Return of the Mount Hua Sect

The end of the cave led to another cave. If there was anything different about the two, it would be that, unlike the hallways they had gone through until then, this cave had night stone lamps.

“… doesn’t this seem like it’s repeated, sahyung?”

“Um. It seems like that. I am not sure yet, but I think that the space where the lamps are placed is safe as long as we don’t do anything stupid. As long as we don’t do anything useless.”

Seeing Baek Cheon, who was saying that while looking at Hong Dae-Kwang, the man sighed.

“… sometimes people end up making mistakes.”

“I didn’t point to anyone, great sir.”

Right, great sir. He was still being called that. He wanted to tear up as he heard it.

As a result of observing the disciples of Mount Hua till then, Hong Dae-Kwang noticed something strange.

The first was that unlike Chung Myung, who acted as if he had abandoned his brain, the others still kept their manners and respected others.

Of course, at first glance, their words and actions resembled Chung Myung to some extent, but it wasn’t too much that it could be visibly noticed.

‘And they are very strong.’

As they came out of the cave where the bats were located, the Beggars Union people had major and minor injuries. They were poisoned and paralyzed, which made it difficult for them to move.

It wasn’t a life-threatening situation, but their pace had slowed down. But the disciples of Mount Hua didn’t get hurt even in that hectic situation.

Was it because of luck?

‘No way.’

People got lucky once or twice, but if it kept continuing, it was skill and not luck.

“Righteous Sword of Hua.”

“Call me Baek Cheon… that title is embarrassing.”

“Ah, yes, Baek Cheon.”

“Yes.”

“Are the sahyungs and sajaes of Mount Hua similar to the ones here?”

With a slightly worried expression, Baek Cheon said.

“They aren’t. Yoon Jong and Jo Gul are the strongest ones among the third class disciples, and Yu samae and I are the skilled ones among the second class disciples of Mount Hua. But that doesn’t mean that the sahyungs back in Mount Hua are significantly inferior to us.”

Saying that, Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung.

The skills which they developed were completely because they had been bullied by that beast. There was no time for people to rest and lag behind their peers.

“… I see.”

Hong Dae-Kwang’s face turned slightly serious.

He was a branch leader in Luoyang, and Luoyang was considered to be the largest city in the middle east. As such, the Beggars Union had talented people.

Of course, due to the nature of their sect, they searched for quantity over quality. The beggars who followed him weren’t at a level where they could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other sects. However, they still weren’t a sect whose members would get indiscriminately hit.

But weren’t the disciples of Mount Hua showing much better skills than the beggars in Luoyang?

If the members of Mount Hua really were this skilled, what should Mount Hua’s power be evaluated as?

‘Besides, that monster is also there.’

The sword he saw a while back wasn’t disappearing from his eyes. No, he knew for sure that he would remember it till the last day of his life. He had never witnessed such a fantastic sword technique in his life.

What if Chung Myung grows up and leads Mount Hua, and its disciples grow together with him and support him?

‘Then Mount Hua will not be inferior to any other great sect.’

In the past, Mount Hua was one of the best sects in the world. If they hadn’t been damaged after the fight with the Heavenly Demonic Sect, then the situation of the sect wouldn’t have been what it was now.

However, now, it didn’t seem difficult for Mount Hua to regain the prestige it had in the past. Especially if Chung Myung continued to run rampant with such a force.

“Branch leader…”

Hong Dae-Kwang, who was immersed in thought, frowned slightly as he looked at the Beggars Union disciples who were struggling to move.

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. I know we are in a hurry, but can we take a break? I want my disciples to recover a bit.”

“Well, yes.”

Surprisingly, Chung Myung nodded his head right away, and Hong Dae-Kwang flinched at it.

“What?”

“No, because you answered right away.”

“You said they are hurt.”

“Thanks…”

Hong Dae-Kwang looked at Chung Myung.

‘Is it because I am a branch leader?’

Although not all people would respect Hong Dae-Kwang, maybe… just maybe, he thought that Chung Myung finally realized that he was the eldest in the group.

However, the words of Chung Myung, who suddenly considered the well-being of the people before his goal, felt weird.

‘The more I see him, the more I don’t understand him.’

Hong Dae-Kwang titled his head and approached the disciples.

In the midst of all that, Chung Myung was frowning as he fixed his gaze ahead of him. His eyes concentrated on the distance.

‘I feel something from there.’

Vitality and chaos were pouring out from the location in front of them. It meant that either a fight had occurred over there, or that someone who fell into a trap was fighting for their life.

‘There is no need to rush there and fight them.’

If he waited patiently, the path would clear by itself. So why did he have to go in now and enter a fight which he had nothing to do with?

It was good that they entered the Sword Tomb, but safely going out should also be clearly planned.

Many traps could have been hidden in the darkness of the tunnels of the Sword Tomb. If monsters like the bats kept coming out continuously, no matter how strong and untouched they were at present, they would eventually get tired.

Chung Myung had learned all of this from the experiences he gained from the long battles he had had in the past… battles where he would have had to conserve his energy until the end.

