Have They All Gone Mad? (4)
Late at night, in Qingmei Pavilion.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Hwaaaaa-ha-ha-ha!"
Raucous laughter kept spilling out from Qingmei Pavilion.
The people packed inside were pouring drinks for one another, reveling with unconcealed delight.
"Hahahaha. To think it would be this easy!"
"We heard they’d been making quite a name for themselves, so I thought they’d be formidable. But this is far simpler than I expected."
After listening in silence, Hyun Beop lifted his cup and let out a quiet snort of laughter.
"Hyun Jong has always been a weak-willed man. And those younger disciples making such a splash now...? At the end of the day, they’re still just children."
"Exactly, Father."
"They may have gotten lucky and made a bit of a reputation for themselves, but before long, their limits would have shown themselves. If we had left them alone."
"And that’s why we came here, isn’t it?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Hyun Beop nodded vigorously.
"Never forget this: the only reason we came to Mount Hua was for Mount Hua."
"We’ll remember that."
"Good. Pour me another."
It was then.
"You fools who claim you’ll become Daoists in the Daoist hall, drinking so brazenly. Have you no shame before your ancestors!"
The door was thrown open, and a man strode in. At once, everyone stood and bowed their heads.
"You’ve arrived."
"Tch."
Hyun Dang frowned. His gaze had landed on the wanton clutter of wine jars.
"You haven’t already forgotten where you are, have you?"
"Forgive us. Everyone seemed rather tense, so..."
Hyun Beop spoke cautiously, looking awkward.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"After all these decades living as a layman, it’s not easy to give up wine and meat."
"Idiots."
Without hesitation, Hyun Dang walked deeper inside and took the seat of honor. Then he said sternly, "Bear with it a little longer. Soon, this Mount Hua will be run according to our rules. Until then, you must watch your words, mind the eyes and ears around you, and conduct yourselves properly."
"We’ll remember that, Senior Brother."
"Hmm."
When he finished speaking, Hyun Dang swept his gaze across his own children, Hyun Beop, and their children in turn.
“This is what people mean when they say disaster turns to fortune.”
He had fled Mount Hua because he could not bear it any longer, but where in the world had it ever been easy to begin a new life?
For a Daoist who had spent his days deep in the mountains, cultivating the Way and honing nothing but martial arts, returning to the world and adjusting to lay life had never been easy.
And yet, having overcome that very hardship, he had built a family, and his children had grown up strong, now standing firmly behind him.
“This many people will be a great asset.”
If they could simply blend into Mount Hua like this, they would become his power completely. And if that happened, wouldn’t he be no different from the Sect Leader even without directly seizing the position?
“If I can make my eldest the next Sect Leader of Mount Hua, then all of this will become mine.”
Hyun Dang smiled faintly.
"Mu-gyeong."
"You should call me Hyun Beop here."
"Yes, yes. Hyun Beop. What happened to what I asked you to find out?"
"Yes. I’ve looked into it these past few days, and the rumors that Mount Hua is overflowing with money appear to be true. In just two days, they’ve filled their warehouses to bursting with supplies that came in from outside."
"Hmm."
"On top of that, Mount Hua holds the exclusive trade rights with Yunnan. If handled properly, this could be a business that brings in an astronomical fortune. Those Mount Hua brats are so naive they don’t seem to realize how valuable it is."
Hyun Beop smiled broadly.
"If you give me full authority, I can make you rich enough to sit on a mountain of gold, Senior Brother."
"Not me. Mount Hua."
"Of course, Senior Brother."
He had spoken sharply, but a smile still crept onto Hyun Dang's lips. No matter how hard he tried to stay composed, the corners of his mouth refused to stay still.
Hyun Beop grinned at him with obvious satisfaction.
"The fact that they’re not putting up much resistance means they know they’ve reached their limit, doesn’t it?"
"Mm."
That made Hyun Dang scowl slightly.
"Don’t underestimate them."
"Pardon?"
"The Hyun Jong in your memory may be clumsy and indecisive, but in any case, the Hyun Jong of today held up a crumbling Mount Hua for decades and restored the sect’s reputation that everyone thought had been lost."
Hyun Beop's face twisted almost imperceptibly. It was not something he wanted to admit.
"And how much of that could possibly have been Hyun Jong’s own ability?"
"As the saying goes, in ten years even mountains and rivers change. If thirty years pass, there’s nothing strange about a person changing too."
"You’re talking about that Hyun Jong?"
His voice carried plain ridicule.
"Senior Brother. Mountains and rivers may change in ten years, but people don’t change even after ten. You know that it isn’t so easy for a person to change, don’t you?"
