Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1523. Thinking back, I was wrong (3)
Editor: Hoamz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"...What did you just say?"
This wasn't just a question asked out of surprise.
Absurdly enough, Bop Jeong asked again because he truly could not comprehend the words he had just heard.
Bangjang of Shaolin, who had reached a state where he could grasp the inner meaning of just a few words, failed to understand a straightforward delivery of facts.
It was truly a rare occurrence, but in truth, it was understandable. Even the one delivering this news had doubted his own ears several times.
"Be- Beggar Union’s turmoil... Shaolin intervened..."
"Shaolin, you say?"
Bop Jeong could not hide his bewilderment.
“What kind of baseless rumor is that! We are clearly here, so how could Shaolin have intervened in an affair that took place in Kaifeng!”
"That’s..."
Bop Kye hesitated and mumbled as if finding it difficult to speak. The frustrated Bop Jeong finally snapped.
"Speak up if you have a mouth! What in the world are you talking about!"
“Bangjang… It appears those in Mount Song acted.”
Bop Jeong’s movements came to a dead stop, as if someone had been suddenly splashed with ice water.
“Hye Bang?”
"...Yes."
“Are you saying that child interfered in the affairs of Beggar Union?”
“Judging by the situation, there is no other way to see it but that…”
"How?"
“...Bangjang.”
The face of Bop Jeong was distorted. It soon erupted in fury. His face and even his head flushed bright red as he shouted.
"A mere first-class disciple! Leading even others within the sect and intervening in another sect's affairs! Without even my command! Are you saying he moved Shaolin as he pleased? That rascal?!"
In front of Bop Jeong’s tremendous outburst of rage, Bop Kye turned pale and could not utter a word.
“How! How can such a thing be possible! When the laws of the Thousand-Year Shaolin are so strict and alive! What in the world was he thinking to commit such an absurd act!"
This is an unprecedented event in the long history of the Thousand-Year Shaolin.
When Hye Bang first disobeyed orders and left Gangnam, Bop Jeong had refrained from punishing him. Though anger had flared initially, he thought that the child must have had his own struggles.
Even when other monks refused to obey Bop Jeong and followed Hye Bang instead, he understood. He thought perhaps the path he walked no longer seemed that of a true Buddhist.
But this was different.
In all worldly affairs, there are lines, and there are laws that must be observed.
Isn't this incident one that has completely trampled all those lines and laws?
“...Is it true?”
“...”
"I asked if you're certain!"
As Bop Jeong slammed his fist on the tea table, Bop Kye sighed and spoke.
“…A message arrived from Mount Song a short while ago.”
“What did it say?”
When Bop Jeong asked stiffly with a hardened face, Bop Kye answered in a reluctant voice.
"Hyeb Bang says he will enter the Repentance Cave of his own accord to take responsibility for all these affairs. That he will ask for forgiveness when Bangjang arrive…”
Udeudeuk!
The sound of Bop Jeong grinding his teeth rang out eerily.
Bop Jye would normally have tried to calm him, but this time he dared not open his mouth.
From Bop Jeong's standpoint, this incident would be nothing short of treason. Knowing this, how could he bring himself to utter the words ‘calm down’?
"Bangjang... What should we do with Hye Bang...?"
"You call that a question!"
Bop Jeong shouted with bloodshot eyes.
“Cripple his Dantian, sever his meridians and tendons, and excommunicate him from Shaolin!”
“Ba- Bangjang!”
Bop Kye was startled out of his wits and unconsciously raised his voice.
"Why? Is it excessive?"
But Bop Jeong glared at him with ice-cold eyes.
"Answer me. As Shaolin's Discipline Hall Master, do you consider the punishment I have decreed excessive?"
“How could it be excessive? For the sin of betraying one’s master and destroying ancestors, severing the tendons and meridians is the only fitting punishment.”
"Then so be it!"
“Ho- However, Bangjang... In the history of Shaolin, there has never been a case of dragging out someone who has entered the Repentance Cave on their own. Moreover… the punishment of excommunication and the severing of tendons and meridians must be carried out in front of Bangjang himself.”
Bop Jeong bit his lip hard.
This meant that in order to excommunicate Hye Bang, Beop Jeong himself would have to go to Mount Song. But he was in no position to leave Hubei right now.
Bop Kye cautiously continued, gauging his reaction.
“And... Bangjang.”
"I know."
