"Chung Myung."
"Uh?"
Hyun Jong stared quietly at Chung Myung before opening his mouth.
"I've heard similar words from you a few times before. But today, it seems they carry a slightly different meaning than usual."
Hyun Jong, the sect leader of Mount Hua, spoke with a deep weight in his voice.
"In any case, it seems you believe the conversation we're about to have should be different from those we've had so far. Is that right?"
"Yes, sect leader. That's correct."
"Then."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Is there a reason you think it should be different this time?"
Hyun Jong asked this to make clear to those who didn't understand the situation that the upcoming discussion was important.
And it was indeed a reasonable decision.
… if the clapping of hands was normal.
"Why?"
"Right."
"… I'm asking why?"
"…."
Hyun Jong sensed something was off and glanced at Chung Myung's face, then quickly shut his eyes tightly. Chung Myung tilted his head to the side.
'Why is he suddenly throwing a fit now?'
What on earth did Hyun Jong even do?
"Sect leader."
"…r-right."
"I don't know where to start or how to explain this."
"U-uh?"
Hyun Jong wanted to say, 'If you don't know how to explain it, then there's no need to bother trying.'
But since he was perceptive, he couldn't bring himself to say those words.
"Sect leader might have thought I was insane all this time."
"… you realized it?"
"…."
Hyun Jong realized he had made a slip of the tongue and quickly changed his words.
"N-no! That isn't it! How could I think of you like that? No. NO! That isn't it! Such nonsense."
"… Ahem."
Chung Myung coughed softly as if to let it go this time. However, Hyun Jong didn't miss the trembling in Chung Myung's eyes.
"Sect leader."
"Y-yes."
"What was Mount Hua like when I entered?"
"… Uh?"
"Wasn't Mount Hua a sect worse than the Beggars Union, where only beggars gathered?"
"T-that much is…."
"It's the truth."
Hyun Jong's timid rebuttal was immediately cut off by Chung Myung.
"The Beggars Union had more money than Mount Hua. The beggars ate better than us."
"…."
Well… that wasn't entirely wrong.
"From what I hear, Mount Hua was worse than the Beggars…"
"What's wrong with that? Beggars don't have debts to pay."
"…."
Hyun Jong, speechless, just coughed in vain.
"Anyway!"
Chung Myung glared.
"Now that I think about it, was Mount Hua even a sect where people lived back then?"
"…."
"When I joined, I saw that all the sect's items were sold off and gone!"
Martial Hall leader Hyun Sang and White Blossom Boarding Leader Un Geom turned their heads in surprise.
"The sect had no money and was full of debt!"
Hyun Jong and Hyun Young looked up at the distant ceiling.
"The kids didn't train and just played around like thugs!"
"W-why are you bringing all this up now?"
"Jo Gul shut your mouth."
"… Yes, sahyung."
Chung Myung snorted and shouted.
"In that situation, what? Direction? Discussion?"
"…."
The more his eyes flashed, the more everyone tried to avoid eye contact.
"People were about to get beaten up by bastards from the Southern Edge sect right then! What was done about that?"
"R-right. That happened."
"I took care of the Southern Edge sect bastards, then the Wudang ones started a fight, and now we're going against Shaolin and the Precepts Sects Alliance!"
"C-Calm down, Chung Myung."
Hyun Jong was startled by Chung Myung's face, so red it looked like it might explode.
Thinking back, it wasn't wrong. It's a memory now, but when Chung Myung entered, was Mount Hua an ordinary sect? If Chung Myung hadn't found Mount Hua's treasures, then they would have all been kicked out of the main sect and had their signboard taken down.
"I'm getting angry again just thinking about it! What kind of sect is…!"
Everyone bowed their heads. Thinking about it, it wasn't their fault, but they felt awkward about it all.
"Phew! Phew…!"
Chung Myung took a deep breath and barely calmed his excitement, then looked back at everyone.
"Anyway, up until now, we've been busy dealing with what was right in front of us. Otherwise, the sect would have been ruined."
"Right, right."
Hyun Young nodded as if he understood everything.
"Right! A person has to at least make ends meet to do something. What can you do when you're going to starve tomorrow?"
"Ugh. As expected, the elder knows everything."
"Ahem. I do know. You really did something great."
"Heheh. What did I even do?"
Chung Myung smiled, scratching the back of his head.
But at this time, no one cast a disgruntled look at Hyun Young, who was showing favoritism. First of all, it was true that the guy did calm down.
Chung Myung raised his head and looked at everyone.
"Until now, it was a matter of dealing with immediate problems. But from now on, it isn't like that. As you know, Mount Hua has become a fine sect."
If other sects had heard this, they might have thought Chung Myung was being humble. Mount Hua's current position in Kangho was that significant.
Of course, there were still weaknesses—there weren't enough senior disciples and skilled warriors to take responsibility for the sect—but they had built up a reputation and fame more than enough to overcome that.
"That's why I want to ask you, sect leader."
Chung Myung looked straight at Hyun Jong and asked.
"What do you think, sect leader? What kind of ties do you want to have with the Nine Great Sects?"
"Hmm."
Hyun Jong let out a heavy sigh.
Although it was a long time ago, Chung Myung's words carried a simple meaning behind them.
Mount Hua had not had the luxury of choosing anything. Most of what Mount Hua had done so far had been a desperate attempt to survive, and they had been busy resolving crises.
But…
'Not anymore, though.'
The real meaning behind Chung Myung's words was clear. Mount Hua now had some freedom. It was only a thin thread of leeway, but at least they could catch their breath for a moment.
