“Su, Sur….”

“Sur?”

Jin Song, who wanted to voice his surrender, glanced back.

On the podium where the sect leaders were seated, Heo Do Jinin, the sect leader of the Wudang Sect, was looking at him with cold eyes.

‘Kuaaak.’

He knew he wouldn’t win.

However, as a disciple of Wudang, he couldn’t just surrender in front of so many people. Of course, he might consider it wise, but the people watching wouldn’t.

In the end, Jin Song closed his eyes and aimed his sword at Chung Myung.

“I-I’ll learn a few things.”

“Learn?”

“.. Yes.”

“You are a funny one.”

“… uh?”

Chung Myung rolled his eyes,

“If you want to learn, go to your teachers. Who would say that they would learn from their opponent, someone who is from another sect?”

“… N-No! It isn’t like that…”

“Fine… I will tell you.”

Chung Myung licked his lips,

“Instead!”

“… Uh?”

“Learning comes with a price, if you can survive today’s spar, it will be an amazing experience! That is if you can!”

“…”

Jin Song smiled brightly, looking at Chung Myung’s shining eyes.

‘No, how did such a man appear on the side of the Orthodox?’

Ah, even the heavens were ignoring this.

How could they give such power to this person?

With tears, Jin Song grabbed his sword,

“Huk.”

After taking a deep breath, he aimed his sword at Chung Myung with determined eyes.

“Ah. Do you want to try and end it?”

“I-I know I am not your opponent.”

“Uh?”

“But…”

Jin Song continued to speak while trembling,

“I cannot only fight with opponents who I have a chance of winning against. Since I won’t die, I will do my best to fight.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung smiled,

“So funny?”

Sometimes such people would come.

It was the same in the past war with the Demonic Sect.

Those who would argue with their mouths and would insist that they wouldn’t back down. They weren’t ones with amazing skills, but they still went to war with their loud mouths.

But even though they were terrified and trembling, not once did they back down, and they did whatever they could do.

‘Wudang is Wudang.’

There were people like this.

Chung Myung smiled,

“Hey.”

“Uh?”

“What did you say your name was?”

“Jin Song.”

“Jin Song. Right, Jin Song. I will remember it.”

Chung Myung slightly tilted his sword.

“Then let’s get started.”

“Eik!”

Chung Myung rushed towards Jin Song without delay, and the guy’s eyes widened like a burning candle,

“Eik!”

He screamed with his mouth, but the sword in his hand followed the technique of Wudang without shaking.

A sharp and clean sword technique.

“Your legs!”

Swish!

“Ugh!”

However, the sword of Chung Myung passed through the sword technique of Jin Song and struck Jin Song in the knee.

Jin Song reflexively used his sword to aim for Chung Myung’s neck.

“Waist!”

Tak!

Jin Song, who was hit in the side, clenched his teeth.

If it had been a real battle, his leg would have been cut off from the side.

But this was just a spar! And the fight would happen until the opponent fell.

“Haaaah!”

Jin Song let out a loud shout and shook his sword.

A brilliant sword technique of Wudang, called Clear Flowing Water, began to unfold gracefully.

“Shoulder! Wrist! Index finger!”

Tak! Tak! Tak!

The sword of Chung Myung kept hitting him in succession.

“Ack!”

The sword technique he tried to unfold was stopped, and the sword flew into the air.

“…”

Jin Song looked at Chung Myung with puzzled eyes.

‘How did this…’

“The headdd!”

Baaak!

“…”

Thud.

Chung Myung brought his sword, still within its sheath, to his opponent’s head before pulling it back.

“When it comes to swordsmanship, everything starts with the lower body and shoulders. Wudang or not, the head should realize this. Learn it.”

It was unclear if Jin Song, who had already fallen down could hear this, but not caring, Chung Myung turned around.

Explosive applause poured in for him, and Chung Myung smiled as he waved.

“The best! Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon!”

“One hit this time too!”

“Uahahaha! How can a disciple of Wudang be knocked down in one hit?! He hadn’t even pulled his sword from its sheath!”

“The winner was already decided!”

At the pouring cheers, Chung Myung’s face twitched.

