Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Wuhan, Hubei Province.

If asked to choose the most impressive thing in Wuhan, everyone would speak of the Yangtze River, which runs straight through the city’s center.

A wide plain spread around the river, the lifeline of the Central Plains. Wuhan was a place built on top of it.

A group of warriors diligently worked on the banks of the iconic Yangtze River. Those around them watched and whispered.

“What is that?”

“It seems I haven’t seen them before, but what’s being done…”

“Uh? Aren’t those people from the Wudang sect?”

“Uh? Wudang?”

Those who heard these words widened their eyes and looked again at the people gathered at the riverside.

“It’s true! It’s Wudang!”

“No, what are the Wudang people doing there?”

People wearing robes laid a foundation on the riverside, bringing and placing hard stones. They then drew out their swords and began to evenly cut it.

“O-Oh my! They are cutting the rocks as if they’re tofu!”

“Why are you so surprised? Aren’t they members of the Wudang Sect? There are people who climb mountains and cross rivers in a month; this isn’t much for them.”

“No, so what are they doing now?”

“What kind of stage does this look like?”

It was a truly shocking sight.

A rock the size of a house was moved as if it were a mere pebble, and the moved rock was cleanly cut and covered the ground. After repeating the process, a fairly high stage was completed.

“Elder, we are almost done.”

“Hmm.”

Heo Sanja, who was observing from the side, nodded.

“But… why are we doing…”

“Because it’s obvious.”

In response to Mu Jin’s cautious question, Heo Sanja spoke quietly but with a powerful voice.

“Wuhan is the realm of Wudang. Would anyone make a guest who came to their house do the work? Just as guests have duties to follow, so do the owners.”

“Ah…”

Heo Sanja’s eyes shone.

“Don’t start fights over trivial matters. Those who covet small things can’t see the big picture. Those who obsess over insignificant things and struggle to avoid losses will inevitably miss the big picture. If you, as a disciple of Wudang, want to see the world, ensure that your eyes are on the big picture.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, elder.”

Heo Sanja smiled as he watched Mu Jin bow his head deeply in response.

Mu Jin had lost to Chung Myung once before.

This must have been a huge shock to him, as he carried the name of Wudang and even aspired to be the best in Wudang. This was because his opponent, who wasn’t even considered a fully-fledged disciple of Mount Hua, defeated him.

But that defeat didn’t stop him. A person who had nothing to fear in the world only discovered what was lacking and learned humility.

Just as barley that’s trampled once grew upright and pine trees growing in harsh fields developed tougher and stronger roots, the defeat gave Mu Jin the spirit to try and reach higher ground.

“How is it?”

“Uh?”

“How do you feel about seeing Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?”

When Heo Sanja asked, Mu Jin thought for a moment before answering.

“I don’t know. Even though it seems like nothing has changed, it also seems like a lot has changed. Because I didn’t know him very well to begin with.”

“I’m not asking that. I asked for your honest thoughts.”

“…Happy.”

“Um?”

A faint smile appeared on Mu Jin’s face.

“When I first met him, his reputation wasn’t that high. Of course, he did make a name for himself after the fight with Southern Edge, but that was still being questioned.”

“Right.”

The memory was still vivid.

Heo Sanja didn’t pay much attention to Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon’s title. Well, he thought it was a flashy name for a moment.

However, after meeting him in person, his entire opinion changed. Hadn’t he tried to bring him in as a Wudang disciple at all costs? He even offered the most unusual conditions, the likes of which the history of Wudang had never seen.

But in the end, he stayed at Mount Hua, which now posed a threat to them.

‘It might all be the work of Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, but…’

At least, without the existence of that one man, Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, the location of Mount Hua and its name would have been very different from what they were then.

“After that, he continued to grow and make a name for himself. Now, isn’t the name of Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon not only a title for the best in the world but also the best in a hundred years?”

“Right.”

Mu Jin spoke in a confident tone.

“So there will be a much greater meaning in giving it back.”

“…”

“I am once again grateful. Because I wasn’t lazy and continued to practice, keeping him in mind. It is a little shameful to target someone younger than me, though…”

“There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Heo Sanja stated clearly.

