Return of the Blossoming Blade — Chapter 74

UGH! WHY IS IT SO DAMN DUSTY OUT HERE?

WHO IS THIS YOUNG LAD?

SURELY HE CAN'T BE THE BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA...

...BUT THERE'S SOMETHING UNUSUAL ABOUT HIM, LEAST OF ALL HIS ATTITUDE.

HIS STATUESQUE BUILD AND APPEARANCE COMBINED...

...HE CUTS A RATHER HANDSOME FIGURE.

IS TODAY THE DAY?

NOT QUITE. YOU STILL HAVE ABOUT THREE DAYS LEFT.

THREE WHOLE DAYS? SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?

YOU'VE BEEN SUMMONED BY THE SECT LEADER.

BY THE BLOSSOMS, IS HE ASKING ME TO LEAVE ISOLATION TRAINING AGAIN BECAUSE HE CAN'T STAND THE THOUGHT OF ME STARVING IN THERE?

HONESTLY, HE'S LIKE A DOTING GRANDFATHER SOMETIMES--

AGAIN, NOT EXACTLY. I'M AFRAID WE HAVE A SITUATION ON OUR HANDS.

HUH? A SITUATION?

WHAT SITUATION?

AND WHO MIGHT YOU BE?

THIS IS YOUNG MASTER SOHAENG WI.

HE IS OUR GUEST FROM THE HWAYEONG SECT.

HWAYEONG SECT, YOU SAY?

IS THAT SO?

HWAYEONG SECT, HUH?

I SEEM TO RECALL THE NAME AMONG MOUNT HUA'S MANY CADET BRANCHES BACK IN THE DAY.

HAHA...

I ASSUMED THEY'D ALL FALLEN INTO OBSCURITY, YET HERE'S ONE THAT SURVIVED OUR OWN COLLAPSE.

YOU KNOW OF THE HWAYEONG SECT?

ME?

NOPE, NEVER HEARD OF IT.

I SEE... THEN I SUGGEST WE GO TO THE SECT LEADER TO LEARN MORE.

SURE, WHATEVER YOU SAY.

COME NOW, LOOK LIVELY OR I'LL LEAVE YOU BEHIND!

I CAN'T WAIT. I HAVEN'T TASTED MEAT IN FAR TOO LONG!

HIS ATTITUDE IS NIGHT AND DAY COMPARED TO WHAT I EXPECTED OF OUR BROTHERS AT THE MAIN SECT...

TO BE FRANK, HE CARRIES HIMSELF LIKE A COMMON MARKETPLACE THUG--

PLEASE, YOUNG MASTER WI, AFTER YOU.

PARDON?

B-BUT... WHAT OF THE BLESSED DRAGON?

I THOUGHT WE CAME HERE TO SEEK HIS HELP...

I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHERE THE TITLE OF BLESSED DRAGON CAME FROM, BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT RASCAL IS THE ONE YOU SEEK.

PARDON?!

Y-YOU MEAN TO TELL ME... THAT WAS...

YES, THAT WAS CHEONGMYEONG.

I WOULD NOT BE SO SHOCKED YET, YOUNG MASTER...

...FOR THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

Episode 73

PREPOSTEROUS!

SO NOT ONLY DID RIFF-RAFF FROM WUDANG'S CADET SECT ROUGH UP OUR CADET BROTHERS, THEY'VE NOW ALSO DRAGGED THOSE CRUSTY OLD HERMITS FROM THEIR MAIN SECT INTO THIS?!

YES, JUST SO.

DON'T THEY KNOW MOUNT HUA SECT AIN'T NOTHING TO MESS WITH?!

LEAVE IT TO ME, SECT LEADER!

I SHALL TAKE CARE OF THE MATTER MYSELF!

AND HOW DO YOU PLAN ON DOING SO, MIGHT I ASK?

ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?!

I'LL RUN OVER TO ZHONGNAN HALL RIGHT NOW AND BUST THEIR HEADS OPEN FOR ALL TO SEE!

JONGDO HALL, YOU MEAN.

THAT'S WHAT I SAID!

EITHER WAY, I'LL BUST ALL THEIR HEADS OPEN, THOSE WUDANG CLOWNS INCLUDED, AND BURN THEIR STUPID HALL TO THE GROUND SO THAT THEY CAN NEVER SET FOOT IN NANYANG AGAIN!

