Have They All Gone Mad? (3)
"Who is it?"
"They said he was from the Hyeon generation?"
"Then he's the Sect Leader's s-senior brother?"
"Senior brother, my ass! How the hell are the people who ran away a senior brother? He's just some old man!"
"Right. Right!"
The Mount Hua disciples couldn't hide their discomfort either.
How big does the age gap have to be for this to be such a mess?
Even the fact that he had once been of the Hyeon generation was burdensome. And even if they pretended that fact didn't exist at all, it was still just as troublesome.
How were they supposed to deal with an old man older than the Sect Leader?
Treating him like a guest felt wrong somehow, but acknowledging him as an elder of the sect was also impossible.
Baek Cheon let out a sigh and said, "For now, until the Sect Leader decides how to handle this, try to avoid running into him as much as possible."
"And if we do run into him?"
"...For now, we should at least treat him like an elder."
"Ugh."
The Mount Hua disciples all twisted their faces. Baek Cheon did his best to soothe them.
"Don't worry. It shouldn't become a problem."
But in this world, things rarely went the way people expected.
"What on earth is this?"
"Pardon?"
Hyun Dang's cheeks trembled furiously. His gaze was locked on the table.
"Meat in a sacred Daoist hall? Worse, meat filled with fiery energy at that! Since when has meat been served on the tables of Mount Hua!"
Baek Cheon flinched for a moment, then looked at Hyun Dang and answered calmly, "As far as I know, Mount Hua doesn't exactly forbid cooked dishes or meat...."
"Do you not understand the difference between not forbidding and encouraging? Mount Hua is both a Daoist temple and a martial sect. When we travel the jianghu to uphold righteousness, we do not avoid meat simply to keep things from becoming cumbersome. Since when did that become encouragement to eat meat!"
At that thunderous reprimand, Baek Cheon let out a quiet, hidden sigh.
Hyun Dang glared and snapped, "Who gave permission for this?"
"...Elder Hyun Young permitted it."
"And as an elder, you know nothing of such things? No, no. This is my fault. It is all my fault. I failed to properly teach those children the Dao of Mount Hua."
Baek Cheon's eyelid twitched.
Those children?
The Dao of Mount Hua?
Are these old bastards for real?
Just as Baek Cheon was about to say something, Yoon Jong quietly tugged at his sleeve.
"Sasuk."
"Hngh."
Baek Cheon's face remained stiff as he swallowed the words that were boiling up to his throat.
At that moment, Unam came running into the dining hall at the sound of the commotion.
"What is going on?"
"They've put meat on Mount Hua's table! Since when was this in accordance with the proper rules?"
Unam looked at the table with an awkward expression.
"The current Mount Hua does not forbid meat."
"Ha. Even you won't make sense. Where is Hyun Jong? I must meet the Sect Leader."
Unam's face began to stiffen ever so slightly.
"Then...."
"Hahahahahahaha!"
At that moment, Jo Gul suddenly rushed to the table like a bolt of lightning and began snatching up the meat dishes.
"Then just don't eat it. What, are we gonna die if we skip a few meals of meat? Let's get this stuff out of here!"
"...."
"Hurry up!"
The Mount Hua disciples rose from their seats and started carrying the food back to the kitchen.
They weren't happy about it, of course. But they also understood perfectly well why Jo Gul was taking the lead, so they moved without complaint. The people most uncomfortable with these guests would obviously be the Sect Leader, and they couldn't give those old men an excuse to meet Hyun Jong.
What the hell are you crawling in here for.
If it were me, I'd...
Ugh. Just endure it for a few days. A few days....
Watching the table being cleared away, Unam bit his lip slightly.
He couldn't tell whether those men were wrong or not. In truth, in this situation, he couldn't even claim to know better than they did what laws Mount Hua had once observed in the past.
"Sasuk. You must endure this."
Baek Cheon whispered to Unam. Unam gave a small nod as well.
If a clash happened here, Hyun Jong would inevitably have to come. And Unam wanted to avoid that above all else.
"You boys are having a hard time."
"It's fine."
Looking at the now almost barren table, Baek Cheon let out a low sigh.
But the problem had only just begun.
"What are you doing?"
"...Pardon?"
It was still early dawn.
The Mount Hua disciples had gathered in the training yard for their morning practice and were staring blankly at Hyun Dang, dumbfounded, while holding the lead weights they used for strength training.
Why did he have to show up for morning practice....
What the hell is wrong with him?
Whether he understood their feelings or not, Hyun Dang roared at them all the same.
"I asked what you are doing."
"...We're training."
"That's training?"
"Yes. We're training our strength...."
"Foolish!"
Hyun Dang raised his voice.
"The sword of Mount Hua is the sword of the Dao. What is the Dao? It is the sword that becomes one with nature and seeks what is natural. Yet if you artificially increase your physical strength, do you not understand that all you are doing is obstructing the pursuit of Mount Hua's sword?"
Veins bulged on Baek Cheon's forehead.
