The Black Swords of Mount Hua Are Strong (3)
"What, what is this?"
Their disciples who had charged inside came flying back out.
They were moving at least twice as fast as they’d gone in.
The Wudang disciples reflexively leaped forward to catch the ones who were bouncing backward.
"Ugh."
"Damn it... what did I get hit by?"
Fortunately, none of them seemed seriously injured. Considering how hard they’d been hurled back, it was strangely hard to believe they’d escaped with so little damage.
"What happened?"
"...I’m not sure. Something pale and hazy appeared, and then..."
Jin Hyeon’s face hardened.
They didn’t even see the attack?
That was nonsense.
One person could make a mistake. Human beings erred all the time. But three people missing an attack at the same time was impossible.
Unless the one who attacked was many times more skilled than the disciples who had gone in...
The ones inside are disciples of Hwayeong Gate and Mount Hua.
Jin Hyeon’s mind, which had been spinning furiously, quickly settled on the only reasonable answer.
"Looks like they set a trap. I don’t know how, but they did."
"You mean it wasn’t an attack?"
"If that had been a real attack, do you think they’d have escaped with only that much damage? They should’ve lost an arm at the very least."
"Ah... yes, of course, Sahyung!"
Jin Hyeon bit his lip faintly.
Formation work? Or something else?
He didn’t know the exact method, but one thing was certain: there was someone inside who knew how to use tricks against an enemy. That must have been why they’d chosen to provoke battle in the first place instead of agreeing to a martial duel.
"How crafty."
Jin Hyeon drew his sword and stepped forward two paces.
"Follow behind me. We don’t know what sort of trap is waiting, so I’ll take the lead and break through."
"Yes, Sahyung!"
With a slightly tense look, Jin Hyeon stared at the tightly shut front gate of Hwayeong Gate.
He had no idea what lay beyond it. But if he became too cautious, he might end up trapped in an ambush after all.
"I’m going in!"
Without waiting for a reply, he rushed forward and kicked the gate.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the gate exploded into splinters that flew in every direction.
As the dust rose and then slowly settled, silence fell.
...Where’s the trap?
He had steeled himself and charged in, yet nothing happened. All he could see were the Mount Hua disciples standing at a distance from the entrance, staring blankly at him.
"Why smash the gate? It wasn’t even locked. Kids these days have no manners at all."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
Yoon Jong had plenty to say about that, but there was an enemy in front of them right now.
Jin Hyeon swept his eyes over them once, left to right, then knitted his brows.
"Is that all?"
"What’d you say?"
When Chung Myung answered lazily, Jin Hyeon growled back.
"You mean to face us with only yourselves? Remarkable confidence. I’m not sure if that’s confidence or arrogance."
Chung Myung turned to Yoon Jong with a bored expression.
"What’s this guy babbling about?"
"Well. It feels kind of familiar, somehow."
Chung Myung snorted.
"Doesn’t he look like the old Baek Cheon Sasuk?"
Baek Cheon, standing beside them and suddenly taking a hit for no reason, ground his teeth.
"...I told you not to."
"Huh? Wha-didn't-chu say?"
"Hey!"
Baek Cheon’s face flushed bright red.
Still, even he couldn’t deny that Jin Hyeon’s manner was similar to what he himself had once been like.
Those who don’t know there is always a higher heaven end up like that.
After meeting Chung Myung, Baek Cheon’s head had been cracked open... no, not metaphorically, but literally cracked open, and he had learned what reality was. But even so, no matter how much he had changed, it couldn’t possibly be pleasant to see his own shameful past walking around in front of him.
"...Let’s end this quickly."
When Baek Cheon said that with a red face, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul subtly turned their heads and fought back their laughter.
Watching all that, Jin Hyeon’s face filled with disbelief.
What was this?
What were those carefree reactions?
Could there be another trap?
But no matter how closely he looked, he couldn’t see any formation or mechanism. In a little place like this, what kind of trap could they possibly have set?
And yet they were greeting him with that kind of attitude?
