Episode 293

The morning sun poured in through the windows. The birds were chirping as usual.

Baek Cheon opened his eyes, pushed away his blanket, and sat up on his bed as he looked around.

This was truly a calm morning.

But, for Baek Cheon, this couldn’t just be a calm morning.

‘Today is the day.’

Baek Cheon’s eyes sank low as he looked out the window.

Clench.

Baek Cheon tied his hair and looked at his reflection. The black robe and the plum blossom pattern engraved over the heart. The white band around his forehead.

Once again, this made him realize that he really was a disciple of Mount Hua. He couldn’t help but imagine. The same figure before him, but in the uniform of the Southern Edge Sect and not Mount Hua’s.

‘Similar.’

Jin Geum-Ryong’s face seemed to flash over his.

Even if they had diverged in looks at some point when they were young, the two were still similar enough to be recognized as siblings.

Taking a deep breath, he sat in his chair and drew his sword, carefully polishing it with oil.

Shh.

Shhh.

Every time he wiped the blade, his heart began to calm down.

Maybe.

Maybe he had a slightly different opinion now?

A life running away from home, hiding in Mount Hua, had never happened. He stayed in the Southern Edge Sect, where he was taught by his father and brother.

If he had done that, he would be a completely different person.

Did he regret it?

No.

Even if there was no blood between them, even if they hadn’t been together since birth, Mount Hua still felt like family.

Now his family wasn’t the Jin family, Mount Hua is his family and today’s spar is a place to say that.

So, he had to sharpen his mind a little…

Bang!

“Sasuk, you up?”

“…”

Baek Cheon’s eyes turned to look at who had kicked his door open,

“A door is opened by hand, not by kicking it. How many times have I…”

“Ah, right, right. Sect Leader is done.”

“…”

It was Chung Myung with Yoon Jong and Jo Gul, who were sticking their heads in through the doorway.

“Sasuk, come!”

“We are all set!”

Baek Cheon looked at the three of them and smiled.

Right. This was good.

‘My family is here.’

He smiled as he got up.

“Come on, let’s go!”

“Ah! Look at you all confident! You look so motivated to commit a bashing onto your hyung!”

‘Ah…’

Apart from this bastard.

This one bastard.

The crowd had grown a bit quieter.

Of the many participants, there were just sixty-four left. And the spectators were now interested in which sect had the best chances of winning the competition now.

“Isn’t Namgung Family’s Do Wei likely to win?”

“Eh! This time the Peng Family is better than the Namgung Family.”

“You are a frustrating person. The Five Great Families are weaker than the Nine Great Sects. It is clear that Shaolin’s Hae Yeon will win.”

“But the Wudang Sect cannot be forgotten.”

If there were a thousand people, then there were a thousand eyes, and each would have their own thoughts despite watching the same matches.

“It might not have to be between those two factions either.”

“Then who?”

“Isn’t there Mount Hua?”

“Ah. Mount Hua! Right!”

When Mount Hua was mentioned, people nodded their heads.

If this had been said at the outset of the competition, people would have laughed themselves silly at such a statement. But now, no one did.

“If it is Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, they can win it!”

“Not just him, but even The Righteous Sword of Hua, Baek Cheon. The sword technique he showed in his previous spar was amazing. Who could have imagined that Mount Hua had such a beautiful and splendid sword?”

“You didn’t know? Mount Hua was called the Plum Blossom Sect in the past. It was famous for being one of the strongest in terms of power.”

“Then why did it fall?”

“Fall? It was so strong, and it fell?”

“Didn’t they get kicked out of the Nine Great Sects?”

“I don’t know that, but I know one thing.”

“Uh?”

The person who said that continued with a smile,

“If Mount Hua wins this time, it wouldn’t just be a story of them getting back into the Nine Great Sects.”

“Huh. Right.”

The people’s eyes moved to Mount Hua.

‘Changing the Nine Great Sects…’

Since ancient times, membership has been a symbol of a strong sect. Although not common, it was known that sects that had lost their power would be replaced and removed from the Nine Great Sects One Union.

