Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1162. What Should We Do? (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The atmosphere in the room was quite peculiar.
Of course, Bop Jeong was not so unfamiliar to those here. Hadn't Bop Jeong come to Mount Hua several times to ask for a conversation first?
However, the ones who spoke to Bop Jeong were usually Hyun Jong or Chung Myung. This was the first time he was sitting with so many people. Naturally, the atmosphere became delicate, as no one was eager to speak first.
Naturally, it was Hyun Jong who opened his mouth to relieve the tension.
"I should at least serve some tea, but I am unprepared."
“No, Maengju-nim.”
Bop Jeong smiled broadly.
“I see that this is the residence of Maengju-nim. It is truly modest. It seems to reflect Maengju-nim’s character.”
“It’s just that I’m living in a foreign land and haven’t been able to properly furnish it. How can this be frugal?”
"Haha. You are as modest as ever. Meeting Maengju-nim always makes me feel ashamed of myself."
“You should put some spit in that monk’s lips or something... Mmph! Mmmph! Mmph!”
Those who had naturally covered Chung Myung's mouth smiled awkwardly, and Yoo Iseol and Tang Soso poked his sides from both sides.
“….”
When Bop Jeong looked at Chung Myung with eyes that said, "You never change," Hyun Jong apologized on his behalf with a blushing face.
"I’m sorry... as you know..."
“There is nothing to apologize for.”
Bop Jeong chuckled softly.
"When an ordinary person acts unruly, it’s rude. But when a hero does, it becomes folklore. Mount Hua Chivalrous Swordis more than qualified for that."
Hyun Jong let out a deep sigh. He was proud of his disciple, yet sometimes he was truly, really, embarrassingly so.
“I have nothing to say….”
“I’m not just saying this just for the sake of it.”
“Pardon?”
Bop Jeong said with a bright smile.
“If we look at what Mount Hua Chivalrous Swordhas accomplished in Hangzhou and what he has done for the world, it is I who should be bowing down to him. Isn’t it obvious who has helped the people of the world more?”
“….”
“So, please, don’t take it to heart.”
“Th- Thank you for saying that.”
Hyun Jong answered in a trembling manner, and his mind racing.
'What is he thinking?'
Of course, he could not possibly know the true intention of Bop Jeong, but at least there was no hint of insincerity in the words and attitude of Bop Jeong.
That's why Hyun Jong didn't know what kind of attitude he should have toward Bop Jeong. Their relationship had already soured, but he couldn't simply ignore Bop Jeong attitude, right?
“Bangjang.”
“Tell me, Maengju-nim.”
Tang Gun-ak looked at Bop Jeong with a stern face and said.
"It’s nice to exchange pleasantries, but what brings you here?"
"Hm!"
The one who coughed in displeasure was none other than Jongni Hyeong.
“It is said that Gaju of Tang family was the second-in-command of Heavenly Comrade Alliance. It seems that Heavenly Comrade Alliance has great influence. Seeing someone other than Maengju-nim rush Bangjang for an answer.”
Tang Gun-ak glared at Jongni Hyeong without saying a word. However, Jongni Hyeong met his gaze without backing down an inch.
"Indeed. I was just too eager in my excitement."
But their brief standoff was naturally diffused by Bop Jeong’s gentle voice.
Bop Jeong slowly bowed deeply in courtesy.
“First of all, on behalf of Ten Great Sects, I would like to express my gratitude to those who subdued the calamity in Hangzhou."
"How could we...?"
"It was an act of chivalrousness for others. My limited wisdom prevented me from anticipating that you would accomplish such a remarkable feat."
“….”
“And I hope you will forgive me for not being able to come and thank you sooner because of my narrow-mindedness.”
“Why are you saying this, Bangjang? I am just grateful that Bangjang has come this far.”
As Bop Jeong continued to humble himself, Hyun Jong also found himself naturally lowering his posture.
Seeing that sight, everyone present felt the power of the position of Shaolin bangjang to their bones. Despite all the criticism and gossip they had voiced, the mere presence of bangjang seated before them made them this tense. Especially with bangjang showing such courtesy, the tension was even greater.
"If you were going to thank us after everything was over, you should have helped in the first place."
“Chung Myung-ah!”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Now that he seemed to have calmed down a bit, they let him go, but Chung Myung snapped a retort. Just as Baek Cheon was about to quickly shut his mouth again, Bop Jeong simply nodded in agreement.
"You are correct. I was foolish."
“….”
“And you, more than anyone else, deserve this gratitude. Thank you.”
Chung Myung, who had been blankly staring at Bop Jeong bowed head, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Ah! I figured it out!"
“Wha- What?”
“This son of a beast, he’s Hao Sect munju!”
“…Huh?”
"How dare a filthy demon like you pretend to be that great bald king... Mm! Mmph!"
Chung Myung was dragged away again. This time, Yoo Iseol and Tang Soso were joined by Hye Yeon, who all took turns hitting Chung Myung’s sides.
"Mmph!"
But even those holding Chung Myung back shared the same feeling of bewilderment. Especially Jo-Gol and Tang Soso, who looked at Bop Jeong with expressions that clearly said, "Did this bastard eat something bad on the way here?"
"Does this seem strange?"
Bop Jeong smiled and asked Hyun Jong, as if it understood their feelings.
“Rather than strange….”
Hyun Jong covered his mouth with his hand, letting out a small cough before continuing.
"Bangjang seems a little different than before, so it’s a bit disconcerting."
"There's no need to think of it that way. I’ve just taken a step back to look at things from a distance."
