Chapter 1734
What’s the right thing to do… (4)
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“What?”
Yoon Jong’s eyes widened as he looked at the person who had just burst through the door.
“…What did you just say?”
“I-I asked if you heard, Sahyeong!”
“Before that!”
The man standing at the door, Jo Geol, stammered with a face drained of color.
“I-I said there’s news that Sasuk has been excommunicated.”
“What the hell is that nonsense!”
A rare curse escaped from Yoon Jong’s lips.
“The rumor is spreading like wildfire within Wudang!”
“Ridiculous! If it were true, we would be the first to know! How could we be hearing such news from others?”
“I-I know, but… it seems true.”
Jo Geol’s face remained pale.
From his expression, Yoon Jong could piece together more of what was happening. The rumor must have spread far and wide, making it impossible to dismiss as mere baseless talk.
Yoon Jong suddenly stood up from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“W-Where to?”
“We need to confirm this. We’re going to the retired Sect Leader.”
“…”
“We have to put an end to this nonsense quickly. What if this baseless rumor reaches Sasuk’s ears? Let’s go, now!”
“Y-Yes, Sahyeong!”
Jo Geol nodded vigorously, and Yoon Jong bit his lip hard as he watched.
‘I won’t let this go.’
Whoever started this ridiculous rumor, Yoon Jong vowed to find them and make them pay, using every means at his disposal. But that resolve crumbled instantly at the calm voice of another person.
“It’s true.”
“…What?”
Yoon Jong’s expression went blank.
Did he mishear? Or did he ask the wrong question?
Neither, it seemed. That’s why Yoon Jong couldn’t comprehend the situation. And it wasn’t just him who failed to grasp the meaning of those words. The expressions on the faces of the Five Swords standing with him were just as bewildered.
Yoon Jong looked ahead.
Hyun Jong, with a stern expression, stood before him, along with two elders from Hwasan who had only arrived at Wudang that morning. Their expressions were difficult to read as they faced the disciples.
Yoon Jong swallowed hard.
Facing the elders of the sect wasn’t an unusual occurrence for the disciples of Hwasan, yet Yoon Jong’s body stiffened with tension. It was likely due to something in the gaze of the elders – something he had never felt before.
“Retired Sect Leader… what you’ve just said…”
In that moment, Hyun Jong’s gaze pierced through Yoon Jong.
Yoon Jong flinched involuntarily.
He had heard stories before.
Back when they were suffering under the inescapable net of Sapaeryeon in Gangnam, it was said that Hyun Jong’s eyes were colder and sharper than anyone at Hwasan had ever seen.
It was a tale he had dismissed with a laugh since he hadn’t witnessed it himself. But now, Yoon Jong understood why so many disciples had relayed the same story to him. Hyun Jong’s gaze was just as cold and merciless as described.
Instinctively, Yoon Jong understood that this was all a harsh reality.
“R-Retired Sect Leader…”
“Why?”
Yoon Jong’s voice cut through the faltering words of Baek Sang, who had tried to speak.
There were many things they needed to ask, but in the chaos of his muddled thoughts, Yoon Jong could only manage this one question. And that question perfectly expressed the feelings of everyone standing there, staring at Hyun Jong.
“Why!”
Yoon Jong had never raised his voice at Hyun Jong before, not once. But now, he wasn’t even aware of how loud his voice had become.
“Are you asking for the reason?”
“Yes, retired Sect Leader. Why…?”
“Overstepping the authority.”
“…What?”
Hyun Jong’s eyes darkened, growing cold.
“The role of the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan is merely to represent the position of the Sect Leader.”
“…”
“Being in that position does not grant one the power over life and death of the disciples. The Vice Sect Leader is only there to issue the orders in the absence of the Sect Leader.”
Yoon Jong blinked in confusion.
Who didn’t know that?
“But Hwasan’s senior disciple, Baek Cheon, forgot this and recklessly put the disciples in danger. He led them to a cliff occupied by the enemy without a proper plan, endangering them all.”
“R-Retired Sect Leader, that’s…”
“If!”
Before Yoon Jong could finish his sentence, Hyun Jong’s voice spread like thunder through the room.
“If they had been just a bit slower in escaping that cliff, Hwasan as a sect would have faced total annihilation.”
