The Sect Leader’s Token, Stolen by Force
"……What kind of damn mountain is this!"
Do Un-chan, the deputy sect master of the Ghost Sect, clicked his tongue as he climbed the steep mountain path cut into the cliff.
He was confident in his lightfooted movement arts—confident enough that there was no danger of him falling—but even he had never once climbed a mountain this sheer.
"Hnnng."
Suppressing the numb ache in his legs, he reached the summit in a single push, and before him appeared a cluster of grand halls shrouded in mist, along with an imposing mountain gate.
"……Why would anyone build something like this on a mountaintop?"
"Beats me."
There were more things here that made no sense than he could count, but there was no reason for Do Un-chan to understand them.
All he had to do was take care of business and head back.
"Ahem!"
He approached the mountain gate with determined steps.
Normally, the mountain gate of a sect stayed closed, but here it stood wide open, as if inviting anyone to come in. And the person who should have been guarding the entrance was nowhere to be seen.
"Can we just walk in?"
"I suppose so?"
"Hmm."
Shaking his head as if he could not make sense of any of it, Do Un-chan walked inside.
"Hello? I have business with Mount Hua…."
Kwaaaang!
"……."
Before he could even finish speaking, something flew past him in a blur and smashed into the wall right beside the gate.
Rumble.
The wall shook violently, kicking up a cloud of dust.
What was that?
Do Un-chan reflexively turned to stare at the thing that had smashed the wall.
After a brief silence, a single hand suddenly thrust out from beneath the collapsed rubble.
"Aaaah! You scared me!"
Do Un-chan jolted, his shoulders snapping up, then blinked dumbly.
"A… person?"
"……."
"Grrrrrrr."
The thing—no, the person—who crawled out from the debris glared ahead with bloodshot eyes.
What the hell?
Did I come to the wrong place?
No, wait. The plaque definitely said Mount Hua Sect.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Shaking off the rubble, the figure burst out and came charging forward, hair in disarray, roaring like a madman.
"Dieeeeeee!"
Huh?
Die? Had an enemy faction invaded or something…?
Kwaaaang!
But that ferocious momentum meant nothing; he was hurled backward at twice the speed with which he had charged in.
Kwaaaang!
Yep, he’s dead.
Well, of course he’d die if he got hit like that.
"You’ve lost your mind! You rushed in with your chest wide open?"
Then the most ill-tempered voice in the world pierced Do Un-chan’s ears.
"What, are you all just messing around right now?"
In the middle of the dust-filled training ground, some demon was bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"So you swung a sword for once, huh? Felt good, did it? Got too damn big for your boots, and now you’re asking to get killed! You think it doesn’t hurt if you get hit by a sword? Huh? It doesn’t hurt? Want me to show you exactly how much it hurts?"
"……."
Do Un-chan swallowed hard, his face tightening with unease.
Had an evil sect attacked?
Was this some fight with the demon from the Maninbang?
And then he saw a man courageously charge straight at that demon.
A spotless white martial uniform!
A pure white hero’s headband tied around his forehead!
The resolute face visible beneath it was the most clean-cut, handsome thing Do Un-chan had ever seen.
Who else could that be but the man representing Mount Hua?
"You little bastard!"
The man representing Mount Hua charged at the demon with a fierce shout, sword raised—
But why is that a wooden sword?
Huh?
"Die…!"
Bang!
Before he could do anything more, a pitch-black scabbard slammed into the charging man’s forehead.
"……."
Though he had rushed in with great speed, he went rigid like a stone statue on the spot, all resistance apparently gone from him.
"Die?"
The demon’s eyes narrowed with a wild glint.
"I was too damn nice to you, and now you’re getting cocky! Fine! Let’s see you die then!"
The scabbard swung with gusto.
"Waist! Waist! Waist! Waist! Your head!"
Kwaaaaaang!
After taking four clean hits to the right side of the waist and finally a merciless crack to the head—no, the skull—Baek Cheon collapsed to the ground with a soft thud.
The way he lay there, twitching in spasms on his stomach, was enough to bring tears to the eyes.
How did virtue end up beneath evil?
This shouldn’t be happening…
"Sasuk!"
"Sasuuuuuuk! Aaaah! You vile enemy!"
The Mount Hua disciples, voices thick with outrage, all rushed at the demon together.
"Oh?"
But the demon’s sword neatly cracked down each of the attackers one by one.
"You bastards!"
Bang! Bang!
"You’ve got the guts out in the open like that!"
Bang! Bang! Kwaaaang!
"You think you did something amazing?"
People shot into the air like fireworks.
The sight of those in spotless white uniforms flailing in midair as they flew upward was, somehow… hmm.
Almost like flowers blooming.
Strangely beautiful, wasn’t it?
