Chapter 1754 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect
“Uuugh…”
A groan finally escaped from Jo Geol’s mouth.
“So, the energy is already inside us, but…. it’s
like trying to consciously grab hold of something we couldn’t feel before….”
He muttered to himself and swung his sword
awkwardly again. His face soon twisted in frustration.
This was the same bizarre and twisted sword
movement he hadn’t practiced since his childhood, when he was just a kid
training with his fellow disciples at White Plum Hall, a time so distant that
it was now a blurry memory.
“Ugh! This is impossible!”
He almost threw the sword he was holding but
stopped, thinking that hurling a sword in anger was a bit too much, no matter
how frustrated he was.
At that moment, Yoon Jong sighed and spoke.
“Why are you throwing a tantrum again?”
“It’s not a tantrum!”
Yoon Jong’s face seemed to say, “Of course, you
would react like that.” Jo Geol became so irritated that veins stood out on his
forehead.
“This isn’t as easy as you make it sound!”
“It worked for me though?”
“Well, that’s because you’re sahyung!”
Jo Geol, unable to contain his frustration,
pounded on his chest. Yoon Jong had a habit of underestimating himself, which
only made things harder for others.
“Look! Can’t you see that everyone’s losing their
minds here?”
Yoon Jong silently smacked his lips in agreement.
Despite explaining the technique as simply as possible, none of the disciples
standing in the training ground were able to draw out the Immortal qi.
“I’m telling you, the power is already within
you. You just need to—”
“Stop repeating the same thing and give us some
actual tips!”
“I am giving you tips right now…”
“Oh my, heavenly lord, help us. This is why our
sect is in decline. It’s not due to any other reason.”
Jo Geol sighed heavily for what felt like the
hundredth time and then said,
“Anyway…”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“What do you mean?”
Jo Geol looked around.
The place where they stood was a large training
ground. Normally, this would be the spot where the Wudang disciples practiced
their sword techniques, but now it was filled with the disciples of Mount Hua
clanging their swords around.
“Well, uh…”
“Don’t worry about the fact that this is Wudang.
Just because you’ve seen it once or twice—”
“No, that’s not it.”
Jo Geol let out a deep sigh.
“I understand that this is necessary, but surely,
you don’t think that everyone will master it overnight, do you?”
While Yoon Jong might have learned quickly, not
everyone could be like him. In fact, Yoon Jong had managed to find a way out of
sheer desperation when his life was on the line. If it hadn’t been such a dire
situation, he might have taken even longer than the others.
“What I mean is, with the Evil Tyrant Alliance possibly ready to make their move at any
moment, can we afford to be doing this right now?”
“Then what do you think we should do?”
“Well…”
Jo Geol was about to answer but then hesitated.
Yoon Jong quietly observed him before speaking again.
“I’m well aware that we can’t expect significant
results from this effort.”
“What?”
“In the end, it’s possible that none of them will
master it.”
“Then why…”
“But isn’t it better than doing nothing at all?”
Jo Geol looked around once again, now with a slightly
different perspective.
He saw his fellow disciples struggling to summon
the Immortal qi as they wished. Yet,
in another way, this scene was also familiar.
‘It’s like Mount Hua as usual.’
Not long ago, these were the same guys who had
been on the brink of death, with their fates hanging by a thread. Now, they looked
just as they always did.
Yoon Jong smiled faintly.
“Right?”
Jo Geol, who was about to argue with a grumpy
face, ended up scratching his head instead. Yoon Jong quietly continued.
“Cheong Myeong once said that when things get
complicated and urgent, you should train.”
“That crazy guy again.”
“Exactly. Back then, I thought he was just
spouting nonsense like a ghost who couldn’t stop training even after death… but
later, I realized that wasn’t it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“He said that for those who have made training a
part of their daily routine, training is when they feel most normal. So, just
by training, you can regain a sense of normalcy, or in other words, regain your
peace of mind. That’s just how the human body works.”
“……”
“When you think about it, doesn’t it make sense?”
It sounded ridiculous, but the more he thought
about it, the harder it was to argue against it. Even Jo Geol’s body seemed to
be subtly invigorated, unlike when he was flustered by the complicated
situation.
Jo Geol let out a faint laugh, as if in
disbelief.
“So…. you’re saying we should ignore the complex
problems we can’t solve right now and just focus on the small tasks in front of
us?”
“To be precise, we’re starting with what we can
do. Even if it seems trivial, it’s better than doing nothing.”
.... It was absurd.
Mount Hua had been in chaos since the incident
with Baek Cheon, like a mess that needed to be sorted out. Moreover, the one
who should be handling this mess was nowhere to be seen.
Outside, the threat of the Evil Tyrant Alliance loomed, ready to strike at any moment. In
fact, just yesterday, there had been a massive loss of life due to an attack by
the Evil Tyrant Alliance.
And in the midst of all this, they were taking
small steps forward?
“Do you have a problem with this?”
Jo Geol just smiled wryly.
Cheong Myeong wouldn’t have done something like
this. He would have pushed for something much more practical. Baek Cheon wouldn’t
have chosen this path either. Even if he knew there was no way, he wouldn’t
have given up on solving the bigger problem.
This was clearly different from the path Mount
Hua had taken up until now—it was Yoon Jong’s own way. But still...
“Well, would you listen if I said I had a problem
with it?”
“No. I’d ignore it.”
“.... Then why are you asking if that’s the case?”
Jo Geol grumbled.
He still couldn’t shake the feeling that this
wasn’t the right choice. It was hard to ignore the thought that they were
wasting precious time that was already in short supply.
And yet, oddly enough, he felt a slight sense of
relief.
‘Does this mean… it’s been hard to even breathe
until now?’
