The Sword (5)
Yeon Hojeong was not the only one who was surprised. 'This man…'
Jeong-an stared at him with trembling eyes.
Even if one knew nothing of the world, one could still understand people. And if one understood people well, one could come to understand the world.
Jeong-an still knew little of either. She had not met many people with whom she could share her true heart.
However, when someone opened their heart to her in sincerity, she could read what lay within them.
That was why she could sense Yeon Hojeong’s heart and feelings to some degree. 'Anger? Pity?'
Human emotions are never ruled by a single feeling. They are always complex and intertwined.
Jeong-an read the complicated emotions swirling inside Yeon Hojeong. The most prominent among them were anger and pity. 'What is he angry about? What could possibly make him feel such pity?'
Yeon Hojeong continued speaking to the silent Hwa-un.
“I hope you will listen without misunderstanding. I am not saying that since so many sects have failed, Botam will fail as well. In the same vein, just because many sects have attempted to bring peace and tranquility does not mean Botam cannot pursue a similar cause. That is the freedom of any organization.”
“Of course, that is true.”
“However, from the perspective of this narrow-minded fellow, your words right now seem inconsistent.”
“Inconsistent?”
“You say you will enter the Jianghu to save the suffering common people and bring peace and tranquility to the world? That is possible. But does that goal necessarily require the emergence of a Sword Queen from your faction?”
Hwa-un spoke calmly.
“As I have already explained, this child is the only candidate qualified to become the next Sword Queen. With her strength of character and purity of heart…”
“At the same time, you believe that Botam can only exert its power for the sake of the world if a Sword Queen exists.”
“Pardon?”
“Is the Sword Queen truly that extraordinary? How does one obtain the title of Sword Queen? Is it a title given to those with superior martial prowess? Or must one possess exceptional enlightenment? Or perhaps, like the Future Buddha spoken of in Buddhism, is it a divine being who will one day save the world?”
“……!”
“If another faction produces a Sword Queen, does that mean Botam loses all means to contribute to peace?”
“It seems the Fortress Lord has misunderstood. Let me say it again—this child is truly…”
“Then what is your reason for wanting to enter the Jianghu?”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes narrowed.
“Must you establish a sect in the Jianghu and become a renowned organization before you can work for peace? There are other ways—blending into the lives of the common people, or even using your fame to enrich them with material wealth. So why do you insist on stepping into the Jianghu?”
“Fortress Lord.”
“I told you a moment ago. Your words lack consistency. For your words to have consistency, one fact must be corrected.”
“……?”
“If what you truly desire is to produce a Sword Queen from your faction, become the master of Botam, and live in splendor, then everything you have said so far becomes consistent.”
Hwa-un’s face hardened instantly.
“Your words are excessive.”
“Have I misunderstood?”
“Of course you have. I have said it several times already. The Sword Queen, once the symbol of Botam, must now become real power. And for that to happen…”
“So why must it become power?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t have to enter the Jianghu at all. Shall I be more honest? Even if you do enter the Jianghu, all you will gain is despair and self-loathing stained with blood and death.”
“Fortress Lord.”
“If Botam is a temple rather than a sect, then your true power lies not in martial force but in Buddhist heart. So why do you seek to enter the world carrying martial force?”
“……!”
“Why can’t you enter the world carrying the Buddhist heart that you are best at, the one filled with your true sincerity? Is the Sword Queen some kind of Buddha? Why are you so obsessed with the Sword Queen?”
“Obsessed? Your words are truly excessive.”
“If it is not obsession, then it means you genuinely believe that only by producing a Sword Queen from your faction can Botam exert power for the world.”
A sharp, stern aura appeared in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.
It was neither the gaze of the Black Dark Emperor nor the gaze of the Byeoksan Fortress Lord. It was simply the stern look of a senior who had lived longer and experienced far more than his counterpart.
Perhaps that was why Hwa-un’s face, which had been twisted with rage and displeasure, suddenly stiffened.
“If there are no fools in Botam, they would know how absurd that statement is. If by some chance you truly believe that is the only truth and the only path to salvation, then before you train to enter the world, you should first learn basic common sense.”
“If you are insulting Botam…!”
“Since when?”
“……?!”
“Since when did you begin using the outdated history of the Sword Queen as a symbol, claiming you would save the common people while secretly craving success in the secular world?”
“Fortress Lord!”
“Are you not ashamed? In front of your own successor?”
“W-what did you say?”
Yeon Hojeong turned to look at Jeong-an.
Jeong-an was staring at him with trembling eyes.
“You have raised your successor well. Well enough to make even me—who once believed that power was the highest value for ending the chaotic era—reconsider my past.”
“……!”
“As you can see, I am stubborn, arrogant, and the kind of wall that doesn’t listen to anyone. Even if ten thousand swords were pointed at someone like me, would my thoughts change? Would I reflect?”
“……”
“Yet this young lady accomplished that. She made me look back at my past self. That was not the power of a sword, but the power of eyes and heart. What ten thousand masters could not do, this young lady—who is weaker than me—has done.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
The smile he gave Jeong-an looked like it belonged to a completely different person from the one who had sternly rebuked Hwa-un.
