Only He Was Worthy (5)
“Sahyeong.”
“Hm?”
As they raced toward the Black Dragon Clan, Jo Gul casually spoke up.
“That… Wudang sect leader, right?”
“Heo Do-jin-in?”
“Yeah. Him.”
“What about him?”
“Doesn’t he seem a little different from what I expected?”
“Hm?”
When Yoon Jong looked at him in confusion, Jo Gul hesitated for a moment before saying, “I figured the leader of Wudang Sect would be some insanely sharp swordsman. But when I saw him, he felt more like a really decent Daoist priest.”
Of course, this wasn’t the first time he had seen Wudang’s sect leader. He had once seen Heo Do-jin-in seated high on the platform during the Young Heroes Tournament, but that had been from a great distance. This was the first time he had actually gotten a sense of what kind of person he was.
“A decent Daoist priest, huh…”
Yoon Jong repeated the words under his breath, then looked at Jo Gul with a pitying expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Gul-ah.”
“Yes?”
“You really did well coming to Mount Hua.”
“Hehe. What’s that supposed to mean? You’re making me blush.”
“If you’d followed your father and become a merchant, you would’ve ruined the whole family.”
“……”
Yoon Jong clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Dang Soso, who had been listening, nodded along. “That’s right, Jo Gul sahyung. You can’t trust the sect leaders of big sects just because of what they look like. You never know what’s hiding under that face.”
Jo Gul tilted his head, utterly lost. “So you’re saying that about Lord Dang too?”
“My father’s especially friendly toward Mount Hua, so he’s different. But when he deals with other sects, it’s not like that. Anyone who rises to that position has gotten very good at hiding what’s inside them, like it’s just breathing.”
“Hmm.”
“She’s right.”
Baek Cheon nodded as well.
“They exchanged pleasantries and left it at that, but he wouldn’t have bothered to speak if he’d only come to trade pleasantries. He probably took in far more than we realize.”
“In that short time?”
“That’s why he’s the leader of Wudang.”
Baek Cheon’s eyes gleamed. “Learn what there is to learn, and take as a model what’s worth modeling. But no matter the situation, never let your guard down.”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Meanwhile, Chung Myung, who had been watching the little chicks (?) chatting in front of him from behind, secretly snorted.
They really did grow up.
Back then, they would’ve made a huge fuss just from meeting Wudang’s sect leader. Now they were at least thinking it through and being cautious in their own way.
“For now, focus on what’s in front of you. Our opponent right now is the Black Dragon Clan. Not Wudang.”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
Their eager, spirited run was downright admirable. Chung Myung grinned.
“You’re really something.”
Still, well. Even chicks had to be able to do this much.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Heo Do-jin-in, who led from the front, dashed swiftly ahead.
The gentle expression he had shown earlier before Hyun Jong and Mount Hua’s disciples had long since vanished. Only a cold, stern severity remained on his face.
“What did you think?”
Heo Sanja approached carefully and asked.
Without even changing expression, Heo Do-jin-in replied, “You mean Mount Hua?”
“Yes.”
He had heard more opinions about Mount Hua than he could count, but most of them were about the sect’s deeds. What Heo Sanja wanted to know was Heo Do-jin-in’s own assessment of the Mount Hua he had seen with his own eyes.
“There is no doubt they must be watched carefully. However…”
Heo Do-jin-in trailed off. He seemed to think for a moment, then after a pause, continued slowly, “Mount Hua is certainly an excellent sect. Having seen it myself today, I could feel just how remarkable it truly is.”
It was praise bordering on admiration. Heo Sanja paused, wondering if he had ever heard such high praise come from Heo Do-jin-in’s mouth before.
“And because of that, the years they lost become all the more painful.”
“……”
“I’m glad I saw Mount Hua with my own eyes.”
A darkness settled in Heo Do-jin-in’s gaze.
The Mount Hua he had seen in person was more threatening than expected, and far more impressive. There was something there Wudang could not find in itself.
But…
That also means their weaknesses are clear.