It was a perfectly sound argument, as much as it was a harsh one.
Especially since there was no denying that, had things gone wrong, all of Hwasan’s disciples could have met their tragic end on that cliff.
“But it was something that had to be done…”
“Had to?”
Hyun Jong’s eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Yoon Jong, causing him to shrink back once again.
“Was it truly necessary to push the disciples into the jaws of death with that pitiful sense of heroism?”
“…”
Not only Yoon Jong, but the other Five Swords were also visibly bewildered.
“But wasn’t that decision made by more than just Vice Sect Leader? It was at the request of Cheonumaeng…!”
“And who has the authority to decide on such a request?”
“That would be…”
Yoon Jong bit his lip without realizing it.
It should have been Baek Cheon, he thought. But Yoon Jong was forced to realize who was truly present in that moment when Hyun Jong was absent.
“Sect Leader…”
Among those seated before the Five Swords, one person sat to the side, and it was him.
Un Am.
Though in practice, he had delegated most of the authority to Baek Cheon and took on more of a supporting role, in name, Un Am was still the current Sect Leader of Hwasan.
And Yoon Jong was forced to realize that, throughout all the decisions made at Wudang, Baek Cheon had never once sought Un Am’s permission – not even once. Despite not holding the position of division leader, Un Am had accompanied them on this journey.
“But… even so, excommunication? Retired Sect Leader, this is…”
“Too harsh, you think?”
“I… I just…”
“Do you think excommunication is too harsh a punishment for someone who nearly cost Hwasan all of its disciples?”
“…”
Yoon Jong couldn’t find the words to respond.
“They were lucky there were no casualties. But if luck hadn’t been on their side and all the disciples had been lost, would you still say the same thing?”
“…”
“Risking one’s own life might be called bravery, but risking the lives of others is nothing but arrogance. Is excommunication really too harsh a price to pay for that arrogance?”
Hyun Jong continued, his face contorted with emotion.
“You might think it’s excessive. But if we let this slide, can you guarantee that something like this won’t happen again?”
Every word Hyun Jong said was irrefutable.
And yet, Yoon Jong couldn’t accept it. After all, it was Hyun Jong himself who had entrusted Baek Cheon with the position of the Vice Sect Leader, knowing full well what kind of person he was.
“Are there not other forms of punishment? Does it really have to be the extreme measure of excommunication…?”
But Yoon Jong couldn’t finish his sentence.
‘Could it be?’
His eyes wavered as if shaken by an earthquake.
“Retired Sect Leader… could it be?”
“Enough. Leave now.”
“…”
“No matter what you say, my decision will not change. So go.”
“But! Even if that’s the case-!”
As Jo Geol was about to erupt in protest, Yoon Jong firmly gripped his shoulder.
“Sahyeong!”
“Let’s go.”
“But, Sahyeong, if we back down now-”
“I said let’s go!”
Yoon Jong tightened his grip on Jo Geol’s shoulder and pulled him out. Baek Sang, Yu Iseol, and Tang Soso, realizing they had no other choice, bowed their heads in resignation and followed them out.
In that final moment, Yu Iseol cast an inscrutable glance at Hyun Jong, but Hyun Jong didn’t return the look. He only stared at his now-cold teacup.
As the Five Swords left, Hyun Sang, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“Sahyeong.”
“…”
“Is it really necessary to go this far?”
At Hyun Sang’s words, Hyun Jong closed his eyes.
“I understand how you feel, Sahyeong, but perhaps there might be another way…”
“Yes, perhaps there could be.”
“…”
“But it would take more time, wouldn’t it?”
A hint of bitterness flickered in Hyun Jong’s eyes.
“We are in a time of war. Who can guarantee that he will survive the next battle?”
Hyun Jong had already heard everything.
If it were up to him, he would have preferred to keep Baek Cheon securely here while they went to the battlefield alone. But that was no longer an option. He had already learned that the Blood Palace, who harbor a deep grudge against Baek Cheon, had dared to infiltrate the very grounds of Wudang to hunt him down.
The Blood Palace’s members were known for their dark and sinister arts, unimaginable to the martial artists of the Central Plains. With such people targeting Baek Cheon, nowhere, not even in the rear, could be considered safe for him.