"...We became stronger through this method. And we proved that strength at the All-Heaven Martial Tournament. As for training...."
"That, too, is a short-sighted thought. If you became stronger through that method, then you can become even stronger by following Mount Hua's traditional training methods! How can you know one thing and not the other?"
Then Hyun Dang curled his lips as if he'd seen something disgusting.
"Who was it that put you through this training? Was it Hyun Jong?"
"N-no."
"Then who was it that made you train like this?"
Chung Myung.
But that was not something he could say to these people. When the answer didn't come, Hyun Dang snapped again.
"Enough. Stop this ridiculous training immediately."
Baek Cheon frowned and answered firmly, "This is Mount Hua's training. It's not something an outsider should interfere with."
"Outsider? Did you just call me an outsider?"
"Yes."
Since Baek Cheon refused to back down, Hyun Dang openly revealed his irritation.
"Outsider. Fine, then. I am an outsider. Let me ask you this: among you all, is there anyone who knows more about Mount Hua's training than I do?"
"...That is...."
"I am passing on the training method Mount Hua lost, and you refuse to listen because I'm an outsider? Is that Mount Hua's law?"
As he pushed things this far, even Baek Cheon eventually shut his mouth like a stone-deaf fool.
No, what kind of absurd situation is this?
A Hyeon-generation senior was an absurdly powerful position. On top of that, this old man had originally outranked the Sect Leader, and he was older than the Sect Leader too.
That means he knows Mount Hua's past better than the Sect Leader does.
It wasn't easy to simply ignore what such a person said.
"Enough with the chatter. Stop this nonsense of a training method at once, and begin meditation."
"...Meditation?"
"Indeed. A Daoist disciple must begin by purifying the mind. Do not cling to the sword. Once you comprehend the Dao, the sword will naturally follow."
"...."
"Begin."
"No...."
"Now!"
Baek Cheon, who had been about to say more, finally squeezed his eyes shut.
The other disciples were all looking to him, not knowing what to do. Baek Cheon spoke in a reluctant voice.
"...Put the equipment down and prepare to meditate."
"Senior Brother!"
"For now.... Yes, for now."
Everyone fell silent, but their eyes were desperately shouting for themselves.
No, why are you listening to those old bastards?
Didn't you say not to cause trouble because we only had to endure for a few days? Just a few days. Only a few days!
In the end, every one of them sat down in lotus position, their faces full of resentment.
A smug smile appeared at the corners of Hyun Dang's mouth.
If I can dye them in my own colors little by little, that's enough.
Then they would naturally come to follow him.
* * *
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
Jo Gul let out a howl and kicked the tea table in Baekmae Hall, sending it flying. Yoon Jong caught the table in midair with a calm expression and set it back down in place.
"Damn those old fossils! Ugh! I'm so pissed I could burst!"
"Calm down."
Jo Gul jerked his head toward Yoon Jong.
"Aren't you angry, Senior Brother?"
"...Angry?"
"...."
Yoon Jong had pulled out his sword and was wiping the blade with hemp cloth as it rested on the table. Then he gave a quiet smile.
"What good would anger do? I'd rather just stab them...."
"S-Stop it! Senior Brother!"
After barely restraining Yoon Jong from saying something even more chilling, Jo Gul turned his head slightly. Baek Cheon was huddled in the corner.
It had only been a few days since the unwelcome guests arrived, yet Baek Cheon's face had already been worn down to half its former self.
"Sasuk.... Are you all right?"
"...Hm?"
"I'm asking if you're okay."
"...What was that?"
"...No. Never mind."
"Oh."
He's done for.
That man was finished now.
It was a sight that would have been unimaginable for the usual Baek Cheon.
But Jo Gul understood him completely. As the great senior brother of the Baek generation, Baek Cheon was receiving every ounce of those old bastards' nitpicking head-on.
It was probably like being forced to stand on a hot griddle while being lectured at. No wonder a person would look as though the life had been drained right out of him after only a few days....
Jo Gul's irritation flared up again, and he blurted out, "When are they leaving, anyway?"
"Who knows? It feels like it's about time."
"I mean, what are those damn things...."
Yoon Jong quickly cut him off and scolded him.
"Watch your mouth. They were once attached to Mount Hua, after all."
"What does that even matter?"
"Ahem."
Another sharp rebuke came down, and Jo Gul shrank back and fell silent.
"Haah.... Cheng. Say something already."
At Jo Gul's words, Yu I-seol nodded her head.
"...Going to apologize."
"For what?"
"For calling them old fossils. Real old fossils are just different."
"...."
Well, that did make sense.
"Ugh."
Jo Gul shook his head.
He had thought that if they just avoided the men, the problem would go away. But things were going in a completely different direction. Every time they tried to do anything, Hyun Dang and his group would appear like ghosts and nitpick every little thing.
"Every other sentence is 'in the old Mount Hua this' and 'in the old Mount Hua that'!"
"Tradition, my ass! We nearly ended up sleeping on the street because of tradition!"
