Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 846

The sound of cloth rubbing against steel filled the quiet room as Baek Cheon polished his sword.

A pure white cloth glided over the sword.

Baek Cheon’s eyes were very serious.

He did this once a day. Yet, he was as serious as the first time he had ever polished a sword.

The sword showed his face like a mirror. Baek Cheon looked at his face before quietly starting again.

How much time had passed?

“Hooo.”

He made sure it was clean and then put the sword away.

Clack.

He carefully put the sword beside him and looked at the door.

“If you’ve come, come in. Why are you standing there?”

“…When did you know?”

“You’re making so much noise; it would be strange if I didn’t know.”

“Then you should have told me to come in!”

Baek Cheon chuckled as he watched Chungmyung grumbling and opening the door.

“You never wait for an invitation. You’re the kind of guy who’d break down the door even if it was locked.”

That was true. Chungmyung grinned, walked slowly into the room, and plopped down in the middle of it. Baek Cheon smiled slightly.

“…”

“…”

It was quiet for a moment. Chungmyung narrowed his eyes and looked at Baek Cheon.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

“About what?”

“Why I came.”

“You must have a reason.”

“No…”

“So, I’m waiting. To hear what you have to say.”

Chungmyung pouted, looking annoyed, and said in a sulky voice.

“You’re talking as if you knew I was coming.”

“I did.”

“Huh?”

Chungmyung looked up quickly. Baek Cheon calmly answered his questioning look.

“I didn’t know you’d come to my room, but I thought you’d be saying something soon. Something quite important.”

“…Why?”

“Why what?”

Baek Cheon seemed surprised.

“Because you haven’t been yourself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Really, you don’t know?”

“Nope. I think I’ve been the same as always.”

Baek Cheon sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

Chungmyung flinched and protested at Baek Cheon’s very frustrated look.

“Why, why! What, what!”

“Chungmyung-ah.”

“What!”

“What did you do after fighting Jang Il-so and returning?”

“What did I do? Well, obviously…”

Chungmyung stopped talking and slowly closed his mouth.

‘Come to think of it. What did I do?’

He tilted his head slightly, thinking about the past few days. He had been constantly doing something, but when he thought about it, it felt like he hadn’t done anything at all. Baek Cheon’s question confused him.

Baek Cheon, who had been watching Chungmyung closely as he thought, chuckled and said.

“The Tang family took the lead in fixing Plum Blossom Island, and the Green Forest handled building the docks and setting up the merchant ship system. The disciples of Mount Hua made the area stable and helped people.”

“…Right?”

“Normally, you would have been grumbling and giving instructions even when building the pavilions. Then you would have rushed to the docks to kick the bandits. And you would have been the first to jump into the fight, yelling that you would beat all the bad people to death.”

“…”

“Would I think it’s normal for a guy who used to be full of energy to be stuck on a stuffy island, suddenly acting like an immortal?”

Chungmyung laughed weakly.

“So, you’re saying that’s what you thought, Uncle-Master?”

“Was it just me? Everyone else must feel like they’re holding a bomb. If they didn’t realize you weren’t acting normal, they wouldn’t be disciples of Mount Hua.”

“…”

Chungmyung’s face changed several times quickly. He moved his lips as if to say something, but finally sighed deeply.

“…Then why didn’t anyone say anything?”

Baek Cheon shrugged.

“There was no need.”

“…”

“You don’t listen to others anyway, and you don’t let things get worse by yourself. I thought you’d finish thinking at the right time and tell us.”

Baek Cheon looked at Chungmyung.

“Like now.”

“…”

“So, tell me. What’s the problem?”

He looked so serious that Chungmyung looked away awkwardly before finally meeting his eyes. He sighed.

“No…”

“Yes?”

“No, well…”

“Yes.”

“No, it’s… I mean…”

“…What is it, you little rascal! What! No, what is it, for heaven’s sake!”

“Ah, why are you shouting!”

Chungmyung shouted back and scratched his head hard.

“…It’s not like there’s a problem or anything.”

“Huh?”

“To be exact, I don’t even know what the problem is. I only realized I’d been stuck in my room after hearing it from you, Uncle-Master.”

“…”

“Ah, don’t look at me like that, like ‘What kind of idiot is this?’”

“…Have you been practicing mind-reading or something?”

“Ugh.”

Chungmyung opened his mouth with a complicated expression that was hard to describe.

“After listening to you, Uncle-Master, I know I’ve been seriously twisted, but I have no idea why…”

“You don’t know?”

“Nope.”

“I know.”

“Huh? Really?”

Chungmyung looked at Baek Cheon with surprised eyes. How could Baek Cheon know something he didn’t?

“Well, it’s obvious. You’re always more clueless than anyone can imagine, simple, predictable, foolish, and…”

“That’s enough.”

You little rascal.

Chungmyung glared at him, his eyes turning white, and Baek Cheon laughed.

“You’ve always been like that. You can’t see anything else when there’s something urgent to do.”

“…”

“Fixing Plum Blossom Island, opening the Sangro and making money, increasing influence, kicking the butts of the Nine Sects and taking what they had…”

Baek Cheon stopped his list and looked at Chungmyung.

“Yes, those are all important things. But…”

He smiled gently.

“That’s not the most important thing, is it? At least, not for you, Chungmyung.”

“…”

“Chungmyung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“Do what you want to do.”

