Chapter 1527: Now It's My Turn (Part 2)

The interior was dimly lit. In a spacious room, barely illuminated by a few lanterns, one person sat in the center.

With a shaved head, a face still untouched by age, and robes of crimson and yellow, it was evident that he was a monk.

Yet, the child's expression, softly chanting as if to be heard yet not, was truly solemn. There was a noticeable contrast between his youthful face.

"…Sabaha."

The lips of the child, who had been continuously chanting, slowly closed. As the tightly shut eyes gradually opened, the pupils were revealed.

Incredibly deep and dark eyes, seemingly beyond what could be expected from a child.

Those eyes focused on the wall in front of him, more precisely, on the intricate pattern drawn on that wall.

The Dharma wheel. Symbolizing the wheel of Buddhism [not sure], the emblem of the sect.

The monk, completing the recitation of the sutra, silently exhaled and opened his small mouth.

"You don't need to wait so anxiously."

At that moment, behind him, an old monk who had been carefully waiting outside the room entered. Seating himself slightly away from the boy, as if not daring to sit directly facing him.

"Master."

The old monk respectfully bowed to the young monk and spoke with a worried expression.

"Do you have any concerns?"

"…"

"It's getting late. Even though you are a master, your body is no more than that of a child. It would be a shame if you overexert yourself in cultivation and harm your body."

"…"

"Please remember, Master, you are the guiding light."

The young monk, who had been silent, nodded.

"I have caused concern."

"No, I just…"

"Even if the lantern sways, the Dharma does not. My cultivation is still shallow, like the flickering flame of that lantern."

The old monk fell silent. Shallow cultivation, seemingly a valid statement. How much time could a child, not yet fully grown, have spent in cultivation?

Yet, at the same time, it was completely untrue. Nowhere in the world could there be a monk with deeper cultivation than this little boy in front of him.

The reason was simple. This young boy was none other than the heir to the Great Buddha Palace, the Grand Abbot of the Potalop Palace.

The old monk said.

"You are merely recovering what was lost. Please do not be anxious. As before, and before that, Master, you will attain enlightenment once again."

In response to those words, the Grand Abbot, the Dalai Lama, offered a faint smile. It seemed to suggest neither affirmation nor denial.

"However…"

The old monk, the Panchen Lama, carefully observed the Dalai Lama's expression.

Upon reflection, the words spoken by the master were unclear. Even if he wasn't fully enlightened yet, the Dala Lama's cultivation was deep enough to be beyond comprehension.

What could possibly shake the Grand Abbot?

Reading the emotions from Panchen Lama's expression, the Dalai Lama spoke.

"I was recalling a brief encounter."

"An encounter…?"

"Yes."

The Panchen Lama, too, discerned the meaning from the Dalai Lama's vague words.

"Are you referring to the Taoists of the Central Plains?"

The Dalai Lama neither affirmed nor denied it this time.

"…No. You are referring to one of them."

Only then did the Dalai Lama nod subtly. The Panchen Lama furrowed his brows slightly.

'Chung Myung, was it?'

Memories of a young disciple they had encountered on the plains resurfaced. Among them, a particularly memorable young Taoist who referred to himself as Chung Myung.

He was undoubtedly not an ordinary person. His thorough cultivation, practiced throughout his life for duty's sake, was evident from his Dharma eye.

Although different from the Dalai Lama, there was something distinctly different about him compared to ordinary individuals.

That was perhaps why the Panchen Lama also vividly remembered their encounter.

'But…'

This, too, was according to the Panchen Lama's perspective.

The life he had lived and the life the Dalai Lama had lived were different. The Dalai Lama was a person yet also an enlightened being, and an enlightened being in human form. Therefore, the world seen by the Dalai Lama must be significantly different from the one seen by the Panchen Lama.

However, was his existence also special to the Dalai Lama?

"Master…"

"Is that so?"

"Yes?"

In response to an abrupt question, the Dalai Lama lowered his head in silence.

"He mentioned that it was only about recovering what was lost. Was that truly the case?"

It was a weighty voice. The Panchen Lama dared not answer and kept his mouth shut.

"I am who I am, but I am not me. And I am who I am and I am also not who I am."

"…Master."

"What I experienced once and what I gained won't be easily regained just because I experienced it. The more you seek, the farther and deeper the journey becomes, isn't that the nature of enlightenment?"

"My thoughts were shortsighted."

"People say you can achieve enlightenment if you don't repeat the foolish mistakes you made once."

"..."

"But, Lama, that means that my path is littered with things I shouldn't do. It seems to me every time I have to choose one. The numerous mistakes I made, the repentance leading to the bitter sea of human life…"

The Panchen Lama briefly recited a mantra while listening to words whose depth was difficult to guess.

The Dalai Lama said.

"Yet the reason I remain unshaken is because I believe everything ultimately leads to enlightenment."

"That's why you are the Master."

"What should one do if they cannot be like that?"

"Master…"

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

Six syllables flowed from the young Dalai Lama's lips. It contained pity, bitterness, sorrow, and a prayer.

