Return of Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1032

Episode 1031. We’re Not There (1)

The river just flows.

No matter what happens in the world, the river just keeps flowing. The only thing that changes is the people watching the river.

Cheongmyeong was sitting alone on the riverside, taking in the blowing wind.

On the right was a pure white bottle of liquor, as usual, but unlike usual, it was full and just took up space.

He simply stared across the river without saying a word, even refusing alcohol. His sunken eyes were so dark that it was difficult to guess his inner thoughts.

He slowly ran his hand down my face.

Only after stopping at the chin did Cheongmyeong lower his hands, which were full of scars and wounds, and suddenly looked down blankly.

Then, before I knew it, I found myself chuckling.

When I first came back to this world, I was so shocked when I saw my own small, innocent hands. But in just a few years, they had changed into hands that were no different from those of the Plum Blossom Sword Master in the past.

In the end, it seems to me that what I’m saying is that people are unchanging beings, so I feel bitter about it.

Cheongmyeong, who had been looking at my hand like that for a while, turned his gaze back to the river as if he had been led there.

My stomach was in knots the whole time I was sitting there. Just thinking about those damned things out there made my mind go blank and my heart boil.

Cheongmyeong pressed my chest with his rough hands.

‘Has it changed?’

Is Qingming really different from before?

Perhaps you could answer yes. In the past, he would never have sat here quietly. As soon as he heard the word “Demonic Cult,” he would have put aside everything around him and crossed the river to see the situation with his own eyes.

But now, Cheongmyeong is just sitting here blankly.

So can we say that things are different from the past? Really?

‘what…….’

Before I knew it, blood was streaming from my clenched lips.

‘What the heck?’

If things were different, it wouldn’t feel like this. Just hearing the two letters “demon cult” shouldn’t make you feel as if your soul is being ripped out.

The fact that this deep-rooted hatred felt towards them has not changed means that Cheongmyeong has not been able to escape its terrible past even one bit.

But… … how can I escape?

How on earth could you forget that?

Every time I close my eyes, I think of the images of those who died without even being able to close their eyes on that cold, ten-thousand-year-old mountain. I can almost feel the emotions of those who had to die without leaving anything behind.

How on earth can anything change?

Cheongmyeong quietly grabbed my knee.

The nails dug into her flesh, but Cheongmyeong didn’t even feel the pain and just gritted her teeth and stared somewhere across the river.

And… … Not too far away, Ogeom was staring intently at Cheongmyeong.

Jo Geul, who had been unable to hide his anxious gaze the whole time, glanced at Baek Cheon. However, the moment he saw Baek Cheon’s expression, he swallowed back the words he had almost spilled out of his throat.

Seeing the frozen Sasuk, I couldn’t possibly speak to him.

“why?”

However, Baekcheon opened his mouth as if he had not missed Jo Geol’s expression.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“No, that’s… … .”

Jo Geul hesitated for a moment and then carefully opened his mouth.

“… … If you’re going to stop him, wouldn’t it be better to get a little closer, Sasauk?”

“… … .”

“Once that guy makes up his mind and starts running towards the river, there’s no way to stop him.”

Baekcheon’s eyebrows twitch slightly.

“Are you confident that you can stop it if it gets close?”

“that…….”

Jogeol shut his mouth.

Baekcheon’s words are right. Even if they surround him, if Cheongmyeong really makes up his mind, there is no way to stop him.

With his skills, he could easily break through the combined attacks of those here and get out.

“No… … but still… … .”

Jo-geol glanced in the direction of Cheong-myeong as if he still had lingering feelings.

“What the heck!”

At that moment, Dang So-so couldn’t hold it in any longer and raised her voice.

“Why is the death penalty like that?”

“… … .”

“The Demonic Cult. I know that too. I hate it. Even the Tang family was almost destroyed because of the Demonic Cult. Where is the martial artist who doesn’t hate the Demonic Cult?”

“Sosoya.”

“No. Of course, I know that Hwasan is the sect that suffered the most damage because of the Demonic Cult. But… … Hwasan has overcome its past wounds to some extent now, hasn’t it?”

“… … .”

Jo-Geol kept his mouth shut without answering.

“But why on earth does Sa-hyeong act like that? What kind of grudge does he have against the Demonic Cult that he loses his mind like that just by hearing the word Demonic Cult?”

“Stop it.”

Baekcheon cut off Dang Soso’s words with a firm tone.

Then, Dang So-so looked at Baek-cheon with an expression that said she couldn’t understand at all.

“The one who was most upset about Sa-hyeong’s incomprehensible behavior was Sa-suk.”

“… … It’s not because of incomprehensible behavior.”

Baekcheon paused for a moment and then bit his lips lightly.

“Everyone has a story. And there are also hidden truths that cannot be revealed.”

“Then you can just tell us.”

When Dang So-so made a fuss, Baek Cheon looked at her quietly.

“Are you telling us everything you have, everything you think?”

“that…….”

Tang Soso trailed off.

Of course, that can’t be true. Everyone has something they can’t reveal to others. Even if they’re like family. No, even if they’re really family, there are definitely things they can’t show.