BURN A SECT'S TRAINING HALL TO THE GROUND?! WHAT ARE YOU, AN INVADING MARAUDER?!

SO WHAT IF IT'S THEIR TRAINING HALL?! FIRE IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER! THE FLAMES WON'T GIVE A HOOT WHETHER THE HALL BELONGS TO ZHONGNAN OR MOUNT HUA!

AGAIN, IT'S JONGDO, NOT ZHONGNAN! AND DON'T BRING OUR SECT'S NAME INTO THIS!

WHY NOT? IT'S OUR NAME THEY INSULTED!

ARE YOU CERTAIN CHEONGMYEONG'S UP TO THE TASK?

ON SECOND THOUGHT, IT MAY BE PRUDENT TO RECONSIDER, SECT LEADER.

BESIDES, IT'S OUR JOB TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN OUR TERRITORY WHO PAY US PROTECTION MONEY!

WHY ELSE WOULD THE CADET SECTS FORK OVER THEIR HARD-EARNED CASH?

PROTECTION MONEY? ARE YOU HEARING YOURSELF?! THEY'RE DONATIONS!

THAT'S THE SAME THING!

ANYWAY!

SECT LEADER, THEY STARTED THIS FIGHT! ALLOW ME TO FINISH IT!

I'LL BUST OPEN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR HEADS, IF I MUST! I GIVE YOU MY WORD!

JUST SAY THE WORD, BOSS! I CAN SET OFF RIGHT AWAY!

GOODNESS, MY HEAD...

YOU WILL TRAVEL AS A GROUP WITH YOUR FELLOW BROTHERS.

I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE TO BE LEARNED ABOUT THE SITUATION, AND MUCH THAT GIVES ME PAUSE.

LET US ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND HAVE YOU DEPART IN A DAY OR TWO INSTEAD.

WHATEVER YOU SAY, SECT LEADER!

AS LONG AS I GET TO BUST SOME WUDANG HEADS!

AHEM... VERY WELL.

I WILL PICK OUT YOUR COMPANIONS SOON.

YUNJONG, SHOW YOUNG MASTER WI TO HIS QUARTERS AND ENSURE THAT HE EATS WELL. I IMAGINE HE’S STARVING FROM THE LONG JOURNEY.

YES, SECT LEADER.

WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE WILL TAKE OUR LEAVE.

CHEONGMYEONG.

?

WAS YOUR ISOLATION TRAINING FRUITFUL?

LET’S JUST SAY THOSE WUDANG FOOLS WILL FIND OUT VERY SOON.

HYEONSANG.

YES, BROTHER SECT LEADER.

PERHAPS I'M BECOMING PARANOID IN MY OLD AGE...

...BUT DO YOU TRULY THINK IT MERE COINCIDENCE THAT WUDANG HAS SUDDENLY OPENED A CADET SECT IN NANYANG AFTER YEARS OF PEACE THERE,

AND SAW FIT TO BEGIN A FEUD WITH OUR CADET BROTHERS AT THE HWAYEONG SECT?

... DO YOU THINK IT OTHERWISE, SECT LEADER?

WE SHALL SEE. I DO NOT YET KNOW IF IT IS A WISE DECISION TO SEND CHEONGMYEONG THERE.

I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER...

...WHAT IF THEIR GOAL IS TO LURE--

I DOUBT THAT'S THE CASE, SECT LEADER.

SURELY IT IS A STRETCH TO THINK THAT THERE IS SOME CONSPIRACY AFOOT TO LURE OUT CHEONGMYEONG BY STRIKING OUR CADET SECT.

NOT ONLY THAT, WHAT WOULD WUDANG STAND TO GAIN BY SPARKING A FEUD WITH MOUNT HUA?

NANYANG IS A TINY SPIT OF LAND WITHOUT MUCH TO FIGHT OVER AT ALL...

HMM...

I DO NOT DISAGREE, BUT CHEONGMYEONG'S RENOWN HAS GROWN TO WILD PROPORTIONS IN THE WAKE OF THE HUAZHONG CONTEST.

I HEAR SOME WOULD COUNT HIM AS THE MOST PROMISING YOUNG MARTIAL ARTIST IN THE REALM.

