The Black Swords of Mount Hua Are Strong (2)
Wi Lip-san, who had spent the entire night awake, staring at the sky with bloodshot eyes, looked up at the heavens.
The sun was already high overhead.
This is insane.
In the end, Wi Lip-san had been swept along by the atmosphere of that Chung Myung bunch yesterday. For a man with his years to be dragged around by the mood of boys young enough to be his sons would normally have been unthinkable, but those brats were anything but normal.
In the end, Chung Myung had only fallen asleep after draining every last jar of liquor in Hwayeong Gate’s storehouse. The scary part was that, if his sahyungs hadn’t stopped him, it had really looked like he would have kept going no matter what.
Was it really all right?
The Mount Hua disciples had clearly gone too far yesterday.
Hadn’t they riled the Wudang disciples up to the point of fury? If Wi Lip-san had been humiliated like that, he wouldn’t have let it slide, either.
If fighting broke out today, there was no way Mount Hua’s disciples would get out of it unscathed.
And yet…
Wi Lip-san quietly opened the window.
He could see the Mount Hua disciples already outside, basking in the morning sun.
“Haaah…”
After a long yawn, Jo Gul looked at Yoon Jong and asked, “When are they coming?”
“Didn’t they say today?”
“The sun’s already up.”
“They said they’d come around the same time as yesterday, so there’s still plenty of time. If you’ve got nothing to do, go in and get some sleep.”
“I’ve gotten used to waking up at dawn every day. I’m not sleepy anymore.”
“...That’s a pretty sad story.”
His heart may have been one thing, but Jo Gul’s body had been thoroughly trained into Chung Myung’s way of life. The saddest part was that Yoon Jong felt exactly the same.
“Where’s Chung Myung?”
“He’s dead asleep. He drank so much last night that it’d be weird if he were awake.”
“...Go wake him up. The Wudang bastards will be here soon.”
“Do you really think he’ll get up if I wake him?”
“Dump water on him if you have to.”
“...I’ll try.”
Wi Lip-san quietly closed the window.
Father. I truly don’t know anymore.
It felt as though his late father was looking down at him from the heavens with a sour expression.
Then the door opened, and Yan-pyeong and Wi So-haeng came inside.
“Father.”
“...What is it?”
“What are we supposed to do?”
“Hm?”
“The Wudang disciples will be attacking soon. Shouldn’t we fight alongside them?”
Wi Lip-san let out a deep sigh.
In truth, he still hadn’t decided what he ought to do. It was Mount Hua that had provoked Wudang, not Hwayeong Gate. In the worst-case scenario, if they were prepared to leave Namyang altogether, then if they stayed out of the fight and cut ties, Hwayeong Gate might escape serious damage.
If they said they would leave Namyang of their own accord, Wudang would no longer have any reason to keep harassing Hwayeong Gate.
But if they stood and fought alongside them, they would have to be prepared for casualties. Perhaps many of their disciples would bleed. As for Wi Lip-san and Wi So-haeng, they would have to abandon any hope of walking away unscathed.
What should I do?
Deep worry tormented Wi Lip-san.
In the end, unable to make up his mind, he looked at Wi So-haeng and asked, “What do you think we should do?”
It wasn’t a question he expected much from. He had only asked casually, out of confusion. But Wi So-haeng’s answer was far more serious than he’d imagined.
“I think we should fight, of course.”
“...Why?”
“They are guests, and we are the hosts. A host doesn’t leave the fighting to the guests and just stand there watching.”
“...”
“And also…”
Wi Lip-san did not urge him on. He simply waited for him to continue.
“The reason I respected Father and cherished Hwayeong Gate was because Father and Hwayeong Gate had pride. Father never thought it was a waste to support fallen Mount Hua, and he never asked for anything in return. Because we are Mount Hua’s branch sect.”
“...That’s true.”
“Even if we’re a branch sect, we’re still disciples. How could we just stand by and watch our martial brothers fight?”
Wi Lip-san turned his head slightly away.