And when everyone decided to take a break, the party leaned against the wall and sat down. Still, they were all on edge and were constantly alert to their surroundings.

“Oh my.”

Yoon Jong, who sat on the ground, sighed.

“In a place like this, we would run out of ten lives if we had them.”

“It is indeed tough.”

As Chung Myung smiled, Yoon Jong raised his head and looked at him.

‘He seems so familiar with such things.’

No matter how big the wall between them was, anyone would be confused when they were thrust into an unfamiliar situation for the first time,.

Moving forward one step at a time in a place where light didn’t even shine, where traps were placed everywhere… just thoughts of it would make people tired. And moreover, they were required to be focused all the time.

Yet, Chung Myung seemed strong.

“Is it not tough?”

“What is so tough about it? This is just the start.”

“… the start?”

“Yak Seon, or the Seizing Sword…whoever it was that made a tomb like this… if he was so determined and laid such traps, then it wouldn’t end with this. We never know what awaits us.”

Yoon Jong frowned.

It wasn’t that he was upset, but he heard the word ‘determined’.

“Then the Untraceable Seizing Sword, Yak Seon, why did he create such a place?”

“Uh?”

“… if what was being left behind was the great pill or if he wanted to leave the weapons he stole…he could just leave them without laying any traps. Why create such a tomb and endanger those who enter the place?”

“How can I know?”

Chung Myung smiled bitterly.

Yoon Jong continued.

“At first, this is how I thought about it, but the more I think, the stranger it is. Especially when I think of ‘Yak Seon’. He was a sage who cured many sick people and created pills for healing. That was why he was called Yak Seon in the first place.”¹

“Right.”

“But such a man…and even the other person, the Seizing Sword too, why create such a grave… I do not understand at all.”

“We don’t need to understand it.”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung smirked and said.

“There is only one thing that I am sure about.”

“What is that?”

“People are never predictable.”

“…”

Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“Even those whom we think we know very well show an unexpected side to them once in a while. How do we understand a person who lived 200 years ago? We need to just take the things they left behind and leave.”

They were realistic words.

But it was rather cold-hearted.

Although Chung Myung said that, Yoon Jong couldn’t shake off his doubts about this place being called Yak Seon’s tomb.

‘Why would Yak Seon make this tomb? What was he trying to say?’

At that moment, Chung Myung glanced at him and said,

“It’s not like that.”

“Uh?”

“Don’t start there. We need to figure out why the names of Yak Seon and the Untraceable Seizing Sword are both being used here.”

“… Ah.”

Yoon Jong was slightly shocked. He hadn’t thought of that till now.

Yak Seon was someone who used to help everyone. The Untraceable Seizing Sword was a man who had enough fame and glory without having to be considered a swordsman of a true sect.

Did Yak Seon wear the mask of the swordsman and hold a sword?

Yoon Jong looked at Chung Myung quietly.

Chung Myung…it felt like he was trying to make a link. This man was the youngest in here, but he sometimes showed a depth that they couldn’t keep up with.

“What?”

“No, it felt like you were figuring something out.”

Chung Myung smirked.

“What is so important about that?”

“Uh?”

“If Yak Seon had other intentions, would he leave behind his pill and knowledge?”

“… he wouldn’t.”

“Then that is all. I am not interested in dead people’s reasons. The important thing is that there is a way for us to get the method of making the Soul Vitality Pill in here.”

“Hm.”

“Even if I die, I will get it. For sure!”

Yoon Jong sighed as he looked at Chung Myung’s eyes burning with desire.

‘Being simple-minded is the best.’

Sometimes he envied that personality. Because such people worried about nothing.

He didn’t know if that was just an outward appearance, however.

At that time, Yu Yiseol came and handed Chung Myung a water bottle. Without a second thought, Chung Myung took it and drank it. Then he asked Hong Dae-Kwang.

“Mister Beggar! Are you guys done?”

“The detox medicine is working.”

“You have a medicine for the paralysis poison?”

“It is an antidote for paralysis poison. We never know what kind of person we come across. We tried it just in case, and it seemed to work.”

“Oh.”

Chung Myung’s eyes shone as he looked at him.

“What! What do you think of me, Hong Dae-Kwang! I am the body and mind of the Beggars Union!”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

“Ugh.”

Hong Dae-Kwang felt flustered when the reaction wasn’t as cool as he expected.

“Finish that. We will keep moving as soon as you’re ready.”

“But where the hell does this Sword Tomb go? It didn’t seem like we moved a short distance before.”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“The cave is curved, so the actual distance must be short.”

“… is that so?”

“Even so, there must be a limit to creating such a thing underground. The end of the tomb will appear anytime now.”

“Hm… right. Let’s go find out.”

The party got up again and began to prepare to head further in. Chung Myung, who watched the scene, had a subtle expression on his face. It wasn’t a lie that they were nearing the end of the tomb.

The problem was that there would be people who would have reached the end along with them.

‘Enemy of evil.’

Recalling the title of Yak Seon, Chung Myung smiled.

“Let’s see what more has been prepared for us!”

Chung Myung had an evil smile.