Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Namgung Dowi grabbed Baek Cheon’s hand tightly.

Baek Cheon looked at him with extremely wide eyes.

“Thank you! Thank you, Baek Cheon Dojang!”

“N- No, wait a minute….”

Baek Cheon, who felt very uncomfortable, tried to quietly dissuade Namgung Dowi, but he seemed to have no intention of listening.

“I suspected as much, but indeed! I thought the absurd growth of Mount Hua couldn’t be explained by conventional means.”

“…”

“Then is it true that all Mount Hua’s disciples, including Baek Cheon Dojang, are learning martial arts from Chung Myung Dojang?”

“…It’s not exactly wrong to say that… It’s not wrong, but…”

“Thank you!”

Namgung Dowi let go of Baek Cheon’s hand and clenched his fist.

“It seems like I’ve found a sure way to revive Namgung Family.”

“That… Sogaju-nim? First of all, calm down….”

“Then I’ll go right away and ask Chung Myung Dojang for a favor! Thank you!”

“J- Just for a moment….”

But Namgung Dowi ran off without looking back. Baek Cheon, watching him go just like that, was bombarded with criticism.

“Demon.”

“Devil.”

“Pushing people into a pit of fire.”

“N- No, you bastards! What do you want me to do! He didn’t even give me a chance to explain and just heard what he wanted to hear and left!”

Baek Cheon grunted as if he was being unfairly treated, but Five Swords’s gaze had already left him. They looked at Namgung Dowi running away with sad eyes.

“…He will regret it.”

“You can say that again.”

“Poor thing.”

“That’s luck too, Sago.”

Among them, the calmest person was, of course, Yoon Jong.

“…Let’s follow him.”

“Huh?”

Yoon Jong spoke with a face filled with an utmost sense of duty.

“If we couldn’t stop him from jumping into the pit, we should at least be ready to pull him out and douse him with water at the right time.”

“…”

It seemed like something oddly wrong, but Baek Cheon nodded for now.

“Yeah, we should try to prevent him from burning up completely.”

Five Swords quickly followed behind Namgung Dowi.

* * *

“Ah, don’t push!”

“Just a moment, I need to see…”

“No, don’t push!”

Five Swords slightly opened the door of the pavilion where Chung Myung was located and looked inside the room.

A strange scene was unfolding inside.

Chung Myung is sitting in his seat as if he were a man in power, and Namgung Dowi kneeling before him respectfully.

‘At first glance, it looks like a scene where someone has come to bribe and seek a favor for an official position.’

Like a corrupt official… No, Chung Myung, who looked a hundred times more wicked than any corrupt official, opened his mouth with a dumbfounded expression while looking at Namgung Dowi.

“So….”

“Yes! Dojang.”

“You want me to teach you swordsmanship?”

“That’s right!”

Chung Myung smiled.

“Not just you, but Namgung Family?”

“Yes!”

“Me?”

“Exactly!”

“Haha.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

Chung Myung and Namgung Dowi smiled broadly as if they had reached a common understanding. Of course, Namgung Dowi was the only one who thought they had come to an understanding.

“This bastard must be crazy!”

Pook!

“Agaaaak!”

Namgung Dowi, who was hit in the face by Chung Myung’s kick and flew over the table, screamed, then flew backward.

“I knew it would be like this!”

Baek Cheon opened the door and quickly jumped inside, catching Namgung Dowi just before he slammed into the wall.

“No!”

Chung Myung roared, stomping on the ground.

“Did someone take drugs in the Yangtze without my knowledge?! There is no sane bastard! Nokrim bandit wants to join Heavenly Comrade Alliance! A Shaolin monk only cares about his own gains! And now the successor of Namgung Family wants what? Swordsmanship? Swordssssmanshiiiiip?”

“Do- Dojang, that’s not what I meant…”

“Of all the crazies I’ve met in my life, this guy is on another level! Hey, you lunatic! Does that even make any sense?”

Baek Cheon put down the sullen Namgung Dowi, covered his mouth with his fist, and cleared his throat slightly.

“That… Chung Myung.”

“What!”

“I understand why you are so excited, but isn’t Sogaju-nim doing this because he is in a hurry? Perhaps you could…”

“Sasuk.”

“Yes?”

Chung Myung said with a straight face.

“If we continue like this, let’s say we completely ruined.”

“Why do you have to make people anxious with talk of ruin…”

“Anyway, we’re ruined. Completely ruined. The only thing left is the kids.”

