Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 70

Chung Myung looked slowly from left to right. Everyone who saw his eyes quickly looked away.

‘Don’t look at him.’

‘He’s really angry today.’

‘He’s even wilder than usual. Is something wrong with him today?’

“I…,”

A voice that sounded like it was coming from hell escaped Chung Myung’s lips.

“I can’t stand the thought of losing to those Jongnam bastards.”

His eyes gleamed with madness.

‘I’m gonna piss myself.’

‘Seriously, what kind of guy comes in and acts like this…’

“A man has his pride. How can we lose to Jongnam?”

He couldn’t stand losing to Jongnam. Even losing to them normally would bother him all night. But losing to those *bad guys* who stole our sword moves? That was unthinkable.

“The senior brothers must win. I’ll make sure of it.”

“……”

Everyone wanted to escape Chung Myung’s anger.

“By the way…,”

It was Jo Gul.

He asked with innocent eyes.

“What was that about earlier? Seeing what it’s like to die?”

“Oh?”

Chung Myung looked at Jo Gul, who was questioning him, and smiled broadly.

“Senior Brother, you come out here.”

“……Me?”

Jo Gul pointed to his face with his finger.

“Yes.”

“……”

Jo Gul glanced around slightly. The other senior brothers were looking at him and nodding with satisfaction.

Jo Gul’s mouth slightly opened at the wave of betrayal.

‘You bastards.’

Where did their loyalty go? Before Chung Myung arrived, the older and younger disciples helped each other. Now, it felt empty and cold.

“Come out quickly. Quickly.”

“S, Senior Brother.”

Jo Gul looked back at Yoon Jong one last time, but he cleared his throat and nodded.

“Go out there quickly.”

“You dog…,”

He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest.

In the end, Jo Gul, with his head bowed, walked forward like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse. Yoon Jong seemed to see a leash around Jo Gul’s neck.

Chung Myung looked at Jo Gul, who had come forward, and said.

“You said you wanted to become stronger, right?”

“……That’s right.”

“Actually, this is a bit of a strange thing to say…,”

Chung Myung grinned. It was eerie to see a guy holding a sword in the moonlight smiling.

“The senior brothers are already strong enough.”

“……Huh?”

“It means all your training has been useful.”

Jo Gul narrowed his brow.

“You said we’re still no match for the Jongnam guys?”

“Well, I guess so.”

Chung Myung quietly thought.

‘Wasn’t Yi Song-baek considered relatively strong among the second-generation disciples of Jongnam?’

Judging by how the other senior brothers treated Yi Song-baek, he certainly seemed to be one of the stronger ones among them. If he were to estimate the level of the third-generation disciples based on him…

‘It’ll be similar to what I thought before.’

Jo Gul could compete, and Yoon Jong needed luck. But the other third-generation disciples would never win.

Of course, a match could drastically change depending on the physical condition and luck of the day, but unless heavenly luck was on their side, it was hard to imagine the third-generation disciples of Mount Hua defeating the third-generation disciples of Jongnam.

“But that’s not because the senior brothers are weak.”

“……Then?”

“It’s because you’ve built up your bodies, but you’re still doing the same things as before.”

“Huh?”

Bodies?

Jo Gul glanced down at his body.

‘It has changed.’

Thanks to the training he did as Chung Myung instructed and the elixirs he received, the third-generation disciples had bodies that were incredibly strong and tough.

Just looking at their ripped muscles was enough to bring a proud smile to their faces.

Of course, it wasn’t just for show.

After adapting to the training, they all realized that their bodies had become several times stronger than in the past. Their swords were faster and stronger, and their lower bodies were as solid as rocks.

“But what do you mean by doing the same things? What are we doing wrong now?”

“I’m going to tell you that from now on.”

Chung Myung grinned and approached Jo Gul.

The sharp edge of Chung Myung’s sword scraped against the rough stone floor, sending a harsh, grating sound echoing through the quiet training ground. The sound made the other disciples flinch. Jo Gul swallowed hard and looked at Chung Myung as he approached.

“Senior Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you think you learn the sword?”

“……Well…….”

There was already a correct answer in Mount Hua.

To discipline the body through the sword, and ultimately reach the Dao. The sword in the Daoist sect is merely a means of training to reach the Dao.

‘But there’s no way this guy wants that kind of answer.’

If he said that, he would probably just get scolded for saying something obvious.

So…

“Isn’t it to defeat the opponent?”

“Kuh!”

Chung Myung clapped his hands.

“To think that kind of answer would come from Senior Brother’s head! Amazing! That’s a very selfish answer for someone training to be a Daoist! Good job,” he said sarcastically.

…I should have just given the obvious answer.

Chung Myung nodded.

“Half right. It’s to win. So, what do you have to do to win with a sword?”

“Isn’t it just to become stronger?”

Jo Gul, who had realized that he would get scolded no matter what answer he gave, answered without hesitation.

“That’s it.”

But this time, Chung Myung surprisingly agreed with Jo Gul’s answer.

“You just need to be stronger. If you’re stronger than the opponent, you win. But this has a slightly different meaning.”

“……I’m having a little trouble understanding?”

“It’s simple.”

Chung Myung smiled and drew his sword.

“Alright, from now on, Senior Brother and I will have a sparring match. Senior Brother, try to use every move you can. I’ll just use a single downward strike.”

“……Really?”

“Yes.”

Jo Gul narrowed his brow.

‘Isn’t he looking down on me too much?’

Jo Gul had already experienced Chung Myung countless times. He knew better than anyone that no matter how much he struggled, it was impossible to beat Chung Myung at this point.

But this was a slightly different story.