It was still not a place one could call an enemy, but to have the chance to thoroughly understand a place that might one day become one was truly fortunate. That alone made this expedition worthwhile.
A gap that has already opened is not so easily closed.
It was because they had looked down on Mount Hua too much that things had reached this point. But if Wudang treated Mount Hua as Mount Hua and kept it properly in view, they could maintain the distance between them.
This time was proof enough.
In the past, if Mount Hua had swept up all the support along the Yangtze River and taken every possible advantage, the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families would have simply stood by and watched. But this time, the moment they heard Mount Hua had appeared on the Yangtze and was fighting bandits, they tossed aside all caution and came running.
That was what it meant to become a target of vigilance.
Sect Leader. Anyone who rises must bear that much weight.
It was not hard to go from one to ten. But for that ten to become two, and then one again, it took several times more effort. Mount Hua, now watched carefully by other sects, would no longer be able to take the kind of one-sided advantage it had before.
“However…”
“Yes?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Heo Do-jin-in’s expression hardened strangely. A feeling close to tension surfaced in his eyes.
If the world remains as it is now, that gap won’t be closed. But…
What if the world did not remain peaceful? In that case, could Wudang still preserve its distance from Mount Hua?
Heo Do-jin-in’s eyes glinted coldly.
It’ll be busy once I return to Wudang.
First, though, the Black Dragon Clan had to be dealt with.
Heo Do-jin-in drove energy into his legs and kicked off the ground with all his strength.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Oh…”
The Mount Hua disciples, who had run nonstop, finally arrived at the Black Dragon Clan.
At the sight before them, everyone’s eyes widened.
“S-Sect Leader.”
“Hmm.”
How should one even describe this scene?
A grand sight?
No, that wasn’t right. There was no fitting this scene into a word with such a positive meaning.
By the riverbank, all sorts of martial artists had gathered in dense clusters. Most eye-catching were the Shaolin monks in yellow robes. Next to them stood the Wudang disciples who had gone ahead of them.
Beside them were people dressed in sky-blue martial robes.
“Sky-blue…”
“Changgung. The Blue Sky Sword Squad of the Namgung Family.”
“So that’s Namgung.”
At a glance, the sword cultivators were so sharp and formidable that they seemed to stand in perfect formation as they stared across the river. And then…
“Then those in green robes must be the Qingcheng Sect.”
Shaolin, Wudang, Namgung, Qingcheng.
The four sects that towered over the world had gathered on the riverbank. It was a suffocating sight.
Has there ever been a gathering of this many people in one place since the war with the Demonic Sect?
It finally sank in. The times really were changing.
Even though none of the people gathered here were showing hostility toward Mount Hua, there was still a pressure here that felt like it was crushing the body. If even they felt that way, how much heavier must it be for the water bandits who had to face all of them?
These were sects anyone in the martial world heard about so often it practically got drilled into their ears from birth, and now they had drawn their swords and left their mountain gates together.
“Sect Leader.”
Hyun Jong nodded.
“Yes. Let us go.”
His hand hidden inside his sleeve trembled slightly, but this was the time to move forward with dignity. He was the sect leader of Mount Hua.
The Mount Hua disciples began walking again.
They, too, understood what it meant to join those people, and so each step carried great weight.
Beop Gye, who had seen Mount Hua approaching from the back, slowly stepped forward to greet them.
“Amitabha.”
With a solemn face, he pressed his palms together in greeting.
“I greet the leader of Mount Hua.”
“Elder Beop Gye. It’s been some time.”
“Do you remember me?”
“How could I ever forget? I still remember the kindness you showed Mount Hua.”
Beop Gye slowly nodded.
He hadn’t really shown Mount Hua any particular kindness, but when meeting as representatives of their sects, personal details were not important. What mattered was that Mount Hua’s sect leader was speaking favorably toward Shaolin.
“Thank you for coming. The courage of Mount Hua will be admired by all under heaven.”
At Beop Gye’s words, Hyun Jong smiled gently.
