Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 649
The old monk, facing the large golden Buddha statue, recites the sutras with closed eyes.
It would be a common sight in any temple, but anyone who saw this old monk in practice could not make such an assessment.
Although there was nothing special about it, it was special. It was a sight that seemed to prove that true value lies in the ordinary when it comes to uniqueness.
“A mind free of hindrances, because the mind is free of hindrances, it is fearless, having transcended all illusions, finally transcends Nirvana.”
As he recited the sutra, the old monk’s face gradually relaxed.
However, his deep meditation was unexpectedly broken.
“Ba- Bangjang!”
An urgent voice came from outside the door.
The old monk’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Discipline of Dharma is of paramount importance to those who are walking the path of Buddhism. Therefore, practitioners should never be disturbed by trivial matters.
However, the owner of that desperate voice must have known this logic. It meant that there was something more important than practicing right now.
“Come in.”
The soft voice echoed, and as the door swung open, a monk wearing the yellow robe of Shaolin, Bop Kye, rushed inside.
“The- There is big trouble! Bangjang!”
“Calm down first.”
At the calm and composed words of the old monk, Bop Kye took a deep breath and settled down.
“I apologize. I thought I should inform you as soon as possible.”
“Now tell me. What’s going on?”
“Bangjang! Wu- Wudang has been defeated!”
Bop Jeong, Shaolin’s Bangjang, slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Bop Kye with heavy, sunken eyes.
“Explain more in detail.”
“Yes! It seems that Sparring Matches took place between the disciples of Wudang and Mount Hua in Wuhan.”
“Sparring Matches ….”
Bop Jeong sighed softly.
“There is no way that the first-class disciples of Mount Hua stood to the spar, did the second-class disciples of Wudang come out?”
“That- That seems to be not the case. Mount Hua seems to have been led by the second-class disciples, but from Wudang, it is said that it was not second-class disciples, but first-class disciples.”
Bop Jeong frowned slightly.
Although Bop Jeong rarely shows his emotions with his facial expressions, this situation seems to be unexpected for him as well.
“Tell me everything without omission.”
“Yes, that…….”
Bop Jeong shook his head in silence after hearing all the reports that continued without interruption.
“It seems that the Sect Leader of Wudang has placed a bad hand.”
“…Well, it may be called bad hands, but who could have expected this outcome? When it comes to Wudang’s first-class disciples, they are recognized as absolute masters anywhere in Kangho. Regardless of the formal defeat, isn’t it a fact that Mount Hua’s young disciples won against Wudang’s first-class disciples several times?”
“That’s right.”
“Among Shaolin’s first-class disciples, there are only a few who can confidently win against Wudang’s first-class disciples. Especially if the opponents are renowned among the first-class disciples, it’s an even more challenging task.”
But Mount Hua had accomplished this difficult task.
Not anywhere else, but Mount Hua.
“…Is this all right, Bangjang?”
Bop Kye swallowed his dry saliva and spoke with a slightly tense voice.
“This won’t end simply as Wudang’s defeat. Wudang is a symbol of the martial arts in Jungwon, along with their main mountain. Aren’t they also the symbol of the Ten Great Sect?”
Bop Jeong nodded silently as if nothing was wrong with the words.
“Their defeat to Mount Hua means the martial world of Jungwon has lost to Mount Hua. Won’t people talk about how the Ten Great Sect lost to Mount Hua?”
“Hmm.”
Bop Jeong’s eyebrows twitched again.
“Mount Hua is also just a martial arts sect in Jungwon. Why do you speak of them as if they are outsiders?”
“Bangjang… You know what they are doing now, don’t you?”
“….”
“If it weren’t for the existence of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, we could have celebrated Mount Hua’s rise. But how can we look favorably upon those who have openly declared to take a different path from us?”
“Why can’t we?”
“How can you be so calm!”
Watching Bop Kye struggling with frustration, Bop Jeong revealed a subtle smile.
“If he refuses to understand even after I’ve said that much, then he’ll have to bear the loss on his own. This time, Sect Leader (of Wudang) was in a hurry.”
“Please don’t talk as if it’s someone else’s problem! Isn’t it Shaolin that has to bear the consequences of Wudang’s actions?”
“Ultimately, humans cannot escape from the cycle of birth and death. Does anything really change when you add a small burden to the already huge pile of existing burdens?”
Eventually, Bop Kye grabbed his sleeve, unable to control his frustration.
Bop Jeong’s Dharma is high enough that he cannot dare to follow. So it was perhaps natural that all of the lofty words could not be understood.
However, sometimes his lofty words would also make him furious inside, just like now.
“Bangjang… do you really intend to leave Mount Hua alone as it is?”
“And if I don’t?”
Bop Kye looked at Bop Jeong with eyes that said he couldn’t understand.
“I don’t really know what you’re thinking, Bangjang. Why are you so lenient with Mount Hua only?”
“….”
“I don’t understand why you entrust Mount Hua with tasks, or why you allow Mount Hua to form Heavenly Comrade Alliance, or why you even let Hye Yeon, who is the future of Shaolin, stay in Mount Hua.”
“It’s not like I did those things. It’s just how things turned out.”
“You, Bangjang, have the power to change the course of events.”
“Bop Kye.”
Bop Kye flinched and slightly lowered his head at Bop Jeong’s gentle scolding.
“For a moment, this monk…….”
“It’s fine.”
Bop Jeong recited and stared at Bop Kay.
