Chapter 456. I'm the Expert at That, You Know. (1)
“Bangjang…….”
At the sight of Beop Jeong, who looked half out of his mind, Hye Yeon let out a quiet sigh.
Indeed, a demon of delusion.
It seemed that even the Abbot of Shaolin was utterly helpless before Chung Myung.
Beop Jeong stared blankly at Hye Yeon for a moment before speaking.
“Hye Yeon.”
“Yes, Bangjang.”
“What is money?”
“Pardon?”
Thrown off by the sudden, absurd question, Hye Yeon blinked.
But he couldn’t ignore a question from the Bangjang. After thinking it over carefully, he gave his answer.
“Isn’t it a good thing?”
“…….”
“The more you have, the better.”
Beop Jeong closed his eyes with a desolate expression.
He’s completely corrupted.
Even if that answer wasn’t exactly wrong, how could a monk speak such words so casually?
What was truly astonishing was that Hye Yeon had spent his entire life in Shaolin, raised under the temple’s strict Buddhist teachings. And yet in just a few months, he had come to say things like this without the slightest hesitation.
Hye Yeon, glancing at Beop Jeong’s reaction, gave a small cough. The Bangjang’s face was filled with a weariness that was rarely seen.
Hye Yeon cautiously asked, “Did something not go well?”
Beop Jeong let out a groan and shook his head.
“I did not expect him to sacrifice himself for the righteous cause, for all the people under heaven, but still……”
At the very least, he had thought the man would understand the value of face.
Face!
He had personally gone to Mount Hua, spoken of righteousness and the people under heaven, and subtly pressured them. He had thought that, out of concern for appearances alone, they would not easily refuse.
The reason sects like the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families were revered in the world was, after all, because of their lofty reputations. That was precisely why those so-called prestigious schools were careful not to do anything that might damage their standing.
But that bastard—the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, or whatever he was—seemed to have no concept of dignity at all.
- Glory? Gloryyy? This old man comes all the way to Mount Hua talking about glory? Good grief! If glory was really such a big deal, how did Mount Hua end up looking like that in the first place? I thought you’d shaved your head, but it looks like your conscience grew hair and carried it all away with it.
As Beop Jeong recalled that voice, the ends of his beard began to tremble.
“Ugh…… my heart…….”
“B-Bangjang! Please, calm yourself!”
“Ugh…….”
As though trying to shake the remnants from his mind, Beop Jeong vigorously shook his head.
“Amitabha! Amitabha!”
Only after chanting the Buddha’s name with enough force to silence himself did the turmoil in his heart finally begin to settle.
“Truly, a demon. A demon indeed.”
What else could be called a demon if not something that shattered decades of cultivation in a single instant?
Beop Jeong exhaled deeply, his face dark with trouble.
Still, there’s nothing for it.
Even if the other side were worse than a demon, he had no choice but to bow his head now.
He needed Mount Hua’s help—absolutely needed it. Exactly as the Mount Hua Divine Dragon Chung Myung had pointed out. As time dragged on without the North Sea matter being resolved, doubts about Shaolin’s leadership were only growing.
No sect in the world could do anything about the North Sea right now, but since when had the people of the world ever cared about such circumstances?
If only it hadn’t been for the World Martial Tournament…….
Of course, Shaolin was still plenty strong.
But strength alone was not enough. Shaolin was supposed to be the most influential sect in the world, not merely the strongest. Yet so much had changed after that martial competition.
“Hoo…….”
Beop Jeong sighed deeply.
He’s truly hard to deal with.
It felt like trying to bounce a faceted stone off a single narrow bridge. There was no telling where it would fly next.
“Hye Yeon.”
“Yes, Bangjang.”
“What kind of place is Mount Hua, as you have seen it?”
At that question, Hye Yeon furrowed his brow as if pondering deeply.
If one were asking about Chung Myung alone, he could talk for three days and three nights and still not be done. But if one asked what Mount Hua itself was like…….
“I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure?”
“Yes, Bangjang.”
“Is that all?”
Hye Yeon nodded without hesitation.
“This is the only answer I can give at present.”
Beop Jeong gazed at him for a long time, as if thinking over something, then smiled faintly.
