Novel Return of Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1016
The hem of Bop Jeong’s robe fluttered in the strong wind.
His eyes were on the ships floating on the Yangtze River. The fleet looked leisurely at first glance.
But to Bop Jeong, they looked like wolf teeth. Sharp teeth that might lunge at him at any moment and bite his neck.
“Hmm.”
Bop Jeong’s eyes darkened heavily.
Nearly ten days have passed since Plum Blossom Island incident ended. However, Evil Tyrant Alliance did not bite any of the boats on the river.
The pirates were originally a group that made a living by plundering people passing through the river. It is bound to be a great loss to water fortress to keep these ships rather than plunder them.
However, Evil Tyrant Alliance is not attacking those ships despite the losses. That is why Bop Jeong couldn’t act either. He couldn’t lower his guard before the enemy sheathed their swords.
“...Jang Il-so.”
The hateful name flowed from the lips of Bop Jeong. Across the river, clearly visible, was the camp of Myriad Man Manor, where he would be.
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Step. Step.
Bop Kye slowly approached behind him as Bop Jeong stared at the river with dark eyes.
“Bangjang. The replies from Ten Great Sects have arrived.”
Bop Kye gently hinted, but Bop Jeong did not react in any way after hearing it.
“...Bangjang.”
Only after Bop Jeong called a couple more times did Bop Jeong finally glance over.
“What do they say?”
“Overall... many expressed intentions to send support to the Yangtze.”
Bop Jeong had a strange smile.
“But they didn’t specify when and how much support they would provide, did they?”
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“...Yes, Bangjang.”
Anger slowly rose on Bop Kye’s face as he answered.
Promises without specific details are just empty promises that can be changed at any time. Even though the situation has come to this point, they’re still hedging their bets.
“Of course, they would.”
But Bop Jeong just nodded his head indifferently, as if knew this would happen.
“What about the Heavenly Comrade Alliance part?”
“In general, they sent a reply that they share deep doubts about Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s actions.”
“Deep doubt....”
Bop Jeong chuckled softly.
Doubt. Such a convenient term.
If Heavenly Comrade Alliance had made some kind of secret pact with Evil Sects, they could claim to have been suspicious all along. If not, they could simply say they were glad their suspicions were unfounded.
Lukewarm. Yes, they’ve always been lukewarm on every issue.
“Bangjang.”
“It is as expected.”
As Bop Jeong lightly shook his head, a sigh escaped from Bop Kye’s mouth.
“How can you remain so calm?”
“Hm?”
Resentment was evident in Bop Kye’s voice.
“Of course, I’m not saying we’ve done everything right. There were undoubtedly mistakes and aspects that could have led to misunderstandings.”
“....”
“But at the very least, we are here on the Yangtze, facing off against Evil Tyrant Alliance, aren’t we? What should we think of the indifference they show us?”
Bop Jeong looked at Bop Jeong and smiled.
“Do you feel resentful?”
“...I....”
“There’s no need for resentment. People are naturally like that. A thorn in one’s own finger hurts terribly, but the death of someone thousands of miles away doesn’t stir any emotion.”
Bop Kye pursed his lips.
Their methods might not have been right. But they came here anyway with good intentions. To Bop Kye, the response they received felt overly harsh for their goodwill.
“So, are Bangjang saying we should just put up with this?”
Bop Jeong smiled and asked questions instead of answers.
For a moment, Bop Kye felt a shiver run down his spine. Bop Jeong continued calmly.
“To let them know firsthand how hot fire is, how painful it is when fire touches your hand, what happens when your flesh starts to burn in the flames.”
“Ba- Bangjang.”
“Of course!”
Bop Kye tried to say something, but Bop Jeong resolutely cut his word.
“It will hurt. It will be painful. But... Wouldn’t we be able to prevent people from foolishly walking into a pit of fire without knowing what fire is?”
“....”
Bop Kye fell silent like a person who had lost his voice.
Clearly, the faint smile on Bop Jeong’s face and the benevolent and gentle voice were the same. However, Bop Kye felt a clear ray of grudge in such Bop Jeong. So cold it seemed to freeze one’s heart.
Bop Jeong smiled at Bop Kye.
“Does my word seem too harsh?”
“Ba- Bangjang. I just....”
“Perhaps it is harsh. But one must not fear loss to be a Buddha.”
Bop Jeong took a Banzhang stance toward Bop Kye. It was a unique form of Shaolin where only one arm was raised, rather than the two palms with both hands.
“Why does Shaolin adopt Banzhang (??(半掌) /half-palm)?”
It was a random question. Bop Kye naturally knew the answer to this question. If one belongs to Shaolin, one must know.
“...To honor the Second Patriarch (??(二祖)).”
“Right.”
Bop Jeong quietly nodded.
Shaolin’s root traces back to Bodhidharma, but its spiritual origin completion lies with the Second Patriarch, Hyega (??(慧可)), while its martial art completion lies with the Sixth Patriarch (??(六祖)), Hyeneung (??(慧能)).
Isn’t the current Shaolin where all of those things continued?
“The Second Patriarch cut off one of his arms to attain enlightenment.”
“Yes, Bangjang.”
“In other words, to gain great enlightenment, one must be willing to give up an arm or so easily.”
“....”
“That won’t just be a story that only applies to those who belong to the Buddhist community. Sometimes, to gain something greater, one must be willing to endure smaller sacrifices.”
Bop Kye could not say anything.
Amidst the gentle atmosphere of Bop Jeong, there was an inexplicable pressure lurking. It was difficult to even breathe.
Bop Jeong, who assumed Banzhang stance, closed his eyes as if organizing his thoughts. Then, after a while, he opened his eyes again and said,
“Just let them know. That should suffice.”
“...Yes, Bangjang.”
“Send a reply.”
“Yes.”
Bop Kye bowed deeply and retreated. Somehow, he felt an urgent need to escape from there as quickly as possible.
Just as he was about to walk away, Bop Jeong, with his eyes fixed on the Yangtze River, asked in a low voice.
“How is Mount Hua faring?”
Bop Kye stopped walking and answered carefully.
“It appears that they have settled down not far away and are staying with Tang Family. There doesn’t seem to be any significant movement.”
“What about Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?”
“...It appears he’s recently been instructing the young sword warriors of Namgung Family.”
“He’s instructing Namgung?”
“Yes.”
Bop Jeong’s gaze slightly shifted upwards.
“...That child has decided to take Namgung under his wing as well.”
“....”
“You may go.”
With those words, Bop Jeong remained motionless. All he could do was stare at the Yangtze River flowing endlessly and indifferently.
Bop Kye, who watched the scene for a moment, was deeply saddened and retreated.
The eyes of Bop Jeong left alone were filled with the sparkling reflection of the Yangtze River.
“...It is said that the world is unfair.”
A hollow smile appeared on his lips.
“Amitabha....”
Finally, as he closed his eyes, nothing more could be seen.