More Than Enough (2)
The appointment ceremony ended simply.
Perhaps, for a ceremony marking the installation of Mount Hua’s Sect Leader—now the leader of a great sect representing all of Shaanxi—it might even have seemed plain to the point of being shabby.
After all, when the head of a great sect changed, it was usually a momentous event that set an entire region buzzing.
And yet, not only the disciples of Mount Hua who took part in the ceremony, but even those watching from a little distance, did not seem to regret its modest scale.
On the contrary, they thought it might have been the ceremony best suited to a sect like Mount Hua.
Un Am, who had received the Purple Sunset Divine Sword, looked down at it with a freshly moved expression. To be honest, he was not the sort of man who had any great sentiment for a sword.
And yet the reason he could not treat this one lightly was because of the meaning bound up in it. This sword—one he had never imagined would ever rest in his hands.
Drawing a deep breath, Un Am slowly began to unsheathe the Purple Sunset Divine Sword.
He watched the pale white light along the blade, but just before it fully cleared the scabbard, he stopped his hand and, after a brief pause, slowly pushed it back in.
Thwack!
For a moment, an impulse stirred within him. The urge to draw the sword all the way and swing it at least once. Set aside what the sword symbolized—any swordsman who held a sword would feel that urge.
And yet the reason he did not draw it completely was simple.
A sword held in his hand had meaning precisely when it was not drawn.
Nothing had really changed.
Un Am had merely stepped in for a brief moment along the path by which the Purple Sunset Divine Sword was passed from Hyun Jong to Baek Cheon. The outcome would not change.
And yet that short process leading to the unchanging result might, perhaps, change many things.
There were countless swords in this world.
Some swords killed on the battlefield; others saved someone’s life. Some were swung for profit, others for oppression.
Whether their use was righteous or wicked, every sword carried its own meaning.
Then—
A sword made as a sword, yet never once used to cut or threaten anyone. A sword that had never been drawn from its scabbard—did that not have meaning of its own?
Un Am smiled faintly.
That’s enough.
Anything beyond that would be far too much to ask.
Un Am quietly turned his head to look at Hyun Jong. As if asking whether it was time to bring the ceremony to a close. But Hyun Jong only looked back at him with a gentle smile, waiting.
Only then did Un Am realize his mistake. He cleared his throat softly, then, with an expression that felt oddly solemn even to himself, opened his mouth.
“Those disciples who will go to Hainan, step forward!”
“Yes!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the disciples of Mount Hua rushed forward and prostrated themselves behind Baek Cheon.
After glancing over them, Un Am spoke again.
“Acting Sect Leader.”
At his call, Baek Cheon turned and offered a respectful salute.
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
At that title, Un Am briefly closed his eyes. But before he could truly take in the emotion of it, he opened them again and spoke with a resolute gaze.
“The one who must carry Mount Hua’s will to Hainan is not me, but the Acting Sect Leader.”
Baek Cheon met his eyes in silence, his own gaze bright.
“However, even if the Sect Leader of Mount Hua cannot go himself, this sword will prove that the Acting Sect Leader’s will is the will of Mount Hua.”
Un Am extended the Purple Sunset Divine Sword, and Baek Cheon accepted it with the greatest courtesy he could muster.
When Baek Cheon fastened the sword at his side, Un Am spoke again.
“Acting Sect Leader.”
“Yes!”
“Lead Mount Hua’s disciples, prove to them that Mount Hua’s righteousness exists, and return.”
“Yes!”
Un Am could see it.
Baek Cheon’s voice as he answered was solemn beyond measure, and yet an energy he could not conceal shimmered beneath it.
That boy…
A person could not live without desire. And yet, seeing his junior disciple honestly rejoice over his ascent to the position of Sect Leader, Un Am felt a strange lump rise in his throat.
It was not only Baek Cheon.
The disciples standing behind him all wore the same, unbroken joy in their eyes.
As Un Am bit lightly at his lip against the tide of emotion, Baek Cheon’s voice rang out.
“Disciple Baek Cheon!”
Un Am’s gaze settled on him.
“I will obey the Sect Leader’s command and clearly convey Mount Hua’s will to the Hainan Sect, then return!”
Un Am slowly nodded, and Baek Cheon straightened. Watching that noble figure, a smile naturally came to Un Am’s lips.
With the Purple Sunset Divine Sword at his side, Baek Cheon began walking toward the main gate. The Five Swords followed behind him like his escort.
He had seen this scene many times before. And yet the figure Un Am now watched was the same as always, and somehow not the same at all.
Then Hyun Jong’s voice came to his ear.
“How was it?”
“……”
“Your heart is not exactly at ease, is it?”
At those words, Un Am let out a short sigh.
“I thought you had made that decision for my sake. But now that I think about it, it seems you were planning to make a fool of me.”
“Haha. That may be so.”
Truthfully, his heart was heavy.
No matter that it had been a decision made by everyone, granting approval was the Sect Leader’s responsibility and no one else’s. To become Sect Leader meant taking responsibility for every such decision.
If even one of those children returned injured, could Un Am bear that pain?
“Did you always feel this way when sending the children out?”
“Hadn’t you guessed?”
“I had. But I didn’t know the difference between that guess and reality would be this great.”
Un Am shook his head.
Only then did he understand why Hyun Jong had changed his mind at the very end.
It was hard enough for those who merely watched. If the one going to Hainan had also to shoulder that responsibility, how heavy would the burden on Baek Cheon’s shoulders become?
This was a decision made for Un Am’s sake, but also Hyun Jong’s consideration for Baek Cheon.
