I Learned Very Well Thanks to You (4)
“We’re going back.”
Heo Sanja gave no further explanation. Without waiting for the disciples’ reply, he spun on his heel. Even his footsteps seemed to leave a trail of cold in the air.
It was not the sort of conduct one would expect from the leader of the expedition, especially not when Heo Gong had yet to regain consciousness, but none of the Wudang disciples could bring themselves to fault him for it.
Watching Heo Sanja stride away in the distance, Mu Jin let out a quiet sigh.
“Take the elder. We’re returning to Wudang.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Then, sweeping his gaze over the disciples still stiff with shock, he spoke again with another weary breath.
“Do not forget what the elder of Mount Hua said just now.”
“…….”
“The true victor will be the side that gains more from this duel. The result on the surface may be our defeat, but if we truly gain something through it, then there is no shame in it.”
“……Yes.”
“It is just that……”
Mu Jin closed his eyes.
“It feels as if we have been overlooking too much. The name of the world’s greatest sword sect was not built by us, and yet we took it for granted as if it were our rightful strength.”
At those words, the Wudang disciples all nodded at once. Mu Jin’s words had clearly struck home.
“Let us begin again. From the beginning. Those younger than us in another sect are trying so hard; we cannot afford to show such disgraceful faces.”
“We’ll keep it in mind.”
“We’ll work harder.”
“Good. Let us do that.”
Mu Jin gave a small nod.
Perhaps his words had provided some comfort, because everyone quickly began moving, each finding their own task. Yet Mu Jin’s heart only grew heavier than before.
The Wudang disciples had taken a lesson from this duel.
But would the sect leader and elders accept the result with the same humility?
No, they wouldn’t.
For the disciples, there was a future. For the sect leader and elders, however, the present was all there was.
If he put himself in their place, Mu Jin did not think he would want to be remembered as the sect leader who had been humiliated by Mount Hua and handed over the title of the world’s greatest daoist sect and the world’s greatest sword sect.
Maybe this duel will change more than I expected.
The change would likely go in a direction Mu Jin did not want, but he had no power to stop it. All he could do was hope that the revered figures of his sect would not make a mistake in judgment.
“Wait here for a moment.”
After telling the other disciples that, Mu Jin seemed to make up his mind and walked toward Mount Hua.
“That crazy bastard!”
“That unbelievable bastard!”
“My God, he beat a Wudang elder……”
“How far are you planning to go, you bastard!”
Hands came raining down onto Chung Myung’s head the moment he returned.
Thack-thack-thack! Thack-thack-thack-thack!
The dust resting on his hair rose in a pale cloud. But the Mount Hua disciples didn’t care in the slightest; they gleefully kept pounding his head.
“Hahaha.”
Chung Myung puffed out his stomach and said with all the swagger in the world, “What, like it was some huge deal? This much is—”
Thack-thack-thack-thack! Thack-thack-thack-thack!
“I-I said this much—”
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang!
“Hey, you little bastards, I’m really about to—”
“Run!”
“He caught on!”
The Mount Hua disciples who had been using this as an excuse to smack his head the moment Chung Myung’s eyes rolled up began to scatter in a heartbeat.
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul grabbed Chung Myung’s arms the instant he tried to chase after them, gritting their teeth as they laughed.
“Chung Myung, Wudang is watching.”
“Calm down a little.”
“No! Those guys—”
“Aren’t they just acting happy for you?”
“You should be the one understanding them.”
“Grrrgh.”
Chung Myung ground his teeth, his face full of spite. Yoon Jong looked down at him as he seethed and sighed, trying to hold back his own irritation.
He really is something else.
It wasn’t only because he had defeated a Wudang elder.
The moment he had heard the word “duel,” this scene had probably already been taking shape in Chung Myung’s head. Hadn’t they seen countless times how his actions, which at first seemed thoughtless, ended up bringing enormous benefits to Mount Hua?
This bastard’s fame—and Mount Hua’s—are only going to grow.
This victory in the duel was not Chung Myung’s greatest achievement. In truth, compared to subduing the Northern Sea and wiping out the remnants of the Demonic Sect, today’s victory was nothing much at all.
But that was only from Mount Hua’s point of view.
From the Central Plains’ perspective, what had happened in the faraway Northern Sea was too remote to leave any real impression. In fact, even the things they had done there had not spread into proper rumor.
Subduing the Dae-byeol Bandit Band and stabilizing the Green Forest were also, in the end, not accomplishments that could compare with beating Wudang here today.
By the time this day was over, Chung Myung’s exploits and Mount Hua’s reputation would spread like wildfire, echoing across the world.
