Chapter 1653
It’s a good day. (3)
Paaaat.
The sword sliced through the air.
It was an impeccably clean strike. However, the sharpness that once lingered at the tip of the sword was no longer there.
Had it become dull?
No, that wasn’t it. What the sword now contained was simply softness.
Replacing sharpness with softness – this was the essence of Wudang’s swordsmanship.
Imbuing the rapid strike with a flowing softness meant that the skill of the one wielding this sword would soon reach its pinnacle.
Paaaat.
The sword slashed once more.
Ssssk.
But this strike did not continue as smoothly as before. The swordsman, as if something was bothering him, swung his sword a few more times before shaking his head.
It was then.
“Sahyeong! Sahyeoooooooong!”
The swordsman glanced to the side. His Saje, ashen-faced, was running towards him in a hurry.
“What’s all this fuss about?”
“It’s, it’s terrible news, Jin Hyeon Sahyeong! Have you heard?”
The one called Jin Hyeon slightly furrowed his brows.
“What news are you talking about? Speak properly….”
Jin Hyeon was about to rebuke him when his junior interrupted urgently.
“Jang Ilso is coming here leading Sapaeryeon!”
The slightly parted lips of Jin Hyeon closed tightly again. Unlike before, a chill lingered in his eyes.
“Is it true?”
“Yes! The rumor is spreading rapidly. Word has come from the Beggars Sect, which was monitoring Sapaeryeon, that they are moving towards us.”
“Really?”
Jin Hyeon nodded heavily.
But that was all – he didn’t say anything further. Frustrated by the unexpected reaction, his Saje Jin Song, asked.
“Then what happens now, Sahyeong?”
“What do you mean, what happens now?”
“Sapaeryeon… Wudang is not capable of facing them alone, is it?”
“…”
“I heard even Shaolin was destroyed… Before they come, we should abandon this place and…”
“Shut your mouth!”
At the sudden shout, Jin Song shrank back in surprise.
“Once spoken, words cannot be taken back. So, do not speak carelessly.”
“I… I apologize, Sahyeong.”
“It is up to the Sect Leader to decide how to deal with this situation. We only need to follow his orders.”
How could he refute this? Jin Song nodded.
“But.”
“Yes?”
However, Jin Hyeon, unable to suppress his thoughts entirely, added a remark that didn’t need to be said.
“If they were going to run away at a time like this, they wouldn’t have bothered with Bongmun.”
The sword, which had been hanging down, emitted a brief glint.
Tatadat.
The previously serene Wudang grounds were now filled with the sound of hurried footsteps.
“L-Let us see the Sect Leader.”
“Sect Leader, are you well?”
A few people who were moving about the grounds quickly showed their respects as they saw the urgent group. They were so hasty that they didn’t even spare a glance at the disciples paying their respects, hastening their steps.
White hair fluttered in the wind. Leading the group with a stern face was Heo San-ja [허산자(虛散子)], the Acting Sect Leader of Wudang, and the top elder of the present era, Heo Ja-bae.
The group, having swiftly passed even the Upper Clear Palace [상청궁(上清宫)] where the Wudang’s Sect Leader resides, finally halted at a small, secluded building far from the main area of the sect.
Heo San-ja, gazing with a heavy look at the dilapidated building that seemed uninhabitable, said firmly,
“Stay here.”
“Yes.”
Heo San-ja took a deep breath and approached the door, speaking in a courteous tone that seemed unbefitting of the Sect Leader’s position.
“Sect Leader, are you inside? This is Heo San.”
To outsiders, this might seem strange.
The current Sect Leader of Wudang should naturally be Heo San-ja. Yet, Heo San-ja is referring to someone inside the small building as the Sect Leader. It would be odd for there to be two Sect Leaders at the same time.
However, those who had accompanied Heo San-ja to this place seemed accustomed to such situations, accepting the bizarre behavior as natural.
“Come in.”
With permission granted, Heo San-ja immediately opened the door and entered the small building.
As soon as he saw the interior, his face hardened.
Although simplicity is fundamental for a Taoist, this old building was so worn down that cracks appeared everywhere, allowing the cold wind to blow through. It felt more like a place of severe asceticism than a training ground.
Heo San-ja’s gaze shifted to one corner. There sat a white haired old man in worn, tattered robes.
Heo San-ja bowed respectfully toward him.
“Heo San, here to see the Sect Leader.”
The old man responded calmly with a bow. However, a brief look of reprimand soon appeared on his face.
“Sect Leader Saje, how many times must I tell you that I am no longer the Sect Leader of Wudang?”
“Please don’t say such things, Sect Leader. How could someone as inadequate as myself become the Sect Leader of Wudang? It’s well known that I am only temporarily filling a position that doesn’t suit me, due to circumstances beyond our control.”
At the reply of the bowed Heo San-ja, the old man, Heo Do Jinin, let out a deep sigh. He had warned him not to call him that many times and even showed anger, but neither the elders nor Heo San-ja listened to him.
Though his once jet-black hair and beautiful beard reminiscent of Guan Yu had turned white, making it hard to see his former self, his cold face and eyes remained largely unchanged from the past. No, his deeper eyes now even conveyed a transcendent attitude that Heo Do Jinin had never shown before.