No matter how big the gap was, losing to Chung Myung, who was only using a downward strike, was a matter of pride.

‘I’ll show you how strong I’ve become.’

Jo Gul gritted his teeth and raised his wooden sword.

“But are you going to use a real sword?”

“Yes.”

“……Just saying this out of concern.”

“Eyy, no way.”

Why doesn’t he give a definite answer?

He won’t cut me?

Jo Gul nodded with a sullen face. He must have something in mind.

“Can we start?”

“Hoo?”

Chung Myung smiled slightly as Jo Gul confidently raised his wooden sword.

“Senior Brother seems to have gained some confidence.”

“I trained to death thanks to you.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung also smiled and raised his sword.

‘Confidence, good.’

A swordsman should always have confidence. Those who cannot trust themselves will have difficulty demonstrating their skills.

But…

‘It’s still a bit early.’

If they were at least chickens, he would acknowledge them, but the third-generation disciples were still just chicks. As Mount Hua was developing with the momentum of a rising sun, it was natural to get carried away, but now was not the time to have confidence, but to build up their inner strength.

Now he had to let them know that.

Jo Gul glared at Chung Myung with sharp eyes. If you only looked at his eyes, he was a first-rate swordsman.

“Prepare yourself!”

“Huh?”

“No personal feelings! Haaah!”

Jo Gul shouted and rushed at Chung Myung. Despite saying he had no personal feelings, his eyes were burning with them.

‘He was so determined to hit him at least once before he died that it was embarrassing.’

‘What did I do so wrong?’

It was something that others would foam at the mouth and point fingers at if they heard it, but fortunately, no one here had mastered mind reading.

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and dodged Jo Gul’s sword.

The sound of Jo Gul’s sword slicing through the air was sharp. But Chung Myung seemed to know what was coming. Jo Gul’s sword movements became faster and more confusing, like petals falling and swirling in a wind – the Falling Blossom Sword technique. Even though he had only learned it recently, Jo Gul used the moves with skill. Anyone watching would be impressed by the beauty and complexity of his swordsmanship.

*He does have talent,* Chung Myung thought, watching Jo Gul with new interest. *For natural sword skill, Jo Gul is as good as anyone in Mount Hua. Maybe even as good as that Yi Song-baek from Jongnam.*

*But…* Chung Myung smiled slightly. *Sometimes, young plants grow stronger when they are tested.* This wasn’t about being mean. It was about helping Jo Gul become even better. Chung Myung tightened his grip on his sword.

“Isn’t he doing better than expected? Senior Brother?”

“……Is he doing well?”

“Yes. It seems like Senior Brother Jo Gul is unilaterally pushing him.”

Yoon Jong gave a bitter smile.

“It may look that way.”

“Yes?”

“He is unilaterally pushing him, but isn’t he unable to touch even the hem of his clothes?”

“Ah…….”

While others paid attention to Jo Gul’s sword, Yoon Jong paid attention to Chung Myung’s movements.

Footwork?

It wasn’t even that.

He simply retreated when he approached, and dodged when he struck. By simply taking one step at a time, Chung Myung was dodging all of Jo Gul’s swords.

Watching it quietly, it felt like watching a well-choreographed sword dance rather than a sparring match.

Each time he took a step lightly, Jo Gul’s sword seemed to deliberately avoid Chung Myung, cutting through the air.

‘How much of that guy’s movements am I grasping right now?’

The only times Yoon Jong could face Chung Myung were when he was getting beaten by him or when they were training together.

It had been several months since Chung Myung came to Mount Hua, but this was the first time he was watching him unfold his martial arts in detail from the side.

That’s why he could tell.

How much of a difference there was between Chung Myung and them.

“Eeee!”

Jo Gul gritted his teeth and shook his sword.

He couldn’t catch him.

It was like fighting a ghost. Even though his sword filled the space as splendidly as flower petals fluttering in the wind, Chung Myung dodged his sword without any difficulty.

By a single inch.

When he stabbed, the sword stopped an inch in front, and when he struck down, it brushed past an inch beside his shoulder. And when he swung, he nullified all the changes his sword created by simply tilting his head.

It was hopeless.

When he faced Chung Myung before, he didn’t even know how he lost. But wasn’t it different this time? He was doing his best, but he couldn’t even brush his collar.

Jo Gul gritted his teeth and poured internal energy into his sword.

“Aaaaargh!”

Jo Gul’s sword glowed blue.

“Sword energy?”

“The junior brother has sword energy?”

The voices pouring out from behind did not reach Jo Gul’s ears.

Jo Gul unfolded a desperate sword with the sole determination to cut down Chung Myung. But.

“It’s over.”

At that moment, Chung Myung suddenly stepped forward and raised his sword above his head.

Jo Gul saw it.

The sight of Chung Myung raising his sword.

In a world that flowed slowly as if time had stopped, only Chung Myung’s sword was moving slowly at its own pace. A natural movement, like the wind blowing and the water flowing.

‘This is?’

The sword, which accurately pointed to the sky, stopped.

And.

With a terrifying sonic boom that seemed to tear the eardrums, Chung Myung’s sword fell on Jo Gul’s head.

‘I’m dying….’

Jo Gul couldn’t even close his eyes and looked at the sword being struck down on his head. In that moment, his whole life flashed before his eyes.

Before he could even realize that this was happening, Chung Myung’s sword reached Jo Gul’s head.

And with a loud thud, like a drum being hit hard, the sword stopped with its blade touching Jo Gul’s forehead.

Jo Gul, who collapsed to the floor, looked at Chung Myung with a blank face.

Chung Myung smiled and opened his mouth.

“How does it feel to have died?”

“……”