Still, I Walk With Them (5)
"You’re late."
Hyun Jong’s brow furrowed on its own.
According to the message from Namyung, they should have arrived long ago by now.
So it really was the Sword Tomb.
Without meaning to, Hyun Jong let out a sigh.
It was greed.
If Hwayeong Gate’s leader was right, then the disciples who had gone to Namyung must have entered the Sword Tomb and come back out with nothing to show for it.
After hearing how dangerous the Sword Tomb was, Hyun Jong had been unable to stop himself from snapping at them, wondering why they would ever set foot in such a place.
But once he thought about why they would risk their lives to go there, all he felt was sorry.
"Sect Leader."
"Hmm?"
At Hyun Sang’s call, Hyun Jong turned his head.
"You must scold the children properly."
"Mm."
Hyun Sang’s face had hardened slightly.
"I’m not saying this because I dislike them. We are a sect with nothing. The glory of the past is only that—the past. Right now, we are merely a sect starting over."
"Yes."
"For us, the most precious thing of all is the children. They must understand that their safety matters far more than any gain they might bring to the sect."
Hyun Jong nodded vigorously.
"I’ll make sure they understand that very clearly."
Un Am, who had been listening from the side, smiled faintly.
"But praise for their accomplishments is also necessary. This time, those children truly did far too much."
"Right, right. That’s true as well."
The volume of his voice changed completely.
When it came to scolding the children, Hyun Jong had looked grim, but the moment he spoke of praising them, his mood lifted and his voice grew louder with excitement. Hyun Sang watched that sight and gave a wry smile.
Well, they really did accomplish something incredible.
They had fought the Wudang Sect and won.
And even after entering that dangerous Sword Tomb, they had come back alive. Since Hyun Sang had joined Mount Hua, there had never been a single instance in which the sect had achieved such a feat.
There was the Hwajong Jihoe, of course, but that competition had happened within Mount Hua itself. Naturally, there had been plenty of people who refused to believe it.
In the end, what mattered was that Mount Hua’s disciples had gone out into the martial world and proudly made the sect’s name known.
And the fact that they had also rebuilt Hwayeong Gate, which had nearly collapsed completely, allowing the Mount Hua branch to continue, was an enormous achievement as well.
Even Hyun Sang felt so full from the news that he could hardly eat, so how much more must the Sect Leader be feeling?
Hyun Jong kept glancing toward the mountain gate.
His hands, which always rested heavily on his knees, were fidgeting today, unable to settle.
Hyun Sang found himself smiling.
Of course he’d be happy.
How could he not be pleased?
He wasn’t happy simply because they had gained something from this trip. What delighted him was the sight of Mount Hua’s disciples going out into the world and bringing honor to the sect’s name.
Only a few years ago, hadn’t they been on the verge of losing even their main mountain base?
Compared to that time, they were now overwhelmed with blessings.
Chung Myung really changed so much.
Of course, Chung Myung alone had not done all of this. Hyun Sang did not deny that the efforts of the other second-generation and third-generation disciples had been enormous as well.
But the one who made those efforts possible was Chung Myung.
Like a stone cast into a calm lake sending ripples across the surface, Chung Myung’s existence had thrown the stagnant waters of Mount Hua into violent upheaval.
If I had to compare it to something, it wouldn’t be a pebble tossed into a lake. It’d be more like a boulder dropped into a pond.
It had completely changed the shape of the pond itself.
"Where is Hyun Young?"
"...Sect Leader told him to prepare a banquet so it would be ready no matter when the children arrived."
"Ah, that’s right."
"Please calm yourself. And Hyun Young is an elder too, is he not? If you keep assigning him such trivial tasks, it won’t do for the dignity of the sect."
Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Sang as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
"When I told the Un Generation to handle it, that old fox said he didn’t trust them and went himself—what am I supposed to do, tie him down?"
Ah, so that was it?
"He went off all fired up, saying he had to feed the kids something delicious. How exactly am I supposed to stop him?"
"...I’m sorry."
