The center of the podium, where the sect leaders of each sect were supposed to gather, was occupied by Heo Do Jinin.

Actually, the Abbot was supposed to be there, but today neither he nor Hyun Jong were there.

“Hm.”

Heo Do Jinin looked toward the stage.

“Huhu. Finally, the finals have come.”

“Isn’t this amazing? This is good no matter who wins.”

At the conversation around him, Heo Do Jinin narrowed his eyes.

‘This is a good thing?’

All nonsense.

No matter who won, nothing good could happen to the Nine Great Sects.

If Hae Yeon won this, Shaolin would strengthen their rule over the sects.

‘This match will decide how the next few decades will be.’

Most of the sect leaders who didn’t manage to make it to the finals tried to downplay the meaning behind this match-up, saying that this was just another spar.

But Heo Do Jinin wasn’t going to think that way.

‘I cannot do that.’

Shaolin’s Hae Yeon and Mount Hua’s Chung Myung were by no means people with just average skills.

Hae Yeon was already being evaluated as the talent which Shaolin got every few hundred years, and the same could be said of Chung Myung and Mount Hua.

To be honest, it wouldn’t be long until the day when the two got ahold of true authority and shook the world.

Therefore, this spar would determine how Kangho would run and serve as a chance to determine who would be the one with the upper hand in the future.

How could anyone downplay this?

Heo Do Jinin glanced around. Although the sect leaders were saying such things, they were all looking toward the stage with sharp eyes.

This meant that the results of this match would decide which direction they took.

Heo Do Jinin, who understood that, looked at the Abbot.

‘He must be so upset that things didn’t go as he wanted.’

The prevention of the Nine Great Sects coming to the finals with a clean win.

Perhaps that was the script he planned for Hae Yeon when this competition was started. Of course, it could be said that excluding the Nine Great Sects was successful, as they all had lost. Not a single disciple from the Nine Great Sects managed to reach the final1.

But a complete victory?

‘That depends on this spar.’

If Hae Yeon won, then Abbot’s plan would be perfect. No, it would be a lot more than what he had planned.

But what if he lost?

‘He’d rather be thinking he shouldn’t have brought up such a situation.’

If Hae Yeon lost to another disciple who belonged to the Nine Great Sects, he could at least save some face.

But if he lost to Mount Hua, which was kicked out of the group, then the Shaolin would be held responsible for their past actions.

And as this had already attracted the attention of many, Shaolin would have to face the consequences. And if they lose the finals, Shaolin would lose a lot and gain nothing.

Was that why?

Was that the reason for Abbot’s expression not looking so bright?

Heo Do Jinin looked toward the stage where Chung Myung and Hae Yeon were standing.

The two were facing each other.

‘Interesting’

It wasn’t known who of the two would be the powerhouse of the future, but whoever won, the future generations would never stop talking about this achievement. And everything would start from this final match.

The one who lost would become the villain to the winner.

“And that is how history works.”

So, which of the two would come out as the winner?

Heo Do Jinin felt a bit happy as he leaned back.

The surroundings had turned silent.

There were deafening cheers initially, but now that they were up, the sounds gradually subsided.

And soon, it turned so quiet that it felt like people weren’t even gathered.

In this silence, Chung Myung looked into the eyes of Hae Yeon.

The eyes of Hae Yeon looked heavy. The shyness he would portray once in a while was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were now overflowing with the intent to fight and show who was better.

‘The eye which sees evil?’

Right.

From his point of view, it could be that.

The Abbot of Shaolin, who was raved about through the world, reached out his hand to his opponent. If that was the case, one had to be polite even if one didn’t like it. How could they not do that and even make the Abbot, who was recognized as the heavens, be embarrassed by a third-class disciple?

What if the positions were changed and Chung Myung saw his sect leader or whoever the current sect leader was being talked to like that by a third-class disciple?

On that day, the other sect would collapse. Because Chung Myung was the kind to go crazy like a mad dog.

Of course, he could understand the position of Hae Yeon.

But…

‘I cannot do that.’

Even though he knew he had to be polite, he couldn’t, as the topics about spirit and cause which his sahyung used to tell him were remembered. But he hated how the Abbot was using the Kangho and the world as a means to control Mount Hua.

Therefore, Hae Yeon’s current form brought a strange feeling to him.

‘You are not wrong.’

If they didn’t meet here, maybe he would have praised Hae Yeon.

But…

Chung Myung turned to look at the Abbot.

The stiff face.

It was a face that said he could not hide his discomfort. Looking at the Abbot’s expression, it felt like his stomach relaxed.

‘Don’t look at me with that angry face.’

Because the person who should be angry is me.

And Hae Yeon spoke,

“You crossed the line.”

Chung Myung rubbed his ears and said,

“What? Bald head?”

He nodded his head and spoke again in a low voice,

“The one who crossed the line is you people.”

“Disciple!”

In the end, Hae Yeon’s face turned red with anger.

He tried to speak in the best way possible, but this man never let that happen. He could not think of him as a disciple of Mount Hua, disciples who were known to be noble beings.

