Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 716

The quiet room was filled with the scratching sound of a brush on paper. *Scritch. Scritch. Scritch scritch.* Ink flowed from the brush tip as it danced across the white page. Sometimes, the strokes were bold and wide. Other times they carefully formed the shape of a person. These figures looked so real, they seemed ready to jump off the page and start moving.

Cheongjin’s hand moved quickly, guiding the brush. But the rest of his body was still, like a statue carved from stone. He stared at the words and drawings appearing under his hand, his eyes half-open and unblinking, lost in his work.

After writing for a while, Cheongjin stopped. He slowly opened his mouth.

“…I…”

His serious face suddenly changed. He made a face and quickly turned his head toward the window.

“I’ve asked you so many times not to bother me when I’m working! I need to focus, you know.”

“What? Did I say something? Did I kick you? I just came in and took a breath. Why are you so annoyed?”

“If I had stayed quiet, you would have started yelling again! Or maybe even charged right in!”

“You’ve been getting cheeky lately, haven’t you? Spending too much time writing in your room must have made your brain silly.”

“…Come in.”

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung threw open the window and stepped inside.

“…Please use the door.”

“This is closer.”

Cheongjin sighed. He carefully pushed the book he was working on to the side, hoping Chung Myung wouldn’t see it.

“What brings you here?”

“Senior Brother told me to bring you this. He said there’s something to see. This.”

Chung Myung tossed a scroll at him. Cheongjin picked it up, unrolled it, and his eyes twitched.

“These are just things you can find in the library! Why are you giving them to me?”

“You expect me to go looking for them? They’re missing, that’s why!”

Cheongjin held his head and screamed silently.

He had a point.

It was silly for Chung Myung, the second-in-command of Mount Hua, to be searching for books in the library. But if that was the case, couldn’t he just ask one of the disciples to do it? There were plenty of them!

He didn’t understand why Chung Myung would bother him, someone who was already very busy.

“Why me…!”

“You’re the one who usually manages the books, aren’t you?”

“…”

That was true.

Cheongjin was frustrated. He wondered how to change the way Chung Myung thought.

‘If it could be changed, it would have been changed thirty years ago.’

Cheongjin sighed, placed the scroll beside him, and looked at Chung Myung with tired eyes.

“I’ll take care of it and bring it to you, Senior Brother. Please go now.”

“You need to do it quickly.”

“I understand.”

“Ah, you really need to do it quickly! Or else Sect Leader will scold me again! Don’t you know how it feels to get scolded at this age?”

“Why wouldn’t I know! I’m getting scolded to death right now!”

Chung Myung tilted his head.

“Talking back?”

“…Not really.”

“Be careful. I’m watching you.”

Cheongjin wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve.

This wasn’t Chung Myung’s fault. Chung Myung was always like this. One shouldn’t get angry at Chung Myung.

‘Why does Sect Leader keep giving him these tasks!’

He was the real problem.

He knew that giving tasks to Chung Myung always led to trouble. Yet, he kept giving him work to make him a better person! Trying to turn Chung Myung into a decent human being was impossible!

“But what are you writing?”

“It’s a new martial art for the kids.”

“Huh? You made something else?”

“It’s just a small change. The old martial art wasn’t very good, so I changed the Sanmae Sword a little.”

“This guy is always changing things! Modifying it again?”

“A martial art that doesn’t change is a dead martial art. It needs to be improved all the time.”

“That’s not true. Give it here. I’ll see what you’ve done.”

“No, I’ll take care of it…”

“Hey.”

Cheongjin bowed his head and sadly handed over the book to Chung Myung.

Chung Myung took the book and quickly looked through the pages. He gave a short review.

“It’s a mess.”

“Did you even look at it?”

“I can understand this level of martial arts with a quick look. Why did you make it so simple?”

“Simple?!”

Cheongjin glared, and Chung Myung raised a finger. Cheongjin looked down.

“Look here! You need to twist the sword here, not extend it, to get the real power! You’ve been eating Mount Hua’s rice for so long, and you still can’t do something this simple?”

“Senior Brother.”

Cheongjin sighed, looking annoyed.

“I’m not an idiot. Do you think I wouldn’t know that twisting it there would make it more powerful?”

“Yes.”

“No! I knew it! I knew it too!”

“Why are you yelling!”

Chung Myung’s foot flew out, and Cheongjin fell to the floor. Chung Myung’s foot moved through the air, making a sound.

“Oh? You dodged?”

“Let’s talk this out! Let’s talk!”

“But this…”

“Are you going to tell Sect Leader?”

“I’ll let it go.”

Chung Myung finally moved his leg back. Cheongjin glared at him with tearful eyes.

‘Why isn’t there a ghost around?’

It probably already came. It must have come a while ago, got beaten up, and ran away.

Cheongjin looked at Chung Myung and spoke.

“Senior Brother.”

“Huh?”

“That’s why you can’t be like that.”

“I can’t be like that? You want to get hit.”

“Please listen to the end! That’s why your martial arts can’t stay in Mount Hua!”

“Huh?”

Cheongjin sighed and explained.

Like Junior Brother said, twisting the sword makes it stronger. But it’s hard to spin your body, send out sword energy to trick your enemy, *and* twist your wrist just right to add power. Not everyone can do that.

“That’s why I must do it.”

“No. That’s *exactly* why you shouldn’t do it. The fighting style of Mount Hua is not for people like you.”

