Chapter 151: The End of Childhood (10)

Eunsong shook his head.

Myeonggon was the same.

In Myeonggon’s generation, the previous Sect Leader had been ill, so access to the Red Tile Pavilion had been strictly controlled.

And in Eunsong’s generation, Jeongyang had already become Sect Leader.

Jeongyang was a rather closed-off man, so he had ordered that no one be allowed to come and go from the Red Tile Pavilion.

“It is something like the Sect Leader’s storage room for miscellaneous items... You could call it his most ‘private’ place.”

“There is such a place?”

Eunsong asked back with a hollow laugh.

A storage room for miscellaneous items?

Surely he would not be inside a place like that.

Even so, he was supposed to be the young master of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains...

“Yes. If Myeongjeok and Eunbyeok ended up that way, then there must be something with Jeongyang as well, as their master and Great Grand Master.”

“Even so, would the Young Cult Leader truly be there?”

Even Myeonggon was skeptical.

But Jeonggang let out a hearty laugh, sipped his cooling tea, and set it down.

“That is the place with the greatest possibility. Jeongyang, that child, was always cunning...”

Jeongyang was his junior fellow disciple.

Jeonggang had been the Eldest Brother of those who were now elders.

And Jeonggang knew Jeongyang better than anyone.

After all, habits from the age of three lasted until eighty.

Jeongyang had always hidden important things in places where one would least expect him to hide anything.

He did things no one expected him to do.

And he knew how to conceal it all with sly, cunning skill.

And what that Jeongyang had kept hidden most secretly of all...

was his ambition.

Jeonggang quietly thought back on the past.

Once, in his youth.

There had been a time when he thought he knew Jeongyang well.

He had thought the man was clever and cunning, but not a bad person, and he had not believed him ambitious either.

He had merely thought of him as a sharp junior fellow disciple who, when given instructions, would use ingenious means to accomplish them...

That was all.

That was why he had handed him the Sect Leader’s position.

...I suppose I have no talent for leading people.

That conclusion came from his own nature.

With a single glance, he could tell what sort of material a person was made of.

At least when it came to martial arts.

It was a kind of instinct, and an eye for talent.

The reason he had brought in Eunsong and Eun Jeong was the same.

Whatever else might be true, their talent in martial arts was real.

As a result, Eunsong had become a martial scholar who reigned supreme when it came to interpreting and analyzing martial learning.

Eun Jeong had become the most outstanding young talent of his generation and raised Mount Hua’s name high.

But to the same extent, Jeonggang had not known how to cherish people.

In his youth, he had cherished only his fellow disciples and students who excelled in martial arts...

And he knew well enough that someone like him was not particularly suited to be Sect Leader.

That was why he had handed the Sect Leader’s seat to Jeongyang.

But he had never expected that, once Jeongyang became Sect Leader, the man would seize power in an instant and show himself as one who ruled over others.

“But to enter that place, we must draw the Sect Leader out of the Red Tile Pavilion.”

Myeonggon quietly pointed out the necessary fact.

Fortunately, that was something Jeonggang could do.

“Leave that to me.”

“Will you be all right, Great Grand Master? Your body is unwell.”

“Eunsong. I still have enough strength to walk and speak.”

Jeonggang drank the remaining tea, then began gathering the cups and kettle on the low dining tray.

Then he looked at Myeonggon and Eunsong and said,

“As you all know, I do not have much life left. So before I go, I intend to make this old, sick body and this handful of knowledge as useful as possible.”

“...Yes.”

“Once this matter is over...”

Jeonggang glanced at Soyak.

Then he tossed her a bundle of keys.

Soyak’s eyes widened as she caught it.

“What in the world is this...?”

“I may not be as bad as Jeongyang, but once one becomes an elder of this Great Mount Hua Sect, would you not expect him to have hidden something away?”

Jeonggang smiled.

Then he tapped the floor with the knuckle of one finger.

“When I die, open the locked door beneath this place.”

“...I do not want to hear you say things like that.”

Soyak lowered her eyes and muttered.

When I die...

Jeonggang was originally someone who should have lived at least twenty more years.

And she was the one who had stolen that time and opportunity from him.

“Do not think that you stole my time and opportunity.”

“...How did you—”

Because her inner thoughts had been seen through, Soyak’s eyes widened in confusion.

Jeonggang smiled as if he had expected exactly that.

“I have gained things because of you as well.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yes. Truly.”

Soyak, to be honest, looked as if she could not believe him.

And Jeonggang, Eunsong, and Myeonggon were not so blind that they failed to notice.

But the three of them did not scold Soyak.

They understood how heavy the burden in her heart was.