“In the end, he got everything he wanted. That vicious bastard……”
“He did, didn’t he.”
Watching Chung Myung surrounded by the children again, Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong shook their heads at the same time.
“Haha! What, like I did something amazing.”
“No, amazing things are amazing things!”
“What the hell are you made of, anyway?”
The Mount Hua disciples still stared at Chung Myung as though they couldn’t believe it. They had known he was strong, sure, but how strong exactly was something they had no way of knowing.
But after seeing him in action today, it was clear. This bastard truly defied all common sense.
“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”
Listening to the praise pouring in, Chung Myung dug idly at his ear, looking faintly bored.
“I won once, and the others won once too. Same thing. One win apiece.”
“……How is that the same?”
“Are you maybe a little off in the head?”
“And……”
Chung Myung looked around at everyone.
“The ones who lost today did well too.”
“…….”
“The elder said it, didn’t he? In this duel, victory and defeat were decided by what you gained from it. Same thing here. You didn’t lose just because you lost the match. If you can become stronger through that defeat, then that’s the real win.”
The disciples’ faces grew a little calmer as they quietly nodded.
Chung Myung grinned at that and said with a chuckle, “So? Once you actually fought them, they weren’t much, right?”
“……It’s not that they weren’t much, it’s just……”
Gwak Hoe awkwardly stepped back. At that, Baek Sang, who had been listening from the side, nodded and spoke.
“They’re still high above us, but it did feel like they’re not a tree we can’t climb.”
Hearing that, Chung Myung broke into a bright smile.
“Yeah. That’s enough.”
For now, that was sufficient.
The Mount Hua disciples who had fought in this duel would no longer see Wudang as something living in the clouds. Wudang would still stand above them, but now they would think of them as people they could reach if they stretched out a hand.
That was Mount Hua’s greatest gain from this duel.
Then it happened.
“Junior Uncle-Master!”
“Hall Leader!”
At the commotion behind him, Chung Myung spun around. There was Un Geom, already recovered consciousness and being supported by his disciples.
Chung Myung’s face instantly twisted.
“What, did the sky fall or something? Why are you moving around? You should be lying down. Did your back start acting up?”
Un Geom gave a wry smile at that.
“When my disciple has done something so remarkable, how could I lie down and just watch?”
“I told you, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Chung Myung waved it off as if it really meant nothing.
“He was only an elder, and not even one of the top ones. Wudang’s probably still crawling with old monsters like that. We’re still a long way from beating people like that.”
“Hah-hah.”
Un Geom laughed helplessly, as though he had no idea what to do with this brat.
He was building confidence into the disciples while also warning them against arrogance. That was a role Un Geom should have been playing from the start.
When one man steps away, someone else naturally takes his place.
Yes, this was what a family and a sect were supposed to be.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“…….”
At Un Geom’s eyes, Chung Myung’s lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but he quickly turned his head away instead. Then he muttered with an awkward expression, “You don’t have to praise me……”
Clack!
But before he could finish, Hyun Young had approached and seized his head, shaking it vigorously.
“You little brat! You little monster!”
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Now you’re even dragging in elders! One or two more times and you’ll be hauling a dragon back with you!”
He had already caught something like that once before.
But saying it would be pointless, wouldn’t it?
“Still, this time it was so absurd I’m not even sure I feel good about it.”
“What, because it wasn’t something that made money?”
“Huh……?”
Seeing Hyun Young gape blankly, as if struck by a real blow, Chung Myung himself flinched.
Is he serious?
That’s kind of creepy.
“All right!”
Hyun Sang, who had walked to the center, lightly clapped his hands to refresh the mood.
“I understand how you feel, but not here. There are many eyes on us, and Wudang is still right over there, isn’t it?”
“Oh? Then should I show my happiness even more clearly?”
“…….”
“……No, I said that because Wudang is still over there.”
How in the world was this bastard built? Did he sacrifice his personality to earn his martial skill?
Hyun Sang stared at Chung Myung with trembling eyes, then gave a heavy cough.
“We’ll continue the rest of the discussion at the lodgings. Clean up. We’re leaving for now.”
“Yes, Elder!”
“Understood!”
No sooner had the order been given than the Mount Hua disciples busied themselves tidying up the area. Chung Myung, now a little embarrassed, moved to help them.
“Huh? Someone’s coming.”
“……It’s Mu Jin.”
“Why’s he coming?”
The Mount Hua disciples, noticing Mu Jin approaching their side, frowned. Since he was one of the people who had not taken part in today’s duel, his approach left them feeling vaguely uneasy.
Is he here to pick a fight?
Who knows.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Mu Jin arrived just in front of Mount Hua’s camp, gave a light formal salute, and then fixed his gaze on one man.
