Mount Hua Reincarnation - Chapter 0: Prologue

Prologue

I was overcome by a severe sense of exhaustion and lethargy and was unable to open my eyes.

Even with all my strength, I could barely open them halfway, unable to move any further.

“Ah…”

My lips, dry as dirt, barely moved to make a sound.

But only a voice close to a groan came out.

“Elder… if you leave like this…”

My vision was already blurred like fog, hardly clear at all.

It seemed like someone was calling me, but my ears were too deaf to hear what was being said clearly.

‘I am…’

Zhou Xuchuan.

I muttered my name and reflected on my life.

The first memory that came to mind was wandering as an orphan and then, fortunately, catching the eye of a master and joining the Mount Hua Sect.

It was truly a stroke of luck.

The Mount Hua Sect is a part of the righteous Nine Sects Alliance, known for its swordsmanship.

For an orphan who lost their parents, there couldn’t be a luckier break.

Since then, I lived as a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, grateful to my master, and before I knew it, I had risen to become one of the Five Elders of Mount Hua.

‘I was lucky.’

The name of the Five Elders of Mount Hua is not taken lightly.

It’s a position of high authority in the Mount Hua Sect, second only to the Sect Leader.

As heavy as the name is, it’s not a position one can easily ascend to, and it commands respect from the other disciples.

Not only does it require martial prowess, but also intelligence and a good reputation in the martial world.

Fame in the martial community and achievements are necessary.

It’s not a position one can achieve solely through seniority or experience… but there are always ‘exceptions.’

And I was one of those exceptions.

‘I never imagined someone like me could become an elder.’

Though I was lucky to enter the Mount Hua Sect, I didn’t particularly show any exceptional talent or achieve great deeds.

I wasn’t without skills in martial arts but I wasn’t extraordinarily intelligent.

I lived inconspicuously, similar to others.

Of course, I never put in the blood, sweat, and tears, so expecting more would have been sheer greed.

I never had such desires in the first place.

Still, out of gratitude to my master who took in an orphan like me, I never indulged in laziness.

It was truly a ‘so-so’ life, ordinary in every way.

So, how did I become one of the Five Elders of Mount Hua?

The answer lies in a life that was not ‘peaceful’.

For decades, there were especially many wars.

Later generations would call it an era of turmoil, so frequent were the wars.

Countless outbreaks of war, ceasefires, and ends of war occurred over those decades.

The Mount Hua Sect was also caught in this whirlwind of war, losing many disciples.

Not only the third-generation disciples who were the backbone of the sect but also the second-generation elders and even the first-generation senior members suffered losses.

The Five Elders of Mount Hua changed numerous times as they were swept up in these conflicts.

By the time the conflicts were coming to an end, there were no suitable candidates left to be appointed as elders.

Although not exactly untalented, Zhou Xuchuan, who was rather ordinary, became an elder due to these circumstances.

While not solely based on seniority, the position of the Five Elders of Mount Hua could not be attained without it.

Appointing someone with great martial skills but little experience and low seniority as an elder could cause backlash and problems.

Therefore, those with higher seniority, even if somewhat less capable, had to be appointed as elders first, and I was one of those fortunate ones.

But becoming an elder didn’t change anything.

By the time the era of war was ending, there was no threat to my life.

I just occasionally assisted the Sect Leader and other elders and got along well within the Mount Hua Sect.

Other first-generation disciples exerted themselves in training juniors, but not me.

I didn’t take on any disciples.

I didn’t think I was capable enough to teach anyone.

‘And yet, just a few days ago, I reached the martial state of Unrestrained Realm…’

In my old age, I finally found joy in martial arts.

It was a perk of becoming an elder that allowed me access to various martial arts techniques.

So somehow, I managed to reach Unrestrained Realm, but it was too late.

Perhaps, sensing my impending death, I had a flash of enlightenment, a moment of clarity.’

‘It wasn’t a particularly meaningful life…’

Looking back, it really was a life full of regrets.

I never experienced love, which everyone talks about.

I was too overwhelmed with practicing martial arts to even hold a woman’s hand.

I wanted to make a name for myself in the martial world, but I fell short.

It was an era of turmoil, one of the most chaotic in the history of the martial world.

There were countless tales, heroes, and demons.

But my name was not among them.

“Ah…”

My strength is fading. I thought this might be the end.

Those watching over my final moments are just unrelated people whose names I can’t even recall.

They came out of courtesy, as I am an elder of a great sect about to enter eternal sleep.

Nothing more, nothing less in our relationship.

I wished I had a family.

I have lived alone and lonely for so long.

I remembered my kind master, who passed away early.

During the era of war, I saw trustworthy heroes.

Beautiful women appeared, forever out of reach.

‘Yes, I…’

My consciousness falls into an abyss with no end in sight.

‘Perhaps I always longed for such a life…’