It wasn’t only Mount Hua that stared at Baek Cheon with eyes that were either entranced or admiring.
Everyone present couldn’t take their eyes off him. Even Beop Jeong and Jong Ri-Hyung looked noticeably surprised.
They were all looking again, at Baek Cheon. His true self, which had been hidden behind the reputations of Hyun Jong and Chung Myung.
“The worry took shape then. But the real worry began even before that.”
“...From before then?”
“Yes. It began with Lord Namgung, the young lord.”
“Yes? You an ?”
Namgung Do-Wei, who had been staring at Baek Cheon with breathless, heated eyes, instinctively repeated the question and then, startled, covered his mouth.
But Baek Cheon, unconcerned with the reactions around him, calmly continued what he had to say.
“To be honest, Young Lord of Namgung was soone I did not regard as particularly remarkable.”
“...”
A flash of indignation crossed Namgung Do-Wei’s face as if he’d just been slapped out of nowhere. He had even felt moved by Baek Cheon, and yet he had spoken like that.
“But the current Young Lord of the Namgung is a person so great that I hardly dare imagine following him.”
“T-taoist Baek, Baek Cheon.”
“Young Lord of the Namgung is leading and rebuilding the shattered Namgung Family. At tis, he does so so admirably that no one could deny it.”
At those words, Hyun Jong nodded.
“...Yes. That’s right.”
Who here could fail to know how hard Namgung Do-Wei had been struggling?
“At tis I admired that sight, and ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) at tis I envied it. The gap closed and I thought I could surpass him, but in an instant he widened the distance again and slipped away.”
Hyun Jong nodded again as if to show understanding.
To them he was simply admirable, but Baek Cheon, who was the sa age, could not look on with nothing but warm eyes. Naturally, he felt competitive.
“So I thought: how did such a gap co to be?”
Baek Cheon took his gaze off Namgung Do-Wei and looked at the others.
“Then I realized: those who were ahead of was not only the Young Lord of the Namgung family.”
Baek Cheon’s gaze then stopped at Seol So-Baek.
“Palace Lord Seol, despite being younger than the young lord, has earned the recognition of the Ice Palace. Everyone believes he will be an excellent Palace Lord, and he too works to et that expectation, even by cutting his sleep.”
At that, Seol So-Baek awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“And.”
This ti Baek Cheon’s gaze reached Im So-Byeong, who had been half hiding in the corner.
“The Green Forest King, though not much older than , also leads the Green Forest admirably. He holds the grave position of head of one of the Shenzhou Five Clans, and the Green Forest King, who is younger than Jang Ilso, has led it while hiding his identity and age so others would not look down on him.”
Im So-Byeong cleared his throat awkwardly and, with an unfolded fan, fanned his face.
Having looked at them all, Baek Cheon turned to Hyun Jong and asked.
“Sect leader.”
“...”
“What is the difference between those people and ? What am I lacking that I cannot beco like them? Even those not different from , so younger than I, lead their sects admirably, so why must I still rely on the Sect leader’s protection and defer my cowardice to you?”
“...That is...”
Even Hyun Jong could not answer that.
But Baek Cheon shook his head as if he were not seeking an answer.
“It is not the Sect leader’s fault. But that gap clearly exists. So I worried, about where that gap ca from.”
Baek Cheon looked at Namgung Do-Wei.
“My conclusion was simple. I apologize to the Young Lord of Namgung, but if the Namgung family lord had been alive, the young lord would not be as he is now.”
It could sound rude. Yet Namgung Do-Wei nodded without offense and, as if to lend Baekon his strength, spoke.
“You needn’t apologize. That’s a natural thing to say.”
Baek Cheon humd softly and continued.
“There was one major difference: what burden they took upon themselves.”
His gaze turned to Tang Gunak.
As if asking whether the sa wasn’t true when Tang Gunak rose to the family lord’s position. Tang Gunak, eting that gaze, nodded without realizing it.
“A position shapes a person. It’s not that one is worthy because they will be family lord, but because they beca family lord they could beco worthy. A position requires responsibilities appropriate to it. But to put it another way...”