Jin Hyeon’s temper began to rise.
What a bunch of reckless fools!
He could simply cut them down without further discussion, but for some reason that didn’t quite settle the anger in his chest. Jin Hyeon opened his mouth.
"I don’t know where that confidence comes from. Do you truly believe a Mount Hua that has never once beaten Wudang in all history can challenge us now?"
Chung Myung let out a dry laugh.
"Who said we never beat you? A hundred years ago, we were stronger than you."
It just hadn’t been officially acknowledged.
"Hah? A hundred years ago?"
Jin Hyeon gave a faint, mocking smile.
"Ah, yes. That hundred years ago. The era of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint you all are so proud of."
"Huh?"
Chung Myung’s eyes widened slightly.
Hearing the words Plum Blossom Sword Saint come out of that bastard’s mouth felt strangely novel. He didn’t even hear it much in Mount Hua these days, and now a Wudang disciple was the one saying it.
"Did you know that the Plum Blossom Sword Saint you’re all so proud of lost to Wudang’s Taiji Sword Emperor?"
"What?"
A sharp cry burst from Baek Cheon’s mouth.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Hahaha. Nonsense, you say? The two of them already had a duel back then. For the sake of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint’s reputation, the Taiji Sword Emperor simply concealed the result."
"You—"
"You should understand clearly that Mount Hua will never, ever be Wudang’s match."
The moment those words ended, the faces of Mount Hua’s disciples flushed.
They could tolerate being looked down on, but they could not tolerate Mount Hua being insulted.
The name of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint was Mount Hua’s pride and honor.
"How dare you speak such nonsense about him!"
"You’re going too far!"
"He is not someone you have the right to casually mouth off about."
"...I won’t forgive this."
Seeing his fellow disciples react like that, an inexplicable sadness washed over Chung Myung’s chest.
Try respecting me like that too, damn it. Respect me a little!
Hey, you bastards! I’m the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, and you’re always talking trash about me!
Damn it, I can’t even say it myself! Why does that have to feel so unfair!
But separate from that feeling, Chung Myung wasn’t especially angry at Jin Hyeon’s words themselves. He was only a little baffled.
Wow. So this is historical distortion.
That horse-nosed idiot, who looked like he was ready to ascend straight into immortality if you judged by his face, had insisted on having a secret duel, and Chung Myung, annoyed, had told him to go ahead.
And what?
Who beat who?
- Your evil deeds have gone too far. As a fellow Daoist, I shall show you the true path of a man of the Dao. Do not blame my sword for lacking mercy; reflect on the things you have done all this time.
- I... I admit that your skill has surpassed mine. Knowing my cultivation is insufficient, I will withdraw. No... I mean I would withdraw. Ah, no, wait!
- Stop hitting me! I’ve already been hit enough! Can a Daoist even beat a person like this— Ack! Agh! No, I’m talking and you’re still hitting me— Aaaagh!
- Brother! Please spare me!
"He was a good junior, though."
Even if he had been older. He’d called Chung Myung brother first, what was Chung Myung supposed to do?
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
Chung Myung waved it off.
After that, whenever he passed near Wudang, he’d drag the other man out and wring him dry properly. Wuhan was a prosperous place, after all, so there were plenty of expensive taverns. There had been real pleasure in renting out the finest floor of a tavern with Wudang’s money and drinking the costliest liquor to his heart’s content.
Every time, thinking of the Taiji Sword Emperor’s face turning as sour as rotten fruit made him feel oddly sentimental. Ah, those were good times.
No, wait... this wasn’t the time to get lost in memories.
"Wow, so that’s how it’s going to be."
So no one around here knew the truth, and there wasn’t any proof either.
Mistaking Chung Myung’s reaction, Jin Hyeon sneered and barked, full of contempt.
"Mount Hua at its strongest a hundred years ago still could not defeat Wudang. And yet you believe you can stand against us now? Don’t you think that’s rather arrogant? Your pride means nothing compared to Wudang’s—"
"Hey. Enough of the speech already. Let’s fight, okay?"
