Return of the Mount Hua Sect

After returning to his place, Chung Myung puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction and grumbled.

“It’s been a while since we met; we should at least talk right.”

“Right, right.”

“Ehh, the elder was harsh.”

“Right.”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung tilted his head as the reaction was unexpected.

‘Why do these people agree with what I say?’

“Sasuk?”

“Haha. Since this is a meeting with Wudang, wouldn’t it be natural for the elders to speak sharply?”

“No, that isn’t it. Why do you keep sneaking?”

“… Catch him.”

“Yes!”

The group rushed to the left and right to hold Chung Myung’s arms down. Even Hae Yeon ran up from behind and held him by the waist, and Baek Ah, who was in his arms, jumped and grabbed his neck.

“Do not let him run around! The future of Mount Hua is at stake now.”

“Yes, Sasuk!”

“Risk your life to stop him!”

No, these bastards?

Chung Myung looked to the left and right as if it was absurd.

“No, do Sahyungs think I would pick a fight with them?”

“No.”

Baek Cheon shook his head resolutely.

“You are such a person, and I can guarantee it.”

“Right?”

“There’s no way to end it.”

“…”

If he had to choose the most resolute thing in the world, it would be the face of Baek Cheon.

“Be quiet before I shut that mouth too. I’m serious now.”

“…”

Everyone cheered heartily as they watched Baek Cheon silence Chung Myung.

‘As expected of Sasuk.’

‘At times like this, he’s truly trustworthy!’

They had experienced a lot of things and learned a lot, but the thing they put the most effort into learning was how to keep that damn being from making a mess.

Of course, it had little effect, and he couldn’t say for sure that it was still effective. Even at the moment they overpowered Chung Myung, the talks between the elders continued.

Heo Sanja smiled.

“I’m more than happy to meet you. I’m Wudang’s Heo San(ja).”

“I am Mount Hua’s Hyun Sang.”

“I am Mount Hua’s Hyun Young.”

From the moment he heard the name Heo Sanja, the eyes of Hyun Young changed.

‘Was this the right-hand man of Wudang’s sect leader?’

He thought there was no way they could have come this far on their own. Of course, the sect leader must have gathered this number of people to send here. However, since Heo Sanja, his most trusted man, was also sent, this meant that the sect leader was being hostile to Mount Hua.

“I don’t know how to express my gratitude to such a person for coming to visit us from such a distant place.”

“What distance? Wuhan is the front yard of Wudang. It is said that the Taoists of Mount Hua had visited, but as leaders, how could we comfortably stay?”

“Ahaha. As a guest, we are sorry for not visiting you first.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean it like that. Please do not misunderstand.”

Jo Gul quietly whispered to Yoon Jong as he listened to the conversation.

“Sahyung.”

“Uh?”

“It looks like there are a lot of knives being thrown with words.”

“… Quiet now.”

Even though he was told to stay silent, Yoon Jong felt the same.

‘Truly bloody.’

Although they were talking and smiling, each word felt heavy. They didn’t back down even an inch and tried to crush each other with words.

On the other hand, it also meant that Hyun Young and Hyun Sang were maintaining their dignity against the elders of Wudang.

Even though the Wudang’s disciples had formed into lines and were putting pressure on them.

‘Our elders…’

Baek Cheon smiled without realizing it. It was because he felt immense pride while looking at this.

“But, sasuk.”

“Hmm?”

Jo Gul tilted his head and asked.

“That Wudang Elder is one we saw at the Sword Tomb before, right?”

“Right.”

“From what I remember back then, I think Chung Myung was the one spending time with him.”

“Right.”

To be precise, they didn’t just hang around. They fought. However, no matter how tough the situation, it wasn’t easy to voice such concerns.

“Then…”

When Jo Gul hesitated, unable to speak, Chung Myung turned his head.

“What?”

“…”

“Why is the elder of Wudang appearing so weak?”

“B-brat! When did I ever say that!”

Chung Myung smiled.

Indeed, Chung Myung was strong enough to beat one of Wudang’s best warriors back then, but this elder seemed so weak now that he couldn’t be compared to his past self. No matter who he was, regaining former glory took time.

“There is no need to change your mind. Because it’s true.”

“Uh?”

“That elder isn’t strong.”

“…”

After hearing those words, Baek Cheon and his party looked at Heo Sanja standing in the distance with slightly surprised expressions.

‘Not strong?’

How could someone like that, an elder representing Wudang, be weak?

