Chapter 1729
I can’t afford to lose it. (9)
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In silence, Hyun Jong looked at the person seated before him without saying a word.
Though the sleeves might conceal the wounds, they couldn’t hide the gauntness of his arms. Baek Cheon’s face was pale and lifeless, his lips dry and cracked, with dark circles shadowing his hollow eyes. The sight of a familiar face in such an unfamiliar state felt like a knife twisting in Hyun Jong’s heart. What saddened him even more was that Baek Cheon’s expression remained unnervingly calm, as if nothing was wrong.
Though Baek Cheon’s inner turmoil must have been immense – Hyun Jong knew this to be true – he was doing everything he could to maintain a facade of composure. It was painful to witness. Hyun Jong had always wished for his disciples to grow into mature and exemplary individuals, but he hadn’t fully grasped the heavy price that would come with such maturity.
“The tea is getting cold, retired Sect Leader,”
Baek Cheon said quietly. Hyun Jong glanced down at his teacup. It was still empty. He hadn’t even poured the tea.
Under normal circumstances, he would have filled his cup as soon as he sat down, but now he found himself unable to do so.
After a brief hesitation, Hyun Jong finally spoke.
“How is your… body?”
“I’m fine.”
Baek Cheon nodded and added,
“I’m much better than before.”
“I see.”
Hyun Jong could only nod in response, unable to find the right words.
“I’m sorry. I should have been the one to come out to greet you first.”
“Don’t say such things.”
In the end, Hyun Jong couldn’t hold back and let out a deep sigh. He silently reprimanded himself for entering this room so hastily, without any clear plan or words of comfort.
What words could possibly offer solace? What could he say to give hope?
He didn’t know. No matter what he said, it would likely come across as a mere attempt to cover up the situation with empty words of understanding.
With great difficulty, Hyun Jong tried to speak again.
“Baek Cheon-ah…”
“Wait.”
Baek Cheon abruptly interrupted him. It was a rude action, but it might have been Baek Cheon’s way of showing consideration for Hyun Jong. At the very least, he had spared Hyun Jong the need to struggle for meaningless words of comfort.
“There is something I need to say to you first, retired Sect Leader.”
Baek Cheon slowly rose from his seat. He then walked over to his bed and, with great effort, grasped the white cloth that was draped over something and slowly pulled it away.
Even the simple act of holding and lifting that thin cloth took Baek Cheon several attempts, each one filled with difficulty.
As Hyun Jong watched with deep sorrow, his eyes suddenly widened in shock as he saw what lay beneath the cloth.
“I think it’s time to return this to you, retired Sect Leader.”
Hyun Jong closed his eyes tightly, filled with a sense of helplessness and despair.
Underneath the cloth lay the Purple Mist Divine Sword [자하신검(紫霞神劍)]. It was the sacred relic of Hwasan, the very sword that Hyun Jong had bestowed upon Baek Cheon when he entrusted him with the position of Vice Sect Leader.
Returning it to Hyun Jong – what could that possibly mean?
“…Baek Cheon.”
“Retired Sect Leader, I…”
Baek Cheon hesitated for a moment, but then, as if finding his resolve, he continued speaking calmly.
“I have come to realize my own inadequacies, and so I wish to step down from the position of Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan, which you appointed me.”
“…”
“Furthermore, I intend to relinquish my role as the senior disciple of Hwasan as well. I beg your forgiveness for the rudeness of stepping down from the position you graciously bestowed upon me. But, if I may offer an explanation, it seems that Hwasan no longer needs a Vice Sect Leader. If you must appoint someone else to that position…”
“Baek Cheon.”
Hyun Jong interrupted him.
A long silence followed. Hyun Jong, looking at Baek Cheon with deep, intense eyes, then looked at the Purple Mist Divine Sword and asked,
“What is the meaning of this? That sword… I gave it to you…”
“Retired Sect Leader,”
Baek Cheon interjected, a faint smile on his face.
“I’ve thought about this thoroughly, and I believe this is the most natural course of action.”
“The most natural course of action?”
For a brief moment, a surge of anger flashed in Hyun Jong’s eyes.
“Did you just say the most natural course of action?”
“…”
“What is natural about this? Fine, stepping down from the position of Vice Sect Leader, that I can understand! After all, it was always meant to be temporary! But to relinquish the title of a senior disciple…! To give up your place as the leading disciple of Hwasan – is that what you’re telling me?”
