At that moment, a certain point from the past flashed through Hyun Jong’s mind.

I want to join Mount Hua.It was when he first met the boy who, despite his young age, had climbed the treacherous mountain alone.

At that time, the sect was noticeably declining, and Hyun Jong struggled just to get through each day. But the moment he first saw that boy, Hyun Jong recalled the two words he had long forgotten: hope.

Yes. It was certainly so.

To Hyun Jong, who had agonized that perhaps he should stop taking disciples to avoid repeating sorrow, Baek Cheon’s existence was a hope that Mount Hua’s future might continue.

That hope was looking at him now.

“Step back!”

Hyun Sang shouted sternly.

“This place is for the head of the Nine Great Sects and the alliance leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance to discuss their futures. Even if you’ve been permitted to attend, you haven’t been permitted to speak. Do not be more rude and step back!”

But Baek Cheon shook his head.

“I will not back down.”

“Baek Cheon!”

“The Heavenly Friends Alliance has always been a place that does not block the flow of speech for someone. So I believe a disciple asking the Sect leader a few questions before an important matter is not something unworthy.”

“You brat!”

“And furthermore.”

Baek Cheon looked at Hyun Jong and spoke.

“I know the Sect leader may be conducting things with a certain intent, but rather than keeping it closed and guessing, I think asking and answering to clearly understand that intent is the better path for both sides. If my thoughts are short-sighted, please give me proper punishment after this gathering.”

“You still—!”

As Hyun Sang was about to leap up from his seat, Hyun Jong raised his hand to stop him.

“Stop.”

“Sect leader!”

“Enough.”

Hyun Jong shook his head, but even Hyun Sang — who at any time absolutely follows the Sect leader’s words — could not relax his expression this time.

It was Hyun ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Jong’s soothing that made him stand down.

“It will be all right.”

Hyun Sang sighed without answering and finally sat back down reluctantly.

Hyun Jong could understand why Hyun Sang reacted so strongly and so could soothe him. It’s not about questioning qualifications. It’s not about arguing Hyun Jong’s rudeness.

Hyun Sang was worried that Baek Cheon, who would now be affiliated with the Nine Great Sects, might say something to offend Beop Jeong and incur his wrath.

“You’re not wrong either.”

Hyun Jong nodded and sought Beop Jeong’s understanding.

“I’m sorry, abbot. I know this is not something to do in front of a guest, but... ”

“How can you call me a guest? Now Mount Hua and Shaolin are like one family, so don’t worry about it.”

“... Thank you.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

After bowing his head to Beop Jeong, Hyun Jong finally faced Baek Cheon.

“Did you say you have something to say?”

“To be precise, I wish to ask.”

“Very well. Go ahead.”

Hyun Jong looked at Baek Cheon with a slightly relieved expression.

Perhaps this might be better. If he answers well and can make them understand, it will be good; if his answer is poor and arouses their anger, that too is not bad. Then it will become clearer who should take responsibility.

“Then, as a disciple, as Mount Hua’s great disciple, I will ask on behalf of the other Heavenly Friends Alliance members.”

“Hmm.”

As Hyun Jong nodded, Baek Cheon slowly opened his mouth.

“Sect leader, do you think it is right for the Heavenly Friends Alliance to join the Nine Great Sects?”

“I do.”

“If so, I dare to ask the reason. When the leader decides, the followers must follow. Therefore, before that, don’t we have the right to know why such a choice was made?”

“That’s a difficult question.”

Hyun Jong took in Baek Cheon and all those behind him at a glance — those watching him with complicated eyes.

“Because what the abbot said was not wrong.”

“That it’s not wrong is a good reason. But it may not be a complete reason.”

“I see. Is that so.”

Hyun Jong gathered his thoughts for a moment and then spoke again.

“It’s because I agreed with the idea that saving even one more person is part of the greater cause.”

“The Heavenly Friends Alliance can also save more people.”

“That may be. But Baek Cheon, to do that wouldn’t you have to shed far too much blood?”

Hyun Jong, who had been silent for a moment, said.

“To carry out the Heavenly Friends Alliance’s will, we would have to always take the lead and always run to dangerous places. What could be achieved that way would not be worthless; on the contrary, it would be invaluable and precious. But... can we say the price in blood that must be shed for that would be small?”

“I cannot say that.”

“Yes. I think so as well. That’s why I only tried to find ways to shed even a little less blood.”

“If we can choose for ourselves, we would set the price of that blood ourselves. But if we have to follow another’s orders, we cannot decide that cost ourselves.”

“That’s why we confirmed the abbot’s true intention again and again. And just because we join the Nine Great Sects doesn’t mean we must follow the abbot’s orders completely, is it?”

Hyun Jong shook his head and added.

“I will protect, and I will conserve. That is my duty, and I must accomplish it with the rest of my life.”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“Then, Sect leader, do you consider that right?”

Baek Cheon brought up the question that had tormented Hyun Jong endlessly.

“I... do not know.”

