“Anyway, I have to give Dong-Ryong credit for his confidence. Even after getting that strong, he still seems to think he is lacking, huh? Well, thinking about the old days...”

“I told you not to talk about the old days. I said it clearly.”

“Oh! Yes, yes. How could there be any argument?”

At Baek Cheon’s scowling reaction, Chung Myung exaggeratedly feigned fear and raised both hands. When Baek Cheon sighed deeply, Chung Myung immediately burst into laughter and downed his drink.

After a while, he slowly lowered the bottle and a warm voice escaped from between his lips.

“The sasuk... and the sahyung too, they’re all treating me well.”

“...”

“I’m not just saying it — I really mean it. They couldn’t possibly treat me better. Everyone endured terribly.”

“I know that.”

“It’s a bit complicated. Watching them, sometimes I think, ‘How can they train like that? Are those even human?’”

“...”

“Other times I think, ‘They do nothing but train. They really work hard.’”

“Pick one, just one. Decide on one.”

Chung Myung snorted with laughter.

“I know. Everyone is training until their bones feel crushed. And they’re trying to help even a little more.”

Honestly, it’s admirable.

He always scolds them for not being enough, but Chung Myung knows how hard everyone is trying to help him.

“It’s just that what’s on our shoulders is too great. Even when divided, it’s still overwhelming for everyone.”

“Still.”

“That also becomes strength.”

Chung Myung pressed his mouth with his fist as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have. Then he exhaled slowly through his nose and spoke.

“I didn’t do it all alone. I’m someone who can’t do anything by himself.”

It was absolute sincerity.

Chung Myung knows that whenever he did something, someone was always by his side.

When he led Mount Hua’s front, Chung Mun guided and Chung Jin supported from behind. When he fought the strongest enemies, Tang Bo protected his back.

Without them, Chung Myung would have been just another strong man. Because they were there, he could become the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

“If it weren’t for the sasuk, sago, and the sahyungs, we wouldn’t have come this far. Of course, the Sect leader and the elders, and the other Mount Hua people as well.”

Words came out that he’d never normally say.

Maybe by tomorrow morning he’ll want to erase this moment from memory forever, but right now he just wanted to speak how he felt.

“I’m especially grateful to the sasuk for a lot of things.”

“That person, really?”

“...I take that back. I must have lost my mind for a moment.”

Chung Myung smiled faintly and then shook his head.

“Anyway, don’t have useless thoughts. The sasuk is doing exactly what the sasuk should do — perfectly. There’s nothing more to ask for.”

“Just a young brat with a big mouth.”

“I’m an adult.”

“Yeah. Keep babbling.”

Chung Myung chuckled and looked up at the moon.

Maybe he’s truly someone who can never become an adult. That thought hasn’t changed.

But even he has times when he must act like an adult. At least pretend to be one.

When younger ones look at him with trust and faith in their eyes, even an immature child must straighten his shoulders and pretend to be dependable.

Maybe that’s how it is for everyone?

If more and more people start believing you’re an adult, even if you aren’t, won’t you eventually start living by naturally pretending to be one?

If Chung Mun, Chung Jin, or even that Tang Bo had been here, Chung Myung might still be Mount Hua’s madman who never matured and only grew older.

But here there is no Chung Mun, no Chung Jin, no Tang Bo.

What remains for Chung Myung are only children who look up to him and aren’t yet whole. Children who will one day spread their talents like wings and shine brightly.

So shouldn’t he square his shoulders? Even if they’re not fully grown, shouldn’t he straighten them as much as possible?

‘So this is how it felt, sahyung.’

He thinks he understands.

Why Chung Mun seemed so great, why he looked so unwavering.

Perhaps what made Chung Mun that way was Chung Myung’s gaze upon him. When Chung Mun led Chung Myung, Chung Myung, without realizing it, pushed on Chung Mun’s back in return.

There’s no one-sided relationship in the world. Even things that seem meaningless each have their own meaning.

Like how this trivial conversation and these foolish jokes are clearing the fog of suffocating thoughts from his head.

‘So I should become a little more of an adult too.’

A small smile formed at the corner of Chung Myung’s mouth.

“Living long enough to see, Dong-ryong to be helpful sometimes.”

“...You want to fight me?”

“That’s a compliment.”

“Yeah, right.”

Baek Cheon muttered with a bitter look. Seeing that, Chung Myung snickered.

“Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.”

“...”

“We’ll smash the Four Sects Alliance, the Demonic Cult bastards, everything. And someday we’ll make Mount Hua the greatest sect under heaven.”

Chung Myung sighed deeply.

“Of course, the thought that the Sect leader of that Mount Hua would be the sasuk or Yoon Jong sahyung makes me grind my teeth.”

“Then you become it yourself!”

“...Really?”

“No. I take it back. Please erase it from your memory. I’m begging you.”

Chung Myung chuckled as Baek Cheon went pale and straightened his face. Then.....

“Ugh!”

He sprang up from his seat.

“...Why are you getting up?”

“My thoughts are clear.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“I can’t even understand why I was worrying like this. Thanks, sasuk. It’s because of you.”

“...What are you saying?”

Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung with a stunned expression.

“There’s still some alcohol left, you know.”

“Huh?”

Chung Myung put the bottle he held to his lips and tipped his waist back in one gulp. The liquor gushed down his throat.

“Th-That...!”

“Kuu!”

Having emptied the bottle in one go, Chung Myung rattled the empty bottle and grinned.

“Now there’s none left.”

“...Crazy bastard.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Smirking slyly, Chung Myung leapt off under the eaves.

“Sasuk, don’t waste time either — go to bed quickly. We’ll train the same way tomorrow.”

“...Even though someone’s worrying about you all this while.”

