Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 75

Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed.

‘Who is this fellow?’

Something was not right.

He felt uneasy since entering the inn. Now, looking closer, he knew why.

An adolescent, barely fifteen years of age, ordering expensive dishes and drinking alcohol?

Of course, it was possible.

Rich kids from important families often do this.

The problem was that this was Hwayeom.

As far as he knew, Hwayeom had no high-ranking officials, no descendants of prestigious families, and no children of wealthy merchants. Even if there were, they wouldn’t be the age of Chung Myung.

Then who was that child, acting so naturally as he savored his drink alone in Hwayeom?

“Cough.”

The child coughed softly and waved his hand.

“I’m just passing through. Don’t mind me, and continue with what you were doing.”

“Passing through, is it?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes curved gently.

“Indeed, that could be the case. Young friend, since we’ve met like this, how about we introduce ourselves? I am Baek Cheon, the Second Disciple of the Great Mount Hua Sect.”

Chung Myung ground his teeth behind the hand covering his face.

‘Seriously, what’s with this guy? Why is he so persistent?’

He couldn’t just beat him up.

He wouldn’t feel any guilt about smashing a celadon jar, turning it to dust, or using it to make kites, but hurting *this* person was different.

If the fact that Chung Myung had thrashed Baek Cheon like a rat were to spread throughout Mount Hua, the Sect Leader would collapse in a heap, and Un-geom, who had been nagging him incessantly lately, would undoubtedly fly into a rage, threatening to cut Chung Myung down.

Then everything Chung Myung had built up until now would crumble.

‘That won’t do.’

He couldn’t afford to get entangled with a young brat and suffer such losses. Chung Myung cleared his throat a couple of times.

“I don’t particularly have a name to boast about…”

“It’s not polite to hide your face when talking, is it?”

What’s this Taoist talking about gentlemen for? Then he should go get a government job, the idiot!

Chung Myung felt a surge of frustration, but for now, it was best to avoid the situation.

Chung Myung subtly rose from his seat.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Stay right there.”

“Let’s meet again next time and chat.”

As Chung Myung was about to turn away, he hastily grabbed the liquor bottle from the table. Then, covering his mouth, he bowed his head slightly.

“Goodbye.”

“Young friend, I would like to talk with you a bit more, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I don’t have a hobby of chatting with guys. So, goodbye.”

Chung Myung dashed towards the entrance, causing Baek Cheon to harden his face and quickly reach out his hand.

‘Where do you think you’re going!’

The moment his hand was about to grasp Chung Myung’s sleeve…

Sssst.

Chung Myung naturally took a step to the side, and Baek Cheon’s hand sliced through the air.

“Huh?”

“Have a good one!”

Chung Myung hurriedly ran out of the inn.

Baek Cheon stared blankly at the spot where Chung Myung had disappeared.

‘He dodged it?’

He had clearly used the Geumna Hand Technique at the last moment. Although it wasn’t a pinnacle technique, it was an excessive method to use on a mere child.

And yet, he dodged it?

“Senior Brother, why didn’t you catch him?”

“…Huh?”

“Didn’t you let him go at the last moment?”

Confusion clouded Baek Cheon’s face.

What should he say?

“…I didn’t think it was the way of a Taoist to oppress a young child.”

“That’s just like you, Senior Brother. Haha.”

Baek Cheon wore an awkward smile.

‘It must have been a mistake.’

He must have been tired from the long journey, or perhaps his mind had relaxed due to the fact that he had arrived at Mount Hua.

If he had properly used the Geumna Hand Technique, there was no way he couldn’t have caught that small child.

“There seem to be more people in Hwayeom; there are faces I don’t recognize.”

“Hwayeom isn’t a small place, so we can’t know everyone. If fate wills it, we’ll meet again.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Baek Cheon smiled gently and returned to his seat.

However, his smile wasn’t as bright as before.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Blast it! Rotten luck!”

