Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 886

Un-Geom never stopped being polite to Gal Cheon-rip.

Gal Cheon-rip was from a dangerous group. But Un-Geom still thought a swordsman should respect anyone they fought. He believed in showing respect, even to enemies. That was how Un-Geom taught his students in Hwasan.

But now, Un-Geom no longer respected Gal Cheon-rip.

He knew that some people didn’t deserve any respect at all.

The Hwasan disciples stopped fighting. They stared at Gal Cheon-rip. Their eyes were hard and angry, even more so than their teacher’s.

Stabbing someone in the back?

Hwasan would never forgive that.

Gal Cheon-rip looked around, feeling the murderous glares of a hundred skilled swordsmen.

“What’s going on?”

His face was pale and confused, as if he didn’t understand. No one would explain it to him.

They just glared at him coldly.

“What is it! You damned bastards!”

Un-Geom lowered his sword and spoke slowly.

“You…”

His cold voice cut through the air.

“You are not fit to lead people.”

Even though Gal Cheon-rip’s intentions were bad, the others had believed in him and fought for him. If Gal Cheon-rip had cared about them, he wouldn’t have stabbed his ally in the back during his attack.

Gal Cheon-rip looked to the side at Un-Geom’s words. The members of the unorthodox faction were staring at him with anger and hate.

“…Stupid bastards.”

He didn’t understand.

“You idiots! Can’t you see? If I don’t beat that one-armed guy, we’re all dead! If I win, we live! Simple!”

But instead of being stabbed, they were looking at him like that?

‘You little vermin who don’t even know what’s right!’

Weren’t there only about five people hit?

Wasn’t it normal to get hit by a teammate’s sword in battle?

The unorthodox faction members growled at Gal Cheon-rip’s words.

“You pathetic…”

“He cannot be saved.”

Gal Cheon-rip was about to curse, but Un-Geom stopped him and started walking forward.

A bright red sword aura flashed at the tip of his sword, like a dangerous flame.

“This…”

Un-Geom, the Hwasan disciples, and even the unorthodox faction members were all looking at him like he was their enemy. It was like the whole world hated him.

Gal Cheon-rip felt trapped and gritted his teeth.

No.

This wasn’t right.

He shouldn’t be getting these looks.

People should look at him with respect, fear, jealousy, and terror. They should look at him like someone who could never reach his level, like an absolute being.

“You cannot become Jang Il-So.”

Grrr!

He wanted everyone to look at him the way they looked at Jang Il-So – with awe and fear. He craved that kind of power, that kind of respect. It burned inside him.

But…

“But why are you looking at me with those eyes! Why! Whyyyyy!”

Gal Cheon-rip roared like a beast.

He couldn’t accept it!

He absolutely couldn’t accept it!

“I’ll kill you all!”

Gal Cheon-rip screamed and charged at Un-Geom. He was filled with wild anger and moved with incredible speed. His face was twisted, his veins were bulging, and his eyes were rolled back. He looked terrifying.

Crack!

Blue energy exploded from him, a powerful wave that made the air hum. Even though they hated Gal Cheon-rip, they had to admit he was skilled when they saw the storm of energy he created.

‘Damn it!’

Blood vessels burst in Gal Cheon-rip’s eyes as he pushed his inner energy to the limit. Soon, his eyes turned blood red.

The strong are respected in the Jianghu. Only the strong are right.

The weak fear and follow the strong. Strength is enough to lead someone.

Didn’t Jang Il-So create the Myriad Man Formation with his strength and take control of the Four Evil Sects?

‘Then what nonsense are you spouting!’

Crack!

The energy spun faster and faster, like a whirlwind of blue fire. It twisted and turned, a chaotic storm of power.

This energy storm was deadly. It could tear a person apart like paper. Anyone caught in it would be destroyed.

Un-Geom stood with his sword, facing the wild energy. He looked like he might fall at any moment.

However.

Grip.

Gwak-Hoi watched and quietly clenched his fist.

No one stepped forward. No one even warned him.

