Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Mount Hua’s disciples battled the Red Tiger Bandits. A peculiar emotion crossed Hyun Sang’s face as he watched from behind.

‘I always dreamed of such a scene.’

Vanquishing wicked foes with a gleaming plum sword. Upholding the name of Mount Hua and enhancing the reputation of Taoists.

The scene he had yearned for, even in his dreams, was unfolding right before his eyes.

Of course, it was slightly different from what he had dreamed, but what could be done about it now?

“Sahyung.”

“I know.”

Hyun Young and Hyun Sang’s voices were stern.

‘We must stay strong.’

Now was not the time to be emotional.

Srrng!

Hyun Sang drew his sword. The Un disciples guarding him also unsheathed their swords.

“Even if we are old hands, we won’t have trouble wielding our weapons.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to swing a sword in front of children.”

Despite their grumbling, the eyes of the Un disciples shone brightly.

Some of the children had surpassed them. No, judging by the skills the children displayed, more of them had become stronger than they had anticipated.

But there was nothing to fear.

Every teacher hoped for their disciples to become stronger than them, so they felt proud.

“But we are the adults of Mount Hua! We need to show that we are not lagging behind the current generation!”

“Yes, sasuk!”

The Un disciples, led by Hyun Sang, charged forward with cheers.

It was truly an awe-inspiring sight. Only two people who couldn’t participate in this stayed behind.

Chung Myung and Hyun Young glanced at each other.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence ensued, and it was Hyun Young who broke it first.

“…What are you doing here?”

“No, I think that should be my question…”

Hyun Young, who was asked the question, coughed.

“Isn’t my strength obvious? If I show up there for pride and get injured, everyone will worry for no reason, so it’s better to just watch from behind.”

“If I joined in thoughtlessly, it would be like stealing someone else’s property, so it was better to just watch.”

“Right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Hyun Young nodded slightly and took something out of his arms.

“Want some rice cakes?”

“Hehe, it seems like you prepared them well.”

Chung Myung accepted the offered item and chewed on it as he observed the battlefield.

“What a thrilling fight.”

The current Mount Hua felt subtly different from the past. Even though it was essentially the same sword technique, individual differences were bound to appear depending on who used it. Now, Mount Hua’s sword was much faster and slightly more practical than when he was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

To put it positively, it felt more rational, a bit more like a response to real-life conditions.

‘Well, it couldn’t be helped.’

Since the person teaching was Chung Myung, what more could they do?

Chung Myung was the person who had fought the most battles and shed the most blood in the history of Mount Hua. Having been through so many Demonic Sect battles, it was natural that his sword was merciless.

Of course, complaints would inevitably arise from those dealing with the sword, but that’s none of Chung Myung’s concern.

‘Tradition be damned, I am the tradition.’

Unconditionally, following the past wasn’t the way. Even if it changed a little, if the spirit of Mount Hua was alive, then it could be considered as the sword of Mount Hua.

Chung Myung munched on the rice cake and smiled. Meanwhile, his eyes watched everything unfold.

‘Slow.’

There was a bright glow in his eyes.

He had heard the name Green Forest countless times. And he had heard the name of the Red Tiger Bandits.

The leaders of the Forces of Evil who ruled over numerous mountains in the Central Plains. The ones known as the Five Hegemons.

The Green Forest was a vast place he would not have dared to step into in the past. However, when he actually faced them directly, the Green Forest did not seem as formidable as he had anticipated.

‘They aren’t weak.’

Mount Hua was powerful.

‘We could not have normally seen this.’

They always grappled with the monstrous sword of Chung Myung and suffered under the pressure of the Five Swords, who were always ahead of the other disciples.

Despite their constant training until they reached their physical limits, despite their unending efforts to refine themselves with courage and determination, the gap between them and those who were ahead did not shrink; it only widened.

But how could one make themselves feel stronger?

Strength was fundamentally a relative concept. To understand one’s strengths, one needs a benchmark for growth. But until then, the standards for the children had been too high to reach.

Paaat!

Gwak Hwi’s sharply extended sword sliced through the flying blade.

Puak!

The sword cleanly pierced the opponent’s shoulder and was swiftly withdrawn. It was then immediately lowered towards the opponent’s chest.

‘Explode slowly.’

Compared to Jo Gul, this sword seemed to hold back significantly.

Compared to Yoon Jong’s clean execution, it was nothing more than a struggle to keep up, and compared to the majestic sword of Baek Cheon, it wavered helplessly.

So, no matter how much they pondered, they could not shake off the same thought.

‘I don’t think I will lose!’

And it seemed he was not the only one with that thought.

Paat!

Gradually, they began to feel more confident in the swords of the sahyungs swinging beside them. The closer the sword tip got, the more stable they felt, and their expressions radiated confidence.

‘We have become stronger!’

This was something he had never been certain about during all that time.

Although Mount Hua’s reputation was increasing and it was becoming a different place than in the past, that was the work of the Five Swords, including Chung Myung, not the other disciples.

All they had to do was protect the mountain and endure the harsh training while Mount Hua began to slowly change. Although they said, they stopped the Ten Thousand People Clan, who didn’t know that the result was only favorable because of the Five Swords?

