Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 354

Abbot Beopjeong began reciting a Buddhist teaching about fairness and equality.

He had been reciting the Diamond Sutra with his eyes closed, then slowly opened them.

“If you’ve come, then come in.”

There was no reply.

Beopjeong simply waited. If the other person was willing, he would open the door; if not, he would turn away.

Creak!

The door opened, and a familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared.

“Welcome.”

“Abbot.”

Beopjeong nodded quietly.

So very familiar, yet unfamiliar.

Hye-yeon’s face was still young, like Beopjeong remembered. But something was different. His eyes were cloudy, and his face looked thin and tired. He didn’t look like the same person.

“Sit, Hye-yeon.”

“Yes, Abbot.”

Hye-yeon closed the door and sat across from the head monk.

Beopjeong poured the half-cooled tea, looked at him, and asked:

“Have you overcome your confusion?”

Hye-yeon didn’t answer, and Beopjeong shook his head.

“You are still stuck on what happened that day. It is just an obsession.”

Beopjeong looked at Hye-yeon. His eyes were soft with pity, like he felt sorry for a hurt animal.

After being defeated by Chung Myung, Hye-yeon had entered the repentance cave on his own. He hadn’t left it since.

The pain of his first defeat and the shame of damaging Shaolin’s reputation had led him to strict training. At least, that’s what Beopjeong thought.

“People in the normal world say that winning and losing happens all the time in fights. Someone who trains in martial arts should accept losing. And a Buddhist should not try to avoid pain. How long will this continue…”

“Abbot.”

Hye-yeon spoke softly.

“I am not trapped by the defeat.”

“Then why are you so tormented?”

Hye-yeon raised his head at Beopjeong’s question.

“I have locked myself away to understand something I can’t. No matter how much I try, I can’t understand it.”

Beopjeong’s eyes twitched slightly.

“What is it that you cannot understand?”

“Chung Myung.”

After saying the name, Hye-yeon closed his mouth. After a moment, he spoke again.

“He was very strong. It’s normal to be defeated by someone stronger. I don’t doubt his strength, and I don’t doubt my own weakness.”

Hye-yeon’s voice was very firm.

“But I cannot understand Chung Myung’s anger and sorrow. He was strong enough to get what he wanted, but instead, he showed his anger and turned away. His actions confuse me.”

“Hye-yeon.”

“So please, tell me.”

Hye-yeon’s deeply sunken eyes looked like a swamp.

“Even though Chung Myung insulted you, Abbot, you didn’t say he was rude. It seemed like you thought his anger was justified. Am I wrong?”

“Amitabha.”

Beopjeong hesitated and only chanted the Buddha’s name, but Hye-yeon didn’t back down.

“Even if Buddhism is about patience, it can’t be about ignoring the truth. Abbot, am I not allowed to know the truth?”

Beopjeong sighed softly.

“How could that be?”

“Then please tell me. I can’t move forward without knowing this.”

Hye-yeon was firm, and Beopjeong finally nodded.

Hye-yeon would one day carry the responsibility of Shaolin, and he would have to know this someday, even if someone else told him.

“That is what happened.”

Beopjeong finished explaining and quietly looked at Hye-yeon. It was hard to know what he was thinking because his face didn’t change.

Finally, Hye-yeon spoke.

“How could…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence. Beopjeong shook his head.

“It is the work of our predecessors.”

“How can you dismiss it so lightly?”

“We can’t pay for something we didn’t do. If your enemy dies and you still feel angry, would you hurt his child to feel better?”

“…”

“We don’t have to be responsible for what happened in the past. That’s too much. We can be kind to them…”

“Abbot!”

Hye-yeon shouted, cutting off Beopjeong’s words.

“Everything Shaolin has now comes from our predecessors. If we don’t completely change Shaolin and just become regular Buddhists, how can we only accept the good things our predecessors did?”

“Foolish words!”

Beopjeong’s voice rose. He looked firmly at Hye-yeon.

“If you think like that, how many mistakes has Shaolin made? People make mistakes. How many sins have those who lived in Shaolin committed! If you’re not going to take responsibility for all those sins, then don’t speak careless words!”

“…”

“Buddhism starts with understanding yourself. Cutting off worldly things doesn’t just mean cutting off worldly benefits. You must cut off all those things and understand yourself to follow the Buddhist path!”

Hye-yeon listened to Beopjeong’s words in silence, then nodded slowly.

“You told me to cut it off?”

“That’s right.”

“You mean not to be trapped by it?”

“Yes. Even after a very, very long time, the results of your actions will not disappear. In that case, those results should be fully carried by the good people of the past. You don’t need to carry that sin.”

“Amitabha.”

Hye-yeon quietly chanted the Buddha’s name.

“The Abbot’s words are correct.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yes. I finally understand.”

Beopjeong relaxed his face and smiled gently.

“That’s good. Now, don’t be trapped by it anymore and do what you need to do.”

“Yes.”

Hye-yeon stood up, looking like he had let go of a heavy burden.

“Alright. Go now.”

He paid his respects with a half bow.

“Abbot, we may not see each other for a long time, so please take care of yourself.”

