Chapter 1179: I Have Something To Say (Part 4)

"Please come in, Bangjang."

As Beopjeong approached, Hyun Jong greeted him with a bright smile, as if he had never hardened his face.

"It's truly delightful to see you again. Has it been a short time without any troubles?"

Beopjeong responded with a grin, acknowledging Hyun Jong's welcome.

"Thanks to Sect Leader's concern, I've passed the time without any mishaps. I didn't even step outside in case something happened."

Hyun Jong raised the corners of his mouth in response to Beopjeong's casual words. While others might not notice, there was a slight bitterness in that smile, apparent to the eyes of the elders of the Mount Hua sect.

Being the first to offer a joke in this situation meant having enough confidence. Beopjeong had already taken the lead.

"Please come inside."

"Yes. Thank you, Sect Leader."

Tang Gunak frowned slightly and spoke.

"Bangjang, it might be more appropriate to still address him as Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong closed his eyes and nodded.

"That's right. Please understand this monk's mistake, Maengju-nim."

"No, no. What does a title like that matter? I am the Maengju of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, but also the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, so both are correct."

Hyun Jong gestured inward, and Beopjeong followed as directed.

It was clear. The atmosphere was different from the previous visit. Those who came out to greet him seemed to regard him with more caution than before. Even though the emotions between them may have been deeper back then.

This change in atmosphere excited Beopjeong a little.

Not just because they were cautious about him, but because he felt like he could already hear the answer from that atmosphere.

'We'll have to narrow the distance gradually.'

With the things he had done and the accumulated resentment, it wouldn't be easy to just smile and get along overnight. So, Beopjeong's role would be crucial in the future. If he couldn't show proper tolerance, it might turn into something irreparable.

Despite the burden, Beopjeong could still smile. He had crossed the biggest hurdle, so would he stumble over smaller issues?

Beopjeong glanced around and spoke.

"By the way, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword hasn't arrived?"

"Oh, that..."

For a moment, Hyun Jong blushed.

"I apologize. That child is not feeling well, so..."

"Maengju-nim, I'm not blaming him for not coming out to welcome me. It's just that I'm a bit concerned whether he is participating in this meeting..."

"No, he's waiting inside."

"Oh, then, that's fine."

Only then did Beopjeong nod again with a content expression.

While he didn't come out to greet him, the fact that he would still participate in the meeting implied that emotionally, he may not accept him, but he would adhere to the decisions of Mount Hua and the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

'You're that kind of person.'

Certainly, it would be a great thing if Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword rushed over with his sword to welcome him.

However, Beopjeong knew better. That was just a desire. No one could wield Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword as they pleased. Entertaining such desires will inevitably come at a cost.

Handling Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword required the utmost delicacy. Frankly speaking, Beopjeong himself didn't have full confidence in dealing with him perfectly. While such individuals were commonly referred to as double-edged swords, to Beopjeong, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword was not like a double-edged sword, but more like a blade without a handle. Anyone who wanted to wield that sword must be prepared to lose their fingers.

'But, luckily, I have that handle.'

Beopjeong's gaze fixated on Hyun Jong's back, walking ahead.

Hyun Jong was the key to placing the unmanageable Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword in his hands. While it may be impossible for him to swing Chung Myung directly, Hyun Jong alone could move that sword.

And Beopjeong was the one who could move Hyun Jong. So, ultimately, it wouldn't be much different from him personally maneuvering Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword.

'Sect Leader, your choice was never wrong. Even if I were in your position, there would have been no other way. It's not just the weight that the chosen one has to bear, isn't it?'

Beopjeong internally exchanged words and let out a small sigh.

How could Hyun Jong feel comfortable returning to the Ten Great Sects, lowering his head once again?

However, for Hyun Jong, there might not have been any other choice from the beginning.

What a Sect Leader must prioritize is not achieving the prosperity of the sect or building a stronger influence. It is the continuation and survival of the sect.

Especially for Hyun Jong, who witnessed the sight of a sect completely falling into ruin and was driven to the point where the plaque was taken down.

Feeling a strand of sorrow, Beopjeong once again sighed.

"Enter, please."

"Yes, Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong entered the room with neat movements. In the spacious room, there was already one person seated. As Beopjeong met the eyes of the person inside the room, he smiled and greeted him first.

"You look elegant."

"We met three days ago, didn't we?"

"Three days can be a long time. Won't we interact more frequently from now on?"

"Why do you speak as if everything is already decided? You might end up with a bruised face if you keep that up."

"That doesn't matter."

"Does it?"

Beopjeong grinned at Chung Myung.

"Even if I don't receive the answer I want today, wouldn't it be good to respect and value each other? So, it would be right to interact a little more often."

The corners of Chung Myung's lips twitched. Seeing that, Beopjeong forced down the corners of his mouth that seemed to rise involuntarily.

Was it because he had won in the minor verbal confrontation?

