Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 93

Sama Seung watched Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, sitting across from him.

“Hyun Jong, is it?”

Hyun Jong was the one who had managed to stop Mount Hua from falling apart. The Sect Leader of Jongnam had once said that if times were different, Hyun Jong would have been a great Sect Leader.

Sama Seung thought this was too much praise. He believed a leader is judged by what they *do*, not just their personality.

Sama Seung looked around the room.

To Hyun Jong’s left and right sat members of the Hyun generation, including Mugak and Jae Kyung, and the Woon generation, including Woonam and Woon Geom. They all sat up straight.

All the important people from Mount Hua were there to meet him. He had seen this before, but something felt different.

The people at the last Jonghwa Assembly seemed tired and defeated. But now, he didn’t see that. Instead, they seemed calm.

Sama Seung didn’t like it.

Sama Seung’s eyes narrowed. It didn’t matter where their confidence came from. Mount Hua couldn’t be better than Jongnam.

Sama Seung just didn’t like that the leaders of Mount Hua seemed so confident.

“I hope you like the tea,” Hyun Jong said. Sama Seung nodded slightly.

“It smells very good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Sama Seung smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. “This tea smells strong,” he said, taking a small sip. “Too strong, maybe. I’ve never liked plum blossoms much.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes flickered for a moment, a tiny twitch showing his surprise. But he quickly hid it, his voice still calm. “Oh? Why is that?” he asked gently.

Sama Seung leaned back slightly. “A forest has so many smells,” he explained. “The damp earth, the fresh scent of pine trees, even the morning dew. But in a place full of plum blossoms, you only smell plum blossoms. It’s too much. It hides all the other smells.”

Just like Mount Hua in the past.

“The world is best when things are balanced. That’s why I like the light smell of green tea more than plum blossoms, which are too overpowering.”

The Hyun generation stayed calm, but the Woon generation’s faces turned red. To criticize the tea offered by the Sect Leader was like a direct insult.

But the Hyun generation understood Sama Seung’s words differently.

‘Is he saying that Mount Hua used to be too focused on being the best and didn’t care about balance?’

The fact that he was saying this now meant that Jongnam still remembered the old grudges.

An elder shouldn’t say such things to the Sect Leader of a major group. But no one could argue with Sama Seung.

As Sama Seung said, manners depend on who is in charge. If you can’t punish rudeness, then manners mean nothing.

Sama Seung was happy he had changed the mood with just a few words. He smiled and began to speak.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes?”

“Our Jongnam doesn’t want to continue the Jonghwa Assembly after this one.”

Hyun Jong frowned.

“May I ask why?”

“It’s simple.”

Sama Seung smiled slightly. “Fighting with Mount Hua doesn’t help Jongnam get better. The gap is too big now, isn’t it?”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes for a moment.

The words were too insulting. The elders sitting next to him couldn’t hide their anger.

‘This guy…’

Hyun Young’s beard shook.

This was a clear insult. How could he say such things in front of the Sect Leader?

Just then, Hyun Jong, who had been quietly closing his eyes, slowly opened them.

“The Hwajong Assembly is not just about fighting. It’s about friendship between Mount Hua and Jongnam…”

“Friendship? Is it just a show?”

Sama Seung interrupted Hyun Jong.

“You…”

Hyun Young was about to explode, but Hyun Sang quickly squeezed Hyun Young’s knee, telling him not to act rashly.

Hyun Young looked at Hyun Sang and then at the Sect Leader, biting his lip.

‘Isn’t he going too far?’

Everyone knew that Mount Hua and Jongnam were not equal. Even the disciples of Mount Hua knew it.

But Mount Hua still had a long history and tradition. Even though they were not strong now, they had once been one of the Nine Great Sects and had wanted to be the best sword clan.

Even if it was the Sect Leader of a small, unknown clan, it was rude to act this way. Sama Seung knew this but was still being rude.

Sama Seung glanced at Hyun Young and smiled slyly.

Hyun Young knew what that smile meant and clenched his fist, trying to stay calm.

The Jianghu world was cruel.

Those without power had to endure.

Sama Seung looked at everyone in the room and said in a low voice, “Jongnam and Mount Hua have never been friends. Actually, we’re more like enemies, right? You probably all want to kill me right now.”

“…Not that much.”

“Then, does anyone here like me? Or even like Jongnam?”

No one answered.

It would have been easy to say yes, but everyone knew it would be a lie. They knew it, and Sama Seung knew it too.

“It’s useless to try to fix something that’s already broken.”

