Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1180

“Welcome, Abbot.” Hyun Jong smiled brightly as Beopjeong came closer. It was as if his face had never been stern.

Hyun Jong: “It’s good to see you again, Abbot. It hasn’t been long, but have you been well?”

Beopjeong smiled back gently. “Thank you for asking. I’ve been well, Sect Leader. I haven’t even left my room, worried something might happen.”

Hyun Jong smiled a little at Beopjeong’s joke. It wasn’t a real laugh. The Hwasan elders saw a hint of sadness in his smile, though others might have missed it. Beopjeong making a joke first showed he felt comfortable and in control of the situation.

“Please, come inside.”

“Yes. Thank you, Sect Leader.”

Tang Gunak frowned a little. “Abbot, you should call him Alliance Lord now.”

Beopjeong closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. “You are right. I was too forward. Please forgive me, Alliance Lord.”

“No, it’s nothing. What does a title matter? I am the Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Union, but also the Sect Leader of Hwasan, so neither is wrong.”

Hyun Jong shook his head and gestured inside, and Beopjeong followed his lead.

Beopjeong could feel it clearly. The air was different than his last visit. The people who greeted him seemed to look at him with more respect, almost fear. Even though they used to be closer in the past. This new atmosphere made Beopjeong feel a little thrill.

It wasn’t just that they were impressed by him. He felt like he already knew the answer just by sensing the mood in the air. *‘We need to close the gap between us slowly,’* he thought.

They had done things in the past that created bad feelings. They couldn’t just become friends overnight just because their roles were different now. Beopjeong knew he had to be careful. He needed to show he welcomed them. If he didn’t, it would be better if they hadn’t even tried to unite.

Even with this pressure, Beopjeong could still smile. He had already climbed the highest mountain. How could he fail to get past these smaller hills?

Beopjeong glanced around and opened his mouth.

“But, the Hwasan Sword Saint didn’t come out?”

“Ah…” Hyun Jong’s face went slightly red.

“I’m sorry. Chung Myung isn’t feeling well…”

“Alliance Lord, I don’t mean to say it’s impolite that he didn’t greet me. I just wondered if he would be at this meeting…”

“No. He is waiting inside.”

“Ah, then that’s fine.”

Beopjeong nodded again, feeling satisfied. Chung Myung not greeting him but still coming to the meeting meant something. It meant he might not like Beopjeong personally, but he would follow the decisions of Hwasan and the Heavenly Union. That was the important thing, wasn’t it?

*‘That’s just how he is.’* Of course, it would have been ideal if the Hwasan Sword Saint had rushed out to welcome him. But Beopjeong knew that was just wishful thinking. No one could control the Hwasan Sword Saint easily. Wanting too much from him would cause problems.

The Hwasan Sword Saint needed to be treated very carefully. Beopjeong wasn’t even sure he could fully control him. People often compared such people to double-edged swords. But Beopjeong thought the Hwasan Sword Saint was more like a sword with no handle. Anyone who tried to use him had to be ready to get hurt.

*‘But for the Hwasan Sword Saint, luckily, I have the handle.’* Beopjeong stared at Hyun Jong’s back as he walked in front.

Hyun Jong was the key to giving him control over the Hwasan Sword Saint, a sword no one else could use. Beopjeong couldn’t control Chung Myung directly, but Hyun Jong could influence him. And Beopjeong could influence Hyun Jong. So, wasn’t that the same as controlling the Hwasan Sword Saint himself?

*‘Sect Leader, you made the right choice. If I were you, I wouldn’t have seen another way either. Isn’t this the heavy weight a Sect Leader has to carry?’* Beopjeong thought to himself. He closed his eyes and quietly said a Buddhist prayer.

How could Hyun Jong feel good about giving in and going back to the Nine Great Sects?

But Hyun Jong had no other option from the beginning.

The most important thing for a Sect Leader is not to make the sect famous or powerful. It’s to keep the sect alive. Especially for Hyun Jong, who had seen his sect almost destroyed and even faced losing everything, there was no other choice.

Beopjeong felt a sharp sadness and quietly said another prayer.

“Please, come in.”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

Beopjeong walked into the room smoothly. One person was already sitting in the large room. Beopjeong looked at him, smiled, and spoke first. “It’s been a while.”

Chung Myung: “We saw each other just three days ago?”

Beopjeong: “Three days is a long time. Don’t you think we should see each other more often?”

Chung Myung: “You’re talking like it’s all settled already. Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?”

Beopjeong: “That’s not important.”

Chung Myung: “What?”

Beopjeong smiled softly at Chung Myung. “Even if I don’t get the answer I want today, it’s not good for us to keep avoiding each other, is it? So, it’s better if we see each other more often.”

