Chapter 1180: I Have Something To Say (Part 5)

Entering this room, there was not a single person who didn't know that Hyunjong would say those words.

Yet, when the words flowed from Hyun Jong's mouth as expected, there was a collective feeling as if everyone's breath was being stifled.

Wasn't it strange?

Certainly, the significance of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance was extraordinary. To them, the Heavenly Comrade Alliance had been the roof that sheltered them from rain and the wall that blocked the biting wind.

However, objectively speaking, there was no reason why the Ten Great Sects and the Five Great Families couldn't fulfill that role. In fact, they had been performing that role for even longer than the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

So, it was no exaggeration to say that in fact, nothing had changed much.

After all, what mattered was not the name of the faction but rather the will carried by the faction, right?

And yet, even though everyone knew this fact, Hyun Jong's words felt strangely bitter.

Beopjeong's face was a difficult-to-read mixture of heavy-heartedness and relief.

"Maengju-nim..."

"But."

Before Beopjeong could speak, Hyun Jong quickly opened his mouth first, as if not allowing Beopjeong to conclude the situation.

"But before that... there is something we need to confirm."

Meeting Hyun Jong's intense gaze, Beopjeong slowly nodded.

"Indeed."

Hyun Jong spoke calmly, adjusting his breath as if trying not to hasten.

"Bangjang, you said that all of this is not just the greed of the leader of Shaolin but an act for justice."

"Yes, that's correct."

"And the Bangjang

sense of justice is to save as many people as possible. Has that sentiment not changed?"

Without hesitation, Beopjeong nodded.

"Of course not, Maengju-nim."

"In that case, can you promise that in the future, whether it's leading the Ten Great Sects and the Five Great Families or even all the righteous sects in the world, that your intention will not waver?"

"I promise."

Was the answer too swift? Perhaps that was why Hyun Jong's eyes looking at Beopjeong became slightly narrowed.

"Bangjang..."

"I'm not giving you an insignificant answer, Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong nodded as if he had already anticipated Hyun Jong's sentiments.

"It's not that I gave you an answer without thinking. It's just that there was no need to think. If I hadn't already made that determination, how could I have come here?"

"..."

"Maengju-nim. If the Heavenly Comrade Alliance points fingers at me, I can overlook it. However, when those in the same Ten Great Sects point fingers at me, it's an exceedingly painful and bitter experience."

As if understanding that sentiment, a somber tone flowed from Hyun Jong's mouth.

"So... how could I fabricate such a false lie? How can there be any hesitation?"

"...I understand what you're saying."

Hyun Jong took a long breath and then spoke again.

"And, as Bangjang mentioned, it's crucial that the sects formerly belonging to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance receive equal treatment."

"Amitabhul."

Beopjeong cut in, as if there was no need to consider this as well.

"Uniting as one is a good thing. Remaining divided into two is not desirable. But what's even worse is when those who were once united split apart again."

"...Indeed."

"It will be my role to prevent that situation. Having just united as one, it would be unacceptable to receive criticism as being worse than in the past, wouldn't it? I will think and continue to think about how to prevent the sects from splitting again."

Hyun Jong narrowed his eyes. It was neither too much nor too little of an answer. Hence, it was an answer that couldn't be faulted. Yes, a faultless answer.

A small, wry smile escaped from Hyun Jong's lips.

'I was looking for faults, wasn't I?'

Even though he had already come to a conclusion within his heart, it seemed that up until this moment, he was still searching for reasons to overturn his decision.

'It's greed, isn't it? Greed.'

Hyun Jong inadvertently shifted his gaze to others. Everyone was looking at him. Watching those gazes, a peculiar warmth settled in a corner of his heart.

The time may not have been long. Compared to Hyun Jong's past, which was thick and burdensome, the time spent with them was indeed short. However, just because the time was short, it didn't mean that the weight carried by each gaze was light.

What was right? What was wrong? Even at this moment, his mind was confused and conflicted.

Hyun Jong was a person who acknowledged that he was not particularly exceptional. Yet, even though he admitted this, he could not delay this decision to others. Regardless of which side he chooses, he must pay the price.

'I don't know what's right…

If this choice demanded a price, if someone must bear that burden, then it must be Hyun Jong. Even if this choice was wrong, others could move forward using Hyun Jong as a stepping stone.

That was the burden that Hyun Jong, who had enjoyed the position of the leader of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, must bear. It was the best he could do for those who had believed in him until now.

"Maengju-nim."

As if sensing his inner thoughts, Beopjeong opened his mouth with a gentle voice.

"I completely understand that you consider me as untrustworthy."

"No, Bangjang. It's not that I consider you untrustworthy..."

"If I were in the same situation, Maengju-nim, I would have pondered and hesitated just like you. There is no easy answer."

"..."

"However, Maengju-nim."

Beopjeong's gaze was heavier and darker than ever.

"Isn't it the duty of a leader like Sect Leader to shoulder all of that?"

Hyun Jong closed his eyes and nodded. Although their positions were different, there was no choice but to empathize with this statement.

Sect Leaders were those who endured this heaviness, whether their sect was small or large, without exception.

A moment later, when Hyun Jong opened his eyes again, his expression was noticeably more relaxed than before.

