The river simply flows.
No matter what happens in the world, the river keeps flowing. The only thing that changes is the person watching it.
Chung Myung sat alone by the riverside, fully exposed to the biting wind.
To his right lay the pure white alcohol bottle, as usual, but unlike before, it was full and heavy.
Refusing to drink, he just stared silently across the river. His sunken eyes were so dark it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
He slowly swept his hand down his face.
Stopping at his chin, Chung Myung lowered his scarred and wounded hand and suddenly looked down.
Then, before he realized it, he chuckled.
When he first returned to this world, he had been flustered to see his own small, scarless hands. But in just a few years, they had become no different from the hands of the past Plum Blossom Sword Saint.
In the end, it seemed to tell him that people are unchanging beings, and for some reason, he felt bitter.
Chung Myung, who had been staring at his hands for a while, cast his gaze across the river again, as if drawn to it.
Throughout his time sitting there, he felt as if his stomach was being torn apart. Just thinking about those damned things over there made his mind go blank and his heart boil.
He pressed his rough hands against his chest.
'Have I changed?'
Has Chung Myung really changed from before?
Perhaps one could say yes. In the past, he would never have sat there silently. At the mere mention of the 'Demonic Cult,' he would have put aside all other concerns and crossed the river to see the situation with his own eyes.
But now, Chung Myung sat there blankly.
So can it really be said that he has changed from the past?
'What is…'
Blood streamed down his lip, which he bit hard.
'Just what is this?'
If he had changed, he shouldn't be feeling like this. He shouldn't feel the pain of having his soul ripped out just by hearing those two words: Demonic Cult.
The fact that this deep-rooted hatred he felt toward them hadn't changed meant that Chung Myung hadn't taken even a single step away from his terrible past.
But… how could he escape?
How could he forget all of it?
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the images of those who died without even closing theirs on the Ten Thousand Mountains. He could almost feel the pain of those who had to die without leaving anything behind.
How could he change?
Chung Myung quietly grabbed his knees.
His fingernails dug into his flesh, but he didn't even feel the pain. He just gritted his teeth and stared across the river.
And… not too far away, the Five Swords were watching Chung Myung.
Jo Gul, unable to hide his anxious gaze, glanced at Baek Cheon. However, the moment he saw Baek Cheon's expression, he swallowed the words he almost spoke.
Seeing his sasuk frozen like ice, he couldn't speak freely to him.
"What is it?"
But Baek Cheon opened his mouth as if he hadn't missed the chance in Jo Gul's expression.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"No, it's just…"
Jo Gul hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.
"…If you want to stop him, wouldn't it be better to get a little closer, sasuk?"
"…."
"If that guy starts running toward the river with determination, there's no way to stop him."
Baek Cheon's eyebrows twitched.
"And you're confident you can stop him if we get closer?"
"That is…"
Jo Gul fell silent.
Baek Cheon was right. Even if they surrounded him, if Chung Myung wanted to run, there was no way they could stop him.
With his skills, he could easily break through their combined attacks and escape.
"No… but…"
Jo Gul glanced toward Chung Myung as if still filled with regret.
"What exactly do we do?"
At that moment, Tang Soso couldn't hold back any longer and raised her voice.
"Why is sahyung like that?"
"…."
"Demonic Cult. I know about them too. I hate them. The Tang family was almost destroyed because of the Demonic Cult. Which warrior doesn't hate them?"
"Soso."
"No. Of course, I know Mount Hua is the sect that suffered the most because of the Demonic Cult. But… Mount Hua has overcome those wounds to some extent, right?"
"…."
Jo Gul closed his mouth without answering.
"Then why on earth does sahyung react like that? What kind of grudge does he hold against the Demonic Cult that he loses his sanity at the mere mention of their name?"
"Stop it."
Baek Cheon cut off Tang Soso's words firmly.
Tang Soso looked at Baek Cheon as if she couldn't understand.
"The one who's most angry because of sahyung's incomprehensible behavior is sasuk."
"… It's not because of his behavior, mind you."
Baek Cheon paused, biting his lips.
"Everyone has their own story. And there are sore spots that cannot be revealed."
"Then why don't you tell us?"
When Tang Soso started to complain, Baek Cheon looked at her quietly.
"Are you asking me to tell you what you want to hear, or what I'm actually thinking?"
"That is…"
Tang Soso trailed off.
Of course not. Everyone has things they cannot reveal to others. Even if they are like family. No, even if they truly are family, there are definitely things they can't show.