“…And then?”

“But then, what would Sasuk feel if the surviving Jo-Gol Sahyung took the children to Wudang and begged them to teach swordsmanship to save Mount Hua?”

“This bastard has gone insane!”

“Aaaargh!”

Baek Cheon kicked the side of Jo-Gol, who was standing there without a clue. Jo-Gol, who was suddenly kicked in the side, folded in half and flew away.

“Ah. I was a step too late…”

Yoon Jong licked his lips and put down his raised hand. Baek Cheon was a little faster this time.

“Nooooo!”

Jo-Gol, who had rolled on the floor, raised his head with his eyes glaring.

“Why did you hit me! Why! I didn’t actually do anything! But why!”

“Because it seems like something you would actually do.”

“…”

Jo-Gol, at a loss for words, turned his head and looked at Yoon Jong. Then Yoon Jong just smiled faintly and nodded.

Feeling betrayed by the world, Jo-Gol squatted down, hugging his knees. The nearby Tang Soso patted his shoulder as if she felt sorry for him.

“That’s right, you should have behaved more like a human being.”

“Kaaak! Will you just scram?”

Baek Cheon cleared his throat and caught a glimpse of Namgung Dowi.

‘It’s not like that’s wrong.’

He didn’t think much of it, but when he changed his position and thought about it, there was no other crazy guy like that. That’s right, he’s saying that they’re about to learn how to use swords from other sects?

Even Hyun Jong, who was famous for not showing any pride for Mount Hua, did not ask Southern Edge Sect to teach them how to use a sword. Even though Mount Hua at that time was in a really difficult situation.

No, if there had been a disciple who said something like that, even Hyun Jong would have smacked them right then and there with a plum blossom branch.

Chung Myung shouted, foaming at the mouth.

“Hey, you lunatic. Where did you learn your swordsmanship? Namgung Hwang in his grave would spit out Yangtze River water and jump up if he heard this!”

“…My father hasn’t been buried yet.”

“Then go check, you punk! He might be trying to break through his coffin!”

Namgung Dowi flinched at the momentum of Chung Myung overturning his eyes.

Chung Myung clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he was dumbfounded.

“The world is going to ruin. Really, the world is heading to ruin. No, what happened in the past hundred years that only lunatics like this are left in the world?”

Now these sons of a beast are scarier than Heavenly Demon. Scarier than that Heavenly Demon, these punk!

However, Namgung Dowi started to protest, feeling wronged.

“I’m not asking you to teach us Mount Hua’s swordsmanship, Dojang.”

“What?”

“No matter how crazy I am, how could I ask you to teach us Mount Hua’s swordsmanship?”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung calmed down and nodded as if to say, of course.

“That’s a relief. For the sake of the future of Namgung Family, I was wondering whether I should throw you in the Yangtze River and make the man named Namgung Myung the Gaju.”

“…”

“Then what is it?”

“Of course, I will learn the swordsmanship of Namgung Family. Namgung is not weak enough to covet sword of other sects!”

“You guys are a bit weak, though.”

“…”

“Uh…No, well. Anyway, keep going.”

“… … So that… … .”

Namgung Dowi, feeling somewhat defeated, wiped the corner of his eyes and continued.

“What we want to ask from Dojang is not instruction in swordsmanship, but experience in actual combat.”

“Huh?”

“This time, I felt it keenly at Plum Blossom Island. Perfecting our swordsmanship without flaws, operating it perfectly, and identifying our weaknesses through sparring with each other…”

Namgung Dowi’s attitude gradually became more serious.

“That alone is not enough for real combat.”

“…”

Chung Myung looked at Namgung Dowi as if interested.

‘Interesting guy.’

Due to this incident, two-thirds of Namgung’s strength was lost and even the Gaju was lost. This accelerated the timing for him to take over the great family by at least twenty years.

If you were an ordinary person, just enduring the current situation would be hectic. But now Namgung Dowi was looking into the future.

“It may not be appropriate to say given our current situation, but the sword of Namgung Family is never dull.”

Chung Myung nodded slightly. That wasn’t entirely wrong. If Namgung was truly weak, it couldn’t have maintained its position as the number one sect in Kangho for so long.

“Nevertheless, the reason Namgung faced such a great crisis this time was because our sword was a sword from a well that did not know real combat.”

Namgung Dowi stared straight at Chung Myung.