He began to wonder if he had been unconsciously
feeling pressured. But then, a dark shadow quickly approached.
“Alright, I got it this time.”
“Ah! I told you to knock it off, Sago!”
“This time for real.”
“You’ve said that at least ten times already!”
“No, really. I’ve got a feeling.”
“You’re driving me nuts, seriously.”
“So, what you do is—”
“It’s the same as before!”
As the disciples of Mount Hua bickered in the
central training ground of Wudang, Zhuge Zain quietly asked the person next to
him,
“Do you think it’s possible?”
Standing beside him was Tang Gunak.
The Zhuge Family and the Sichuan Tang Family had
originally both been part of the Five Great Families. As such, Zhuge Zain was
already quite familiar with Tang Gunak. Even so, Zhuge Zain’s demeanor toward
Tang Gunak now was noticeably more respectful than in the past.
The status of the second-in-command of the Five
Great Clans and the second-in-command of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance was markedly different, and Zhuge Zain
had to acknowledge that.
“Are you referring to handling the Immortal qi?”
“Yes.”
“.... Hmm. If it were a power easily grasped, the
sects practicing sorcery wouldn’t have struggled to maintain their existence
for so long. Though I acted according to the Patriarch’s instructions, I do
wonder if this effort will prove to be meaningful….”
It wasn’t that Tang Gunak doubted Mount Hua’s
ability to use the Immortal qi. Yoon
Jong had already proven that it was possible, and if it was Mount Hua, they
might be able to train a few more individuals to harness the Immortal qi.
But deploying the majority of Mount Hua’s members
to unlock the Immortal qi seemed like
an extreme waste. Tang Gunak couldn’t have overlooked this fact.
So there must have been something Zhuge Zain hadn’t
considered…
However, the response he received was unexpected.
“The Immortal
qi doesn’t really matter.”
“.... What?”
“It would be great if they can obtain it, but
even if they can’t, there are still ways to deal with them. I’m sure Yoon Jong dojang knows that as well.”
“.... Then why do this?”
“Isn’t it good?”
Zhuge Zain’s eyes filled with questions. Tang Gunak
gestured forward with his chin as if to say, “Just look.”
“No matter what anyone says, Mount Hua is the
center of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
And that’s not just about their strength.”
Zhuge Zain quietly looked ahead.
The loud training noises from Mount Hua had drawn
disciples from other sects out of their quarters, and they were now peeking
into the training ground. Some had even settled down to watch.
Watching another sect’s training was considered
rude, but with Mount Hua noisily dominating the large training ground, it wasn’t
something they could be told to stop. Mount Hua must have known this and
accepted it.
“Why are you training without including us?”
‘Sogaju?’
Even Namgung Dowi was vehemently protesting,
leading the Namgung family into the training ground.
“Hey, this isn’t that kind of training!”
“Training is training! What other kind of
training is there?”
“You can’t use the Immortal qi unless you’re from a Taoist sect. And besides, the
Namgung family doesn’t need it.”
“Are you discriminating against us just because
we’re not Taoists? I’ve considered Yoon Jong Dojang like a brother!”
“That would be Baek Cheon Sasuk, not you!”
“Ah, is that so? Let’s overlook the small things.”
As the atmosphere grew livelier, more and more
people began to gather in the training ground.
“It was a lively sight back in the day. At that
time, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance
was full of energy. I’m just trying to restore that spirit.”
“…. At a time like this?”
“It’s precisely because of times like these. If
we lose ourselves, we’ll just be swept along.”
“Hmm…”
Zhuge Zain nodded slowly.
He wasn’t wrong. In war, being able to fully
utilize your strength is far more important than any cunning strategy.
“I understand what you’re trying to do.”
However, Zhuge Zain’s gaze grew sharper.
“But, doesn’t this mean it’s just a temporary
fix?”
“…..”
“If Mount Hua is the center of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, then the
center of Mount Hua is the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”
At the mention of Cheong Myeong, Tang Gunak’s
expression subtly stiffened.
“So, isn’t the reason the Heavenly Comrade Alliance isn’t what it used to be, and Mount Hua
isn’t what it used to be, because of the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’s silence?”
Zhuge Zain’s gaze turned toward the training
ground.
“It looks lively and energetic, but I can’t shake
the feeling that they’re forcing themselves to smile. Am I the only one who
feels this way because the person who should be there isn’t?”
Finally, a sigh escaped from Tang Gunak.
“I think the same.”
“Then why….”
“Because there’s nothing we can do.”
“What?”
“If we could help, he would have already asked
for it. We’ve already… tried to help.”
It wasn’t as if Tang Gunak was unaware that Cheong
Myeong had changed. Probably everyone who knew him sensed a strong unease.
Was it because the situation was so dire? No,
that couldn’t be it. Cheong Myeong was always the one to lead and encourage
others in such times.
But now, he was silent. Even amidst the chaos
within the alliance, he said nothing.
There was clearly something there. Something that
others couldn’t even begin to guess.
Tang Gunak sighed deeply.
“My friend, are we really of no help to you?”
A bitter light flickered in his eyes.
“For now… all we can do is trust and wait. Trust
that he will overcome this on his own.”
❀ ❀ ❀
Late at night.
Drip.
The room was filled with the sour smell of blood.
It had a foul odor, as if something had rotted.
Cheong Myeong’s ashen eyes blankly stared at his
hand, soaked in blood. He seemed neither surprised nor shocked, as if he was
used to it. The black blood that had spilled from his mouth was slowly drying
up.
After a long while, the man… Cheong Myeong, finally
spoke.
“Why, damn it…”
He bit down hard on his lower lip. Bright red
droplets of blood slowly dripped onto the dark red stains.
❀ ❀ ❀
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