Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 84

“I am your Senior Brother. You are my Junior Sister.”

“So?”

“Show some respect to your Senior Brother.”

‘Senior Brother, my foot. More like a ghost.’

Chung Myung sighed, laced with irritation.

Maybe I could ignore not feeling her around. In this big world, some people are just different.

Actually, Chung Myung was very good at sensing people. If he really tried, using all his senses, he could probably feel *something* from her.

But that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was… “Seriously, why are you following me around like this!”

“Following?”

“…you.”

Chung Myung felt very frustrated.

‘If the other disciples saw me like this, they’d weep tears of blood… No. They’d clutch their stomachs, laughing until they couldn’t breathe.’

They might clap until their hands broke. They were certainly capable of it.

Talking politely to such a young girl, who was like a child, made him feel like life was pointless. He felt silly and old, like he was ready to become a wise old man.

He wondered if heaven would even want someone like him!

Oh, come on!

Chung Myung sighed deeply and looked at Yu Yiseol.

“What is it now! Why do you keep following people around like this!”

“Following?”

“…following you.”

Yu Yiseol raised her eyebrows as if displeased.

She seemed to be trying to intimidate him with a slightly angry face, but watching her, he just found it cute.

‘Maybe it’s not just because I’m old that I think she’s cute.’

As Jo Gul and the other third-generation disciples had all agreed, she was definitely pretty. If her expressions were more varied and her impression was softer, she would be several times more eye-catching than she was now.

But looks are just looks, right?

Still, people care about looks. Chung Myung knew he had used his good looks to his advantage before…

Ah, I get it! I know!

“That sword.”

Yu Yiseol said, looking at Chung Myung.

“The sword that blooms with plum blossoms.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

Chung Myung pretended not to know.

He could explain if he wanted to, but there was no reason to do so. He hated troublesome things, so pretending not to know was the best course of action.

“I don’t know what you might have mistaken, but I don’t know anything about that, so don’t waste your time…”

“Teach me.”

“Teach… Huh?”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened slightly.

“What did you say?”

“Teach me.”

Chung Myung narrowed his brows.

‘Was this why she was following me?’

He had expected her to bother him, saying he had learned martial arts that weren’t from Mount Hua or that he had learned sorcery, but he never expected such words to come out.

He suddenly became curious.

“You know what that is… No. I told you, I don’t know anything about that.”

Yu Yiseol bit her lip slightly.

“I’ll tell the Senior Disciples.”

“Tell them. If they believe you, that is.”

“I’ll tell the Sect Leader too.”

“Yes, yes. Do as you please. Do as you please.”

Chung Myung scoffed and waved his hand.

‘Believe what you can believe.’

A greenhorn who hasn’t even been in Mount Hua for half a year unleashed his sword and bloomed plum blossoms all over Yeonhwa Peak?

The Sect Leader would probably say,

‘Oh dear. It seems our Yiseol has had a hard time during her closed-door training. She’s seeing things. I’ll find a good doctor for her.’

He was just glad the Sect Leader wouldn’t think she was crazy and send her to the healers!

“I won’t tell, so teach me.”

“I told you to tell them. I don’t care.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“So, stop disturbing my training and go away. I can’t train properly because of you.”

Go away, huh?

Just go away! You leech!

Chung Myung was about to say something more, but Yu Yiseol stared at Chung Myung and opened her mouth.

“You won’t teach me?”

“Hey, Miss.”

“Yes?”

“You’re the Senior Brother, and I’m the Junior Sister. Why would I teach you anything? If anything, I should be learning from you.”

“……”

Yu Yiseol flinched.

‘Oh, this works.’

Yu Yiseol had emphasized that she was the Senior Brother when they first met. So, this would work…

“There’s no seniority in learning.”

“……”

Seriously, where did she learn about being so formal! This is a place for swords, not rules! If the gods knew, they’d be angry!

“So, teach me.”

“No, I’m telling you I have nothing to teach!”

Chung Myung said firmly.

“I don’t know what you saw, but it’s just a dream. Or a hallucination. Or maybe you were just tired and saw something. I don’t know what you’re talking about? So, stop it and go away.”

Chung Myung cut her off decisively, and Yu Yiseol narrowed her eyes.

“I couldn’t have mistaken it.”

“No, you just saw something…”

“I’ve seen it before.”

“That’s because you saw it before…”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened.

“What?”

Chung Myung’s demeanor changed. He glared at Yu Yiseol with sharp eyes.

A sword that blooms with plum blossoms.

Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

There were many sword techniques in Mount Hua that imitated plum blossoms.

But there were only a few swords that could actually bloom plum blossoms, not just imitate the shape of plum blossoms.

Except for one, they were not taught to ordinary disciples. At least an elder had to be to learn it. Also, it wasn’t written down in books. It was only taught by speaking it from teacher to student.

That day, all the elders of Mount Hua died on the summit of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. No one thought everyone would die, so they didn’t even get to pass on the teachings.

Which meant.

If someone bloomed plum blossoms with a sword, it could only mean that they had learned the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

And the place where that sword technique was now being passed down was…

“What’s your relationship with the Jongnam Sect?”

Chung Myung growled slightly, and Yu Yiseol tilted her head.

“Jongnam?”

“……”

“Why Jongnam?”

Wasn’t it?

Chung Myung stared intently at Yu Yiseol’s face. No matter how he looked, her face was full of cluelessness. She should quit swords and become an actress! She could act for the Emperor!

But it didn’t seem likely that Yu Yiseol, who sometimes seemed a little slow to understand things, could perfectly act out even her expressions.

