Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Lying blankly, he looked at the ceiling and frowned.

a�?I��m dreaming of the past again.\'

With a small chuckle, he groaned as he tried to get up.

Throb. Throb. Throb.

��Ouch, ouch!!.��

At that moment, a familiar yet foreign pain surged throughout his entire body. Not just his upper body, but almost his entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages.

��No. What the!..”

When he touched his face, he found that even his face was covered in bandages. Unless someone was trying to turn him into a Jiangshi, it meant his injuries were quite severe..

It was when Chung Myung, who had a bitter smile, tried to remove the bandage.

��Zzzz!.��

��Huh?��

From a corner of the dimly lit room, several people seemed to be stirring in their sleep.

Several men curled up and fell in the room identified as small lanterns.

Jo-Gol lying on the floor, Baek Cheon, and Yoon Jong leaning against the wall in the corner, and Tang Soso and Yoo Iseol lying side by side in front of his bed.

a�?It seems like a sight I\'ve seen before!\'

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head.

It seemed like they couldn��t overcome fatigue and fell asleep after sticking around to take care of him.

It would be a given. Tang Soso must have been tired of treating Chung Myung and the wounded, and others have fought against Jang Ilso with Chung Myung. Five Swords�� body was also bandaged here and there.

a�?Stupid.\'

Having taken on Jang Ilso��s energy head-on, they probably didn��t have a single part of their body that wasn��t hurting. That��s what happens when you confront a martial master.

And yet, foolishly, they slept on that cold floor.

Chung Myung looked at those who were still asleep and breathing regularly and got up. He did so with utmost caution in case they woke up.

��Kii.��

��Shh.��

When Baek-ah, who raised its head at the sign of Chung Myung, opened its mouth, Chung Myung quickly put his index finger in front of his mouth. Understanding, Baek-ah scampered over and leaped onto Chung Myung��s head.

With Baek-ah on his head, Chung Myung silently stepped outside, carefully shutting the door behind him, and looked around.

��It doesn��t seem to be Kugang. They must have found nearby lodgings.��

Looking around the pavilion, he headed toward a nearby grove. He silently walked deep into the forest and found a suitable place. Chung Myung sat down and gazed up at the night sky..

The moon was exceptionally bright.

��Haa!.��

As he took a long breath Cheong Mun remained blank, the face of Cheong Mun He had seen in his dream came to mind. Cheong Mun, overlapping with the moon, was looking down at Chung Myung and smiling.

��Don��t look.��

Chung Myung grumbled and pouted for no reason.

��Ah, stop looking.��

But Cheong Mun\'s face continued to smile, prompting Chung Myung to completely lay down on his back.

��Ouch! Ouh�� It hurts like hell.��

Chung Myung, who distorted his face, grabbed the bandage on his face and ripped it off.

��How ridiculous����

He had been soundly beaten.

Of course, there are a number of factors to excuse. But Chung Myung knows. None of them were solid excuses.

There was only one root cause for everything that had happened.

That he was weak.

Do the best you can in the current situation?

It��s just a terrible idea. The important thing in Kangho is not to do your best according to the situation, but to create a situation in which you can win from the beginning.

��Jang Ilso.��

Eudeududuk.

Chung Myung gritted his teeth.

Even though he managed to land a blow in the end, it didn��t quench his anger. To be honest, all that happened on the cliff ultimately flowed under Jang Ilso��s calculations.

��Had he seen this, Cheong Jin would��ve laughed non-stop.��

Chung Myung can hear what he has to say.

�C Sahyung. Haven��t I always told you that wars aren��t just fought with swords? Right?

��You��re right.\'

Chung Myung wrapped his face in one hand.

��I��m lacking.��

Everything was lacking.

Had it been the past Mount Hua, Myriad Man Manor could have been swept away in a heartbeat.

But now, everything in Mount Hua is lacking. No, it is Chung Myung, not Mount Hua, who is lacking. In every aspect.

He doesn��t have the ability to lead people and inspire unity like Cheong Mun.

He doesn��t even have a sharp brain like Cheong Jin.

Even his martial arts skills are mediocre compared to the past Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign.

If he had regained even half of his past martial art, the war would have taken a completely different turn. And if he had fully regained his past power, war could not have been established in the first place.

The leadership to lead a sect.

The intelligence to seize victory.

And the power to realize that victory.

The three most important elements in waging war are all lacking. Words such as falling into a scheme or someone betraying them are nothing more than excuses for one��s lack.

No matter what stupidity Heo Dojin may have done, if it were the past Mount Hua, they would have overcome it. No, if it was the past Mount Hua, Heo Dojin would not have even dared to think of doing something like that right in front of his eyes.

In the end, his shortcomings led to this defeat.

Chung Myung��s gaze, looking at the moon in the sky, was dark.

This isn��t the first time he has faced defeat.

Rather, he suffered numerous defeats. That��s what war is all about. It is no exaggeration to say that the war against Magyo is a history of his accumulated defeats.

However, the defeat this time was quite different from then.

Right now��

��Don��t laugh.��

Lost in thought, Chung Myung glared slightly at Cheong Mun, who kept looking down at him with a smile.

He was getting upset for no reason as he looked at Cheong Mun, who was just smiling without knowing how he felt.

But what can he do?

The image of Cheong Mun that remains strongest in his memory is of him smiling just like that.