But.

There had never been a case of an expelled sect clawing its way back up.

‘What if that happens?’

‘It would be hella fun to watch!’

The people looked at Mount Hua with strange expressions.

“Chung Myung.”

“Uh?”

“Do you hear it too?”

“What?”

“The gossip of the crowds.”

“What about it?”

Chung Myung asked Jo Gul.

After that, Jo Gul, confirming the elders weren’t around, came in closer and whispered,

“If we win, do we return to being one of the Nine Great Sects?”

“Uh?”

Chung Myung was shocked. And the eyes of the other sahyungs fell on him.

“Nine Great Sects?”

“We join them?”

The faces of the disciples began to turn red.

‘Nine Great Sects One Union.’

‘Oh my! Is it alright to think about it?’

Only just three years ago did they think they would lose Mount Hua to their debtors. But in just these three short years, they would rejoin the Nine Great Sects?

They had never seriously believed in such words, but the fact that such things kept coming up told everyone that their status and that of Mount Hua’s had changed. So the disciples felt proud.

And Yoon Jong said,

“It isn’t that strange, right?”

“Uh?”

“There are a number of rules about who can join them, but above all comes the rule of power. Here, we are proving that Mount Hua isn’t inferior to them.”

He gulped and continued,

“It might seem unreasonable now, but if this goes on, it may not just be a dream to be among them again. If that happens, it will truly recreate the glory of past Mount Hua.”

Everyone thought of it. Dreams swelled inside their heads. But there are people in the world who don’t like watching other people’s happiness,

“Go back where?”

“… Uh?”

“Nine great Sectsssssss?”

“…”

Seeing Chung Myung bow his head, Jo Gul closed his eyes,

‘Why now?!’

‘No, just why now?’

‘What was the mistake this time?’

The sahyungs all turned their heads. In this case, they shouldn’t be making eye contact with the demon, especially a crazy one.

“No, just because you don’t have the money, you are acting like beggars. Why head back there? Nine Great Sects? Why would we go there? Do you sahyungs have no pride?”

Chung Myung raised his voice,

“Oh my! How low does your pride have to be to bow your head to someone who had kicked out Mount Hua, calling it useless? Why? If that is the case, why don’t you go and shake your ass with the Southern Edge while we all get along like a happy family!”

“No, I didn’t mean it like…”

“Even if they come to kneel down and beg us to join, I will not join them. They are old idiots!”

Chung Myung was now too angry,

“When I think of those old good-for-nothing idiots, I get angry!”

“C-calm down! I was wrong!”

Looking at Chung Myung, who was on the verge of bursting out, Jo Gul began to sweat. Actually, this was natural for them.

The disciples didn’t like Mount Hua being thrown out of the Nine Great Sects. From the moment it happened, Mount Hua wasn’t a member, and they thought that, too, had led to the downfall of Mount Hua.

However, Chung Myung, who knew the secrets and what had truly happened for Mount Hua to get thrown out, couldn’t just listen to it with a calm head.

It was the feeling of wanting to throw a plum tree on each of their heads.

And what?

Head back into the Nine Great Sects?

“No! No! It won’t happen even if they ask us! Let them all freeze to death!”

“Okay, calm down!”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong tried to dissuade Chung Myung from further breaking down, but he showed no signs of calming down, and so they asked,

“Sasuk, what do you think we should do with him?”

But Baek Cheon asked with a gloomy face,

“Why? He didn’t say anything wrong, though?”

“… UH?”

And he continued,

“Don’t you people have pride? Do you want to bow down and crawl back to the ones who abandoned us? I will take the other side.”

“…”

Yoon and Jo Gul smiled brightly.

Ah, that person, too, is losing his character with each day.

But Baek Cheon cut off his cold tone and said,

“I am not joking.”

He looked at the disciples in a serious tone, turning them either nervous or still.

“What we have to do is to show good results and not be visible to him¹. It is to prove that even if Mount Hua isn’t with him, it is still a good martial arts sect.”

Chung Myung nodded his head and said,

“Right. Right.”

