Return of the Mount Hua Sect

And from a little distance away, Five Swords watched him. Normally, Tang Soso would have been furious at a patient drinking alcohol, but this time she could only watch without rushing over.

“What do you think he’s thinking about?”

“Well.”

Baek Cheon shook his head in response to Tang Soso’s question.

“He’s a guy whose thoughts are impossible to read.”

“…That’s true.”

Yoon Jong and Jo-Gol sighed at the same time. The gazes of Mount Hua disciples looking at Chung Myung were quite complex.

“Sahyung.”

“What?”

“How on earth does Chung Myung know all that stuff?”

When Yoon Jong didn’t answer, Jo-Gol glanced at him and continued speaking.

“No… Isn’t that a little strange? Of course, if Chung Myung is from a place that had a grudge against Magyo in the past… It wouldn’t be odd for him to know some details about Magyo, but…….”

Jo-Gol couldn’t finish his words and slowly closed his mouth. What he really wanted to say was, “Isn’t it too much for him to know even that much?”

But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. This is because discussing Chung Myung’s past was something they implicitly considered taboo.

It’s not like someone has decided that such a story shouldn’t be brought up. But implicitly, everyone avoided mentioning it. Because they know that bringing it up will only make each other uncomfortable.

After this recent incident, what confused Jo-Gol the most was Chung Myung’s reaction when he saw Magyo’s Second Bishop.

‘It was a knowing look.’

There were plenty of possible explanations.

For example, Chung Myung’s ancestor was of Mount Hua, and right before the battle with Heavenly Demon that was to take place on the Hundred Thousand Mountains, they could not overcome the burden and ran away.

That’s why, even though he knew all about the martial arts of Mount Hua in the past, he couldn’t bring himself to return to Mount Hua out of guilt. Right, just like Yoo Iseol’s father.

A once-great sect in ruins. Are there just one or two people who have a story related to that?

That’s why no one has bothered to dig into Chung Myung’s past until now.

But at this point, Jo-Gol began to think differently.

‘Even if that were the case… would he really recognize a leader from a hundred years ago? Would someone from the past truly pass down such detailed descriptions of leaders from a century ago?”

It was impossible to know. The only thing certain was that Chung Myung’s knowledge of Magyo wasn’t something that could be explained as merely hearsay.

“What if it is strange?”

“…Yes?”

At that moment, Yoon Jong looked back at Jo-Gol with dark eyes.

“Why? Are you planning to start doubting Chung Myung now?”

“N- No, it’s not that…”

Yoon Jong frowned and said firmly.

“Stop talking nonsense. No matter how he knows something, Chung Myung has always done his best to help us. That’s an unchanging fact.”

“I know that too…”

Jo-Gol lowered his head with a sullen face. Yoon Jong’s words cannot be denied, and Jo-Gol has no intention of denying them either.

‘Now that I think about it, it seems like it was just yesterday when I was first hit by that guy and ended up stuck in the ceiling.’

Looking back, time had really flown by

Who would have imagined back then that Mount Hua would become what it is now?

“…If you think about it, it all happened because that guy entered Mount Hua.”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t that right? If it weren’t for him, would we even be worrying about the future of Kangho?”

Yoon Jong, recalling silently, looked at Chung Myung with newfound eyes.

Obviously, if it weren’t for Chung Myung, Jo-Gol would have returned to his family. Yoon Jong would have lonelyly guarded Mount Hua Sect where the people had left. Yoo Iseol would have remained in Mount Hua somehow, but Tang Soso would never have come to Mount Hua, and who knows what would have happened to Baek Cheon.

No, before that, the sect called Mount Hua might have collapsed and everyone would have scattered and gone their own way.

“Didn’t it all start when that guy suddenly entered Mount Hua?”

“…That’s right.”

Yoon Jong, who answered softly, fell into brief contemplation.

What was Chung Myung thinking at that time?

Looking back now, it is clear that Chung Myung wanted to somehow make Mount Hua a great sect like in the past. How could he think such a thing as he walked into a ruined sect?

“…I have no idea.”

It was at that moment when Jo-Gol smacked his lip bitterly.

Yoon Jong glanced back with a very grim look.

“That… Sasuk.”

“Hm?”

“…It’s a bit strange for me to say something like this after telling that guy Jo-Gol to shut up…. Now I think it’s a bit plausible… No, it’s a bit strange rather than plausible… Anyway, I’ve been thinking about it.”

Uncharacteristically for Yoon Jong, his preamble was long and his tone peculiar.

“What on earth do you want to say?”

“That… It’s about Chung Myung.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes slowly hardened. He felt uncomfortable trying to bring up again a story that had already been buried once.

“That… We’re a little suspicious of Chung Myung right now…. No, the reason we look at him with an ambiguous eye is that he knows so much about Magyo of the past, right?”

“That’s… true?”

“And he knows too much about the war from a hundred years ago. So, that’s why. By any chance…”

As Yoon Jong hesitated, everyone swallowed dryly.

“By- By any chance?”

Hearing the urging voice, Yoon Jong glanced at Chung Myung a bit anxiously and opened his mouth.

“That…. Chung Myung….”

Then, closing his eyes tightly, he just blurted it out.

“C- Could he be from Magyo?”