"...That isn’t entirely wrong."
"If Hyun Jong had truly changed from the man you remember, then why has he still been leaving us alone? If you were in his position, could you really have endured this long?"
"...."
When Hyun Dang gave no answer, Hyun Beop smiled as though to say, See?
"Caution is good, but too much caution can ruin a plan. Sometimes, moving boldly is how you gain the most."
"Yes. That is also true."
Hyun Dang nodded slowly, his expression somewhat complicated.
He knew Hyun Beop's words were not entirely wrong. And yet Mount Hua’s reaction kept making one corner of his heart uneasy.
“This can’t be this simple.”
In the jianghu, it was never easy to produce results and earn a reputation. If it had been easy, Hyun Dang would never have left Mount Hua in the first place.
If they had achieved such accomplishments, there had to be a reason for it.
But Hyun Dang could not see that reason. The younger disciples’ skills seemed terribly high, but the actual ability of the Un generation and Hyun generation who must have taught them did not appear to have improved much from before...
“There’s definitely something I’m missing.”
Hyun Dang shook his head.
He did not know what it was he had overlooked, but for now, as Hyun Beop said, they needed to push forward by force. If they gave those people time to think, it would become impossible to reclaim their footing.
"In any case, if Hyun Jong isn’t just a scarecrow, he’ll bring out some sort of countermeasure tomorrow."
"Yes. And if we can neutralize that countermeasure, Mount Hua will fall into our hands."
"Good. That’s how it should be."
"Senior Brother. After all this time, you’ll finally reclaim your place."
"Hey now. Mind your words. I only endured hardship for Mount Hua’s future."
"Of course, Senior Brother."
The two men smiled at each other.
* * *
"How are the disciples?"
"They aren’t exactly voicing complaints, but..."
"Those children really..."
Hyun Jong let out a long, troubled sigh.
If they had come storming over, demanding to know what in the world those people were, at least it would have been easier on his heart.
But the disciples of Mount Hua had not uttered a single complaint to him.
"Are they still trying to interfere with the disciples?"
"Yes."
At Hyun Sang's answer, Hyun Jong frowned.
Hyun Sang looked at him quietly for a moment, then spoke with a sigh.
"Sect Leader. I know why you’re being so cautious. And as the Sect Leader, I understand that you can’t act emotionally like the rest of us. But if this goes on, I worry it’ll have a bad influence on the disciples."
"...And Hyun Young?"
"He locked himself in his room, saying he couldn’t stand even looking at them, and hasn’t come out."
"...Tsk, tsk. He’s not a child anymore."
Hyun Jong shook his head.
This time, Hyun Sang seemed to understand Hyun Young and took his side.
"But you must understand how he feels, Sect Leader."
"...As if I wouldn’t know."
Hyun Jong looked down at his teacup as he spoke.
"Do you think I don’t want to drive them out? No—if anything, that feeling is strongest in me."
"Then why..."
"Because I know I cannot act only according to my own will."
Hyun Jong looked straight at Hyun Sang.
"If I were to cast them out, people who wish to use them would surely appear. Then the price of that would not be paid by us, but by Mount Hua’s disciples."
"...Sect Leader."
"That is why I could only hesitate. What was the best course? What path should I choose so those children would not be swept up in the shadows of the past?"
After letting out a low sigh, Hyun Jong continued in a heavy voice.
"Hyun Sang."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"I don’t want the children to suffer because of my personal feelings."
Hyun Sang let out a sigh of his own, secretly. Hearing Hyun Jong's reasoning only made his chest feel tighter.
He had not entirely failed to anticipate that answer, but hearing it so plainly made his heart even more complicated.
After all, when had Hyun Jong ever thought about himself?
His every action had always been aligned with Mount Hua and the disciples’ safety.
Hyun Sang often found that side of him so frustrating it made him angry. And yet, because he knew that in the end it was right, he had believed in him and followed.
And he would do so again this time, but...
"Sect Leader. I understand your intent, but it’s already starting to have a bad effect on the children."
"...Yes."
Hyun Jong nodded quietly.
"Then we should take action. We’ve already reached our conclusion, after all."
His gaze drifted to the distant sky.
"Bring back my senior brother... no, bring him here."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Hyun Sang rose with a firm nod.
In the Sect Leader’s quarters of Mount Hua, two groups sat facing one another.
On one side were Hyun Jong and Mount Hua’s elders.
On the other were Hyun Dang and Hyun Beop, the Hyun generation that had once turned its back on Mount Hua and left.