Baek Cheon turned his gaze to the disciples of Mount Hua, as if to say they too must hear.
“It also ans that by shouldering responsibility and bearing that weight themselves, they were able to grow.”
“...”
“For one who has not borne burdens to talk about wanting to stand in the sa position as those who have is nothing but childishness. If you truly want to stand in the sa place, you must know how to shoulder that burden yourself.”
His voice grew clearer and more distinct.
“Now that I know that truth, I will not avoid the load I must bear. No, I will take that load on myself. To grow further through the responsibility on my shoulders, to beco more confident.”
“Baek Cheon...”
“So please, Sect leader.”
Baek Cheon slowly bowed his head and made a humble request. It was suprely polite, but never servile.
“Please grant permission.”
A sigh escaped Hyun Jong’s lips.
How could he be so confident, so admirable? An indescribable emotion swept over him.
And at that mont, a soft, disapproving murmur brushed past his ear.
“Amitabha.”
Beop Jeong, who had been watching the situation, seed displeased and tried to cut the atmosphere.
“Taoist Baek Cheon seems too hasty. Responsibility is...”
“Baek Cheon.” “...”
But those words were cut off by none other than Hyun Jong’s voice.
“I know your intention, but that is far too difficult. Do you think you can bear it?”
It was a question heavy with aning, but Baek Cheon’s answer ca without hesitation.
“Alone, it’s difficult.”
“...Alone?”
“Yes. But, Sect leader, you did not shoulder it all alone either. By your side were the elders. Elder Hyun Sang led Mount Hua’s martial teachings, and Elder Hyun Young managed Mount Hua’s finances.”
Emotion welled up on the two elders’ faces.
“It was not only work. When biting winds howl and waves crash, how can one standing alone bear that trial? You endured because those people were there. And then Un Am sasuk and Un Geom sasuk, plus the Un disciple sasuks, did their utmost to protect the Sect leader.”
“Yes. It was not sothing I did alone. Certainly not.”
“Yes, Sect leader. That is so. I am the sa. I cannot do it alone. But I have people to support : a taciturn but rock-solid and trustworthy sworn brother, and a sajil who will tell the right path without caring for anyone’s opinion when I go astray.”
Yu Yiseol set her mouth hard, and Yoon Jong quietly closed his eyes.
“Sotis there is soone who teaches that one must follow fervent solidarity rather than cool reason, and soone who, even if of low rank, can diate situations more objectively than anyone.”
Jo Gul turned his gaze upward, choked, and Tang Soso hung his head deeply.
“And... there is soone whose re watchful gaze whip-lashes more than anyone. I will bear that gaze for the rest of my life.”
All of Mount Hua looked at Baek Cheon.
He shone like the pristine white robe he wore.
“You asked if I can do it? Sect leader. Your disciple will do it better than anyone. Everyone will make do so. And...” Baek Cheon’s gaze finally turned to Chung Myung.
“I harbor no resentnt toward the past, nor debt toward future generations. Therefore it must be I who becos the Sect leader now. In the coming age of war, the only one who can wield Mount Hua’s sword rightly is .”
Chung Myung’s eyes, as he looked at him, were heavy and dark like a deep sea. But Baek Cheon did not avoid that gaze; he accepted it as it was.
After looking at Chung Myung for a long ti, Baek Cheon slowly turned and faced Hyun Jong.
“So, Sect leader. Make your decision. Do not try to trust the disciple—trust Mount Hua, not this disciple. Believe that the intent the ancestors passed down has continued in . Mount Hua will lead its disciple onto the right path.”
Hyun Jong closed his eyes. What ca to his mind was a ti before he t Baek Cheon.
‘Master.’
His master had passed the position of Sect leader, one which no one wanted, to the still-unready Hyun Jong, and worried for Hyun Jong until the mont he died.
Hyun Jong endured those harsh years, the bitter midwinter. Without Hyun Sang and Hyun Young at his side, he could never have borne that cold.
Thus he wanted to give them more ti, to not be crushed by the responsibilities of the Sect leader and to have ti to see their own lives fully.
