Chapter 730

Chapter 730

Sixteenth day.

“Ughhh....”

Several pairs of eyes watched from behind as Hyun Jong stepped into his place, almost crawling. Điscover new chapters at novelhall.com

“... I don’t see if anything has changed.”

“It is strange.”

Baek Cheon tilted his head.

“That idiot speaks a lot of nonsense, but he never lies.”

“... It could sound weird, but it is the truth.”

Baek Cheon frowned.

‘I don’t see any huge changes.’

Chung Myung said that they would be able to see the change with their own eyes, but there was no such change in how the sect leader looked.

Baek Cheon thought for a moment and sighed softly.

“For now, let’s watch a little longer. We cannot just go at him because it is him.”

“Yes.”

Eventually, the lights in the room turned on. Baek Cheon and the Five Swords turned, tilting their heads.

Seventeenth day.

“Ughh...”

Hyun Jong lifted up the blanket and struggled to get up.

Crack!

“Kuak!”

His back was screaming. It wasn’t like he was using his body in any way, but it still seemed like a lot of strain fell on his body.

Hyun Jong patted his back and sighed.

‘How long can my body endure this?’

He hadn’t lost his motivation yet. But he couldn’t describe the pain of having this needle pierce his body, and yet he could endure that pain.

This was nothing compared to the pain of sitting alone in the room when Mount Hua was collapsing and holding back the tears that would flow, the pain that felt like his organs were dying.

The problem was that his body couldn’t keep up with his mental power.

He didn’t know if it was because he was getting older, or if his body was naturally weak to deal with physical hardships, but it felt like he was falling further and further into the abyss as nothing improved day by day.

But.

‘I cannot cry now.’

Hyun Jong clasped his hands.

Even if his body could not keep up, even if he fell down while learning these new arts, he never had any intention of giving up.

Putting aside his sense of responsibility as Sect Leader of Mount Hua, he couldn’t say that he would give up after seeing his sajaes, who felt the same pain but somehow endured the training, or Chung Myung, who was sweating while teaching them.

So, even if it meant death, he had to endure it.

“Phew.”

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and got up as he folded the blanket. Every time he stretched out his hand or took a step, his body screamed and cracked, but he folded the blanket and even changed his clothes without groaning.

‘I guess it isn’t too late.’

It was a time in the morning when the sun hadn’t even come out, but Chung Myung’s training didn’t start from sunrise alone.

Hyun Jong stood in front of the door, having cleaned up his room with familiar and delicate hands.

‘Let’s not lose hope.’

No matter how hard he wanted to push, he was the sect leader of Mount Hua. His disciples could not help but be influenced by his appearance and gestures. So, no matter how difficult it was, he had to maintain a calm expression.

“Let’s go!”

Hyun Jong cheered himself and grabbed the door to open it.

Crack!

“Uh?”

Hyun Jong looked at his hand with wide eyes.

A torn door was held in the hand he had extended.

“... no, why did this...?”

The hinges on the door had been pulled out, and it was shaking as if it would fall at any moment.

“Why are you breaking the door?”

“Uh?”

Hyun Young, who was done with his chores, frowned, looking at the broken door and Hyun Jong. Hyun Jong, who looked at him, asked.

“Why are you looking like that?”

“... my bones are sore.”

“...”

“...”

Hyun Young cleared his throat and asked again.

“But I mean it; why did you open the door like that?”

“I didn’t open it like that; the door just broke down. It seems like the hinges are worn out.”

“The hinges are old? This time, we replaced everything while building the place for gathering guests.”

“Is that so? Then it looks like these were defective.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. This is why I have to check things individually. The Eunha merchant union isn’t what it used to be. We need to conduct more thorough inspections.”

“Right. That would be a good idea.”

After listening...

Hyun Sang tilted his head with a confused look.

“Then why is he over there like that?”

“... I don’t know.”

The two elders stared at the cliff, bewildered.

Goosebumps slowly began to appear on the backs of the Mount Hua disciples who were watching this strange scene.

Twenty-fifth day.

“Don’t you think things have changed a little by now?”

“... Sasuk, the wounds they suffered then have healed fully now. It is alright. They look fine.”

“N-Not me!”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon, his face red with tears in his eyes, responded to Yoon Jong’s words. He took a deep breath, put down his chopsticks, and pointed to the head table at the back.

“Those people.”

They narrowed their eyes toward the place he pointed at and saw the elders and sect leader. Yoon Jong exclaimed, ‘Ah’.

“After listening... it seems like something has changed.”

“Is it the same in your eyes, too?”

“But I am not exactly sure what has changed. Something feels different...”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon looked at the people with a strange expression. It was just as Yoon Jong had said. Clearly, nothing had changed enough to be noticed. The amount of change was so minimal that one had to look very closely to notice the difference.

But clearly, something had changed.

‘First... I think they gained some weight back.’

Their skin and bones were still bad enough to be called a corpse, but Baek Cheon noticed that the skeleton-like face had some flesh on it.

“A little fat?”

“Right?”

Yoon Jong quickly nodded in agreement.

“Isn’t that a good sign?”

“Well, it means that their condition has improved.”

The two people who were talking looked at each other. A hint of surprise and relief flashed across their faces. If it wasn’t for the voice, the atmosphere would have lasted longer.

“... it isn’t noticeable at all.”

“Be silent, you bastard!”

“Just hit that mouth!”

When Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong glared and scolded him at the same time, Jo Gul flinched and asked as if it was unfair.

“... No, these days, it seems like you two wait for me to say something?”

“...”

“What wrong did I do for you to treat me like Chung Myung? No matter what I did! You cannot treat people like Chung Myung! That’s what people like... ahhh!”

At that moment, Jo Gul was hit by something and was sent flying far away, crashing into the wall.

Woong!

“W-what?”

“Attack?”

Everyone who was eating got up from their places and looked around. Half of them looked at the chopsticks thrown against the wall and slowly sliding down, while the other half watched this in shock.

“N-no....”

Hyun Sang looked at Jo Gul, who was on the ground, squirming, and then at his chopsticks, and stuttered.

“I, I... no, kids. I just had a hard time picking up the meat, so I put some strength....”

“....”

“Why, why... is there sword qi on chopsticks...?”

Some of those who had been watching Hyun Sang in shock came to their senses and ran to Jo Gul.

“Gul! Gul! Are you alright?”

“He is fine! Idiots don’t die so fast!”

“This brat is foaming already!”

Jo Gul, limp like a corpse, was carried out on someone’s back. No one could believe it; it was as if he were possessed by a ghost.

Baek Cheon slowly turned his gaze to Hyun Sang, who was being scolded by Hyun Young.

“No! Why are you beating up a child?”

“N-No! I-I just wanted to eat meat....”

“Now you’re putting sword qi on your chopsticks, too! What would have happened if the kid got hurt?”

“I’m telling you! That wasn’t the case!”

Baek Cheon’s mouth opened slowly as he watched them in frustration.

-It will be of no use saying it 100 times. You will know when you see it.

-It is already about time for the effect to start showing up. Don’t panic when you see them. Hehehe.

“N-No way....”

Baek Cheon’s eyes began to tremble.

An unknown qi was spreading behind those old men, who were barely able to pick up food and shove it into their mouths with ghostly faces.

At this point, Baek Cheon had no choice but to be certain.

Surely, something... something was happening.