Chung Myung looked around as he climbed up the mountain.
‘She isn’t here, right?’
Chung Myung, who was quite nervous that Yu Yiseol would catch up with him, sighed deeply.
“Sigh… what am I doing?”
Chung Myung had nothing in this world he feared. In the past, when he was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, there were people afraid of him, but he was never afraid of others.
Wasn’t the sect leader of the Shaolin sect even reluctant to meet him?
But now, that same Chung Myung was in a situation where he avoided a little girl.
“What am I being made to deal with?”
It would be so much simpler if he could just hit her on the head, wrap her up with a rope, and toss her off a cliff somewhere. But since she’s just an innocent nuisance, he can’t beat her up, right?
Huh?
What about Baek Cheon?
“That bastard came at me first.”
There’s a difference between a senior who picks a fight and a senior that’s a nuisance.
Well, for the first time in this life… no, for the first time ever, Chung Myung was avoiding others.
“What’s become of me!? Why do I need to avoid people this early in the morning!?”
Chung Myung, who stopped to take a deep breath, was ready to run up again.
‘Oh?’
He felt something.
“Yah! Yah! I knew this was going to happen! It’s useless to try fooling an old ghost like me! You can’t deceive…huh?”
Chung Myung titled his head.
This qi he was feeling was different from Yu Yiseol’s.
Yu Yiseol boasts a weird sense of non-existence; it was something that Chung Myung would have to heavily concentrate on feeling.
So, Chung Myung would listen for her footsteps instead.
However, what he was feeling now was too strong and clear to be Yu Yiseol. And…
“Two people?”
Not just one.
Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed, and he moved cautiously as he sensed the qi.
For two people to be meeting in this deep mountain so early in the morning. It felt like a conspiracy.
‘I need to see what they’re up to.’
Chung Myung’s eyes began to sparkle.
Swoosh!
His feet began to swiftly cut through the wind and accelerate. Chung Myung quickly halted and melded into his surroundings as he approached the area that he felt the qi coming from.
And then, he carefully snuck forward and stuck his head out to have a peek.
‘Huh?’
Chung Myung blinked his eyes. No matter how much he tried to double-check if his senses were right, the sight in front of him didn’t change.
One of the two figures was someone Chung Myung knew.
Baek Cheon.
It wasn’t strange for Baek Cheon to be here; after all, this was still Mount Hua’s territory.
But the other person standing there was unexpected, he wasn’t from Mount Hua, and the situation seemed strange.
‘Why is he here?’
Jin Geum-Ryong.
Jin Geum-Ryong, one of the Southern Edge Sect’s greatest disciples, stood opposite Baek Cheon with an odd expression.
‘Why are the two of them meeting here?’
It was definitely a conspiracy.
Chung Myung cautiously moved closer to listen in.
“You seem to be doing well.”
Jin Geum-Ryong smiled brightly and spoke to Baek Cheon. But Baek Cheon’s face clearly expressed his displeasure.
“You seem to be at ease.”
“Isn’t there a reason for that, Dong-Ryong?”
“Pffft!”
Jin Geum-Ryong and Baek Cheon both turned their gazes toward the sudden sound.
‘Ah, shit!’
Chung Myung desperately held his breath and concealed himself.
It was almost unbearable for Chung Myung to restrain his laughter when he heard the word Dong-Ryong. (Bronze Dragon)
The two looked at each other again. They probably thought it was just a passing beast.
Baek Cheon’s face contorted.
“Don’t call me by that name. I am Baek Cheon.”
“Don’t think of throwing away the name your parents gave you. No matter what anyone says, you are Jin Dong-Ryong.”
‘Ugh. Please, just stop already.’
Chung Myung clutched the floor and tried not to laugh.
‘Oh shit. I might die. Dong-Ryong. Baek Cheon’s real name is Dong-Ryong! Ah, my stomach might rip at this rate!’
Chung Myung’s body trembled and was cramped as he fought to hold back his laughter.
Baek Cheon’s face quickly turned red as if it would burst.
“It’s Baek Cheon!”
“Fine, Dong-Ryong.”
‘Wow, he is really losing it.’
Baek Cheon hated it so much that his face was burning red, but the other guy just kept calling him Dong-Ryong.
‘Such a bad personality.’