“Why not me?”

Cheongjin looked annoyed because Chung Myung clearly didn’t understand. He frowned deeply.

People like you always change things! These secret training books are not for people who understand them so well they can change them, like you, Senior Brother. They are for people who just want to follow the instructions and get stronger, even if they can’t change anything themselves!

“⋯⋯”

So, stop dreaming. You will never be remembered in Mount Hua’s history.

“Is that a curse?!”

“Hands! Down! I said hands down! Not your feet!”

Cheongjin finally calmed Chung Myung down after a struggle. He looked tired.

“Anyway, you’re just strong, right, Senior Brother?”

“I guess I am a bit strong.”

“⋯⋯That’s not a compliment.”

Chung Myung glared at him, but Cheongjin just shook his head, not backing down.

You’re not the type to challenge other fighting groups to fights, and the Sect Leader won’t show off your skills. So, in the end, people will just think of you as a swordsman who is a little bit good at Mount Hua.

“⋯⋯Oh? Does it turn out like that?”

Chung Myung looked confused and tilted his head. Cheongjin’s face showed he was very annoyed.

That’s why I’m saying you should go out and defeat people in fights! Why do you only fight *us*? If you had shown your skills by defeating everyone, would people only say silly things like you are just one of the ‘Three Great Swordsmen of the World’?

“I did beat them up.”

“Beat them up in front of others, in front of others!”

“Hey, you’re really getting on my nerves. Seriously.”

Cheongjin flinched and shrank back. And he thought.

That reckless guy has gotten a bit older and calmer. Before, he would have thrown a shoe at my face by now.

“Senior Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“I am weaker than you.”

“No, you’re not just weaker than me, you’re the weakest of all the Cheong generation disciples.”

“⋯⋯Anyway.”

He looked at Chung Myung, his eyes becoming serious.

But Mount Hua will remember *my* name, not yours. Disciples will learn to fight using the training books I write, and they will make Mount Hua even better.

Even Chung Myung couldn’t argue with that.

This is how I thank Mount Hua for everything. So!

“⋯⋯”

Please, Senior Brother, be a bit more responsible and help the disciples.

“Hey. If someone attacks Mount Hua right now, who do you think will stop them? I’m staying strong and ready for that moment.”

“Who would invade?”

Cheongjin clicked his tongue in annoyance. Chung Myung looked surprised.

If someone attacks and destroys Mount Hua, what good are those training books? We need to survive *now* to have a future!

“Then I’ll pack up the secret manuals and just run away. Whether you die or not.”

“What, you little punk?”

“Don’t get angry, you should thank me. Mount Hua can survive without you. But if the fighting style of Mount Hua is lost, it doesn’t matter if you’re here.”

“I can teach them.”

“⋯⋯Not with your current skills.”

“⋯⋯”

Cheongjin shook his head, his eyes becoming a little sad.

“Senior Brother. If something bad happens to me or the Sect Leader, you have to make Mount Hua strong again. Not anyone else. *You* have to do it.”

“Is he crazy? What unlucky things are you saying.”

“I said, by any chance.”

Cheongjin muttered as if he had a headache and stared straight at Chung Myung.

So, remember this. Not everyone can be as talented as you. And that’s okay. But if you make sure the teachings are passed down even to those who are not as good as you, someone like you will appear in Mount Hua again someday.

“⋯⋯”

That’s what passing down the teachings is about. It’s not just about making strong disciples quickly.

Chung Myung looked at Cheongjin with a nonchalant face and picked his ear.

“Oh, yeah. I understand.”

“⋯⋯Foot.”

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

Cheongjin sighed deeply, feeling helpless, knowing that even if he told Chung Myung these stories right now, it wouldn’t mean much.

“So, I will survive no matter what. If a day comes when my life is in danger, I will immediately pack up the important training books and run away.”

“You can’t pack them if they invade when you’re outside.”

“Hmph! That’s why I carry the most important ones with me like this.”

Cheongjin opened his clothes and showed the training books wrapped around his stomach, like a thick belt. Chung Myung frowned slightly.

“⋯⋯It looks like armor?”

“Kind of.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“Don’t be silly, you idiot. The best swordsman of Mount Hua will be remembered, what name will you leave in history?”

“Just watch. The world will remember me. They will completely forget someone like you.”

“⋯⋯This little punk is really pushing it.”

“Aaaagh! Sect Leader, Senior Brother!”

“I’m going to get you today, you little punk! Seriously!”

Cheongjin’s scream echoed through the pavilion, but no one who heard the sound ran towards it.

“It’s starting again.”

“I know.”

The disciples of Mount Hua shook their heads and quickly lost interest, scattering to do their own work.

A high and sharp scream flowed along the rugged peaks of Mount Hua.

Chung Myung stood up and stared at the bonfire. The flames danced. He looked around at the disciples of Mount Hua, including Baek Cheon, sleeping around the fire, tired out. After watching them for a while, Chung Myung looked up at the night sky. It was full of stars, so many it looked like they might fall from the sky. He closed his eyes.

– Just watch. The world will remember me.

Cheongjin.

You were wrong.

The world doesn’t remember either of us.

But don’t be too sad, Cheongjin.

Because *I* remember you.

I still remember.

Chung Myung covered his face with trembling hands. His shoulders shook a little.

Yoo Iseol slowly opened her eyes behind him. She watched his shaking back silently, then closed her eyes again.

The sound of insects chirping in the night went on and on.