Chung Myung kicked a stone.

“Why did he have to crawl in there of all places! There are plenty of other inns and taverns. Anyway, if you’re going to have bad luck, you’ll fall backward and break your nose!”

Ah, what a waste.

Thinking about the snacks he couldn’t finish made his stomach churn. That was a lot of money.

“It’s a relief that I at least brought the liquor.”

Chung Myung continuously gulped down the liquor straight from the bottle as he climbed Mount Hua.

“Ah, it sticks to my mouth so well.”

It would have been even better if he had some snacks.

Chung Myung smacked his lips and threw the empty bottle into a corner.

“Ugh. Climbing the mountain is so damn hard.”

The path up Mount Hua was steep and rocky. Trees lined the path, their leaves rustling in the wind.

He never seemed to get used to this mountain, no matter how many times he climbed it.

‘So, Baekja lineage, huh.’

Those guys suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which wasn’t part of Chung Myung’s plan. Of course, their appearance didn’t exactly hinder him…

‘It might get a bit annoying, though.’

Chung Myung lived comfortably in Mount Hua because he had done great things for them. So, people treated him specially, even if they didn’t say it directly.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

The biggest reason, in Chung Myung’s opinion, was the extreme age difference between the Un lineage and the Cheong lineage.

Compared to the Un lineage, who were all over fifty, the Cheong lineage were just youngsters who weren’t even twenty yet. It would be beneath the Un lineage to chase after him and scold him at every turn.

This was originally something that the upperclassmen did.

The most frightening person to a new recruit who had just entered the military wasn’t the general or the emperor. It was the senior classmen. Isn’t it only natural that a grumpy veteran right in front of you is scarier than the greatest general in the world far away?

But now, a senior he thought didn’t exist had appeared.

“Ugh. Baekja lineage, huh.”

Well, their first encounter had been a bit strange.

“Tsk. I shouldn’t have laughed there.”

But he couldn’t help but laugh.

What Baek Cheon was saying was too absurd.

“To subdue Jongnam?”

With that skill?

Chung Myung clicked his tongue repeatedly.

Those guys, who didn’t even seem as good as the Third Disciples of Jongnam from the past, were all talk.

“Oh, Senior Brother. These days, even those kinds of people are acting like disciples of Mount Hua. Huh? These youngsters! Ugh!”

He was less shocked when he saw the Third Disciples.

How much could those kids have learned in martial arts? Even if they had learned proper martial arts, their level wouldn’t have been much different from that anyway.

But the Second Disciples were a different story.

The Third Disciples lay the foundation, the Second Disciples grow through training, and the First Disciples should reach maturity. And by the time they become elders, they should be completing their own path of martial arts.

Yes… That’s how it should be.

“Oh, my head.”

Chung Myung sighed deeply.

Seeing the state of the Second Disciples made his stomach churn. Those guys were also members of Mount Hua, so Chung Myung had to embrace and cherish them…

“This isn’t the time for me to be wasting time like this.”

Seeing the state of the Second Disciples made his already urgent heart even more urgent.

“Ugh. How long will it take to make those guys do their part.”

The road ahead was still so long and far away.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Senior Brother Jo Gul! All Third Disciples are to gather at the training grounds!”

“Why?”

“The Martial Uncles have returned.”

“Hmm, I understand. Did you inform the Great Senior Brother?”

“Yes! He’ll be out soon.”

“Alright.”

Jo Gul hastily put on his clothes.

Come to think of it, it was almost sunset.

‘I wonder if that guy has returned?’

Jo Gul opened the door and then Chung Myung’s door.

“Kuha… Snore, Ku!”

“…”

Jo Gul was speechless as he saw Chung Myung sprawled out on the bed. The way he was lying down was as if he had heavily drunk…

“No, did he really drink?”

He could smell alcohol, couldn’t he?

Startled, Jo Gul rushed to Chung Myung, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him.