AND YET ALL THIS FAME ONLY GIVES ME CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

WUDANG MAY CONSIDER ITSELF ABOVE PETTY SQUABBLES OVER TERRITORY,

BUT IT CERTAINLY WILL NOT ACCEPT THE RISE OF ANOTHER TAOIST SECT WHO WOULD SURPASS ITS OWN RENOWN.

THEN HOW ABOUT THIS?

HMM?

SECT LEADER,

DID YOU KNOW THAT OUR DISCIPLES HAVE A DIFFERENT NICKNAME FOR CHEONGMYEONG?

DO THEY INDEED?

YES, THEY CALL HIM THE MAD DOG OF MOUNT HUA.

HUH...?

AHEM.

MAD DOG IS TOO HARSH, SURELY. I'D SAY THE HOUND OF MOUNT HUA HAS A BETTER RING TO IT.

EITHER WOULD COMPARE THE BOY TO A BARKING DOG. IS THAT WHAT THEY THINK OF HIM?

AS YOU KNOW, SECT LEADER, ALL OF OUR YOUNG DISCIPLES HAVE PUT THEIR BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS INTO TRAINING OVER THESE PAST TWO YEARS.

NOW NO ONE CAN LOOK DOWN UPON THEM, NEITHER WUDANG NOR SHAOLIN.

AND THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR CHEONGMYEONG.

ANYONE WHO ISSUES A FOOLHARDY CHALLENGE AGAINST THE BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA WILL SWIFTLY LEARN HOW THAT NAME CAME TO BE.

HMM.

HAVING SAID THAT, HE WILL NEED LEVELHEADED COMPANIONS ALONGSIDE HIM TO KEEP HIM FROM HIS MORE RECKLESS TENDENCIES.

INDEED.

ON THAT NOTE, SECT LEADER...

...I HAVE A FEW NAMES IN MIND TO ACCOMPANY CHEONGMYEONG ON THIS MISSION.

IS THIS TRULY THE BLESSED DRAGON OF MOUNT HUA?

HE EATS LIKE AN UNCOUTH MOUNTAIN BANDIT! BLESSED DRAGON? MORE LIKE GORGING TIGER, FEEDING DRAGON!

MM!

MMPH!

THIS ONE SEEMS MUCH MORE SUITED TO THE TITLE...

HMM...

BROTHERS, I TRUST YOU'VE KEPT UP WITH TRAINING IN MY ABSENCE?

DAMN YOU, BROTHER YUNJONG...!

THESE THREE MONTHS WITHOUT HIM HAVE BEEN A BLESSING!

WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND BRING HIM BACK SO SOON?!

O-OF COURSE... WE'VE ALL BEEN TRAINING TIRELESSLY.

AH, IS THAT SO?

THEN I'M SURE YOU WON'T MIND A LITTLE TEST--

C-COME NOW, I THINK THE HWAYEONG SECT'S PLIGHT IS A MUCH MORE PRESSING CONCERN!

OH, I ALMOST FORGOT. I HAVE SOME HEADS TO BUST OPEN.

SPEAKING OF WHICH,

WHEN ARE WE TO DEPART FOR NANYANG?

SECT LEADER BIDS US TO BE ON OUR WAY TOMORROW MORNING.

IT'S EARLIER THAN HE FIRST SUGGESTED, SO I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE THE URGENCY OF THE MATTER.

TO THAT END, YOU OUGHT TO START PACKING IF YOU'RE QUITE FINISHED WITH YOUR MEAL.

I WILL ENSURE WE ARE ABLE TO LEAVE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

UNDERSTOOD!

I'LL BE GATHERING MY THINGS!

WHEW... I THOUGHT WE WERE IN FOR ANOTHER BEATING...

I SAW MY LIFE FLASH BEFORE MY EYES...

HONESTLY, THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE AT ALL...

HOLD ON A MOMENT... I THOUGHT THE ONE WHO JUST LEFT WAS THE YOUNGEST TRAINEE HERE.

HOW IS IT THAT HE ADDRESSES HIS SENIORS SO BRAZENLY? AND EVEN HIS SECT UNCLES COWER BEFORE HIM!

I'M AFRAID IT'S NO USE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOUNG MASTER WI.

I'M SORRY?

YOU'LL SEE WHEN THE TIME COMES... WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

PARDON ME...

...BUT WE OUGHT TO SET OFF SOON, IF WE'RE TO MAKE IT THERE ON TIME.

OH, NOT TO WORRY. I'M SURE THEY'LL BE HERE IN GOOD TIME.

