Everything I Do Is for Your Own Good (2)
Baek Cheon’s eyes rolled slightly to the left.
These were familiar faces.
Yu I-seol, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul. Dang Soso and Hye Yeon were missing, though they had been tagging along constantly these days, but in any case, these were the faces he saw most often, so it didn’t feel all that strange.
His eyes rolled back to the right.
This side felt thoroughly unfamiliar.
Un Geom and Un Am.
Of course, they were people he saw all the time in Mount Hua, so unfamiliar wasn’t really the right word. To be exact, it wasn’t that those faces were strange; it was strange to be standing in line beside those people.
And...
“Why’re you staring like that?”
“......”
No, that one wasn’t unfamiliar either.
That damn bastard was perfectly familiar.
Chung Myung was standing at the front of the line, one leg cocked lazily as he leaned on it.
“Chung Myung.”
“Yeah?”
“......It’s a bit much to stand like that when even the martial uncles are here.”
“Aigoo. I got stabbed by a sword during that fight with the Demonic Sect bastards, and it’s hard to straighten my leg all the way. Grrrngh.”
Baek Cheon was beyond exasperated. He had lost the will to speak.
Listen, humanly speaking, if the wound from back then still hurt that much, you wouldn’t be walking around at all. You were smashed to bits like some thunderstruck rag doll and turned into a walking scrap heap, so why was only your leg the problem? Why that one leg, of all things, and why now?
“Anyway.”
“That bastard’s so smooth changing the subject.”
“Exactly.”
Complaints rose from here and there, but Chung Myung merely dug at his ear as if none of it even tickled him.
“I’m sure you all know why we’re gathered here, so I’ll skip the useless explanation and get straight to the point.”
At that, Jo Gul shot his hand into the air. Chung Myung frowned a little and jerked his chin at him.
“What?”
“Why are we gathered?”
“......”
For a moment, contempt and irritation flickered in Chung Myung’s eyes as he stared at Jo Gul. Jo Gul looked around with a wronged expression, but in the end he had no choice but to hang his head. Compared to the looks from everyone else, Chung Myung’s glare almost seemed gentle.
“......Sorry.”
“Gul. Before you open your mouth, maybe try thinking first, huh?”
“As if that’s easy.”
Yoon Jong let out a long sigh. Baek Cheon, who was sighing as well, asked Chung Myung,
“Is it Jaha Divine Art?”
“Of course.”
What else could it be?
“Mm...”
Baek Cheon’s face showed a hint of hesitation.
It wouldn’t be a big problem for two generations to learn together, but when three generations gathered in one place, it was hard not to feel they were overstepping. From the point of view of the Un generation, wasn’t this basically like learning a new martial art alongside one’s grandchildren?
No matter how people said there should be no hierarchy in learning, that was really only an idealistic notion.
But before Baek Cheon could even bring himself to say anything, Chung Myung beat him to it.
“For the record, I wasn’t the one who chose who came here, so don’t waste your breath on me.”
Baek Cheon shut his mouth like a clam.
He’s not even letting me speak.
Un Geom smiled faintly and spoke.
“Did the Sect Leader order this?”
“Yes. More precisely, the Sect Leader and the elders.”
“I see.”
Baek Cheon watched the mood for a moment, then whispered so softly only Un Geom could hear.
“Martial uncle. If this feels awkward, I can speak to the Sect Leader and try to split up the group.”
Un Geom looked at him and smiled warmly.
“Thank you for your concern. But there’s no need to go that far.”
“Grrngh. I do feel a bit burdened, though.”
Oddly enough, it was Un Am who let out the complaint. Un Geom gave him a slightly peculiar look.
“Then should we send the children away?”
“It’s not the children who should leave, but me. What right do I have to learn Jaha Divine Art together with you lot? With my skill, it’d be laughable.”
Un Geom chuckled.
“Don’t be so modest. Is there anyone in Mount Hua who doesn’t know martial uncle isn’t weak?”
“Not weak, my foot. Maybe once upon a time. Anyway, I really don’t like this. I should tell the Sect Leader and opt out...”
“If you do that, he’ll thunder at you.”
“Grrngh. He will, won’t he?”
As Un Am grumbled, Un Geom looked at him with a gentle smile.
In truth, if he wanted to, Un Am could sit in the seat of Mount Hua’s Sect Leader of the next generation at any time. Even Hyun Jong could not push aside Un Am, who had guarded Mount Hua for decades at his side.
There had been a time when Un Am had wanted to inherit the position of Sect Leader, and that was when Mount Hua had no hope left. Back then, the seat of Mount Hua’s Sect Leader was something nobody wanted.
When everyone else avoided it, he had quietly stepped forward, willing to shoulder Mount Hua’s future; now that that future was finally brightening, he was ready to yield the seat to those who came after.
How could one not respect such a man?
