Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 889

“Abbot!”

Beopgye rushed into the room, his robes flying. This made Beopjeong sigh again.

Beopgye was usually very careful, even more than Beopjeong. He knew how important it was to help the Abbot of Shaolin, the head of the famous Shaolin monastery.

Beopgye was not usually like this. There were only a few reasons why he would act so strangely.

“Abbot! News from Shaanxi, a region far away, has arrived!”

Beopjeong closed his eyes tightly.

His prediction was right, but he did not feel happy. Instead, he felt very worried.

“…Was it about Mount Hua?”

“Yes? Oh, how did you know?”

Beopjeong sighed again.

“I just had a feeling.”

Beopgye nodded.

“The Beggars’ Sect delivered the news,” he said. “(The Beggars’ Sect is known for getting information).” “Bad groups, called unorthodox factions, went into the city of Xi’an. They attacked the Eunha Merchant Guild.” (The Eunha Merchant Guild was like a big business company). “Smaller groups in Xi’an, called sects, worked together to fight them.” (Sects are like martial arts groups).

“…Small to medium-sized sects? Is that really true?” Beopjeong asked.

“Yes,” Beopgye replied.

“…You mean all the families connected to Mount Hua and Jongnam, you say?” (Mount Hua and Jongnam are also martial arts groups).

“Even people who were not connected to those groups joined the fight,” Beopgye added.

Beopjeong’s face became even darker.

“So,” Beopjeong asked, his voice low, “what happened?”

“Of course, those smaller groups could not win by themselves,” Beopgye said. “But Mount Hua arrived just at the right moment and defeated them completely.”

“…What did Jongnam do?” Beopjeong asked slowly.

“Jongnam… they say Jongnam did not come,” Beopgye said.

Beopjeong looked up at the ceiling, saying nothing for a long time. Finally, he spoke slowly, as if his mouth was heavy.

“If what you are saying is true…”

A sad, twisted smile appeared on his lips.

“A big problem happened in Xi’an. The sects in Xi’an worked together to fight it. And just before they were about to lose, Mount Hua arrived and defeated the bad guys easily?”

“That is right,” Beopgye confirmed.

Beopjeong looked at Beopgye with a serious expression.

“Then,” he said, “the sects in Xi’an will be very thankful to Mount Hua. And the news that Mount Hua defeated the leaders of the bad groups and saved the people will quickly spread everywhere.”

“⋯⋯.” Beopgye stayed silent.

“For the last three years,” Beopjeong continued, “other sects have had a hard time. They have been dealing with problems and fighting the bad groups. But Mount Hua closed their doors and hid away during that time, saying they were in seclusion. Now, as soon as they come out, they are praised again!”

Beopjeong started saying “Buddha, Buddha” repeatedly, sounding very frustrated.

“…It’s like it was planned perfectly,” he mumbled. “Why does Mount Hua always have such good luck?”

Beopgye hesitated. He wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth. He looked down at the floor.

In fact, Shaolin was partly to blame for what happened.

Even though Mount Song was far from Xi’an, if they had sent their students as soon as they heard the news and rushed to Xi’an, they might have arrived before Mount Hua.

Yes, because the bad groups were burning villages and killing many people on their way to Xi’an, Shaolin could have arrived in Xi’an first. They could have joined the smaller sects to defeat the bad groups.

But it was Beopjeong himself who decided not to send Shaolin monks to Xi’an.

So, looking at it honestly, Beopjeong’s words did not make sense. But Beopgye did not dare to say that to Beopjeong.

“…What damage did Mount Hua take?” Beopgye asked.

“That’s…” Beopgye hesitated. It seemed hard for him to answer. He barely opened his mouth.

“Um… I haven’t checked exactly,” he said, “but… it seems they have no damage at all. They say they defeated them easily…”

“Easily?” Beopjeong asked, surprised.

Confusion filled Beopjeong’s face.

“Very strong bad groups, led by the Seven Killers of Jiangxi, went there in large numbers. And Mount Hua defeated them without any damage? Mount Hua sect?”

