章 304: Chapter 1192: Why Is This Happening? (Part 2)
"Sasuk!"
"What?"
"Have you heard the news?"
"What?"
Baek Sang's face wrinkled as Guak Hye entered hurriedly. Judging by Guak Hye's expression, one might think that some urgent matter related to the Demonic Sect had occurred, but as this weak-willed guy often made a fuss over trivial matters, Baek Sang didn't pay much attention to his face.
"Sasuk, it's something about Baek Cheon Sasuk! Baek Cheon Sasuk!"
"What about Sahyung?"
"He has become the Sect Leader!"
"Oh, really. He will. Sooner or later."
Baek Sang lowered his gaze back to the documents he was looking at.
"No! Sasuk, not that. He became the Sect Leader!"
"Oh, okay. I got it."
"No, it's true! The rumor has spread throughout the manor! Sect Leader has handed over the position of Sect Leader to Baek Cheon Sasuk!"
Only then did Baek Sang lift his head and glance at Guak Hye.
"...Sect Leader?"
"Yes!"
"All of a sudden?"
"That's right! He suddenly handed over the position! It's chaos right now!"
"Uh... so what you're saying is that Sect Leader handed over the position of Sect Leader to Baek Cheon Sasuk?"
"Yes!"
Seeing that Baek Sang understood, Guak Hye nodded vigorously. Baek Sang's eyes almost popped open as he saw that nod.
"...Why?"
"It's for the future of Mount Hua..."
"Why?"
"When Sect Leader talked with the leader of the Shaolin Sect..."
"Why?"
"... "
"Why?"
Guak Hye fell silent. He had noticed Baek Sang's lips trembling. Baek Sang muttered in a dazed voice.
"So, that means..."
"Yes."
"Why is this happening?"
"That...me too..."
"... "
The standoff between the dazed Baek Sang and the helpless Guak Hye continued for a while.
"Sahyung, it's Un Geom."
"Come in."
Un Geom silently opened the door and entered the room. Un Am was sitting in front of a table, organizing documents. Despite hearing someone coming in, he didn't even spare a glance and continued with his work, as if it were his usual self.
Un Geom sat in front of him and spoke.
"I've heard the news."
"Is it about Baek Cheon?"
"Yes, Sahyung."
Un Am nodded calmly.
"So it is. I apologize for not discussing it with you in advance. I hope you understand."
"You've said more than enough."
A small smile appeared on Un Geom's lips.
Originally, the one who should have become the next Sect Leader was not Baek Cheon but Un Am. Both Un Am and Un Geom had lived in Mount Hua for decades with that belief.
Sect Leader. A position that came with heavy responsibilities and burdens. Despite this, there would be few who wouldn't have the desire to climb to such a position if given the chance. It wasn't hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to let go of a position that one could have naturally ascended to, given their own desires.
Despite this major event, Un Am showed no difference in his demeanor. That was why Un Geom respected Un Am and followed his Sahyung even though his martial arts level was not high.
"You've worked hard."
"Hard work indeed."
Finally finishing organizing the stack of documents, Un Am delicately placed them aside and looked directly at Un Geom.
"That's the way it should be."
"It sounds easy to follow the natural path, but it is actually the most difficult thing to do."
Hearing this, Un Am chuckled.
"You've become quite adept at speaking like a Taoist. A guy who used to know nothing but the sword."
In response to this comment, Un Geom scratched his nose nonchalantly, as if to play it off.
His Sahyung was indeed a peculiar existence. In terms of seniority and distribution, logically, the most challenging to deal with should have been the Hyun line, who were the age of his parents. However, the person Un Geom found the most difficulty to deal with in Mount Hua was none other than Un Am.
"It just happened as I raised the disciples."
"It's a good thing."
Un Am smiled wryly. It seemed as if he were looking at a younger brother who had matured.
"But, Sahyung."
Un Geom, feeling a bit awkward, turned the conversation.
"Are you okay, Sahyung?"
"Hmm?"
Un Geom's gaze became somewhat serious.
"You're a person too, Sahyung. No matter how much you follow the Tao, you must still have some regrets."
Hearing this, Un Am chuckled.
"Why? Are you worried that I might cause trouble for your cute disciples?"
"Sahyung is indeed..."
"Haha."
With a light laugh, Un Am raised his head.
"Regrets... Honestly, wouldn't it be a lie to say there are none?"
"Yes, that's true."
Un Geom let out a light sigh. It was not an easy task. It couldn't have been.
"Both you and I, haven't we harbored the desire to lead Mount Hua into the greatest sect in the world someday? If I were to become the Sect Leader, I wanted to guide us to a place different from the Mount Hua we've known."
"Yes, Sahyung."
Un Geom could sense a hint of bitterness in Un Am's voice.
He, too, had wished for it.
For Un Am to become the Sect Leader and for Un Geom to become the Mount Hua's Supreme Sword, so the Mount Hua of the past could be restored. It had been a dream the two of them had cherished since they entered Mount Hua. Somewhere along the way, the dream had been crushed by the weight of reality, but it didn't change the fact that it had been their dream.
"But I have no room for regrets. Do you know why?"
"I'm not sure."
Un Geom honestly admitted that he came to hear these words.
Un Am chuckled quietly and said.
"It's because you make things difficult for me."
"...Yes?"
It was an unexpected statement. Un Geom blinked rapidly. Seeing him flustered, Un Am chuckled softly.
"Don't make that expression. I'm not saying it's because of you."
Smiling, Un Am explained further.
"The reason you make things difficult for me is simple. It's because I don't owe you anything."
It was a puzzling statement that seemed like it could be an explanation, yet remained unclear.
"Children from poor families may still respect their parents, but parents who raised their children in poverty can't help feeling sorry deep down."
