Return of the Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 1: What The Hell Is This Situation? (1)
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Chapter 1: What The Hell Is This Situation? (1)

A dream. No, he didnt know if it was a dream or a memory or a hallucination as he danced on the edge of death. He didnt know if he was already dead, dying, or still alive.

All he could see was the past.

Childhood memories: his appearance from when he first entered the Mount Hua Sect; the scenes of training with Sahyung; the time hed fled the strict sect rules and gone to see the world.

Before a warrior, you are a practitioner. You must realize that power without ethics is just violence.

Nagging.

Constant nagging.

It bored him. While he was a disciple of Mount Hua Sect, he didnt fully follow the teaching. Despite his natural talent, which earned him the title of Plum Blossom Sword Saint, he was but a mere beginner in the Mount Hua Sect.

Why didnt he realize earlier? Even when the teachings didnt make sense, even when he felt out of place everything that made him him he owed solely to the Mount Hua Sect. That was why he admired the sect so much.

He realized too late. Too late for regrets.

If only hed paid a little more attention to the teachings, if only he was a little bit stronger, he might have been able to change that bitter ending. If only he

Do you regret your decisions? Chung Myung heard the soft voice of Sahyung Jang Mun. His father, his older brother, his familythis man was Chung Myungs goal. He wanted to follow him until the very end, but it was too late for that too.

Yes, I regret it. I regret it so, so much, Sahyung.

There is no need for regret. His voice exuded warmth. It is the Mount Hua Sect after all.

Sahyung. It seemed to Chung Myung that Sahyung was chuckling. Forever warm and benevolent.

Because it is the Mount Hua Sect.

Tak!

Even then

Puck!

Huh? What?

Aggggggggggggghhh! It hurts! My head! I dont get it! What kind of pain is this? Is this what it feels like when your limbs are cut off?

H-Heavenly Demon? Is that bastard not dead yet? Chung Myung instinctively raised his hand to protect his head. If he wasnt dead yet, these attacks would finish him off for good.

Heavenly Demon? But the voice that answered him wasnt the Heavenly Demon, but a thick, sniveling voice he didnt recognize.

Huh? When he opened his eyes, the face was equally unfamiliar.

A beggar? Beggar. A beginnerjudging by the knot tied around his waist, hed just started. A beggar among beggars.

The beggar with the grumpy, scruffy face eyed Chung Myung.

What is it? He couldnt understand what was happening.

Heavenly Demon yeah right! The beggars face flushed red with irritation. You lazy bum, still sleep talking! Everyone else has gone off to beg, but youre still here sleeping like you did something great! Yah! Do I make you laugh, huh? The beggar hefted his bamboo stick.

Hold on Is this kid threatening me right now? So thats how it is.

Huh? The beggar was startled by Chung Myungs sudden smirk.

It was an odd situation, but he didnt feel like he needed to bother with context. Just who was Chung Myung, after all? He handily ranked among the top three of all the numerous swordsmen in the world. People praised his sword style as the true essence of Mount Hua Sect and dubbed him the Plum Blossom Sword Saint the two other Great Swordsmen werent worthy of being his opponents. Even the Heavenly Demon, in his final moments, acknowledged Chung Myungs swordsmanship. Disciples and sect leaders alike bowed before him.

But this beggar was making a threat? A threaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Huh? Ungh? Are you laughing now?

Look here, kid.

Look here?

Im struggling to understand the situation, but for starters you can put that thing down.

Ha. Hahahahaha. Hahahahahahahaha! The beggar could only laugh.

Chung Myung scowled. How dare he react to him like this?

And then the beggar smacked Chung Myung with his bamboo stick.

Huh. Chung Myung was dumbfounded. How dare a mere beggar do something like this, knowing who Chung Myung was? No matter what happened, he was going to fix this beggars attitude before the day was up.

First, he had to stop that baton! Chung Myung raised his right arm

What?

Huh?

Slow? Why were his arms so slow?

The baton was fast, but why were his arms reaching for it so slowly? It made no sensewith his speed, he should already be holding that stick.