Hyun Jong didn’t miss the words that Baek Cheon had let slip.
“Do you not understand the significance of being the senior disciple? Is that truly what you mean?”
“…Retired Sect Leader.”
“The senior disciple is the one destined to become the next Sect Leader! Are you now saying that you refuse to become the Sect Leader of Hwasan?”
Hyun Jong’s voice grew increasingly agitated, something rarely seen from him. It was as if he had never shown such anger towards a disciple before.
“I understand! You can no longer use martial arts. With those arms, you can’t wield a sword, nor can you teach your juniors!”
“…”
“But so what? If the position of Hwasan’s Sect Leader was determined solely by one’s martial arts, do you think someone like me could have ever become the Sect Leader? Martial prowess is but a small part of what makes a Sect Leader! You know this well, don’t you?”
Baek Cheon met Hyun Jong’s gaze in silence. His unwavering eyes, however, were filled with deep bitterness.
“Yes, it is a small part, retired Sect Leader.”
“Then how can you say…!”
“But at the same time, it’s an indispensable part.”
Hyun Jong bit the inside of his cheek without realizing it.
“I understand too. Even if I were to pursue becoming Hwasan’s Sect Leader, not a single person in Hwasan would oppose me. In fact, they would likely go out of their way to support me.”
“Yes, you understand that well!”
“But would that truly be for the good of Hwasan and its disciples?”
Hyun Jong found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t bring himself to respond immediately.
“A Sect Leader is, by nature, someone who should receive help. No person is perfect on their own, and the same goes for those who take on the mantle of leadership. But, retired Sect Leader…”
Baek Cheon spoke with a small, bittersweet smile.
“There’s a world of difference between receiving help and being a burden.”
“Baek Cheon!”
“The state of my body now is less than that of an ordinary person. Living as a cripple for the rest of my life will make even just surviving at Hwasan difficult. It would be better if…”
Baek Cheon’s gaze drifted towards the window
He understood something clearly.
Even though the window had been left wide open, not a single sound of footsteps had been heard for days. He appreciated the consideration shown to him, but it also made him painfully aware of his situation.
“If those juniors… If they were the type to rage and refuse to accept a crippled man as the Sect Leader of Hwasan, I might have fought tooth and nail to become the Sect Leader. But…”
Baek Cheon slowly shook his head. His movement was deliberate, but his resolve was firm.
“They’re not foolish enough to act that way.”
Hyun Jong’s lips trembled slightly.
“There are many within Hwasan who could lead as Sect Leader far better than I could. In fact, there are those who would make much better leaders than I ever could. So, for me to insist on…”
At that moment, Hyun Jong couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, his voice filled with anguish.
“And what will you do then? If you give up the position of Sect Leader, relinquish the role of a senior disciple, and even refuse to be the Vice Sect Leader, what is it that you plan to become?”
“Retired Sect Leader,”
Baek Cheon replied with a gentle smile.
“Even so, I am still a disciple of Hwasan. Isn’t that enough?”
Hyun Jong bit his lip hard. Baek Cheon looked down for a moment before meeting Hyun Jong’s gaze with clarity.
“Even if I can’t use martial arts, there will still be things I can do at Hwasan. After all, martial arts aren’t the only thing Hwasan has given me, are they?”
As their conversation reached this point, Hyun Jong couldn’t help but realize that Baek Cheon’s words were not spoken out of simple despair or being rash. The depth of Baek Cheon’s thoughts and the weight of his decision were painfully clear.
Hyun Jong could scarcely imagine the depth of the turmoil Baek Cheon must have endured in this small room, the agonizing thoughts concealed behind his calm expression.
Even so, Hyun Jong found it incredibly difficult to accept the conclusion that Baek Cheon had arrived at through such suffering.
“I will pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“…”
“No matter what anyone says, the next Sect Leader of Hwasan will be you. Even if you don’t want it, I will make sure it happens.”
“Retired Sect Leader…”
Hyun Jong suddenly stood up, ready to turn away, but then hesitated. In a heavy voice, he spoke.
“…You said you would be content as just another disciple of Hwasan?”
“…”
“If that’s the case, then why is your sword so clean?”
Baek Cheon flinched and averted his gaze. On the wall behind him, his old Plum Blossom Sword rested, not the Purple Mist Divine Sword, the sacred relic of Hwasan. This was the sword that had accompanied him through countless hardships. Unlike the other worn-out items beside it, the sword was meticulously maintained, without a speck of dust.
