Don’t Say It Yet. (2)
Early the next morning.
All the disciples of Mount Hua gathered in the Great Training Ground.
Standing in neat rows with tense expressions, they kept glancing around and whispering under their breath.
"What's going on?"
"Who knows? Did anyone hear anything?"
"I didn't hear a thing. They just told us to gather here and that was it...."
In the end, one of the Baek generation disciples cautiously asked Baek Cheon, who stood near the front.
"Big Sahyung, did you hear anything?"
"You'll know soon enough. Quiet down."
"...Yes, sir."
Baek Cheon stole a glance ahead and smiled faintly.
Looks like it worked.
Well, of course.
That damned bastard had stepped up himself—how could it fail? If it did, they'd have to go all the way back to Yunnan again, and the man would make sure it succeeded simply because he hated that idea more than anything.
In his line of sight, he saw Yoon Jong wearing a nearly identical expression.
Yoon Jong, who had been smiling softly as he looked ahead, suddenly twitched his brow and slowly turned his head back.
He glared at the Cheong generation disciples who had been whispering.
"If you still have enough energy to chatter, then I suppose training has been too easy for you."
"...."
Jo Gul, standing beside Yoon Jong, chimed in.
"Looks like we underestimated the disciples, Sahyung."
"Hmm. I suppose so. From today on, we'll have to increase the training volume a little."
The faces of the Cheong generation disciples went visibly pale.
Weren't you lot in the same position as us not too long ago?!
What the hell happened to you in Yunnan? What the hell!
Aigoo. There are three Chung Myungs now. Three of them. Just kill me already, kill me!
Watching this, the Baek generation disciples snickered.
At the sound of that laughter, Baek Cheon's head tilted sharply.
"What's so funny?"
"...."
The Baek generation disciples, seeing that wild look in Baek Cheon's eyes for the first time, trembled all over.
"Let's do well."
"...Yes, sir."
The Baek generation and the Cheong generation, now sharing the same miserable fate, exchanged tearful looks with each other.
They used to be such kind, gentle Sahyungs. How had they ended up like this?
It was all because of that demon.
As the saying went, black ink ruined the white silk around it. Spending too much time beside that demon had stained them all, hadn't it?
Still, Baek Cheon clicked his tongue as he looked from behind at his disciples standing there with gloomy faces.
Only the Sect Leader, the elders, and a handful of Un generation disciples knew why Chung Myung and Baek Cheon had gone to Yunnan. No one else even knew Honwon Dan existed.
They said there was no such thing as a secret in this world, but the fewer people who knew, the less time it took for that secret to spread. That was why they'd kept it from even the rest of Mount Hua's disciples.
Of course, everyone would find out today anyway. And they would probably be shocked to death.
Then it happened.
"Has everyone gathered?"
Unam, the Elder of Medicine, entered the Great Training Ground.
"Yes, sir!"
The answer thundered back.
Unam, who stood at the very front among the Un generation disciples, looked at Unam and asked,
"Elder of Medicine. Where is the Sect Leader?"
"He is coming now."
Unam nodded. He was one of those who had already guessed what was going on.
"First—"
Unam cleared his throat and continued.
"The reason I summoned everyone here is to distribute the spiritual medicine that was refined in Mount Hua!"
As soon as those words fell, the crowd immediately began to murmur again.
"Spiritual medicine?"
"Mount Hua had spiritual medicine?"
"No, he said it was refined now. That means they made it newly."
"They refined it again?"
Baek Sang's eyes widened as he looked at Baek Cheon.
"Sahyung. Then the reason you went all the way to Yunnan was...?"
"That's right."
Since there was no need to hide it anymore, Baek Cheon admitted it readily.
"We went to obtain the ingredients for the medicine."
"Th-then you secured the ingredients, and now you've succeeded in refining it?"
"Didn't Sahyung say so?"
"Heavens above...."
Baek Sang's eyes went round.
Was refining medicine really something that easy?
At that moment, someone shot a hand into the air.
When Unam nodded, the disciple who had raised his hand asked quickly,
"May I ask what kind of spiritual medicine you'll be distributing this time?"
The answer came without hesitation.
"Jaso-dan."
"Jaso.... Pardon? Jaso-dan?"
The one who had asked the question went wide-eyed.
Jaso-dan?
Wasn't that Mount Hua's greatest spiritual medicine, long since lost?
"Y-you're saying you can make Jaso-dan?"
"That's right."
Unam said firmly,
"After much effort, we succeeded in restoring the method of refining Jaso-dan. Fortunately, we were also able to obtain every ingredient without fail."
"Then the reason the Sect Leader was away for ten whole days was...."
