Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 718

– If enemies surround me, please save me. If that is difficult, take my dead body to Mount Hua.

– If that doesn’t work, this secret manual must be sent to Mount Hua.

– Don’t forget, Sahyung.

– There is no one else but Sahyung who can do it. Never! Never forget!

“Ah… Ah…”

The trembling fingertips approached the skeleton. However, the fingertips that seemed to touch soon stopped as if they were frightened.

It’s scary.

Afraid that it will crumble as soon as he touch it.

He’s afraid it will disappear as if it were an illusion.

“…Jin-ah.”

‘You were here.’

‘You were here.’

‘My Saje, how lonely you must have been in this dark place.’

‘How much….’

“Ah…”

Mumbling with a stifled voice, Chung Myung touched the skeleton’s forehead with his trembling fingertips. As soon as he felt the rough and cold sensation, he was surprised and pulled his hand, but soon after, he gently stroked the skeleton again as if touching a newborn baby.

“Ah… Aaah… Ah…”

‘I… I came too late.’

‘How long have you been waiting? How long have you been waiting in this cold place?’

‘Forgive me.’

‘’Forgive me, Cheong Jin.

‘Forgive this unworthy Sashyung who only has found you now.’

The hand stroking the skeleton’s cheek felt like touching a living person.
Why do people only realize after they lose someone? How can he be so foolish?

Chung Myung’s jaw trembled. Lowering his gaze, he saw the half-worn-out clothes. The bones visible inside were stained black in places.

‘Demon Flower (마화(魔花))…’

At this point, walking in the last moments must have been difficult.

He must have struggled and crawled here, desperately rolling over whenever he could not bear it and collapsed.

He’s not afraid of death. It’s all good to die.

There is one thing that must be left behind.

A place where no one in the world can find. A place that only Mount Hua’s disciples can find.

That is where it must be left somehow.

Shortening his remaining thread-like life, digging a cave, and thinking of those who would someday find this place, he died.

Now that he can’t go back to Mount Hua, at least in a place where he can think of Mount Hua… alone, lonely.

‘You’ve been waiting, haven’t you?’

‘You believe I would come, didn’t you?’

‘Me, your Sahyung.’

Chung Myung’s gaze finally rested on something inside the hem of the clothes. No, he looked at it but could not see it.

He doesn’t see anything. This is because the blurred vision is distorted due to the tears.
He bit his lip hard and closed his eyes tightly. The overflowing sorrow ran down his cheeks. It was not until so long before Chung Myung opened his eyes and stared at what he had to find.

A single secret martial art manual.

It’s something that Cheong Jin didn’t take away from his body for a moment until he died.

Violet Mist Technique, the final of Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.

And….

His trembling eyes stared at the secret martial art manual. Although much faded by time, the elegant handwriting was still clearly visible. Chung Myung’s unbearable groans came out of his mouth.

Violet Mist Divine Art (자하신공(紫霞神功)).

– I can’t show this to even Sahyung.

– Ah! Only the Sect Leader of Mount Hua can learn this martial art! Go away! Before you tear it apart!

– Yes, of course I should keep it. I just have to protect the secret technique, and Sahyung must protect me.
– Don’t worry. I’ll protect this secret technique even if I die. That’s the way I protect Mount Hua.
‘Yeah. You protected yourself. Yes. You protected it.’
‘But….’

“I…”

Chung Myung clenches the ground.

“I couldn’t do that. I’m….”

‘Forgive me. Please forgive this unworthy Sahyung.’

‘Cheong Jin-ah…. Cheong Jin-ah.’

Chung Myung’s sorrow is so great that it’s hard to breathe. His view keeps blurring.

Everything that have been endured is pouring out of the throat and spilling down below.

He stretched his trembling hand forward, carefully hugging the white skeleton, which has now shrunk small.

In case it collapses, or breaks, he hesitantly hugged the empty air without touching it and buried his forehead on the skeleton’s shoulder.

“Ah…… Aaaahhh…… Ah……”

Huge emotions pressed down on his chest and burst out. He can’t say anything.

‘Let’s go back.’

‘Let’s go back together.’

‘Now that I’m here. Let’s go back to Mount Hua together, Cheong Jin.’

‘I’m sorry I’m so late.’

‘So let’s go back to Mount Hua now.’

‘There are still things you left there. The things you wanted to leave behind are still breathing.’

“Uh….”

It was more of a convulsion than a sob.

With his mouth squeezed in, his blocked emotions came out.

‘You were right. I didn’t leave anything behind.’

‘But the people you tried to protect were still guarding the place. As you said, embracing the things you left behind.’

‘So let’s go back.’

‘To the place you protected. To the place you wanted to go so much.’

As if a person without a tongue burst into tears and choked, Baek Cheon, who was watching Chung Myung, turned his head away, unable to watch any longer.
Before he knew it, the Sajes who came down together and saw the scene seemed speechless when they saw Chung Myung and their ancestors who had faded for a long time.

‘For a hundred years….’

‘In such a narrow and dark cave……’

Baek Cheon gently closed his eyes.

‘The fact that they dug this much means that they were able to shake off the enemy’s eyes for a moment. In other words, it means that they could have tried to escape.’

Nevertheless, the ancestors chose to hide in places where the enemies could not find them, instead of escaping with remaining power.
Instead of risking one’s life, they hid the secret martial art manual in their body to eventually deliver it to Mount Hua.

What kind of feeling they had when they faced their last moments in this dark and cold place, Baek Cheon couldn’t even guess.

But at least he knew what he had to do now.
When Baek Cheon gave a silent gesture, the disciples who understood the intention stepped aside slightly to make room.

