Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 727
“Here.”
“…What is this?”
“These are the new scriptures I wrote. They will be easy to read.”
Hyun Jong opened his eyes thin as he looked at the scripts Chung Myung handed over.
A scripture titled ‘Violet Mist Divine Art’ and one titled ‘Plum Blossom Swordsmanship Finale.’ Seeing these clean things, there was no choice but to have one question.
“…What happened to the old scripture?”
“Ah, those?”
Chung Myung grinned.
“They got worn out while I was practicing martial arts, so they disintegrated. But don’t worry. I knew that would happen so I transferred the content in advance.”
“…Disintegrated?”
“Yes.”
Hyun Jong’s pupils shook.
“Do- Do you mean the scripture left by the ancestor is gone?”
“Ei. What’s so important about the scriptures? What’s important is the content within.”
“….”
“I’m sure our ancestors wouldn’t have wanted to keep the scripture themselves, so it should be okay.”
‘It, it better be okay. Unless you want to die.’
Though he felt a bit of sorrow as he collected Cheong Jin’s remains, can a person change that easily?
“…You transferred it in advance?”
“Yes.”
Chung Myung nodded cheerfully.
But as bright as Chung Myung’s expression was, Hyun Jong’s insides were literally rotting.
“Wa- Wait a moment!”
Hyun Jong, who was floundering about what to do about this huge situation, suddenly realized one fact and exclaimed in surprise.
“Violet Mist! What happened to the Violet Mist Technique?”
“Huh?”
“Why are there only two scriptures! Where did you sell off the Violet Mist Technique?”
“Oh, that?”
Chung Myung smiled lightly again this time.
“I couldn’t save that one.”
“What?”
Hyun Jong’s eyes popped out.
“Wha- What do you mean you couldn’t save it. That is… That…”
“Um… so…”
Chung Myung, who seemed to be thinking of an answer, rolled his eyes upward briefly and then laughed while speaking.
“I took a quick look and it seemed like it wasn’t necessary to keep that trivial martial art, so I didn’t transcribe it. It looks like it went missing when the other scripts blew away.”
“B- Blew away?”
“Well, it’s all right. Violet Mist Divine Art is better!”
“S-so you’re saying, the a- ancestor’s legacy, it…… it blew away?”
“Uh….”
Hyun Jong’s face instantly turned pale as if he grew years older. Chung Myung scratched the back of his head, betraying his desperate eyes.
“Wouldn’t they understand? With a generous heart.”
“Ugh!”
“Se- Sect Leader!”
“Wake up, Sect Leader!”
Hyun Jong finally grabbed the back of his neck and fell backward. But Chung Myung only looked indifferent at him.
“It was a useless martial art that has no place to use anyway, why is he so angry….”
“What, this punk?”
Hyun Jong, who had fallen backward, sprang up like a spring and charged at Chung Myung. Chung Myung, with an ‘eek,’ quickly dodged to the side.
“Hey, this punk! That! Are you aware of what that thing is!”
“Eii, that thing was never here in the first place.”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung spoke with a seemingly serious face.
“If something that was never here is gone again, what’s the problem? It’s just an obsession….”
“….”
“Mountain is a mountain, water is water….”
“What!”
Hyun Jong tried to kick Chung Myung, but Chung Myung sneaked away from the kick.
“No, that’s uncalled for, why are you being like this?”
“You! Come here! Won’t you come here?!”
Hyun Young and Hyun Sang held Hyun Jong, who was flapping about trying to charge at Chung Myung. He was as lively as a freshly caught fish.
“Calm down, Sect Leader.”
“Let go! Let go!”
“Why are you like this? You can’t even win anyway.”
“Hngggg.”
Hyun Jong, who was hit in the sore spot, gritted his teeth with a black, dead face.
“How am I supposed to face our ancestors when I die! Muryangsubul, Muryangsubul! Yuanzi Tianzuuun!”
It seemed that the Sect Leader exclusive martial arts, Violet Mist Divine Art, were supposed to shine in times like these.
He briefly wondered if he should switch it back to Sect Leader exclusive martial arts even now, but it was too late since Chung Myung had already learned Violet Mist Divine Art and came out.
“Hnggg…. I should just die rather than suffer like this.”
