Chapter 1093: I May Have Gone a Bit Too Far With My Words (Part 3)

"Uhhhh...."

Chung Myung twisted his body uncomfortably on the eaves. Goosebumps ran down his spine like grains of rice.

"Why did I say such things...?"

- You were probably worried more than you think.

"Aaaaah! It's too loud! What did I say wrong?"

- Conscience.

"Ugh."

Chung Myung let out a deep sigh.

"I may have gone a bit too far with my words."

He was carried away by the atmosphere. If it were the old days, this would never have happened.

Thinking about it, wasn't it ridiculous? Bringing those little chicks to confront the once great 'Mount Hua Sect.' If the Cheon line, who were used to treating Shaolin as the 'shameless bald-headed cult,' heard about it, they would probably go on a rampage and threaten to beat all their disciples and descendants.  [this passage was hard...]

"...Come to think of it, those guys were hopeless."

No wonder the entire Central Plains had turned their backs against them. Crazy bastards.

- Are you the one to say that? Not anyone else but you?

"You're so talkative today. Ah, if you're unhappy, just come back to life."

Chung Myung snorted, laying back on the eaves.

"...It's not entirely untrue."

What if the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and the current Chung Myung were not the same person?

The person who would hear these words and rush to the forefront with a sword, vowing to beat sense into the arrogant guy, would undoubtedly be none other than Chung Myung. He might even be running over, knocking over Cheong Jin and charging forward with him sprawled on his side.

"...I guess I was a bit too aggressive.... Young, too young."

The old Chung Myung never got to see the true greatness of Mount Hua.

Kangho was a place where the capable were favored, and Mount Hua had more ability than any other sect. So, those lacking in skill should just shut up and follow orders, that was Chung Myung's perspective.

From that point of view, Mount Hua in those days was undoubtedly a sect worthy of that qualification. It was stronger than any other sect and more excellent. However...

'That wasn't all.'

Chung Myung scratched his head.

When you think about it, Chung Myung had never thought from the perspective of the weak. The sect called Mount Hua had commanded the era, and even within that, Chung Myung was a person in an overwhelmingly strong position.

Moreover, ever since he was young, didn't Chung Myung get special treatment?

Therefore, he thought it was natural.

Chung Myung's loyalty as a disciple of Mount Hua did not stem from a consideration for the weak. It was simply an unquestioning adherence to what he had learned: that the strong naturally treated others that way.

However, as he climbed up from a position that could be called an abyss, he discovered that the world was not solely about strength and weakness. Although the strong may lead, the weak also had their own will and thoughts. Just because they were weak didn't mean their ways should be ignored and scorned.

So, to sum it up...

'If I saw the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of the past now, I would have killed him.'

Well, considering the difference in skill and temperament, he might not have killed him but rather received a beating until the brink of death. Whether he liked it or not, he would never have looked at him with kind eyes. Looking back, it would be hard to find someone who lived a more messed up life than that guy.

So, how unfair must it have been for those who were beaten by Chung Myung back then? A guy similar to a gangster, being beaten up by him without a chance to protest... And especially since he was the strongest from the strongest sect, Mount Hua, at that time.

If we were to give an example, it would be similar to Hye Yeon running around like the old Chung Myung while in Shaolin. What would Chung Myung have done if Hye Yeon had acted like that?

'I would have beaten him until hair sprouted on his bald head.'

But... unfortunately, at that time, there was no place that could handle both the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and Mount Hua. So, the victims had to swallow their tears and endure it.

Looking back, the regret surged...

- Southern Edge Sect?

"Ah, we need to get rid of those Southern Edge bastards!"

Those bastards deserve even more beatings! Well, maybe not.

Chung Myung, who had clenched his fist, let out another deep sigh.

If you affirm the logic that leading is natural and that doing as you please is allowed when you're strong, then the actions of those Demonic Cult guys should be justified to a certain extent.

If you don't acknowledge that, then naturally, thoughts about the past Mount Hua would also have to be different.

"Thinking about it, it's nauseating."

Chung Myung turned his head and looked at something far away with a puzzled expression.

"In the eyes of those guys from the past, weren't we no different from the current Shaolin bastards?"

- Hey, you bastard. Not to that extent.

"Oh, you be quiet. Where's the sinner?"

Chung Myung pointed towards the distant sky.

Certainly, from the perspective of the Sahyung, it might sound unjust. Because Mount Hua was clearly a sect that assumed responsibility for its actions as a leader. Mount Hua shed the most blood and fought fiercely wherever and whenever.

It couldn't be compared to the current Shaolin, which was trailing behind and just picking fights without much backbone.

However, looking at it the other way...

"So now, if those Shaolin bastards fight hard, are you going to look at them with a good eye?"

- That's not it.

"See?"

Chung Myung snorted. While others may not understand Shaolin, Chung Myung honestly understood to some extent why Shaolin guys acted the way they do.

From Shaolin's perspective, they probably thought that they, with the most extensive history, the most formidable power, and numerous experts, should lead the martial world. It must have been annoying for them when sects that were only a fraction as significant as Shaolin interfered with their activities and opposed them at every turn.

