There’s something I’d like to ask. (6)
Chung Myung was still fuming. Baek Cheon’s expression, watching this, looked as if he was half out of his wits.
“Too much has happened. I’m so tired…”
“How is it that calming that bastard down is harder than fighting Sapaeryeon.”
“He still doesn’t seem fully calm.”
Just then, Yu Iseol, who had been watching Chung Myung, suddenly nodded and muttered.
“He’s gotten kinder. As expected.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
“Sago?”
The Five Swords flinched and turned to her, but Yu Iseol answered without a single change in her expression (though it rarely changes to begin with).
“Because everyone is still standing on their own two feet.”
A peculiar silence settled. The Five Swords muttered in a somewhat weary tone.
“Well, if this were the old days……”
“Right. No one would be left standing on two feet.”
“So we’re supposed to admit that counts as becoming kinder?”
“That doesn’t seem right… It shouldn’t be, anyway.”
All of them fell into deep contemplation. Is perfectly black water, and black water with some translucency to it, truly different? Or should they both be regarded as the same black waters?
What is the Tao, and what is cognition?
From where does humanity come, and where does it go…?
“Get a grip, Geol-ah!”
“Ah. Ahh! I-I almost ascended.”
If you had ascended over something like this, you would be the laughingstock for at least a thousand years even in the Immortal Realm.
In any case, after many twists, turns, and bouts of anguish, they somehow succeeded in calming Chung Myung down.
“My money… my power… my territory… my Henan…”
To be honest, it was a bit of a stretch to call him calm. Still, wasn’t it something that he at least wasn’t rampaging in a frenzy?
“Ahem. Is it all sorted out?”
Only then did Hyun Jong quietly stick his face in. The moment he did, as if on cue, everyone glared at him with wide open eyes, so wide the whites were practically glowing, and Hyun Jong quickly averted his gaze.
“Isn’t it about time I stopped seeing such harsh things, too?”
“…That’s true, but still.”
“Even my joints ache too much these days.”
You seem to have changed a bit, Retired Sect Leader?
“You sound full of complaints.”
Just then, Maeng So, who was coming this way, spotted Chung Myung with cheeks puffed up to five times their usual size and burst into hearty laughter. Baek Cheon flinched when Maeng So tapped his shoulder with a hand as large as a pot lid, still laughing.
“Haha, in the southern lands there’s a spirit beast called an Azure Squirrel [청율서(靑栗鼠) – cheong-yulseo].”
“Azure Squirrel? An actual squirrel?”
“That’s right. An Azure Squirrel. It’s not on par with White Crane, but it’s still far more intelligent and nimble than any human, and quite famous in the southern region. But… even a spirit beast is still a beast, and it has some amusing habits.”
“What kind of habits?”
“It can’t give up its acorns.”
The Five Swords’ gazes all turned to one side at once.
“It’s indescribably clever and exceptionally quick, so you can’t catch it with traps, and it easily slips from the hands of most martial artists. It’s no easy thing to catch. But there’s one way to catch this squirrel easily, and that’s to find its nest around autumn.”
“…No way.”
“Yes. In truth, with an Azure Squirrel’s ability, it could always gather acorns again whenever it wants, but once this beast has piled them up it simply cannot bring itself to discard them. So even when it sees people coming in plain sight, it fidgets and wavers and, in the end, gets caught.”
“Ah…….”
“It’s not that it doesn’t know it would be far better to throw away the acorns and run. It knows, but it can’t help it. That’s its nature. Hahah. Isn’t that how things are?”
Huh? Are you saying what Chung Myung is doing is at a squirrel’s level, Palace Lord?
“So, this means…”
“Huh?”
“…That an Azure Squirrel whose nest hasn’t been filled to the brim with acorns cannot be caught. With nothing to lose, it pulls out without hesitation.”
“…”
“So the seasoned Azure Squirrels do not hoard acorns excessively. Even if they gather them, they make multiple nests and distribute the acorns – so their enemies won’t find them easily, and even if they do, they’ll always have a way to escape.”
Maeng So looked at Hyun Jong with a somewhat complicated expression. Hyun Jong, with a discreet ‘ahem,’ coughed and subtly avoided Maeng So’s gaze.
“Beasts have only acorns to give up, so it’s not a hard decision for them, but for people it won’t be that easy.”
“My money… my moneeeeeey. Jongnam has swallowed that money… Jongnam gulped it down? Should I just set fire to Mount Jongnam? I burn, you burn – fair and square…”
Oh dear. Chung Myung is turning into Jang Ilso, Jang Ilso.
Making a gesture with his chin towards Chung Myung – who was muttering like a madman and clawing at the ground – Maeng So added.
“As you can see.”
“…”
“In that sense, Baek Cheon, you’re a remarkable man.”
Suddenly, Maeng So fixed Baek Cheon with a meaningful gaze.
In truth, for Hyun Jong this choice may not have been that difficult. The honor and glory Hwasan will gain from now on won’t be his. Likewise, from Un Am’s position, it may not be so hard either, since he, too, is merely waiting for the moment to step back at any time.
But Baek Cheon was different.
