Chapter 123: Cheol Ryu-heuns Proposal

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Chapter 123 – Cheol Ryu-heun’s Proposal

Solitary Excellence of the Five Peaks.

Since ancient times, that phrase had symbolized Mount Heng’s scenery.

Eastern Peak Mount Tai, Western Peak Mount Hua, Southern Peak Mount Heng, Northern Peak Mount Hang, Central Peak Mount Song – among those Five Peaks, it meant Mount Heng’s elegance was unparalleled.

Anyone who had climbed its peaks would all agree.

Mount Heng was peculiar even in its terrain.

With Zhurong Peak as the highest peak at the center, seventy-some peaks including Jagae Peak, Cheonju Peak, Buyong Peak, and Seokneum Peak spread wide in a scale-like shape, forming balance.

Everywhere the eye could reach was a spectacular sight, and as the seasons changed, the mountain displayed such diverse colors one might wonder if it was really the same place.

Splendor, profundity, elegance, coziness, brilliance, mystery, strangeness… Like a person who loves dressing up capriciously changing clothes, Mount Heng too changed and changed again its hues.

That was why the praise “Solitary Excellence of the Five Peaks” was born.

Mount Heng Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects and a sacred place of Taoist martial arts, was located right on the summit of Zhurong Peak, the highest and largest peak.

Cheol Ryu-heun and Gong Wol, riding on Divine Wind’s back, finally arrived at the entrance of that summit.

Passing through the large mountain gate, ascending stairs leading to Mount Heng Sect in the distance appeared, stretching along a gentle slope.

CLOP, CLOP, CLOP, CLOP…

Before anyone realized, Divine Wind had stopped his gallop and was climbing the stairs, while the exquisite scenery of Mount Heng spreading endlessly overwhelmed their field of vision.

It was truly a magnificent sight.

The clouds flowing sinuously between the peaks rising up all around were reminiscent of a celestial realm.

With slight exaggeration, one might feel as if they had become an immortal.

Gong Wol spoke with a faint smile.

“Sect Master Cheol, how is it? This must be your first time climbing this mountain – isn’t it truly splendid?”

Cheol Ryu-heun heard his voice from behind and chuckled internally.

‘First time, my foot.’

Gong Wol, who had no way of knowing the hidden truth, continued speaking.

“Ah, do you see the watchtower to the west? On cloudless nights, if you climb up there, you can experience another side of Mount Heng’s atmosphere. It’s my favorite place. Hahaha.”

But Cheol Ryu-heun, as if feeling no particular emotion, gave the watchtower a passing glance and quietly turned his head.

He focused his gaze on one of the peaks standing like a folding screen and let out a meaningful look.

‘Yes, that’s the place.’

Having muttered internally, he turned his eyes forward again.

The point where the stairs ended.

Not far ahead, various Taoist temples formed a settlement harmonizing with a paradise of green trees.

It was Mount Heng Sect.

As befitting one of the Nine Great Sects, it was a view boasting truly magnificent scale.

Having dismounted, Gong Wol quickly took the lead.

“Well then, please follow me.”

Cheol Ryu-heun also stepped onto the ground and followed behind, pulling Divine Wind’s reins.

The main gate was already open.

Cheol Ryu-heun stepped inside and tied Divine Wind at a nearby stable.

Following Gong Wol past a wide space decorated with stone pagodas and steles, an antique training ground revealed itself.

It was a place for disciples who were building foundational martial arts.

A group of no less than three hundred people were gathered in orderly fashion, each letting out powerful shouts while diligently swinging wooden swords.

“HAP!”

“CHA-HAAAT!”

“YAT!”

In the meantime, a man in his fifties wearing white Taoist robes on the platform gestures while speaking.

“Everyone take a short break.”

Simultaneously, the people in the training ground stopped their hand movements and took comfortable positions while catching their breath.

Before long, the middle-aged Taoist who had left the platform strode directly toward where Cheol Ryu-heun and the others were standing.

Gong Wol quickly brought both hands together before his chest.

“Martial Uncle, I’ve just returned.”

“Good, you’re here.”

The person receiving the greeting solemnly was Baek Han, a first-class swordsman who had one of the current Sect Leader’s martial brothers as his master.