“A step back?”
“Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong nodded slowly.
"Though I knew that clinging to stubbornness was something a practitioner should always be wary of, I found myself trapped by my own stubbornness. I have only now come to realize that."
“….”
“Everyone has Good (선(善)) that they pursue. I seem to have been forcing myself to pursue only my own Good, forgetting that it is not wrong for that Good to be different from mine.”
“…Bangjang.”
"If something I believed to be wrong turns out to be right, then I must acknowledge that I was wrong... But, yes, Maengju-nim, I could not accept that. Thus, I kept shouting that what was not wrong was indeed wrong. The more I did so, the more the delusion inside me grew."
Hyun Jong's body trembled. What Bop Jeong is saying now is also connected to the Tao (도(道)) of Mount Hua.
Bop Jeong smiled broadly.
"So I let it go. After all, it is all just emptiness, is it not?"
“Indeed, Bangjang. Indeed.”
Hyun Jong nodded in agreement.
"And today..."
"I came to offer my apologies and to make a proposal."
“A proposal, is it?”
“Yes, a proposal.”
Bop Jeong said with a smile.
"When I let everything go, I realized what I was doing and that because of my stubbornness, we were all heading down the wrong path."
Hyun Jong paused for a moment and asked.
“Does that mean we’re all on the wrong path?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
"But how...?"
“…Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong, which had been quietly bowing with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes. Then he faced Hyun Jong with unwavering eyes. The weight of that seriousness caused Hyun Jong's back to tense up.
“I think Maengju-nim knows better what the situation is in Jungwon right now.”
Bop Jeong continued speaking, confirming that Hyun Jong nodded in acknowledgment.
“Gangnam is suffering from the evils of Evil Sects, and they are bound to cross the Yangtze River and invade Gangbuk at any moment. Moreover, after a century, Magyo has once again revealed itself. To say that the situation is like a candle flickering in the wind, or standing at the edge of a precipice, would not be an exaggeration."
“Hmm, indeed.”
“But… In that situation, what about us who have to protect Jungwon? Aren’t we just repeating the same old conflicts with each other?”
The moment the corners of Chung Myung's eyes sharpened again, Bop Jeong spoke with a slight self-mockery.
"Of course, I am well aware that much of the blame lies with me. That is why I came here to apologize. I apologize once again. I am so lacking in so many things….”
“N- No, Bangjang. How could this be solely your fault? Surely I bear a significant part of the blame as well."
Bop Jeong smiled warmly.
“When Maengju-nim says that, this monk becomes even more ashamed. Living within the confines of my own perspective, I thought the world would move according to my will. When I realized it didn’t, I should have reflected and accepted it, but I was too proud to let go of my petty pride, and thus, I ended up seeing the world in a distorted way."
“Bangjang….”
Hyun Jong looked at Bop Jeong with wavering eyes.
If bangjang of Shaolin was humbling himself and speaking in this way, shouldn’t he at least believe the sincerity in those words? Even Jongni Hyeong, who was sitting next to Bop Jeong, couldn’t hide his surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Bop Jeong to say something like that.
"So, what is this proposal you mentioned..."
“When Evil Sects was flourishing and Magyo was in full swing, what should we have done? It was so obvious what we had to do. It was just that we didn’t acknowledge each other and took a detour instead.”
“….”
“Therefore, I would like to make a proposal to you, Maengju-nim. It may not be too late yet, so how about we seek harmony before things reach a point of no return?"
Hyun Jong nodded without hesitation.
In fact, this was something that Hyun Jong had longed for. He simply could not trust Bop Jeong and Ten Great Sects, but if they wanted to put things down and join together, what reason did he have to refuse?
“If Bangjang says so, then naturally, we should work towards improving our relations..."
“No, Maengju-nim.”
"Yes?"
But Bop Jeong firmly shook his head.
"That alone is not enough. Do you know why I could not recognize and instead rejected Mount Hua?"
“That, I don’t know.”
"Because it was not part of my own."
The disciples of Mount Hua frowned for a moment at the words that was open to misinterpretation. However, Bop Jeong cleared up their misunderstanding with the following words.
"To be precise, it was because it was not within the same boundaries. When I realized that something I thought was within my own was actually not, I felt anger and resentment. Yes, it’s all because of my shortcomings. But… Maengju-nim. The world is not a place where only the excel live. Some are as lacking as I am."
“…That would be so.”
“To those people, the reconciliation between Ten Great Sects, Five Great Family, and Heavenly Comrade Alliance will seem like nothing more than a formality. They will think we are only pretending to get along, and that we will eventually break apart again."
Everyone listening nodded in agreement. Even they would have difficulty breaking free from that perception.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We must let go. We must put aside what we hold on to. First and foremost, we must tear down the walls between us. And there is only one way to do that."
Bop Jeong smiled gently. It was like a bolt from the blue, and it was embarrassing, and perhaps it was something that was not expected.
“Disband Heavenly Comrade Alliance and return to your original position. Shaolin formally requests the reinstatement of Mount Hua into Ten Great Sects."
The sound of astonished gasps filled the room, overtaking the silence in an instant.
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Thank you for the Chapter"""
That bald idiot. He was so close. He could have gone through another route and he could have brought true comradeship and friendship, but instead he does this. This is the point of no return for HCA and TGS.
But today I say proudly: Please someone kick this treacherous bastard out and never open the door for him again. Trying to break up Heavenly comrade alliance, the audacity, wow. He needs a severe head beating.