No, wait. This should not look beautiful.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ones who had flown skyward now came crashing back down one after another. Those sprawled on the ground all twitched in tiny spasms.
……What the hell is going on?
Do Un-chan had ears, after all.
On the way here, he had heard that Maninbang’s armed forces had invaded Mount Hua. And he had also heard, over and over again until his ears rang, that Mount Hua had splendidly repelled them.
Unless they were one of the Gupailbang or one of the Odaesega, who in the world could even dream of such a feat?
Everyone had been talking about Mount Hua. All the way here, people kept saying Mount Hua’s momentum was extraordinary, that its return to the ranks of the Gupailbang was only a matter of time.
And yet…
Why are they getting beaten senseless by one person?
Everything happening before his eyes defied common sense.
"Die."
Then he saw a woman with her hair tied up rush at the demon with a low shout.
No way. Surely not.
Couldn’t be….
Koooooooom!
"……."
As always, the woman with the scabbard slammed into her forehead twitched and fell face-first to the ground.
"You idiots, all of you have lost your damn minds!"
The demon.
No, not a demon—the black-robed Chung Myung bared his teeth and shouted.
"Why are you putting useless force into your sword? I’ve told you a hundred times that making your motions bigger leaves gaps! You only ever yap about fundamentals with your mouths! I’ll really lose it!"
Watching Chung Myung roar like a beast, Do Un-chan squeezed his eyes shut.
"This is why, huh? Inexperienced fools don’t die in their first fight—they die in their second! The ones who think they know a thing always kick the bucket first! You hear me, you chicks?"
Excuse me.
You’re the one who looks the youngest here….
"Grrrrrrr."
"Aaaah. I’m dead."
"……Please. Please, ghosts. Anything but this. Please…."
Just when the Mount Hua disciples were starting to think it would be a hundred times better to face Maninbang instead—
"……What’s this now?"
Chung Myung’s gaze shot toward Do Un-chan, who stood in front of the mountain gate.
Flinch.
Still dazed, Do Un-chan met his eyes and, without meaning to, shrank his neck into his shoulders like a turtle.
"What is it?"
"Pardon?"
"Who are you, wandering into someone else’s sect gate without permission? Is this an attack?"
"A-attack?"
Do Un-chan’s eyes widened.
How had things escalated this fast…?
"If it’s not even an attack, what kind of nerve do you need to just waltz into another sect like you own the place? Come here. Quickly."
When Do Un-chan froze and could not bring himself to move, Chung Myung began strolling toward him, the scabbard hanging from his shoulder swinging lazily.
"W-wait a moment. I’m not here for that…!"
By then, any thought of demanding the Sect Leader’s Token had already been hurled down the cliff.
Principle? Reason?
Those meant something only when the other side was someone you could talk to.
He had lived long enough, and been ground down enough, to know better.
No, in truth, even without age and experience, anyone could have seen that words didn’t work on this bastard standing before him.
"I-I am…."
"Ah, I get it, so come over here already."
Chung Myung sauntered up to him like some alley thug and stopped in front of him. Do Un-chan seriously considered turning and bolting without looking back.
But then—
"S-sect Master!"
"Hm?"
Gye Hyeong, who had hurriedly stormed in through the mountain gate, hurried between Do Un-chan and Chung Myung.
"Oh? You?"
"I-I brought him! You told me to bring our deputy sect master, did you not? This gentleman is our Ghost Sect’s deputy sect master."
Chung Myung’s gaze flicked back and forth between Gye Hyeong and Do Un-chan.
"Ah… deputy sect master?"
"Yes!"
"This one?"
"That’s right!"
"I see."
Chung Myung nodded, then strode right up to Do Un-chan.
"Eek!"
Terrified that something might fly at him, Do Un-chan instinctively lifted his hands in front of his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.
But Chung Myung grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically.
"Aigoo! Goodness, you came a long way!"
"……."
Do Un-chan slowly opened his eyes. Chung Myung was smiling brightly, still pumping his hand up and down.
"I’ve heard so much about you. Haha, the Ghost Sect’s deputy sect master, right?"
"……."
He shot a furtive look at Gye Hyeong, but Gye Hyeong only shook his head from side to side as though he had never said such a thing.
"Come, come. Don’t stand around like this. Please, go inside."
"……I-inside?"
"Yes! You must go to the guest hall."
"……G-guest hall?"
Honestly, he wanted to turn around and run right now, regardless of the Sect Leader’s Token or anything else.
What kind of Daoist sect is this?
Even an evil sect wouldn’t beat people half to death without looking back like this.
Do Un-chan stood there, bewildered and at a loss. When he looked toward Gye Hyeong, the man answered with his eyes.
I told you so.
"……."
No….