Like any Taoist martial sect, Mount Heng Sect also used Taoist names to determine hierarchy and generation – those with ‘Baek’ in their name were all first-generation disciples.

The Sect Leader and all his martial brothers were of the ‘Cheon’ generation, and all second-generation disciples like Gong Wol were of the ‘Gong’ generation.

The people gathered here at the training ground had no proper Taoist names because they weren’t formal initiates yet but apprentice students paying to learn martial arts.

First-generation disciples held important frontline positions befitting their high status and rank, and among them, Baek Han was an instructor in charge of foundational martial arts classes.

“Martial Nephew, but who is that person who came with you…?”

The moment Baek Han trailed off, Cheol Ryu-heun removed his bamboo hat and answered in Gong Wol’s place.

“It’s been a while.”

Seeing the face now revealed, Baek Han’s pupils widened greatly with surprise.

It was Cheol Ryu-heun.

The one he had seen at White Gate Sword Gentleman Sagong Woon’s funeral, who had met an unfortunate death…

“As you can see, my body has fully recovered now.”

“Ah… Is that so? That’s truly fortunate. Young Sect Master Cheol. Haha.”

Baek Han responded with a somewhat awkward smile while harboring doubts.

He felt that something about Cheol Ryu-heun’s external appearance was quite different from when he had seen him before.

Starting with the face before his eyes.

This was the first time seeing it.

He wondered how a person could be so expressionless.

Moreover, those eyes that seemed to find everything in the world trifling and bothersome were strange beyond measure.

Gong Wol standing beside him slipped in a word.

“He is currently the Sect Master.”

At that, Baek Han was again surprised internally.

‘Even the Sect Master position…! Ha, but he must still be inadequate to take on a position representing the sect…’

On the other hand, he understood to some degree since he knew well White Peak Sword Sect’s dire circumstances.

It was somewhat pitiful.

Once they had been an orthodox prestigious sect that actively exchanged with Mount Heng Sect, and now they had reached the point of entrusting the highest position to a young man with insufficient qualities due to a talent shortage…

Suddenly, a voice struck the group’s ears.

“What’s going on there?”

It was an old Taoist passing by beside the training ground.

The seventy-year-old with a long gray beard was Cheon Goeng, the Cloud Sea Sword Elder, a current elder of Mount Heng Sect.

“Elder.”

The moment Gong Wol and Baek Han bowed their heads, Cheon Goeng’s gaze turned toward Cheol Ryu-heun’s face.

“My, who are you…?”

Immediately after, Cheol Ryu-heun expressionlessly paid his respects, briefly explained the situation, and got to the main point.

“Today, I have visited Mount Heng Sect as the Sect Master representing my sect. To reconnect the severed ties between us. I formally request an audience with the Sect Leader.”

“Well…”

Cloud Sea Sword Elder Cheon Goeng was in a difficult position.

Naturally so.

Because at that time, there were people who strongly argued that they should no longer continue exchanging with White Peak Sword Sect, which had entered the path of decline – and one of them was Cheon Goeng himself.

Of course, even now that considerable time had passed and he had become an elder, his thinking remained unchanged.

‘Hmph, why suddenly… Right, they must be here to ask for aid leaning on old ties because their finances have worsened or something. That won’t do! The current martial world is in a more competitive situation than ever, so how could we take on pointless losses for something like this! Martial Brother Sect Leader has a soft heart and won’t be able to refuse, so it would be better for me to draw an appropriate line here and send him away…’

But at that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun dropped his bundle on the ground with a thud.

Simultaneously.

RUSTLE-

One side of the wrapping cloth came undone naturally, as if by magic, and some shiny object popped out.

“Oh dear, I dropped it.”

Like when he visited Red Cat Merchant Guild, it was obviously intentional… but for Cheon Goeng, that wasn’t what mattered.

“GASP! Th-th-that’s…!”

Horror-stricken Cheon Goeng’s dark brown pupils vibrated transparently.

As if a great earthquake had occurred.

It couldn’t be helped.

Because what had popped out of the bundle was the Sect Leader’s Command Token, the sect’s greatest treasure lost sixty years ago.