Hyun Sang really hadn’t known that.
Thinking of Hyun Young made Hyun Sang shake his head before he could stop himself. Compared to the old Hyun Young, who used to look half-dead from the pressure of their empty coffers, this was much better—but...
Isn’t this a little much?
These days, Mount Hua seemed to lack any sense of moderation. Elders, disciples, it made no difference.
"Hm!"
Suddenly, Hyun Jong’s eyes widened slightly.
"Could that be them?"
"Ah..."
Hyun Sang quickly turned his head. He too could feel a presence approaching rapidly.
"It does seem to be them."
"Hohoho. I don’t know what could be so urgent that they’re rushing back like that."
With a hearty laugh, Hyun Jong walked toward the mountain gate.
It might not have been proper for the Sect Leader to go out personally to greet returning disciples, but Hyun Jong had never been one to care much for such things.
Wasn’t it only natural to express joy as it was truly felt?
When Hyun Jong stood before the gate, the passing disciples also began gathering around it in small numbers. They didn’t know exactly what was happening, but they could sense something was about to unfold.
Watching them, Hyun Jong smiled warmly.
At last, Mount Hua had reached the day when disciples gathered to celebrate those who had gone out and returned with results.
Feeling the rapid approach of the returning group right up to the gate, Hyun Jong smiled gently and opened his mouth.
"Welcome back. You must have had a hard time—"
KWA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-ANG!
"W-What was that!"
"An attack!"
Hyun Jong’s warm greeting was, quite literally, drowned out by the thunderous explosion that erupted from the mountain gate as it was blown apart.
Seeing the shattered gate, misty moisture rose in the corners of Hyun Sang’s eyes.
It was only just rebuilt too...
And through the wrecked doorway came a swarm of people in bizarre, ragged shapes.
"Huh?"
Hyun Sang instinctively sucked in a sharp breath and gripped his sword.
But then he realized the people who had burst through were Mount Hua’s disciples. Their condition was so filthy that he hadn’t recognized them at first glance.
Did they go through a battlefield or something?
Watching the children charge in, caked in dirt and dust with bloodshot eyes, he couldn’t help wondering what in the world was going on.
But unlike Hyun Sang, who was still stunned, Hyun Jong maintained the dignity befitting a Sect Leader.
He spread both arms slightly and wore a broad, benevolent smile.
"You all must have worked very hard. Come on back—"
"Sect Leader!"
At the front, Chung Myung suddenly barked as if his emotions had burst free, then launched himself into Hyun Jong’s arms.
"Hohohoho."
Hyun Jong laughed heartily, clearly overjoyed. A disciple who had earned merit was showing his affection like a son returning to his father after a long absence—what Sect Leader would dislike that...
"Heave-ho!"
...Huh?
What are you doing?
It didn’t take long for him to realize something was wrong.
Chung Myung, who had rushed at him, suddenly hoisted Hyun Jong up and threw him over his shoulder before breaking into a dead run toward the Sect Leader’s quarters.
"W-What are you—!"
Hyun Sang was shocked and hurried to stop him, but then—
Whoosh!
Huh?
A familiar face suddenly came into view.
"B-Baek Cheon! What are you doing, huh? Wa—"
But Baek Cheon, without a word, hoisted Hyun Sang onto his back and started running after Chung Myung.
Meanwhile Un Geom, who had been standing there dazed and wide-eyed, was abruptly shoved onto Yoon Jong’s shoulder before he knew what was happening.
And just like that, the three of them dashed toward the Sect Leader’s quarters like lunatics.
The startled Mount Hua disciples tried to follow them.
But—
Ching! Ching!
Jo Gul drew his sword and glared menacingly at the disciples behind them.
"Don’t come any closer. I’ll cut down anyone who gets near."
"..."
With Jo Gul threatening them and Yu I-seol standing behind him to back him up, no one dared approach.
Even those who seemed about to speak shut their mouths tight when they saw the half-feral look in Jo Gul’s eyes.
Why is he like that?
