I Have No Right to Speak of Forgiveness to You, but (5)
The disciples of Mount Hua came away from what they experienced at Shaolin with enormous growth and newfound confidence.
More than anything, the greatest gain was that Mount Hua’s disciples no longer had to feel cowed before the great and prestigious sects of the world.
“Anyway, the only thing that matters is the result.”
Lying sprawled across the eaves, Chung Myung grinned.
The screams of the disciples sounded like a beautiful song.
“Aaaaargh! Saaaasuk!”
“Kill me! Just kill me already, you bastard!”
“No! How is he even worse than Chung Myung?”
Chung Myung watched Baek Cheon rolling the disciples around with a satisfied look.
That’s it. Good job, Dongryong.
There was only so much one person could drag along by force.
At last, Mount Hua was almost becoming the sect he had once wanted it to be from the start. Now, even without him personally stepping in to push them, they would worry things through together and keep developing Mount Hua on their own.
Of course, there would still be people suffering along the way.
Still better than suffering because you’re weak.
If the world were such a beautiful place that it protected the weak, there would be no need for this at all. But unfortunately, the world Chung Myung knew was a brutal jungle where only the strong survived.
Think about it.
If Mount Hua hadn’t possessed this much strength, could they have taken a fist-sized insult from Beop Jeong at Shaolin and walked out after it?
Absolutely not.
The greatest value that power created was freedom. Only those who possessed strength could choose the course of their own lives.
“That took long enough.”
Back in Mount Hua, the scent of the old Mount Hua had begun to return little by little. In those days, everyone in the sect worked hard and competed with one another, striving to become stronger than the rest.
They all did their very best…
- I’m not fighting with my senior brother!
- Don’t bully me! I’ll tell Sect Leader Senior Brother!
- I said I won’t do it! I won’t! Aaagh! Why are you hitting me! Aaaagh!
- You little brat! Didn’t I tell you not to torment your junior brothers? Listen when people talk! Listen!
Ah…
Maybe it hadn’t been quite as noble as he remembered?
Chung Myung quickly wiped the memories from his mind. The past was better when it stayed beautiful. Beautiful.
“Hmph.”
Watching the Mount Hua disciples tearing themselves apart in training below, Chung Myung smirked.
Yeah, they’re all working hard now…
It was about time to think about the next stage.
Mount Hua now had two major tasks.
Its influence is still lacking.
The reason those damn Nine Sects and One Gang bastards could swagger around with their shoulders back was not just the strength of their own sects, but because their disciples were scattered across the world.
In other words, even if Mount Hua became the strongest sect under heaven, it wouldn’t really be any different if they remained holed up in the mountains.
What’s going to change if all they do is stay in the mountains and train?
Sure, they might feel a little puffed up when they went down to buy supplies, but that would be the extent of it.
To make use of their improved abilities, they needed more activity outside the sect, and they needed to build Mount Hua’s influence throughout the world.
And the other thing was…
“Ha. This is really driving me crazy.”
Chung Myung scratched his head hard enough to tangle the long hair hanging down his back.
Honestly, until now he’d been so focused on dragging everyone’s martial skill upward that he’d forgotten about this problem. It was only after seeing the Purple Jade Divine Sword that he realized he’d overlooked something seriously important.
“What are we supposed to do about Zixia Divine Art?”
Zixia Divine Art.
The most profound and advanced inner art in all of Mount Hua.
If Shaolin had Meridian Cleansing Scripture, and Wudang had Three Harmonies, Limitless Divine Art, then Mount Hua was said to possess Zixia Divine Art, its supreme inner cultivation method.
“Grrr…”
If only he could pass that on, Mount Hua would become even stronger.
But there was one tiny problem…
“How the hell am I supposed to pass on something I don’t know myself?”
Chung Myung glared up at the sky in irritation.
“Goddammit! Shaolin spreads Meridian Cleansing Scripture to its disciples, and Wudang quietly passes Three Harmonies, Limitless Divine Art down to theirs, too! What, because it’s been around so long, you had to keep it all to yourself?”
Unfortunately, Mount Hua’s Zixia Divine Art was a martial art created to be handed down only to the Sect Leader. Because of that, even Chung Myung himself had never learned it.
Instead, all he knew was Zixia True Qi, a mere degraded version based on Zixia Divine Art.
