Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1173. This yangban can't even give an answer (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Everyone’s expressions were different.
Jo-Gol's face was distorted, and Hye Yeon silently murmured a Buddhist prayer, his face slightly pale.
Tang Soso looked like she was about to cry at the slightest touch, and Yoo Iseol, who stood next to her, maintained her usual expression, but his eyes were darker and more subdued than usual
And then there was Yoon Jong, whose expression was the hardest to read, quietly letting out a sigh.
‘This always ends up being what holds us back.’
At times like this, he truly felt that the world doesn't always work according to what you've learned.
They were taught to uphold chivalrousness. Everyone who is in Righteous Sects will learn this. They were told that it’s the natural path for those who wield a sword to protect chivalrousness, even at the cost of their lives.
And they were also taught to cherish their fellow brother disciples more than their own lives.
There is not a single thing wrong with those words.
But… if the chivalrousness they so desperately sought to protect ends up driving those same disciples they cherish more than anything else down an irreversible path, then what is the purpose of upholding that chivalrousness?
“…Those are such extreme words.”
Jo-Gol grumbled, but Baek Cheon shook his head.
“You felt it too, didn’t you?”
“….”
"Honestly, there's no one here who hasn't had thoughts like these. Isn't that right?"
Baek Cheon raised his head. At that moment, no one could meet his gaze. Although they had done nothing wrong, they just avoided eye contact as if they were guilty of something.
“I’ve thought that too sometimes. That maybe the reason we’ve been able to speak so confidently about righteousness is because we’ve never truly lost anything."
"No… Sasuk, what other sect has lost as much as Mount Hua?"
"Did you lose anything?"
"Yes?"
"Was it you who lost what Mount Hua did?"
Jo-Gol fell silent at those words. Baek Cheon, who had been staring at him, let out a sigh.
“We are disciples of Mount Hua. That is why we think of what Mount Hua has gone through as our own. But… to be objective, it was Mount Hua that lost those things, not us. Think about it. Have we actually lost anything since we entered Mount Hua?"
Jo-Gol lowered his head.
Lost something? There was nothing like that. From the time they entered, Mount Hua was already so far gone that it couldn’t fall any further, and ever since Chung Myung joined, the sect had been developing at an unimaginable pace.
Ironically, because they had entered a sect that had lost the most, they were the ones who had gained the most.
"Those who have never been hit don't know the pain of being struck. Those who have never been cut by a blade don't understand how terrifying that seemingly light weapon can be. So… how could we, who have never truly lost anything, fully comprehend the pain of those who have?".
Baek Cheon let out a faint laugh.
"Isn’t it laughable? What would you think if someone who had never been cut by a blade boasted, saying they're not afraid of swords, that they could be cut ten, a hundred times and still stand?"
Jo-Gol bit his lips lightly. What could he say? He would have laughed at such a person, dismissing it as bravado from someone who didn’t know the pain of being cut.
“That's what I think. Maybe all this time, the things we've proudly proclaimed were nothing more than the bravado of those who’ve never been cut by a blade. Maybe we’ve only been able to shout that we would accept loss because we’ve never actually experienced it."
Baek Cheon quietly closed his eyes. They had always risked their lives. They had always fought for what they believed in. But...
"Looking back, I suppose I was quite a coward."
“Sasuk… What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
"When we were heading to Hangzhou, there was not a single bit of hesitation in my mind. I was filled with confidence. I thought that was the natural thing to do as a disciple of Mount Hua.”
“Isn’t that a given? How is that cowardice?”
"But now, I can't help but wonder. If only Chung Myung hadn’t been in front of us back then….”
“….If we had to head to Hangzhou alone without him, would I have been able to walk without hesitation? Do you think you could have?"
Yoon Jong shook his head.
“Sasuk. That is a meaningless assumption. Isn’t it obvious that Chivalrousness should challenge and throw oneself into something that is impossible?”
"Yeah?"
The corners of Baek Cheon's mouth twisted slightly.
"So when you can win, chivalrousness means fighting without considering gains and losses, but when you can't win, chivalrousness means not engaging in reckless battles."
“….”
“I ask you again. Could you have really gone to Hangzhou without him? Believing it was the right thing to do, could you have pursued righteousness without regard for your life or the lives of your fellow brother disciples?"
No one answered. A rather long silence continued painfully. Baek Cheon, who had been quietly waiting for a response, finally spoke, his voice weighed down.
“Otherwise, the Chivalrousness we have been calling for will end up being nothing more than the cowardice of those who haven't lost anything... No, it's the cowardice of those who believe they have nothing to lose. It's no different from a three-year-old standing behind his father, proudly declaring that he won’t tolerate the injustice of a ten-year-old bully."
“Amitabha….”
Hye Yeon softly recited a Buddhist prayer, looking at Baek Cheon with a somber expression.
“Baek Cheon Siju. What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying we need to acknowledge this. And we need to think about it."
“….”
"Looking back now, we’ve never truly stepped out of Chung Myung's shadow, not even once. We have never even fought in a place where Chung Myung was not present.”
Hye Yeon's expression hardened.