“In Kangho, age and origin don’t matter. The only things of importance are who is stronger and who is more upright.”

“Yes, elder.”

Heo Sanja reached out and patted Mu Jin on the shoulder.

Those who had higher expectations since childhood could fall into darkness after a single loss. This was because when one won, they became aware of a fear they hadn’t known before.

He could understand the child being sad and sullen, but Mu Jin, who protected them like a giant tree, was never shaken by that win, which made Heo Sanja extremely happy.

‘I definitely have to thank Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon for this.’

Thanks to him, Wudang disciples gained the strength to lead Wudang in the future.

“How is Jin Hyun?”

“Not much different from me.”

“I see. Then it is good.”

Heo Sanja nodded, but he lowered his voice slightly.

“But I felt bad for you. Looking at this situation, it would have been natural to give you a chance for revenge, but the situation didn’t allow that.”

“Don’t worry about me. What’s important isn’t me.”

Mu Jin also knew that his opponent in the spar wasn’t Chun Myung.

“But… elder.”

“Hm?”

“Is Elder Heo Gong going to do it?”

“Yes.”

“A person who wasn’t interested in the actions of…”

Heo Sanja laughed softly at this.

“Is there anyone among the elders who is interested in the sect? It’s weird.”

“He’s the same.”

“He might be a pain in the ass, but since the sect leader said so, there would be no way not to move. And all he had to do was come here.”

When Mu Jin, who didn’t readily understand, expressed his doubt with his eyes, Heo Sanja smiled.

“If you think about that man’s spirit to win, you wouldn’t be able to defeat him without raising the sword. This man overpowers the Wudang of the past… no because he’s very interested in Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword technique, which is said to be on par with that of Wudang.”

“Ahhh”

Then he understood.

Heo Gong was known to be the greatest in Wudang and would most likely have shown great interest in the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

Even though Heo Gong wasn’t the best sword of Wudang yet, he might one day rise to be in the position of the best sword of Wudang. If he hadn’t been the youngest of the elders and had been of the same age as the elders, his reputation as the strongest sword of Wudang would have been his by now.

“That’s not important.”

Heo Sanja spoke firmly.

“Defeating Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon in the spar isn’t something to boast or show off about. On the contrary, the fact that even an elder of Wudang had to come to deal with him is so shameful that it’s difficult to speak of it in front of others.”

“…”

“No matter how great the win is, this part will be pointed out at some moment.”

Mu Jin nodded as if he understood. He was the third-class disciple of Mount Hua and a Wudang elder.

Anyone could tell that the clashing of swords was strange at that moment. Even if Chung Myung was defeated without a fair fight, the reputation of Mount Hua wouldn’t be lowered at all.

No, it wouldn’t be strange if his reputation even rose further because he was fighting against a Wudang elder.

“This is why we need to do it.”

Heo Sanja looked at Mu Jin with firm eyes.

“I know that the first-class disciples will be concerned about fighting the second-class disciples of Mount Hua. But the purpose of this isn’t to show that we are better than Mount Hua. It is an expected thing. We need to let the world know that Mount Hua’s reputation is far exaggerated.”

“Yes.”

“You need to let everyone in the world know that there is no one in Mount Hua who can dare handle you. Can you do that?”

Mu Jin answered with stern eyes.

“My personal grudge is a small thing. What is more important is the honor of the sect. I will prove with this that the sword of Mount Hua hasn’t even touched the toes of Wudang.”

It was a truly serious statement, worthy of being trusted, and Heo Sanja nodded with a pleased expression.

“Right. Right.”

Nothing would be more pleasing than seeing a disciple grow up to be dependable.

Perhaps Mount Hua also looked at their disciples with the same feeling as Heo Sanja.

‘What needs to be acknowledged must be acknowledged.’

The power and force of the young, those who carried the future of the sect, were far superior in Mount Hua.

Heo Sanja, too felt this after seeing the disciples of Mount Hua. Although he disliked their free-spirited nature, which was not Taoist-like, he could feel the strength and will of each of them.

The nervousness that arose here caused him to fall for provocation. He was anxious that if a few more decades continued like this, the words of Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon might come true.

“I need to shake everything off with this spar.”

