Chapter 1633
Before everything disappears. (3)
“…”
“…”
“…”
Three people were gathered in silence.
One was the leader who had unwaveringly led a martial arts sect that was second to none.
Another was the one who had quietly assisted him by his side.
And the last one was…
Twitch.
The eyebrows of the ‘assistant,’ who was looking at the last person, twitched slightly. Seeing those thick eyebrows move like a caterpillar made the last person’s shoulders shrink involuntarily.
“Well…”
A voice, as if grinding something out, slipped out, causing the always confident shoulders to shrink further. At this moment, neither his usual arrogance nor the elegance that made people look back had any effect.
“Ahem.”
Jin Chobaek, glaring at Baek Cheon with eyes that could not fully express his displeasure, let out an uncomfortable cough. That cough made Baek Cheon’s shoulders shrink even more.
Jongli Gok, who had been quietly observing the scene, spoke with a kind smile.
“Let’s stop this. Doesn’t this make him uncomfortable?”
“…”
“If you act this way, it embarrasses me. Please consider my position too.”
Jin Chobaek, who had shown no intention of relaxing his expression, finally let out a deep sigh. Jongli Gok, confirming that Jin Chobaek’s face had slightly relaxed, turned to Baek Cheon with an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry. I thought it might be awkward to meet suddenly, so I arranged this meeting, but it seems I’ve only made it more uncomfortable.”
Sect Leader? For someone like you, you seem to be enjoying this quite a bit, don’t you? Is it possible for Sect Leader’s lips to twitch like that?
“Answer.”
“…Yes?”
At Baek Cheon’s reflexive response, veins stood out on Jin Chobaek’s forehead again.
“…When an elder speaks, you should respond! Why are you keeping your mouth shut?”
“Ca-calm down.”
“If someone gains fame, they should learn to carry themselves accordingly! Just what on earth did you…!”
Jin Chobaek’s body trembled. He was probably using superhuman patience to stop the words ‘what did you learn at Hwasan?’ from bursting out of his mouth.
“Phew…”
Jin Chobaek let out a rough breath. His eyes scanned Baek Cheon, who looked like a frightened puppy… no, more like a frightened tiger.
It was complicated. So complicated that he didn’t know how to express his feelings.
Baek Cheon was like a sore thumb, a complicated child. Yet that child had grown up, gained fame throughout the world, been recognized as one of the foremost rising stars in Gangho, and even secured the position of Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan.
Watching him filled Jin Chobaek with pride… and frustration. Why was someone with such ability acting like this in Hwasan? As a father, he was proud, but as an elder of Jongnam, it made him grind his teeth.
“As I said before.”
Jongli Gok, who had been observing the two with a curious look, spoke in a calm tone. Of course, it wasn’t just Baek Cheon’s sensitivity making him sense the subtle hint of amusement in that calm tone.
“Elder Jin is like my commander in chief.”
“…”
“Naturally, you’ll have many interactions with him as the vice-leader… Are you feeling unwell?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
“Your face is deathly pale.”
“It’s just… I’m usually quite pale.”
“Really? Your brother is pale too, but not as much as you are right now. Well, siblings aren’t always the same.”
Watching Jongli Gok chuckle, Baek Cheon gritted his teeth. This man was clearly enjoying this.
“Anyway.”
At that moment, Jongli Gok’s tone became serious.
“It doesn’t matter what your past relationship was. In fact, it doesn’t matter what your current relationship is. What matters is that you both must put aside everything and cooperate. For the singular goal of protecting Gangho. Do you understand?”
“…”
“…”
“Do you not hear me, Elder Jin?”
At Jongli Gok’s urging, Jin Chobaek let out a deep sigh.
“I understand what you’re saying, Sect Leader.”
He glanced at Baek Cheon with calm eyes before continuing.
“You needn’t worry. Personal feelings will not interfere with our greater mission. I just hope that my son’s unfit position as the vice-leader does not cause you any trouble…”
“You didn’t understand me, Elder Jin. No, Jin Chobaek.”
A chilly voice slipped out from Jongli Gok’s lips. Hearing that voice, Jin Chobaek instinctively straightened his posture.
“The person before you is not your son, Jin Dongryong, but Baek Cheon, the Vice Sect Leader of the Great Hwasan Sect.”
“…”
“Distinguishing between public and private matters means recognizing and respecting someone’s official position, not their personal standing. Objectively, the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan has achieved greater feats in Gangho than both you and me.”
Jongli Gok sharply reiterated.
“If you truly are an elder of Jongnam, don’t bring shame upon us.”
“My apologies.”
Realizing his mistake, Jin Chobaek nodded briefly.
“You needn’t worry, Sect Leader. I am here solely to assist the Sect Leader, I mean the divison leader. The vice-leader is my superior, and I will respect his commands.”
Only then did Jongli Gok nod in approval.
“That’s how it should be.”
Jongli Gok then turned his gaze from Jin Chobaek to Baek Cheon.
“Is this satisfactory?”
“Please don’t speak as if this is something I wished for. I was merely called to be here.”
“True. But… I thought you might appreciate this. It can be a bit uncomfortable to have Elder Jin as your subordinate, after all.”
Sweat continued to drip from Baek Cheon’s forehead.
