Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1184

All eyes were glued to Baek Cheon. The disciples of Mount Hua Sect watched him with wide, admiring eyes, as if seeing him for the first time. Even those who usually remained calm were captivated. No one could look away. Beob Jeong’s usually peaceful face showed surprise, and Jongri Hyung’s eyes widened slightly.

It was as if everyone was seeing a different Baek Cheon. For so long, his true abilities had been hidden, overshadowed by the fame of Hyun Jong and the wild talent of Chung Myung. Now, Baek Cheon was stepping out of their shadows.

“The difficult choice came then,” Baek Cheon said, his voice clear and steady. “But the real worry started even before that.”

“…Before that?”

“Yes. It started with the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan.”

“Pardon? Are you referring to me?”

Namgung Dowi, who was watching Baek Cheon with admiration, leaned forward and asked, his voice full of surprise.

Baek Cheon, unconcerned with the reactions around him, simply continued to speak calmly.

“To be honest, I didn’t used to think much of you, Young Lord of the Namgung Clan.”

A flash of hurt crossed Namgung Dowi’s face, like a sudden sting. He quickly hid it, but Baek Cheon saw it. He had been feeling admiration for Baek Cheon, only to be spoken to in such a way.

“But the current Young Lord of the Namgung Clan is someone so great that I dare not even dream of following him.”

“Baek Cheon, Senior Disciple.”

“The Young Lord of the Namgung Clan is leading the reconstruction of the Namgung Clan, which was half destroyed. And at times, he is doing so admirably, beyond any doubt.”

Hyun Jong nodded at those words.

“…Indeed. That is so.”

Was there anyone here who didn’t know how much Namgung Dowi was struggling?

“I was sometimes impressed and sometimes jealous of the way he is. Because the person I thought I had narrowed the gap with, and could now surpass, was suddenly widening the distance again and moving further away.”

Hyun Jong nodded again, as if in understanding.

To them, it was merely admirable, but Baek Cheon, being of the same age, couldn’t view it with only warm feelings. Naturally, he would feel a sense of competition.

“So, I thought. How did this difference arise?”

Baek Cheon turned his gaze from Namgung Dowi to look at the others.

“It was then that I realized that the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan wasn’t the only one ahead of me.”

Baek Cheon’s gaze stopped this time on Seol So-baek.

“The Palace Lord Seol is even younger than the Young Lord, yet she is recognized by the Ice Palace. Everyone believes that Palace Lord Seol will become a great Palace Lord, and Palace Lord Seol is working hard to meet those expectations, even sacrificing sleep.”

Seol So-baek blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck, a small smile playing on her lips. She was embarrassed by the praise.

“And.”

Baek Cheon’s gaze this time reached Im So-byeong, who was half-hidden in the corner.

“The Green Forest King also leads the Green Forest admirably, despite not being much older than me. The Green Forest King, who is even younger than Jang Il-so, has led that weighty position as the head of one of the Shinju Five Overlords, hiding his identity and age so that others would not underestimate him.”

Im So-byeong coughed and quickly unfolded his fan, waving it in front of his face even though the room wasn’t hot. He seemed flustered by the attention.

Baek Cheon, having looked at them all, turned his head and asked Hyun Jong.

“Sect Leader.”

“What is different between me and those people? What am I lacking that I cannot be like them? Even those who are no different from me, even those who are younger than me, are leading a sect admirably, so why am I still being protected by the Sect Leader and pushing the price of cowardice onto the Sect Leader?”

“That’s…”

Even Hyun Jong couldn’t answer this question.

But Baek Cheon shook his head, as if he wasn’t seeking an answer.

“It’s not the Sect Leader’s fault. But the difference clearly exists. So, I thought about it. Where did that difference come from?”

Baek Cheon looked at Namgung Dowi.

“My conclusion was simple. I apologize to the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan, but if the Namgung Clan Lord were still alive, the Young Lord would never be the same as he is now.”

It was a statement that could sound rude. But Namgung Dowi nodded with a face that wasn’t even slightly upset. And he opened his mouth as if to give strength to Baek Cheon.

“There’s no need to apologize. That’s only natural.”

Baek Cheon nodded lightly and continued.

“The biggest difference was one thing. What have they shouldered?”

