Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 689

“Hnggg.”

Chung Myung stretched and got up from his seat, blinking his eyes momentarily. Then, he opened his eyes wide as he saw the sunlight coming through the window.

“What, what is this?”

Morning? That can’t be right.

But no matter how much he tried to deny it, the sunlight didn’t disappear.

The sun’s warmth gently heated the blanket, making him feel sleepy again…

‘N- No! This isn’t right!’

Chung Myung opened his mouth wide at this ridiculous situation.

‘Did I oversleep?’

Who was he? He’s none other than Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign Chung Myung.

Of course, he didn’t claim to have earned the title of Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign solely through effort without any natural talent. No matter how Chung Myung is, he wouldn’t go that far. He had innate talent, so his efforts were effective.

Nevertheless, he had never been lazy since the day he first picked up a sword to turn his talent into skill.

But….

“Oversleeping?”

‘Me? This me?’

Chung Myung’s pupils quivered.

“Me, I…”

Laziness is a sin, and idleness is a great crime.

But it wasn’t someone else, it was him who overslept!

“Ughhh!”

Chung Myung grabbed his head and began to scratch it violently.

“I heard that people become lazy when their stomachs are full of fat! How could this happen?”

It would have been unimaginable in the past.

Even during wars, when he had to feel the limits of his body, he never overslept like now. How could he oversleep now when his body was full of energy?

Chung Myung jumped out of his seat and flung the window wide open.

The sun wasn’t just up; it was almost at its zenith.

“Hiik!”

Something was seriously wrong. Chung Myung hurriedly began to get dressed.

“Damn it! No wonder I saw Cheong Mun Sahyung in my dream! How could I have a good day after seeing his face!”

– The heck is this punk?

“No! I don’t have time to play with you right now!”

Chung Myung hung his clothes, ignoring the auditory hallucinations in his ears. Normally, he would have leisurely washed up and left, but now he didn’t even have time for a cat’s wash.

“Euracha!”

Brushing off the dust on his body instantly with his internal strength, Chung Myung dashed out as fast as a ray of light.

Mount Hua’s disciples were already out and devoted to their training without exception. Even the first-class disciples occupied one side, sweating and swinging their swords.

Seeing their efforts, he felt guilty.

‘Gu- Guilt…….’

As a result, Chung Myung realized that he still had a string of conscience left in his heart, a fact that could embarrass even the gods.

“You’re here?”

“….”

“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you all day today.”

“….”

“Chung Myung-ah. Don’t train too much. You always go out early in the morning and train like that, can your body handle it? How much did you do today to come this late?”

“…Huh?”

“Tsk tsk.”

Yoon Jong clicked his tongue with a slightly worried face. Seeing the pity in his eyes, Chung Myung felt as if someone was poking him with a needle somewhere in his heart.

“The strongest one trains nonstop, so the rest of us feel pressured and can’t rest!”

As Jo-Gol said bluntly, the pain started reaching Chung Myung’s side.

‘Why, of all days, today…’

Usually, if he heard such words, he would scold them. But now, with his guilty conscience, he had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

“Everyone’s… everyone’s up early, huh?”

“Well… Usually, when you go out for training at dawn, everyone comes out to train within half an hour.”

“…Half an hour?”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung looked at the disciples training with trembling eyes.

Swoosh!

With every clash of swords, sweat droplets splashed from their tense, muscular bodies, falling heavily on the training field. The ground was so drenched that its color had changed.

Normally, he would have just enjoyed the scene, but now, those sweat droplets felt like daggers flying at him.

No.

His nape was actually getting damp with cold sweat.

‘I’m gonna die.’

While his Sahyung and even Sasuk and Great Sasuk were sweating profusely during their training, he slept until the sun reached its zenith.

– Haha! Serves you right!

“Argh! Quiet!”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“… N- No.”

Chung Myung awkwardly fumbled with his words. Then he slightly tilted his head.

“But everyone seems a bit more aggressive than usual, huh?”

“It’s more like trying hard than being aggressive. More than usual.”

“Huh?”

Just as Chung Myung was about to ask something, Baek Cheon, who had just finished his sword practice, approached them, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

“Huu!”

“….”

Seeing the sweat streaming down their faces, he could tell how earnestly they were training.

“Why are you all training so aggressively when the event just ended?”

“That’s precisely why.”

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon looked seriously at Chung Myung and said,

“Now that we have Heavenly Comrade Alliance, the status of Mount Hua is different from that of the past.”

“….”

“So, as you said before, the opponents we have to face will be stronger. Even if you don’t mention the Jang Ilso and Myriad Man Manor.”

Chung Myung nodded.

“If I stay the same and the opponents become stronger, the result is obvious, right? So, I have no choice but to become stronger.”

At Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung looked back at the training field with a subtle gaze.

No one was giving directions.

In the past, they had to be forced to train by Un Gum, and later, Chung Myung had to scold them for it. But now everyone in the training field is training themselves without raising their voices.

Seeing their extremely serious expressions, Chung Myung felt a tingling sensation at his fingertips.

“And….”

Then Baek Cheon stared at Chung Myung, distorting his face.

“If you train hard like that and we train less than you, we will never catch up!”

Then Yoo Iseol, who was approaching their way, nodded with a serious face. Chung Myung asked with an absurd face.

“…Is it that important?”

“It is!”

