Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 689

Cheong Mun began slowly, his voice heavy with disappointment, “So…”

Chung Myung stayed silent, avoiding eye contact.

Cheong Mun’s face twisted in frustration. Deep lines, like cracks in dry earth, appeared around his eyes as he frowned. He wore a traditional hat, common for teachers at Mount Hua. Across from him, Chung Myung flinched. He hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself smaller.

Seeing a senior teacher scolding a younger student was normal at Mount Hua. But this was different. The student being scolded was Chung Myung. He was known as the troublemaker of Mount Hua. Some even called him an uncontrollable menace. Even the leaders and older teachers had given up on trying to control him. This made the scene unusual.

“Who told you I was here…?”

“Why? So you can go find them and beat them up?”

“Hehe… Would I ever do that? You know I’ve been trying to behave myself lately.”

“Behave yourself? You?”

Chung Myung quietly gritted his teeth, thinking, ‘If I find out who snitched, I won’t let them off.’

If other people came to lecture him, he could just scoff and run away. But no matter how unruly Chung Myung was, he couldn’t do anything about Cheong Mun.

“So…,”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Chung Myung cautiously glanced at Cheong Mun, thinking, ‘Agh, damn it.’

Deep lines were etched around his eyes, which were usually filled with kindness. This meant he was in for at least an hour of nagging.

“Go get that thing over there, that…,”

“Gasp! The switch? Senior Brother! I’m not a child anymore…!”

“…Water. Get the water.”

Chung Myung sighed in relief and listlessly got up to bring the water bottle placed by the door.

“Here you go.”

“Sit down.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chung Myung plopped back down, and Cheong Mun quenched his parched throat. Then, he let out a deep sigh.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“…Was it a great mistake for your junior brother to ask you about swordsmanship?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Was it wrong for a junior brother who wanted to become stronger to pluck up the courage to ask you about the sword, is what I’m saying.”

“…No.”

Cheong Mun’s face crumpled.

“Then why did you beat him up?”

“…”

“Why did you beat him up, why! If a kid doesn’t know something, he can ask! You beat him up for asking? Are you even a Taoist?! Huh?”

“S-Senior Brother! Practice what you preach! Put down your fist!”

“I’m so frustrated, I am!”

Daehyeon Sword Cheong Mun was known for his kindness and understanding of the Tao. His strong inner power brought peace even to those who looked upon him. As the eldest student of Mount Hua, he was almost guaranteed to become the next leader, and even the other students subtly hoped the current leader would retire.

He was a famous swordsman and Taoist. But even Daehyeon Sword Cheong Mun lost his reason in front of this madman.

“You beat him up over one question and sent him to the medical hall? Did you put honey in the repentance cave or something? Why are you so eager to go into the repentance cave?”

“Honey? I hate the repentance cave. Spending a week in that lightless place is just…,”

“Just what?”

“…As soon as I get out, I’m going to kill the guy who made me come here, with murderous intent…”

“Beat me too, you rascal! Beat me!”

In the end, Cheong Mun, unable to hold back, threw the book in his hand at Chung Myung. But Chung Myung quickly snatched it out of the air and just grinned with a brazen face.

“Hey. You have to say something that makes sense. How could I ever hit Senior Brother!”

“…But you can hit your junior brother?”

“Junior brothers deserve to be hit.”

“What about your granduncle?”

“Granduncles also get hit if they talk nonsense.”

Taking advantage of the silence, Chung Myung quickly returned the book to its place and smiled awkwardly. Cheong Mun let out a deep sigh.

“Why did you hit him?”

“Senior Brother. You seem to be misunderstanding, but I didn’t hit him because he asked about that.”

“Then?”

“I’ve heard what you’ve said, Senior Brother. I’ve heard it so much that I have nails hammered into my ears. Would I just beat him up out of the blue?”

“So why did you beat him up?”

Chung Myung, as if the memory made him angry again, huffed and puffed as he spoke.

“No, I explained it in detail and even demonstrated it for him.”

“…And?”

“Even after explaining it three times, he still couldn’t understand! And yet he kept asking me to explain it!”

Cheong Mun, slightly speechless, looked at Chung Myung and sighed deeply.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Are you frustrated?”

Chung Myung pushed his pouting lips back in.

He liked this side of Cheong Mun. If it were others, they would have gotten angry right away, saying, ‘Does that even make sense?’ But Cheong Mun thought about it from his perspective once more before getting angry.

“It’s not that I’m exactly frustrated…,”

Chung Myung muttered softly.

“It’s not going to work anyway.”

Cheong Mun just looked at him without saying anything. Chung Myung, feeling a little guilty, lowered his head.

“Chung Myung-ah. Those guys are your junior brothers.”

“Of course, you might be frustrated from your perspective. But you too will eventually encounter something you can’t handle alone, won’t you?”

“Then what will you do?”

“Shouldn’t I just become stronger?”

“What if you still can’t?”

“Then I have to become even stronger.”

Cheong Mun stared with a dumbfounded expression, and Chung Myung shook his head.

“I know it might sound frustrating. But, Senior Brother.”

“Hmm?”

“The speed at which I can make Mount Hua stronger by teaching those guys is slower than the speed at which I can become stronger by training alone.”

“Just don’t hold me back. Then I’ll take care of everything. Shaolin, Wudang, I’ll just beat them all up. Senior Brother, you can just watch the show and eat rice cakes.”