It was hard to meet Wi So-haeng’s eyes.
“I met the Sect Leader. He sent his disciples to help Hwayeong Gate without the slightest hesitation. Their methods may not have been right. But that doesn’t mean their hearts were wrong, either. Even if I die today, I’ll fight alongside them.”
I’m ashamed.
Those were the very words he himself had often spoken.
And yet, when crisis came, he had looked away, while Wi So-haeng was standing alone and preserving what he had taught him.
How could he not be ashamed?
“Yan-pyeong.”
“Yes, Gate Master.”
“Tell the disciples this: those who want to fight should stay, and those who don’t should go home right now.”
“...Gate Master.”
“I won’t hold anyone who leaves Hwayeong Gate responsible for anything. And if Hwayeong Gate survives the day, I’ll take them back unconditionally.”
“Then no one will stay.”
“No.”
Wi Lip-san smiled faintly.
“I will stay, and so will So-haeng.”
“...”
“That’s enough. We’ll bear Mount Hua’s name and fight.”
Yan-pyeong shook his head.
“Then please, the two of you do as you wish.”
“You won’t go?”
“I’ll fight bearing not Mount Hua’s name, but Hwayeong Gate’s.”
“...”
“The weather is lovely today, Gate Master.”
After a long silence, Wi Lip-san smiled faintly and nodded.
“So it is.”
Looking out at the distant sky beyond the window, firm resolve settled into Wi Lip-san’s eyes.
“It is fine weather.”
“Ughhh. My stomach’s killing me.”
“...Cut back on the drinking!”
“You’re like a colt with the reins snapped!”
Chung Myung clutched his head.
“Hey, don’t yell. My head’s ringing.”
“...You’re still talking about drinking at a time like this? We’re about to fight.”
“I’ll just sober up.”
Chung Myung spread his fingers. At the tips of his fingers, a faint, translucent haze began to rise.
He was forcing out the alcohol poison.
Baek Cheon watched the sight, then rose to his feet. And in a far more solemn tone than before, he spoke.
“Listen up, all of you.”
“Yes!”
“Up until now, I didn’t say a word no matter what you did. But things are different now. Don’t forget that today’s fight isn’t just our fight. We are fighting with Mount Hua’s name on our backs.”
“We’ll remember.”
Determination settled over Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and Yu I-seol’s faces. Even Chung Myung, for once, nodded without a trace of a smile.
“The Sect Leader said this would be the signal fire announcing to the whole world that Mount Hua had begun taking action outside.”
Baek Cheon’s gaze fixed on Chung Myung.
“Chung Myung.”
“I get it. I get it. Easy now…”
“No!”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung’s eyes widened a little as he looked at Baek Cheon.
“If you’re going to do it, do it properly.”
“Oh?”
It was strange hearing those words come out of Baek Cheon’s mouth.
“Since we’re bound to become enemies anyway, it’s better to make it clear.”
“Didn’t the Sect Leader say not to?”
“Wasn’t it you who said you’d smash Wudang’s heads in before the Sect Leader ascended to the heavens?”
“Oho?”
Chung Myung’s lips twisted subtly.
I like it.
The old Baek Cheon had been a man obsessed with righteousness and fairness to an excessive degree. But after being slowly colored over the course of two years, he had now even learned how to ignore the Sect Leader’s words… no, to interpret them a little more favorably.
“Keh. This sect is really going places!”
“...”
Chung Myung’s mouth curled upward.
“But do you actually understand what that means?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what it means for Mount Hua to start acting outside the sect.”
“...Doesn’t it mean exactly that?”
Chung Myung snorted.
“Moving outward means we’re also going to pay attention to what’s outside. But what kind of outside activities could Mount Hua even have?”
“...Beats me.”
“Can’t you figure it out from Hwayeong Gate?”
“You mean branch sects?”
Chung Myung nodded.
“Exactly. We’re going to keep expanding branch sects. Then the exact same thing that happened now will happen again, only with the roles reversed.”
“Hm.”