Since when has he ever not been like that?
Enough already. Please, just enough!
As Jo Gul and Yu I-seol backed away and followed after the group ahead of them, someone let out a deep sigh.
"...Those mad bastards have gone and kidnapped the Sect Leader now."
No one objected to the fact that the “mad bastard” had turned into “mad bastards.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"W-W-W... W-What...? What is this?"
Hyun Jong’s hands trembled violently around the box.
Beside him sat Hyun Sang and Un Am, who had been “kidnapped” along with him, and in front of him lay Chung Myung and the others, sprawled out like a band of beggars after a long night on the road.
"Kuhhhhh..."
"I feel like I’m going to die... I really feel like I’m going to die."
Ordinarily, one should present oneself neatly and properly before the Sect Leader, but by this point, none of them had even the strength left to care.
Why?
The reason was simple.
Every single person in the world started looking like a thief.
Dammit, once I realized the Honwon Pill was right beside me, I couldn’t even sleep.
I nearly started a knife fight just because someone bumped my shoulder.
What kind of treasure was the Honwon Pill?
In the martial world, no one would trade even a thousand gold for a single pill. It was, quite literally, a priceless treasure.
More than that, what they had obtained wasn’t merely the Honwon Pill.
The Honwon Scriptures!
Hadn’t they also obtained the secret method for making the Honwon Pill?
No matter how great the Honwon Pill was, it could not compare to the Honwon Scriptures. If word ever got out that Mount Hua possessed the Honwon Scriptures, there would be more than one or two people who would come charging at Mount Hua in full armor this very instant.
In the end, Mount Hua’s disciples had no choice but to set out in anxious secrecy, hiding the fact that they had obtained the Honwon Scriptures.
The problem was that carrying such a precious treasure around made them jump at the sight of anyone from afar. It was only because the Honwon Scriptures had been tucked inside Chung Myung’s chest that they had even made it this far. Without Chung Myung, it wouldn’t have been strange if a dozen knife fights had already broken out.
With their nerves stretched to the absolute limit for so long, the Mount Hua disciples had eventually come to one conclusion: it was better to get back to Mount Hua as fast as possible, by any means necessary. That was why they had sprinted here nonstop at full speed.
"W-What was this thing again?"
"The Honwon Pill."
"H-Honwon... Honwon Pill? H-Honwon pill? You mean... that Honwon Pill? Yak Seon’s Honwon Pill?"
"Yes. And the Honwon Scriptures, too—the method for refining it came with them."
"R-Refining? The refining method?"
Hyun Jong’s eyes kept drifting farther and farther off focus.
What are these brats even saying?
Yak Seon?
The Yak Seon from two hundred years ago?
They had obtained that Yak Seon’s Honwon Pill and the refining method for it?
Just how?
"Th-This is... no, what in the world is this..."
For Hyun Jong, who did not know that Talgeom Muheun was Yak Seon’s other identity and did not fully understand what kind of place the Sword Tomb was, it felt like being struck by lightning under a clear blue sky—no, a golden bolt of lightning.
Out of nowhere, the Honwon Pill and the Honwon Scriptures?
"At least check it first."
Hyun Jong swallowed dryly.
Click.
With the sound of the box opening, a fragrance as pure and clear as mountain spring water instantly filled the room.
"Ooooh!"
"M-My heavens!"
Hyun Sang and Un Am reacted with a force that was almost shocking to see from them. Hyun Jong too could not hide his excitement as he looked inside the box.
"Th-This is... this really is..."
It was just then, as a hazy film of emotion began to gather in the Sect Leader’s eyes, that—
BANG!
"Eek!"
"Aaaah! You scared me!"
The door suddenly flew open, and someone strode in.
"No, when the children arrive you should at least let them eat first—"
Hyun Young.
He stopped mid-sentence and looked back and forth between the box in Hyun Jong’s hands and Chung Myung. Then, at last, he wore the warmest smile in the world.
"So what have you brought back this time?"
"..."
What a darling little thing.