Return of the Mount Hua Sect

‘If our eyes meet, we’re dead.’

‘It’s not a joke, we’re really going to die.’

‘What did I just see?’

Cold sweat broke out on the backs of Mount Hua’s disciples. They’d seen Hyun Jong get angry many times, but this was on a completely different ‘level’.

‘It would have been better to see a bishop.’

‘Please, spare us!’

Hyun Jong, who had been gushing murderous intent with his eyes, suddenly let out a long sigh from his mouth.

“I….”

“….”

“What sin did I commit in my past life….?”

Un Gum and Baek Cheon’s heads lowered further.

“Ugh.”

Hyun Jong scratched his head furiously. His temper made him want to flip everything upside down, but thinking about how much these guys had suffered to get here, it wasn’t easy to stay angry.

To put it bluntly, are they in a situation where they should be criticized? These are heroes who have achieved merits that would cause entire cities to throw welcome parties for other sects. But those heroes….

“….”

The disciples were doing their best to avoid eye contact, their heads bowed, and in the meantime, Chung Myung was staring with a look in his eyes that said ‘What a grumpy old man’….

“Keueuk….”

The back of his neck stiffened involuntarily. He instinctively wanted to reach for some medicinal decoction, but even Tang Soso, who was supposed to prepare it, was sitting in a corner with a sullen face. Hyun Jong eventually sighed again.

“It’s all my fault. Yes, it’s all my fault…”

“….”

“All of you….”

Hyun Jong bit his lip slightly.

“Still, I’m glad. It’s really fortunate that you all returned safely.”

“No, you should at least let us lower our arm before saying such a thing….”

“Oh, shut up!”

“Soso! Where are the needles? Stick some needles in that guy’s snout!”

“You should just die, you!”

Mount Hua’s disciples overturned their eyes and glared at Chung Myung. If that bastard had just cleaned his mouth a little less, the scolding they received would have been cut in half.

Hyun Jong sighed deeply.

“Alright, everyone, lower your arms.”

“Hehe.”

“Except you, keep yours up.”

“…Why only me?”

“Just listen.”

Chung Myung pouted. He begrudgingly lifted his arms again, filled with dissatisfaction.

The others quietly lowered their arms.

Hyun Jong looked at them and internally blamed himself.

‘Pathetic.’

It wasn’t because he was angry about making a wasted trip of a thousand Li. The real anger came from seeing the state of those loafing around here.

Their clothes are torn and tattered in various places and are even stained with dried blood. The scabs visible through the torn clothes hinted at the fierce battles they had gone through.

Seeing them in this state made his blood boil.

He was proud. Of course, he was. He knew very well why they went to Gangnam. He can’t help but be aware of the value of what they have kept and the importance of the Chivalrousness they have preserved.

But still, he was angry.

No matter how good the cause may be, what parent would enjoy seeing their child go to a dangerous battlefield? When he saw the guys smiling brightly, seemingly happy to come back after going through that rough battlefield, he was so angry that he couldn’t help it.

Hyun Jong quietly lowered his head.

“Everyone… Thank you.”

Then everyone opened their mouths in panic.

“Se- Sect Leader!”

“N- No, why are you being like this! We were in the wrong.”

“Apologize, you bastards! Apologize quickly!”

Hyun Jong raised his head and shook his head at the disciples who were struggling without knowing what to do.

“I’m not thanking you for what you did.”

“….”

“You have solved the crisis in Jungwon and raised the status of Mount Hua. And you announced to the world that there is still Chivalrousness in Kangho.”

“Sect Leader….”

“But I am not grateful for any of that.”

“But I don’t appreciate any of that.”

“….”

“There is only one thing I am grateful for.”

He bowed his head once again.

“Thank you for coming back safely… Thank you very much.”

Mount Hua’s disciples bowed their heads together.

They could clearly feel how much Hyun Jong cared about them and how much he worried about them. Looking back, they had only been concerned for their own safety in the midst of the battle, without considering the feelings of those left behind. This is probably why they had forgotten to send contact, which they could have easily done.

A feeling of guilt arose once again. The disciples of Mount Hua let out a collective sigh.

“I’m sorry, Sect Leader.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Then can I put my hands down now?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on.”

Chung Myung grumbled, but his voice didn’t reach the others’ ears.

“Huu.”

When Hyun Jong sighed deeply, Hyun Young, who was next to him, finally clicked his tongue.

“Well, kids can make mistakes when they’re fighting like crazy. Be gentle with them.”

“What, this punk?”

“Anyway, the older you get, the more childish you become.”

Hyun Sang, who was watching from the side, secretly tried to dissuade Hyun Young.

“Isn’t it because Sect Leader is worried?”

“Who here isn’t? If the kids come back safely, you should praise them first. As a Sect Leader!”

“U- Ugh….”

Hyun Jong turned his head away as if he had nothing to say. Hyun Young clicked his tongue and looked at the disciples.

“Next time, think about the people who are worried sick while waiting. I thought your Sect Leader was going to have a heart attack.”

“We will keep that in mind, Elder.”

“We definitely will.”

