Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 83

“How did it go?”

“…Surprisingly, there’s not much reaction.”

“Is that so?”

Baek Sang spoke, watching Baek Cheon carefully.

“Yes. He looks angry, but he’s not fighting back. He’s not even saying anything wrong.”

“Hmm, really?”

Baek Cheon frowned slightly.

‘This is a little different than I expected.’

Baek Cheon thought Chung Myung was young and full of energy. He expected Chung Myung to get angry easily, even with a small push. That’s what Baek Cheon wanted.

Mount Hua is a respected and traditional group.

Two things are seen as very bad here: following evil ways, and disobeying orders.

Baek Cheon planned to slowly anger the younger disciples. Then, he would make it look like they were disobeying orders, so they couldn’t fight back. But surprisingly, the younger disciples are handling the pressure from the older disciples well.

“Is the pressure not strong enough?”

“If we push harder, it will be too obvious. People might see that we are wrong.”

“Hmph.”

Baek Cheon let out a low groan as if he didn’t like it.

‘So, he’s not a thoughtless hothead?’

Baek Cheon remembered Chung Myung at the restaurant. He thought Chung Myung would attack without thinking. But Chung Myung is holding back and also controlling the other younger disciples.

‘Or is it Yoon Jong’s doing?’

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that things aren’t going according to Baek Cheon’s plan.

“What about the other third-generation disciples?”

“Other than the fact that they’re doing strange training, there’s nothing particularly…”

Baek Cheon quietly tapped his cheek with his finger.

“I see.”

“Senior Brother, we can’t keep doing this for long. The elders might get angry soon. The Hwajong Assembly is coming up, so we should prepare for that.”

“I know.”

Baek Cheon nodded lightly.

“I’ve made things ready. Now it’s time to act.”

“Then?”

Baek Cheon smiled, but his eyes didn’t. It was a cold, calculating smile. He began, “As you know, the Azure Dragon Squad kids were all good children originally.”

“That’s right. Before we finished training together, they were all innocent. It’s surprising how much they’ve changed in just one year…”

“It’s all because they got involved with a bad apple. Do we really need to punish all the Azure Dragon Squad kids? The problem is just that one kid, Chung Myung.”

“You are absolutely right.”

Baek Sang fully agreed with Baek Cheon’s words.

The third-generation disciples and Yoon Jong, who represents them, are not difficult children to handle. There is Jo Gul, who stands out a bit, but Jo Gul was an issue that Baek Sang could resolve without Baek Cheon’s direct intervention.

The problem is that Chung Myung.

Like the saying, ‘If you are near ink, you become black.’

The younger disciples, who were fine before, became strange after hanging out with that Chung Myung.

Before, the younger disciples respected older disciples. They knew that what older disciples said was more important than what their friends said.

It was none other than Chung Myung who made the third-generation disciples that way.

That meant that if they could just break Chung Myung’s arrogance, the other third-generation disciples would naturally become obedient again as they were in the past.

“So, what are you planning to do?”

“Junior Brother.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Baek Cheon smiled gently.

“Do we need any special methods? Aren’t we just upholding the laws of Mount Hua right now?”

“Of course, Senior Brother.”

“We can’t let personal feelings get in the way. Chung Myung is our Junior Nephew, and we value him. He is a bit bold, but if we teach him well, he can be great. We are just correcting him when he makes mistakes while he is still young.”

Baek Cheon wore a subtle smile.

“But how we do it is the question. I didn’t want to be too harsh, but we don’t have much time. Talking is the best way to teach, but sometimes we need to be a little strict, don’t you think?”

Baek Sang nodded as if he was pleased.

“One day, they will understand your good intentions, Senior Brother.”

“I hope so. Even if it hurts a little now.”

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The door of the Hundred Plum Blossom Hall opens slightly.

And soon, a small head emerges. The person, who only peeked out and looked around, frowns slightly.

‘No one there?’

Chung Myung was careful, like someone sneaking in at night. He used all his senses to check around.

Nothing suspicious, no one in sight.

Chung Myung sighed softly and stepped outside.

“Ugh.”

What is he even doing?

Staggering out of the Hundred Plum Blossom Hall, he looked up at the sky with a vacant expression.

“Sect Leader, are you watching?”

The Sect Leader cherished and adored me the most…

– What?

Ah, don’t get annoyed from here, just listen to the end before you get angry! A person needs patience! And you’re the Sect Leader of Mount Hua!

Chung Myung contorted his face.

“Anyway, I’m saying that I’m hiding from a kid who hasn’t even lost his baby fat. Does that even make sense?”

He spoke with a face full of resentment, but unfortunately, he didn’t hear any response from the Sect Leader.

“And that’s not all! That little girl keeps nagging me to see if there’s anything she can squeeze out of me, and that handsome but annoying guy brings up some unheard-of rules and keeps pushing me around. Augh, I’d rather be sick and die!”

