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We won’t be by his side. (1)
The river just flows.
No matter what happens in the world, the river simply flows calmly. The only thing that changes is the person watching over the river.
Chung Myung sat alone by the riverbank, letting the breeze blow against him.
To his right, a white liquor bottle sat as usual, but unlike before, it occupied the space in silence, filled to the brim.
Not drinking anything and without a word, he just stared across the river. His sunken gaze was so dark that it was difficult to fathom his inner thoughts.
He slowly wiped his face with his hand, stopping near his chin.
Then, Chung Myung lowered his hand, full of scars and wounds, and looked down absentmindedly.
Suddenly a small laugh escaped him.
How confused he had been when he first returned to this world and saw his unscarred, small hand. Yet, in just a few years, it had changed to be no different from the hand of the past Maehwa Geomjon.
In the end, it seemed as though he was trying to reassure himself that people do change.
After staring at his hand like that for a while, Chung Myung threw his gaze across the river as if drawn to something on the other side.
Throughout his time sitting there, he felt like he was being torn apart from inside. Just the thought about these cursed things on the other side made his mind go white, and his chest boil with anger.
Chung Myung pressed his chest firmly with his rough hand.
‘Have I changed?’
Has Chung Myung really changed from the past?
Maybe that’s the case, he thought, that he could answer that way. The Chung Myung of the past would never have just sat here. Upon hearing the word ‘Magyo,’ he would have crossed the river to assess the situation firsthand, pushing aside all else.
But the current Chung Myung was just sitting here.
So can one say that he has changed from the past… really?
‘What’s…’
Unintentionally, blood tinged his bitten lip.
‘What on earth…?’
If he had changed, he shouldn’t be feeling this way. Hearing the two words ‘Demonic Cult’ shouldn’t cause such a soul-wrenching pain.
The deep-rooted hatred he felt towards them hadn’t changed, meaning that in the end, Chung Myung hadn’t stepped a single foot away from his bitter past.
But… how could he possibly step away?
How could he forget it? Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the people who died without being able to close their eyes, frozen on the bitter cold Hundred Thousand Mountains [십만대산 – 十萬大山] . He could vividly imagine their feelings, having to die without leaving a trace.
How can one change at all?
Chung Myung quietly clenched his knees.
His nails dug into his flesh, but Chung Myung couldn’t even feel the pain. He simply clenched his teeth and stared somewhere on the other side of the river.
And… not too far away, Ogeom were observing Chung Myung sitting like that.
Jo Geol, who couldn’t hide his anxious gaze the whole time, sneaked a glance at Baek Cheon. However, when he saw Baek Cheon’s expression, he swallowed the words he was about to spit out almost choking.
Seeing Baek Cheon’s icy and rigid demeanor, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“Why?”
But Baek Cheon, who had noticed Jo Geol’s reaction, opened his mouth.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“Well, that… “
After a moment of hesitation, Jo Geol cautiously spoke.
“…Wouldn’t it be better to get a little closer if you’re planning to stop him, Sasuk?”
“…”
“If he decides to start running to the river from there, there’s no way to stop him.”
Baek Cheon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Do you have the confidence to stop him if you get closer?”
“That… “
Jo Geol fell silent.
Baek Cheon’s words were correct. Even if they surrounded him, if Chung Myung truly made up his mind, there was no way to stop him.
Given his skills, he could easily break through the combined forces of those here and escape.
“No… but still…”
Jo Geol continued as he glanced toward where Chung Myung was, as if lingering on the thought.
“Why on earth is Sahyeong like this?”
At that moment, Tang Soso couldn’t hold back and raised her voice.
“Magyo… why is he acting like that?”
“…”
“Demonic Cult, I understand. It’s infuriating. Our clan almost fell apart because of them. Who wouldn’t hate Magyo? Where can you find a member of the Gango who doesn’t hate Magyo?”
“Soso…”
“No, I know that Hwasan suffered the most damage due to Magyo. But… Hwasan has largely overcome those past wounds, right?”
Jo Geol fell silent without giving a response.
“But why on earth is Sahyeong acting like this? What kind of grudge does he hold against Magyo that he loses his mind just at the mention of it?”
“Enough.”
Baek Cheon firmly stopped Tang Soso with a stern tone. She then looked at Baek Cheon with a face that couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“It was because of Sahyeong’s incomprehensible actions that Sasuk was the angriest, right?”
“… . It’s not because of his incomprehensible actions.”
Baek Cheon paused for a moment and bit his lip slightly.
“People have their own stories, and there are things they can’t reveal.”
“So, just tell us.”
When Tang Soso made this suggestion, Baek Cheon looked at her silently.
“Are you telling us everything about your own story and everything you think?”
“That’s… “
Tang Soso’s voice trailed off. Of course, it was impossible. Everyone has something they can’t reveal to others, even if they are like family. In fact, even if they are family, there are surely things that can’t be shown.
Baek Cheon spoke calmly.
“I’m not the least bit curious about what you did before you entered Hwasan.”
