Second day.

“… sasuk. Honestly, I know it is rude to say it, but…”

“What?”

“… isn’t that the way to go?”

At those words, Baek Cheon looked at Hyun Jong and the elders who were coming down the mountain with deathly looks. The eyes of pity.

It had to be that way. The contrast between the black, dead faces of the three people and the shiny face of Chung Myung coming down behind them was so stark.

“… is he absorbing their qi?”

Anyone could see that Chung Myung was absorbing all the qi of the three people.

“It looks like their faces are worse than yesterday… shouldn’t we stop him?”

“… stop him? By what means?”

Yoon Jong closed his eyes tightly at Baek Cheon’s muffled voice.

Of course, it was terrible that Chung Myung ran around alone, causing incidents, but it was fine as long as they could stop him. Although the process was more difficult than digging a path through a mountain with a spoon, it was something they could try.

But those three people were different. Even if it was extremely difficult, Chung Myung was someone who could somehow be stopped, but those three people were someone who could not be stopped with hands or mouths.

Stopping the sect leader and elders?

Who? The Five Swords?

‘Say something that makes sense.’

It would be better to stop those damn Southern Edge sect bastards. How can the second and third-class disciples stop their sect leader and elder?

“… for now. Let’s just wait a little longer.”

“But if I do that, I will be in big trouble.”

“I know. I know it, too.”

Baek Cheon sighed heavily.

“The sect leader and the elders say they will learn it, but we cannot stand in the way when they want to move ahead, can we?”

“… wouldn’t they have changed their mind by now?”

Baek Cheon looked at the blank faces of the three dead-looking people and slowly shook his head.

“Let’s give it a few more days.”

“… Yes.”

Of course, the worry still remained in the eyes.

‘Nothing bad can happen.’

As Chung Myung came down from behind and looked at the proud face, his anxiety grew more and more.

The fourth day.

“S-sect leader! Are you alright?”

Hyun Jong looked down with a blank face. The chopsticks he had been holding till a moment back were on the table. And the hand holding the chopsticks was shaking terribly.

“… It… is fine.”

‘You don’t look fine though?’

‘You look terrible?’

‘Oh my, you don’t even have the strength to hold chopsticks?’

Mount Hua’s disciples all stopped eating and looked at Hyun Jong blankly.

“… It’s because you don’t have energy.”

At that time, Hyun Sang, sitting next to him, chuckled. However, the chopsticks he was using to scoop the rice were also shaking violently.

‘The rice is all falling down.’

‘What are you even eating? It seems like what you were saying earlier was all a lie,’

‘Is it alright? Is this okay?’

Still, the good news was that they hadn’t yet lost their face as elders. Hyun Jong, who was sitting on the other side of Hyun Sang, had given up on chopsticks in the first place and was scooping up the rice with bare hands.

‘He is being so realistic.’

Right. He was so realistic. It was a very practical method compared to Hyun Jong, who couldn’t even hold the chopsticks right or who was just scooping up the air with dignity.

But, they couldn’t help but wonder fundamentally whether this was an action that could be done as an elder of a sect.

“W… would you be alright with us feeding you?”

“… it is alright.”

“…. We can do it.”

“Is it even worth eating if you eat with your hands? Take it with your hands, your hands.”

Everyone’s gaze, who was looking at the miserable scene turned to one side.

Nom nom nom nom!

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

“Kuaaak! Who did the soup today? It’s sour!”

“…”

Since the sect leader and the elders couldn’t eat properly, there was no way Mount Hua’s disciples could cook rice. Before they could even think of what to say, they were concerned about the three people.

But….

“What? You aren’t eating it? Are you full already?”

That devil-like bastard.

The only person in the hall who didn’t have a human heart had ripped off the chicken leg in front of him and started eating it in an indulgent manner.

“Woah. After all, the rice you eat after training is delicious! If I keep doing this, I will end up gaining weight.”

Everyone who was watching his noisy eating method cast pitiful glances at the three dying people. As they looked at their skin and bones, their eyes kept turning moist for some reason.

The seventh day.

Thud.

Mount Hua’s disciples were all wide-eyed.

“Uh?”