"He was busy refining it."
"Ah...."
Baek Cheon struggled not to laugh.
Of course, Mount Hua had not actually restored the method for refining Jaso-dan. What they'd gone after was the refining method for Honwon Dan.
But sometimes lies were more useful than truth.
If even Mount Hua's own disciples believed it that way, then the rumor that Mount Hua had obtained Honwon Dan's refining method would never spread.
Yak Seon would be pounding the ground right about now.
But what could they do?
He had to blame the fact that Chung Myung had gotten his hands on it.
"Th-then you're saying you'll be distributing Jaso-dan to all of us?"
"That's right. The pills are a little smaller since they had to be divided among everyone, but from the elders all the way down to the youngest Cheong generation disciples, all of you will receive an equal share."
The training ground's atmosphere instantly heated up.
What martial artist did not dream of divine weapons and elixirs?
What stood one step above elixirs was spiritual medicine, and among those, the finest quality in Mount Hua was Jaso-dan.
Of course, it might not compare to Shaolin's Great Return Pill or Wudang's Taecheongdan, but even so, wasn't it still something?
Hearing the disciples murmur excitedly among themselves, Unam had to swallow his laughter in secret.
It'll be better than Great Return Pill, you idiots!
Of course, because the pills were smaller, the effect might not equal that of a Great Return Pill if taken pill for pill. But that was only if one ignored the amount consumed.
The newly created Jaso-dan of Mount Hua would never be inferior to Great Return Pill. If anything, it would likely surpass it.
Unam was already looking forward to seeing how much stronger they would become once they took it.
But not everyone reacted with joy.
"Is this really all right?"
"What's what?"
"It's a newly made spiritual medicine, isn't it? What if there are side effects? They say if you consume a poorly refined pill, you can go mad from qi deviation."
"Come on, that's ridiculous."
"No, think about it. Mount Hua hasn't made spiritual medicine in almost a hundred years. So what are we supposed to trust?"
It wasn't pleasant to hear, but it wasn't wrong either.
Creating a new spiritual medicine was a good thing, but how many people would be willing to test its effects and stability with their own bodies?
Excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and suspicion all swept through the training ground at once.
And seeing that reaction, Unam smiled as though it didn't bother him in the slightest. Unam quietly looked at him for a moment before speaking.
"Unam."
"Yes, Sahyung."
"Is the pill's stability certain?"
"Yes, Sahyung. We have already completed the test."
"Who did?"
"Ah, that is...."
Unam, who had been speaking, turned his head slightly and then broke into a grin.
"You'll see for yourself. They're coming now."
"Hmm?"
Unam had one question.
Namely, why was Unam the one explaining all this?
Of course, as the Elder of Medicine, he had the duty to explain matters like this. But if they were going to say they had made Jaso-dan and were distributing it to the disciples, surely it made more sense for the Sect Leader, Hyun Jong, to be the one to speak, not him.
So why had Unam, rather than Hyun Jong, been the one to explain everything?
Step. Step.
Seeing the people slowly walking toward the Great Training Ground, Unam understood the reason immediately.
His mouth slowly fell open.
Step. Step.
Four people.
Four people were walking toward the Great Training Ground.
Unam rubbed his eyes over and over again. But no matter how many times he blinked, no matter how hard he rubbed them or pinched his cheeks, the sight before him remained unchanged.
W-what in the world?
What on earth was happening?
The four people walked calmly up onto the platform. Unam naturally moved aside, leaving the center position empty.
"Ahem."
The one who stepped to the very front spoke in a deep voice as he looked over everyone.
"Unam has probably explained the situation, but...."
"Wait!"
At that instant, Baek Cheon shot up his hand. The man whose words had been interrupted narrowed his brow slightly and looked at him.
"What is it?"
"Th-this is... uh.... I know this is an extremely odd question, but...."
"Ask it."
Baek Cheon swallowed dryly and struggled to speak.
Even he knew the question was absurd, but he had no choice.
"Wh-who are you?"
"Hohohohoho."
The one standing in the center—Hyun Jong—burst into hearty laughter.
"So now you can't even recognize your own Sect Leader, you little brat?"
"Y-you're really the S-Sect Leader?"
Baek Cheon's jaw dropped.
N-no. Right, he is, but....
He was definitely wearing Mount Hua's uniform. The figure and the Taoist cap on his head made him unmistakably the Mount Hua Sect Leader, Hyun Jong, that Baek Cheon knew.
But....
No, anyone can see that's a different person, can't they?
The reason Baek Cheon was shocked was Hyun Jong's face.
The face that had been covered in wrinkles now boasted skin so smooth and fair it looked like a child's, and the hair that had once been white as though dusted with frost had turned glossy black, as if painted with ink.