For him, Jongli Gok was someone he didn’t want to run into by chance. But his father, Jin Chobaek, was someone he didn’t even want to encounter in his dreams.
“Therefore, I want to ask you as well. Set aside personal feelings and focus on your role.”
“…”
“When necessary, you should even be able to command your father. Do you understand what I mean?”
Baek Cheon instinctively turned his head toward Jin Chobaek at those words. The moment their eyes met, Baek Cheon’s head instinctively bowed down.
Jin Chobaek’s face showed a look of displeasure.
If he’s going to be so apologetic…
“That…”
Jin Chobaek began to speak.
“Human connections are not easily severed,”
Jongli Gok interrupted.
“…Pardon?”
“Especially familial bonds,”
Jongli Gok continued in a detached voice.
“Even when you think they’ve been cut, they reattach. Even when you think you’ve forgotten, they resurface. So… there’s no need to reject a bond just because you think it’s severed. Who knows? In human affairs, nothing is impossible…”
“No.”
At that moment, Baek Cheon raised his head and met Jongli Gok’s gaze. Jongli Gok flinched involuntarily at the look in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
The look in his eyes was different.
The young man who had been trembling in fear of his father’s reprimand was nowhere to be seen. The person standing here now was the young Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan, Baek Cheon, who was leading the sect’s revival.
“Even if connections are reestablished, the path I walk will not change. I am a person of Hwasan, and I will forever be a person of Hwasan.”
“…”
Baek Cheon stood up.
“You needn’t worry. Personal feelings will never interfere, whether it concerns my father, my brother, or any other person from Jongnam. There’s no reason for it. While I feel sorry toward my father, my pride in what I’ve achieved in Hwasan is greater.”
Jongli Gok smiled as he looked at Baek Cheon.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Baek Cheon nodded briefly.
“I have much to do, so I will take my leave. Sect Leader, Elder, please take care.”
As Baek Cheon clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, Jongli Gok and Jin Chobaek also stood up and returned his gesture. Then, with a confident look on his face, Baek Cheon turned and walked toward the door.
“Well then.”
“Wait, Vice Sect Leader.”
“What now…?”
“You left your sword behind.”
“…”
Baek Cheon’s head snapped back. His eyes quickly found his sword resting on the table.
“Eek!”
Baek Cheon, flustered, ran back and quickly grabbed the sword from the table.
“Wh-why is this here?”
With his face drenched in sweat, Baek Cheon kept glancing at Jin Chobaek before hurriedly running toward the door.
“I’ll see you again.”
“Take care…”
Thud!
As the door closed with a force that made it seem like it would break, Jin Chobaek clicked his tongue.
“Goodness… In such a rush.”
Jin Chobaek, who had already sat back down, rubbed his face with both hands.
“Are you all right?”
“How did he become like this… Huuuh…”
Jin Chobaek let out another deep sigh.
“He’s not trustworthy at all… I don’t know what to do.”
“That’s how all children appear to their parents.”
“Sect Leader… No matter how nervous he was, what kind of swordsman leaves his sword behind? It’s that kind of behavior that worried me, and he couldn’t accept it, so he left home.”
“I see it differently.”
“Pardon?”
Jin Chobaek squinted, as if asking what Jongli Gok meant.
“Don’t you know? That child’s skills and reputation have now surpassed yours.”
“…”
“Usually, that leads to showing off. Trying to prove how great they’ve become, that their father was wrong to doubt them, and demanding recognition.”
“Such a…”
“But it’s not wrong. Anyone would have such feelings.”
“But isn’t he nervous? Isn’t he feeling apologetic? That means he’s considering your feelings about his rising fame in Hwasan before his own position. That’s his innate nature. It’s something difficult to change through effort.”
“…”
Jin Chobaek sighed once more, having lost count of how many times he had sighed already. If only he had been more lenient…
“He’s an excellent talent.”
“…”
“Maybe even more so than Geumryong.”
Jin Chobaek looked at Jongli Gok with a slightly surprised expression. One thing had been bothering him since earlier.
“Sect Leader… surely not?”
“It’s just a thought. That’s all.”
“…”
Jin Chobaek stared at Jongli Gok, then shook his head.
“He won’t return. And now he’s a disciple of Hwasan, isn’t he?”
“He’s still young. At his age, even if he throws away everything and starts over, it’s not too late to become the top master of Jongnam. Surely Hwasan won’t sever the tendons of a disciple leaving the sect.”
“No, that’s not the issue. He has no intention of coming back to Jongnam.”
“It’s not a matter of intent. It’s a matter of circumstances.”
“Pardon?”
Jin Chobaek gave a faint smile.
“The secret vault [비고(秘庫)] is still securely locked, isn’t it?”
“The secret vault… you mean?”
“Yes. There should be one bottle of the Heavenly Elixir [상천약수(上天藥水)] left in there. That precious elixir is invaluable.”
“The elixir, you say? Yes, there should be one bottle left. No one has sustained injuries severe enough to warrant its use in the past hundred years. But why bring it up now?”
“You’ll soon understand.”
His eyes turned toward the door Baek Cheon had left through.
“If good intention [선의(善意)] and benefit [이익(利益)] lie on the same path, there’s no reason not to walk that path.”
A faint smile appeared on Jongli Gok’s lips.
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