“Hehe. It would be nice if you could share a rice cake or two.”

Cheong Mun, the leader of Mount Hua Sect, sighed deeply. Chung Myung jumped, like a child caught doing something wrong, but Cheong Mun’s eyes were full of pity. It made Chung Myung uncomfortable.

Others might think Chung Myung was just making silly excuses to avoid work, but Cheong Mun felt a pang in his heart. Chung Myung’s words were heartbreaking.

‘They could never truly connect.’

Chung Myung saw the world differently than others.

Most people would see one thing, but Chung Myung saw ten, maybe twenty things at the same time. How could he talk to people who saw the world so differently?

Cheong Mun probably seemed slow to Chung Myung, but Chung Myung still talked about the disciplinary rod. It was like he was the older brother.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes.”

“How far do you plan to go alone?”

“⋯⋯.”

“I understand how you feel. I know you getting stronger on your own helps Mount Hua more than if you dragged the others along.”

“That’s right, I’m telling you.”

“But how much harder do you have to live?”

Cheong Mun shook his head and continued.

“It might look like you are going alone, but it’s actually the opposite. You are carrying everything yourself. Can you carry all of Mount Hua on your shoulders?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Yes, maybe you can. But it’s like climbing a steep cliff with bare hands. Even experts can fall with one mistake. Can you live your whole life under that much stress?”

Chung Myung didn’t say anything. Cheong Mun’s voice was very sincere.

“Even if you could, I wouldn’t want you to live like that, Chung Myung.”

“Sasuk.”

Cheong Mun smiled gently.

“It’s not that they are slow. You’re just too fast.”

“⋯⋯.”

“If you run off without thinking, you won’t see the others following you. You might look back at first, but if no one is there, you’ll stop looking back.”

Chung Myung stared at Cheong Mun silently.

He didn’t always understand Cheong Mun. It wasn’t something you could understand with logic.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

“You can’t live in the world alone.”

“⋯⋯.”

“No one can. If you don’t have those frustrating kids you complain about, you’ll be the most frustrated one. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sasuk. I know. I know, but…”

“Slow down a little.”

Chung Myung sighed, feeling trapped.

“I understand what you’re saying. But it doesn’t matter. No matter how much I wait, if they don’t catch up…”

“Do you think your disciples aren’t trying to catch up?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Isn’t it that they can’t show you because you’ve made it too difficult?”

“That’s⋯⋯.”

Cheong Mun smiled sadly.

‘That rascal.’

He knew.

Even if others didn’t, he knew.

Chung Myung wanted someone to be by his side more than anyone else. Otherwise, he wouldn’t listen to Cheong Mun so well.

He was better than Cheong Mun at martial arts. Even the elders couldn’t beat Chung Myung with swords. Chung Myung knew this and didn’t hide it.

That arrogant rascal wouldn’t listen to Cheong Mun just because he had raised him.

Chung Myung also knew.

If he lost his connection with Cheong Mun, he would end up alone.

‘He’s different from us.’

For Chung Myung, the world was Mount Hua.

He wasn’t like the others who came to Mount Hua to become Taoists and see the world. Chung Myung had only known Mount Hua since he was born.

How could Cheong Mun know what Chung Myung felt when he looked at Mount Hua?

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

“I’m not telling you to watch over your disciples for Mount Hua’s sake.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Watch over them for yourself. For your own sake. You’ll realize how important it is to have people supporting you.”

Chung Myung looked at Cheong Mun with serious eyes. Cheong Mun smiled.

“Yes, I understand… kind of.”

“No, it only makes sense if they are useful! If they are going to support me, I’m doomed! I’ll have to quit using my sword.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Say something that makes sense so I can listen! Huh? What are they good for? Ahem! Unless I die and am reborn, it will never happen.”

Cheong Mun chuckled.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Yes!”

“Bring the disciplinary rod.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Quickly!”

“Ha. Haha… Hahaha.”

Chung Myung laughed awkwardly and stood up quickly.

“Sasuk!”

“Yes?”

“I will remember your words forever. I understand completely about taking care of my disciples. I will do my best.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Then, I’ll go now!”

He ran out the door without looking back.

“That rascal! Don’t stop! Where are you going besides Mount Hua! Where can you run to!”

“I’m going to train!”

Cheong Mun sighed at the voice from far away.

‘I’m asking for too much.’

No one is perfect.

People who are good at one thing are often bad at others. Chung Myung was very talented at martial arts, but he didn’t know how to get along with people.

This was making Chung Myung more and more alone.

Becoming stronger is good.

But what’s the point of being strong alone, with no one to share it with?

Cheong Mun and Mount Hua were still holding onto Chung Myung, but that might not last. Cheong Mun worried that Chung Myung would cry because of this.

Cheong Mun was closing the door when he saw something on the floor where Chung Myung had been sitting.

It looked like a wild root.

“…Ginseng?”

Wild ginseng.

He must have found it while training in the mountains.

“…That rascal.”

Cheong Mun looked at the ginseng and felt even more pity. He could feel Chung Myung’s care from the root. He imagined Chung Myung training in the mountains, away from everyone else.

His heart ached for that awkward person.

“Someday…”

Someday, Chung Myung would find people he could trust.

If he could see Chung Myung smiling with others, he wouldn’t ask for anything more.

“It’s still far off.”

But the day would come when Mount Hua accepted him completely.

Cheong Mun really wanted to believe that.