He was, quite literally, the one who could directly take the fruits of labor Hwasan has gained from this war. For someone like that, to set everything down was no easy thing.
A contented smile spread over Maeng So’s face as he looked at Baek Cheon. But Baek Cheon only tilted his head, looking puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“….Hm?”
“I just want to go home.”
“…”
“Hubei, Henan – just the sight of them makes me sick now.”
“Ah, I want to go to Shaanxi.”
“If I could just have one meal at the Hwaeum Inn, I’d have no more wishes. The food here is too greasy.”
“Keeping my feet planted on such low ground has made my body heavy. A person ought to live breathing clear mountain air.”
“And eat meat.”
“….I’d love to catch a deer and roast it, but here I feel like I’m being watched. It’s not like Taoists are forbidden to eat meat.”
“…Aren’t they, though?”
“…..Seriously?”
Maeng So, who had been standing there blankly, slowly looked up at the sky.
Right, come to think of it, all of them are Hwasan Geomhyeop’s Sahyeongs. No matter how different people are by nature, if they live together long enough, they quietly grow alike.
‘…Well, as long as the outcome is good, it’s fine.’
When the outcome turns out even better than what one intended, that in itself can be frightening. Let’s just think of it that way.
Thus Baek Cheon and Hwasan’s party exchanged a few vague words with Maeng So, then went on to comfort the weeping Seol Sobaek. And even with Jongli Gok, who quietly slipped out of the tent, they also shared some meaningful glances.
And yet, even after that, Hwasan still couldn’t set out. The reason was simple.
“Hwasaaaaan Shinryooooooooong!”
“……Ugh.”
“Hey! What is this?! Who do you think I came all the way out here for, and now you’re saying you’re going where?”
Chung Myung groaned and clutched his head as if in pain.
“No! No! The Retired Sect Leader has gone off too – if you leave as well, who am I supposed to rely on and get the work done?! You can’t go!”
Hong Daekwang was clinging desperately to Chung Myung’s pant leg.
“Come on, you are the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect, have you no dignity!”
“What dignity does a beggar have!”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung nodded as if something had dawned on him. Well, that was true, after all. Since when did this fellow start saying something that made sense?
“Take me with you, me too! There’s no one here but vicious people.”
“Well then, who told you to be the Sect Leader?”
“You’re the one who made me, you punk!”
But Hong Daekwang wasn’t the only one who rushed over.
“…Are you leaving?”
A deep regret shadowed Tang Pae’s face. Tang Soso’s part was over, but the Tang Clan still had things left to do.
“I envy you. If it were up to our hearts, we’d head to Sichuan this instant.”
“Rushing doesn’t make everything better.”
“Yes, you mean we should do what must be done properly. We understand.”
Having lost Tang Gunak, the Tang Clan would from now on have to face countless watchful eyes – would a Tang Clan without the Poison King truly be the same as before? To prove that the Sichuan Tang Clan still stood firm, they could not pull out now.
“Travel safely. Well… I doubt there’s any place left under heaven with the guts to pick a fight with Hwasan now.”
“It would be nice if someone did.”
“…”
Tang Pae’s expression grew complicated. But someone with an even more complicated look on his face approached them.
“Ugh, what is this! A mummy? A jiangshi?”
It was Namgung Dowi, wrapped head to toe in bandages. To Chung Myung, who shuddered and backed away, Namgung Dowi spoke.
“Dojang.”
“Eeeeek! The jiangshi talks!”
Namgung Dowi smacked his lips bitterly. Watching from the side, Baek Cheon laughed faintly and spoke.
“There will be much to do.”
“……Yes.”
“Just as it’s natural for us to be in Shaanxi, isn’t it natural for Namgung to be in Anhui? Young Lord, no Lord Namgung.”
Namgung Dowi silently nodded.
Anhui had been left unattended for far too long. Anhui was the land where Namgung Clan had been living for generations, and where they must continue to live. They couldn’t leave Anhui, which has suffered great damage, as it was.
“Dojang……”
Namgung Dowi called to Chung Myung, his voice trembling slightly. Chung Myung shuddered.
“Ah, don’t say sentimental crap when you look like that! My fist is about to fly!”
“…”
“And for heaven’s sake, take care of yourself. I’ve met plenty of lunatics in my life, but none as reckless as you.”
Judging by his antics alone, Namgung Dowi was the sort of a man who’d make even someone said to have muscles packed up into their brain yield. Not that it was all that strange. Half the blood running in Namgung Dowi’s veins belonged to the Paeng Family.
“At this rate, you won’t die a natural death. You can hold up now because you’re young. Just wait till you’re older – every joint in your body will ache. Even now, whenever it rains, my joints hurt, my joints.”
“…You’re the youngest one here, you punk.”
“Just listening to you, you sound like an eighty-year-old.”
“Good grief. And the nagging on top of it – smells like an old fogey.”
“You little punks?”
When fire shot from Chung Myung’s eyes, the Five Swords, who had each been chiming in, hastily looked away.
“Thank you for your concern, Dojang.”
But the very person in question, Namgung Dowi, smiled faintly. The mix of a forced smile and a miserable expression made his usually handsome face look rather ridiculous.
