Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 764

It was just a small, wooden rowboat, the kind used for fishing. Two hands pulled hard on the oars, pushing it forward – there was no sail.

But this was no ordinary rowboat. It threw up huge sprays of water, higher than a tall man, as it flew across the river like a bird skimming the water.

*Rumble!*

It came so fast, it looked like it could cut the great river in half. How could such a little boat move with such power and speed?

The Mount Hua disciples were very confused by this strange sight.

“Am I seeing things?”

“Why is he here?”

“C-Chung Myung…”

Yoon Jong stared, his hands clenching into fists. “Chung Myung…” he whispered, his voice shaking.

Then, a loud voice shouted,

“Ugh, bloody hell! This is ridiculously exhausting! Seriously, if you’re going to fight on the Yangtze, at least do it on the water! What are you scavenging for that you have to crawl all the way up here? I should just chuck you all into the river, I swear!”

Yoon Jong’s mouth snapped shut, and a smile appeared on his face.

“It’s definitely Chung Myung.”

“His awful temper makes it unmistakable.”

“How did he even know to come here?”

“Amitabha… Hell is right here with us.”

The Mount Hua disciples were not the only ones surprised. The river pirates, who knew the Yangtze like their own backyard, stared with wide eyes. They had never seen anything like this on the water before.

“W-what is that…?”

Just then, Jo Seung yelled,

“What are you gawking at! Fire the harpoons! Sink it!”

“Yes, sir!”

Some of the pirates hurried inside and dragged out large carts. They turned the massive ballistae (crossbows) mounted on the carts and aimed them at the approaching rowboat.

“Fire!”

*Wham!*

Enormous harpoons flew through the air toward Chung Myung’s rowboat.

“Huh?”

*Crack! Crunch!*

The harpoons completely destroyed the rowboat, sending a huge spray of water into the air.

“We got him!”

“Serves him right, the bastard!”

The river pirates cheered, but the Mount Hua disciples didn’t look worried at all.

They just stared at the towering spray of water.

“If he could be killed by that, he wouldn’t have bothered with all this trouble.”

“Indeed.”

Just then…

*Splash!*

A figure shot out of the water with amazing speed. The Mount Hua disciples’ eyes widened.

“T-that… that…”

“Bloody hell…”

Why did they react like that?

Of course, they knew Chung Myung wouldn’t be killed by something like that. It would be very lucky if such an attack even scratched him. He was incredibly tough.

But they were so surprised because he was ‘running’ toward them on the water!

“He’s running.”

“Yes.”

“He’s running on water.”

“Yes.”

“Heh heh heh… I’ve lived a long life, but never…”

Every time Chung Myung put his foot down, water splashed high. He was moving so fast that streams of water trailed behind him like exploding fireworks.

“Ugh, damn it! I should have done this from the start! I wasted so much energy rowing! If your head’s not working, your body suffers!”

Baek Cheon covered his face with his hands.

No… no, Chung Myung. That’s not it…

It’s because your body is too good that your head doesn’t suffer, you madman…

“W-what is that…?”

“I-is that person running on water?”

The river pirates stared with wide eyes. They knew about the martial arts skill ‘Walking on Water,’ but they had never seen it.

Sometimes, waterway masters could leap across the water by briefly stepping on it, but this was different.

This strange figure was literally running on water!

“R-running on wa…”

“Agh!”

“Run…”

The river pirates stopped talking. Chung Myung, who had been running on the water, started to sink. He was soon in the water up to his ankles, then his waist.

“H-he’s sinking!”

Then…

*Splash!*

Chung Myung went completely underwater, then started to swim smoothly, as if he were flowing with the water. It looked like he had planned it that way all along.

“It was… natural.”

“Ten points.”

“…”

It was so strange and amazing that no one knew what to say. They just watched, speechless.

*Splash! Splash! Splash!*

Chung Myung, swimming like a mermaid, reached the shore and stood up.

*Trudge. Trudge.*

Chung Myung, looking like a drowned rat, walked a few steps and then sat down.

“Aigoo… my back. I thought I was going to die. Ugh. Why am I doing this?”

He started to complain and pound on his back.

The Mount Hua disciples looked at the sky.

‘I was almost moved, to be honest.’

‘You should know better than to expect that.’

Just then, a river pirate near Chung Myung got brave and attacked him with a harpoon.

“You bastard! How dare you!”

Huh?

The Mount Hua disciples turned their heads quickly.

Ah, no…

“Agh, damn it!”

Chung Myung, still sitting, kicked the river pirate in the stomach.

*Wham!*

The sound was very loud. The river pirate flew backward faster than a harpoon.

*Wheeeee!*

His body flew over the heads of the other pirates and crashed into the cliff face.

*Thud!*

Silence.

The river pirates slowly turned their heads. They saw their friend stuck in the cliff face. Their faces showed disbelief.