Hyun Jong suddenly fell to the side helplessly. Everyone was so shocked that they screamed.

“Ahhhhh! Sect leader!’

“Medicine Hall! Bring someone from the Medicine hall! The sect leader has collapsed here!”

“Sect leader! Come to your senses, sect leader!”

If a person is alright, why would they fall sideways instead of walking?

Baek Cheon laid the head of the sect leader, who collapsed with cold sweat on his lap and wiped his sweat with his sleeve, providing shade with his hand.

And after a while, Hyun Jong slowly opened his eyes.

“Sect leader! Come to your senses! Sect leader!”

“…”

A pale face, cracked lips, unfocused eyes. Anyone could see that he looked like a lost person.

The unfocused eyes slowly wandered here and there and landed on Baek Cheon’s face. His white lips slowly opened.

“Ahh….”

“Yes, sect leader! It is Baek Cheon….”

“… Master.”

Uh? Who?

“… you came to get me, master. I worked so hard…”

“Ahh! What are you looking at! Sect leader! Sect leader! I am Baek Cheon!”

Jo Gul, who was shocked, punched the air and shouted.

“Huh, back away! Go away, you evil spirit! The sect leader’s time hasn’t come yet…”

“Yeah, you bastard!”

Yoon Jong’s kick hit Jo Gul right in the face.

Jo Gul, who had fallen down screaming ‘Ahh’, this time raised their upper body like he felt aggrieved. At the same time, blood dripped down his nose, and Jo Gul couldn’t stand it and shouted.

“No, why are you hitting me! I didn’t do anything wrong! Isn’t it the evil spirit trying to drag away the sect leader?”

“Evil spirit? Evil spirit? Yeah, you bastard! If the sect leader’s master has come, it is the ancestor, and you are calling him an evil spirit!’

“Uh?”

That is right.

Even while Jo Gul and Yoon Jong were fighting, Baek Cheon was busy waking up Hyun Jong.

“Sect leader! Sect leader! You need to come to your senses!”

“Ahh… master… mount Hua… if you see Mount Hua today…”

“get away, sasuk!”

Tang Soso appeared right then pushed away the hand of Baek Cheon and pulled a large needle from her sleeve.

No, it was so big that it couldn’t be explained in words… It was huge.

“Ughh!”

Puaaack!

This huge needle plunged right into the head top of Hyun Jong without hesitation. Baek Cheon was shocked and went pale.

“Heeeik!”

Puaak!

Little blood had come out from Hyun Jong’s head. After which, those blurred eyes slowly turned clearer.

“…. Hm? I fainted?”

“…”

“This… to show such disgrace.”

Hyun Jong stood up without notice. The disciples of Mount Hua turned thoughtful of him and tried to stop him.

“Sect leader! You cannot get up now!”

“You need to rest!”

“Or you will die!”

“Hehehehe.”

But Hyun Jong burst into laughter as if the disciples were being too aggressive for no reason.

“I have afternoon training, and I cannot rest. If you take a day off, you have to work hard for 2 more days. Never forget this fact.”

No, you will die!

You will really die!

“Hehehe!”

Finally, Hyun Jong got up and started walking again, waving his arms. A small red fountain was gushing from the top of his head as he walked.

“… Soso.”

“Uh?”

“Quickly take out that needle.”

“… Uh?”

Baek Cheon cupped the face with both hands.

‘Mount Hua is ruined.’

There was no turning back now.

15 days.

“… probably.”

The faces of the Five Swords gathered together in White Plum Blossom Hall showed this firm resolve.

“Special measures are needed.”

“I agree.”

“I agree!”

“Revolt!”

As soon as Baek Cheon said anything, the rest responded.

“If this continues, Mount Hua will lose its sect leader.”

“… Chung Myung, that insane guy…”

The appearance of Hyun Jong, Hyun Young and Hyun Sang became more bizarre with each day. Hyun Jong, who had once been handsome and solemn to look at, had vanished and was now as thin as a chopstick man wandering around like a ghost in Mount Hua.

“Just by standing, the clothes are falling down…”

“I was going to the bathroom in the morning when I ran into him and screamed. I thought he was a ghost.”

“… I thought he was walking into the afterlife.”

