Can You Become the Spark? (5)
The disciples of Southern Edge stared at the ring with trembling eyes.
Was he really that strong?
They had thought they understood the depths of Chung Myung’s power all too well. Even Jin Geum-ryong had been utterly helpless before him, unable to land so much as a scratch.
But the Chung Myung they had just seen on the ring was something else entirely.
He was a sheer cliff too steep to even imagine climbing, a towering precipice whose summit vanished into the clouds. That was the Chung Myung the disciples of Southern Edge now looked upon.
And yet…
"Junior brother…"
"S-Senior brother."
He was there.
The one who had climbed that impossible cliff, again and again, and still tried to climb higher.
The disciples of Southern Edge could not tear their eyes away from Yi Song-baek.
And we mocked him all that time.
Zhong Shuhan clenched his lip hard enough to hurt.
They had sneered that he could not accept anything new, that he was stubbornly fixated only on what had grown old and worn. They had jeered that a man once acknowledged as Southern Edge’s talent had chased only comfort and plunged himself all the way to the bottom.
But that had not been it at all.
Yi Song-baek had simply been walking his path in silence, even while those contemptuous eyes were fixed on him.
"The victor is Chung Myung of Mount Hua!"
The declaration finally rang out. But the voice, faintly colored by confusion, changed nothing.
Southern Edge, Mount Hua, and even the spectators all remained silent, simply staring at the two men on the ring.
"Up we go."
Chung Myung hoisted the unconscious Yi Song-baek onto his shoulder and started walking toward the Southern Edge camp.
Step. Step. Step.
As he drew closer, the expressions of the Southern Edge disciples grew more and more complicated.
Chung Myung finally stopped and spoke.
"What, are you idiots just gonna stand there?"
"…."
"You not gonna take him?"
Only then did the Southern Edge disciples all rush forward at once to receive Yi Song-baek.
When they saw the wounds he had sustained were far worse than they had expected, every one of them grimaced.
Junior brother…
Zhong Shuhan gripped his sleeve tightly.
In the past, he would have exploded at Chung Myung. He would have lashed out, accusing him of cruelty, rebuking him for being so ruthless.
But now he could not do that.
To do so would be an insult to Yi Song-baek.
"Take him inside! Quickly!"
"Yes, senior brother!"
The senior and junior disciples carefully carried Yi Song-baek away toward the back. Zhong Shuhan quietly lifted his head and looked at Chung Myung.
Jin Geum-ryong was unconscious. It was not a situation in which any other elder could step forward either. That meant the one who had to meet Chung Myung here was Zhong Shuhan.
But what on earth was he supposed to say?
Zhong Shuhan was still struggling to sort through the chaos in his own heart when Chung Myung spoke first.
"Take good care of him."
"…."
"That’s all."
That was it. As though he had nothing more to say, Chung Myung turned on his heel.
Zhong Shuhan bit his lip, then shouted after him.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
Without turning around, Chung Myung glanced back at him over his shoulder.
"…No matter how blind I may be, I know enough to tell that you taught my junior brother something. Why?"
At the question, Chung Myung shrugged.
"Dunno."
He fell silent for a moment, then said with a light sigh,
"Let’s call it a whim."
And with that, he began to amble back toward Mount Hua.
The Southern Edge disciples’ gazes, burdened with countless emotions, pierced his back.
Hatred, anger, hostility, and even admiration.
And beyond those…
Fear?
Realizing that awe and fear of Chung Myung had become mixed together in the eyes of their senior and junior disciples, Zhong Shuhan shut his eyes tightly.
So long as that man lived, Southern Edge might never again surpass Mount Hua.
The long winter Mount Hua had endured would now come for Southern Edge.
Zhong Shuhan stared vaguely toward the rear.
The senior and junior disciples, along with the elders, were rushing to Yi Song-baek’s side, stopping the bleeding.
But what caught Zhong Shuhan’s eye was not Yi Song-baek.
It was Jin Geum-ryong, lying beside him.
Jin Geum-ryong lay motionless.
But Zhong Shuhan did not miss the faint trembling of his brother’s fist.
Senior brother…
He too clenched his own fist.
Amida Buddha. Excellent work.
The way that child Yi Song-baek of Southern Edge revealed himself is nothing short of impressive.
I hope the children of the sect remember that sight clearly. How long has it been since we last saw the image of a true martial artist?
With such outstanding talent in Southern Edge, one cannot help but say its future is bright.
That much had been a warm and pleasant exchange.
"The future?"
But the instant Jong Ri-gok spoke, the atmosphere around them turned icy.
A cold voice.
A voice so chilling it seemed to crawl straight under the skin.
"What future can a loser possibly have?"
"…Sect Leader?"
Jong Ri-gok swept his icy gaze over the gathered leaders.
"The reason all of you can offer such gracious words is because that child was weak. If he had been strong, not half those compliments would have been spoken."
Beop Jeong pressed his palms together.
