Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1741 – Invisible (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Dawn broke.
Jo Gol, who had stayed up all night with open eyes, vacantly watched the sunlight pouring in through the window and rose.
Those who had shared the night in silence turned their gazes toward him.
"Gol-ah?"
Jo-Gol scratched his head vigorously as he spoke.
“I think I should go check on him. The dawn air was cold, and I’m worried his health might have suffered… and, well… the Medicine Hall is busy enough as it is, no need to trouble them unnecessarily..."
It was a nonsensical excuse.
"Grand Sect Leader..."
Yoon Jong, who had started to speak, stopped and shook his head. A sigh leaked out.
Hyun Jong had clearly given an order not to extend any warmth to the excommunicated disciple. However, would Jo-Gol have already forgotten that?
Even if he were to be punished for this, now that Jo-Gol had resolved to go himself, Yoon Jong couldn't stop him.
“Gol-ah.”
"No, Sahyung. I’ll just be gone for a moment. If I get in trouble, I get in trouble. You can just say you fell asleep and didn't know…”
“Let’s go together.”
“…Huh?”
Yoon Jong stood up.
“I should go check on him, too.”
Then, without even waiting for Jo-Gol, he headed for the door. The others who had been sitting also rose simultaneously as if by prior agreement.
"No, well..."
He hadn't intended to make such a big deal of this. Jo-Gol let out a sigh and scratched his head repeatedly.
“…Is ‘disobeying one's master’ the fundamental rule of this damn sect or something?”
To think they were all collectively ignoring the Grand Sect Leader’s order issued just yesterday. Jo-Gol watched the others as they moved ahead, then followed after them.
“…He’ll be alright, won’t he?”
"He should be."
No matter how weakened, Baek Cheon was once a martial artist. He wouldn't become seriously ill just from being exposed to a cold wind for a night.
But it was the sickness of the heart, not the body, that worried him.
'Excommunication...'
Yoon Jong tried to imagine how he would feel if he were in the same situation.
It was difficult even to imagine. He had never once thought about a life away from Mount Hua. Even in the days when Mount Hua's end seemed nearly certain, Yoon Jong had never considered leaving.
Everything he had was in Mount Hua.
How could he know the feelings of being forcibly severed from all of that? He couldn't dare even offer comfort.
"The body comes first. A person needs to be healthy no matter what they do."
Yoon Jong's face hardened. He felt a flicker of irritation toward Jo-Gol for spouting such nonsense in a time like this. Why would he…?
“Sahyung.”
"What."
Yoon Jong's response came out cold involuntarily.
"If Sasuk really goes to Southern Edge Sect, they can heal his body, right?"
Yoon Jong turned his head and looked at Jo-Gol.
“Right?”
Instead of an answer, a long sigh escaped.
'Right... Now we have to cling to even that.'
"We have to trust."
"There won't be any problems. Sasuk’s family is rich, isn't it? If they just heal his body, everything will work out. It will."
Anyone could tell these weren't words spoken out of genuine belief or reassurance. Yet Jo-Gol kept repeating similar phrases endlessly. Saying this was rather for the best.
"Right. At least... it would be better than now."
"But then, what if, hypothetically, after Sasuk recovers his body, the excommunication could be revoked..."
“Jo-Gol.”
As Yoon Jong's cold voice pierced his ears, Jo-Gol flinched and shrank his neck.
“Think before you speak.”
"No, I'm just saying it could happen. Not that it should..."
“Don’t talk nonsense. That would be an insult to both Mount Hua and Sasuk. And above all, there’s no way Sasuk would ever accept such a thing.”
Jo-Gol let out a long, frustrated breath.
He knew it was nonsense. Even if it were possible, he couldn't imagine Baek Cheon choosing such a path.
“…I was just saying.”
“….”
Yoon Jong didn't reprimand Jo Geol any longer. Frankly, he hadn't avoided similar thoughts.
However, now they had to accept it. Baek Cheon would become a person of Southern Edge Sect.
‘Southern Edge Sect….’
Though their relationship had improved drastically recently, it still had to be Southern Edge Sect of all places.