Chungmyung was quiet for a moment, as if he had lost his voice. Baek Cheon continued.

“Do what you think you should do. Not what you have to do.”

“No, Uncle-Master, I…”

“You think we can’t handle the Sahyup and the Myriad Man Clan as we are now, right?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Chungmyung looked at Baek Cheon a little awkwardly and said.

“Our influence is growing, and the unity of the Heavenly Union is getting stronger…”

“The you that I know.”

Baek Cheon firmly cut him off.

“Doesn’t know how to solve problems by using other people. You have to directly face and destroy problems to feel happy.”

“…”

“To you, all of that is just secondary. Isn’t it? What’s important to you is…”

Baek Cheon looked straight at Chungmyung and said.

“Whether Mount Hua can defeat the Sahyup.”

“…”

“Whether Mount Hua can fight the Myriad Man Clan.”

Chungmyung closed his mouth and looked at Baek Cheon.

“That’s it, isn’t it?”

“…”

Baek Cheon smiled gently at Chungmyung’s blank face.

“Sometimes, someone watching can understand things more clearly than the person involved. I think this is one of those times.”

“…”

“You’ve understood the main point. What needs to be done is clear. But the situation makes it impossible. Then… I would have acted like you too.”

Baek Cheon looked at Chungmyung with a serious face and nodded slightly.

“So, I only have one thing to say.”

“…What is it?”

“You’re a greedy, foolish, and terribly ill-tempered guy.”

“Hey, you little…”

“But the worst thing about you is that you don’t trust others.”

“…”

“You’ve already done more than enough. Even if you don’t handle everything yourself, the things you’ve created will keep going. So, stop trying to control everything. When enemies are piled up, what’s the easiest way to solve the problem?”

Chungmyung’s lips moved.

This was something he had said to Baek Cheon many times.

“Take out the…”

After a moment, he groaned.

“…Head.”

Baek Cheon smiled happily.

“Yes, you know it well.”

This doesn’t just mean dealing with the leader. It means focusing on the most important thing.

Both Chungmyung and Baek Cheon knew what those words meant.

“Being swayed around isn’t like the Chungmyung I know. You’re best when you’re simple. Leave everything else to others and do your best in what you think is right.”

“…”

“Taking responsibility doesn’t mean carrying everything yourself. That’s actually irresponsible.”

Chungmyung looked silently at Baek Cheon. Baek Cheon then smiled slightly and shrugged.

“Why? Are you going to praise me for being Uncle-Master-like now?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Then what is it?”

Chungmyung, who had looked complicated, smiled.

“I just realized that even you can be human sometimes. It feels like just yesterday that you were a lanky, pale fool who couldn’t live up to his looks.”

“…You little punk?”

Chungmyung chuckled.

“I understand one thing.”

“What?”

“A crow-tit will hurt itself trying to follow a stork.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“No. I’m talking about myself.”

Chungmyung laughed, making fun of himself.

He had wanted to become Chungmun.

Because the best sect leader he could think of was Chungmun. But deep down, he already knew.

He could never become Chungmun, and he wasn’t someone who could become a sect leader. Chungmyung couldn’t do either.

‘I knew it, but I forgot.’

He was doing something that didn’t suit him.

He hadn’t heard anything special. But he felt like something had cleared up. It was as if the fog covering the world had lifted.

“Uncle-Master.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened at the calm words.

“…Did you eat something bad?”

“…”

“Maybe you got hit too hard by Jang Il-so and hurt your head… Should I call Soso?”

“…”

Chungmyung felt sad. Not because of what Baek Cheon had said, but because Baek Cheon’s sincere eyes showed that he wasn’t joking.

Normally, Chungmyung would have poked him in the eye, but he decided not to today.

“Anyway…”

Yoo Iseol and Baek Cheon, seeing them both act like this, it seems I’ve been acting like a real fool.

Chungmyung’s eyes became clearer and sharper.

“So, you’re saying I should do what I need to do now?”

“Yes.”

“The most important thing?”

“That’s what I’m saying, isn’t it?”

“…That’s what you’re saying?”

“…”

It was quiet for a moment. Baek Cheon started to feel worried.

Because a mischievous smile was spreading across Chungmyung’s lips. It was good because it was so like Chungmyung, but it was also unsettling because it was so like Chungmyung.

“You’re right, Uncle-Master. I was being foolish.”

“…”

“Thinking about it makes me angry! Something so obvious! Why have I been worrying about this and that!”

“Ah, no, wait a minute. Chungmyung-ah. Hey, you!”

Baek Cheon’s face began to turn pale, his usual calm expression replaced by a flicker of alarm.

Something… felt like things were going differently than he had expected. He was sure of it.

“I feel refreshed thanks to you! Krooooh, you can be useful sometimes! I’ll talk to you later!”

Chungmyung stood up, looking relieved, and quickly turned around.

“Hey, you little rascal! At least tell me what you’re going to do…”

Baek Cheon quickly reached out, but Chungmyung had already run out the door.

His hand reached through the air a few times before dropping weakly.

“…”

I think I made a mistake?

At that moment, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul peeked their heads through the open door. They had been listening outside for some time.

They looked back and forth between Chungmyung, who was running away, and Baek Cheon, who was standing still, before speaking.

“Uncle-Master.”

“…Yeah?”

“What have you done?”

“…”

Kids…

I’m worried because I don’t know either.