One Day, Plum Blossoms Will Bloom Across the World (3)
"Grrrrr."
Thud.
After climbing the final slope, Wi So-haeng let out a rough breath.
This mountain’s sure as hell no joke.
He’d felt it before, but this mountain did not easily allow people to approach. Forget the steepness for a moment; the real problem was that to reach the summit, one had to scale cliff after cliff, each one barely offering a foothold for even the tip of a toe.
And yet, Wi So-haeng had managed to climb it more easily than he’d expected.
Unlike in the past, stakes had been driven into each cliff face, and those stakes were linked together by thick ropes. Climbing while gripping those ropes made ascending the mountain several times easier than hauling oneself up sheer rock.
"Huff... and it’s still this hard."
Wi So-haeng wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
At Wudang, there was a place to unbind the sword, where anyone entering Wudang had to remove their sword and dismount from their horse. But Mount Hua didn’t need such a place.
Because no horse could climb this far.
That was why they said everyone was equal when it came to climbing Mount Hua. High officials had to get out of their sedan chairs, and even those who came on horseback had to tie their horses below the mountain and climb Mount Hua on foot. That was how brutal Mount Hua was.
"I don’t know who came up with it, but that was a damn good idea. This way, people coming up Mount Hua can travel a lot more comfortably."
For a sect with a history by no means short, it was strange they had only thought of this now, but Wi So-haeng still nodded in approval that they had at least done it eventually.
After wiping the sweat away and steadying his breathing, the great mountain gate of Mount Hua finally came into view.
"...No, why does none of this feel familiar?"
Even that gate didn’t look like it used to.
The crumbling gate he had seen the last time he visited Mount Hua had left such a strong impression that the majestic gate before him now felt utterly out of place.
A plaque inscribed in a vigorous, soaring hand—Great Mount Hua Sect—caught his eye at once. The moment he saw it, he felt an overwhelming pressure.
It really is different from before.
Ten years could change even mountains and rivers, they said. Surely that was more than enough time for a sect to be transformed, wasn’t it?
With expectations rising in his chest, Wi So-haeng approached the mountain gate of Mount Hua.
For all its grandeur, there was no guard standing watch at the front. Perhaps because it was still early, the gate itself was tightly shut.
Wi So-haeng drew a short breath and knocked on the gate.
"Excuse me! Is anyone there!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He did wonder whether it was really proper to come all the way to a sect and shout, "Is anyone there?" but he couldn’t think of anything more fitting.
"This visitor humbly requests entry to Mount Hua. Is anyone there?"
After calling out as politely as he could, Wi So-haeng stopped knocking and waited a moment. If anyone had heard him, then by now...
Creak.
Sure enough, the door opened, and someone peeked out from inside.
Wi So-haeng was about to speak with relief, but before he could, words like a bolt of lightning struck him.
"Today is not a day for receiving visitors."
"...Pardon?"
"Mount Hua is not accepting visitors today. Come back tomorrow."
"Ah. I, I wasn’t told that."
No wonder there weren’t any people climbing the mountain.
That damn old man!
"Well then—"
"W-wait a moment!"
Wi So-haeng cried out in a hurry.
"I’m terribly sorry, but is there no way around this? I absolutely must see Mount Hua’s sect leader."
"Today is not a day for accepting outsiders. If it’s not urgent, then tomorrow—"
"I-I’m not an outsider."
"Hmm?"
The man who had come out of the gate, Baek Sang, swept Wi So-haeng’s face from top to bottom.
He was someone he had never seen before. And yet he claimed he wasn’t an outsider.
"I came from Hwayeong Gate. We’re an affiliated branch of Mount Hua."
"Did you say Hwayeong Gate?"
Baek Sang’s tone changed at once.
"Yes. I need to see the sect leader urgently because of an issue involving Hwayeong Gate. It’s a matter of some urgency. I know it was my mistake to climb the mountain without fully checking the situation here. But given Hwayeong Gate’s circumstances, could you at least pass my message on to the sect leader?"
Baek Sang answered in a now much more respectful tone.
"I’m sorry, but I have a limited range of knowledge, so I’ve never heard of Hwayeong Gate."
"Th-that..."
"Still, no one can know everything. I’ll go in right away, ask about Hwayeong Gate, and see if I can relay your words to the sect leader."
"Thank you!"
"Please wait a moment."
Baek Sang closed the gate and went back inside. A sigh slipped out of Wi So-haeng before he could stop it. At least he’d avoided the worst-case scenario.
That was a hell of a presence.
He didn’t look all that much older than Wi So-haeng, but there was a sharp, blade-like discipline to him. Just imagining what would happen if the man’s hand held a sword made Wi So-haeng curious.
Is this really Mount Hua?
Wi So-haeng waited anxiously for Baek Sang.
What if they shut the door in my face?
Now that he truly felt how Mount Hua’s stature had changed, his unease grew with it. A Mount Hua that had only just begun to make its name known across the world might not bother with a place like Hwayeong Gate.
However much of an affiliated branch it might be, it had already been several decades since they’d last maintained proper contact...
Just then—
Bang!
The door swung open much more violently than before, and Baek Sang rushed out with a stiff expression.
"You said Hwayeong Gate?"
"Eh? Ah... y-yes! Hwayeong Gate."
"Please come inside. The sect leader says he will see you right away."
"Pardon?"
"Hurry!"
"Ah, yes!"
At the sudden change in attitude, Wi So-haeng followed Baek Sang inside with a bewildered face.
* * *
I’m way too nervous.
Wi So-haeng swallowed dryly.
Opposite him sat Hyun Jong, the sect leader of Mount Hua, his face kind and benevolent.
For someone like Wi So-haeng, who was nothing more than a disciple of a small sect, the very fact that he was facing Mount Hua’s sect leader like this was overwhelming enough.