Jo-Gol roared out.

“Honestly, I don’t care about being the best in the world or the best in Mount Hua!”

“….”

“I just want to be a little stronger than you! If I can just punch you in the face once, I’ll even be content to ascend!”

Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon shook their heads in agreement at Jo-Gol’s words.

“I’d ascend with my fist still outstretched.”

“With that kind of achievement, even Taesangnogun would run out barefoot to greet you.”

“….”

‘No, these bastards?’

“It’ll take a hundred years!”

“A hundred years isn’t that long.”

“It’s worth investing that much.”

“Spending a hundred years just to hit this guy once is a good deal.”

“Right.”

Chung Myung’s eyes shook fiercely.

‘These bastards are serious.’

Those eyes are not joking.

‘No, what did I do wrong to deserve this…?’

“It’s a joke.”

“It doesn’t seem like a joke?”

“That’s half the truth.”

Baek Cheon smirked when Chung Myung was speechless.

“Everyone knows. We have a lot to do in the future.”

“….”

“I don’t think training a bit more or trying a bit harder will make a huge difference. But… it’s a hundred times better than not.”

Chung Myung silently nodded his head.

“All we can do is give our best at what we can do from where we are now. Then, we’ll improve little by little.”

“Watch the back of your head!”

“Behave properly!”

Chung Myung’s face turned slightly blank when he saw Jo-Gol pointing his finger at him, and Tang Soso joined and pointed her finger. The sound of Mount Hua’s disciples working hard on their training echoed.

Chung Myung’s eyes shook slightly.

– If you blindly rush ahead, you won’t see those who are following you. Do you really think your Saje won’t try to catch up to you?

‘How was it back then?’

Back then, the training field was also filled with people training.

But the sweat they shed was invisible to Chung Myung. But now, it’s different. He could clearly see the sweat they were shedding.

– Slow down a little.

‘Sahyung…’

Was this what you wanted to say?

“…Anyway, the nagging…”

“What?”

Chung Myung chuckled and slightly turned his head. He didn’t exactly feel emotional, but for some reason, he didn’t want to show his current expression.

Sighing softly and collecting his emotions, Chung Myung looked at Mount Hua’s Five Swords as usual.

“Look at you guys trying to catch up by training like this! Good luck!”

“… This bastard!”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

Chaeng!

His sword was drawn neatly.

“Come on! Let’s learn a lesson on how to train properly for once in a while! Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I’ve sparred with you!”

“Hoo?”

Chung Myung’s eyes sparkled.

“Our Dongryong has been winning lately and his confidence has pierced the sky? How dare you draw your sword in front of me!”

“I’m your Sasuk, you brat!”

“Being a Sasuk is why you’re still alive. If you weren’t, you’d already be dead.”

“Alright! Let’s see who dies today!”

Baek Cheon shoots fire from both eyes and charges toward Chung Myung.

“Dieeeeeee!”

“That’s not gonna kill me!”

The sword energies emitted by the two swept through the surroundings in an instant.

“What- What’s going on!”

“Are they crazy?”

The disciples, startled by the sudden and intense sparring, hurriedly fled to where the sword energies wouldn’t reach them.

The remaining Five Swords, who had also stepped back, crossed their arms and watched the spectacle.

“… It’s fierce.”

“It doesn’t look like sparring at all, does it?”

“Can they use such deadly techniques against their own Sahyung?”

However, even amid such a fiercely storming sword energy, the mouths of Baek Cheon and Chung Myung never stopped moving.

“Today, I’ll tear your jaw off and ascend!”

“You have big dreams. Do you think just anyone can ascend?”

Kagagagak!
Chung Myung’s light swing deflected Baek Cheon’s swordg.

‘Hmm.’

As his wrist felt a little sore, the corner of Chung Myung’s mouth curled up.

‘He’s grown a lot.’

In the past, he didn’t know how precious these people were who could cross swords with him and desperately follow him.

Only after losing them did he finally realize.

If he had looked back at his Saje a little more, as Cheong Mun said, maybe the future would have changed a bit.
But….

‘It’s all in the past.’

He left regret but not lingering attachments. Because there are things he needs to protect right in front of him now.

“Ease up on your wrist! You have no power!”

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

As his attacks were repeatedly blocked, Baek Cheon charged at him with foam in his mouth. Chung Myung grinned.

‘Don’t worry, Sahyung.’

Chung Myung, who glanced at the other Mount Hua disciples watching the sparring, shouted.

“It’ll be different this time!”

His sword bloomed a splendid flower.

It was the plum blossom blooming again.

“Ah, it’s refreshing.”

Chung Myung smiled with a beaming face. Then he wiped the slight sweat from his forehead.

Looking around with a contented cat-like face, he shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m hungry after moving my body. I’m going to eat first.”

“….”

Chung Myung walked away with a lively step. His footsteps looked so light that they made the onlookers feel better just by watching.

However… if there was one problem…

Those who looked at Chung Myung’s back turned slightly toward the training field.

“….”

Everyone sighed in unison as they saw Baek Cheon twitching slightly and lying flat on the ground.

“He couldn’t even land a single hit.”

“…A hundred years may not be enough.”

“Gol-ah, put him on a stretcher. Take him to the Medicine Hall.”

“…Yes.”

They were Mount Hua’s disciples who realized once again that they still had a long way to go.