Return of the Mount Hua Sect

There were too few prepared items to conduct an official ritual as done in a Taoist temple. Isn’t it a situation where even the most basic incense and cerner can’t be prepared?

Though the requiem ritual (??(祝文)) was not fully equipped, the posture of the Mount Hua disciples as they recited prayers and chanted Taoist scriptures was impeccably reverent.

In the end, a ritual is just a courtesy to the dead. No matter how grand the ritual, it holds no more value than a single sincere bow.

Mount Hua’s disciples knew this well, so they put their sincerity into every movement and every word they spoke. They pray for the souls of those who died here to find peaceful rest in the afterlife.

It is an undeniable fact that must never be forgotten: they are Taoists pursuing the Tao before they are martial artists.

But even the disciples of Mount Hua occasionally forget what they truly are. This ceremony was not only to honor the souls of the victims but also to reaffirm their own duty.

Chung Myung, standing behind them, looked at the backs of the disciples who were reciting the Taoist scripture.

From Tang Soso on the far left to Baek Cheon on the far right. Chung Myung quietly closed his eyes, taking in the sight of everyone.

‘Sahyung.’

In the past, rituals were often held at Mount Hua. Chung Myung tried to get out of the boring praying ritual, but every time, Cheong Mun (??(祝文)) tried to catch him and make him stand in a corner.

– You are a Taoist before a swordsman.

– A sword without Chivalrousness is no different from a mountain thief’s sword. You, of all people, must not forget your duty as a Taoist.

– Pursuing the Tao is one thing, but the basis of the requiem ritual is compassion. If you are not born with it, you must at least watch and learn. This is the first thing you must acquire as a disciple of Mount Hua.

“…The usual nagging.”

Yes, it was. That’s how he felt back then. He wondered what was the meaning of boring rituals that were repeated the same way every time.

When a person dies, that’s it. What use are the prayers dedicated to those buried in the ground, what value do the tears shed for them hold?

‘That’s how I used to think.’

Chung Myung slowly opened his closed eyes.

At that time, it was incomprehensible to Chung Myung. He wasn’t someone who climbed Mount Hua knowing the value of the Tao and wanting to learn more; he was someone abandoned at Mount Hua.

He grew up listening to the Taoist scriptures like a lullaby, and watching the Taoist rituals like a play. So, to him, all of this naturally existed without having to think about its meaning.

Therefore, he didn’t know.

Why people mourn those who will never return and honor their spirits.

One who had nothing from the beginning cannot lose anything.

‘Sahyung, I….’

What he lost was not something he had from the start but something he made while living. No…. Even though he didn’t want to, they stayed around as if it was natural.

And so, he came to understand. Only after losing it.

That there is meaning even to the dead who will never return. He came to understand how the ones left behind feel when they visit a Taoist temple.

And here, there are those who understand its significance. There are those who know what the former Chung Myung did not know and try to protect what he could not.

The sound of the still-young disciples of Mount Hua reverently reciting the Taoist scriptures spread loudly across the desolate land.

Un Gum, who was in the lead, placed his remaining hand over his chest in a gesture of respect. Each movement was filled with deep sorrow for those who had perished here.

When he began to recite the Tao scriptures, Mount Hua’s disciples followed along. Chung Myung, who was standing behind and watching, slowly closed his eyes. Taoist scriptures flowed from his lips.

It was a sight that was nothing particularly special or remarkable. However, anyone who knows who Chung Myung was cannot simply think of this scene in that way.

Chung Myung has participated in countless requiem rituals but had never chanted the scriptures himself. Despite hearing the Taoist scriptures so many times as if it was nailed to his hear to the point he could recite them with his eyes closed, he had never once done so.

It felt awkward and embarrassing, and he thought it didn’t suit him.

But at this moment, Chung Myung was reciting the Taoist scriptures with sincerity. It is not a phrase being said, but an earnest prayer filled with hope and desire.

This is a prayer for the dead and comfort for those left behind.

