elder.”

“Huh?”

Everyone looked in the direction they had disappeared with interest. The dust cloud was now slowly settling.

But….

“It can’t be.”

“Hey, come on. Get real. You think those respected Taoists would be pulling carts like little calves?”

“That’s disrespectful!”

“R-Really?”

Everyone frowned.

“If they defeated Wudang, they should be returning in triumph. Even riding in a carriage wouldn’t be enough, but pulling a cart instead of oxen? That makes no sense!”

“Right! It’s not like Hwasan is a poor sect!”

“……Thinking about it, that’s true. Then… who were those people?”

“Who knows? Probably some criminals running away from their sins.”

“They looked like bandits! We almost got into big trouble.”

Everyone nodded.

“What are the officials doing? Not catching those guys.”

“Hey! What officials? If it’s bandits, it’s Hwasan! Those guys will be crushed if they get caught by the Hwasan Sect.”

“Not Wudang?”

“Bandits are for Hwasan! Hwasan!”

The person who first thought it might be Hwasan awkwardly grabbed their farming tool again.

‘But I think those people from before were really from the Hwasan Sect?’

But they couldn’t bring themselves to say it.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

As soon as the cart stopped, the Hwasan disciples collapsed without even groaning. Half of them were foaming at the mouth, and the other half didn’t even seem to have the strength to do that.

“Falling behind!”

Chung Myung, who had been enjoying a comfortable ride on another person’s cart, glared at them.

“What’s with all the fuss? Back in my day, I crossed the Central Plains in three days carrying a thousand geun on my back!”

Normally, they would have cursed at that nonsense, but now they didn’t even have the strength to open their mouths.

‘How can it be this hard?’

‘I’m going to die. I really feel like I’m going to die.’

‘Jade Emperor, I’m not ready to go yet!’

Chung Myung clicked his tongue as he looked at the sprawled-out Hwasan disciples.

“You guys fought a bit with the Wudang bastards and now you think you’re something?”

“……”

“Yeah, confidence is good. But when confidence turns into arrogance, it’s worse than having nothing.”

Chung Myung glanced back at the path they had taken.

“The other disciples might be happy because they won, but the Wudang bastards will be grinding their teeth at this defeat. From today… no, they’re already grinding their teeth and focusing on their training. On the other hand, the other disciples are too happy about winning and stopped trying hard. So, who will be the one to win next time?”

Then, Jo Gul, who had been lying on the ground panting, jumped up and raised his hand.

“What is it? Speak.”

“I’ve never been too happy about winning?”

“Lie back down.”

“……Damn it.”

Jo Gul fell back down.

“When people are clapping for you because you’re doing well, that’s when you need to try even harder! If you relax and start playing around just because you’ve achieved something, you’ll lose everything you’ve built up so far! It’ll be gone in an instant! You feel good because you beat the guys you couldn’t beat before? If you lose to the guys you beat, you’ll want to jump off a cliff!”

“I’m already jumping off! You bastard!”

“It’s not like I haven’t jumped once or twice, you bastard!”

“Oh? You’re resisting?”

The Hwasan disciples looked up at the sky with tears in their eyes.

‘That rotten bastard only says the right things.’

‘That’s why people who spoke the truth died early!’

The Hwasan disciples were realizing the truth of history anew.

In fact, they had fought well against the disciples of Wudang, so they could have started to rebel, but that devilish bastard had beaten the Shaolin Elder. They had seen it with their own eyes, so they couldn’t rebel at all.

Everyone had to realize that the most terrifying thing in the world wasn’t personality or position, but performance.

Besides….

“Ugh. That damn bastard.”

“I wish he would just fall backward and break his nose!”

“Then I’ll go and stick a big needle in his back!”

Baek Cheon, along with the Five Swords and Tang Soso, and even Hae Yeon, were glaring at Chung Myung with eyes full of resentment. The ones in charge of each cart had to endure the speed, which was already overwhelming, with their entire bodies while carrying the weight.

“……”

With those people running next to them, the other disciples couldn’t even think of complaining.

Chung Myung smiled as he received their resentment.