Bop Jeong cut off his words as if he didn't need to hear more and chewed his lips. Though his anger continued to boil, the rationality he had honed through relentless discipline reminded him of reality before his emotions.
“If I proceed like this, it would only expose to the world that there are those within Shaolin who defy my command.”
“...Yes, Bangjang. Forgive me… but that is so.”
Bop Jeong clenched his lips tighter as he forced himself to calm down.
Of course, his face was not what mattered. But if his face were damaged, Shaolin's prestige would also shake.
Moreover, now was absolutely not the time to let that prestige slip.
"That bastard went this far...”
"Tha- That cannot be. Hye Bang was never originally a child quick with calculations."
"No!"
"Yes?"
"As you say, Hye Bang is not a child quick with calculations. Do you think such a child would have moved on his own to go to Kaifeng?"
Bop Kye sighed softly. Only then did he understand the meaning. Bop Jeong spoke as if roughly chewing and spitting out the words.
“Right! It means there was someone who incited him!”
There was no need to waste his breath saying who that person was.
This had become an absolute headache. From Shaolin’s perspective, despite having suffered such an absurd incident, they now had to hide it and keep it quiet so that word would not leak out.
Perhaps if someone were to ask about this incident, they might even have to lie and say that it was all done under Beop Jeong's will.
Truly, it was maddening. Where and how were they supposed to untangle this?
"Send word to the main temple. From now on, anyone who leaves without my permission will be excommunicated."
"I shall do so."
Taking a rough breath and forcing himself to calm down, Bop Jeong asked in a voice slightly more composed than before.
"What became of Beggar Union?"
"It seems Sect Leader's side suppressed the rebellion."
It was an obvious result. With Mount Hua and now Hye Bang leading the warrior monks of Shaolin into the fray, wasn't the result all too clear?
Bop Jeong was not asking to hear such an obvious answer..
"An?"
A cold sweat ran down Bop Kye's face.
“That is… It seems that Sect Leader Wind Shadow Divine Beggar intends to take responsibility for this incident and step down from his position."
"Step down? In this situation? When those Evil Tyrant Alliancebastards are on the verge of war, they want to change the sect leader?"
“Yes, according to the message from that side…”
"...Hah."
Bop Jeongroom felt a wave of emptiness wash over him.
What on earth did everyone think this situation was? It was enough to make his head throb.
“So… who is to be the next sect leader then?”
“For now, Hong Dae-gwang is being mentioned.”
“…Hong Dae-gwang, you say?”
"Yes. A person who was formerly the Luoyang Branch Leader, called the Luoyang Strange Beggar (낙양괴걸(洛陽怪乞)). He was once mentioned among people as a candidate for successor..."
Bop Jeong’s face hardened as he listened to Bop Kye’s report.
He repeated the name silently in his mind. Hong Dae-gwang. Hong Dae-gwang. It was a name he had definitely heard before.
"Could that person be?"
“Yes. He...”
This was why Bop Kye was sweating profusely. Hesitating, he forced out the answer.
“As the current branch leader of the Huayin branch, he is a representative pro-Mount Hua figure within Beggar Union.”
Bop Jeong instantly felt dizzy and tightly shut his eyes.
"Finally..."
It was laughable.
When Hye Bang committed his absurd act, his anger had soared to the heavens, but now that a situation had arisen where Beggar Union might turn to Heavenly Comrade Alliance, he didn't feel particularly angry.
Because he had expected it.
'That guy'
'That person' would never let such an opportunity slip by.
No…. It doesn’t make sense that this happened as soon as Mount Hua visited Kaifeng, and that he was lucky enough to grab that opportunity.
They must have planned this from the beginning. Otherwise, there was no explanation for why they, who should have been busy organizing Huayin, would suddenly appear in Kaifeng.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
“Haha.”
“Bangjang...”
“Send someone to Beggar Union. No, you go yourself.”
"What?"
“We must prevent Beggar Union from fully turning to Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Without them, we are blind.”
“Bangjang. But realistically...”
"Realistically?"
Bop Jeong’s eyes shot open. The anger that had briefly subsided flared up in an instant.
"Is it realistic for Mount Hua to interfere in Beggar Union’s affairs and install their own puppet as the sect leader?!"
At these words, even Bop Kye had no choice but to shut his mouth like a clam.
Who could have ever imagined such a thing would happen? Especially in this situation where Evil Tyrant Alliance was holding a dagger to the throat of Gangbuk?
