“Ahh. It’s cold!”
Dawn on the mountain is distinctly different from dawn on the plains.
When cold air meets the humidity of dawn, it creates a chill that penetrates the bones.
Walking through the early morning air, the third-class disciples left the dorm and headed to the training hall.
“I’m wide awake now.”
“I’m awake too, but my body doesn’t wake up at all. So tired…”
“You should have mediated.”
“Who does that at night?”
“Ah, right.”
While exchanging idle conversation, the third-class disciples took out their sandbags and stone bags from the hut prepared at the side of the gymnasium.
“By the way, how long do we have to do this?”
“Well, maybe until we are asked to stop?”
“Who will ask that?”
“You don’t know?”
All the disciples thought of one face.
‘That monster-like bastard.’
‘A scary jerk.’
Although they were all disciples of the same class, Chung Myung had completely subjugated them.
Since the training was difficult, some rebelled occasionally. However, once they were knocked into the ceiling of the dorms, they quickly settled down.
Jo Gul, the first to go against Chung Myung, and even Yoon Jong weren’t complaining, so how could the others rebel?
The disciples couldn’t even think about surpassing Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who were better than them. From their point of view, even those two were monsters.
“But isn’t he a bit weird these days?”
“What?”
“He doesn’t look well, and he doesn’t come to train either.”
“… right!”
In the beginning, Chung Myung would participate in the training and torment the others, but he didn’t even show his face in recent days.
“Then, is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“The rumors that he had overloaded his internal qi.”
“Ah! No way!”
“No, no. Think about it. He is getting thinner and weaker each day, and he doesn’t seem to be in good health either, so he keeps skipping the training.”
“Well…”
“Maybe it would be different if he was lazy, but he isn’t. Isn’t it strange that a guy who trains three times as much as any of us suddenly stopped coming to train?”
“When you put it like that, it makes sense.”
All the disciples present were listening to the exchange.
“Then…”
Someone said something that shouldn’t have been said.
“Do we even still have to train?”
“…”
The faces of the third-class disciples suddenly hardened.
Actually, their feelings were no longer the same as they were at the start. In the beginning, they went to train because they were forced to, leaving them with aching bodies and discontent.
But now, they realized that they were getting stronger through the training. Although it was unfamiliar to physically train the body rather than cultivate their qi, they could clearly see their growing results.
Their lower body had become more stable.
Is there any greater joy for a martial artist than growing stronger? Although their bodies were tired and weary, they began to appreciate and enjoy the training.
But as soon as they heard that, the feelings they had been holding back began to take over.
‘I can’t take a leave every day, but….’
‘No, just once….’
‘Excessive training isn’t good either. I don’t think it would be bad to reduce it….’
Everyone’s thoughts changed.
‘Maybe, if Chung Myung isn’t here!’
Their poisonous thoughts continued until they reached the training hall. The early morning training, which was taken for granted, suddenly felt more annoying with these thoughts seducing their minds.
Well, they were children, so it was inevitable.
“Look, he isn’t here today either.”
“Is he really badly hurt?”
“Then… can’t we just back out?”
The decisive blow.
There were precisely three reasons why the disciples followed Chung Myung.
First, even if all the disciples rushed in, no one could take down Chung Myung.
Second, Chung Myung had the support of Un Geom, the overseer of their dorm. If a disciple steps out of line and can’t be controlled, you should bring it up with a superior, but what can you do when the superior is on their side?
And finally, Chung Myung was weirdly reasonable. When it came to training, he was a demon that would attack others and crush dissent; but he didn’t bully the others or make them do anything unreasonable to benefit himself just because he was stronger.
Because of that, they preferred how things were now rather than when they were disciplined under Jo Gul.
But now, the first of the three reasons collapsed.
‘Can’t we back out?’
‘He is already just skin and bones.’
‘Wouldn’t we win if we all work together?’
Their eyes began to shine with determination. Seeing that, Jo Gul sighed.
“Sahyung.”
“Let them be.”
Yoon Jong smiled.
“They’ll see the truth soon enough.”
It was then.
Kiiik!
Everyone’s heads turned to the side as the door to the White Blossom training hall opened. Only Chung Myung was missing. In other words, it had to be Chung Myung coming.
No one other than him could be coming here to train!
The door opened wide.
All the third-class disciples turned their heads.
“Eh! What!’
“It’s so dazzling!”
Something was shining brilliantly. Those who fought against the light and glanced at what was hidden within opened their eyes wide in shock.
Chung Myung was coming. Yep, it was definitely him.