But now Baek Cheon spoke to him.
That the ti had not been wasted. That that ti, that position, that weight had made Hyun Jong who he is now.
Those words made him both imasurably pleased and yet...
As Hyun Jong’s silence lengthened, Yoon Jong subtly checked the expressions around him.
Beop Jeong looked thoroughly uncomfortable, and Jong Ri-Hyung seed about to shout that this was an outrage.
Even the leaders of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, who were friendly to Mount Hua, couldn’t handle the current atmosphere.
Fearing sothing serious might erupt, Yoon Jong cautiously spoke up.
“Perhaps... let’s dismiss this eting for today and revisit it later...”
It was at that exact mont.
“Disciples, listen.”
Hyun Jong opened his eyes and spoke solemnly. The disciples of Mount Hua, moved by his voice, imdiately straightened their posture and attitude.
“Yes, Sect leader!”
Hyun Jong stared at Baek Cheon with eyes deep and like autumn frost. Baek Cheon squared his shoulders and t that look.
“The sin of uttering words unfit for his station and degrading Mount Hua’s honor is grave. Also, daring to demand transfer from the Sect leader is a cri worthy of the ‘family-excise,’ an offense of lineage extermination!”
“S-Sect leader!”
“No...”
At the ntion of the ‘family-excise’ the disciples recoiled and looked at Hyun Jong. Yet his stare was so icy that they could not bring themselves to protest.
Everyone squeezed their eyes shut, but only Baek Cheon gazed at Hyun Jong unflinchingly, ready to accept whatever verdict would co.
“Therefore, I, Hyun Jong, by the authority of Mount Hua’s Sect leader, sentence the transgressing disciple Baek Cheon to a half-year ban on martial arts training and confinent to Plum Blossom Cave.”
The disciples who had squeezed their eyes shut flung them wide open.
But Baek Cheon closed his eyes instead. He had done all he ant to do; he had no regrets. Only...
“A sect has etiquette that must be upheld. That etiquette must be preserved in any circumstance. No one can escape punishnt for failing to observe ti, place, and propriety.”
Hyun Jong was soone who often yielded his opinion. Because it was he who commanded in a voice like frost, no one dared object. They only bowed their heads and accepted.
A bitter chill crept into everyone’s hearts.
“Elder Hyun Sang.”
“Yes, Sect leader.”
“As Mount Hua’s Martial Arts training leader, carry out punishnt for the sinner’s cri.”
“I will carry out the order.”
A crisp sound of soone grinding their teeth rang out distinctly. It felt like the herald of an irreversible catastrophe. As that chill split people’s chests, Hyun Jong’s voice, sharper than a blade, thundered into everyone’s ears.
“But!”
Staring directly at the closed-eyed Baek Cheon, Hyun Jong declared with all the dignity he possessed.
“By the authority of Mount Hua’s Sect leader, I hereby appoint Mount Hua’s second-class disciple Baek Cheon as Acting Sect Leader to act in the Sect leader’s stead. The execution of all these punishnts is stayed until Baek Cheon steps down from the Acting Sect Leader position! This is an order from Mount Hua’s Sect leader, and no objections will be accepted.”
Baek Cheon snapped his eyes open.
The world that had been a little blurred cleared, and Hyun Jong’s figure filled his sight.
A gentle smile had co to Hyun Jong’s lips, from so unknown ti.
It was the warm smile like the plum blossoms of spring that Baek Cheon had seen on Hyun Jong’s face the first day he ca to Mount Hua.
“My Baek Cheon.”
“...Yes, Sect leader.”
Hyun Jong said softly with a smile.
“Now you are the Sect leader of Mount Hua.”
“...”
“Please lead Mount Hua rightly.”
Baek Cheon bowed his head.
His shoulders were not as proud as before. They trembled almost pitifully. Yet no one present could point fingers or mock him for it.
“I, I will...”
Baek Cheon’s voice, laced with moisture, flowed out.
“I will carry out that order.”
It was the mont a new Sect leader was born for Mount Hua.
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