At that moment, the despair and self-hate that had built up began to melt like snow.

‘I don’t think the training is in vain!’

The moment their doubts turned to certainty and their certainty to confidence, the plum blossoms bloomed more intensely.

“Push more!”

Baek Sang roared.

His hand holding the sword felt stronger and firmer than ever. Of course, he gave up the path of the sword for now. But he was also a swordsman of Mount Hua. There was never a day where he neglected the sword.

“Prove to the world that there is more than just Five Swords in Mount Hua! We are part of Mount Hua, too!”

“Yes, sahyung!”

“Yes, sasuk!”

The moment everyone lifted their swords as one, countless plum blossoms bloomed. It was as if a scene of Mount Hua was brought in here.

It wasn’t the Mount Hua sect, but it was because they belonged to Mount Hua.

Now, they were proving with their swords that any place with Mount Hua people could be Mount Hua.

“Cold in heart, firm in the top of the sword. Do not forget the basics.”

The one-armed swordsman, who was walking among the disciples, mumbled with a cold look.

“Never forget. It is the branches which make the flowers bloom, but ultimately, it is the roots which make the flowers bloom.”

“Yes, dorm head!”

He appeared with a smile as they responded.

Soon, the sword, which was hanging on his right side, was sharply pulled out.

“It isn’t neat enough, but I cannot just continue watching.”

Un Geom’s sword was raised quickly and swiftly, aiming for the bodies of the bandits.

‘Sasuk!’

‘Sasuk!’

All the disciples of Mount Hua bit their lips at the sight.

Un Geom had lost an arm in the fierce battle with the Ten Thousand People clan. For a swordsman to lose an arm was like a normal person losing both his legs. It was inevitable that he had suffered immensely because of this.

But there stood Un Geom in front of them, leading them once again. Even though he was holding the sword with his unfamiliar hand, he didn’t seem flustered in the least.

How difficult must it have been for this to happen?

The expressions of his disciples changed at the thought of how much pressure he must have felt.

“Follow the head of the training hall!”

In particular, the disciples around Un Geom multiplied, and their force with sharp swords pushed the bandits back. The sound of swords clashing fiercely echoed here and there.

“Nice!”

Hyun Sang leaped from the other side, swinging his sword elegantly.

A sword that was slightly different from the ones the children held, a hint of the past Mount Hua had.

“Show them that the strength of Mount Hua is still alive!”

“Yes, elder!”

Everyone became more courageous as they could see Hyun Sang’s back.

To the disciples, the Hyun leaders weren’t just simple adults of the sect. They were like the roots that had endured a long ordeal with their entire bodies and created Mount Hua as it is today.

How could they not gain courage when someone like that swung a sword ahead of them?

The same was true for the Un disciples.

Hyun and Un began to fill the space next to the Five Swords at the forefront.

It wasn’t just momentum that came from individual strength.

Everyone was proving that not just Chung Myung, not just the Five Swords, but the entire Mount Hua had become stronger.

And, of course…

“Amitabha!”

Kwaaaangh!

There was this one strange thing in the middle.

There was no other way to describe the situation except to say it was one-sided. The Green Forest bandits were confounded by the Mount Hua warriors, who were executing a brilliant sword technique that shattered their blades. It was unlike any typical justice faction’s swordplay.

“N-No!”

“I can’t handle this!”

The terrified bandits began to retreat all at once. They had neither the will nor the reason to risk their lives fighting against an opponent stronger than themselves.

There was just one deterrent.

“AHHH! You scum!”

Slash!

Wong Gang, in his fury, struck down a bandit and yelled.

“Anyone who retreats will die by my hand! Don’t back down! They’re all just children!”

At his furious roar, the retreating Green Forest bandits flinched and stood their ground.

Somehow, everyone had lost their will to fight, but they were prevented from fleeing. However, Wong Gang knew that the situation was far from easy.

With his senses, he couldn’t comprehend it at all.

Regardless of how formidable the Mount Hua sect was in the past or is now, most of them were merely children who hadn’t yet lost their innocence.

But now, the Red Tiger bandits felt as if they were dealing with seasoned warriors who had seen everything there was to see in the Kangho. The sharpness of their swords, in particular, terrified them.

The most unbelievable aspect was their strength.

Internal strength grew over time. So, for those who hadn’t trained for a long period, this was a wild anomaly.

However, it wasn’t just one or two of them; most of them had enough strength to repel their blade.

‘How could this be possible unless we all work together…’

But he didn’t even have time to understand the situation.

If he didn’t act immediately, the battle line would crumble. If that happened, all that would remain would be a one-sided slaughter.

Gritting his teeth, Wong Gang caught sight of someone swinging a sword at the forefront.

‘First, I will dismantle that old man’s power!’

Among those present, one individual stood out due to his inexperience. If a leader-like figure fell, the balance of the battle would shift.

“Move aside!”

Wong Kang charged at Hyun Sang, who was at the forefront.

However, someone left their position and darted right in front of him.

Thud.

The person who landed most gently on the ground aimed their sword at him.

“…Who are you?”

“Mount Hua’s Yu Yiseol.”

Yu Yiseol’s icy gaze made it difficult for Wong Kang to breathe.