Episode 126

- The current Mount Hua has lost its former light, but Mount Hua once shone brighter than any other sect. Your father has lived his life in pride as a member of Mount Hua.

Gulp gulp.

Dressed in Mount Hua’s uniform, Chung Myung was gulping down alcohol.

“Kuaaa! Alcohol tastes the best.”

- Mount Hua is prestigious. That prestige was not earned without a great history. It took the blood and sweat of countless ancestors before it touched glory and gained such noble status.

“Some meat for me! Give it here, please! Sahyung!”

“There’s nothing left for me to eat! You already ate your own, don’t covet others’ food too! If you don’t want your hands cut off, then keep them to yourself!”

“Selfish!”

- Although Mount Hua is suffering now, it will resurrect and spread its name throughout the world again one day. So, you must not make the mistake of only looking at Mount Hua’s current state. It would be best if you thought of the future as well. Protect Mount Hua. Then, the day will come when Mount Hua protects Huayoung Gate, and we ascend together.

“Kya! Coming down from Mount Hua makes me feel alive!”

“Sasuk is still here! Be careful of what you say, you brat!”

“It’s fine. I’m sure that Sasuk is thinking the same thing I am right now.”

“… No. I feel like I’m going to die staying with you.”

“Hahaha! What a joke!”

“… I wish I was joking.”

Wei Lishan had a pleasant smile as he watched the disciples of Mount Hua, who greedily coveted alcohol and meat while cursing at each other.

‘I want to show this to my father.’

And he would ask

‘What prestige? Resurrection?’

Look!

‘Mount Hua is doomed, father.’

And horribly so!

Tak!

Wei Lishan pressed down the pain rising in his belly. Since earlier, he had been experiencing a sharp stomach ache, like a nail had been driven deep into his core. Yet, this sight before him seemed to hurt even more.

“Kuak.”

Unable to bear this sight any longer, Wei Lishan coughed and attracted the attention of Mount Hua’s disciples, who all turned to look at him in unison.

“Ah.”

Chung Myung sighed and offered Wei Lishan a bottle of alcohol.

“Would you like a drink?”

“He’s in recovery!”

“Didn’t he have internal injuries?”

“Think before you speak, think!”

“No, you bastards!”

And it grew noisy once again. At the same time, Wei Lishan’s stomach began to ache even worse.

‘A name and its pride die first.’

When he visited Mount Hua ten years ago with Wei Soheng in his arms, Wei Lishan could feel the nobility and pride emanating from Mount Hua despite its collapse.

But, whatever the hell happened over the past decade, Mount Hua’s disciples have grown rotten. They’re far from the prestigious and noble image he’d previously experienced.

Instead of Wei Lishan, Yeom Pyong, who was standing next to him, spoke.

“Look here.”

“Yes.”

“… do you understand just what kind of situation we’re in?”

Baek Cheon stood up, and he bowed his head slightly.

“I’m sorry. These guys are a bit free spirited.”

Wei Lishan sighed.

“I’m not going to blame you. Thanks to you we earned an extra day of time. But disciple Baek Cheon, now we have to make a decision.”

“Decision?”

“It’s not easy to set aside everything and leave the home that I love, but now that things have come to this, there seems to be no other way. Huayoung Gate will give up on Nanyang and retreat. So, please listen and return to Mount Hua.

“…. Gate leader.”

Baek Cheon had a complex look on his face.

“I know things got a little out of line….”

“That’s not it. If it was any opponent other than Wudang, I would have stayed and endured to the end. But you don’t know what it means to stand against the Wudang sect. Since they’ve sent their disciples, isn’t it clear that their sect is trying to take over Nanyang?”

“Hmm.”

“Even if you manage to stop them this time, the same thing will happen again.”

Chung Myung poured himself a glass of alcohol and drank it in one gulp.

“Kuak.”

And he spoke to Wei Lishan.

“I was going to ask you about that anyway.”

“Yes?”

“What’s so great about this place? They’re acting way too aggressively for this place.”

The Wudang that Chung Myung remembered didn’t operate like this.

Wudang was one of the most dignified and respected sects in the world.

‘They were the type that would chant their sutras until death.’

Of course, a lot of time had passed since Chung Myung died, but the fundamental nature of a sect doesn’t change that easily.

Would the Wudang sect really use such extreme measures just to spread their influence in Nanyang?

‘There’s something happening here.’

Wei Lishan asked.

“Great?”

“Yes.”

“There’s nothing like that. If there was anything great here, would people have left Nanyang alone till now?”

“Um, I see.”

He didn’t get the answer he hoped for, but Chung Myung wasn’t disappointed. If Wei Lishan had any information, it would probably already be widespread.

Information that Wei Lishan didn’t know was more meaningful.

‘If this doesn’t work, then I can just rip the truth from the Wudang bastards.’

“Rather, you should all head back to Mount Hua as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. I will take care of the rest.”

“What? That’s impossible.”

“… Impossible?”

“Yes. Sect leader told us to solve the Huayoung Gate’s problem. If we leave Huayoung Gate and let it get kicked out of Nanyang, our sect leader sigh to himself and refuse to even see us for at least three months.”

“Wow, I can’t imagine that.”

“I sympathize with you, Sahyung.”

Yoon Jong and Jo Gul trembled, not wanting to imagine it.

“Look, this is no joke.”