Chung Myung’s momentum waned.

‘Well.’

Even if she saw the manual in Jongnam, there was no way she could properly learn the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. The Plum Blossom Sword Technique only had meaning when combined with Mount Hua’s inner energy.

…But did these bastards steal Mount Hua’s inner energy too?

Could it be?

Chung Myung, with a sly smile, shrugged and asked.

“What do you mean you’ve seen it before?”

Yu Yiseol’s face became a little blank.

Yu Yiseol, who was looking at the dark sky as if recalling a distant memory, said again with a determined face.

“Teach me.”

“I really don’t know, I’m telling you.”

“Is that so?”

Yu Yiseol nodded.

‘Has she finally given up?’

That would be a relief…

“Then there’s no choice.”

“Yes. It seems you’ve finally understood…”

Swish!

A sword was drawn from Yu Yiseol’s waist. Chung Myung stared at the scene with a horrified expression.

“Ah, why the sword all of a sudden!”

“You won’t teach me, is that it?”

Is this woman crazy?

She’s drawing her sword just because I won’t teach her a sword technique? What the hell were the higher-ups doing, taking in and raising someone like this as a disciple?

“Why are you drawing your sword when I said I won’t teach you?”

“Because what you said is right.”

“Huh?”

“I am the Senior Brother, you are the Junior Sister.”

“……”

“Then I should teach you.”

Yu Yiseol raised her sword and pointed it at Chung Myung.

Watching the scene, Chung Myung smiled contentedly.

‘No wonder the Plum Blossom Sword Hall disciples aren’t close to her.’

Of course, they wouldn’t be. She wasn’t in her right mind.

‘Is her obsession with the Plum Blossom Sword Technique because she wants flowers?’

It would be nice for both of them if they put a plum blossom on her head so it would be easier to identify her. He needed to avoid crazy people. Yes, indeed.

“I’m coming.”

“Don’t come! Don’t come here!”

But there was no way a crazy person would listen to Chung Myung. Yu Yiseol pointed her sword straight at Chung Myung and rushed towards him at a rapid pace.

“Aish!”

Chung Myung quickly knocked away Yu Yiseol’s sword with his wooden sword and quickly retreated.

“Seriously! Why is a Senior Brother attacking a Junior Sister with a real sword!”

“Because you’re stronger than me.”

Huh? That’s true, but?

No, but what’s the basis for thinking that? The thought process was clearly wrong, but it was a strange case where he couldn’t scold her for getting the right answer.

Swish! Whoosh! Swish!

Yu Yiseol’s sword was light, just like he had seen briefly before. And it was incredibly fluid.

It pierced sharply and then curved softly. It shook like a phantom and then pierced lightly again.

The sword of Mount Hua.

Since returning to Mount Hua, Chung Myung had seen countless swords. He had seen the swords of the same generation, of course, and he had the opportunity to see the swords of the Un Sword and sometimes the elders.

But the sword unfolding before him now was more closely connected to the origin of Mount Hua than anyone else’s sword.

So much so that it made him feel a little nostalgic when he looked at it.

Why was that?

Was it because her disposition was similar to that of Mount Hua? Or…

“Opening!”

At that moment, Yu Yiseol’s sword pierced Chung Myung’s face with lightning speed.

Chung Myung quickly turned his head to avoid her sword.

Swish.

A few strands of his bangs were cut off.

“Eeeek!”

Seriously, is this crazy woman really trying to stab me?

“Are you crazy? I would have died if I hadn’t dodged it!”

“There’s no way you couldn’t dodge it.”

“Why are you so confident in me!”

Is there something wrong with her head? Why isn’t her way of thinking normal?

No wonder she’s pretty but has no friends.

But there’s no time to argue.

Yu Yiseol’s sword, aimed at Chung Myung, was becoming increasingly sharp. Well, he could handle it with ease.

If… If he could only attack.

If he used his sword wrong, he’d be like someone who hurts their own family member, beating up his Senior Brother. So, he had to subdue her while only blocking her attacks without hurting her.

Swoosh!

“Don’t use killing moves, you woman!”

“Senior Brother!”

“What kind of Senior Brother uses killing moves on a Junior Sister! Is there really something wrong with your head?”

Oh, ancestors. Mount Hua has come this far!

Chung Myung’s brow furrowed slightly for a moment as he lamented inwardly.

It was because he could see that Yu Yiseol was gradually becoming lost in her sword moves, finding her own way. As an example, her eyes were gradually becoming hazy, and her sword was deviating from its intended path.

‘Oh?’

Was she suddenly understanding something important about swords while fighting?

‘Jo Gul wouldn’t even be able to come close.’

When it came to talent for swordsmanship, she might be the best in Mount Hua.

‘No.’

Chung Myung subtly extended his wooden sword and gently pushed the sword that was about to go in the wrong direction, putting it back on its intended path.

She seemed to be getting lost in her sword moves, finding her own way. Normally, you wouldn’t interrupt someone like that. You could ruin their focus, or even make things worse.

‘Not there. That’s right, here. No, no. I’m telling you it’s here.’

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Chung Myung extended his sword and tapped Yu Yiseol’s sword to guide it to the correct path. Only Chung Myung could do this in a situation where killing moves were flying around…

“What the hell are you doing! You bastard!”

Chung Myung turned his head sharply at the sudden intervention.

Baek Cheon, who seemed to have lost his mind with anger, was rushing towards him at a crazy speed.

Ah… Why are you coming out of there, you bastard!