“Chung Myung! Junior Brother! Chung Myung Junior Brother! You crazy bastard…”

“Huh?”

“…Ah, never mind. Forget the last part.”

He woke up at just the right moment.

“The Martial Uncles have returned, and they want everyone to gather. Go wash up quickly. You look terrible right now.”

“Haaah.”

Chung Myung stretched languidly.

“I guess I dozed off while taking a short break.”

That’s not dozing off.

Chung Myung, no creature in the world dozes off like that. You should call it sleeping while sprawled out.

“You should wash up…”

“Hee-yah!”

As Chung Myung put a bit of energy into it, the smell of alcohol wafted out. Jo Gul, who had been squinting, was just about to say something when…

‘Huh?’

The strong smell of alcohol suddenly disappeared. He sniffed around, but it was the same.

“Huh? I smelled alcohol from somewhere?”

“Alcohol? What nonsense are you spouting in this sacred and pure dojo, Senior Brother? You’ll be punished by the heavens.”

“…No? I definitely…”

“Let’s go. We’ll get our butts kicked if we’re late.”

Jo Gul was very upset, but since Chung Myung was right, he hurriedly followed without complaint.

“But why are we going out when the Second Disciples are returning?”

“We should still welcome them. They’re the ones who are returning after completing their difficult seclusion.”

Difficult seclusion, my foot.

Seclusion isn’t like that.

You have to lock them up in a dark repentance cave, make them eat moss for two or three months, and make them swing their swords.

‘Ah, I’ve done some training.’

That’s what it means.

‘How dare they shamelessly talk about training when they’re just swinging their swords in groups of young men and women.’

It wasn’t like that in my day! In my day!

It was something that couldn’t even be imagined in Mount Hua a hundred years ago.

“This time, they really sharpened their swords. That’s why the Sect Leader made a big decision and supported their training. He said he would somehow put Jongnam in their place.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Senior Uncle Baek Cheon strongly requested it, too.”

Chung Myung snorted.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“You need to be careful with your attitude, too. Senior Uncle Baek Cheon has a strict side, so if you act like you usually do, you’ll definitely get scolded!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I’m serious.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Leaving Jo Gul, who was making a face as if he was about to burst with frustration, Chung Myung strode towards the main gate. By the time Chung Myung arrived, quite a few people had already gathered.

The Sect Leader, the elders, and the Un lineage had all come out of the main hall. Everyone stood in a line at the main gate, waiting for the Baekja lineage to return.

“They’re coming.”

“Open the main gate.”

The newly built, magnificent gate opened to the left and right. Soon, the Second Disciples of Mount Hua, wearing black martial uniforms, confidently walked in.

They walked with confidence, their black uniforms looking sharp and new. Their eyes seemed more focused than before.

“Oh!”

“Their aura has changed.”

“They are truly excellent.”

The Un lineage were impressed, and the Cheong lineage applauded enthusiastically. And the Hyeon lineage welcomed the returning disciples with pleased faces.

There was only one person who was indifferent.

‘When will this end.’

I need to go eat.

Baek Cheon, who was leading the Second Disciples at the front, smiled and responded to the welcome.

‘Wow, what a picture.’

Indeed, he’s handsome, even after seeing him again.

Come to think of it, Chung Myung in the past was also often praised for his looks. If he dressed up and went down to the village, the beautiful young women would…

– Conscience.

“Tsk, really.”

Why is he nagging people with auditory hallucinations?

Chung Myung shook his head and was about to applaud when…

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes, which had been accepting the greetings of his junior disciples, fixed on Chung Myung. After pausing for a moment, Baek Cheon tilted his head slightly.

He stared at Chung Myung with strange eyes for a long time, then came right up to Chung Myung and smiled.

“Perhaps…”

Baek Cheon, with a beaming smile, stared straight at Chung Myung and said,

“Haven’t we met before? Young friend?”

“…”

If they find out who I really am, things will get complicated.

Should I just beat him up for real?