He really wants to just flip everything over. He feels like dragging the Sect Leader out and spanking him for letting these young punks cause such a ruckus.

These young disciples weren’t even born when Chung Myung was in charge of Mount Hua and famous everywhere. Now, they act like they are better than him! It’s enough to make him want to give up and become a monk.

If he went to the Shaolin Temple now, they would take him in. They might even say he was a wise man who understood Buddhist teachings. Seriously.

“Ha! What sin did I commit in my past life…? I did commit a lot of sins.”

Honestly, he felt a little guilty. He remembered how much trouble he caused the Sect Leader and older disciples when he was younger. He couldn’t even joke about having a hard time now, compared to that.

“Why did I do that?”

Tears welled up in Chung Myung’s eyes.

I should have been moderate.

He felt like he was being punished for his past actions. He had to try to guide these annoying young disciples, and it was hard.

Ah, that’s why the Sect Leader didn’t get married in his past life. He was afraid of having a child like me.

I’m sorry, Sect Leader.

I thought you couldn’t get married because of your face…

Sighing deeply, Chung Myung staggered out of the mountain gate. Long ago, Mount Hua had guards at the gate even late at night. But now, they didn’t bother.

Why? Because Mount Hua was so poor recently that even beggars would avoid it.

Chung Myung is the one who made that Mount Hua a decent place to live.

And these ungrateful bastards! This old man worked his butt off to make it a decent place to live, and instead of being grateful!

He wants to beat them all up, but…

“Ugh. I can’t do that either.”

It was strange, but lately, Yoon Jong’s face reminded him of the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader had a rough, tough face. Yoon Jong’s face was different, but his *expression* was becoming similar.

When he sees Yoon Jong making an expression that he’s agonizing over something Chung Myung is doing…

‘I strangely feel guilty.’

It’s hard to ignore because it feels like the Sect Leader has come back to life and is groaning.

“Tch.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I’ll endure it until that Hwajong Assembly or whatever it is ends.”

Chung Myung feels the same way about wanting to flip over the Jongnam bastards. No matter how much he dislikes those White Plum Blossom Squad guys, he can’t compare them to Jongnam.

The White Plum Blossom Squad are guys he wants to kick in the butt, but the Jongnam guys are guys he wants to strangle.

As Yoon Jong said, it’s right to endure until the Hwajong Assembly passes.

That’s right, but…

“Ugh. If I keep this up, I’m going to lose my temper and cause an accident.”

The best thing to do is to avoid running into the White Plum Blossom Squad as much as possible until the Hwajong Assembly ends.

Chung Myung started climbing the mountain on a different path than usual.

‘I’m never going to Lotus Peak again.’

A person can be fooled twice, but not three times. If you get fooled by the same thing three times, are you even a person?

Chung Myung turned his head and looked at Fallen Goose Peak.

“Oh, my fate. Now I can’t even train as I please.”

I’d rather be sick and die, I’d rather be sick and die.

Even now, powerful masters in other groups, who have trained for many years, are getting stronger.

Chung Myung doesn’t have time to rest in order to close that gap. Being strong among the same generation is meaningless.

For Mount Hua to be strong again, to be one of the top groups, even better than before, and to be known as the best sword group in the world, they needed a master who could defeat even those powerful old masters.

Well, who knows?

In about fifty years? A hundred years?

If he aims for the greatest sword sect in the world around that time, he might be able to raise Jo Gul or Yoon Jong and do something about it. Although he’s a bit of a jerk, Baek Cheon has talent, so if he can fix his misguided foundation, he might show potential.

But the problem was that Chung Myung didn’t have the personality to wait patiently for that period.

“Fifty years, my foot.”

I’ll die of frustration before that.

Staggering up Fallen Goose Peak, Chung Myung slowly drew his sword. Then he glanced around.

‘No one there?’

Yoo Iseol had been bothering Chung Myung ever since that day, sticking to him like a leech.

She seems to restrain herself when she’s moving with the other Azure Dragon Squad members, but if Chung Myung is alone, she somehow appears and pesters him to talk for a moment.

If he could sense her presence well, he could avoid her in advance, but strangely, even Chung Myung’s senses can’t easily detect Yoo Iseol’s presence.

‘She’s not a ghost.’

It’s not uncommon for people with weak senses and a faint presence to exist, but Yoo Iseol’s presence is so faint that even Chung Myung is surprised.

Chung Myung usually sensed people nearby, even without seeing or hearing them. But then, he heard, “Chung Myung.”

“Aaaargh!”

That’s right. Like this.

Chung Myung, who almost jumped out of his seat, stepped back in shock. He sees Yoo Iseol awkwardly reaching out to him.

“Seriously! Make some noise before you appear!”

Chung Myung shouted, and Yoo Iseol frowned slightly.