“Yes. What brings you here?”
“Didn’t you hear that Sapaeryeon is coming this way?”
Heo Do Jinin didn’t respond immediately, but the heaviness in his eyes revealed that he had already heard the news.
“What should we do, Sect Leader?”
When there was no response, Heo San-ja pressed him again.
“The elders are discussing that our forces alone cannot stop them. It’s practically impossible for Wudang to block them with our strength alone.”
“Practically impossible, you say…”
“Yes. Therefore, they are considering the strategy of ‘Gold Cicada Sheds Its Shell [like Jang Ilso previously]’…”
“The ‘Gold Cicada Sheds Its Shell’… So, you’re saying we should flee in the end.”
“For now, that is the elders’ intention.”
“Do you agree with them, Sect Leader Saje?”
“I… I am not sure. What is the true path of Wudang…”
Heo San-ja trailed off.
It was an inevitably difficult decision. Fighting the enemy head-on would be tantamount to suicide. Sapaeryeon of today was different from the past. They had already trampled Shaolin, Paeng family, and Kongtong, becoming the conquerors of this era.
Facing them alone was impossible for Wudang. Yet fleeing was not an option either. Since Wudang closed its gates, they had not meddled in worldly affairs. If they were to retreat now, lifting their Bongmun only to run away, they would face severe criticism.
Balancing practicality and honor, neither could be easily discarded.
Thus, Heo San-ja had to acknowledge how difficult the decision Heo Do Jinin had made at the Yangtze River in the past must have been. Regardless of right or wrong, it was a decision burdened with countless responsibilities.
“For me… it is too difficult. Please, give me guidance, Sect Leader.”
“Gold Cicada Sheds Its Shell…”
Muttering quietly, Heo Do Jinin slowly nodded.
“The most important thing is not to lose Wudang’s disciples in vain. Go to Shaolin. If you join the remaining disciples there, you can hold out until the support from Cheonumaeng arrives.”
Heo San-ja, who had been about to nod instinctively, hesitated. There was something peculiar about Heo Do Jinin’s words.
Something felt off.
“Go? What do you mean by that?”
Heo San-ja asked, puzzled, but Heo Do-jin did not answer. Heo San-ja began to feel a bit anxious.
“Of course, you should lead us, Sect Leader. How could you say such a thing…?”
“…”
“Sect Leader?”
Heo Do Jinin gave a faint smile at Heo San-ja’s insistent question.
“We can retreat once.”
“…”
“But we cannot retreat twice. The moment we retreat a second time, the meaning of the first retreat will be determined. Wudang will forever be scorned as those who fled twice to save their own lives. That must not happen.”
“But, Sect Leader…”
“Therefore, we must prove it. That Wudang is not merely retreating. That we are filled with the will to fight against them.”
“…”
“Lead the disciples to Shaolin. I will remain here to protect what I couldn’t in the past.”
“What do you mean by ‘what you couldn’t protect’? What exactly is that?”
For a moment, a cold chill flickered in Heo Do Jinin’s eyes.
“Wudang’s honor.”
The weight of those short words seemed to press down on everything around them. Heo San-ja, too, flinched as if he was suffocating. The aura emanating from Heo Do Jinin was so sharp that even his disciple shuddered.
“Sect… Leader.”
“The honor that I, and no one else, sank into the depths of the Yangtze River.”
Heo Do Jinin’s voice was like a blade, meticulously sharpened for a long time.
“This time, I will protect it. No matter what.”
Heo San-ja felt his breath catching in his throat.
He desperately wanted to stop him. He wanted to tell him it was a meaningless act.
But how could he?
He knew all too well what kind of life Heo Do Jinin had led since Wudang closed its doors. Bearing the consequences of his actions, he had lived a life of excruciating penance.
In front of such a man, what could Heo San-ja possibly say? Heo Do Jinin spoke in a calm voice.
“Gather the disciples. The sooner the decision is made, the better.”
“S-Sect Leader.”
“Saje.”
When Heo San-ja still hesitated, Heo Do Jinin’s tone changed. The sudden change left Heo San-ja nodding, unable to argue.
“Lead the disciples to Shaolin. Leave behind only those who share my resolve.”
Heo Do Jinin slowly stood up.
“I do not need anyone to die with me. But it would be acceptable if a few were willing to die for Wudang’s honor. I will ensure their deaths are not in vain.”
“Sect Leader…”
“There is no need to stop me.”
A chilling smile spread across Heo Do Jinin’s face.
“From that day, that moment, I have lived only for this.”
Quietly murmuring to himself, Heo Do Jinin looked up at the worn ceiling.
There was no lie in his words about waiting for this day.
Except for one thing.
Whenever he closed his eyes, the face of one person kept resurfacing in his mind. A man who had grabbed him by the collar and vented his anger. Alongside Jang Ilso, who had mocked him that day, it was a face he had never once forgotten.
“It’s unfortunate that I didn’t get the chance to apologize. But… it doesn’t matter.”
The smile on his lips softened ever so slightly.
“Apologies aren’t conveyed with words.”
His intention would be conveyed, in the end.
Through his death.
Even to him, far away.
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