Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Did Mount Hua win?”

“To witness something like this!”

“… twice in a row, too.”

The audience couldn’t take their eyes off the stage, unable to believe what they saw. However, no matter how hard they rubbed their eyes, the person who had fallen was Wudang’s disciple.

“T-third class disciple over the first class disciple…”

“N-no. Is this how it happens? A third-class disciple beating a first-class one?”

“How can this be! It’s like a grandson defeating his grandfather!”

“When one gets older…”

“Does he look old? Getting older means to be stronger! It doesn’t mean weaker!”

Actually, everyone knew this fact. Among those who had given up working for the day to watch this spar, there wasn’t a single one without common sense.

Nevertheless, obvious questions kept coming up because they couldn’t understand the situation; they couldn’t believe it.

What kind of place was Wudang?

Wasn’t it a sect known as the North Star of the Justice faction alongside Shaolin? And such a sect’s first-class disciple was defeated by the third class disciple of Mount Hua, which had only just begun to gain fame?

It was something that no one would believe, even if told.

It would be hard to trust if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes. Although they had come here to cheer for Mount Hua, it was only to cheer. No one really believed that Mount Hua could win against Wudang.

But the results now were completely unexpected to their eyes.

“Mount Hua really is…”

Stronger.

No, it’s strange to say they were stronger.

In the first place, Mount Hua wasn’t a place that was much discussed when it came to strengths and weaknesses. Until recently, people had never heard of Mount Hua.

But in just a couple of years, Mount Hua had become strong enough to go against Wudang.

Even if Mount Hua loses all of its remaining matches from now on, the reputation of Mount Hua will still rise tremendously with just this one victory.

‘And maybe…’

The crowd began to look off the stage with anticipation, thinking, ‘Maybe something insane will happen here.’ A rabbit catching a tiger was an event that shouldn’t occur.

“Mu-Mu Ho…”

A voice like a sigh escaped Heo Sanja’s mouth.

“Well, what are you doing! Quickly bring Mu Ho down!”

“Yes!”

The Wudang disciples, who had been losing their minds, were so surprised they leaped onto the stage.

“Sajae!”

“Sajae, are you alright?”

They lightly shook his shoulder to awaken him, but Mu Ho didn’t respond. The Wudang disciples bit their lips, lifted the fallen disciple, and carried him down from the stage.

“It isn’t a major injury. There will be no problems. But… he will not regain consciousness that easily.”

“… Right.”

Heo Sanja sighed deeply at this. Several disciples gathered to check his condition, as he had been thrown back violently.

Heo Sanja’s eyes widened with shock when he saw the scene. He slowly turned his gaze to Mount Hua. Unlike the somber atmosphere here, the other side was buzzing with excitement.

And why wouldn’t it be?

A third-class disciple of Mount Hua had defeated the first-class disciple of Wudang.

‘Where else would you see such a disgrace…’

Heo Sanja’s face went pale; no blood was in his cheeks. Thinking about the rumors that would start spreading from tomorrow, he felt the urge to vomit everything he ate for breakfast.

But even so, he couldn’t blame Mu Ho for the loss. The swordsmanship displayed by that reckless youth, Jo Gul, was truly shocking, even to Heo Sanja.

He hadn’t lost a fight that was his to win.

‘Mu Ho was outmatched in skills.’

This realization sent Heo Sanja into a state of shock.

He had heard a lot about the Five Swords of Mount Hua, but he had thought it was just a fancy title, an accolade for a Mount Hua that had regained its lost glory.

Mount Hua had proven itself through the sword, showing they were worthy of the title.

Starting tomorrow, how much would this news spread? How much more would the five swords be talked about? At the very least, wouldn’t word get out that those who bore the name Five Swords of Mount Hua had defeated a first-class disciple of Wudang?

This was a humiliation beyond words. At that moment, Mu Jin spoke.

“Elder.”

“…”

“You need to calm down. The battle isn’t over yet.”

“Not ended?”

Heo Sanja turned and glared at Mu Jin.

“What do you mean it isn’t over?”

“… Elder.”

Heo Sanja, who had spoken hastily, was angry.

“A first-class disciple of Wudang was defeated by a third-class disciple of Mount Hua. Do you think people will forget this no matter what happens in the upcoming matches? The people of the world love to cheer for the rising heroes and delight in the fall of the strong. Do you believe that winning all the remaining matches will sway their opinions in favor of Wudang?”

“… Elder. The disciples are listening.”

Only then did Heo Sanja attempt to calm himself and close his mouth.

‘I made a mistake…’

No matter how intense his emotions, it wasn’t right to behave like this in front of the disciples who were about to fight. Could it diminish their morale, causing them to enter the fray with no will to achieve or to lose out of recklessness?

“Euk.”

Heo Sanja took a deep breath and calmed himself.

‘Right. What has happened cannot be changed.’

In truth, it was his fault. He had been careless, and that had led to the defeat.

‘Mount Hua is just Mount Hua. Even if they win five times, there’s no way we will simply concede.’

That was why he had avoided the streak fight and opted for the singles match. Wasn’t that the reason he had chosen it in the first place?

However, as soon as they entered the fight, they ignored and looked down on the Five Swords of Mount Hua. His arrogance brought about this defeat.

“Mu Jin.”

“Yes.”

Heo Sanja struggled to find the words and pursed his lips before closing his eyes.

“Send Mu Yeon.”

“… Mu Yeon?”

“Yes.”

Even after this happened, he didn’t want to send Mu Jin because he was the last one to hold the match.

If Mu Yeon, one of the Three Swords of Wudang, stepped in, the lost momentum would be reclaimed.

Mu Jin looked at Heo Sanja and nodded.

“I understand.”

