Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1227

Baek Cheon bit his lip, deep in thought.

Had he not thought of this before? Surely he had.

He had considered the suffering of the people in Jiangnan under the Sae-pae Clan. He knew their suffering would be worse than he imagined.

But thinking about it was not the same as understanding it. And understanding was not the same as feeling it himself.

Before seeing their lives and feeling their pain, the words were just empty ideas in his head.

But now he knew.

What Baek Cheon called ‘hardship’ was a real danger to these people. It was a fear that made them hide their feelings and lower their heads in shame.

Lim Sobyung watched Baek Cheon carefully, then shrugged.

“I’m not saying it’s your fault, Deputy Head Baek Cheon, but…”

“No.”

Baek Cheon shook his head, looking sad.

“It’s not because I’m the Deputy Head of Hwasan. I want to help people, but I didn’t understand their lives. That is my fault.”

“Why does it always end up like that?”

Lim Sobyung scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

He just wanted to tell Baek Cheon the truth about Jiangnan, but it became a talk about making deals, which made him feel strange.

“I know I shouldn’t say this. I hope you don’t think I’m being rude…”

Baek Cheon smiled kindly, as if he knew what Lim Sobyung was thinking.

“Don’t worry. Confucius learned from children. It wasn’t because Confucius was worse than the child, but because he wanted to learn.”

“Oh. You’ve read the Three Character Classic?”

Lim Sobyung’s face lit up. He was surprised and happy to hear a story about Confucius from these Hwasan people.

Baek Cheon smiled and nodded.

“If Confucius learned from a child, why can’t I learn from a bandit?”

“What, you little…!”

The Green Forest King got angry for a moment and was about to argue back, but Baek Cheon suddenly turned to Hyeonguk.

“I am sorry.”

He bowed his head suddenly, making Hyeonguk jump and try to stop him.

“Musa! Why are you doing this? You’ve done nothing wrong!”

Baek Cheon didn’t list all his mistakes. It wasn’t needed. Instead, he showed his determination.

“It will not be long.”

“The Sae-pae Clan’s power won’t last. The night will end, and dawn will come.”

This was a promise he made to himself.

“I will try to make that dawn come sooner.”

Hyeonguk smiled brightly.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Musa!”

“Yes. We will try harder. Please don’t lose hope.”

Baek Cheon tried to show Hyeonguk how determined he was. But then…

“Tsk.”

Lim Sobyung clicked his tongue, showing he didn’t care, and stopped Baek Cheon from speaking.

Confused, Baek Cheon turned his head. Lim Sobyung was staring at Hyeonguk.

“It seems you’ve misunderstood,”

“Yes?”

“I’m not that kind of person, but the man in front of you is not the type to give up on someone just because things are bad. Can’t you see it in his face?”

“So, stop trying to please him and tell him what you really think. It will help more. This man is better than you think.”

Hyeonguk spoke with pauses, looking a little confused.

“I-I don’t know what you mean. I’m just being honest…”

“Who knows? If you say what you truly feel, things might get better sooner.”

Hyeonguk looked at Baek Cheon, then at the door. He stared for a long time at the people serving food, his face showing many emotions.

Baek Cheon sensed something and spoke firmly.

“I ask you.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not just trying to feel good about helping someone. To do what is right, I need to know the real truth. So… I ask you. Please speak your mind.”

“Ah, no. My true feelings…”

“I ask you.”

Baek Cheon bowed deeply. Surprised, Hyeonguk quickly took Baek Cheon’s shoulders and helped him stand up.

Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, Namgung Dowi, and even Tang Pae, who had arrived quietly, watched from outside the house, unsure whether to come in.

“…My true feelings are…”

Hyeonguk mumbled and sighed deeply.

“Musa.”

“Yes.”

“…Please don’t be angry. It’s just that you seem like such a good person, Musa, that I have to say this…”

“I will not be angry.”

“Then…”

Hyeonguk hesitated, his face still troubled, then closed his eyes and spoke.

