Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1172. This yangban can't even give an answer (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Not far from the manor, along the riverside, familiar faces gathered. Baek Cheon, Five Swords, and Hye Yeon. Perhaps the people closest to Chung Myung at the moment.
They sat at a slight distance from each other, staring blankly at the flowing river.
It was quiet.
Only the sound of cicadas and the waves of the Yangtze River crashing against the riverbank spread quietly.
This place was always bustling with activity. That's why the silence now may feel even more unfamiliar and awkward.
Yoon Jong, who had been absentmindedly watching the come-and-go waves, turned his head to observe the expressions of the others.
'It's heavy.'
No, to be more precise, rather than looking heavy, everyone seemed a bit dazed.
"Sahyung."
"…What?"
Feeling his gaze, Jo-Gol glanced at Yoon Jong and opened his mouth.
"What does Sahyung think?"
“…Are you talking about what Bangjang said?”
"Yes."
A low sigh escaped Yoon Jong's mouth.
What did he think? On a normal day, this wouldn't be a difficult question, but at this moment, it felt particularly tricky to answer. Yet, it wasn't a question that could simply be brushed aside.
"Well, I'm not sure."
Yoon Jong, who spoke softly as if sighing, shook his head.
"To be honest, there wasn't anything wrong with the logic, was there?"
“No, what are you saying?”
At Yoon Jong's words, Jo-Gol suddenly raised his voice.
“No…. If you’re going to react like this, then why did you even ask? Just think what you want."
"I'm only reacting because what you said doesn't make sense! How can you say there was nothing wrong?"
“…Then, do you think what Bangjang said is wrong?”
"Sahyung, you still have a long way to go!"
Jo-Gol clicked his tongue as he spoke.
"If we judge everything by whether it has logic or not, wouldn't all those scholars in the court always be right? They’ve studied and passed exams to get there, so all their words must be logical!"
"...What does that have to do with this?"
“But don’t they fight amongst themselves, saying each of themselves is the right one? Just because something is logical doesn’t mean it’s correct. What matters is what is more right. Moreover, the words itself came from someone you can’t trust in the first place, so what does it matter whether it’s right or wrong?”
“….”
“What’s more important than the logic of words is trust and confidence in people. At least that’s what I learned. Is Bangjang a trustworthy person in the first place?”
Yoon Jong looked at Jo-Gol with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
Yoon Jong, who was usually not pushed back by Jo-Gol's logic, found himself without a rebuttal. After all, he also couldn't trust Bop Jeong. However...
"Gol-ah, you’re not entirely wrong... but that doesn’t solve everything, does it?"
"Then what’s the problem?"
“The problem is that I was also thinking the same thing.”
Jo-Gol bit his lip as if he were speechless for a moment.
"Are you not?"
"I’m…."
He started to say something, then lowered his head without finishing.
Baek Cheon, who had been quietly watching the two people who had become quiet again, turned his gaze to Hye Yeon.
“Monk.”
“…Please speak, Baek Cheon Siju.”
"I have something to ask. I just want to confirm, so please don't misunderstand."
Hye Yeon quietly nodded and spoke, as if he already knew what Baek Cheon was going to ask.
"A person's heart isn't something you can see clearly, and just because you've watched someone closely doesn't mean you know everything about them. But, at least from my perspective, it didn't seem like there was any falsehood in what Bangjang said."
"…I see."
Baek Cheon nodded bitterly. It was something that didn't really need confirmation.
There is no reason for Bangjang to lie. If it were revealed that he was lying after merging with Heavenly Comrade Alliance, he would have to endure a huge backlash that is incomparable to what it is now.
At that point, he would lose both the justification and the practical benefits, and everything. He might even have to hand over the leadership that Ten Great Sects had to Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Why would someone like Bangjang, with his position, do something so self-destructive?
“Uhm, Sasuk.”
"…Yes."
Tang Soso glanced at Baek Cheon. Baek Cheon felt a pang in his stomach when he saw her expression. It was rare and unfamiliar to see Tang Soso making such a face.
"I'm not sure how you feel, Sasuk... but Bangjang's proposal doesn't seem so bad to me."
“Soso!”
When Jo-Gol raised his voice, Yoon Jong stopped him with a stern look.
"This…."
Jo-Gol bit his lips tightly. Tang Soso, who was observing his and Yoon Jong’s expressions, sighed and continued speaking.
“Actually… I completely understand what Jo-Gol Sahyung said about not being able to trust Bangjang and Ten Great Sects, and I also understand why it’s hard for others to let go of Heavenly Comrade Alliance that they’ve led so far. But….”
"Don't worry about what others think. Just speak your mind."
“…Yes, Sasuk.”
Tang Soso nodded and opened her mouth again.
"That said, it's true that fighting alongside Ten Great Sects would be helpful."
"Say something that makes sense!"
Jo-Gol lost his temper again.
"On what basis are we supposed to hand over command to that guy! How can you guarantee that that damned baldie monk bastard Beopjeong won’t shove us into the most dangerous place? That bastard's more than likely to do so!"
“Gol-ah!”
Baek Cheon reprimanded him sternly.
“Watch what you say.”
"…I’m sorry."
Seeing Hye Yeon's downcast face, Jo-Gol realized his mistake and apologized with a sheepish expression. Even if he said the same thing, he should have considered Hye Yeon's feelings a little more.
"I may have misspoken a bit, but honestly, I think fighting alongside them could make things even more dangerous for us."
“More?”
Tang Soso stared at Jo-Gol.