“Yes…” Beopgye said again.

Beopjeong’s lips trembled slightly.

“The Mount Hua Sword Master?” he asked.

“Yes?” Beopgye replied.

“Yes, of course,” Beopjeong said, nodding slowly. “If it is that young man, it is possible. Three years is enough time for an Imoogi to become a dragon.” (In legends, an Imoogi is like a lesser dragon that can become a real dragon if it is strong enough). “If he fought…”

“Um…” Beopgye hesitated again, as if it was very hard to say. Then he spoke.

“According to the news from the Beggars’ Sect, the Mount Hua Sword Master did not fight in this battle.”

“…What?” Beopjeong asked, shocked.

Beopjeong’s eyes opened wide in shock.

“Not only the Mount Hua Sword Master,” Beopgye continued, “but also most of the Five Swords of Mount Hua, who were famous before, did not fight. So… this time, it was just the other students of Mount Hua who defeated them…”

*Thud.*

Beopjeong’s hand slammed down on the tea table. The teacups rattled slightly. To Beopgye, the sound was as loud and shocking as thunder.

He knew very well that Beopjeong rarely showed such a reaction.

“…What is going on?” Beopjeong wondered.

Beopjeong looked confused and spoke softly.

“What kind of trick is this?” he thought.

Based on how strong Mount Hua used to be, they should have had a very hard fight against those bad groups in Xi’an. Even if they won, they would have been hurt badly.

Of course, Mount Hua had become much, much stronger in the last three years. They had closed themselves off for three years to train their young fighters, who improved quickly. But even so…

‘I can’t see the battlefield myself, so I don’t know for sure. But it seems like they must be at least three times stronger than before.’

Even if they are young fighters who improved quickly, is it possible to become so much stronger in just three years?

If what Beopgye said was true, Mount Hua’s strength should now be as strong as the Nine Great Sects. Maybe even in the middle of the Nine Great Sects. (The Nine Great Sects are the nine most powerful martial arts groups).

That Mount Hua…

Beopjeong mumbled to himself, lost in thought.

“When I first saw them at the Worldly Disciples Tournament,” he said. (The Worldly Disciples Tournament was a competition for young fighters).

“Yes, Abbot,” Beopgye replied.

“I thought they would bring new energy to the martial arts world,” Beopjeong said. (The martial arts world is called Jianghu). “Because the sects that have been leading the martial arts world for the last hundred years have become too comfortable. I thought a young sect like Mount Hua, led by the Mount Hua Sword Master, would wake them up.”

“…” Beopgye remained silent.

“But…” Beopjeong continued.

A sad, empty laugh escaped Beopjeong’s lips.

“I was too comfortable myself,” he said.

Now it was clear.

Beopjeong could no longer control Mount Hua.

“…Send a message to Mount Hua,” Beopjeong said.

“What should I write?” Beopgye asked.

“We should congratulate them for ending their seclusion,” Beopjeong replied.

“…I will send the message,” Beopgye said.

Beopjeong closed his eyes and did not answer. Beopgye quietly stood up. Beopjeong seemed to be in a bad mood, so Beopgye did not want to stay longer and bother him.

As Beopgye carefully walked backwards out of the room, Beopjeong opened his eyes again. A sad “Buddha” escaped his lips.

“Amitabha…”

The martial arts world, which was just starting to become peaceful again, would become chaotic again. Whether they wanted it or not, Mount Hua had already become a sect that was receiving attention from the people of the martial arts world (Jianghu).

But that was not what Beopjeong was worried about.

‘What will happen now?’

The past three years were a chaotic period, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was a period of stability. No, to be precise, it was a time of recovery rather than stability.

It meant that no major incidents had occurred in the martial arts world since Mount Hua had secluded themselves.

Perhaps that was why Beopjeong felt like he could hear it. The loud sound of a big wheel starting to turn again.

“…Amitabha.”

And now, no one would be able to stop this flow.

Xi’an quickly regained stability.

The common people who had left returned to Xi’an after hearing that the chaos had been subdued, and the worried feeling quickly disappeared.