"Amida Buddha. Sect Leader of Southern Edge, please calm yourself. I understand your feelings, but…"
"You say you understand?"
Jong Ri-gok cut him off with a thin smile.
"I wonder whether the Abbot of Shaolin truly understands how I feel. To be blunt, all of you are calculating the strength of Mount Hua’s Chung Myung in your hearts, are you not?"
"Sect Leader. How could this be a place merely to compare strength? Spirit is not something so simple…"
"Spirit?"
A clear sneer touched Jong Ri-gok’s mouth.
"It has already been a hundred years since spirit disappeared from the jianghu. Is there anyone here who does not know what became of those who trusted spirit, practiced righteousness, and did not hesitate to throw themselves away?"
"…."
The leaders all fell silent at once. Heavy quiet settled over the platform.
Of all the things they wanted least to discuss, that was the one Jong Ri-gok had chosen to drag out into the open.
"What matters is ability. Not some empty spirit. A beaten dog should shut its mouth and tuck its tail between its legs. That would be proper etiquette."
Jong Ri-gok spat the words out coldly, then turned his head sharply and looked at Hyun Jong.
His eyes held not just hostility, but killing intent.
"Congratulations, Mount Hua Sect Leader. Mount Hua will soon recover the glory of old. As your neighbor, and as your old enemy who has shared countless histories with you, I sincerely congratulate Mount Hua on its rise."
"Sect Leader…"
Jong Ri-gok glanced at everyone, then gave a deep formal bow.
"I apologize for my shallow cultivation and for troubling the minds of the other leaders. However, as the head of a sect that has failed to leave even a single disciple behind in the competition, I find it difficult to continue sitting here shamelessly. I sincerely hope this competition concludes splendidly."
With that, he turned without hesitation and began to leave.
"S-Sect Leader!"
"W-Why, that…!"
The leaders of the other sects looked at him in alarm.
As Jong Ri-gok descended from the platform and passed by Hyun Jong, he left behind a chilling remark.
"Do not think this is over."
"Of course not."
"…."
After glaring at Hyun Jong with terrifying eyes, Jong Ri-gok stepped down from the platform with an expression devoid of all emotion.
"Shouldn’t we stop him?"
"Leave him be. Is there anyone here who would not understand that feeling?"
At Heo Do-jin-in’s words, the leaders closed their mouths.
Truth be told, if they had been in his place, they would have found it hard to endure as well.
Watching the Mount Hua disciples shine while every one of your own disciples had already been eliminated, and still managing to clap for them?
For the leader of Southern Edge, that would have been torture.
Soon enough, the leaders’ gazes drifted one by one toward Hyun Jong.
Hyun Jong offered an awkward smile.
Haa. To the very end, he had to leave things like this.
The leaders had already been watching Mount Hua closely enough as it was. But after Jong Ri-gok had gone and unleashed those spiteful words, their scrutiny of Mount Hua could only grow more blatant.
"Ahem."
"Hmm."
Everyone’s attention carried a subtle discomfort.
But Hyun Jong simply accepted it with an even expression.
So this is what it means to be watched.
It meant even the great and renowned sects of the world could no longer ignore Mount Hua.
All because of the Chung Myung standing before them.
Hyun Jong’s gaze fell on Chung Myung’s back as he returned to his seat.
That impossible little bastard.
At the best of times, just looking at him was enough to send one’s stomach into upheaval, and to make the heart race so wildly that the remaining years of one’s life seemed to vanish in an instant. He was that much of a troublemaker.
And yet that bastard… kept showing them moments like this.
Hyun Jong closed his eyes slightly, thinking again and again about the Dao Chung Myung had revealed.
Do what you intend to do.
It would be Hyun Jong’s duty to support that path. Not only Chung Myung, but all the Mount Hua disciples standing there, would need him to clear the road ahead of them and give them a push from behind.
"Amitabha."
Hyun Jong murmured the brief invocation and looked at Chung Myung with eyes full of warmth.
Baek Cheon watched Chung Myung flop down into his seat with a strange look.
Chung Myung snapped,
"What?"
"No, it’s just…"
Baek Cheon trailed off for a moment, staring at him, then spoke.
"I really can’t figure you out."
"What about me?"
Seeing Baek Cheon hesitate, Jo Gul jumped in for him instead.
"You hate Southern Edge, don’t you?"
"Yeah, I do. If I had my way, I’d run straight over there right now, soak all their halls in oil, and burn the whole place to the ground. While I’m at it, I’d go find every historian in the martial world and make them erase Southern Edge’s name from every history book at swordpoint."
"…Are you actually human?"
"What? Why?"
"…No, never mind."
Jo Gul, who had started the conversation, flinched in bewilderment.
"Then why did you go that far for Yi Song-baek?"
"Oh?"
Chung Myung smirked and looked around. The others seemed to understand, having spent enough time with him to realize he had, in his own way, taught Yi Song-baek something.
Well, come to think of it, he had been getting beaten around the same way all the way to Yunnan, so there was no way he wouldn’t notice.