His gaze turned to Tang Gunak.

As if seeking agreement that it was the same when Tang Gunak took the position of Clan Lord. Tang Gunak also received that gaze and nodded his head without realizing it.

“The position makes the person. It’s not that they were great because they were going to be the Clan Lord, but they may have become great because they became the Clan Lord. The position demands responsibility befitting that position. But that, in other words…”

Baek Cheon turned his gaze to the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect. As if they, too, should listen.

“It also means that they were able to grow because they shouldered the responsibility and endured the weight themselves.”

“For someone who hasn’t shouldered anything to argue that they want to stand in the same position as those who have shouldered something is nothing more than a child’s tantrum. If you truly want to stand in the same position, you must also know how to shoulder things yourself.”

His voice became clearer and more distinct.

“Now that I know that fact, I will not avoid the burden I must bear. No, I will take on that burden myself. In order to grow more through the responsibility shouldered on my shoulders, in order to become more confident.”

“Baek Cheon…”

“So please, Sect Leader.”

Baek Cheon slowly lowered his head and bowed. It was exceedingly polite, but never servile.

“Please allow me.”

A sigh escaped from Hyun Jong’s lips.

How could he be so confident, how could he be so admirable? Hyun Jong felt a wave of emotion wash over him – pride, hope, and a touch of sadness all mixed together. He watched Baek Cheon with a warmth spreading in his chest.

And then, a quiet voice chanting brushed past his ear.

“Amitabha.”

Beop Jeong, who had been watching the situation until now, tried to break the atmosphere, as if something didn’t please him.

“Perhaps, Senior Disciple Baek Cheon, you are moving a little too quickly? Responsibility is a heavy thing…”

“Baek Cheon.”

But those words were cut off by none other than Hyun Jong’s voice.

“I know your intentions, but that is a very difficult task. Do you think you can handle it?”

It was a question filled with heavy meaning, but Baek Cheon’s answer was without the slightest hesitation.

“It is difficult alone.”

“…Alone?”

“Sect Leader, you weren’t alone. Elders Hyun Sang and Hyun Young were there to help. Elder Hyun Sang guided the martial arts, and Elder Hyun Young managed the money.”

Emotion welled up on the faces of the two elders.

“It wasn’t just work. When times were very hard, how could one person manage alone? The Sect Leader was able to endure because they were there. And the Un Am and Un-geom Masters, along with the other Un generation Masters, did their best to protect the Sect Leader.”

“Yes, I didn’t do it alone. Certainly not,” Hyun Jong affirmed.

“Yes, Sect Leader. That is so. I, too, cannot do it alone. But I have people who support me. I have a senior sister who doesn’t talk much, but she is the most reliable and trustworthy person I know, and a junior brother who will tell me the right path without worrying about what others think when I go astray.”

Yoo Iseol’s lips tightened, and Yoon Jong quietly closed his eyes.

“Someone teaches me that sometimes it’s better to listen to kind advice instead of just logic, and someone who, though of lower standing, can mediate situations more objectively than anyone else.”

Jo Gul looked up, seemingly overwhelmed, and Tang Soso bowed her head deeply.

“And… someone watches me closely and pushes me harder than anyone else, just by watching. I will always remember that gaze.”

Everyone in Mount Hua looked at Baek Cheon.

At the man who shone like the pure white robes he wore.

“You asked if I could do it? Sect Leader, this disciple will do it better than anyone. Everyone will make me do so. And…”

Baek Cheon’s gaze finally turned to Chung Myung.

“I’m not angry about the past, and I’m ready for the future. That is why I must become the Sect Leader now. I am the only one who can lead Mount Hua properly in the war that is coming.”

Chung Myung’s eyes, as he looked at him, were as heavy and dark as a deep sea. But Baek Cheon accepted that gaze as it was, without avoiding it in the slightest.

After looking at Chung Myung for a long time, Baek Cheon slowly turned his gaze to face Hyun Jong.

“So, Sect Leader, please make a decision. Do not try to believe in this disciple. Believe in Mount Hua, not in me. Believe that the will that the ancestors tried to convey has been passed on to me as well. Mount Hua will lead this disciple on the right path.”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes. What came to his mind was something even before he met Baek Cheon.

‘Master.’