“Power is necessary. I have not changed my mind about that. However, the more people like this young lady there are, the less room power will have to stand.”
“……”
“I believe that is the way to bring forward—even if only a little—the era of peace that we do not yet know when will arrive.”
Hwa-un spoke in a rigid tone.
“Fortress Lord, you are more naïve than I thought.”
“Does it seem that way?”
“Yes. The world does not change with the smiles of good people alone. That is why Botam seeks to enter the world. To become even a small amount of power.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“I will not stop you. I have no justification to do so. But that cannot be the reason why a Sword Queen must emerge from your faction.”
“……”
“How disappointing.”
Scrape.
Hwa-un rose from her seat violently.
“They said the Byeoksan Fortress Lord was a genius whose insight was as outstanding as his skill, but you are very different from what I heard.”
“Rumors are often exaggerated. I am not as great a man as the rumors claim.”
“Indeed. I have newly realized that rumors cannot be trusted. So this is why the world is such a frightening place.”
Jeong-an looked at Hwa-un in bewilderment.
“Master! Your words go too far!”
“Be silent!”
It was a rebuke stronger than any she had ever heard. No, it was less a rebuke and more a nervous outburst.
Jeong-an was startled. No matter how much Hwa-un had changed, she had never once reacted to her like this.
Hwa-un glared at Yeon Hojeong with burning eyes.
“They told me that even if I went to the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance, they would only be busy fighting among themselves and I would not get a proper answer. So I came to you. At the very least, they said the Byeoksan Fortress Lord was a figure qualified to represent the current Martial Alliance.”
“Is that what you were told?”
“That is what I was told, and it is regrettable that the truth is different. A person like you can never represent an organization.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“You see clearly. I am a man with far too many shortcomings.”
“I have wasted my steps. The tea was good. Jeong-an, stand up.”
Jeong-an did not stand. She simply stared at Hwa-un with trembling eyes.
Hwa-un shouted furiously.
“I said stand up!”
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong asked.
“What is it that makes you so angry?”
“I do not wish to hear any more.”
“Since when did you begin placing your own pride and desires above the eyes and heart of the successor you have treated like a daughter?”
“Shut your mouth!”
Suddenly, Yeon Hojeong’s tone changed.
“Did you think there would be no one like you in this world?”
Hwa-un flinched. The opponent’s aura had shifted in an instant, pressing down on her subtly.
“There have been many who burned their lives saying they would change the world. Yet among them, those who truly meant it are but a handful. And sadly, not a single one of that handful ever realized their dream.”
“No matter what you say, I will not listen.”
“Yes, most of them were like you. Realization can be found even while walking down the road, yet even you—a practitioner—have closed your ears and can no longer contemplate yourself.”
“……!”
“That is what desire is. You have been defeated by desire.”
“Shut up!”
Whoosh!
A fierce aura erupted from Hwa-un’s body.
When it had been concealed, she had looked like an ordinary person. But the moment it surged forth, it transformed her into a supreme expert.
Surprisingly, the level of her aura was almost on par with Yeon Hojeong’s. She had proven the hidden strength of Botam with nothing more than the release of her aura.
“To insult one who follows the Buddhist law in such a manner! If you were not a general-rank figure of the Martial Alliance, I would not have let this pass!”
“You would have killed me?”
“……”
“Yes.”
Hwa-un’s eyes gleamed with malice.
Her wounded pride—especially in front of her faction’s successor.
She was now enraged, wounded by the false pride she herself had created.
“I would have killed you.”
Jeong-an cried out.
“Master!!”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“You are wrong.”
“……?”
“The one you should kill is not me, but the Buddha. Even I, who am not a practitioner, know that to reach truth through enlightenment, one must have the resolve to kill even the Buddha.”
“A mere secular martial artist who has learned worthless tricks dares to lecture me on Buddhist law?!”
“At least right now, I seem closer to Buddhist law than you are. And I have never even read a single line of scripture.”
“You bastard…!”
Swish.
Yeon Hojeong rose from his seat.
“I apologize in advance.”
“Be silent! I will not listen to your apology!”
“From the beginning, I had no intention of simply sending you away.”
“What?!”
Yeon Hojeong turned his head.
“Have you been watching well?”
He spoke toward empty air.
Surprisingly, an answer came from the void.
“I have seen. And I have heard.”
Both Hwa-un and even Jeong-an were startled. Neither of them had sensed that someone else was hiding there.
Yeon Hojeong smiled and said.
“What do you think, Monk, who has already killed the Buddha once?”
“I feel nothing but pity.”
There was no emotion in the voice that said “pity” other than genuine pity itself.
The words and the emotion matched perfectly. It was a heavy voice that contained not even a speck of falsehood.
Hwa-un shouted furiously.
“Who are you!”
Shhh.
A figure emerged from the empty air.
It was Beom-oh.
“Amitabha. This monk, Beom-oh of Shaolin, greets the enlightened ones of Botam.”