Chapter 106: Chapter 994: Why Would I Enjoy Prosperity? (Part 4)
"Chung Myung."
"Yes?"
Hyun Jong stared at Chung Myung in silence, then spoke.
"I've heard similar words come out of your mouth a few times before, but...today, it seems to carry a slightly different meaning than usual."
Hyun Jong, the leader of the Mount Hua Sect, asked Chung Myung with great weight.
"In my view, you seem to think that the conversation you're going to have from now on should be different from what it has been. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Sect Leader. You are correct."
"In that case..."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Do you have a reason for thinking that it should be different from what it has been up to now?"
Hyun Jong posed this question to convey to those who did not understand the situation that the conversation that would follow from now on was important.
And it was indeed a reasonable decision.
...If only their clapping hands were normal.
"A reason?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me the reason?"
"..."
Hyun Jong, who found something strange in the situation, scrutinized Chung Myung's complexion for a moment. He then closed his eyes tightly. It was because Chung Myung's head was turned to the side.
'Why is he having a fit again?'
What on earth did Hyun Jong do?
"Sect Leader."
"...Y-Yes."
"I don't know where or how to start explaining this."
"U-uh, really?"
Hyun Jong wanted to say, 'If you don't know how to explain it, there's no need to make an effort.' But he couldn't bring himself to say it. He had to be considerate.
"Until now, Sect Leader, you've probably thought of me as someone who is a bit out of his mind."
"...Do you think it shows?"
"..."
Realizing he made a mistake, Hyun Jong quickly changed his words.
"Oh, no! I didn't mean that! Do you think I would think of you like that? No. Absolutely not! Don't say strange things."
"..."
Chung Myung let out a small cough this time, as if he would let it pass. But Hyun Jong noticed that Chung Myung's eyes were trembling beneath.
"Sect Leader."
"Y-Yes."
"When I joined the Mount Hua Sect, what kind of place was it?"
"U-uh?"
"Frankly, wasn't the Mount Hua Sect a martial arts sect no better than the beggars who only create trouble?"
"Well, it wasn't to that extent..."
"What I'm saying is correct, isn't it?"
Hyun Jong's feeble rebuttal was immediately suppressed by Hyun Young.
"Beggars had more money than the Mount Hua Sect. The beggars even ate better."
"..."
Well, it wasn't entirely untrue, but...
"Depending on how you look at it, the Mount Hua Sect seemed worse than beggars..."
"Is there anything wrong with that statement? Beggars don't have debt."
"..."
Hyun Jong, whose words were stuck, only coughed aimlessly.
"Anyway!"
Chung Myung squinted his eyes.
"It's a bit late to mention it now, but at that time, the Mount Hua Sect was nowhere near being a decent martial arts sect."
"..."
"And as soon as I joined, they had sold all their martial arts techniques and disappeared without a trace!"
Hyun Sang and Un Geom turned their heads in surprise.
"The Mount Hua Sect had no money in the martial arts sect and was drowning in debt!"
Hyun Jong and Hyun Young looked up at the distant ceiling.
"The youngsters didn't even practice martial arts and just played around among themselves!"
"Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Jo Gol, shut your trap."
"…Yes, Sahyung."
Chung Myung exhaled sharply and shouted.
"In such a situation, discussions? Directions?"
"…"
The more his eyes shined, the more everyone tried their best to avoid eye contact.
"Discussing and planning while we're about to get thrashed by the Southern Edge Sect! How should we even deal with them first?"
"Y-Yes, you're right."
"We handled the Southern Edge Sect, but then the Wudang sect picked a fight, and after cleaning that up, now it's Shaolin, the Evil Tyrant Alliance!"
"Take it easy, Chung Myung."
Frightened by Chung Myung's almost boiling face, Hyun Jong urged for restraint.
Thinking about it, it wasn't entirely false. Now it was just a memory, but the Mount Hua Sect wasn't a decent martial arts sect when Chung Myung joined. If Chung Myung hadn't found the deed to the Mount Hua Sect then, they might have been kicked out of Mount Hua and continued to owe debts.
"Why does it make me so mad when I think about it? What kind of martial arts sect…!"
Everyone bowed their heads. It wasn't their fault, but it still felt awkward.
"Hoo! Hoo…!"
Taking a long deep breath, Chung Myung managed to calm himself.
"In any case, so far, we've been busy taking care of immediate problems. Or else our sect would have been ruined."
"That's right, that's right."
Hyun Young nodded as if she understood everything.
"Right? People have to start with a humble beginning at least. Otherwise, what can you do when you're starving tomorrow?"
"Ohh, you know everything, Elder."
"Yeah, I know. You did a great job."
"Haha, what did I do?"
Chung Myung chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
But this time, when the teasing smile turned toward Hyun Young, no one sent disapproving glances. After all, that guy did help a lot.
Chung Myung looked at everyone and spoke.
"Until now, it's been about dealing with immediate issues. But from now on, it's not. As you know, Mount Hua has become a pretty decent sect now."
If these words were heard by someone from a different martial arts sect, they might have thought that Chung Myung was quite humble. That's how big of an influence the Mount Hua Sect had in the current world.
Of course, there were still weaknesses, like the lack of middle-ranked and high-ranked members to support the sect, but they had overcome that and built a reputation and prestige to be proud of.
"So, I'd like to ask, Sect Leader."
Chung Myung looked straight at Hyun Jong.
"What do you think, Sect Leader? What kind of relationship would you like to have with the Ten Great Sects?"
"Um."
Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh.
He had come a long way, but the meaning behind Chung Myung's words was quite simple.
Until now, the Mount Hua Sect had no room for choice. Most of their actions were survival instincts, and they were too busy dealing with imminent crises.
But...
'Now it's different.'
