Hyun Jong, the current sect leader of Mount Hua, gazed at Un Am with a peculiar expression.
"You say he climbed the mountain alone?"
"Yes."
"And then collapsed at Jade Heaven Hall?"
"Yes. Given his ragged appearance, he likely hadn't eaten properly. If he truly ascended alone, collapsing from exhaustion seems inevitable."
"That makes sense."
Hyun Jong smiled faintly.
Mount Hua's treacherous peaks were challenging even for grown men. For a child to climb alone—his exhaustion must have been indescribable.
"Where is the child now?"
"We moved him to the Snow Plum Hall. Just in case, we had Un Jin check his pulse. Aside from exhaustion, there's no serious issue."
"Good."
Hyun Jong nodded quietly.
Whoever entered Mount Hua, regardless of circumstances, was considered its guest. He did not wish for harm to befall anyone within these sacred grounds.
"A child climbing Mount Hua alone… Strange. Did he mention any reason?"
"We planned to ask after letting him rest at Jade Heaven Hall, but he lost consciousness before we could."
"I see."
"However…"
"Hmm?"
Un Am furrowed his brows slightly and recounted the earlier incident.
After hearing the details, Hyun Jong tilted his head.
"He said we sold it?"
"Yes."
"The child used those exact words?"
"He did. I considered dismissing it, but it felt… peculiar."
"Hmm."
Hyun Jong stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Perhaps I misheard. But Sect Leader, that's not all. Before I could speak, the child asked if I was a Taoist of Mount Hua. Doesn't that mean he knew where he was?"
"Indeed."
"Could he have… ulterior motives?"
Hyun Jong chuckled.
"Are you concerned?"
"Not exactly, but…"
"Is it strange to know of Mount Hua? This was once a renowned sect. It's no surprise some still remember."
"Yes."
"He might even be a descendant of those who left the sect."
"Ah…"
Un Am nodded.
As the sect declined, many had abandoned Mount Hua. Only a handful stayed, vowing to share its fate. Their descendants would naturally know of its existence.
"We'd only need worry if there were treasures left to steal. What could remain here worth scheming over?"
"…Sect Leader."
A shadow of sorrow crossed Un Am's face, but Hyun Jong ignored it, muttering self-deprecatingly.
"Sold it, he said…"
Hyun Jong's smile turned bitter.
"Yes… Perhaps he is a descendant. If he knows how Jade Heaven Hall once was… How embarrassing."
"…Sect Leader."
"Enough. If we sold it, there's no shame in admitting it."
Un Am swallowed dryly.
Best not mention the rest.
The child hadn't just said "sold it"—he'd spat, "You sold this? You madmen!" He wondered how Hyun Jong would react to that, but he couldn't bring himself to repeat it.
"Inform me when the child wakes."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Hyun Jong sank deep into thought.
Sold it.
The words felt like salt rubbed into a wound.
The ancestors would never forgive me.
Even if selling the relics of Jade Heaven Hall—artifacts embodying Mount Hua's history—was done to save the sect, how could he face their spirits?
He'd tried to bury the guilt, but…
Hyun Jong's expression darkened further.
Mount Hua's legacy must not end with me.
He no longer dreamed of restoring its former glory. He only prayed not to witness its collapse in his lifetime. Yet even that small hope grew more fragile by the day.
Noticing Hyun Jong's somber mood, Un Am rose and bowed.
"I'll take my leave."
"Hmm."
As Un Am turned to exit, he hesitated.
"Sect Leader… What if the child wishes to join the sect?"
"Join…?"
Mount Hua no longer accepted disciples. But exceptions could be made for those tied to its past.
"We do not accept newcomers."
"Understood."
Un Am nodded and left. Just then, Hyun Jong tilted his head.
"Wait."
"Yes, Sect Leader?"
"What was the child's name?"
"Chung Myung. He said his name is Chung Myung."
"…Chung Myung."
Hyun Jong's expression shifted subtly.
"Very well. You may go."
"Yes."