His master passed the position of Sect Leader, which no one wanted to take, to Hyun Jong, who was not yet ready. And he worried about Hyun Jong until the moment he died.

Hyun Jong endured those harsh years. He endured the bitter winter completely. If Hyun Sang and Hyun Young had not been by his side, he would never have been able to withstand that cold.

That is why he wanted to give them more time. Time to look at their lives fully, without being crushed by the responsibility of the Sect Leader’s position.

But now, Baek Cheon was telling him.

That that time was not in vain. That that time, that position, that weight, had made Hyun Jong who he was now.

That word was more than welcome, but also…

As Hyun Jong’s silence grew longer, Yoon Jong cautiously looked around.

Beop Jeong, looking thoroughly uncomfortable, and Jongli Hyung, about to shout at any moment that this was nonsense.

Even the leaders of the Cheonwoo Alliance, who were friendly to Mount Hua, could not bear the current atmosphere.

Yoon Jong, thinking that something big would happen if things continued like this, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Perhaps… let’s adjourn for today and discuss it again later…”

It was at that very moment.

“Disciples, listen.”

Hyun Jong said solemnly, opening his eyes. The disciples of Mount Hua, awed by his voice, immediately straightened their posture and attitude.

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Hyun Jong looked at Baek Cheon with cold, serious eyes. Baek Cheon straightened his shoulders and met his gaze.

“It is a very serious offense to damage Mount Hua’s reputation by speaking disrespectfully. And demanding to take over the Sect Leader’s position is like betraying us!”

“Sect Leader!”

“No…”

The disciples of Mount Hua were horrified by the word ‘treason’ and looked at Hyun Jong. But his gaze was so chilling that they could not bring themselves to object.

Yoon Jong’s eyes widened in shock, while Yoo Iseol’s hand instinctively went to her sword hilt. The other disciples gasped, unsure what to make of this sudden turn.

Everyone closed their eyes tightly, but only Baek Cheon stared at Hyun Jong without wavering. He was docile, as if he would fully obey whatever conclusion was reached.

“So, as Sect Leader of Mount Hua, I punish Baek Cheon. He will be confined to the Plum Blossom Garden for six months, and he cannot use his martial arts.”

The disciples of Mount Hua opened their tightly closed eyes wide.

But Baek Cheon, on the contrary, closed his eyes. He had done everything he wanted to do, so he had no regrets. Only…

“A sect needs rules that everyone must follow. These rules must be followed always, no matter what. No one can escape punishment if they do things at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or in the wrong place.”

Hyun Jong was always one to yield his opinion. Because he was commanding in a voice that was as sharp as frost, no one dared to object. They simply bowed their heads and accepted it.

The air in the hall was thick with tension, you could almost taste it. The only sound was the rustle of robes as disciples shifted nervously, and the faint scent of incense from the altar. A chilling cold penetrated everyone’s hearts.

“Elder Hyun Sang.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“As the leader of Mount Hua’s martial arts, carry out the punishment.”

“I shall obey your command.”

Grind.

The sound of someone grinding their teeth was clearly heard. It sounded like disaster was coming.

As that chilling catastrophe tore through people’s hearts, Hyun Jong’s voice, sharp like a blade, suddenly boomed like thunder.

“However!”

Staring straight at Baek Cheon, who had closed his eyes, Hyun Jong declared with all the dignity he possessed.

“By my power as Sect Leader of Mount Hua, I make Baek Cheon the Sect Leader’s Deputy. He will act with my authority. The punishment is stopped as long as Baek Cheon is Deputy Sect Leader! This is my order, and no one can argue with it.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes flashed open.

Everything became clear for Baek Cheon, and he saw Hyun Jong standing in front of him.

A gentle smile had been blooming on Hyun Jong’s lips since some time ago.

A warm smile, like the plum blossoms of spring, that Baek Cheon had seen in Hyun Jong when he first came to Mount Hua.

“Baek Cheon-ah.”

“…Yes, Sect Leader.”

Hyun Jong said softly with a smile.

“Now you are the Sect Leader of Mount Hua.”

“⋯⋯.”

“Please lead Mount Hua in the right direction.”

Baek Cheon bowed his head.

They were even trembling and looked very sad. But no one there could point fingers or laugh at that sight.