Baek Cheon and Hyun Jong’s eyes met in the space between them.
“I won’t tell you not to give up, or that everything will be fine.”
“…”
“I will find a way.”
With that, Hyun Jong turned to leave.
“Retired Sect Leader.”
Baek Cheon’s voice stopped him in his tracks. Without turning back, Hyun Jong replied.
“To me, you were the most exceptional disciple I could have ever hoped for. I even believed that you were a gift sent by my predecessors, pitying my difficult life, when you came to Hwasan. And that belief… it didn’t change even after Chung Myung arrived.”
“…”
“The reason I cherished you so much was that I believed you were the only one who could overcome all the hardships Hwasan faced at that time.”
Baek Cheon slowly closed his eyes.
“We’ll discuss this matter again once your mind has settled,”
Hyun Jong said as he left the room.
Baek Cheon stared at the closed door for a while before turning his gaze back to the wall, where his Plum Blossom Sword rested.
Even though he believed he would never wield it again… he had still carefully maintained it. He looked up at the ceiling.
‘I can’t afford to lose it.’
Something must be lost, but he couldn’t allow Hwasan to be that loss. The warmth he could still feel in his fingertips was something he couldn’t bear to abandon.
But… perhaps no one else knew. Sometimes, that warmth felt as sharp as the finest blade.
❀ ❀ ❀
Step. Step.
Hyun Jong walked briskly, his movements rough and hurried. His chest felt like it was about to burst with the suffocating pressure within.
‘How foolish can I be!’
What on earth had he been thinking when he decided to meet Baek Cheon? What words did he think he could offer by barging in like that?
Seeing Baek Cheon struggle to maintain his composure, even after losing both his arms, made Hyun Jong feel as though his heart was being torn to shreds.
If Baek Cheon had blamed him, if he had wept and despaired openly, maybe Hyun Jong wouldn’t feel this crushing sense of helplessness and despair.
It felt as though he were wandering in darkness, lost and without any direction.
What could he possibly do for a disciple who had lost everything? If he could give his own life to heal Baek Cheon, he would do so without hesitation, with a smile on his face!
As he struggled with the overwhelming sadness, Hyun Jong clutched his face in his hands. Just then, a voice broke through his thoughts.
“It’s been a long time since we last met.”
Someone had appeared before him without him noticing.
It was Jongli Gok.
There was an obvious respect in Jongli Gok’s demeanor as he bowed deeply, clasping his hands in the traditional salute.
Hyun Jong cleared his throat quietly, trying to regain his composure.
“Yes, it has been a while, Sect Leader.”
He returned the salute, showing equal respect. Jongli Gok lifted his head and spoke in a serious tone.
“Alliance Leader, I know you must be exhausted from your long journey, and I apologize for the inconvenience, but could I trouble you for a moment of your time?”
Jongli Gok’s words were careful and filled with deep respect. Normally, Hyun Jong would never refuse such a request, no matter the circumstances.
But at this moment, he had no room left in his heart for even the slightest consideration.
“I’m sorry, but… I’m in no state to discuss anything right now. Perhaps later…”
“It’s about Baek Cheon.”
“…”
“Or should I say, the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan.”
Hyun Jong’s head snapped up instantly, his eyes sharp with sudden attention. Jongli Gok’s expression remained calm and composed.
“What… do you mean?”
“Alliance Leader,”
Jongli Gok sighed deeply before continuing.
“It pains me greatly to say this to you now, but…”
“Please, just tell me. What is it about Baek Cheon? What is going on?”
At Hyun Jong’s urging, Jongli Gok nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. He had been cautious, given how sensitive the matter was. In the past, the two sects had been at odds, but now Hwasan was a benefactor to Jongnam, making this conversation all the more delicate.
Jongli Gok met Hyun Jong’s gaze directly.
“Since you ask so plainly, I will speak just as directly.”
“…”
“If there were a way to heal the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan within Jongnam Sect…”
Hyun Jong’s eyes widened in shock.
“Would the retired Sect Leader be willing to send Baek Cheon to Jongnam?”
Unconsciously, Hyun Jong’s fists clenched tightly within his sleeves. His eyes, filled with a mixture of astonishment and turmoil, looked as if they were about to be engulfed by a storm.
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