"For now, I have two good ones."
Hidden in a nearby tree, Chung Myung had spied on their conversation. He was lying down comfortably with a rice ball next to him.
'Kuak! I never used to be this merciful.'
If he entered the dining hall now, the Sahyungs wouldn't be able to eat. He should at least let them have a proper meal; isn't that the most humane thing to do?
Chung Myung patted his stomach and sighed.
'I caused a bigger mess than I intended.'
Initially, he planned to lay low, but those kids came and plucked the nose hair from a sleeping tiger, so he had no other options.
What more can be done? Some things can be tolerated, but there are lines that cannot be crossed.
"There's no changing the past."
Thankfully, Un Geom is easy to communicate with. He perfectly understood what Chung Myung was trying to say when they spoke. Thanks to that, things were a bit easier than he thought.
Of course, he had prepared countermeasures if Un Geom didn't understand, but that would have been more troublesome.
'He's smarter than I thought.'
Smart.
"… smart?"
Certainly, Un Geom understood Chung Myung clearly. However, as a young disciple of Mount Hua, looking down on his senior only to re-evaluate him as smart seemed disrespectful. But that was still a compliment, right?
"Ugh. This is so complicated."
It seemed like it would take more time to get everything organized. His position within Mount Hua still wasn't clearly defined yet.
But…
"Those two are definitely smart."
Chun Myung's eyes followed Yoon Jong and Jo Gul from a distance as they entered the dining hall.
When so many people gather, there will always be a few who stand out. In Chung Myung's eyes, these two could be the core of the third-class disciples.
"I've got a good idea."
Aren't they quite unique? Typically, they would be on the verge of death if they were pushed that far. Complaints would pour unceasingly as they agonized over the pain. But, not these two; they desired more. Chung Myung found that quite admirable.
Especially Jo Gul.
Despite being beaten so thoroughly by someone younger than himself, he held no grudges. What's more, it even motivated him to work harder and gave him confidence that he could grow stronger by following Chung Myung. If Chung Myung had any money left, he'd certainly gift it to Jo Gul.
"If I raise him well, he will be of great use."
Chung Myung smirked and bit the rice ball.
Discovering talent was important, but the main priority now was Chung Myung.
'First and foremost, body strengthening.'
The foundation was laid. There was still a long way to go, but it can be said that the most dangerous section has been passed. So now he can learn martial arts in earnest.
So, what did he need the most?
A perfect body.
Having returned to a younger body with all his past knowledge, can't he get stronger through cultivation?
He could. However, a theory is a theory, and reality is reality. No matter how much martial arts knowledge he holds, if his body is too weak to perform, then he'll be unable to reach his full potential.
He cannot do internal energy training with his mind alone. Only through blood, sweat, and tears will your body adapt.
For that, what's most needed is to develop strong muscles.
Isn't the sword of Mount Hua swift and dazzling?
Mount Hua's sword technique requires you to swing fiercely with the strength of a hundred arms within one. The sword is beautiful, not the body. If the body is weak and unable to endure the technique, then the sword will never be dazzling.
To make plum blossoms bloom, the roots must be strong. The root of martial arts is the body.
'I can't just see what I want to see.'
The people are drawn to the gorgeous sword arts of Mount Hua. Thanks to that, they don't see that there are people out there who would swing their swords to kill them too.
-Ahh, damn it! Why is this so complicated? Can't I just stab him?
Why do I have to swing three times when I could just stab him in the face? I am going to break my wrist!
Like a swan that gracefully swims on the water, yet, below the surface, the swan's legs flap desperately. The sword should be graceful like the swan, while the body, like the swan's legs, is the engine that drives it forward.
So, you train and train again.
Even if you only digest a quarter of the training, after three years, they will have forged the strongest bodies and been reborn.
By then, Mount Hua might not be the world's most gorgeous, but they would become a sect that can take down Shaolin.
Chung Myung smiled and stood up.
'The problem isn't the kids; it is the seniors.'
The kids will follow and get the hang of it, but he can't treat the seniors in the same manner.
When he thought of Un Geom, he sighed.
'He isn't that bad.'
You could feel how hard Un Geom worked from the pressure emitted by his body.
It isn't easy by any means for a person with no proper teacher to rise to this level. If he can receive the right instruction before it's too late, he will be a good swordsman.
'But how do I give it to him?'
Chung Myung scratched his head.
This was annoying.
It would be nice if he could just say it, but that would cause disaster. He didn't have the confidence to deal with it. So, he thought of ways to naturally hand this information over…
"Kuak…."
Chung Myung scratched his head.
Since he wasn't used to using his head and making plans, finding answers was hard.