Baekcheon said in a calm tone.

“I have no interest in what you did before you entered the volcano.”

“… … .”

“If you can only understand a person if you know all of his thoughts and his past, then that is nothing more than a pretense called understanding.”

“… … Then why are you so angry?”

It’s not like it’s been yesterday or today that Baekcheon got angry because of Cheongmyeong. But everyone here knows that this is the first time Baekcheon got so genuinely angry at Cheongmyeong.

Baekcheon looked at Cheongmyeong’s back and said.

“… … It’s not that I don’t understand.”

A look of anger crossed his face once again.

“I won’t explain it to you because you won’t understand it, I can’t make you understand it, so I’m going to take the blame for it all by myself. That kind of attitude is shitty.”

“… … .”

“If he had told me to just shut up and follow him to Gangnam without any explanation, I might have cursed at him, but I would have followed him without hesitation.”

At those words, Yoon Jong and Jo Geol nodded without hesitation.

Baekcheon let out a small sigh and said.

“My family is in Jongnam.”

Everyone looked at him, slightly bewildered by his somewhat unexpected remark.

“My father is the elder of Jongnam, and my older brother is Jongnam’s great disciple. But even though he teased me about that, he never once brought it up. He would grind his teeth and get angry whenever Jongnam was mentioned, but he didn’t care about my past because I was from Hwasan.”

Yun Jong said, exhaling deeply.

“… … That’s so obvious, Sasauk.”

“Then let me ask.”

Then Baekcheon looked at Yunjong with a serious face.

“What if my family was in danger and I ran to Jongnam Mountain to protect Jongnam? Or, if my family was murdered by someone and I ran to Jongnam to seek revenge, what do you think that guy would do?”

“Well… … .”

That’s a no-brainer.

If they were the Qingming they knew, they would have drawn their swords and run towards Jongnam Mountain before Baekcheon could even ask for help. They were Baekcheon’s family before they were Jongnam people. They were blood relatives.

And the same goes for those here.

“He must have done that. Of course he would have done that.”

“… … .”

“But that obvious thing… … that very obvious thing, that guy doesn’t ask us.”

Everyone fell silent at those words.

“What really makes me mad, and what worries me, is not that the son of a bitch is going to die doing something stupid. When he does die doing something stupid… … .”

Baekcheon bit his lips tightly.

“… … I, we are not there next to him.”

“… … .”

“I… … . Yeah, I’m upset about that.”

The veins were bulging out on Baekcheon’s tightly clenched fist.

Tang Soso, who was watching the scene, slowly lowered her head.

“… … I’m sorry, Sa-suk.”

“No… … . It’s not something you should be sorry about.”

In the end, Tang Xiaoxiao’s words were based on concerns about Qingming. No one could blame her if they knew that fact.

“Like a child.”

Yui Seol, who had been silent until now, spoke in a blunt tone. She usually maintained the same tone, but today, for some reason, she seemed slightly agitated.

“Like an idiot.”

“… … .”

Baekcheon just sighed silently.

‘Because he’s such a son of a bitch.’

I know. There is a temperature difference between the way they look at Cheongmyeong and the way Cheongmyeong looks at them.

I know, but this is the first time the difference has been so stark.

The sharp difference made Baekcheon unbearable.

“Private school.”

At that moment, Yun Jong opened his mouth. Unlike the others who looked anxious and nervous, his gaze was still calm and clear.

“Can I ask you something?”

“… … What is it?”

“Going to Gangnam right now is extremely dangerous. I can’t guarantee my life.”

“Yes. Of course… … .”

“And the thing that Hwasan must not lose is not only Cheongmyeong. Perhaps, what is more important to Hwasan now than Cheongmyeong is Sasuk.”

At those words, Baekcheon closed his mouth.

“So, let me ask you this. If Cheongmyeong asks you to go to Gangnam with him, what will you do? Will you follow him and walk into Saji?”

Baekcheon seemed to know why Yunjong’s gaze was so clear.

While everyone was looking at Cheongmyeong’s anxious back, Yoon Jongman was looking at Hwasan’s future calmly. So he asked Baekcheon this question.

That’s why I couldn’t answer this question dryly.

“I am…….”

It was at that very moment that Baekcheon’s lips twitched.

“The long-suffering man is coming!”

Everyone turned around at Jo Geol’s urgent words. Hyeonjong was approaching with Hyeonsang and Hyeonyeong.

Ogeom put aside the conversation he was having and bowed to King Hyeonjong.

“Meet the long-time friend.”

“… … .”

Hyunjong nodded slightly to accept their greeting. His expression was cold and stiff, unlike usual.

His gaze soon passed them and turned to Cheongmyeong’s back.

Hyun-jong, who had been looking at them in silence for a while, started walking briskly.

As Ohgeom stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, he heard Hyeonjong’s soft voice.

“You too, follow me.”

“… … Yes, Jang Moon-in.”

Ohgeom followed Hyeonjong towards Cheongmyeong with his face hardened.