“Daoist.”
“Yes?”
“May I speak with you for a moment?”
“With me?”
“Yes, Daoist.”
Chung Myung tilted his head.
“Do we have anything to talk about separately? Unless it’s about sword swinging, I’m not sure.”
“…….”
“Why? If you’re itching because you didn’t get to fight, I can still give you a match.”
“……It’s not that……”
Mu Jin let out a long sigh. The last duel had been so intense that he had briefly forgotten Chung Myung was this kind of person.
“I have something I’d like to ask for your guidance on.”
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung nodded readily.
“Fine. Let’s talk over there.”
“Yes.”
Mu Jin turned first and headed toward a corner, and Chung Myung shrugged before following him. No—he tried to follow.
That is, if someone hadn’t stopped him first.
“Chung Myung.”
“Hm?”
Baek Cheon smiled faintly at him.
“Leave your sword here.”
“…….”
Chung Myung’s face twisted hard.
“Why? You think I’m going to start slashing people now?”
“Yes, I don’t think you would. But now that I know that, put it down and go.”
“No, but—”
“Chung Myung.”
Un Geom nodded kindly from beside him, smiling with that infuriating gentleness of his.
“Leave it here.”
“…….”
There had never been anyone on his side to begin with.
“……Why does he have to leave his sword behind?”
“Ah, forget it. Don’t ask.”
Mu Jin let out a bitter laugh at the sight of Chung Myung’s mouth jutting out by a full foot.
He really is incredible.
After all, the Jianghu was a world ruled by martial prowess. The strong were naturally treated with more respect. And yet Chung Myung, who had just defeated a Wudang elder, didn’t seem to inspire fear or caution in Mount Hua at all.
Mu Jin knew very well how difficult that was.
For example, Heo Gong was a person who despised formality and courtesy, and yet instead of drawing people to him, he only drove them away.
The Chung Myung he had first seen and the Chung Myung standing before him now felt like different people. Perhaps Chung Myung had changed. Or perhaps it was Mu Jin who had changed, and now noticed things he had not been able to see before.
“So, why?”
“Ah……”
Mu Jin hesitated briefly before speaking in a calm voice.
“I want to ask for your instruction, Daoist.”
“Sure. Go ahead. I’m not exactly in a position to teach people, but I’ll answer as best I can. I do owe you one anyway.”
“……That mask of yours was certainly impressive.”
Seeing Chung Myung swagger out with no intention of hiding anything from the start, Mu Jin could only let out a dry laugh.
“Daoist.”
“Yes.”
“Among Mount Hua’s disciples, you are the one of lowest standing, are you not?”
“Are you looking down on me right now?”
“……That’s not what I meant.”
Why did this man always take things so crookedly?
Clearing his throat twice, Mu Jin hurried on before any more misunderstanding could arise.
“I know that Wudang and Mount Hua are different, but I still want to ask. What should one do when a disciple of low rank and status disagrees with his elders?”
“Hm?”
His voice was solemn, utterly serious.
“When what I think is right and what the elders think is right are different, I do not know what a disciple should do.”
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Hmm. I don’t know why you’re asking me that.”
“……Yes. That is true.”
“You already know the answer, don’t you?”
Looking Mu Jin straight in the eye, Chung Myung said, “People already know the answer to most of their problems. They just pretend not to because they don’t have the guts to act on it.”
“…….”
“Don’t ask someone else. Ask your own heart. That’s all I can tell you.”
Mu Jin lifted his head and looked toward the sky.
After staring blankly at the drifting clouds for a while, he lowered his head and gave a respectful salute.
“Thank you, Daoist.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“I hope there will be a chance to witness your sword someday. Right now…… yes. You don’t have it with you.”
“Tch.”
“Then.”
Mu Jin saluted once more and turned away. His steps toward the place where the Wudang disciples were gathered looked a little lighter than they had when he first came over.
Watching his back, Chung Myung let out a snort.
Mu Jin was young.
Anyone who possessed the will to change and carried passion in their heart deserved to be called young, no matter their age.
There were surely limits to what one person could accomplish alone, but as long as there was someone willing to question themselves, Wudang would not remain as it was forever.
Seeing him makes me think of someone.
I wonder what happened to that guy.
Yi Song-baek.
For a moment Chung Myung thought of him, then scratched his head without a word and spun around.
Everything he had come out into the Jianghu to do this time had been accomplished.
Now it’s time to go back.
Before Hyun Jong back on Mount Hua started crying from loneliness.
Still, I am bringing back a pretty decent gift, so he should be pleased.
A satisfied smile settled on Chung Myung’s lips as he ran toward the Mount Hua disciples.