"Kuuuuuh…"
Chung Myung twisted his body mournfully on the eaves, goosebumps like tiny grains crawling down his back.
"Why did I say something like that…"
(Unintelligible mumbling)
"Kyaaaak! Shut up! Did I say something wrong?"
Conscience.
"Ugh."
Chung Myung sighed deeply.
"I did overdo it a bit."
He had been carried away by the mood—something that could never have happened in the past.
Isn't it ridiculous when you think about it? To dare compare those chick-like fools to the great 'Great Mount Hua Sect.' If the old Chung disciples who treated Shaolin as a 'hopeless bald-headed cult revival meeting' had heard this, they'd have their eyes pop out and go wild, saying they'd beat up descendants and all.
"…Come to think of it, those bastards were hopeless."
That's why the entire Central Plains turned their backs. Crazy bastards.
Is that something you should be saying? Of all people, you?
"You're especially talkative today. Ah, if you're annoyed, why don't you come back to life and see?"
Chung Myung snorted and scoffed, then flopped back down on the eaves.
"…It's not exactly wrong."
If the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and the current Chung Myung were not the same person?
Probably the person who would have bitten his sword and run at the front to correct such insolence would have been none other than Chung Myung himself. He might even have knocked out that guy Chung Jin who wanted to leave it be and carried him under his arm while running.
"…I was hot-headed too… I was young, very young."
The old Chung Myung did not properly see Mount Hua of his time.
The murim world is a place where the capable are respected, and Mount Hua was more capable than any other sect in its time. So, Chung Myung thought the incompetent should just shut up and follow orders.
From that perspective, Mount Hua of that era was definitely a sect worthy of that. It was stronger and more outstanding than any other sect. But…
'That wasn't all there was to it.'
Chung Myung scratched his head.
If you think about it, Chung Myung had never once thought from the perspective of the weak. Mount Hua, which ruled the era, and even within it, Chung Myung was in an overwhelmingly strong position.
Even when he was young, wasn't Chung Myung specially treated?
So he thought it was natural.
The kindness Chung Myung showed as a disciple of Mount Hua did not come from thinking about the weak. It was simply that the strong should naturally do so, and he acted on that without doubt.
But after falling to what could be called rock bottom and struggling to climb back up, he realized that the world is not just about strength and weakness.
The leaders are the strong, but the weak also have their own will and thoughts. Just because they are weak doesn't mean their ways should be ignored or belittled.
So to sum up…
'If I saw the old Plum Blossom Sword Saint now, I'd have beaten him to death.'
Well, considering the difference in skill and temperament, rather than beating him to death, Chung Myung would probably be the one getting beaten to near death. Either way, he wouldn't have looked on him kindly. Looking back, it's hard to find someone who lived a more messed-up life than that bastard.
So how unfair it must have been for those who got beaten by Chung Myung back then. A bastard no better than a scoundrel beating up anyone who annoyed him, and at that time, Mount Hua, the most gangster-like sect, so they couldn't even protest…
To give an example, it's like Hae Yeon running wild in Shaolin like the old Chung Myung. If Hae Yeon had done that, what would Chung Myung have done?
'He probably would have beaten Hae Yeon until hair grew on his bald head.'
But… unfortunately, at that time, there was no place capable of handling the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and Mount Hua. So they had no choice but to endure with tears in their eyes.
Looking back, a surge of regret wells up…
What about Southern Edge?
"Ah, gotta exclude those Southern Edge bastards!"
Those bastards deserve even more beating! Absolutely, no doubt.
Clenching his fist, Chung Myung sighed deeply once again.
If you accept the logic that the strong should lead and can do whatever they want, then the actions of those Demonic Cult bastards must be justified to some extent.
If you don't accept that, then naturally your thoughts about Mount Hua in the past must also change.
"Thinking about it pisses me off."
Chung Myung turned his head with a baffled expression and looked somewhere.
"From those bastards' old perspective, we're no different from those Shaolin bastards now."
Hey, you bastard. It's not that bad.
"Ah, be quiet. What a sinner you are."
Chung Myung pointed accusingly at the distant sky.
Of course, from Chung Myung's perspective, it might be an unfair story. Mount Hua was a sect that definitely took responsibility for those above. Mount Hua shed the most blood wherever and whenever, and fought the fiercest battles.
It is not a sect that can be compared to the current Shaolin, who stand one step behind with their hands behind their backs, just gesturing.
But conversely…
"So now, if those Shaolin bastards fight hard, will they look on them favorably?"
No, they won't.
"See?"
Chung Myung scoffed. Others might not understand Shaolin, but honestly, Chung Myung somewhat understands why Shaolin acts that way.
From Shaolin's perspective, they have the deepest history, the strongest forces, and the most masters, so they believe they should lead the murim world.
They have deep thoughts behind their actions, so it must be absurd to them that sects not even half as big as Shaolin keep criticizing them for having different ideas.