Everyone just watched Un-Geom, their eyes full of trust.

They had seen him train. They knew what he could do. They trusted him completely. To worry about Un-Geom now would be to doubt all his hard work.

What they needed was not worry.

But faith in their teacher.

“Hoo.”

Un-Geom took a short, deep breath.

He was afraid. The energy storm could tear him apart at any moment.

He would have run away in the past. And then…

He imagined someone jumping in front of him to protect him. A smaller person standing bravely in his place.

Un-Geom smiled slightly.

He was standing here so that wouldn’t happen.

Grip.

He pressed his toes firmly into the ground. Everything starts from below.

He calmed his mind and watched his opponent closely.

He could see it.

‘Inner strength isn’t everything. Forms aren’t everything either.’

It was strong and fierce.

But it was misaligned.

The energies used to be connected like gears, tearing apart enemies. But not anymore. The gears were rusty, dusty, and creaking.

There were gaps and twisted parts.

‘Yes, Chung-Myung. I see.’

Gal Cheon-rip thought he had become stronger. His inner strength had increased, and his swordsmanship was more powerful.

But martial arts are more than that.

Even the strongest machine will rust and break if it’s not maintained.

This attack was just a gear turning with a twisted axis.

Un-Geom stepped forward.

It seemed crazy to approach the storm, but Un-Geom was calm.

Whoooosh.

His sword trembled with inner strength.

‘Can I be a role model for these children?’

They still called him their teacher, even though some of them were better than him. They still respected him.

That made him feel strong, but also weighed him down.

What should he show them? How could he help them? How could he be a teacher they wouldn’t be ashamed of?

Un-Geom took another step forward without fear.

The sword energy made his hair stand on end and shook his skin.

At that moment.

Flash!

The plum blossom sword in his left hand pierced the energy storm like a ray of light.

Clang!

The energy, which had been spinning wildly, shook as if an iron bar had been stuck in its gears.

Flash!

Un-Geom pulled back his sword and attacked again.

Wasn’t it obvious what he had to show them?

The will to face fear. And the determination to stay true to yourself!

And!

‘It’s just a facade.’

Gwi Do-Mujeong might seem stronger based on sword power, inner strength, and attack power. Un-Geom would have agreed in the past.

But now he knew that martial arts were more than that.

His disciples were now taking their first steps into the Jianghu. They would face crises and be tested.

He only had one thing to tell them.

‘What you must believe in.’

He couldn’t feel the sword in his hand anymore.

But he felt its weight. It wasn’t the weight of the sword, but the weight of his own conviction and hard work.

‘Is only your own effort.’

Un-Geom’s sword became a ray of light again, piercing the energy storm.

One sword became two, and two became three.

Soon, Un-Geom’s sword drew seven shadows, piercing the gaps between the red energies.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword and energy clashed, making a chilling noise.

Crack! Crunch!

His wrist felt like it would break, and his insides twisted.

Un-Geom swallowed the blood that rose in his throat and gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Observation.

He had to watch everything, no matter what.

The energy, like a foreign object stuck in a gear, fluctuated wildly.

Un-Geom’s plum blossom sword, which had been training for three years, didn’t miss the moment.

‘Now!’

Lightning.

The tip of the sword contained effort.

The tip of the sword contained time.

And the sword is just a person. It only contains a person.

He put everything into the sword, and it became a part of him.

Faaaaaash!

The sword energy became a ray of light and pierced the raging energy.

Crack!

The twisted gears collapsed in front of the attack.

Red sword energy soared, and blue energy vanished.

The sword, filled with time, effort, and a person, deflected the wildly swung sword. And then, it pierced the body of the person who was staring in shock.

Thud!

The strange feeling vanished, and the world returned. He felt a dull weight at his fingertips.

‘And…’

If there was one more thing to believe in.

Un-Geom looked at his disciples, their fists clenched. Behind them were his teachers, who seemed even more excited.

‘Are those who stand behind you.’

Believe in yourself, and believe in those who are with you.

That was enough.