“Only until that child returns.”
“That’s enough for now.”
Un Am nodded.
Just as he was about to exhale and step forward—
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Yes?”
“Now that you’re the Sect Leader, you seem to want to go to the children and bask in the feeling as much as possible. Unfortunately, you don’t have time for that.”
“……”
“Besides, since Baek Cheon is going to Hainan, I’ve got a mountain of things I never handed over to him. I’ll start the transfer right away, so come to my quarters.”
“……Yes?”
“Goodness. This is a relief. If that brat Baek Cheon had become Sect Leader, I might have ended up saddled with work even after becoming Taesang Jangmun.”
“……”
Un Am stared at Hyun Jong. The old man really did look thoroughly relieved. Seeing his master’s mischievous expression for what felt like the first time in his life, Un Am’s face went blank with disbelief.
As Jo Geol headed toward the main gate of the estate, he let out a snicker and spoke.
“Ooooh, Acting Sect Leader~”
The moment he heard that voice, a vein bulged on Baek Cheon’s forehead.
“I thought you were going to get an immediate promotion, but you got bumped down instead. What are you going to do now? My goodness, I can’t help but feel sorry for you, Sahyung! Acting Sect Leader, you must be absolutely crushed!”
“……”
“But don’t worry! This disciple’s loyalty will not change! No matter how much farther around the long road the Acting Sect Leader has to go, I will always stand by your side until I’m cut into five pieces—”
“Your mouth! Your mouth!”
Yoon Jong grabbed Jo Geol by the collar and slapped at his mouth repeatedly. After giving the howling Jo Geol a few more thumps, Yoon Jong chuckled and asked Baek Cheon,
“It’s a little sudden. Did you know about this?”
“No. I didn’t know either. Really.”
A smile bloomed on Baek Cheon’s lips.
“But this is probably the right direction. Thanks to this, I feel a little more at ease too.”
Yoon Jong smiled faintly.
“Didn’t you say that taking responsibility is what allows one to grow? It feels a little strange to see you relieved because some of that responsibility was taken away.”
“That’s different.”
Baek Cheon shook his head.
“If things had gone as they should, the position of Sect Leader ought to have gone to Sasuk. I wanted it that way too, but Sasuk was adamant, so there was nothing to be done.”
“That’s true enough.”
“Even if Sasuk has become Sect Leader, the responsibilities on my shoulders haven’t lessened. The reason I feel relieved is not because the burden is smaller, but because I’ve been freed from the pressure of having something that wasn’t originally my place.”
Baek Cheon shrugged.
“Honestly, even I thought that to receive the Sect Leader’s seat while skipping over the proper generation ranking was…”
“Speak sense, will you!”
In that instant, the voice of a hundred-year-old stubborn old fossil roared in Baek Cheon’s ear.
“What do you mean, huh? In the Great Mount Hua Sect, where rules are alive and proper order is alive! To climb over your betters like a thief going uphill!”
“……”
“I’d rather die before I ever see such a thing! Of course not! Naturally not!”
“Geol.”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
“Go fetch some dirt…”
“……Has a target been decided?”
“If we all work together, wouldn’t it somehow turn out right?”
“Please speak sense. Then the dirt goes in our eyes first.”
“……”
“That’s how it should work properly! That!”
“Good grief.”
From the Five Swords’ point of view, Cheong Myeong was probably just being Cheong Myeong. But for Cheong Myeong, this was a matter of some importance.
Wasn’t Cheong Myeong the very embodiment of a living thief who had thrown aside his own life and achievements and was trying his hardest to remain faithful to the role of Mount Hua’s third-generation disciple?
From his point of view, here was a generation ranking that had once meant he would have set the children on his knees and played with them—but now he was treating them with due respect. There was no way he could tolerate seeing that same ranking turn upside down right in front of him.
“A sect, by rights, means this!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
“If we keep listening to him, another day will pass. Please, just let’s go! Hainan!”
“Give me some cotton. I’m going to plug my ears and walk.”
The disciples of Mount Hua shook their heads in weary resignation and left Cheong Myeong behind, heading for the main gate.
There, already waiting for them, were those who had finished preparing.
Namgung Dowi, Tang Pae, and Seol Sobaek. And even Im So-byeong, whose mouth was jutting out by at least three inches.
Baek Cheon offered them a greeting on behalf of the group.
“Thank you for waiting.”
“Not at all.”
Namgung Dowi accepted the courtesy.
“It is only natural. Congratulations on officially becoming Acting Sect Leader, Baek Cheon Dojang.”
“Thank you.”
“First, to the Namgung Clan…”
“Ah!”
At that moment, Im So-byeong suddenly shouted.
“Are you trying to keep me here till dawn? Dawn? Come on, let’s just get moving! Why would you change Sect Leaders on the very day of departure and make everyone wait? And to go and make such a huge fuss over something that has no meaning at all… keeeugh!”
Cheong Myeong shot into the air as if ascending to heaven and drove the sole of his foot straight into Im So-byeong’s face. Then he pounced on him like a wolf.
“No meaning? You spineless liberal bastard, what do you think the succession ceremony of the Great Mount Hua Sect is—”
“Aaagh! Ah! Aaaagh!”
“We’re already going to Jiangnan, so let’s clean up one corpse from a liberal bastard before we go! Die! Die, you liberal bastard!”
“Aaaagh! Please, spare me! Aaagh!”
Everyone watching Cheong Myeong beat Im So-byeong like a rat let out a synchronized sigh.
“Shall we depart?”
“……Yes, let’s.”
It seemed this journey to Hainan was not going to be an easy one either.