Chapter 1623: With Our Blood and Lives! (Part 3)

The sky was incredibly clear.

Mount Hua's peaks always seemed close yet unfamiliar, and more daunting than any other place. Jong Rigok exhaled deeply as he gazed at the clear sky from atop the mountain.

Had he ever imagined a day when he would stand alone on Mount Hua, looking up at the clear sky?

His gaze naturally drifted towards the distant west. The end of the vast world extended in the familiar form of the mountain range he knew.

'It's strange.'

Not a single day had passed without Jong Rigok glimpsing at Southern Edge Mountain. Yet, Southern Edge appeared strangely unfamiliar from this distance. It made him realize anew.

Just because one lived on a mountain didn't mean one knew it the best. Sometimes, those who observed from a distance may see more.

Then, he sensed movement nearby.

"Hmm."

Jong Rigok's gaze turned in that direction, and something flew towards his chest with a frightening speed.

Thud.

Instinctively catching it, he realized it was a solid, white bottle. Even without opening it, he could guess the nature of the liquid inside.

"Alcohol?"

"Do you happen to dislike it?"

Jong Rigok shook his head. Not particularly. He wasn't fond of it, but he hadn't strictly abstained from it either. However...

"In broad daylight?"

"Are you one to judge such things?"

When Jong Rigok asked, Chung Myung chuckled in response. His words made Jong Rigok chuckle as well. Clearly, he had come too far to suddenly uphold his dignity.

"Well then, I'll gladly drink it."

Jong Rigok removed the cap of the bottle and took a sip. It was just ordinary alcohol, but today, its scent felt different.

Perhaps because there was more than just alcohol in this bottle.

"Good alcohol."

"Despite being cheap liquor."

"It's good."

Chung Myung shook his head then took out another bottle he had brought separately, drinking it refreshingly.

"Ah."

Taking a small sip, Chung Myung glanced at Jong Rigok. Ironically, the latter's white Southern Edge attire seemed to blend perfectly with the serene atmosphere of Mount Hua. It was absurd.

After all... who could be more or less suitable for a mountain? The mountain simply existed.

"I didn't expect you to be so rash."

"You must have been mistaken. I am known for my careful nature."

"I didn't know you had such a bad temperament."

"I've heard that I have a good nature often. Although perhaps not from your people."

"...Still, it's impossible to communicate."

"My ears are always open. That's the way of a sect leader."

Momentarily helpless against Jong Rigok's constant retorts, Chung Myung shook his head and added.

"Why did you do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"...You could have just let it go."

Instead of answering, Jong Rigok sent a questioning gaze. Perhaps feeling pressured by that look, Chung Myung added a remark unprompted.

"No, it's just...it's not that I feel pity for Southern Edge or anything like that. It's something that had to be done, of course. Originally, it was something that had to be done, but, well..."

"Didn't you hasten things?"

"That's right. That's true. But... the timing wasn't right, you know? We're in a position where we have to fight together now."

"...Timing."

Jong Rigok stared blankly into the distance, taking another sip of alcohol.

"Your words are right. But..."

Eventually, a small smile appeared on his lips as he looked at Chung Myung.

"No matter how much I think about it, there never seems to be a 'right' time."

"..."

"...Do you know?"

"What?"

The corners of Jong Rigok's mouth softened slightly.

"There always seems to be a reason why it's not the right time."

"...Yeah."

Jong Rigok nodded along with his own words. Yes, this wasn't a message for Chung Myung but for himself.

"There's always something. Always."

At his small chuckle, Chung Myung's face twisted oddly.

"Haha."

A deep sigh escaped him. Jong Rigok's words were true. Once opportunities were missed due to various reasons, everything tended to become chaotic.

"But it wouldn't necessarily have been a bad outcome for the Sect Leader, would it? Wasn't that what you were saying last night?"

"Is that something the person who insisted we should reveal everything last night would say?"

"You're quite adept at leaving someone speechless."

Chung Myung took a sip, and Jong Rigok gulped down his pride.

The more he looked, the stranger it seemed.

Despite emitting such overwhelming anger, coldness, and incomprehensibility at times, whenever Jong Rigok made up his mind, Chung Myung tried to consider his perspective.

To put it nicely, he was a complex person, and to put it not so nicely, he was erratic and arbitrary.

Yet, Jong Rigok didn't particularly dislike such a Chung Myung. Perhaps because he sensed underlying affection beneath his unpredictable actions.

"So... are you really okay?"

"If I'm not, is there another option? It's already done."

"...You really have no plans."

Chung Myung chuckled incredulously. Who would have imagined that Jong Rigok would be this kind of person?

Southern Edge had lost a lot in this incident. While there weren't many who would criticize Southern Edge on the spot, once a mark was made, it wouldn't easily disappear.

If Southern Edge prospered, they could avoid it, but once they lost power, it might become an unavoidable punishment.

