Chapter 50: Clash of Mount Hua
For some time, they had been burning with a desire to find out who the culprit disturbing the surroundings of the Mount Hua Sect was and crush them, but it turned out to be someone from inside the Mount Hua Sect.
Naturally, the atmosphere of the Mount Hua Sect fell to rock bottom.
“We heard Woo-kyung died from a Gu poison, so instead of being an external spy, wasn’t he forced to cooperate after falling victim to a scheme?”
Having lived as a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect for a long time and having built decent relationships, a few tried to interpret it in a way that favored Sang Woo-kyung.
Of course, it did not work at all.
“Either way, is it not the same that he betrayed us?”
“Even if he was afraid of losing his life to Gu poison, he should have spoken up. If he had, we might have been able to remove the Gu poison for him.”
“He set fire to the Mount Hua Sect and even took the Purple Sunset Divine Art. It was an extremely voluntary act. I feel like if we talk any further, offensive words will come out, so please leave it at that.”
He set fire to the Mount Hua Sect and stole the Purple Sunset Divine Art. For this purpose, he brought in outsiders and harmed the commoners around Mount Hua.
Any single one of these crimes would have resulted in his dantian being destroyed, the tendons of his limbs severed, and his expulsion, yet he committed all three by himself.
At this rate, his head would have been chopped off immediately.
“Therefore…”
As the Mount Hua Sect members were bickering and wrapping up the situation, an elderly-looking man who was exchanging opinions with Adept Zihe quietly spoke up, turning his attention to us.
He was a short man with a small build, looking just like an old grandfather from the neighborhood if he were not wearing his Taoist robe.
“I have a request for the two young heroes.”
At the words of the elder, who spoke while strongly conveying that the internal clean-up was finished, Baek Mu-ho and I, who had been left standing like sacks of barley, nodded.
“Please speak.”
“The two young heroes must also know that this matter is closely related to Mount Hua’s reputation?”
“Yes, well.”
He asked about a topic that did not even need to be confirmed once more.
‘We are this angry.’
It felt like he was emphasizing that.
“So, I would like you to align your opinions with ours… with the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Ah…”
It was certainly problematic if this matter spread outside exactly as it was.
He spoke a bit indirectly, but to put it bluntly, he was asking us to coordinate our stories beforehand.
‘It is indeed a truly embarrassing matter, after all.’
Whether he felt ashamed to bring up such words to a green, young rising star, the elder’s face proposing this to me was also flushed red.
Or perhaps he just found this entire situation shameful.
It was a somewhat strange situation.
The great Mount Hua Sect being the underdog. It was an extremely rare occurrence.
Of course, that did not mean I had any intention of playing the tyrant.
“Please proceed as you see fit. We will match it.”
“Will you really do that?”
He asked, verifying once again.
Perhaps surprised by my calm and comfortable answer, his eyes widened slightly as he looked at me.
It seemed he thought that with the hot blood of a young rising star, I would not easily let go of the fame to be gained from this incident.
It was understandable for him to think so, because honestly, I had done quite a lot in the events that transpired at the Mount Hua Sect.
I had defended Hwaseong Village from the attacks of the Martial World scoundrels and horse bandits, and even beat down Sang Woo-kyung, who had run off with the Purple Sunset Divine Art. On top of that, Sang Woo-kyung was actually a spy of the Demonic Cult.
If this became known, I would gain substantial fame.
“Calculating profit where righteousness should be discussed is not righteous. Simply doing the right thing is enough.”
“Haha…”
The elder let out a hollow laugh at my response. It was filled with admiration.
Not only the elder but all the Mount Hua Sect members watching also did not hide their astonishment.
“Do you truly think so?”
“Yes.”
I said, meeting the elder’s gaze with clear eyes.
On one hand, I thought it was about time for Baek Mu-ho to tease me, and his strange silence made me feel uneasy.
The elder came closer to me.
“……Thank you.”
Holding my hand with both of his, the elder bowed his head slightly.
“Uh… wait… this…”
From another angle, it might have looked like he was just looking down at our clasped hands.
