Return of the Mount Hua Sect
Chap 717 (Part 2) - 718

"Why!"

A voice filled with anger resounded.

No, maybe it was sadness or resentment.

"Why! Why are you not letting me go, why!”

Despite that cry, the elderly man who had been looking at the distant moon quietly turned his head.

The pressure of his eyes weighed down his entire body, but Chung Myung did not back down. The eyes that were calm like a lake and the eyes like a blazing volcano collided fiercely without compromise.

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“Sect Leader sahyung!”

“If you leave, we cannot guarantee victory. No, we will be defeated.”

Grit.

At the words of Chung Mun, Chung Myung gritted his teeth in anger.

“That brat… … He’s gone missing.”

“… … .”

“Don't you know what that means? Huh? That Chung Jin brat! I said that brat had gone missing, right on the Ten Thousand Great Mountains!”

"I know."

“Sect Leader sahyung!”

Chung Mun closed his eyes slowly.

His expression was calm, but his slightly trembling eyelids actually showed that expression was just a lie.

“Lost something… … We are not the only ones who have lost someone.”

“… … .”

“Everyone has lost one thing or two. So how can we be an exception?”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?”

Chung Myung's face twisted.

“Even if what you’ve said is true, me finding our sajae is an unreasonable request you said?”

“Chung Myung-ah… … .”

“I don't know what that damn great good is, but are you telling me just to let our brother die because of that damn thing?! He might still be alive!”

In the anger overflowing at the voice of Chung Myung, even Chung Mun was speechless, keeping his mouth shut.

“What is that! Damn it! What the hell is that!”

A voice full of remorse escaped from Chung Mun's mouth as he silently looked at Chung Myung's face, which seemed about to explode at any moment.

“… Great Good (大意)... .”

Soon after, Chung Mun laughed.

It was so low that it was like an empty laugh or a mockery, but in either case, the smile on Chung Mun's lips now was even more unsightly than crying.

“Do you think that's still the case? In the current situation?"

“… … .”

“Maybe there was something like that in the beginning. But now it's worn out and there's only one left. Do you know what it is?”

“… … What is it?”

"Future."

Chung Mun said firmly.

“If we can't defeat them, we will lose everything. And we need you to defeat them. You! Plum Blossom Sword Saint Chung Myung.”

“… … .”

“Do you still want to go? Then you will leave alone to save Chung Jin right? What will he say when Chung Jin comes back just to find us all dead? Did you think he would say thank you for saving his life? You fool!”

A stream of blood eventually flowed from the tightly bitten mouth of Chung Myung. The blood from his teeth stained his lips as if he had applied red rouge.

Chung Mun slowly shook his head.

“He wouldn't want to. Because what he values ​​the most is neither you nor himself, but the children left behind.”

“… … .”

The fishy smell of blood.

Was what he tasted in his mouth. Also it was that scent that was wafting in the air.

He felt dazed and dizzy.

“If you really want to go find him, go after this war is over.”

"Sahyung!"

"We're not the only ones who lost!"

Chung Mun roared. Anger and resentment that could not be found in him burst out like a flood.

“You think only one or two people want to go find him right away?! I want to go more than you! I! Damn it... … .”

In the end, he swore at the end of his words and chewed his lips.

“Damn it… … .”

His voice trembled terribly.

Chung Mun is not only the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, but he is leading the Jungwon murim against the Demonic Cult.

How many burdens are weighing down those shoulders?

“… … I sent him.”

“… … .”

“It was none other than me who entrusted him with such a dangerous mission. If you want to resent, resent me.”

Suddenly, all emotions disappeared, as if they had been washed away from his face.

“As the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, I cannot allow you to go looking for Chung Jin. Go back to your position and wait.”

“… … .”

Chung Myung also looked at Chung Mun with an expressionless face.

No more smiling when looking at each other. The two stared at each other coldly with faces as hard as ironclads.

Chung Myung spoke with an emotionless voice.

“If it is the order of the Sect Leader.”

“… … .”

“I should follow.”

Chung Mun’s eyes trembled at that emotionless voice.

"But… sahyung."

A sneer appeared at the corners of Chung Myung's lips.

“Can what you gain fill the void left by what you’ve lost?”

Chung Mun closed his eyes tightly. Chung Myung’s cold voice pierced his chest like a blade.

“I don’t know what it means to gain something by losing what I shouldn't have lost.”

“… … Chung Myung.”

"I… … .”

Blood trickled down the corner of Chung Myung's mouth.

