Return of Mount Hua Sect

“So…”

Chung Myung said, with his ears perked up.

“Shall we go down there and kill those guys together, then?”

“Yes.”

“If that bothers me, why don’t we just watch what you guys do and eat some soybean soup?”

“Precisely.”

Jang Ilso smiled and nodded. Chung Myung looked back with a puzzled expression.

“You see.”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon and the Five Swords all gazed at Chung Myung with anxious expressions.

What more was this bastard going to say…

“It does seem like a good offer…”

“Ack! Just shut up!”

“I said not to do it!”

“Please! Please, you bastard, just!”

Looking at Chung Myung’s face, the Five Swords screamed in unison.

“Ah, seriously.”

Chung Myung frowned and turned his head to look at Hyun Jong. Unlike the Five Swords, who reacted violently, he was just looking at Chung Myung with deep eyes.

And those eyes said it.

‘Do whatever you want; Mount Hua will support your decision.’

That was the faith that Hyun Jong showed in Chung Myung.

‘Ehh.’

But Hyun Jong didn’t know.

That look in his eyes filled with firm faith actually made it impossible for Chung Myung to move carelessly.

Chung Myung glanced at the distant sky.

‘Sect leader sahyung.’

If the person standing there was his sahyung, and Chung Myung stood behind him, surely Chung Myung would have taken the chance to kill the damned bastards of the Nine Great Sects.

If his sahyung told him to be quiet, he would yell back, but deep down he would have tried to accept the words of his sahyung.

But the place where Chung Myung was standing now wasn’t behind his sahyung, but the place of his sahyung.

‘This makes people think back.’

Leading a sect was the same as letting go of oneself.

It meant letting go of all the grudges in the heart, the principles of the world, and violent impulses, and living a life solely for Mount Hua.

Only now did he understand how heavy it was.

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung, who was staring at the sky, sighed for a moment before looking at Jang Ilso again.

Jang Ilso watched Chung Myung with deep eyes as if his emotions were difficult to comprehend.

“It seems like you’re at a loss for words. Do I really have to repeat myself two or three times?”

Chung Myung replied with a grin.

“I thought I said I would attack you if you spoke nonsense?”

“…”

Jang Ilso’s face contorted.

“Nonsense?”

“This is why I don’t make deals with Evil Factions.”

Chung Myung stroked his cheek and glanced at Jang Ilso.

“It’s natural that I don’t want to see those Nine Great sects bastards. My anger indeed makes me want to beat the hell out of them right now.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“But you see, bastard!”

Chung Myung sharply ground his teeth.

“No father kills someone in front of his child! No older brother tells his younger sibling that achieving a goal is worth killing for.”

“…”

“My way of life is mine. It isn’t Mount Hua’s! I have no intention of dictating what path Mount Hua should take. That would be hell.”

“… I agree.”

“Even if I don’t want to, I agree.”

“Ugh, I hate it.”

“…”

When Chung Myung glanced back, the Five Swords cleared their throats and looked away.

Chung Myung looked at them for a moment with trembling eyes, then glared at Jang Ilso even more sharply, anger and contempt in his eyes.

“That is the way people should take. You moron, you don’t even know what Tao is.”

Anyone who led a sect must be an example to those who followed him.

‘If it were sahyung, he would have definitely said it.’

And without a doubt, the most perfect sect leader was his sahyung.

“Duty isn’t something you keep in the hope of returning. Just because everyone doesn’t follow it doesn’t mean you have to follow it. A Taoist is someone who refines himself. The most important thing is whether you can be proud of yourself or not, and not what others think!”

“…”

“It’s better to hold hands with a passing dog than to hold hands with an unhappy person. That’s pitiful, right? Is it not?”

Jang Ilso, who was staring at Chung Myung in silence, slowly opened his mouth.

“Tao?”

“Yes, Tao.”

“Still, I thought maybe I could communicate with you a little, but you began to talk like an idiot. Tao? What does that mean?”

Jang Ilso’s red lips opened up.

“People take refuge in that concept of Tao! Comfort for those who don’t have it! It is just an excuse for someone without courage. Those who hold the world in their hands don’t discuss things like morality. Only those who don’t dare to conform to the world discuss morality!”

Rather than refute those words, Chung Myung nodded slowly.

“Well… that’s right.”

“Um?”

“It isn’t exactly wrong.”

Jang Ilso looked at Chung Myung as if he didn’t understand.

“… How can you reject what I say?”

“You seem to be mistaken, but what I just said needs to be said.”

“…”

“And there is something else I want to say.”

Srrng.

Chung Myung slowly pulled the sword from the sheath. And he aimed the tip at Jang Ilso.

“Just act within your limits, you damn bastard. Anyone who stands by is disgusting. Ignorant people are useless. But… neither the sins of the indifferent nor the sins of the ignorant can reach you.”

A spark lit up inside of Chung Myung’s eyes.

“From the moment the arm of our senior sasuk was cut down by the Ten Thousand People clan, Mount Hua and the Ten Thousand People clan could no longer live under the same sky. I would rather cut off your wrists than join hands with you.”

“Huh…”

Jang Ilso’s lips twitched as he laughed, seemingly incredulous.

“A small being. Are you really going to miss this chance because of a personal grudge?”