“It seems like you are all misunderstanding.”

“Uh?”

“Mount Hua is a special case. Most of the famous sects are like this. Because, unlike Mount Hua, the power of the first class disciples and the elders differ.”

“That’s right. It’s pretty natural.”

“No. I don’t think I understand at all…”

Chung Myung snorted.

“The power of elders translates to the power of the sects. But do you think such elders have time to wander around without cultivating?”

“Uh…”

It was something they hadn’t previously considered.

“Most elders are like that. They did everything they could, experienced what they could, and had a fair bit of experience in fights, too. So now they aren’t just perfecting the sword. Then do you know what happens next?”

“W-well?”

“They just hold the sword and scatter across the mountain to practice sword techniques.”

“…”

“Because he is an elder, he can be manipulated as pleased. When asked to do something outside, he shows displeasure. You do whatever you want, but when something really big happens in the sect, the elders are the ones who sneak up and tell you what to do.”

“…That was a bad evaluation.”

“He looked at an elder like that.”

Chung Myung silently smiled and looked up at the sky.

-You! Just do some work! Do some bloody work! This guy’s called an elder, but he always drinks! The other disciples are running around until their feet are swollen! What the hell is this! You disgustingly rotten bastard!

‘Ah, sorry.’

That was what Chung Mun said in the past while holding Chung Myung.

‘Did I know it then?’

If he had known then that running a sect would be such a pain, he would have done his best to help the sect leader.

… No, to be honest, he could have done it two or three times more, maybe.

Anyway.

“So, from the point of view of the Wudang sect leader, there was no one like him. Although he wasn’t the best due to his skills, he still had a reasonable reputation, was diligent, and carried out the will of the sect leader in a faithful manner. This ability was more valuable than that of strong warriors.”

Chung Myung would have ignored him in the past, but now he knows. For a sect to grow, people like that were needed.

Jo Gul spoke with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Uh, so you’re saying that they are still a great person?”

“No, it isn’t that. In any case, it’s true that he wasn’t strong enough for a normal elder of Wudang.”

Chung Myung spoke firmly.

“So don’t just look at that man and ignore the elders of Wudang.”

His eyes, which looked at Heo Sanja, were turning sharper.

“Do not ignore that man, but the real Wudang elders are truly sword spirits. They are people who only wield swords, except when eating and sleeping, because they want to gain enlightenment with a single sword. Do not take it lightly.”

Those who were listening quietly gulped at this and nodded their heads.

“And…the same applied to the first-class disciples.”

Chung Myung’s gaze shifted to the Wudang’s disciples lined up neatly behind the elder.

“Since they didn’t achieve much in the tournament the other day, don’t assume that there’s nothing impressive about Wudang.”

“Yes…”

“However, it’s rare for a Wudang disciple to become famous at an early age.”

Chung Myung continued.

“Typically, Taoist martial arts strengthen over time. Unlike the martial arts of other sects that shine from an early age, this starts weak and slowly accumulates its efficiency, eventually becoming a mountain. It’s similar to Mount Hua, but if we’re talking about the Taoists, they’ll be strong.”

“…”

“A Wudang disciple becomes stronger as their training time increases. The third-class disciples won’t be much, and the second class will be the ones you play with. When you come across a first-class disciple, you encounter a different individual. When you reach the elder… you’ll face a monster.”

As he spoke, Chung Myung’s face hardened slightly.

That subtle change in facial expression made the listeners feel more nervous. Baek Cheon slowly said,

“That’s how strong Wudang is.”

“Yes.”

He nodded at Chung Myung’s response.

“It’s a relief.”

“Um?”

“One has to be at the level of Wudang.”

“…”

“We tried to win with all our might, but it was meaningless because the opponents were too easy. I’d like to compete against someone like a former lord if possible. And…”

A smile appeared on his lips.

“Mountains only have meaning when you can climb them.”

“…”

Chung Myung, who was staring at him, turned his face to check the others. Every one of them was looking at the Wudang side.

And this made Chung Myung smile.

“Dong-Ryong said something nice today.”

“This bastard!”

“Enough!”

At that time, Yoon Jong raised his hand to dissuade everyone.

“First, let’s see what the elders have to say.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and looked at the elders. Meanwhile, the conversation continued.

“First.”

Heo Sanja bowed his head slightly.

“Thank you for subduing the bandits, which was something Wudang was unable to do. Not just the people of Wuhan, but everyone in Hubei will be grateful to Mount Hua.”