They had faced each other like this only a few days ago, but today’s atmosphere was heavier than it had been then.
The first to speak was Hyun Dang.
"Well then. What is the meaning of this?"
At his leisurely, gentle tone, Hyun Young, who stood guard at Hyun Jong's right, gave a cold rebuke.
"Watch your words."
"...Oh?"
"You are speaking before the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. I once tolerated that rudeness, but if you commit it again, you will learn just how severe Mount Hua’s laws truly are."
Hyun Dang shot Hyun Young a displeased glance.
But as though deciding there was no benefit in sharpening the atmosphere, he soon gave a placid nod.
"Then I have misspoken. Very well, why did you call us here, Sect Leader?"
It was not full deference, but it was respectful enough.
Hyun Young still looked dissatisfied, but seeming unwilling to interrupt any further, he pressed his lips shut.
Hyun Jong offered a slight smile and spoke.
"How did you find Mount Hua after looking around for these past few days?"
Hyun Dang studied Hyun Jong's face as though trying to discern his motives.
But it was not easy to grasp the meaning hidden beneath. If this had been the old Hyun Jong, it might have shown plainly in his expression and voice. But now, Hyun Jong's inner thoughts were hard to read.
"It is splendid, Sect Leader."
Hyun Dang nodded, seeming satisfied.
"More than anything, I am pleased to see that Mount Hua is full of life. The Mount Hua of old was not like this. I do not need to see it with my own eyes to know how much hardship you must have endured, Sect Leader."
Hyun Sang, who had not expected such favorable words, twisted his brows slightly.
However, fortunately or unfortunately, what followed did not stray far from what he had expected.
"However..."
Hyun Dang brought up the main point in a tone edged with subtle displeasure.
"For all that vitality, there is also much excess. In particular, I cannot hide my disappointment at how the hierarchy above and below is not properly established, and how the teachings of the ancients are not being passed on at all."
"Is that so?"
Hyun Jong smiled faintly. There was not even a trace of annoyance in his face.
At that calm reaction, Hyun Dang's brow twitched.
"It seems, then, that Sect Leader did not understand what I meant."
"No. I understood perfectly."
"...You understood?"
"Yes."
Hyun Jong nodded slowly.
"And yet you still react that way?"
"Isn’t it only natural?"
"...Sect Leader?"
His gaze toward Hyun Dang had grown strangely cold.
"The leader of a sect cannot completely ignore outside opinions, but neither must he be swayed by them. So why should I be obliged to accept my senior brother’s judgment in full?"
He said it with a smile.
But beneath that smile was a sharp blade that could not be hidden.
What he meant was simple: no matter what anyone said, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua was Hyun Jong, and Hyun Dang, who had abandoned Mount Hua of his own accord, was nothing more than an outsider—making his judgment meaningless.
“This bastard...”
Realizing the meaning, Hyun Dang's ever-calm face twisted slightly.
Even after seeing that expression, however, Hyun Jong continued speaking with complete composure.
"Senior Brother."
"...Speak, Sect Leader."
"The reason Mount Hua has allowed you to stay here all this time, despite abandoning the sect and deserting its enemies, is because we understood the heart of someone who had no choice but to leave. Mount Hua was such a difficult and painful place back then."
"Junior Brother..."
"However."
At the very moment Hyun Dang's voice seemed ready to soften, Hyun Jong cut him off decisively.
"I do understand you. I understand you very well. But even in that difficult and painful situation, there were those who held on to Mount Hua until the very end and spent their youth here. There were those who could have lived happily if only they had run away, but instead chose, like foolish idiots, to live and die as disciples of Mount Hua."
"...."
By then, Hyun Jong's eyes had turned colder than ice.
"Your words are correct, Senior Brother. If you were to help, Mount Hua might become a little better than it is now. But the moment that happens, Mount Hua will no longer be Mount Hua."
Hyun Dang's face began to tremble.
From Hyun Jong, who was speaking calmly with a resolute expression, an overpowering force radiated outward.
“W-when did this bastard become like this...?”
Hyun Jong regarded him silently for a moment, then finally said, "Senior Brother. No, Ha U-ryang."
"...Y-you insolent brat!"
"That should be enough. Leave Mount Hua now. And..."
A chilling gaze, sharp enough to carry even a hint of cold, pierced straight through Hyun Dang.
"Do not ever try to cross Mount Hua’s threshold again. The next time you do, you will personally learn just how severe Mount Hua’s laws can be."
Overwhelmed by that force, Hyun Dang could not even find the words to answer and shut his mouth without realizing it.