No, it wasn't that. The reason Chung Myung closed his mouth was none other than Hyun Jong. Even though he hadn't won logically, the fact that Hyun Jong was there was enough to silence him.

If it were in the past, Beopjeong might have felt a twinge of jealousy, seeing Hyun Jong, whom he had nothing to evaluate highly other than his character, being favored. But now, to Beopjeong, this sight looked much more reassuring and right.

"We'll talk later."

"That's fine."

As Beopjeong attempted to sit in the center of the room, Hyun Jong gestured towards the inner seats.

"Bangjang, come over this way."

Glancing at the designated seat that Hyun Jong indicated, Beopjeong shook his head.

"No, Maengju-nim. My place is here."

"But..."

"That's where I feel comfortable. Please understand and allow it. I ask you."

"If you insist."

Nodding, Hyun Jong moved towards the designated seat. Others also entered the room and found their places.

Click.

As the door closed, a quiet silence settled in the room. Beopjeong didn't break the silence and first observed the faces of those who had entered the room.

There was Mount Hua's Sect Leader and elders of Mount Hua, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, those referred to as The Five Swords, and Hye Yeon. Additionally, there were the two Palace Lords, Tang Gunak, the lord of the Tang Family, Tang Pae, the successor, and Namgung Dowi, the Sogaju of the Namgung Family. The presence of the Nokrim King Im Sobyeong was also noticeable. Although he seemed ready to leave at any moment, hugging the wall near the door.

'These are the core members of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.'

Participating in the decision-making of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance's direction requires both status and qualifications. While it might seem a bit strange for the Five Swords of the Mount Hua Sect and Hye Yeon of Shaolin to be present, if others acknowledged it, there was no need for Beopjeong to object.

This place was still under the control of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

Beopjeong took a deep breath.

'Now, the final step.'

In terms of time, it may have seemed like things progressed abruptly, but that was only on the surface. Combining the time Beopjeong had spent pondering, it was definitely not an easily arrived-at decision.

The result of the long and arduous contemplation would now be faced in this moment.

"Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong spoke. It was impolite to let them open their mouths first, and it was also impolite to prolong this atmosphere for too long.

"It may not be appropriate, but for today, I would like to dispense with formalities. Our current situation is not leisurely, and, above all, it's not easy for me to endure any longer."

"...I understand, Bangjang."

"Maengju-nim, and everyone present here."

Beopjeong slowly looked at each person in the room.

"First, I express my gratitude. Because of the people present here, matters that could not have been handled with the strength of Shaolin and the Ten Great Sects alone have been resolved, and people who could not have been saved were able to be saved."

"..."

"And I would like to formally apologize for not accepting the facts as they are and for being petty."

As Beopjeong lowered his head, Hyun Jong quickly objected.

"Don't do this, Bangjang."

"No, Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong raised his head.

"Regardless of what answer I hear, it's something that cannot be undone over time. So, before hearing the answer, I wanted to address it first. The reason things have come to this point is due to the mistakes of Shaolin. No, it's not the fault of Shaolin but my own."

"Bangjang..."

"I apologize."

Beopjeong deeply bowed his head once again. The onlookers, surrounding him like a circle, each displayed a complex expression as they observed this scene.

While formally accepting Bangjang's apology was undoubtedly a positive development, the current situation made it difficult for them to fully appreciate the apology.

With a stern expression, Beopjeong, raising his head, spoke again.

"What the Heavenly Comrade Alliance has sought, the Ten Great Sect will not forget either. We will also not forget the fact that it was the Heavenly Comrade Alliance that reminded us of what Kangho was lacking."

"..."

"Discussing what the Heavenly Comrade Alliance has done could take more than a day, but, as you know, the current state of the world is not so leisurely. Therefore..."

All eyes remained on Beopjeong.

"As the leader of the Shaolin, as the representative of the Ten Great Sects and the Five Great Families, I wish to hear the response to the proposal I made earlier."

The words left Beopjeong's mouth a bit earlier than expected. Hyun Jong unintentionally closed his eyes.

"Maengju-nim, can we hear your answer?"

Beopjeong observed Hyun Jong and Chung Myung's expressions simultaneously. Even though he already knew the results to some extent, his mouth felt dry, and his stomach burned. This was because he knew better than anyone how crucial this answer was.

Still, he didn't rush Hyun Jong. Because Hyun Jong's pace, perhaps even more than that, might be burning faster.

A short silence. But for the parties involved, it felt like an agonizingly long time.

"In response to your earlier... proposal."

Finally, Hyun Jong's mouth opened.

"I will give you an answer to your proposal, Bangjang."

Beopjeong unknowingly clenched his fist. All his attention was focused on Hyun Jong's lips.

"The Heavenly Comrade Alliance..."

A sigh, almost like a lament, but a voice that couldn't be reversed, flowed from Hyun Jong's lips.

"We accept the proposal you made."

As those words ended, Chung Myung's eyes tightly shut. It seemed as though they would never open again.