Chapter 149: Chapter 149
A guest came to the Purple Mist Pavilion after a long time.
The Sect Leader gently looked at the young man in front of him before handing him tea.
“T-Thank you.”
“Hoho, you went through a lot of trouble coming up.”
“Not at all!”
Watching the stiffly tense Ju Go Yul, the Sect Leader lightly sipped from his teacup.
“There is no need to be so tense.”
“Ah… Understood.”
The Sect Leader observed Ju Go Yul with a pleased expression.
‘Has that little child grown this much?’
He had become an imposing young man, but his face still retained its former appearance.
“Then…”
Opening his mouth, he erased his smile.
“Can you tell me the detailed story now?”
Ju Go Yul stiffly straightened his back.
“…Recently, Unorthodox Factions have been taking root like bamboo shoots after the rain near our sect.”
“Do you mean in Yan’an?”
The Sect Leader’s eyes narrowed.
Yan’a was a region with hardly any famous sects except for the Ilhwa Sect.
But suddenly, Unorthodox Factions.
“Why are there suddenly Unorthodox Factions in Yan’an?”
Ju Go Yul bit his lip and spoke.
“After the White Ghost Castle collapsed, Unorthodox Faction members have been coming and establishing sects.”
“…!”
The Sect Leader’s eyes opened wide.
The situation painted itself in his mind.
“Were other Unorthodox Factions coveting it after the White Ghost Castle that ruled Shaanxi collapsed?”
He let out a sigh without realizing it.
He had been so focused on the Mount Hua Sect that he hadn’t properly checked the outside situation.
“…It is our sect’s mistake.”
The Sect Leader smiled bitterly.
They had only brought down the White Ghost Castle and had not taken responsibility for the aftermath.
How could this not be a great fault?
“How dangerous is it for the Ilhwa Sect?”
“It is quite dangerous. They are attacking and threatening our sect without any mercy. Most of the disciples are either heavily injured or have yielded to the threats and left the sect.”
The hand of Ju Go Yul holding the teacup trembled.
“There are only about ten of us left now, including my father and me. If things continue like this, our sect will…”
Recalling the worst-case scenario, his voice was wet with tears and sorrowful.
“Please help us.”
At that moment.
“I am sorry.”
The Sect Leader grasped Ju Go Yul’s hands.
Ju Go Yul was startled by the sudden sensation on his hands and looked at the Sect Leader.
He was grieving together with him.
“The Ilhwa Sect stayed with us even when our sect was struggling, yet I did not even know until it came to this; it is all my responsibility.”
As he lowered his head with those words.
“S-Sect Leader. Please raise your head.”
Ju Go Yul was completely shocked.
To think that the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect would bow his head to the young sect leader of a mere affiliated sect.
“How could I raise my head right away? I am ashamed to face the heavens.”
The words the Sect Leader spat out were very bitter.
At the same time, he was angry.
At no one else but himself.
‘Hyeon-sang. Have you forgotten the Dao…?’
The Ilhwa Sect was an affiliated sect that had supported the Mount Hua Sect to the end even when they were tottering.
On top of that, the Ilhwa Sect Leader had cared for their sect enough to visit every year.
But what was he, the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, doing?
Had he even thought of the Ilhwa Sect?
He hadn’t.
And did he even pay attention to Shaanxi after the White Ghost Castle collapsed? That wasn’t it either.
He had merely stayed in the Mount Hua Sect, never refusing incoming tributes, and only moved to raise the reputation of the Mount Hua Sect.
How embarrassing was this?
If there had been a rat hole nearby, he would have wanted to hide in it right this instant.
“Even so…”
Hearing the restless voice of Ju Go Yul, the Sect Leader raised his head.
As Ju Go Yul sighed in relief and swept his chest.
“Wait just a moment. I will prepare the personnel to send to the Ilhwa Sect.”
“A-Are you serious?”
Ju Go Yul’s expression brightened.
“Thank you!”
