Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1537

Yoon Jong had never imagined it. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought such words would come from Chung Myung’s mouth.

Yoon Jong grabbed Chung Myung by the collar, but Chung Myung wasn’t angry. He showed no anger at all. Instead, Yoon Jong started to tremble even more.

“How can you do this? You know why Uncle-Master had to do that!”

Chung Myung grabbed Yoon Jong’s wrist, which was clutching his collar.

“Let go.”

“You…”

“I said, let go.”

Yoon Jong, who had been glaring at Chung Myung, finally released his grip.

“…I’m sorry.”

He stepped back. He then understood he had done something wrong, letting his feelings control him.

Of course, he still couldn’t understand it.

But even if he were to grab Chung Myung and fight him here with his head full of anger, the situation wouldn’t improve. That much was clear.

Yoon Jong sighed and spoke.

“I’m just…”

Before Yoon Jong could finish, Chung Myung spoke. His voice was full of mockery.

“Yes, I know. Why he did it.”

“…”

“So? What do you want me to do about it? I know why he did it.”

Yoon Jong’s eyes wavered again.

“Should I be grateful and spend the rest of my life bowing my head to the ground? Or should I stick by his side and fight in his place?”

“You…!”

Anger flashed in Yoon Jong again, but it quickly disappeared when he looked into Chung Myung’s eyes. They were cold and empty. He lost all strength.

Indeed. Chung Myung was right.

Chung Myung hadn’t asked Baek Cheon to save him. It was Baek Cheon’s choice to risk everything to save Chung Myung.

Knowing all this, it wasn’t right for Yoon Jong to burden Chung Myung with guilt and demand a solution.

Moreover, it was an act that disregarded Baek Cheon himself. Baek Cheon wouldn’t want any reward, and he certainly wouldn’t want Chung Myung to feel guilty.

If Baek Cheon knew what he was doing, he might never look at Yoon Jong again.

But he couldn’t give up so easily.

“I understand that Uncle-Master cannot be healed…”

An emotionless voice came from Yoon Jong’s mouth. It was an uncharacteristic, stiff, and dry tone.

Even in a situation where he should apologize, he didn’t want to. Even if it was a childish act unbecoming of a Taoist.

“But if that’s the case, then we must at least stop Uncle-Master!”

“How?”

“Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”

Yoon Jong’s face became even colder.

“We have to persuade him somehow to not go to the battlefield. With his personality, he’ll die if he stands on the battlefield. You know that too!”

Chung Myung asked back listlessly.

“So, how are you going to stop him?”

Yoon Jong was momentarily speechless.

There was no way.

Even after hearing that he would die, Baek Cheon didn’t change his mind. If he were the type to do so, he wouldn’t have become the acting leader of Mount Hua in the first place, and everyone wouldn’t follow him so much.

What other options were left?

Should he get angry and say that he was of no help?

It would be a relief if Baek Cheon retorted back at those words. But Baek Cheon was the type of person who would then say he would move baggage in the rear. And if someone was in danger, he would try to slip in.

The only remaining option was one.

To say that Baek Cheon’s presence on the battlefield would endanger others, so he couldn’t be with them.

‘…I can’t do it.’

How could he say such a thing?

Baek Cheon had risked everything to become the leader of Mount Hua. He would gladly do so in the future as well. How could he say such cruel words to such an Uncle-Master?

It would be kinder to stab him with a knife. Those words would hurt Baek Cheon’s heart more than any blade.

“…I know it’s difficult.”

Nevertheless, Yoon Jong spoke to Chung Myung, not letting go of a sliver of hope.

“But you must have some way. We can help…”

“I would?”

Then Chung Myung’s cold voice cut off Yoon Jong’s words.

“So, you’re asking me to say it?”

“Huh?”

“You can’t bring yourself to say, ‘Now that you’re useless, don’t bother following us and causing trouble; just stay here and memorize the scriptures,’ so you’re asking me to say it?”

Yoon Jong flinched.

“No, I mean… another way…”

“There’s no other way. I already told you.”

Yoon Jong’s eyes trembled.

“Listen carefully. Uncle-Master’s dantian is broken, and he’s not someone who can be held back with empty words. There are only two choices. Either let him go to the battlefield prepared to throw away his life, or cut him off like a knife and prevent him from going to the battlefield.”

“…”

“But what you want is the latter, isn’t it?”

“I…”

“If you want me to say it, I will. If you need someone to stand behind you with a pleasant face and tear people apart in your place. Yes, I should do that.”

“Hey!”

Yoon Jong couldn’t contain his anger and shouted fiercely. Chung Myung only let out a faint sneer.

“No? If that’s not it, then it’s the obvious thing to say. Find a suitable way to satisfy everyone somehow? Something that you can’t do, but I can?”

“…Chung Myung-ah.”

“Listen carefully.”

Chung Myung spat out the words.

“I am not a god.”

Chung Myung continued firmly in a subdued voice.

“I can’t do what you can’t do. So, if there’s something you really want to do, do it yourself. Whether it’s words or fighting.”

Yoon Jong’s face contorted. His complexion changed several times in a short moment.

Meanwhile, Chung Myung remained silent.

How much time had passed? Yoon Jong opened his mouth with difficulty.