“You’ll feel better if you give up.”
“….”
‘Someday…’
It was Hyun Jong, who vowed to beat that guy to a pulp someday.
“Now, now. That’s enough. First, take a look at the secret martial art scripture first.”
Hyun Jong tried to get angry again, but Hyun Young, who was slowly getting annoyed, beat him to it and silenced him.
“Do I just have to memorize this?”
“Yes, start with memorizing the art chant first. Take it slow and easy. If you rush and make a mistake, it’ll be a big problem.”
“I see.”
Hyun Young picked up the secret martial art scripture and rushed Hyun Jong.
“Let’s get on with it without dragging out what’s already past. We’re already busy enough to die.”
In the end, Hyun Jong, who was grinding his teeth, gave up and closed his eyes. Hyun Young was not wrong. Yes, what could he do now? The heritage of their ancestors had already turned to dust and flown away.
With a half-lost face, he weakly unfolded Violet Mist Divine Art scripture.
‘Alright, let’s let go of the regret.’
He was well aware that the Violet Mist Divine Art was superior to the Violet Mist Technique. It’s a hundred times better than Violet Mist Divine Art disappearing and only Violet Mist Technique remaining…
‘Huh?’
Hyun Jong, who was reading the Violet Mist Divine Art’s art chant, tilted his head for a moment. After a while, his eyes glanced up over the broad scaffolding and watched Chung Myung.
“…Chung Myung-ah.”
“Yes?”
“I’m not sure if it’s just my feeling, but the art chant here seems a bit different from the one I saw before?”
“It’s just you.”
“…Is it really just me?”
“Hahahaha. Sect Leader is worrying about something funny. Do you suspect that I might have changed the art chant?”
“….”
“Ei. If I have the ability to do that, I’ll be a Grand Master, Grand Master (대종사). How can I change the art chant of a martial art like Violet Mist Divine Art? Haha. It’s too funny. Then I won’t be Mount Hua Divine Dragon, but Martial God (무신(武神)). Mount Hua Martial God!”
Hyun Jong looked back and forth between the secret martial art scripture and Chung Myung with suspicious eyes.
‘That’s absolutely true, but…….’
Violet Mist Divine Art is Mount Hua’s greatest martial art, with the essence of Mount Hua.
No matter how genius he is, Chung Myung’s martial art skills will not be able to reach his predecessors in the past. Wasn’t Mount Hua the one that produced numerous figures who fought over the world’s greatest sword?
That’s why, even Chung Myung can’t touch Violet Mist Divine Art.
‘He shouldn’t be able to… he shouldn’t…’
‘Why do I feel so uneasy?’
Hyun Jong’s eyes rolled anxiously.
He was uneasy because Chung Myung was a guy who made impossible things possible. Honestly, how many of the things Chung Myung had done so far made sense?
“You’re not, right?
“Of course.”
“You’re really not, right?”
“Eii, did Sect Leader get deceived your whole life?”
Hyun Jong’s hunch sent out a strange signal.
‘This guy is definitely hiding something now……’
However, Hyun Young, who was frustrated by his anxious appearance, now began to openly show his annoyance.
“Oh, if you’re going to be like this, get out!”
“….”
“I’m busy enough to die! We have no time to spare, no time!”
Hyun Jong gave a sullen look, but Hyun Young said to Chung Myung without paying any attention.
“So, let’s start with memorizing the art chant. That’s good, right?”
“Yes, yes!”
“I see.”
Watching the two of them working in perfect harmony, Hyun Jong rolled his eyes.
If it’s something Chung Myung does, he’d believe him even if Chung Myung said he boiled tea with a stone.
“By the way, Chung Myung.”
“Yes?”
Hyun Sang, who had been listening quietly all this time, finally opened his mouth.
“Have you mastered Violet Mist Divine Art?”
“Yes, I have.”
“How is it?”
Chung Myung seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.
“I’m not quite sure yet.”
Then, after some more thought, he added,
“As Elder know, the power of Violet Mist Divine Art varies greatly depending on how well one masters it, right?”
“That’s right.”
Hyun Sang nodded in agreement.
Typically, in the world of martial arts, the proficiency of martial skills is categorized from one to twelve.