Hyun Jong shook his head with a sorrowful face.

“Deciding right and wrong is such a difficult thing. So all I can do is try to do my best. To you it may seem frustrating and insufficient, though.”

Baek Cheon quietly nodded.

“Then, by guarding what we hold, what do you intend for the things we will be unable to protect?”

“...”

“... ‘The blood we did not shed will come back as someone else’s blood. We learned to uphold the cause and to carry out our teachings; if we, having learned that, ignore that blood and only protect ourselves, what value is there in what we have kept?’”

Hyun Jong closed his eyes.

This was the thing he least wanted to hear.

To save more people, one must avert their gaze from the dying. How paradoxical is that? To follow the head ultimately is not so different from accepting that contradiction.

When he opened his eyes and looked into Baek Cheon’s eyes, a sigh escaped Hyun Jong’s lips.

If he wanted, he could probably find some excuse. But he was the Sect leader of Mount Hua. He did not want to spout hollow lies in front of a disciple with such eyes.

“Baek Cheon.”

“Yes.”

“As much as those I must protect, you are also extremely precious to me.”

“......”

“You, and the other children, Mount Hua. And all who joined the Heavenly Friends Alliance...”

Deep regret leaked into Hyun Jong’s voice.

Yes. I said that. I taught that. That one must be willing to risk their life for that agreement. But... I’m sorry. I’m such a wretched person that I cannot even keep the words I myself uttered.

“Sect leader...”

“I don’t have the courage to watch you enforce that agreement through death and praise you for it. I only hope that even one more person survives to do more in the future.”

“......”

“So curse me. Resent me. This happened entirely because of my own failings.”

Baek Cheon’s face hardened. Hyun Jong shook his head with a slightly weary look.

“If you have your answer, now step back. It’s not polite to keep the abbot waiting too long, is it?”

“Then one last question.”

“What is it?”

“If, Sect leader, you were not the Sect leader of Mount Hua but merely a disciple of Mount Hua, would you have averted your gaze from the dying?”

Hyun Jong closed his mouth. He parted his lips several times to answer but in the end could not utter a word.

Baek Cheon spoke as if he had already heard the answer.

“I understand.”

“No. No. Baek Cheon, I...”

“It’s not that, Sect leader.”

A momentary look of puzzlement crossed Hyun Jong’s eyes. Not that?

“I am certain now. Sect leader, you are not wrong.”

“......”

“The position of Sect leader should never be the same as that of a mere disciple. The decision you made for Mount Hua and for the Heavenly Friends Alliance is not wrong. No one can deny that.”

“Baek Cheon...”

“I only realized that decisions can differ even when no one is wrong. Each has a different position.”

Some who understood the remark nodded with heavy faces.

Whether or not we know Baek Cheon’s intention in steering this conversation, anyone who heard it would be unable to blame Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong looked somewhere distant with regret-filled eyes. Baek Cheon said calmly.

“I truly think I’m fortunate that you are the Sect leader of Mount Hua.”

“Thank you.”

As Hyun Jong gave a bitter smile and tried to send him away, Baek Cheon asked another question.

“Sect leader. Was the decision you made, made as the Sect leader of Mount Hua? Or was it made as the Alliance leader of the Heavenly Friends Alliance?”

“Both. I neglected neither.”

“I understand. All my questions have been answered.”

Baek Cheon bowed his head toward Hyun Jong.

At that moment Hyun Jong saw it: on the faces of those who couldn’t hide their dissatisfaction, and on the faces of those who couldn’t contain their inner turmoil, the emotion of ‘resignation’ flicker.

Though they could not accept this decision gladly, they ultimately acknowledged it. This scene was none other than made possible by Baek Cheon.

‘...Baek Cheon.’

Had Baek Cheon grown so much already? For a moment, a ray of light seemed to enter Hyun Jong’s chest that had been shrouded in heavy darkness.

‘Yes, this will do.’

If he could only protect these children, there was nothing he couldn’t do. Thus he could proceed with conviction.

But it was at that moment.

Baek Cheon straightened his back and faced Hyun Jong directly.

“Therefore...”

“Hmm?”

In that instant, Baek Cheon’s appearance seemed immensely large in Hyun Jong’s eyes.

“Though this is not a place to discuss the grand affairs of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, and it’s not the time to discuss timing, I, Senior Disciple Baek Cheon, as Mount Hua’s chief disciple, would like to make one request of the Sect leader.”

“A request? What is it?”

“Sect leader.”

The surroundings instantaneously fell silent.

Even those merely watching the situation sensed that something unusual was about to happen and held their breath. Their gazes were fixed solely on Baek Cheon’s broad back sitting opposite Hyun Jong.

“I dare to implore you in my capacity as Mount Hua’s great disciple.”

Even under everyone’s attention, Baek Cheon spoke confidently with a clear gaze and a voice not a trace wavering.

“Please appoint me, the disciple, as the Sect leader of Mount Hua.”

That voice broke the precarious calm and fell like thunder.