“…So, you’re going to let Uncle-Master go to the battlefield?”

“Are you asking for my opinion?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung answered coolly without hesitation.

“Why?”

“Because that would be better.”

“If you’re thinking of protecting him…”

“I won’t protect him.”

“…”

Chung Myung shook his head.

“If I protect Uncle-Master, others will die.”

Emotion faded from Yoon Jong’s face, leaving it pale in the cold moonlight. He felt the chill air on his skin.

“So, you’re just going to let Uncle-Master die?”

“…”

“No, you’re going to send him to the battlefield knowing full well that he’ll die? Regardless of what happens?”

“Yes.”

Silence flowed again. After a while, what flowed out from Yoon Jong’s lips was a short and thick question.

“Why?”

“…I answered you. Because that would be better.”

Chung Myung sighed briefly and spoke.

“I could hold him back. Break his legs, cut them off, or if that doesn’t work, tie him up and throw him in a cave.”

“…”

“But that would be killing the real Uncle-Master. The human being named Baek Cheon that I know wouldn’t be able to withstand that. If even one of us who went to the battlefield couldn’t return, Uncle-Master would never forgive himself for it. No, maybe he wouldn’t even forgive us who stood in his way.”

“…”

“So, if it can’t be avoided anyway, it’s better to let him do what he wants. That’s what I think.”

Even after hearing all those words, Yoon Jong asked again.

“Why?”

Chung Myung didn’t answer.

He had already answered.

But Yoon Jong still stared at Chung Myung as if he hadn’t heard the answer.

A short sigh escaped from Chung Myung’s mouth.

“If you don’t like my choice, then enforce the right choice that you think is right. You can do that, can’t you?”

These were his last words.

Finally, the expressionlessness that had been plastered on Yoon Jong’s face like a mask disappeared. A cynicism that had never been seen in Yoon Jong before settled in its place.

“Are you telling me to stop coming to you every time I have a problem, like a child whining?”

“…”

“I understand.”

Yoon Jong turned his body. And Chung Myung didn’t bother to stop him.

The distance between the two grew farther.

“I know.”

Yoon Jong walked away, then stopped. He looked into the distance and spoke.

“Everything you say is probably right.”

Even though it was a word of affirmation, the emotion contained in that voice was far from gentle.

“But I wasn’t just asking you for a solution. I wasn’t looking for a clear answer on what the right choice was.”

“…”

“I don’t know if I misspoke… I just wanted to talk to you. And I just wanted to worry about Uncle-Master with you. Even if there’s no solution.”

Chung Myung stared motionlessly at Yoon Jong’s back.

“Even if that was a meaningless thing to you.”

Yoon Jong gradually moved away.

Baek Ah, who had been watching the two of them from behind a rock, drooped its tail and followed Yoon Jong powerlessly.

Chung Myung stood still until Yoon Jong’s figure completely disappeared. After he had completely disappeared, he turned his head and looked down at what was in his hand.

A dew-covered bottle of alcohol.

Chung Myung, who was habitually bringing it to his lips, paused.

Chung Myung, who was staring blankly at the pale white bottle, secretly let out a low and long sigh.

His eyes slowly closed.

Eyes closed tightly as if entering a deep darkness. Above them, his eyelashes fluttered.

“Ah! Sahyung!”

Tang Soso, who found Yoon Jong on the Street of Harmony, ran up with a delighted expression.

“Sahyung! Have you seen Chung Myung Sahyung? I searched, but he’s nowhere…”

“I don’t know.”

Yoon Jong answered briefly without even turning his gaze and quickly passed by Tang Soso.

“Uh… ?”

Tang Soso stood blankly and watched Yoon Jong quickly moving away.

‘What’s going on…?’

She frowned and pondered. That was because it was such a cold response that she couldn’t even imagine from Yoon Jong in his usual state.

She raised her hand to call and ask.

“No, Sahyung…!”

But at that moment, something crawled up her legs.

“Huh? Baek Ah? Huh?”

Baek Ah, who had climbed up her body in one go, draped its body over Tang Soso’s shoulder and drooped powerlessly. Tang Soso, who was slightly surprised to see the drooping Baek Ah, tilted her head.

“That’s unusual…”

It’s a fellow who doesn’t usually like being touched by people. I wonder if something really happened.

She didn’t know why, but Tang Soso carefully stroked Baek Ah’s head, which looked listless. A faint tremor was transmitted through the small white head.

“Why are you trembl…”

With that movement, Tang Soso, who somehow felt sadness, looked up at the sky.

The moon, half-covered by clouds, felt strangely cold today.

“…It’ll be alright.”

She whispered, stroking Baek Ah’s warm head several times.

“It’ll be alright, everyone… Yes. Everything will be alright.”

The anxiety that she couldn’t suppress in the end. The fear that she couldn’t hide completely.

Yoon Jong walked alone on the Street of Harmony. The street lamps cast long shadows in the darkness, Chung Myung stood firm in the deep valley of Mount Hua. The cold wind whistled through the rocks around him, and the one watching him.

The one who couldn’t sleep and wandered around the window, and the one who stood alone in a distant place away from everyone.

Everyone was silently looking at the cold moon.

“It’ll be alright…”

Her whispered prayer spread through the silent street.