‘Kuak. This is quite tasty.’

This was why people sought fame!

Chung Myung, who felt it, waved his hand once again.

And…

Behind Chung Myung, Jin Song jumped up.

‘Uh?’

And without realizing, Chung Myung kept touching his opponent’s head.

‘Isn’t he hurt?’

He definitely heard the sound of something breaking, but he could feel nothing on his opponent’s head.

Jin Song looked at Chung Myung with eyes full of shock.

‘Disciple Chung Myung.’

Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

And the starter of Mount Hua.

Except for that, there weren’t many good things that could be said about him. Yet strangely, Mu Jin and Heo Sanjo, who had clashed with him, had never spoken badly about Chung Myung.

No wonder…

Jin Song seemed to know the reason.

“This spar ends with the victory of Mount Hua’s Chung Myung!”

And with that declaration, Chung Myung left the stage.

“Ahhhhh! Disciple Chung Myung!”

Wei Soheng shouted at the top of his voice. Of course, his voice was drowned out by the cheers of the crowds, but he still did it.

“Disciple Chung Myung! Hahaha! It is Disciple Chung Myung!”

It was at that moment.

Chung Myung, who was getting down, suddenly turned to the audience.

“Uh?”

And his eyes met with Wei Soheng.

‘No, he can’t hear me from here…’

Even if he could hear, locating where the voice came from was…

But then Chung Myung waved his hand with a happy face.

‘Did he see me?’

And he jumped down the stage and went into the crowd.

Surprised, the crowd cheered and reached for Chung Myung. Chung Myung would lightly shake hands and walk until the Huayoung party was reached.

“Oh my, Gate Leader! When did you get here!”

When Chung Myung shouted warmly, Wei Lishan smiled.

‘We are so welcomed here.’

Looking at Chung Myung with a smile on his face, he felt genuinely happy.

Wei Lishan wasn’t stupid.

Just by looking at the cheers pouring in, it was impossible to not see how different the status of Mount Hua was from the past.

Still, didn’t Chung Myung greet him with the same face as before?

‘He is someone who is nothing like a Taoist but…’

But in some ways, he was exactly like one too.

“When I heard that Mount Hua was participating, I ran over with my disciples.”

“Thank you!”

Chung Myung grabbed Wei Lishan’s hand,

“It couldn’t have been easy to get here!”

“Hahah. Seeing Disciple Chung Myung win, it seems like all the hardships have been blown away.”

“Hehehe. Right?”

With a bashful smile, Chung Myung glanced into Wei Lishan’s eyes.

“But maybe…”

Chung Myung licked his lips, and Wei Lishan glanced around and whispered softly,

“Ten bottles.”

“Kuaaak!”

As if moved, Chung Myung dragged with his hands.

“Over there. There is a place for those who come from Mount Hua.”

“Haha. We are part of the…”

“It is fine. Fine. There are many seats left.”

“Ah, no. That is the rule…”

“The rules? Throw them out. We are going to use our place. How is that their problem? Don’t worry because if people come to argue, I will turn their hairy hides into shiny ones.”

Wei Lishan shook his head.

‘He really hasn’t changed.’

When a person gains fame and status they change, and they tend to be careful about their words and actions.

However, Chung Myung, despite acquiring such a reputation, hadn’t changed at all.

No… in some ways, he was turning worse rather than better.

‘This isn’t necessarily a good thing.’

It couldn’t be denied that he was a terrific person. At that time, Wei Soheng said,

“Disciple Chung Myung!”

Chung Myung looked at him and grinned.

“Did you see me?”

“Yes! So strong!”

Wei Soheng admired him with longing eyes, and Chung Myung just shrugged,

“It isn’t that I am strong but they are weak.”

“Really?”

“… no. Maybe I am strong.”

Chung Myung smiled and dragged the two.

“Come on this way.”

“Uh!”

Chung Myung held the two and swept them through the crowd, and headed to the side. All the disciples followed them.

“Elder! Elder!”

Chung Myung began to shout as he crossed out of the crowded place.

“The gate leader from Huayoung Gate arrived!”

“Huyoung Gate?”

“Oh!”

As soon as Baek Cheon and the others who knew the gate heard it, they jumped up.