However, facing him directly, I could tell.
He was bowing his head.
“I have only experienced the truth of the saying that wounds inflicted by people are best healed by people at this age. I will never forget your righteous spirit for the rest of my life.”
It was to the point of being burdensome now.
Suddenly, the matter of the Divine Monk Gong-ryo came to mind.
‘They made it awkward for me in Shaolin, and now they are doing the same in Mount Hua.’
Yet, it was not polite to simply reject such courtesy.
Recalling the words I had heard recently that excessive courtesy is discourtesy, I bowed my head in return.
I thought this single action would be better than a hundred words.
“Haha…”
Whether my intentions were fully conveyed, the elder holding my hands burst into a clear laugh.
“From now on, you are a friend of Mount Hua. Whenever and wherever you encounter an unreasonable matter, feel free to use Mount Hua and the moniker of this humble old man, White Plum. It will be of some help.”
“Yes, I will… Yes?! What?!”
‘White Plum?’
About to say yes out of habit, I looked at the elder holding my hands in astonishment.
As far as I knew, there was only one person in the current Mount Hua who used the moniker White Plum.
White Plum Sword Saint.
Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.
Adept Zichen.
The supreme authority of the current Mount Hua Sect showered me with an affectionate gaze, as if looking at his own flesh-and-blood grandson.
***
“Did you really not know?”
On the way back to the lodging to pack up, Baek Mu-ho suddenly threw those words.
“Of course I didn’t. How could I know someone I’ve never even met before?”
“True, seeing you flustered, it did seem like you didn’t know.”
Baek Mu-ho chuckled, probably recalling my appearance from earlier.
“Yes, I will… Yes?! What?!”
“……”
He mimicked my startled voice from earlier with a playful behavior.
It felt strangely similar, which made me even more annoyed.
“Stop with the ridiculous jokes and go wash up. If you walk around with ash covered all over your head like that, you’ll go bald.”
“Heavens! Really?”
Baek Mu-ho shook his head in fright. There must have been a lot in his hair because ash scattered every time he moved his hands.
“I think I can already see bald spots…”
“I’m going to wash up!”
Seeing him run his mouth, I felt like I had withdrawn my silent training for nothing.
I felt that I needed to pick a day to have a deep, physical conversation like close brothers.
“I’ll think about that later.”
There were many things to consider.
What I had gained from the Mount Hua Sect.
It was not about the embarrassing title of a friend of the Mount Hua Sect. I was not the type to boast about such things, anyway.
Of course, among my long-term goals, there was transmitting my masters’ proper martial lineages uprightly to the Nine Great Sects one day. Thus, this incident was not entirely worthless, but there was something more important than that right now.
“Master Bodhidharma.”
[Yes, is there something you wish to ask?]
“The divine power of the Western Metal Deity is weaker than I thought. Is there a way to increase it?”
The divine power of the Western Metal Deity contained within the unusual iron token left behind by Master Heavenly Demon.
Somehow, I had absorbed the metal energy, but the power I obtained was very minuscule.
Compared to the energy of the earth spread throughout my entire body, it was truly a drop in the bucket.
Although the metal energy that encountered the earth energy was running wild like a fish in water, increasing its size was a different story.
[It would be difficult using ordinary methods, but fortunately, there is something good in your bosom.]
“In my possession?”
[The dharma treasure. The one that shattered after enduring the power of the Heavenly Demon Boundless Hand.]
“Ah!”
The sacred object that Master Bodhidharma was said to have used. Although most of its functional power as a dharma treasure had vanished, its divine essence clearly remained.
[Although it is a small amount, it contains some of the Divine Treasure Iron used to make the Ruyi Jingu Bang, so in terms of divine power, there are few things under heaven that can surpass its intrinsic metal strength. If you fully obtain that power, you can generate it in combination with the power of the earth and seek a way to expand it separately.]
“To combine…”
I had to make it mine.
Unlike the divine power of the earth, which I accepted without even knowing how I obtained it, it felt like tedious effort would be required, but considering the results of using it, it was a power well worth the effort.
The problem, however, was.