“But is there no other way? Chung Myung is so stubborn that no matter how much I try to stop him, he won’t listen.”

Yu Yiseol, who was silent, suddenly got up.

“Uh? Samae?”

And without a word, she grabbed her sword, which was hanging from the waist, and pulled it out.

Shhh.

“Sect leader’s enemy. I will kill.”

“Yah! Catch her fast! Catch her!”

Tang Soso and Yoon Jong held onto Yu Yiseol, who was trying to jump out.

“Calm down, sago!”

“You cannot do it alone. The opponent is Chung Myung!”

“Sect leader’s enemy!”

Yu Yiseol’s forehead had veins bulging.

To her, Hyun Jong wasn’t just a sect leader. He was her father’s master, a grandfather to her, a benefactor who saved her when she was young. So she was bound to get angry.

“Arrogance! Not a warrior-like! Ignorant! Atrocious!”

“… there is nothing wrong in what you said, but calm down, samae!”

Baek Cheon forced her to sit down. And then Yu Yiseol, who spoke, had a sullen look.

“I am calm.”

“Put the sword in!”

She almost stabbed him!

Baek Cheon sighed as he went back to his place.

“First… there is no use doing this amongst us. You need to step into the tiger’s den to catch a tiger.”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes glowed.

“Let us go to Chung Myung and question him! If we all rush in to ask, even if he is stubborn, he will at least pretend to listen!”

“… that guy?”

Everyone wasn’t just talking; they were asking with their eyes, ‘Sasuk, does that even make sense?’

But Baek Cheon didn’t give in and shouted firmly.

“Jo Gul!”

“Yes! Sasuk! Just say the word! I, Jo Gul, waited for today. That damned neck of his…”

“Go and bring monk Hye Yeon.”

“… Uh?”

With a serious yet proud face, Baek Cheon spoke.

“We need to increase the number of questioners, by one at least.”

“…”

“What? Why?”

“… no reason.”

Everyone shook their heads. Baek Cheon had changed a lot, but it was turning tough to adapt to him every time it happened.

Chung Myung, who was lying down on the table and sipping a drink, was met by Five Swords and asked ‘Where is this?’ and Hye Yeon was asked ‘Who are you?’.

“What?”

“… nothing.”

“What are you all doing here? You have so much time left?”

The people surrounding Chung Myung in a circle, winked at Baek Cheon. Since it was sasuk who said it, he should come speak up. Baek Cheon cursed inside.

‘You bastards.’

Normally, they don’t treat him well, but when it comes to special occasions like now, they are so polite to him.

“Ahem. Chung Myung.”

“What?”

“Ugh… so, the reason we are particularly unhappy with your teaching style is… no, there are always unhappy things to say, but I don’t doubt your effectiveness.”

“But?”

Baek Cheon, who had been carefully observing the topic after throwing the introduction, hinted and brought up the main topic.

“It seems like the sect leader and the elders are having a hard time… how about adjusting the intensity of your training a little?”

“Right. It is too much.”

“We are enduring it because we are young, but the sect leader and elders are all too old!”

Thanks to Yoon Jong and Jo Gul joining in, Baek Cheon spoke more strongly.

“And if something gets seriously wrong, there is no going back.”

“Lower it a little, sahyung? Just a little.”

“Sect leader’s enemy! Eupp!”

Yu Yiseol drew her sword and was caught by Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and Tang Soso and got dragged back.

Chung Myung, who was watching this, burst into laughter.

“So, you say they cannot survive the training?”

“… No, we didn’t mean it like that….”

“The rat is worried for the mouse.”

“… Uh?”

Chung Myung laughed as he gulped down his drink.

“Ahhh.”

And then got up on the bench and sat on it again.

“It would be no use saying it a hundred times. So you will know when you see it.”

“… what do you mean?”

“It is about time the effects start showing.”

“… Uh?”

“Don’t panic when you see them. Hehehe.”

Baek Cheon’s face had contorted as he saw Chung Myung all excited.

‘What is this bastard up to again…’

How was it that this sect never had a comfortable day?

If this continued, he would be going to the afterlife first!

As he looked at Chung Myung, who was smiling, his heart began to flutter with anxiety.