Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 690

“Ughhhh.”

Stretching and rising, Chung Myung blinked. Sunlight streamed through the window, and his eyes widened.

“What? What is it?”

Morning? It couldn’t be!

But the sunlight was undeniable.

It warmed the blanket, inviting him back to sleep…

Ah, no! That wasn’t right!

Chung Myung’s jaw dropped. “I overslept?”

He was Chung Myung, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

He knew he was talented. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he became the Plum Blossom Sword Saint just by trying hard. He had natural skill, which made his training work even better.

He had never been lazy from the day he first picked up a sword.

But…”Overslept? Me?” Chung Myung’s pupils trembled.

“I, I…”

Laziness was a sin.

For him to oversleep!

“Ughhhhh!” Chung Myung grabbed his head and scratched it wildly.

“People become lazy when they are too comfortable and well-fed! Good heavens! How could this happen to *me*?”

It was unimaginable in the old days.

Even during the war, he never overslept. Now that his body was full of strength, he overslept?

Chung Myung jumped up and threw open the window.

The sun was almost at its zenith.

“Heeik!” Something was seriously wrong. Chung Myung hurriedly dressed.

“Damn it! It was strange that Sect Leader appeared in my dream! How could I have a good day after seeing that face!”

– What, you little brat?

“No! I don’t have time to play with you right now!”

Chung Myung ignored the hallucination and threw on his clothes. Usually, he would have taken his time to wash and get ready. But now, there wasn’t even time for a quick wash.

“Heave-ho!”

He blew away the dust with his inner strength and dashed outside.

In the training hall, the Mount Hua disciples were already training. Even the first-generation disciples were sweating as they swung their swords.

Looking at that scene…’Guilt, guilt…’

Chung Myung realized he still had a conscience.

“You’re finally here,” Yoon Jong said, relief in his voice. “We were wondering where you’d gone. Haven’t seen you all morning.”

Chung Myung just blinked, still feeling sleepy.

“Take it easy today, okay?” Yoon Jong continued, concerned. “You push yourself so hard, training from dawn every day. You need to rest sometimes. What did you do this morning to be so late?”

“…Huh?” Chung Myung mumbled, still confused.

Yoon Jong clicked his tongue softly, shaking his head with pity. Chung Myung felt a prick of guilt at the worried look.

Jo Gul grumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, thanks to you, the strongest guy training like crazy, we can’t even think about resting!”

‘Why today of all days…’

Normally, if he heard these words, he would have scolded them. But now, feeling guilty, he couldn’t say anything at all.

“Everyone… everyone came out early?”

“Well… usually, when you go out to train at dawn, everyone else comes out to train within half an hour or so.”

“…Half an hour?”

“More or less.”

Chung Myung looked at those who were training with trembling eyes.

Clang!

Each time swords clashed, sweat flew from their taut muscles. The floor was stained with sweat.

Normally, he would have been pleased, but now it felt like the sweat was stabbing him.

The back of his neck was getting wet with cold sweat.

‘I should just die.’

His fellow disciples were all sweating and training, while he was sleeping until the sun was high.

– Haha! Serves you right!

“Kack! Shut up!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“…Ah, nothing,” Chung Myung mumbled. Then, he tilted his head. “But everyone seems a bit more aggressive than usual?”

“It’s not so much aggressive as it is diligent. More so than usual.”

“Huh?”

Just as Chung Myung was about to ask something, Baek Cheon approached, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Hoo!”

“…”

Looking at the sweat, he could tell they were training sincerely.

“The event just ended, why are you all being so aggressive?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung seriously. “Now that the Heavenly Union has been formed, Mount Hua’s status is different.”

“…”

“So, as you said before, the people we have to face will become stronger. Even if we don’t mention Jang Il-so and the Myriad Man House.”

Chung Myung nodded.

“If I stay the same while the opponent gets stronger, the result is obvious, isn’t it? So, we have no choice but to become stronger.”

At Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung looked back at the training hall.

No one was giving orders.

In the past, Un-gum had to shout to get them to train, and later Chung Myung beat them to make them do it. But now, no one was raising their voice, and everyone was training on their own.

Looking at the serious expressions, he felt a tingling sensation.

“And…” Baek Cheon glared at Chung Myung. “If you keep training like *that*, we’ll never catch up!”

Yoo Iseol nodded with a murderous face. Chung Myung asked, dumbfounded, “…Is that so important?”

“It is important!” Jo Gul shouted.

“Honestly, I don’t care about being the strongest in the world or the strongest in Mount Hua!”