But the moment Chung Myung heard that, his face flipped over in an instant.
“Hey, that monk son of a—mmph!”
“Hahaha! Yes, Chung Myung! You mean you’re saying all living beings will thank Mount Hua! Our Chung Myung is so admirable! You even care about Buddhism! You even know the word ‘living beings’! Hahaha!”
Baek Cheon laughed while desperately covering Chung Myung’s mouth. Even Hye Yeon had gone pale as he clutched Chung Myung by the neck and silently tightened his grip.
“Mmph! Mmph mmph! That monk son of a—he—”
“Yes, yes. You even spotted him already! That’s a duck! Have you seen a duckling before? I’m quite amazed myself!”
In the meantime, the Five Swords rushed over and swiftly stuffed cloth into Chung Myung’s mouth, then wrapped his entire body up tight.
“Mmmghhh! Mmph mmph!”
Chung Myung, now looking like a cocoon, struggled like his life depended on it, but nobody pitied him even a little.
“Hah. Toss him far back there. No, wait. Let’s just bury him while we’re at it.”
“Should we?”
“…No. Don’t kill him.”
Baek Cheon let out a long sigh and watched Chung Myung being dragged away.
In the end, it was Mount Hua that had begun the campaign against the water bandits. So Mount Hua should have been the one welcoming the others. But Beop Gye had cleverly and naturally shifted the burden of gratitude onto Mount Hua.
As if they were the main actors and Mount Hua was merely supporting Shaolin’s intentions.
A monk, of all people!
There was nothing wrong with being devoted to one’s own sect, but wasn’t that a little too shameless, too petty?
Apparently understanding that feeling, Hye Yeon’s face had also turned bright red.
Just then, Beop Gye gave Hye Yeon a side glance and said to Hyun Jong, “Sect Leader.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“We offer our deepest gratitude for taking in and teaching a disciple of Shaolin. However, given the situation, it seems we must now take back our own disciple.”
“Please, do as you wish.”
As soon as Hyun Jong granted permission, Beop Gye calmly called out to Hye Yeon.
“Hye Yeon.”
“...Yes.”
“Come here and rejoin Shaolin.”
“……”
At the unexpected development, Hye Yeon’s face stiffened.
“Elder. The Abbot said…”
“I know well that the Abbot permitted you to travel outside. But this is no time to seek instruction.”
“……”
“And the Abbot entrusted all authority to me. I will say no more.”
At that point, there was nothing more to say. Hye Yeon’s shoulders sagged.
When he turned around with a dejected face, Baek Cheon patted his shoulder.
“It’s fine, monk.”
“Baek Cheon shijoo, I…”
“You should obey your sect’s orders, shouldn’t you?”
“……”
Hye Yeon’s large, gentle eyes trembled faintly. But in the end, he spoke in a small, discouraged voice.
“...I’ll see you again.”
“Take care of yourself.”
Hye Yeon politely pressed his palms together toward Mount Hua’s disciples. In response, Mount Hua’s disciples all returned the gesture, offering him the highest courtesy they could give to someone who wasn’t technically a Mount Hua disciple, but might as well have been one.
“Don’t act like we won’t see each other again!”
“Come visit again, monk!”
“We’ll keep some meat hidden for you!”
“What are you talking about, you lunatic!”
Leaving those warm voices behind, Hye Yeon quietly sighed and walked back to join Shaolin.
“My disciple has caused trouble.”
“Not at all. Monk Hye Yeon was a tremendous help to us. As the sect leader of Mount Hua, I extend my sincere thanks to Monk Hye Yeon and to Shaolin.”
Hyun Jong looked at Hye Yeon with a trace of regret.
Though he wasn’t a disciple of Mount Hua, it felt as if he were losing one. The sudden parting left his heart heavy.
After confirming that Hye Yeon had returned, Beop Gye suddenly glanced to the side and said to Hyun Jong, “More importantly, I believe introductions are in order.”
From the direction Beop Gye was looking, the Namgung Family head and the Qingcheng Sect leader were walking straight toward them.
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