I thought you were just making excuses because you’d failed your mission and were embarrassed. I didn’t think a man like that actually existed in the world.
"Come, come, this way. Please follow me."
Chung Myung practically dragged Do Un-chan along as he led him inside.
Do Un-chan kept looking back over and over, his eyes as mournful as a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.
"……See? I told you that much."
Gye Hyeong watched him with a look of deep sympathy. Then Chung Myung suddenly whirled around and barked,
"Someone go get the Sect Leader—no, why the hell is nobody getting up? You’re all dead or what?"
You’re the one who beat them all up!
You!
Lying sprawled on the floor and barely managing to breathe, Yoon Jong let out a groan and forced himself to speak.
"……Sasuk."
"……."
Baek Cheon gave no reply, but Yoon Jong assumed he was listening and asked,
"Are you alive, Sasuk?"
"……I’m dead."
"……Yes."
The floor of the training ground was soaking up the tears of Mount Hua’s disciples.
"……Gye Hyeong."
"……Yes, Deputy Sect Master."
"You crazy bastard!"
Do Un-chan lunged at Gye Hyeong and grabbed him by the neck, choking him.
"What exactly were you thinking, bringing me here? What were you thinking!"
"Kekh! Kehek! J-just… cough! Let go!"
"What were you thinking!"
After finally prying Do Un-chan’s hands away, Gye Hyeong coughed violently and shouted,
"I told you so!"
"How was I supposed to believe that? How!"
Do Un-chan clutched his head with a pained expression.
He had not really come here with any great expectations, but now he was starting to worry. He had believed that if he simply showed his face and questioned them on the morality of the matter, Mount Hua—the very image of a Daoist sect—would have no choice but to return the Sect Leader’s Token.
But the Mount Hua he had seen did not seem like a place where morals or virtue meant a damn thing.
If he brought up duty and righteousness and ended up with a sword in his mouth, he’d be lucky.
"Why the hell did they call us here?"
But there was no time to dwell on that question.
The door of the guest hall flew open, and a group of people entered.
The one at the front—a Daoist who looked to be somewhere between late middle age and old age—made Do Un-chan spring to his feet.
The Daoist gave him a slightly awkward smile and spoke.
"We have been rude in making you wait. Please forgive this one’s failing."
"N-no, not at all. But…."
The Daoist smiled gently.
"This one is Hyeonjong, Sect Leader of Mount Hua."
"I-it is an honor to meet you, Sect Leader!"
Do Un-chan bowed deeply in greeting, though inwardly he was more than a little shaken.
He’s coming out himself, just like that?
Of course, he was a deputy sect master himself.
But what sort of sect was Mount Hua now? Wasn’t it the one that had defeated Maninbang and was currently the most famous sect in the entire Central Plains?
For the Sect Leader of such a place to greet him personally….
It ought to have been an overwhelming honor, yet for some reason Do Un-chan only grew more and more uneasy.
"Please, have a seat."
"Ah, yes! Yes, Sect Leader!"
Still dazed, Do Un-chan sat down, and Hyeonjong took the seat opposite him. To either side of Hyeonjong, Mount Hua’s people sat in a long row.
After a brief silence, Hyeonjong opened his mouth.
"We have heard your circumstances. So…."
The kindly smile he wore trembled faintly at the corners of his cheeks.
"……You came to ask for the Sect Leader’s Token?"
"Y-yes, that is correct."
"The Sect Leader’s Token?"
Hyeonjong closed his mouth again. Sparks seemed to be flying from his eyes.
Consumed by a fury Do Un-chan could not understand, he sat there blankly, not understanding a thing, when he suddenly noticed the old man seated to Hyeonjong’s left and Chung Myung both slowly beginning to scoot backward.
The rage, which had seemed to swell larger and larger, finally exploded then.
"You insane bastards!"
Hyeonjong yanked off his shoe and hurled it at the two of them.
"Now you’ve gone and stolen another sect’s Sect Leader’s Token just to threaten people? You call yourselves Daoists after this, you little shits? Why not just open up a bandit den while you’re at it! And you wait until now to tell me this? Come here! Get over here, I said!"
Still not satisfied after shouting at the top of his lungs, Hyeonjong shot to his feet and rushed at Chung Myung and Hyun Young. The people around him hurriedly threw themselves at him to hold him back.
"S-Sect Leader! Please calm yourself!"
"There is an outsider present, Sect Leader! Please, your dignity…!"
"I’m so damn mad I could spit! Aigoo!"
Hyeonjong shouted, while Chung Myung and Hyun Young were pushed farther and farther into the corner.
Having watched all of it, Do Un-chan smiled faintly, almost enlightened.
I don’t understand anymore.
Where this place even was.
Haah.
Haah-haah-haah-haah.