YUNJONG, THIRD-GRADE DISCIPLE OF MOUNT HUA

WELL, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL...

JOGEOL, THIRD-GRADE DISCIPLE OF MOUNT HUA

HERE COMES SENIOR BROTHER BAEKCHEON.

B-BAEKCHEON?!

THE LEGENDARY YOUNG MASTER WHO LED HIS FELLOW DISCIPLES INTO THE REALM, OBLITERATED A BAND OF FEARSOME BANDITS,

AND SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES IN THE PROCESS?!

BAEKCHEON OF THE RIGHTEOUS BLOSSOM?!

BAEKCHEON, SECOND-GRADE DISCIPLE OF MOUNT HUA

INCREDIBLE...!

HE LOOKS EVERY BIT THE HERO EVERYONE SAYS HE IS!

I HOPE YOU HAD A RESTFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP, SENIOR BROTHER.

RESTFUL?

IS THIS THE FACE OF RESTFULNESS, DAMMIT?!

NOT ONLY HAS THAT UPSTART CRAWLED OUT OF HIS HOLE TOO EARLY, NOW I'M TO TRAVEL WITH HIM ACROSS THE REALM.

TELL ME, WHAT CRIME HAVE I COMMITTED TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT?

?

HM? AND THIS IS...?

HUH?

OH! UHH, WELL...

PLEASED TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE! I AM SOHAENG WI OF THE HWAYEONG--

WH-WHO GOES THERE?!

A GIRL...?

WHEN DID SHE SNEAK UP BEHIND ME?

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY...

...WH-WHAT A PRODIGIOUS BEAUTY!

ISEOL YU, SECOND-GRADE DISCIPLE OF MOUNT HUA

SHE HAS A SEVERE LOOK ABOUT HER, BUT IT CAN'T HIDE HER BEAUTY!

I'VE NEVER SEEN A PRETTIER WOMAN IN ALL MY LIFE...

HOW PECULIAR.

MOUNT HUA IS NO LONGER THE BUSTLING SECT THAT IT ONCE WAS...

...YET EACH PERSON I’VE MET HERE HAS MADE A DISTINCT IMPRESSION.

BUT THE MOST UNIQUE AMONG THEM ALL IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT...

NICE TO SEE YOU ALL SO BRIGHT AND EARLY!

CHEONGMYEONG, THIRD-GRADE DISCIPLE OF MOUNT HUA

I WISH I COULD SAY THE SAME!

OF ALL THE DAYS FOR YOU TO RISE EARLY!

WILL YOU BE COMING WITH US, SENIOR BROTHER?

I'M AFRAID SO.

I SEE. THE MORE THE MERRIER, I GUESS.

DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE COMING TOO, SENIOR SISTER?

YES.

BUT WHY?

ARE YOU ALL READY TO DEPART?

GOOD MORNING TO YOU, SECT LEADER!

MHM.

YOUNG MASTER WI.

YES, SECT LEADER!

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE DEPTH OF YOUR CONCERN.

STILL, THESE ARE SOME OF MOUNT HUA'S FINEST DISCIPLES AND THEY ARE SURE TO BE OF SERVICE TO YOUR ESTEEMED SECT.

OF COURSE! WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR AID, SECT LEADER!

BAEKCHEON, I LEAVE THE OTHERS IN YOUR CAPABLE HANDS.

I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.

YES, SIR!

ISEOL, YUNJONG AND JOGEOL, I TRUST YOU TO SUPPORT BAEKCHEON AT HIS SIDE.

YES, SECT LEADER! LEAVE IT TO US!

AND LASTLY...

CHEONGMYEONG.

YES, SECT LEADER!

I BEG YOU, DO NOT CAUSE ANY TROUBLE.

HANG ON, THAT WASN'T EXACTLY THE ROUSING PEP TALK YOU GAVE TO THE OTHERS!

PLEASE!

YEAH, YEAH.

NOW, GO FORTH!

TRAVEL TO NANYANG, AID OUR CADET BROTHERS IN NEED, AND SHOW THE REALM THAT MOUNT HUA IS STRONGER THAN EVER.

UNDERSTOOD, SECT LEADER!

TWO YEARS IS NO SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND NOW...

THE MOMENT HAS COME TO PROCLAIM MOUNT HUA'S REBIRTH TO THE WORLD.