Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Sword!”

Whack!

“Because you swing it like that!”

Whack!

“You go around getting beaten up!”

Whaaaack!

“Your head, you bastard! Head! Your head is empty!”

Thud.

The heads of the fallen Namgung Family sword warriors emitted white steam as they lay lifelessly.

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung looked at them twitching and convulsing, and his face suddenly contorted.

“These bastards are all swinging, but they only show off! Where did you learn to twirl your wrists like that? Asking to be killed!”

Jo-Gol, who was watching the scene with admiration, whispered softly to Baek Cheon.

“What does that mean, Sasuk?”

Baek Cheon shrugs his shoulders and gives a detailed explanation.

“How dare these guys do fancy techniques when they can’t even stabilize the sword path they’re supposed to do. Go back to the basics…… is what that means.”

Jo-Gol nodded, repeatedly impressed by the interpreter’s outstanding abilities.

“Back in my day, huh? You little bastards! Before swinging the sword, huh? You punks! Huh? Anyway, kids these days!”

Jo-Gol asked again.

“What about that?”

Baek Cheon smiled warmly and provided an explanation.

“At my time, I was faithful to the basics rather than fancy techniques, but it is very worrying that the trend of Kangho swordsmen these days seems to be too focused on appearances… It means.”

“….”

Chung Myung casually tossed the wooden sword he was holding onto the ground.

“From tomorrow, you lot should just chant that you’re dead. What’s with these guys! The more you dig into what these guys are made of, the worse it gets! The elders seem a bit better, but these youngsters are just hopeless! Alright, I’ll thoroughly reforge you from head to toe!”

“…What about that?”

“Keuhum. This one’s a bit lengthy.”

Baek Cheon cleared his throat softly and opened his mouth.

“I originally respected the ancestors of Namgung Family and revered the swordsmanship, but it is unfortunate that the younger swordsmen of Namgung family did not seem to be able to properly follow the teachings of their elders. Although we are not related by blood, as someone who is walking the path of the sword together, I will help you solidify the basics… It means.”

“…Sasuk.”

“Hm?”

Jo-Gol opened his mouth with a look on his face as if he was nervous about something.

“…At this point, aren’t you just overinterpreting?”

“That’s really what it means….”

“…..”

Jo-Gol, who was looking at Chung Myung and Baek Cheon alternately with skeptic eyes, shrugged his shoulders and said.

“…If I listen to what Sasuk says, it seems like there is some great education underway, but why do my eyes see it as just beating them up because they’re not to his liking?”

“Why, you ask?”

“Yes?”

“Because that’s exactly what it is.”

“……”

Baek Cheon and Jo-Gol sighed at the same time and looked ahead. Chung Myung, standing alone among Namgung Family’s sword warriors scattered about, was screaming loudly as if he didn’t like something.

“…Looking at this mess makes my stomach hurt.”

“I had a nightmare last night.”

“I thought I’d feel good seeing others suffer.”

“…It’s nerve-wracking.”

Indeed, this scene was not good for one’s mental health. Every time the sword warrior of Namgung Family was struck by those terrifying wooden swords, they felt a throbbing sensation in the middle of their head.

“Hey, Sasuk.”

“Huh?”

Yoon Jong seemed to have something to say, scratching his cheek.

“I’m a little worried… Do you think the people from Namgung can accept this situation?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No…. We’ve always known we couldn’t get stronger without this method since we didn’t have much to begin with, so we’ve followed without complaint. But those people have their pride.”

“Pride?”

Baek Cheon’s face was slightly distorted. Then Yoon Jong closed his mouth with a sad expression on his face. Jo-Gol didn’t miss a moment and scoffed.

“Hey, are you insulting Sasuk now?”

“Be- Be quiet, this punk!”

“Pride, huh…”

Baek Cheon looked at the distant mountains.

“Yeah… There was a time when I too was concerned with such things.”

Yoon Jong quietly comforted Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“Don’t cry.”

“…I’m not crying.”

After slightly wiping under his eyes, Baek Cheon composed himself and continued.

“At first, there might be resistance. For someone who believed that they were superior, the despair that comes when that belief is broken is just as great.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Experiences.”

“Wow, that’s vivid.”

“…Shut it.”

As blood appeared on Baek Cheon’s forehead, the rest of Five Swords quickly turned away and pretended to whistle nonchalantly.

He glared at them with a deathly look on his face and then sighed.

“But… eventually, they’ll come to accept it.”

“…Because they realize it’s right?”

“No.”

“No? Then why…?”

“If they don’t accept it, they get beaten up even more.”

“….”

Everyone stared blankly at Baek Cheon, but he just shrugged as if he was stating the obvious.

“If it’s between accepting or dying, you have to accept. What can you do?”

Yoon Jong thought with a happy smile on his face.

‘This guy is the weirdest of all.’

And the other Five Swords’s thoughts would not be much different.

* * *

The sword warrior of Namgung Family who returned to their lodgings flopped down.

“Ugh…”

They were confident that as long as their head touched the floor, they would fall asleep in the blink of an eye. However, the moment their body hit the floor, an enormous pain rushed through his entire body.

“My arm… Ah… my arm…”

“Ugh… My, my back… feels like it’s going to… break.”

“Uuuwaee……”

“Do- Don’t throw up here!”

It was Cries of Hell itself.