“People, you know. They seem like a big deal, but they’re nothing special. If you sprint with all your might, you can’t even last an hour. Does your training get easier as your cultivation level increases? That’s because you’re doing the same training as before!”

His eyes began to roll back in his head.

“Training has to be hard to be training! If it’s not hard, is that training? Rest is over! Everyone get up and run!”

“Aaargh! You son of a bitch!”

“I’m going to kill you someday!”

At that moment, Un Geom, who was watching him from behind, nodded in admiration.

‘Everyone is cursing him, but their bodies are working hard.’

Could it be that all these guys enjoy training?

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes!”

At Un Geom’s call, Chung Myung quickly turned around.

“I don’t want to interfere with your training, but isn’t it a bit too much? Everyone must be tired from the long journey and the continuous battles.”

Chung Myung glanced back.

After confirming that everyone was not paying attention because they were preparing to run again, he replied quietly so that others could not hear.

“That’s why we need to train at times like this.”

“Huh?”

When Un Geom looked doubtful, Chung Myung shrugged.

“There are many ways to train, but you can’t create the situation. Someday, there may come a time when we have to fight when we’re so exhausted that we can’t recover even with internal energy.”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“Experience is what helps us endure at times like that. People remember what they’ve endured.”

Un Geom looked at Chung Myung with admiration.

‘It’s not just physical training.’

Un Geom is also in a position to teach disciples. That’s why he is sometimes surprised by the way Chung Myung teaches his disciples.

On the surface, it just seems like he’s being very hard on them, but there are often deep intentions hidden in his training that even Un Geom can’t understand.

‘How much of this kind of training has there been so far?’

The Hwasan disciples haven’t just become stronger.

In the past, they would shrink back as if they had seen a ghost just at the mention of the Jongnam’s disciples, but now they don’t lose heart even when facing the disciples of Wudang.

This isn’t just because of their skills.

Chung Myung’s words, which sounded like mere torment, have been steadily changing the way the Hwasan disciples think.

‘This is almost brainwashing.’

Whether this is what Chung Myung really intended or not, it is unknown.

“Even so, don’t you think they need a rest?”

“They will soon.”

Chung Myung looked into the distance. Now, the ridgeline of Hwasan was beginning to appear faintly.

“When we return to Hwasan, we’ll be busy. For a while, I won’t be able to properly oversee their training because I’ll be busy with the Mount Heaven Alliance and other things.”

There was a hint of worry in his voice. Soon, Un Geom smiled at Chung Myung’s quiet look.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be so focused on my own training that I can’t take care of the children.”

“Hehe. That wasn’t my intention….”

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head, looking awkward.

‘That guy.’

The preparations for the Mount Heaven Alliance are now complete. But that just means the preparations are complete, not that the work is done.

No matter what anyone says, the Mount Heaven Alliance is an organization created around Chung Myung. Naturally, there will be many things he has to do.

Chung Myung is the kind of person who cares about the training of his disciples even with that important work ahead of him. There are good things about him….

‘Hmm.’

Chung Myung’s words still make sense, and are not much different from before.

However….

Un Geom, who had been quietly watching Chung Myung, cautiously spoke.

“Chung Myung. I don’t know everything you’re thinking.”

“……Yes?”

When Chung Myung asked, Un Geom smiled gently.

“But everyone is trying their best, even if they are not perfect, so don’t rush too much.”

“…….”

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head, looking awkward.

“I didn’t mean they were not perfect.”

“Yes. I see.”

Un Geom just smiled gently. Chung Myung scratched the back of his head awkwardly and looked away.

At that moment, the Hwasan disciples, who had finished preparing, shouted.

“Let’s gooooo!”

“Hwasan! Once we get to Hwasan, this madness will end!”

“Let’s just go quickly!”

Chung Myung looked at Un Geom with a small smile as he watched the Hwasan disciples running like mad cows with their eyes wide open.

“It seems like those guys are in more of a hurry than I am.”

“…….”

Well, there’s nothing you can do about that now.

Haha…….

Once again, Hwasan began to appear in front of the Hwasan group, which was running out in a hurry.