Once alone, Hyun Jong murmured,
"Chung Myung…"
The child who arrived at Mount Hua's lowest hour shared the same name as the sect's legendary Plum Blossom Sword Saint, a titan of the past.
"How strange."
If only he were alive…
Had the Sword Saint survived the Bloodshed Massacre, Mount Hua's fate would have been different. A futile thought, yet Hyun Jong couldn't let it go.
"Amitabha…"
His solitary Taoist title echoed emptily through the hall.
"Those damn bastards!"
Chung Myung cursed aloud.
"You sold the relics? Relics?!"
Rage burned in his chest.
Even if starving, some things should never be sold!
The Black Jade Plum Blossoms might look like mere decorations to these brats, and those who understood their true value were long dead—but still!
Selling Mount Hua's heritage to delay its collapse…
"No—better than letting it perish."
His past self would've scolded him. Why cling to mere objects? A Taoist shouldn't obsess over possessions.
He knew. But still—!
"Ugh!"
Chung Myung groaned, glaring down at the sprawling mountainscape.
In his past life, he'd come to Lotus Peak whenever troubled. Gazing at the sword-like peaks and endless ridges, heroic energy would surge within him.
Now…
"Ughhh!"
Heroic energy? His stomach churned instead.
Every glimpse of the dilapidated halls made him sick.
"Disciples? Gone."
Not just reduced—decimated.
"Sold anything valuable."
If even Jade Heaven Hall was stripped bare, the rest was predictable. Desperation had driven them to sell training ground stones!
"Fine! I get it! I understand!"
But—!
Why is their martial arts so pathetic?!
Chung Myung rolled across the cliff's edge.
A sane person wouldn't risk tumbling off a precipice, but he was too furious to care.
"That old man—is he weaker than a third-gen disciple?!"
He meant Un Am.
Normally, Chung Myung shouldn't gauge Un Am's skill. Despite his past mastery, he was now a mortal with no strength. Yet he could—because Un Am's energy was pitifully weak. In Chung Myung's era, Un Am wouldn't have earned a Taoist title. At best, he'd be a scholar.
A man his age weaker than a third-gen disciple?
"Where do I even start?!"
Rebuilding from scratch might be easier. Then he could act freely. But this was Mount Hua.
Should I reveal myself as the Chung Myung?
They'd curse him.
Getting beaten and exiled would be a mercy.
Putting himself in their shoes—he wouldn't believe it either. Even if they did accept him…
"I can't protect my knowledge."
He was a treasure chest without a lock. His mind held secrets to revive a sect, but he lacked the power to defend them. Not all Mount Hua's disciples were virtuous—Chung Myung himself had been far from "good." If someone subdued him now, he'd be robbed and buried, ending his second life in tragedy.
Can't allow that.
So…
"I must revive Mount Hua without revealing who I am."
At least until he regains strength.
"Fighting the Demon Sect again would be easier!"
He laughed bitterly.
To save Mount Hua, he needed to teach its martial arts—but couldn't risk exposing his knowledge. An impossible paradox!
He wanted to give up, but…
Chung Myung sighed heavily, staring at the cloud-shrouded peaks.
"I should've caused less trouble back then…"
He owed Mount Hua.
His past fame as one of the Three Great Sword Saints? All thanks to the sect. Yet he'd given nothing in return—only bringing glory that led to its ruin.
How could he abandon it now?
"Elder Brother…"
Chung Myung looked up, imagining his sect leader smiling from the heavens.
"It's still Mount Hua."
"…Ugh."
He shook his head and stood. To avoid a beating in the afterlife, he had to restore Mount Hua.
"Nothing's impossible!"
When he'd first learned Mount Hua's arts, who'd believed he'd become its strongest? They'd just been glad he didn't cause more trouble!
He'd overcome their scorn once. Defying impossibility was his specialty.
"I'll make Mount Hua the greatest sect in the world!"
Flames ignited in Chung Myung's eyes.
And in that moment, every soul on Mount Hua shuddered from an inexplicable chill.