Zixia True Qi is useless.
It was nothing more than an imitation.
And more importantly, if he couldn’t pass on Zixia Divine Art, then Mount Hua’s greatest inner art would be lost forever.
Zixia Divine Art, Mount Hua’s greatest inner cultivation method, and Plum Blossom Sword Manual, Mount Hua’s greatest sword art.
If they could secure those two alone, Mount Hua would stand equal to any sect in the world in terms of martial arts.
Right now, one of those two wings was broken.
“Grrr. The Plum Blossom Sword Manual I can still somehow pass on, but…”
Chung Myung scratched his head again.
“Then you should’ve taught me and died sooner!”
- Then why didn’t you become Sect Leader?
“Ugh!”
Chung Mun had never been someone chained to tradition, but even he couldn’t just change the rules that had been passed down through Mount Hua’s generations whenever he felt like it.
Back then, there had been no reason to.
Without Zixia Divine Art, Chung Myung had still gone around beating the crap out of every swordsman in sight. There had been no reason to break tradition and teach it to him.
After those damn Demonic Sect bastards invaded, the situation had changed a little, but by then there hadn’t been time to leisurely learn a new martial art.
In the end, for this reason, only two people in Mount Hua had possessed the manual for Zixia Divine Art.
One was Chung Mun.
And the other was Cheong Jin.
That bastard managed all of Mount Hua’s martial arts, so of course he had it.
Maybe he should’ve beaten it out of him back then, just to smuggle out Zixia Divine Art?
“Tsk.”
Chung Myung let out a long sigh.
In any case, he had to figure out how to solve these two problems…
“Hey!”
“Huh?”
At the sharp shout that suddenly stabbed into his ear, Chung Myung poked his head out.
Down below, Baek Cheon was yelling at him as if his lungs were made of iron.
“What are you doing that you don’t answer after I’ve called you several times?”
“Ah. I was just thinking about something.”
“Come down at once. The Sect Leader is looking for you.”
“Got it.”
Chung Myung leapt off the eaves without hesitation.
“Where did you say I’m supposed to go?”
When Chung Myung asked again, Hyun Jong smiled faintly and repeated himself.
“Go visit the Eunha Merchant Guild.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Chung Myung gave a thoughtful hum and nodded.
It was annoying, but that was probably the better look. The Eunha Merchant Guild was an ally that had been actively helping Mount Hua. So they needed to be informed appropriately about what had happened at Shaolin.
But if a member of the Hyun generation or the Un generation went personally to the Eunha Merchant Guild, it wouldn’t look very good to outsiders. So the best choice was for Baek Cheon or Chung Myung to go.
Baek Cheon was in the middle of training the disciples, so Chung Myung, who was free, was the better option.
And maybe I can get some liquor while I’m there.
Chung Myung grinned and nodded.
“I can leave now?”
“Yes. While you’re there, please also look into matters concerning Yunnan.”
“Trade?”
“Yes. In truth, this should have been handled by the Treasury Hall, but they are so busy at present that they simply cannot spare the time. Since you personally went to Yunnan, you will be of help.”
“Sure. I’ll do that.”
Hyun Jong nodded.
“Ah, and on your way back, stop by the Beggars’ Sect’s Huayin branch and see what the situation is.”
“Yes.”
Again, Chung Myung nodded without protest.
“That’s something we do need to pay attention to.”
“Indeed.”
That was precisely why Chung Myung had dragged the beggars into Huayin in the first place—to prepare for situations like this.
Mount Hua had now made its name. The giants moving the Jianghu must surely have Mount Hua’s name firmly etched into their minds by now.
So now Mount Hua, too, had to keep an eye on movements outside its borders.
“If we can link up well with the Huayin branch, Mount Hua will gain wings. Your role is more important than anything else.”
“Aw, don’t worry. I’ve got that beggar uncle in the palm of my hand.”
Not only Hong Dae-gwang, but everyone in the Huayin branch was practically in Chung Myung’s grasp.
“Yes. I have many things to discuss with you about Mount Hua’s future, but for now let us take care of the matters at hand.”
“Good idea. Then I’m off?”
“Yes. Please send my regards to Guild Leader Hwang.”
“Yep!”
“There is no need to hurry back. Speak with them at your leisure and return when you are ready.”
“Got it.”
As Chung Myung headed out with a light step, Hyun Jong smiled gently.
