Return of Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: What’s going on here? (3)

Guchil seriously pondered, treating this as absurd or something.

Because Chungmyung, who left the mud hut screaming weird things, came back panting and began to say nonsensical things.

“I’m going to Mount Hua.”

“…”

“I know this sounds a little ridiculous, but listen to me.”

And yet, he wanted to give him a high score for knowing it was ridiculous.

But that thought neatly disappeared the moment he heard what he said.

“I know I can just leave, but I came back just to say this because in a way, I’m still indebted to you.”

So you’re aware, huh.

He didn’t know why he was listening to this crazy guy speak nonsense, but he had no choice but to agree with the crazy things he’s doing because Chungmyung’s face looked so serious.

“I pay back kindness twice, grudges ten times. Remember the name Chungmyung of Mount Hua, for I will return this kindness in the future. I will definitely repay back this favor on the day we meet again.”

His words were really cool.

Saying those words would’ve been really cool if he weren’t a young beggar with chapped, unattractive lips and black, bruised eyes.

Regrettably, Guchil’s appreciation of Chungmyung’s cool words were extremely simple.

“…I’m gonna go nuts.”

Chungmyung’s face slightly twisted.

“I know my words might seem weird right now, but just keep them in mind for now. One day, these words shall change your desti…”

“The boss is looking for you. You’re gonna get beaten to death.”

“Really?”

Their eyes met.

“…”

“Cough, cough.”

There are many idiots in the world. Just because someone you know’s joined the ranks doesn’t mean it’s really weird.

Though of course, it’s really weird for someone to suddenly change overnight.

“Anyways, I’m leaving!”

“…Just go beg. If you don’t, you’re really gonna get beaten up to death.”

“That’s why I’m going! Anyways, just keep it in mind! Chungmyung of Mount Hua. Remember this name!”

Chungmyung quickly turned around and left the mud hut with confident steps.

At that sight, Guchil unconsciously shook his head.

He never expected he’d ever experience something like this.

His choice might not be so bad either. Since if the boss catches him, he’ll definitely get beaten to the verge of death this time.

“What should I say to the boss…”

At that moment, pulling aside the straw mat blocking the entrance to the mud hut, Chungmyung walked heavily back inside again.

“…”

Why’s he here again?

Before Guchil could ask, Chungmyun confidently asked.

“Hey!”

“Huh?”

“What’s the name of that beggar bastard from earlier?”

“Who?”

“The one who hit me.”

“Oh… The boss? I think the boss’ name’s Jongpal (宗八)?”

“Jongpal? Definitely sounds like a beggar’s name. Tell that bastard this— He’s dead the next time I see him.”

…Dead the next time he sees him, huh?

That’ll be the boss doing that to you.

“Then, I’m really leaving.”

Chungmyung strode out again. Just when he thought that this was a whirlwind of a day, Chungmyung came back in again.

“Darn it, why’re you here again!?”

“Hey.”

“What? Why? What now!”

“If I wanna go to Shaanxi’s Mount Hua, which way is it?”

“…”

No matter how many times he considered it…

This bastard’s definitely crazy.

* * *

Chungmyung ran again and again.

There was no one in this world who’d bring a dirty, small beggar to Shaanxi. Need to believe… In his two legs that used to be strong in the past… But those were just his feelings.

Since when has Chungmyung ever ridden horses or carriages?

The past him had never ridden a horse before. He wasn’t so carefree enough to travel using a slow horse.

When adding all the distances he ran in his previous life, he could circle the central districts ten times. Which is why he stormed out onto the earth, running with all his strength without a ounce of doubt.

And before a mere fifteen minutes passed, he was sprawled out on the floor.

“Pant! Paaant! Pant! Ughhhh! Aigooooo. I feel like I’m dyinnnng.”

He never considered that this body was that of a child.

His steel-like, two legs that were so skinny only bones were left turned into sticks, and his heart that never used to tire was protesting so violently from unexpectedly being overworked.

What did I just hear?

I thought I heard my heart come out of my chest.

“Hold on, what the hell kind of body is this!”

The hell is this, I’ve only just run for barely fifteen minutes!

Did I run an hour or two hours!? It’s barely been fifteen minutes, but I’m already out of breath! Just how bad is this body’s condition that it ended up like this?

“Khhh.”

He carefully looked at himself, and understood why.

Before considering his innate abilities, his nutritional condition wasn’t good. A body that literally hadn’t properly eaten gruel.

Can he even go to Shaanxi with this body?

It sounded like a fantasy. He’ll die from exhaustion before he could even reach Mount Hua.

The world’s Plum Blossom Sword Master getting so tired from traveling he dies away from home? If he were to meet anyone he knew in the afterlife, he’d be laughed at for three or four days.

“If I’m going to Shaanxi, I first need to fix up this rotten body!”

What’s the best way to keep one’s body healthy?

Chungmyung already had that.

“Hehehehe.”

A knowing laugh escaped Chungmyung’s mouth. No matter how much he held it back, he couldn’t.

“Pffffft.”

All his martial arts were gone, he didn’t know if the declining Mount Hua could be turned over, and he felt like he was dying from hunger.

This was the only comfort that made Chungmyung laugh in this beggar-like situation.

“So, from now on, I’ll be learning martial arts!”

He could start all over again.

Others wouldn’t even be able to imagine how amazing this was.

Those who couldn’t reach the top regret their lives? That’s only natural. But even those who’ve reached the top have regrets.

If I did this back then!

If I had properly laid down my foundations when I was somewhat younger!

Even if the master pulled on my ear while training, if I pretended to train without running away!

If senior brother hadn’t caught me drinking the alcohol he hi…

Oh, ignore that last one.

Anyways!