“To answer honestly that one does not know—that, too, is good. Those who have not awakened will still force themselves to answer things they do not know.”
It was strange.
Hye Yeon had clearly drifted somewhat away from the Buddhist teachings. And yet in his answer just now, there had been something of the Dharma in it. Perhaps even more than when he was still in Shaolin.
“Even the Buddha cast aside his home in order to attain enlightenment. Perhaps the Dharma is not something one can find within the comfort of a temple after all.”
“Bangjang.”
“Amitabha.”
Beop Jeong nodded.
“Yes. So, have you learned much?”
“Yes, indeed.”
Hye Yeon pressed his palms together and bowed his head slightly. When he lifted it again, his eyes shone with clarity.
“The world does not belong only to Shaolin.”
“Hmm.”
“I also realized that righteousness is not limited to one form. I even came to think that perhaps the Buddhist path we have polished so diligently may not be the only way to reach the true meaning of life.”
“Good. Very good.”
Beop Jeong nodded repeatedly, looking thoroughly pleased.
What was right was born from doubt.
The moment a cultivator became absolutely certain of their own goodness, that goodness turned into nothing more than stubborn pride. The righteousness a cultivator should pursue was not goodness itself, but the constant effort to question and seek the ideal of goodness.
In that sense, Hye Yeon had already gained much.
“Therefore.”
Hye Yeon pressed his palms together and intoned solemnly, “Amitabha. This humble monk intends to return to Shaolin at once, organize the realizations gained from this journey, and devote himself to even higher cultivation.”
“A fine attitude. Truly fine.”
Beop Jeong nodded with satisfaction again and again.
Seeing how much Hye Yeon had grown, his heart naturally warmed. It felt as though the wounds he had suffered from Chung Myung were being healed.
Only, there was one thing…….
“Ahem. Still…….”
Beop Jeong, wearing an expression utterly unlike himself, glanced at Hye Yeon.
“About that cultivation.”
“Yes?”
Then, clearing his throat again, he spoke in a grave voice.
“In my view, you still have not experienced enough of the world beyond Shaolin.”
“……B-Bangjang?”
At the unexpected words, Hye Yeon’s eyes went wide.
“W-What do you mean by that, Bangjang?”
“Amitabha.”
Beop Jeong chanted softly.
“All learning has its proper time. If you miss this moment, then even if you return to the outside world later, there is no guarantee you will gain this enlightenment again.”
“…….”
“So for now, it would be best if you remained here a little longer and observed the Mount Hua Divine Dragon…….”
“Bangjang?”
“Khhm. Ahem.”
But Hye Yeon did not easily accept that explanation. After a heavy cough, Beop Jeong let out a long sigh.
There was no way to continue lying to that suspicious face.
“……They said no.”
“Pardon?”
“They said they can still make use of you up to the North Sea, so you have to go with them.”
Hye Yeon’s eyes flew wide open.
“No, but even so……!”
“I asked them how they could let only Shaolin sit this one out when it concerns the people of the world, and what was I supposed to say after that?”
All sorts of emotions flickered in Hye Yeon’s eyes. But Beop Jeong only turned his head slightly and looked away.
“Anyway…… that’s how it is.”
“…….”
“Amitabha.”
The light in Hye Yeon’s eyes dimmed rapidly.
* * *
“Are you truly sure this is all right?”
Hyun Jong’s face was deeply troubled as he asked the question.
Now that they had already pushed Beop Jeong until he had coughed up everything worth wringing out of him, the decision to go to the North Sea was effectively made. And yet, even knowing that, Hyun Jong simply could not put his worries aside.
Of course, it had been satisfying to watch the Shaolin Abbot groan in misery…….
At that moment, Chung Myung shrugged and answered as casually as ever.
“If it were just one or two issues, I’d think it over. But this time, everything’s tangled together.”
“Hmm.”
“If you look at it the other way, though, moving once could untangle all of it at once.”
Hyun Jong’s brow furrowed.
“Even so, I can’t shake this feeling of unease.”
At the worry in his voice, Chung Myung studied his face quietly. As expected, the old man was still not at ease.
“No treasure in the world, no priceless gem, could ever be worth trading for your safety. That goes for every disciple of Mount Hua, not just you.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Chung Myung. The Demonic Sect is not like the foes you’ve dealt with before. They’re truly terrifying.”