“Please don’t worry too much. If a problem arises, I’ll request help from Shaanxi at once.”
“Don’t.”
“If trouble comes up in Shaanxi as well, let me know. I’ll rush over anytime.”
“Don’t come! You’re the biggest problem. Ever since I got to know you, not a single thing has gone right.”
“…Come to think of it.”
“It does sound like a plain truth.”
Whispers rose around them. A faint pained look flickered across Namgung Dowi’s face.
After that, he exchanged greetings with each of the Five Swords one by one before finally turning to leave.
“Phew. Can we go now?”
No, they couldn’t.
Because before they could even take a proper step, someone came charging from afar with a terrifying momentum.
“…Yeah, Dongryong is coming.”
“It’s Geumryong.”
“But at this point, don’t you want to see Eunryong at least once, too? Didn’t he come along?”
“….You bastards.”
Jin Geumryong dashed straight up to Baek Cheon and came to a light stop right before him. He couldn’t quite hide the sound of his ragged breathing, though.
And yet, as if he weren’t the least bit tired, he wore a confident (in Chung Myung’s words, infuriating) expression and stared straight at Baek Cheon.
Baek Cheon spoke curtly.
“What?”
“…”
“…”
An unbearably awkward air settled between the two. Baek Cheon’s lips quivered as if he might spit something out – or not.
“Sasuk.”
“I know!”
Baek Cheon, growling as if he might bite off Yoon Jong’s finger poking him in the back, let out three successive sighs and then, as if having made up his mind, nodded.
“Well……”
“Be careful on your way back.”
“…Huh?”
“It will take us a little longer. I’m entrusting Shaanxi to you.”
Baek Cheon could only wear a vacant look, unable to say a word. The disciples of Hwasan watching all whispered, one after another.
“He lost.”
“Different caliber.”
“They say no younger brother equals his elder brother – turns out the old saying wasn’t wrong.”
“Ugh. Pathetic, just pathetic.”
“Sh-Shut up.”
Baek Cheon glared back with eyes like an axe blade, but everyone only returned indifferent looks.
“Th… U-Um.”
Creaking like a broken wooden puppet, Baek Cheon finally managed to squeeze out a single line.
“Th-Th…”
“Th…?”
“Thank you… Hyeong.”
The last part was barely audible. But Jin Geumryong chuckled faintly, as if that was enough.
No more words were exchanged about grudges or debts. It seemed that this was sufficient.
“Is it all right if I go without seeing Father?”
“Eeeek!”
“….All right.”
No, this was the limit for now.
“Stop by Jongnam as well. Eunryong wants to see you.”
“….Really?”
“Yeah. Only – on the condition that you see us separately.”
Baek Cheon nodded as if that made perfect sense. The three of them meeting together was clearly out of the question.
After that, countless people came to visit Hwasan. Each exchange was filled with tears, farewells, talks of the future, and lingering regrets…
“Khaaaaaaak! We’ll be up all night at this rate! Are we not leaving yet?”
“…What a heartless bastard.”
Only after Chung Myung finally threw a fit did Hwasan’s disciples sluggishly heft their bundles. By then, a great many had come to see them off.
“Travel safely.”
“Let’s meet again!”
“You’ve truly worked hard.”
Unpolished, but warm words poured in from all sides. Everyone bit down on their lips.
“Wow. Your popularity is tremendous.”
“…Why are you stuck to us?”
“Haha. Where the needle goes, the thread follows, doesn’t it? Wherever Dojang goes is where I go.”
“What are you babbling about, you bandit bastard?”
“…There’s a rumor Jongli Gok will be the Alliance Leader – will a bandit even be allowed to breathe then? Please, spare me.”
Chung Myung shook his head as if he was fed up. Well, if he were Jongli Gok, he’d wring this bandit out like laundry first.
“See? You should’ve stopped fooling around.”
“Damn it. How was I supposed to know it would come to this!”
“And that’s why you live the way you do. Tsk, tsk.”
After laughing heartily at Im Sobyeong, Chung Myung turned his head a little. The reddish earth came into view. It was a place where so much had been buried and lost. He couldn’t claim, even as a pleasantry, that he’d grown attached to it.
And yet, Chung Myung’s gaze was filled with a multitude of emotions.
After staring at that land for a long while, Chung Myung finally turned his eyes. Before he knew it, all the disciples of Hwasan were looking at him. Chung Myung, as if trying to discern each and every emotion in these gazes, lifted the corner of his lips in a faint smile.
What’s lost will not return. Regret will never truly fade.
But that’s fine. To carry all of it and move forward – that, in the end, is what it means to live.
‘That’s enough.’
It isn’t perfect, but at times that will be enough. Looking at everyone, Chung Myung’s expression grew more serious.
A great vigor tinged his voice.
“All right, let’s go back! To Shaanxi.”
“Yeah!”
With a powerful step, Chung Myung started walking.
The place they had left, the place they must always return to, their land.
Towards Hwasan.
________
Happy Birthday, Chung Myung-ah!!!
________
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Return of the Mount Hua 
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