Would their friendly ties really last? Someday, they might return to their former, or perhaps worse, relationship and standing against each other with blades drawn.
If Baek Cheon stood at the forefront of Southern Edge Sect then, with what eyes should Yoon Jong look at him?
'It's difficult.'
It was just as Yoon Jong was trying to suppress his complicated feelings.
“Sahyung, over there.”
The people he least wanted to see at this moment came into view. They were walking in the same direction as Yoon Jong’s group.
Including Southern Edge Sect Sect Leader Jong Nigok, Jin Geumryong, Isong Baek, and even Baek Cheon's father, Jin Cho-Baek...
'Are they coming to take Sasuk?'
Yoon Jong unconsciously bit his lower lip. Objectively speaking, it was only natural, but he didn't know why it felt like hot iron was scraping his insides.
As their eyes met, Isong Baek bowed his head awkwardly. The other party also threw glances as if just discovering them.
Yoon Jong offered a polite greeting.
Regardless of how scorched his inside felt, the person before him was the sect leader of another sect. Failing to show courtesy would be like soiling Mount Hua's face.
Jong Nigok lightly bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Since they were heading the same place, the distance closed as they moved. When the gap became less than one zhang, even if they tried not to be conscious of it, their nerves sharpened.
Surprisingly, it was Jin Geumryong who spoke first.
"Are you going to see him?"
"…Yes."
Generally, seniority between sects wasn't strictly observed, but by rank, Jin Geumryong was one level above. Furthermore, as he was Baek Cheon's older brother, Yoon Jong maintained full courtesy.
However, the reply he received was incredibly short.
“Why?”
Those words contained a multitude of meanings. So many meanings that Yoon Jong felt a momentary surge of emotion.
Yoon Jong clenched his teeth. He felt that if he opened his mouth now, harsh words would come pouring out. In any case, causing a scene here would be bad for everyone.
It was then that Jong Nigok spoke up.
"I hear that your sect's Grand Sect Leader has forbidden contact with the excommunicated disciple. Don't you know such actions could be problematic?"
"I am aware."
"Yet you'll still go?"
Though his tone sounded gentle, as if persuading them softly, in the end it meant that they should withdraw here. Yet Yoon Jong did not retreat easily even while knowing that meaning.
"Yes. I intend to accept punishment."
Jong Nigok's eyes narrowed slightly.
Come to think of it, it seemed Yoon Jong wasn't the only one with no intention of backing down. Jo-Gol glaring as if looking at an enemy, Yoo Iseol with sharp eyes, Baek Sang and Hye Yeon who fidgeted yet kept their places, and even Tang Soso and Namgung Dowi who stood silent with expressionless faces.
Some of the most renowned young talents in the current Kangho were all defying orders and inviting punishment upon themselves. Just to go to Baek Cheon.
'Is it virtue...?'
At least in the matter of drawing people in, it seemed he couldn’t be compared to anyone in Southern Edge Sect. Southern Edge Sect had Jin Geumryong with his sharp reason and Isong Baek with his steadfastness, but Baek Cheon had something those two lacked.
"Hm."
Jong Nigok let out a short, low hum.
He could forcibly stop them, but there was probably no need. By letting them accompany them to collect Jin Dongryong, he might be able to force them to face reality.
"In that case, let us go together. Are we not both heading to see the same person?"
"...Though we won't necessarily go separately, we cannot go together either."
"Hm?"
“Because we are not going to see Sasuk off.”
A strange light flickered in Jong Nigok’s eyes.
Yoon Jong maintains a calm demeanor even in the presence of Jong Nigok. This was despite the fact that on his way to see the excommunicated disciple while defying Hyun Jong's orders, he encountered a leader from another sect.
Jong Nigok observed carefully those deep and profound eyes like a windless lake.
‘How does Mount Hua keep producing such talents?’
Though it would be shameless to say he was envious, it was hard to stop such thoughts from arising.
"Then let it be so."
Jong Nigok nodded briefly and moved his steps.