“How can we believe you?”

“…Yes?”

“How can we believe your words, Musa?”

Baek Cheon was shocked by his words. It was different from anything he had felt before.

Baek Cheon stared at Hyeonguk for a moment.

“I know I am not trustworthy, but…”

“No. That’s not it, Musa. It’s not that we don’t trust you.”

Hyeonguk shook his head and sighed again.

“Musa… Do you know how many times we’ve heard these words?”

Baek Cheon couldn’t answer.

“Everyone says it. We are here to help you, we care about you.”

Hyeonguk smiled sadly.

“Those who started the martial arts centers, those who came from the government, they all said the same thing. We are thankful, but… Why are we always like this?”

“Where are those who said they cared about us? Why… Why do they all disappear when things get hard, after saying those things when life was okay?”

Hyeonguk’s voice was empty.

“You told us not to lose hope, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Musa… That hope hurts people. We always hoped when we heard kind words. But… when that hope turns into disappointment, we feel it deeply. It would have been better if we hadn’t hoped at all. It would have hurt less if we had just accepted things as they are.”

“Do you think we didn’t believe at first? We did. We believed with all our hearts. But… somehow the world has become like this, and those who told us to believe are just watching from far away.”

Baek Cheon clenched his fist. He was most pained by Hyeonguk’s expression, as if he had given up.

“They tell us to be patient and wait. But… I don’t understand. Why must we wait? Why are those powerful people just watching those evil people? Why don’t those who said they cared about us fight against them?”

“We shared what little we had and did everything we could to help… But when things really happen, everyone ignores us and backs away…”

“That’s…”

Baek Cheon started to speak, but Hyeonguk continued.

“Yes, I know. Trying to save a few people might ruin the big plan. How could people like us understand what those important people are thinking?”

“But… But you see, Musa.”

Hyeonguk looked at his unconscious father.

“It’s strange. People like you always tell us that people like us are the most important. That you fight for people like us. Is that right?”

“…Yes.”

“But… Why are we always the last to be saved? Why do we always become the people who can be saved last?”

Hyeonguk’s voice grew louder.

“Why are we the people who can die, the people who can suffer? Why are we the people who can beg like insects, endure all sorts of shame, and still be considered lucky if we just survive?”

“Why do we have to cry with gratitude for the small gifts thrown at us like trash, and why do we have to worry about what will happen next? Why?”

Baek Cheon bit his lip, hearing the loud voice.

“You told us to have hope, didn’t you?”

“…”

“I’m not blaming you, Musa. If it weren’t for you, we would all be dead. Thank you so much. We are not the kind of people who ask for more after being saved from drowning. It would be wrong to hate you for this.”

Hyeonguk shook his head quietly.

“But… But Musa. We have seen… and felt too much to hope again because of this. It’s too much to even hope…”

Baek Cheon closed his eyes.

Baek Cheon realized his words must have sounded uncaring to someone who had to call his own father ‘useless’ just to survive and protect others.

He thought he understood, but he didn’t. He thought he knew, but he didn’t.

Baek Cheon spoke with difficulty. He didn’t have anything to say, but he felt he had to.

“I… I was just trying to help… but I was wrong. I am sorry.”

“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant.”

“But not everyone is irresponsible. Not everyone thinks that way. I hope you know that.”

Hyeonguk’s face became serious.

He bit his lip, then spoke, unable to stay silent any longer.

“Musa.”

“Yes.”

“You are going somewhere, trying to save someone, right?”

“And that must be very important. Isn’t it?”

Baek Cheon’s face became serious.

“So, you will be leaving soon. Because you have done all you can here.”

He knew it too. What Hyeonguk was going to say.

“I don’t know. You must think that we are the kind of people who can be saved later, that it’s enough to do this much for us, that there are others who are more important… Everyone thinks that… that we are just beings who can be left to die.”

“What should we believe in to have hope… I… I don’t know.”

He felt like he was falling forever into darkness.