“That means the easy days of nothing but training are over.”
“Easy days?”
“You call that training easy?”
“You’re crossing a line, you know?”
Under the fierce backlash, Chung Myung flinched.
Just then, led by Wi Lip-san, Wi So-haeng, Yan-pyeong, and about ten Hwayeong Gate disciples approached with solemn expressions.
Stopping directly in front of Chung Myung, Wi Lip-san cupped his fists toward Baek Cheon.
“Baek Cheon Daoist. I was too unsettled to do what I should have done. I bow my head in gratitude to you, your party, and to Mount Hua, for rushing here at once upon seeing Hwayeong Gate’s hardship.”
As Wi Lip-san bowed deeply, Baek Cheon immediately reached out and helped him straighten up.
“Please don’t do this, Gate Master. We only did what we ought to have done.”
“I don’t know how today’s battle will end, but I will lead Hwayeong Gate and fight alongside you Daoists.”
The hesitation had vanished from Wi Lip-san’s face. Seeing that expression, Baek Cheon felt his own heart loosen in spite of himself.
Just as I thought.
They’d said the Hwayeong Gate Master had the makings of a great hero, and it seemed that was true. If he put himself in their position, even Baek Cheon would not have been able to step forward so readily and swear to fight alongside people in this state.
“Thank you, Gate Master.”
“Keh!”
Chung Myung clapped his hands.
“That’s real loyalty for you.”
“...”
Baek Cheon wasn’t the only one who thought that loyalty sounded suspiciously like “money.”
“But, um…”
Chung Myung scratched his head.
“The number’s a little?”
“I told those who wanted to leave to leave.”
“And yet this many are still left.”
Chung Myung nodded.
“That’s a good sect. Good people, too.”
At the somewhat wistful tone in his voice, everyone turned to look at Chung Myung.
“No, well…”
Chung Myung, who had seemed about to say something, merely laughed it off.
Mount Hua used to be like that, too.
Or maybe that was just his own thought.
Of course, the Mount Hua of now would become the same way.
“But I don’t think there’s anything in particular for you to do.”
“...Pardon?”
“Hm. How should I explain this? You’ll understand once you see it.”
Chung Myung shrugged and turned his head.
Soon, his gaze fixed on the main gate.
“Looks like they’re coming.”
“You can already feel that?”
“They’re coming from out there. They’re moving at a pretty leisurely pace, too.”
“...You monster.”
Baek Cheon shook his head. He still hadn’t sensed anything, but for Chung Myung, it seemed as though it were right before his eyes.
Then again, when had it ever been just a day or two since Chung Myung had started acting like this was nothing supernatural?
“All right, they’re here!”
Baek Cheon, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and Yu I-seol all stepped forward together and rested their hands on the swords at their waists. They had already said everything they needed to say, so Wudang would surely come at them without a word of warning.
“Don’t tense up.”
Baek Cheon spoke in a low voice.
“Don’t forget the training you’ve done. We lose to no one. We are disciples of the Great Mount Hua Sect.”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
“Yes, sahyung.”
The disciples’ eyes sank low. There wasn’t a trace left of the playfulness they had shown until now. Only the cold, blade-like bearing of swordsmen remained.
Baek Cheon had felt it too—the enemy’s presence.
“They’re coming!”
Everyone’s attention turned toward the wall surrounding Hwayeong Gate. In their eyes, they could see the Wudang disciples in black robes leaping over the wall with incredible ease.
Three of them!
All right, let’s handle them one by one…
That was when it happened.
“Hyah!”
From behind them, something like a violent gust burst forth, and a pale blur shot toward the Wudang disciples climbing over the wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Wudang disciples were blown backward at least twice as fast as they had leapt in.
The tension that had been coiled tight in the bodies of the four people, ready to spring forward at any moment, suddenly drained away.
“Huh?”
Chung Myung tilted his head at the sight.
“Should’ve at least let them get inside first, right?”
“...”
Fine, why don’t you just handle everything by yourself, damn it!