Hyun Young nodded.

“Good. Now that it seems Sect Leader has calmed down, let’s hear what happened. Tell us everything.”

Those seated quietly turned their heads and looked at Baek Cheon. As if to ask him to speak for them.

Baek Cheon cleared his throat and began to speak.

“First….”

The events they experienced in Gangnam slowly began to flow out.

“Hmm.”

After hearing the not-so-short story, Hyun Jong’s mouth naturally let out a groan. Everyone looked at his mouth. Because they were curious about what he would talk about first.

“Un Gum.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Where are the woman and child who were rescued from Hangzhou now?”

A smile naturally bloomed on the lips of Mount Hua disciples who heard those words. This is because they felt that it was truly Hyun Jong-like.

“The woman and child are resting in a quiet room.”

Un Gum answered calmly and elaborated.

“There is nothing particularly wrong with my body, but they are very weak. We don’t know for sure, but for an ordinary woman, even traveling upstream by ship would not have been normal.”

“Indeed, indeed.”

“So, we thought it best for them to rest in a comfortable place first. We have asked Tang Family physicians to take care of them, so there should be no issues.”

“Good. And the child is safe as well?”

“Yes, Sect Leader. You need not worry.”

“Thank goodness.”

Only then did Hyun Jong let out a light sigh.

The rise of Magyo and the unification of Evil Tyrant Alliance. Compared to these two huge events that are sure to throw Kangho into chaos, the safety of just two survivors might seem insignificant.

However, of all things, Hyun Jong mentioned the safety of the two survivors first. The word contains all of what a person named Hyun Jong is. Either positively or negatively.

At that time, Tang Soso quietly opened her mouth.

“They seem to have many worries. Being forcibly relocated to a foreign land with no relatives…”

“Of course, they would. Naturally.”

Hyun Jong looked back at Hyun Young as if there was no need to consider.

“Hyun Young.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Make sure they lack nothing while they stay here, and find a suitable place for them to settle down. Whether it’s here at Huayin, this place, or even Sichuan—wherever they feel most comfortable. Let us help them live comfortably wherever they want.”

“I will do so, Sect Leader.”

Hyun Jong nodded with a heavy heart.

Knowing there were survivors, and that they were able to rescue them by a stroke of luck, was certainly welcome news. However, to put it conversely, it meant that there were only two people who survived in the vast land of Hangzhou.

Of course, there might have been others who fled elsewhere when the trouble began, so it wasn’t as though everyone perished, but the losses were still significant.

“Magyo…”

The Magyo that he heard directly from their mouths was a place that was incomparably more terrifying and horrific than what he had thought. This is especially true considering that they downplayed their words out of consideration for Hyun Jong.

“Chung Myung.”

“….”

“Chung Myung.”

When there was no answer to two calls, Hyun Jong’s eyebrows twitched.

The gazes of Hyun Jong, with his mouth strangely stiffened, and Chung Myung, with his mouth pouting, met in the air.

“…Put your arms down.”

“Yes, Sect Leader. Please ask.”

In response to the polite answer that came right away, Hyun Jong closed his eyes tightly.

‘What’s with this guy….’

Anyone else would have gone through a dozen personality changes with what he’s experienced in the past few days. How can someone be so consistent?

At this point, one might wonder if it’s not his bad personality that’s the problem, but the people trying to change it.

“You….”

Hyun Jong, who was about to say something, soon sighed deeply. He looked at Chung Myung for a moment with an uneasy and frustrated face before continuing with a resolute tone.

“I won’t bother to ask why you know Magyo so well.”

“Oh, that? Well…”

“Enough.”

When Chung Myung tried to say something as if his mouth had been greased with oil, Hyun Jong firmly cut him off. If it was going to be some half-hearted explanation, he would rather not hear it.

“Tell me about it when you feel ready.”

Of course, just because it was Hyun Jong, it didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about Chung Myung’s story. However, a relationship does not deepen just because you know a lot about each other, nor does it become distant because you do not know much about each other.

Regardless of his past, to Hyun Jong, Chung Myung was simply Chung Myung.

There must be a reason why the child, who had already opened his heart, hadn’t shared his story. What Hyun Jong should do now was not to fuss, but to wait.

Hyun Jong subtly glanced at the others, signaling that their attitude should be no different.

He frowned slightly and opened his mouth.

“More than that, out of everyone here, you seem to know the most about Magyo, so let me ask. According to Baek Cheon’s words, it seems that Magyo that appeared in Hangzhou this time is only a part of them. Am I right?”

“Yes, that’s likely.”

“Then… When you combine the strength of those who did not appear in Jungwon this time, how much power do you think Magyo will have?”

Chung Myung furrowed his eyebrows. He opened and folded his fingers and thought deeply, then looked at Hyun Jong with a stern face.

“…Are Sect Leader talking about the entire force excluding Heavenly Demon?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then…”

He closed his mouth again. Chung Myung was silent as if he was contemplating something, and only when everyone’s saliva was dry from tension did he open his mouth.

“At the very least, ten times more, no… perhaps even more than that.”

Instantly, the air in the room froze cold.