"How can someone be such an old fossil from start to finish!"
What was even sadder was that there was no way for the Baek and Cheong generations to resist those words.
Could they defy their authority?
Not a chance.
The problem was that every time those men spoke, they dragged the previous generations into it.
'In the past, the former Sect Leader, who was my teacher....'
The moment that kind of line was brought up, rebuttal became impossible. Unless one had seen or heard it directly, there was no way to deny what they said. And if they did deny it, that would be the same as defying the former Sect Leader's words—no different from the crime of deceiving one's teacher and destroying one's ancestors.
Caught in that absurd logic, the Baek generation had no choice but to follow their words, and even the Un generation watching over them could do nothing about it.
"Why is the Sect Leader just standing by and doing nothing!"
"Jo Gul."
The moment Jo Gul began voicing his complaints about the Sect Leader, Baek Cheon, who had been lying like a corpse, suddenly snapped his eyes wide open, and Yu I-seol released a wave of icy chill.
Jo Gul jerked and shrank his neck back.
"The one in the most trouble right now is the Sect Leader. You can complain about anything else you want, but don't speak carelessly about the Sect Leader. Understood?"
"...Yes, Sasuk."
After saying that, Baek Cheon leaned back against the wall again, utterly drained.
Then he covered his face with one hand and bit his lip.
They're relentless.
Unless they had come with firm determination, they couldn't act like this. They were obviously intent on carving Mount Hua into the shape they wanted.
The Sect Leader must be in a difficult position too.
If the sect had even one Great Elder, this kind of thing wouldn't be happening. The moment they set foot inside, lightning would come crashing down on them.
The problem was that Mount Hua's greatest elder now was Hyun Jong, and unlike other prestigious sects, Mount Hua had no Great Elder left at all.
That left them with no real way to deal with it.
But if the Sect Leader had truly made up his mind, he wouldn't just be enduring this like this.
Baek Cheon shook his head.
That was not something he should be thinking. The Hyun Jong he knew was absolutely not a foolish man, nor a spineless one. So for now, they had to trust the Sect Leader and endure.
"We have to help the Sect Leader, so don't you dare push back or cause trouble. That means don't give them any excuse to seize on you. Understand?"
"Yes."
The answer carried no strength.
But Baek Cheon didn't bother reprimanding him for that. He understood the feeling better than anyone.
Then Yoon Jong, who had been quiet until now, asked, "By the way... when is that bastard Chung Myung coming back?"
"...Hm?"
When Baek Cheon asked back, Yoon Jong slid the cleaned sword back into its scabbard and spoke.
"It's one thing for us to bear with it when it's just us, but if Chung Myung comes back, there'll be chaos. Those old men might get every last one of their beards ripped out and be thrown off a cliff."
"...."
Baek Cheon shuddered all over, gooseflesh rising on his skin.
He really might do exactly that.
It'd be a miracle if they got back alive.
He'd probably shove a spear in their mouths just for talking about tradition.
Suppressing a chill, Baek Cheon said, "So somehow, before that bastard comes back...."
"But."
Yu I-seol cut him off.
"Isn't it solved then?"
"...."
Huh?
"They'll all get kicked out."
"...."
Oh....
Yes. It would be solved, all right.
If one could call that solution.
Baek Cheon let out a long sigh.
"Anyway, by tomorrow the Sect Leader should have a countermeasure ready. Then those men won't be able to keep forcing their way around here like this."
"What if they say they'll stay? The Sect Leader might not be able to do anything either."
"...Then there's nothing else for it."
Baek Cheon said it decisively.
"Poison can only be dealt with by poison! I'll toss Chung Myung straight at those old men!"
Baek Cheon desperately hoped things would never come to that.
* * *
"Ah, it's itchy."
Chung Myung scratched his ear hard.
"Is something the matter?"
"Nope. My ear suddenly got itchy. Is somebody talking smack about me?"
"Heh heh. Who would dare speak ill of our little Taoist brother?"
"...Too many people for that to narrow it down. If I had to guess, it's Dong-ryong."
"Dong-ryong?"
"Nope. Nothing."
Chung Myung grinned and lifted his wine bottle.
"But, Chief, you drink better than I expected."
"Hahaha. If a merchant can't drink, he can't make money. Drink as much as you like. I can certainly keep pace with you."
"Hehehe. Thank you."
Hwang Dae-in laughed heartily.
"It would be an honor to drink with the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, whose fame shook the All-Heaven Martial Tournament!"
"Hehehehe."
"Grrr! That fame is rattling the four seas right now! Why, even in Chengdu, your name is spoken every single day."
"Hehehehehehe!"
"Indeed! The number one sword of the world! The number one sword of future generations! And, of course, Mount Hua's number one sword of the present age!"
"Gyaaah! Gyaaah!"
While Mount Hua's disciples were dying under the old fossils' schemes, Chung Myung was melting under the hospitality tactics of a merchant who had spent fifty years in the trade, happily enjoying his days.
...All without the slightest clue what was happening to Mount Hua.