“…”
“If you have to know everything about someone, their thoughts, and their past to understand them, then it’s nothing but hypocrisy under the name of understanding.”
“Then why did you get so angry?”
Baek Cheon’s anger towards Chung Myung was not recent news, everyone present were well aware of it.
But it was the first time that Baek Cheon had been sincerely angry at Chung Myung.
Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung’s back.
“It’s not because I can’t understand.”
A hint of anger crossed his face once again.
“I can’t understand it, and that’s why it’s frustrating. His shitty attitude that says, ‘I won’t explain, and I’ll just turn everything upside down without making you understand and take the whole blame myself’”
“…”
“If he had simply said, ‘I won’t explain the reasons or anything, just follow me to Gangnam,’ I might have cursed at him, but I would have followed him without hesitation.”
Upon hearing these words, Yoon Jong and Jo Geol both nodded without hesitation.
Baek Cheon let out a small sigh and continued,
“My family is in Southern Edge.”
His somewhat unexpected statement left everyone slightly confused as they looked at him.
“My father is an elder, and my older brother is the top disciple in the Southern Edge. But even with all that, he never used it to taunt me, and he never once made an issue out of it. Even if he brought up the topic of Southern Edge Sect and challenged me, he never really cared about my past just because I’m from Hwasan.”
Yoon Jong took a deep breath and said,
“That’s only natural, isn’t it, Sasuk?”
“In that case, let me ask you.”
Baek Cheon then looked at Yoon Jong with a serious expression.
“What do you think would happen if my family was in danger, and I had to run to Jongnam Mountain to protect Southern Edge, or if someone murdered my family and I rushed to Jongnam for revenge? What do you think he would have done?”
“Well… “
There was no need to think about it.
If it was Chung Myung they knew, he would have drawn his sword and sprinted to Jongnam Mountain even before Baek Cheon could ask for help. Before being Southern Edge people, they were Baek Cheon’s family. They were blood relatives.
And the same was true for those present here.
“He would probably do that. Of course, he probably would.”
“…”
“But these obvious things… He doesn’t ask it of us.”
Everyone fell silent.
“That’s what makes me really angry. And that’s what I’m worried about. It’s not that he might do something reckless and die… it’s when he might do something reckless and die…”
Baek Cheon bit his lip tightly.
“…I won’t be… we won’t by his side.”
“…”
“I… yes, I get angry about that.”
The veins in Baek Cheon’s clenched fist were pulsating.
Watching this, Tang Soso slowly bowed her head.
“I’m sorry, Sasuk.”
“No… You have nothing to apologize for.”
Ultimately, Tang Soso’s words stemmed from her concern for Chung Myung, and everyone understood that. No one blamed her.
“You are like a child,”
Yu Ieol, who had been maintaining silence until now, spoke up in a firm tone. While she usually maintained a similar tone, for some reason, she seemed slightly agitated today.
“Foolish.”
“…”
Baek Cheon let out a deep sigh without a word.
‘That damn bastard.’
He knows. He knows there’s a difference in the way they look at Chung Myung and the way Chung Myung looks at them.
He knows, but this time, the difference is so stark.
That sharp contrast was unbearable for Baek Cheon.
“Sasuk.”
At that moment, Yoon Jong spoke. Unlike the others who appeared anxious and restless, his gaze remained calm and clear.
“May I ask one question?”
“What is it?”
“Going to Gangnam right now is extremely dangerous. Ones life can’t be guaranteed.”
“That’s right. Of course, that’s…”
“And what Hwasan can’t afford to lose may not be just Chung Myung. Perhaps, at this moment, Sasuk may be more important to Hwasan than Chung Myung.”
At Yoon Jong’s words, Baek Cheon fell silent.
“So, I ask this. If Chung Myung asks you to go with him to Gangnam, what will you do, Sasuk? Will you follow him to the limbo?”
Baek Cheon seemed to understand why Yoon Jong’s gaze was so clear.
While everyone were staring at Chung Myung’s anxious-looking back, Yoon Jong was calmly looking at Hwasan’s future. So he asked Baek Cheon this question.
Therefore, Baek Cheon couldn’t provide a straightforward answer to this question.
“I…”
Baek Cheon was about to speak when Jo Geol’s urgent voice interrupted him.
“Sect Leader is coming!”
Everyone turned to look as Jo Geol spoke.
Hyun Jong was approaching with Hyun Sang and Hyun Young.
Ogeom respectfully nodded to greet them.
“We greet the Sect Leader.”
“…”
Hyun Jong simply nodded lightly to acknowledge their greeting. His expression was noticeably colder than usual.
His gaze had shifted past them to Chung Myung’s back.
After a brief moment of silence while he looked in that direction, Hyun Jong took a few steps forward.
Ogeom were unsure of what to do, but his quiet voice reached their ears,
“Follow.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
With a stern expression, Ogeom followed behind Hyun Jong as they approached Chung Myung.
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I think it’s the second time I’ve cried since Chung Myung found Chung Jin’s remains… Baek Cheon – I feel your suffering.
Return of the Mount Hua 
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