“…”

“I just need to be a little stronger than you! If I can just punch you in the face once, I can ascend in peace!”

At Jo Gul’s words, Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon nodded.

“He’ll ascend with his fist still extended.”

“With that kind of success, even the most important leader would be impressed!”

“…”

What, these bastards?

“A hundred years is too far away!”

“A hundred years isn’t that long.”

“It’s worth investing that much.”

“Hitting that bastard once is a worthwhile deal even if it takes a hundred years.”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung’s eyes shook violently.

‘These bastards are serious.’

Those eyes were definitely not joking.

No, what sin did I commit so much…

“Just kidding.”

“Doesn’t seem like a joke?”

“Then half of it is serious.”

Baek Cheon chuckled as Chung Myung lost his words.

“Everyone knows that we have a lot of work to do in the future.”

“…”

“I don’t think we can change anything significantly by training a little more or trying a little harder. But… it’s a hundred times better than not doing it.”

Chung Myung nodded silently.

“We’re just doing our best at what we can do in our current positions. Then we’ll move forward little by little.”

“Watch your back!”

“Behave yourself!”

Chung Myung’s face was blank as he looked at Jo Gul and Tang Soso pointing at him. The sound of Mount Hua’s disciples training echoed.

Chung Myung’s eyes trembled slightly.

– If you just run forward without thinking, you won’t see those who are following behind. Do you really think your disciples aren’t trying to catch up to you?

‘What was it like back then?’

Back then, the training hall was also full of people. But the sweat they shed wasn’t visible to Chung Myung. But it’s not like that now. The sweat they shed is clearly visible.

– Slow down a little.

‘Sect Leader…’

Is this what you wanted to say?

“…Anyway, nagging…”

“What, you punk?”

Chung Myung chuckled and turned his head. He didn’t want to show his expression.

Taking a low sigh, Chung Myung looked at the Five Swords of Mount Hua as usual.

“You think you can catch up by training like this! Really!”

“…What did you say, you little punk!” Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

Clang!

His sword was drawn.

“Alright! Let’s learn a thing or two about how to train properly! It’s been a long time since I sparred with you!”

“Hoo?” Chung Myung’s eyes twinkled.

“Our Dong-ryong has been winning a bit lately? Daring to draw a sword in front of me!”

“I’m your grand-uncle, you punk!”

“You’re alive because you’re my grand-uncle. If you weren’t, you’d already be dead.”

“Alright! Let’s just die today!” Baek Cheon shot fire from his eyes and charged.

“Dieeeee!”

“You think you can die with that!”

The sword energy swept through the surroundings.

“What, what is it!”

“Are they crazy?”

The disciples scattered to avoid the sword energy.

The Five Swords watched with their arms crossed.

“…It’s brutal.”

“No matter how I look at it, it’s not sparring, is it?”

“Is it okay to use lethal moves like that on a fellow disciple?”

But Baek Cheon and Chung Myung’s mouths did not stop moving.

“Today, I’m going to slap your chin and ascend!”

“You have such big dreams. Do you think anyone can ascend?”

Clang!

Baek Cheon’s sword was blocked and bounced off.

‘Hmm.’

As his wrist tingled, Chung Myung’s mouth curled up.

‘He’s grown a lot.’

In the past, he didn’t know how precious those who could cross swords like this were.

He only realized it after losing them.

As Chung Moon said, if he had looked back at his fellow disciples a little more back then, the future might have changed.

But…’It’s all in the past.’

He leaves behind regrets but no attachments. Because there is something he must protect right now.

“Take more strength out of your wrist! You have no strength!”

“Aaaaargh!”

As his attacks were blocked, Baek Cheon charged. Chung Myung grinned.

‘Don’t worry, Sect Leader.’

Chung Myung, glancing at the other disciples, shouted, “It’ll be different this time!”

His sword bloomed into a splendid flower.

It was a plum blossom blooming again.

“Ah, that feels good.” Chung Myung smiled, radiant. Then, he swept away the sweat.

Looking around like a satisfied cat, he shrugged. “I’m hungry after moving my body. I’m going to go eat first.”

“…”

Chung Myung walked away, swaggering. His steps looked light.

However… those looking at Chung Myung’s back glanced at the training hall.

“…”

Everyone sighed as they looked at Baek Cheon, twitching on the floor.

“He can’t even land a single hit.”

“…A hundred years might be a bit short.”

“Gul, move Grand-Uncle to the medical hall.”

“…Yes.”

It was a moment when the disciples of Mount Hua realized they still had a long way to go.