To put it in terms of the sword, if one remembers the beginner techniques of swordsmanship completely and is somewhat able to execute the moves, they are said to have achieved ‘one’.
When one fully embodies the sword and makes it their own, they achieve ‘twelve’ – or have ‘Grand Mastery.’
While the techniques of the sword can demonstrate some power even when one achieves ‘one,’ Divine Art does not exhibit significant power at the initial stage. However, as one reaches higher levels, it can unleash astonishingly vast power.
“But this one is a bit more extreme.”
“Extreme you say, how so?”
Chung Myung scratched his cheek.
“At ‘one,’ it’s just, uh… a stream of water? No, that’s too much. A puddle? No… a teacup of water? No, no. A spoonful of…”
‘…How much smaller can it get, Chung Myung? Can you even call that Divine Art?’
“Anyway, it’s really nothing. But it’s supposed to be exponentially stronger when it gets higher.”
“Hmm.”
“If you truly achieve grand mastery, you might be able to create a violet sunset in the sky with your body.”
The absurd remark made Hyun Sang let out a hollow laugh.
“That can’t be possible…”
“No. It’s likely true.”
Just then, Hyun Jong agreed with Chung Myung.
“As far as I know, there has been no one in the history of Mount Hua who has reached grand mastery of Violet Mist Divine Art.”
“What?”
Hyun Sang looked back at Hyun Jong with a puzzled face.
Even though there are not many people who have learned and trained because it is a martial art that only Mount Hua’s Sect Leader can learn, what does that mean that there hasn’t been anyone who achieved grand mastery?
Hyun Jong nodded as if he knew why Hyun Sang was surprised.
“It implies that the martial art is that profound. Even the founder who created Violet Mist Divine Art couldn’t fully master the art he created, I heard. The Sect Leader of the past could only achieve about level ‘seven’ of Violet Mist Divine Art, but even that was called peerless under heaven.”
“Oh….”
Chung Myung, who was listening to Hyun Jong, looked up at the sky.
“Peerless under heaven…”
– What? What, you son of a beast, what?
‘No, I mean, did I say something?’
Hyun Sang nodded as he listened to Hyun Jong’s explanation, swallowing dry saliva.
“Then if one can master Violet Mist Divine Art…….”
Although he didn’t finish his sentence, Hyun Jong could guess what he was about to say.
“That should be the case.”
“…I see.”
Hyun Sang’s eyes became infinitely serious. Hyun Jong also straightened his posture and looked at Chung Myung with serious eyes.
The one before him might be a disciple with a far lower rank, but learning is learning. He had emphasized countless times to his disciples that one must hold reverence in learning.
Hyun Jong spoke to Chung Myung with a solemn face.
“We all know that a big wave is coming and that Mount Hua may face even more difficult times.”
“….”
“We also know that no matter how much you respect us, it will not be easy to lead the sect with respect alone in such a situation. So…!”
Hyun Jong stared at Chung Myung with eyes filled with fervor.
“Don’t forget that it is in our best interest for you to teach us more harshly, more severely! Do not hesitate!”
“Huh?”
When Chung Myung asked back as if he was a little flustered, Hyun Jong once again emphasized firmly.
“There is no need to judge us by the standard of Sect Leader and an Elder.”
“….”
“If you have any hesitations, cast them aside! And treat us just like the other disciples…”
“Uhm… Sect Leader. I’m not quite sure what Sect Leader is saying, but…”
“…Yes?”
However, Chung Myung tilted his head as if he really didn’t understand.
“Go easy on you?”
“….”
“Why?”
For a moment, Hyun Jong was at a loss for words and laughed out loud.
‘I forgot for a moment.’
Looking at the face that was bewildered not by the words that he should ‘Overcome awkwardness and do his best to teach for the sake of him and the elders’ but by the word ‘Why should he go easy’, Hyun Jong felt a sharp realization of who was standing before him.
Regaining his composure, Hyun Jong nodded with a stern face.
“Then, Chung Myung.”
“What?”
“……Go a little easy on us.”
“….”
“As I get older, my joints ache.”
A poignant statement encapsulating the sadness of Hyun Jong, whose enthusiasm was racing far ahead but his body could not keep up.