Chung Myung did not deny it; he merely nodded slowly.
No one in this world knew more about the Demonic Sect than Chung Myung did—at least, not in this era. But he had no intention of saying that aloud.
“I know they’re dangerous.”
“Mm.”
“But in this world, there are some dangerous things you avoid, and some dangerous things you have to deal with quickly.”
“……That may be true, but…….”
Chung Myung gave another shrug and smiled.
“People learn from failure, don’t they? The history of the last war proves that. Just because the surface is calm doesn’t mean the waters below are.”
If the Central Plains had recognized the Demonic Sect’s movements even a little earlier, the outcome might have been different. But the Central Plains had been drunk on the long peace it had enjoyed.
Just like now.
We can’t repeat the same mistake.
Ice Crystal, and Han-cheol. Not to mention the North Sea Ice Palace, one of the Outlands’ Five Palaces.
There was a great deal tangled up in the North Sea. But none of it was the decisive reason Chung Myung had chosen to go there.
Things have gone this far. I need to see it with my own eyes.
The fact that Shaolin still had not resolved the matter after all this time meant something was definitely happening in the North Sea.
Maybe the situation was even more urgent than Chung Myung had imagined.
The Heavenly Alliance still isn’t sturdy enough.
Until the Heavenly Alliance had fully laid down its foundations, he needed to reduce variables. Only then could Mount Hua become a little safer.
“The Demonic Sect is terrifying, yes.”
“It is.”
“But if something’s scary, that doesn’t mean you can just turn your head and ignore it, does it?”
Chung Myung shrugged again.
“For Mount Hua to become what it once was…… no, to become even better than before, we have to overcome the past where we failed to stop the Demonic Sect.”
“…….”
Hyun Jong looked at him in silence, his gaze heavy and somber.
“Do you know how difficult that will be?”
“Yes.”
He knew better than anyone.
But Chung Myung’s mind was made up.
“This time, we’re the ones who strike first.”
“…….”
“That’s the only way we’ll know what’s really going on. You can’t face an enemy you don’t understand. If it’s something we’ll have to go through eventually anyway, then I’m not going to sit around with my hands folded until it happens.”
Chung Myung stroked Baek Ah, who twitched briefly at the nape of his neck, and grinned.
“Ah, but don’t worry—I’m not saying Mount Hua should stand at the front and block the Demonic Sect by itself. This is just one of those situations where the conditions are so good it’d be stupid not to try.”
Hyun Jong looked at him quietly for a long moment before speaking.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Our Mount Hua has lost too much because of the Demonic Sect.”
“…….”
Hyun Jong paused for a moment, then gently closed his eyes.
“If not for the Demonic Sect—if only we had not stood at the forefront to stop them…….”
A faint sigh slipped from his lips.
“Do you think I never had such thoughts? There were many years when I cursed our ancestors, again and again.”
Chung Myung did not answer.
He had no right to answer that.
“And yet…….”
Hyun Jong shifted his gaze briefly toward the window, then looked straight at Chung Myung again.
“The reason I could take pride in being a disciple of Mount Hua was because those very people existed. Thanks to them, I could believe that this Mount Hua had devoted everything it had to defend the world.”
At the steady voice, brimming with certainty, Chung Myung finally shut his eyes.
For some reason, looking at Hyun Jong’s face was terribly difficult.
“So I cannot tell you all to protect only your own safety.”
One who becomes a parent must one day let their child leave their arms. One who becomes a teacher must one day acknowledge their disciple’s growth.
However painful and heartbreaking it might be, one could not stand in the way of that path.
“But promise me one thing.”
“Yes?”
“You may do whatever you must there. Whatever you do, Mount Hua will always stand behind you. So…….”
Hyun Jong hesitated for a moment, the end of the sentence trailing off, before continuing in a slightly restrained voice.
“Come back safely, no matter what.”
“…….”
At those words, a smile finally formed on Chung Myung’s lips.
“Don’t worry, Sect Leader.”
No—if a smile wasn’t enough, he bared his teeth in a bright grin.
“I’ll smash the Demonic Sect bastards’ heads in and come back!”
This time, Mount Hua would go on the offensive.
You rotten Demonic Sect bastards!