“Of course. I am small. In fact, I’m the smallest of the small. So…”

Chung Myung’s eyes were filled with killing intent.

“I will make you clearly feel the resentment this small guy has.”

A sneer appeared on Jang Ilso’s lips.

‘Idiot…’

Even if no one else knew, Jang Ilso understood.

The resentment in Chung Myung’s eyes. And that this resentment wasn’t visible to everyone else.

No, if it was resentment, it might actually run deeper towards those beneath him.

He spoke jokingly as if reciting something predetermined, but even in that short period, what hellish agony must have been going through Chung Myung’s mind.

And yet, the only reason Chung Myung came to this conclusion was.

“A sect… is that really something important?”

To Jang Ilso, the Ten Thousand People Clan was nothing but a tool to achieve his own goals. But, to Chung Myung, he was the tool to build Mount Hua.

If he had intended to use Mount Hua to resolve his resentment, he might have joined hands with Jang Ilso. But Chung Myung set aside his resentment for the sake of his sect.

Even if it meant walking through the flames of hell, he was determined to make Mount Hua a sect that walked the path of justice.

Even though he understood it, he wasn’t convinced. That was a compulsion, close to a bond.

“You pitiful thing.”

Even if he had the courage and position to shake the world with his mind, he was unable to wield the power to his heart’s content.

So pitiful.

“But you are just foolish.”

Jang Ilso looked at Chung Myung with contemptuous eyes and sneered.

“You need to be there to have a sect. The most important thing in the world is me.”

“Ah, right. I had the same thought once.”

Chung Myung’s lips twitched.

“But now I know. There are things in the world that are more important than me, and that is something a fool like you won’t know.”

Something I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t lost.

I realized it because I lost.

No one, no one in the world, could ever take Mount Hua away from Chung Myung. No matter who it was!

“I don’t get it.”

Jang Ilso clicked his tongue with a bit of an exaggerated look.

He and Chung Myung were clearly similar but also terribly different.

Even Jang Ilso couldn’t figure out where this difference came from.

“That is disgusting.”

“Right. I am disgusted with you too.”

Chung Myung glared at Jang Ilso.

If he had come to Mount Hua or met his sahyung, if he hadn’t known the affection of sahyung and the importance of walking together, he might have turned into someone like Jang Ilso, who grew up in the back alley as an orphan with no place to live.

That’s why he couldn’t look at that even more. This was disgust for Jang Ilso and hatred for him.

‘I found Mount Hua the most frustrating thing in the world.’

For him, Mount Hua was everything and, at the same time, a restraint. It wasn’t once or twice that he felt the chains of Mount Hua were tying him down.

If there had been no Chung Myung, Mount Hua would have been destroyed long ago.

But…

‘Only now.’

The fact that Mount Hua, which was extremely frustrating, did exist caused a constant wailing in his heart.

And disgust for Jang Ilso and hatred for his past self.

‘I was wondering why my stomach twists every time I see that bastard.’

It seemed like it wasn’t just a grudge for the sake of Un Geom.

“So stop talking and attack. I will cut off that hand and give it to you.”

“Hahahaha.”

Jang Ilso laughed out loud like this was fun.

Then, the Desolate Gold Elder laughed next to him.

“It doesn’t seem to be going well?”

“It isn’t really a big deal.”

Jang Ilso waved his hand.

“I don’t know about the Heavenly Friends Alliance, but Mount Hua doesn’t hold much strength. I just wanted to solve it a little easier….”

Jang Ilso’s eyes, looking at Chung Myung and Mount Hua, were now filled with annoyance.

“If you want to turn down the alcohol and drink the punishment, there is nothing you can do. The only way is to twist the neck and shove the alcohol down the throat.”

Jang Ilso lightly gestured towards Mount Hua.

“Kill them all. Along with the ones below. Do not let them interfere.”

“Respect!”

The Ten Thousand People Clan, waiting behind the cliff, shouted and began to run up.

Their direction was Mount Hua.

“Come!”

At the same time, Chung Myung shouted, and the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect all drew their swords.

“Sect leader!”

“Hmm.”

Hyun Jong nodded and raised his voice.

“Defeat the enemies! Mount Hua does not compromise with injustice!”

“Yes!”

Un Am quickly followed and shouted.

“Blow off the wicks where gunpowder is kept! We have to stop them from blowing up the cliff!”

As soon as the words ended, Chung Myung shouted.

“Sasuk! Sago! Sahyung!”

“Yes!”

“Prepare.”

“Is it now?”

“I am already feeling good!”

Chung Myung smiled, revealing his pure white teeth.

He guessed it was good.

Having them behind his back was enough for now.

“At once! Follow me with the determination to die!”

Chung Myung began to run to the edge of the cliff. Baek Cheon, Yu Yiseol, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul followed behind him as one body.

‘Sect leader sahyung.’

Now he understood.

He might not have been in an upright position either.

Since he was human, too, there was no way he wasn’t swayed by his own desires, and there was no way he wasn’t harassed by his impulses.

And yet, he maintained his path.

Because he had Chung Myung and the other disciples behind him.

And… now, Chung Myung was taking the same path.

“LET’S GOOOOOOO!”

A red plum blossom bloomed like a vision at the tip of Chung Myung’s sword as it rose above the cliff.