From Shaolin's point of view, the Namgung bastards ignored orders to stay put and recklessly charged Plum Blossom Island, nearly facing annihilation, making them the dumbest sect in the world…
"Huh? Isn't that right?"
Chung Myung glanced down and looked at Namgung Do-Wei who was far away.
No… to be more cold-hearted, it's like Namgung Hwang took everything and jumped into the Yangtze River. But to curse Shaolin over this is a bit over the line…
"Kuh, ahem. Anyway."
And from Shaolin's viewpoint, Mount Hua and Tang Family are stirring trouble in the well-united Central Plains, bringing in foreign forces, making them crazy sects.
Even though the Evil Sect openly runs rampant, instead of joining forces, they act like arrogant bastards saying, 'If you're frustrated, crawl under us.' Even when the leader personally came to bow.
"Wow…"
Chung Myung looked up at the night sky with trembling eyes.
"When you reverse it, everything makes sense, Chung Mun sahyung?"
I didn't do that, you bastard!
"Who said anything? Don't feel guilty for no reason."
Chung Myung chuckled.
Chung Myung knows that all of Shaolin's actions can be interpreted with the three words 'superiority complex.' Shaolin will surely fight bravely at the front once again when they reclaim their position as the representative of the murim world, just like Mount Hua did in the past.
What they want is not mere profit but the status of 'Shaolin,' the sect that protects the martial world. They know that this title cannot be gained without shedding blood.
But…
"That's meaningless, you fool."
Now Chung Myung knows. He has already experienced it. That it means nothing. Such actions leave nothing behind. That they end up on the same path as countless sects that once ruled the world but are now forgotten.
"Chung Mun sahyung, I…"
Chung Myung gazed at the night sky.
Countless stars looked down on him, as if his past sworn brothers were watching over him.
"I liked Mount Hua."
To be precise, he longed for the old Mount Hua. So he wanted to make the current Mount Hua like that old Mount Hua—a sect superior to any other, more excellent than any other.
"But… that was just my selfish desire."
He now knows that it was the wrong path.
They have already failed once. They tasted such a bitter failure that they can't even imagine a bigger one.
Yet if they repeat the same mistakes, it's no different from walking toward a predetermined failure. If you want to change the outcome, the process must also change.
Mount Hua, which stood out alone, failed. And Chung Myung now clearly sees what a sect trying to stand out alone is becoming.
So… now he and Mount Hua must change.
Now Chung Myung understands.
How a weak sect thinks and lives. What kind of heart a weak murim warrior holds. How much those who support the strong from behind are struggling.
Being weak doesn't mean they deserve to be ignored. Even if lacking, their efforts and thoughts must be respected as they are.
Aren't they there? Those who are proof of this.
Chung Myung turned his head and looked at Baek Cheon and his group. Their faces were quite serious, as if having a serious conversation. A smirk escaped Chung Myung's lips.
'What are these kids so serious about?'
What if they had joined the old Mount Hua? If they had entered as past Chung disciples like Chung Myung or the later Myung disciples?
Perhaps those kids would not have stood out, forgotten as mediocre disciples, or eventually failed to endure Mount Hua's problems and left.
But now those kids have grown into proud members of Mount Hua and its future.
It's the same. Being lacking doesn't mean no potential. And being weak doesn't mean no value.
"I should have known that a little earlier."
Mount Hua of the past and Shaolin of now show that a strong but unaccepting sect is meaningless.
So the current Mount Hua must change.
It's okay not to be as strong as before or to lead as firmly. There are many who can fill Mount Hua's shortcomings.
Therefore, it's not about leading alone but walking together.
'Can I do it?'
Chung Myung quietly closed his eyes.
It's easy to say, but it's very difficult. It might be twice as hard as making the current Mount Hua as strong as the old one.
Chung Myung opened his eyes and looked at those gathered below.
Mount Hua and Shaolin, Namgung Family and Green Forest.
Those who seemed completely incompatible were raising their voices and bickering with each other.
Some might call that scene a mess, others might disparage it as a hodgepodge.
But Chung Myung's thoughts were a bit different. If he had to name that scene…
Hope.
"…"
Isn't that right, Taoist hyung?
A smile blossomed on Chung Myung's lips.
"Yes. You're right."
He stood up and stretched.
"Things are going to get busy."
It's still a difficult task. The Demonic Cult is too powerful, the Justice faction is faltering. And a monster who prioritizes his own desires over the world's peace is eyeing beyond the river. But…
"No need to worry. I'll make it happen."
Because now, I'm not 'I' but 'we.'
Chung Myung grinned, tightly gripped the bottle in his hand, and jumped down from the eaves.
"Stop fighting, you bastards!"
"What did you say?"
"We're not fighting, you know?"
Chung Myung slipped through the noisy crowd.
Their loud conversation continued long past when the moon had risen high.