“But Mount Hua was different. Even though Mount Hua’s disciples may not have had much experience in actual combat, they fought as if they had experienced numerous actual battles.”

Namgung Dowi clenched his fists tightly.

“Dojang.”

“…”

“Please help us. We must become stronger. And I believe Dojang are the only one who can fulfill this role.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek with a strange expression. Then, she spoke to Namgung Dowi in a slightly harsh tone.

“Well, all that’s fine… but let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes.”

“I understand the reason, but it seems to me that this could be done without necessarily seeking Mount Hua’s help, don’t you think?”

“…”

“I’m saying this because I don’t think you know how dangerous this is. People won’t consider the circumstances. They’ll just say Namgung Family has gone mad to learn from Mount Hua.”

“…I know.”

“Good, you understand. I thought you would be. That’s why I’m asking.”

Chung Myung’s voice turned colder.

“Knowing all that, why go to such lengths?”

“…”

Namgung Dowi bit his lip tightly.

“…No more…”

“Hm?”

“I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Chung Myung’s complexion hardened at those words.

“The existence of Evil Tyrant Alliance will increasingly make the world more dangerous. Unless we chose Bongmun… No, even if we do, Namgung can no longer avoid them.”

Five Swords, who was quietly listening, nodded. There was indeed nothing wrong with that statement.

“My father taught me.”

“…Namgung Hwang? Gaju?”

“Yes. My father showed me at his last moment. What should Gaju of Namgung Family do?”

Namgung Dowi spoke with resolve.

“Gaju of Namgung Family is the one who protects members of Namgung Family.”

“….”

“I… do not wish to lose even a single member of our family anymore. I will do whatever it takes for that.”

Namgung Dowi raises his head straight and looks at Chung Myung.

“If you want me to kneel, I will kneel, and if you want me to bow my head, I will bow my head.”

Then he bowed deeply and shouted.

“Please help me, Dojang. Namgung’s sword will repay this debt!”

Baek Cheon, who was watching, quietly nodded.

‘That’s amazing.’

He was so ashamed of himself.

‘If it were me, would I bow my head like that to someone else for the sake of the future of Mount Hua?’

Namgung Dowi lived in a position so high that he could not even be compared to Baek Cheon. Wasn’t the position of the successor to the great Namgung Family envied by everyone in Kangho?

Yet, there was no hesitation in Namgung Dowi’s actions. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, that attitude was definitely worth an example.

“I will not lose even one person….”

After pondering Namgung Dowi’s words, Chung Myung chuckled.

“You can say such dreamlike words even after seeing that hell, huh?”

“…Now that I’ve seen it, I think I must speak of it even more.”

“The snout is lively, this young’un.”

A smile formed at the corner of Chung Myung’s mouth.

But Baek Cheon knew that the laughter wasn’t born of ill intent. Chung Myung often smiled like that when they managed to exceed his expectations.

“Well, fine. If it’s a real fight, I just have to have fun and beat you guys, so it’s not that difficult.”

“T- Then?”

“You’ve become a family anyway, I’ll help you.”

“Dojang!”

Namgung Dowi looked at Chung Myung with his eyes shining with emotion.

“Thank you…”

He was about to bow his head deeply, but then he flinched and stopped. When he was about to bow his head, Chung Myung’s palm came into his sight.

“Do- Dojang.”

Namgung Dowi raised his head with a puzzled look.

And he saw it.

A genuinely pleased… truly, genuinely pleased expression on Chung Myung’s face.

Would this be the face of Jiang Taigong after finally catching a big fish after so much waiting and patience…

“So.”

“…”

“How much will you pay?”

“…Yes?”

Namgung Dowi’s eyes shook greatly.

“You said you didn’t want to lose even one person.”

“….”

“If you put it the other way around, it means that each person’s life is that valuable, right?”

“…Dojang?”

“Then let’s find out.”

Chung Myung let out a mischievous laugh.

“I wonder how much Sogaju of Namgung Family can pay in exchange for saving the lives of those yangban.”

“…”

“I hope you don’t disappoint me. Because Namgung Family is rich. Right?”

“….”

“Euehehehehehehet! Euehehehehehehehet!”

When Chung Myung held his stomach and laughed, a white marten suddenly jumped out of his arms, climbed on top of Chung Myung’s head, took the same posture, and mimicked his laughter.

It was only after seeing this bizarre scene that Namgung Dowi realized something had gone terribly wrong.