"If you want Southern Edge to go under, then you definitely shouldn’t be teaching that Yi Song-baek guy."
"Well… yeah, that’s true too."
Baek Cheon said that with a slightly serious look.
"If you’d taught my brother, I wouldn’t be saying this. But that Yi Song-baek…"
He fell silent again.
The possibility was far too faint to call real.
And yet it kept nagging at him. He found himself thinking that one day, the Southern Edge that had once collapsed might be rebuilt again because of Yi Song-baek.
Though, of course, saying Southern Edge had collapsed at this point was almost laughable.
"Hmm."
Listening quietly, Chung Myung scratched his cheek.
"I guess that wasn’t very much like me."
"Yeah, it wasn’t."
"I thought you were gonna break every one of Southern Edge’s arms and legs and turn them into cripples."
"I thought he’d killed him when he smashed his head the first time."
"…."
Chung Myung’s expression soured. But the reactions around him were… annoyingly sincere.
"You really thought I’d go that far?"
"That’d be pretty damn merciful, actually."
"You’d only stop at that because people were watching. If no one had been around, who knows what would’ve happened… ugh, terrifying."
"…."
Chung Myung looked up at the sky with a faintly sorrowful expression.
What’s the point of raising brats, anyway?
This is how they treat me, Sect Leader Senior Brother!
— You know damn well it is.
"Dammit all!"
Chung Myung shot to his feet and barked furiously. Then, still looking thoroughly dissatisfied, he dropped back into his seat with a thud.
But Jo Gul ignored the outburst and asked again,
"So why did you do it?"
"So his senior brothers would get their heads broken."
"Don’t joke around."
"I’m serious."
"…Huh?"
Baek Cheon glanced sideways at Chung Myung’s face.
Huh?
That was the face he made when he was pretending to joke while actually speaking the truth.
"…What are you talking about?"
"Southern Edge is going to collapse."
Chung Myung said it indifferently.
"Defeat doesn’t fade that easily, and the world’s perception is cold as hell. When you’re on the rise, you fear nothing under heaven. But once you fall, there’s no bottom to the drop. Southern Edge’s going to rot to pieces."
"Hmm."
Baek Cheon nodded slightly.
It was hard to imagine that proud and powerful Southern Edge collapsing, but so far everything Chung Myung had said had come true.
First of all, they weren’t the Southern Edge disciples of old.
Those once confident, self-assured people had been acting with a kind of nervous haste, like men being chased by something. Restoring that vanished confidence would not be easy.
"And Mount Hua will become stronger and stronger, too. The more it keeps rolling, the stronger it gets. I’d say it’s probably going to get absurdly strong from here on out."
"…Did I just hear something strange?"
"Is this what you mean by hell there and hell here?"
So that was how he put it—basically, he meant to keep beating them until they grew monstrously strong…?
The Mount Hua disciples, feeling anew that no happiness awaited anyone who got tangled up with Chung Myung, let out silent groans.
After smiling briefly, Chung Myung’s face hardened once more.
"But how long will that last?"
"…Huh?"
"I told you. What is strong will weaken, and what has weakened will one day grow strong again. Mount Hua’s strength won’t last forever either."
"We can just keep working hard, can’t we?"
"And after we’re all dead? Who’s going to lead Mount Hua then?"
"…."
Chung Myung shook his head.
"If there’s a blade aimed at your back, you have no choice but to work hard. But those who are never threatened, those who are only ever fed and content, will inevitably grow lazy. What made Shaolin what it is today is, in a way, eighty percent Wudang."
"Hmm."
Baek Cheon understood what Chung Myung meant.
"So Southern Edge has to become the blade aimed at Mount Hua’s back?"
"Exactly."
"…What if Mount Hua ends up ruined at Southern Edge’s hands?"
"Then there’s nothing to be done about that."
Baek Cheon’s eyes trembled.
Nothing to be done?
At that moment, Chung Myung spoke with a face uncharacteristically cold.
"If Mount Hua stayed where it was, growing lazy because it could no longer move forward, then it would be better off turned to ashes. A martial artist with no one to keep in mind will eventually end up trapped in his own little world. That’s what I mean when I say Southern Edge collapsing completely isn’t necessarily good for Mount Hua."
"Hmm."
"And…"
"Yeah?"
Chung Myung grinned.
"Getting fed a little hope and then slowly collapsing is a hundred times harder than crashing down in one spectacular heap."
"…."
"Those bastards need to go through exactly what Mount Hua went through! What, they’re gonna act like it’s hard after only two years? Are they trying to die? They should be rolling around in the dirt for another hundred years at least! They’re not allowed to collapse until then! Because I won’t let them!"
Watching Chung Myung’s eyes gleam with that nasty, delighted laugh, Baek Cheon smiled faintly.
So that’s more like it.
At last, he sounded like the Chung Myung Baek Cheon knew, and that made his chest feel strangely light.