“Did you ask why I leave Mount Hua as it is?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s say there are fish living in a pond.”
“…Yes?”
“What do you think would happen if there were no other predators to catch and eat the fish?”
To an unexpected question, Bop Kye answered after thinking for a moment.
“Well… they would probably live well. There’s nothing to catch and eat them.”
“Wrong.”
But Bop Jeong shook his head.
“Eventually, the pond will rot. The fish that have no predator to prey on it will multiply endlessly, and in the end, they will eat even the roots of aquatic plants. Then, eventually, they will starve to death in the water where there are no more plants left.”
“….”
“But not in the presence of natural enemies.”
This did not mean that Mount Hua was the predator of the Ten Great Sect. It simply meant that, at the very least, the presence of Mount Hua Sect could act as a catalyst for awakening the indulgent Ten Great Sect.
“However, Bangjang….”
Bop Kye sighed quietly.
“Ten Great Sect is not a fish.”
“….”
“Fish have no other choice but to flee when predators appear, but the Ten Great Sect won’t just leave alone a sect that might one day try to devour them. Wudang are not the type to back off just like that after having their name stained.”
“…… That’s true.”
“It would be fortunate if they took this as a lesson and be grateful, but that will not happen. Those who have fire on their feet will try to step on Mount Hua in some way, won’t they?”
“….”
“And this is the second time. Southern Edge Sect has already entered Closed Gate, and Wudang has been greatly humiliated. So far, the Ten Great Sect have been fighting with Mount Hua while being considerate, but now they won’t care about appearances.”
It’s clear now.
Mount Hua’s rising star disciples were no longer just rising stars. The term ‘rising star’ implies those with the potential for a bright future. But Mount Hua’s rising star has already reached beyond the realm of potential and into the realm of an actual threat.
If this went on, it wouldn’t be long before all sects in the world would be under Mount Hua’s feet. The recent Sparring Matches with Wudang was nothing less than a proclamation of that fact.
“Bop Kye.”
“Yes, Bangjang.”
“Do you think Mount Hua doesn’t know that?”
“….”
Bop Jeong shook his head still.
“That child is raising dozens of snakes in his belly. No, not just snakes, but even tigers. There are times when even I can’t understand what that child is scheming.”
“…Mount Hua Divine Dragon?”
“Yes.”
“If he’s that wise, he should know how to avoid the wary eyes of others.”
“If he had enough time, he would.”
“…What do you mean?”
“When you have enough time, you can use medicine to control your abscess, but if you don’t have enough time, you may have to cut it in a single knife stroke.”
“….”
Bop Kye questioned with suspicious eyes, but Bop Jeong said no more. This was because it was obvious that Bop Kye couldn’t understand.
It wasn’t because he wasn’t smart, but because the logic of the world Bop Jeong saw and the logic of the world Bop Kye saw was different.
‘Trying to be cautious and threaten Mount Hua?’
In the end, that means a public enemy has emerged from the perspective of the Ten Great Sect.
When there are enemies outside, the inside gets organized. It has been an unchanging fact since ancient times.
Now that things have turned out this way, it was only natural that the unity of the Ten Great Sect, which had been quarreling over Jungwon, would strengthen its solidarity. If Mount Hua becomes the leader of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and gains fame, this flow can only accelerate.
Of course, if they face each other and shedding blood, things will be different, but as long as it doesn’t go that far, the existence of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance will only spur the Ten Great Sect further. And Wudang is bound to lose some control of the Ten Great Sect because of this incident.
On the other hand, Shaolin’s mistake at the Murim Competition could be buried thanks to the Wudang’s big blow while stepping forward
The Ten Great Sect becoming more united, and Shaolin’s position within them being elevated is not something Shaolin needs to refuse from their standpoint.
“The gift seems insufficient.”
“…Yes?”
Bop Jeong smiled quietly.
He knew that Mount Hua didn’t have particularly good feelings towards Shaolin and could somewhat understand it. However, Chung Myung knew he was not someone who would ruin the big picture due to temporary emotions.
Hostile symbiosis.
There would be no more appropriate word to describe the relationship between Mount Hua and Wudang.
It seemed as if Bop Jeong could hear Chung Myung’s annoyed voice in his ears.
– If the table was set, you should at least be able to pick up a spoon and eat, right? If you can’t even do that, you should put down the wooden table!
“Hoho.”
Bop Jeong opened his mouth with a small smile.
“The stronger the foreign enemy that does not invade, the better.”
“…What do you mean, Bangjang?”
“When is the Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s founding ceremony?”
“…… It’s not confirmed yet, but it will begin as soon as Mount Hua returns. I heard that Tang Gaju are busy preparing.”
“Since I can’t go in person, I’ll have to send someone suitable. Since it’s come to this, you should attend the ceremony and congratulate them yourself.”
“Ba- Bangjang?”
“And.”
“…Yes?”
Bop Jeong’s eyes sank slightly dark.
“Not using the opportunity provided is also a sin. Put pressure on Ten Great Sect. Tell them I want to meet to discuss matters regarding the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
Bop Kye swallowed dry saliva with a slightly flustered face.
‘The situation is getting bigger than I thought.’
He couldn’t fully understand what Bop Jeong was planning. However, he could easily predict that the repercussions would be far from small if this gathering occurred.
Feeling the massive flow of change coming towards Jungwon, Bop Kye nodded with a rather heavy expression.