Chung Myung’s lips tightened. Beopjeong saw this and quickly stopped his own smile from growing wider. Was it because he had won a small point in their talk? No, that wasn’t it. Chung Myung had stopped talking because Hyun Jong had come in. It wasn’t that Chung Myung had run out of things to say. He just stopped because Hyun Jong was there.

Before, Beopjeong might have been a little jealous to see the Hwasan Sword Saint respect Hyun Jong so much, especially since Hyun Jong didn’t seem to have any special skills except for his good nature. But now, Beopjeong found this sight very comforting and satisfying.

“We’ll talk more later.”

“Sure.”

Beopjeong started to sit in the middle, but Hyun Jong pointed to another seat. “Abbot, please sit here.” Beopjeong looked at the main seat, the most important one, and shook his head. “No, Alliance Lord. I should sit here.”

Hyun Jong: “But…”

Beopjeong: “I’d be more comfortable here. Please, let me.”

Hyun Jong: “…If that’s what you want.”

Hyun Jong nodded and went to the main seat. The others came into the room and sat down. *Thud.* The door closed with a heavy sound, and silence filled the room. Beopjeong looked around at everyone in the room, studying their faces.

First, there was the Sect Leader and the elders of Hwasan, the Hwasan Sword Saint, the Five Swords, and Hae Yeon. Then, Tang Gunak, the head of the Dang family, and his son Dang Pae. Nangong Dowi, the young head of the Nangong family, and two palace lords from other areas were also there. Even Lim So-byeong, the Green Forest King, was present. He stood near the door, looking like he wanted to escape, as if he felt very out of place.

*‘These are the most important people in the Heavenly Union.’* Only people with enough power and importance could be at this meeting to decide the future of the Heavenly Union. Beopjeong was a little surprised to see the Five Swords of Hwasan and Hae Yeon of Shaolin here. But if the others accepted them, it wasn’t Beopjeong’s place to question it. This was still the Heavenly Union’s decision.

Beopjeong took a deep breath. *‘Now, the last step.’* It might look like things had moved quickly, but that was just on the outside. If you counted all the time Beopjeong had spent worrying about this, you would know he hadn’t reached this point easily.

The result of all that worry was about to be revealed. “Alliance Lord,” Beopjeong began. He knew it wasn’t respectful to make them speak first, and he also didn’t want to keep everyone waiting in this tense silence for too long.

“I don’t need to say this, but let’s forget the formal stuff, just for today. We don’t have much time to waste, and honestly, I can’t wait any longer.”

“…I understand, Abbot.”

“Alliance Lord, and everyone here.”

Beopjeong slowly looked at each person in the room one by one.

“First, I want to say thank you. Because of all of you, we were able to do things that Shaolin and the Nine Great Sects couldn’t have done alone. People who couldn’t have been saved, were saved.”

“And I want to say sorry for not accepting this right away and for being selfish.”

As Beopjeong bowed his head, Hyun Jong quickly tried to stop him.

“P, please don’t do this, Abbot.”

“No, Alliance Lord.” Beopjeong shook his head. “No matter what your answer is, this apology needs to be said now. It can’t wait. Shaolin is more to blame than the Nine Great Sects for how things have gone. No, it’s not Shaolin’s fault, it’s my fault.”

“Abbot…”

“I am sorry.”

Beopjeong bowed his head deeply once more.

Everyone sitting around him, almost in a circle, watched him with mixed feelings on their faces. Normally, the Abbot’s apology would be a great thing. But now, because of everything that had happened, they couldn’t just be happy about it.

Beopjeong raised his head, his face now serious. “The Nine Great Sects will also remember what the Heavenly Union tried to do. They will never forget that you brought back something important that the world had lost.”

“We could talk all day about what the Heavenly Union has done. But as you know, we don’t have much time. So…”

Everyone stared at Beopjeong, not looking away. “As the Abbot of Shaolin, and speaking for the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, I need an answer to my proposal now.”

These words came out of Beopjeong’s mouth a little faster than expected. Hyun Jong closed his eyes without realizing it.

“Alliance Lord. Can you give me your answer?” Beopjeong watched both Hyun Jong and Chung Myung’s faces. Even though he was almost sure what the answer would be, his mouth felt dry and his stomach was tight. He knew better than anyone how much this answer mattered.

But Beopjeong didn’t push Hyun Jong. He knew Hyun Jong was just as nervous, maybe even more so. Silence hung in the air. It was only a moment, but it felt like forever to everyone in the room.

“The proposal you mentioned earlier…”

Finally, Hyun Jong’s mouth opened.

“I will answer your proposal, Abbot.” Beopjeong’s hand tightened into a fist without him even noticing. He watched Hyun Jong’s mouth, waiting for the words.

“The Heavenly Union…” Hyun Jong’s voice came out, sounding like a final bell, something that couldn’t be undone. “…agrees to your proposal, Abbot.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chung Myung’s eyes snapped shut. It looked like he would never open them again.