Sama Seung’s voice was firm.

It was as if everything was decided, and he was just telling them. The fact that an elder was speaking so firmly meant that the discussion with the Sect Leader was already over. This wasn’t just Sama Seung’s idea, but Jongnam’s idea as a whole.

Jongnam was now saying that they would treat Mount Hua as inferior. They would no longer see Mount Hua as a rival.

It was humiliating.

Very humiliating.

Since no one else spoke, Woonam cautiously said, “Isn’t this too sudden?”

“It should have been done a long time ago.”

“Elder.”

When Woonam didn’t give up, Sama Seung looked down at him as if he was nothing.

“Do you think Mount Hua is good enough to be Jongnam’s opponent?”

Woonam closed his mouth. He couldn’t answer that question.

Sama Seung chuckled and continued, “I think Jongnam has been respectful to Mount Hua for too long.”

“Respectful? Your words are harsh!”

Woonam raised his voice, and Sama Seung smiled slyly.

“What’s so harsh about it?”

…”

“Jongnam has forgotten the old grudges and has helped Mount Hua. The Hwajong Assembly has always been held in Mount Hua, which is unfair to Jongnam. We even give Mount Hua money each time. And you’re going to blame Jongnam?”

That wasn’t true.

Woonam gritted his teeth.

The reason the Hwajong Assembly was always held in Mount Hua was clear. It was to mock the declining Mount Hua and to show all of Mount Hua’s disciples that Jongnam was stronger.

And the money they gave was just a trick to stop Mount Hua from refusing the Hwajong Assembly.

“Sect Leader.”

Sama Seung interrupted the others and said firmly, “If you don’t understand, I’ll make it clear. After this fight, you’ll beg us to stop this Assembly. Think about your students before they get crushed.”

Sama Seung stood up. He turned to leave the room, even though he hadn’t been told to go.

Everyone was confused and didn’t know what to do. Hyun Jong cautiously asked Sama Seung as he walked away, “Is Jongnam trying to become the most powerful sect?”

Sama Seung stopped and turned his head slightly to look at Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong’s face didn’t show any emotion, so it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

“That’s not for me to decide.”

Then, Sama Seung opened the door and left.

The faces of those left behind were bitter.

“How can he be so rude?”

Hyun Young couldn’t control his anger and slammed the tea table. The table broke, and tea spilled on the floor. But no one blamed Hyun Young.

Woon Geom spoke in a heavy voice. “They have always been mean during the Hwajong Assembly, but this is the worst it’s ever been.”

“That’s right. It’s too much!”

“How can an elder act like that in front of the Sect Leader!”

“We should complain to Jongnam!”

Everyone was angry and spoke at once.

But Hyun Jong shook his head, looking sad. “…Let it go.”

“But Sect Leader!”

“Words are useless sometimes. What’s the point of saying anything?”

Woonam lowered his head. The others also looked down, their faces twisted with anger.

Hyun Jong said, “I can handle being humiliated. Even if they spit on me, I can smile. That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“…Then what is it?”

“I’m worried about the children.”

“Ah…”

Woonam’s eyes trembled.

“Because they were so direct, the fighting in this Hwajong Assembly will be harder than ever. I can handle being hurt and humiliated, but what about the pain the children will feel?”

Hyun Jong’s face was full of sadness. The burden of being the Sect Leader of a weak clan was too heavy.

“Then even now…”

Woonam stopped talking. He had wanted to say, ‘What if we stop the Hwajong Assembly now?’ But he realized how silly that was.

For a martial artist to give up a fight because they are afraid is worse than death.

Also, the fighters in the martial arts exchange are from the same generation. If they give up without fighting, that shame will stay with them forever.

“It’s my fault.”

Hyun Jong sighed deeply. The others couldn’t comfort him and stayed silent.

Then, Woon Geom, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. “Sect Leader, you shouldn’t think about this alone.”

Hyun Jong looked at Woon Geom.

“They will use this martial arts exchange to show how weak Mount Hua is and to tell everyone that Mount Hua is no longer a great clan. This will hurt the main faction, which is already weak. Maybe that’s their plan, right?”

“That’s right. But do you have a plan?”

“There’s no special plan. We just have to win the martial arts exchange, right?”

…”

“Sect Leader.”

Seeing Hyun Jong speechless, Woon Geom smiled slightly. “Trust the children. Maybe there will be good news.”

…”

Everyone looked at Woon Geom suspiciously, but he just smiled.

‘Now it’s your turn to prove it, Chung Myung.’