Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1168. Was I Really Wrong? (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"What…."
Jo-Gol looks around with bewildered eyes.
But no one opened their mouths to defend Jo-Gol. Because these words weren't just directed at Jo-Gol; they were meant for all of them.
"What are you saying...?"
"Do you think I’m wrong?"
Bop Jeong shakes his head.
"Which one of you was the one to suggest heading to Hainan?"
“….”
"Did Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword decide on his own?"
Bop Jeong's gaze pierced through Baek Cheon. Baek Cheon, feeling as if he had committed a grave sin, unconsciously lowered his head.
"Even if he did make that choice, you should have stopped him. It was obvious who would be in the most danger on that journey to Hainan."
“….”
"But I don't doubt that you would have eventually gone to Hainan. And of course, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword would have been at the forefront.”
No one could bring themselves to refute.
They all knew it was likely that things would have played out that way.
Wasn't that always the case in Mount Hua Sect?
“Mount Hua has repeatedly undertaken tasks that the word 'reckless' doesn't even begin to describe. Let’s say there was no helping with the affairs of Myriad Man Manor, but what about the North Sea? The Yangtze River? And Hangzhou?”
Every time one of these events was mentioned, everyone's faces twitched with a brief spasm.
"Was there a single one of those events that wasn't dangerous? Was there a place where you didn't have to risk your lives?"
“….”
"And naturally, at the forefront of all those events was Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword."
Jo-Gol bites his lips.
That was because those words, which were merely stating the truth, sounded to Jo-Gol like a reprimand for having placed Chung Myung at the forefront of the most dangerous places.
"Time and again, you've risked your lives and survived. And those achievements have directly contributed to the glory of Mount Hua and Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Those who followed him naturally spoke of chivalry and their own exploits. But..."
Bop Jeong looked at everyone with stern eyes.
“I ask you, even if Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword had not been at the forefront, would you have really been able to fight, risking your stake? Would you have been able to carry out Chivalrousness, even if it meant dying?”
“….”
"I don't think so. No, it wouldn't have happened."
Bop Jeong’s voice was firm.
“That couldn’t have been possible. The reason you were able to muster up the courage to face powerful enemies up until now was because you had Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword in front of you. Up until now, you've simply mistaken that courage as your own."
Baek Cheon bit down hard on his lip.
The fact that he couldn't refute a single thing despite his insides burning was tormenting Baek Cheon.
"Of course, I'm not saying that's wrong. If someone like Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword is right in front of you, isn’t it only natural to want to lean on them? But….”
Bop Jeong slowly shakes his head.
"In the end, expectations of him like that will only push Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword further. One day, after you’ve driven him to his death, you’ll regret it. Realizing what you've done."
Bop Jeong's gaze shifted from Baek Cheon and turned back to Jo-Gol.
"And should even Shaolin rely on Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword in the same way? Since I can’t do anything, are you asking me to put an even bigger burden on his shoulders?”
"That…."
“At least, That is not the Shaolin way. And it's certainly not what I, as Bangjang, should be doing."
Jo-Gol clenched his fists as if he couldn't breathe.
He couldn't argue against it.
To be honest, Jo-Gol stopped thinking of Bop Jeong as such a great person at some point.
His status as Shaolin Bangjang may be great, and his martial arts as a martial artist may be worthy of respect, but he didn't think of him as someone to admire or fear as a person.
This is because, up until now, Bop Jeong had always seemed one step behind Chung Myung, regretting his choices or being humiliated for going in the opposite direction of where Chung Myung wanted to go.
But at this moment, Jo-Gol and the others here could not help but feel it deeply.
The reason why Bop Jeong became the bangjang of Shaolin, and how great the person who had risen to the position of bangjang of Shaolin is.
Even they had forgotten that it was not Mount Hua or them who had won the battle against Bop Jeong, but simply Chung Myung.
“Do you understand? Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?”
“….”
"Until now, you've done things that no one else could have imagined, with ease. It became your strength and a guiding light for those who followed you. But..."
Chung Myung bites his lips briefly as Bop Jeong's gaze was directed at him.
"You must have felt it too. It must have been impossible not to. What you've been doing is akin to dancing on the edge of a dangerous cliff."
“….”
"Even if you succeed ten times, the moment you fail once, you lose everything. No, the more you've achieved, the more devastating the loss will be. You'll lose the thing you’d hate to lose the most."
Bop Jeong quietly asks Chung Myung.
"Hasn't it been overwhelming?"
“….”
"People who have a place to lean on don't understand, the burden of having everything rests on your shoulders. As time goes on, it must have become more overwhelming. The number of people relying on you is increasing, and the situation is becoming more and more dangerous, so in order to continue this situation, you have no choice but to push yourself harder, right?”
Bop Jeong spoke with a tone of pity.