It was a big problem, but most of the fighting was only at the Eunha Merchant Guild. So, other people were not hurt much, and that helped things get better quickly.

Some people were still worried, but even they felt better because of the news that Mount Hua was staying in the Eunha Merchant Guild.

“So, did Mount Hua end their hiding?” one person asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” another said. “Why else would they be here?”

“Amazing! How did they come out at exactly the right time?”

“Don’t be silly,” someone interrupted.

“Huh?”

“It’s not luck. Mount Hua planned to stay hidden. But when they heard about the bad guys, they bravely came out to help, didn’t they?”

“Yes, that makes more sense.”

The first person looked towards the main gate of the Eunha Merchant Guild.

“He’s really great, whoever he is,” he said.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Who else? The leader of Mount Hua, Hyun Jong Jin-in! He must have had a reason to hide away, and it’s not easy to come out again, right?”

“Hmm, that sounds a bit strange,” another person said. “They are a good sect, so if people are in danger, they should stop everything and come to help, right?”

“What about Jongnam then?” someone asked, changing the subject.

“…Huh?”

“Jongnam. If you are right, what did Jongnam do?”

“Well…”

“I know people in Jongnam in my family,” one person whispered. “Is it okay for you to say things that make Jongnam look bad?”

“Oh,” the other person said, looking around quietly. “It’s not just you. It’s the same for me. Almost everyone in Xi’an is connected to Jongnam somehow. If you check, everyone is related to Jongnam.”

“That’s true. This is Xi’an, after all.”

“But… now, if something bad happens, people will probably ask Mount Hua for help instead of Jongnam.”

“…Really? That much?”

“If a robber came to your house, who would you call?”

The person thought for a moment and could not answer easily. Mount Hua was the first name that came to mind, not Jongnam.

“I’m not just saying this because Mount Hua came faster than Jongnam,” the first person continued. “Think about it. If Jongnam, or any sect other than Mount Hua, did something like this, wouldn’t they brag about it a lot?”

“Oh, yes, you are right. But it’s not wrong to brag, right? They did something amazing.”

“Exactly. It’s not wrong. But that’s why Mount Hua is so great. Look. You can’t even see any Mount Hua people showing off, can you?”

“You’re right…”

Both people looked towards the main gate of the Eunha Merchant Guild again.

“They say real heroes don’t brag about their good deeds,” one said. “I never thought I would see someone actually do that. They are so humble after doing something so great.”

“…Truly great.”

“Yes, great. Too great,” the other person agreed.

Similar words were exchanged from the mouths of everyone passing in front of the Eunha Merchant Guild.

Even those who didn’t have particularly good feelings towards Mount Hua couldn’t help but feel goodwill towards those who had rushed to save them and didn’t boast about their achievements.

“In the end, Mount Hua is the only one who cares about Xi’an.”

“Not a single one of those Shaolin or Wudang people came to help Xi’an, did they?” (Wudang is another famous monastery like Shaolin).

“You don’t even have to go that far. Isn’t Jongnam the same?”

“Hey. Didn’t Jongnam seclude themselves?”

“What about Mount Hua? Didn’t Mount Hua seclude themselves? If both of them secluded themselves, it’s only natural that the sect that came out of seclusion would be evaluated differently!”

“That’s true…”

The common people didn’t understand how strong the unorthodox factions that had attacked Xi’an were, so they couldn’t evaluate Mount Hua’s strength.

But they clearly understood the fact that Mount Hua had rolled up their sleeves and rushed to save Xi’an.

Even if Xi’an had been devastated, the arrow would have actually been aimed at Jongnam, not Mount Hua. So, how could they not praise those who had come to save the common people in place of the sect that was like an enemy?

As a result.

Now, the name of Mount Hua had become greater than the name of Jongnam in Xi’an, and there was no one in Xi’an who denied this.

And at that moment.

The senior members of Mount Hua, who had finished the aftermath appropriately, sat around the conference room of the Eunha Merchant Guild.