Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 923

Beop Jeong silently gazed at the tall, stone gates of Mount Hua. The stone was cold and grey, and the carvings on the gates looked old and worn by wind and time.

He had seen these gates before, but today, they felt strange, almost unfamiliar. ‘Maybe it’s because I’m different now,’ he thought.

Things can look very different depending on how you feel and what’s happening in your life.

When he first visited Mount Hua, he didn’t have any regrets. He was mostly curious to see what the main sect of Mount Hua was like.

But now…

“Amitabha,” Beop Jeong said a silent prayer to shake off the unease he felt.

‘Someone has to do the difficult things.’

It was for the sake of everyone.

This was no time to worry about personal feelings.

“Venerable Abbot.”

“Hmm.”

Beop Gye’s voice made Beop Jeong nod. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“May I enter?”

Yun Geom, who had hurried over when he heard the commotion at the gates, stared at Beop Jeong in shock before nodding.

“…This way. Please, come this way.”

“Thank you, Daoist.”

Yun Geom led Beop Jeong, looking completely stunned. It wasn’t Yun Geom’s fault. Anyone would be surprised by the sudden arrival of the Abbot of Shaolin without any warning.

However, Beop Jeong was now looking at Yun Geom with great interest for another reason.

‘Was there such a person here?’

A one-armed swordsman who didn’t use his dominant hand.

The air around Yun Geom felt sharp and focused, like the point of a sword. Even though he only had one arm, he stood with a powerful presence that was hard to ignore.

The problem was that Beop Jeong didn’t remember this man.

‘So, he has improved this much in just three years?’

He didn’t look young. It was well known that it was harder to improve quickly with age. And to make such great progress in such a short time with a sword in his non-dominant hand?

Just seeing one person showed how much Mount Hua had changed in the last three years. If this older man was this strong, how much stronger would the younger disciples of Mount Hua be?

Beop Jeong’s heart grew heavy.

‘Amitabha.’

Of course, it was good for Mount Hua, an orthodox sect, to become stronger. But Mount Hua was now causing a storm in the world. The stronger it became, the stronger the storm would be.

Especially…

Beop Jeong shook his head. This was not the time to think such thoughts.

‘My heart is full of chaos.’

Even after training for so long, he was shaken by such small things. So much for the unwavering mind he wanted.

At that moment, he saw Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, rushing toward him.

Seeing Hyun Jong running out barefoot made him almost chuckle. (Hyun Jong was probably worried about why the Abbot of Shaolin had come so suddenly.)

‘How clear.’

In the past, he wouldn’t have been surprised to see Hyun Jong rush out like that. If the Sect Leader of a declining sect heard that the Abbot of Shaolin was visiting, that would be a normal reaction.

But was Mount Hua a declining sect? It might have been once, but not anymore.

The leader of the Heavenly Union, the most powerful group in Shaanxi.

Mount Hua had changed so much that it was impossible to compare it to the past. The current Mount Hua didn’t even need to pretend to be one of the Nine Great Sects.

However, Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, hadn’t changed from when Mount Hua was a declining third-rate sect.

‘No. It’s not that he hasn’t changed.’

If things change, people’s attitudes usually change too. To keep the same attitude even when things had changed meant that he had become an even better person than before.

He realized that staying the same actually meant changing inside. It was like the saying: ‘What you see is not always what is real, and what is real is not always what you see.’

“Venerable Abbot, what a surprise! What brings you to Mount Hua?”

Hyun Jong, who had rushed to him, stared blankly at Beop Jeong, as if he couldn’t speak. Then, he suddenly bowed deeply and greeted him with clasped hands.

“Welcome.”

That warm welcome seemed to ease Beop Jeong’s worries, even though he knew that Hyun Jong reacted this way to everyone, no matter how he really felt.

Beop Jeong returned Hyun Jong’s greeting with a smile.

“I am grateful for such a warm welcome. I hope I’m not intruding?”

“What are you saying? I welcome the Venerable Abbot on behalf of Mount Hua.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader. Thank you very much.”

Beop Jeong clasped his hands in return and looked behind Hyun Jong.

‘…Isn’t he here?’

He saw the elders of Mount Hua that he knew, but the person he was most interested in wasn’t there. Instead, the young disciples pushed each other, trying to get a better look. They whispered excitedly, their eyes wide with curiosity.

“What’s going on?”

“I heard the Abbot of Shaolin is here?”

“The Abbot? Why is the Abbot here?”

He was used to people looking at him with curiosity. Ever since he became the Abbot of Shaolin, it was impossible to avoid those looks.

But when he saw the faces of those who were looking at him, he felt uneasy.

‘They are strong.’

They were young faces. Young swordsmen who were no longer children but not yet adults. However, they seemed incredibly skilled and wise.

He hadn’t felt this way even in the Southern Palace or Wudang.