“Good. Then everyone should disperse now. I will call Jeongyang out sometime tomorrow, so you should watch for the right moment and enter. Do you understand?”

“Understood.”

Eunsong answered.

The first to rise from his seat was Myeonggon, followed by Eunsong and the third-generation disciples.

“Then I suppose I must stir up some trouble today. Is that not so, Master?”

“Yes, Myeonggon. I leave it to you.”

“Do not worry.”

Myeonggon gave Jeonggang a martial salute.

He was not doing this simply because they had asked him to.

Whether he liked it or not, Myeonggon had spent more than forty years alongside Myeongjeok.

...If Brother has ended up like Eunbyeok.

He had already heard about Eunbyeok.

About that man’s end as well.

If Myeongjeok was in the same wretched state...

Then he absolutely had to grant him rest.

*****

Myeonggon went to see the Sect Leader.

And Eunsong and the other third-generation disciples returned to Eunsong’s residence.

Normally, they should have trained...

But to be honest, neither Eunsong nor the third-generation disciples were in any condition to act “normally.”

“...My heart is truly troubled.”

Eunsong sighed, sat on the wooden porch, and pressed a hand to his forehead.

Cheonjeong stood in front of him and asked,

“Are you all right, Master?”

“...Yes. I am all right. This much will not break me.”

He smiled bitterly.

But to Soyak...

Eunsong looked somehow precarious.

It was hard to endure having the people around oneself whittled away one by one.

Although they had not been close, both Eunbyeok and Myeongjeok were people Eunsong had seen for many years.

In this world, there was not only affection born from fondness.

There was affection born from dislike as well.

And no matter how much one disliked someone, as Daoists of the same Mount Hua...

There was still a final attachment that came from belonging to the same line and community.

And on top of that, it was the Demonic Cult of all things...

Even when they heard that the Flame-Saber Emperor Ak Jupae had gone over to the Demonic Cult, it had been quite a shock.

Because no one had imagined such a thing.

Of course, the ones who had killed his son were Eunsong and Soyak.

They had expected him to fly into a rage for revenge.

But in that fleeting instant, for someone as significant as the Demonic Cult’s Left Luminary Guardian to appear...

and lure him away with false, honeyed words—

No, the very fact that they had not known the Demonic Cult was preparing to move on such a large scale was itself a mistake.

Judging by everything that had happened so far, it was true that they could not have predicted it...

But even so, fifty years had passed.

In fifty years, mountains and rivers could change five times over. Why would the Demonic Cult not be able to rise again?

“...Master.”

Cheonjeong called Eunsong, but Eunsong was swept up in the thoughts storming through his head.

With no other choice, Cheonjeong gestured for Soyak to come over.

Soyak came with wide eyes...

and called Eunsong in that clear, cold voice of hers.

“Master.”

“...Ah.”

Only then did Eunsong lift his head.

And he met the eyes of the two disciples looking at him right before him, along with the four disciples behind them whose gazes were full of worry.

“...Did you call me?”

“Master. If you only react to Soyak’s voice like that, I will feel hurt.”

“Ahaha... Did I? I am sorry.”

Cheonjeong already knew from experience.

There was something special about Soyak’s voice and gaze.

They were striking, distinct, cold, and sharp...

and there was some emptiness and hollow quality to them that one could not ignore.

It called a person back.

“How about going inside and resting a little, Master?”

“Yes... I suppose I should. I leave the children to you, Cheonjeong.”

“Yes. I will teach them well.”

Eunsong gave a faint laugh and rose from his seat.

He said that, but Eunsong knew very well that when he was not around, Cheonjeong would slack off moderately and let them relax.

But perhaps that was not bad either.

Soon, Mount Hua would be thrown into chaos...

And perhaps, in the worst case.

They might even find themselves crossing blades with the Young Cult Leader, who was borrowing Myeongjeok’s body.

“Then I will go in.”

Eunsong slowly closed the room door and went inside.

Cheonjeong turned back to the children and smiled.

“We should talk a little too.”

“Eldest Brother. Are you really going to do nothing but slack off?”

Cheongak asked with a snicker, but Cheonjeong shot right back at him.

Then he gestured for the children to come over.

“Then you may go train hard by yourself.”

“That does not sound fun...”

Cheonhwa and Cheonju, now apparently used to Cheonjeong’s ways, sat down on the edge of the wooden porch.

But Cheonjeong had not gathered the children merely to slack off.

“And when did I ever say I was going to slack off?”

“Then what are you going to do...?”

Cheongu asked with wide eyes, and Cheonjeong answered with a shrug.

“Let us decide our roles in advance. What each of us will do if things proceed to the worst possible situation.”