Ah! Maybe it was because of his injuries? Then all he had to do was move on to his guts

Uh? Whats that? On the edge of his vision, he saw a small hand appear, moving towards the baton at a snails pace.

Too slow and

too short?

Huh? Hands that small couldnt stop it! This wasnt going to work!

The stick landed squarely on Chung Myungs head.

Chung Myung collapsed to the ground, convulsing. All of his thoughts were driven away by the skull-splitting pain.

Kuaaaaaa! Chung Myung clutched his head and rolled over. Even his arm being ripped off hadnt hurt like this!

You bastard! The beggar laid into him in earnest. Situation? Understand the situation? Ill do that! But Ill make sure you understand the situation first! If you go crazy, you go crazy! Stupid bastard! Did the heat rot your brain? The medicine for heat is getting hit, you bastard!

Ack! Ack! Ack! You crazy beggar! Stop right now, if not ack!

Die! Die!

Ahit hurts! Ack! Chung Myungs cries changed little by little as he was beaten.

You bastard! I wont let this go! Ill make sure to rip you

Smack!

Stop! Stop it now, please, you jerk!

Smack!

Ack! Accckk! Why are you hitting me! Ack!

Smack!

You beggar ah, ack! Sorry!

The whipping continued with no remorse.

...save

Smack!

Spare meeeee!

As if to tell him there were no free second chances, Chung Myung was immediately beaten to a pulp.

...Ack. He hurt my pride. Chung Myung pulled out the piece of cloth hed jammed into his nose.

Ah, ahhh. The moment he saw the red stains, Chung Myungs face fell.

A nosebleed! Not even a nosebleed from internal injuries, but a nosebleed from being beaten! How did that even make sense? It wasnt just the nosebleednothing had made sense since hed opened his eyes.

To say nothing of his bruised eyelids, it felt like nowhere on his body was left untouched; beating someone that thoroughly had to be something of an art form. If someone hadnt stopped him, he would have just kept goin!

Had he ever been hit like this in his entire life? Despite all the pranks hed pulled off in the famously strict Mount Hua Sect, he had never been beaten this badly.

To suffer such humiliation for the first time at the hands of a beggar!

I am going to mess him up That bastard! Ill tear him down. The anger and irritation roiled inside him.

Chung Myung laid on the ground. If he acted on a whim, he would only hurt his battered body.

No, rather than that Chung Myung heaved himself up and stared into the river.

An unfamiliar young face greeted him. When Chung Myung contorted his face, the young man did too; when Chung Myung sighed, the young man did too.

...How did this happen? Why was there a different kids face in the water?

No, it was a nice face. The change in his face didnt bother himafter all, the younger the better no? But it was too young. Although, better younger than older.

Besides, no matter how much he compared them, this face was a lot more charming and handsome than the old Chung Myung. He had no complaints about this new face.

But he was dissatisfied with the fact that his body was younger too.

Short. The limbs were short not because he was naturally short or something, but because he was a child. Even worse, he was all skin and bones. Even now, he was too tired and hungry to lift a hand.

Ah, whatever!

So

In summary

This means Im alive.

Maybe I wasnt appropriate. No matter how hard he looked, this kid looked nothing like the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Chung Myung. The Sword Saint was gone: his soul, and all of his memories, now resided in the body of a child beggar.

This must be a devils work.

Or maybe it was Buddhist reincarnation? Had he known this beforehand, he would have joined the Shaolin instead of the Mount Hua Sect.

He wondered if the Heavenly Demon had used some kind of disgusting magic on him. But if he could perform such feats, he would already be ruling the entire world.

Chung Myung didnt really care what had happened, but he had to admit that everything around him was real. This was neither dream nor fantasy. His entire body throbbed with pain the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Nothing will change if I keep sitting around and thinking about it. First, I need to figure out what's happening, and what exactly happened. Chung Myung hopped up and ran to the beggars tent.

Or he tried to run, at least.

Kuk! Within a couple of steps, he fell.

You beat me hard, you bastard! Chung Myungs eyes rolled angrily. No matter what happens, Ill make sure to pay you back for this.

Death wasnt about to fix his dirty personality.