And he looked at Baek Cheon.

“You know what to do for that to happen, right sasuk?”

“Right. I know.”

Baek Cheon turned to the stage.

The moment for his spar was approaching. He raised his sword and stood up,

“I will have to prove to everyone here that the sword of Mount Hua isn’t inferior to any of those Nine Great Sects.”

Chung Myung smiled,

“Win and come back.”

“Of course.”

Taking a short breath, Baek Cheon walked out. In front of him, Hyun Sang had a determined face waiting for him.

“Elder, I will bring good results.”

“Baek Cheon.”

“Yes.”

He said in a serious tone,

“I know that this is a huge moment for you. But you get to show off. Only you.”

“I know. Don’t worry.”

“Right. I will trust you.”

Hyun Sang tapped Baek Cheon on the shoulder to encourage him, and finally, Baek Cheon nodded as he walked out.

‘I need to prove it.’

Baek Cheon knew what those words meant.

He wasn’t Chung Myung, who could do everything with just his sword of Mount Hua.

That guy was beyond genius.

If Chung Myung had joined any other sect instead of Mount Hua, that would be the one being talked about. Even if he stepped in as a third-class disciple of a third-class sect, he would be able to fix their martial arts and aim for the top.

To such a person, growth had no meaning.

So Baek Cheon had to be the one to prove it.

That the sword of Mount Hua wasn’t inferior to anyone. No, it means that without even the façade of being in Nine Great Sects, they can be stronger than the others.

Just then, he saw a familiar face walk up the stage.

Right, prove it.

Against, Jin Geum-Ryong.

Tak.

Baek Cheon, who had reached the sparring circle, raised his head and looked up.

Blue.

The sky, without a single cloud, looked so high up that it felt like he was being sucked in.

‘That day was like this too.’

The day he ran from home and headed to Mount Hua. The sky was so clear then.

It was the time to prove his will, because back then, he had chosen a different path.

Baek Cheon lowered his head.

Jin Geum-Ryong

The man with his cold face. It looked cold and stiff like he always appeared, but it still looked different.

If one knew this man in the past, this change would make them feel sad.

But as a swordsman?

‘Like a forged sword.’

A sharp sword so hard that it would cut down anything which would want to touch it.

Jin Geum-Ryong gave out such an impression.

How long had he been pushing himself to turn like this?

There was no choice but to stand on different paths, but Baek Cheon wanted him to be like that boy from his past.

“Baek Cheon of Mount Hua asks Southern Edge’s Jin Geum-Ryong for a spar.”

After bowing, he looked at his brother with serious eyes.

Lips curling up, his brother said,

“Cheeky bastard.”

Srrrr.

Jin Geum-Ryong pulled out his sword. It shone white and black in the sunlight.

“I admit it.”

“…”

“You have become strong. The old, foolish you, which only took beatings, has suddenly become a swordsman.”

Baek Cheon’s body trembled.

A weird light shone in the eyes of Jin Geum-Ryong.

He couldn’t recognize the man in front of him. This man never gave even the most common compliment, and he continued,

“But.”

He smiled in a twisted manner.

“You are still far away.”

“…”

“I will show you today. The more you progress, the further I get from your reach. The difference that you will not be able to keep up with for the rest of your life.”

Staring at Baek Cheon, he said,

“I am still your wall.”

“…”

“And I will be one for the rest of your life.”

Baek Cheon smiled at this.

With a soft smile, unlike his brother, he said,

“That is impossible.”

“… what?”

“I have another wall. There is a wall that I would never dare to put alongside hyung’s, and it is amazingly huge.”

“…”

“And I will let you know. Walls are there for us to jump over them.”

“Cheeky bastard.”

There was no need for words, and they looked at each other as the tension rose.

The sound around them was slowly vanishing.

The mumbling crowd, the cheers of their sahyungs, and finally, the sound of the wind blowing right next to their ears.

In that moment…

“Here I come!”

“Ahhhh!”

Baek Cheon and Jin Geum-Ryong ran to each other with all their might, regardless of who started first.