So now they could discuss and plan.
About the direction Mount Hua should take.
Hyun Jong looked around quietly. Everyone was watching him, waiting for him to speak.
"This is just my will…."
That's why Hyun Jong insisted on saying this. Chung Myung told him he was the sword of Mount Hua. And the only one who could wield that sword was Hyun Jong.
But that was just Chung Myung's will.
Hyun Jong did not want that. Rather than being the one who wielded the sword called Chung Myung, he wanted to be someone who would move forward with Chung Myung. No, he wanted to be someone who would walk with not just Chung Myung but everyone in Mount Hua.
'Mount Hua is the sect that came this far.'
Hyun Jong, having made up his mind, opened his mouth.
"Chung Myung."
"It seems we can no longer move forward with the Nine Great Sects."
Then Chung Myung asked with a blank expression.
"Why?"
Hyun Jong thought for a moment and then said.
"Actually, it wasn't my intention to distance myself from them. As the sect leader of Mount Hua, what I wished for most was to restore the past glory of Mount Hua and become a respectable successor to the previous sect leader."
"Yes."
"That's why I secretly hoped to return to the Nine Great Sects. Although our ties have deteriorated somewhat, I thought that if they reached out first, it wouldn't be bad to restore good relations."
Chung Myung nodded.
It was something that could be done. Chung Myung was radical enough to tremble at the thought, but if Chung Mun sahyung were here, wouldn't he have thought the same as Hyun Jong?
"But I realized this through this incident: the path they want to take is so different from ours."
A slightly gloomy look crossed Hyun Jong's face. He must have felt great disappointment through this incident as well. Nevertheless, his tone remained gentle and cautious.
"I'll say it again, this is just my opinion. Of course, I am the sect leader of Mount Hua. However, Mount Hua is not a sect where the sect leader decides everything. No, it should never be that way."
Hyun Jong asked in a voice as calm as flowing water.
"What do you all think?"
Hyun Young snorted.
"Now, even if we want to be friends with them, will that old, ignorant man accept it?"
"…. That old, ignorant man is a bit…"
"Aren't the two leaders of the Nine Great Sects Shaolin and Wudang?"
"Yes."
"The Shaolin abbot attacked us head-on in front of everyone, and the Wudang sect leader got beaten up in front of everyone by us! Do you think they'll get along with us? Even if they went insane, they wouldn't!"
"…"
Everyone's eyes turned to Chung Myung.
"What? Why!"
However, Chung Myung straightened his shoulders as if he had done nothing wrong.
"So don't waste your efforts. Those men probably never thought about getting along with us in the first place. So why should we care?"
"Hmmm."
Un Geom, who had been listening silently, smiled brightly.
"Your words might be a bit harsh, but I agree with the elder. We've come too far to turn back now."
"…."
"And even if they wanted that, as the sect leader said, their path is different from Mount Hua's."
"Yes!"
"That's right, sect leader!"
Words of agreement poured out here and there. Hyun Jong nodded quietly.
This wasn't because Mount Hua had grown stronger. Mount Hua was a sect that knew better than anyone the sorrow of being weak. That's why they didn't want to go down the wrong path.
"Then."
This time, Hyun Jong asked everyone.
"What kind of sect do you think Mount Hua should be?"
"…."
This time, no one could respond easily. It was too deep a question to answer simply.
At that moment, Hyun Jong's gaze turned to none other than Yoon Jong.
"Yoon Jong."
"Yes, sect leader."
"Answer now. What kind of Mount Hua do you want to see?"
Yoon Jong's gaze deepened at Hyun Jong's question.
"Sect leader, I'm sorry, but… I don't know anything that great."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
When Hyun Jong asked with regret, Yoon Jong opened his mouth again.
"But I think I know what I should do."
There was a lack of confidence in his voice. Everyone's gaze turned to Yoon Jong.
"When the young lord of Namgung came to ask for help this time, I wanted to help him more than anyone else. And I was really proud of Mount Hua for rushing to the Yangtze River to help him. I have experienced many things in Mount Hua, but I have never felt prouder to be a disciple of Mount Hua than at that time."
"… is that so?"
"Yes, sect leader."
Yoon Jong nodded slowly.
"That's why I will do what I feel is right. Even if it's difficult and arduous, I will not turn away from those who ask me for help. Just as Mount Hua went through hardships in the past, I will not hesitate to help those who are struggling and exhausted."
A gentle smile appeared on Hyun Jong's lips.
"A place where you listen to your conscience and simply act on it—that's the kind of place I think Mount Hua is."
When Yoon Jong finished speaking, Hyun Jong nodded.
"I have my Mount Hua and Yoon Jong will have Yoon Jong's Mount Hua."
He looked into the eyes of each of Mount Hua's disciples one by one.
"But there's no need for all of that to come together into one opinion. If each of us achieves the Mount Hua we want to see, it will eventually become a better place than anyone imagined."
Hyun Jong trailed off slightly and closed his eyes, mumbling.
"I believe so."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
The deep resonance of Hyun Jong's words dug into everyone's hearts.
'Right. That will do.'
They would face countless difficulties in the future. But if they don't turn away from what they know now and push through, they will overcome those challenges someday.
And when that happens, they and the world will all know what kind of sect Mount Hua truly is.
Hyun Jong was about to speak again.
"Is that alright?"
"…."
When he slowly opened his eyes, Chung Myung's eyes shone with a meaningful expression.
"The Mount Hua each of you wants to achieve?"
"…."
"Is that so? Then I don't have to hold back either?"
"…."
No.
Let us find another way, Chung Myung.