Beopjeong’s eyes widened.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve decided to go to Mount Hua.”

“W-what did you say?”

The unexpected words made Abbot Beopjeong look confused. But Hye-yeon ignored him, speaking with a calm and relieved face.

“I found my answer in your sermon, Abbot. I saw the Buddhist teachings in you. I didn’t understand how a young Taoist could have my Buddhist path, but didn’t you talk about it yourself?”

“…Did I?”

“Yes.”

Hye-yeon nodded.

“If the Buddhist path is there, I should follow it to the end. But I couldn’t break my ties with Shaolin and you, Abbot, so I struggled. But now that you tell me not to be held back by such ties, but to walk the path of righteousness, I’ll gladly do as you say.”

Beopjeong was shocked and forgot his politeness.

What was he saying?

“Hye-yeon! That’s not what I meant!”

“There’s no need to worry. My understanding of the teachings isn’t deep enough to break my ties with Shaolin yet. So…”

Hye-yeon turned to look at the closed door. It seemed he was looking beyond it.

“I’ll go and see. What he does, how he lives. I must see it all myself before I can move forward.”

Beopjeong bit his lip. He hadn’t expected this.

“What if I don’t let you go?”

“I’m grateful to you, but how can I disobey your command, Abbot?”

“Then…”

“If you stop me, I’ll return to the Repentance Cave, a cave for quiet thinking and regret. If I can’t find the path even when it’s open to me, I’ll look for it there.”

Beopjeong couldn’t speak, trembling. He knew the boy would do as he said, and he couldn’t say anything to stop him.

Hye-yeon bowed again and turned to leave.

Beopjeong, who had been staring as he walked away, spoke quickly.

“Hye-yeon!”

“Will you come back?”

“I think I will.”

“…Alright. Go then.”

“Yes.”

Hye-yeon opened the door and left without regret.

Silence fell as the door closed.

Left alone, Beopjeong stared at the cold tea and sighed softly.

‘It must be fate.’

The world was being shaken at that moment.

If a new order had been created based on the sacrifices of Mount Hua and other sects, and if they had helped each other, the world would be different now.

But the Central Plains only cared about their own interests. And in that fighting, the Demonic Sect was slowly growing its power again.

Chaos.

An age of chaos was coming.

Making the sacrifices of the past pointless.

‘Yes. Go and see.’

Hye-yeon wasn’t one to be led. A dragon can’t be controlled by humans. Only another dragon can lead a dragon.

If Hye-yeon was a dragon, then Cheong-myeong was also a dragon.

So, Hye-yeon could learn something from seeing Cheong-myeong.

“Amitabha,” Beopjeong softly said a prayer to Buddha.

But he was missing something.

Even a white dragon would become black if it spent time with a black dragon.

If Beopjeong had known this, he would have stopped Hye-yeon, no matter what.

But Beopjeong didn’t know this at the time.

…Sadly.

“There it is!”

“Ooh!”

“It’s Xi’an!”

The Mount Hua disciples shouted. Cheong-myeong frowned at their excitement.

“Are we going on a picnic?”

“You go to Xi’an all the time because of the Eunha Merchant Guild, a big trading company, but this is our first time.”

“…Really?”

Cheong-myeong was surprised, and the Mount Hua disciples sighed.

“We hardly ever leave Mount Hua, so why would we come to Xi’an?”

“…You’re all real people who are not used to city life.”

“Quiet!” Yoon-jong shouted, and Cheong-myeong chuckled.

“Well, it’s okay. You’ll be coming and going like it’s your own home soon.”

“That’s true,” Hyeon-yeong agreed.

“You’ll be traveling not only through Xi’an but all over the world in the future. The good people who came before us in Mount Hua traveled the world, doing brave and helpful deeds and earning many good things. You’ll be doing the same soon.”

“Yes, Elder!” The Mount Hua disciples answered loudly, full of excitement.

But Cheong-myeong still looked unhappy.

‘Brave and helpful deeds, my foot.’

Listen to this!

It’s all about taking care of the areas around Mount Hua!

If other sects are causing trouble where people live, go and beat them up. If bandits are causing trouble, go and smash them!

If you do that, the people will bring gifts, payments, and support, and the sect will become rich!

That’s how the world works, brave and helpful deeds, my foot.

Of course, while taking care of the areas, if something bad was happening, they would often step in and destroy everything. But they rarely left the sect just to be brave and helpful.

They were too busy learning the sword, so why would they go out into the world without a reason?

‘Well, they’ll find out when they see it for themselves.’

That reality isn’t easy.

And they’ll realize that starting from that place.

Cheong-myeong looked at the high walls of Xi’an.

“Now then, where should we start!” The corners of his lips turned up.

“Should we take over that place first?”

First, starting with Xi’an, they would take over all of the Shaanxi area! Just like the old Mount Hua used to do.

“Hee hee hee hee!” Cheong-myeong laughed quietly to himself, a sneaky sound.

Everyone felt uneasy as they watched Cheong-myeong laugh.

‘Why is he like that again?’

‘Just ignore him. It’s always like this.’