Or perhaps, even while risking their lives together, they might be haunted by cold gazes. They might raise a grand cause only to be buried by the sins of the past.

Jong Rigok wasn't someone who didn't understand that. Even to Chung Myung, worrying about such a situation and wanting to temporarily cover it up made sense.

Jong Rigok smiled and said.

"And your words are wrong. Now is actually a very good time."

"Is it?"

"Without the Shaolin, it's an opportunity. Now that the façade of the Ten Great Sects has disappeared, expulsion from the Ten Great Sects is out of the question, is it not?"

"...Are you joking?"

"Is there any reason not to laugh?"

"...It's unbelievable, really."

It wasn't just talk. Indeed, Jong Rigok no longer felt the stiffness and tension he once did. Instead, an unknown calm and ease filled the space.

Although it meant carrying more burdens now, Jong Rigok's shoulders seemed lighter.

"Don't look at it like that. I, too, pondered as a human being."

"Pondered?"

"When you stopped me from speaking."

Jong Rigok's gaze softened.

"At that moment, I thought it might be enough. I showed my courage, and you acknowledged it. So, I thought we could just bury it and move on."

"...But why did you insist?"

Jong Rigok chuckled. The reason...

"Because burdens are not carried on the shoulders but in the heart."

Chung Myung looked at Jong Rigok silently. It was difficult for him to grasp the enlightenment akin to the Taoists of Mount Hua from him. [not sure]

However, sometimes the world easily said things that even those who had trained their entire lives could not say.

As Jong Rigok had said. Everything in the world had a way, and they were simply followers of that. 

Jong Rigok smiled faintly again.

"I owe you an apology."

"You seem to be misunderstanding. I'm not one to smile while harboring ill intentions."

"But I won't resort to violence."

"...I really don't understand."

Chung Myung vigorously scratched his head. Changing overnight was one thing, but this was just ridiculous...

"Ugh, I don't know. It's not my problem!"

With a swift movement, Chung Myung stood up and turned his body.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I am. There's a mountain of tasks awaiting me. Sect Leader, don't waste more time here and come down quickly to work."

"Understood."

"...Ugh. This is so frustrating, seriously."

Chung Myung groaned as if bugs were crawling on him, then briskly walked down the mountain. As his figure disappeared, the smile slowly faded from Jong Rigok's face.

"A burden indeed..."

His voice carried a heavy sense of resignation.

He knew. From now on, he would have to bear even more burdens. But Jong Rigok no longer had any intention of avoiding them. Because by doing so, he might avoid passing on the burden he carried to future generations.

It would be tough. But if he could overcome this hardship, his disciples could stand tall in the world without hesitation. They would be able to face each other squarely unlike before.

Before he knew it, Jong Rigok saw Chung Myung bounding down the mountain in the distance.

A slightly different smile formed on Jong Rigok's lips.

'Why so many follow him... I think I understand.'

Chung Myung forced him to be the sustenance for Southern Edge. Rather than letting future generations shed blood in resentment towards each other, he insisted that Jong Rigok carry all of that burden.

That was the duty of someone who stood above. But when Jong Rigok tried to abide by those words, he found Chung Myung trying to protect him instead. As if he wanted to be the one to provide sustenance.

A small laugh escaped from Jong Rigok's lips. Perhaps he should feel offended. After all, this young brat was treating the incomparably prestigious leader of Southern Edge like a rookie who still needed protection.

But Jong Rigok didn't feel any such sentiments.

The sky stretched endlessly blue above him, with clouds drifting like a single spot. Vividly, the conversation he had with Hyun Jong flashed back.

"...Raise your head, Sect Leader."

As Jong Rigok lifted his head, Hyun Jong gently nodded.

"While I am Mount Hua's Great Sect Leader, I am no longer a Sect Leader of Mount Hua. So, it is difficult to consider me as a representative of Mount Hua. However... if it is necessary for someone to respond to what the Sect Leader said, regardless of position, it is appropriate for me, who had the deepest connection with the Sect Leader, to do so."

He reached out and held Jong Rigok's hand.

"Please, let the atonement be for the world, not just Mount Hua. If you uphold what you couldn't do back then, no one will resent Southern Edge."

"...Great Sect Leader."

"Can you do that?"

Jong Rigok slowly opened his eyes.

Still... he seemed frustrating, pitiful, and naive.

If he were in Hyun Jong's position, he would have seized this opportunity to literally seize Southern Edge and tear it apart. Even if Hyun Jong demanded everything from Southern Edge, Southern Edge would have no grounds to refuse.

But Hyun Jong merely made such a request.

Below the blue sky, the mountainside of Southern Edge was visible. The familiar yet strange ridgeline kept blurring faintly.

"...Not bad."

Yes, not bad. Neither the Southern Edge he saw from here nor the sky spread above it. And... not even this mountain he was stepping on.

Perhaps even the world that future generations must live in together.

It seemed clearer than the world he saw yesterday, and a bit... gentler.