Hearing those words made it suddenly clear. It became evident just how unnatural their past battles had been.
“In the past few years, Mount Hua has fought many fierce battles, and has risen from a small sect in Shaanxi to the position of leader of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”
“….”
"But throughout all of that, Mount Hua has never once divided its forces. We’ve never even operated a small detachment, nor have we split our forces within a single battlefield. Do you understand what that means?"
Yoo Iseol bit her lips. Baek Cheon nodded after seeing her expression.
“Yes. He never let us fight outside his sight. He tried to keep every disciple of Mount Hua within his protection zone, no matter what battlefield.”
“….”
"But now, he won’t be able to do that anymore. No, he shouldn't."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Baek Cheon let out a long sigh.
"I might sound like I have all the answers, but the truth is, I don't have any clear solution. This is something we all need to think about. And doesn’t the beginning of everything start with figuring out where you stand?”
“…Yes, Sasuk.”
"Is upholding Chivalrousness the right thing to do? Is it right to save more people even if it means abandoning Hainan? Is it right to push those I love and care for into death to save strangers? Am I truly unafraid to die for the sake of Chivalrousness?"
Baek Cheon listed the thoughts that came to his mind in a haphazard manner. There was no need to organize them. This wasn't a problem that could be solved with a single answer.
“Everyone has different priorities and things they consider important. But… Yes. It seems there's only one way to find the answer."
Baek Cheon's voice was somber, sinking into the depths.
“Someday, when we stand in the middle of a battlefield, someone will inevitably face a situation where they must walk into certain death. Without a doubt."
“….”
"When that time comes, what’s important isn’t whether you can walk into that danger. What's important is whether you can let your comrade walk into that danger, knowing they're heading to certain death, and not stop them. That’s when Chivalrousness you've been upholding becomes real."
Yoon Jong's shoulders trembled. Those words were far too harsh.
“If Mount Hua Sect truly pursues the value of Chivalrousness, then we should be willing to give up not only our own life, but also the lives of Mount Hua disciples for the sake of Chivalrousness. Saying ‘I'll go first and die before others’ is nothing more than an excuse to avoid making that choice."
“…Sasuk.”
"Can you truly do that?"
Once again, there was no response.
“Let’s think about it. What were we really trying to achieve? Is this truly the only path? If not, should we choose a different path now?"
Jo-Gol bit his lips even harder. To the point where blood began to seep out. Even Yoo Iseol, who usually remained calm, had trembling fingertips.
Everyone was shaken.
“If that’s not possible, it might be better to follow Bangjang’s words. At least then, Mount Hua will shed as much blood as others and face the same outcome as everyone else. We won’t have to accept an even harsher fate in the name of Chivalrousness. I’ll make sure of that."
Baek Cheon stood up.
His face was calm. But those who knew Baek Cheon could tell. Beneath that calm facade was a stern resolve they had never seen in him before.
"Think it over. Whatever conclusion you reach, I will convey it to those above."
As Baek Cheon turned around and tried to walk away, Yoon Jong called out to him and grabbed him.
“Sasuk.”
Baek Cheon halted in his tracks. Yoon Jong asked,
"Have you made your decision, Sasuk?"
"Does it matter?"
“….”
"What's right and wrong is for you to decide. Don’t ask others. There's no need to discuss it with anyone. At least when it comes to how you choose to use your life, ask yourself."
Yoon Jong's head dropped downward.
Baek Cheon, who had been silently looking back at Yoon Jong, walked away from them without any regrets. Left behind, they stood there like statues for a long time, exchanging brief glances before quietly heading to their respective places.
The moonlight was weighing heavily on their shoulders.
Baek Cheon's slow footsteps echoed in the darkness.
'It's difficult.'
Even though he tried not to, he couldn't help but sigh.
“It’s difficult….”
A few years ago, he wouldn't have worried about such things. His only goal was to become stronger, and he only needed to focus on reviving Mount Hua.
Back then, all he had to do was to work hard alongside his foolish juniors and brothers, laughing and struggling together.
But now... the world was forcing them to make choices. It was demanding that they bear the weight that came with their power. Even though he hadn't taken on many burdens yet, his shoulders already felt too heavy. It was as if the weight might crush him entirely.
'So this is what it was like.'
To fight against a powerful enemy. He hadn't realized until now how much meaning was wrapped up in those simple words.
That meant they were fighting everything they had ever protected: their lives, their relationships, their values, everything.
'What kind of battle was it?'
What did the ancestors of a hundred years ago, who faced even harsher battles than the ones they now faced, see and feel? If they were by Baek Cheon’s side now, what would they have tried to tell him?
Baek Cheon turned his gaze toward the moon.
Time has passed so quickly, and the world has changed just as much. There's no way to hear the voices from a hundred years ago. But that moon... that moon had remained in the same place, just as it was a hundred years ago...
Suddenly, Baek Cheon's face, which was looking at the moon, turned blank. No, his eyes were actually focused below the moon.
On the eaves that half embrace the moon.
He could see the back of a person. Their shoulders slightly slumped, looking somewhat sorrowful.
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