"Ah..."
"It's interesting that children are aware of this fact as well. That's why, deep down, they think their parents will understand and forgive them even if they make mistakes a couple of times."
Understanding Un Am's words, Un Geom nodded his head.
"Indeed, it seems there is such an aspect."
"Right. Now you understand. Because you see the children through the eyes of a parent."
"Indeed, Sahyung."
Hyun Jong was not the only one who felt sorry for the children.
Un Geom, too, carried the same sentiment. As their teacher, he had done nothing for those kids.
Despite being their training instructor, the disciples of Mount Hua didn't show any outstanding abilities while he taught. Their real growth began only after Chung Myung appeared.
Was it because of the martial arts he was teaching?
Un Geom knew that wasn't true. If he were truly a competent master, just teaching third-rate martial arts practitioners from the street would have been enough to make excellent disciples.
So, would Un Geom have been able to scold his disciples sharply for their mistakes? Like parents who couldn't properly feed and clothe their children, did he not blame himself?
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Un Am nodded, speaking again.
"Right now, anyone would say the core of Mount Hua is the Baek generation and the Chung generation. However, I don't have the confidence to lead those kids properly. In the eyes of those kids, I'd just be a Sect Leader who is a bit less harsh and less strict."
"..."
"It's nice to be like parents to children. However, children will inevitably act spoiled in front of their parents. Parents who haven't given anything will eventually have to accept that spoiling. I've long worried that my lack of competence may ruin those kids someday."
"Sahyung..."
Un Geom looked at Un Am with renewed eyes.
Since when had this person been thinking such thoughts?
He thought it was just a decision made after looking after the future of Mount Hua. He thought that handing over the central power to Mount Hua's core was a rational decision.
However, Un Am seemed to be seeing something deeper. He seemed to be looking only at the path where disciples could grow properly.
"Meanwhile, Baek Cheon came to me and I told him that. He said that he had no debt to the past."
"..."
"So he requested to become the Sect Leader. He said he could help and lead Mount Hua splendidly with his assistance. Nasty kid. I don't even know what that means."
Hearing those words, Un Geom burst into laughter.
Most others would have taken the words at face value. Even Baek Cheon probably didn't hide any true intentions behind those words. But how could Un Am, who had been contemplating deeper thoughts, hear those same words in the same way?
"So, there's really no need for hesitation, is there? Insisting on a different path when there's a better one would just be greed."
"...But aren't there formalities?"
"Haha. Does Hwasan have formalities?"
"Sahyung!"
"I'm joking. Why are you so angry?"
Un Am chuckled and raised his head.
"It'd be a lie to say that I have no lingering regrets. If I didn't have any, then I'd be a sage. But I have no doubt whatsoever that my choice was right."
"..."
"And Un Geom."
"Yes, Sahyung."
"It's natural to have lingering regrets and feelings of inadequacy."
Un Geom looked at Un Am as if asking what those words meant.
"Acting in accordance with the righteous path, pursuing what is right, always entails such feelings. If choosing the right path were easy and enjoyable, who in the world would not follow it? Isn't it right to feel bitter and regretful about doing what is right?"
Those words had a profound impact on Un Geom.
"The righteous path is difficult..."
"Yes, that's right. Choosing the right path without difficulty is merely a consolation for one's own heart. Tossing a single coin to a beggar after accumulating wealth, can that truly be considered righteousness?"
"...I can't say it's not."
"That's right."
Un Am nodded slowly.
"However, the one who, with a heavy heart, gives a single coin to a beggar after having earned two coins from daily wages is righteous in itself. Despite the internal conflict, wouldn't it be challenging? Yet overcoming the regret and extending that hand is righteousness."
"...I understand what you mean, Sahyung."
Un Geom chuckled wryly.
"In the end, Sahyung just wanted to say that he's an exceptional Taoist, right?"
"This guy..."
"Hahaha!"
Un Geom burst into laughter.
He felt good. He felt really good.
This person was his Sahyung. The person who willingly relinquished the coveted position of Mount Hua's Sect Leader, who expressed bitterness and regret, was none other than his Sahyung.
"I can give him the position because I believe in him."
After laughing out loud, Un Am smiled quietly.
"Because it's that Baek Cheon bastard. I can give because he's a disciple whom I've watched over. In this era, there's no one else who can lead Mount Hua as well as he can. He has no debt, and his heart is filled with righteousness. And..."
"There's no solution."
"Yeah, a situation with no answer... Well, that's where we come in and assist, right?"
When Un Am subtly let out a wry smile, Un Geom met his gaze and smiled back. UnAm spoke.
"Un Geom."
"Yes, Sahyung."
"I guess it was a good thing, right?"
Ungyeom lifted the corners of his mouth.
"This is the second time I've seen Sahyung do something like this among all the actions he's taken."
"... What was the first?"
"A long time ago, when it was tough, he said he couldn't do it, jumped over the fence in the early morning and tried to run away, but then changed his mind and came back..."
"Shut your mouth before I kill you."
"Oh! Where has a Taoist ever mentioned murder!"
The two martial artists looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Both had eyes filled with trust and belief. It was the look that those who aimed high but were never attached to their positions could show.
"He'll do well."
"Yes. He'll do well."
"Yeah. He'll do well. After all, he's my disciple."
Smiling warmly, Un Geom looked at Un Am and said.
"By the way, Sahyung."
"Hmm?"
"Something was a bit off earlier."
"Hmm? What...?"
"Baek Cheon is my disciple."
Un Am looked at Un Geom with trembling eyes. Un Geom spoke decisively.
"Don't butter me up. I won't yield on this."
"...You cunning bastard."
In the end, they too were people living in Mount Hua.
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