In any case, the priority now was to get Jin Dongryong to Southern Edge Sect as quickly as possible. The sooner they diagnosed him and proceeded with the grand ritual, the better condition they could restore him to.
Jong Nigok's pace quickened.
Jin Geumryong, following behind, shot sharp eyes at Yoon Jong and Jo-Gol.
A cold tension flowed between the two groups walking side-by-side at a fixed distance. A chill that hadn't been present since they had more or less organized their respective positions.
Isong Baek secretly sighed.
'How frustrating.'
They had barely managed to stitch together the relationship between the two sects. Yet he had an ominous feeling that the relationship would grow cold again over Baek Cheon's matter.
Even Baek Cheon Dojang wouldn't want that.
Struggling to hide his heavy heart, he turned the corner leading to the pavilion where Baek Cheon was staying.
Step.
But Jong Nigok’s feet suddenly stopped. Simultaneously, Yoon Jong also stopped in place.
A low groan escaped Jong Nigok’s lips.
“Baek Cheon… No, where is Jin Dongryong?”
"Huh?"
He lightly stroked his chin and said with dark eyes.
“I expected him to be here. Send someone to his quarters immediately.”
He had assumed the shock from yesterday wouldn't have dissipated so easily, yet it seemed the boy had composed himself and returned to his room in the meantime.
'Is he stronger than I thought? If so, that's rather fortunate.'
Jong Nigok thought calmly as he waited for the person sent to Baek Cheon’s quarters to return.
But the news that came back was different from what he expected.
“Sect Leader. There was no one in the quarters.”
“…Is that so? Then the Medicine Hall…”
A disciple approached Jong Nigok with an anxious face.
"Th- There's no one at the Medicine Hall either."
Only then did Jong Nigok’s complexion change completely.
“...Then where could he have gone in that physical state?”
“T- That, I am not sure…”
“Scour every inch of Wudang and find him! Wasn't he clearly here until dawn? He must still be on the grounds!"
Freely searching another sect's grounds was unthinkable. But given the gravity of the situation, Jong Nigok had no choice but to commit this discourtesy.
At the sect leader's order tinged with anger, Southern Edge Sect disciples scattered in a flurry to various places in Wudang.
A faint unease appeared in Jong Nigok's eyes.
'Don't tell me he went to Hyun Jong?'
It was possible. He might have gone to plead for the order of excommunication to be rescinded. Anyone in his position would have done the same.
'This isn't the time. I should directly...'
But the situation grew stranger.
"He's not here, Sect Leader."
“We cannot find him.”
Neither those who had searched around Hyun Jong's quarters, nor even those who had searched the guest hall where Mount Hua's disciples were staying, could find Baek Cheon.
Even those who thoroughly searched beyond the grounds throughout Mount Wudang were the same.
"This…."
Jong Nigok's face grew increasingly pale. Hyun Jong, who had belatedly heard the news, came running urgently.
"Sect Leader."
"Grand Sect Leader! Aren't you with Baek Cheon... No, Jin Dongryong?"
"I haven't seen him since yesterday."
"That’s…!"
Hyun Jong turned toward the other disciples with a stunned expression.
“Has none of you seen Baek Cheon?”
“…Grand Sect Leader told us not to have contact with the excommunicated…”
"Truly no one? What about today? Has no one seen him today?"
Of course, no answer came. Hyun Jong stared at Wudang's wide-open main gate with a lost expression.
"Th- This... this..."
He had disappeared.
In this dangerous land where the fires of war still lurked everywhere, Baek Cheon had vanished like smoke.
"Such a thing..."
Mount Hua had cast him out. And hoped he would go to Southern Edge Sect.
However, Baek Cheon hadn't headed to Southern Edge Sect.
It was a situation no one had imagined. The color drained from everyone's faces.
“Baek Cheon-ah….”
Hyun Jong’s bewildered voice spread across the quiet training ground.
And atop the roof of a hall some distance from that training ground.
Chung Myung, who had been silently watching all this commotion, let out a quiet sigh. The scent of alcohol circling in his mouth was particularly bitter today.
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