The true meaning behind Chung Myung's words was one. The Mount Hua Sect now had some breathing room. It might be as thin as a thread, but at least they could catch their breath for a while.
So now they could discuss and collaborate. About the direction Mount Hua would take.
Hyun Jong looked around at everyone. They were all waiting for him to speak.
"This is just my opinion... but."
That's why Hyun Jong added those words. Chung Myung had said that he was Mount Hua's sword, and only Hyun Jong could wield that sword. But it was only Chung Myung's will.
Hyun Jong didn't want that. He wanted to be the one who walked together with Chung Myung, not as someone who wielded a sword called Chung Myung. No, he wanted to walk with all the people in the Mount Hua Sect.
"Chung Myung."
"From now on, we may not be able to cooperate with the Ten Great Sects any longer."
To this, Chung Myung asked, his expression void of emotion.
"Why?"
After a moment of contemplation, Hyun Jong spoke.
"To be honest, distancing ourselves from the Ten Great Sects until now was not my intention. As the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, my greatest hope was to restore the glory of Mount Hua and become a worthy successor to the previous Sect Leaders."
"Yes."
"So, in my heart, I secretly wished for a return to the Ten Great Sects. Even if our relationship had some strains, I thought that if they extended their hand first, we could return to a good relationship."
Chung Myung nodded in agreement. It was a reasonable thought. Even Chung Myung, known for his aggressive nature, might have had similar thoughts if he were in Hyun Jong's place at this moment.
"But experiencing this incident made me realize that their path is vastly different from ours."
Hyun Jong's face briefly showed a hint of disappointment. He must have felt the disappointment strongly due to the recent events. Nevertheless, his tone remained gentle and cautious.
"I must emphasize that this is just my opinion. I am the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, but the Mount Hua Sect is not a sect where a single Sect Leader makes all the decisions. No, it should never be like that."
Hyun Jong asked in a quiet voice.
"What do you all think?"
Hyun Young cleared his throat.
"So, now they say they want to be friends, and you think the old, stubborn leaders of the Ten Great Sects will just accept that?"
"Uh, well..."
"Aren't the two pillars of the Ten Great Sects Shaolin and Wudang?"
"That's right."
"Shaolin's leader directly confronted us in front of everyone, and Wudang's Sect Leader came up and beat us in front of everyone! Are they going to get along with us now that they've gone crazy?"
"..."
Everyone's gaze turned to Chung Myung.
"Why? What?"
However, Chung Myung confidently straightened his shoulders as if he hadn't done anything wrong.
"So, don't waste your efforts pretending. Frankly, there's no way those noblemen in their minds would even think about getting along with us. But why should we act like that?"
"Um."
Un Geom, who had been silently listening all along, chuckled.
"You may have been a bit too aggressive in your words, but I share the same thought. We've come too far to turn back and try to get along with them now."
"Even if they want it, the path they seek is different from the path of the Mount Hua Sect, as Sect Leader Hyun Jong mentioned."
"Yes!"
"That's right, Sect Leader!"
Words of agreement were expressed from various directions. Hyun Jong simply nodded his head.
This wasn't about Mount Hua becoming stronger. The Mount Hua Sect knows better than any other sect the struggles that a weaker sect goes through. Therefore, it is determined not to take the wrong path.
"So."
This time, Hyun Jong asked everyone.
"What kind of sect do you think the Mount Hua Sect should become?"
..."
This time, no one could easily answer the question as it was too profound.
At that moment, Hyun Jong's gaze turned to none other than Yoon Jong.
"Yoon Jong."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"Give it a try. What kind of Mount Hua do you want?"
Yoon Jong's eyes deepened in response to Hyun Jong's question.
"Sect Leader, I apologize, but... I don't know about grand things like that."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
With a tinge of regret, Hyun Jong inquired, and Yoon Jong opened his mouth again.
"But I think I know what I should do."
There was conviction in his voice. Everyone's attention was now on Yoon Jong.
"When Namgung Sogaju asked for our help this time, I wanted to assist him more than anyone. And the sight of the Mount Hua Sect running to the Yangtze River to help him made me incredibly proud. Until now, I have experienced many things within the Mount Hua Sect. But there has never been a moment where I felt as proud of being a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect as I did back then."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Yoon Jong nodded slowly.
"That's why I want to act on what I felt. Even if it's a difficult and exhausting task, I want to help those who seek our assistance. I don't want to turn away from people who come to us for help. As the Mount Hua Sect has gone through difficulties in the past, I want to extend a helping hand to those who are struggling and tired."
A gentle smile appeared on Hyun Jong's lips.
"Listening to one's conscience and simply acting on it. The Mount Hua I envision is such a place."
When Yoon Jong finished speaking, he nodded.
"I have my own Mount Hua, and Yoon Jong will have his own Mount Hua."
He made eye contact with each and every disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.
"But there's no need for all of these different opinions to converge into one. If each person works to realize the Mount Hua they desire, it will eventually become a better place than anyone could have imagined..."
Hyun Jong slightly trailed off and closed his eyes, contemplating.
"I believe in that."
A profound silence filled the room. Hyun Jong's words resonated deeply in everyone's hearts.
"Yes, that's right. It will work out that way."
In the future, they would continue to face numerous challenges. However, if they didn't turn away from what they knew and worked together, they could overcome those challenges someday.
When that time came, both they and the world would come to understand what kind of sect the Mount Hua Sect truly was.
Just as Hyun Jong was about to speak again:
"Is that really okay?"
When he slowly opened my eyes, Chung Myung was shining with a meaningful expression.
"Each person working to create their own Mount Hua?"
"..."
"Is it really true? Then, I don't have to hold back either, right?"
"..."
No.
Let's find another way, Chung Myung.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds nice to see chung myung shedding some of the burden
and yoon jong *teary eyes* *sniffling*
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