"Should I return for now?"
To find the solution, he had to know the full situation.
He must know what techniques are being practiced and if the sect's martial arts are being transferred properly through each generation.
Jo Gul gulped as he looked at Chung Myung sitting cross-legged.
'Maybe I was wrong.'
Get stronger? Train?
That all sounds good, and he liked it.
But to do that, he would have to live with this guy.
'Can I handle this?'
The more he let his thoughts run free, the more it felt like something was wrong.
"So…"
"Yes!"
"There's no need to be tense, Sahyung,"
"… huh?"
"Is that everything?"
"Yes."
"You can just speak casually."
"…yep."
Chung Myung frowned looking at Jo Gul writhing uncomfortably.
"This is really all that you have?"
"It is."
"Really, you can rela—forget it, do as you please."
Once he gets more comfortable around him, Jo Gul could naturally change how he speaks.
Chung Myung grabbed his head and looked at the paper.
"So, these are all the martial arts being taught?
Jo Gul nodded his head.
"Haaa, I am going crazy."
"…"
Chung Myung moved a little as he stretched his body.
'What is he doing?'
He suddenly called Jo Gul over and had him write a list of all the martial arts taught here. Once he received the list, Chung Myung seemed to lose his mind.
"This is all?"
He kept reciting this same line again and again like a parrot.
Sasuk had previously taught him that you need to make sacrifices to become strong. But it seemed like this kid even threw away his sanity.
"Sahyung."
"Yes?"
"Isn't there anything other than this? Is there possibly a restriction on what Sahyung can learn?"
"We aren't allowed to read the techniques but just seeing them is fine. That's all."
"… ugh."
Chung Myung looked at the paper again.
He had guessed it to some extent when he heard that the sect no longer had their sword techniques and replaced them with a worthless one. But this is too serious.
"No, what good would these do?"
Not a single thing on this list would help them. Were these old people deliberately trying to ruin Mount Hua?
"So, you are saying that now, the Taiyi Flummox Sword is being taught?"
"You know that already."
"… ugh."
Chung Myung scratched his head.
'This is more serious than I thought.'
Having people around was indeed more important than martial arts books. But is that all? What good are people if they don't know how to use their weapons when the enemies come? Even if they held swords, these people would be beaten while their enemies used tree branches.
Taiyi Flummox sword didn't meet Chung Myung's standards.
'If only we had the Seven Sages Sword.'
Mount Hua wouldn't be like this. The more he thought, the more troubled he felt.
Chung Myung tried to calm his raging mind when Jo Gul suddenly spoke.
"From what I hear…"
"Huh?"
Chung Myung didn't even ask but he spoke on his own accord.
"When the Demonic Cult attacked, the west building was set on fire."
"A fire in the west building, no, rather, the Demonic Cult invaded?"
What did the Demonic Cult attack Mount Hua for? Wasn't their Heavenly Demon dead?
Jo gul asked him.
"Do you know of the Plum Blossom Swordsman?"
"I know."
He knew very well. Because no one knows him as well as himself.
"Sasuk said that the Plum Blossom Swordsman helped kill the Heavenly Demon."
"… helped?"
He beheaded that bastard! Not helped.
Chung Myung's face brightened a little as his disciples knew about him.
"That's what was said."
"What? The Plum Blossom Swordsman killed that demon!"
"Huh? Who said that?"
"What do you mean who…"
Uh?
Chung Myung tilted his head.
'Wa—wait.'
"It is impossible to say, because everyone on that mountain had died at that time. No one knows who killed the Heavenly Demon."
"…"
Right. They all died. Chung Myung was the last one before he finally severed the Heavenly Demon's head.
So, no one saw… yeah, no one knew….
Chung Myung understood.
'No, then…'
For the honor of Mount Hua, he gave up his life to defeat Heavenly Demon; yet no one knows it?
What was this disgusting situation?
"Anyway, at that time, the Heavenly Demon fell, and the remaining demonic cult people went crazy and tried to push for vengeance. Despite taking a lot of damage, they climbed up and set fire to Mount Hua."
"…"
Cold sweat began to flow down Chung Myung's body.
However, Jo Gul didn't notice and continued calmly.
"Even if we don't know what happened. There seemed to be a strong grudge against Mount Hua."
"Uh… Hm, that…"
Jo Gul may not know, but Chung Myung did.
"Haaaa."
To sum it up.
Mount Hua was smashed after that.
'Because of me?'
Yes?
All because of him?
"Hahahaha"
"Why are you laughing all of a sudden?"
"Hehehehehehe!"
'Oh, my life!'
"Hahaha. Hahaha."