Whether or not he knew about Chung Myung’s internal evaluation of him, Jin Geum-Ryong continued to speak with a smile.
“Isn’t Mount Hua a great place to live? You look pretty good too, don’t you think?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I just wanted to see you.”
A smile grew on Jin Geum-Ryong’s lips.
“To see what kind of an ugly life that little brother of mine who ran away from home to beat his older brother was living in Mount Hua.”
“You saw that two years ago, didn’t you?”
“I never get tired of kicking a defeated dog; not even a hundred times would be enough.”
Baek Cheon’s face crumpled.
This was Jin Geum-Ryong’s true character. He was merciless to those he considered weaker than himself. He usually disguises himself with a kind face, but he was rotten inside.
How long had Baek Cheon been bullied by him?
“What do you say? If you get on your knees and beg, I can accept you into the Southern Edge Sect.”
“Don’t spout shit.”
Baek Cheon looked straight at Jin Geum-Ryong.
“I am Baek Cheon, the Great Sahyung of Mount Hua’s second-class disciples. My dream is to make Mount Hua into a well-known sect that stands above the Southern Edge Sect. So don’t say such words in front of me again.”
‘Oh?’
Chung Myung looked at the two in front of him with shining eyes.
Let’s see.
So, these two are brothers, one Geum-Ryong (Golden Dragon) and the other is Dong-Ryong. (Bronze dragon)
‘… I really want to meet their father, at least once.’
He needed to meet the enemy that caused his belly such pain. What on earth did he think when he named his children like that!? That’s why Baek Cheon ran away!
Baek Cheon spoke with a growl.
“Since I know you’re just speaking hollow words, I’ll ignore that remark. After all, I know that even if I begged, you would simply mock me and act like it never happened. That’s just the kind of person you are.”
“Haha, being brothers is strange. You know me so well, despite being apart for so long.”
Jin Geum-Ryong, who had been smiling until then, suddenly changed his expression and turned cold.
“You made the wrong choice.”
“…”
“If you wanted to defeat me, you should have entered the Southern Edge Sect. Maybe then you might have had a chance, but you chose Mount Hua instead of the Southern Edge Sect? You fled to a crippled sect to defeat me? Hahahaha! Even a dog would find this funny!”
Baek Cheon bit his lip.
“Do not look down on Mount Hua.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, you’re right. The reason I joined Mount Hua was that you despised it. I will lead Mount Hua and defeat the older brother who ignored and looked down on me.”
“Such a foolish idea, so stupid that it makes me feel dumb for listening. It’s exactly like you.”
Ignoring the constant flood of spiteful words, Baek Cheon firmly said.
“In the beginning, I certainly was childish. But now, I really like Mount Hua. Living my life as Baek Cheon, Great Sahyung of Mount Hua’s second-class disciples is the most rewarding experience for me.”
‘Ohh?’
Chung Myung looked at Baek Cheon with a subtle sense of pride emanating from his eyes.
‘So that’s his story?’
He did say that he needed to grow stronger. So, there must have been a reason behind it, right?
Chung Myung felt a bit moved by Baek Cheon’s words.
‘Ah, this is so….’
“You think it’s rewarding to live as the disciple of a crumbling sect? In this ruined mountain? Has your mind gone astray?”
‘That son of a bitch!’
Hearing what this bastard had to say, Chung Myung grew furious.
‘I just need to punch him once!’
“Yes.”
Baek Cheon answered firmly.
“It might seem strange, but I understood once I stayed here. I’m not the sort of person who is happy living comfortably in a rich sect with nice food, clothes, and education. At the very least, this place needs me here. I can set a goal and help develop this sect. Mount Hua is a sect that has given me a goal to strive for. Furthermore, it is a home which embraced me affectionately!”
“Affection?”
Jin Geum-Ryong frowned.
“Such weakness. When I see you talking like that, I understand that you’ve lost your sense of reality. Let me tell you. You’re already finished. As a result of your pathetic choice, you will live the rest of your life in humiliation, forever left behind as a third-rate martial artist. Nothing more than a servant. Meanwhile, you will watch me rise as the future sect leader of the Southern Edge Sect from your withered hovel.”
“Well, I don’t really care. I am going to live my life regardless.”
“You’re going to live your life like trash. Well, at least it will be fun for me to watch.”