But the man they were seeing wasn’t the same as yesterday. Clearly, Chung Myung was…
‘What is with him?’
‘Did he put oil on his face?’
‘Did he pick up some wild ginseng and eat it?’
The third-class disciples doubted their eyes.
Until yesterday, he was withered and weak; even dying wouldn’t have seemed strange, right? But now, he looked healthy, and there was a weird oil-like glow on his face.
‘We’re done for.’
‘We’ll have to train now.’
‘It was a nice dream.’
The disciples thought their dreams had flown away just as quickly as they arrived.
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung, who walked in, stood in front of them and spoke.
“Gentlemen.”
“…”
“This instructor of yours can’t help but feel sorry for you. I have been so ill that I neglected your training these days. I feel deeply responsible for this.’
“Ah. No.”
“It is fine. Things happen!”
“We are fine! We are fine too!”
They all desperately screamed at the weird words Chung Myung was saying, but he shook his head and continued with a somber look.
“No. You practiced so hard even in my absence, but I couldn’t live up to your expectations. This is definitely a mistake on my part.”
The atmosphere kept getting weirder.
‘He shouldn’t be acting like this.’
‘Is he really saying such things?’
Hearing it felt quite ominous.
“However!”
“…”
Chung Myung made a decisive declaration.
“Even if I can’t undo past mistakes, I can make up for what I did! If the training was lacking, then we need to practice more!”
“That bastard…”
“I’d rather die covered in shit….”
“I’d rather try and kill him!”
Curses quietly poured from the surroundings, but Chung Myung didn’t care.
“So, I hope that you too, do not forget that the future of Mount Hua lies in your hands, and work diligently. So.”
Chung Myung pointed up, which made everyone look where he pointed.
He showed Lotus Peak standing proudly.
“…”
“Start.”
“…”
“First come, first serve. The half who arrives last will do it again.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to go?”
At that moment, someone shot out of the crowd like a bolt of lightning. The faces of the disciples who confirmed the person’s identity were shocked.
“Great Sahyung?”
Yoon Jong.
He was running onto the Lotus peak as if the soles of his feet had caught fire, and someone was following right behind him.
It was Jo Gul.
“No! Great Sahyung!”
“Hey! Run! Hurry!”
“If we are late, we need to run again! Run!”
With that, the rest of the disciples began to run at full speed.
“How can he recover like that overnight!”
“How could I know!”
“Sahyung! Didn’t you say we should all try going at him?”
“A gentleman should know how to embrace the right timing! Now isn’t the time!”
“Well, I am freezing to death!”
“What?”
“Sahyung! Sahyung! Run! Please!”
All the disciples began to run. Only when they did their training right would they be able to eat their meals. They would have to run on their arms instead of their legs if they had to run a second lap.
Which was why everyone struggled to get there first!
Everyone ran with tears of blood streaming down their faces. They didn’t know what happened, but Chung Myung was healthy, which meant there was no hope for them.
Their rebellion was suppressed before it even started. Looking at the backs of the running disciples, Chung Myung smiled.
“What cute bastards.”
They dare dream of rebelling?
His body had become more sensitive as he reached a higher level, so he heard everything they had said.
“Well, this is good.”
There’s a limit to what a submissive person, who only knows how to listen, can accomplish independently. Mount Hua never accepted such people. But that didn’t mean they took in overly rebellious ones either.
There was nothing worse than people who constantly complained about everything. In Mount Hua, you needed to have the ability to match your confidence if you wanted to speak freely.
“That ability, I will create it for them.”
Chung Myung smiled.
It was important to be as strong as he was in the past, but he alone wouldn’t be able to bring back the lost glory of Mount Hua. It was because Murim wasn’t influenced by a single person. Countless people rose to the top of the world through their own strength. But their names would fade if their successors didn’t manage to carry on their legacy.
In the end, for a sect to maintain its reputation and be famous, all members of the sect need to be strong.
The reason the Shaolin sect is known to be the best isn’t because of any individual person in it. Even the sect with the strongest warrior cannot defeat the Shaolin sect alone if his allies are weak.
Even Mount Hua in the past couldn’t stand against it.
‘But not this time.’
Chung Myung’s eyes shone.
In the past, he had to follow the methods of his Sahyungs and Sasuks, but this time he could rebuild Mount Hua in his colors. It will be a long and difficult journey, but in the end, it will be grander than in the past.
Of course, his Sahyung wouldn’t like this.
“If it makes you sad, then come back to life!”
After giggling, Chung Myung put his hands around his mouth and shouted.
“The last person back has to skip breakfast today!”
A viciousness that even a devil may cry over.
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