["옴 마니 반메 훔" is the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" written in Korean transliteration. This mantra is a widely known and recited mantra in Buddhism, particularly associated with Tibetan Buddhism. It is often translated as "The Jewel is in the Lotus" or "Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus." Each syllable in the mantra holds symbolic significance in Buddhist philosophy. The mantra is considered sacred and is believed to invoke the blessings of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.]

He slowly closed his eyes.

'Why…'

There is no turning back.

The reason life is bitter and fate is sorrowful is that within its tangled threads, it is impossible to distinguish right from wrong.

At times, righteousness can feel like a noose around the neck, and at times, wrongdoing can be one's salvation. In the complex web of life, finding a path is incredibly challenging.

"Do not worry too much, Master."

"…"

"Didn't Master say it himself? He is like a torch, illuminating his surroundings by burning himself."

The Dalai Lama nodded. He hadn't found a better expression for that person.

"So he will endure it well, just like that. Although the paths may differ, he is still an entity seeking enlightenment. Isn't it courageous for someone to willingly burn themselves?"

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

The Dalai Lama recited the mantra quietly. Soon, a whisper-like sound began to flow from his lips.

Since the Dalai Lama had begun chanting, the Panchen Lama also rose carefully and left the room. His determination not to disturb the meditation was evident.

Alone, the Dalai Lama's continuous chanting was directed not towards the Buddhist realm, but towards a distant Central Plains.

'If burning oneself is one's own will, it is a self-immolation.'

A painful and arduous path, yet that was why it was considered the highest form of self-sacrifice. 

'But if it is not oneself igniting that flame… it is just punishment.'

A single tear rolled down his closed eyes.

'Ah, child.'

He only hoped and prayed.

May he not realize the meaning of 'relationship' too late.

May that relationship not become too painful for him.

❀ ❀ ❀

A dense fragrance spread within the old hallways.

Chung Myung, who had been silently gazing at the swirling fragrance while it emitted white smoke, slowly scanned the surroundings.

It was the ancestral hall, which he hadn't visited for a long time. It was the place where the memorial tablets of the past leaders of the Mount Hua Sect were kept.

"...I haven't visited often, as you know."

Chung Myung, who seemed to be trying to continue the conversation with a serious tone, scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat awkward.

"But don't say anything too harsh. It's not like I'm here to play around. You know how busy I've been with my Sahyungs lately."

In reality, there was no need to come all the way here to see the memorial tablets.

Because Sect Leader Sahyung was with him. Cheon Mun would prefer to stay where he was, rather than in a place where the tablets were.

Even if he were in the realm of immortals, his gaze would probably be directed towards him and the disciples, rather than the empty hallways of the Mount Hua Sect.

Even knowing this, Chung Myung didn't know why he had come here...Perhaps it wasn't because of Cheon Mun, but because of himself.

"Well, there's nothing special to say. I've done dangerous things more than once."

Chung Myung chuckled and approached Cheon Mun's memorial tablet.

He hadn't visited for a long time, even though he was staying nearby. Dust had settled on the tablets, making them appear faintly white.

Chung Myung carefully wiped away the dust on Cheon Mun's memorial tablet and gently placed it back in its place.

"If Sahyung were alive, he would definitely scold me, right?"

Naturally, the tablet remained silent.

"But this time, I won't hear such words. I tried doing things the way Sahyung said and messed up once. Looking back now, it wasn't always right to follow Sahyung's advice."

Chung Myung laughed out loud.

If Cheon Mun were alive to hear this, he would probably run towards him with a bright red face. While he was gentle with others, he was always furious when it came to Chung Myung.

"So, ease up on the nagging and try trusting people a bit. I mean, how old am I now? Only Sahyung sees me as unreliable."

Chung Myung, who briefly licked his lips, gazed intently into the air, as if searching for a blurry pattern with the smoke. He seemed like someone who, at the very least, expected some kind of response, even if it were just smoke.

However, his words ultimately continued without a response.

"Kaaaa! I know, too! It would have been better if I had done well early on. If I had done this much before, it wouldn't have been like this. So, even now, I'm running around with my feet on fire, living like this. I've experienced it once, after all. Anyway, this guy..."

Chung Myung, who had twisted his face into a grimace, gave Cheon Mun's memorial tablet a potato fist.

Chung Myung's face, which had been lively until then, gradually softened. A bitter expression was revealed.

He knew.

What is broken cannot be rejoined. Other than yearning, nothing can be done.

The saddest thing about regret is that, no matter how much you regret, nothing changes.

"I'll be back again, so until then... endure even if you're covered in dust. The kids are suffering like that, so ancestors like us should suffer together. We're going somewhere to get out of the rains and winds and eat well." [not sure]

Chuckling, Chung Myung turned away without hesitation. But before taking a single step, he opened his mouth again.

"Don't worry."

Now, at the end of his gaze, there were the Mount Hua pavilions outside the ancestral hall, beyond that Mount Hua, and beneath it, the countless people who had settled there.

Everything he had built was here.

The results of his efforts to avoid repeating past failures were here.

Something he had in the past, but had to lose without a trace.

His determination solidified in his words.

"This time... I won't lose them."

Chung Myung swiftly left the ancestral halls.

Only the lingering scent of incense remained.