Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1149. I did everything I could (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
An old man sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.
His long white hair reached down to his waist, his beard extended to his chest, and he wore white robes from head to toe, including his eyebrows. His appearance naturally brought to mind the phrase "Seonpungdogol (선풍도골(仙風道骨))", meaning "a man with the demeanor of an immortal."
Additionally, the old man exuded an aura that ordinary people could not possess. It was a noble atmosphere that naturally inspired reverence in those who observed him.
Even those who did not believe in the existence of immortals would be convinced otherwise upon seeing this old man.
The slightly faded lips of the old man opened slightly and a whispered mantra (진언(眞言)) flowed out.
Countless candles flickered, illuminating the dark room, and in the center of it all, the old man, who looked like an immortal, was chanting a mantra.
What broke the reverence was the sharp creak of an old door being twisted open.
Creak.
A rough sound was mixed with the sound of the old man's mantra. However, the old man, seemingly undisturbed, continued his mantra without faltering.
Step. Step.
The clear sound of footsteps grew closer.
The moment the peace and quiet surrounding the old man was disturbed by the sound of footsteps, a low voice reached the old man's ears.
“I’m back.”
Since the only person present here is the old man, these words were clearly directed at him. However, strangely enough, he did not show any particular reaction to these words. The only response he gave was to stop his mantra, which he had been chanting like a song.
“It took longer than I thought. Those damned slugs.”
Each time the voice spoke, the candles in the room flickered wildly. Yet the old man’s serene heart remained unshaken.
“I killed him as ordered.”
A person's death is never a small matter. Even so, the old man’s expression remained unchanged, silent, and composed.
“But... it seems it was unnecessary. I almost didn’t have to go.”
There was a slight edge of irritation in the voice.
“Even if I hadn’t gone, he would have died at the hands of those Jungwon.”
Instead of an answer, a mantra flowed out of the old man's mouth again. It seemed that no voice or event could disturb his tranquility.
“At the hands of that Mount Hua bastard.”
And at that moment, the old man's incantation, which seemed like they would continue on indefinitely, subsided.
As the old man closed his mouth tightly, a heavy silence descended on the room. After a long silence, the old man finally spoke in a faint, murmuring voice.
“Mount Hua Sect….”
He mumbled softly with his eyes still closed.
“What a nostalgic name.”
“Hmph.”
The man standing behind the old man, Cheonsal, frowned and stared at the old man's back.
“So the name Mount Hua still reaches your ears.”
“Yes. A name I miss. I didn’t expect they would still be around.”
A soft smile appeared on the old man's lips.
“If possible, I’d like to see it once more. How has Mount Hua changed now? I wish it were the same as it was in the past. There are few things left that connect me to the past.”
The corner of Cheonsal's mouth twisted slightly when he heard those words.
“It hasn’t changed much.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“There was even a guy like sword sovereign.”
That was the moment.
The old man's head, which had been fixed and motionless until now, slowly turned. Simultaneously, his tightly closed eyes opened.
The old man’s eyes were very different from those of ordinary people.
As red as blood, and as dark as pitch black. As if the red and black colors were mixed together, the eyes were set within the stark white appearance, completely transforming the old man's demeanor from that of an immortal to something entirely different.
Anyone who sees this old man now will no longer be able to think of him as an immortal. The eyes are the mirror of the mind that contains the inner self. But what exists in the old man’s eyes is only a deep, deep darkness.
“…What did you say?”
“Kukukukuk.”
Cheonsal covered his mouth and laughed.
“Have you gone deaf now?”
“I asked what you said.”
“I said I saw a guy like that sword sovereign.”
“Sword sovereign?”
The candles began to tremble. No, to be precise, the entire hall where the old man resided started to shake.
“The sword sovereign you speak of, are you referring to that cursed man?”
“Has there ever been another sword sovereign in this world?”
The old man's once calm demeanor began to turn upside down. Watching this, Cheonsal laughed loudly and shook his head.
“Calm down, Archbishop. It was just a feeling. He was just a seed. Yes, just a seed.”
“….”
“Well, who knows. Maybe in fifty years, he might become a real sword sovereign.”
“Preposterous.”
The old man's hair, which had been standing on end, settled down in an instant. After regaining his composure, the old man spoke in a voice that had turned slightly sharper.
“There can never be another like him in this world.”
“…That’s true.”
The old man sighed softly.
“So Mount Hua has been resurrected and is once again raising seedlings like sword sovereign.”
“There’s only one noticeable guy, but... there are definitely others with potential. Annoying bastards.”
“It means that much time has passed.”
There was regret in the old man's voice.
“A hundred years is never a short time. It's not an insufficient period for a sect that lost its foundation to bloom again.”
“While we’ve been rotting away here.”
The corners of the old man's mouth twitched slightly at those words.
“Cheonsal.”
“I know, so keep the boring stories to yourself. After hearing them for a hundred years, I’m sick of it.”
The old man stared at Cheonsal in silence and then turned his head. His gaze was fixed forward again.
“What did you do with the followers?”