“We aren’t joking either.”

As Wei Lishan was about to lose his temper, Chung Myung cut in and spoke with a firm voice.

“Mount Hua has not forgotten the grace Huayoung Gate has shown us.”

Wei Lishan’s eyes trembled.

Unlike before, there was a serious light in Chung Myung’s eyes. Wei Lishan was instantly overwhelmed by Chung Myung’s poise.

“Now it’s time for Mount Hua to repay Huayoung Gate. Mount Hua never betrays its ideals. The world will know that clearly.”

Wei Lishan nodded his head without realizing he’d been swept up in the momentum.

‘Chung Myung’

The one known as Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

Wei Lishan began to think that he might have judged Chung Myung too easily in the morning.

“But before that.”

“Yes?”

“I have a favor to ask, Gate leader.”

Wei Lishan nodded his head.

“Say it. I will get anything I can procure.”

“Then…”

Chung Myung shook the bottle in his hand.

“If there is any alcohol left in Huayoung Gate, please give me a bottle.”

“…”

“No, at least three.”

“…”

“You don’t have any?”

“…”

No, maybe Wei Lishan had judged him properly the first time.

“All the preparations are done, disciple Jin Hyeon.”

Jin Hyeon nodded his head.

“You worked hard.”

“Just one more day and this damned work will finally be over. It’s been tough, this role doesn’t fit my character.”

Jin Hyeon smiled.

“We are all fully aware of how hard you’ve worked. When this work is done, the sect leader will surely show you favor back in the main sect.”

“Oh, don’t say that. How could I dare hope for that? If there’s some help for the training hall, that’s all I could hope for.”

Jin Hyeon smiled and nodded.

It didn’t matter if his words were sincere or not. This training hall leader wasn’t important at all. Even if he refuses, the Wudang sect would still reward him, and that would be the end of his role.

“By now Mount Hua has to be trembling.”

“Well. They were quite proud yesterday.”

“Wasn’t that just a bluff? Can Mount Hua even put up a fight against Wudang? I bet there isn’t even a single ant remaining within Huayoung Gate. Isn’t that why disciple Jin Hyeon gave them a day’s time?

Jin Hyeon smiled softly and didn’t respond.

“You must be exhausted from the long journey, I shouldn’t waste your time here.”

“No.”

“Have a good rest. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night.”

Jin Hyeon sighed as the training hall leader left.

“Sahyung.”

Jin Hyeon’s sajae, Jin Mu, called him.

“Did Sahyung expect Mount Hua to come?”

“I didn’t. But the Sect leader mentioned the possibility. It’s difficult to follow the sect leader’s insight.”

“He’s a man that stands so far above that when he looks down, he sees the heavens.”

“Right.”

Jin Hyeon quietly nodded his head.

“What do you think Sahyung? As the hall leader said, do you think that Huayoung Gate could run away tonight?”

“Huayoung Gate can.”

Jin Hyeon continued calmly.

“But the disciples of Mount Hua cannot.”

“Why not?”

“Because they recently gained fame.”

“Ah…”

Jin Hyeon smiled.

“Normally, people don’t grow overly attached to a reputation that has been rightfully built. But when they get more fame than they deserve, they tend to become obsessed with it. Perhaps Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon will be unable to let go. If he runs away after such light provocation, he’ll become the laughingstock of the whole world.”

“But won’t his reputation suffer anyway if he stays and gets defeated?”

Jin Hyeon’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you saying that losing to me would be a shame to him?”

“I-I didn’t mean that, Sahyung.”

Jin Hyeon smiled and patted Jin Mu on the back.

“I’m just joking. Why wouldn’t they wait? Losing is less shameful than running away.”

“It would be good for them to learn some shame. They don’t seem to understand the concept.”

“Huhuhu. That is true.”

Jin Hyeon smiled as Chung Myung’s face surfaced in his mind.

‘That cheeky bastard.’

Jin Hyeon understood.

Having gained such a reputation at a young age, he must not put others in his sights. There was a time when Jin Hyeon also shrugged his shoulders and arrogantly overlooked others because of his fame.

Wasn’t it the role of the elders to cull that behavior?

“If they don’t know, all we need to do is let them understand.”

“Of course.”

“But.”

Jin Hyeon spoke with a firm expression.

“We shouldn’t focus too much attention on that. You haven’t forgotten our true purpose in coming here, right?”

“Yes, Sahyung. I haven’t forgotten for even a single moment.”

Something that even the other sajaes didn’t know.

Only Jin Hyeon and Jin Mu knew about it. The reason the two of them knew was to prepare for an unforeseen situation. Otherwise, it was something that Jin Mu shouldn’t have known.

“Huayoung Gate and Mount Hua are fine. What’s most important is to draw people’s attention away from Nanyang. If this goes well, we will be able to rise above the Shaolin sect and stand at the peak of the world.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jin Hyeon turned to look out the window. The moon floating high above, and the stars that shone in the sky reflected in his eyes.

‘Sword Tomb’

The tomb of a sword.

That was why they created a fake subsect and came all this way out here.

“First we drive those Mount Hua bastards out of Nanyang, and then we’ll slowly proceed with the plan.”

“Yes, Sahyung!”

A low smile formed on Jin Hyeon’s lips.

‘Soon the world will be under the Wudang Sect’s feet.’

It was a night of deep conspiracy.