There was silence for a moment.

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened. Those standing next to him also widened their eyes and opened their mouths.

Baek Cheon stammered with a bewildered face.

“N- No…. No… This bastard. Wha- What nonsense….”

But at that moment, someone beside him clapped their hands loudly.

“Persuasive… It’s enough persuasive!”

“…The puzzle is solved.”

“Eh?”

Baek Cheon looked around with a dumbfounded expression. The Samae and Sajils were all nodding their heads as if they had reached a great realization.

“If you think about it, he does fit better with Magyo than with Righteous Sects.”

“…Then it makes sense that he knows so much about Magyo.”

“His personality as well.”

“That’s right, Sago! Personality too!”

“N- No….”

Cold sweat began to trickle down Baek Cheon’s clean forehead.

This absurd, ridiculous, and somehow very plausible… No! Damn it! Unbelievable! What am I thinking!

“Say something that makes sense! Who in the world hates Magyo more than Chung Myung? His hatred for Magyo is at a level that needs medical treatment and counseling!”

“Take a look, Sasuk.”

At that time, Jo-Gol clicked his tongue and said.

“Sasuk seems to have lived a sheltered life and doesn’t know this.”

“That’s a bit rich coming from you.”

“…Please skip that.”

Jo-Gol cheekily pointed at Baek Cheon with his chin and asked.

“What is the sect that Sasuk hates the most?”

“Southern Edge Sect.”

The answer came out immediately without a single hesitation. Jo-Gol nodded as if to say, “See?”

“And where is Sasuk originally from?”

“…Southern Edge Sect.”

“Is there anything else needs to be said?”

Wow… This is irrefutable.

“In the first place, a person who has turned their back is always scarier. If that bastard used to be from Magyo and defected out of anger, everything makes sense. He has a shitty personality and does ridiculous martial arts skills.”

Yoon Jong, who was listening to Jo-Gol, added his words with a serious expression.

“I don’t know if it were someone else, but if it were that bastard, it’s possible he thought, ‘I hate Magyo, so I’ll go to the place Magyo hates the most and revive Mount Hua Sect.’ If it’s that guy.”

Baek Cheon quietly closed his mouth.

Isn’t there a history of Baek Cheon rushing to Mount Hua out of spite for Jin Geumryong and Southern Edge Sect. Whether this is a possibility or not, Baek Cheon has no right to say that it cannot be possible.

If he says something like that can’t happen here for no reason, they’ll say, ‘Oh my gosh? So, who was the person who did something that even a demonic cultist bastard wouldn’t do?’ It is clear that if he hears this, he will be under heavy fire.

“…Alright, enough with the nonsense.”

“But there’s a possibility, isn’t there?”

“Not just a possibility, it’s highly likely.”

“Confirmed.”

Baek Cheon pressed his temples. At this point, he couldn’t tell if they were serious or joking. His head was throbbing.

He sighed deeply.

“In any case… if it’s something we need to know, he’ll tell us. You know Chung Myung, right? He doesn’t tell us unnecessary things, but he always tells us what we need to know.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Even though he knows about Magyo, he hasn’t mentioned it to us until now. You know why, right?”

“…Yes.”

Everyone shakes their heads. It was impossible not to know. If they had known the true power of Magyo three years ago, their spirits might have been crushed.

Even now, they are dumbfounded by the gap between Magyo and themselves, but how was it then?

Chung Myung was still holding the bottle of alcohol and staring blankly at the moon. Baek Cheon, who caught a glimpse of the scene, spoke in a calm voice.

“In other words, he believes we have grown enough to handle knowing all the facts now.”

“….”

“So, let’s wait a little longer. If there’s a situation we need to know about, he will tell us.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

Yoon Jong nodded. Then, glancing around, he lowered his voice further.

“More than that… I… Honestly, I don’t know if I’m the only one thinking this.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Earlier, the conversation between Sect Leader and Chung Myung. Did Sasuk understand it completely?”

Baek Cheon didn’t respond. Yoon Jong scratched his head awkwardly.

“I felt like it went well but ended ambiguously…. I’m not sure what the conclusion was. Could you explain it if you understood?”

“Uh…. That’s….”

Baek Cheon’s face looked troubled.

In truth, he didn’t fully understand the last part of the conversation between Chung Myung and Sect Leader either. The exact meaning of “Just continue as Heavenly Comrade Alliance has been doing’ wasn’t clear to him.

“To be honest, I’m not sure either…”

“Let me explain that!”

“Ah, damn! You scared me!”

Baek Cheon jumped back in surprise at the sudden voice.

Im Sobyeong had appeared out of nowhere, gently waving his fan.

“Huhuhuhu.”

“….”

“Huhuhuhuhu.”

Im Sobyeong spread his fan, covering half his face, and laughed unpleasantly.

“…Why are you doing this? There must be a reason.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I got in a good mood thinking about it.”

Im Sobyeong shrugged his shoulders and got to the point.

“Well, it’s not that big of a deal. Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, that is, Chung Myung Dojang, simply declared that they would unify Kangho with Heavenly Comrade Alliance Alliance.”

“Aah, that was it… wait, this crazy bastard?”

An earthquake struck Baek Cheon’s pupils.