“Uh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Heo Sanja checked the floor one last time.

“Things had become more complicated now, but they would disgrace themselves, and there was no need for us to stop them. Tell the children to inform all who matter about a spar between Wudang and Mount Hua.”

“On a large scale?”

Heo Sanja silently nodded at the question of the disciple which seemed flustered.

“We should inform those who were wavering about the sect which held the true Taoist lineage. In fact, we had been too considerate of our benefactors. I should have recognized in advance that they wouldn’t care about…”

Thanks to Mount Hua, he learned.

“Move.”

“Yes!”

Heo Sanja’s face showed a subtle expression as he turned and watched Mu Jin walking away.

‘There will be no problem.’

It was said that as the play was done, people grew, and a moderate spar turned into a grand one, but it was only for them to win as long as they won.

And it was inconceivable for the first-class disciples of Wudang to be defeated by the second-class disciples of Mount Hua. He couldn’t understand why Mount Ha’s Divine Dragon had dug his own grave.

It was fine. Everything was perfect.

But…

‘Why do I feel anxious?’

Heo Sanja’s eyes darkened slightly.

The sight of the arena carved out of stone felt so unfamiliar to him.

“The audience has arrived.”

“They came in larger numbers than I thought. There is no end in sight.”

“Hmm, right. I see. I never thought people would be this interested in a spar between Wudang and Mount Hua.”

Heo Sanja looked at the crowd of people and shook his head.

This couldn’t happen based on Wudang’s reputation alone. A one-sided spar was usually more irritating to watch, and there was no need to waste precious time.

In other words, it meant that those who came here flocked here at the thought of their sparring being worth watching.

‘I do not like it.’

He had heard that Mount Hua was gaining fame recently but never thought it would be like this. The more he thought, the more he understood his sect leader.

“Are all the preparations done?”

“Yes! All done.”

“Heo Gong should come.”

“…”

Heo Sanja’s face distorted.

‘The sect is quite fine, but this elder is….’

After all, Heo Gong was an odd person, even at times like this.

“Are all the preparations done?”

“Yes.”

“We informed Mount Hua of the starting time.”

“Yes, and I even received the answer.”

“Right. But…”

“Yes.”

“… why isn’t Mount Hua coming?”

“…”

Heo Sanja’s face twitched at that.

‘They seem like they don’t even have manners.’

An hour had passed since the appointed time, and if one learned Tao and manners, they would not break a promised time for a spar like this.

“I knew they were mannerless from the start….”

“Should we go there now?”

“Forget it! Why urge them to do this!”

Heo Sanja bit his lip in hate.

‘I feel like I am being tested again and again.’

This was truly a shrewd thing. It was a shallow ploy to gain a little more advantage by making them anxious from waiting.

‘Still, those called disciples under a Taoist sect shouldn’t be doing such a ….’

What was more frustrating about this wasn’t their trick but the mind, which kept getting anxious about what was happening. The faces of the Wudang disciples also showed impatience.

“Amitabha.”

Heo Sanja uttered that and was about to comfort his disciples when,

“They are coming!”

“Mount Hua is there!”

“Aren’t they the ones who defeated the bandits and gave their wealth to Wuhan!”

“Wow!!!”

Heo Sanja was startled by the shout, which suddenly exploded like flame, and looked around.

In the distance, he could see Mount Hua’s disciples walking this way. But what really surprised him wasn’t Mount Hua but the reaction of the people.

“Mount Hua! Mount Hua! Mount Hua!”

“Cheers to Mount Hua!”

Cheers for Mount Hua spread like wildfire.

‘Was it this great?’

He had expected Mount Hua to garner a lot of public sentiment, but he had never imagined it would be like this. Still, Wudang had been protecting Hubei for a long time, so why were these people rooting for Mount Hua, which had only just arrived?

And when the opponent was Wudang?

Heo Sanja’s face turned cold.

Mount Hua approached with a carefree stride.

“There, there, nice to see you again.”

The Divine Dragon of Mount Hua led the way, waving his hand like a local thug.

“Did you sleep well? You probably won’t be able to sleep after this, so you should have rested.”

“….”

It was the moment when reason suddenly slipped from Heo Sanja’s mind.