Chung Myung slowly closed his eyes.

��!I��m not lonely or anything. Those idiots over there don��t give me a moment to feel lonely, you know. So it��s not like that��”

Chung Myung��s low murmur permeated the dark night landscape.

��It\'s just that. What if I hadn��t come back alone? If Sahyung�� and Cheong Jin, and the Sajes had come back with me, it wouldn��t have been like this now. No�� even if that weren��t the case����

Chung Myung shut his mouth tightly.

After hesitating for a while, he finally opened his lips that couldn��t be separated.

��It would have been better if Sahyung came, not me. I didn��t know anything at first�� but I think I know now. I was stupid, Sahyung.��

When he opened his eyes again, Cheong Mun��s face was still there, smiling as always.

����Really.��

Chung Myung��s face twisted.

��People can be so cold-hearted.��

If one looked at that face, how could they speak weakly?

Of course, Chung Myung knows.

This is just whining. If they were watching Chung Myung from Heaven, they��d probably be lamenting that he couldn��t lead Mount Hua properly.

��I just.! wanted to vent a little. If Sahyung were here, I would have been able to maybe complain, and if Cheong Jin were here, I would have been able to bully him. But alone�� Yeah, because I��m alone. Because I just had no one to talk to.��

The sound of insects crying came from somewhere.

��Ki.��

Baek-ah, who had been clinging to his side the whole time, looked up at him with worried eyes. Chung Myung chuckled as he looked at those black eyes. Then he tapped Baek-ah��s head with his index finger.

��You don��t need to worry about me.��

A sigh came out of Chung Myung��s mouth.

It��s difficult.

Becoming much stronger than now is not that difficult. He just had to retrace the path he walked in the past. But that��s not good enough.

That way he can��t stop Heavenly Demon.

He has to become much stronger than before. To the point where even his past self can\'t compare. To do that, he has to move forward slowly but surely, step by step.

That��s why he��s anxious.

He worries that Mount Hua might crumble before he��s complete. That Heavenly Demon might reveal himself before he becomes perfect.

As the days go by, not only does his shoulder not get lighter, it even gets heavier instead. Although the kids have grown enough to support him, the pressure intensifies with each passing day.

��It��s strange.��

Chung Myung, who was lost in thought, scratched his head.

��Come to think of it, I haven\'t done it for quite a while, but I don��t know why I thought of Sect Leader Sahyung so much today. Maybe because I got beaten up!! how childish.��

Chung Myung grinned.

��Come on, don��t look at me like that. I am Chung Myung, you know. I��ll whine just for today, and then be fine from tomorrow onwards. It\'s just!! people need that kind of time.”

It was clear throughout the day, and the night sky was clear, making the moon look even clearer.

Cheong Mun was a very strong man.

But at the same time, he was also a frustrating person. In the past, Chung Myung sometimes did not understand and found it frustrating that Cheong Mun was so stubborn and upright to his principles.

But! he thinks he knows to some extent now.

��Sahyung must have been lonely too.��

Being in a leading position is like that.

No one tells you if you��re walking the right path. There is no one in front of you, so you must constantly question yourself, doubt yourself, and agonize.

For such Cheong Mun, a�?Righteousness\' and a�?Chivalrousness\' would have been like lanterns that kept him and Mount Hua from going astray.

How many times would he have wanted to walk on a path other than just that, but he would have endured and suppressed his own desires. Not for himself, but to lead those who believed and followed him down the right path.

He could finally understand the difficulties and solitude only after he stood in the same position Cheong Mun was.

In other words, even the past Chung Myung did not fully understand Cheong Mun.

How lonely Sahyung must have felt?

Chung Myung, vaguely grasping his feelings, closed his eyes.

��I crave some alcohol.��

Is there a place nearby with some liquor��?

It was then.

��Chung Myung-ah!��

��Where did this guy go again!��

��Find him, now! He might be drinking!��

��I��ll kill him.��

“!!.”

Loud noises broke the silence. Chung Myung sighed and looked in the direction of the voices.

��Those pesky ghosts.��

It seemed like they suddenly discovered that he was gone and came out in a hurry. Startled by the barrage of curses, Chung Myung uneasily gazed up at the sky.

��See, I told you, didn��t I? They don��t give me time to be lonely. They��re much better than how I used to be.��

Chung Myung got up.

��Eutcha.��

After patting her butt, he grabbed Baek-ah, who was climbing up his body and placed it on his shoulder, muttering softly.

��Don��t worry. I��m strong. So just watch comfortably. I��ll beat up all those bastards.��

He chuckled and started walking. At that moment,

�C Strength��.

Chung Myung once again cast his gaze to the sky.

�C Is not about not falling, but about getting up again even when you fall, Chung Myung.

It was something Cheong Mun once told him.

Alongside the moon, the face of Cheong Mun, who had been gazing at Chung Myung, began to fade away. Chung Myung, who was staring blankly at the scene, soon had a calm smile on his lips.

��Always nagging.��

He straightened his back and looked ahead. His eyes carried a much firmer resolve than before.

It��s okay to be lacking.

It��s okay if he��s not good enough yet.

A full bowl can��t take in any more water. Being insufficient also means there��s room for improvement.

So��

Chung Myung started walking towards his Sahyug who were calling out to him as if their throats would tear.

On his two legs moving forward, there was no more hesitation.