“I will not accept this decision until the moment I die.”

After that, Chung Myung turned around without even listening to the answer. He distanced himself from Chung Mun without hesitation.

He clenched his fists as if they were about to explode.

𝐶𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑘𝑘.

Grinding your teeth and beating your chest won't change anything.

As he stepped forward without saying a word, he looked back with eyes full of resentment. However, when he saw ‘that sight’, all anger and strength just disappeared.

Chung Mun's shoulders, which had always been wide enough to embrace and rely on all of Mount Hua's disciples, were trembling weakly.

Seeing his back half-curled as if he didn't know what to do, Chung Myung couldn't bear to look at him anymore and turned his head away.

'Chung Jin-ah... … .'

Sahyung.

As he recalled Chung Jin's innocently smiling face, Chung Myung closed his trembling eyes.

Sorry.

I’m sorry.

… … sorry.

* * *

Chung Myung shuffled forward as if possessed.

One step, another step.

He stumbled as if he would fall at any moment, but he moved on and on and on.

And Yu Iseol silently followed him. The back of Chung Myung came into her eyes.

That back wasn’t very wide but solid like Mount Tai. Sometimes it embraced them like the vast sea, and sometimes it became a cliff piercing the sky and became their target.

But now, Chung Myung's back was just left with pity and loneliness.

Like… … .

'Father.'

It was as if she was seeing her father's back, which had remained vaguely in her memory.

The back of someone who failed to do what they must do.

The back of someone who clung to something that could never be achieved.

The back of someone…

Who has lost the most precious thing in his life.

Why does that skinny back look overlapping with the present Chung Myung?

The staggering steps of Chung Myung gradually got faster. Correspondingly, Yu Iseol also increased her walking speed.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who happened to find the two, ran toward Yu Iseol, perhaps sensing a strange atmosphere.

“Samae?”

Yu Iseol brought her index finger to her lips.

“Don't disturb him.”

Baek Cheon looked at her and Chung Myung in turn, then nodded. And together, they began to follow Chung Myung in silence.

One step.

Another step.

The predecessor went ahead, and those who inherit that will followed. However, the predecessor's step, which was walking first, was now shaking sorrowfully.

Chung Myung looked at the mountain in front just like he had done in the past.

 

Chung Jin is... not such a child. He's not one to let go like that.

Even if the body that shed too much blood gradually stops, even if the urge to let go of everything and become comfortable eats away at the soul.

He... …is not one to give in and give up everything.

That brat.

Chung Myung started to climb the mountain.

'Think about it.'

What if I was Chung Jin?

What would I do if I were him?

Can't go back anymore. His breath is on the verge of being cut off, and there is no way to go back to Mount Hua to his sahyungjaes where the Demonic Cult b*stards are everywhere.

Then what would you do?

If the man from a hundred years ago standing here was Chung Myung, what would he do the moment he saw that mountain with his blurry vision?

As if possessed, Chung Myung climbed the mountain faster and faster.

It’s definitely there. Definitely so.

'If it were you, you would have done this.'

It would probably be the same even if it was Chung Myung.

A mountain that is not very high, and therefore cannot be Mount Hua.

But… There is a small mountain that reminds me of the atmosphere of Mount Hua in this far away place.

'I have to go back.'

Yes, I have to go back.

Even if my body is here, I have to go back to Mount Hua. Even if my body rots, I have to return to Mount Hua.

Where you left to return. Where they lived and grew up.

Even if Chung Myung dies, he can't forget it, as if he had returned in the end.

Chung Jin must have been the same.

As he stepped up the mountain, he became more and more confident in his feet.

Up, up again, not resting even for a moment. Hesitation disappeared with each step.

Eventually, as they approached the summit, the steps of Chung Myung stopped.

He stared blankly ahead.

Mount Hua’s disciples looked at his back, holding their breath.

They didn't know what made them feel this way. But they couldn't even dare to talk to Chung Myung.

'Here... … .'

Yoon Jong, who had been looking around, narrowed his eyes.

“Sasuk.”

“…What?"

"Here… … Doesn’t it look like Mount Hua?”

“… … The mountain is a little steeper than other places.”

“Oh, no. It's not like that... … .”

Yoon Jong looked around several times before meeting Baek Cheon’s gaze.

“Where the Mount Hua Sect lies… … .isn't it very similar there? If this mountain is Mount Hua, then this place is... … .”

“… … .”

Only then did Baek Cheon look around with a hard face again. Soon an exclamation broke out from the neat lips.

"Ah… … .”

