Return of Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 7: Oh my—Mount Hua is in Ruins (3)

Chapter 7: Oh my—Mount Hua is in Ruins (3)

Elder Hyun Jong of Mount Hua Sect gave Un Am a confused look.

You mean he came up here alone?

Yes.

And then he fainted inside Okcheon temple?

It seems like he couldnt even eat properly but, since he climbed Mount Hua by himself, its natural for him to be exhausted.

I guess so. Hyun Jong smiled. The ruggedness of Mount Hua made it difficult enough for an adult to climb. The strain it would place on a child would be indescribable.

Where is that child now?

I moved him to the Plum Blossom Hall. I also called Yun Jin to check on him, and he said there was no problem other than fatigue.

Thats good. Hyun Jong nodded. Whatever his circumstances, the kid was a guest of Mount Hua now.

But its strange for a child to climb up here alone. Is there no story behind it?

After the visit to Okcheon, I was going to ask himbut, as you know, he fainted, and I couldnt ask.

I see.

But

Hm?

Un Am frowned and explained the plum blossom to Hyun Jong.

You sold them? Hyun Jong tilted his head quizzically.

Yes.

He said that and then fainted? Hmm. The Elder stroked his beard.

Of course, I could have heard it wrong. But it is a long story. That wasnt the only weird thingbefore I could ask him anything, he asked me if I was a martial artist of Mount Hua. Doesnt that mean he came to join?

Yes.

I wonder what he was planning

Are you worried? Hyun Jong chuckled at Un Am.

It isnt like that

What is so strange about knowing where Mount Hua is? This sect left its mark on history. Its no wonder people would remember it.

Right.

And he could be a descendant of a Mount Hua member.

Ah Un Am nodded. As they were pushed out of the Great Sects, many people had left Mount Hua. Few had remained to share their fate to the end. If this kid descended from one of them, they would find out.

If youre worried hes here to steal something, what is there left to steal?

...Sect leader. Un Ams face fell. However, Hyun Jong didnt see that.

Sold it. Hyun Jong shook his head and smiled. Right right. Maybe he descended from a former member since he seems to know what Okcheon Temple used to be. It must have been embarrassing for the child.

...Sect leader.

Enough. Its true that we sold it. Theres nothing to be ashamed of.

Maybe its better not to tell him. Un Am gulped. He wasnt telling him everything the boy had said.

You sold it! You idiots He wondered how the sect leader would react to those words.

Right. Bring him to me as soon as he wakes up.

Yes, sect leader.

Hyun Jong lost himself to his thoughts.

Sold it. It felt like salt being sprinkled on his wounds. The ancestors will never forgive me.

No matter how much he wanted to save Mount Hua, how could he face his ancestors after selling the very history of Mount Hua? It hurt to think about

The name of Mount Hua should not end in my time. Hyun Jongs face darkened. It wouldnt happen, not even in his dreamshe worked day and night to keep Mount Hua afloat. But with each day, his hope waned.

Un Am quietly stood up.

Im leaving.

Hm.

Ah Un Am stopped, just as he was about to leave. Sect leader.

Hm?

If that child wants to join, what do you plan to do?

Join Mount Hua Sect didnt accept disciples anymore. However, it would be different if they were a descendant of one of the disciples.

It wont happen. Hyun Jong nodded firmly.

I understand.

Wait.

Yes, sect leader.

Whats that childs name?

Chung Myung. Its Chung Myung.

...Chung Myung. Hyun Jongs expression darkened. Okay. You can go.

Yes.

Chung Myung He had the same name as one of Mount Huas swordsmen.

Weird. It was definitely weird.

If only he were still alive. If only the famous Plum Blossom Sword Saint had survived that bloodbath, the fate of Mount Hua would be much different. It was a meaningless daydream, but Hyun Jong couldnt help himself.

...So much debt.

Hyun Jong felt so, so alone.

You damned bastards. Chung Myung spat curses. You had nothing else, so you sold it?

It was maddening. Even if they were starving to death, those werent things they should sell. No matter how shabby it looked, the disciples were dead. The young kids would have known nothing.

Right

But even if Mount Hua was destroyed, those couldnt be sold

No, this is better than being ruined. If the ancestors had seen Chung Myung, they would have scolded him. No martial artist should be obsessed with material things. He knew that. He knew it well.

Shit. Chung Myung groaned.

He looked down at the mountain range. Whenever hed felt frustrated, he would climb another mountain and look at Mount Hua. When he saw the endless peaks rising through the clouds like swords, his spirits rose. But now

Shit. Everything was bad. It was all inside out. It felt like his stomach rotted whenever he saw something missing.

The sect has declined. Really, it was more like collapsed than declined.

Anything of value was sold. That meant practically everything in Mount Hua. No doubt, Okcheon was the last place they touchedafter he saw Okcheon Temple, he could understand why this place was so run down. They were so destitute theyd pulled up the blue stones and sold them.

...Right. I understand everything! Everything else is fine, but this!

Why are the martial arts so crooked?!

Chung Myung rolled around on the floor outside the hall. He would die if he fell off, but Chung Myung didnt have the time to think about it.

That old man not even a third-rate disciple? Talk about fate. Under normal circumstances, Chung Myung wouldnt even be able to guess the level of Un Am. No matter how strong he used to be, he was nothing more than a kid now.

However, Chung Myung could clearly see Un Ams level of martial arts. His senses werent strong, Un Am was just too weak. When Chung Myung was at his prime, Un Am wouldnt have even qualified as a student.

...What am I supposed to do? He didnt even know where to start. He knew he should start from the bottom, but it was too deep for Chung Myung to see.

Is this Mount Hua?

Do I tell them Im that Chung Myung? They would curse him, no doubt. If he was lucky, they wouldnt beat him before they kicked him out. Chung Myung wouldnt believe himself, either.

But lets say they did believe him. Assume the man was infinitely patient and asked him to prove it with his martial arts.

I dont have the strength. Chung Myung was like a walking treasure. He had all the knowledge to revive the sect but not the power to protect himself. Chung Myung knew not everyone was as wonderful as his Sahyung. What if one of them didnt like Chung Myung and decided to take him out? His second life would be stolen, just like that.

Thats no good, either.

Then Ill have to revive the sect without revealing my identity. Or at least, hide it until he had the means to protect himself.

...It would be easier to fight the Demonic Sect. He spat a laugh. He had to teach martial arts to save Mount Hua and himself. He wanted to start hitting people, but

...If I had known this would happen, I wouldnt have run over here.

He owes Mount Hua. The only reason he could walk around saying he was the best swordsman in the world was because of Mount Hua. Yet, hed given nothing back to Mount Hua, only the honor of defeating the Heavenly Demon. Thanks to that, Mount Hua was on the edge of destruction. How could he ignore Mount Hua? He couldnt.

Oh, Sahyung Chung Myung shook his head regretfully.

Up in the blue sky, he could see Sahyung Jang Mun smiling down at him.

Still, its Mount Hua.

...Uh. Chung Myung heaved himself up. If he didnt want Sahyung to murder him in the afterlife, he had to make himself useful to Mount Hua.

Damn it, who said anything could be impossible in this world? When hed first started learning martial arts at Mount Hua, who would have imagined he would become a great master? Everyone had thought they would be lucky if he didnt cause trouble. Chung Myung overcame their cold eyes and became famous in Mount Huachallenging the impossible was his specialty!

I will make it the best in Murim! Chung Myungs eyes glowed with passion.

Everyone in Mount Hua shivered.