Namgung Dan, who had been sprawled out on the floor like a starfish, struggled to lift his head.

“Ugghh.”

It felt as if his body had been torn into pieces.

“This is madness…”

“This… How are we supposed to do this?”

“We’ll be wrecked before we even get stronger.”

Dissatisfied voices came from all over the place. It wasn’t that they weren’t emotionally charged enough to raise their voices; they simply didn’t have the energy to be louder than a murmur.

“What kind of training is this? It’s just torture!”

“That’s right.”

“Why do we have to go through this!”

But even on the brink of exhaustion, anger seems to be the one thing humans cannot let go of, as the sword warrior’s voices grew louder.

“How is this going to change anything? Namgung Family has its own methods!”

“If Gaju-nim had seen this, would he tolerate this?”

“They’re treating us almost like servants. There’s no such manner to treat disciples of another sect in Kangho like this!”

At that moment, a low voice was heard.

“Everyone, calm down.”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the person who opened his mouth. It was Namgung Dowi who was struggling to get up at the entrance. Those who saw this forced themselves to stand up and chew their lips.

“Sogaju-nim.”

“I understand it’s hard. But this is something we must overcome.”

Everyone’s faces were grimly distorted.

“…Honestly, I don’t see how this training helps.”

“No, training can be helpful. But isn’t the man’s attitude too arrogant?”

“Not even Gaju-nim treated us like that.”

“Everyone….”

“Sogaju-nim.”

Namgung Dan stared at Nangong Dowi with dissatisfied eyes.

“Can’t Sogaju-nim speak on our behalf as our representative?”

“…Me?”

“Yes. We can endure hard training. What we cannot tolerate is the humiliation.”

Instead of answering, Namgung Dowi stared at him.

“You said we are not accepting them as masters and receiving their instruction as disciples. You said we are just learning what we lack through Mount Hua. But Sogaju-nim.”

Namgung Dan continued to speak to Namgung Dowi as if he had no intention of backing down.

“No master would treat their disciples like this.”

Gradually, Namgung Dowi’s face hardened. However, the agitated Namgung Dan did not notice such signs.

“This is not just our problem. If even a rumor spreads that Namgung Family is being treated like this in Mount Hua, Namgung’s reputation will fall to the ground. In times like this, Sogaju-nim must step forward.”

“That’s right!”

“This cannot happen unless Mount Hua looks down on our Namgung.”

“If Gaju-nim had been here, would they dare to act so brazenly…?”

“Enough! Stop it!”

At that time, a short but loud roar burst from Namgung Dowi’s mouth.

“No, Sogaju-nim!”

“…So- Sogaju-nim?”

The bewildered Namgung sword warriors looked blankly at Namgung Dowi. Those who were about to pour out even more complaints fell silent as they saw his ice-cold face.

Namgung Dowi, who had been glaring at everyone in silence for a long time, opened his mouth.

“Pride?”

“……”

“Humiliation?”

Namgung Dowi laughed as if the concept was ludicrous.

“I see. I guess I was the only one unaware.”

The voice was full of bitter ridicule.

“I was the only one who didn’t know that Namgung still had the pride to feel humiliated, and that it had a position high enough to consider its reputation. Everyone knew but me.”

“…Sogaju-nim.”

“I….”

Namgung Dowi looked at everyone and said as if spat out.

“I thought I left everything behind at Plum Blossom Island.”

“……”

“I thought it was all left behind there along with those who died there.”

The sword warriors of Namgung bowed their heads.

Whether this is right or wrong, who would dare to look Namgung Dowi in the eye in this situation?

“But… I was wrong. I was the only one who left it behind. The one who swore to revive Namgung at any cost, even if it meant eating dirt, so that those who died there would not regret it, was just me.”

“Sogaju-nim, that’s….”

“Please protect it well.”

Before Namgung Dan could say anything, Namgung Dowi cut him off with a cold voice.

“Your pride and dignity. If that was really what those who died in Plum Blossom Island saved with their lives, shouldn’t we protect it somehow?”

Namgung Dowi turned around and left. And without waiting for any answer, he went out.

“……”

There was a moment of silence. Those left behind stared blankly at the door he had exited through.

“…So why did he have to say that…”

“So you’re saying it’s my fault?”

There were raised voices, but it lasted only for a moment. Everyone fell into deep silence.

Meanwhile, Namgung Dowi came out and gazed at the distant sky.

The stars seemed to fall like rain at any moment from the black sky. Under normal circumstances, he would have marveled at the scene, but unfortunately, he couldn’t feel any beauty in it now.

‘It’s difficult.’

The journey is long, there’s much to do, and it seems not everyone shares his determination.

He had thought that if he were sincere they would accept him… But was that just a vain hope?

“Father…”

It was at that moment that he once again remembered Namgung Hwang and was about to take a long sigh.

“Hm?”

Namgung Dowi felt something flying behind him and turned around violently. He quickly reached out to catch something approaching his face.

“…A bottle of alcohol?”

What he caught was a white liquor bottle. Namgung Dowi blankly stared at the object in his hand before looking up.

On the edge of the pavilion roof, a now familiar figure stood.

“Do- Dojang?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“What are you doing up there?”

Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“Never mind that. How about it?”

Towards the confused Namgung Dowi, Chung Myung lightly shook the liquor bottle in his hand.

“A drink?”

“….”

Namgung Dowi nodded slowly.