'It's just something I have to shoulder.'

The most important thing for him to be cautious about was not losing the essence of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Not losing their cause and identity.

It was losing the possibilities. Losing the future. He should be careful about these young leaders of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance being caught up in these trivial matters and losing their potential to bloom.

'Wasn't I originally someone who endured the winter?'

He thought it was spring, but it seemed that spring had not yet come. Then he had to wait. Someday, those flowers would bloom. Whether it was under the Heavenly Comrade Alliance or the Ten Great Sects.

He just needed to nourish them and wait for that time.

Hyun Jong's gaze turned to Chung Myung.

A face that was as expressionless as if it had been washed. He wasn't revealing any emotions to avoid burdening Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong knew. In that unexpressive exterior, numerous emotions were swirling.

"Chung Myung..."

Hyun Jong sometimes found that expression unsettling.

The unwavering determination in those tightly closed lips was only for one thing. Respect for his Sect Leader. And the will for the future of Mount Hua. Because Chung Myung looked at Mount Hua with an intensity bordering on obsession.

So sometimes Hyun Jong wanted to ask.

'Then what on earth do you have in your hands?'

All Hyun Jong could do was to lift the burden on those shoulders a little.

"Bangjang."

"Yes, Maengju-nim."

"...I will trust Bangjang's intentions."

Emotions momentarily overwhelmed Beopjeong's face. The tips of the fingers on the hem of the robe trembled slightly.

"I still don't know what is right and what is wrong. But... I think this is the best I can do right now."

"Maengju-nim!"

Beopjeong nodded emphatically.

"It will be so. No, I will make it so. I will prove that uniting the righteous sects was right and that Hyun Jong made a splendid decision for the world to praise.

"Just keep that promise. That all this talk about protecting more people is more than just words."

"I will definitely do so."

Hyun Jong nodded with a heavy heart. Prolonged discussions in such a situation would only leave wounds on each other. It was better for him to make a decisive decision unilaterally and bear resentment.

With a resolute heart, Hyun Jong parted his sealed lips.

"I, Hyun Jong, in the capacity of the leader of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance... declare from this position..."

"Wait a moment!"

At that moment, Jo Gol, who had been unable to contain himself, screamed like a banshee.

"Sect Leader! No, Maengju-nim! At least consider the opinions of others..."

"Shut your mouth."

"Sasuk!"

For a moment, Jo Gol looked back at Baek Cheon with burning eyes.

"I told you to shut your mouth."

"This...!"

For a moment, rage was evident in Jo Gol's eyes. Unfiltered emotions that should not be shown to his senior were boiling in those two eyes.

However, Baek Cheon shot back a cold look at Jo Gol and pressed him down. Jo Gol's burning gaze and Baekcheon's icy eyes clashed fiercely.

After a moment of silence.

In the end, Jo Gol, pushed back by the momentum, bit his lip until blood oozed out. His head drooped helplessly.

The atmosphere in the room became a bit heavier.

Everyone refrained from looking at that scene, turning their gazes away. Because this situation seemed to vividly portray the current state of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

Although the heart shouted not to do so, reason suppressed those emotions. It could not be helped. Jo Gol, who could not bear it, and Baek Cheon, who suppressed such emotions. This spectacle was bitter for everyone. Even Chung Myung only gazed at the ceiling while leaning against the wall. He turned his gaze away.

Even Hyun Jong and the elders could not escape the silent passion of this silent outburst. In this silent turmoil, the only one who remained calm was Baek Cheon. While silently watching Jo Gol's trembling shoulders, he turned his gaze toward Beopjeong and bowed his head.

"I apologize, Bangjang."

"No, no. Don't worry about it. It's only natural that such a thing could happen."

Beopjeong gently nodded with a compassionate face. It wasn't just something he said; he completely understood Jo Gol's reaction. If he were a young disciple of Mount Hua, he might have rebelled even more fiercely than Jo Gol.

What surprised him was not Jo Gol's reaction but Baek Cheon's composure, maintaining a frightening calmness even in this situation.

"Mount Hua is indeed Mount Hua."

They were the ones cultivated in the fields plowed by Hyun Jong and Chung Myung.

Someday, far in the future, if someone like him became the Sect Leader, Mount Hua may become an even more formidable sect than it was now.

Baek Cheon, who had lowered his head, lifted it and stared directly at Beopjeong.

"However."

"Hmm?"

"I know this isn't the appropriate time, but I think I need to be a bit impolite. Please understand."

"...Impolite, did you say?"

Beopjeong asked with a puzzled face. For a moment, he didn't understand Baek Cheon's words. The expression on Baek Cheon's face and the words that came out of his mouth were so contradictory that it was unavoidable.

Without any further explanation, Baek Cheon turned his gaze to Hyun Jong.

"Sect Leader."

At the calm call, a sigh escaped from Hyun Jong mouth.

"Baek Cheon, now is not the time...."

"I have something to say."

For a moment, Hyun Jong's expression stiffened. He understood from Baek Cheon's tone that there was an undeniable firmness in his words.

Baek Cheon. Mount Hua's head disciple was looking at him without a trace of hesitation, with a look in his eyes he had never seen before.