“Do whatever it takes to stop this. Beg if you must, threaten if you must, whatever it takes! If that doesn’t work, then you must at least get a promise from the one who will be the new sect leader that he will not cut off support for Ten Great Sects!”
Bop Kye bowed his head deeply with a grim face.
“...Amitabha.”
Bop Jeong chanted the Buddha several times as if to calm his insides, then continued.
"Beggar Union too cannot sever relations with us all at once. The one taking the seat is still young and lacks experience. Even if his will leans that way, the elders will not simply let it happen.”
“Certainly…”
“Even if it is something that will happen someday, it is not now. Even if we can't stop what Heavenly Comrade Alliance gains, we must minimize what we lose. Do you understand what I mean?”
“...I will do my utmost."
The more he thought about it, the more futile it felt, and Bop Jeong let out a hollow laugh as if he had lost his mind.
He had never imagined they would target Beggar Union, of all places, at a time like this. It was to the point where he wondered what on earth was inside that bastard’s head.
If someone asked whether he took this as Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s declaration of war, then no, it wasn’t that.
There was no longer any point in discussing the strain of relations anew. Their relationship had already crossed a river of no return long ago for something to change over an incident like this
If one were to ask whether Bop Jeong had been complacent despite such bad relations, that also wasn't the case.
If Shaolin hadn't participated in this incident, no matter how great Heavenly Comrade Alliance was, things could not have flowed this way. But who could have predicted that those stuck in Mount Song would move without the permission of the bangjang at that precise moment?
In the end, it was Shaolin. Yes, Shaolin.
Bop Jeong had created discord within Shaolin, and his failure to properly resolve this had snowballed all the way here to become an avalanche.
One couldn't say he was complacent, but there was no escaping the fact that he was incompetent.
“…What a ridiculous state of affairs this has become."
“Bangjang...”
"By now he must be receiving a hero's welcome in Huayin."
Bop Jeong squeezed his eyes shut tight. The image of Chung Myung bursting into wild laughter appeared in his mind.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword...'
A blue vein bulged on the back of Beop Jeong’s hand as he gripped his prayer beads.
* * *
But contrary to Bop Jeong's expectations, Chung Myung received neither welcome nor praise.
“Hands up straight!”
Instead, he was standing as punishment with one eye bruised purple.
Before him, three people who had become the Three Divine Generals of Hell were grinding their teeth.
"A Mount Hua bastard wearing Southern Edge Sect’s clothes?”
Hellfire erupted from Hyun Sang’s eyes.
“You pretend to be from Southern Edge Sect? Southern Edge Sect? Southern Edge Sect of all places?”
In Kangho, even when killing someone, they ask for reasons, and even when destroying building, they follow logic.
But wearing the clothes of another sect from the sect next door was a sin for which you would have nothing to say even if you were beaten to death.
What can one do? Such were the principles of Kangho.
“Wearing Southern Edge Sect’s clothes, that can happen.”
But Hyun Jong was truly different.
He was not one to fuss over such trivial matters. He may be proud of Mount Hua Sect, but was he not a person who valued the safety of his disciples above all else?
“But you wear them to infiltrate Kaifeng? What? You fought with the elders?”
Fire spewed from Hyun Jong's mouth.
When Hyun Sang's scolding was joined by Hyun Jong's words, Mount Hua's disciples became the world's damned bastards who, despite having a matter they could resolve and return from without fighting, deliberately escalated it to pick a fight, even going so far as to wear Southern Edge Sect's clothes while running wild.
And… the final gate remained.
“…You lost all the promissory notes?”
The fury of the one standing last was the most terrifying.
As if possessed by a demon, Hyun Young roared from the depths of hell.
“If you’ve brought in a sect like Beggar Union, never mind intelligence, the first thing you should’ve done is collect membership fees! What? The great hall collapsed, the goods and notes flew away, and they’ve become real beggars?”
“...”
"We're already dying from lack of money, and you bring a hundred thousand new beggars? Money? Are you the ones earning money? Money?"
“Hyun Young-ah. Right now, that’s a bit...”
“Maengju-nim, please stay quiet! What could be more important than this!”
“Uh…. R- Right. Anyway, you bastards!"
"You wretch!"
"Damned fool!"
As scolding poured down from all sides, Chung Myung's soul gradually left his mouth.
The voices he had heard in Kaifeng echoed warmly and faintly in his ears.
- Sword Sovereign.
- O Sword Sovereign.
Ah, I should have just kept being a beggar instead of coming back to Mount Hua….
Sob.
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