“I can do it again.”

The past Chungmyung was a swordsman called One of the Three Greatest Third-Generation Swordsmen. And despite that, he wasn’t satisfied with his own martial arts. Instead, as he grew stronger and had a deeper understanding of his martial arts, he could see better than anyone how inefficiently he trained and how much he’d developed in the wrong direction.

Foundations.

Master, senior brother, manuals, dying, screaming, and those damn foundations!

While he was training, he hated those damned, foundational naysayers who shouted that foundations were so boring they’d die, but when he became a master himself, he could keenly understand why the foundations were important.

Foundations are, after all, the foundation.

A sturdy ground and a firm foundation needs to be prepared in order to build a high tower. How much higher one can climb is determined by how much effort they put into building their foundations.

But, he didn’t realize this when he was younger. He didn’t understand it no matter how many times he heard it. And even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to do it.

Why?

‘Because he’s human.’

I’m just barely digging out the soil to lay down the foundations, but if my martial brothers already built three stories for their towers next to it? Anyone would grow impatient.

On top of that!

“They tell me to lay down my foundations, but when I do, they only value and praise those guys ahead of me!”

Those damn guys’ exceptional results!

Of course, he understood why. In the end, his master’s only human, so is martial uncle.

Everyone knew the way to succeed was laying down your foundations, but while my disciples were tormented with laying down their foundations, my martial brothers’ disciples would show off their amazing swordsmanship or go to a martial arts competition and be victorious, foundations or whatnot, making my eyes turn.

This much was fine. Even master was able to tolerate this much. Since Mount Hua was where the practitioners lived, and practitioners were quite patient.

But the day he finished about half of his foundational training was when his martial uncles drank alcohol.

And when someone starts bragging about their disciple at a drinking party? It was all over.

-My junior brother’s disciple can already make two plum blossoms!

-I heard that damn guy’s disciple was introduced to the Violet Mist Strong Qi! Even though I’ve never lost to him! Who’s to blame for losing his disciple’s farmland? You!

-Not enough effoooooooort! Effoooooooort!

Is this how you do foundational training? I’m too busy learning one more actual move right now.

This was the evils of the Great Sects, martial arts passed down to junior brothers.

“But!”

The current Chungmyung was different!

Chungmyung didn’t need to be impatient. There was no teacher to impatiently hurry him. He could already see what path he had to take to go higher, so he just needed to steadily follow this path he knew.

Foundations?

While others are digging the ground and laying down their foundations, Chungmyung decided to tear down the mountain and fill the holes to form a plain. On that vast, large plain, a huge tower will be raised that no one’s ever built before!

‘The beginning is important.’

Mount Hua’s martial arts are the daoist arts (道家功) and the righteous arts (正功).

The righteous arts are slow and weak in the beginning, but it grows stronger at a rapid pace as one trains. If the deathly arts or the evil arts present immediate strength as soon as it’s mastered, the righteous arts has a weak start, but at the end, it gives a depth that surpasses other martial arts.

So, to put it simply,

‘It’s like rolling a snowball on a snowy mountain.’

Try rolling a small snowball at the peak of a snow-covered mountain. Something as small as a fingernail would soon turn into the size of a fist, and as you roll, it’ll grow exponentially. One small stone becomes a huge avalanche at the end, unstoppable by human control.

What Chungmyung was doing right now was creating this small stone that’ll surely become the center of that snowball. And he had to find that mountain surface where the stone will never stop rolling.

“Now then.”

Immediately switching to a lotus position, Chungmyung suddenly looked at his surroundings.

Something might happen while he’s partaking in a huge event(?) in the middle of the road.

Staggering to a stand, Chungmyung went into a forest. Creating one’s dantian for the first time was extremely dangerous. He had to avoid as much external stimuli as possible.

He didn’t think anything was going to happen, but weren’t there running jokes of masters who experienced qi deviation because they were stung by a bee while practicing yun gong?

‘This’ll do.’

Finding shade under a large tree, Chungmyung cleaned the ground, and took up a lotus position.

“Now then, what should I learn?”

Many of the peak martial arts entered my mind. Along with all of Mount Hua’s martial arts, and Mount Hua’s history. There’s over a dozen types even just for the inner energy mental cultivation methods he knew.

Violet Mist Strong Qi (紫霞剛氣), arrogantly looking down on the world.

Plum Blossom Mind Method (梅花心法), perfect for the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.

Taiyi Faint Qi (太乙迷離氣), containing all that’s needed to ascend.

Aside from there, there were many mental cultivation methods in his mind that couldn’t be described as outstanding. If not restricted to just Mount Hua, the number of mental cultivation methods he could master would double.

But Chungmyung wasn’t worried.

The mental cultivation method he had to master was quite clear.

“The Six Harmonies.”

Chungmyung’s voice grew clearer.

宗八 – First letter means either floor or peak, and second letter means eight.Yun gong – Resources say this is using qigong to inject into the body.紫霞剛氣 – The only characters I’m 100% sure of in this one is everything except the third one, but the Korean version used the pronunciation for strong, so I’ll just use this.梅花心法 – I’ll be honest, I saw this as “Plum Blossom Heart Way” cause that’s literally what it is, but the last two characters, based on Chinese resources, mean mental cultivation methods.太乙迷離氣 – Taiyi means the Great One, or the Supreme One. It’s the man/woman up top, and well… I think 迷離 means faint? That’s what I was given.So anyways, all of these are 내공심법 or 內功心法, which is neigong and mental cultivation methods. I assume it’s a subtype of neigong. I tried my best to translate these as best as I can, so if anyone knows more than me when it comes to wuxia or even just knows Chinese, please do correct me if I’m wrong.Changed that last thing to Six Harmonies