“This is something that a sect in Taoism should have done. Don’t worry about it.”

‘Ah, sahyung.’

Hyun Sang’s eyes twitched as he heard the response from Hyun Young.

He might have chosen the right answer, but it wasn’t the best one. Depending on how you interpreted it, it could be said that Wudang didn’t understand their thoughts and was getting things out of the bandits.

However, Heo Sanja’s expression didn’t change much, whether he wasn’t thinking much or simply not showing it.

“It isn’t just the bandits. I heard the Mount Hua disciples did an amazing job in the North Sea, too.”

“Ah…”

Hyun Young’s eyes twitched at that.

What happened in the North Sea wasn’t well known in the Central Plains. Words spread through people, but there were no sources of information in the North Sea yet, and trade was entirely around Mount Hua from the start.

Nevertheless, Wudang knew this fact. They were able to realize how outstanding their information power was.

“It wasn’t a big deal. We just did what we had to do.”

“Haha. Right.”

Heo Sanja smiled.

“It isn’t just the North Sea. Wasn’t the force of Mount Hua so strong in Yunnan and at the tournament, too? I respect you with all my heart.”

“Even if the might and will of Mount Hua are strong, how can we be compared with Wudang? Excessive courtesy isn’t nice.”

“Hahaha. Not at all. Mount Hua is truly doing well these days.”

“…”

“That is what…”

Heo Sanja glanced back at his disciples and spoke.

“Unlike Mount Hua disciples who traveled around the world, saying the world was small, it was a shame that our Wudang’s disciples lacked insight into the world.”

“How could you say that…”

“But, what if it was like this?”

Hyun Sang and Hyun Young’s faces were slightly tense as they looked at Heo Sanja.

“Anyway, weren’t the Wudang and Mount Hua from the same Taoist sect and sword sect, too? If we could learn about each other’s swords, wouldn’t it be a good chance to clear the fog and advance to a higher level?”

Hyun Sang’s face turned cold.

This was a request for a spar.

‘This directly?’

Usually, these words weren’t said directly.

A spar was something that determined whether you won or lost. If even a rumor spread about the result, there would be no greater embarrassment for the defeated sect.

Therefore, these matters were usually discussed secretly behind the scenes, and the results of the spar were kept hidden.

‘Isn’t it like that?’

But that was why he was aiming for this.

Wudang had something to lose, but not as much as Mount Hua. If they didn’t respond to the request after hearing this, the rumor that Mount Hua got scared by Wudang and ran away would spread through Hubei.

If that happened, the entire fame they had built until then would be lost. No; one might be able to protect their reputation, but it would inevitably be evaluated that Mount Hua wasn’t suitable for Wudang.

‘This raccoon!’

Hyun Sang felt like he understood why Wudang’s sect leader trusted this man. Wasn’t he trying to corner them after just a few pleasantries?

“What do you think, Taoist?”

“…”

Heo Sanja asked, and Hyun Sang couldn’t answer.

Even at a glance, the spirit of the Wudang disciples he had brought was odd. If he responded and then they were defeated…

It was then.

“Uh? That?”

Hyun Sang’s head turned at the ominous voice.

‘What is with this one now?’

He saw Chung Myung held captive by Baek Cheon’s group and shouted because his mouth wasn’t sealed.

“You’re saying you want to spar?”

“Hehehe.”

Heo Sanja burst into laughter.

It was truly odd for a disciple to intervene in the discussions of the elders. However, Heo Sanja was quite used to the kind of person Chung Myung was, so he wasn’t too flustered about this.

“Right, young Taoist. Isn’t it good?”

“Yes. It is a good thing. But… will you be alright?”

“What do you mean?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“It would be a shame for Wudang to challenge Mount Hua and then be defeated.”

“C-challenge?”

Heo Saja glanced at the merchants who were watching this. Sure enough, people began to whisper.

“Hahah, be it a human or a sect, you always want to be ahead of the world. There are challenges from Wudang now. Kuak! Our sect leader should have witnessed this.”

“…”

Heo Sanja looked disappointed for a moment. The disciples of Wudang who listened to this conversation wore grim looks.

“That….”

They clenched their fists here and there, making their bones crack loudly.

Chung Myung grinned at the quietly radiating rage.

“But how can we turn this down when Mount Hua has history? We need to teach you what a real sword is and what being a sword sect means.”

In the end, Heo Sanja’s face turned red.