He now understood what Yoon Jong was talking about.

If this mountain is called Mount Hua, the place where they stand now is where the Mount Hua Sect is. It doesn't fit perfectly, but it was a place that would definitely feel similar to those who have lived with Mount Hua as their home.

Baek Cheon's eyes turned to Chung Myung.

'Then you... .'

At that moment, Chung Myung suddenly knelt down on the spot. He crawled on the ground with both knees, plucked the bushes with trembling hands, and groped the ground with his bare hands.

Mount Hua’s disciples just watched the scene without saying a word.

They didn't dare to help.

No.

They felt like they shouldn't help.

It is not something they should be quick to step into. The exact reason is unknown, but all the disciples of Mount Hua here now had the same thought.

“… … What is he looking for?”

To Tang So-so's whisper, Yu Iseol answered without turning her head.

"Cave."

“… … .”

“Because I would have dug a hole. To hide with the manuals I brought with.”

"Ah… .”

Tang So-so nodded and looked at Chung Myung.

At that time, Chung Myung's hand that was groping along the ground suddenly stopped. The frozen fingertips trembled slightly.

After clearing the tall, thick bushes, a small pit was revealed.

There was nothing particularly strange about a hole like that in the mountain. It was a very small pit, as if the burrows dug by wild beasts were abandoned and collapsed with the passage of time.

But at that moment, Chung Myung's hand was now trembling so pitifully.

At first, the hands dug the hole with a stutter, but then he started digging like a madman.

"Ha… … uhh… … !”

The unbearable pain burst out of his mouth in a muffled sound. Scattered dirt poured onto his head and back. Looking at the scene, Baek Cheon took a step closer without even realizing it.

“Chung Myung … .”

However, at that moment, Yu Iseol's hand grabbed his shoulder.

As Baek Cheon turned around, Yu Iseol shook her head.

“… … .”

Baek Cheon bit his lip and finally nodded. For now, he had no choice but to watch Chung Myung.

He dug up the soil, pulled out the pebbles, and smashed the rocks with his bare fists to break them, gradually digging into the ground.

Strangely enough, the sound of heavy breathing sounded like sobs.

Digging and digging the ground, his body was now covered with mud. But he just gritted his teeth and kept digging, as if this was the only mission. Chung Myung's hand, which had been digging like crazy, suddenly stiffened.

A different sense was caught on the fingertips that had been dug into the soil.

The tip of the finger that penetrated the soil does not catch anything. That means behind is empty.

Chung Myung's breathing became more and more rapid.

“… … .”

He began to carefully remove the soil. It was a delicate touch that was completely different from before.

Mount Hua’s disciples who watched the scene widened their eyes.

'Cave?'

They weren’t sure what to call it.

However, what is certain is that there is a space where people can enter where Chung Myung is now clearing away.

Soon, Chung Myung stumbled and stepped inside.

“… … Sasuk.”

At Yoon Jong's words, Baek Cheon nodded.

“… … Let's go.”

Baek Cheon took the lead, bending his waist towards the cave where Chung Myung entered.

It was a narrow aisle, but the space inside was wider than he thought. Baek Cheon lightly jumped down then raised his head. At that moment, a sight captured his eyes.

'Chung Myung... … .'

At that moment, Baek Cheon was shocked.

Chung Myung's small shoulders, so small that they seemed to collapse at any moment, were trembling because he couldn't control his emotions.

What he saw over that shoulder... … .

A person? No. what was sitting cross-legged over there was not a person, but a white skeleton.

A white skeleton that even though only rotted bones remain, it still maintains its original posture. The cloth draped over the skeleton was so crumbly and worn that it was difficult to guess its shape when he was alive.

But he couldn’t help but know.

Because of the magnificent writings, as if dug out with a finger using internal force, that were engraved on the stone wall behind the skeleton’s back.

A groan escaped from Baek Cheon's mouth.

 

Even though my body sleeps here

My heart is always with the far-off Mount Hua.

Chung Jin, a thirteenth disciple of the Great Mount Hua Sect.

"Uh… … .”

The outstretched hand, trembling, touched the writing very carefully. His shoulders started to tremble terribly.

"Ah ah… … . ah… … .”

In the end, Chung Myung collapsed, letting out the sobs he had suppressed for so long. Baek Cheon slowly closed his eyes as that crying was so painful.

 

Chapter 718:

 

- If I am surrounded by enemies, be sure to save me. If that's too difficult, drag my corpse back to Mount Hua.