Baek Cheon spoke calmly.
"I'm not at all curious about what he did before he entered Mount Hua."
"…."
"If you think you can only understand someone by knowing their thoughts and past, then that's nothing more than a pretense called understanding."
"… Then why are you so angry?"
It wasn't like Baek Cheon didn't get angry at Chung Myung before. But everyone there knew this was the first time Baek Cheon was truly angry at him.
Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung's back and said.
"… It's not that I don't understand him."
Anger flashed across his face again.
"I won't be able to make you understand, I cannot make you understand, so I'll take all the blame on myself without giving any explanations to anyone. That kind of attitude is shit."
"…."
"If he had told me he wouldn't explain the reason and just wanted me to follow him to the Southern Lands… I might have cursed him, but I would have followed without hesitation."
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul nodded at those words.
Baek Cheon sighed.
"My family is in Southern Edge."
Everyone looked at him, slightly bewildered by the unexpected words.
"My father is an elder in Southern Edge, and my hyung is the great disciple there. But even though he teased me about that, he never brought those topics up. He would grind his teeth and get angry whenever Southern Edge was mentioned, but he didn't care about my past because I was from Mount Hua."
Yoon Jong exhaled and said.
"… That's obvious, sasuk."
"Then I'll ask."
Baek Cheon looked at Yoon Jong seriously.
"What if my family was in danger and I ran to Southern Edge to protect them? Or if my family was murdered and I ran there to seek revenge, what do you think he would do?"
"Well…"
It was obvious.
If they knew Chung Myung, he would have drawn his swords and run at full speed to Southern Edge even before Baek Cheon asked for help. They were Baek Cheon's family before they were people of Southern Edge. They were his blood.
And the same went for everyone there.
"He would have done that. Of course he would."
"…."
"But that obvious thing… that obvious thing he doesn't ask us to do."
Everyone fell silent at those words.
"What really makes me angry and what I'm worried about isn't that the damned bastard will die doing something useless. When he dies doing something useless…"
Baek Cheon bit his lips.
"… I, we won't be there."
"…."
"That… that's what makes me so angry."
The veins in Baek Cheon's fist twitched.
Tang Soso lowered her head as she watched him.
"… I'm sorry, sasuk."
"No… it's not something you should feel sorry about."
In the end, Tang Soso's worries stemmed from her concern for Chung Myung. No one could blame her for not knowing.
"He's like a child."
Yu Yiseol, who had been silent until then, spoke bluntly. She usually spoke in the same tone, but today she seemed a bit agitated.
"Such a fool."
"…."
Baek Cheon sighed silently.
'That damned bastard.'
He knew there was a clear difference between how they looked at Chung Myung and how Chung Myung looked at them.
He knew that, but this was the first time that difference felt so clear.
That clear difference made it unbearable for Baek Cheon.
"Sasuk."
At that moment, Yoon Jong spoke. Unlike the others who seemed anxious and nervous, his gaze was clear and calm.
"Can I ask something?"
"… What is it?"
"Going to the Southern Lands is extremely dangerous right now, and our lives can't be guaranteed."
"Yes. It's expected…"
"And Chung Myung isn't the only one Mount Hua can't afford to lose. Maybe sasuk is more important to Mount Hua than Chung Myung right now."
Baek Cheon fell silent at those words.
"So I'll ask. If Chung Myung asks you to come to the Southern Lands with him, what will you do? Will you follow him?"
Baek Cheon seemed to understand why Yoon Jong was so calm.
While everyone was watching Chung Myung's anxious back, Yoon Jong was the only one looking at Mount Hua's future with a calm mind. That's why he could ask this question.
That's why Baek Cheon couldn't answer simply.
"I…"
At that moment, Baek Cheon's lips trembled.
"The Sect leader is coming!"
Everyone turned at Jo Gul's words. Hyun Jong was approaching with Hyun Sang and Hyun Young.
The Five Swords put their conversation aside and bowed to Hyun Jong.
"We greet the Sect leader."
"…."
Hyun Jong nodded lightly. His expression was cold and hard, unlike usual.
His gaze soon passed them and moved to Chung Myung's back.
Hyun Jong, who had been silently looking in that direction for a moment, strode ahead.
The Five Swords, standing there blankly, unsure of what to do, heard Hyun Jong's soft voice.
"You people, follow me."
"… Yes, sect leader."
The Five Swords followed Hyun Jong toward Chung Myung with stiff expressions.