“How can you be so…”

“Shut up, you idiot.”

“…”

Hae Yeon was wide-eyed, and Chung Myung pulled his sword out.

“It seems like you want to say something great, but I do not want to hear the lesson from a guy who grew up under the sly Shaolin and received all the things he needed.”

“You insolent….!”

“Where do you get the confidence to speak now?”

“…”

Hae Yeon looked confused.

Where?

What did that mean?

Chung Myung looked into Hae Yeon’s eyes with a colder look than usual,

“If you weren’t the disciple of Shaolin, you wouldn’t be able to raise your head in front of me.”

That was a simple reason why you get to mess around in Shaolin. All because you were their disciple.

The Shaolin Sect!

But you see…

The thing that had made Shaolin so great was none other than Mount Hua.

And you don’t even know that.

It doesn’t matter what you consider Mount Hua, but there is one thing I am certain of.

“You have no right to try and discipline me.”

Those who fell under the name of the Nine Great Sects One Union shut their mouths in front of Chung Myung. No, don’t dare speak to anyone from Mount Hua.

“You don’t know.”

Right.

You can not know.

This was why Chung Myung was so angry.

Just one.

If only one sect had visited Mount Hua first and showed their respect, then maybe he wouldn’t have been this angry.

Just one.

One sect was all that was needed.

But such things didn’t happen.

Chung Myung looked toward the podium the sect leaders were on.

Seeing the sect leaders out there looking down from their chairs made his blood boil.

‘It was just a hundred years ago.’

The time was too short to be forgotten, though. At least, the sect leaders out there clearly must know what kind of sacrifices Mount Hua made and what mistakes these people made.

However, no one was willing to apologize, even informally, to Mount Hua, which was in trouble.

Ignorance and alienation.

It was only after Mount Hua managed to get good results did they send gifts and pretended as if nothing had happened.

This made it unbearable for Chung Myung.

What did he die for?

Why did his sahyungs willingly jump into the hole of death?

Did they lose their lives to make living easier for these dogs?

Chung Myung waited.

Through this spar. For a long time, the talks and shouts he wanted to make.

To ensure everyone gathered knew that Mount Hua was back here loud and clear.

But it felt in vain.

While the stories of Mount Hua’s clean wins and the disciples proving the worth of the sect by recovering their old martial arts spread, these sects dismissed Mount Hua as a mere reviving sect.

Not one of them went to the sahyung or sajaes of Mount Hua and even praised or complimented them. The sacrifice of Mount Hua looked to be in vain.

But there was one thing Chung Myung could tell.

Kangho was like this because of Mount Hua.

He didn’t need huge praises, nor did he need tearful greetings. Just one word.

But that one word never made its way. All the things who lived wiped their conscience clear and looked down on Mount Hua, who had saved them.

This situation was unbearable for Chung Myung.

This silence.

Closing their mouths shut to prevent the shortcomings of their sect from being known. But the silence turned the noble death of his sahyungs into a dog’s death.

And with death…

“… well, enough.”

Thud!

Chung Myung thrust his sword, resheathed, back into the floor, and the stone cracked.

Everyone tilted their heads at these bizarre actions.

‘What is he trying to do?’

And the subsequent actions of Chung Myung only intensified their doubts.

He stepped forward, leaving his sword in the ground as if he would fight without a sword.

“… disciple?”

Hearing Hae Yeon’s confused voice, Chung Myung responded with a cold voice,

“There is no need to inform anymore. The result will be the same either way.”

If you do not bow your head in good faith, I will force you to do so.

“It isn’t too bad to knock you down to the floor by force and make you bow. Of course, my sect leader sahyung will surely hate that, but that man cannot do anything now.”

Hae Yeon’s expression turned stiff.

“I don’t know what you are trying to do, but Shaolin’s martial arts cannot be blocked without a sword.”

“What?”

Chung Myung smiled.

“Take the sword. And properly…”

It was then.

Chung Myung’s body vanished, and Hae Yeon, who momentarily lost his presence, became terrified and tried to feel around.

‘Found you…!’

He found where Chung Myung was, but Hae Yeon couldn’t be happy with it. It was because before he could feel the presence for sure, Chung Myung was right in front of his nose.

Chung Myung clenched his fist and swung at the chin of Hae Yeon, who instinctively tried to defend.

Thud!

At the unexpected blow, Hae Yeon bounced back. After rolling a couple of times, he was able to stop at the end of the stage, which made startled him.

And his face was in dismay when Chung Myung spoke coldly,

“Get up.”

Hae Yeon was a talent that Shaolin had put their soul into.

In other words, he was Shaolin’s pride, representing Shaolin to the world. And this was his proper debut.

“Get up.”

Hae Yeon was bewildered as he met the eyes of Chung Myung.

Hae Yeon wasn’t the only one Chung Myung was looking at.

Behind him, Abbot and Shaolin’s disciples were also shocked by this.

Chung Myung said,

“Get up. I am going to crush that filthy pride you have.”