Chung Myung grumbled,

“I’m exhausted, and you’re rudely stabbing me with a spear? Do you want to die?”

No, Chung Myung. He’s probably already dead.

If he survived that, it would be strange…

“Ugh. What a bunch of pathetic bastards…”

Chung Myung stood up and turned to the Five Swords.

*Twitch.*

“Oh no…!”

Chung Myung was about to start nagging.

“How did you get here!”

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon spoke quickly. Chung Myung tilted his head, surprised.

“I’m asking how you, who should be at Mount Hua, ended up here.”

“Ah. The Sect Leader sent me.”

The Mount Hua disciples were happy to hear this.

‘He’s handling this smoothly!’

‘He must have been completely shocked.’

‘So skilled.’

“The Sect Leader did?”

“That’s right. He said you all must be suffering terribly here!”

Chung Myung puffed out his chest, looking proud.

“He told me to go and rescue you. Hah, what a bother.”

“…”

“But why did you crawl all the way up here…”

“Those bastards dragged us here. They put chains on the boat and pulled us, there was nothing we could do! It’s not our fault.”

“Those bastards?”

Chung Myung glared at the river pirates.

Baek Cheon had successfully changed Chung Myung’s attention. He secretly gave his disciples a thumbs up, and they returned the gesture.

Chung Myung grumbled, looking displeased.

“What, you can’t even handle a few river pirates and you’re all struggling?”

“Those bastards used poison.”

“What, poison? You only get poisoned if you lack the will! Back in my day, even if I got stabbed five times with a poisoned blade, I’d just say, ‘Ah, my back is stiff today, you might as well scratch it there!’ Honestly, these days!”

“You’re the youngest, Chung Myung…”

“Ah, right. Is that so?”

Chung Myung tapped his forehead and shrugged.

“Anyway, there’s a lot to say, but…”

Chung Myung took a deep breath and looked at the river pirates. Jan Poheukeo, the leader of the Great Sky Bandits, was staring at him, dumbfounded.

*Crack, crack.*

Chung Myung cracked his neck and slowly drew the Plum Blossom Sword from his waist.

“First, I’ll chuck all those river pirate bastards into the river…”

“They’re good swimmers.”

“Then I’ll chuck them off the cliff!”

“Haha.”

Baek Cheon laughed at Chung Myung’s simple answer.

Nothing had really changed. There were now eight of them instead of seven.

But those eight were not the same as seven.

The poison was still in their bodies, but it didn’t feel as strong. And most importantly…

*Grip.*

Strength flowed into the hand holding the sword.

The other disciples felt something similar. Their faces, which had been serious, now showed a hint of relief.

They had many questions.

How did he know to come? How did he get here so quickly? How did he find out where they were?

But…

‘That’s not important right now.’

Chung Myung took two steps forward and stood tall. Baek Cheon smiled when he saw that small but strong back.

“Alright. Let’s deal with those river pirate bastards first…”

“Eura-chaaaa!”

“Listen to what I’m saying before you go, you bastard!”

Suddenly, Chung Myung shot forward like lightning, charging toward the river pirates.

“Huh?”

*Wham!*

Chung Myung kicked the river pirate in front before he could react.

*Thwack! Thwack!*

The body flew into the other pirates, knocking them over like dominoes.

“W-what is this!”

“You bastard!”

“You bastard? What, you bastards!”

Chung Myung, looking angry, grabbed the river pirate in front of him and slammed his forehead into his face.

*Whack!*

“I!”

*Whack!*

“Came all the way from Shaanxi!”

*Whack!*

“Because of you bastards!”

“Aaaaaaargh!”

The river pirates were scattered like leaves in a storm.

“I’ll show you the price for touching my friends from Mount Hua!”

“His true nature is showing, that bastard!”

The Five Swords hurried after him.

The river pirates hesitated, wondering whether to run, but the Five Swords had already reached them, attacking with their swords.

“Seriously, that guy’s temper!”

“Unstoppable.”

The situation had completely changed. The swords felt light, and their steps were quick.

“Bloody hell!”

Baek Cheon cursed, but he sounded happy.

He didn’t want to admit it, but having Chung Myung in front of him gave him strength. It was like someone was pulling them along.

The river pirates, who had seemed so many, no longer seemed so scary.

‘Chung Myung…’

“Hey! Are you all moving slowly because you ate a bunch of grubs? Why aren’t you coming faster?”

“We’re going! We’re going, you bastard!”

“Bald Monk!”

“Yes!”

Chung Myung jumped up.

Hae Yeon used his power to push back the clustered river pirates.

“Oooooooooh!”

It wasn’t destructive power, but a heavy force that pushed back the river pirates.

“Now’s our chance!”

“Yes!”

The Five Swords surged forward like rays of light. Plum blossoms bloomed from their swords.

A cliff and a river.

And in the middle of it all, beautiful plum blossoms bloomed.