He didn’t know how to describe Mount Hua anymore. The words ‘sea change’ and ‘remarkable progress’ weren’t enough to express how much they had grown.

What impressed Beop Jeong even more was how they acted. They peeked at him like children in a market.

Innocent?

No.

In Daoism, this is called ‘pure.’ Not following formalities, not being overly polite, and being honest with your feelings. That was how Daoists should act to be like nature.

‘Strength and purity.’

Just by looking at them, he could see why Mount Hua was threatening Wudang’s position.

But… Beop Jeong knew that wasn’t the whole story.

“We greet the Venerable Abbot.”

“We greet the Venerable Abbot.”

Beop Jeong nodded as he watched them greet him.

‘The Five Swords of Mount Hua.’

They were now the warriors representing Mount Hua. Of course, their names were still being discussed among the younger generation. But someday, they would be famous swordsmen.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Daoist Baek Cheon.”

“Do you know my name?”

“How could I not know the Righteous Sword of Mount Hua?”

“…It is an honor.”

Baek Cheon bowed perfectly.

He was the perfect example of someone outstanding. Even as the Abbot of Shaolin, Beop Jeong felt a little jealous of Hyun Jong at this moment.

“…Continue to strive.”

After accepting Baek Cheon’s greeting, Beop Jeong looked at someone standing behind him. Someone who was once his pride, someone who could have been like Baek Cheon for Beop Jeong.

Hae Yeon’s face was pale, and he avoided Beop Jeong’s eyes. He stood stiffly, like he wanted to disappear. Beop Jeong smiled gently at him.

“Have you learned much?”

“Venerable Abbot…”

Beop Jeong looked at Hae Yeon’s face, then looked down at the Mount Hua uniform he was wearing.

‘The martial attire of Mount Hua.’

He could guess what was happening. But if Hae Yeon didn’t feel anything, he wouldn’t be wearing the clothes of another sect, even if it meant wearing rags.

“I have much to discuss with you. But now is not the time, so let us meet later.”

“…Yes, Venerable Abbot.”

As Hae Yeon lowered his head, Hyun Jong stepped forward to protect him, looking troubled.

“Venerable Abbot. There are reasons for this… It is my fault for not paying enough attention.”

“There is no need to say that, Sect Leader. I do not blame that child. I simply have much to discuss with a disciple who has been away from the main temple for a long time.”

“If that is the case…”

As Hyun Jong nodded, Beop Jeong smiled and changed the subject.

“I have come all this way because there is something important we need to discuss.”

“Oh, my, I’m so sorry… I apologize, Venerable Abbot. Please, come this way.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Walking through Mount Hua, Beop Jeong noticed the lively atmosphere. He could hear the sounds of swords clashing from the training grounds, and the cheerful voices of disciples talking and laughing. The air felt vibrant and full of energy, very different from the quiet stillness of Shaolin.

Before he could think more, Hyun Jong stopped with Beop Jeong in front of the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s residence.

“This is the place. I hope you won’t mind that we weren’t prepared for a guest.”

“How could an uninvited guest think such a thing? I would be grateful even for a simple cup of water.”

“Please, come in.”

Before entering, Beop Jeong noticed a pair of shoes in front of the door.

They were too small for Hyun Jong.

That meant that someone who wouldn’t even show their face to the famous Beop Jeong was inside. Beop Jeong knew who it was without even seeing them.

“…Amitabha.”

Beop Jeong said a silent prayer to calm his heart. The person he really wanted to meet, the reason he had come to Mount Hua, was inside this room.

Beop Jeong stared at the door and finally entered the room. The first thing he saw was Chung Myung sitting in a corner with his back to him.

Chung Myung hadn’t changed much. He recognized him right away.

Or rather, he looked the same. If anything, he seemed a little taller and stronger, but otherwise, he was the same as before.

Even his attitude and the look in his eyes.

Even though he saw Beop Jeong enter, Chung Myung didn’t react. He just stared at Beop Jeong with wide eyes.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

Beop Jeong broke the silence with a gentle smile.

“Have you been well, Little Master? No, that title doesn’t suit you anymore.”

He spoke gently, as if talking to a close friend.

Chung Myung smiled brightly.

“Yes. Thanks to you, I’ve been doing very well.”

“Is that so? I don’t think I’ve done anything.”

“Hey. Why do you say you haven’t done anything? You’ve done a lot.”

“Have I?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung smiled, but his eyes were cold.

“You really wanted us to fail, so how could I not do well, just to spite you? Thanks to you, I’ve been doing very, very well.”

The disciples of Mount Hua, who were entering the room, were shocked.

‘That… that…!’

‘That crazy bastard.’

Seeing Chung Myung confront Beop Jeong from the start, they worried about how dangerous this situation would be.

Cold sweat ran down their backs.