"Even knowing what's at the end of that path, you can't stop. That's the path you're walking. It's no different from walking a thorny path with your bare feet. At first, it’s just a small scratch, but as the scratches increase in number, the drops of blood flowing from the wound accumulate. And eventually, the blood will become so much that it can’t be ignored, and it will soak your entire body.”
Perhaps, at this moment,
Chung Myung had found someone who truly understood him for the first time.
Someone who understood what he was doing, the kind of life he was living.
“But, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword, that path isn't the only one, is it?"
Bop Jeong looked over the others as he spoke.
“If you join us, you won’t have to carry so much. Shaolin and Ten Great Sects are still lacking, and I am still foolish, but we can at least help share your burden."
“….”
"So let go of your stubbornness now."
Chung Myung quietly looks at Bop Jeong with eyes full of distrust.
“This is unexpected.”
“What is it?”
"I never realized Bangjang had such a silver tongue."
It was clearly a sarcastic remark. It was an inappropriate remark against the bangjang of Shaolin in any way.
But Bop Jeong, far from being offended, simply laughed them off.
“To think that a day when this monk hears a compliment from you would come.”
“Does that sound like a compliment?”
"Is it not?"
Chung Myung shakes his head.
There is no one more difficult to deal with than someone who has completely let go of himself. No provocation works against someone who has nothing to be hurt or get angry about.
Now Chung Myung was keenly aware of that fact.
"The words flow like oil, but how can we be sure that all of this isn’t just Bangjang’s greed dressed up in pretty words? We have already been fooled enough by Bangjang. There is no trust between us to begin with, so there is no way we can trust you just because you tell us to.”
“Hear me, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”
"Go on, then."
"Let’s say that everything I’ve done so far stems from excessive greed, as you claim."
"Sounds about right."
"But does that make what I’m saying wrong?"
Chung Myung frowned because he couldn't quite understand what Bop Jeong was trying to say.
“Well….”
"No, it doesn’t."
Bop Jeong spoke firmly.
"Your commitment to upholding your Chivalrousness could also be seen as a kind of greed. After all, isn't it human nature to live in pursuit of what we desire?"
“….”
"Righteousness is not some grand, unattainable thing. When one's personal desires extend beyond mere selfishness and aim for something greater, that desire becomes righteousness, doesn't it?"
Bop Jeong muttered like a monk who had attained enlightenment.
"I simply wish that the world may get through this crisis a little easier. The path I must take to achieve that is clear. If I can bring together the divided Righteous Sects and unite our strength, what could be better than that?"
There was not the slightest wavering in those words. Not even a little.
That's why even the listener nodded their heads without realizing it.
"And this small greed of mine, the desire that has taken the form of Chivalrousness, will clear the thorny path in front of you. In the end, it will also guide the path of Hua Shan."
Chung Myung looked at Bop Jeong silently.
“Just know one thing.”
“….”
“It may sound like an excuse, but everyone makes mistakes and does wrong at some point. What matters is that we learn from those mistakes and move forward, don’t you think so?"
Bop Jeong closed his eyes and placed his hands together in prayer.
"Amitabha. I fully acknowledge the wrongs I’ve done. That’s why I bow my head and apologize. So please, try to understand this foolish man."
Chung Myung unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fist.
Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is not to dwell on them but to move forward.
He agrees. He understands. Chung Myung was someone who was practicing that idea with all his might.
“Bangjang.”
“Tell me.”
Chung Myung let out a deep sigh before opening his mouth.
"Let’s say everything Bangjang says is correct."
“….”
"But in the end, that conclusion only means we will turn a blind eye and let the people of Hainan die. Who will bear the guilt for that?"
"Who else? Of course, it’s a burden I must bear."
“…Do you think that is something you can handle with just your life?”
"Perhaps not. Yes, it may not be enough with just my life. But... what else can I do? Should I demand others' blood because it's too much to bear alone? Or should I ask others to share in the responsibility?"
“….”
"If not me, then who should go to hell? I will simply accept it all. If doing so can help Kangho escape this crisis and save even one more person, wouldn’t that be worth smiling even in the depths of hellfire?"
Bop Jeong smiled gently.
"I’ve said all I needed to say. Now, what remains is your decision. Will you accept my proposal, or not?"
With a brief chant of "Amitabha," Bop Jeong rose from his seat.
"I don't expect an answer right now. I’ll return in about three days. Sect Leader."
"A- Are you leaving?"
“I hope that Sect Leader will make the right decision. This monk has found the path he must take. I hope Sect Leader will too. Then, until next time."
With a deep bow, Bop Jeong, accompanied by Jongni Hyeong, left the room.
A heavy, indescribable atmosphere settled over the room he had left behind.
No one could speak, and no one could meet each other's eyes.
And at that moment.
Seuuk.
Chung Myung got up from his seat and went out without saying a word.
“…Chung Myung-ah.”
Only Baek Cheon’s faint murmur, directed at Chung Myung’s departing figure, echoed aimlessly around the room.
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