“Rather, I am just sorry for being late.”
“N-No.”
Ju Go Yul hastily waved his hands.
The Sect Leader’s continuous apologies were too overwhelming for him to handle.
“However, the situation must be serious enough that the Sect Leader couldn’t come.”
In that instant, Ju Go Yul flinched.
However, it was such a fleeting moment that the Sect Leader did not see it.
“T-That’s right.”
“I will hurry. Still, it will take some time, so rest in our sect for a while during that time.”
A moment later, Ju Go Yul, who came out of the Purple Mist Pavilion, let out a deep sigh and clenched his fists.
“It worked!”
At that moment, a Daoist who was outside approached.
“You’ve come out.”
Jeok Wun looked at Ju Go Yul and smiled brightly.
“Please follow me.”
“Ah, understood.”
Ju Go Yul hurriedly unclasped his fists.
Soon, he followed Jeok Wun down the mountain path while looking around.
‘So this is Mount Hua.’
Was it because he had never been to the Mount Hua Sect except when he was very young?
Everything was unfamiliar and foreign to him, as if he had come for the first time.
‘But it’s different from what I thought.’
When one thought of the Mount Hua Sect, it was plum blossoms.
But upon coming in person, Mount Hua had fewer plum blossoms than he thought, and instead had many huge boulders.
‘And the path is too steep.’
His gaze headed downwards.
A mountain path that was steep and narrow like a cliff.
Looking from above made it even more dizzying.
‘If I hadn’t learned a lightness art, it would have taken a long time to come up.’
He had heard that the Daoists of the Mount Hua Sect, along with the Daoists of the Kunlun Sect, excelled in lightness arts, and he felt like he knew the reason why.
While he was sightseeing for quite a while.
“Uwaaaak! P-Please save me!”
“I feel like I’m going to die!”
Suddenly, screams could be heard.
The flustered Ju Go Yul stared at Jeok Wun’s back, but he just kept walking as if he couldn’t hear those screams.
“E-Excuse me, young hero…”
As Ju Go Yul hurriedly called him.
“What is it?”
Jeok Wun smiled and looked back.
“Just now, the sound of screams from over there…”
As Ju Go Yul asked while pointing east, Jeok Wun exclaimed ‘Ah’ and opened his mouth.
“Ah! You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Yes…?”
For a moment, Ju Go Yul became dazed.
To not worry about it.
“P-Please stop!”
“Uuugh!”
Even now, screams were ringing out like that, so how could he not worry about it?
Jeok Wun smiled awkwardly and spoke.
“They are in the middle of training.”
“Training?”
Ju Go Yul’s eyes changed.
His bewilderment turned into astonishment.
‘As expected of the Mount Hua Sect! Do they undergo training arduous enough to let out such screams?’
Just as he, who had never heard about the Mount Hua Sect’s training in his entire life, was accepting and agreeing with it.
‘Oops, have I gotten too used to it?’
Jeok Wun scratched the back of his head.
Hearing the sounds of screams every single day, he had just passed by them like usual.
At that moment, a black silhouette suddenly appeared.
The silhouette that suddenly appeared was a young man; a handsome youth with a unique charm that captured one’s gaze.
Jeok Wun was startled and said.
“M-Martial Uncle?”
‘M-Martial Uncle?’
Ju Go Yul widened his eyes upon seeing him call a young man who looked to be around the same age ‘Martial Uncle’.
The young man, Cheon-hwi, glanced at Ju Go Yul, then met Jeok Wun’s eyes and asked.
“What are you doing here instead of training?”
Jeok Wun flinched.
“I-I was guiding a guest.”
“A guest?”
Cheon-hwi’s gaze pierced through Ju Go Yul.
Instantly, Ju Go Yul’s breath choked.
‘S-Such eyes in this world…’
The pupils, clearly divided into black and white, felt as if they were digging into his mind, not just piercing it.
“Who is it?”
“It’s the young sect leader of the Ilhwa Sect.”