“This bow.”

Mount Hua’s disciples began to bow in unison.

It was a more devout gesture than ever before. With respect for their ancestors and admiration for the warrior who carried out their will until the last moment.

Once.
Once more.

After two bows, Baek Cheon slowly rose from his seat.

And slowly approached Chung Myung. This time, Yoo Iseol didn’t stop Baek Cheon either.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

Baek Cheon carefully grabbed Chung Myung by the shoulder.

He could feel the trembling as soon as he touched it. The once-confident shoulders were now trembling so much that they were afraid to hold them recklessly.

Baek Cheon, who sighed quietly, carefully urged Chung Myung.

“Shouldn’t we bring this person to Mount Hua as soon as possible?”

“….”

“It’s too cold and lonely here. Let’s go to Mount Hua, Chung Myung. The ancestor would want that too.”

Only then did Chung Myung give a slight nod.

He carefully let go of the skeleton and slowly took off the outer robe. Then, he spread the robe wide on the ground.
Then, he stared at the skeleton for a long time without saying anything.

Baek Cheon, who guessed why Chung Myung wasn’t moving, pressed his shoulder firmly.

“I’ll do it.”

“…N- No.”

But Chung Myung shook his head slowly.

“I have to… I have to do it, Sasuk.”

It wasn’t the voice of Chung Myung he knew.

“…Yes.”

Baek Cheon had no choice but to nod and step back again. Chung Myung then stared blankly for a long time and reached out for the white skeleton more slowly.

‘Yes. Let’s go back, Cheong Jin-ah.’

‘Because you’d always want to go back. So let’s go back now.’

Chung Myung, who held the skeleton as if stroking his injured cheek, slowly applied force to lift it. He felt a slight resistance at his fingertips.

In the end, Chung Myung bit his lips tightly, closed his eyes, and applied a little more force to the hand holding the skeleton.

The small clattering skeleton was detached from the neck.

After stroking the head several times, he carefully moved it onto the spread-out outer robe.

Click.

Chung Myung carefully moved each of the fragile bones that seemed to scatter on the ground at any moment onto the outer robe and placed the remaining clothes on the bones, wrapping them carefully in his own clothes.

‘I know it will be stuffy, but please bear with it for a while.’

Chung Myung picked up the secret martial art manual on the ground and stood up. He approached and handed the manual to Baek Cheon.

“This is….”

“Sasuk, please take care of it.”

“….”

“This is what Sasuk should do.”

Baek Cheon stared at the old book for a while and nodded. He can’t guess all of the intentions, but Chung Myung’s words must mean something.

He also took off his outer robe and carefully wrapped the secret martial art book.

Chung Myung gave a slight nod, turned around, and picked up Cheong Jin-ah’s ashes, and wrapped them around his shoulder. His gaze suddenly met the writing engraved on the wall. He couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Anyway, what a lack of pretense.’ (‘하여튼, 멋대가리 없기는.’)

If it’s the last word left in the world, he should at least pretend to be modest.

‘You foolish one…’

‘Right.’

‘Let’s go now. To the place you’ve longed to go.’

Chung Myung looked up at Mount Hua Five Sword.

“Let’s go back.”

Everyone nodded slowly at the words that finally came out.

Yoon Jong was the first to step back, but then Baek Cheon’s words stopped him.

“Look carefully… and remember.”

Everyone engraved the scene inside the cave deep into their eyes.

“Here was the spirit of Mount Hua.”

What protected Mount Hua was not the honor of being the world’s best Taoist sect, nor the fame of being the world’s best sword sect.

It is the will that remains here that protected Mount Hua.

What they should not forget. Everything they must continue is all here.

Mount Hua’s disciples, who engraved everything they saw before their eyes into their memory, turned around one by one with determined faces.

And finally, when even Yoo Iseol and Baek Cheon had left the cave, Chung Myung, who remained alone, looked around the dark surroundings with dimmed eyes.

From his memory, the image of Cheong Jin was drawn in the empty cave.

While dying and covered in blood, he would have dug the cave, built the wall with internal strength, written the last words, squeezed all his strength out, and sat cross-legged.

And….

‘Did you laugh?’

‘Yes, you would have if it were you.’

– I leave the rest to you. Damn Sahyung.

The playful voice of Cheong Jin, who smiled brightly, seemed to be heard in his ears.

“…Of course.”

‘I know. It must be hard to trust. Because I’m that kind of guy.’ (안다. 못 미덥겠지. 나는 그런 놈이니까.)
‘However….’

“I remember.”

‘What you said, and what you entrusted to me.’

‘What I’m supposed to do.’

Chung Myung slowly approached the wall. Standing silently, he looked at the stone wall engraved with the last words of Cheong Jin and raised his hand.

Gagagak.

The sound of the hard stone wall being scratched echoed in the cave.

After a while, Chung Myung lowered his hand and looked at the stone wall before turning away. Not long after he exited through the passage, a pile of dirt poured out, completely closing the passage.

The cave was now completely engulfed in darkness.

From now on, there would be no light seeping into this place.

However, after countless years have passed… if a beast digging a den to rest finds this place, or if someone discovers this place eroded by the wind and rain, they might be able to see the words engraved on the stone wall.

‘Though my body sleeps here,

My heart is with the distant Mount Hua.

Cheong Jin, the 13th generation disciple of Mount Hua Sect.

The spirit of Mount Hua was left behind.

And has returned to Mount Hua.’

Chung Myung, the 13th generation disciple of Mount Hua Sect.’

These incomprehensible, enigmatic words.