Jin Geum-Ryong said with a sly smile.
“But I’m not one to watch on the side for long. Rather than waste time waiting, I will show you tomorrow. You’ll see just how stupid it was for you to choose Mount Hua instead of the Southern Edge Sect.”
Jin Geum-Ryong tilted his head as if contemplating something before a wretched sneer covered his face.
“No, No. Maybe this was a good choice. After all, there’s no better combination for a ruined sect than an idiot disciple.”
“I don’t mind you insulting me, but your foul mouth has no right to speak of Mount Hua. Watch yourself, or I’ll tear that mouth of yours off.”
“… someone like you?”
Jin Geum-Ryong glared at Baek Cheon as he trembled in anger.
After staring for a while, Jin Geum-Ryong suddenly smiled.
“There’s no need to rush. The time will come when you realize it. Neither you nor Mount Hua will be able to make their marks on the world after tomorrow. I’ll make certain of that.”
Jin Geum-Ryong glanced once more at Baek Cheon before descending the mountain.
Baek Cheon sighed deeply as he stared at Jin Geum-Ryong’s slowly fading figure.
‘Can I do it?’
Jin Geum-Ryong is a strong man that always achieves his goals. Aside from his poor attitude, he was still more talented and greater than Baek Cheon.
Baek Cheon bit his lip.
‘I shouldn’t let myself be shaken.’
He is Baek Cheon of Mount Hua. One day, he would become the sect leader of Mount Hua and lead everyone into glory.
Baek Cheon, who was mumbling to himself, finally steeled his determination and turned around.
“Wow, look at this admirable kid.”
“Ah! Fuck! You scared me!”
Baek Cheon was so terrified at the sudden words that he fell backward on the floor. He was so shocked that he thought his heart would burst through his throat.
When he finally settled down, he saw Chung Myung nodding his head with a pleased expression.
“You, you… why are you here?”
“Dong-Ryo… ahh, Do-Do, Dong-Ryong.”
Baek Cheon’s expression crumpled when he heard Chuny Myung’s words, while the culprit himself struggled to hold back his oppressive laughter.
“… you heard everything?”
“Oh my, Dong-Ryong. I was amazed by your wonderful heart, which holds such pride for Mount Hua.”
Chung Myung nodded, while Baek Cheon sighed.
“Are you a ghost? I couldn’t even feel your presence.”
“Well, that is to be expected.”
“… I haven’t done anything wrong, but don’t tell anyone about this. Others might not think of this as a good thing.”
“Don’t worry, Sasuk. This is Chung Myung! I’m the man with the heaviest mouth in the world.”
“…”
Doesn’t that mean that his mouth can’t hold anything?
Baek Cheon wrapped his head around the idea of being caught.
No one except the sect leader and a few elders knew about this. But of all the people to find out…
“Hmm. So, Sasuk is Jin Geum-Ryong’s younger brother?”
“Even though we’re brothers, we don’t have a friendly relationship. Our mothers are different….”
Baek Cheon sighed and tried to talk.
“Since I was little—”
“Ah, don’t bother.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t have the time to listen to such trivial drama. It’s obvious. Whether he’s older or younger, you were defeated by your talented sibling and didn’t get treated well, so you ran away from home and came to Mount Hua.”
“… don’t just summarize other people’s lives.”
But it was right.
“You did well.”
“Right. So… what?”
Baek Cheon titled his head.
“I said that you did well. Coming to Mount Hua.”
Chung Myung had a different expression from before. It wasn’t the mischievous smile that scratched a person’s nerves to anger them. Rather, it was simply a gentle smile.
Then, Chung Myung spoke with a heavy voice.
“No matter your origins or what your story is, Sasuk is a disciple of Mount Hua. You weren’t wrong to abandon the Southern Edge Sect and choose Mount Hua; we will prove it.”
Baek Cheon couldn’t say anything.
This didn’t seem like a speech that should come from such a young child. Strangely though, when Baek Cheon listened to Chung Myung’s words, he felt his heart at ease.
“We’ll prove it? When?”
“When?”
Chung Myung chuckled.
“Today.”
And then he turned away.
Soon the sun would rise, and the conference would begin.
“Let’s run wild, Sasuk.”
He couldn’t hear the other part, but,
Now is the time to crush those bastards!
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