- If that doesn't work, then you must send this manual to Mount Hua.

- You must not forget that, sahyung.

- Because the only person who can do that is sahyung. Never! Ever forget that!

 

"Uh… … . uhh... … .”

 

The trembling fingertips approached the skeleton. However, just when they were about to touch the skeleton, he stopped as if frightened.

 

He was afraid.

Afraid that the moment this hand touched it, it would crumble.

Afraid that it would disappear like an illusion.

 

“… … Chung Jin.”

 

You were here.

Turns out you were here.

My sajae. How lonely you were in this dark place.

How… … .

 

“Uh… … .”

Chung Myung patted the skeleton's forehead with his trembling fingertips, making only suppressed sounds. The moment he felt the rough and cold sensation, he was startled and removed his hand, but then he carefully stroked the remains again, as if caressing a newborn baby.

"Uh… … . uh uh... … . uhh... … .”

 

I… … I was too late.

 

How long have you been waiting? How did you wait so long in this cold place?

How long have you been waiting for me?

Forgive me.

Please forgive me, Chung Jin.

Forgive this ugly sahyung that came to you only now.

 

His hand gently stroked the cheek of the skeleton as if he was touching a living person.

 

Why do people learn only after they lose? How could I be so stupid?

 

Chung Myung's jaw trembled. Looking down, he realized a part of the clothes was gone. The bones visible inside were stained black everywhere.

'Demonic Flower (魔花)... … .'

 

At this rate, even walking at the last moment would not have been easy.

When you couldn't stand it while walking and collapsed, you desperately rolled and crawled, just to come here.

You were not afraid of death. You didn’t care whether you died.

But there is one thing that must be left behind.

A place no one in the world can find. A place that only the disciples of Mount Hua can find.

Something that even if you die, it has to be left there somehow.

You must be digging a hole while your life was a thin thread, and left this life while imagining I would come to this place one day.

You couldn't go back to Mount Hua now, so at least in this place, you could think of Mount Hua... You were lonely like that.

 

'Did you wait?'

Did you believe that I would come?

You believed in me, believed in this brother of yours.

 

Chung Myung’s eyes finally looked at something that could be seen inside the hem of the dress. No, he looked, but he didn't see.

He couldn't see anything. It was because of the hazy blurred vision.

He bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly. The overflowing sadness flowed down his cheeks. It wasn't until after a while that he opened my eyes and stared at what he should have been looking for.

Only one book.

Chung Jin never separated from his body until the moment he died.

Violet Dawn Qi-Enhancing Arts, Blossom Sword Arc.

And… … .

Stare at the book with trembling eyes. It has faded a lot over the years, but the elegant handwriting is still clearly visible. An unbearable moan escaped from Chung Myung's mouth.

 

Violet Dawn Divine Arts (紫霞神功).

 

- This cannot be shown even to sahyung.

- Ah! This is a martial art that can only be passed on to the Sect Leaders of Mount Hua! Go away! Before you tear it apart!

- Yes. Of course I have to keep it. I keep my manual, and sahyung just have to protect me.

- Don't worry, sahyung. Even if I die, I will protect this manual. That's how I protect Mount Hua.

 

Yes. You protected it.

 

But … .

 

"I… … .”

Chung Myung grabbed the soil.

 

“I couldn’t do it. I… … .”

 

I… I… couldn’t protect you.

Forgive me. Please forgive this ugly sahyung of yours.

Chung Jin... … . Chung Jin.

 

Chung Myung's grief was so great that he couldn't breathe. His vision kept getting blurry.

Everything he had endured squeezed out of his throat and burst out.

He stretched out his trembling hand and carefully embraced the skeleton in his hands.

He couldn't even bear to touch it for fear that it would crumble or break, so he awkwardly hugged the empty space and buried his forehead in the shoulder of the cold remains.

"Uh… … . uh uh uh... … . ah ah… … .”

Huge emotions squeezed his chest and exploded, leaving him unable to speak.

Let's go back.

Let's go back together.

'Cause now I'm here. Let's go back to Mount Hua together, Chung Jin.

I'm sorry. I was so late.

So let's go back to Mount Hua.

The things you left behind are there. The things you wanted to protect are breathing.

“Uh… … .”

 

It was more like a spasm than a sob.

He gasped, all the emotions that had been blocked for so long burst out.

 

You are right. I couldn't leave anything behind.

But the people you tried to protect are still there. I will embrace them tightly to my heart as you said.

So let's go back.

To the place you protected. To the place you so longed to go.

To Mount Hua.