“Ilhwa Sect?”
Cheon-hwi tilted his head.
Where is that?
Around the time he was pondering over the sect name he had heard for the first time, Jeok Wun added his words.
“They are an affiliated sect of our sect.”
“Hm? An affiliated sect?”
At Cheon-hwi’s question, Jeok Wun panicked and hurriedly looked at Ju Go Yul, but…
Fortunately, he was still standing blankly, unable to come to his senses.
Jeok Wun approached Cheon-hwi and whispered into his ear.
“Moreover, they are an affiliated sect that has been making tributes to our sect every year since a very long time ago.”
“Is that so?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes sparkled.
Even while walking the path of ruin like that, they continued to offer tributes?
Usually, people would cut ties.
They had loyalty.
“Then I guess he came for a tribute this time too.”
“T-That is…”
Around the time Jeok Wun slurred his words.
“I came to request help.”
Having snapped out of it, Ju Go Yul politely bowed his head and spoke.
Interest settled in Cheon-hwi’s eyes.
“What kind of help?”
“Our sect has recently fallen under the threat of Unorthodox Factions…”
“Threat…”
One corner of Cheon-hwi’s mouth twisted up.
‘This should be fun.’
He had returned to the Mount Hua Sect but had nothing to do.
“Where is the Ilhwa Sect?”
“It is in Yan’an.”
“Hmm, just perfect.”
Cheon-hwi’s smile deepened.
“Has the personnel going been decided?”
“The Sect Leader will decide that…”
“Good.”
In that instant.
Hwik-
Cheon-hwi disappeared like the wind.
Could this be what they call a bolt out of the blue?
As Ju Go Yul looked in the direction where Cheon-hwi had disappeared with an absent-minded face.
“…You will have a hard time.”
Jeok Wun said as if feeling sorry for him.
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
At Ju Go Yul’s question back, Jeok Wun shook his head as if it were nothing.
Then, he met his eyes.
“If Martial Uncle goes, the Ilhwa Sect will be safe.”
Seeing Jeok Wun speak with certainty, Ju Go Yul opened his eyes wide.
“Just what kind of person is he that…”
* * *
“You are going to the Ilhwa Sect?”
The Sect Leader looked at Cheon-hwi, who had suddenly appeared, with surprised eyes.
“Yes.”
“What is this suddenly?”
“I don’t have anything to do within the Mount Hua Sect anyway.”
“That is true, but…”
“Or have you decided on the personnel to go?”
“I was thinking of entrusting the mission to the Martial Training Pavilion Lord and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.”
The Sect Leader put strength into his eyes.
It might be excessive, but for the sake of the Ilhwa Sect’s loyalty all this time, there was a need to mobilize that much military force.
“Will that be alright? Only with the Martial Training Pavilion Lord around can the Seven Plum Blossom Gates be opened.”
The only ones in the Mount Hua Sect who knew how to handle the control room and all the mechanical formations of the Seven Plum Blossom Gates were Cheon-hwi and the Martial Training Pavilion Lord.
“You can…”
“Even if I do it, there’s no meaning in doing it if the Plum Blossom Swordsmen leave.”
That was true.
The personnel entering when the Seven Plum Blossom Gates opened for the first time were decided to be the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
“Then we can postpone it for later.”
“The number of times the Seven Plum Blossom Gates can be opened is already small, so are you going to waste it?”
“Still, it hasn’t been long since you did a mission… Will you be alright?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s close anyway.”
Cheon-hwi grinned.
“Rather, I had nothing to do, so it’s good to sightsee outside.”
“…Understood.”
The Sect Leader spoke apologetically.
“I’m entrusting a mission to you again.”
“The previous one was a bit much.”
Cheon-hwi recalled the mission to escort Princess So-hui and smacked his lips.
“This one is fine.”
“Then that is a relief.”
The Sect Leader smiled softly.
“Do you have anyone in mind to go with you?”
Cheon-hwi grinned and replied.
“Of course.”
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