And the reason Un Am was complaining now was surely because learning Jaha Divine Art, which only the Sect Leaders of Mount Hua had ever cultivated, felt like a burden.
Now that Hyun Jong had ordered it, all Mount Hua disciples could learn Jaha Divine Art if they had the ability, but people’s perceptions never changed so easily.
So it was clear he intended to abandon the training from the start and cut off any rumors before they could begin.
Un Am scratched his head and asked Chung Myung,
“So, Chung Myung. Did the Sect Leader tell us to receive instruction in Jaha Divine Art from you?”
“Ah. No, not that.”
Chung Myung grinned.
“If it absolutely has to be that way, then I’ll have no choice but to do it myself regardless of procedure, but that’s not the situation now. There’s someone else who can teach it too.”
“Huh? Then...”
“There he is.”
Just then, footsteps sounded from below the training ground. Everyone in formation turned toward the source of the noise all at once.
“Oh. Sect Lead...”
Un Geom had been about to respectfully greet the Sect Leader, but then he tilted his head in confusion.
Sect Leader?
It was, wasn’t it...
That was clearly Hyun Jong, but why did something about him seem different?
He blinked hard, but it was undeniably Hyun Jong at the center. And the men at his left and right were clearly Hyun Sang and Hyun Young.
They were people he had seen for most of his life, yet for some reason they gave off the unsettling feeling of strangers.
Riiip!
“Tsk. Tsk!”
When the sound of fabric tearing rang out, Hyun Young’s face twisted sharply.
“I told you to wear something roomier! Who do you think is going to patch that up and prepare new clothes?”
“I did wear something bigger.”
“Does your body look like something that can be handled by ‘a little bigger’? Wear the size you used to wear when you were at your prime. No, something even bigger than that.”
“...Fine.”
At their exchange, Un Am also tilted his head.
Too small? Why?
He’d been skin and bones for a while there; had he somehow put on weight in the meantime...
Huh?
As Un Am stared at the three of them, he jerked slightly. It wasn’t just his imagination; Hyun Jong’s body really did seem larger than it had been before.
Is this what they call spiritual energy?
So that made him look bigger...? Hm?
With every step Hyun Jong took, his chest seemed to bulge more noticeably. Come to think of it, his shoulders too... no, even his thighs looked thicker...
Un Am’s cheek began to twitch.
He really did just get bigger.
Not only Hyun Jong, but the elders standing beside him looked clearly larger than before as well.
No, even so, can a person suddenly become that big?
Of course, if age had straightened a bent back, it could create the effect of being taller, but to that extent? And to make the whole body seem larger and different? Nonsense.
Hyun Jong and the elders had approached without anyone noticing and now stood before them.
“You’ve all gathered.”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
The Mount Hua disciples looked at Hyun Jong with renewed eyes. Of course, for martial artists, how much intimidation could a body really provide...? But...
No, no matter how I look at it, that’s impressive.
He looks like a different person.
Everyone swallowed dryly as they looked at Hyun Jong. It wasn’t just that he had gotten a little bigger; his entire atmosphere seemed changed.
If one had to put it into words...
It was the composure of an unmistakable master.
Hm? The composure of a master?
Then Hyun Jong smiled faintly and spoke.
“I intend to teach you Jaha Divine Art starting now. It is a highly intricate and difficult martial art, so learning it will not be easy, but I hope you all will do your utmost to keep up.”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
The Mount Hua disciples answered with brightened faces.
Right. What did the Sect Leader’s changed appearance matter? What mattered was that they were finally going to learn Jaha Divine Art.
Mount Hua’s greatest divine skill!
The legendary martial art that had been lost!
The strongest qi cultivation art ever practiced only by Mount Hua Sect Leaders!
Not a single one of those titles lacked splendor. At last, they would be able to cultivate the Jaha Divine Art, the very essence of Mount Hua’s martial tradition.
“First of all...”
Just then, a voice rang out.
“SEEEEECT LEADERRRRRRRRR!”
“Hm?”
Hyun Jong turned toward the sound. Several figures were rushing toward them from far away.
“Soso?”
“...Baek Sang?”
Baek Cheon tilted his head at the familiar faces at the front of the group.
What were they doing here?
The people who had raced over at full speed bowed respectfully to Hyun Jong and the elders.
“What is the matter?”
When asked, Baek Sang hesitated and glanced nervously at Hyun Jong. Then, as if finally making up his mind, he spoke firmly.
“Sect Leader!”
But before he could continue, Un Am frowned in displeasure and barked first.
“Mount Hua may be a place where the disciples are comfortable, but is it proper to come storming in without warning and demanding an audience with the Sect Leader?”
“Enough.”
Hyun Jong stopped him with a light smile and looked at Baek Sang with warm eyes.
“Speak. Why are you hesitating?”
“S-Sect Leader. Could it be that the people gathered here are the ones who will be learning Jaha Divine Art?”
“That is correct.”
“Sect Leader!”