But the pressure didn’t end there.
On Hyun Jong’s left and right sat men who looked stern enough at a glance to make one sit up straight.
Did they really have to go this far?
He had rushed all the way to Mount Hua with his final sliver of hope still in hand, but he hadn’t truly expected to meet the sect leader himself.
Yet now he was not only seeing the sect leader, but also Mount Hua’s elders and first-generation disciples, and it wasn’t easy to calm the frantic pounding of his heart.
"So."
Hyun Jong spoke in a gentle voice.
"You said you came from Hwayeong Gate?"
"Y-yes! Sect Leader! I’m Wi So-haeng of Hwayeong Gate."
"Hmm. I see. I am Hyun Jong, the sect leader of Mount Hua."
"It is an honor to meet you."
Hyun Jong smiled.
"There’s no need to be so nervous."
"I-I’m a little timid by nature."
Hyun Jong extended a hand and pointed to the tea set placed before Wi So-haeng.
"Then have some tea. It should help steady your mind."
"Thank you."
Wi So-haeng reached out and picked up the teacup. He did drink the tea, but he honestly couldn’t tell what it tasted or smelled like. That alone showed how tense he was.
"Hwayeong Gate. Hwayeong Gate, you say. I do know that there is a branch sect of Mount Hua called Hwayeong Gate, but the last time they visited Mount Hua was... thirteen years ago, I believe?"
"You remember?"
"Of course. You must be that little boy from back then."
"Yes, that’s right."
Back then, Wi So-haeng hadn’t been nervous at all. He had been too young to understand what it meant to climb to the main sect as a branch disciple...
And Mount Hua back then was nothing like Mount Hua now.
The shock at the gate hadn’t been real shock at all. Once he had stepped inside, he’d nearly fainted at the sight of the splendid halls that filled the grounds.
What had happened in those ten years for Mount Hua to change so completely?
It was said that the position shaped the person... no, clothes gave wings...
No, money gave wings!
Feeling the force of Mount Hua’s wealth, he found himself shrinking even more. Was he really in any position to make such a request?
"Yes, yes. So why have you come to see me?"
"Well, Sect Leader, it’s just that..."
But Wi So-haeng wasn’t given much chance to speak.
Bang!
The door opened without warning, and a stern-faced old Daoist strode in with heavy steps.
"Hwayeong Gate? You said someone from Hwayeong Gate was here, Sect Leader?"
"If you enter, at least greet them first..."
"You’re the one who came from Hwayeong Gate?"
Hyun Young glared at Wi So-haeng with fierce eyes. Startled despite himself, Wi So-haeng nodded with a frightened expression.
"Y-yes. I..."
Before he could finish, Hyun Young strode over and swung his arm.
Is he going to hit me!
Wi So-haeng squeezed his eyes shut before he even realized it. But instead, Hyun Young burst into a bright smile and slapped Wi So-haeng on the shoulder.
"Hwayeong Gate! So you really came from Hwayeong Gate! Hahahahaha! Just look at that spirit—so you truly are a disciple of Hwayeong Gate!"
"...""
"What is it! Speak freely! Tell me anything! Did you come because of some hardship? I’ll solve it however I can!"
"...""
Wi So-haeng stared at Hyun Young with a dazed expression.
What the hell was this sudden hospitality?
Unable to bear it any longer, Hyun Jong tried to stop Hyun Young.
"If you behave like that all of a sudden, won’t you only confuse him?"
"Sect Leader! It’s Hwayeong Gate! Don’t you know them?"
"Hmm?"
With a slight twist to his expression, Hyun Young said,
"Among all the branch sects, Hwayeong Gate is the only one that kept sending even a small amount of money to the main sect for the past thirty years! Everyone else only started sending gifts and token amounts once they saw a chance to cling to our name. Was there anywhere besides Hwayeong Gate that treated the main sect well when we looked like beggars?"
No, calling them beggars right in front of the guest?
Could we at least save some face here...
"But Hwayeong Gate is the one that kept sending money so the main sect could somehow stay afloat even while Mount Hua was scraping along the ground! Huh? Money!"
"I said I understand already..."
"There’s no sect like that. Hwayeong Gate is the best among Mount Hua’s branch sects! They kept sending money for more than thirty years and never once asked for anything in return. So how could I not be fond of them?"
His words were rough, but the meaning was perfectly understandable.
The amount of money wasn’t what mattered. When Mount Hua was on the verge of collapsing under debt, how much strength must those funds from Hwayeong Gate have given Hyun Young?
Money could be repaid, but debts of the heart could never truly be settled. Hyun Young had always carried a deep sense of indebtedness toward Hwayeong Gate.
"Right. So what is it? Are you short on money? Just say the word! I’ll lend it to you for dirt cheap."
"...Hyun Sang."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
As Hyun Sang silently rose from his seat, Hyun Young flinched and shut his mouth.
"Ah, understood. I’ll just shut up, then, won’t I?"
Hyun Young pouted and sat back down. Seeing that, Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh.
When is he ever going to mature?
More precisely, he was worried about when Hyun Young would recover the maturity that had abruptly vanished. The maturity Hyun Young had lost the moment Chung Myung arrived still showed no sign of returning.
"Now that you seem a little less tense, tell us the story. Why have you come to Mount Hua?"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Wi So-haeng took a shallow breath and opened his mouth.
"A calamity has befallen Hwayeong Gate. My father sent me to Mount Hua to ask for help."
"What kind of help are you asking for?"
"Chung Myung."
"...Hmm?"
Wi So-haeng’s eyes sharpened.
"I want to ask that Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Chung Myung, to come with me!"
The moment Chung Myung’s name was mentioned, a deep, unpleasant look spread across everyone in the room.