That child should rest a little, too.
Coming back to Mount Hua meant he was more comfortable than before, yes, but Mount Hua was still not the kind of place where Chung Myung could truly let his mind relax.
With that personality of his, wouldn’t he keep worrying over everything one by one, and wouldn’t his attention constantly drift to the disciples’ training?
Of course, all those concerns were things that had to be handled, but none of them were urgent enough to demand action this very moment. Even so, Hyun Jong had sent Chung Myung out because he wanted the child to forget his worries for a few days and rest while being properly treated.
“I do feel a bit sorry to the Eunha Merchant Guild and the Huayin branch, though…”
Well, there was nothing to be done about that.
Heh heh.
“Hup!”
Once outside, Chung Myung headed straight for the mountain gate without wasting a moment.
“Where are you going?”
Baek Cheon, who had been training in the main training grounds, snapped his head around and asked him.
“I’ve been told to go to the Eunha Merchant Guild.”
“All the way to Chengdu?”
“Yeah.”
“Hm. Then it’ll take at least a day or two.”
Chung Myung shrugged.
“They said not to rush back and to go ease up their mood a bit.”
“Is that so?”
Baek Cheon nodded.
“Don’t be a nuisance and behave yourself while you’re there.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“...That’s the problem, because you’re not a kid.”
Of course a kid causing trouble was only natural! The problem was that you weren’t a kid and still caused trouble, you idiot!
...Now that I think about it, that does make me a little uneasy.
Baek Cheon narrowed his eyes.
“Should I go with you?”
“Why would a martial uncle come along?”
“Still, if one more person goes….”
“Forget it. What, are you trying to slack off? Keep a firm hand on the kids instead.”
“Hngh.”
Chung Myung jerked his chin toward the disciples.
“The idiots who stayed behind to fool around matter, sure, but the ones who went to Shaolin matter more. What they saw and felt has to be absorbed immediately, or it’ll just fade away in the end. Same goes for you, Martial Uncle.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
When Baek Cheon nodded solemnly, Chung Myung snorted softly and turned away.
“Anyway, I’m off. While I’m gone, don’t go causing trouble and behave yourselves.”
“...Who’s telling who that?”
“Heh heh heh.”
As soon as Chung Myung stepped beyond the mountain gate, he leapt down the cliff. Baek Cheon shook his head helplessly.
Walk by the road. The road.
You’re supposed to open a door with your hand!
Then Yoon Jong and a few of the disciples quietly came up and asked, “Where is that guy going?”
“It seems the Sect Leader has sent him to the Eunha Merchant Guild.”
“...Will he be all right?”
“Hasn’t this happened often enough by now?”
“No. It just feels like he’s gotten a little more unhinged than before.”
“...…”
The more Baek Cheon heard that, the more uneasy he became.
“...Well, surely nothing major will happen.”
At this moment, the disciples of Mount Hua had no idea at all.
They had no idea that the real problem would not be Chung Myung, but them.
“...So this is Mount Hua.”
“Yes. This is Mount Hua.”
At the entrance to the mountain path leading up to Mount Hua, a group of elderly men and middle-aged men stood looking up at the peaks with strange, searching eyes.
“...How many years has it been?”
“More than thirty years, by now.”
“Yes. Thirty years… Truly, it has been a long time.”
A trace of wistfulness flickered in the eyes of the old man standing at the front.
His carefully combed-back hair and the silk robes draped over his whole body made it abundantly clear that this man was no ordinary figure.
“I never thought I’d live to set foot on Mount Hua again.”
“The same goes for us. If you hadn’t called for us again, Senior Brother, we would never have even dared to come.”
“Indeed.”
The old man nodded heavily, as though he had made up his mind about something.
“Let us go. We must meet Hyun Jong. We must speak with him.”
“It’s exciting to be climbing Mount Hua again after so long, and yet I can’t help feeling afraid as well.”
“What is there to fear?”
A faint smile appeared on the old man’s lips.
“No matter how many decades pass, a home is still a home. There may be some quarrels, but there is no need to be afraid.”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
“Good.”
The old man glanced back. Those who met his eyes gave solemn nods in return.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
And so, a group of people began climbing Mount Hua.
The thick fog gathered at the summit began to flow in an unexpected direction, much like the situation of Mount Hua itself.