And perhaps, it was a gesture reaching out to those who couldn’t rest anywhere.

Un Gum finished reciting Taoist scriptures and retreated. Then Hye Yeon, who was waiting behind, carefully stepped forward. He solemnly bowed in Banzhang stance and slowly began to recite Buddhist scriptures.

What they each believe in is different. What each person pursues is also different. But at this moment, their hearts were undoubtedly aligned.

While the clear voice of Hye Yeon’s Buddhist scriptures spread widely, Mount Hua’s disciples remained behind him without loosening their posture. An indescribable sadness filled their eyes as they looked at the devastated Hangzhou.

Baek Cheon lightly clenched his fist. So that the emotions welling up in his heart right now do not dissipate, so he wouldn’t forget.

Jo-Gol, Yoon Jong, Yoo Iseol, and Tang Soso also had similar facial expressions.

Finally, Hye Yeon’s long recital came to an end. Hye Yeon bowed deeply with Banzhang stance. He turned around with a sad face and stood next to Mount Hua’s disciples again.

Baek Cheon naturally looked at Un Gum. Then Un Gum smiled. As if to say that this was as far as he would guide them.

At that moment, a deep sigh flowed from Baek Cheon’s mouth.

‘I…’

He clenched his fist tightly.

‘I couldn’t save anyone.’

Their goal when they come here is to stop Magyo. And it was to save those who were still alive here. But somewhere along the way, all their focus had shifted to mere survival.

They survived, they were happy, they were relieved.

But now he knows they wasn’t supposed to be.

To be happy for just their own safety was too selfish, given how much they failed to protect here.

He thought about stepping forward but then stopped in his tracks. Now was not the time to preach to them. It’s time to stand in the same place and speak.

A calm voice leaked from Baek Cheon’s mouth.

“…If Sect Leader were here… he would have shed tears for those who died first, more than anyone else.”

Mount Hua’s disciples lowered their heads.

“If the elders were here, they wouldn’t have forgotten the victims while fighting the enemies.”

The voice was calm and seemed a little sad.

“The reason we couldn’t do the same is because we are weak.”

Sadness fills the place where the feeling of pride, relief, and the young feelings have escaped.

“It’s not because we lack strength, but because we are weak as people. We claim to be Taoists but fail to pursue the Tao; we say we care for others, but we fail to truly see them.”

Everyone slowly nodded at those painful words.

“The strength that Sect Leader wishes for us… is not the power to subdue our opponents. Even when our lives are in danger, we ought to be strong enough to look after those who are weaker than us…. Yes.”

Baek Cheon’s voice was slow but firm.

“Perhaps it’s our strength as a person.”

He paused for a moment and quietly closed his eyes.

They fought with all their might and defeated their enemies. Yet, the reason their hearts felt so empty was because there are things that strength alone cannot fill.

“In the future, we will have to face many things.”

Everyone looked at the devastated land of Hangzhou.

“Next time… Yes, next time let’s never forget. What we fight for. Why we have to fight.”

Un Gum bowed his head and recited the Taoist mantra. As if that was a signal, Mount Hua’s disciples all chanted their prayers in unison. Their voices spread across the vast land of Hangzhou.

Following them, Hye Yeon also loudly chanted the Buddhist mantra.

The Buddhist mantra is a plea, and the Taoist mantra is a wish.

It is a cry for salvation. It’s also like a candle lit to keep a weak human from forgetting their path.

The chants they recited were louder and clearer than ever.

And as loud as their voices were, their bowed heads were also heavier than ever.

A brief silence followed.

Although they gained a lot, they actually gained nothing. It was only after their hearts had settled that they could see the true nature of this tragedy, which was hard to even call a war.

In that silence, a quiet voice from Chung Myung reached their ears.

“…Let’s go back.”

“Yeah…”

Everyone slowly turned around. A moment ago, they wanted to escape from this place as soon as possible, but strangely now, their feet were reluctant to move. Perhaps it is because of regrets of what they couldn’t protect.