"... "
Chung Myung let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"No, why does it matter so much who beat who a hundred years ago? Is some guy from a hundred years ago gonna stand behind you and cheer you on? They’re all dead, idiot! If you like old men that much, why don’t you join Wudang instead of being a Daoist? ...Ah, right, you already are Wudang."
So that’s why?
"...How dare you!"
"Anyway, this is why old-fashioned bastards are such a pain..."
Even if the distortion concerned his own past, Chung Myung wasn’t especially angry.
What does it matter? It’s not like I beat Heavenly Demon in the end.
What mattered was now.
And...
That kind of thing only matters if the strong are the ones saying it.
If Mount Hua were stronger than Wudang right now, the Wudang bastards would never dare say something like that. In other words, if the current Mount Hua were overwhelmingly stronger than Wudang, then even if someone claimed the Plum Blossom Sword Saint had been stronger than Zhang Sanfeng, no one would really object.
History, money, the right to speak—everything in the end belonged to the strong.
And Chung Myung didn’t really have a problem with that.
I’m strong!
Then it was all his anyway.
That was a problem Mount Hua could settle slowly after beating the crap out of Wudang. And honestly, even if they never bothered to settle it at all, it wouldn’t really matter. All Chung Myung had to do was become more highly regarded than the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of the past.
"Do you really need to see blood before you—"
"Young Hero Wi! Young Hero Wi!"
Jin Hyeon seemed about to say something, but Chung Myung cleanly cut him off and called out to Wi So-haeng instead.
Wi So-haeng, who had been watching the situation from the back, asked him in a bewildered voice.
"Y-yes?"
"You did everything I asked, right?"
"You mean the rumor? W-well, I did spread the word to the people in Namyang, at least."
"Good. Then, up you go!"
Chung Myung drew his sword.
The Wudang disciples flinched and took a slight step back. So suddenly...
As Chung Myung swung his sword, sword aura burst from the tip.
But the sword aura did not fly toward the Wudang disciples. Instead, it sliced repeatedly into the wall surrounding Hwayeong Gate.
RUMBLE!
In an instant, the wall collapsed in a heap.
"W-what are you—"
Wi Lip-san’s eyes went wide. What was that wild little brat doing, tearing down someone else’s wall?
"Ah..."
But as soon as he saw the sight beyond the collapsed wall, Wi Lip-san understood Chung Myung’s intent. Around the broken wall, the people of Namyang were gathered in a dense crowd.
They had heard that Wudang and Mount Hua were going to clash at Hwayeong Gate, and had mustered the courage to come watch. Well, with an event like this, who wouldn’t want to see it?
"I’ve always kind of liked making a scene."
Chung Myung grinned.
The purpose of coming here wasn’t simply to help Hwayeong Gate. They also had to make more people see Mount Hua crushing Wudang.
That kind of reputation, built piece by piece like this, would one day become Mount Hua’s standing.
"...That’s a little overwhelming."
At Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung snickered.
"You said to do it properly if we’re doing it at all."
"That I did."
"Then there’s only one thing left."
Chung Myung’s gaze turned to the Wudang disciples.
"Sahyungs. How many can each of you take?"
"...Hm. Two."
"I think I can handle three."
"Then that makes five."
Chung Myung stroked his chin.
"Yu Sago can take four. Baek Cheon Sasuk can take that one."
"Then what about you?"
"Me?"
"...Never mind."
Please restrain yourself for once. For the sake of everyone watching.
"Then go! Sasuk! Sago! Sahyung!"
"Haah..."
"Ugh."
"Oh dear."
The Mount Hua disciples let out deep sighs and trudged forward.
"It feels like everything’s running backward."
Cold light appeared in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
"If they’re Wudang disciples, then they should be more than enough to prove the results of our training. Come on, everyone. Show them Mount Hua’s sword!"
"Yes, Sasuk!"
"Yes, Sahyung!"
Then, from behind them, a grumpy voice called out.
"Why do you all react differently when I do it?"
You really need to shut that mouth, you idiot...