“Who’s worrying about whom? Sasuk’s worrying about me? I’m flattered beyond words.”

“But this bastard?”

“Because of you.”

Chung Myung whipped around.

“See you tomorrow, sasuk.”

And he strode off without looking back.

“Hey, you bastard! I’m not done talking yet...”

Baek Cheon called out, but Chung Myung didn’t look back.

“That bastard...”

Baek Cheon stared blankly at his retreating figure, then finally shook his head and looked up at the moon.

The moon, hidden by clouds, emitted a faint glow.

“...At least leave some of the alcohol behind when you go.”

His hollow voice echoed emptily into the night sky.

Time passed quickly.

For three days the manor’s routine saw no major changes. The groans of those suffering from excessive training filled the place, and the voices of those tormenting them rose just as much.

An outwardly peaceful routine quickly passed, and the day promised for the court finally dawned.

“Have you given it thought?”

Baek Cheon, who had gathered them early in the morning, asked, and the Five Swords’ expressions hardened.

“Have you found an answer?”

Yoon Jong sighed deeply and was the first to speak.

“Sasuk.”

“Yes, Yoon Jong.”

“...Of course we’ve worried. To the point of tearing our hair out.”

The others nodded at that.

They had barely slept for three days. Even when exhausted enough to fall, they couldn’t sleep; worry filled their minds.

Yoon Jong glanced around at the others and lowered his head.

“I don’t know about others, but honestly, I still don’t know. What’s right and what’s wrong.”

Baek Cheon listened to him with the utmost seriousness.

“If it’s something where I alone must risk my life, I’ll do it. If my death can save others, even if it causes great loss later, I’d gladly do it.”

A few showed signs of agreement at those words.

“But... I can’t drive others to death to save some people. If Jo Gul said he’d die to save the townsfolk, I wouldn’t let him go.”

Jo Gul bit his lip slightly.

“This isn’t a question of right or wrong in the first place. No one in the world can answer it. Sasuk, I really thought about it seriously... I’m sorry. I couldn’t find an answer.”

Yoon Jong bowed his head, full of regret. But Baek Cheon didn’t blame him; he simply smiled calmly and nodded.

“You’ve suffered a lot.”

“...Yes.”

“What about the others?”

When no one else spoke, Baek Cheon’s gaze naturally turned to Yu Yiseol. Yu Yiseol, uncharacteristically, bit her lip slightly and answered.

“I don’t know.”

“Is that so?”

“No matter what happens, I’ll fight at the front. But... I can’t tell my sajils to do the same.”

“Right.” Baek Cheon nodded as if the words were correct. This time his gaze moved to Jo Gul.

Jo Gul scratched his head vigorously.

“How could I possibly find an answer that sago and the sahyung couldn’t find?” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

“...I didn’t expect you to.”

“Yes?”

“No. So what?”

“...Honestly, I thought it was enough that I be willing to risk my life. But then I thought that me risking my life to keep an agreement could become an imposition forcing others who don’t want it to throw away their lives.”

At that, everyone looked at Jo Gul with surprised eyes. Jo Gul, surprised by their reaction, asked back.

“Ah, no, why are you acting like that? I didn’t say anything impossible, did I?”

“...He actually does think.”

“He’s growing, growing.”

“At this rate he’ll become a decent person someday.”

“You lot!”

When Jo Gul bristled, Baek Cheon snorted and tried to calm him.

“Alright, you’ve done well. Soso?”

“Sasuk. Honestly, I couldn’t tell someone to go out and die, but I think I could say ‘let’s die together.’”

“Really?”

“Yes. As long as I don’t survive alone.”

“I see. So Soso is on that side?”

“But... sasuk, I can ask the sahyung and you to die with me, but if disciples come later than us I don’t think I could ask them. They have to live. Even if we die.”

A few nodded at that.

“So I don’t know either. I only thought we must protect it; I never considered that those I truly wanted to protect might be sacrificed for some unknown others. But... what I want to protect and what Mount Hua wants to protect could be different....”

When Tang Soso bowed her head, Yu Yiseol lightly patted her shoulder.

“What about monk Hae Yeon?”

“Amitabha.”

Hae Yeon closed her eyes and chanted a Buddhist prayer.

“Alms. The Buddha instructed to spread the Dharma wherever and save sentient beings.”

“Yes. That’s the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ teaching of Buddhism.”

“Ranking what to protect is mere attachment to small ties. Saving the greater number of people is right.”

As Baek Cheon nodded, Hae Yeon gave a bitter smile and spoke.

“But... if that happens, I’d be the Buddha — what kind of person would I be?”

“Indeed.”

“...Come to think of it, that fellow isn’t a full buddha type.”

“A defrocked monk, actually.”

Hae Yeon’s face turned bright red.

“W-When was I ever defrocked!?”

“You weren’t?”

“Everyone thought so, though.”

“Th-That...”

Hae Yeon vigorously continued her chants. Baek Cheon sighed, composed his expression, and looked at everyone.

“I’m glad you all thought about it seriously. After considering it, how did it feel? Does it seem like there’s an answer?”

“No.”

“...Honestly, I couldn’t find one.”

“There is no answer to this in the first place.”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“Right. This is a problem without an answer. But you must know this: we can say there’s no answer and be done with it, but the Sect leader, and that Chung Myung guy, must somehow find that non-existent answer.”

Those who had some experience understanding the minds of decision-makers nodded with serious faces.

“So today, whatever answer you hear, you must never resent them or criticize the decision as wrong. Understood?”

“Yes, sasuk.”

“We will.”

“What right do we have to say so?”

“Right.”

As if that settled it, Baek Cheon turned his body. His gaze was darker than usual.