Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Sect Leader's Decision
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wudang had directly criticized the Ten Precepts, a tradition it had upheld without fail until now. But every word rang true, leaving them no choice but to hold their tongues.
"Senior Brother, we must discard what should be discarded and change what should be changed."
Myeongjin's piercing words hung in the air, and Myeonghyeon fell silent for a long while.
After a protracted deliberation, he finally spoke in a low voice.
"Myeongjin."
"Yes."
"Even so, there are principles we must uphold."
"......"
"If we change unjustly just to survive, how could we call that the righteous path?"
"I'm not saying we should change unjustly."
"I know what you mean. But can you guarantee what the outcome will be?"
"It's not about guaranteeing..."
"Enough!"
Myeonghyeon barked, cutting off any further argument.
Their conversation ran parallel, like two horses galloping side by side.
With their positions so opposed, the gap between them never narrowed.
The Wudang Ten Precepts.
An ancient tradition.
Something that could never be changed lightly.
The Ten Precepts were Wudang's history and identity, passed down and preserved through the ages.
Myeongjin was right, but as the Sect Leader of this generation, Myeonghyeon bore the duty to protect Wudang's traditions.
Of course, Myeongjin understood his position and knew he had gone too far.
With the elders watching, and Jinmu and Cheongu present, he shouldn't have spoken to the Sect Leader that way. But years of pent-up frustration had boiled over, causing him to forget decorum.
"Sect Leader. We can't let this slide."
"He's right. Even if Senior Brother Myeongjin's health has improved thanks to it, the rules must be upheld. We should punish Senior Brother Myeongjin for breaking the Ten Precepts, along with Jinmu and Cheongu."
Myeongseon and Myeonggong pressed on, fanning the flames.
But Myeonghyeon simply gazed at Myeongjin without a word.
"Sect Leader!"
"That's enough from you all."
Myeonghyeon cut them off with a stern expression and turned to Myeongjin.
Myeongjin.
Wudang owed him a great debt.
He was the great Taoist who had stood firm to the end, defending Purple Empyrean Palace against the assault of Evil Hegemony Heaven.
Though he had lost his martial arts, his noble spirit remained an example to all Wudang Taoists.
The change he spoke of.
Myeonghyeon had considered it himself. Ever since becoming Sect Leader, he had wrestled with it endlessly.
Protect the righteous path while blocking the evil path. Guide wickedness with righteousness.
That was the tradition and justice Wudang had upheld for so long, and the Ten Precepts were the means to achieve it.
But was it truly right?
They had believed so and acted accordingly, yet it led them down the path of decline, driving away everyone who once filled the sect gates.
How could they reclaim their former glory?
After hearing Myeongjin's sharp words and seeing him regain his strength through meat, Myeonghyeon's heart grew even more conflicted.
"You are all dismissed. I will handle this matter myself."
"Sect Leader!"
Myeonggong called out again, but Myeonghyeon turned away and shut his mouth.
"Understood. Then we shall take our leave for now."
Myeonggong bowed stiffly and turned to go.
He shot a fierce glare at Jinmu.
He had come with joy and excitement at Jinmu's growth, but that didn't excuse breaking the precepts.
Yet with the Sect Leader personally decreeing he would handle it, there was nothing to be done.
After the door to Myeongjin's hermitage closed and Myeonggong and Myeongseon departed with heavy steps...
"M-Master Uncle... what do we do now?"
Jinmu grimaced at Cheongu's worried question.
Was this really such a big deal?
It was just eating meat.
Precepts this, change that... These Taoists were willing to stake their lives on the pettiest issues.
Either way, it was unsettling.
Jinmu's mind grew muddled.
He had thought his master's defense would work, but things had taken a strange turn.
'Damn it, what are those two talking about?'
Worried that his dream of becoming a First Generation Disciple might slip away, Jinmu cautiously pressed his ear to the door.
The next day.
In Purple Empyrean Palace, where all of Wudang's elders had gathered.
"Jinmu, step forward!"
At the shout of Elder Myeonggong, who oversaw the sect's precepts, Jinmu—summoned since morning—approached the Sect Leader and knelt.
Myeonghyeon regarded Jinmu calmly, while the elders focused their gazes on him.
Everyone wore an expression of eager curiosity about what punishment would be handed down.
"Jinmu, your offenses are three-fold."
What? Three?
Wasn't it just about the meat?
As Jinmu looked on in confusion, Myeonghyeon continued softly.
"First, though it was for your master, you broke one of the core Ten Precepts. Second, without the sect's permission, you arbitrarily modified an ancestral sword art and taught it to others. Third, you inflicted a serious injury during a spar with your senior brothers. Do you acknowledge this?"
"Pardon?"
The first made sense, but why the second and third?
The night before.
Myeonghyeon had questioned Myeongjin and received answers.
Mostly trivial matters, like how he had trained him or how his health had been lately.
There had been no mention of these three charges or what to do about them, leaving Jinmu anxious.
"I ask again: do you acknowledge it?"
Damn it. In this solemn atmosphere, he couldn't very well deny it outright.
"......Yes."
Jinmu bowed his head politely.
"Very well. As Sect Leader, I will adjudicate these three offenses by my own authority. Jinmu, for the next month, you are to repair the horse posts at Sword-Shedding Pool."
"......"
Not only Jinmu but the elders' faces also registered surprise.
"Sect Leader! What do you mean by that?"
Myeonggong stepped forward with an incredulous expression.