He went to the back, called for Mu Yeon, and approached Heo Sanja together. Heo Sanja looked at him and said,

“You know what you are supposed to do, right?”

“To restore the lost honor of the Taoists.”

“Yes. And as you saw, the swordsmanship of Mount Hua is astounding. Its dazzle prevents the opponent from wielding their sword correctly.”

“Yes.”

“If you can remain stable amidst that, nothing will happen to you. Never let go of your Wudang teachings.”

“Yes, elder.”

It wasn’t an odd or grand answer, but when Heo Sanja heard it, he felt relieved.

‘Right. We’ve only lost once.’

As one lives in the world, unexpected things happen at times. Now was just such a time.

“Go. Your sword carries the name of Wudang!”

“I will do my best.”

Heo Sanja burst into laughter as he watched Mu Yeon’s back as he silently headed for the stage.

‘Do his best?’

A good phrase. There was no better one. But even those words didn’t sound good to Heo Sanja at the moment.

Since when have the Wudang disciples, especially the first-class ones, been pushed to the point where they had to do their best against Mount Hua?

Just trying to suppress the hatred welling up deep in his heart was exhausting. Heo Sanja stared straight at Mount Hua with bloodshot eyes.

“Mu Yeon of Wudang.”

Standing on the stage, Mu Yeon gazed at Mount Hua with calm eyes and opened his mouth. Then, the disciples of Mount Hua, who had been chatting noisily, closed their mouths and stared at him.

“Congratulations on the win. However, we should also be given a chance to make up for it. Who will be my opponent?”

Hyun Young, who had been listening quietly, stiffened his face and whispered.

“Sahyung, Mu Yeon is…?”

“Right. He is one of the Three Swords of Wudang. I’ve heard the name too.”

“Ah…”

The Three Swords of Wudang.

The weight of that name was incomparable to the Five Swords of Mount Hua. Even within Wudang, known for the world’s finest swordsmanship, only the topmost disciples who competed for the highest position received this title.

It might not be well known after the spar, but no one would dare to compare him with the Five Swords of Mount Hua.

“Three Swords of Wudang…”

Hyun Sang wore a worried expression.

But then a calm voice was heard.

“I will go.”

“Yoon Jong?”

When Hyun Sang flinched and turned around, Yoon Jong smiled.

“If things are going to come out like this, we will have to listen to Jo Gul brag about it for the next two months. Wouldn’t I, the sahyung, at least have to face one of the Three Swords of Wudang for that guy to quiet down?”

“But it’s the Three Swords of Wudang, right?”

Yoon Jong answered calmly as if it were no big deal.

“Of course, I am afraid.”

“…”

“But now I know. If you just step back because you are afraid, you will never be able to move forward. I will win.”

Hyun Sang nodded without realizing it at those words.

He had secretly hoped that Baek Cheon or Yu Yiseol would step up for this match. If the opponent was one of the Three Swords of Wudang, shouldn’t the strongest among them come forward?

But as he looked into Yoon Jong’s eyes, he couldn’t stop him.

Baek Cheon, who had already come to the side, opened his lips with a serious voice.

“Yoon Jong. The honor of a Taoist rests on the shoulders…”

“Achuuu!”

But Chung Myung’s loud sneeze naturally cut him off. For an instant, Baek Cheon tightly closed his eyes.

‘I don’t like this for some reason!’

When he looked back with fierce eyes, Chung Myung was wiping his nose and making a joke.

“Ugh. Do you have a cold?”

“…You are going to catch a cold.”

It’s obvious that even a cold would also run away at the sight of him.

Chung Myung wiped his nose without shame and spoke.

“Sahyung.”

“Uh?”

“Just do what you do.”

“…”

“It will be more fun than you think.”

Yoon Jong, who was looking at Chung Myung, laughed.

“Do you think I am just like you and Jo Gul?”

“It’s nothing strange.”

“W-what, man?”

When Yoon Jong got angry, Chung Myung grinned.

“You don’t need to think about being a Taoist or not. Just go and have some fun. If you lose, I will tease you with more passion.”

“…”

Yoon Jong, whose face was slightly relaxed, smiled and nodded as he walked to the stage.

Baek Cheon, who watched the process, nodded heavily. He had no choice but to admit it.

‘I almost made a mistake.’

The advice he was trying to give might be right for Jo Gul, but it wasn’t right for Yoon Jong. He thinks too much, even without reminding. Giving more advice would only make his shoulders heavier.

Baek Cheon stood next to Chung Myung and quietly asked.

“Will it be fine?”

“What?”

“Yoon Jong, I mean. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with the Three Swords of Wudang.”

Mu Yeon’s force on the stage was unusual even at a glance.

Chung Myung had accurate eyes to gauge talent, so he could guess it, but the answer that came out was a little different from Baek Cheon’s expectations.

“Even if it isn’t fine, he has to endure it.”

“…Uh?”

“Even if he cannot win, he must win.”

“What does that mean?”

When Baek Cheon asked, Chung Myung’s voice came back seriously.

“Someday, the sword of Sahyung will become one that represents Mount Hua. That is the mission of someone who carries the enemy’s burden.”

Baek Cheon mumbled to himself as he watched Yoon Jong’s back ascending.

‘Enemy…’

It felt like he now understood.

That boy would become a great scholar of Mount Hua in the future. By that time, Baek Cheon, Yu Yiseol, and probably Chung Myung would have withdrawn from the front lines.

In that case, Yoon Jong’s sword would be the standard of Mount Hua. The Five Swords of Mount Hua each have their own unique features, but the sword that would represent Mount Hua in the future would be Yoon Jong’s.

‘Does Yoon Jong know this?’

How heavily he must carry it.

He probably knows. That’s likely why that back was so strong.

‘Show me.’

What Mount Hua’s sword was…

The stage here was the right place to show it.