“Next time…”

Chung Myung tried to speak calmly, but even at the end of his words, it ended up tinged with regret. Chung Myung, who was looking at the ruins before his eyes, eventually turned his head away.

“We just have to protect it next time.”

“…Yes.”

Baek Cheon’s voice, filled with emptiness, echoed hollowly.

“We have to.”

It was when he, who was trying to control his heavy heart, was trying to lighten the mood by patting his Sajil on the shoulders.

‘Hm?’

At that moment, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Even as everyone turned around, he saw the eyes of Yoo Iseol, who was standing facing forward until the end, momentarily widen.

‘Enemy?’

Startled, Baek Cheon quickly turned his head.

But there was nothing to see. All that was visible was the still desolate…

“Huh?”

“J- Just now?”

At that moment, surprised voices burst from the mouths of the Mount Hua disciples. They immediately shut their mouths and stood rigidly, holding their breaths.

That moment.

“Ah…!”

Everyone heard it.

A faint voice, sounding almost like an auditory hallucination, but too clear to be mistaken.

Without thinking, their feet moved before their minds did. When they came to their senses, they were running with all their might.

And the back of someone who seems desperate beyond measure is the first to run forward, farther and farther.

Chung Myung kicked the ground and sprinted with all his might. He began frantically digging through the wreckage of a building. His scarred hands trembled violently.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who arrived a little later, also rushed in without delay and dug up the mess of debris with their bare hands.

Toward the faint sound of breathing coming from within. Towards that feeble warmth that they have finally found, despite it having been there all along.

“Uh! Euh…!”

A suppressed groan burst out from Chung Myung’s urgent mouth. Chung Myung’s hands, which had been digging through the rubble so roughly, began to become more and more careful.

Eventually, Chung Myung’s hand stopped.

“…Hel…”

The sound, which had been so faint that even it lost to the sound of the wind, was finally heard clearly.

“Help… me….”

Udeuk!

The remains of the building that was held in Chung Myung’s hands were completely crushed to powder. Fearing that buried people might get hurt, they began to use internal strength to grind the debris into powder.

How many times did he repeat this?

After a careful touch that had never been made in his life, a person was finally revealed under the rubble.

No, it wasn’t just one person.

“He- Here!”

“A baby…. There’s a baby too! A baby!”

Covered in dust, a woman lay semi-conscious, holding a small child in her arms.

The voice continued to leak out of her mouth, who was so exhausted that she seemed to have no strength to open her eyes.

“…H… elp….”

“….”

“My… baby….”

No one dared to open their mouth.

In the silence, Chung Myung stretched out his shaking hands into the rubble. He gently took the woman’s pulse and began infusing her with his energy. He did the same for the baby.

“They’re alive…”

At that moment, everyone saw it. The sight of Chung Myung’s shoulders collapsing. When the strong man discovered the two survivors, he could not hold on any longer and dropped his head.

“They’re… alive….”

Chung Myung bowed his head and the woman lost consciousness. And Baek Cheon, who stared blankly at the sleeping child in her arms, bit his lips tightly and looked up at the distant sky.

They must have held their breath. The clashing of swords must have terrified them. The sound of battle, the thunderous clashes, must have frightened them that it might take away the baby.

Even in the darkness without a single light, she must have held the baby mouths shut. Fearing a scream might escape.

What pushed that woman to use her last bit of strength was not the power that defeated the cultists, not the sword that pierced the master’s heart, not the strategy that drove away the leaders of Evil Sects.

It was just the echoing chant of the Taoist mantra. The chant filled with sorrow. No immense power, but a voice filled with desperate hope and prayers.

That’s why… the voice was delivered to someone who was injured and terrified.

The thing that ultimately saved those who could not be saved by the power to dominate the world… was the small, simple mindset that they had momentarily forgotten, but should never have.

Tears welled up in Baek Cheon’s eyes.

The blue sky was unusually cold that it hurt his eyes.