From Shaolin's viewpoint, the Namgung Family, for example, might have been nothing more than a foolish sect on the brink of destruction, rushing into Plum Blossom Island and ignoring their advice to stay put...

"Uh? Isn't that right?"

Chung Myung glanced down at the distant Namgung Dowi.

No... to put it more objectively, it was like Namgung Hwang carrying everything and jumping into the Yangtze River. However, swearing at Shaolin for this was a bit too much, considering the circumstances.

"Ahem, anyway."

And from Shaolin's perspective, Mount Hua and the Tang Family were nothing more than crazy sects causing unrest in the Central Plains, dragging new foreign powers into the well-unified Central Plains.

Even though the Evil Sect was openly rebelling, they refused to join forces and instead became the world's biggest bastards, saying, 'If you're frustrated, why don't you crawl under us?' even when Boeopjeong personally came to bow down his head.

"Wow..."

Chung Myung looked up at the night sky with trembling eyes.

"When you reverse the roles, everything falls into place, doesn't it, Sect Leader Sahyung?"

- I didn't do that, you bastard!

"Who said what? I got stabbed for no reason."

Chung Myung laughed sarcastically.

Chung Myung knew. All of Shaolin's actions could be interpreted with the three words 'sense of superiority.' Perhaps Shaolin definitely believed that when they stood at the forefront representing the martial world again, they would fight bravely just like Mount Hua did in the past.

What they wanted was not just simple gain, but the position of 'Shaolin', the sect that protects the martial world. Beopjeong would know that this title could be obtained without shedding blood. However...

"That's meaningless. You fool."

Now even Chung Myung understood. He had been through it already. It had no meaning. Such actions left nothing behind. Once ruling the world, now walking the same path as numerous sects long forgotten, saying nothing.

"Sect Leader Sahyung, I..."

Chung Myung looked at the night sky. Numerous stars seemed to be looking down at him, as if his past Sahyungs were watching him.

"I liked Mount Hua."

To be precise, he longed for the old Mount Hua. That's why he wanted the current Mount Hua to be like the Mount Hua of the past. A sect superior to any other, an excellent sect.

"But... that was just my greed."

He now understood that it was the wrong path.

They had already failed once. He had experienced a miserable failure so profound that he couldn't even think of what could be a bigger failure.

If they repeated the same mistake, it was no different from walking toward a predetermined failure. If you want to change the result, the process must also change.

Mount Hua, once outstanding, failed. And now, Chung Myung was clearly seeing what the sect was becoming as it tried to excel alone.

So... now he, and even Mount Hua, had to change.

Now that Chung Myung understood.

How a weak sect lived. What a weak individual thought. How those who fought behind the strong strove.

Being inadequate didn't mean they could be ignored. Even if they were lacking, their efforts and thoughts deserved respect.

Wasn't it over there? People who were proof of that.

Chung Myung turned his head to look at Baek Cheon and his group. Their faces were serious, as if engaged in some important conversation. A grin escaped Chung Myung's lips.

'What are these kids so serious about?'

If they had entered Mount Hua in the past, what would have happened? What if they were initiated into the Cheon line as disciples like Chung Myung or later generations like the Myeong line?

Perhaps those kids would have become forgettable disciples, or eventually left Mount Hua unable to withstand it.

But now, those kids were proud members of Mount Hua, growing into the future of Mount Hua.

It was the same. Being lacking didn't mean there was no potential. And being weak didn't mean it was worthless.

"I should have known that a little earlier."

Mount Hua of the past and Shaolin of the present demonstrated that a sect, despite being strong, was meaningless if it could not embrace.

So, the current Mount Hua needed to be different.

It's okay if it's not as strong as it used to be, if it can't lead as firmly as before. There are too many who can fill the shortcomings of Mount Hua.

Therefore, it's not about leading alone, but about walking together.

'Can it be done?'

Chung Myung closed his eyes quietly. It was an easy thing to say but an extremely difficult task. Maybe it was twice as difficult as making the current Mount Hua as strong as the past Mount Hua.

Chung Myung opened his eyes and looked at the people gathered below. Mount Hua and Shaolin, Namgung and Nokrim.

People who seemed completely incompatible were raising their voices and clinking glasses. Someone might call that scene a mess, and someone might disdainfully refer to it as a mishmash.

But Chung Myung's thoughts were a bit different. If he had to give a name to that scene...

- Hope.

"..."

- Isn't that right, Taoist-hyung?

A smile bloomed on Chung Myung's lips.

"Yes, you're right."

He stretched and yawned.

"It's going to get busy."

It was still a difficult task. The demonic sect was too powerful, and the righteous sects were creaking. Moreover, a monstrous fellow who prioritizes his desires over the safety of the world was probably lurking beyond the river. But...

"Don't worry. I'll handle it."

Because now wasn't 'me' but 'we.'

Chung Myung, with a smirk, tightly grasped the bottle in his hand and jumped down from the eaves.

"Fight hard, you bastards!"

"What did you say?"

"We're supposed to be fighting?"

Chung Myung slipped in among those who were shouting loudly.

Their noisy conversation continued for a long time, even after the moon had moved well beyond.