Baek Han and Gong Wol had never seen the actual item before, but they could roughly guess just from its distinctive appearance.

‘Good heavens, it’s definitely our sect’s Sect Leader’s Command Token!’

Cheol Ryu-heun deliberately let out an indifferent voice as if talking to himself.

“Maybe because I’ve traveled a long way, I’d like to sit down and rest somewhere…”

Immediately, Cheon Goeng bent at the waist and exclaimed.

“Yes, yes! Sect Master Cheol! I will immediately report to Martial Brother Sect Leader and arrange a comfortable seat!”

Following that, he grabbed up the Sect Leader’s Command Token from the ground and dashed toward the Taoist temple on the other side while commanding.

“You two go at once and tell them to prepare a banquet hall! He is a benefactor with no equal in the world! Have everything that can be set on the table prepared! What are you doing! Don’t just stand there, hurry, quickly, now!”

“Y-yes!”

“I-I understand!”

* * *

Taeheo Palace.

Taoist This temple, the oldest within Mount Heng Sect, was where the current Sect Leader, Taoist Cheon Mu, resided.

In the spacious main hall inside, two people were conversing with a table between them.

SLURP.

A seventy-year-old man with a pure and refined impression took a sip of the steaming tea and began speaking with a faint smile in a dignified voice.

“Hoho. Well then, Sect Master Cheol… I’ve heard things well. Now, discuss openly what you want. I intend to grant everything possible within this humble Taoist’s discretion.”

He was Taoist Cheon Mu, the Sect Leader of Mount Heng Sect and a supreme master famous as one of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province.

In the martial world, he was more widely known by the alias White Cloud Sword Duke – a once-in-a-generation Taoist.

Currently, Cheol Ryu-heun couldn’t honestly reveal the circumstances of how he obtained the Sect Leader’s Command Token, so he had glossed over the situation by saying White Snake Head Sword Gul Ma-hun had luckily acquired it and stored it in his valuables storage.

Leaving out the story related to Dark Hall Master Jeo Gyeom, he had only briefly conveyed that he had completely shut down the Thousand Snake Gang in cooperation with the authorities.

“There are two things. You have probably already anticipated the first.”

“Restoration of relations, is it?”

“Yes.”

Cheol Ryu-heun’s simple answer, followed by Taoist Cheon Mu’s simple permission.

“I agree.”

“Thank you.”

Even speaking politely and observing formalities, Cheol Ryu-heun’s face remained expressionless.

Seeing this, Taoist Cheon Mu felt puzzled inwardly.

‘Hmm… Somehow, he doesn’t seem like the same person I saw before.’

It felt like encountering an unprecedented being with no emotions, seemingly transcending the human world.

Perhaps his master’s unjust death had changed him.

Taoist Cheon Mu soon shook off the puzzlement in his heart and continued.

“Hoho, mutual improvement of relations is naturally a basic condition, isn’t it? Continue. If you need material support…”

“No. Restoration of relations alone is sufficient.”

“…!”

Taoist When Cheon Mu looked at him steadily with an unexpected expression, Cheol Ryu-heun shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“Recently, our sect has completely resolved the funding shortage problem.”

“Mmm, is that so. Impressive. Truly impressive.”

“Then let me speak of the remaining one matter.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I wish to enter the cave under Sage Peak over there.”

Sage Peak.

The very peak he had gazed at with keen eyes while coming here earlier.

It was actually the ultimate purpose of visiting Mount Heng Sect.

Meanwhile, Taoist Cheon Mu looked quite surprised.

It was a natural reaction.

Because the cave beneath Sage Peak was a forbidden zone that Mount Heng Sect had controlled access to for many long years.

“Sect Master Cheol, do you not know? That place is somewhere no one can carelessly enter, no matter how outstanding their martial power. It is a place where pure celestial energy and dark demonic energy are mixed – truly an extremely dangerous location.”

But Cheol Ryu-heun spoke without batting an eye.

“Yes, I know. That’s what makes it even better. I wish to go there and attain enlightenment.”

“What…!”

“You need not worry. I will succeed anyway.”

Ha, of course, without fail.

Failure?

I don’t know such things.