‘How do I combine this? Do I just hold it in my hand and perform qi circulation and breath regulation? I don’t think it’s that simple.’
I had already tried holding it against my body while directing my internal energy through qi circulation. If the divine power contained within could be obtained through such a method, I would have gained something long ago.
“Should I swallow it or something?”
Of course, I said it half-jokingly.
[Ahem!]
Excuse me? Why is your reaction like that to a joke?
“Master?”
[That could also be one of the methods.]
“Though I am quite young, and there is a saying that one is at an age where they can even chew and digest iron, isn’t that age-old saying just a metaphor?”
If I swallowed something like this, when I did my bodily functions the next day, I would probably pour out a bucket of blood from my embarrassing nether regions.
And if I died, the cause of death would definitely be embarrassment.
The epitaph placed in front of my grave would read like this:
<Former lay disciple of the Wudang Sect, honorary disciple of the Shaolin Temple, and friend of the Mount Hua Sect. Here lies a young man who rests here as the price for overestimating his own stomach and possessing a brain simple enough to believe the stupid myth that youths can chew iron.>
That gravestone would definitely be made by Baek Mu-ho.
The damn bastard.
Just imagining it made me shiver.
[For now, try swallowing just one piece.]
“……?”
Well, I had never lost out by listening to the masters so far.
Since he was advising this again, it must be because he was certain it would be fine.
In the end, letting out a sigh, I took out a fragment of the shattered dharma treasure.
“Whether it’s from the top or the bottom, I hope I never have to see you again.”
Realistically thinking, even if my stomach exerted all its efforts, the probability of seeing it again due to being outnumbered was about ninety-nine point nine percent.
Crunch!
Inwardly, I had hoped for a miracle like those legendary elixirs that melted smoothly when entering the mouth, but unfortunately, this dharma treasure fragment faced my teeth head-on, boasting its integrity.
Now, the rest could only be left to the heavens.
“Huh?”
But what was this bothering gaze?
I felt as though someone had just seen my action.
“……Mom, this guy is eating iron.”
“……”
Baek Mu-ho was standing there with his wet hair fluttering, having returned at some point.
Why are you calling for your mother out of embarrassment, you bastard?
“Does it taste good?”
“……Ha!”
I was already thinking about giving him a beating, so he came at the perfect time.
They said that in a relationship like real brothers, kicks and punches were exchanged.
***
Returning to his quarters and changing into a clean Taoist robe, Adept Zihe touched the robe stained with Sang Woo-kyung’s blood.
“A point-to-point cell. It is truly lonely and sad.”
A point-to-point cell. Literally, it meant an organization like a dot.
All that existed was the given order and the fragmented link through which the order descended.
Because they were individually isolated entities, they could not recognize each other even if the person next to them was on the same side.
“Even among many people, one always feels alone, and even if the top changes, the bottom has no way of knowing.”
Thus, if there was someone who understood the structure, just by taking hold of that fragmented link, they could stand above the opponent and manipulate them like a puppet.
“I understand you a little. Although I am not from the same place as you, I am also a person who lives with a heart that cannot be shared.”
Adept Zihe folded the robe stained with Sang Woo-kyung’s blood neatly and set it aside.
Turning his head, the magnificent scenery of Mount Hua came into his eyes.
Looking at the rugged landscape that would not change even after a thousand years, Adept Zihe frowned slightly.
“A time of peace is the grave of heroes.”
Who was it that said those words?
Ever since hearing those words, Adept Zihe had lived feeling as though he were buried alive in the ground.
But now, it was different.
He could feel the heat giving breath in the air floating in the void.
A deep anger began to settle at the bottom of the Mount Hua Sect.
Angers that would explode with just a little provocation were taking place everywhere.
“Splendid.”
“Is that so?”
There was someone approaching such an Adept Zihe.
A man wearing a hero’s headband of a plum blossom color so dark it looked red.
“I have returned.”
Mae Gyeong-pung bowed politely toward Adept Zihe.
Soon, it would return.
To the true appearance that Martial World ought to possess.
To the hometown of heroes.
To the troubled times.