The punishment was too lenient—far too lenient.
Repairing the horse posts.
No matter how you looked at it, it was just a pretext. A way to tell him to lay low.
For such crimes, he should have been confined to the punishment cave. Everyone's faces showed their confusion.
But Myeonghyeon raised a hand to silence them.
"I said it is by my authority as Sect Leader."
"But..."
"No more objections."
"......"
Myeonggong retreated with a twisted expression at Myeonghyeon's words.
"Furthermore, henceforth and for the time being, I will not punish violations regarding meat-eating."
"Sect Leader!"
"That's unacceptable!"
Cries of concern erupted from all sides.
Not only was the punishment light, but he was lifting one of the Ten Precepts on meat?
Temporarily or not, it was utterly unacceptable.
"Sect Leader, it's an ancient tradition. How can you so easily..."
"Enough!"
Myeonghyeon's shout echoed through the grand hall, instantly silencing the murmurs.
"Jinmu, you are dismissed."
"......Yes."
The hall brimmed with heavy tension, but Jinmu—who had feared he might never become a First Generation Disciple over this—felt as light as if snow had melted from his heart.
After Jinmu left, Myeonggong stepped forward with a rigid face.
"Sect Leader! Lifting the ban on meat, one of the Ten Precepts? That's absurd."
"He's right."
"Please reconsider!"
The elders followed Myeonggong, each voicing their opinions in turn.
"Listen, elders."
"......"
Myeonghyeon's voice pressed down the murmurs in the hall.
"I knew there would be opposition and concern over this. But this time, follow my decision."
His low voice carried a warm strength that enveloped them all.
As Myeonggong clamped his mouth shut with a displeased look, Pure East Hall's Lord Myeonghwa cautiously spoke up in his stead.
"Sect Leader. We elders will of course obey your command. But why make such a decision? Is it because of Myeongjin regaining his strength through meat?"
"I see you heard."
"Yes. They say he's recovered enough to take walks."
"Indeed."
"Well, eating meat would do that..."
Myeonghwa wore an apologetic expression.
As Wudang's physician who had long tended to him, Myeonghwa fully understood.
Though his martial arts couldn't be restored, meat was necessary long-term for his vitality.
But bound by the precepts, he hadn't dared recommend it.
Tied by tradition despite knowing better, he felt sorry for his junior brother Myeongjin.
"Jinmu did what I should have. In truth, nothing is more precious than human life, yet I was too ashamed of myself for being bound by rules and failing to act."
"Quite right. I feel the same. But lifting the taboo on meat isn't solely for that reason."
"Pardon?"
"You've heard about Jinmu, haven't you?"
"Yes. He modified Divine Gate Thirteen Swords and defeated Jinhyeo?"
"Yes. But when I asked Myeongjin, he said he didn't teach it to him."
"Pardon?"
"He merely passed down the essentials orally."
"What? That's nonsense. Just from oral transmission, he mastered the heart method, pierced its weaknesses, and even innovated?"
"Exactly."
The elders couldn't hide their shock as Myeonghyeon nodded.
"If true, he's a heaven-sent prodigy. To show such talent in just a year."
"Indeed. As we all know, Jinmu resided solely in Void Serenity Hermitage, self-correcting and learning beyond his assigned training."
Everyone nodded at Myeonghyeon's words.
"It suddenly occurred to me. Have we not confined our disciples within the rigid framework we've upheld for so long, stifling their autonomy? Perhaps talented children like him couldn't fully spread their wings because of it."
The elders' hearts grew heavy as Myeonghyeon's self-mocking voice filled the hall.
"Myeongjin said it: Wudang must change."
"......"
"I intend to try changing. I can't say if it will lead in the right direction. That's why I'm not overhauling everything at once—I've only lifted one precept. Understand that this isn't just about meat; it's my will to embrace change."
The elders' heavy hearts lightened at the sincerity in Myeonghyeon's calm, steady voice.
"Myeonggong."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"I apologize for deciding this without regard for your authority over the precepts. Please forgive me."
Myeonggong sighed at Myeonghyeon's gentle tone.
"What choice do I have? It's all your will, Sect Leader."
"Thank you."
Though a hint of grumbling remained, Myeonghyeon smiled brightly at Myeonggong's softened demeanor.
Wudang.
Unlike other sects, Wudang had no internal factions.
This signified a unity stronger than anywhere else.
It was a trait of a sect pursuing the Dao, but the assault by Evil Hegemony Heaven had forged their bonds even tighter.
Once discussion of Jinmu's punishment concluded, Encounter Truth Hall's Lord Myeongchung shifted the topic amid the now pleasant atmosphere.
"By the way, Sect Leader. The Qingyang Merchant Group will arrive soon."
Myeonghyeon, who had been awaiting this news, asked with a joyful expression.
"Have they sent word?"
"Yes. In a fortnight."
"Good. Excellent."
Myeonghyeon nodded and addressed the elders.
"As you all know, how vital this exchange is to us."
Of course.
They had even turned away the tribute tax.
With all rights around Wudang Mountain already ceded to the Zhuge Family, Wudang's finances were nearing rock bottom.
They did engage in some external activities, but it wasn't enough to sustain even one palace, let alone the whole sect.
Allying with the Qingyang Merchant Group was the sole breakthrough for Wudang's dire straits.
"Since they're coming soon, ensure each palace receives them without the slightest neglect."
"Understood."
The elders bowed politely and withdrew from the grand hall.