‘And besides…’
Hyun Jong knew Baek Cheon well enough to understand that he would never agree to stay behind, no matter his physical condition. As long as Baek Cheon held the position of the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan, he would inevitably face life-threatening dangers again and again.
“Sahyeong…”
“I will take full responsibility for this decision.”
“…”
When Hyun Sang sighed, giving up on trying to dissuade Hyun Jong, Hyun Yeong spoke up next.
“The children will be deeply affected by this.”
“…”
“Regardless of everything, Baek Cheon is still Baek Cheon. No matter how capable Chung Myung and Yoon Jong are, considering what he represents to the disciples of Hwasan…”
There was no need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew what he meant.
The excommunication of someone who had become a symbol of Hwasan – who could predict what that would do to the sect? At the very least, everyone understood that the impact would be far from positive.
It was possible that everything they had painstakingly built could crumble. For Hwasan, Baek Cheon was nothing short of a cornerstone.
“Even so, are you truly… truly not going to change your mind?”
Hyun Jong responded with a silent nod.
This might have been stubbornness on his part, but even knowing that, Hyun Jong was unwilling to back down.
How many times had he delayed decisions, passed the responsibility onto others, or turned a blind eye, all in the name of considering the future generations? And how much had he lost because of it? But this time, Hyun Jong wasn’t willing to lose anything more. Even if this decision brought significant upheaval to Hwasan.
Hyun Jong could not bring himself to close off the future of the boy who had once thrown open the gates of Hwasan.
“May the Primordial Lord of Heaven protect us.”
A low sigh escaped from Hyun Jong’s lips.
“Why are you stopping me?”
“…”
“No, what retired Sect Leader is saying just doesn’t make sense! If we start expelling people for something like this, how many of us would still be standing here in our Hwasan’s robes?”
“…”
“Sure, it’s true that Sasuk is a bit more reckless than the rest of us, but even so…”
“Geol.”
“I can’t accept this. I’m going back in there to settle this once and for all…”
“Jo Geol!”
Yoon Jong shouted, his voice stern, as he looked directly at Jo Geol.
“…Retired Sect Leader isn’t trying to excommunicate Sasuk.”
“What? What do you mean…”
“He’s… sending him to Jongnam.”
“…”
Jo Geol’s face contorted in confusion. As the blood that had rushed to his head began to cool, he started to understand what Yoon Jong was implying.
“Oh…”
He understood, but at the same time, he couldn’t fully grasp it.
“No… I get what you’re saying, but… isn’t this still excommunication?”
“…”
“Can an excommunicated disciple ever return to the sect?”
“It’s impossible.”
“Then… then it’s different, isn’t it? If Sasuk is excommunicated , he’ll have to live as a disciple of Jongnam forever. Doesn’t that mean…?”
Jo Geol’s voice gradually lost its strength.
“Doesn’t that mean…?”
He couldn’t help but understand.
He had sensed it too, after all.
There was no way to send Baek Cheon to Jongnam through normal means. Baek Cheon would refuse, no matter what. The idea of persuading him with gentle words was unthinkable. They had already seen how unwavering Baek Cheon’s resolve was.
“No matter what, though…”
“It seems retired Sect Leader believes this is the only way.”
Jo Geol’s face twisted in anguish.
“But what about Sasuk?”
“…”
“I understand the logic. But what about Sasuk? How is he supposed to feel, being excommunicated from Hwasan for no real crime? Is this really the right thing to do?”
Yoon Jong closed his eyes.
“Do you really think so, Sahyeong?”
What’s the right thing to do…
Yoon Jong still didn’t know. Perhaps living is a continuous journey of searching for what is right.
In that moment, Jo Geol’s hand gripped Yoon Jong’s shoulder so tightly it hurt.
As Yoon Jong opened his eyes and was about to let out a sigh and say something, he realized that Jo Geol’s gaze wasn’t on him.
Jo Geol wasn’t holding his shoulder out of frustration. It was something else.
“…”
Yoon Jong slowly turned his head.
And then he saw it.
Among those standing in confusion, filled with the emotion of ‘bewilderment,’ one person was slowly walking towards them.
“S-Sasuk…”
Their Vice Sect Leader, dressed in the pristine white robes of Hwasan, was walking towards them with a blank expression. But it wasn’t them he was approaching – it was the pavilion where Hyun Jong was.
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