"How could it be more dangerous than it already is?"
"….Hm?"
“Tell me, Sahyung. How could it possibly get more dangerous than it is now? For the ones who went into the middle of enemy territory in Gangnam to fight against Magyo with only ten people, how can it get more dangerous?"
“No, that’s….”
"I've told you so many times in the past. If this continues, he'll die. Chung Myung Sahyung will really die at this rate. He seems to think his body is just a rag doll. He believes no matter how much he gets hurt, he'll be fine after a night's sleep. But the human body doesn't work like that!"
The other Five Swords couldn't bring themselves to look directly at Tang Soso.
“This time…. Yes, this time the battle did end with one fight. But you all know, war isn’t like that. Then Sahyung will overwork himself to death again and go back to the battlefield without being able to rest or heal properly. But….”
Tang Soso looked around at the others.
“Who can stop that?”
“….”
“No. No one stopped him this time, either. Even I couldn't stop him. No, I didn't even try to stop him. Instead, I backed his decision by saying I’ll go with him."
“Soso….”
"Thinking back, I wonder if I was in my right mind. If any of us had died, we would have lived the rest of our lives in regret. How could I have had the guts to do that?”
Baek Cheon noticed the slight tremble in Tang Soso's fingers as she struggled to maintain her composure.
'Of course.'
As a physician, Tang Soso would feel it even more acutely. If one of them dies, she will feel more responsible than the others. Even though no one has ever asked Tang Soso to do such a thing.
"…What would change if we fought alongside Ten Great Sects?"
“If it’s Bangjang, at least he won’t send Sahyung to death. He knows Sahyung must stay alive until the war is over. And he could stop Sahyung from heading back to the battlefield when he's already on the brink of collapse."
"Why would Bangjang do that?"
"Because it benefits him!"
Tang Soso glared at Jo-Gol with angry eyes. Jo-Gol bit his lip in frustration.
“I’m not hoping for any favors from him. But anyone with half a brain knows that keeping Sahyung alive until the end is in their best interest."
"And if we try to do it ourselves…"
"Can we stop him? Do you really think so, Sahyung? That we can stop Chung Myung Sahyung?"
“….”
“It’s lucky if you don’t charge ahead first because the blood rushes to your head.”
Tang Soso trembled as she spoke.
"I'm scared, Sahyung. I'm terrified that I'll really have to watch that person die…"
Just as Jo-Gol, who had been biting his lips, was about to say something, Yoo Iseol, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up.
"This isn’t just about Chung Myung."
"…Yes?"
“It’s dangerous for us too.”
Yoo Iseol's indifferent gaze swept over everyone there.
"To the point it’s weirder that none of us have died yet."
"That’s…."
Baek Cheon closed his half-opened mouth. The truth was something everyone already knew.
“Yes, Sahyung. It’s because of Chung Myung.”
"…Right. Even while fighting, that guy kept us all alive."
"And that made him even more at risk."
“Yes, that’s right.”
Baek Cheon let out a short sigh as if lamenting.
It was a reality that everyone had been aware of, but they hadn't truly felt it until now.
Bangjang's words brought to light the reality they had been ignoring.
"So, couldn't we just stop him by force if we had to?"
Jo-Gol was still unconvinced and stubborn.
"Let’s stop with the weak talk. Who helped us get this far? And now you want to rely on others? If they had truly intended to help, they would have done so long before now!"
“Gol-ah.”
"No, Sasuk! I may be ignorant, but I’m not stupid. What I'm saying is…"
“As Samae said, Chung Myung is not the only issue.”
"…Yes?"
Baek Cheon looked at everyone and opened his mouth.
“Are you really okay with dying?”
“What an obvious thing to say!”
“Think carefully and answer.”
“….”
The weight in Baek Cheon’s voice momentarily silenced Jo-Gol’s mouth.
Baek Cheon, who was looking at Jo-Gol biting his lip with slightly pitiful eyes, opened his mouth again.
"We've always risked our lives. We've always said that dying for Chivalrousness isn't something we're afraid of."
"…Yes."
Yoon Jong nodded in agreement.
"But... to be honest, I'm not so sure. If it really was my own will to see through this cause even at the cost of my life, or… if it was just a bluff uttered in the complacency of thinking that I wouldn’t die anyway.”
“Sasuk!”
"I'm not saying that's true for all of you."
“….”
"I mean for myself. I..."
Baek Cheon closed his eyes tightly for a moment as if trying to sort out the complicated emotions swirling around inside him.
"What will happen to Heavenly Comrade Alliance? What should we do about Chung Myung?"
He slowly opened his eyes and shook his head.
"That comes later. When we ourselves aren’t even sure of what we’re trying to do, do we really have the right to discuss anything else?"
Everyone looked at Baek Cheon as if they were being sucked in.
"Before discussing what Bangjang said or the future of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, ask yourselves this."
Baek Cheon's voice was calm but firm, heavy yet sharp as a blade.
"All those things that we've been saying, can we really uphold everything with our lives? And….”
His cold gaze swept over them all.
"Can we truly bear the thought of driving the people standing beside us to their deaths for the sake of the Chivalrousness we seek to protect?"
At those words, everyone's faces turned pale.
Baek Cheon cornered them without even giving them a chance to catch their breath.
"Someday, when a sword is driven through my chest on that battlefield and my body grows cold."
“….”
"Will I really have no regrets, even as I look at the corpses of my brothers who have already died horribly beside me?"
The sharp words pierced their heart, which had turned cold as if cold water had been poured over it.
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