“Although they only followed the orders of that foolish man, it doesn’t mean they are without sin. I ordered them to enter the Demon Valley (마곡(魔谷)) for a month to atone.”
The old man didn't say anything. Then Cheonsal glanced at his back and spoke curtly.
“Obviously, I also think that little punk is in the wrong….”
“….”
“There is one thing that I agree with from what he said. Your life and mine don't have much time left. If Heavenly Demon does not return before we die…”
“Heavenly Demon will return.”
“He will. Yes, as you say. But if He does not find Himself before we die, it would be no different than not returning at all, wouldn’t it?”
“What are you trying to say?”
The old man glared sharply at Cheonsal, who responded with a twisted smile.
“I thought that just waiting was proof of my faith. But... I’ve been having different thoughts. Perhaps waiting here indefinitely is a form of complacency.”
“I’ve said it over and over again….”
“The situation in Jungwon is becoming interesting.”
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly as he fell silent.
Cheonsal no longer mocked the old man. Instead, he continued with an even more serious expression than the old man's.
“There’s a high probability that a great war will break out. A war that will sweep across the entire Jungwon.”
“….”
“Do you understand? Even if we don't intervene, Jungwon will be engulfed in a catastrophic war. You know what that means, right?”
The old man's mouth was tightly shut. However, unlike before, his lips twitched slightly.
“For Him, it might be a trivial matter. But for us, it’s not.”
Cheonsal slightly clenched and unclenched his fist.
“Is it really enough to just wait like this?”
“You’ve been swayed by killing intent.”
Cheonsal's expression hardened as the old man interrupted the conversation.
“Did you say he was the child of Mount Hua?”
“Now is not the time for that…”
“I’m even more curious now. At best, he’s only a person who won’t live a hundred years, so what kind of person is he that shook you so much?”
“….”
“Then again, even if it was just a nickname, the title of sword sovereign is not something that can be given to just anyone.”
The place that most despises sword sovereigns is Magyo.
If they could leave even a small scar on the soul of the sword sovereign, instead of being thrown into the infernal hell, the cultists would do so without hesitation. This is because the one who dared to damage and destroy the absolute divinity that should not be damaged was the sword sovereign.
But conversely, the place that most recognizes sword sovereigns in the world is also the cult.
The moment they belittle sword sovereign, the divinity of Heavenly Demon that lost his life at sword sovereign’s hands also collapses. That is why, to them, sword sovereign must exist as an absolute evil that must never be defiled.
But even leaving aside the simple doctrinal issues, anyone who has experienced sword sovereign during the war will not be able to disparage him. They may curse, swear, and howl, but not demean.
“Listen carefully to what I’m saying, Archbishop.”
“….”
“I’m not saying this because I want to fight. I'm not saying this because I'm tired of this place."
“….”
“I am just worried. If countless people are swept away in that war, even our Great One, who has not yet awakened, cannot be guaranteed safety. We must take some action…”
“It’s simply a lack of faith in Him.”
“...Are you questioning my devotion right now?”
A murderous glint flashed in Cheonsal's eyes.
But the old man just accepted the murderous intent with a calm gaze. Serene, like a calm lake that never wavers.
The thousand-year-old's expression was slightly distorted.
“I just don’t like the fact that how much patience and waiting one can do has become the measure of one’s faith.”
“That’s an excuse.”
“Oh, really?”
Cheonsal’s eyes drew a peculiar arc.
“Indeed... I am curious. Do you insist on just believing and waiting because you truly believe that He will find us?”
The corners of his mouth also slowly twisted.
“Or... are you, too, simply afraid because you’re not certain He has returned?”
“You….”
At that moment, an enormous amount of demonic energy gushed out from the old man. His pure white robes turned black in an instant, and malevolent energy swirled around him like starving ghosts.
“Did I strike a nerve?”
“Cheonsal!”
“So don’t think of stopping me. I just have a different thought than you. If you think differently, I will find my own way.”
“He will...”
“At the last moment!”
The old man's words were cut off by Cheonsal sudden howl.
“At the very last moment of my life, I do not want to die regretting not seeking Him out myself. I would rather choose to die a glorious death at His hands who has returned as payment for my sins of moving without His permission.”
“….”
“Try to stop me if you can, Archbishop. But the only way to stop me is to kill me.”
Cheonsal turned his body.
“That wouldn’t be so bad either, old friend.”
Without hesitation, Cheonsal left the great hall.
The old man, left alone, stared intently at the door Cheonsal had closed behind him, then sighed deeply.
‘This is why we shouldn’t set foot in Jungwon.’
That place stirs the hearts of humans.
That’s why he couldn’t send other cultists and had to send Cheonsal himself, but he hadn’t expected even Cheonsal to be swayed.
‘Heavenly Demon...’
The old man closed his eyes.
“How can You, who are perfect, understand the suffering of us who are imperfect? Please… Please come back soon. Please….”
Once again, mantras flowed from the old man’s lips, continuing endlessly, resonating like a song, like a lament.
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|Note
Thank you for the Chapter"""