"Y-you've... rejuvenated?"
As Baek Cheon blinked in confusion, Hyun Jong smiled gently.
"Heh. It seems this appearance is awkward for you."
It wasn't only Hyun Jong.
"Th-then the two beside him are Elder Hyun Young and Elder Hyun Sang?"
The people standing to Hyun Jong's left and right had also apparently rejuvenated, looking no less than twenty years younger than before.
"You're asking the obvious. Then who else would they be?"
"....Heavens."
No... upon closer inspection, their familiar faces were still there, and yet...
At that moment, Yu I-seol, who stood beside Baek Cheon, murmured.
"Their old faces."
"Huh?"
"The face from when I first came to Mount Hua. No.... A little younger than that."
Yu I-seol tilted her head.
At least twenty years younger, then.
Unam smiled faintly and then cupped his fists toward the Sect Leader and the elders.
"Seeing the three of you rejuvenated brings this disciple nothing but joy. Might I ask what caused such a blessed thing to happen?"
"What other reason would there be?"
Hyun Jong smiled broadly and glanced at Hyun Sang. Hyun Sang then unfolded the silk cloth he had brought and laid out the Jaso-dan one by one.
"We worried there might be a problem, so we took it first ourselves, and this happened. Hoho. The effects were so immediate that it became troublesome."
Then Hyun Young, standing beside him, laughed and said,
"What, were you thinking of taking a new wife?"
"My first wife, you bastard!"
Hyun Jong exploded.
"Ah, right."
Even as the three of them exchanged cheerful jokes at the front, no one else could laugh. Because this, more than anything, was no joke.
The Mount Hua disciples' eyes began to burn.
That's insane! The effect is ridiculous!
What the hell is that thing?
I have to eat that. No, even if it kills me after I eat it, I still have to eat it!
What clearer proof could there possibly be?
Even if someone claimed a person who took an elixir could pierce through a mountain with one hand, it wouldn't feel as convincing as this.
If you eat it, you live twenty more years!
Twenty years? What are you talking about? I'll probably live thirty years longer!
Look at that shine in their hair. My God....
Watching the elderly-looking elders turn into middle-aged men who would draw glances anywhere they went, the disciples shifted with growing restlessness.
Even Unam, who was usually calmer than anyone in Mount Hua, could not help flinching as he stared at the Jaso-dan.
And...
No, what the hell did that madman make?
Is that really Honwon Dan? It doesn't look like it at all.
Please, Chung Myung, can we just do things normally for once?
Baek Cheon's group, who already knew the true effect and shape of Honwon Dan, looked back and forth in bewilderment between the spiritual medicine, Chung Myung, and the rejuvenated elders.
For one thing, Honwon Dan absolutely did not have an effect like that. They had already taken Honwon Dan, hadn't they? And that faintly violet spiritual medicine was absolutely not Honwon Dan.
More than anything else—
Look at that bastard's face. It's so awkward.
Seeing the subtly uneasy expression on Chung Myung's face, they could tell at once.
This was definitely that bastard's doing again.
Meeting their brazen stares head-on, Chung Myung only smiled awkwardly.
To be honest, even Chung Myung had never expected this outcome.
He had heard before that some people had grown younger after eating spiritual medicine, but who could have imagined that all three of them would rejuvenate at the same time?
It seemed the purest qi he had gathered in the world had soaked into the medicine and produced that effect.
No, fine. I did say I was going to give them their lives back....
But this wasn't what he'd meant.
Hah.
Hahahahaha.
No, whatever. Good things are good things. If it turned out well, then it turned out well.
Chung Myung averted his eyes from Baek Cheon's group and grinned.
Then Hyun Jong said loudly,
"From this moment on, every single disciple of Mount Hua will take Jaso-dan without exception. Come forward in order of your generation and receive your pill!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
As the loud voices rang out, Chung Myung looked up at the distant sky.
Anyway, that's one huge mountain crossed.
From here on, Mount Hua would become far stronger than it had ever been before.
Aigoo. When am I supposed to raise all of these brats?
Even so, the road ahead was still long, and there was no end to the things Chung Myung had to do.
Still....
Chung Myung glanced at the Sect Leader, the elders, and Baek Cheon's group.
But raising them is kind of fun.
So this is how my Sahyungs felt when they raised me?
Just taking whatever was given and growing stronger and stronger because it felt good, right? Isn't that it?
- Stop talking nonsense! You were the bastard who used to steal other people's rice bowls, and now you're talking about taking and eating? What a load of crap!
"...."
That's some serious slander you've got there.
Honestly.