“Gate leader! It is so nice to see you after this long!”

“How have you been?”

Wei Lishan, who was about to respond with a soft smile, flinched and stepped back without realizing it.

‘W-what?’

Didn’t he say this was where Mount Hua was?

‘Seems right?’

The black robe and plum blossom on their chests showed they were disciples of Mount Hua.

No, but…

‘Mount Hua?’

It didn’t seem like it?

But there was Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and Baek Cheon. They looked slightly more mature from before, but they hadn’t changed from what he knew.

However, the others around them looked unusual.

“… Soheng.”

“… Uh?”

“When you went to Mount Hua, was it like this?”

“No. No. It wasn’t like this at all.”

It had been less than a year since Wei Soheng visited Mount Hua. So what had happened in less than a year that turned them into this?

“Elder, Elder!”

“Uh?”

“We have guests!”

“Guest? What kind of guests can Mount Hua have?”

A big bandit… no, a man walked in front of them.

‘It is just a man with a goatee that looked like he could come from any bandit group.’

It was quite wrong to criticize an elder of the main sect like this, but he fit so well into that situation!

‘An elder?’

Were any Mount Hua elders this young?

“Who?”

“Gate Leader of Huayoung?”

“Huayoung… Huayoung Gate?”

At that moment, the man’s face, which seemed stiff, turned benevolent like he had a halo behind his head.

‘W-what?’

The elder, Hyun Young, ran forward and grabbed his hand,

“Huayoung Gate Leader!”

“Uh? Ah… I, I am Wei Lishan, the gate leader of Huayoung.”

“Right. Right. You are already this well-grown! I am Hyun Young!”

“E-elder Hyun Young?”

“Yes! Yes!”

Hyun Young, who was about to stroke the head of Wei Lishan, looked around and tapped his shoulders.

“Welcome! Welcome! I forgot that we should have stopped by Huayoung once on our way, we were a bit rushed!”

Hyun Young kept rubbing his shoulders with a smile. One gesture and one smile, all filled with joy.

“But… are you really Elder Hyun Young?”

“Right. Right. Didn’t you see me when you visited Mount Hua when you were young?”

“… you seem too young.”

“Hahaha. A good thing happened. Right, a long…”

Hyun Young, who was about to say something, turned back and said,

“What are you all doing?! You idiots! If we have guests, shouldn’t you bring chairs for them? What are you? People who don’t have manners? Ah, no. People from our sect came, and you are not giving them the seat. Get up right now?!”

“…”

Wei Lishan’s eyes widened,

“Isn’t that too harsh?”

However, the reaction of the disciples was a bit too weird.

“Chair! Chair! Hurry up!”

“Move you people!”

The picked up chairs from elsewhere or gave the chairs they were sitting on, and ran wide-eyed to place the chairs in front of the new arrivals.

“Sit comfortably!”

“We can stand and watch. Please don’t mind.”

“…”

Wei Lishan was too flustered, and Hyun Young nodded as if this was natural.

“Ah. That’s that. Chung Myung. You are fine. You should put another chair ahead and lie down.”

“I was going to do that.”

“Right, right, you bastard.”

This was a bit weird too…

Hyun Young smiled and suggested a seat to Wei Lishan.

“Sect leader is currently somewhere else, so we will probably meet in the evening.”

“Ah. I will. Elder, I don’t know what to do with such hospitality…”

At that moment, Hyun Young grabbed his hand again,

“Huayoung Gate Leader.”

“Uh?”

“Mount Hua is well aware of how much you have given us. So please do not feel uncomfortable and stay in peace.”

“Elder…”

Wei Lishan’s eyes flashed with emotions. Seeing the tightly held hand, his emotions flooded in.

At that time, Hyun Young opened his mouth with a bit of a puzzled face,

“But, um…”

“Uh?”

And he said a bit shakily,

“I couldn’t confirm as I came here before it… no, did you send the money to Mount Hua?”

“… I sent it before I started coming here.”

“Yes. Yes. Ahm. Please rest in peace! In peace! Hahaha!”

“…”

It was Wei Lishan who thought that Mount Hua had something terribly wrong happening within it.