Baek Sang cried out in a hurry and flattened himself to the ground. The others who had come with him did the same.
Hyun Jong, startled, tried to help the disciples up, but Baek Sang raised his voice with unwavering resolve.
“We know we are lacking compared to those gathered here. That is not to say your choice was wrong. Even if I had been the one making the selection, I would have naturally chosen the martial uncles, senior brothers, and martial younger siblings who are here.”
He swallowed dryly and continued.
“So, Sect Leader. Please do not misunderstand us and hear us out. We are not saying your decision is unfair, but we came here at the risk of being rude because we desperately want that opportunity too.”
“An opportunity, you say?”
“Yes!”
Baek Sang lifted his head sharply. His eyes glittered with earnestness.
“Of course we know we’re lacking. But we’ve worked hard too. So please do not think our old abilities are all we are and let us prove ourselves properly, at least once.”
“Hmm.”
Hyun Jong stroked his beard, looking thoughtful.
Then Dang Soso, who had been watching the mood, carefully spoke up as well.
“Sect Leader. Everyone knows your decision and the elders’ decision are proper. But even so, waiting from the back without doing anything feels too regrettable.”
“Regrettable?”
“Yes. We’re... we’re martial artists too.”
Hyun Jong smiled gently and asked Dang Soso,
“You don’t want to be left behind?”
“I’m far from sufficient. I still haven’t mastered the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art, and I haven’t fully learned Mount Hua’s martial arts compared to the other senior brothers either. I know that better than anyone. But!”
Dang Soso’s eyes, fixed straight on Hyun Jong, were utterly clear. They overflowed with nothing but unblemished, sincere longing.
“Even so, if I simply keep acknowledging the gap and being pushed back, I’ll never catch up to the senior brothers or the martial uncles. So please give us a chance to prove ourselves.”
Un Am, listening to the story, snapped coldly with a hardened face.
“Even if that’s what you were thinking, is it proper to all storm in here together and say such things rudely? Is that how I taught you?”
“We’re sorry, martial uncle.”
“Get back at once.”
“Un Am. Wait a moment.”
But Hyun Jong again stopped Un Am and smiled.
“From what I hear, it’s not entirely wrong. In truth, if we simply discussed it among ourselves and chose people, those who weren’t selected might feel aggrieved. In that case, we need a method everyone can accept.”
Then he looked at Hyun Sang and asked lightly,
“What do you think?”
“Mm. We certainly can’t keep choosing people in such a haphazard fashion every time. But not for this. There’s no way to set a new standard right this second for them. Withdraw their request for now, and bring forward the process for selecting the next group.”
Hyun Jong nodded as if that had merit. Then he turned to Hyun Young and asked,
“And you?”
Hyun Young snorted as if to say what a silly question.
“Let them do it.”
“Elder!”
“Elder Hyun Young!”
The disciples’ eyes began to shine.
It was unbelievable. No one had expected Hyun Young, who usually waved people away with obvious annoyance whenever something came up, to support the disciples for once.
“Is that all right?”
“Well. If they want to learn that badly, there’s no reason to cut them off just because of some arbitrary rule. However...”
“However?”
Hyun Young swept his eyes over the gathered disciples with a faintly meaningful look.
“We don’t even need to make that standard separately later. If we just make them rough it from now and teach only the ones who can endure, then no one will have a complaint.”
“...Only the ones who endure?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly are you planning to make them do?”
“Anything will do. Anything at all. The method doesn’t matter. What matters is something else.”
“And what is that?”
“Why, it’s...”
Hyun Young’s mouth twisted slightly.
“Opposing the decision of one’s sect elder is no different from an act of betraying the sect and destroying the ancestors’ teachings. And if it’s the Sect Leader’s choice, even more so. By principle, all these brats should be beaten senseless and thrown into the repentance cave.”
“...T-That far?”
“I’m not saying we should do that. But they made such an unreasonable demand that would deserve punishment, so they ought to take responsibility for it.”
Hyun Young spoke to everyone.
“I’ll give you a chance. But in return!”
“......”
“Those who made a fuss despite having no skill will pay the price. Absolutely! Absolutely do not give up in the middle. Anyone who gives up, I’ll make sure they regret it. I will, absolutely!”
In that instant, Un Am and Un Geom both shivered as a chill swept over them.
It was the cold of memory.
Long ago, unimaginably long ago.
Back before Hyun Young had let go of the disciples, taken over the Finance Hall, and shouldered Mount Hua’s livelihood on his own.
They remembered who had been called Mount Hua’s demon before Chung Myung came along.
The bewildered disciples lifted their heads and saw Hyun Young—and behind him, Chung Myung.
Chung Myung was grinning brightly like a child having the time of his life, waving one hand to draw the other disciples’ attention. Then, without a word, he drew a thumb across his own throat.
You’re all dead now.
“......”
At that moment, everyone had the same instinctive feeling.
Something had gone very, very wrong.